At a look
- A scaled-back model of Royal Caribbean’s largest family-friendly ships
- Unbelievable onboard actions like skydiving and bumper vehicles
- Glorious meals with loads of free choices, in addition to specialty eating places
Odyssey of the Seas overview
Odyssey of the Seas is what you get while you mix the expertise and pizazz of Royal Caribbean’s newest mass-market vessels with a barely smaller measurement that pulls passengers for whom the largest cruise ships in the world are simply too unwieldy.
The 16-deck, 167,704-ton vessel, which carries 4,198 passengers at double occupancy, is just barely bigger than the road’s Freedom Class vessels. Nevertheless, it nonetheless manages to accommodate a number of jaw-dropping points of interest that different courses of ships haven’t got. They embrace a skydiving simulator, bumper vehicles, a technologically superior aft-facing lounge with 270-degree views and a large viewing pod that is suspended greater than 300 ft over the ocean by a robotic arm.
Odyssey of the Seas employs among the tried-and-true favorites from different, typically bigger ships, too, together with a mountaineering wall, laser tag, a FlowRider surf simulator and the robot-staffed Bionic Bar, which can make Royal Caribbean followers really feel proper at dwelling.
The vessel appeals to households, particularly when it dwelling ports in New York, which suggests it routinely sails nicely above double-occupancy ranges. On my voyage, the whole passenger rely was 4,732, simply 778 folks shy of the doable most capability of 5,510 folks.
Though Odyssey of the Seas is smaller than the most important ships within the Royal Caribbean fleet, it nonetheless feels crowded, notably on sea days. As a result of the vessel sails from the East Coast throughout a part of the autumn, winter and a little bit of spring, the climate could be chilly and even downright chilly on a number of days out of a weeklong crusing — usually the ocean days en route and on the best way again from the Caribbean or Bahamas. That always drives passengers inside, making already cramped lounges and public areas really feel much more packed.
I additionally skilled some points with wait occasions for eating room seating and repair.
Nevertheless, the ship does lots proper. Loads of every day actions, stay music and nightly exhibits maintain passengers busy along with spa remedies, health courses, shore excursions and different diversions. Plus, the meals on my crusing stood out — in a great way — from the fare I’ve tried on different Royal Caribbean ships. My journey companion and I made a degree of solely consuming on the free eating places — the primary eating room, the buffet, the Mexican restaurant, the pizza place and the solarium buffet — which makes the meals’s excellence much more noteworthy.
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This is what it is advisable to find out about Odyssey of the Seas, from cabins and eating to actions and pricing.
Odyssey of the Seas cabins and suites
As is the case with most Royal Caribbean ships, cruisers have tons of decisions with regards to cabins.
Accommodations span 4 important varieties: inside or interior cabins with no home windows, outdoors or ocean-view rooms with home windows that do not open, balcony cabins with sliding-glass doorways that open to semiprivate outside areas and roomy suites.
Inside every of the primary three sorts, variations embrace rooms giant sufficient to sleep three and 4 folks, in addition to connecting cabins. Connecting rooms are nice for households and good friend teams, as they’ll sleep as much as eight passengers and supply two loos.
Particular inside-cabin choices embrace Digital Balcony cabins that includes floor-to-ceiling screens that broadcast real-time views of the port or the ocean, making it really feel such as you’re in a room with a balcony. I stayed in one among these throughout my voyage, and I used to be largely unimpressed. Though the thought was cute, the digicam used for the footage was typically soiled, and it was such poor high quality that, at evening, the view was fuzzy, much like tv static.
Additionally, regardless of the display screen having quantity controls, the sound emitting from it was mainly nonexistent. It will have been good to have had some white noise.
Within the ocean-view class, along with customary outdoors cabins, barely bigger window-view rooms on the bow face ahead and supply vistas much like what the captain would see.
As for balconies, some variations include obstructed views, which may typically be booked at a barely lower cost than cabins with full-view verandas. Solo cruisers can get pleasure from their very own house with a dozen balcony cabins designed for a single particular person.
Cruisers searching for exclusivity and a bit more room can select from a large number of suites, reminiscent of a 350-square-foot Grand Suite, a 541-square-foot Proprietor’s Suite, a 696-square-foot Grand Loft Suite, a 975-square-foot Proprietor’s Loft Suite or a large 1,640-square-foot Royal Loft Suite.
Grand Suites are available each one- and two-bedroom varieties, with the latter sleeping as much as eight folks. Royal Loft Suites can sleep as much as six, and Proprietor’s Loft Suites have room for as many as eight. Plus, each kinds of Loft Suites have two tales, making them really feel a bit extra like flats than cruise ship cabins.
Odyssey of the Seas additionally has an array of junior suites, that are mainly balcony cabins with a bit extra sq. footage, reasonably than precise suites.
Moreover, the ship affords 38 accessible cabins unfold throughout quite a lot of classes, together with customary inside, outdoors and balcony lodging, Digital Balcony cabins and junior suites. These rooms supply wider doorways, extra sq. footage to permit for motion, ramped entryways, decrease closet bars and loo facilities like roll-in showers with benches, decrease bogs and sinks and seize bars.
Cabins are elegantly designed with a mixture of impartial colours, mild fake woods and nautical blue tones. Even probably the most primary supply king beds that convert into two twins on request, nightstands, vanities with make-up lighting, closets with loads of shelving and bars for hanging garments and drawer house. Each room has some type of sitting space, however that might be one chair, a settee or a very separate front room, relying on the cabin’s measurement.
Further facilities embrace a hair dryer, a small keypad-operated protected, a cellphone and a TV that gives a number of information channels together with ship-produced channels and a painfully small number of films.
Every cabin has its personal lavatory with an enclosed bathe, a conceit, storage shelving, bar cleaning soap for handwashing and a dispenser of all-in-one bodywash and shampoo mounted within the bathe.
Suites supply extra perks, reminiscent of bathrobes, higher-end Royal Caribbean branded toiletries, entry to particular embarkation and disembarkation lounges, entry to dine in devoted eating room Coastal Kitchen, luxurious bedding, in-cabin coffeemakers, free Wi-Fi and reserved seating in sure leisure venues. The costliest suites embrace the services of a butler (often called a Royal Genie), crew gratuities and complimentary alcohol packages.
Odyssey of the Seas eating places
Frankly, the free eating on Odyssey of the Seas was so glorious that I did not really feel the necessity to eat at any of the extra-fee eating places. That is uncommon on any ship however particularly on a Royal Caribbean one. (I normally discover the road’s eating to be a bit hit-or-miss.)
On the primary evening, I had dinner on the Solarium Bistro, which served delectable buffet-style Mediterranean fare as an overflow possibility for passengers with My Time Eating (which lets you eat any time between 6:30 and 9 p.m.) who did not have reservations. I additionally vastly loved breakfast, brunch and dinner in the primary eating room, which served up mouthwatering French toast, salmon, Indian dishes and extra.
Though the meals was glorious, wait occasions had been extreme for cruisers who had My Time Eating however who did not have reservations (which defeats all the goal of having the ability to present as much as dine when the temper strikes). It was widespread for me to face in line for half-hour for a desk. Bigger events typically had even longer waits, one thing made much more insupportable because of the warmth generated by large LED partitions that show animations close to the eating room entrance.
The hosts did their finest to seat me with the identical nice waiters — Kadek and Astrawan — each evening. However, on two nights, I used to be seated in a unique part and waited 20 minutes between programs. It took so lengthy that I needed to go away with out dessert as a way to make it to the present on time. After I arrived, the theater was overly crowded, and I wasn’t capable of finding a seat, including to the frustration.
Different free venues included the Windjammer buffet, Coastal Kitchen (which is unique to suite company and passengers on the highest degree of Royal Caribbean’s loyalty program), El Loco Contemporary’s pool deck Mexican, Sorrento’s pizza, Cafe Two70 (the place Rosita makes fantastic specialty coffees and Sophie serves up tacky, melty sandwiches), Cafe Promenade for pastries and finger sandwiches and Sprinkles for complimentary soft-serve.
Though I did not pay additional to dine at any of the for-fee eateries, I poked my head into all of them and took a take a look at their menus. Essentially the most notable for its quirky design is Wonderland, the place the eating room may make you’re feeling as in the event you’re visiting the house of the Mad Hatter from „Alice in Wonderland.“ It options menus that should be revealed with moist paint brushes, that includes a listing of curious molecular gastronomy dishes.
Different obtainable choices included the Chops Grille steakhouse, Izumi and Teppanyaki for Asian fare (together with sushi), Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar for vacationers craving Italian meals and room service, which levies a payment of $7.95 per order (apart from continental breakfast, which is free).
Based mostly on my experiences at these eating places on different ships, I would skip Chops (which constantly disappoints me) and Teppanyaki (which is gimmicky) and take a look at Izumi or Giovanni’s.
Odyssey of the Seas bars and lounges
As is typical of any Royal Caribbean vessel, Odyssey of the Seas boasts a plethora of bars and lounges, however some stand out greater than others. The pool deck social hub is The Lime & Coconut, a brightly coloured bar that serves up beachy drinks. The Schooner Bar, a line staple, has arguably among the finest drink menus at sea — attempt the Toasted Marshmallow Previous-Original — and serves because the venue for lots of the ship’s trivia competitions, in addition to piano tunes.
Music Corridor is a singular lounge with pool tables, music-related trivia and recreation exhibits, plus a cocktail menu whose drinks — assume the Raspberry Beret, the Jack and Diane and the Ice Ice Child — draw their names from hit songs. Stay music there’s typically meant for dancing, and this venue additionally serves as a nightclub on sure nights, together with the ’80s theme evening on my voyage. (On different nights, reminiscent of for the road’s trademark RED celebration, the nightclub scene is discovered at Two70. On Caribbean evening, the celebration is held below the celebrities on the pool deck.)
For a pint and stay music, you may need to head to the Crown & Compass Pub, the place you’ll be able to get pleasure from mellow cowl tunes from the ship’s resident singer-guitarist.
In case you’d reasonably have a chilly beer when you watch the sport, Playmakers Sports Bar, perched above the Seaplex sports activities court docket, is the place. In the meantime, the Bionic Bar is fascinating to observe, however do not be too caught up within the gimmicky nature of its robotic-arm bartenders. They normally find yourself sloshing your drink as they craft it, making it reasonably sticky when the cup lastly reaches you.
Price noting are Royal Caribbean’s zero-proof cocktails, that are tasty and comprise no alcohol. My favourite is the Blueberry Nojito, which is sort of a candy model of a mojito however with a blueberry twist.
Royal Caribbean sells drinks a la carte, or passengers can buy one among a number of beverage packages that usually supply financial savings to individuals who drink lots, whether or not it is bottled water, specialty coffees, soda or alcohol.
Odyssey of the Seas actions
Odyssey of the Seas does have a number of actions and points of interest you will not discover on different Royal Caribbean ships in several courses. Essentially the most notable is the Ripcord by iFly skydiving simulator. Watch a brief tutorial video earlier than donning a jumpsuit, helmet and goggles to attempt your hand at what appears like free-falling for 2 minutes in a large see-through wind tunnel. It is a enjoyable expertise that can, fairly actually, take your breath away. You possibly can attempt it free of charge on port days or for $50 per particular person on sea days.
Different unique-to-Quantum-Class choices embrace the Seaplex sports activities space, which is ringed with arcade video games and options bumper vehicles and different enjoyable actions; the North Star viewing pod, which rises greater than 300 ft above the ocean on a robotic arm for wonderful picture alternatives; and next-level expertise within the Two70 lounge, which runs each stay and recorded performances (do not miss the cruise director-led showcase).
On the primary stage, do not miss theater manufacturing „The Effectors,“ throughout which a workforce of 4 superheroes saves the day by music and dance amid jaw-dropping costumes and particular results.
Standout actions for me included a Identify That Tune gameshow, the place eight contestants tried to guess songs after listening to only a few seconds of them, and the Final Trivia Battle, the place workforce captains needed to run into the viewers to seek out solutions to trivia questions. Different pursuits you may see on the every day schedule embrace BINGO, arts and crafts, sports activities competitions, dance courses, stay music, pool video games and seminars designed to promote you all the things from artwork and spa remedies to jewellery and shoe orthotics.
That is to not say there weren’t some activity-related hiccups, although. Venues like Two70, the Music Corridor and the Schooner Bar had been typically so crowded for recreation exhibits, bingo and trivia on sea days that it was not possible to discover a seat in the event you did not arrive not less than quarter-hour early. There have been additionally points with seating for the early exhibits in the primary theater. It typically felt just like the lounges simply weren’t sufficiently big to accommodate the variety of passengers on board.
Additional, some occasions ran late or began early, which meant I missed among the actions I hoped to attend. One evening, I used to be disillusioned when an outstanding juggler’s present ran almost 10 minutes late within the theater, which meant I used to be too late to enroll to play grownup dodgeball at Seaplex by the point I received there.
One other time, trivia began a number of minutes early, which meant I missed the primary couple of questions. And, though „The E book: Seven Chapters, One Journey,“ an elaborate manufacturing present held in Two70, was visually interesting and spectacular by way of expertise, I discovered it troublesome to comply with. Generally components of it had been so chaotic that I did not know the place to look. Throughout different components, it dragged on with no exercise for what appeared an unnecessarily very long time.
One odd remnant of actions previous is the ship’s SkyPad — a large yellow and orange sphere that sits on the again of the vessel. It used to accommodate virtual-reality bungee trampolines, which Royal Caribbean scrapped in 2023, following a lawsuit from a passenger who was critically injured when his bungees got here unfastened. The sphere remains to be there however is now empty, apart from a number of lonely-looking beanbag units.
The ship additionally features a on line casino, three swimming pools (together with an indoor one within the adults-only Solarium), six sizzling tubs, a generously outfitted health heart and a spa with a sizeable menu of for-fee hair and nail companies, in addition to massages, acupuncture and different remedies.
Odyssey of the Seas itineraries and pricing
Odyssey of the Seas spends a part of autumn, all of winter and most of spring crusing to the Caribbean and Bahamas from Cape Liberty cruise port in Bayonne, New Jersey. Starting in Might, it repositions to Rome, from which it sails Mediterranean and Greek Isles voyages by the autumn every year.
On the time of publication, fares began from $740 per particular person for an inside cabin on a seven-night Bahamas cruise and from $1,056 per particular person for a seven-night Greek Isles getaway.
Odyssey of the Seas for households
Odyssey of the Seas is great for households, particularly these with children and youths. Along with the AO (Journey Ocean) children membership, which affords every day complimentary actions — assume video games, science experiments and humanities and crafts — for teenagers from ages 6 to 12, the road additionally affords a Royal Infants and Tots program, which caters to the youngest cruisers, ages 6 months to three years, for a payment.
Teenagers have their very own hangout areas, too, which function areas for lounging and socializing; this older subset of children, ages 13-17, has fewer scheduled actions and might come and go as they please. Late-night babysitting can also be provided from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. for ages 6-12 for $10 per little one, per hour.
Along with the children membership areas and actions, kids will love spending time on the Seaplex, a sports activities court docket space that hosts all the things from laser tag, archery, badminton and dodgeball to bumper vehicles. The world is ringed with arcade video games, and adults may have enjoyable watching from above at Playmakers sports activities bar.
Different household enjoyable contains the free mountaineering wall and FlowRider surf and boogie-boarding simulator, in addition to the Ripcord by iFly skydiving simulator, which is free on port days or $50 per particular person on sea days (reservations wanted). Arts and crafts, recreation exhibits, beanbag toss competitions, karaoke and an array of different family-friendly actions spherical out the agenda for all ages. For water infants, the Splashaway Bay splash space affords a few pint-size waterslides.
Odyssey of the Seas accessibility
All elevators and public areas on Odyssey of the Seas are accessible, that includes entrances with gradual inclines and sufficient hallway house for a 180-degree flip. One of many vessel’s three swimming pools — the ahead important pool — has a carry, and most deck areas have automated doorways. Moreover, the ship homes 38 accessible cabins in quite a lot of classes, and the road can present help at boarding and disembarkation.
Odyssey of the Seas backside line
Though Odyssey of the Seas felt a bit crowded at occasions, notably on its sailings from the U.S. East Coast, it provided nice meals, fascinating leisure and a enjoyable, energetic ambiance that is good for lively adults and households with children of all ages. Finally, the ship is a pleasant method for cruisers to expertise among the over-the-top facilities of the road’s largest vessels however amongst fewer passengers.
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