Odyssey of the Seas Celebration Proves Cruising is Back

Royal Comeback 3 — Northstar dome rises over Odyssey of the Seas deck --Photo by Wallace Immen

So good, so good, so good.

As the bouncy refrain of Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline: Good times never felt so good filled the two- level atrium of Odyssey of the Seas, guests spontaneously waved their arms in the air and enthusiastically sang out how they felt.

Crew members joined hands and danced. Yes, it really does feel so good to be back cruising. It highlights the theme of this cruise: It’s the Royal Caribbean Comeback.

It does feel like the good old days. Once we’re on board, the masks can come off and after a year and a half that we couldn’t go anywhere, suddenly we could party, visit new places and meet new faces. While the crew remain masked even though they are fully vaccinated and are tested regularly, they proudly wear buttons with their unmasked faces with big smiles proudly proclaiming “this is the real me.”

We’re here for an even bigger celebration: the christening of Royal Caribbean’s newest ship that’s the biggest and most entertainment and restaurant laden of its class.

“In this last year, the word Odyssey has become more than the name of the ship. It represents the Odyssey we’ve experienced together as a cruise line and as an industry,” said Royal Caribbean International president and CEO Michael Bayley at a gala naming ceremony.

Odyssey godmother Erin Brown flanked by Richard Fain and Michael Bayley –Photo by Wallace Immen

The ship’s Godmother Erin Brown is a Bahamian para-triathlete and advocate for people living with disabilities, working to inspire others in the community to overcome adversity. She became a champion athlete despite losing a leg to bone cancer, lending her the nickname “Bionic .” She launched the traditional giant bottle of Champagne against the hull of the ship along with a blessing for the safety and happiness of all who sail aboard the Odyssey of the Seas.

Impressive fireworks follow and now it’s time to explore the ship. And there’s a lot to like.

For starters, the cabins are spacious with more storage space that I’ve seen on any popularly priced ship. A cabinet with five big drawers, two full-length closets–one with plenty of shelf space and more storage in overhead bins that would in the past held the life vests. On this ship, the life vests are located in compartments at the muster stations.

The lifeboat drill is a thing of the past, instead of a long wait on deck to get the briefing, you watch a video in your room as you arrive and then make you way to the muster station to have your card scanned and acknowledge you’ve seen the video. But seriously, do watch it, because even if you’ve seen lifeboat drills a thousand times before it’s important to refresh your knowledge based on the layout of a ship this large.

Lifelike sculpture at a pool in the Solarium as guests toast Odyssey of the Seas–Photo by Wallace Immen

My first stop and new on Odyssey is the Lime and Coconut pool bar that mixes up exclusive tropical drinks at a pool area featuring a lively multi-colored Caribbean vibe. Then it’s time for a snack at the bistro in the Solarium with its cheeky pool sculpture.

Entertainment options could fill an entire week. Among ones exclusive to this ship are Zone Zero, a complimentary virtual reality experience for up to four guests at a time in which players to put on virtual reality headsets and choose an avatar and work together to combat evil invaders and complete the mission they’ve been given. The ship is also only one of four Royal Caribbean ships with VR/bungee trampoline-based Sky Pad.

Also new in the Two/70 theater is The Book, an intriguing musical with the subtitle Seven Chapters, One Adventure.

There’s also impressive touch-free tech. Elevator buttons work without even touching them and energy saving lighting in the hallways dim at night until someone enters the hall and then brighten to lead the way to your room.

Among the new restaurant options is Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen that first debuted on the amplified Freedom of the Seas, but since that ship only offered one sailing before the cruise industry shutdown due to the global health crisis, guests on Odyssey of the Seas are still among the first to try out this new concept.