Odyssey

[ernieb]

My DW and I are considering booking the Odyssey for a 21 night Panama Canal cruise. This would be our first Seabourn cruise, however we are experienced cruisers. We are 3 star on HAL and have most recently cruised on Regency and Silversea. We would like information particularly about your experience on the Odyssey. How old is the ship and is she in good condition? How many restaurants are there and what type of food do they serve? We were very pleased with the food on Regency and hope the Odyssey will be as good. We would appreciate a venue for quiet music before and after dinner. Any information you can provide will be appreciated.

 

Thanks- Ernie

[princeton123211]

10 hours ago, ernieb said:

How old is the ship and is she in good condition?

She's about 10 years old and in pretty good shape-- I sailed with her on her inaugural year and in 2019 and they take very good care of her. I think with the updates they've made she's overall a better product now than when she was new. 

 

10 hours ago, ernieb said:

How many restaurants are there and what type of food do they serve?

There are several-- The Restaurant is what they call the main dining room and it is very good. Very similar type of menu to Cunard's Queens Grills-- a daily changing menu coupled with a fair amount of items that are available everyday. I would most likely say its New American with some French influences but it can live in a few different columns. 

 

The Grill by Thomas Keller replaced what used to be called Restaurant 2 and I think this is a big improvement. Restaurant 2 used to be a multi course gourmet tasting menu that was a bit of a drawn out experience. Turning into the Grill the room got a huge makeover and is very elegant with wood paneling and red leather. The emphasis here is steak and seafood and while it might not be as good as Keller's French Laundry, its as good as you would find in most finer dining establishments ashore. 

 

The Colonnade is the buffet for breakfast and lunch and a more casual restaurant for dinner. They have theme nights for dinner and the food is quite good. The main draw for dinner here is outside dining overlooking the stern. 

 

There is also a casual buffet by the pool that mainly serves lunch. I do believe they have a casual dinner service here but we have never done it. Lunch is salads, burgers, pizza, etc. 

 

We often use room service for breakfast and its well done-- white table cloths and a full set up etc. Overall you will find the food to be as good as Regent and Silversea and far superior to HAL. 

 

10 hours ago, ernieb said:

We would appreciate a venue for quiet music before and after dinner.

The Club is a multifaceted venue-- it houses a well patronized bar, lounge, music at night, as well as a very small casino thats tucked off to the side. This is the "late night" venue. The Observation Bar also has piano music before and after dinner and, being high at the front of the ship, is a nice place to sit and linger. 

 

10 hours ago, ernieb said:

Any information you can provide will be appreciated.

I much prefer the Odyssey class ships to their newer, larger cousins in the Seabourn fleet. There is a ton of personal room and some fun little nooks and crannies like the hot tub on the bow and the "hidden" pool and hot tubs on the stern aft of The Club that not that many people figure out about and you can often have pretty much to yourself. The marina that comes out of the stern and lets you do water sports and swim in the ocean off the ship is a lot of fun. 

 

She's of a very similar size to Silver Whisper and Seven Seas Navigator which we've sailed and I'm making my comparison on (I haven't sailed their newer ships). Odyssey is a bit more modern but they have toned down her more modern decor since she was new-- whats left is a nice balance. I find her less stuffy than Regent. The truth is its splitting hairs trying to compare them as they are all so similar.

 

I wouldn't hesitate recommending her-- have never had a bad experience on Seabourn.  

[wesport]

Our first cruise was a transatlantic on the Odyssey. Nothing but fond memories. Great food, engaging passengers, great service. I believe it went through drydock not to long ago to refresh the look. Would sail it again in a heartbeat. 

[ernieb]

Thank you both for the very helpful information. We just booked the Odyssey in April 2022 for a 21 day Panama Canal cruise. Really looking forward to it.