ODYSSEY *LIVE* December 18 2021

[chiguypaul]

24 minutes ago, clover18 said:

We will update when tangible info becomes available. I prefer to give real time info that is passed directly from ship board leaders like capt and/or cruise director. I won’t post speculation or rumors. The whole trip is a real disappointment to our family and probably to many others. 

What is your recommendation to others booked for next week?

[itsnotjustme]

The news says you have 55 positive cases on board.  I think my Jan trip is toast. 

 

Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas prevented from entering 2 island nations due to Covid-19 outbreak onboard cruise ship | CNN Travel

[wave2me]

Has any info been shared regarding the work positions of the crew members?  (I.e. front or back of the house)
 

 

[syesmar]

Thank you @clover18 for your updates! Best wishes for you and all onboard.

[clover18]

Good day to everyone out there in cruise critic world. No information has been given to us with respect to the positions that positive testing crew members are in. There is somewhat of a possibility that some infected people are involved with the shows, because both showgirls and effectors have been canceled for the week due to Covid. And replacement of that they’re adding an extra tap show. There’s absolutely no indication that next week sailing will be canceled but they are not giving any information about port stops next week.

 

We stopped at the next cruise desk to find out if people can still make a reservation for this coming Sunday’s cruise, and the lady told us that they are not taking NEW bookings on any cruises between now and January 16. 
 

I hope everyone has a nice Christmas. Off to another trivia game in a few minutes.

 

 

[thomasale]

Thanks for the updates on a fluid situation.

 

[chiguypaul]

21 minutes ago, clover18 said:

Good day to everyone out there in cruise critic world. No information has been given to us with respect to the positions that positive testing crew members are in. There is somewhat of a possibility that some infected people are involved with the shows, because both showgirls and effectors have been canceled for the week due to Covid. And replacement of that they’re adding an extra tap show. There’s absolutely no indication that next week sailing will be canceled but they are not giving any information about port stops next week.

 

We stopped at the next cruise desk to find out if people can still make a reservation for this coming Sunday’s cruise, and the lady told us that they are not taking NEW bookings on any cruises between now and January 16. 
 

I hope everyone has a nice Christmas. Off to another trivia game in a few minutes.

 

 

Hey @clover18, I saw that RCL is bringing in additional entertainment next week.  Are you planning on staying on for next week?

[flamingos]

This onboard credit of two days' fare - can it be cashed out in the casino?

 

[ticketsunlimited]

14 minutes ago, flamingos said:

This onboard credit of two days' fare - can it be cashed out in the casino?

 

Good call right there

[clover18]

Well we have decided to cut bait and cancel next week while we are still within the window of cruising with confidence. We don’t think the stress of wondering what’s going to happen at each port is worth it. Having been on the ship for six days now one thing we know for sure is that we would not book this ship again.
 

I hope that whoever decides to go next week has a great time and enjoys the warm weather.

 

peace. Merry Christmas!

[livingonthebeach]

1 minute ago, clover18 said:

Well we have decided to cut bait and cancel next week while we are still within the window of cruising with confidence. We don’t think the stress of wondering what’s going to happen at each port is worth it. Having been on the ship for six days now one thing we know for sure is that we would not book this ship again.
 

I hope that whoever decides to go next week has a great time and enjoys the warm weather.

 

peace. Merry Christmas!

 

Sorry your trip did not go well -- I fully understand that when one has their heart set on visiting a few ports and that is taken away, it can be very disappointing.  Hope your next cruise is much better!  Thanks for all your updates!

[chiguypaul]

2 minutes ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

Sorry your trip did not go well -- I fully understand that when one has their heart set on visiting a few ports and that is taken away, it can be very disappointing.  Hope your next cruise is much better!  Thanks for all your updates!

Second that. Thanks for all your updates.

[D4]

1 hour ago, clover18 said:

... Having been on the ship for six days now one thing we know for sure is that we would not book this ship again. ...

I'm curious ... why would you not go on that ship again?

 

I'm sorry about your cruises.

[barbeyg]

1 minute ago, D4 said:

I'm curious ... why would you not go on that ship again?

 

I'm sorry about your cruises.

Can't speak for the OP, but Quantum class is not for everyone.  We personally love it as much as Oasis class, for different reasons.  But, I know others who don't care to sail that class.  

 

Our favorite venue, 270, is on Quantum class.  That and the Music Hall is much better than the Oasis ships that have the venue.  But, as I mentioned, it isn't for everyone.  🙂

[vacationlover_mn]

So sorry for your bad experience 😞

[SeaHunt]

Oh I really feel for you OP. ☹️ I know it is sooo disappointing after making all your plans with happy expectations.

 

Glad that at least you can still look forward to a wonderful holiday time when you get home though, and hope that takes some of the "sting" away. 🎅

[danoconnl]

When you say the chairs are all taken ,do you men the ones around the pool, or every where(on the 2nd deck)?  one thing I noticed from pics is that there aren't many chairs around the pool with a strange set up.

 

Dan

[bajathree]

I was on Odyssey in Sept with 1000 passengers (sailing prior to ours had just only 500 something passengers) and it was amazing...one of the best sailings out of over 50 under my belt. Ship and crew was amazing. Never rode an elevator with anyone. Pretty much had the solarium to ourselves...maybe 10 people max total ever in the pools at a time and pretty much a personal hot tub every time you went in. Boy it didn't take long to say.....those were the days.

[oldplayer532]

19 hours ago, clover18 said:

Well we have decided to cut bait and cancel next week while we are still within the window of cruising with confidence. We don’t think the stress of wondering what’s going to happen at each port is worth it. Having been on the ship for six days now one thing we know for sure is that we would not book this ship again.
 

I hope that whoever decides to go next week has a great time and enjoys the warm weather.

 

peace. Merry Christmas!

thank you for your updates! Happy holidays and safe travels!

[syesmar]

@clover18

Thanks again for your updates, this is such valuable insight for those of us contemplating cruising again at this time. Stay safe out there and hope the remainder of your journey is a pleasant one.

Merry Christmas and peace to you, as well!

Edited December 24, 2021 by syesmar

[clover18]

Hiya cruisers! An update from the 13th deck. We got our travel agent to talk to Royal Caribbean about cruising with confidence program. Not having read the fine print closely enough it appears they will only give you future cruise credit and you have to use it before the end of next year. I would rather spend the $12,000 now rather than let royal Caribbean invest it for the next 10 to 12 months. So we’ve decided to stay! Yippee!

 

Someone asked what I didn’t like about the ship. Here are a few brief reasons I would not sail on odyssey of the seas again:

 

It is very claustrophobic. All of the shops and almost all the restaurants are in interior hallways. The Esplanade is two stories but everything is crammed into a single hallway. Unlike some of the other ships that have a wide walkway all the way down, this is missing that and it feels extremely tight as you’re trying to make your way from one end to the other.

 

If you don’t make your reservations for dining and shows on the first day You will be out of luck. We now know that for next week and plan to book everything as soon as they clear us to get back on board the ship on Sunday. This might seem like an obvious thing to take care of, but there’s a process of hooking up your phone to their Internet and if you haven’t already bought their Internet you have to do that too before you can start booking things. I suppose this is a minor complaint but still.

 

The pool deck is a funny layout. If you’re not into smoking you will have to keep away from the port side if you want to sit by the pool because the port side on that deck is the smoking section. Just makes the whole thing a little bit unpleasant if you don’t like smoking. The deck chairs are on both 14th and 15th deck, and they are laid out around the inner and outer perimeter between the Casitas. You can rent a Casita for the day, but keep in mind that it’s sunny up there and if you are hoping for shade you should bring some towels or something to cover up because unlike the Casitas on a CocoCay, these do not have any shades. 
 

As I said before, people come up early and reserve deck chairs so you just have to do the same thing even if you have a moral objection to doing so, because if you don’t, you’re not gonna get a chair on the pool deck. 
 

The bumper cars are fun, they let you run around for about three minutes and then they stop. The lines are incredibly long to get on the bumper cars so it’s a short-lived thrill at best.

 

Main dining room food is completely uninspired. They also seem to want you to eat and run. The wind jammer is, as I’ve said before, chaotic. There are lines to get in that stretch out to the elevators at peak times, and also you have to stop and wash your hands at the washing station. I have no objection to doing this but to wait in line to wash your hands is a little over the top. And as my husband said, after two weeks, you never want to hear the phrase “washy washy” again in your life. 

 

One exciting thing that has happened to us is that we won bingo yesterday! That was a real windfall! I’ll use that $829 to buy the drink package when we’re on board next week.

 

I just feel like the ship is large, but does not feel very inviting. A number of people have said the same thing. These are just conversations that you strike up while you’re in line for something or other.

 

And finally, with respect to  “distancing“ it is not happening in spite of what anyone tells you. People are lined up for everything and jammed up right next to each other . Whether it’s buying bingo cards, waiting for the bumper cars, piling into the hot tubs, or waiting to get into the restaurant, nobody is “distancing“ consequently you are going more likely than not to get sick with some kind of cold if you have any immunity issues. We have been lucky thus far and have not had any symptoms, but people are coughing and sneezing all over the place and you just can’t avoid it. If this makes you nervous, I would definitely tell you don’t come.

 

The people that work on the ship are really mostly nice for the most part and I tip my hat to them for the long hard hours that they put in every day. If it wasn’t for them, the ship wouldn’t be sailing. And I appreciate all They do for very little money. I plan to tip a few nice waiters and baristas on Christmas Day tomorrow.

 

Anyway if you’re coming on next week see you around the deck! If not merry Christmas and enjoy the rest of your year. Cheers!

 

 

 

 

 

[bajathree]

7 minutes ago, clover18 said:

We got our travel agent to talk to Royal Caribbean about cruising with confidence program. Not having read the fine print closely enough it appears they will only give you future cruise credit and you have to use it before the end of next year. I would rather spend the $12,000 now rather than let royal Caribbean invest it for the next 10 to 12 months. So we’ve decided to stay! Yippee!

 

 

That is correct...many people have been saying you could cancel or that they have cancelled with full refund under cruise with confidence.....NO MORE.

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

[Jimbo]

39 minutes ago, clover18 said:

Hiya cruisers! An update from the 13th deck. We got our travel agent to talk to Royal Caribbean about cruising with confidence program. Not having read the fine print closely enough it appears they will only give you future cruise credit and you have to use it before the end of next year. I would rather spend the $12,000 now rather than let royal Caribbean invest it for the next 10 to 12 months. So we’ve decided to stay! Yippee!

 

Someone asked what I didn’t like about the ship. Here are a few brief reasons I would not sail on odyssey of the seas again:

 

It is very claustrophobic. All of the shops and almost all the restaurants are in interior hallways. The Esplanade is two stories but everything is crammed into a single hallway. Unlike some of the other ships that have a wide walkway all the way down, this is missing that and it feels extremely tight as you’re trying to make your way from one end to the other.

 

If you don’t make your reservations for dining and shows on the first day You will be out of luck. We now know that for next week and plan to book everything as soon as they clear us to get back on board the ship on Sunday. This might seem like an obvious thing to take care of, but there’s a process of hooking up your phone to their Internet and if you haven’t already bought their Internet you have to do that too before you can start booking things. I suppose this is a minor complaint but still.

 

The pool deck is a funny layout. If you’re not into smoking you will have to keep away from the port side if you want to sit by the pool because the port side on that deck is the smoking section. Just makes the whole thing a little bit unpleasant if you don’t like smoking. The deck chairs are on both 14th and 15th deck, and they are laid out around the inner and outer perimeter between the Casitas. You can rent a Casita for the day, but keep in mind that it’s sunny up there and if you are hoping for shade you should bring some towels or something to cover up because unlike the Casitas on a CocoCay, these do not have any shades. 
 

As I said before, people come up early and reserve deck chairs so you just have to do the same thing even if you have a moral objection to doing so, because if you don’t, you’re not gonna get a chair on the pool deck. 
 

The bumper cars are fun, they let you run around for about three minutes and then they stop. The lines are incredibly long to get on the bumper cars so it’s a short-lived thrill at best.

 

Main dining room food is completely uninspired. They also seem to want you to eat and run. The wind jammer is, as I’ve said before, chaotic. There are lines to get in that stretch out to the elevators at peak times, and also you have to stop and wash your hands at the washing station. I have no objection to doing this but to wait in line to wash your hands is a little over the top. And as my husband said, after two weeks, you never want to hear the phrase “washy washy” again in your life. 

 

One exciting thing that has happened to us is that we won bingo yesterday! That was a real windfall! I’ll use that $829 to buy the drink package when we’re on board next week.

 

I just feel like the ship is large, but does not feel very inviting. A number of people have said the same thing. These are just conversations that you strike up while you’re in line for something or other.

 

And finally, with respect to  “distancing“ it is not happening in spite of what anyone tells you. People are lined up for everything and jammed up right next to each other . Whether it’s buying bingo cards, waiting for the bumper cars, piling into the hot tubs, or waiting to get into the restaurant, nobody is “distancing“ consequently you are going more likely than not to get sick with some kind of cold if you have any immunity issues. We have been lucky thus far and have not had any symptoms, but people are coughing and sneezing all over the place and you just can’t avoid it. If this makes you nervous, I would definitely tell you don’t come.

 

The people that work on the ship are really mostly nice for the most part and I tip my hat to them for the long hard hours that they put in every day. If it wasn’t for them, the ship wouldn’t be sailing. And I appreciate all They do for very little money. I plan to tip a few nice waiters and baristas on Christmas Day tomorrow.

 

Anyway if you’re coming on next week see you around the deck! If not merry Christmas and enjoy the rest of your year. Cheers!

 

 

IMG_3422.MOV  

 

IMG_3422.MOV 13.56 MB · 4 downloads  

 

 

After reading this, I would have jumped ship to another ship because of all the issues you just mentioned above. Take the $12,000 and book another ship in the future.

 

Also if your travel agent would have pushed for a cash refund you would have got it if your agent would push for it like others are reporting.

Edited December 24, 2021 by Jimbo

[clover18]

@Jimbo you are probably right but it was the night before Christmas Eve, and their office was closing early and having a little holiday party and frankly she’s done so much for us that I didn’t wanna push her time bank any further. We are fine. We are going to make the best of the situation and pray that there are no more disruption schedule next week. If there are, we will accept it as it comes. Gratitude is free and I’m grateful to be healthy with my family. Take care!

[Jimbo]

@clover18 You also could have your agent mention to rccl they you don't feel safe because protocols aren't being followed, that alone is reason to cancel the second leg. You are on the first cruise now, so you are well aware what is going on on the ship. 

Edited December 24, 2021 by Jimbo