Cruiser Formerly Known As Cheapo Dad's Trip Report on Odyssey of the Seas Sailing to A Minus B Plus C Plus H Islands

[harryfat1]

After lunch, we walked south to finish up the rest of the Broadwalk that we couldn’t see while on the bike.  For the most part, the stores and restaurants are near the middle section where Margaritaville is.  There’s not as much to see at the extreme north or south end but it was still worth a visit just to see.

 

As the sun peeked out now and then, it became warmer after lunch and we noticed more people walking around than when we were there in the morning.  Not hot by any means at the low 70s but warmer than back home in December so can’t complain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

 

 

 

I appreciate these blue runners at various sections of the beach.  Makes it easier to walk on

 

 

 

Looking back up north at Fort Lauderdale.  More people swimming after lunch.  

 

 

 

Looking south toward Miami area

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 17 by harryfat1

[perfect match]

52 minutes ago, harryfat1 said:

I appreciate these blue runners at various sections of the beach.  Makes it easier to walk on

I certainly would have appreciated those blue walkways during our FLL trip just before my second hip replacement followed by both knee replacements. It felt like I was walking in quicksand. I was bone on bone in all three joints with little left to hold them in place. It broke my poor little heart to be unable to walk on that beach but it was so painful I just couldn’t do it. The romantic walk on the beach with DH that I was hoping for that evening wasn’t meant to be.
 

On a different day I did manage to get down to the water in a spot where the beach wasn’t quite as wide as where you were and go for a swim. That went well - until I tried to get out of the water and kept getting knocked over by the waves! I finally stopped laughing at my predicament long enough to get my timing with the incoming waves right and managed to get out unassisted. 😂  Ah, the memories! 🤣

Edited January 17 by perfect match
Typos, too many typos!

[KmomChicago]

5 hours ago, harryfat1 said:

Hi,

 

Thanks for the compliment and for reading another installment.  Yeah, we started cruising more lately (as it seems the rest of the world is cruising as well judging by the crowd and the high costs).

 

How exciting to go on an Alaska cruise.  We have done Alaska 3 times, north and southbound one-way cruises as well as a round trip from Seattle.  You can look at my Alaska Princess cruise pictures to have a preview of your upcoming cruise.

 

Although Alaska packing is a different animal compared to Caribbean packing. Lots more layers and especially in May, expect rain around Ketchikan so no need to pack shorts unless you enjoy the cold.

 

What is your next Carnival cruise?  We have the new Carnival Jubilee booked for this Christmas as we have not sailed on their new Excel class of ships.  So I might see you “over at the other side of the fence” on the Carnival boards 12 months from now when I write up that trip report.

 

We don’t have anything booked for any vacation of any sort after the Alaska cruise this summer. I’m actually not at all sure how many more cruises we will be taking after that.
 

Nothing they are doing wrong, just getting tired of travel in general, the hassle and expense of everything including flights, getting older, don’t like leaving my cats, appreciating staycations more lying around the house in total relaxation for free, and several other reasons.

 

My travel bucket list is fulfilled (I have visited Europe several times, China, and Peru) and the last 18 months or so, as soon as I book anything that requires a flight I notice I start dreading it rather than looking forward to it with excitement as I did in my youth. And then I am usually exhausted and slightly sick afterwards instead of refreshed. (I’m 57, not old, but not thirty something either).

 

I will enjoy traveling along with you in the future though, best of all worlds actually! All the visuals, none of the irritation or fatigue.
 

Due to a lucky twist of fate, we were on just the second commercial voyage of Mardi Gras, one of the first cruises after sailing resumed in 2021. That’s a whole story in itself, you know the kind, full of boring details about myself that I find fascinating and everyone else scrolls past, rolling their eyes as they go. It was one of our best cruises ever. 
 

Since you like them “big and round,” you will like the size if not the posterior shape of Jubilee (rather square-ish). As with Oasis class, the new Excel class elevates Carnival to a whole different level. It’s not just a bit bigger with larger spaces, it’s a really innovative way of laying out the whole ship with more free dining and entertainment options than you can easily cram into a single week. 
 

I will warn you that the staterooms are a little more “efficient” than I prefer (small). However like most cruises you’re in there just for sleeping and getting ready to get back out to enjoy the ship so it’s fine.
 

I would rather have a fabulous ship with a small bedroom than the other way around (which I had on Carnival Legend in a ridiculous Grand Suite just 4 months later, the Christmas cruise I mentioned earlier).

 

Legend was still a great experience with plenty of highlights and we enjoyed it very much but also confirmed our preference for the 150+ ton size and 2010 or newer ships that are gradually taking over. They are just fabulous so I have very high expectations of Ovation which may be my final ocean voyage.

[h20skibum]

On 1/15/2024 at 9:43 PM, harryfat1 said:

In the warmer days, I would imagine there would be tons of people at the beach and the area would be hopping.  During our visit, there were enough people (mainly tourists renting bikes or walking around) that came out later in the afternoon to keep it from being dead but not super crowded on a mostly overcast December weekday morning.

 

You are right that in warmer days, Hollywood Beach can get crowded.  We have been renting beach houses near the Ft. Lauderdale area to celebrate family time over the holidays for several years.  For Christmas 2019, we rented in the Hollywood Beach area, so all of what you were seeing and doing is quite familiar.

 

I remember pulling up to valet parking for Margaritaville restaurant, and getting that look from the valet as 11 of us got out of my SUV.  I think it was my clown car moment of how many people can you fit in that.  Yeah, not seatbelts for everyone, but grandkids were much smaller then.

 

So yes, the beach is crowded on a warm, sunny day.

 

[harryfat1]

22 hours ago, perfect match said:

I certainly would have appreciated those blue walkways during our FLL trip just before my second hip replacement followed by both knee replacements. It felt like I was walking in quicksand. I was bone on bone in all three joints with little left to hold them in place. It broke my poor little heart to be unable to walk on that beach but it was so painful I just couldn’t do it. The romantic walk on the beach with DH that I was hoping for that evening wasn’t meant to be.
 

On a different day I did manage to get down to the water in a spot where the beach wasn’t quite as wide as where you were and go for a swim. That went well - until I tried to get out of the water and kept getting knocked over by the waves! I finally stopped laughing at my predicament long enough to get my timing with the incoming waves right and managed to get out unassisted. 😂  Ah, the memories! 🤣

I admire your perseverance.  If it was up to lazy old me, I would never have gone into the water in the first place.

 

Yeah, those blue pathways make watching in the beach area like walking on a regular walkway. Do they get super hot on the feet in the summer heat as the sun warms it up?

[harryfat1]

18 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

We don’t have anything booked for any vacation of any sort after the Alaska cruise this summer. I’m actually not at all sure how many more cruises we will be taking after that.
 

Nothing they are doing wrong, just getting tired of travel in general, the hassle and expense of everything including flights, getting older, don’t like leaving my cats, appreciating staycations more lying around the house in total relaxation for free, and several other reasons.

 

My travel bucket list is fulfilled (I have visited Europe several times, China, and Peru) and the last 18 months or so, as soon as I book anything that requires a flight I notice I start dreading it rather than looking forward to it with excitement as I did in my youth. And then I am usually exhausted and slightly sick afterwards instead of refreshed. (I’m 57, not old, but not thirty something either).

 

I will enjoy traveling along with you in the future though, best of all worlds actually! All the visuals, none of the irritation or fatigue.
 

Due to a lucky twist of fate, we were on just the second commercial voyage of Mardi Gras, one of the first cruises after sailing resumed in 2021. That’s a whole story in itself, you know the kind, full of boring details about myself that I find fascinating and everyone else scrolls past, rolling their eyes as they go. It was one of our best cruises ever. 
 

Since you like them “big and round,” you will like the size if not the posterior shape of Jubilee (rather square-ish). As with Oasis class, the new Excel class elevates Carnival to a whole different level. It’s not just a bit bigger with larger spaces, it’s a really innovative way of laying out the whole ship with more free dining and entertainment options than you can easily cram into a single week. 
 

I will warn you that the staterooms are a little more “efficient” than I prefer (small). However like most cruises you’re in there just for sleeping and getting ready to get back out to enjoy the ship so it’s fine.
 

I would rather have a fabulous ship with a small bedroom than the other way around (which I had on Carnival Legend in a ridiculous Grand Suite just 4 months later, the Christmas cruise I mentioned earlier).

 

Legend was still a great experience with plenty of highlights and we enjoyed it very much but also confirmed our preference for the 150+ ton size and 2010 or newer ships that are gradually taking over. They are just fabulous so I have very high expectations of Ovation which may be my final ocean voyage.

Well, it’s good to take a break from traveling for a while.  Never say never as you never know when the travel/cruise bug will bite you and you will get the urge to travel again.

 

Given the high cost of traveling nowadays, it’s a prudent decision to hold off for a while if you don’t have a big bucket list to fulfill.

 

Yeah, the Excel class makes Carnival a less boring cruise line as they have been too conservative the past 15 years in not building the superships while others in the industry have built them.

 

I heard the cruise news/rumor today Carnival is looking to build 4 mega ships for $5B.  If that’s true, it would be an alternative to cruising as I’m not brand loyal.

 

I’m very familiar with the Carnival Legend cabins.  We were on the sister ship, Carnival Spirit, for 8 nights sailing to Acapulco in the old days before the drug cartel wars.  The boys were young then the 4 of us squeezed into the quad ocean-view-only cabin with them sleeping in the bunk beds above.  Back then I was a more true Cheapo Dad…

[harryfat1]

16 hours ago, h20skibum said:

 

You are right that in warmer days, Hollywood Beach can get crowded.  We have been renting beach houses near the Ft. Lauderdale area to celebrate family time over the holidays for several years.  For Christmas 2019, we rented in the Hollywood Beach area, so all of what you were seeing and doing is quite familiar.

 

I remember pulling up to valet parking for Margaritaville restaurant, and getting that look from the valet as 11 of us got out of my SUV.  I think it was my clown car moment of how many people can you fit in that.  Yeah, not seatbelts for everyone, but grandkids were much smaller then.

 

So yes, the beach is crowded on a warm, sunny day.

 

You are going to start dating yourself when you are referencing the old days of no seat beats required inside the vehicles…

 

Oh, yes, this is the Florida I had remembered even in December. Not the overcast sky day like the one we had.

 

I bet the valet parking guy was wondering if there are more coming out after 11 of you got out. Maybe a perfect dozen...

 

[Coralc]

22 hours ago, perfect match said:

I certainly would have appreciated those blue walkways during our FLL trip just before my second hip replacement followed by both knee replacements. It felt like I was walking in quicksand. I was bone on bone in all three joints with little left to hold them in place. It broke my poor little heart to be unable to walk on that beach but it was so painful I just couldn’t do it. The romantic walk on the beach with DH that I was hoping for that evening wasn’t meant to be.
 

On a different day I did manage to get down to the water in a spot where the beach wasn’t quite as wide as where you were and go for a swim. That went well - until I tried to get out of the water and kept getting knocked over by the waves! I finally stopped laughing at my predicament long enough to get my timing with the incoming waves right and managed to get out unassisted. 😂  Ah, the memories! 🤣

Isn't that a weird feeling? Walking in sand after hip replacements feels like your legs are getting sucked off. I can't do dry sand anymore. Wet sand is okay. 

 

And I know what you mean about getting knocked over by the surf! Quite the surprise, the first time it happened. Boom! I was down and clutching the sand as the wave went out. I stood up and was immediately knocked down again. I had so much sand in my bathing suit, I could have made my own beach. 

 

I asked my hip surgeon about it, because it was so unexpected. He said, didn't I mention that? We kind of destroyed your core muscles, when we put the replacements in. 

 

I said, No. And can I get them back with exercise? He replied, Hmm. No. Probably not. 😊 

[harryfat1]

A few more pictures and then we are done with Hollywood Beach.

 

 

 

 

The fenced-in area was a mall once upon a time from what I read online but closed a while back. This was the end of the wide pathway going south so we made a U-Turn to go back toward the middle to go back to Margaritaville and then go back to our hotel.

 

 

[harryfat1]

Another bike shop to rent from

 

 

This store surprised me.  I thought Florida was a more conservative state.  Didn't know they allowed a pot store to operate.  Back home on the west (left) coast, you see lots of these stores but didn't know FL passed the law to legalize marijuana. 

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

Few more pics of Margaritaville as we wait for our Lyft ride to pick us up.  With Lyft, you can save a few dollars if you opt for a later ride.

 

Showers mounted on the surfboards:

 

 

Singers in the lobby entertaining the guests.  Note the differences between a nicer hotel and the cheaper hotel we stayed in...

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

Made it back to our hotel and relaxed as we walked/biked the entire Broadwalk so we were a bit tired afterwards.

 

So from our hotel, we can see the Hard Rock hotel/casino from miles away. Hard to tell from afar but with the great Samsung phone's zoom, we can see more.  In late afternoon/nights, they lid up the outside of the rooms and you get a light show:

 

 

Zoomed in (not cropped or photo shopped)

 

 

 

The video shows the color changes:

 

 

 

At $600+ per night during the Christmas week, it was way above my budget but it was a “backup” plan to visit for the day if it was raining that day and not possible to go to Hollywood Beach, we would have gone there to check out the guitar hotel/casino area.

 

Edited January 18 by harryfat1

[Coralc]

I love your trip photos and commentary, Harry! There is something strangely interesting and compelling about seeing other people's vacation photos on the computer. 

 

When we first signed on to the internet in 1994, with Netscape on our Compaq computer, the first thing we looked at...was a stranger's vacation photos to Mexico. And then for several years, we received emails and vacation photos from movie director, Hal Needham. We didn't actually know Mr. Needham, but it was fascinating to see him and his family and all of the interesting places they vacationed. I did finally write to him and tell him that we were not the intended recipient. 😊

[harryfat1]

So, we just rested back in the hotel and looked at the various pictures we took for the day.  Decided to do a takeout from the Outback restaurant just next door to the Cuban place where we ate lunch the previous day.

 

Took out the phone and tried to place the order on the App and whipped out my wallet for my credit card but the card was not there. 

 

Damn!  Thinking back, I left the card at the Taco Joint at lunch when I paid.  I took the receipt but forgot to get the card back.

 

Not like I was going to go back to the restaurant to get it from our hotel.  OK. Emergency phone call to the credit card company to freeze/lock out the account and for them to re-issue me a new card to be sent back home after the vacation.

 

Good thing I realized I lost the card before sailing as it would that much more difficult trying to contact the credit card company while in the Caribbean.

 

As I always travel with multiple credit cards, just used another card and ordered dinner for a pick-up.  So off we went to pick up the food.  We saw significantly more people/families walking around that night as many arrived ahead of the cruise for the next day. 

 

As I posted previously, there are 6+ hotels in the area so lots of tourists need to be fed while in town.

 

More aggressive Florida drivers zipping along and not stopping for any tourists in their way.

 

 

Saw several families playing cards/eating at the hotel lobby as they are gearing up for their vacation.

 

This concludes the day 0 trip report as tomorrow is the actual cruise.  Oh, yeah, that’s why you are reading this – not to see us riding a bike on Hollywood Beach but sailing on the Odyssey of the Seas…

 

 

[harryfat1]

4 minutes ago, Coralc said:

I love your trip photos and commentary, Harry! There is something strangely interesting and compelling about seeing other people's vacation photos on the computer. 

 

When we first signed on to the internet in 1994, with Netscape on our Compaq computer, the first thing we looked at...was a stranger's vacation photos to Mexico. And then for several years, we received emails and vacation photos from movie director, Hal Needham. We didn't actually know Mr. Needham, but it was fascinating to see him and his family and all of the interesting places they vacationed. I did finally write to him and tell him that we were not the intended recipient. 😊

Thanks, Patti.

 

We have been sharing travel info/stories since my first Allure trip review back in 2014 when you would give out expert info on the various plants from my pictures.

 

It's easy/fun to look at another person's vacation picture as long as you are interested in the area/topic.  As @KmomChicago said, it's cheap and fun to watch other people travel as you get the benefits of the best pictures they choose to upload but none of the cost/work of being stuck in an airplane for hours and not falling asleep.

 

Especially in an open forum like this one, someone will always have something interesting to say and you get the Forest Gump's "box of chocolate" reference as you never know what you will get.

[perfect match]

1 hour ago, harryfat1 said:

I admire your perseverance.  If it was up to lazy old me, I would never have gone into the water in the first place.

 

Yeah, those blue pathways make watching in the beach area like walking on a regular walkway. Do they get super hot on the feet in the summer heat as the sun warms it up?

Harry, it wasn’t perseverance as much as it was my love for being in the ocean and the fact that I swim better than I walk! Swimming in the ocean is very definitely my happy place. You might think that since I live in Florida I’d have close but, easy access to the beach and the ocean. We live in Lake County, aptly named for the number of lakes you have to drive around to get anywhere you want to go. From our house it does take a certain amount of perseverance to get to the beach. In FLL we were staying right by the beach so as lame as I was  it was not going to stop me from getting into the ocean! 
 

Sorry, I don’t know if the blue walkways get hot. I never saw any blue walkways. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if they did get hot. The sand on most of our beaches definitely does get hot so I usually have some sort of beach shoes or flip flops to get me across the sand.

9 minutes ago, harryfat1 said:

 

 

 

At $600+ per night during the Christmas week, it was way above my budget but it was a “backup” plan to visit for the day if it was raining that day and not possible to go to Hollywood Beach, we would have gone there to check out the guitar hotel/casino area.

 

I had the same contingency plan to head over to see the Hard Rock Casino/Hotel on our last trip to South Florida. Like you, we never managed to make it there

[perfect match]

1 hour ago, Coralc said:

Isn't that a weird feeling? Walking in sand after hip replacements feels like your legs are getting sucked off. I can't do dry sand anymore. Wet sand is okay. 

 

And I know what you mean about getting knocked over by the surf! Quite the surprise, the first time it happened. Boom! I was down and clutching the sand as the wave went out. I stood up and was immediately knocked down again. I had so much sand in my bathing suit, I could have made my own beach. 

 

I asked my hip surgeon about it, because it was so unexpected. He said, didn't I mention that? We kind of destroyed your core muscles, when we put the replacements in. 

 

I said, No. And can I get them back with exercise? He replied, Hmm. No. Probably not. 😊 

I can totally relate, even to the sand in my bathing suit! I now prefer a two piece tanking over a one piece suit for beach days  because I end up with way less sand in my bathing suit! 
 

My first hip replacement was in 2010. The second one was and both knees were in 2015. I still do exercises on a pretty much daily basis to strengthen the muscles my surgeries pretty much destroyed. I have made what I consider to be pretty decent progress, but I’m certainly nowhere near as young or as strong as I used to be. I am still able to do a lot of things on my “bionic” legs that I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to do now. I had the surgeries so I’d still be able to get out there and enjoy living. Some days I’m better than others, but I keep at it.

[h20skibum]

5 hours ago, harryfat1 said:

At $600+ per night during the Christmas week, it was way above my budget but it was a “backup” plan to visit for the day if it was raining that day and not possible to go to Hollywood Beach, we would have gone there to check out the guitar hotel/casino area.

Hard Rock is a really nice place. Like you, a little rich for a stay, but we walked there to donate some money in their casino. 
 

 

buy some expensive drinks so we would feel ready for the cruise

 

 

Look at Neil Diamond’s 56 T-Bird

 

 

and look at all the features of this unique hotel/casino

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is worth the admission price for a one time walk through (same cost as a CC membership), although the extras (slot machines and drinks) can put a dent in your budget. 
 

Good thing you had back up credit cards. I do the same, just in case. 

[harryfat1]

18 hours ago, perfect match said:

Harry, it wasn’t perseverance as much as it was my love for being in the ocean and the fact that I swim better than I walk! Swimming in the ocean is very definitely my happy place. You might think that since I live in Florida I’d have close but, easy access to the beach and the ocean. We live in Lake County, aptly named for the number of lakes you have to drive around to get anywhere you want to go. From our house it does take a certain amount of perseverance to get to the beach. In FLL we were staying right by the beach so as lame as I was  it was not going to stop me from getting into the ocean! 
 

Sorry, I don’t know if the blue walkways get hot. I never saw any blue walkways. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if they did get hot. The sand on most of our beaches definitely does get hot so I usually have some sort of beach shoes or flip flops to get me across the sand.

I had the same contingency plan to head over to see the Hard Rock Casino/Hotel on our last trip to South Florida. Like you, we never managed to make it there

Well, it still takes perseverance to go from your house to the beach and then want to be in the water.  The path of least resistance is to just stay home due to surgeries and not go outside but you didn’t do that, so I still applaud you for the effort.

 

Yeah, the hotel is so large that many people would put it down on their list to pay a visit if the schedule allows.  But most of us working folks have only time for a 1-night pre-cruise at FLL area so it’s not always possible to see the other sites. 

 

Sometimes we eke out an extra day out of our precious vacation bank to be there an extra day but the Fort Lauderdale area has enough things to see in place of the Guitar Hotel

 

[harryfat1]

13 hours ago, h20skibum said:

Hard Rock is a really nice place. Like you, a little rich for a stay, but we walked there to donate some money in their casino. 
 

 

buy some expensive drinks so we would feel ready for the cruise

 

 

Look at Neil Diamond’s 56 T-Bird

 

 

and look at all the features of this unique hotel/casino

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is worth the admission price for a one time walk through (same cost as a CC membership), although the extras (slot machines and drinks) can put a dent in your budget. 
 

Good thing you had back up credit cards. I do the same, just in case. 

Mark,

 

Very nice pictures! Thanks for sharing.  It looks like a very nice to walk around and say “wow” and take a picture at many sites.  Although I don’t think CFKACD would have any place to eat or even just get a cup of coffee at this fancy place.

 

A basic room in the hotel “starts” at $650 per night so it’s not within most people’s budget.  And they don’t even serve me the cheapo breakfast or pick me up at the airport with a  free shuttle at this price…

 

Will put this hotel on the “to visit” list next time we are in town for a cruise just to see it in person of the giant guitar. 

 

Next cruise in the area, I might venture further inland at the suburbs around the Planation area as those hotels are even more decently priced than Dania Beach although the shuttle to get there will eat up some of the savings

 

[harryfat1]

Day 1:

 

For me, day 1 of any cruise is easily my favorite as we finally get to board the ship we have been researching for months, and exploring the ship/sail away is always an exciting event.  For some people, their favorite days are day 2 and onward where they can relax by the pool/solarium but that’s not our preference. 

 

The first picture of the morning is the sign at the hotel elevator talking about their free breakfast.

 

 

As their second elevator was out of order, catching an empty elevator was challenging.  Thankfully we were at the highest floor (6) so we were almost always ensured to have an empty elevator going down at the start.

 

 

Breakfast time was a busy time as many families were up and getting something to eat before going on their cruises.

 

 

Simple food.  Nothing to write home about but it’s included in the hotel cost and for families on a budget, these hotels are extremely popular

 

 

[harryfat1]

As the lobby area was full, we decided to take our breakfast outside and ate there along with other families who couldn’t find a place to sit inside.

 

 

 

While eating breakfast, I completed the health questionnaire for the family on the RCI app and watched the mandatory muster drill video.

[harryfat1]

They had 8 ships in town that day with 23,000+ people trying to get off the ships and another 23,000+ people like us trying to board so Port Everglades will be one busy place.

 

 

Looked up the Port Everglades webcam and saw the Odyssey docked there waiting for us. Forwarded the info to friends and family back home so they could watch us sail away.

 

 

[harryfat1]

I like the Grinch they had in the hotel lobby.  All the kids love them. 

 

I forgot to video it but what you do is smack the Grinch on the head and he will start singing the famous “Mr. Grinch” song. So we constantly heard that song during breakfast time as all the kids were there abusing the poor guy in smacking him constantly…

 

Almost felt like calling an 800 number to report Grinch being abused...