LIVE from Odyssey 1/6/24 8-night Southern Caribbean

[Betsynh]

Only fifteen minutes left before we head for the hotel-sponsored pier shuttle ($15pp) so thought I’d start writing early… arrived in FLL two days ago to ensure we missed any snowstorms. Landed at 6:30pm and the airport was jammed. Waited about 40 minutes for the free Crowne Plaza shuttle—I was almost ready to give up and take a cab since so many people were also waiting. Not sure “free” was worth the wait. Had a great couple of days exploring the area with Water Taxi and caught a Broadway show in Miami last night. Our check-in time is 2pm (I forgot to complete our check in when it became available), but catching a 10:30am shuttle hoping we’re not made to wait. After paying $30 for the shuttle, I checked Uber and it would’ve been less than $13 for both of us… lesson learned.

 

No issue getting on early! Checked in super fast (it’s a barcode on our set sail pass) and we were ushered to a seating area to wait. By 11:30am we were on the ship. Although a staff member said that the MDR was open for lunch, when we arrived it was only for Key guests, unless we wanted to incur an extra charge. The Windjammer was still pretty empty, so had a lovely lunch overlooking the harbor. I’m gluten free and was able to have a GF penne pasta dish and Caesar salad—delicious.

 

This ship is so tropical! Haven’t done a full tour yet, but the pool deck is very bright and colorful with lots of striped basket loungers everywhere. More to come… too cheap to buy the Wifi having the free Diamond day, so we’ll see how that goes! Stay tuned!

 

 

 

 

[Betsynh]

[Sunshine3601]

Nice!    Hope you have a great cruise with nice weather.   8-night sailings are so much better than 7 nights🤩   Bon Voyage

[Betsynh]

Cabins were available starting at 2pm and our luggage was already waiting down the hall. Plenty of cabinets and drawers for two of us. Spent an enjoyable afternoon relaxing/snoozing in the Solarium. The Solarium Bistro was open for lunch and had plenty of inside seating. Toured the ship as we were preparing to depart Port Everglades — she’s beautiful and not too complicated to find our way around. Decks 3, 4 & 5 have most shops and venues while 14 and above are sports and activities. We’re on deck 13 forward, so an easy hop to the WJ and Solarium/pool areas.

 

I was thrown for a loop at dinner (MDR traditional dining at 5:30pm) with the recent (?) menu change that no longer indicates what items are gluten-free. It used to be so easy ordering. Hubby is sure that it’s because they can make most anything GF nowadays… I’m not so sure. There is also no “classic” menu anymore, and they appear to offer fewer options overall. We’ve mostly sailed Celebrity in recent years, so this was completely new to me and somewhat disconcerting. They did have me order tomorrow’s meal at the end of dinner. I’m addicted to Royal’s flourless chocolate cake and asked our waiter if there was any chance the chef could make one. He seemed confused about what I was asking, so I left it as “surprise me”. I’m not holding my breath, but will be extremely excited if something close appears during this trip.

 

It was also a little strange that we were two people placed at a 6-person table… and were joined a little later by a couple in their 80’s. They were very friendly and chatty, but no opportunity for a romantic dinner for two if we eat in the MDR all week which was our original

plan… hmmmm...

 

Tonight was a hilarious comedian at 8pm and from there we bounced to the Schooner Bar for a good pianist that sang a fun set. We’re picky about pianists and he gets two thumbs up! Ran into a strange glitch that someone used two of our 8 complimentary diamond drink vouchers (for the two of us) in a bar we didn’t go to. I flagged it with Guest Services. It doesn’t matter today since we’re in for the night, but it will be annoying if it happens again. I overheard the singer in the Crown and Anchor Pub as I walked to Guest Services and he sounded great… so far I’m really hopeful that the musicians/singers will be great this week, especially with 4 sea days. Stay tuned!

[Betsynh]

A couple of interesting tidbits — they no longer provide a daily Compass in your cabin, but they are available on request. Our steward is now leaving us one daily. The app is great for scheduling events, but I’ve yet to see info about the little extras on the app. The most recent Cruise Compass talked about the ability to check your luggage straight through to your flight for $29pp as long as you reserve by day 4… if you’re only the app, not sure how to learn of that great benefit. Our flight home is 15 minutes too early to participate, but we’ll see if they allow it anyway…

 

They also only service our cabin once per day! The steward asked about a morning or evening preference and we gave him the choice. He said most people wanted morning, so we’re going with evening. We’ve got a standing 5:30pm MDR reservation, so it works for us… we’re in a balcony on deck 13. Not sure if the suites are still twice daily.

 

We enjoyed breakfast in the Solarium Bistro on our first morning — impressed they had an omelette station, french toast, waffles and a variety of pancakes… many delicious items with a relaxed vibe.   I think it runs 7:30am to 10am.

[Betsynh]

Coco Cay — this was our first visit to Coco Cay since the massive renovation. It was great to dock at a pier and the LIberty was in port with us. There’s a tram stop right off the ship exit which can shuttle you to the island tram, which we took to get the lay of the land. We had zero plans for the morning, so hopped off at Chill Beach. That area is home to the Shore Excursion hut, restrooms, floating mat and kayak rental, a couple of small bars and the giant buffet spot for lunch. I think it was basically the old, primitive Coco Cay with updated picnic tables and decor. We found plenty of shade (it was deserted at 9:15-ish) so we had our pick of chairs and palm trees. We also had a nice nap in one of the multiple hammocks set up in the shade. A very nice morning indeed!

 

The lunch buffet was a taco bar with corn or flour tortillas, so I was fine with gluten-free options. They also had a soft serve ice cream spot (bring a cup from the water station and spoon from the buffet if you don’t want the cone). Yum x 2!

 

The highlight of the day was supposed to be 2pm Swimming with Pigs off-island — a silly bucket list lark — but after light showers on and off all morning, the wind seriously picked up and seas got really choppy so it was canceled. The tram line was massively long to get back to the ship, and it turned out to only be a 7-minute walk down the red brick pathway to get back to the ship. (Remember the days when there were no trams? Easy peasy!) We saw a staff member kayaking in the lagoon to rescue a passengers fancy beach hat! Great job Royal! That was above and beyond!

 

We attempted to warm up in a hot tub after our return, but every one was massively crowded, so took a dip in the main pool and then again in the Solarium pool. No chairs to be had and it was really noisy, so went back to the cabin for a hot shower.

[Betsynh]

[Betsynh]

Did a little exploring before dinner to find some nice spots to spend our sea day on day 3 and stopped in for a pre-dinner glass of wine. Lo and behold, we sat next to the one other person on our CC Roll Call that engaged in pre-cruise conversation! It was lovely to meet he and his wife, and we wound up sharing a table at the evening piano bar sing-along with Doug Berti. Fun stuff!

 

We later popped down to the Crown and Compass and listened to a set with Bryan James. Great voice, fun vibe and shared a table with a lovely couple from just north of Halifax.

 

Tonight was also our night to see The Book. What a feast for the eyes and senses. After a big dinner and that glass of wine, though, I dozed off during some of the early parts so was a little lost about the theme. Two70 is definitely a cool place to experience, so I’d recommend going, but maybe NOT on a full stomach. We zipped to the front of the ship to catch the 8pm Tony Tillman show, a mix of singing, comedy and the orchestra. He promised fun and by the end, most of us were on our feet singing and clapping. Right after that ended, the piano bar was starting. I really liked how the entertainment flowed without lots of dead time in between opportunities. Good job Royal!

[Betsynh]

Today is day 3 - sea day

 

Attended the loyalty event this morning in Two70 and the Captain indicated there are 4797 passengers on board. We’ve still been able to find quiet nooks and crannies so far. The Crown Lounge Concierge had a gluten-free bagel waiting this morning for which I am eternally grateful. Hubby went to the fitness center planning to do the RYDE bike challenge ($), but opted to use one of their stationary bikes instead. The Crown Lounge was surprisingly quiet at 8:45am so I hung out reading prior to the 10:15am loyalty event enjoying one of their specialty coffees. We actually have a similar machine at my workplace (Royal has the WMF1500+ while my hospital coffee shop the 5000s+.) There’s no official mocha setting, but there’s packets of hot chocolate you can stir into your espresso and then add a cappuccino and milk to create a decent drink if you’re a mocha fan… lol…

 

We’re currently parked outside on deck 5 starboard in a bump out between the life boats for a glorious giant balcony. Occasionally a smoker comes by… but the view and lovely breeze is worth it. So far, this is the best kept secret space on the ship. Although we have a deck 13 balcony, there’s quite a large overhang so this deck 5 area allows for a much nicer view of the water.

 

Time to cave in and start using my 24-hours of free Wifi! Hope these tips are helpful!

[ajtaylor29]

38 minutes ago, Betsynh said:

Cabins were available starting at 2pm and our luggage was already waiting down the hall. Plenty of cabinets and drawers for two of us. Spent an enjoyable afternoon relaxing/snoozing in the Solarium. The Solarium Bistro was open for lunch and had plenty of inside seating. Toured the ship as we were preparing to depart Port Everglades — she’s beautiful and not too complicated to find our way around. Decks 3, 4 & 5 have most shops and venues while 14 and above are sports and activities. We’re on deck 13 forward, so an easy hop to the WJ and Solarium/pool areas.

 

I was thrown for a loop at dinner (MDR traditional dining at 5:30pm) with the recent (?) menu change that no longer indicates what items are gluten-free. It used to be so easy ordering. Hubby is sure that it’s because they can make most anything GF nowadays… I’m not so sure. There is also no “classic” menu anymore, and they appear to offer fewer options overall. We’ve mostly sailed Celebrity in recent years, so this was completely new to me and somewhat disconcerting. They did have me order tomorrow’s meal at the end of dinner. I’m addicted to Royal’s flourless chocolate cake and asked our waiter if there was any chance the chef could make one. He seemed confused about what I was asking, so I left it as “surprise me”. I’m not holding my breath, but will be extremely excited if something close appears during this trip.

 

It was also a little strange that we were two people placed at a 6-person table… and were joined a little later by a couple in their 80’s. They were very friendly and chatty, but no opportunity for a romantic dinner for two if we eat in the MDR all week which was our original

plan… hmmmm...

 

Tonight was a hilarious comedian at 8pm and from there we bounced to the Schooner Bar for a good pianist that sang a fun set. We’re picky about pianists and he gets two thumbs up! Ran into a strange glitch that someone used two of our 8 complimentary diamond drink vouchers (for the two of us) in a bar we didn’t go to. I flagged it with Guest Services. It doesn’t matter today since we’re in for the night, but it will be annoying if it happens again. I overheard the singer in the Crown and Anchor Pub as I walked to Guest Services and he sounded great… so far I’m really hopeful that the musicians/singers will be great this week, especially with 4 sea days. Stay tuned!

You can ask to be seated at a two-top for dinner and i'm sure they'll accommodate your request!

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

45 minutes ago, Betsynh said:

I was thrown for a loop at dinner (MDR traditional dining at 5:30pm) with the recent (?) menu change that no longer indicates what items are gluten-free. It used to be so easy ordering.

Oh this is not encouraging. Even when it was labeled, there were times things were mis-labeled (for example, a dish with orzo as its base was listed as safe - and my server argued with me that it was perfectly fine. nope...orzo is NOT safe)

 

Does the Windjammer still have its gluten-free pod? That may end up being where I eat all my meals on the Anthem in February.

[LuCruise]

1 hour ago, ajtaylor29 said:

You can ask to be seated at a two-top for dinner and i'm sure they'll accommodate your request!

We always request our MDR dining preference at booking time.  We simply ask for a table for just ourselves and never had an issue.  This is true whether it's just DH and me for a table for two, or if we are with our kids for a table for four.

[Betsynh]

1 hour ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

Oh this is not encouraging. Even when it was labeled, there were times things were mis-labeled (for example, a dish with orzo as its base was listed as safe - and my server argued with me that it was perfectly fine. nope...orzo is NOT safe)

 

Does the Windjammer still have its gluten-free pod? That may end up being where I eat all my meals on the Anthem in February.

I haven’t fully explored the WJ but the GF pasta was prepared at the generic pasta station. Sorrentos will still do GF pizza in 10 minutes. There’s a premade Caesar salad area (add your own dressing). They fetched me one without croutons. I saw a couple of GF desserts but more crème brûlée or flan rather than rich chocolate… Cafe Promenade had Udi’s GF chocolate chip cookies. I’m sensitive vs celiac so can’t speak about cross contamination but so far so good. 

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

5 minutes ago, Betsynh said:

I haven’t fully explored the WJ but the GF pasta was prepared at the generic pasta station. Sorrentos will still do GF pizza in 10 minutes. There’s a premade Caesar salad area (add your own dressing). They fetched me one without croutons. I saw a couple of GF desserts but more crème brûlée or flan rather than rich chocolate… Cafe Promenade had Udi’s GF chocolate chip cookies. I’m sensitive vs celiac so can’t speak about cross contamination but so far so good. 

Thanks. Mine's a wheat allergy - but it only shows up as a little wheezing - so cc is not a huge issue for me either. I have previously only been on Radiance-class (all but Serenade) and they all had one pod that was specified Gluten-Free in the WJ.

 

And yeah...sadly it seems that most cruise lines think we don't want to have to chew our desserts with the vast majority being flan, pot de creme, or creme brulee. One time my server brought me a flourless chocolate cake and I almost started crying I was so happy to have something with substance. Good to know about where to find GF cookies.

[Betsynh]

9 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

Thanks. Mine's a wheat allergy - but it only shows up as a little wheezing - so cc is not a huge issue for me either. I have previously only been on Radiance-class (all but Serenade) and they all had one pod that was specified Gluten-Free in the WJ.

 

And yeah...sadly it seems that most cruise lines think we don't want to have to chew our desserts with the vast majority being flan, pot de creme, or creme brulee. One time my server brought me a flourless chocolate cake and I almost started crying I was so happy to have something with substance. Good to know about where to find GF cookies.

I can totally relate to the crying over the flourless chocolate cake! On one trip as soon as they knew I loved it I got a plateful every night. It was almost too much but hubby gladly shared. 🥰🤪

[Betsynh]

Our view of the loyalty event in Two70. If you head up the port-side stairs there are comfy balcony seats with great views far from the crowds. We watched the Book from here, too. 

[Jaynay]

Loving your review! What southern ports are you visiting?

[Betsynh]

9 minutes ago, Jaynay said:

Loving your review! What southern ports are you visiting?

Thanks! Aruba and Curaçao with 2 sea days before we head back to FLL. 

[Another_Critic]

2 hours ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

Does the Windjammer still have its gluten-free pod? That may end up being where I eat all my meals on the Anthem in February.

Anthem has/had a GF section in the back of the WJ.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

16 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

Anthem has/had a GF section in the back of the WJ.

Thank you!

[bsbcgirl]

Thanks for your review. How gluten friendly is the Solarium for breakfast and lunch. I have Celiac.

[JamesEM]

Following along.

[Betsynh]

Tonight was the first formal night… luckily we woke up from an afternoon nap to be ready on time. 🙂   I hadn’t pre-ordered a GF meal, but the head waiter said they arranged two appetizers to be GF in case I wanted them — so thoughtful and appreciated. They also had a cappuccino cake which was pretty good! (Pic below) We also had some fun with last night’s towel animal…

 

Tonight’s 8pm show was an interesting super hero themed mix of singing, dancing and technology and was very cool. We wandered in around 7:30pm and by 7:50pm the place was pretty full. Plan ahead if you want good seats. At 9pm, we bounced down to Two70 for a Cruise Director-led show all about the technology with demonstrations. It ended with a very cool vignette using real people in a 4’x4’x7’ glass box filled with water to create very interesting visual effects on the six screens. It’s worth attending.

 

In the Music Hall it was 80’s night — hubby’s favorite — so we danced the night away, first with the band, then the activities team did a group show with the cruise director, and then the resident DJ. It was a hoot… Shortly after it shifted to a much younger demographic, we headed to the Schooner Bar for more of the pianist and wound up closing the place. Clocks jump ahead at 2am for one hour… our goal tomorrow is to find more hidden spots to avoid the crowds and have a relaxing day at sea. Will report back!

[Betsynh]

9 hours ago, bsbcgirl said:

Thanks for your review. How gluten friendly is the Solarium for breakfast and lunch. I have Celiac.

The first morning I had an omelet and didn’t notice (or ask for) any toast or anything. The bacon was marked GF. The Two70 Cafe has a sign to ask about allergy friendly options but it was too crowded when we were nearby so I didn’t bother. Will check around tomorrow. I did look in the back of the WJ for a GF counter the first day (I recall one on Anthem, but didn’t see anything but will investigate more.) They had GF pasta at lunch today, but it moved to a different section of the WJ.

[bsbcgirl]

Thanks