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]

22 hours ago, rncruiser said:

I have to agree with you about the Las Vegas Tenors. They were just ok. In fact, by the end of the week I had actually forgotten that we had seen them. When I responded to the RCI survey I didn’t even mention them in my comments, although I commented on all the other entertainment I had seen. I had not remembered them at all. 

Yeah, they are plain vanilla shipboard entertainers.  Nothing memorable.

[harryfat1]

20 hours ago, JamesEM said:

Harryfat1, RCL bought the wine as is, FYI good champagne uses sugar cane in the fomenting process.  Looking forward to your day in Curacao, when I was there I did not take a tour just walked around the town.  

Being a fellow finance guy, you will appreciate our Curacao tour as it’s technically free (just need to tip the guy afterward).  Will explain more about the tour later on when we get there

[harryfat1]

20 hours ago, Coralc said:

Awesome! I read The Magicians (Trilogy), books by Lev Grossman. They were very good, but I didn't know they had made a series from them. I'll bet it was enjoyable! I thought that when we retired, we would watch TV all the time. In actuality, we never watch it. 

 

Happy upcoming Chinese New Year! ☺️

Yeah, the Syfy channel made this into a series a while ago but I watched it on Netflix as it was transported over.  Not your plain Fantasy novel as you can tell from the YouTube video clip it’s very different with casts singing as well as magical spells.

 

Let all book-adapted series, not everyone will be happy with the changes made in the show that deviated from the book.  Since I’m illiterate, I never read the book so I don’t know how true it was to the original book but the TV series was entertaining.  

 

Thanks for the Chinese New Year wishes.  For those not familiar, Chinese New Year is this Saturday.  We will be having lunch with my wife’s side of the family.  I will see if I can throw in a few pictures from that event to show a more authentic Chinese food not available in many parts of the country

[harryfat1]

17 hours ago, perfect match said:

I loved Curaçao! Can’t wait to see your pictures of the town. We saw some spectacular scenery, met some awesome sea turtles, but did not get to see much of the town. I need to go back there!

I like Curaaco.  I will give a summary of my impression at the end of day 4.

 

Wouldn’t mind going back again as we just stayed around the city area but never ventured to other parts of the island.

 

[harryfat1]

11 hours ago, HeyJut said:

I’m interested in cruising and learning about other cruise lines also, I’ve cruised on Carnival, Norwegian, Disney, Princess, and Holland. I had a trip booked on Harmony of the seas several years ago and unfortunately a medical issue came up between one of us the day of cruising, and had to cancel. Never did get it rebooked. I’ve followed several other cruise reviewers on RCI. I just find it entertaining and a lot of times learn some good information. I would like to go on RCI one of these days and hopefully will but in the meantime, I get my fix for reading good reviews like yours.

as for the notifications, I hope that’s not annoying as I feel like you were doing a lot of work it should be recognized for it.

 

Other than my trip report, you can also check out Mark’s @h20skibum trip report as he’s more of an RCI expert than me.  The report link is under his signature at post #618 amongst other posts he’s made here

 

I like different cruise experiences so I will jump ship (pun intended) to have a new adventure as we place higher value on doing something different.  It looks like you are in the same boat (yeah, I’m just killing it with these bad puns tonight) in sailing with various cruise lines.

 

Oh, I didn’t mean the notifications as a complaint.  I’m always flattered whenever people give me the “like” as I try to sound like a YouTuber in saying “Please like and subscribe if you like this video (trip report) as CC pays me extra ice tea coupons at the Windjammer for bringing in extra readers”.🤪

[harryfat1]

9 hours ago, juanrod said:

Enjoying your review as always @harryfat1  in so cal with all this crazy weather.  Nothing like tornado warnings last night with the last wave of the storm, but the sun is out today, hope power comes up for everyone as they start to clear all the mudslides up 

Thanks for the compliment and continuing reading.  Yeah, it looks like there’s clearing in the weather for the whole west coast.  No more rain for the next few days as we start to clean up.

 

[harryfat1]

9 hours ago, T-2 said:

Thank you for remembering I was hoping there were some different backdrops, you're spot on, I have not seen that one before either so it does look like RCCL is spreading a few new ones around the fleet, did our online check in last night and at the moment we are thoroughly enjoying every moment of your adventures (we have a different itinerary but reading yours, I will be looking for one on Royal that does the far southern islands next as have not been there in over a decade). Thanks for sharing with all of us, you are super appreciated!

Thanks for the kind words.  If I have more pictures of different backdrops later on, I will point them out.  My wife always likes me taking pictures of the photographer taking pictures of the boys. 

 

To use the sausage-making analogy, I don’t just show people the sausage as the final product but the process of making sausages is something you will see here as well.

 

Yes, in the past, they typically didn’t have the deep Southern Caribbean route on bigger/newer ships as it takes too long to get down there but as the cruise industry grows, they need new ports to keep bringing back repeat cruisers. 

 

So now even Oasis-class ships (another shout out to Mark’s trip report) like Symphony of the Seas make a call to Curacao as the cruise industry is using the alternating 6 and 8-day sailings every 2 weeks.

 

Looking into December 2024, RCI is switching Curacao visits with the Explorer and Oasis of the Seas as they move the Odyssey to Europe in the summer and then to NJ for the winter. 

 

I think many cruisers are bored with the classic Eastern and Western Caribbean to St. Thomas and Cozumel and want something different with Curacao and Aruba.

[harryfat1]

OK, onward with the trip report

 

+++++++++++++

 

Anyway, back to 270 for coffee and the same routine, and then went and woke up the family.

 

In case it's not obvious, I really like the 270 area. You can sit upstairs or downstairs with your morning coffee and watch the Aft of the ship

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

Same windjammer breakfast.  Nothing new here.  Same as the day before.  Oh, I did get an omelet.  Will explain in later posts on the omelet ordering process.

 

 

 

[h20skibum]

35 minutes ago, harryfat1 said:

Thanks for the Chinese New Year wishes.  For those not familiar, Chinese New Year is this Saturday.  We will be having lunch with my wife’s side of the family.  I will see if I can throw in a few pictures from that event to show a more authentic Chinese food not available in many parts of the country

Harry, I want to wish you and your family a Happy Lunar New Year.  I hope you get to celebrate the year of the dragon with good food, family and friends.  

 

I am one of those old guys, born in the year of the dragon, as were both of my grandsons.  My daughter-in-law’s parents brought us a few items, when they visited from China, this dragon being one. 

 

 

Unfortunately, they have not been here since the pre-Covid days. I remember their excitement over their grandson being a dragon baby.  

 

If you go to the parade on the 24th, I hope you post a few pictures.  
 

28 minutes ago, harryfat1 said:

Other than my trip report, you can also check out Mark’s @h20skibum trip report as he’s more of an RCI expert than me. 

I don’t think I would go so far as labeling me as an expert.  Always something more to learn or experience, but thank you for the kind words. 

Edited February 9 by h20skibum

[harryfat1]

After breakfast, went back to the cabin to get ready to get off the ship. 

 

Hat?  Check.  Sunscreen lotion? Check.  Ice Water from Windjammer that we filled in our water bottle?  Check.  Wallet?  Check. 

 

Don’t laugh at the wallet check part as typically after I board the ship, I toss my wallet inside the cabin safe as a sea pass is the only payment thing you need while on the ship. 

 

Back in the Alaska 2022 cruise when I got off the ship on the first port, I forgot to take my wallet with me as it was still inside the safe inside the cabin.  Good thing other members of the family have credit cards with them to buy whatever is needed.

 

Ever since then, I have been extra vigilant to make sure I have my wallet with me (minus the lost credit card still back in Fort Lauderdale somewhere).

 

[harryfat1]

30 minutes ago, h20skibum said:

Harry, I want to wish you and your family a Happy Lunar New Year.  I hope you get to celebrate the year of the dragon with good food, family and friends.  

 

I am one of those old guys, born in the year of the dragon, as were both of my grandsons.  My daughter-in-law’s parents brought us a few items, when they visited from China, this dragon being one. 

 

 

Unfortunately, they have not been here since the pre-Covid days. I remember their excitement over their grandson being a dragon baby.  

 

If you go to the parade on the 24th, I hope you post a few pictures.  
 

I don’t think I would go so far as labeling me as an expert.  Always something more to learn or experience, but thank you for the kind words. 

Mark,

 

Oh, very nice as the dragon birth year as it is probably the most coveted birth sign in the Chinese zodiac system. Many couples will try to have a dragon baby this year so expect the birth rate to be higher than the average for Chinese families.

 

Thank you for the warm wishes for the Chinese New Year.  Good thing it’s on a Saturday this year so we can go out to eat lunch with the wife’s side of the family.  In the past years when it’s a weekday, we wouldn’t be able to go.

 

San Francisco has such a large Chinese population that the school district has Chinese New Year as one of the school holidays.  So all my nieces and nephews living within SF got Chinese New Year's Day off whereas we live in the suburbs and my kids had to go to school on Chinese New Year as their school district treats it like a regular day.

 

I think the reason the SF district has Chinese New Year’s as a public holiday is that many Chinese kids won’t attend school on Chinese New Year as they stay home and celebrate the day with their families (it's like asking American kids to go to school on Christmas day - not happening).  As a result, the SF schools had very low attendance in those days where a big influx of Chinese kids being at home. 

 

Since the school district gets money from the government for every kid in attendance daily, not having the kids attend class would have cost the SF school district a boatload of money. So some “bean counter” (always blame the bean counters as the boogie man) probably looked at the numbers and realized if they declared Chinese New Year as a holiday, the district would save/make thousands of dollars in recouping the government money…

 

No parade for me.  Too old to stand by the sidewalk in the cold (the parade starts at 6 PM and lasts for 2+ hours) of SF for a parade I can watch on TV as it’s broadcast live on Fox TV channel here in the Bay Area as well as the Chinese TV station.  Not to mention if it rains, it’s a miserable experience to be out in the cold and wind and the rain.

 

Years ago my wife’s nieces were in the parade as part of the Chinese organization they were involved in and my in-laws paid money to be seated in the bleachers to watch their granddaughters be part of the parade.  Nowadays we are all just lazy and watch it at home.  I will take pictures of the parade from the TV in a couple of weeks (the parade is always the second Saturday after the actual New Year's Day)

 

YouTube has the entire 2023 parade from last year here:

 

 

[harryfat1]

I just realized I forgot to drop in the day 4 cruise compass.  Here it is:

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

Oh, yeah, at the top of page 1, it said to set up departure info.  What?  The cruise is not even halfway done and RCI is planning for us to depart. 

 

I never did complete the info.  But more on that later.

 

It’s Tuesday back home but you don’t care as it’s day 4 and it’s the first land you are touching since Florida.

 

 

[harryfat1]

Signs everywhere pointing to gangway in case you get lost.

 

 

 

Finally walking on land.  

 

You see the cleaning guys in the background as part of the cleaning crew who will clean the windows and balconies on the port side as I posted previously.  Tomorrow will be cleaning of the starboard side as the ship is docked with the starboard side tied up to the pier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 9 by harryfat1

[harryfat1]

Gotta love the mooring line shot with 2 ships.  Double bingo.

 

 

A whole bunch of people visiting uncles in prison today (aka photos with ship photographers). 

 

See how big this group is?  Very common during the holiday sailings of 10+ people groups that you may not see as much at other times of the year.

 

Honey, what is the name of our ship again? I forgot.  Oh, yeah, I can see it 300 feet away...

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

 

We visited the uncle in prison as well

 

[harryfat1]

 

Locals performing and welcoming the cruise ship crowd

 

 

I like the wide open space of the cruise dock here at Curacao.  Not a fan of cruise terminals right next to the cruise ship such that it obstructs my photo-taking opportunity – always thinking from a perspective of how to take a better picture.

 

 

Different tours are assembling

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

One can never have too many mooring line pictures

 

 

The German ship, Diva, from the Aida Line is docked in front of us.  This is a subsidiary of the Carnival cruise line that caters primarily to German-speaking cruisers.

 

I have never seen any cruise ships putting the website link on their ship as you can see www.aida.de on the side

 

 

One of my favorite pictures from this cruise as you can see the entire Odyssey ship

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

Oh, before I get too far from the area, let me explain the layout of the Curacao cruise terminal relative to the center of town. 

 

The bigger cruise ships are docked on the outside cruise terminals – mega terminals #1 and #2.  Big ships like RCI will be docked at the biggest cruise terminal (but furthest from the city of town).  Smaller ships are docked closer.

 

Here is the Google Maps view from above.  The red arrow is where the Odyssey was, and the yellow arrow is where the AIDA ship was.

 

 

We are on our way to the Rif Fort (a major shopping area) and the start of our walking tour of Curacao (see our path along the purple line). You know the tour is popular as it was named on the Google map (end of the purple line).

[harryfat1]

OK, enough of the background and the lay of the land. Let’s move on with more pictures.

 

Bicycle excursion tour gathering up to do their ride

 

 

Colorful Diva bow area

 

[harryfat1]

This is the “outside” of the cruise terminal as technically it’s not much of a terminal in having a big building like in Cozumel or Aruba, Curacao cruise terminal is just a whole bunch of kiosks outside and then a security gate to keep out the aggressive vendors from attacking the tourists as soon as they disembark the ship.

 

 

 My wife took a picture of us walking to the Rif Fort

 

 

Looking back at both ships, I see the NorthStar is up and running for cruisers that booked the morning ride.

 

[harryfat1]

The sign says it's always 5'clock at Curacao 

 

 

The first area we get to is the Rif Fort.  They renovated an actual historical fort and made it into a shopping area located right outside of the cruise terminal. Very clean (read “sanitized” cruise area).  Almost too sanitized for my liking as it’s not authentic with local shops since it’s full of big-name stores that you see back home at the major malls.

 

Anyway, here’s everyone’s favorite jewelry store, DI.  

 

Oh, yes, Toto, I think we must be on a cruise as I see Diamonds International.  A Caribbean port visit wouldn't be the same without a DI nearby.  

 

[harryfat1]

So this is Rif Fort Shopping complex. Looks like any upscale mall back home with Nautica and Tommy and Del Sol.

 

 

 

 

Saw a YouTuber having lunch here at the Pancake place.  Very expensive place.  Not for cheapo cruisers who rather eat at the ship for no extra cost but looks like enough people are here eating today.

 

I don’t know if they are cruisers or regular vacationers here at Cuaraco on a land-based vacation as the Rif Fort area is open to everyone, not just cruisers.

 

You see the stairs as it's a multi-story shopping area.  We would go up later in the day bit not now as we have a tour to catch.

 

[perfect match]

6 hours ago, harryfat1 said:

Thanks for the Chinese New Year wishes.  For those not familiar, Chinese New Year is this Saturday.  We will be having lunch with my wife’s side of the family.  I will see if I can throw in a few pictures from that event to show a more authentic Chinese food not available in many parts of the country

I hope you have a wonderful Chinese New Year celebration with your wife’s family. I’ll be interested to see the food pictures you share.