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]

2 minutes ago, Mamato5 said:

I’ve absolutely loved every second!! And yes I’ve been a lurker here for a long time.  😅 

 

This really helps, thank you!  We’ve booked a GTY balcony cabin and I’m pretty much assuming we will be assigned deck 6 due to the sheer number of obstructed view balconies in that deck.  Trying to familiarize myself the best I can.  I also found your marked up deck plan helpful with the ‘blocked stairs’ issue. THANKS!!

Yeah, if you end up on deck 6 in the Aft section, pay attention whether you are on Starboard or Port side elevators if you are coming down from the pool deck or else you will be walking in a big circle...

[harryfat1]

Looking back at the Rif Fort as that's where the Walking tour started this morning

 

 

Some vendors along the waterfront are still open after 6 PM trying to get a little nighttime business

 

[harryfat1]

The plaza area earlier in the day wasn’t very interesting in the blazing sun but now with the sun setting and the Holiday lights up, it’s attracting a lot more visitors.

 

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

Holiday music in the background as people come out to see the lights even though it's the day after Christmas:

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

Speaking of lights, we had to wait for a while but they finally turned on the lights for the bridge. 

 

My wife loves the panoramic shots

 

[harryfat1]

OK. Bridge lights.  That's why we are out here to see

 

 

 

To infinity and beyond...

 

 

[harryfat1]

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

 

 

[harryfat1]

My wife wanted to cross the bridge to go back to the Punda side but I didn’t want to push my luck as it was 6:40 PM by then and we had to be back on the ship by 7:30’s All Aboard time.

 

If we cross the bridge and a few boats come through and they close the bridge and run the ferry system, it would be a tight window to rush back to the ship on time.  Too old and too out of shape to be a pier runner. 🤪

 

If we stayed on this side of the bridge, I could control when we could get back to the ship as the walk back to the cruise terminal is less than 15 minutes.  Once I cross the bridge, I lose control on the timing of the walk back. 

 

With that restriction in mind, we never made it past the mid-way point of the bridge before we started heading back

[harryfat1]

As it got darker, the pictures looked better with a contrast of the night sky and the lights on the bridge.  If we had another 30 minutes, the sky would be even darker to provide more of a contrast but we ran out of time and had to start heading back toward the ship.

 

The Curaaco night area felt clean and safe with lots of people walking around and eating/drinking at the restaurants.  At no time did we have to worry about our safety.  Unlike some Caribbean island stops such as Falmouth where I wouldn’t feel safe to walk outside of the cruise terminal compound at night.  Y'all can tell from the pictures and videos many families and couples are walking around in a very safe feeling environment.

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

I really like the pretty lights on the bridge

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

Heading back to the ship

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

They had this tunnel walkway where they lined up many Christmas trees along the pathway

 

 

 

 

[JamesEM]

Harry, as for the heavy doors you encountered on your short cut, the reason they are so heavy is that they are fire doors.

[perfect match]

5 hours ago, harryfat1 said:

Before I go on with the trip report, I forgot to mention we had Internet access for 2 days while in Curaaco and Aruba as we have Verizon cell phones and VZ credit cards, and as a benefit of the credit card, we receive 2 days of International phone plans for free.  And my younger son’s phone plans have hot spot data included, the rest of us just hop on his hot spot to access the internet for the 2 days while in port

Interesting. Our phones are on Verizon but we do not have their credit card. We may have to look into getting one. Combined with our 1 day each for Diamond status and the two days from the Verizon credit card would give us pretty good coverage. 
 

If I understand you correctly though, the Verizon plan only works while you’re actually in port. That’s the time I’m least likely to be going online since I’m normally too busy then enjoying the port to be staring at a device screen. I’ll have to give it some thought. We really don’t need another credit card.

 

DH have been thinking about what to suggest for you in New York. It’s been 20 years since we spent much time there, and a lot of the places we were thinking of aren’t there any more. Think restaurants, specific shows, things like that.

 

Since you seem to enjoy architecture and photographing distinctive buildings, I would recommend a cruise on Circle Line. You would get a great look at the city skyline from different points of view and some great pictures. I don’t think I saw that on your list.

 

https://buy-tickets.circleline.com/nycl-cro-page-with-video?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Search - CL - G%2FP - Prospect - Brand - Outside NYC - 2021&&matchtype=e&keyword=circle line sightseeing cruises&cid=12889427267&agid=127189190368&device=t&placement=&creative=517966897850=&utm_term=circle line sightseeing cruises&utm_campaign=Search - CL - G%2FP - Prospect - Brand - Outside NYC - 2021&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&hsa_acc=8370086876&hsa_cam=12889427267&hsa_grp=127189190368&hsa_ad=517966897850&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=kwd-2007780495&hsa_kw=circle line sightseeing cruises&hsa_mt=e&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiArLyuBhA7EiwA-qo80Jdmx88YkrQE7b3y16nFlL0AEPS2tjZunyz6ljlWqJDAThiNulHmBhoCixkQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

 

[h20skibum]

7 hours ago, harryfat1 said:

Before I go on with the trip report, I forgot to mention we had Internet access for 2 days while in Curaaco and Aruba as we have Verizon cell phones and VZ credit cards, and as a benefit of the credit card, we receive 2 days of International phone plans for free.  And my younger son’s phone plans have hot spot data included, the rest of us just hop on his hot spot to access the internet for the 2 days while in port.

Some of Verizon’s plans let you earn International coverage.  I think they earn something like 1 day a month.  That is what is on 3 of the 4 phones on our account.  My plan, I have free Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ as my benefit.   All of them have hot spots.  So, depending on your plans, you can get those days without their card.

[harryfat1]

14 hours ago, JamesEM said:

Harry, as for the heavy doors you encountered on your short cut, the reason they are so heavy is that they are fire doors.

Good info.  The doors have an automatic hinge closing mechanism so you can’t control the closing speed once it’s opened and it makes a very loud banging sound when the door slams shut.

 

That’s why I suggest any TA’s reading this not to book their clients at the last few cabins near the end as that will likely wake up people at 7 AM when dummies like yours truly go to café 270 for the morning coffee.

 

It will also be likely where the Guarantee cabins could be once the word is out not to book your cabins there and those cabins would be assigned to the GTY categories.

[harryfat1]

11 hours ago, h20skibum said:

Some of Verizon’s plans let you earn International coverage.  I think they earn something like 1 day a month.  That is what is on 3 of the 4 phones on our account.  My plan, I have free Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ as my benefit.   All of them have hot spots.  So, depending on your plans, you can get those days without their card.

Yeah, it depends on what type of plans you have and what type of perks you get with the plan.  I believe the free Travel Pass (VZ International calling plan) is no longer offered in their current promotional plans.

 

My wife and my younger son upgraded their phones in 2023 and as part of the requirement to get the discounted new phones, they had to give up their old plans and switch to the 2023 promotions at the time. I believe their older plans were better value.

 

VZ changes their calling plans/perks regularly, so whenever you upgrade your phones, you may have to give up these old plans as they force you to switch to their current plans to get the steep discount on the phones.

[harryfat1]

12 hours ago, perfect match said:

Interesting. Our phones are on Verizon but we do not have their credit card. We may have to look into getting one. Combined with our 1 day each for Diamond status and the two days from the Verizon credit card would give us pretty good coverage. 
 

If I understand you correctly though, the Verizon plan only works while you’re actually in port. That’s the time I’m least likely to be going online since I’m normally too busy then enjoying the port to be staring at a device screen. I’ll have to give it some thought. We really don’t need another credit card.

 

DH have been thinking about what to suggest for you in New York. It’s been 20 years since we spent much time there, and a lot of the places we were thinking of aren’t there any more. Think restaurants, specific shows, things like that.

 

Since you seem to enjoy architecture and photographing distinctive buildings, I would recommend a cruise on Circle Line. You would get a great look at the city skyline from different points of view and some great pictures. I don’t think I saw that on your list.

 

https://buy-tickets.circleline.com/nycl-cro-page-with-video?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Search - CL - G%2FP - Prospect - Brand - Outside NYC - 2021&&matchtype=e&keyword=circle line sightseeing cruises&cid=12889427267&agid=127189190368&device=t&placement=&creative=517966897850=&utm_term=circle line sightseeing cruises&utm_campaign=Search - CL - G%2FP - Prospect - Brand - Outside NYC - 2021&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&hsa_acc=8370086876&hsa_cam=12889427267&hsa_grp=127189190368&hsa_ad=517966897850&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=kwd-2007780495&hsa_kw=circle line sightseeing cruises&hsa_mt=e&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiArLyuBhA7EiwA-qo80Jdmx88YkrQE7b3y16nFlL0AEPS2tjZunyz6ljlWqJDAThiNulHmBhoCixkQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

 

As Mark mentioned, check your VZ calling plan to see what perks are included.  Depending on when your plan started and what tier plan you have, you may or may not have a travel pass as a perk.

 

As for the VZ credit card, here’s an overall summary of the card perks:

 

https://www.nerdwallet.com/reviews/credit-cards/verizon-credit-card

 

I like it as it’s got no annual fees and the points you accumulate monthly can be offset against your VZ monthly phone bill. You get 4% back on gas and grocery purchases and 3% in the restaurants.  We run all our gas and grocery bills through this card due to the high % perks as for every $100 you spend on gas or grocery, you get $4 back to offset against your monthly VZ bill.

 

This was the card that was lost at Hollywood Beach’s Taco Joint as I was using the card to get 3% back from the lunch.

 

Yes, you have access to the VZ travel pass as soon as you are in port.

 

If you just want a Travel Pass once in a blue moon when you cruise, you can just buy it for $10 for any 24 hours while traveling.  So if you activate it at 11 AM on day 3, it’s good until 11 AM on day 4 even if on another country island. 

 

For example, if we had activated the pass at 11 AM on Curacao, it would be good until the next day at 11 AM even if in Aruba so in theory you can time the usage to overlap the 2 islands and only use 1 travel pass within a 24 hour period.

 

As for "needing" a new credit card, that's a whole new discussion as some people make it an art/science to churn out new credit cards to get perks. Many web pages and YouTube videos on this subject.

 

I'm not as aggressive as those people but I keep my eyes out for any new credit card sign-up perks and will periodically get new cards if it suits my travel needs.  For example, I got a new JetBlue credit card last summer to use for FLL for the Odyssey cruise flying back home and got 75,000 miles plus 6X points in booking the flights.  Now I have 90K points that I will use to pay for 2 round-trip tickets to/from NYC in the summer so effectively I cut the flight cost in half.

 

I didn't "need" a new credit card but if you plan it well, you can get credit cards that fit your future traveling needs. Once our European trip is more of a reality by next year or the year after that, I will get another new credit card to offset the high cost of flying there.

 

There's a website that shows the various perks you can get if you get a new card and spend the money (say to make a final payment on a cruise) required.

 

https://www.uscreditcardguide.com/best-credit-card-sign-up-bonus/

 

Just don't go crazy about getting too many cards in any given year as it will destroy your credit score but if done right, there are many perks for the new credit card to offset the high cost of travel.

 

[harryfat1]

Onward with the trip report as we approach what I consider to be my favorite picture area for the entire cruise:

 

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

 

 

I think it's a pretty sight to have both ships lid up along the cruise terminal

 

The Odyssey is more colorful with its different color lights but the AIDA has the old school strand of lights from the Bow to the back that is absent in the Odyssey

 

 

 

Edited February 17 by harryfat1

[harryfat1]

For me, this is my favorite picture from our cruise. Others may disagree as pictures are subjective similar to food and music.

 

 

I like these night ship pictures  because it’s more difficult to obtain as you need to have a few things lined up to take them:

 

1 – Your ship has to be in port later than 5 PM or else you can’t get a night picture of the ship. This isn’t always easy as in the Caribbean, most ships depart by 5 PM

2 – Sunset needs to be earlier in the night for the ship lights to come on

3 – You must be willing to come outside of the ship after sunset to take this picture.  If you are ON the ship eating dinner at 7 PM, you can’t take a picture OF the ship 1,000 feet away

4 – There can’t be any “cruise terminal building” to get in the way of the picture.  You need an unobstructed view

 

When you have all the boxes checked, you will have a chance to take these night pictures

 

Edited February 17 by harryfat1

[harryfat1]

As I mentioned, my wife upgraded her phone last year and she has pictures that are better than mine (or maybe she's just a better photographer than me)...😜

 

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

Not too many people outside of the cruise terminal

 

 

Made it back to the pier at 7 PM, 30 minutes ahead of “All Aboard”.  No need to be a Pier Runner to have the people at the balconies harassing you for being late

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

We got back to the cabins to rest a bit before showering.  The second time around wasn’t nearly as tiring as the morning walk.  Without the Caribbean sun beating down on you, the nighttime walk was much more pleasant but it was still warm in the low 80s with humidity.

 

For dinner tonight, I made reservations for the Soalorum Bistro as I wanted to try it I read many rave reviews on CC on how great the place is.  Since we had a subpar experience with MDR on the Navaiagor just a few months before, we wanted to try out a new experience.

 

There’s no extra fee to eat at the Solarium Bistro as it’s not considered a specialty dining.  You just need to make a dinner reservation on the handy dandy app or talk to someone to make the reservation while on board.  

 

But nowadays many people don't go the old-school route to request the reservation via a phone call or in person.  We are much more anti-social and requesting it via the app.  We can go down another rabbit hole on how the phone apps have changed our lifestyle/social interactions...

[harryfat1]

I made a dinner reservation for 8:15 on the outside chance we were coming back from Cuaraco night walk slightly later and needed more time to shower. Also figured we might catch a few minutes of the sail away at 8 PM.

 

By the time we made it to the top deck at 8:09, the ship had already cast off

 

 

The AIDA ship is still docked as they are in port until 10 PM to give people extra time in port