On the Ocean Odyssey-an athlete facing a life-changing struggle becomes the godmother of a cruise ship, which also faces a series of difficulties during the pandemic, which seems appropriate.
This was what happened on board Royal Caribbean International’s newest ship, the Ocean Odyssey, on November 13, when the Bahamas triathlete Irene Brown won the honor. Brown was diagnosed with a rare type of bone cancer and decided to amputate one of her legs above the knee.
“When we started looking for the godmother for the Ocean Odyssey, the name and journey of this ship represented the perseverance of all of us, and Irene Brown was a natural choice,” Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bailey said at the naming ceremony. Everglades Harbor in Fort Lauderdale.
The pandemic changed the launch of the Odyssey, originally scheduled for Italy, then moved to Israel, and then moved to Fort Lauderdale. After arriving there, after eight crew members tested positive for Covid-19 in June, the ship's maiden voyage was delayed for nearly a month.
"In the past year, the word'Odyssey' has become more than just the name of this ship," Bailey said. "It represents the Odyssey we have experienced as a cruise company and industry."
The Ocean Odyssey is Royal Caribbean International’s second quantum supership after the 2019 Ocean Spectrum. The ship was built by German shipbuilder Meyer Werft and took three and a half years to design and complete. Although not as big as the Royal Oasis-class ships, the Odyssey is slightly larger than other quantum-class ships (Quantum, Anthem, and Hymn of the Seas), but slightly smaller than other quantum super ships Spectroscopy.
Odyssey, which can accommodate 4,198 passengers, has more than 25 restaurants and bars, including 7 specialty restaurants, ranging from Asian (Izumi, Teppanyaki) to high-end restaurants (Chops Grille, Coastal Kitchen). Windjammer Marketplace is the staple food of the Royal Caribbean Restaurant and continues to provide free buffets. Currently, as a precautionary measure, diners will not serve themselves, but will be served by the crew.
Although the term "super" may be misused in terms of ship size, it applies to shipboard activities and the latest technology.
Some of the unique experiences of Odyssey are the real-life experiences of the virtual adventure zone in SeaPlex. On Odyssey, the Playmakers Sportsbar & Arcade is located on the second floor of SeaPlex for the first time, allowing guests to overlook the activities below.
The loyal Royal Cruiser will enjoy the familiar facilities of Odyssey, such as the bungee trampoline Sky Pad, iFLY's skydiving simulator RipCord and the SeaPlex area, which includes basketball courts, bumper cars, virtual reality games, table tennis, roller skating and more. There is also a climbing wall and Polaris lift on board, which can take guests to an altitude of 300 feet and enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view.
Like other Quantum-class ships, the Odyssey demonstrated state-of-the-art technology in its Two70 theater, which contains six high-definition screens rotated by robotic arms. Behind the eight-foot-high display is a 135-foot-wide two-layer video screen that provides a 270-degree viewing angle through 18 12K resolution projectors. (The screen is actually the stern window covered with the projector screen during the performance.)
When the robot arm moves the screen, the robot bartender serves and makes cocktails in the two-story Royal Esplanade, which has a variety of shopping, dining and entertainment venues. This includes the concert hall, which is a venue for live bands, karaoke and DJ spinning music.
The nearby Boleros serves Cuban and Brazilian beverages, while hosting live Latin, jazz and other music styles. The Crown & Compass Bar, a few steps away, offers bar snacks and acoustic performances. The nautical-themed Schooner Bar hosts piano performances and singles. The menu of Wonderland, a specialty restaurant that implies Alice in Wonderland, is not for individual dishes, but for food themes (earth, ocean, fire, ice, and sun).
For guests 16 years and older, the solarium in front of Odyssey is a glass-walled roof area with a hot tub and a two-foot-deep multi-layer swimming pool, which can cool off the heat better than swimming. In general, the solarium is a place to relax.
The Odyssey will sail in the Caribbean for six and eight days until early summer, when it will relocate to Civitavecchia (Rome) and begin a series of Mediterranean voyages until the autumn of 2022.
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