Odyssey of the Seas: Hits and Misses from our European Cruise

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Earlier this summer, my family cruised on Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas to Italy, Greece and Turkey. Overall, we had a fantastic time on this cruise! Of course, it wasn’t perfect. Here are some Hits and Misses from our 7-night cruise.

Hit: The Ports

I realize this isn’t about the cruise ship itself, but the ports were the main reason we picked this cruise. We LOVED every port on the itinerary! We visited Santorini, Mykonos, Ephesus, and Naples. These ports were all so different from each other and obviously very different from the Caribbean islands we normally visit on cruises. I’ll be writing more about our time in each of these ports. 

Hit: Ship Layout

Having been on the Disney Wish just a few months before this cruise, we can honestly say that Odyssey of the Seas has a better layout than the Disney Wish. I’m not sure how, but we experienced fewer crowded spaces and better traffic flow.

Hit: SeaPlex

Odyssey of the Seas has a SeaPlex indoor section with video games, ping pong and more games plus a versatile large open space. My family loved going on the bumper cars in this section. Plus, my husband and boys got to play pickelball every day on this cruise in the SeaPlex. The space is bigger than the indoor space on the Disney Wish, plus the programming is more diverse.

Hit: Entertainment

For me, the best thing about Odyssey of the Seas is the entertainment. Two shows we saw on board, The Book and The Effectors, were amazing. They were better than any show we’ve seen on a Disney Cruise. And that’s saying something! The Book featured a wide variety of talented folks (drummer, violinist, contortionist) along with crazy special effects. The Effectors used dozens of drones in the show. Kudos to Royal Caribbean for creating these unique shows. We also really liked the ventriloquist show that featured Paul Zerdin from America’s Got Talent.

Hit: Teppanyaki Restaurant

My family loves Teppanyaki/Hibachi food cooked in front of us. We went to the Teppanyaki restaurant one evening for dinner, and it did not disappoint. Not only was the food fantastic, but the chef was also very entertaining and clearly going above and beyond what we’re used to in similar restaurants back home.

Hit: Balcony Staterooms

We had two connecting staterooms for the five of us, and we were all comfortable. I like how the main bed can be split into two twin beds on Royal Caribbean (not possible on Disney Cruise Line). That ensured that none of my kids would have to share a bed! Our rooms had great storage above the beds, and our balconies were a decent size.

Hit: The North Star

I love the North Star! In case you haven’t heard of it, it’s a robotic arm that transports guests high above the ship for fantastic views. We rode on it twice: once on embarkation day (free ride) and again on our first sea day (paid reservation). On our sailing, there appeared to be a lot of the free slots available.

Miss: Teen Club

My son didn’t like the teen club on board Odyssey of the Seas compared to his experience on other cruise ships, including Harmony of the Seas. He said it was smaller and had fewer activities. After the first few days, he stopped going. And that’s pretty shocking, considering earlier this year on Carnival Celebration he was at the teen club every night! But, since this was a port-intensive cruise and the shows and SeaPlex area were entertaining, having a great teen club wasn’t as important.

Miss: Most of the Food

Unfortunately, the food on Odyssey of the Seas wasn’t the best for us. On the first day of the cruise at the buffet, my boys each got hot dogs. They were as hard as rocks, and nobody could chew through them. Most of our dishes in the main dining room were not great, especially compared to other cruises we’ve been on. We did discover that room service food was better than the buffet, and the food in the bars was decent. Of course, we had to pay extra for those options. So basically, the included food wasn’t the best but the purchased food was pretty good.

Miss: Ice Cream Hours

The soft-serve ice cream station closed early every night at 6 or 7 p.m. For a summer cruise, that’s pretty early! My kids were all disappointed with the hours.

Final Thoughts

Overall, we had a great time on Odyssey of the Seas. I think it was the best ship for my family for this European itinerary, and it certainly cost less than Disney Cruise Line. If you’re looking to cruise around Italy and Greece with kids/teens, I recommend Odyssey of the Seas.