The word “odyssey” means “an adventurous journey” and there are indeed many adventures awaiting guests on every journey of Odyssey of the Seas, one of Royal Caribbean’s newest and most advanced ships. How many of these thrilling features will you attempt on your next cruise?
Adventures on Odyssey of the Seas
Odyssey of the Seas is a Quantum-Ultra class ship, measuring 1,139 feet in length and weighing in at 169,379 gross tons. This provides plenty of room for amazing adventures on board, and Odyssey is packed with thrills for passengers of all ages and interests.
Classic Thrills
Royal Caribbean is well known for offering adventurous thrills on every ship in its fleet, and Odyssey of the Seas continues that tradition with several classic thrills that have come to be expected on many Royal Caribbean ships.
The first thrill Royal Caribbean ever offered is the rock wall, which was introduced in 1999 and then added to every ship in the fleet in 2002. Odyssey’s rock wall is a colorful climbing adventure located on deck 15, on the starboard side of the ship’s funnel.
Several skill levels are incorporated into the wall, and climbers of all experience levels – or no experience at all! – can climb to new heights to ring the bell at the top, signifying their success.
The FlowRider is another classic adventure first introduced by Royal Caribbean in 2006 and now widespread throughout the fleet. This 40-foot long surfing simulator lets guests catch perfect waves and show off boogie boarding and surfing skills right on deck.
The Odyssey of the Seas FlowRider is located on deck 16, aft, and offers both free surfing opportunities as well as private lessons (for a fee).
Sky Pad is a newer adventure on Royal Caribbean ships and was just introduced in 2018. This bungee trampoline offers both an open-view as well as a virtual-reality experience, and guests can choose whether to enjoy classic jumping or to engage in a high-tech adventure with the VR headset option.
Sky Pad has four jump pads to accommodate multiple guests at once, and on Odyssey of the Seas, guests will find the iconic yellow bubble that encases Sky Pad on deck 16.
Outrageous Thrills
Royal Caribbean has amped up the thrills on Odyssey with several next-level adventures that allow guests to take to the skies – literally!
North Star is the ultimate observation deck, available exclusively on Royal Caribbean’s Quantum-class ships. Odyssey of the Seas features the world’s tallest North Star pod, with the ability to extend more than 300 feet above sea level – 1.2 degrees higher than the North Star on Spectrum of the Seas, and the tallest of any cruise ship in the world.
While the observation pod operates slowly and gently to suit any passenger, the thrilling views it offers cannot be matched. North Star experiences will vary based on the ship’s itinerary and whether it is in port or not, and some experiences require additional fees. Access to North Star is on deck 15.
Guests who want an even more thrilling view can take to the skies on Ripcord by iFly, a skydiving simulator that lifts guests to new heights with the guidance of an experienced skydiving instructor.
Available exclusively on the Quantum-class ships, this flight offers just a minute of airtime in the specially designed vertical wind tunnel, but the thrilling memories last a lifetime. Guests can find the access to Ripcord by iFly on deck 15, aft, and view the wind tunnel on deck 16, just forward of FlowRider.
Guests who prefer to stay grounded in their adventures won’t want to miss the bumper cars in the SeaPlex on deck 15. This multi-use space is transformed into different adventures throughout every cruise, from pickleball tournaments to soccer shootouts, but the biggest thrill is when the electric bumper cars take the floor.
These full-size bumper cars offer full-size thrills that aren’t scaled down just because they’re on a cruise ship. The floor is generously spaced so the dozen or so cars reach top speeds and the collisions can be intense – be sure your seatbelt is fastened and all belongings are tightly secured! Rides last several generous minutes and there is no charge for the adventure.
Finding Your Odyssey of Thrills
With so many adventures on available, everyone can be thrilled at this new ship – and this list doesn’t cover nearly every thrill on board!
Don’t miss the interactive video game arcade, the robot bartenders, Splashaway Bay, the deck games, multi-sensory high-tech shows, and other thrills onboard, not to mention the thrilling destinations Odyssey of the Seas visits, including top ports of call and Perfect Day at CocoCay!
Where will your odyssey of adventures take you with Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas?
Disclaimer – Cruise Hive was invited to participate in a complimentary 2-night trade sailing of Odyssey of the Seas to explore the ship’s thrills firsthand, but that experience in no way influences the impressions made of the ship or the recommendations made in various articles.
