kevpeirce

Freedom had them, same class ship. I remember them in the windjammer and on the promenade, not sure about the pool deck.

We've done Anthem and had a it was one of our favorites! That trip was pre kids for us and sailing in November were slightly disappointed in not having the indoor pool on Odyssey but the updated pool deck and splash away bay will be nice once we reach the warmer weather. We're also excited to have a playmakers that Anthem didn't have, and we really enjoyed the seaplex, even won the adult dodgeball championship!

That does ring a bell now, unfortunately no gty suites. When we booked the only suite was available was for a measly $31,XXX, just a couple hundred out of our price range and now it shows they're sold out. The double points would bump us to emerald and we just turned platinum on Freedom in a JS aft balcony. Having an actual tub for the kids is a huge plus as well and just that little extra space to get around the beds. What made Odyssey's JS stand out so much?

We booked the 11 night eastern Caribbean fresh off of Odyssey's TA. It'll be my wife, 2 boys(5 and 3, their third cruise), and myself. We're toying with the idea of specialty dining and drink packages, as well as some potential excursions. We will be going to St Maarten(2 ships), Antigua(4 ships), St Kitts(3 ships), and San Juan(3 ships, they arrive after us), port times are 0800 to 1800 for each port. Were in a balcony right now, hoping a JS opens up or get the option to bid for one for the double C&A points. For drink packages normally I get the deluxe package and my wife gets the refreshment package as she is gluten free and rarely drinks. I'd get this as well if not the deluxe, the cost difference is 4 drinks a day to make it worth the deluxe package, still up in the air on this one and it helps that the DBP has been sitting at 35%($64.99) off since we booked, I've heard it may hit 40% though. Dining is enticing since this will be the last cruise both kids would be free for. The downside is were not sure how well the specialty options accommodate gluten free and my wife is far less willing to try things than I am, and we've never really had issues with eating in the main dining room. We also both don't eat seafood so Izumi would be out for anything other than the teppanyaki tables if they were able to accommodate gluten free. We would definitely use the per-diem for playmakers quite a bit. Also does anyone know if Cafe 270 still has gluten free sandwiches, Anthem did back in 2019 at least for breakfast. Not sure if that disappeared with the addition of Gluten Free stations in the windjammer. If we forego the dining package we will likely still do a night at Chops. We've been to St Maarten back in 2018 and took the ferry from the cruise port over to the beach, we will probably do the same this time and rent chairs on our own. I think it would be cool to see Maho beach but also pretty sure the noise would scare the kids still, at least my youngest he's a bit dramatic with loud noises. Basseterre St Kitts is a new port for us, looking at maps, it looks like there is a chocolate factory right in or just outside of the port. That may be a fun option for the kids, or if anyone has any other suggestions that would be awesome. St Johns Antigua is another new port for us, looking at the cruise planner it looks like we can book a 4 hour beach excursion that includes chairs, a drink, and food options for under $50 so that may be a go to. Any other suggestions again would be great. San Juan is a repeat for us, we'll probably get off and walk to Senor Paleta for their popsicles and maybe grab lunch on land. We did this in 2018 and last year with the kids and my parents. On board looking at the cruise planner has left me some questions, it looks like there is a fee now for both the North Star and iFly. Is that the new normal? Can we book free activities ahead of time or do we need to wait until we're on board like the other ships post covid?

Were booked! Wife, 2 boys(5 and 3), and myself got a balcony for now, going to hope a JS opens up for the double C&A points. Debating on the deluxe drink package and dining packages. Not super heavy drinkers but would get the refreshment package so its not too much different. For the dining we don't eat seafood so Izumi would probably be out minus the hibachi if they could accommodate gluten free. Does any know if 270 cafe still has gluten free sandwiches? We would certainly use our per-diem towards playmakers or at the pub though.

We were on deck 7.

I used the fox sports app and linked my xfinity account to it.

Post trip review Ship She shows her age in some places but we expected that. Nothing major enough to disrupt your vacation, just know that its not a brand new ship going into it. A couple elevators were out of service during the trip, one was a couple of days before it was fixed. It was very easy to get around the ship for different events, it never really seemed overly crowded anywhere. The ship did seem to smoke a considerable amount more than others, obviously Wonder puts off almost nothing but even adventure was wayyy less than Freedom. This may be addressed in the upcoming dry dock in December along with the other issues. Make sure you get to the helipad. Room Jr suite and aft balcony was a sweet combination, even with the "obstructions" the views were fantastic the entire trip. The pullout couch was perfect for the toddlers and Bobby made it as two separate beds. We told him to leave it out for the week as the boys were going to nap and simply to make life easier. The towel animals were awesome and I feel like he cleaned and restocked the room every time we went out. Bobby was on top of it for sure and certainly went above and beyond when talking to us and playing with the kids as well. There is definitely a noticeable vibration in the back when underway and docking, nothing unbearable but you will notice it. With the excess exhaust out put there was an odor of it when sitting on the balcony, if you're sensitive to these smells this could be a problem for you. We had seen a review prior to our sailing saying the balcony was covered in soot, we did not see this during our trip. At Coco Cay we were told there would be balcony maintenance, we never saw anything and there was no trace of what was done, I was thinking they may have just been cleaning them if this was a known issue. Dining Rose and Josh were awesome, super friendly and efficient with their work. Many mornings we ran into Josh in the windjammer and always managed to make sure he said hello to us and see what we were up to that day. The food in the main dining room was everything you'd expect from royal. I can't remember what each night was but I know I had the prime rib, Chicken parm, Jerk pork chop, chicken cordon bleu, and a NY Strip. Appetizers I had the beef capriccio, a Caesar salad, and French onion soup, again all were very good, even if the onions don't love me, I still love them. The windjammer was buffet food but definitely above average. It was always hot, never seemed dried out and options were plentiful. It is worth noting that for lunch and dinner there is an entire gluten free section. Sorrento's was good and the gluten free pizzas were always ready very fast. Playmakers was good, the chicken sandwich was a little small but still tasty. I wasn't a huge fan of the truffle fries it come with so I'd probably get regular fries the next time. They advertise a hot chicken sandwich and when I asked about it they claim that it is VERY VERY hot. Entertainment The ice show and theatre show were both really good and entertaining, both were heavily based in music. We did not go to the headliner show due to the kids and times. Darla was a great pub singer and the boys loved listening as much as we did. We attended an anchors away parade on one of the days, it was short and kind of silly but the kids had fun. Photos We got some really good photos. Like it said in the one post, it would be nice to see the photographers encourage things other than the plain jane poses and let them get creative. They enjoy it and the pictures from it will be worth it. Oddly enough we just got the link to our photos today, we've never waited this long before. Ft Lauderdale Super easy to cruise from here. The hotels are plentiful and many very close to the port. Our shuttles weren't the cheapest ones but were still only $12 a seat, our 2 year old was free as a "lap" rider. It was nice to know there wouldn't be any surprise rideshare fees or waits having it all booked before ever leaving home. Hotel - Embassy Suites 17th St I would absolutely stay here again, it was a clean and fresh hotel. There is a ton of food options within walking distance and two grocery stores as well. It's also a mile and a half from the port, 3 turns if you were wondering.

It was a great combination for the room! I wouldn't hesitate to do it again if we get the chance.

It was a nice change from the Oasis class, still large but also a smaller crowd. Other than the elevators on deck 4 and debarkation morning we never really felt over crowded anywhere on the ship. It does show its age in some places and one of the bartenders told us that many things do not work or work the way they should. We did have a couple elevators out of service during the trip but it didn't have a big effect on anything. You should have a great time on the ship still.

Day 8 - Debarkation We got up around 615 made our way to the windjammer for breakfast before going back to the cabin to get our backpacks and one carry off bag. We said our goodbye to Bobby who asked if we wanted to stay, if only it were that easy! The back elevators were pretty crazy when we went to breakfast and back so we decided to use the front elevators. This dumped us right into the line, we walked around the elevators, through the theatre, out to the walking track, and off of the ship. Knowing we had a lot of bags we grabbed a porter and were through customs and in the hotel shuttle lot before 8am. After a couple other parties arrived we were on our way back to FLL. Checking bags got a little interesting as we managed to have our biggest bag 6lbs over, so we were those people moving things.(it was the shoe bag that got moved) We got through security by 830ish and were very disappointed that every coffee place was absolutely mobbed, we settled for some pre bottled ice coffee. By this time it was hurry up and wait as our flight had just left Philly, fortunately on time and showed an early arrival. The weather had other plans pushing them all the way out over the Bahamas before coming into FLL but still arrived on time. Luckily we were able to board quickly and we were off on our way back to PHL. With the weather the first half hour to hour were a little rough and we had the same diversion over the Bahamas we landed in Philly about 10 minutes early and were home by 4.

Day 7 - Sea Day Last full day on board with almost the same plans as the day before. We were up with watch the sunrise which was a perfect view from our balcony. Easy going day with some packing in the afternoon. The morning we did have some rough seas, Captain Dustin picked the pace up a little before lunch and got us to smoother waters before dinner. This meant we were well up into the Bahamas and managed to see a Carnival ship, Uptopia, and Allure. We tried to go to Playmakers to watch the Phillies and game 1 of the NLDS only to find out that they don't have fox. They get the football games with Sunday Ticket but that is as far as it goes. We bought WIFI and streamed it through our own device while there eating and playing games. It was extremely crowded when we first got there with college football but did clear out as dinner approached. The staff were doing the best they could but there just wasn't enough of them to keep up. We did a little shopping after dinner and squared away our photo package before an early night as we had a 745 debarkation time.

Day 6 - Sea Day With all of our ports done, we had 2 sea days on our way back to Ft Lauderdale. No real plans other than just getting sometime in the sun and Splashaway Bay in the morning. Our oldest managed to introduce himself to The Sandlot flipping through channels. We did get in a round of mini golf early after our daily breakfast at the windjammer. Mostly an uneventful day with the afternoon naps in store. This was the second formal night or "dress your best" or 70's night, quite the mixture walking around the ship. Before dinner we decided to head for the helipad again and we were in luck. The views are incredible and staring off and seeing nothing but ocean as far as you can see is a great place to be. We managed to dinner and said our goodbyes to Rose and Josh as the Phillies were playing the following night and our plan was to watch them in Playmakers. After dinner the plan was to see the show in the theatre, when both boys realized they left their new sonic and spiderman key chains in the dining room. I managed to get in an unplanned workout running back to the dining room where Rose had them set aside, followed by a run back to the theatre. The show was based around fairytales with music mixed in and a live orchestra. While not the most amazing show we've ever seen it was worth going to and the kids loved it again. After the show it was off for ice cream on the promenade, they had a good selection of flavors and it was very creamy which was nice.

Day 5 - Charlotte Amalie Our day started about 7am with the sights of some islands behind us followed by the ship being turned around and backed into the harbor to port. We had wanted to book the excursion to Magen's Bay for the assurance of making it back to the ship, for whatever reason this was not available to book with a 2 year old, Royal claims its due to insurance. We decided to take the risk and pay for the taxi ourselves and go anyway. It was very easy to find the taxi's and get to whatever destination you wanted. We passed a decent sized iguana of some sort on our walk. The roads were an interesting ride with how steep they were but there were some amazing views of both sides of the island on our way. Once there our driver said if everyone on the taxi could agree to a time he would give everyone a discount, this was eventually settled to 1. It's also worth mentioning there is a $7 fee for adults to get into Magen's Bay,, kids under 12 were free. Magen's Bay was very nice and not overly crowded. It is worth noting we were the only ship here today so if there are more, it is probably going to be very crowded. There are a handful of picnic benches under tress that are free to use, other than that they offer chair and tent as well as towel rentals, they are $20 each. We were able to grab a free bench as we got there before the Royal excursions did! The water was slightly deceiving in that it appears rather calm but the strength of the water was very strong. We were a little extra cautious with our over confident 4 year old and made sure to keep him between someone and the beach when he was in the water with us. It was also really warm here, between that, it being day 5 of vacation, and the constant swimming and playing the boys weren't going to make it to 1 without making the rest of the day a waste, so off to find a taxi back around 12. There is a stop where they run taxi's roughly every 20 minutes to either the ship or downtown. I imagine if you wanted somewhere else they could accommodate that as well. We were back to the ship by 1230, grabbed lunch in the windjammer and made it back to the room for nap time. For what its worth, we still managed to save money by going ourselves vs with Royal, although there was a great sale the week before we went the difference was $15-$20. Lunch was unremarkable, but again above average buffet food so we were pleased. Dinner was the main dining room again with no real rush. My wife snuck off to a massage taster which turned into a 75 minute massage. Meanwhile they boys and I decided to go take some silly pictures with the photographers. To this point most of the photographers were only suggesting the same simple poses with every backdrop and not putting a lot into it. When we began to goof off many of them got very excited and one in particular went crazy with snapping shots and laughing with us. Not sure if this is being pushed by Royal, this ships Focus management or something else. It would be great to see the photographers be able to get creative and loosen up, while still getting the serious portraits as well. After some fun we ended up in the pub when shortly after Darla arrived to start preparing for her set. Our 4 year old is obsessed with the song Two Blue Chairs and You by Zac Brown Band that has just come out. Darla happened to overhear him talking to me and asked if he knew the song Chicken Fried which he also likes. This ended up being her second song of the night, this seemed fair as the first was happy birthday to another 2 year old. When taking her guitar out she asked our 4 year old if he wanted to "help" tune her guitar when he chickened out, our 2 year old jumped up to the plate. They both loved being there for the music and were even having their own dance party. Before long it was time to head back to the room for the night and hope that momma bear would find her way back from the spa, which she did right before bed, even if she did walk down the wrong side of the ship.(her words not mine)

Day 4 - San Juan We weren't getting into San Juan until roughly 11 and there until 8pm, we would be there with Adventure for part of the day as they left at 4pm. Having been to San Juan before we had some idea of what we wanted to do. With absolutely no research into it we planned to get lunch and then go to Senor Paleta for a snack. Originally figured it would be fun for the kids to go to Senor Frogs, only to find out that it has closed since we were there in 2018, that's what we get for not researching this. We ended up eating lunch at Vaca Brava, the staff was friendly and the food was good, especially the burger with sausage. After walking up to Senor Paleta, we headed back to the ship stopping into some shops along the way. We tried to make our way to the helipad as we pulled into the port but it was closed while paint dried. Before dinner we watched Adventure sail away, this was our first night skipping the main dining room since lunch was on the larger side. We sided with Playmakers for dinner instead. I got the chicken sandwich(not the hot one, they claim that it is VERY hot), the boys split chicken fingers, and we got a gluten free pizza for my wife, which the kids of course sampled. They got to enjoy some games after dinner, thankfully for my wallet there is not a charge for foosball. This was the first time we've been in port when the sun had set, getting to see the city lights from the balcony during sail away was a cool experience.