Odyssey / Quantum -- Royal's Dud?

[jeffmw]

Before I begin, let me say that Odyssey is a beautiful ship and -- more importantly -- the service and staff are excellent. Our cruise last week had the best service and easily the best food of any Royal ship I've been on. I can't stress this enough. After several cruises lamenting the quality of MDR service and food quality, and the freshness of food in the Windjammer, everything on this cruise was fantastic. 

That aside, I've never before been disappointed by a ship on Royal -- and our group (all of us veteran cruisers) was continually underwhelmed by Odyssey's design. You wonder what happened during development of the Quantum Ultra ships that they totally missed the mark after killing it with the Oasis Class. 

I've been on Wonder, Symphony, Freedom, and Mariner, and I felt even the Freedom & Mariner were superior in so many ways.

• Quantum boats were developed after Oasis Class but they didn't include Central Park, Boardwalk (+ carousel & Abyss), Aqua Theater, or skating rink -- yet they basically added nothing to replace them.
• The elevators. OMG  The no-touch buttons are a disaster. Of the 50 elevator rides I took during the week, I think I can count on one hand the times I got in and there weren't at least 2 or 3 buttons hit with no one getting off. You couldn't get within 2 feet of the panel without accidentally hitting a button. It was a joke among every passenger on the ship. I get that it's a COVID thing, but Wonder doesn't have this issue.
• The SeaPlex is a cool room but the big mistake was removing the sports court and skating rink, etc., and thinking the SeaPlex could handle everything. The sports court on every ship I've ever been on is in constant use by kids playing soccer or basketball. But because of the lack of other venues, every time kids would go out to play, within 30 minutes they were kicking everyone off for bumper cars, laser tag, adult sports tournaments, pickleball lessons. It was crazy. You had a boat FULL of kids on spring break and every time they started having fun they'd shut the court down for an adult 3-on-3 basketball tournament and leave all the kids with nothing to do. 
• No waterslides. I realize not everyone cares about waterslides, but at this point they've been an expectation on all ships and cruise lines for 15 years. It's odd that they felt waterslides were unimportant enough to build Quantum class with none and then do a total 180 and decide they're so important that Icon needed SIX. They seem to have sacrificed them for the North Star, which is gimmicky, limited to a small % of passengers, and a clear effort to replace something free with something that drives $$$.
• The 270 Theater that essentially replaces the skating rink and Aqua Theater is terribly underutilized. We were on the boat for 6 days and never had a reason to go there. 
• In general, I had the overwhelming sense that the amazing job Royal has done with crowd control on other ship classes was totally missed here. I've never felt crowded on a ship, but Odyssey is full of overcrowded venues (SeaPlex and Esplanade, particularly) and they totally screwed up the Windjammer. Half the seating is way in the back far away from the buffets, and as a result the WJ always felt crowded. There are buffet stations in the back but they were never open, even during the busiest of breakfasts, etc. 

Again, staff, service, food, cleanliness -- all excellent. But Royal totally missed the boat, so to speak, on ship design here. If not for the food I'd go on Mariner 10x again before I'd go Quantum class. 

Just my opinion 

 

[need2cruz]

I did Odyssey for my 1st quantum class ship just a couple of months ago.  Both my husband and myself liked this ship better than any other ship we have been on.  We loved the 270 theater, the music hall and the solarium with those 4 big hot tubs that were never crowded.  We too thought it was the best MDR food we've ever had.  We ate in the MDR 7 of our 8 nights on board.  We always sat in those back sections of the Windjammer that were never crowded.  The one thing we missed in the quantum design, was the outdoor area to walk around the boat on the 5th deck (I believe).  It didn't go around the whole ship.  We like to walk laps to burn calories.  We had to turn around at the end and walk back and forth.  But, that wouldn't keep me from coming back.   I hope to do another quantum class again, someday.

[JLMoran]

Quantum ships were designed from the start to be cold-weather cruising ships. So features like an aqua theater, water slides, etc. would be unusable while in the colder regions at start or end of a cruise (or throughout on something like an Alaska sailing or late-fall Canada/New England cruise). I imagine features like those also pose some safety risks in rougher winter waters or in high winds common to the winter season.

I imagine that's also why the ice skating rink was skipped. I saw at least one skater fall in every performance, even in calm seas. Can't image people being able to use the space when the seas are really rockin' and a rollin'.

Like @need2cruz, my wife and I love the Quantum class ships. The Two70 Lounge became our favorite spot to have breakfast every morning. It's always wonderfully quiet there in the mornings, with the wake view adding to the calm. We also really like the shows they have in that space.

The Q class solarium is easily our favorite of the ships we've been on (admittedly, not many). We like the SeaPlex for the non-sports options it offers since neither of us is into sports, along with features like iFly that are unique to the line and still work even when the weather is colder. Our only real complaint is how much the ships "look inward", even with all the balcony rooms they have. But that's another trade-off of being designed for colder climates, where people will want to limit their exposure to the elements when just getting from Point A to Point B.

Q class is the only one besides Freedom or Radiance class that I want to book these days. I'm glad that Royal continues to offer those, and I hope they evolve the Q line in ways that pull from Celebrity's Edge class ships (which clearly drew inspiration from Q class).

[loki007]

We completely agree with you. We were on Odyssey for 6 nights in December. What an odd layout. Playmakers being so out of the way in the seaplex, it was an afterthought for us. The elevators were terrible. I got the feeling that they tried to take the Celebrity Edge Skeleton and make a Royal Ship and it did not work. Next to Mariner our least favorite Royal ship. 

[Tanner]

If Voyager Class is the on-set of the quintessential royal experience with the promenade and specific layout, Freedom class is Voyager on Steroids.  Oasis Class is Voyager class on steroids and Growth Hormone.  Icon is an absolute mutant with gene manipulation!!! The same DNA, the same lineage is very clear throughout these classes as they evolve, get bigger and add more all around the same core.  Quantum is a break from this for sure.  But it is not as huge of a deviation compared to Radiance class ships.  I really like Q class for what it is and what it offers despite it being very different to the Voyager, Freedom, Oasis, and now Icon lineage.  

[smokeybandit]

Cold itinerary/Asian market ships. Then with the Asian cruise market lagging behind the rest in recovering from Covid, it is what it is.

[tonyfsu21]

I found Odyssey to be one of the better ships in the fleet! I guess opinions will always be across the board but it was a refreshing change from Oasis class. The sportsplex with Playmakers was a game changer and the music hall was best in the fleet (IMHO). We enjoyed the Southern Caribbean route on Odyssey and would do it again in a heartbeat. The 270 cafe was a great replacement for Park Cafe and the MDR was “decent”. 

[Mark_A]

Love Odyssey, hate the elevators

 

[smokeybandit]

24 minutes ago, Mark_A said:

hate the elevators

Other than Icon, that's a universal cruise ship hate.

[TehPuddingMan]

I was on the Odyssey last week as well. Overall, I really enjoyed the ship. I thought the food aside from Giovanni's was good. Service was excellent everywhere. But yes, the elevators are the worst. I can't tell you how many times someone accidentally got too close and hit all the floors. It became a running joke with pretty much anyone I was in there with. 

I didn't really understand "The Book." It was a little too artsy for me.  

[RCIfan1912]

So funny how people like different things because Anthem is our favorite ship. Very sad we are losing her.  The indoor pool was amazing in February when we sailed. 

[TXCoastPatriot]

I’ll trade you the Allure (Galveston ‘26) for the Odyssey and a ship to be named later.

[TessFromFlorida]

Spot on regarding the SeaPlex, it is a catch all. A space just for the bumper cars and laser tag would be ideal, but still a beautiful ship. 

[TXCoastPatriot]

2 minutes ago, TessFromFlorida said:

Spot on regarding the SeaPlex, it is a catch all.

Our last transatlantic plus B2B was on the Odyssey.  The SeaPlex was used as a holding area for all the B2B sailors.  Must have been 200 and it was packed!

[Kelseylovestocruise]

I’ve been on it and it was not my favourite! I felt like the flow was cut. I also didn’t connect to all the shows. 

[twangster]

I enjoy Quantum class because they are different.  I've sailed four of them and mostly to bucket list destinations like Alaska, Hawaii and New Zealand.  

Oasis class, until Icon came about, have always been in a league of their own and can't be compared to any other ship class.  Oasis and now Icon are very wide ships, much wider than all other classes of ship.  It's the extra width that allows things like Central Park and Boardwalk.  On any other platform without the extra width it's not practical to install these areas without removing all guest cabins in those areas.  Removing guest cabins to add more venues and features isn't practical for any cruise line.

Oasis class are much larger ships at 225,000+ GT while Quantum class are around 168,000 GT.  That extra 30% of space allows them to put more venues and areas on Oasis class.  

Why doesn't Radiance class have ice skating rinks and zip lines and central park and boardwalk and aqua theaters and so on?  Because Radiance class is one third the size of Oasis class and obviously you can't put the same features and venues on a ship that doesn't have the space for them.   

The Windjammer on Quantum class is my favorite across the fleet.  I really dislike the Windjammer on Oasis class.  The food stations are all over the place with some on the side and some around the corner on the back.  It's really hard to find seating on Oasis class Windjammers at peak times.  Oasis class Windjammers are truly jammers slammed with people.  Some Quantum class Windjammers have outdoor seating which I love.

The lack of waterslides is known before booking.  It appears odd to me to complain they are missing.  That's like buying a sedan then complaining it's not a 4x4 pick up truck.  Given where most Quantum class are deployed waterslides are impractical.  

It's okay not to like something but that doesn't justify calling it a dud.  

Royal's next class of ship, Discovery class, is not going to be a mini Oasis class ship.  They too will be much smaller ships that won't have the space for all Oasis class features.  Like Quantum class the smaller footprint will allow them to sail into ports that Oasis class can't fit into.  That's kind of the point.  They will be different too.  Different doesn't make them duds.  

Oasis and Icon class ships are the destination and the ports you visit are less important.  If the itinerary is boring it doesn't matter because the ship is as much the destination as the itinerary may be.

Other classes of ships can visit more unique ports of call where mega ships can't sail.  When visiting these areas the ship isn't the destination as much as the ports of call are the destination.  

Anthem out of Bayonne was a perfect pairing with two sea days down the coast and two sea days on the way back home in the cold Atlantic ocean where few would be using waterslides most of the time.  The indoor family pool means kids are not trying to sneak into the adult only solarium pools on those colder sea days in winter months.

What I love best of all my 14 Quantum class cruises are the memories of the destinations.  Alaska, Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand for example.  Greek islands and Europe for Odyssey is a great summer pairing.  

I like that Royal's fleet is diverse and not just ships that are variations of the same thing.  With research I can choose a ship that fits my needs based on the region I'll be sailing.  I suggest doing more research next time and avoid booking a ship that doesn't have features that are important to you.  

[ScottD]

15 hours ago, loki007 said:

We completely agree with you. We were on Odyssey for 6 nights in December. What an odd layout. Playmakers being so out of the way in the seaplex, it was an afterthought for us. The elevators were terrible. I got the feeling that they tried to take the Celebrity Edge Skeleton and make a Royal Ship and it did not work. Next to Mariner our least favorite Royal ship. 

Funny you mention Mariner as another you don't like- I see nothing but people LOVING that ship.  

[loki007]

43 minutes ago, ScottD said:

Funny you mention Mariner as another you don't like- I see nothing but people LOVING that ship.  

I know I was so surprised when on it. I have seen so many good reviews. It really had to do with the crowds. If you were not in the solarium at 6:15 am you were not getting a chair on sea days. people actually slept in there to reserve chairs. I was just on Allure and you could get a chair at noon, no problem. The line at Sorentos was 50 deep anytime you went. The entertainment was also terrible, worst I've seen. We had 2 families and the consensus was 1 and done with Mariner. 

[jeffmw]

I respect everyone's opinions here. Most things in life are subjective.

I will say, however, the predominant nature of the responses 1) cite the fact that Quantum ships were developed for cold weather, and/or 2) appear to be written by people without young kids who are on cruises to have a mostly 'adult' experience. All of that is fine. It makes total sense for there to be cruise ships with more indoor options if they're going to be deployed outside of warmer climates. It also makes total sense for there to be cruises with more adult-driven experiences (although I'd argue the lack of Central Park and the Aqua Theater with no replacement is a bit underwhelming in that respect.)

However, for most of Odyssey's short history -- including this cruise I just went on -- it has been deployed in the Caribbean packed with families with young kids -- which is increasingly Royal's target demographic.

If I were taking a Celebrity Cruise in Alaska, Odyssey would be an amazing ship. But for a cruise full of kids needing things to do during two sea days, it underwhelmed. The SeaPlex continually kicking kids off the sport court to have adult sports competitions, giving the hundreds of kids no where to go on a ship built for cold weather, was particularly unideal. It was a Spring Break Caribbean cruise with no waterslides, no mini-golf, no sports court, no Boardwalk, no carousel, no Abyss, no ice rink, and no designated karaoke venue. It does, however, have a lot of specialty restaurants and a giant crane that you could pay to stand in and take pictures. To me, that wasn't an even trade.  

I also didn't mention the massive footprints of the Music Hall and Boleros. There are huge back areas of these venues far from the entrance, which serve no purpose other than to provide huge spaces for people to drink. Again -- great for a Celebrity or Virgin ship catering to adult experiences. Not ideal for one catering to families. 

[Crown&AnchorEsq]

The biggest head scratcher for me with Odyssey is the removal of the indoor pool.  The "resort style pool" might be why Odyssey ended up spending so much time in the Caribbean.  For a ship that was designed to be cooler weather it feels like an odd choice. Anyone remember why that change was made? There is also a dearth of 5+ person cabins, pretty much just the Loft and the two GT suites.  We're booked for Feb of 26 but I privately wish it was still Anthem running the winter NY/NJ route.  

[RCIfan1912]

1 minute ago, Crown&AnchorEsq said:

The biggest head scratcher for me with Odyssey is the removal of the indoor pool.  The "resort style pool" might be why Odyssey ended up spending so much time in the Caribbean.  For a ship that was designed to be cooler weather it feels like an odd choice. Anyone remember why that change was made? There is also a dearth of 5+ person cabins, pretty much just the Loft and the two GT suites.  We're booked for Feb of 26 but I privately wish it was still Anthem running the winter NY/NJ route.  

Yes! The removal of the indoor pool makes absolutely no sense. And the fact they are replacing Anthem in NJ with an indoor pool for a ship without is really odd. 

We loved swimming in the indoor pool in February on our last cruise. It was fun. Cold outside but still comfortable swimming in doors. 

[TakeMeSomewhere]

I have been told by employees at Royal Caribbean and Celebrity that the Quantum Class ships were originally designed for Celebrity. That is why there is similarity between the Quantum Class and Edge Class.

As many have also said on here, personally the Quantum Class is my favorite Royal Class of ship. I especially love 270 for both breakfast in the morning, relaxing in the afternoon and enjoying the view, and entertainment in the evening. Also, I want to rave about the Junior suites on the Quantum Class and their split bathrooms. I also love that Royal has a newer, beautiful class of ship that has fine touches.

It's also smart of Royal to have different ships for different needs. Cold vs warm weather, young children focused vs more adult focused. Even if Royal is a family brand it doesn't mean that's all they have to do. It is important for people to research or to have a travel agent to research the right ship for them. If you have children in your traveling party, then definitely book a ship with all the slides, skating rink, etc. Twangster did an amazing job breaking down the size differential between Quantum and Oasis Class and the restrictions in venues/neighborhoods that imposes.

Just because it is spring break in the Caribbean, doesn't mean that every ship has to be for families that want all the bells and whistles. I was on Odyssey with my 10 year old nephew over Christmas and he loved it. We did the research, saw the activities in Playmakers, and other activities in the ship, and knew it would work for us. If my nephew needed slides and everything else, we would have booked another ship. 

I will agree though that the elevators on Odyssey were horrible. Even the captain joked they are a horrible design choices. 

[Jamesszy94]

On 4/2/2024 at 11:12 PM, jeffmw said:

I respect everyone's opinions here. Most things in life are subjective.

I will say, however, the predominant nature of the responses 1) cite the fact that Quantum ships were developed for cold weather, and/or 2) appear to be written by people without young kids who are on cruises to have a mostly 'adult' experience. All of that is fine. It makes total sense for there to be cruise ships with more indoor options if they're going to be deployed outside of warmer climates. It also makes total sense for there to be cruises with more adult-driven experiences (although I'd argue the lack of Central Park and the Aqua Theater with no replacement is a bit underwhelming in that respect.)

However, for most of Odyssey's short history -- including this cruise I just went on -- it has been deployed in the Caribbean packed with families with young kids -- which is increasingly Royal's target demographic.

If I were taking a Celebrity Cruise in Alaska, Odyssey would be an amazing ship. But for a cruise full of kids needing things to do during two sea days, it underwhelmed. The SeaPlex continually kicking kids off the sport court to have adult sports competitions, giving the hundreds of kids no where to go on a ship built for cold weather, was particularly unideal. It was a Spring Break Caribbean cruise with no waterslides, no mini-golf, no sports court, no Boardwalk, no carousel, no Abyss, no ice rink, and no designated karaoke venue. It does, however, have a lot of specialty restaurants and a giant crane that you could pay to stand in and take pictures. To me, that wasn't an even trade.  

I also didn't mention the massive footprints of the Music Hall and Boleros. There are huge back areas of these venues far from the entrance, which serve no purpose other than to provide huge spaces for people to drink. Again -- great for a Celebrity or Virgin ship catering to adult experiences. Not ideal for one catering to families. 

Could it have been that you went during school holidays/holiday season?

I sailed on the Disney Wonder a few months ago with my niece and nephew and they seemed to have a great time - even though the Wonder is like 30% smaller than the Wish - ergo less things to do - but they seemed to still be entertained by all the meet and greet characters, the shows and just the general vibe of the ship. I guess it depends on how small your children are - I've noticed that young kids are entertained easily.

[jeffmw]

15 hours ago, Jamesszy94 said:

Could it have been that you went during school holidays/holiday season?

 

Nah. I was on Symphony during Winter Break once, Wonder last Spring Break, and Mariner two Spring Breaks ago. Fully used to boats jammed full of kids. It really boiled down to fewer venues and areas to do things, and much worse traffic flow.

 

18 hours ago, TakeMeSomewhere said:

It's also smart of Royal to have different ships for different needs. Cold vs warm weather, young children focused vs more adult focused. Even if Royal is a family brand it doesn't mean that's all they have to do. It is important for people to research or to have a travel agent to research the right ship for them.

 

I agree. And this is why it makes sense that many of the older boats (with naturally less to do for families) are typically used for cruises less geared towards children (9+ days, unique ports, more remote embarkation locations like PR, etc.) I knew what we were getting into before we left. I worried my kids would have less to do without all the venues and activities I spoke of above. I just figured it was a new boat and it's Royal (which does target families above all else), so I could trust there'd be enough onboard to compensate. But honestly, they made the problem worse by scheduling adults-only activities during prime hours (middle of the afternoon, early evening, etc.), removing kids from some of the key venues and activities that catered to them. 

We're focusing a lot on the "my kids didn't have as much to do" narrative here, but honestly it was everything else too. The crowds and elevators is nothing I've ever experienced on a Royal boat (including sold-out Wonder and Symphony during school breaks). And I felt overall that the additions (North Star, iFly, SeaPlex, 270) didn't nearly balance out all the subtraction (Central Park, Boardwalk, Sports Court, Aqua Theater, water slides, Abyss, play area on Wonder, mini-golf, ice rink, karaoke bar.) 

[Vincent]

On 4/2/2024 at 5:02 AM, twangster said:

 

Some Quantum class Windjammers have outdoor seating which I love.

 

Do you know which ones??? Quantum class is our next pick, and I would love to be able to sit outside and enjoy breakfast. This was a family tradition when we sailed with Disney some 18 years ago.

[RCIfan1912]

4 minutes ago, Vincent said:

Do you know which ones??? Quantum class is our next pick, and I would love to be able to sit outside and enjoy breakfast. This was a family tradition when we sailed with Disney some 18 years ago.

Anthem does, it's really nice out there too. We have sailed Anthem many times. Love that ship!

[new2cruzing]

2 hours ago, Vincent said:

Do you know which ones??? Quantum class is our next pick, and I would love to be able to sit outside and enjoy breakfast. This was a family tradition when we sailed with Disney some 18 years ago.

Ovation and Quantum both have the outdoor seating at the Windjammer. I haven't been on the others so will defer to others with 1st hand knowledge.

[whitsmom]

We will be on the Odyssey in July (Rome, Greece, & Turkey) - so it appears that the elevator situation isn't going to be "fun" for us.  We are taking our 18 year old granddaughter on this cruise for her high school graduation gift so hopefully (fingers crossed) that we can make the most out of it.  Service and food are big for us and that seems to have positive comments from most. 

[twangster]

3 hours ago, Vincent said:

Do you know which ones??? Quantum class is our next pick, and I would love to be able to sit outside and enjoy breakfast. This was a family tradition when we sailed with Disney some 18 years ago.

Quantum, Anthem and Ovation.

Spectrum and Odyssey are Quantum Ultra class and do not have outdoor seating for the Windjammer.

[TXcruzer]

On 4/4/2024 at 12:39 PM, whitsmom said:

We will be on the Odyssey in July (Rome, Greece, & Turkey) - so it appears that the elevator situation isn't going to be "fun" for us.  We are taking our 18 year old granddaughter on this cruise for her high school graduation gift so hopefully (fingers crossed) that we can make the most out of it.  Service and food are big for us and that seems to have positive comments from most. 

have been on Odyssey multiple times, there are no problems with the elevator.  The touchless buttons are a little sensitive but nothing that had any impact on any cruise of mine.

[ScottD]

16 hours ago, TXcruzer said:

have been on Odyssey multiple times, there are no problems with the elevator.  The touches buttons are a little sensitive but nothing that had any impact on any cruise of mine.

What are touchless buttons?  Is it a screen like the Oasis ships have or something different? 

[TXcruzer]

1 minute ago, ScottD said:

What are touchless buttons?  Is it a screen like the Oasis ships have or something different? 

similar to the Oasis touch screen, but a little different.  they are actually individual buttons, but hav sensors that activate when your finger (or anything else) is close for a duration of time

[twangster]

My first experience with the elevator buttons on Odyssey was during the pandemic when cruising restarted.  Since we were still in the craze of the pandemic the touchless elevator buttons were a welcome feature.

I've never had an issue with them, they just work for me so I struggle to understand why others have a problem.   

Perhaps it's the very brief delay when hovering your finger above a button that is a problem.  Or perhaps it's the lack of immediate feedback.  When you actually touch a button your body has that feedback that contact was made.  When hovering near a button there is a brief leap of faith that something will happen.  

[ScottD]

32 minutes ago, twangster said:

My first experience with the elevator buttons on Odyssey was during the pandemic when cruising restarted.  Since we were still in the craze of the pandemic the touchless elevator buttons were a welcome feature.

I've never had an issue with them, they just work for me so I struggle to understand why others have a problem.   

Perhaps it's the very brief delay when hovering your finger above a button that is a problem.  Or perhaps it's the lack of immediate feedback.  When you actually touch a button your body has that feedback that contact was made.  When hovering near a button there is a brief leap of faith that something will happen.  

From the other posts, it sounds like people are having issues with buttons being pushed by accident when they get too close?

[michaelp1446]

14 minutes ago, ScottD said:

From the other posts, it sounds like people are having issues with buttons being pushed by accident when they get too close?

I have been on Odyssey twice. When she first came out, you just had to be within close proximity to have the buttons light up. I was on the same sailing as @jeffmw,

It seemed that the sensitivity had been adjusted from 2 years ago to reduce the number of false button pushes. When the elevator gets packed, there seemed to be a lot of people that accidentally leaned against the buttons. I don't know which was a brighter red -the buttons or the faces of those who realized what they had done

BTW Odyssey is one of our favorite ships for what we look for in a cruise.

[Southern Dan]

I really want to go on the Odyessy…ship looks beautiful!  We almost went with our Greek Isles cruise in July 2025 but opted for Voyager instead bc it had an extra port and we like the fact it starts in Rome and ends in Athens so we can spend a few days before and after at those respective cities.

Leaving out of NYC in Winter 2026…might do one of those long January cruises on her then.

[John-NC]

I don't have a ton of RC cruises under my belt, but I really enjoyed Ovation for an Alaskan cruise.  We have a Norwegian fjords cruise on Anthem in June.

Overall, I really liked the design during a cold weather cruise.  I could see preferring a more open Oasis class ship for warmer destinations, though.

[TXcruzer]

21 hours ago, ScottD said:

From the other posts, it sounds like people are having issues with buttons being pushed by accident when they get too close?

You have to be within a centimeter or so to activate the buttons.  One night on a particular busy elevator, the DW was pushed back in the corner and up against the panel, that time there were a few accidental buttons activated. All in all, its much complaining about nothing 

[Starrynight0154]

Will be on Odyssey for our 9 night bucket list trip(Greek Isles, Italy, Turkey) first day of fall this year. Booked a junior suite almost 1.5 years ago. Spending 5 nights in Rome before, and 7 nights in Florence after. Odyssey looks like a great ship, and I’m getting more excited everyday to try it out. 

[JBC]

I was on a sold out Odyssey in February.  Can confirm that while I personally didn't have trouble operating the elevator buttons, lots of people did.  Which leads to lots of unnecessary stops and lots of waiting for elevators.  It's definitely an issue and a common complaint regarding that ship.  On a sold out sailing, it was awful.  

I echo pretty much everything the original poster said.  Super clean ship, food and service were great.  The layout is not conducive to crowds and is generally a bit odd.  I also did not go to 270 at all.  All I ever noticed going on there was "The Book" which I have seen before and is terrible.  So I never had a reason to go there.  Yet every trivia event was held at the pub or schooner, and they were all packed to the gills 20 mins before they started.  Not a good plan, the music hall and 270 are 4 times the size and both seemed very underutilized all week.  It seems I spent way too much time all week looking for chairs at the pub, schooner and the pool deck/solarium.  Way more so than on other ships.