ODYSSEY of the Seas Oct 22-Nov 5, 2025 (14N TransAtlantic from Rome to Bayonne)

[PPPJJ-GCVAB]

We just switched from the Spring 2025 TA going East to this one.  We have lots to plan and look forward to this cruise as well as the pre-cruise Italy land vacation!  Several family members will be flying over to Italy with us the week before the cruise to make memories with us touring Rome and Venice!

On the cruise will be:

• myself and my husband (Peggi and Peter) and we are celebrating our 46th anniversary onboard (Nov 3)
• Donna and Danielle (my sister-in-law and niece) Danielle turns 34 onboard (Oct 26)
• Rich and Rhonda (our very close friends and cruise buddies!)

Updates will be posted as time gets closer and our plans get made  

Super excited for this to happen!

[Bob Burd]

My wife and I will be on this cruise as well.  We are planning on going over at least 2 or 3 days beforehand and do some sightseeing.  It's our first TA cruise and we are looking forward to it.  We live in NJ so the cruise ending at Bayonne is perfect for us. 

[bhee]

On 8/29/2024 at 10:57 AM, Bob Burd said:

My wife and I will be on this cruise as well.  We are planning on going over at least 2 or 3 days beforehand and do some sightseeing.  It's our first TA cruise and we are looking forward to it.  We live in NJ so the cruise ending at Bayonne is perfect for us. 

Any Idea what hotel you will staying in while in Rome?

 

[Bob Burd]

On 10/5/2024 at 6:19 PM, bhee said:

Any Idea what hotel you will staying in while in Rome?

 

Very good question.  We are still working on that.  We aren't sure.. do we go a few days to another country and then a couple near Rome or near the port. I just sent an email to our MEI travel agent with some questions actually and am awaiting a response. I'm not expecting her to answer for a bit due to the storm that's about to hit Florida. I will keep you posted.  Do you have any ideas yet?

[PPPJJ-GCVAB]

Happy to see a  few fellow cruisers planning this adventure!  
We are still in the talking stage but our plans will most likely include flying over to Italy (Venice first) October 15 or 16…spending a few days in Venice and then taking train to Rome to explore this wonderful city until our embarkation on the 22nd.  Several of our family members will fly over with us for the “land” touring and hopefully will also meet us in Florence on our first port day! 
Our plans are very preliminary although we know we do need to get everything in motion soon!

In the meantime, I am very excited that my cruise bringing me to Diamond status is approaching quickly with my check in just one week away!

[bhee]

On 10/9/2024 at 1:36 PM, Bob Burd said:

Very good question.  We are still working on that.  We aren't sure.. do we go a few days to another country and then a couple near Rome or near the port. I just sent an email to our MEI travel agent with some questions actually and am awaiting a response. I'm not expecting her to answer for a bit due to the storm that's about to hit Florida. I will keep you posted.  Do you have any ideas yet?

I just booked the 10 night Greece, Italy and Turkey cruise on the Odyssey that goes out on the 12th of October for a b2b. I may just fly in the day before and go straight to Civi and stay the night in Civitavecchia.

[Bob Burd]

On 10/13/2024 at 4:58 AM, bhee said:

I just booked the 10 night Greece, Italy and Turkey cruise on the Odyssey that goes out on the 12th of October for a b2b. I may just fly in the day before and go straight to Civi and stay the night in Civitavecchia.

we thought about doing that as well. I'll mention that to my wife again as she would like to see Greece.  Now, if I only had a money tree in the back yard things would be easier!

[PPPJJ-GCVAB]

Looks like this one is booked solid!  Doesn’t show up anymore when trying to check on pricing….availability…nothing!  
Lots of discussion going on regarding this cruise on “the other blog site”!  Just saying  

[PPPJJ-GCVAB]

Trying yet again to see if there are any current bloggers (besides @Bob Burd and @bhee) here sailing across the ocean with us on this cruise?  I for one am getting pretty excited about this journey.  My husband…not so much but I keep praying he will get to that point and find some good things about our trip.

There is nine of us cruising and 3 more joining us for just the Italy land trip before the cruise…and they are also meeting us in LaSpezia to join us for a Pisa/Florence all day tour which I booked through our TA at MEI.  It’s family and close friends doing this vacation with us.  
My original post for this Roll Call is dated August 2024 so the info has changed and solidified since then.

In addition to the named cruisers back then we have another couple (close friends) added on plus our friends Rich/ Rhonda have their son joining along!  That makes the nine!  Our son…our son-in-law…our nephew are the 3 joining us for our precruise vacation.  

We are all flying into Venice and spending 3 days there (booked the Venice Maggiore Consiglio hotel) and we then will somehow manage to travel to Rome via train!  I’m already emphasizing the need to pack as compactly as possible since no one other than myself has traversed over cobblestones and hitched a train ride with suitcases in tow!  
Once in Rome we have 3 nights booked at the LaGriffe hotel (I stayed there in 2006! It’s in the perfect location to all the sites and the train station) before heading to Civitavecchia port on the 22nd.  
Our 3 “land guests” will travel to LaSpezia sometime that day, stay overnight and meet us at the port as soon as we dock!  They will do the tour with us and somehow manage to head back to the LaGriffe for their final night before flying home.  And we will continue on our way!

Sorry for this lengthy text….can you tell I am getting super excited ?

[PPPJJ-GCVAB]

lol I have been scouring the YouTube channels to find helpful info on packing for not only a 14 night cruise but also a week’s vacation BEFORE the cruise!  Anyone interested in helping me out with this?  Please?   Maybe even some B2B2B cruisers?

 I need all the help I can get especially with instructing my niece (she is 33 and NEVER wears the same thing twice…and matches shoes to every outfit) how to bring just one suitcase that SHE can lift and walk with!  When I mentioned capsule wardrobe packing she almost had a heart attack!  I am NOT kidding!

[bhee]

On 6/2/2025 at 12:01 PM, PPPJJ-GCVAB said:

lol I have been scouring the YouTube channels to find helpful info on packing for not only a 14 night cruise but also a week’s vacation BEFORE the cruise!  Anyone interested in helping me out with this?  Please?   Maybe even some B2B2B cruisers?

 I need all the help I can get especially with instructing my niece (she is 33 and NEVER wears the same thing twice…and matches shoes to every outfit) how to bring just one suitcase that SHE can lift and walk with!  When I mentioned capsule wardrobe packing she almost had a heart attack!  I am NOT kidding!

Came back May 5th from a trip with a total of 45 days,  40 days of that on the Quantum of the Seas that started in Brisbane, Australia and ended up in Vancouver for a B2B2B2B2B (that's five) with a 24" suitcase and a backpack. It can be done, I think I had my laundry done on the ship 4 times.