Odyssey of the Seas Cabins to Avoid

Odyssey of the Seas is quite a unique ship in design. While she is the second Quantum Ultra-class ship for Royal Caribbean, her accommodation options hold more in common with the earlier Quantum-class ships, rather than her ‘twin’ ship Spectrum of the Seas.

But she is still a little different, and so I’d recommend using this guide if you need help finding which are the best staterooms and suites, and which are the Odyssey of the Seas cabins to avoid on your cruise.

So, let’s take a look at all of the options available, so that you can find the right option for your own Odyssey of the Seas booking.

How to Choose the Best Cruise Cabin

While I’ve written this guide specifically about Odyssey of the Seas, I also have a handy checklist you can keep with you that applies to any ship.

Just drop your email in this form and I’ll send it straight to you.

The Different Rooms on Odyssey of the Seas

With just over 2,100 cabins in total, you really aren’t short of options on Odyssey of the Seas when making your booking.

That includes a mammoth 23 different types of stateroom or suite – one more than sister ship Spectrum of the Seas, although one fewer than earlier Quantum-class ships.

So, where do you start? Well, first it’s good to run through what all those options are, since some might be ruled out for you automatically.

So, let’s take a look at all of the cabin options on Odyssey of the Seas:

Room	Type	Max. guests	Decks	Average Size (sq ft)	Average Balcony Size (sq ft)
Interior	Inside	4	3, 7-13	166	N/A
Interior Accessible	Inside	4	8, 9, 11	274	N/A
Interior with Virtual Balcony	Inside	4	9, 10	166	N/A
Interior with Virtual Balcony Accessible	Inside	4	9, 10	256	N/A
Connecting Interior	Inside	2	7-11, 13	166	N/A
Ocean View	Outside View	4	3	182	N/A
Ocean View Accessible	Outside View	4	3	182	N/A
Spacious Ocean View	Outside View	4	8-11	214	N/A
Ocean View Balcony	Balcony	4	6-13	182	55
Ocean View Balcony Accessible	Balcony	4	7-9	272	80
Connecting Ocean View Balcony	Balcony	2	8-13	182	50
Ocean View with Large Balcony	Balcony	4	6-13	182	65
Obstructed Ocean View Balcony	Balcony	4	6-7, 13	198	50
Studio Ocean View Balcony	Balcony	1	6, 7	119	50
Junior Suite	Suite	5	6-13	267	81
Junior Suite Accessible	Suite	4	8, 9	354	81
Junior Suite with Large Balcony	Suite	4	6, 10-12	198	161
Grand Suite – 1 Bedroom	Suite	4	7-13	350	109
Grand Suite – 2 Bedroom	Suite	8	8	543	259
Owner’s Suite	Suite	4	9	541	259
Grand Loft Suite	Suite	4	8-9	696	216
Owner’s Loft Suite	Suite	4	8-9	975	501
Royal Loft Suite	Suite	6	8-9	1,640	553

Odyssey of the Seas Cabins to Avoid

A lot of thought was put into the stateroom options on Odyssey of the Seas, and there are some spectacular choices available. Still, not every cabin is right for every cruise passenger. It’s not that there are bad cabins, just some that maybe you would like but someone else wouldn’t, and vice versa.

While it’s true that the Quantum Ultra-class ships aren’t the biggest in the Royal Caribbean fleet, they’re still pretty massive, and so it’s worth planning which parts of the ship you’ll spend the most time in, and using that info to work out a good stateroom – you don’t want to have to trek up loads of floors and across the length of the ship a couple of times a day if you don’t have to.

So, here are some of the cabin types and cabin locations to consider avoiding:

1. Obstructed View Rooms

It’s not unusual for cruise ships to have obstructed view rooms. They’ll be balcony or ocean-view rooms where your view is compromised, usually by lifeboats but sometimes by other ship structures.

Odyssey of the Seas is no different. The obstruction isn’t awful – most of the obstructed rooms are above the lifeboats, so it’s only when you look over the railing that it’s obstructed – but definitely one to be careful of if you choose one of the balcony cabins or suites in this part of the ship.

There are a handful on higher decks with smaller obstructions as part of the ship’s design too, but if you want a completely clear view then steer clear.

2. Cabins Directly Adjacent to the Royal Theatre

3146, 3149, 3546, 3549

There are four rooms, in particular, worth steering clear of from a noise perspective on Odyssey of the Seas. They share a wall with the Royal Theatre, which is where nightly live performances will take place. While they don’t run super late, it’s best to steer clear if you want a good early night ahead of the next day’s adventures.

There are a few more places on a ship where you might suffer from some noise disruption. Common locations on a ship include above the loudest bars, or below the pool deck, and that advice would apply on Odyssey of the Seas too.

3. Rooms a Very Long Walk from Elevators

Because of the size of Odyssey of the Seas, she has some slightly awkward elevator placement. She’s not big enough to fit three sets, so instead there are elevators near the front of the ship and then in a mid-ship location, slightly towards the aft.

It means that any of the aft-facing rooms from Deck 8 upwards, and a handful of inside cabins on Deck 7, are quite a long walk from the elevator.

It’s not an issue for most people – especially if you want to get those steps in to burn off the buffet food each day – but if you’re carrying younger children back from the kids’ clubs (right at the front of Deck 11) when they’re tired and napping at the end of the day, you’ll definitely notice the distance!

4. Deck 11 Forward Rooms Without Kids

11118 to 11160, 11518 to 11560

The staterooms and suites right at the front of Deck 11 are adjacent to the Adventure Ocean kids’ clubs. There are Balcony Staterooms, Junior Suites and Inside Staterooms there, and regardless of which one you choose, you’re going to experience a higher level of traffic outside the room – and a lot more noise.

If you aren’t sailing with kids, then this is probably one of the worst places you can book, unless you plan on being out of your room nice and early and staying out until late.

Otherwise the excited kiddos on their way to the kids’ club, or the many parents picking the kids up, could easily disturb you.

5. Expensive Suites

Odyssey of the Seas has several options for loft suites, ranging from the Sky Loft Suite up to the best suite on the ship, the Royal Loft Suite.

These two-storey accommodation options are beautiful and very spacious… But they also don’t come cheap. And it’s definitely something to think very carefully about when deciding whether they’re worth the money.

It’s not just about whether you can afford the high prices (up to £20,000 per person, per week for the Royal Loft Suite). It’s whether you’d be better booking that, or choosing a Grand Suite for a week and then having the budget spare for another 1-2 cruises in a Grand Suite again.

You need to check out the Royal Caribbean Suite perks to see what’s included as well as having the extra space, but for a lot of people, it’d make more sense to choose a cheaper option (including some of the smaller suites) and book several cruises instead.

6. Rooms That Can Cause Seasickness

The worst places on any ship for seasickness are right at the forward or aft parts of the ship, on the highest decks. That’s where you’ll feel the most motion.

With Odyssey of the Seas, height isn’t a huge issue – there are no decks above Deck 13 with accommodation options. However, I’d still steer clear of Deck 12 and Deck 13 rooms if you know you suffer badly from motion sickness.

The best rooms would instead be something mid-ship and lower down, preferably with a balcony so you can focus on the horizon and get some fresh air while lying in bed. In fact, the obstructed balcony staterooms could be ideal if seasickness is your concern.

Suggested read: Will You Get Seasick On A Cruise? How To Know

7. Connecting Cabins If You’re Not Booking Both

A common problem with cruise ship staterooms is when you book a connecting room without needing it. The shared doorway between connecting rooms is not great at isolating noise, so while it’ll stay locked if there are strangers on the other side, you might hear more from their room than you would in a regular stateroom. And equally, they might hear more from you.

All kinds of noises can come from an adjacent stateroom. Loud snoring, arguments, other things… If you’d rather avoid the risk of hearing those, don’t book a connecting stateroom. Leave those for when you’re travelling with a group and want to book both together.

8. “Large Balconies” That Aren’t Much Larger

The Ocean View Balcony rooms on Odyssey of the Seas have a reasonable-sized balcony at 55 square feet, but you can pay extra if you want one that’s classed as having a large balcony.

However, you only get an extra 10 square feet. It’s not a lot considering you’ll be paying extra for the privilege.

On earlier Quantum-class ships, paying for a Large Balcony would get you an additional 25 square feet, so Odyssey of the Seas (and sister Spectrum of the Seas) don’t offer the same value for these rooms.

9. Deck 13 Rooms

I mean, it’s Deck 13 – why tempt fate?

I’m joking, of course, but it does seem odd that the Quantum-class ships are the only ones in the Royal Caribbean fleet that have a Deck 13. Most skip it, going from Deck 12 straight to Deck 14, and that is because of superstition.

It’s not like the Quantum Class set the tone for Royal ditching superstition – the newer Icon-class ships also avoid a Deck 13.

Best Rooms on Odyssey of the Seas

While most rooms are great, here are some of the standout rooms on Odyssey of the Seas:

1. Studio Rooms

The Quantum-class ships for Royal Caribbean introduced more options for studio rooms. On other ships, it can sometimes be rare to get a room designed for single passengers, and when you do it’ll be an inside room, 99% of the time, with maybe a chance of a window, unless you’re willing to pay double the fare to book a regular room as a solo passenger.

However, the studio rooms on Odyssey of the Seas are all Balcony options, which is fantastic for single travellers who don’t want to miss out on waking up to a wonderful view.

Take a look at this video for a closer look at this room type…

Solo travel is becoming more and more popular, so it’s great for guests to have this option on the ship. The only drawback is that the ship doesn’t have Interior Studio cabins like the rest of the Quantum Class, which is less good if you are on a tight budget.

2. Corner Spacious Oceanview Staterooms

From Decks 8 to 11, the staterooms right at the front of the ship are Spacious Oceanview rooms. They can’t be balconies, because the wind would force the balcony door to remain shut most of the time, so instead they offer a bigger Oceanview room with a fantastic view.

If you can book one of the corner rooms, you’ll get even more space – they’re considerably bigger again! Just check the deck plans and you’ll see what I mean:

You can take a look at the following video for a peek inside this ‘secret’ cabin type…

3. Virtual Balcony Staterooms

First introduced on Odyssey’s sister ship, Quantum of the Seas, the Virtual Balcony staterooms are a great alternative to a regular Interior stateroom.

You still get a view – albeit on a digital screen. While it won’t help with the lack of natural light, it is good if you want to see what time of day it is (the virtual balcony is a livestream from outside the ship) and it’s better than just having four plain walls.

4. Deck 11 Rooms with Kids

See every reason I gave for not booking a Deck 11 Forward stateroom if you didn’t have kids? Reverse those if you do. It’s great being so close to the kids’ clubs, and having the pool deck and buffet restaurants only a couple of decks away too. Super-convenient, especially when it comes to collection time and the younger kids are refusing to walk and have to be carried in your arms.

What is the Best Deck on Odyssey of the Seas?

There’s no single best deck on Odyssey of the Seas, but it’s recommended to have staterooms above and below you if you want the least noise – so Decks 7 to 12 would be the better options.

Avoid rooms on Deck 11 near the front of the ship if you don’t have kids, but anything mid-ship towards the aft would be fine since that’s away from the kids’ clubs.

What is the Best Room on Odyssey of the Seas?

The biggest room on Odyssey of the Seas is the Royal Loft Suite, and it is a stunning option, though it’s very expensive. The Interior Staterooms with Virtual Balcony are a great option if you’re on a budget and want to enjoy some form of view, even if it is digital.

Choose Your Own Room or Go for the ‘Guarantee’ Option?

When booking your Odyssey of the Seas room, you’ll be able to pick a category and then have the option of paying extra to choose your specific cabin number, or opting for a cheaper ‘Guarantee’ room where the cruise line will pick your room for you.

It’s risky, because you can only select whether you want Interior, Oceanview, Balcony, or a specific Suite type. You can’t pick a deck, so you could end up with one of the rooms I’ve told you to avoid.

Still, if you’re laid back and don’t intend to spend much time in your cabin anyway, the saving might be worth it to you.

Find More Information About Odyssey of the Seas Cabins

To put this guide together, I spent a lot of time reading Odyssey of the Seas reviews and browsing some social media groups and forums. I recommend you check them out, too. You might find specific information on a stateroom you have your eye on.

• Royal Caribbean Odyssey of the Seas Facebook Group
• Odyssey of the Seas – Past, Present and Future Cruisers Facebook Group
• Odyssey of the Seas Reviews

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• Odyssey of the Seas Statistics & Facts
• Quantum Class Cruise Ships: Everything You Need To Know
• Royal Caribbean Ships Ranked From Best To Worst