Questions - the little things

[FigmentSpark]

We are leaving for our RCCL cruise soon. Odyssey of the Seas, here we come. My other cruises were DCL Fantasy, so I'm preparing for this one in a similar way, but it's the little things I am wondering about.

1. Will I need old hotel keys to keep the power on in the room, like we did on DCL? If no, I won't waste my time.

2. Will I need lanyards? I assume RCCL doesn't provide them? We have our our DCL Silver ones, so it's no problem, but I wanted to know if I should bring some. Also, I've hear there is some kind of band you can buy? Is it worth it?

3. Are there plugs in the bathroom for a nightlight or for curling irons/blowdryers/shavers? Are there plugs by the beds?

4. Are the plugs for North American 110 volt items or do I need converters?

5. Are there hooks on the wall for the little things, like hanging your lanyard or towel up?

6. Did you bring your own beach towels? I was told RCCL will sign them out to you, but they're expensive if they're not signed back in. That worries me. Are they even good towels? DCL had really nice beach towels.

7. We didn't get the drink packages. Do I need a water bottle to have some water on deck or are there free cups available for water on deck?

8. Is there a limit to the amount of luggage allowed on the ship? Carry on?

9. We board at 11:30, so I assume we will be with our luggage until the rooms open. Does anyone know when the rooms usually open? Is it a free for all to the elevators when that happens?

10. We're getting on a Port Everglades (18, I think?) Do they have a boarding waiting area like DCL has at Port Canaveral? We will have to wait for my DH to get there from returning the van, so I'm trying to figure out how that will work. I'm assuming we can all drop our luggage, much like we do at DCL - someone takes it away curbside. I'm hoping we can just wait for him in a waiting area, and not standing by the curb for the half hour/hour (depending on the shuttle from the Avis cruiseport rental area) it will take for him to return.

11. While our boarding is at 11:30, like I said, my DH has to return the car. Can we get to the port around 10:30 and just wait for our boarding time, like we did at DCL? What is the boarding procedure? And will they even let us drive up to do the drop off before our boarding time?

 

[FigmentSpark]

One other question: What is the storage like in the staterooms? We have a 2 person balcony room. Is there room under the beds to store suitcases?

 

[Capt_BJ]

We sailed on Ody' for Thanksgiving week last year ... and have over 50 cruises under our belt .... my replies to your ??

1. Will I need old hotel keys to keep the power on in the room, like we did on DCL? If no, I won't waste my time.
>> as I recall YES there is the 'power saver' card slot on ODY' ... most newer ships have this energy saving feature ....

2. Will I need lanyards? I assume RCCL doesn't provide them? We have our our DCL Silver ones, so it's no problem, but I wanted to know if I should bring some. Also, I've hear there is some kind of band you can buy? Is it worth it?
>> been cruising for a long time and have NEVER used a lanyard ... had my kids do it, but for me a pocket seems to work just fine! They sell 'em ......

3. Are there plugs in the bathroom for a nightlight or for curling irons/blowdryers/shavers? Are there plugs by the beds? >>> yes BUT tas with MOST modern ships the use of a personal hair dryer is a no-no and the bathroom outlets are not intended for them (a safety thing as a hair dryer can pull MANY electrical AMPS) ... a personal hair dryer in the bath will probably pop the circuit breaker . . . standard cruise ship stuff.

4. Are the plugs for North American 110 volt items or do I need converters? >>> there are plenty of US plugs but there are EU ones too so a converter CAN help provide additional plugs .... I have a 'universal' converter that can provide 4 USB from an EU plug ..... runs about $20

5. Are there hooks on the wall for the little things, like hanging your lanyard or towel up? >>>> yes ... as many as YOU expect?????

6. Did you bring your own beach towels? I was told RCCL will sign them out to you, but they're expensive if they're not signed back in. That worries me. Are they even good towels? DCL had really nice beach towels. >>>>> While not a fan of RCCL's towel check out policy they are BIG THICK towels and other then the hassle of the checkin/out system have never had an issue ..... and this was FAR from our first RCCL cruise with this towel policy .....

7. We didn't get the drink packages. Do I need a water bottle to have some water on deck or are there free cups available for water on deck? >>>> water is abundant and cups provided but bringing your own bottle to cut down on trips to a water source is a good idea .... the provided basic water cup is small and not insulated .... a plastic cup .....

8. Is there a limit to the amount of luggage allowed on the ship? Carry on? >>> nope .... nor on any of the cruise lines I've used. Ships ain't worried about luggage weight or size versus an airplane .....

9. We board at 11:30, so I assume we will be with our luggage until the rooms open. Does anyone know when the rooms usually open? Is it a free for all to the elevators when that happens? >>>> experienced cruiser hint: arrive LATE .... the ME FIRST crowd is gone and you board quickly with no hassles ..... when we cruised we got on board b4 the rooms were open and sat down for a drink. When they announced rooms were open was there a rush to the elevators? DUH But we'd boarded late so Our wait for the crowds to clear while enjoying a libation was shorter

10. We're getting on a Port Everglades (18, I think?) Do they have a boarding waiting area like DCL has at Port Canaveral? We will have to wait for my DH to get there from returning the van, so I'm trying to figure out how that will work. I'm assuming we can all drop our luggage, much like we do at DCL - someone takes it away curbside. I'm hoping we can just wait for him in a waiting area, and not standing by the curb for the half hour/hour (depending on the shuttle from the Avis cruiseport rental area) it will take for him to return. &11. While our boarding is at 11:30, like I said, my DH has to return the car. Can we get to the port around 10:30 and just wait for our boarding time, like we did at DCL? What is the boarding procedure? And will they even let us drive up to do the drop off before our boarding time?

>>>> hmm this one is a bit tough. For our ODY' trip once we walked into the terminal every thing was VERY FAST. I don't remember any sort of a waiting area. I'd dropped every one off at the curb then parked. They waited for me at the curb and we walked in together. No one cared what our assigned boarding time was. First was security/scanners with short line and many scanners. Once thru security there were MANY checkin lines but before we got to one an RCCL person stopped us and asked for our boarding pass, scanned it with her device and said we were clear to board .....
OR short answer ... the terminal waiting area at Port Canaveral's dedicated Disney terminal is pretty unique ,,, it is DISNEY ......

>>>>>>>>>>>we had no problems with the storage available but this depends a bunch on your suitcase / amount you bring / sun spots . . . .

 

[FigmentSpark]

Thanks. I wanted to board with the whole family for a boarding photo. Not sure if they even do that, though. If it's not a problem, it might be easier to just board and wait for my DH to join us.

Never thought about it, but can you go for lunch when you arrive or are you just enjoying the other ship amenities? And is there even a "free" lunch on that first day? Windjammers? (I think that's what the buffet restaurant is called?)

 

[Capt_BJ]

there are several lunch options when you board - depending on your time - in general the 'deck' fast food and the buffet are open .....

yes they do 'boarding photos'

for what it seems you want to do why not return the rental and go to the port via either their shuttle or an uber? stay together . . .

 

[FigmentSpark]

My DH will be taking the shuttle back. There are 5 of us travelling, so the idea of us all using the shuttle or even an uber seems more difficult. I would think it's easier for 1 person to get on a rental car location's shuttle than 5+luggage.

 

[starvenger]

The captain, as always, gives some great answers. I'll try and fill in what little gaps there are:

2. Will I need lanyards? I assume RCCL doesn't provide them? We have our our DCL Silver ones, so it's no problem, but I wanted to know if I should bring some. Also, I've hear there is some kind of band you can buy? Is it worth it?

You can buy the WOW Band. It's basically a Magic Band, and kind of a fun novelty if you're into that.

And your DCL Lanyards should work just fine. Since Odyssey uses RFID cards you'll need the clear pocket thingie to hold your Seapass.

4. Are the plugs for North American 110 volt items or do I need converters?

The captain made a great point about the Euro outlets. I have a 4 port USB that we used in France and I'll be bringing that to take advantage of that plug on my Princess cruise next week.

5. Are there hooks on the wall for the little things, like hanging your lanyard or towel up?

If you're one of those magnetic hook people, you can use them on Royal.

6. Did you bring your own beach towels? I was told RCCL will sign them out to you, but they're expensive if they're not signed back in. That worries me. Are they even good towels? DCL had really nice beach towels.

As the Captain noted it's not necessary. I'm not really a fan of checking towels in and out, but it's more because you need to remember to go through the process of returning the towels than going to a station to check them out.

7. We didn't get the drink packages. Do I need a water bottle to have some water on deck or are there free cups available for water on deck?

To add on to that, make sure you take note of where the water stations are, so you know where to go. Also, if you can't find an ice dispenser, grab it from the freestyle machines. You don't need a freestyle cup to get ice.

9. We board at 11:30, so I assume we will be with our luggage until the rooms open. Does anyone know when the rooms usually open? Is it a free for all to the elevators when that happens?

Rooms are supposed to open at 1pm. 11:30 might put you in the middle of Boarding Prime Time so you might want to take the Captain's advice and board later when there will be less of a crush.

10. We're getting on a Port Everglades (18, I think?) Do they have a boarding waiting area like DCL has at Port Canaveral? We will have to wait for my DH to get there from returning the van, so I'm trying to figure out how that will work. I'm assuming we can all drop our luggage, much like we do at DCL - someone takes it away curbside. I'm hoping we can just wait for him in a waiting area, and not standing by the curb for the half hour/hour (depending on the shuttle from the Avis cruiseport rental area) it will take for him to return.

There is a waiting area after you do your final check-in and get your Seapass cards. Your husband can go through all of that on his own and meet you at the lounge. But you can also wait after you do the security check.

11. While our boarding is at 11:30, like I said, my DH has to return the car. Can we get to the port around 10:30 and just wait for our boarding time, like we did at DCL? What is the boarding procedure? And will they even let us drive up to do the drop off before our boarding time?

It shouldn't take more than 30 minutes for him to get to the rental return and back. And your husband should be able to drop you off at the terminal.

What is the storage like in the staterooms? We have a 2 person balcony room. Is there room under the beds to store suitcases?

Should be room under the bed. You can probably put the suitcases in the closet if need be.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Thanks for the tips. That helps me envision what will happen.

 

[FigmentSpark]

UPDATE: We've returned, so I thought I'd answer my own questions in case it helps anyone else. For context, my experiences are limited to the Odyssey of the Seas 8 day Southern Caribbean cruise (over Xmas)

1. Will I need old hotel keys to keep the power on in the room, like we did on DCL?

No, I did not. The light system worked on key cards, but there was already a dummy card in the slot.​

2. Will I need lanyards?

"Need" might not have been the right word. No, RCCL does not provide them. I used my DCL one, as did many other passengers (we saw them regularly). However, they had nice ones (plain, patterned and bedazzled) for sale for around $8.95, so not a crazy price.​

3. Are there plugs in the bathroom for a nightlight or for curling irons/blow dryers/shavers? Are there plugs by the beds?
and
4. Are the plugs for North American 110 volt items or do I need converters?

The bathroom light, when turned off, turns on a dim nightlight in the bathroom. We didn't need a night light to see when going to the bathroom in the middle of the night. That was a nice feature.​

​

Our room (a cat 2C) had one plug by the bed, but not one on each side. There were two at the desk and one European plug, as well. The bathroom had plugs, but they were high up and I suspect only for razors. I was going to try to plug the hairdryer in there, but I couldn't even reach and wasn't sure it would fit in that tight space.​

​

As an aside: Hair dryer was a crappy "travel" dryer that you had to hold "on", not just switch on. Also, my sister's travel diffuser would not fit on it. If you need a bigger device, you might want to bring your own.​

5. Are there hooks on the wall for the little things, like hanging your lanyard or towel up?

There is one straight post beside the bathroom door, about 3 inches long, which would be great for a few hangers (when getting ready) or a towel or housecoat. In the bathroom, there were small hooks on the door and one beside the shower. We used those for hanging up our bathing suits.​

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There is also one in the shower for your cloth, but, digressing again, there isn't much space for any products. There was a body wash pump and a bar for your feet (if washing or shaving legs. There's also a wire soap holder which didn't hold much and both my soap bar and my razors were falling through the wires. Not well designed. I eventually took the soap dish from the sink and put it in the shower holder, so there was something solid to hold my things.​

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Back to hooks. We took our magnetic inch-long hooks (holds about 3 lbs) and put them at the door for our lanyards. It helped to have those and they're small, so didn't waste any space.​

6. Did you bring your own beach towels? I was told RCCL will sign them out to you, but they're expensive if they're not signed back in. That worries me. Are they even good towels? DCL had really nice beach towels.

We did not bring our own towels. We didn't need them. Yes, you have to sign out every beach towel you get (not bathroom towels) and if you don't return them, it's $25 per towel. While they did the job, they weren't nearly as nice as the DCL ones.​

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One thing I discovered was that there are times, like returning from an excursion when they didn't ask you how many towels you were returning and they just credited your room with all the towels being returned. We ended up with one extra towel that way. And you can ask at the towel station if you owe any, so I know it wasn't just on another of our room's accounts. Anyway, I have a feeling they are a little looser with that policy than they'd like you to believe, but the towels aren't really worth stealing. They're nice and big, but not super luxurious.​

7. We didn't get the drink packages. Do I need a water bottle to have some water on deck or are there free cups available for water on deck?

We did not need water bottles. There are plenty of places to get a glass of water, lemonade, Fruit Punch or Iced Tea. All are complementary and also available at dinner free of charge.​

My DS ended up getting a Refreshment package and I got the coffee card. He loved getting all the 'free' mocktails and premium coffees, but I still don't know if he spent my money's worth. He also got a FreeStyle cup, but only used it a couple of times, since the other things were much more interesting. The coffees he got (cold brew) were only $3.00, but I guess for a day adds up. The mocktails were about $9.00 each, so maybe that made up for it. He also got 2 pops (cans) at dinner, so that was worth something too.​

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Here is the menu and costs at one of the two approved included coffee stations (not Starbucks, but Windjammers and @Two70 cafe) If you have the coffee card, the "Tall" drinks are one punch and the "Grande" and Venti" are two punches. Also, an extra shot of espresso will be another punch.​

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8. Is there a limit to the amount of luggage allowed on the ship? Carry on?

No limit, but, like on DCL, you are stuck with what you carry on to the ship until the rooms are available.​

​

As for checked luggage, I had two pieces and my DS had one. Our room only held two people (might be smaller than other rooms. Our beds were (obviously) separated and I found that the three suitcases fit under the beds and maybe a smaller one would have fit, but the attendants store the bedding for the next cruise under the beds, too, so that limited the space for my storage.​

9. We board at 11:30, so I assume we will be with our luggage until the rooms open. Does anyone know when the rooms usually open? Is it a free for all to the elevators when that happens?

Yes, it's a free for all for the elevators. No surprise, but we went right away and it wasn't too bad. I don't remember when the rooms opened, but I think it was 1:00. We had enough time to quickly unpack and get the kids to the iFly (they had a 2pm spot).​

10. We're getting on a Port Everglades (18, I think?) Do they have a boarding waiting area like DCL has at Port Canaveral? We will have to wait for my DH to get there from returning the van, so I'm trying to figure out how that will work. I'm assuming we can all drop our luggage, much like we do at DCL - someone takes it away curbside.
and
11. While our boarding is at 11:30, like I said, my DH has to return the car. Can we get to the port around 10:30 and just wait for our boarding time, like we did at DCL? What is the boarding procedure? And will they even let us drive up to do the drop off before our boarding time?

DH dropped us and the luggage off around 10:00am. Yes, there is someone to take the luggage for you and then you can park or return your car.​

​

Dropping the van off at the Avis Cruiseport site (which is very close) was easier said than done. It took an hour for him to get back to the port, because there was such a rush of people arriving looking for vehicle rentals and not enough shuttles to take people back. In fairness, we are told there were 9 ships in port that morning, which is supposedly unusual.​

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The rest of us just went in to the terminal, did our photos and were sent to the seating area, which was organized as first come first served (after the VIP and Key sections, of course). When DH arrived, I met him and he joined our seating area. Within a few minuted (like around 11:30), they started leading people on to the ship. It seemed like everyone who was there was getting on at the same time. It makes you wonder why they had a boarding time at all, but maybe we were just all 11:30 people. It did seem like that was the earliest boarding time you could get (unlike DCL at Port Canaveral which starts at 10am)​

 

[hdrolfe]

FYI for the wire soap thing in the shower, I put a wash cloth in there so it's not got the gaps and things usually work ok that way for shampoo bottles, etc.

Glad you had a good time.

 

[FigmentSpark]

FYI for the wire soap thing in the shower, I put a wash cloth in there so it's not got the gaps and things usually work ok that way for shampoo bottles, etc.

Glad you had a good time.

Dang it! Sometimes the simple solutions are the best. Why didn't I think of that? lol