RCI-Royal Caribbean’s liner Odyssey of the Seas completed the final chapter in her construction milestone on March 31.
The newbuild is RCI's 25th fleet member, scheduled to debut from homeport Haifa Israel in May 2021, and from Fort Lauderdale Florida in November 2021.
RCG's Chairman and CEO Richard Fain, RCI's President and CEO Michael Bayley, and the ship's Captain Per Kristoffersen received the newbuild from Meyer Werft Yard’s Managing Partner Bernard Meyer and Managing Director Jan Meyer in the handover ceremony with a virtual twist.
Odyssey OTS is the second Quantum Ultra Class cruise ship, and she will welcome Royal Caribbean’s first passengers to sail from Israel on voyages where travelers above the age of 18 and crew are fully vaccinated.
Following all the COVID-related cancellations (2020-2021), Odyssey OTS' inaugural program is based on cruises in Europe (Eastern Mediterranean) leaving from homeport Civitavecchia-Rome, with 7-9-12-day itineraries to ports in Greece (including Greek islands), Turkey, Italy, Israel. The summer 2021 program features longer port stays and overnights in major port cities (also on Greek Isles), with up to 15 hours at every port. Two full days (overnights) are offered in Piraeus-Athens and Naples on the 12-day Holy Land and 9-day Greek Isles voyages.
After the 14-day Transatlantic repositioning cruise from Civitavecchia-Rome to Fort Lauderdale (Oct 28-Nov 11, 2021) follows a program based on 6-day Western Caribbean and 8-day Southern Caribbean roundtrips that also visit CocoCay Bahamas. The list of visited countries includes Mexico (Cozumel), Jamaica (Falmouth), Haiti (Labadee), USVI (St Thomas), Puerto Rico, Grand Cayman, Aruba, Curacao.
In late-October 2020, new 2021 voyages were added for Odyssey OTS. Excepting the April 21 departure, all other dates/itineraries were canceled in early November 2020.
- (April 2) 3-night "Weekend Getaway Cruise" from Southampton
- (April 5) 5-night repositioning cruise from Southampton to Barcelona
- (April 12 and April 21) 5-night roundtrips from Barcelona
- (April 26) 4-night roundtrip from Barcelona
Eventually, in early-March 2021, RCI rescheduled Odyssey OTS's inaugural season to start in June 2021, but open for residents of Israel only. The revised itinerary program offered 3- to 7-night long voyages leaving roundtrip from Haifa-Tel Aviv Israel (homeport/first-time for RCI). The Aegean-Eastern Mediterranean itineraries visit only Greek islands/ports - Rhodes, Mykonos, Santorini, Piraeus-Athens, Limassol Cyprus.