Odyssey of the Seas: North Star, RipCord and Thrills

Which thrills on Odyssey of the Seas should you book first, and how do you keep from wasting a sea day standing in line? The short answer: reserve the North Star observation capsule and your RipCord by iFly skydiving flight the moment your cruise planner opens, then treat the FlowRider surf simulator, SeaPlex, and Two70 shows as walk-up fun you time around the crowds. Odyssey is Royal Caribbean’s Quantum Ultra-Class ship, a nimble mid-size megaship packed with more signature attractions than almost anything else her size, and nearly all of them reward a little planning. This guide walks through each headline thrill in order, tells you honestly who it suits, and shows you how to beat the queues.

North Star: the 300-foot view that defines the ship

North Star is the one attraction guests remember most, and for good reason. It is a jewel-shaped glass observation capsule mounted on the end of a mechanical arm, and it lifts a small group of passengers roughly 300 feet above the sea for a slow, sweeping 360-degree view. From the top you can see the entire length of the ship below you, the horizon curving away in every direction, and, on the right sailings, an approaching coastline you would never glimpse from your balcony. It is calm rather than terrifying — the capsule rises smoothly, rotates, and extends out over the side of the hull so that at moments you are hanging over open water.

What to expect on the ride

A typical turn lasts several minutes from the time the capsule leaves its cradle to when it settles back down. You stand or lean against the glass railing while the arm carries you up and out. The floor and walls are glass, so there is nothing between you and the drop but the capsule itself, which makes it a memorable spot for photos — bring your phone, but keep it on a strap or firmly in hand. Groups are kept small so everyone gets a place at the glass. Because the whole thing is weather-dependent, the captain will close North Star in high winds or rough seas, so the smoothest, clearest days tend to be the busiest.

Who it suits

North Star suits almost everyone. It is gentle enough for grandparents and young children, and the enclosed capsule reassures nervous first-timers who would never try a real height attraction. If you are prone to motion sensitivity, pick a calm sea day rather than a bumpy one, and you will likely be fine. The only people who should skip it are those with a genuine fear of glass floors, since there is no way to avoid the view straight down.

How and when to reserve, and how pricing works

Here is the part that trips people up. North Star operates in two modes. On most sea days it runs as a complimentary experience, and you simply reserve a time slot — often through the Royal Caribbean app or at the venue once onboard. On port days, when the ship is docked somewhere scenic and the view is at its best, it frequently runs as a paid, ticketed ride at a modest per-person charge. That difference matters: the free sea-day slots vanish fast, and the paid port-day rides let you glide up over a harbor like Bermuda’s Royal Naval Dockyard for a view no shore excursion can match.

To secure it, open your cruise planner as early as possible before you sail and grab a slot. If North Star is not yet bookable online for your date, make it your first stop when you board — head straight to the venue or check the app for same-day reservations before the lunchtime rush. Aim for an early-morning or golden-hour slot for the best light and the shortest waits. Confirm current times, modes, and any charge in the app, since the schedule shifts with the itinerary and the weather.

• Best value: a complimentary sea-day slot booked the instant your planner opens.
• Best view: a paid port-day ride over a scenic harbor, worth the relative extra.
• Best light: early morning or the hour before sunset.
• Backup plan: if it is fully booked, keep checking the app for cancellations and released slots.

RipCord by iFly: skydiving without the plane

RipCord by iFly is the ship’s bucket-list thrill: a vertical wind tunnel that lets you experience the free-fall sensation of skydiving without ever leaving the deck. A powerful column of air rushes up through a clear glass chamber, and once you lean into it with the right body position, you float. It is genuinely close to the real thing — the same rush, the same weightless feeling — but with an instructor an arm’s length away the entire time.

How it actually works

You do not just walk up and jump in. Every flyer goes through a short group briefing first, where a certified instructor teaches the basic body position — chin up, arms out, legs relaxed, body slightly arched. You are fitted with a flight suit, helmet, goggles, and earplugs, since the tunnel is loud. Then you step into the chamber one at a time. Each person typically gets two short flights of about a minute each, which sounds brief until you are in there; a full minute of holding steady against a wall of moving air is a real workout and a real thrill. The instructor stays in the tunnel with you, steadying your position and, for confident flyers, sometimes taking you on a spiraling high-flight up the glass.

Who can do it

RipCord is remarkably accessible. Children can fly from a young age, and there is no upper age limit for people in reasonable health, so it is a favorite for families who want a shared first-timer adventure. There are common-sense restrictions: guests with prior shoulder dislocations, back or neck problems, heart conditions, or who are pregnant are generally advised not to fly, and there is a weight guideline for safety. You will sign a waiver, and the crew will run through the requirements with you. Wear comfortable clothes and lace-up sneakers, and leave loose jewelry in your cabin.

Booking early to beat the queue

The basic iFly flight session is typically complimentary, which is exactly why the slots fill quickly. Reserve your time in the cruise planner before you sail, or in the app once aboard, and choose a sea-day slot when the venue runs continuously. If you want more airtime, iFly also sells upgraded packages with extra flights and the high-flight experience, bookable at the venue. Arrive a few minutes before your slot for the briefing and suit-up, since latecomers can lose their place to standby flyers.

FlowRider: catch a wave on the top deck

The FlowRider is a surf simulator that pumps a thin, fast sheet of water up an angled ramp so you can bodyboard or stand-up surf in place. It is one of the most social attractions on the ship, because the seating around it turns into an impromptu grandstand — half the fun is watching first-timers wipe out and pros carve back and forth. You do not need any surfing experience; the crew coaches you through it.

What to expect

There are two ways to ride. Boogie boarding is the easier, beginner-friendly option — you lie on the board, and most people get the hang of steering within a few tries. Stand-up surfing is much harder and takes real balance; expect to fall, a lot, which is part of the entertainment. The water cushions you, but the sheet moves fast, so you will get thoroughly soaked and occasionally tumbled. Wear a swimsuit that stays put, and follow the crew’s instructions on where to place your hands and feet.

Who it suits and how to book

FlowRider suits active teens and adults, and confident younger kids who meet the height and swimming requirements. The complimentary open sessions are the norm, and you generally just join the line during posted hours — no reservation needed, though the ship also offers private lessons and clinics you can book for focused coaching. To beat the crowd, ride during a port morning when most passengers are ashore, or catch the first session of a sea day before the deck fills up. The line moves quickly because each ride is short, so even a long-looking queue clears faster than you expect.

SeaPlex: the largest indoor active space at sea

SeaPlex is Odyssey’s rainy-day insurance and her late-night playground rolled into one — the biggest indoor active space at sea, spread across a flexible sports-and-entertainment complex. Because it is indoors, it keeps families busy on windy Atlantic days when the top-deck attractions close, and it transforms through the day from a sports court to an arcade to a nightlife zone.

What is inside

The headline draw is the bumper cars, which run during scheduled sessions and are a genuine hit with all ages. When the cars are cleared away, the same floor becomes a court for basketball and other ball games, or a rink for roller skating. There is laser tag in a themed arena, an arcade with the usual mix of games, and open circus and activity workshops at various times. The space is genuinely multipurpose, so the same room you skated in at noon might host a late-evening event by ten.

Who it suits and how to time it

SeaPlex is a family and teen magnet, and most of its core activities are complimentary — bumper cars, skating, and open court time typically cost nothing, while the arcade and some equipment rentals carry a charge. Because everything runs on a rotating schedule, the single most useful habit is to check the daily planner in the app each morning and note the exact windows for bumper cars, laser tag, and skating. Those sessions are the ones that draw lines. Show up a few minutes before a session opens, especially on a sea day, and you will get in on the first rotation instead of waiting for the next.

Two70: a lounge by day, a spectacle by night

Two70 is the ship’s most inventive room, and it earns its name from the roughly 270 degrees of floor-to-ceiling glass that fill the aft wall. By day it is a light-flooded lounge where you can sit with a coffee and watch the wake stretch out behind the ship. By night, that same wall of windows becomes the centerpiece of one of the most technically impressive shows at sea.

Vistarama and the Roboscreens

After dark, the glass wall disappears behind Vistarama, a vast, seamless digital canvas that turns the whole space into anything from a starlit sky to a swirling abstract world. Add the Roboscreens — a set of robotic arms carrying moving video panels that swoop and reconfigure themselves in time with the performance — and Two70 hosts productions that blend live performers, aerialists, music, and choreographed screens into something you cannot see anywhere but on a Quantum-class ship. The shows change, so check the app for what is playing and when.

How to get a good seat

The signature evening shows are complimentary but popular, and Two70 does not have the fixed capacity of a traditional theater, so seating is first-come. Arrive a good while before showtime to claim a spot with a clear sightline to the screens, or come by earlier in the day just to enjoy the room as a quiet daytime lounge. If you only catch it once, make it a headline production night rather than a casual set — the Vistarama and Roboscreen combination is the reason to be there.

The rock wall and the pools: the quieter thrills

Not every thrill needs a reservation. The rock-climbing wall stands high on the upper decks with routes for beginners and experienced climbers alike. The crew harnesses you in, belays you, and cheers you to the top, and because it runs as a walk-up complimentary activity during posted hours, you can simply show up when the mood strikes. Climb during a port morning or the first session of a sea day for the shortest wait and the calmest winds.

For downtime, Odyssey pairs an outdoor pool deck with a glass-domed, adults-only Solarium — an indoor-outdoor retreat that stays warm and calm even when the open decks turn breezy on the run to Bermuda. The indoor Solarium pool is the ship’s secret weapon on cool or windy days, when the main pool empties out and the covered space stays comfortable. Families gravitate to the outdoor pools and whirlpools, while the Solarium gives adults a peaceful alternative. There is nothing to book here; just bring a towel from your cabin steward’s stack and stake out a lounger early on sea days, since the best spots go before mid-morning.

A simple plan to beat every line

Put it all together and a smart approach almost writes itself. Reserve the two attractions that ration slots — North Star and RipCord by iFly — in your cruise planner before you ever board, and check the app again the moment you are aboard for any same-day openings. Treat FlowRider, the rock wall, and SeaPlex’s open sessions as walk-up fun that you time to port mornings and first-of-the-day sea-day windows, when most guests are elsewhere. Build your evening around the Two70 shows, arriving early for a good seat. And keep the Royal Caribbean app open all week, because times, modes, and any charges shift with the itinerary and the weather. If you want a fuller day-by-day rhythm for the whole sailing, our what to expect on Odyssey of the Seas walkthrough and our Royal Caribbean Odyssey tips pull the timing together.

The thrills are also a big reason the ship works so well for her home region. Sailing round-trip from Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey, Odyssey is the rare megaship much of the Northeast can drive to, with no flights required, and her indoor-heavy attraction list keeps everyone entertained on the open-ocean stretch out to Bermuda. If you are still choosing an itinerary, our Bermuda and Caribbean guide compares the routes, and first-timers can start with the full Odyssey of the Seas cruise guide.

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Get the complete Odyssey of the Seas playbook

Want every thrill, deck, and booking window mapped out before you sail? “The Ultimate Guide to Sailing on Odyssey of the Seas,” part of the Ultimate Ship Guides series by Leo Sotropa, turns all of this into a clear plan with action steps in every chapter — so you spend your cruise riding North Star and RipCord, not waiting in line.

Frequently asked questions

Is North Star free on Odyssey of the Seas?

It depends on the day. On most sea days, North Star runs as a complimentary experience and you simply reserve a time slot. On many port days, when the views over a harbor are at their best, it operates as a paid, ticketed ride for a modest per-person charge. Because this can change with the itinerary, confirm the current mode and any price in the Royal Caribbean app for your specific sailing.

How high does North Star go?

The glass capsule lifts you about 300 feet above sea level and rotates for a full 360-degree view. From the top you can see the length of the ship, the horizon in every direction, and any nearby coastline. The ride is smooth and enclosed, so it feels more like a gentle scenic lift than a stomach-dropping ride, which is why it works for almost every age.

Do you need to book RipCord by iFly in advance?

You should. The basic skydiving flight is typically complimentary, so the reservable slots go quickly. Book your time in the cruise planner before you sail, or in the app once aboard, and arrive early for the group briefing and suit-up. If you want extra airtime or the high-flight upgrade, you can purchase upgraded packages at the venue.

Can kids do RipCord and the other thrills?

Many of them, yes. Children can fly in RipCord from a young age with a signed waiver, and North Star, SeaPlex bumper cars, roller skating, and the rock wall all welcome kids who meet the basic height and safety requirements. FlowRider and the rock wall have height and swimming or ability guidelines, so check the posted rules at each venue. The crew will confirm eligibility before anyone participates.

What is there to do indoors when the weather turns?

Plenty, which is a real strength of this ship on the open-ocean run to Bermuda. SeaPlex offers bumper cars, roller skating, laser tag, basketball, and an arcade all under cover; RipCord runs in its enclosed tunnel; the glass-domed Solarium pool stays warm; and Two70 hosts its Vistarama and Roboscreen shows in the evening. Even when the top-deck attractions close for wind, the indoor lineup keeps everyone busy.

What are the Two70 shows about?

Two70 is a multi-story venue with a huge wall of glass that doubles as a digital canvas. By night, Vistarama fills that wall with immersive imagery while robotic Roboscreen panels move in sync with live performers, aerialists, and music. The productions blend technology and stagecraft into something specific to Quantum-class ships. Showtimes and titles change, so check the app and arrive early, since seating is first-come.

How do I avoid long lines for the attractions?

Reserve North Star and RipCord in your cruise planner before you sail, and check the app for same-day openings as soon as you board. For walk-up attractions like FlowRider, the rock wall, and SeaPlex sessions, go during port mornings when most guests are ashore, or catch the first session of a sea day. Note the exact session windows in the daily planner and show up a few minutes early to make the first rotation.