HOW WE STANDARDIZE SHIP DATA
Our Methodology
Odyssey On Board standardizes cruise ship data across fleets to make comparisons clearer, fairer, and more useful for travelers. Cruise lines and third-party sources often classify amenities differently or oversaturate their respective fields, so we use consistent rules across lines when counting features like pools, dining venues, theaters, and onboard attractions.
Pools
We count publicly accessible, swimmable guest pools. Splash pads, decorative water features, spa hydrotherapy pools, and suite-exclusive plunge pools are not included. This keeps pool counts consistent across ships and cruise lines.
Hot Tubs
We count public-access hot tubs available to regular guests, including those in adult-only areas. Suite-exclusive hot tubs and thermal suite spa tubs are excluded so ships are compared on the same basis.
Dining
Dining counts focus on meaningful food venues with distinct menus, service styles, or dining experiences. Main dining rooms, buffets, specialty restaurants, food halls, and substantial casual venues may count. Coffee counters, bars, ice cream stands, grab-and-go cases, and minor snack stations are not counted as full dining venues.
Theaters & Entertainment
Theater counts focus on major venues designed for scheduled shows or large-scale entertainment. Main theaters, aqua theaters, and major production-style venues may count. Lounges, comedy clubs, bars, atriums, and small stages are not automatically counted just because performances happen there.
Outdoor Activity Score
Our Outdoor Activity Score, or OAS, measures distinct outdoor interactive attractions onboard. Examples may include mini golf, ropes courses, surf simulators, kart tracks, rock climbing walls, zip lines, and similar hands-on attractions. Water slides and sports courts are tracked separately, so they are not included in OAS. Duplicate attractions are counted by type, not quantity.
A Note on Cruise Ship Data
Cruise ship data can vary between official fact sheets, cruise line websites, deck plans, refurbishments, and third-party databases. Odyssey On Board prioritizes internally consistent comparisons so users can understand how ships differ in practical, real-world terms.
Methodology updated: May 2026
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