ABFrenchie

The Sunset Pier at the Ocean Key Resort (end of Duval street, by Mallory Square) is a great place to grab drinks and get a bite to eat. I'm a little biased - I got married there, but went back last year and the food and drinks were still great.

Had a not so great experience with it last year but it was probably just a fluke based on our individual circumstance. We filled out all of the paperwork and got our luggage valet tags. However, one member of my party was in the process of being upgraded through Delta the day before disembarkation, so the customer service rep for luggage valet could not check him into his flight (something about the seat assignment being "pending"). Because they couldn't check him in, he couldn't participate in luggage valet. We said no problem, we'll just put the bags under a person in our party who WAS checked in and had a seat. Guest relations confirmed we could do this. For some reason, attendants on the ship took the bags from the hallway the night before disembarkation, but luggage valet didn't take them to the airport. After leaving the port and while en route to the airport, we got a call from a rep stating the bags were still at the port. I Royal ended up shipping the luggage back to us a few days later, at their expense. So, slight inconvenience but not the end of the world. I'm still not entirely sure how a seat upgrade thwarted this process, but just something to keep in mind if anyone in your party is usually upgraded.

Last year while on a RC cruise, I put a $500 nonrefundable deposit down on a May 2019 sailing of Symphony. I know the deposit is nonrefundable, but what about transferrable? We may be going on an Alaskan family cruise at that time instead (not on RC). Can we use that deposit we already put down on a different Symphony sailing date? Thanks!

Well, it appears Hurricane Lane is going to thwart the Hawaiian vacation I'm set to start on Friday. I am currently panicking/looking into last minute alternate vacation options for next week. Before I dive into available cruise ships - does anyone happen to know of the cut off to book? I am assume the passenger manifest has to be finalized at some point before the ship sales. Many thanks! P.S. if you have a recommendation for a great activity filled all inclusive resort please let me know! It's just my husband and me, 34 year olds in need of sun and stiff drinks.

Thank you!!

I'm new to cruising with Royal so I am not that familiar with its deployment schedule. Stalking the Alaska Group Cruise blogs has me itching to plan a family vacation/Alaskan cruise in Summer 2020 (2 cruises already booked for next year taking up vacation days). How far in advance does Royal usually release its Alaska itineraries? Many thanks!

I've stayed at the Excellence El Carmen in DR and have some friends who have stayed at other properties (specifically, Playa Mujeres and Riviera Maya). We all had great things to say about the Excellence brand. I would go back in a heartbeat if I didn't have cruise vacations planned for the next two years! Adults only, great variety of food options (this is one of the things I like about cruising), great pools and service. We had a swim up suite. The room was fantastic, we had a hot tub in our room. The spa was incredible. Before your treatment, you spend about 45 minutes doing hydrotherapy, using steam, sauna, cold water, thalassotherapy pools, etc. We then had a salt scrub, soak in a tub, and hour long massage. After your treatment, you're led to this room with beds that sway gently and you drink champagne for as long as you'd like. The treatment was only $250USD total and it lasted about 3 hours, so a great price. Just thinking about it makes me want to cancel a cruise and go back... The only downside I saw to El Carmen was that it didn't have much of a beach area. I prefer relaxing by a pool so it wasn't a deal breaker for me. The only other all inclusive I have to compare it to is Beaches resort in Turks & Caicos. I would take Excellence over Beaches any day.

I find spa services to be "worth the price" because I'm on vacation and have that "treat yourself" mentality while aboard the ship. However, I do think the sticker prices are more expensive than land based services- if you hold out for a sale or book during a port day, the prices are more reasonable. The quality of service is very good. The sales pitch is annoying, but like others have said, a "no thank you" usually does the trick.

Have you been on a Carnival ship with the Blue Iguana Cantina? If so, how does El Loco Fresh compare? My husband is obsessed with the tacos from BI although I much prefer RC a cruise line overall.

Both. I've been on non Royal cruises where I didn't purchase a package and I've had a bit of sticker shock at the end of the cruise. Prepaying helps that sting! I also get my money's worth by utilizing a wide range of drink package inclusions - not just alcohol. Specialty coffee or juice in the AM, tons of bottled water to stay hydrated, sparkling water at dinner, daily fresh juice blend or protein shakes after the gym*, and the usual alcohol suspects - maybe a mimosa in the AM because why not, fruity pool drinks during the day, a getting ready for dinner glass of wine, glass of dinner wine, and a post dinner drink with entertainment. *I've read that protein shakes are not included in the drink package but on Harmony last fall we were never charged for the protein powder.

I have to change my password every single time I log in because the website doesn't seem to remember the prior change. So frustrating...

On the Harmony in November, we were told we could not use the deluxe drink package benefit at all on the wine dispensers. I love the wine dispenser idea but the selection on the Harmony was skewed to higher end wines that will set you back more than $12 a glass! If I recall correctly, they even had a wine that was $100 for 1oz (Gaja I believe it was called).

We used the steam/press service on Harmony in November and our clothes turned out just fine, no damage. With formal night on Day 2, we made sure to turn our clothes in to our statement room attendant as soon as we unpacked on Day 1 (same day service increases the charge by 50%, I believe). When traveling, I also use the Downy wrinkle release/shower steam method. I find that blow drying and hand smoothing/pulling on the fabric after spraying wrinkle release also helps to lessen the wrinkles. I have also used a clean flat iron (for hair) on a lower temp setting to eliminate stubborn wrinkles.

I give up on the new website. My next cruise is over a year away, maybe if I check back in 2019 the website will work for me. I've had to change my password every time I login. When I select the cruise planner, I'm rerouted to login again. So I do, and I select the cruise planner, and I'm rerouted to log in again...

While I haven't specifically gone Keto on a cruise, I do try and eat mindfully and save my empty carbs for booze :) I found it pretty easy to limit my meals to protein, veg and fat in both the WJ and main dining room. The WJ always had a platter of cured meats/cheese, a meat carving station of sorts (beef, ham, etc), vegetables, a mountain of bacon, salad station, etc. You should have no problem finding something Keto in there. In the MDR, I would ask the waiter to nix the starch and double up on the veg with my protein. There is usually one sugar free dessert on the menu in the MDR each night, although they probably wouldn't count as low carb just because they are sans real sugar. There is usually a cheese plate on the dessert menu though that may be a better option for you!

There is a hot tub/spa available for an upcharge. I remember it being a little absurd, $50 or so for a one time use. They tried to upsell it as a romantic bath for two. We declined. The rain showers were great though, and the pass includes a salt scrub you can use in the rain shower.

My husband and I loved the thermal spa pass. We are pretty active and work out in the mornings (even on vacation) so we really enjoyed using the heated bed, steam, sauna and rain shower at the end of our workout. It was quite relaxing. We looked at it this way - 1 person can get a massage at the spa for close to the same price as the couple's weeklong thermal pass. So, we each got a relaxation every day of the trip vs. one person geting a massage one time.

For the return flight after your cruise, check out the Luggage Valet program. For a fee ($25 last time I cruised), Royal will take your luggage from your state room the night before you depart, take it to the airport and check it in, and you won't see it again until you're at your final destination. RC will also check you into your return flight and provide you with your boarding pass.

I managed to get some good runs in while on board Harmony over Thanksgiving. I ran in the morning. There were quite a few people on the track but for the most part fellow runners/walkers were courteous. Occasionally you'd get a group of walkers who would take up the width of the track, encompassing both the running and walking lanes, but a loud "on your left" before passing using solved that problem. I enjoyed the track. For the most part it is covered so you aren't dealing with wind or sun (like on say a Carnival ship with a top level running track), but there are some open spots to take in the surroundings. I put my cell phone in a running belt on port days and got some good photos of the ship pulling into port.

I visited Labadee for the 1st time over Thanksgiving and it is by far my favorite port. If you are considering an excursion, I would suggest parasailing. My husband and I signed up for the 1st parasail slot of the day (10:30) AM. Our guides were great. You are up in the air for 5-6 minutes and it is quite peaceful. During the rest of the time, you ride around on the boat while the other groups (5 other groups of 2) take their turn. Our guides took photos and videos with our phones, which made for a nice keepsake. The scenery is beautiful and we enjoyed the boat ride. The excursion lasted exactly one hour. We grabbed lunch right after our excursion and there were no lines for food or trouble finding a table at that time. We then grabbed some beach chairs and had a few hours to enjoy the beach,floating bar and labadoozies before heading back to the ship. We booked our excursion a few months in advance and the excursion later went on sale. We rebooked and saved about 30$, so if you do book an excursion, check back frequently to see if the price has dropped.

Royal newbie here, I didn't think about it either! What else are they doing to Coco Cay?

I received word from my TA today that Coco Cay is being replaced with Labadee for our 5/4/19 Symphony sailing. The email from Royal to my TA cites "enhancements" at Coco Cay as the reason for the change. I was under the impression the new pier would be done before our sailing. Has it been delayed? Is there more construction contemplated? I went to Labadee last month and loved it so I'm not upset about it, just curious!

We did not have to pay extra - it was included in the BOGO deal! We tipped extra though because the service was just fantastic.

Did this recently on Harmony. Turned in clothes on night 1 and received it by 5pm the next day. Same day service had a 50% upcharge.

I didn’t want to commit to a live blog and fail to update it, so I thought I might add my thoughts in a final wrap up about my recent 7 day Harmony sailing. I found this blog and reviews to be so helpful in maximizing my own cruise experience. Pre-Cruise: We flew in the night before and stayed at the Best Western Airport Hotel. Husband got a good rate through his employer. If we had been staying in Fort Lauderdale longer I probably wouldn’t recommend this hotel. It is pretty basic but served its purpose well – a bed, a hot shower, free airport transfer, free breakfast, and port transportation for a price ($8pp). Cruise port transfer was well organized and departed the hotel at 10:30AM. Embarkation: Previously sailed out of Port Canaveral and Galveston on Carnival. Embarkation at Port Everglades was the quickest and best experience. From hotel to on board the ship, the process took about 50 minutes – and our shuttle dropped some Norwegian passengers off before us! We didn’t pack light (2 large suitcases, 2 carry-ons and a suit bag) so we were happy to see the porters waiting next to the shuttle drop off to take our bags. I took some readers’ advice and ordered plastic luggage tags off of Amazon, so I wasn’t as worried about paper tags falling off as I have been on prior cruises. We sailed through the embarkation process. I don’t think we stopped moving except to check-in at the desk. First impressions: Harmony is a gorgeous ship. I’ve cruised 3 times with Carnival and I don’t know how I can go back to such a cramped, stuffy ship. I love the open air design of Central Park and the Boardwalk. The ship only felt crowded on the first afternoon following the muster drill and during promenade events. Otherwise, you wouldn’t really know 6,409 guests were on board! Muster Drill: I appreciated being in an air conditioned theater watching corny but hilarious hand washing videos instead of standing outside in the sun. Room: We had a virtual balcony on the 10th floor near the elevators, 10446. I read some cruise critic complaints about the location being too noisy but we didn’t have any problems with noise near the elevators. Despite our over packing, EVERYTHING fit in a drawer, closet or shelf and all pieces of luggage fit under the bed! The virtual balcony was neat, but I found its timing to be a little off. During sunrise/sunset, the image of the sky was pitch black on the screen. Specialty Dining: We took advantage of the $30 BOGO offer booked pre-cruise. I took the advice of bloggers and went straight to the main dining room once on the ship to book our restaurants. We were pre-booked at Sabor for Night #1, but were able to change it to Wonderland. We were also able to get 150 CP for Night #2, although at a slightly later time than we had hoped (8:30PM vs the desired 6-7:30 window). On the 4th day, after some so-so MDR food, we tried booking at Chops, but it was sold out for the rest of the cruise. Note for our next cruise – book in demand venues early! We had lunch at Sabor on the last day and were able to walk right up and get a table. Wonderland: We thought it was excellent. My husband had to talk me into this one as I hate seafood. I thought the dishes were delicious. I posted some photos on the FB dining page. 150 CP: Very good. I loved the flavored bread salts. We had the 18oz steak which was good, but based on reviews, I had higher expectations. But, the cucumber martini and service more than made up for it! Sabor: For a $46 lunch, we were determined to get our money’s worth – and we did. We saved Sabor for the last day. We demolished the chips and guac (so good). We ordered 3 appetizers (those bacon wrapped chicken things are amazing), 2 tacos, a quesadilla, 2 sides and 2 desserts :) We didn’t polish it all off, but we came close. Needless to say we didn’t need dinner and skipped the MDR that night. The White Sangria at Sabor is delicious and my favorite drink on the ship. MDR: Royal has room for improvement. The servers seemed a little stressed and the dining room a little chaotic each night. Some meals were good, some ok, and one steak from the classics menu was downright inedible. Since we couldn’t go to Chops we did order the upgraded Chops filet and found that to be quite good. We didn’t try the MDR for breakfast or lunch. Fitness Center/Vitality Cafe – I try and stay pretty active so I caught some morning track runs on port days. Harmony has a great track and I loved watching our arrival into the ports. The gym was crowded on sea days but overall a very nice fitness center with lots of cardio and weight equipment. The Vitality Café outside of the gym always seemed to have a line, but that might be because the fresh juices, protein shakes and snacks were great (those granola bars – yum). We had the drink package and we were not charged for the protein powder. Spa: Beautiful facility. We bought the thermal suite package for $199/couple and used it every day. The thermal suite consisted of a heated relaxation bed, steam, sauna and rain shower. We would purchase the thermal suite again. It provided a daily dose of relaxation for the price of 1 person to get a 75 minute massage. You are also provided with a salt scrub to use in a rain shower. Near the end of the cruise we took advantage of a “Happy Hands and Feet” special. $69 for a relaxing 50 minute foot scrub and foot/hand massage. Bars/Drinks: Overall, the drinks on the cruise were great, so much variety in the bar menus. My only complaint would be the lack of consistency between bars. A few times different bartenders would make the same drink differently, despite having the ingredients posted in the drink book. I would like to see more attention paid to keeping the freestyle machines restocked. They frequently ran out of diet beverages. Vintages: This was one of my favorite spots of the cruise as I love wine. I would have liked to see more variety on the by the glass menu, it was a little cab-heavy – although they were all good. Vintages has this neat little wine sampling system where you can purchase 2, 4 or 6 oz pours. A little pricey though and you can’t use the drink package to offset the cost. The cheapest 2 oz pour was $8 and the most expensive 6oz pour was $300! Sorrentos: Maybe it’s because I usually deprive myself of pizza in favor of healthier options when I’m not on vacation, but I loved Sorrentos. We ate here every day – sometimes we were even sober! Activities: We did the water slides, zip line, abyss, rock climbing and mini golf. Mini golf got a little out of hand with kids running through the course while we were playing. Overall, we liked the activities on the ship. We tried booking the escape room mid cruise but it was booked solid for the rest of the cruise. Lesson learned for our next cruise – book early! Shows: Comedy show and juggling headliner were great. Columbus was cute, I liked how they incorporated modern music. The aqua show was not my cup of tea. We sat in the back and left after 20 minutes. Although, the man twirling in a skirt for 15 minutes straight without passing out was a bit impressive. We skipped Grease and the ice show. Not a show but we went to the Silent Disco party on formal night – HILARIOUS. Ports: Nassau is meh (been there, done that). St. Thomas has gorgeous views. Our excursion was cancelled before the cruise, so we took a cab up to Mountain Top, drank banana daiquiris and on the way back down he stopped at a few spots for photos. My husband tipped a steel drum player and he gave us his CD. We plan on listening to it when we’re craving those vacation vibes. We could see the beautiful Magen’s Bay and want to go back and visit that beach someday. As we drove up to Mountain Top the hurricane devastation was evident. You could see partially sunken boats, collapsed buildings, downed trees and power lines. Labadee is a little slice of heaven and by far my favorite cruise port. It is just perfect. No sales people yelling at you once you’re off the ship. Towels, beach chairs, good food and drinks included (if you have the beverage package). We went parasailing (A+++), hung out at Adrenaline Beach, and drank a bunch of labadoozies. We set our parasail appt for 10:30 so we grabbed lunch once it ended at 11:30. I’m glad we got there early because lunch lines got long. Thanksgiving: We celebrated turkey day on the ship. They had a thanksgiving dinner option (great turkey dinner, so-so pumpkin pie) and cut a gigantic chocolate cake in the promenade following a Christmas tree lighting. They decorated for Christmas while we were on the ship. Next Cruise office: We loved this mega ship so much that we booked a May 4,, 2019 sailing on the Symphony. We’ll visit 3 ports we haven’t seen yet (St. Maarten, San Juan and Coco Cay). We booked a Central Park Balcony on deck 12 for $2,175 (includes free lunch at Jamie’s and a bottle of wine) and a $200 OBC. Sounded like a deal to me, but I’m new to Royal so what do I know :)