Mrs. RoyalMoyal

Let you waiter know the speed that you want service, skip dessert (oh my!) and don't order alcohol (egads!) and the entire meal will be quick.  I wanted to get to the Flowrider at 6:00 PM last Anthem cruise, because it was one of 2 warm days.  We sat down at 5:30, I ordered "just fried chicken", and it came with my family's drinks and I was on my way in 20 minutes, leaving my husband with my teenage boys. My waiter told me that he could have taken my order the night before and had my meal ready for me when I sat down!  

Thanks for the review! We are flowrider addicts (we schedule meals around open times, and will gladly attend any 8:30 AM (or PM) advanced times offered)  and have teenagers (who enjoy VOOM), so it was an easy decision for us. I will let you all know how it goes on Freedom of the Seas in April. 

Don't try to do every activity available on the ship or you'll need a vacation after your vacation.
Take time to relax.
Don't let small stuff ruin your vacation.  Not receiving a towel animal on day 2 shouldn't ruin the whole cruise.
If you fall in love with cruising as much as all of us have, consider this a practice cruise.  Practice makes perfect.
You've already make a great start by finding this web site.  Look at the top of this page for the "Getting Started" tab:
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/getting-started
Enjoy your time planning and preparing.  Look over the "Live Blog" section of the message boards for any Harmony live blogs. 
Once onboard take time to talk to the crew.  

Don't let the attitude of others dictate your enjoyment of the cruise.   So often we read stories of people having "bad" cruises because of things that didn't even effect them directly (how people dress, how others act,  unrealistic expectations etc).    A bad day as sea is better than a great day at work!

@spiralqueen, I already plan to carry on my allotment of wine, so a 12 of water may be pushing it for me! Great suggestion though! 

Bot friends from the start ?

sorry for the thread hijack. Couldn't resist.

Check to see how many ships are in port... if it's 6 ... enjoy the ship!  If you are the only on in port (ha ha ha ha ha) then go for the beach day.  

Scientific proof the weather is absolutely perfect today in Tampa

Yes, two ships is a positive sign! Do whatever your heart tells you, it's your vacation, and it is OK to stay on the ship.  

When on the RCL Blog Group Cruise aboard Navigator an number of us took the RCL excursion to Klein Bonaire.  It was on of the most memorable snorkeling experiences I have ever had.  The excursion takes you by boat to the island of Klein Bonaire where you have a beautiful unspoiled beach and fantastically clear water to snorkel a reef.  There is a current around the island  which means that you walk a ways up the beach and enter the water and you can then drift with the current along the reef.  The tell you that you don't even need flippers and it is completely true.
The only addition is that by unspoiled I mean there are no facilities on the beach, simply a small shelter with a roof.

 
I believe this is the same island / excursion @WAAAYTOOO is referring to.

When you book a cabanas you do it using only one name on the reservation.  Book the cheaper cabanas in the name of another in your party then once secured cancel yours.  Heck the system might even let you book it twice.  I did that with a Voom plan once by mistake and was able to cancel just one of them.  

I'm very appreciative of this thread - I'm glad to know Blue Lagoon is so beautiful - now I'm looking forward to it even more. I'll be on Mariner in 9 days (!!!!!!!) and I finally settled on the Blue Lagoon Eco Walk - I'd love to do the dolphins excursion (or even more, the Sea Lion excursion) but after being a zoo keeper for 16 years, I know I'd be really annoyed having to share their time with other people (#wildlifesnob).

On Indy and spotted a new Diamond happy hour drink menu.  Second ship in 2019 with Glenfiddich scotch offered.  
 
 

Keep in mind, gratuities billed do not necessarily go where you think they do. Cruise lines, not just RC, will put a portion towards staff uniforms for example...
My point is, if you get good service from staff, give them a cash tip, I do it at the end of the cruise.
And remember their names or location, and mention them when you get your after-cruise survey, that's what pays the bills for them...

Thank you Mrs Royal for the photo comparison! I have limited mobility & needed a better idea of the structure difference as well.I surmise the lack in photos is due to them not being built yet? We are traveling HOTS in June .Gosh, for the price I originally paid, Chill Island Cabana started at $749& dropped to $549 I think I am building one just with my payment! Haha. Oh, FYI, there is a “known discrepancy “ on the website with how many people can visit/stay/be addressed by the cabana person. I am only mentioning this, if you are having people “pitch in” for the total price. The highlights mention “ up to eight of your favorite people”,which I took as myself & eight others = 9 total. The important notes mention “maximum eight per cabana”. When you complete the order, there will be an option if you are close to your cruise date to choose SIX. I worked with Customer Resolutions for over a month, Eva got back to me & said it is capacity of 6 adults & 2 children?  Also, these Chill Island Cabanas have a cocktail table, speaker, combination lock lid for storage, USB outlet, private cooler that the cabana person keeps stocked with water, and towels for your guests.

@Mrs. RoyalMoyal, most likely the bungalows aren't showing yet simply because it's too early. I think the earliest they typically show up is about a year away from sail date, but your mileage may vary.
Do check regularly (like, weekly) for when they appear. These are one of the few items in the Cruise Planner that only get more expensive as times goes by, because the inventory dries up and demand skyrockets. Soon as you see a price you're comfortable with, book it! Then, if you find the price actually drops later on, do a quick cancel and rebook.

While I have never purchased the Key, I have no reason to believe that the Chops lunch would be different from any other Chops lunch.
We find lunch at Chops on embarkation day to be a respite in a tornado.  It is quiet, tasty and very very enjoyable.  It has become a sort of tradition with us.  MANY times we are the only people in the restaurant.  That will almost certainly change with the Key but in the past, it was a wonderful, quiet place to enjoy a good lunch with a madhouse going on around you.

We are going on Freedom of the Seas the week before Easter, staying in an OSJ local hotel before and after the cruise and we contacted Leroy Brown  (thanks Matt) for an all day tour of St. Martin.  We are looking forward to the trip. We will have lunch wherever Mr. Brown takes us, visit Maho (teenage boys love planes), visit a quiter beach, seek out french pastries...  visiting and touring will be good for both us and the local residents.

I could make a meal out of the Diamond Happy Hour snacks. 5 more points and I"M THERE!

I'm laughing at the "Beef French" that look like hotdogs wrapped in dough!?

Current situation:
I am in my happy place ?
Happy hour in the Diamond Lounge




 

Our day so far...
After leaving the Diamond lounge we took a walk up on the sports deck. Did a couple of scopes of the area. 
https://www.pscp.tv/w/bvjynDF4TlFhYVJPT2V3UWJ8MXpxSlZPellqVkF4Qh4wLFQ7wq87p6FDDhDEfBJBVXXAqWkRKz8nMsItUqcv?t=1s
https://www.pscp.tv/w/bvjywTF4TlFhYVJPT2V3UWJ8MXlOR2FPZUxvWWd4ahlO1jMvOVpdxk1u8VfHudGR16CS2dI1HrrNzTY-z6m7
Johnny Rockets and Flowrider:



 

Just catching up.  Have a GREAT cruise.  I peed a little when I laughed at the idea that your husband had....that you might fall in love with the ocean view room and never want a suite again. HA !  THAT was a good one.
Happy New Year !