mom2mybugs

Oohh... Maybe Harmony will shift! I will go look. Night 6 is a port day but definitely was lobster night. Jane

We are in fort Lauderdale!!!! Yeah! It's chilly for me (75) but way better than Chicago! We were through security in an 30 mins and took our check-in pics while eating breakfast at Chili's. Flight was packed but on time and everything ran smoothly. We are now ensconced by the pool with drinks and a book!

Ugh...well ready with flu shot and Covid booster. Hoping for people to wise up but expect the worst. I'm a preschool teacher and husband is a high school teacher so we are used to lots of coughing hacking snotty kids. Jane

My daughter will be going 3 weeks before you guys on her honeymoon! She is excited to go on her first oasis class cruise! Jane

I got mine today and decided to cancel. I think our location is pretty good and with having to spend too do something our last day, better not to spend an extra $500-700. Jane

I know it's out there but I can't find what the onboard offers are for my last cruise as Platinum! What I'm trying to figure out is if I can get a free photo in the onboard offers, and if so, is it per person in the cabin (husband will have my status) or per cabin. I don't really want to prepay for 10 photos and we probably aren't getting off the ship except at CocoCay and the lines will be awful on board for photos, but i would really like 1-2 pics of us. Anybody seen an offer letter recently or knows the link to it? I just kept finding generic "your offers will be onboard in the letter'. Thanks! Jane

I have to say I'm worried about this. We have not really traveled a lot at the winter holidays...we more are summer and spring break. There are always lots of people and kids then but holiday travel takes it to a new level. We are hard-core Disney park people who have been at busy summer times, marathon times, and know how to work the system and make it less crowded. I chaperoned my daughter's choir trip Dec 26-30 and I've never been so utterly overwhelmed in my life. The numbers of people were staggering, you couldn't walk through them and the lines were incredible. And that was before covid. Push to now on the ship. I'm worried about staff shortages, lines, supply issues, and the times to will have to get places to see/experience anything (promenade on NYE will probably not happen because I'm not willing to pay or show up 2 hours early to get a spot). I'm just anxious about all those people, and that's not even taking into your consideration of the Sickies. I will never ever ever go to Disney again btw Xmas and New year's but I'm hopeful the Harmony can handle all the people and 3/4 person cabin occupancies! Glad your covid wasnt too bad! @MaryS your reindeer ears and slippers were amazing! Thanks for all your info!!!! Jane

This is so good to hear! I think I'm stressed because I've never done any dining pkgs before and I've never cruised at this insanely busy time of year. You've calmed me down a bit. Now I'm thinking we might keep the izumi, and try and switch the other 2 night and Jamie's lunch into a dinner. So many amazing choices! Thanks so much!! Enjoy the rest of your cruise! Jane

Packing did not go well lol.... Everything didn't fit and I finally decided that I didn't care and I'm bringing a second suitcase. I didn't upgrade our Hilton Marina room so there ya go! Money left for bloodsucking spirit air baggage lol I'm still thanking every star above that I didn't fly Southwest as we would have had to rent a car and drive down. My goes out for all those travelers having to scramble. The app finally has the dinner dress posted. It was not what I had expected. I just had assumed they would keep nights 2 and 6 formal, and just add the first night of New Years Eve to dress up too. Instead it looks like this: Day 1: Dress to impress Day 2: Formal night Day 3: White night Day 4: nothing listed so not sure Day 5: Caribbean Day 6: Smart Casual (this is lobster night) Day 7: Casual So I went bananas with the blingy clothes for NYE, so I may dress up every night for dinner anyway lol! They finally put a ton of things on the app's daily planner, so now I'm going up try and check some times. We are still trying to decide whether to just cancel the 3 night dining pkg and keep the individual times we already have, try to change what we have into the dining pkg times and then cancel the individual reservations, or throw all caution to the wind and book 3 different dinners on the 3 night pkg and keep everything. That seems too much though when you add in that everything is $50 more upcharge for Nye (day 1) and day 3 we are having a big lunch at CocoCay beach club. Just can't make up my mind. Now I wish I'd just pulled the trigger and done the ultimate dining, but with the totally crowded ship, I just was worried about getting in. And I think it's really too many nights for us. Though like Matt has said before, the UDP is such a good deal, you don't have to use it every night. Off to look at what overlaps with what!!!! Jane

It's my belief that if you don't travel, all cruise planner purchases (excursions, drink pkgs, dining) are refunded to the original card of purchase. However, I would definitely wait for someone more knowledgeable here to confirm that. Jane

Packing for a trip is always interesting when you are working around little friends! I'm finally trying to get something into packing cubes today!!!

The Chicago version was amazing...we saw it the second week it got there years ago. I think it's a less complicated stage set fortunately. Nothing beats actual NYC though... Jane

The spring break thing is a pain. Jeff's district is different than mine roughly 4 years in a row, then 1 district shifts because of the way the dates fall and we are the same for a few years. When we had 2 in college, we had 2 years of all 4 different, and now with the 3rd kid the only one in, we still have 3 this year!! Jane

I've never measured but they are plenty big enough for the pool chairs and you can get as many as you want. If you want a souvenir, buy one but I wouldn't waste luggage space bringing one. Jane

I grew up going to the Fisher theater...Les miz will be great there! I worked until the 22nd and I'm not packed at all either. It was crazy teaching that late, but I know I will be very thankful to be on a cruise ship the whole week after New year's!!! Jane

Although I still haven't packed yet, my daughter helped me try on a ton of dresses and I am sorta prepared with what I think I'm packing! Today I'm doing nails, going to the used bookstore and maybe digging out my suitcase! Won't be needing the warm Christmas jammies in a few days!!!! Jane

Do you have to pre select times, or just show up first come first serve on the thermal chairs and sauna space? Sorry for so many questions!!! Jane

I was so close to booking symphony…it came down to little cheaper on harmony and wanting to do a sea day on day 7. Wish we could have met! Have an amazing trip! I look forward to comparing your posts on symphony with mine on harmony. I’m already regretting no playmakers with university of Michigan playing on Dec 31! Jane

Our spring breaks have been all over the map. I’m a teacher, husband is a teacher and we have 3 kids. One year we had 4 different spring breaks . Jane

We almost booked odyssey and I’m second guessing it! We went with harmony…Hubby was too nervous to fly back sunday. Hope you have a wonderful trip! I’m bummed that I didn’t get to meet the amazing love to cruise too! Jane.

Since I haven’t tried the spa yet and planning on it this trip…I am appreciating all the info! Jane

Hopefully it will be coolish and you will be happy! Or really improve and you will be relieved it’s warm. So glad it should be warmer for us next week (Illinois is just awful) but I’m sorry it’s not warmer for you! Jane

Ugh. I'm beginning to panic over crowds. I've sailed spring break, which is totally fine (busy but ok). Now I'm sailing at a time when it will be way over "full" capacity and likely short staffing. I hope I don't have unrealistic expectations...I haven't cruised since 2019 and I know it's different. Jane

Yeah! Can't wait!!! Jane