mom2mybugs

On 11/30/2022 at 11:33 AM, WAAAYTOOO said:

I love the Radiance class.  I haven't sailed on one in a really long time but I love the elegance of that class.  I'll have to do some homework and find a good casino deal on a Radiance class ship for next year !  I don't know if they still have it or not, but the Rad class used to have a small, almost private, dining room adjacent to the MDR.  MANY years ago we had traditional dining in that room and it was so nice.

This is one of classes I still haven't gotten on yet and I am really thinking about booking a smaller ship after we do Harmony.  Jane

Thanks everyone...I ended up on resortpass and found the Hilton fort Lauderdale resort.  My husband fries so we needed shade and I decided that I was done figuring all this out and we'd book a ridiculously expensive canopy daybed.  Imagine my happiness when I scored a black Friday 40 percent off and saved $140!  And it comes with a pitcher of cocktails if my liver is still functioning after a 7 day drink pkg!!!  Jane

On 11/29/2022 at 7:48 AM, smokeybandit said:

If your flight was changed that much you should have the freedom to cancel it and book something else

We booked through Travelocity and spirit cancelled the flight.  However, spirit was significantly cheaper and it was easier to just leave it.  Not sure if it was $200 cheaper to cover what we spent on a resort, but we will have one last nice day.

I would get at least some sort of bus tour or private tour in Santorini... It us very crowded and that will help manage it.  We did a tour in mykenos that took us out to the island of delos which was amazing... Lots of ruins and a very nice museum.  Then we were able to head back to mykenos and found a great little cafe for lunch.  Have a wonderful cruise!  Jane

This sounds just awful.  I'd have been worried about people with kids too... Totally impossible for many people to stand that long and no water is just not acceptable.  I hope you (and everyone else) had a better rest of your cruise.  Jane

1 hour ago, CharmMicah68 said:

You know what Michigan people do when it is 68 Degrees in February?

Well... As a girl born in Michigan and living in Illinois, I jump up and down for joy (and still wear 28 layers because I'm a wimp!). Jane

3 hours ago, Cactus527 said:

I'm sincerely glad to see that someone else researches the crap out of their cruises too and eventually runs out of things to research, LOL!!!!! You and me are over-research sisters!

And if I'm bad here, you should see me with my disney trips lol!   I'm on youtube every day for harmony cruise videos too.  Hi I'm Jane and I am obsessed with my upcoming trip lol!  Jane

18 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

It looks like 11560 will have the bed by the balcony....which is a good thing, IMO.

8286 should also have the bed by the balcony !

SCORE !

Photo (courtesy of Cruisedeckplans.com)  is of 11564, which should be the same configuration as 11560

I almost messaged you directly!  I'm so excited!  So much easier to move when you aren't going around the bed AND can look out your balcony when you wake up!  Yeah!  Jane

1 hour ago, ScottD said:

well here's a video of the room right next to you, 11562... so this should help figure your room configuration out...  https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/DP/deckplans/slideshow-cabin.php?ship=Harmony-of-the-Seas&cabin=11562

You rock!  Thank you! Jane

Royal finally put our room number on our guarantee (we knew the room from the bar code, but now have it official).  Because I have pretty much nothing else to research, I need to figure out whether the bed or the sofa is by the balcony.  I know it's been posted a gazillion times, but could someone please tell me the trick again...i know it's every other room but i can't remember how to start it. If it matters, it's harmony 11560.  Also...anybody stayed in this room?  What about 8286 (that's my daughter's honeymoon room next year!)  Jane

1 hour ago, memebag said:

I had the DBP on Adventure two weeks ago. I thought a lot of the mixed drinks were on the weak side, not due to watered liquor, just a lot of mixer. That was OK. I needed the hydration and nutrition a mixer can provide, and was able to order as many as I liked.

The one drink that seemed perfect was a Kraken and soda. I started ordering those as soon as the Solarium bar opened on a port day. Soon everyone else in the Solarium was ordering them.

I love kraken and that sounds like a good break from sweet!  Jane

7 hours ago, BrianB said:

On the Anthem...

Was this on activities for the daily planner?  Jane

It is so fun to read your blog!   I will be on Harmonyar the same time, though we are “slumming” (lol) in an ocean balcony.  I will be very interested in hearing about your star class experience.  We are hopeful to take one when we are not locked as teachers into the high price times.  I’m absolutely an overplanner…I was on at 11 pm central time to check in at 12 eastern!   Thanks so much for sharing…I may live blog but I have the feeling of sun, drink, eat, repeat might get boring!  Good luck getting through the next month and hope you find a new excursion!  Jane

The notorized letter of permission to travel is important to have even if it's just one parent (not divorced) traveling out of the country with children.  You may not need to present it, but if something happens, things could get sticky.  You likely won't even need it, but it costs nothing and gains everything.  Also, it's not a bad idea to have the passport renewed--it's good for 5 years for minors, is good for european travel, and gives him a photo id if it's never needed.  But obviously if cost is a factor, you don't need it.  Jane

If you are looking for an actual something to keep you occupied and store your luggage, you can do a resortpass .  We don't fly out until 915 pm, so we decided to book a daybed at the hilton fort lauderdale resort.  it's pricy--though i hit black friday bigtime 40% off!--but you can store luggage with bell services and then have the day.  Jane

16 hours ago, Ampurp85 said:

My personal preference is no.

The solarium Bistro is a great alternative to the Windjammer for breakfast, but we found it to be really lacking in food choices for dinner. In fact, all of us ended up going to the WJ for 2nd dinner because we weren't satisfied with the offerings. I would say if you can get an earlier dining time and still schedule your MDR as a backup. 

The offerings were .....but YMMV

Thank you so much for the menu... This does look like we should just do the windjammer or mdr!  I love the bistro for breakfast, but this seems more Mediterranean than we would love. 

Jane

4 hours ago, WesKinetic said:

Oasis on 12/22.  The menus had been showing up previously, but are now absent. It's entirely possible it could just be a glitch, but the timing of this right after the survey just kind of raised an eyebrow. We shall see. 

Our harmony 12/31 menus are up and they finally posted nights 6 and 7.  I’m so bummed…they are doing lobster on the last night…I’ve never seen it not on night 6.  We will be at Izumi that night.  Oh well…we need to just keep the beach club at coco cay and eat lobster and steak there

6 hours ago, twangster said:

ER rooms around the world are full of injured people having done something stupid.  Sure there are accident victims but there are also lots of people falling off ladders or cutting appendages on a table saw or sticking something somewhere it doesn't belong sort of thing.  Plenty of drunken ATV, snowmobilers, boaters and other "hold my beer" type folks.  Rarely would any of these daily ER "guests" make the news, unless it happened on a cruise ship.   Then they are front page news. 

Of course…just like rotavirus is rampant on land but never covered, but every sneeze on a cruise ship is a plague.  Jane

1 hour ago, Ampurp85 said:

In most cases the basic glass of wine that is covered by any package has always been less than the average cocktail cost. Most were around $10-13 before the prices increased and they are sort of in the same ballpark. I like prosecco and it was $11 at most venues and roughly the same after the increase. YMMV when it comes to overages, as some bartenders will charge you and other won't.

Yes I was thinking that we still would be covered for the basics, but we definitely like to try some of the glasses at vintages, and you were lucky to find one or two there under the per glass limit.  That’s why I was curious if they bumped them all and if we were still averaging only 2-4 extra a glass.  I’ve found that most have charged the overage, but also been inclined to give hefty servings.  Jane

52 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

The menu should be in the app. It is a very basic Mediterranean buffet. Most entrees are included but one or 2 will have an upcharge.

It’s not showing up in my app at all.  Only way I booked it was on the website and I didn’t see a menu.  Did you think it was worth it?  We can do that or main dining room…which is most likely formal night now that I think about it.  Jane

So, I made reservations at Solarium Bistro, and I understand the concept of going up to buffets, etc, and then ordering an entree.  Is it a pay for the entree meal a la carte?  Or is it just a complementary meal?  I'm confused.  Also,  all i've seen is really from matt's videos...does anyone have access to a menu?  Jane

Thank you so much!!!!  Jane

My daughter is going on harmony for her honeymoon next November out of Galveston.  She’s keying in on staying in Webster so they can go to the space center pre-cruise.  Can anyone recommend good hotels in that area?  Also, about how long should she plan the travel time to the terminal will be?  Jane

On 11/12/2022 at 12:45 PM, Cruiser4Life said:

I think you seem like a ton of fun to be around and your jokes actually make me laugh out loud. You are appreciated by people you don’t even know, don’t let anyone take that from you…

I too have been baffled by the burnt tomato. When DD was a toddler, she noticed it on my plate and shrieked “mommy, don’t eat that! They didn’t even wash off the dirt from the garden!” Ahh kids… also good for a laugh.

I am praying Odyssey is a totally different experience. I sail on her for NYE and have Harmony in March so we’ll see how they compare after yours!

We almost booked that odyssey cruise and are going to be on harmony for New Year’s Eve instead.  I hope I have a better experience!  (And that story is hilarious!) Jane 

We have the drink pkg and the $14 per drink easily covers the beer and cocktail choices we make.  I just am curious, have the wine prices gone up at the same time as cocktails? And is the deal still the same…wine covered up to $14 (not the previous $13) and you pay the difference per glass?  I assume so but was curious if the prices were up.  Jane