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My husband, myself and the teenage girl will all be dressed according to "code" but the teenage boy, not so much! He will have on nice shorts or jeans and shirts Maybe we can just encircle him when we walk in and sneak him into the table unnoticed.??

@Matt What about shorts on a teenage boy in MTD?

I don’t know but I’m betting they’re pretty strict on having an adult present. On Liberty a few years ago we had two cousins along- 18 and 17 1/2. The 17 was not allowed anywhere the 18 could go not even ice skating so the 18 had to go to the kids skating and other events. I imagine they will want you there in case of an emergency. Just guessin’.!

My husband gets Jameson and coke all the time. No problem. I’ve seen Cosmos, margaritas and had manhattans, mostly in the diamond club. Just use the liquor included.

We are not super adventurous travelers and like the security of booking the hotel and air for a European cruise through the cruise line. We probably pay a little more but for us it is easier and brings some peace of mind. We did the same in Rome last year and were very happy with the hotels, pre and post, the airfare and schedule and transportation to and from the port. For the US and Caribbean we are on it! But not comfortable with Europe. I think a TA is most beneficial for Europe. If anything goes awry, I would hope I could call on her and she would lead us in the right direction.

I didn't know you could do that! I will have my TA check into it for me. Thanks.

We are going to book on Anthem 12 night Transatlantic April 12, 2020. We are considering a post cruise booking in London. Our TA tells us it is too early to get a quote for the hotel and for Air2Sea. When do those prices usually get posted. We don't want to put down our deposit until we get a better idea of the total.

We have been to Alaska twice and taken the whale watching tours both times and yes, we saw whales both times. Didn't see much else from the boat.

I have done the Catamaran sail and Stingray City at least 3 times over a number of years and always been pleased. You will have plenty of time to interact with the sting rays and there are a lot of them! Enjoy!

That same ship and itinerary is on our short list for 2020. I will be following for sure.

@hayley_bopp I agree that you could get on a shuttle and get to Las Ramblas on your own and walk, shop and eat. But the first time to visit, maybe it would be good to talk the Gaudi tour and the Picasso museum tour. We were there two nights and took the tours the first day and intended to go back the second day for shopping etc. However, it was pouring rain both days. So we toured in the downpour the first day and stayed on the ship the second day and missed Las Ramblas. Guess we will have to go again/1

You will be fine for formal night. We have "evolved" from suits and gown to button up shirts and black pants. In fact we wanted to take advantage of all the photographers on our Alaska cruise which we took with our grandson. So on formal night we all wore flannel shirts and jeans. Same idea on our Caribbean cruise with two granddaughters. We all wore jeans and white shirts. No problem. I still don't care for men in shorts and t-shirts on formal nights. But I saw it on our last cruise. So that's just me. Be comfortable.

Haven't been on the Harmony but have sailed 20+ times, mostly on RCCL. Biggest tip is don't overbook yourself with activities. Leave yourself some time to sleep late, or stay up late, and enjoy the ship. Maybe there is one port you can skip and stay onboard when most of the passengers are off. That is heaven because the pool and the bars and all the amenities are yours to enjoy without a crowd. We have been to most if not all the ports in the Caribbean and now we book itineraries with lots of sea days so we can just chill out and enjoy the beauty of the ship and what it has to offer. Other than that, a couple of practical tips are most suitcases will fit under the bed. You might have to open it to get it under. We bring a plastic garbage bag to put dirty clothes in and then put the full bag in the suitcase under the bed. Bring a small bag with a shoulder strap that you can wear day and night for your cell phone and see pass card. I now bring two-a casual for day and a black dressy one for night. Take a safety pin for emergency repairs. Last cruise I went to put on a new bra which I had never worn but washed before wearing. I didn't notice when I packed that the plastic "thingy" you slide on the strap had broken in the washer and couldn't be worn. Fortunately, I had my emergency safety pin. (It is still in use!) Enjoy the cruise!

Yes, absolutely. On our second cruise, we were seated for 11 nights with two couples who complained about every meal to the waiter and the supervisor. They thought the sauce wasn't right for the dish and this was too cold or tool hot or they prepared it better at some restaurant in NYC The waiter was so nervous bringing them food that his hands shook. One night we received a basket of chocolate covered strawberries from the head chef apologizing for the food and service. We were so embarrassed because we loved the food and the only problem with the service was the complaining couples. So on the next cruise we determined that we had paid for this cruise and we would not be miserable. My husband went downstairs when we got on the ship to find our table and there was a group of elderly women also waiting to talk to the Maitre D. He overheard one of them say, "I have my table and I have my seat and I am not moving!" Sure enough they seated us at their table. It was a group of 6 elderly women and 1 gentleman who was deaf and us. We knew this would not be a good match. and this was a 12 night cruise. So the next day we found the Maitre D again and asked to be moved. We were seated at a table with 3 couples close to our age and had a wonderful time. It does happen and it should because you are paying for the cruise and should be satisfied.

No restrictions on vanilla.

I have a small bag with a shoulder strap that I use only for cruises. It's only big enough for my phone and seapass card and is easy to store under a towel while in the pool. I forgot to pack it last cruise and the phone popped out of my back pocket and into the toilet! Had to replace the phone.?

@Ditchdoc Referring to the above post, Diamond members get three free drinks per night at most bars between 4:30 and 7:30. That along with the unlimited free drinks in the diamond lounge (or concierge lounge) are enough for us. If we want a specialty drink at the pool during the day or before dinner we splurge. Therefore we never buy the drink package.

@MKSglitz Yes, this is a quote from the FAQ about RCCL Travel protection plan. FYI I recently purchased it for our 7 night Liberty cruise and the total for 4 of us was $300.00

I do get the Travel Protection Plan. In addition to Trip cancellation and cancellation for any reason. it offers: " Trip Interruption: up to total trip cost if you can't start or finish your cruise vacation because you're sick or hurt, there's a death in the family or another covered reason Trip Delay: up to $500 for catch-up expenses Accident Medical: up to $10,000 if you get hurt on your cruise vacation Sickness Medical: up to $10,000 if you get sick on your cruise vacation Emergency Medical Evacuation: up to $25,000 if you need emergency medical transportation Baggage Protection: up to $1,500 if your bags are lost, stolen, or damaged Bag Delay: up to $500 to buy necessary personal items if your bags are delayed Having been on many ships when an evacuation had to take place, i know how common and expensive it is. I take it for no other reason than that. We are taking our two grandchildren and June and want to make sure they are covered not only for medical but accident. You never know!

We are on the Liberty departing June 2, 2019 with two teenage grandchildren. We had pre-purchased excursions in each port-snorkeling, sting rays and dolphins and submarine. I just checked and saved about $330.00 by canceling and rebooking at the lower rate. So check it out!

Any tour where you are cramped into a van or bus for 12 hours! We did this in Hawaii and it was miserable. It was so bad, RCCL refunded 1/2 of the cost.

@twangster I wonder if you considered this scenario? Could you have taken a flight into another airport- Austin or San Antonio, rented a car and driven to Galveston? It's about 4 1/2 hours from San Antonio? Just playing Devils advocate! Like you, we always go in the day before, in fact, we drive from San Antonio and still drive in early just to be sure. For future reference, on complicated or international itineraries we always get the more expensive air from RCCL because my understanding is they are obligated to get you to the cruise. Thank goodness for insurance-another thing we buy for every cruise and fortunately haven't needed to use it yet!

@Hoski I read your response and became concerned about having both parents sign as we are taking grandchildren in June and only 1 parent signed the letters. I found this info in the FAQ:Adults who are not the parent or Legal Guardian of any minor child traveling with them are required to present the child's valid passport and visa or the child's birth certificate (original, a notarized copy or a certified copy) and an original notarized letter signed by at least one of the child's parents. The notarized letter from the child's parent must authorize the traveling adult to take the child on the specific cruise, must authorize guardian to sign legal documentation/waivers for participation in any activities requiring them (i.e. Rock Climbing, Flowrider, Bungee Trampoline, Inline Skating, or Ice Skating) and must authorize the traveling adult to supervise the child and permit any medical treatment that must be administered to the child. If a non-parent adult is a Legal Guardian, the adult must present a certified certificate of Guardianship with respect to the child. Now if there is a custody issue, then it might be required by the custody agreement that both parents give permission.

Like @twangster our kids are grown and out of state and sometimes have their own plans! Whaaat? So one year we took a Southern Caribbean cruise over Christmas and I feel guilty saying it was wonderful-no last minute shopping, no cooking, no stress! The ship was decorated for Christmas overnight and the meals were really first class and there were carols in the Centrum and Santa came down the glass elevator and gave a gift to every single child on board. I would do it again except our children won't let us get away with it again.

@JLMoran This reminds me of our first cruise on the Monarch in 1997. We shared a table with a couple from NYC. He was a firefighter. I remember him saying the same things about the stars. He had never seen stars he said because of the light pollution. He stood on deck every night and marveled.