vanelli56

Good luck. Have a great time on Harmony.

So first off I wanted to say Thank You!! to everyone on this blog who helped to make this an amazing cruise for us. We returned yesterday from our 3-night Navigator sailing. We really did have a great time, and I was forearmed against so many mistakes/ wastes of time because of the advice from you great people! I did want to just let everyone know a couple of things we learned on this trip, some of which I've seen others ask about. 
Izumi To-Go: On our Nassau port day, Izumi was open for lunch. We didn't get a reservation - were told they weren't really needed for lunch and that Jamie's would be open that day instead. BUT we were able to get Izumi to-go. I've seen folks ask about that and wanted to just share. It took about 20 minutes, and they gave us a bag filled with $65 worth of sushi and appetizers which we ate in the Viking Crown Lounge next door. They didn't seem bothered about it at all and we made sure to tip and say thank you to the waiter for helping.
We had an Ultimate Dining Package and were determined to get the most out of it. It was purchased for $69/pp and never dipped lower. We ate Chops lunch embarkation day, Hooked Night 1, Izumi Night 2, and Chops Night 3. I really wanted to try Jamie's Italian and when we asked they said it would be open on our Nassau port day. It wasn't, Izumi was. But at least I'll have another restaurant to look forward to next time. I don't know how to go about confirming which specialty restaurant will be open on the Nassau port day, but that would be good information for someone to find out! ?
Playmakers and others: On this Navigator sailing, RCCL charged then credited back our food purchased from Playmakers. Multiple people told us they would so I was ready to fight the charge if need be ?They wouldn't do the same at The Bamboo Room. One of the people who told us about Playmakers also told us the package would work on Captain Jacks at CoCo Cay, though we didn't try that out. Also, they DID charge me for Johnny Rockets. I'm going to try calling and disputing this since everything said it was included, but we'll see how it goes.
Slides: If you want to try the slides aboard ship, go early! We got there fairly early on the Nassau day but apparently not enough. The line, especially for The Blaster (tube slide) was not quick. Once I got to the top I realized the lifeguards were waiting to set people up/ talk to them/ go over safety rules until after the guards at the bottom gave them the all clear signal. As a former lifeguard at a water park, they could really speed that up if they just blocked the slide with their bodies and did it all while the previous riders were getting out. We went about halfway up the tower before hitting the line and it still was about a 25 minute wait. The other mat slide had a shorter line and went slightly quicker.
CoCo Cay: I've been to Labadee but never to CoCo Cay. It was wonderful! They were still putting up a few new trees and the existing ones were a little burnt from Dorian but everything else was really top notch. We spent most of the day at Chill Island with a stop at Oasis Lagoon just to check it out. There were plenty of open loungers at the beach but not nearly as many at Oasis Lagoon. Really there were plenty but also a lot of seat saving. I was curious and may try this next time I'm going; there were a couple of cabanas at Chill Island open but ALL of the day beds were empty. Anyone have experience just going to the excursions desk and making an offer to them? They were asking $199 for day beds before our cruise and I would've happily paid $99 for the day. Just a thought.
Well, thank you all again for your help and if you have any questions please let me know. Now I'm restarting my count down for our April sailing on Independence with the kids!
~ Paul 

Well, I'm definitely not a veteran cruise like a lot of others on this message board  but my wife and I just returned from a 7-night Eastern Caribbean on Allure of the Seas last night and it was wonderful!  This was only my 2nd cruise (first was a 5-Night on Carnival) so I'm still a newbie myself.
The best advice I can give you is to ask questions on this message board and use this resource as much as possible.  The people here are so friendly and will answer almost anything...it really is so much more than just a message board;  Matt has built a wonderful community!
As for Cruising advice, The first day is a long one.  Usually you have traveled in the night before (or the morning of, if you're brave!), you've got to get to the terminal, board the ship....then once you are on the ship it can be overwhelming for first-timers.  Your staterooms are usually not ready for a couple of hours so you're going to be walking around the ship with your carry-on bags, not having a clue what's going on.  Before the ship departs you have to attend a mandatory muster drill, then there are a slew of activities (sail away parties, dinner, shows, etc.).  The first day on a cruise can be very overwhelming and even stressful, but it is NOT indicative of the rest of the experience.  My advice would be to not plan anything for the first day...usually by the time the muster drill is over everyone is ready for dinner and a little relaxation.  Just take it all in, enjoy it and know that this will most likely be the busiest day of your cruise.  After that, you can put your brain in "cruise mode" and just enjoy everything!

When I read this, the video in my head played a scene where you get down on one knee, flip open the box, the ring does a triple axle out of the box into the sand, never to be seen by other-than-crabs, again.
<chills and shudder>
???

So our 4 night Mariner Cruise was cancelled , however, Royal offered to move our reservation to Harmony. It was a shortened cruise( 3 night) .we took their offer and they gave us 2 night FCC( which has already arrived). Everything worked out. They gave us our same state room ( did the Royal Up for a OS). Our concierge , Mohamed, was awesome. We ate in  The Coastal Kitchen every night( daughters food allergies - just easier). Great substitute cruise..

We were scheduled to set sail on Mariner on Sept. 2-6th.  We were given and email that the trip would be shortened on Thursday 8/29.  They gave us the option to sail and have pro rated refund or for a full refund via future cruise credit.  We were traveling via air from Kansas (me driving from South Dakota to Kansas to meet my mother) and knew we were not going to be able to get flights into Florida on Sunday.  We got "vouchers" from Southwest for airfare.   We opted for FCC (future cruise credit).  So far it has went really well.  I had the credit send to my travel agent, my drink package and excursions were refunded to my cc on file 2 days later, just received the taxes and fees back to my cc on Friday.  I was also able to have the MyVegas credit redemption switched from the cancelled cruise to the new cruise. The only thing we are out is the fee for travel insurance on the first cruise, and have to pay for it again on the second cruise.  Not a big deal as, I understand you pay whether it is used or not and it is through a 3rd party. We have already re booked for December.  The only thing I need to re do is the drink package.  I need it to go on sale again, as they won't honor the price I purchased at for Sept. cruise. 

We sailed on Anthem 2 yrs ago.  Our cruise was out of NJ to Bermuda in the end of Sept.  48 hrs prior they emailed us and said we now would be going to NE instead because of a hurricane.
If we still chose to do the sailing they would give us 50% credit for the sailing + 250 OBC pp.  If we did not use all of the OBC while on the ship, the remaining balance would be credited back to our credit card on file within 7 business days after the sailing.
We chose to cruise and they sailed 100% occupancy.  

I was affected by Dorian for my most recent cruise on Allure of the Seas.  We were originally scheduled to leave on Sunday, September 1, 2019.
On Thursday, August 29, 2019 was when Royal made the announcement that they were going to extend the current cruise and that my cruise was going to be shortened to 4 days.  My departure date was now going to be Wednesday, September 4, 2019. 
They offered those who were willing to still sail a FCC (Future Cruise Credit) equal to 3 days worth of what was paid for the cruise.  We would also get that same amount in the form of a refundable OBC if we chose to still sail.  If we chose to cancel we would get a FCC equal to what was paid for the cruise less port taxes and fees.  Port taxes and fees would be refunded to the form of payment.
We were fortunate that the airlines and the hotels were waiving cancellation and change fees, so we ultimately didn't incur any additional expenses due to the delay.  We live in Florida and while we chose to fly for this cruise, it's only a 7 or so hour drive for us to Ft. Lauderdale if we had needed to do that.  We didn't make the final decision to go until Tuesday morning before the cruise was rescheduled to leave.
In our case Royal made the right decision and stuck to that decision.  It may have seemed premature to delay the sailing but in these situations the cruise lines are at the mercy of the port.  Royal made the right call as the port did end up being closed on our original departure date and time.  
The ship sailed with about 3,000 guests which is a very, very empty ship for an Oasis-class.  Nothing was crowded, no reservations needed for shows.  I'm glad that we made the decision to go even though there was a lot of nail-biting going into it and waiting to see what was going to happen.  For us it was the right decision and with the OBC and the FCC, the net effect was that we enjoyed 4 days in a Central Park balcony for about $400 for 2 people.

The Banner I made for our door. I need to modify it just a little. Lol

I was on a B2B.  Both cruises were altered.
First email notice came that they were closing CocoCay so employees could take care families and prepare.  This email arrived 3 days before the 1st cruise departed.
Two days before the cruise another email that indicated they were waiting to see how the two models, the American and European, which were in disagreement would develop before announcing our changed itinerary.
Later that day they announced a sea day to replace the closed CocoCay with a one day FCC based on cruise fare paid.
Another email with the revised itinerary and an intention to update us again at 6pm.  This email arrived before I boarded my flight to Miami.
A short time later the update came with news of the 1st cruise being extended to 5 days.  This included notice that any pre-purchased packages would be extended at no cost - beverage, internet or unlimited dining.  The one day FCC for missing CocoCay remained if we cruised.  If we chose to cancel the FCC would be 100% of cruise fare, with taxes/port fees refunded along with any packages or excursions purchased.  
Some in our group had to cancel due to work commitments. Eight of us boarded our flights to Miami.  
A short time later another email for the 2nd cruise of my B2B arrived informing me of the shortening of that cruise.  If I stayed on the offer was a refund plus an FCC both or two days of cruise fare.   Any packages would be pro-rated for the 2 missing days and refunded.  if I chose to cancel I'd get 100% FCC, taxes/port fees refunded and any cruise planner purchases refunded.  The FCC would be provided by September 20th.  
The night before boarding another email indicating Nassau would also be missed and replaced with Cozumel.  We immediately made reservations for Nachi Cocum.
The next day we boarded normally.  At this point we were notified it was still extended but in addition to Cozumel,  Costa Maya was added as a port of call.
Once on board I cancelled the 2nd leg after verifying details with my travel agent.  In my case I had used an FCC from a previous cruise to pay down the 2nd cruise.  I was assured that would be re-issued and the balance of cruise fare would be issued as a new FCC.  
I stopped by NextCruise to inquire about a future cruise.  While there I was offered a deal to stay on for the shortened 2 day sailing after this one.   The deal was basically port fees and taxes per person.  For a balcony this was $199 for me as a solo.  For a suite guarantee it was $50 more or $249.  Suite would be a JS, GS or OS.  I chose the suite guarantee.  The next day I was given a GS.
While on board the first cruise we were told we would receive 5 C&A points for the first cruise.  Normal suite and solo multipliers would apply.  Also while on board on the last day of the cruise our one day FCC for missing CocoCay was issued by email.    It was exactly what I expected.  
In summary, for the first cruise they refunded my excursions for CocoCay and provided a one day FCC.  The cruise went from 3 days to 5 days at no cost.  Dining, deluxe beverage and Voom all extended at no cost.
For the second cruise I'm getting it all refunded in the form of FCC.  I rebooked on board for less than 1/4 of the original price moving from a JS to GS.  CocoCay excursions for the 2nd cruise also refunded.  My original FCC that I used towards this booking has now been re-issued and applied to a different cruise.  On or before the 20th I am expecting the balance of the FCC offered for cruise 2.
I shared a cabin for the 1st leg but was solo the 2nd leg.  Originally I was supposed to get 3 x 2 for being in a JS so 6 C&A points, plus 4 x 3 for being solo in a JS on the 2nd leg for a total of 18 C&A points.  Since I was "stuck" with my cabin mate longer on cruise 1 I ended up with 5 x 2 plus 2 x 3 for a total of 16 C&A points.
During the first cruise on day 4 this note was delivered:

I had prepaid gratuity but only 3 days worth so we went to guest services and added two more days to our accounts.  
Normal gratuity was added to the 2nd cruise. 

Hi I am Wendy from North Carolina I have only been on 1 cruise 5 years ago for my 10th anniversary, on a different cruise line. My husband and I love waterparks so in January we seen the commercial for the perfect day at Coco Cay and just knew we had to go. So we booked Mariner of the seas out of Port Canaveral for 9/2-9/6. Our 15th anniversary being 9/4. Unfortunately we are no stranger to hurricanes  being married in Sept. 2004 We had to leave Jamaica 2 days into our Honeymoon due to a catagory 5 hurricane Ivan. The 1st to hit Jamaica since the 1980s. We had to fly to New York on the last flight out of Jamaica at our on expense. Well fast forward to now. Everyone joked that with my luck another one would get me this year and that it did. So on Aug 28th we received the email saying our sailing would be shortened to 2 days leaving 9/4 and would go to Coco Cay and back and would receive a 2 day refund or a 100% refund if canceled.. We opted just to cancel.  So we started looking at other cruises. We have now booked the same cruise just for Dec 9th. Had to ask off work again ugh lol. So with the refund you get the cruise fare 100% refunded but per person. So where I paid full price I got all my money back. My husband had the deal of 60% off so he got that back. Insurance is not refundable.  Taxes and gratuities go directly back to you as does anything in the cruise planner. So when we booked the new cruise unfortunately we only got the buy one get one 50% for second cruiser. So I have a credit of $85 I can't use now and my husband's fare is $91 more than the other and we can't transfer between one another even though it came from the same bank account. This makes me upset but nothing I can do but let it go since we do not cruise often. I still feel we made the right choice for us but I guess everyone's story is different. Happy sailing. Can't wait to cruise Royal Caribbean. 
Hope this helps. 

After sailing Symphony and then Harmony, I made this my goal as well.  Just got off Allure and I have Oasis booked in November..so that will be all four Oasis sisters in just around a year's timeframe.   By far my favorite class of Royal ships, although I have yet to sail on Freedom class.

Sun, sand, crystal clear blue water... best beach day ever!  ?
But just like everyone has said... the new pool is great.  The beach is beautiful.  Some sports courts available with organized competitions too. (I enjoyed the beach volleyball).
Just a great all around experience.  

A midnight walk inside and out.  
Nothing like exploring the ship when its mostly empty... and then venturing outside to see the night sky over the ocean.  It's amazing! 

The view of the ocean at night.  I love to go out late at night when it is quiet and there is no land within site to see the ocean.  That is the best feeling in the world to me.

Just go to guest services. They can arrange for the extra keys for you. 

'bout to find out!

On Oasis, the Promenade Cafe (I'm 96% sure that's where it was) had boozy coffee drinks that started my day every morning. The Bourbon Mint Mocha was amazing, even though I'm not a huge fan of Bourbon. Or Mocha. Apparently, you put them together and vacation happens! It will probably be my first purchase when we board Harmony in November. If I can wait for my Rum Chata Colada. ?

Welcome! I'll be sailing same cruise with a bunch of friends!
It's a great cruise and Bermuda is our favorite island, you'll love it. I'd recommend listening to Matt's Podcast and more importantly watch a bunch of his YouTube videos, it'll really help you prepare.
Here's one to start:
 

If they mention getting sick from the food... ask them where they last went out to eat at. (then look at them with a very judgmental look)
If the mention getting stranded... tell them, you would much rather get stranded on a luxury cruise ship than stuck on the Tarmac of an airport. 
If they mention people missing... tell them happens everyday on the city streets. Rarely on cruises. 
If they mention crime and sickness... same as walking into a Walmart. 
Stuck in a storm.... Cruise ships will avoid storms... they have something called navigation. lol
 
Finally... ask them how many cruises they have been on. Then stare at them in judgement again. :-)

If they mention getting sick from the food... ask them where they last went out to eat at. (then look at them with a very judgmental look)
If the mention getting stranded... tell them, you would much rather get stranded on a luxury cruise ship than stuck on the Tarmac of an airport. 
If they mention people missing... tell them happens everyday on the city streets. Rarely on cruises. 
If they mention crime and sickness... same as walking into a Walmart. 
Stuck in a storm.... Cruise ships will avoid storms... they have something called navigation. lol
 
Finally... ask them how many cruises they have been on. Then stare at them in judgement again. :-)

If they mention getting sick from the food... ask them where they last went out to eat at. (then look at them with a very judgmental look)
If the mention getting stranded... tell them, you would much rather get stranded on a luxury cruise ship than stuck on the Tarmac of an airport. 
If they mention people missing... tell them happens everyday on the city streets. Rarely on cruises. 
If they mention crime and sickness... same as walking into a Walmart. 
Stuck in a storm.... Cruise ships will avoid storms... they have something called navigation. lol
 
Finally... ask them how many cruises they have been on. Then stare at them in judgement again. :-)

I've never cruise before either my very first one is on Jan, 2020 but I've never had any negative thoughts crossed my mind prior to booking.
I always day dreamed about it years ago in my office. haha
Now I finally have some time to take a vacation and a leap into adventure & fun!

I’m with ??cruising is dangerous and not for faint of heart!!!! ? 

If they mention getting sick from the food... ask them where they last went out to eat at. (then look at them with a very judgmental look)
If the mention getting stranded... tell them, you would much rather get stranded on a luxury cruise ship than stuck on the Tarmac of an airport. 
If they mention people missing... tell them happens everyday on the city streets. Rarely on cruises. 
If they mention crime and sickness... same as walking into a Walmart. 
Stuck in a storm.... Cruise ships will avoid storms... they have something called navigation. lol
 
Finally... ask them how many cruises they have been on. Then stare at them in judgement again. :-)