WAAAYTOOO

While nobody enjoys it when someone else gets a lower price than they paid, I would rather pay a little bit more and get the cabin that I want in the location that I want than save a few bucks and have them stick me some place I would rather not be. This is the trade-off. It seems like a win-win to me. I know there are some that don't care where their cabin is. For them, the lower fare is a great value. It's all about what you want, I guess. I try and get the best of both worlds - book early for the lowest price and get the cabin I want. I won't be doing this quite as often from now on with the non-refundable deposit policy (sorry to be beating this dead horse....) but I will do it when I can.

This is going to be veeeeerrry interesting.... So....with all of these bloggers on the Sept. Harmony group cruise, why is Brian the only one who has signed up for the cabin crawl I'm hosting ?

I agree with @DocLC and @Matt. I can only recall a price drop 1 time in all of my RC cruises and that was way back when the very first BOGO started. Since then, the price I paid, when the bookings first opened, were the lowest that they ever got.

I'm not sure how the "complimentary" D+ bag of laundry fits into this scheme (not sure if it is the standard bag size or a different bag size) but there seems to be no rhyme or reason to how this amenity works. Each ship seems to have a different rule. On some ships, you must ask your attendant "which day is laundry day" and they will tell you when you can set out your "free" bag of laundry. On some ships, when you ask that question, the answer is "whenever you want it". Some bags are paper, some bags are plastic. I really don't know which bag is which...I just know that we have never been charged for laundry (we've never submitted more than 1 bag - whichever happens to be handy...except when we're in Star class. Every day is laundry day in Star Class !!) so I'm guessing it really doesn't matter which one you use.

Welcome, Wanderer. Your English is better than most native-speakers. I'm quite impressed. So glad to have you as a new contributor and excited for you for your first cruise on Royal Caribbean !!

I wouldn't hold my breath for a Laphroaig of any vintage. Dewar is their rail Scotch and they will McCallum in the casino but beyond that, it's pretty slim pickin's for Scotch. I don't drink it (I think it stinks to high heaven...particularly those peaty Scotches from Islay) but Dan is a Scotch drinker....the stinkier, the better. UGH We went through this a number of months ago with Billy. I'm sure he will chim in when he gets here. Sometimes the bigger ships will have a better Scotch selection in the pub but they're fairly hard to come by.

I believe that the only ships that have the photo upload prior to boarding are the Q class and Harmony. Not sure if it's on the other O class ships or not. I don't think it is.

ALLLLLLL of them

Since you are saying "Stingray City" I am guessing this is at Grand Cayman ? Honestly, I cannot recall what kind of ladder the boat had when we last visited Stingray City....but let's just say that I would not have been able to get in or out of the water if it hadn't been fairly easy....so it must have been a good access ladder. Frankly, not knowing your wife's specific back issues, I would think that the boat ride getting there will be harder on her back than anything she would do in the water. Those trips are very bumpy and it's a fairly lengthy ride out to the sandbar. The snorkeling will definitely be in a different location from the stingrays. The water at the sand bar with the stingrays is very shallow and there's literally nothing there except for the stingrays - but there are LOTS of stingrays. I cannot predict where the snorkeling locations would be but on GC there are really not many BAD snorkeling locations (except for the sand bar !). I agree with you....everyone should do stingray city at least once. It is incredible and you will enjoy it. Personally, I think I would enjoy the dolphin swim more than I would just a snorkeling experience but that's just me. I have done dolphin swims before but never at GC. As I'm sure you already know, Stingray City will be probably be packed with people when you go there. The last time we were there, there were literally dozens of boats and hundreds of people in the water with the stingrays. They're EVERYwhere but they are so interesting. I'm thinking you and your wife will have a blast !

Never, ever.....

Boooo....... I knew they would catch it. Dang it !

Yes, on the big ships they do not have the deck space to accommodate everyone (which is a bit of concern if you really think about it....) and so they will usually have locations inside or in the ATS. That is true, to a less extent, on the Liberty ships as well. I remember one of the muster stations being in the schooner bar which was wonderful ! We just stayed seated after the drill was completed and proceeded to have an adult beverage ! Usually not quite that nice, though....

It has been my experience that they try and accommodate almost any reasonable request as far as MDR seating. It is generally easy to do the "sharing" thing as it's easy to group people together and fill up the big tables. As with all other MDR issues, I would just visit the MDR level where you are being seated on the fist day and let them know your preference. They will make it happen. They are very good at it. As far as foot traffic is concerned, there are some parts of the dining room that are more prone to traffic than others. The very front of the dining room, obviously, where people are entering and exiting, do tend to have a lot of traffic. I have found the best tables to be near the back of the dining room (but not too close to the kitchen doors !!!) near the windows. Sometimes you get a choice and sometimes you don't. All you can do is ask ! They will accommodate you if they can.

Wake up, Brian !

Welcome to the Blog, sbilby. Since you are new to both cruising and to some (all?) of these locations, I recommend, as I always do to newbies, that you stick with the ship-sponsored excursions the very first time. I completely understand that the non-ship sponsored excursions save you money, but for a first-timer, I personally believe that the peace of mind of knowing that you will be guaranteed to make it to the ship on time is worth the extra cost. No doubt many will disagree. That's the beauty of a venue like this one !! Another thing I always recommend (and I follow this one myself) for newbies is to make your first excursion to a new location one of the "discovery" types of excursions that takes you to the destination highlights. That way you get an overall feel for the destination and can decide, if you come back another time (and you will, if you continue to cruise....trust me), to go back to any of the sights/attractions that appeal to you and spend a little more time. Snorkeling is not going to be a problem. You will be able to do that at any of these locations. Since you are going in August it will be warm enough at all of your destinations to swim and snorkel. I don't know if you are a horse person or not. For those of us who are horse people (my parents raised and raced thoroughbreds so I have been riding since I could walk) you will find the horseback riding excursions to be a disappointment, I fear. They always show those romantic shots of people riding through the surf and it looks so great. It isn't....as a rule. If you are not a horse person and will be satisfied with riding in a line through some pretty unexciting (in most cases) terrain, then it will be fine. If you decide to do it, be sure and read what requirements (shoes, clothing, etc) the company has. Some people think they can just jump up on the back of a horse in a swim suit and bare feet and gallop away. Just be sure you know what you're getting. Fishing. It depends on what type of fishing you are interested in doing. My husband is an avid fisherman and has ALWAYS wanted to do a deep sea fishing excursion. I'm sure he has visions of sailfish and trophy marlin jumping out of the water and into the boat. Alas, all of the fishing excursions I have seen, associated with cruising, are for reef and bottom fishing. They don't, generally, go out very far and your chances of seeing a really big fish are pretty slim. I'm not going to declare that it never happens. I'm sure it does once in a blue moon. We once spent a number of days in San Juan on both ends of a cruise out of Puerto Rico a few years ago, and if he (Dan) was ever going to be able to fulfill his marlin-fishing dream, it probably would have been then...but it was in the winter and the seas were just too rough the entire time we were there. So...that fantasy remains unfulfilled. I will say, however, that the time for trophy marlin fishing in the Atlantic and Caribbean is in July and August so your timing may be much better than ours was. Are you staying overnight in Bermuda, by chance ? If so, that might be your opportunity. Beware....those deep sea fishing expeditions are pricey. There are a number of people on this blog who have a secret weapon for St. Maarten. I'm sure one of them will share his name and how to get in touch with him. Leo Brown, I believe ?? I have never used him but from all I hear, he is excellent and comes highly recommended. So...welcome to the blog, welcome to cruising and welcome to Royal Caribbean !!!

Many of the muster stations for staterooms toward the aft of the ship are located in the Aqua Theater which is very convenient. Only problem is, it can be very hot out in the sun...but at least you're seated.

Head's up for anyone who may be looking to book a 2 BR ATS but cannot meet the normal 5 person minimum required to book that category. With today's new pricing (which is nothing new, of course) I believe that Royal has failed to implement its minimum occupancy protection on one of the 2 BT ATS on Harmony. They have become very strict on requiring a minimum number of guests in the 2 BR ATS (I believe 5 persons is the minimum for those rooms) but I stumbled upon one this morning that is in "general inventory" meaning that it can be booked without the minimum number of people. The sail date is 17 Feb 2019 and it is a 2 BR ATS on Deck 10 (I think it's 10730 but I cannot remember whether it's the port or starboard side). It's pricey but at least as of a few minutes ago, it is in general inventory. So, if you've ever wanted to book one of these suites but never could, b/c you didn't have enough people, go check it out. It probably won't last though....they will probably catch it and move it back under the occupancy protection quickly. We have now booked 3 of these suites with just the 2 of us...so it is possible but very hard to find these days. We are on this cruise in 8330. Good luck !!

POPULAR crowd ! ...if memory serves....

Too funny !!!

I just got my Genie questionnaire for our Sept. Harmony group cruise so we must be getting close ! YIPEE !!!!!!

The most obnoxious video ever made....

While I have never cruised there, I have spent a lot of time in Naples. I agree that Pompeii is an incredible place and highly recommend it. ....BUT I really REALLY recommend Herculaneum (known as Ercolano to the Italians) if you have limited time. In my opinion, Herculaneum/Ercolano is a far better-preserved archaeological site than Pompeii and it is MUCH smaller and easier to see than Pompeii. If you have LOTS of time then Pompeii is a must but if you have limited time and you can only see 1 Vesuvius archaeological site, I think Herculaneu/Ercolano is the better option, IMO. ...and who can go to Naples and not at least see a LITTLE of the Amalfi coast ? That stretch of the western coast of Italy is the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen (followed closely by the view of San Francisco from the Sausalito side). Why in the world the ancient people of that area decided that the cliffs were the smartest place to build their homes is totally beyond my comprehension, but they did...and it is magnificent. Who can pick just 1 thing to do in Naples ?? It's such a wonderful and beautiful area. You can't really go wrong. Do be careful though...there is a lot of petty crime in that area...pickpockets are notorious. Just be smart.

I don't think there is a limit on what you can have laundered....but as others have suggested, I limit my laundry to cotton items that have no particular emotional or financial value. Just a note....they use the most obnoxious stick'ems [tags] on your laundry items. Not sure what they are exactly, I just know that they attach them to your clothes (presumably for identification purposes) and in some cases, they're nearly impossible to detach ! ...and they will poke and chafe you relentlessly if you cannot remove them. I've never had anything lost of damaged.

I have never been in one of the panoramic OV cabins but I was in one of the family OV cabins on Serenade for a TA a number of years ago. That cabin was very near the helipad/bow of the ship. I guess people could have peered into our cabin had they wanted to do that but I guess I just never worried about it. There is always the option to keep your curtains drawn if it's a concern. It never was a problem for us on that particular cruise. I loved that room. Very spacious and comfortable.

I have read on CC that it will take affect on 1Aug but who knows if that's true. I don't book with NextCruise so I don't pay much attention