WAAAYTOOO

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

Thanks for the pix, Paul

^ YIKES ^

I will re-state my concern for the vanished Scott Stein. Where has he been ?

Kayla, so so so sorry to hear this news. Love to you and your family. I lost an Aunt on Tuesday so I'm going through a little of what you're going through...but I imagine there's nothing quite as devastating as losing someone so young.

Thanks, Kris !

Remember when Amazon just sold books ??

We like El Abuelo Gerardo. The food is great !

This is one of those "rules" that are not really enforced unless you require a visa in one of your ports. If you are have a closed-loop (US) cruise and/or staying in the Caribbean you will not need a visa and they do not require you to have 6 months remaining on your passport. Obviously, your passport cannot expire while you are on the cruise but if it's still valid for the entire trip you will be ok. It's not a bad idea to have at least 6 months remaining on your passport but they won't turn you away if you don't so long as you are staying fairly "local".

I don't think any cruise line is 100% smoke-free. Even Celebrity, which is known for its "no smoking policy" still have a very limited area for smokers onboard. IMO a line would be foolish to ever try and go 100% smoke free. There are just too many customers (particularly in Asia) where smoking is prevalent. I don't think they would shoot themselves in the foot like that, but you never know !! Royal has been "experimenting" with smoke-free casinos in the last couple of years so they may be hoping to go smoke-free in the casino but that's about all I have "heard" on the subject.

While I completely agree with Mark, I do recommend that you insist that the information (particularly regarding the transfers) is stated in your cruise documents, once those become available. Your cruise docs will be available beginning on day 49 of your cruise countdown. If the drinks packages and the transfers are not clearly noted in your cruise docs, I would insist that Royal correct this and re-issue the cruise docs. Until that time, it's really not critical as Mark indicated....almost certainly an IT glitch but it's a glitch that you need to have rectified by sail date. It does take a little time (usually 24 hours or so) to have cruise docs re-issued so don't wait until the very last minute. Having been the victim of an "IT glitch" (that never corrected itself) in the past, I never leave anything to chance, anymore. Documentation is your friend...

Welcome, McEagle !!

Sept 2 on Grandeur to Bermuda !

Now that's funny !!

There's the real question ! I have been told many different things. I have been told that it's tracking your win/loss (most likely, not true. Land based casinos don't care whether you're winning or losing. All they care about is how much you're playing), I have been told that it's tracking what you pass through (which is most likely the real truth) and I have been told that it is tracking your betting pattern (this would be almost impossible to track, IMO...on the tables, anyway). While they may be able to observe your betting pattern they couldn't really track it with the system they have in place. ....although I have ALSO heard that some of the tables (primarily on the big ships) actually have sensors in the betting "circle" that weighs your chips and knows how much you are betting. Hard to believe that the chips have different weights...and what if you're betting a combination of different denominations. That whole thing seems a little spurious to me but who knows ? The actual truth, I do believe, is that they track the amount of time you are in the casino and that's the most important thing...JMO.

Montocguy, have you ever called Club Royale to see if you are a member and if you are eligible for any discounts ? They will NOT tell you (your friend's experience is very unique)...you have to find out for yourself. I'll never forget the time that I finally called, after MUCH haranguing from my husband, to discover, completely unsuspecting, that we were eligible for a casino discount. I guess we would never have known if I hadn't finally called !! That was way back in "the day" of course, and these days it's completely different but you may WELL be a member and not even know it.