Jamesszy94

Wow!! Harmony looks HUGE. She's such a beautiful ship!

It's amazing how much lifeboats have improved since the days of Titanic...

Titanic had 20 lifeboats that could only carry ~1200 passengers....

Wonder has what? also 18 lifeboats but can carry ~7000 passengers? 

I mean obviously Wonder is like 5 times the size that Titanic was and therefore her lifeboats are much bigger.... but I always like to say, if Titanic didn't sink back in 1912.... who knows what the cruise industry would be like today.

1 hour ago, SweetPea said:

You get it. You totally get it!!

But seriously, you know you're from NJ when, not only do you have a honed fascination with all things truffle, but... you order your favorite pizza from one place, your favorite pasta from another, and your favorite appies or salad from a third to share family style all in one night (not because any one place is bad but because you can and that's your preference). However, everyone still wants YOU to make the Stromboli because you've mastered the art of getting the meats and cheeses all the way to each end without any wasted dough-only sections, even though you're Irish ...

Do you know if they serve Hawaiian pizza on Royal ships? I've never been able to get pineapple on pizza!!!

All that food looks so good!! I need to try out a specialty restaurant next time I cruise

8 hours ago, KristiZ said:

Day 6 MDR - “Royal Night”

There was no lobster, fyi. 
 

Appetizers: Baked French Onion Soup, actually better than it used to be. Bright Citrus Avocado & Melon Salad - looked terrible but MomMe declared it delicious and gobbled it up. Chilled Shrimp Cocktail, also very good. 
 

Mains: Lemon-Butter Baked Cod - nice presentation and texture but a little bland. Chicken Marsala - very tasty, with a unique smoky note. Spicy Shrimp Jalfrezi - quite spicy and very delicious!

Dessert: Red Velvet Cake - always a solid choice!

Soup:

Avo Citrus thing:

Shrimp cocktail:

Cod:

Marsala:

Jalfrezi:

Cake:

 

Is there no lobster night on all Royal ships now? I was hoping once we got into port in Tasmania we'd have  complimentary lobster or something.. I mean we had seafood soup that had lobster bits, but I wanted actual lobster!

13 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Everyone needs to try Oasis class #teamOAclass 

If only Royal would send one down here to Australia

All we get are Quantum and Radiance class ships 

I keep saying I want to try Oasis class.... but I don't think I'd be able to deal with the crowds

I'm so jealous of your trip on Harmony!! All the food looks amazing, glad you're having a good time with the kids and extended family~!

21 minutes ago, FionaMG said:

Even on the US site they're hard to find if you don't know where to look. You have to go all the way through the booking process, input everyone's names and eventually you get to the page where you choose your dining time and it's on there. A couple of lines saying something like if you want a refundable deposit it's this much extra and you tick the little circle to select it.

You'd need to check to see if the Australian site has the same thing. 

Note that the extra cost is added on to your total cruise fare and not to the deposit you pay at the time of booking.

And also that it's only refundable up until final payment at which point you're into the penalty phase exactly as if you'd booked non-refundable.

The additional amount varies from ship to ship and sailing to sailing so sometimes it will be small and sometimes it will be astronomical!

Ah okay, I see it! I made a mock booking and the box was there, I wonder why it wasn't there for my Ovation sailing... probably because I booked it maybe like 35 days before sailing? 

One of the downsides of living in Australia is that we can't use US based travel agents (well, we can, but the prices are converted from USD to AUD, so it'll be significantly higher than booking from Royal themselves), but my question is... it never gives me the option of selecting refundable deposits... it's always a non-refundable deposit...

Are refundable deposits only a thing in the US or what's the catch...

Loving your blog so far!! IZUMI looks amazing. I asked my dad if he wanted to try it on my recent sailing and he asked me if it was complimentary, I said no, so he said no even after I offered to pay

15 minutes ago, KristiZ said:

She had a refurbishment in 2012, so she only looks 10 years old

Honestly she looks great though. The crew does a fantastic job keeping her up!

Haha! Hope you're enjoying your time onboard! I'll live vicariously through this blog post and act like I'm back on a Royal ship 

I guess I have to live vicariously through this blog.... to experience an Oasis-class ship since we don't get them down here in Aussie! (Please Royal.... can you send us one?)  Also, is it just me or does the Aqua Theatre in your photos look kinda empty.... I'm guessing people are busy unpacking/doing other things on the first night 

That's a suite on Rhapsody?! For a 28 year old ship, the cabin looks very good! Although, the shower curtain and some of the decor does look a bit outdated! Still, that comes with age, but it looks like they've kept her in good condition! Seeing all the different ports and all the food makes me wish I was back on a Royal ship right now! I do want to try one of the smaller ships one day since apparently those are the only ones that can visit the more exotic ports. Definitely going to keep up with this blog!

Hmm okay thanks guys. I know how I'm going to answer. 

If I answer yes - what happens

If I answer no - what also happens?

There were crew members who asked me to provide positive ratings...

Just adding onto the complete sell out - bunch of kids - mile long lines point

There were kids on my sailing, but most of them were in Adventure Ocean so no, we didn't really have to wait for long queue lines, and the ship is honestly big enough that you won't be waiting for long - if they're not at Adventure Ocean, they're probably on the Pool Deck. I actually didn't have a problem with long queue lines; the only really long queue line that we encountered as getting on and off the ship - but even then, it wasn't that bad. Not sure about RipCord by iFly or the Flowrider(s) as I never tried that so I don't know what the queue lines for that are like. Now on an Oasis-class ship.... that might be different with all the waterslides, carousel etc. 

Hi - 

36 minutes ago, lusimtk said:

Hey all, couple of questions:

 

1. We made a booking a month ago, sailing was priced 1600euros per person. What are the chances that price goes down towards the embarkation day? If it goes down, is there a possibility to switch to a cheaper pricing? We also got indoor virtual balcony which is great, but what are the odds of being switched to another cabin or, maybe, offered an upgrade?

 

2. Same goes for drink packages. Now I have offered “Buy 1 package, second package 50% off”. For 2 of us it will be approx. 1500euros for 10 night South Pacific cruise. Is this price already a bargain or it can go lower?

 

3. Water bottle service. We are thinking of purchasing 12/24 bottles to be delivered to the room, however there is a note saying bottles are for 1 person, not to be shared. I mean…how will they even know if I give my husband a bottle of water? Seems silly.

4. Internet package. It seems cheaper to buy a package for 1 person, but 2 devices, instead of buying 2 separate packages. If I buy first option, can my husband be considered as a 2nd device or it doesn’t work like that? Is internet connection okay? Is it worth it?

 

5. When I was booking a cruise (RCCL website), there wasn’t even an option to choose dining times, so I got stuck with 8PM My Dining Time. Can I change this to 7-7:30 or need to fight my way in the DR each night?

 

6. Cruise starts 2-Jan-2024, South Pacific out of Sydney. Are we looking at “a complete sell out, bunch of kids, mile long lines” cruise?

 

7. Aussies or Frequent Sydney visitors - tips and tricks for boarding? Hotel recommendations?

 

 

Thanks

Hi, I'm not sure about point #1, 2 or 3, but let me try to answer the other questions

I just got off an 8 Night sailing on Ovation - I purchased an internet package on Day 1 of the cruise - It will depend if Ovation gets Starlink by the time she's back in Sydney for her 2023-2024 season starting in November - she's returning to the United States in April and then she does a season of Alaska cruises, so she might get her upgrades then, don't quote me on this - but I've been reading that speeds haven't been that great, so it really just depends what happens by then - it's still 10 months away. Honestly, one device is fine imo - or it depends how much time you and your husband spend together (not sure if this is allowed to be said lol, but I purchased an internet package for 1 device and then just turned on the hotspot for my dad whenever he needed the internet - still works that way) - the internet is not so great for watching movies/streaming etc,  if you're using it to browse or facebook or to send message, it's fine. If you got stuck with 8pm MTD, that's the time you'll have to dine in the MDR, you might be able to change it, I'm not sure, I was lucky and was able to get a 5:30pm MDR time. What you can try to do is either, call Royal beforehand and ask them if you can change and they might be able to accommodate you, otherwise, you'll have to wait till you get onboard and speak with the lady/man at the counter in front of the MDR

Most likely, there'll be a lot of kids on your South Pacific Cruise during that time as that is the school holiday period down here in Australia.

Tips and tricks for boarding are - the port is very close to Circular Quay station - if you can; try to get a train and walk to the port, parking is very limited nearby so you might not be able to get a taxi or Uber (if you do, it'll be a lot further walk to the port). Also whatever boarding time is given to you - get there at least 1.5 HOURS beforehand, because there WILL be a long line to get into the terminal + baggage drop off + showing your COVID vaccine + they need to check you in etc

I wouldn't know what Starlink speeds are like because Ovation didn't have Starlink during my sailing, she only had VOOM, the problem was, it kept cutting out all the time and the speeds were practically so slow to the point that it took almost 5 minutes to upload a 2mb photo here.... alas, I guess this is what our lives have come to that we've become so dependent on the internet. I'm hoping to take a cruise in the future, where I completely go without internet. It reminds me of what it must have been like during the times of Titanic where the only form of communication was through mail and through their wireless system. Just my two cents.

45 minutes ago, ScottishRobbie said:

I was on Ovation last month and enquired about the menu change - was told it'll happen after the move to Alaska

Yeah, I figured that was going to be the case, the MDR change happened while she was still in her Sydney season, so they probably just wanted to wait till she got back to the US before putting her into drydock to implement all the changes that happened while she was down here.

1 hour ago, SweetPea said:

Thanks for taking us along. Did you book with Cruise Next?

Haha no I didn't unfortunately. Hopefully I see something I'm interested in in the next few months.

Not even been a day since I returned and I'm already looking at booking my next cruise.... I only wish they'd change up the itineraries for the Australia sailings - the past few years it's all been one of the following:

• New Zealand cruises (which are all fine and good, but it gets boring after a while)
• South Pacific
• Around Australia

On our 8 night sailing that we just did - they cleaned it once at night. I think that was the default, unless you specifically requested it be cleaned in the morning.

33 minutes ago, Pooch said:

Wait, you got up, had breakfast then went back for a nap!?!?!

Yes, it was also because the activities I wanted to do, didn't start until around 10am, we were usually done with breakfast by about 8am, so I didn't really want to spend 2 hours waiting in the Schooner Bar or the Music Hall doing nothing.... one would say I could do other things, but there wasn't really much I wanted to do, I would just watch YouTube videos on my phone or chill until about 9:30am when I went out again.

The Oysters & Wine Shore Excursion is definitely not worth $129 - the Oysters were nice... but the wine wasn't that great..... My biggest regret is not doing the All Access Tour, I kept telling myself, do it, do it, but never got around to... Oh well, maybe next time 

Post cruise thoughts: 

It was nice to get away from reality for 8 days and just relax, watch the ocean, eat whenever I wanted, and sleep whenever I wanted, I think like I said in my final day thoughts, I didn't nearly do as much this time around - I've sailed on Ovation before and she felt pretty much the same, except for like some differences here and there, but the experience was relatively the same. I did attend shows that I hadn't seen before, so that was refreshing (Spectra's Cabaret, Beautiful Dream, James Bustar and Duck Cameron)... unfortunately I missed out on Live. Love. Legs. But I also tried other things that I didn't try last time; Using NextCruise, attending the art auction, ordering room service, Fish & Ships and even the SeaPlex Hotdog House! The main dining room menus did change every night, but I don't think it was the same as how Royal had changed their other ships MDR menu's on the other ships, I'm guessing when she heads back to the United States in April - they'll put her into Dry Dock for a few weeks or something to implement all the changes..

Port Merchants was closed the entire trip - not sure what's up with that, but I think it's probably got to do with Australian law or something idk lol, I also bought a few "Ovation of the Seas" shirts.... hey, I'm on holidays - why not. But also, this time around, most of the product they sell weren't that nice (at least in the "Royal Promenade), they used to sell nice dresses, bags, hats etc, now all they sell are watches and jewelry that most people don't care about tbh - I didn't see a single person buy a watch. 

Not gonna lie, the Windjammer was pretty meh - it was the same thing every day; like they would have different cuisine options (every night, it would tell us on the Cruise Compass), but it would only be for like one booth and then everything else was like the classics - pasta, burgers, chips, beef, pork etc etc. I think that's why I've always preferred the MDR. They actually have different things for you to try as well as classics if you're into that, but also it's a nice feeling not needing to fight/spend 10 minutes looking for seating or feeling like we have to rush to get out of there (different people have different preferences I suppose). The MDR provides guaranteed seating every day and 90% of the time, the wait staff you get are actually very nice people who will accommodate you to the best of their abilities. I like being able to relax and enjoy a nice meal.

It's definitely nice to see that she's still in very good condition despite being a 6 year old ship (I mean I guess in the grand scheme of things, compared to Royal's older ships *looking at you Vision-class* she's basically brand new).

I did something that I normally don't do on cruise ships - which is buy internet; don't even get me started on the VOOM internet; it was alright at best and downright garbage at worst - it would cut out often and it was so slow that it sometimes took almost 1 hour to load a 3 minute YouTube video - luckily we were in port when Matt did his Live Q&A - so I just used my mobile data. I guess that's what happens when you have 4000+ people trying to connect at one time... as much as I disapprove of Elon and his recent shenanigans (that's a whole other can of worms that I'm not going to get into) - I really do hope that when she returns to the United States; they give her StarLink internet.

I keep hearing all these horror stories about chair hogs on the pool deck and not being able to find a chair, but I walked around the pool deck (didn't swim, just walked around) and it wasn't that hard to find a chair... although, it did rain a few days, (so noone really used the outdoor pool). 

-that's all the post-cruise thoughts I have at the moment, just go home a couple of hours ago, so still a bit ship-lagged (is that even a thing? ) will add more thoughts if and when I have any-