JBC

The super premium stuff is definitely cheaper, I think the issue is getting it home. Last time I cruised a buddy of mine that was with me really wanted to buy Johnnie Walker Blue Label, they had a two bottle deal, something like $250 for 2 bottles and they are normally like $170 each at home. He was concerned about them breaking in his suitcase, so he didn't buy any. I told him to wrap them really good in clothes, but he didn't want to take the chance. If we didn't have to fly he would have bought them for sure.

Someone mentioned earlier in the thread about a BBC - bailey's, banana liquor and colada mix. Do they have banana liquor on the ships? Swap out the Bailey's for rum and you pretty much have a banana daiquiri. I would prefer a real banana in place of the banana liquor but I would take it in place of nothing. I mean, I am not a huge bloody mary fan, so what else am I supposed to drink with breakfast?

I am a bit of a watch addict, have way too many, a few Invictas and I was so tempted on those promenade sales. Every one I looked at was cheaper online though, usually by a decent amount. People are obviously buying them though, or they wouldn't be there. But it's 75% off!!!

I want to go on a cruise with you ?

Get that person some "additional gratuity"!! ?

How about after the automatic 20%, you are asked to if you would like to add "additional gratuity"! The whole practice of tipping has gotten so out of hand, everywhere you turn now a days there is a tip jar sitting there. I am firmly in the camp of just charge me a price that affords the business owner the ability to pay the employee a fair wage.

I have considered walkie talkies in the past, but have never brought them and have never had a problem. I am not sure how well they would work anyways, unless they were like police or military grade walkie talkies. The ships are just so big. A multi device internet package works so well with the texting. I know it sucks paying for it, but in my opinion it is worth it.

The drink package and the internet packages will go on sale at some point prior to your cruise, I would say at least a couple of months out. You just have to keep your eye out for it. You will get the drink package for $45 pp, maybe even $43 pp. Even if you are a moderate drinker, I think it is worth that price. There are bars and restaurants everywhere you turn on the ship, people walking around with cool looking drinks, the atmosphere of it all, etc. You will want to drink more than usual, and it is so easy to do. Just my take on that.

Ha ha, I don't stand around at the entrance to the MDR either, I only know this because the person that was refused entry was my father This stemmed from the fact that the first night my mother made him wear pants, and then he saw people in the MDR with shorts and got mad. So on night 2, which was the first formal night, he insisted on wearing shorts and that is when he was turned away. Needless to say, we all got quite a laugh about it at the table when he came back with pants on and a sour look on his face

In my experiences in the MDR, they will allow you to wear shorts on regular nights. For formal nights, they will require pants. On my last cruise I witnessed them turning someone away from the MDR on formal night for wearing shorts.

So let me understand something here. Those screen grabs say $43 per person, buy one get one half off. But what you are all saying is that the $43 per person price is already reflective of the sale? That is pretty funny. I just checked my cruise planner, and I have the same banner, buy one get one half off, price of $43 per person. I just bought the drink package for both my wife and I last week, at $43 per person, no advertised sale, shown as regular price. So I can't check the total pricing now because we already have it so I can't add it to my cart. Still pretty funny though. Quite a sale!

This has been my experience as well. I always grab a glass of wine on my way in to the MDR, and then will tell our server to please send the bar server over when they can. By the time that happens and they actually return with drinks, my wine is long gone and we are well into the meal. There are also usually no less than 25 cards and slips on the servers tray as well, they are just covering too many tables. This is fine, two glasses of wine is enough for me at dinner, I don't need to be pounding drinks at dinner. I am also a big advocate of tip well and tip early for better drink service, and this works in the bars and at the pool. I just don't think it would work in the MDR. The logistics are too difficult.

They got me to buy a 2nd package with the price drop. Normally I don't buy it for my wife, but she will drink 2 blender type drinks in a typical day, and usually a glass of wine at dinner, and then another drink or two at a show or in the evening. I get decent value out of the package for myself even at full prices, so now it's made it a little closer for her, and I will get even more value than normal out of it. Plus I don't have to bring bottles of wine on board or worry about my on board account with her drinks. We will see if they discount it further with a "sale", but if they did, I would be surprised. Assuming the gratuities go completely to the servers, $43 a day is 4-5 drinks. I think most people that drink alcohol can get to that point on a cruise. Another thing to think about is drinks in the MDR and at the pool. Drink service in the MDR is probably the slowest anywhere on the whole ship, followed by poolside. Now you will have even more people looking for a drink with dinner and at the pool. I hope they add some drink servers to these spots for sure.

I can't speak for Vision specifically, but in my experiences getting pool chairs on sea days can be quite a task, especially if you want one on the pool level with shade. Many chairs will already have towels and bags on them at 7 in the morning, and I would say by 9 am almost all are spoken for. I hate chair saving, but it is so rampant, and enforcement of the no chair saving rule is pretty non-existent, so unless you want a single chair here or there in the pure sun, you will need to either be in a chair really early or get up early and put some bags and towels on some chairs to save them. I normally cruise with a group of 8 or so, and what we have done is have 3 or 4 of us go early and actually sit in the chairs and save a few others, while the rest of the group eats breakfast. Then we switch up, and then by 9 or 10 or so everyone is poolside and ready to go. It sucks a little, but it's really the only way. You can't roll down to the pool at 10 am and grab a few chairs together in a decent spot, it just won't happen.

Ditto on that! I am on Harmony in February, and have been checking once a week or so on drink packages. Was at $55 for ever, then after their policy change it dropped to $46. Now I checked today after reading the above posts and it is at $43. I have never seen it that low, even on black friday sales. They must be lowering the price a little now that they are requiring all adults to purchase it (if one does). With the gratuity that amounts to about $50 a day, which is pretty easy to get to.

I have a trip on Harmony coming up in February, so I have been checking it about once a week looking for sales on internet and drink packages. The internet has been on "sale" for a while at 20% off, which is currently $14 and change a day for one device. I feel like I can catch a black friday sale and get a better price on this. The deluxe drink package has been at $55 a day regular price and hasn't changed, until today and it is now listed at $46 a day. It's weird though, because it is not listed as being on sale for the $46. Part of me says to just buy it now because when it goes on "sale" it will likely be the same price, and part of me says to wait. The psychology of the "sale" banner is driving me nuts! I know I can cancel and re-buy this stuff, but I don't want to do that for a small amount of money. But if I buy at $46 and it ends up on sale for $44 it will annoy me out of principal! Classic first world problems, I know.

I would guess that a room attendant will bring you extra blankets or pillows if you asked. I think there might even be extras in the closet or under the bed anyways.

I have stayed in the bungalows before and have one reserved for my next cruise in February. The attendants are great, and the bar and food setup are right there. The aqua park is also right there if you have kids doing that. No complaints about the bungalows. I have not done a cabana yet, but I am not sure what they could add to the experience to justify the extra $150.

There are no downsides to getting two adjoining staterooms, other than cost. More space, extra bathroom, privacy, etc. I would choose two interior adjoining staterooms over a balcony stateroom for four. Obviously if cost isn't so much of an issue then two adjoining balcony staterooms is best. With the balcony divider opened it will feel like a suite.

On our next cruise on Harmony we have two cabins. My wife is listed in one cabin with my daughter and I am listed in another cabin with my son. If they implemented this rule, would this be a way to get around it, since technically we are in separate staterooms? I am not looking to scam anything, but my wife would never get the value out of a drink package, whereas I can (and do).

This for sure. They are not fast with serving drinks in the MDR. In my experiences, it seems like one drink server covers half of the room. I grab a glass of wine on my way to the MDR, and then order another one at some point during dinner.

I was on Freedom this past February and I echo some of your complaints. There was definitely a feeling of crowded at times, especially in the Windjammer, at the pool and in some of the bars in the evenings. I really wish they would seat you in the Windjammer, instead of making you circle around and pounce on a table the second someone gets up from it. I would much rather wait 5 or 10 mins for someone to seat me than to try to find a table on my own when the place is full. And the elevators, well, after about day one I just gave up on them a lot of the time and used the stairs. In my mind, this cancelled out the 3 large meals and dozen or so drinks I consumed during the day

I have my first Oasis class cruise coming up on Harmony in February, so I can't help you there, but I would love to hear why you switched to RC, especially from NCL. Every time I look at cruises I consider NCL, but research always seems to push me to RC as being a little bit better. I may have to just bite the bullet and do one on NCL one of these days.

Another recommendation here for Bernard's. They take you all over the island, give you beach time, shopping time, eating time, etc. Very smooth operation, our driver was very nice and knowledgeable, and they pick up and drop off right outside the cruise terminal. Worth the cost.

This past February on Freedom I set out to save two chairs on the last sea day around 630-7 am (after seeing the difficulty with getting a decent chair earlier in the week) and I was shocked at how many pool chairs already had towels on them. Easily more than half, and by 8 am they were all pretty much gone. For the record, I absolutely hate having to participate in that behavior but it is either that, physically be in the chairs at that hour (which no one does), or pretty much do not get one when the masses descend on the pool at 10-11 am. I wish attendants would monitor that and tell people as soon as they attempt to place a towel and walk away that it is not permitted, but they do not do that. I am going on Harmony this February and I imagine it will be even worse on that ship.