firebuck

3343 - reminds me of texting on my old Nokia 3390 😄

I find the lack of Macallan 25 disturbing... 🤑

Always best to pre-purchase the drink package pre-cruise if you can. Prices go way up onboard even if there is a "sale" onboard, you're usually better off purchasing when there is a sale in the cruise planner. Depending on how far away your sailing is, there's a pretty decent sale going on now. Prices for the drink package vary wildly sometimes - there's really no rhyme or reason to it to the consumer, but I'm quite sure they adjust the prices based on the demand for the packages - if more people are buying the drink packages, prices go up, if less people buy, prices will drop, especially if you are closer to your sail date and not many people are buying.

They did on the Anthem - I'm crossing my fingers that it's the same on Ovation! 🤞

@AshleyDillo is exactly right. Harmony is part of the Oasis class of ships which have the freestanding Starbucks kiosks (there is only one, and it's on the promenade deck)- pretty much exactly like a Starbucks kiosk in a mall where they would have all the drinks as well as some of the food and cake pops, etc. These Starbucks kiosk locations aren't included in any package, unfortunately. You can get some really good stuff in the Cafe promenade that is included in the refreshment and deluxe packages. If I'm not mistaken, the only "paid" coffee places onboard Harmony are the Starbucks and Cafe Promenade (both on the same deck) and also Park Cafe in Central Park. You can also find complimentary coffee (swill lol) in other venues such as the main dining room, Windjammer buffet and at Cafe Promenade and Central Park Cafe.

You'll save a lot of money if you upgrade your package pre-cruise. Unless you're pretty high up in the crown and anchor society, you won't see any discounts onboard like you see on the cruise planner. If your cabin mate has a legitimate reason for not wanting the deluxe package, you can call Royal Caribbean and ask for an exception for them (religious reasons, sobriety, etc.) I believe they will still require your cabin mate to purchase at least the refreshment package, but again - you're much better off cost-wise purchasing it ahead of time.

So that's a little tricky on the website. If the price for the 3 device package is $22.99 per day, you only need to select ONE person when you are purchasing. The total should be closer to $160 for the cruise. If you're selecting 3 out of the 4 people, that's a total of 9 devices you're paying for. Basically, you are saying that you want 3 people to have 3 devices. When you get on board you will be given either one code that allows 3 simultaneous devices, or 3 codes... I forget which, but it doesn't matter who the code is associated with - with that package, 3 devices can be logged in at the same time. If you want to change devices, simply log out of one and log in with the new device. Hope that makes sense!

Hi there - you're spot on about the refreshment package. It does include pretty much anything that isn't alcoholic. Starbucks coffee (as long as it isn't a freestanding kiosk), soda, bottled water, fresh squeezed juices, virgin cocktails, you name it! Most ships even include Johnny Rocket's milkshakes, but there has been some discrepancy about that lately... Your refreshment packages include gratuities in the price, but if you receive really great service, the bartenders really do appreciate the extra cash.

Welcome to the boards! The gratuity is charged on the total cost of the drink package. For example, at $55 per day on a 7 night cruise, the total will be $385. The gratuity is 18% of the $385 which is $57.75 making the grand total for the package around $442.75.

That is a bummer, indeed! Now I'm thinking I should have booked a cabin on deck 6 aft so that I can run down to Cafe Two70 easier - I see a lot of Royal Delight coffees in my future on that cruise 😋

As always, solid advice!! Looking forward to seeing yours and other's experiences on Ovation as mine comes at the end of the season!

Thanks for the info, @twangster! We're booked in a cabin on deck 13 around mid-ship for our Alaskan Ovation cruise. I"m thinking our balcony will be a great place to take in the Dawes glacier. I know it likely varies, but do you recall how many revolutions the captain did at the Dawes Glacier? *sigh* All of this scenery is going to cut into my bar time! 😝

Unfortunately, there's no hard and fast rule for when these things show up - Ifly and Northstar as well as most of the shows do tend to be the last things to show up. To give you a frame of reference though, on my Anthem cruise last year, IFly and Northstar showed up as bookable on August 27th, and my cruise started October 29th, so just slightly over 2 months out. It definitely pays to frequently check the cruise planner because both Ifly and Northstar go fast. I think within a few days of my booking it, all slots were filled and it was removed from the cruise planner. It's definitely a "blink and you'll miss it" sort of thing. That said, it is still possible to get in if you miss it in the cruise planner - you just have to be a little more patient and flexible with your plans if you really want to get in. There are cancellations and no shows all the time.

Definitely get it now - if it's still running $49 this close to your cruise, it's likely you won't see it drop much more. Also, to mirror what everyone is saying, you can cancel and repurchase but keep in mind that the refund isn't instant - you'll need to float that money on a card for up to a week or so before the original purchase is refunded to the card that you purchased with. The only instant refund comes when you cancel a purchase that you've made with Onboard Credit available in your account.

Oh, thanks! I'll have to try that - or request the kids menu 😂 . Duck liver? No thank you!!