melski94

That was our first summer cruise as we typically cruise in November or March. It was unbelievably hot. Next summer we're going to Alaska. Our first choice was the new JS on deck 11 or 12 forward but RC went from a 4 person occupancy to 2 people. Sitting on the helicopter pad at night had a nice breeze and I wish we had that room.

I must be the odd one as I hated this JS. I had the deck 10 aft JS on Navigator as shown in the picture and hated it but I think it was because we cruised over July 4th. It was so hot and humid with no air movement. I was dripping in sweat sitting out there at 10 or 11 pm and there was no way I was out there during the day. I really hated the superstructure view and much prefer a direct view of the ocean, plus were overlooking balconies below you. There really wasn't a wake view as the ship doesn't have far to go so very little speed. Deck 10 JS have connecting rooms which is something we prefer to book but not everyone likes it.

Most of the gyms have spin bikes but they are only used during spin classes which have a fee. You'd be in the aerobics room and probably wouldn't be able to see the ocean. Treadmills and ellipticals tend to be towards the windows. Welcome to the boards. I see that you are relatively new. In the future it might be best to start a new thread specific to your question, rather than replying to a 6 year old thread. We are happy to respond to a new question!

No need for shoes at Columbus Cove. It's a nice sandy bottom. There is a ferry sometimes. We've only managed to catch it once. It isn't a long walk but if you do walk cut through by Nellie's beach and by the waters slide/aqua park area. Also, there is a tram (for all not just the bungalows) but you need to walk through the market to get to the beach. That isn't a big deal but just be prepared.

We started cruising when my youngest was 3 (she's 8 now). I have 4 kids who have traveled the world so some general tips as I haven't done a greek isle cruise. 1. I don't think you'll be the only one to use the late night hours in AO after 10 especially on a cruise out of Europe. My only word of caution is to make sure the following morning can be a sleep in day. My kids can't handle a late night followed by an early morning without a melt down (and to be honest neither can I) 2. We've always have done My Time Dining with my kids. 3. I book private tours. I've never done an RC sponsored excursion. I hate the wasted time on those tours and I'd rather change my tour if my child is having a tough time. We also tend to make sure our port days are around something our children would enjoy. If your child is ok with AO, you could leave him in AO on a port day and you do something that you know your child would hate. If you want to stick with RC, look into their Private destinations where they put together a private tour just for you. 4. I like looking at Trip Advisor and Cruise Critic for shore excursion ideas. Have a great cruise.

We were on Navigator in July and I was surprised how late self carry started. I think it wasn't until 7:45 and the reason given was customs wasn't ready. Once disembarkation started, it was very quick to get off the ship.

You best bet would be to look at previous Cruise Compasses. They can be found at the top of page.

You will probably only be given 6 VIP cabana wrist bands but I don't think the staff will give you a hard time especially since all 8 of you probably won't be there at the same time. There really isn't enough space for 8 people at once. I would assume they would only bring food and drinks over for the 6 but they may make an exception if you ask nice and tip generously.

On Disney ships, the over the door hooks are not allowed but you are fine on Royal. We've used it too with metal hooks and similar to what others have posted it wasn't a problem.

We use a 3rd party. There are advantages and disadvantages to each so the biggest thing is to know what you want from trip insurance. RC insurance is expensive but will give you a credit if you can't make the cruise. We use CT Travel Insured through USAA but have also looked at insuremytrip.com which compares several plans. I recently had a claim so would recommend them just for the ease of the claim.

There are no specific teen hours however my teens at that age have always used the gym with their dad. They needed to keep working out due to their sports and a week off could be a setback for them. My teens are comfortable with a gym and as long as your son doesn't goof around no one would bother him.

It would help to know a bit about you. What do you like and if you have any kids? We are doing that exact itinerary in March. I have 4 kids ages, 19, 16, 12 and 8 now. We've been to Roatan before and loved the snorkeling there. It was probably the best we've seen. We'll do it again with a 3rd party. Coco Cay can be a beach/pool day for free or you can pay for the Waterpark. We've done and enjoyed both but because Cozumel will be a beach day for us, we'll probably do the waterpark again. In Cozumel, we'll get a taxi and either go to Mr. Sanchos or Paradise Beach. We haven't been to Costa Maya and not sure what we'll do there.

On my last cruise in July, I unexpectedly ended up taking my minor children alone without my husband due to a family emergency. No questions asked. There was no time to get a form notarized had I even thought about it as he was on a plane within hours right before we were to leave for our cruise. Technically, RC only requires the form if you are traveling without either parent. I've also traveled to Europe and Asia with the kids by myself and no problems from customs. The child will get questions from the TSA agent at the airport so you may want to prep them for that.

Harmony will most likely be the only ship in port. I was there on Navigator and Grandeur was also there so about the same number of passengers. Daredevils Peak and the Sling Shot had the longest lines. They quickly grew to an hour. @Matt posted that recently you can sign up for a reserved time for Daredevils peak similar to a fast pass but that wasn't there for me. The other slides had a 10-20 minute wait until lunch time. After lunch the lines to everything had a significantly less wait time. At 3 we walked up to Daredevils peak and waited for 10 minutes and walked on to many other slides. There's a lot more to do besides the slides. We went in the wave pool and obstacle course in the morning when the lines were at their peak and enjoyed the slides more in the afternoon with very little wait.

Interesting. I wonder if they do it all day and if they do it for the family tube slide that also had long waits. After 3, Daredevils peak and the family tube slide both had a short 10 minute wait.