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Let’s see who all is going on HOTS next October!

Hello again!! In the words of @SweetPea, do we REALLY need another week long Star Class cruise report on Oasis Class? I certainly hope so, because here we are again. After great blogs by @Jax and @Yesiamthere highlighting their trips on HOS, it's now our turn, in you guessed it, a ATS2BR. I hope to keep this fun and lighthearted. Get ready for some shenanigans and other tomfoolery that will rival what @Ampurp85 and @asquared17 experience. Will it approach #starclassbehavingbadly? We shall see. Who: Myself, The Boss, Heather, Lydia and Johnathan. Sadly my sister Julie is not joining us. For some silly reason she has decided to be responsible and try to save money so that she can buy a house. What/Where: We are sailing on Harmony of the Seas out of Galveston. It is the typical Western Caribbean route. Feb 17 - Arrive in Houston and head to Galveston Feb 18 - Cruise day!! Feb 19 - Sea Day Feb 20 - Sea Day Feb 21 - Roatan Feb 22 - Costa Maya Feb 23 - Cozumel Feb 24 - Sea Day Feb 25 - Eviction Day etc Feb 26 - Back to reality Flights: Flying Southwest into Hobby the day before. We initially had Delta flights booked through Air2Sea, but swapped to Southwest when their schedule was published. We were able to get more convenient flight times, and at a better rate. We are staying an extra day and flying back on Monday which helps as well. Pre-Cruise plans: We arrive in Houston at 7:30pm. We are driving to Galveston that night. We grabbed a Tru by Hilton right on the beach. The Boss has status with Hilton due to her job travels so we always go that route. Nothing fancy since we are really only there to sleep for the night. Since we are staying the extra day, we rented a car for the week. Due to corporate discounts courtesy of The Boss’s job and the fact that nothing is open early on Sunday mornings, it was actually more cost effective and convenient than two one way rentals, or doing a bunch of Ubers etc. Cabin: We really like the ATS2BR. We are on deck 8. The Boss loves the balcony and those Aft views. We also really like to watch the Aquatheater show from there. Johnny already said that since its not Aqua80 so we will probably hate every minute though. IYKYK. We had considered moving up to deck 17 since my sister wasn’t going to come with us, but by the time that decision was made the two star lofts were already booked. We also had tossed around the idea of inviting other family/friends so keeping the ATS was needed. Someday we will try the gated community. Post-cruise plans: We are going to go to Moody Gardens on Sunday after getting off the ship. The rest of the day we will play it by ear. Lydia mentioned she wants to find a good BBQ place for dinner so if anyone has any suggestions that would be great. I have a few people that I know down there that I will also be reaching out to. That night, we are staying in another Hilton by the airport. Our flight home is early in the AM, so being close to the airport is key. The Boss is not a morning person.

We are Stuart & Lisa from Rockport, TX. This is going to be an amazing cruise! Looking forward the new ports of Seville and Cartagena for us. We love Malaga and look forward to sipping wine at a sidewalk cafe again. We snagged a Grand Suite as the icing on the cake for this transatlantic crossing…our 3rd and longest.

️A “Starry” Christmas - Harmony Dec 24-31, 2023️ @Jax is back with a “Starry” Christmas ️ For those that have followed my blogs you know we have a habit of spending Christmas on the Seas. This year we will be back on Harmony doing our first ever Western Caribbean cruise. We spent last Christmas on HM and although my preference would have been to try another ship, the fact it was sailing out of Galveston was too good to pass up. Direct flights from Calgary are plentiful and considerably shorter than going to Florida so this was an added perk. Our son graduates from high school this year so future vacations/cruising are up in the air until we sort out his apprenticeship schedule at trade school and work schedule. So there is a very real possibility we will be on a land vacation next Christmas because I have no cruises booked beyond summer 2024. We have a lot planned so let’s get started…..

Who all will be joining us on the October 20th-27th sailing? Roll Call!

Roll call has been started for June 2, 2024 Harmony OTS. Group of 7 traveling from Louisiana. Looking to do all inclusive resort excursions that have jet skis. Any recommendations?

So we have arrived in Galveston safely after 13 hours on the road today.Received emails that boarding will be delayed because of Coast guard inspection. Boarding will begin at 12:00 This sailing I will have my sister Renee with me. This is her first time on Harmony . Also her first time in Galveston. We will have an Aqua theatre suite. Wendy is our genie. Ready to relax and get ready to board tomorrow.

Alright everyone, I am going to try this blogging thing but I make no promises that it will be any good. I am currently sitting here at work and I can not stop anticipating how great it will be to get back onto a Star Class sailing!! I feel the food coma already!! The next 47 days can not go fast enough. Why is it that it is always so slow getting here but zooms by so fast once you get on the ship? Who's Going? Me- John (Everyone calls me JT), Boyfriend - Rick, Mom- Donna, and Dad - John Make sure to stay tuned for Pictures. We tend to be a camera shy bunch but we usually make an exception on vacations. Pre-Cruise Travel / Stay We live on Florida's west coast and usually drive to the port the morning of as it is an easy 2 hour drive to Miami. This time however we will be getting to the port a day early and staying at the Hilton Miami/Downtown. I found and booked two King Bed Bayview rooms with a Park and Sail rate for one so we can leave our truck at the hotel. while we are on the cruise. We have never stayed at the hotel but I liked the pictures I saw online and I like the idea of being able to wake up and see the ships out our window. Anyone who has stayed her before have any thoughts? It will also be nice to be able to not have to get up so early and rush through breakfast to drive across the state. We plan to take a Lyft or Uber the morning of the cruise depending on prevailing rates. We will need a large truck or suv as the four of us (read my Mom and I) do not pack light and we will need room for the luggage. They both can be booked 30 days in advance so once I am able to price I can finalize those plans. Itinerary This will be a 7 night sailing roundtrip from Port Miami visiting Philipsburg St. Maarten, Charlotte Amalie St. Thomas, and Perfect Day at Coco Cay Bahamas. I liked this itinerary because it starts out with two sea days that will allow us to soak up the star class amenities on the ship at the beginning of our vacation. Day 1 Departs Miami Day 2 Sea Day Day 3 Sea Day Day 4 Philipsburg, St. Maarten 8am - 5pm Day 5 Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas 7am - 3pm Day 6 Sea Day Day 7 Perfect Day at Coco Cay, Bahamas 9am - 5 pm Day 8 - Back to Miami (Cue the Crying) Cabin A1 - Spacious 2 Bedroom Aqua Theater Suite Cabin #8330 We liked this room on our first Star Class sailing so we decided to try it again on a different ship (we were on Oasis of the Seas the first time). The only thing that would have made us switch was the Royal Loft Suite, due to the upgraded bathrooms and hot tub on the balcony, however I could not justify the jump of $7000 for the week for just those differences. Thoughts so Far While myself, Mom and Dad have all sailed on an Oasis class ship before this will be Rick's first time and I can not wait to see the look on his face when we walk on the ship the first time escorted by our Genie no less. Then again to see the excitement in his eyes when he walks into our cabin and gets a glimpse of the view off the back of the ship that we will have the whole week. I am usually the trip planner of the family, as I own and operate my own travel agency (Barefoot Vacation Travel). It is nice sometimes, although painful , to let go of the reigns a little and let the genie plan out shows and meals. Just for my own curiosity I did play around on the cruise planner and priced out what the Deluxe Beverage Package, Ultimate Dining Package, The Key and the internet Package for the four of us and just those amenities would have been an additional $5300 for the week so while not inexpensive I feel Star Class definitely is worth it for us. We plan on eating at all the specialty restaurants as well as doing the chefs table. We are excited to try out Wonderland, even if it turns out to be a one and done as we all like to try new things. Chefs table will be at Rick's request as he has never done it. We got the generic pre cruise survey just a few days ago and filled that out and sent it back. While like most we felt that this was not used on our first cruise it is fun to get together as a family and fill it out. For those wondering the three people I would invite to a dinner party is Lucille Ball, Betty White, and Stephen King ( make of that what you will). Please feel free to follow along and ask any questions. If there is anything that you would like me to check or take pictures of please let me know and I will be happy to oblige. Here is to hoping that the next month goes by fast and that our cruise does not.

Rolllllllll Callllllll!!! Who is coming aboard?

Who’s going, ideas ? Large party celebrating multiple birthdays and more

I’m going on Harmony in a few weeks and a little while ago I noticed the shows pop up in the cruise planner and you were able to reserve ahead of time. I booked what I wanted and I’ve been checking periodically to see if anything has changed as it seems to be slim offerings listed compared to what I’m used to seeing, especially for an 8 night cruise. Tonight I just went in to look and the Fine Line has completely disappeared from the list of shows, along with my reservation I had for it in my calendar. Just checked my email as well and there’s been no notification of cancellation or anything. Anyone have any insight on what’s going on with this?? Thanks!

In some video on Youtube from RoyalCaribbenblog.com (that I cannot find now), @JennaRCB mentions that she took some brief language classes while onboard Harmony. I've looked at some of the cruise compassed here on the site, but cannot find the section where they may be listed and what languages they may offer. Does anyone have any insight as to which languages are offered and when they may occur? I agree with @JennaRCB where it is nice to at least know some basics for various ports of call. I need to learn some French for a land vacation in 2023 and maybe I can learn some French while on a ship! Thanks!

At the end of your sailing are you given gratuity envelopes or something of that nature? We may leave the auto-gratuity so even the "others" receive the monies (thanks so much for the previous breakdowns) but most likely will then recognize the superior service at the end in cash, should I bring individual envelopes? Thank you so much for your input.

Hi everyone. Sometimes it feels like things will never get here. I booked this sailing an entire different world ago. It’s crazy to think that back in November 2019 (18th to be exact) we were fun and fancy free. Running around without masks, no vaccines and a stable supply of light sweet crude oil. It was 867 days ago and when I put down the deposit for this sailing after having had FOMO from one too many of Sabrina’s live blogs. We’re now three weeks away which means from booking to sailing it’ll be 888 days (which definitely means I should head to the craps table or roulette wheel.) I’ll be sharing a bit about the voyage every day or so leading up to departure and will keep up onboard as much as my blood alcohol level let’s me.

So, what's in a name? Each of the classes of ships have names that...well..."go together" for the most part... or do they? Freedom class.... Freedom, Independence, and Liberty... all synonyms for, well...Freedom. Voyager class... Voyager, Navigator, Mariner, Adventure, and Explorer... all synonyms for people who venture out and explore stuff... Then the lines start to blur a little bit... Radiance class... Radiance, Jewel, Brilliance, and Serenade... Radiance/Jewel/Brilliance sound "shimmery", and Serenade is just kind of an odd-ball one that's just tacked on on the end... Vision class... Vision, Enchantment, Grandeur...to me, in my mind I think "big looking" - but then we can't forget Rhapsody, which is a style of a musical piece.. Then the lines blur even more... Oasis class.... Oasis, Allure, Harmony, and now Symphony... Oasis and Allure really don't have much of anything to do with each other... but Harmony and Symphony are both "musical" in nature... so in theory, the next Oasis class ship... might it going to be something else entirely, or some other word from the musical milieu? Quantum Class... I have no idea. Quantum, Anthem, and Ovation.... Anthem is a musical style, Ovation is when you're standing up and applauding at the end of something you're amazed at, and Quantum... is..kind of "sciencey" So... what do you all think about Royal Caribbean's naming strategy... it seems like there maybe, at one time, was a rhyme or reason to it... are they abandoning said rhyme or reason? Should there be one? I like the consistency with naming within the class, certainly helps me remember the names of the ships.

Does anybody know where the designated smoking areas are on the ship? looking for deck, side and forward or aft locations, thanks

Getting this party started early because I am just way too excited! Can you tell? ? Here goes....

Doing the happy dance on board Harmony. ☺ I can't do live because I refuse to pay $18.99 a day for wifi but we have 2 free internet days and mobile data when we are in port, so if anyone wants me to find anything out, post your questions and I will answer as soon as I can.

A brand new excursion package showed up on my cruise planner this morning, presumably created specially in response to the requirement that all guests, vaccinated or not, can only go ashore in Italy on a ship-sponsored excursion. The new package is priced at $199 for adults and $194 for children and includes three excursions, one in each of the Italian ports of call. The excursions are: Pisa City Sights (duration 4 and a half hours), priced individually at $99; Rome City Sights (duration 5 hours), priced individually at $119; and Naples City Sights (duration 3 hours), priced individually at $59.75 for adults and $49.75 for children. They all include some sightseeing from some form of transport (coach/trolley car/river boat), some walk-abouts and some snack/shopping stops.

Hello - We've been on several cruises but never partake in any of the spa services. I'm trying to convince my husband to do a couples massage but am confused by the pricing. A single 50 min swedish massage is $90 but a 50 min couples massage is $269....that is 3x the cost for a single. Does that sound right?I definitely will not get him to "try" it for that much. I am looking at pre-cruise pricing as we depart on July 7.Any info or suggestions would be appreciated.Thank you.

Hi everyone! My family and I are currently booked on a sailing on Oasis in April 2022 in a 2br grand suite. I need to move it to the fall and need help deciding. I want to go star class this time around because, well, why not. It's my wife and I and our 4 kids (9,7,4,4) sailing. Our options are: Oasis - 2BR Aquatheater suite (deck 9) Harmony - 2BR Aquatheater suite (deck 10) Both sailings hit Cococay and Labadee. Harmony is about $700 cheaper (but I'd get an extra $100 OBC for Oasis sailing and less transportation fees to and from Port for Oasis) Give me your opinions. I know there are a few different restaurants on ship and the decor in the room is a bit dated in Oasis. Any other major differences I should know? Kids club,splash pad, etc? This will be our first star class and first Oasis class. Blow this novice away with your expertise!

Harmony of the seas, same dates, different departure ports. How Its possible. Departure from Rome on 2/sep for 7 nights cruise, Departure from Barcelona on 5/sep also for 7 nights, same ship

So we're going on a 7 night cruise in feb 2020 with a stop at Cococay. Neither the wifey, myself or the kids (girls, 11 and 13) are big on waterparks. So with that in mind, what else is there to do on Cococay if we choose not to buy tickets to the park itself? /First Time Cruiser ?

I got excited because I finally found a 4 BR villa suite for September 2022 so I booked. Problem is, how many people do I need to have in the room? I have 5 right now but because of school, I am not sure I can find any more people to come with us. What is the minimum amount of people required? Help!

We will be sailing on Harmony of the Seas soon and I'm wondering if anyone has a recent itinerary they can share for any special events we may need to prepare for? Also any reviews on recent experiences with any of the extra excursions or restaurants we plan to try? We plan to try Wonderland for the first time so if anyone has eaten there recently, how was that? We also plan to try Jamie's and Izumi. Our shore excursions will consist of a beach bed on South Beach in CocoCay, Sea Trek in Cozumel as well as the all inclusive dolphin and manatee experience, and the monkey, sloth, and iguana interaction on Roatan. We plan to just explore the port in Costa Maya I believe. Any feed back I can get would be a huge help.