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Going too big?


m00cat

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Hello, 

So me and my wife are going on our first cruise in June 2020
It's a sailing on Harmony of the Seas for 7 nights to Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatan and Coco Cay. 

I'm kind of wondering if we really need all of the extras we've booked. 

We have the Unlimited dining package, deluxe beverage package
Coco Beach Club day pass, not to mention shore excursions for every port. 

My goal is to not receive an extraordinary bill at the end of our sailing but I recognize we probably don't need all of these extras.  Do you think we have too much booked?
What extras do you normally book for a seven night cruise?

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4 minutes ago, m00cat said:

Hello, 

So me and my wife are going on our first cruise in June 2020
It's a sailing on Harmony of the Seas for 7 nights to Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatan and Coco Cay. 

I'm kind of wondering if we really need all of the extras we've booked. 

We have the Unlimited dining package, deluxe beverage package
Coco Beach Club day pass, not to mention shore excursions for every port. 

My goal is to not receive an extraordinary bill at the end of our sailing but I recognize we probably don't need all of these extras.  Do you think we have too much booked?
What extras do you normally book for a seven night cruise?

I personally book all the extras you have booked.. I don't like the food in the dining room so I always get an Unlimited dining package.. The drink package is worth it if you drink 4 drinks a day and you probably will. Also Coco Beach Club pass looks amazing I am excited to do it myself.. So I personally think you booked the right things but its really up to you. 

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It looks like you've covered pretty much the essentials: Food, drinks, things to do. As long as you're not buying everything you see in the ship's shops or spending time  in the casino you shouldn't have a big bill at the end of your cruise.  Just plan on some spending money for port shopping and you should be fine.

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I would caution that many here find the amount of food that comes with the ultimate dining package to be almost overwhelming. Since it's your first cruise and you haven't yet had a chance to try out the main dining room, you might consider stepping down from the UDP to maybe a 3 or 4 night dining package, leaving yourself a few nights to experience the main dining room and decide how you like the food and experience vs the specialty venues.

Many of us here are quite satisfied with the MDR, and are happy to have all but one or two dinners there. Only way to find out if you and your wife are in that group or the "all specialty, all the time" crowd is to try out both. ? 

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3 hours ago, JLMoran said:

Many of us here are quite satisfied with the MDR, and are happy to have all but one or two dinners there. Only way to find out if you and your wife are in that group or the "all specialty, all the time" crowd is to try out both. ? 

I agree. Personally I don't purchase any dining packages because there's so included. We're not big "foodies" so MDR is fine for us. But I do think it is good advice if you want to try something different go with the 3-4 night package. Have a great cruise! 

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I decided on the 3-night package plus lunch at Chops on embarkation day on Grandeur. I typically really enjoy dining-room fare, but since "Lady G" has fewer specialty dining establishments than larger ships, the 3-night works well, since it lets me sample each...and should I decide to skip a fourth MDR night, I can always pay a little extra for one more special treat.

I also personally decided to go with just the soda package (to get my Coke fix) and do my other drinks a la carte. But if you think you'll get the mileage out of all those options, live it up -- it's a cruise...enjoy to the fullest! ?

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Its really a personal choice.  My wife and I are not big drinkers and you would need to drink 5-6 drinks per day to break even on a drink package.  I may drink that on a sea day, but almost certainly not when I am I port.  We ordered drinks as we wanted last cruise just to see what it came to and it was roughly half the cost of the package. 

We are also generally satisfied in the main dining room but like the occasional specialty restaurant.  The MDR is like eating at a nice catered wedding - its not a fine dining, cook to order meal but it is very good although maybe limited in choices.

If you are foodies or big drinkers, the UDP and drink pkg makes a lot of sense - If you are not, I would try the al a carte approach on your first cruise.  You will probably spend less overall.

 

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10 hours ago, carrie76 said:

I agree. Personally I don't purchase any dining packages because there's so included. We're not big "foodies" so MDR is fine for us. But I do think it is good advice if you want to try something different go with the 3-4 night package. Have a great cruise! 

Agree.  This sounds like a good plan.  For us,we are happy with the MDR and tend to stick with it.  But the 3 night package will let you try both.

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Do you need all the extras? Can you afford it? Then why not? On the other hand, it sounds like you got suckered into buying everything. Skip the dining packages, food is included in the main dining room. Take two bottles of wine aboard, pay for booze as you go, skip the paid Coco Cay thing (there is plenty to do onshore and plenty of free chairs/umbrellas on coco cay) but keep the shore excursions.

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15 hours ago, m00cat said:

Hello, 

So me and my wife are going on our first cruise in June 2020
It's a sailing on Harmony of the Seas for 7 nights to Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatan and Coco Cay. 

I'm kind of wondering if we really need all of the extras we've booked. 

We have the Unlimited dining package, deluxe beverage package
Coco Beach Club day pass, not to mention shore excursions for every port. 

My goal is to not receive an extraordinary bill at the end of our sailing but I recognize we probably don't need all of these extras.  Do you think we have too much booked?
What extras do you normally book for a seven night cruise?

I would scratch the Coco Beach Club day pass as the regular beaches are just fine.  I'd rather take a nice excursion in another port.  On the other hand, it the price is right for you, it's not a bad idea to try it once. It boils down to what your vacation objectives really are.  I also avoid the deluxe beverage package because it's overpriced and encourages alcoholism (really).  Others swear by it, but that is my 2 cents worth.

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I would say that's a lot for your first cruise...some things I havent booked after 15 cruises that you have on your first one. And on going on such a big ship for your first one, really you could book or plan nothing for 7 days and never be bored or run out of things to do or in IMHO.

 

This will be a good test to see what you like or don't for future cruises......my advice if you had  asked BEFORE you booked all of that would be not to have booked so much for your first cruise....but since you have...roll with it and enjoy.

 

The only thing I would recommend is the drink package..never sail with out it......

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Not like you can't cancel and be refunded for anything. I never now what to do with the word "foodie". I like food a lot, I like good food, I like to try things. I think for a first cruise maybe you try a few nights of specialty dining but also try the complimentary. There is such thing as food coma. Also, sometimes you don't need an excursion for every port but that's up to you. Sometimes it's fun just to take a walk or grab a cab and go to a beach and chill. Unless it's who you are, don't set up this vacation and need to relax from it when you come home...again, though, some people like the constant go.

I'm also team DX (drink package)...not having a bar/coffee/water bottle bill when you leave the ship is great.

 

 

 

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I would say it depends on levels of comfort, at must I would change the UDP to a 3/4 day. Harmony is a huge ship full of people, so having all the extra bells and whistles may go a long way in making this cruise worth it. You may find it more difficult to enjoy the free options and lets be real, a big ship is where paid options shine. Maybe you should ball out on this one since I knew you will have the cursing bug after. That way when you cruise a smaller ship, you won't have FOMO.

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5 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

I would say it depends on levels of comfort, at must I would change the UDP to a 3/4 day. Harmony is a huge ship full of people, so having all the extra bells and whistles may go a long way in making this cruise worth it. You may find it more difficult to enjoy the free options and lets be real, a big ship is where paid options shine. Maybe you should ball out on this one since I knew you will have the cursing bug after. That way when you cruise a smaller ship, you won't have FOMO.

Devils Advocate, here : they will certainly have the cruising bug after having done all this......but where is there to go, but down, having cruised in a way that youve done it all? Pretty lofty standard to set to do EVERYTHING on your first cruise..... 

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  I agree with many on here about over doing it.  Unless you drink a lot I would axe the drink package.  You will have to average 5-6 drinks a day to break even and take into account your port stops.  When you come back on board at 4pm now you will have to drink those 5-6 drinks.  After 6 straight days of at least 5-6 drinks a day it will take its toll.

I also am happy with MDR food.  Is it up there with the specialty dining food.  Probably not but the MDR is still very good.  Give it a try (with an open mind) and if your not happy then your next cruise go for the ultimate package. Is the ultimate package a good deal?  Depends on whether you like paying twice for a meal.  You already paid for the MDR.  

Since this is your first cruise you will find there is so much to do on the Harmony you could have overloaded.  Step back and look at it all.  Remember your on vacation.  Relax and don't try to do too much.  Like I said there will be plenty to do on the Harmony

 

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Lots of good advice on this thread. The missus and I don't do the unlimited drink package because we are lighter drinkers than most...we also bring two bottles of delicious vino on board with us as others have mentioned. We enjoy the MDR but love to supplement it with the 3-night specialty dining package to satisfy our foodie requirements. Shore excursions are a great thing and we have booked the Coco Beach Club just to enjoy the delicious food offerings and the additional privacy. You will have a terrific time no matter your choices and you'll be able to fine-tune your preferences after you experience your maiden voyage...happy sailing!

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@SteveinSC I wouldn't think of it as going down, as there really aren't any bad ships in the RCC fleet. It is my personal opinion that when people "go big or go home" the first time they find their niche. By starting with an Oasis class they are already setting themselves up to be overwhelmed or eventually disappointed lol. So they might as well get the most out of this experience.

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25 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

@SteveinSC I wouldn't think of it as going down, as there really aren't any bad ships in the RCC fleet. It is my personal opinion that when people "go big or go home" the first time they find their niche. By starting with an Oasis class they are already setting themselves up to be overwhelmed or eventually disappointed lol. So they might as well get the most out of this experience.

Youre speaking the gospel of @Matt ??. I really do get it. Its just not how I started cruising. I started before the big ships existed....specialty dining wasnt a thing....Coco Cay was nothing like it is now. I still fell in love with cruising....so I just come from a different perspective. I just wonder if (some) people wont cruise on Oasis class, purchasing EVERY OPTION AVAILABLE, and come away thinking THAT is how cruising has to be. 

Hey, if money was no object, id get it all too!!!! Lets be real.   

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As others have said, it is all personal preference.  Just got back from a cruise on Anthem.  We were so glad we didn't pay for any extras on Coco Cay.  We got off the ship around 1030, found two loungers together with an umbrella just a few steps from the water and were too full from breakfast to even eat any lunch.  (We only had the mozzarella sticks, which were tasty.)  We would not have had any more fun with a beach bed, cabana, beach club or floating loungers.  Just my opinion.

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@SteveinSC I doubt I will be a fan of larger ships, I started with Mariner and have 2 more cruise on her in 2021. Then I'm doing Liberty and Navigator this year, other than Voom and the refreshment package I don't plan on getting anything else. Allure in Oct 2021 will be my first Oasis class and I somehow felt the need to do Sky class, 3 nights dining and a drinks package. I feel like the sheer number of people will affect my experience so I want to circumvent that. I could care less about slides, Ifly etc as my cruise is all about relaxing.

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1 minute ago, Ampurp85 said:

my cruise is all about relaxing.

Ditto.......the only thing that doesnt get to relax on my cruises is my liver....

travel alcohol GIF by orbitz

Bottom line: TO EACH, THEIR OWN!!!!  If you want to go big, or go home.....GO ALL THE WAY!!!!!  If you want to never spend another dime once on board....you can do that and still have a good time.......so, ive heard. Our difference is what makes our time on this big blue ball equal parts amazing, and frustrating. HAPPY CRUISING, ALL! 

 

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We always purchase the Unlimited Dining Package.  It does have one problem, however.  It’s too good.  I know this will shock some, as I have been such a UDP proponent for such a long time.  The problem with purchasing the UDP is that you feel compelled (b/c you paid for it !) to eat EVERY lunch and dinner in a specialty restaurant.  Trust me when I say....that is just too much food.  When I am home I almost never eat lunch. I’m just not hungry during the middle of the day.  But when we’re on a cruise, I force myself to eat and then eat again b/c I paid for it.  Cover your ears, Royal Caribbean, b/c I don’t want you to hear this, but I secretly wish that the UDP included only embarkation lunch and all dinners.  I would then be free to either skip lunch entirely or just grab a snack somewhere without feeling like I was cheating myself.  The only lunch that I really love, is embarkation day b/c it is such a wonderful way to start the cruise.  After that, not so much.  I might even, God forbid, go to the Windjammer !  Our next Cruise is going to be Majesty, which has no specialty restaurants.  Depending on how that experiment goes, I may decide to change our habit of always buying the UDP.

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@m00cat I did the same thing on our first cruise, but I am glad I did so there were no disappointments.  I did learn a few things and have adjusted for other upcoming cruises.  I did a lot of research and this forum helped me out so much!  Thanks to everyone here and their cruising knowledge and experiences.

The ultimate drink package is definitely worth it on shorter cruises 7 or less nights.  I did find on the 12 night cruise you drank sometimes just because you felt you had to because you had the package.

The Ultimate dining package I did like as well especially for sea days.  You can over eat put you can also ask for smaller portions so you don't over eat.  I do not mind crowds but when I am eating I do like the specialty restaurants because the noise level is much quieter. I will however have to do the MDR on an upcoming cruise because they only have one specialty restaurant and it is Chops Grill, not my favourite but it does have great food.

Having an excursion in every port was overwhelming that is something I will not do again.  You are on vacation so your should not need a vacation after it is over because you did to much. 

We did "The Key" as well because it was our first time on Royal and we did not know what to expect, probably will not do that gain, but never know it will be ship and itinerary dependant. If you have a few tender ports and not doing excursions with the cruise line then it may be worth it then.

Just go on your cruise have a fabulous time, do what you want to do, and then next time you will know what you like, and did not like.  Next time you can tweak your cruise to your liking.

Have a great trip!!!

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7 hours ago, SteveinSC said:

Devils Advocate, here : they will certainly have the cruising bug after having done all this......but where is there to go, but down, having cruised in a way that youve done it all? Pretty lofty standard to set to do EVERYTHING on your first cruise..... 

I agree. Better to get your feet wet first before jumping in whole hog.

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4 hours ago, m00cat said:

Thank you all for your insights. I think I will leave things as they are right now. We will see though how much of it we use and definitely try MDR. While this is our first cruise, we are definetly thinking of our second already.

If you're willing to skip one of the specialty dining lunches, the MDR is open for lunch on sea days. It's also open for (unquestionably leisurely) breakfast every day. It won't be the same experience or vibe as having dinner there, but it is a way to sample the experience besides having dinner. Dress code is full casual at those times, so you also don't have to worry about changing clothes. ?

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