GregD Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 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. Neesa, KristiZ, Jax and 9 others 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetPea Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 Jax, Cactus527, Sweety and 5 others 5 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted February 13 Author Report Share Posted February 13 Royal Up: I did submit a bid to Royal Up to the RLS. When bids were first available the opening bid was stupid money, but a few weeks later, they dropped to moderately crazy. I put in a minimum bid for the room. Its been booked for quite some time, so I'm not holding my breath. Neesa, Cactus527, Sweety and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted February 13 Author Report Share Posted February 13 Spending someone else's money: So I am the unofficial cruise planner for all of my coworkers, and have helped a few with their cruises now. I convinced one of the Captains that I work with to book this cruise. Not only did I get him to book the cruise, I convinced him to book into a Grand Suite. He has cruised with RC a few times now, typically in an OV or Balcony Cabin. It didn't take a whole lot to convince him to book the suite. He likes the finer things in life. As if it hasn't been said before, booking early for the best price is key. He booked this cruise about 7 months ago, while I booked the day the itineraries were released. His GS is about $200 shy of the cost that I paid for my Star Class room. He is happy though to have the extra space. He has a young daughter who is also bringing a friend with her, so to have the extra space will be good for them. At our holiday party, I spent time chatting with his wife about all of the sky class benefits, as well as suite benefits in general. She is super excited. I don't see this as a one and done for them. Now I just need to figure out how to get a commission for this Ampurp85, SweetPea, Cactus527 and 8 others 8 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asquared17 Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 johnny gets me. aqua 80 ride or die!!!!!! Ampurp85, Neesa, Sweety and 4 others 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LandstromCruise Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 Great another blog to make me wish I could afford to cruise in suites instead of with the poors . Can't wait to follow along. GregD, MaryS, Neesa and 2 others 1 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ampurp85 Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 48 minutes ago, LandstromCruise said: Great another blog to make me wish I could afford to cruise in suites instead of with the poors . Can't wait to follow along. I can afford the suites, but I stay with the "poors" because all of that razzamatazz is wasted on me...........plus I need to spend money in the casino for the shenanigans. Neesa, Jamesszy94, MaryS and 5 others 5 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 3 hours ago, GregD said: we rented a car for the week. Are you leaving it at the hotel with some kind of park and cruise option? 2 hours ago, GregD said: I did submit a bid to Royal Up to the RLS. Good luck! You never know… 2 hours ago, GregD said: Now I just need to figure out how to get a commission for this You and me both!! Sweety 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ampurp85 Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 Harmony has an okay Aqua show, I mean nothing is Aqua80s. But it lacks something.........also no portside or Playmakers. Snotarni and asquared17 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 Does Harmony Aqua Theater show still have the whirling dervish ? Neesa and asquared17 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
She Sails Away Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 This is going to be great! WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted February 13 Author Report Share Posted February 13 1 hour ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: Are you leaving it at the hotel with some kind of park and cruise option? For convenience, we are just going to park at the port. You can reserve a spot ahead of time so it's already paid for, and for us, not having to deal with competing with 6000 other people trying to Uber someplace its money well spent. The hotel we are staying at doesn't offer cruise parking either. 1 hour ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: Good luck! You never know… I normally don't wish people to get sick just before a cruise.....but........ 1 hour ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: You and me both!! Your blog on Harmony in the SLS with Aricelli (sp?) absolutely made us book our first star class room. 1 hour ago, Ampurp85 said: Harmony has an okay Aqua show, I mean nothing is Aqua80s. But it lacks something.........also no portside or Playmakers. I will give the aqua show the benefit of the doubt. Portside and playmakers will be missed! 1 hour ago, Ampurp85 said: I can afford the suites, but I stay with the "poors" because all of that razzamatazz is wasted on me...........plus I need to spend money in the casino for the shenanigans. I could stay with the "poors" and be happy....maybe....but for The Boss, the room is also a big part of the destination for her. She loves the bigger spaces and the perks, so it's sky class and up for us. We aren't big casino people so I'm going to be creating my own shenanigans on this cruise.......at the expense of my coworker......this is going to be fun!! MaryS, Lovetocruise2002, WAAAYTOOO and 6 others 8 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted February 13 Author Report Share Posted February 13 So the shenanigans........ If you aren't aware, I'm a career firefighter, and it's one of the officers that I work with that will be on the ship too, and I will be showing him the suite life. One thing about working in a fire house is that if we aren't actively busting your balls, and playing jokes on someone, we are just plotting our next move. My shift, we are masters at this.......... So when the guys heard he was going....the wheels started turning......and we plot for the end game. We research, and plan etc etc Now Dan, the other guy on this cruise, is not always the smartest guy. During some conversations with guys on my shift, we discovered that he was not aware of the various clues that people use for advertising "alternative lifestyles" so of course we are capitalizing on this......after we educated him on the importance of a particular fruit.... We have already made plans to meet in our suite shortly after boarding, and behold, my latest Bezos purchase....which I will be wearing on his entry..... There were other shirts that I was considering that were much more overt, and not appropriate to post here, but they were quickly vetoed by The Boss. Go to Amazon and search "pineapple shirts for men" it won't take you too long to find them..... I'm looking forward to walking around the ship with him and his wife wearing this on day 1 and just seeing where this goes...... So, another things that Dan is good at, is allowing himself to be photographed in ways that just set him up for ridicule by all of us......So that will also be my goal during the week. He's close to retiring....my goal is to get some great shots for his retirement party..... This is going to be so much fun..... JohnK6404, MaryS, Ampurp85 and 13 others 3 10 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 6 hours ago, GregD said: I could stay with the "poors" and be happy....maybe #somethingasuitesnobwouldsay GregD, Snotarni and WAAAYTOOO 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asquared17 Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 OMG. pineapple shirts. this poor man!!!!!! 6 hours ago, GregD said: but they were quickly vetoed by The Boss. the boss is clearly the voice of reason here (also i feel the same; the cabin space and the rest of it is a huge part of the trip for me as well) welp. this is sure to be a wild ride!!!!! johnny and i will just be on the sidelines with our shared feelings and observations SweetPea, Neesa and Cactus527 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 6 hours ago, GregD said: The Boss, the room is also a big part of the destination for her. She loves the bigger spaces and the perks, so it's sky class and up for us. This is me too. I always tell Hubby, even without the perks, I would like the space. We know what type of cruisers we are. We spend time in our cabins. That makes it more worth it to us. Cactus527, bellemiche, Sweety and 4 others 3 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 Have a great time! This itinerary is almost identical to our upcoming sailing in May (we just have PDCC added)! We'll be following along... will love to hear your thoughts on Costa Maya and Roatan as this will be our first time in either port. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 54 minutes ago, asquared17 said: the cabin space Meh, cabins are for sleeping, showering, and changing. #teampoors I definitely enjoyed the perks while freeloading in Sky Class though. Being 10 steps from the SL/CK on Wonder was truly amazing! PPPJJ-GCVAB, Cactus527, Sweety and 3 others 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ampurp85 Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 That pineapple shirt is purty........but nothing but shenanigans .......good luck! Neesa, Cactus527, Sweety and 3 others 2 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorCruiser Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 My wife and I made the “mistake” of trying out a suite a couple years back. It’s hard to imagine going back to the “poors” life again. I just love the suite lounge so much. The room size is also helpful when my 2 youngish children sail with us. My freeloading children now benefit from it as well. #suitelifeforlife Ampurp85, Sweety, MaryS and 4 others 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Va4fam Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 Looking forward to the shenanigans @GregD..........and thanks for your service as a firefighter. Following along as we have this exact cruise booked for October in a poor people balcony cabin.....but mostly for the shenanigans. GregD 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorCruiser Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 Also, I must go on boring cruises because I really never see this craziness y’all speak of. Lovetocruise2002, OCSC Mike, Cactus527 and 1 other 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asquared17 Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 1 minute ago, GatorCruiser said: Also, I must go on boring cruises because I really never see this craziness y’all speak of. some of us feel like it follows us around MaryS, OCSC Mike, Cactus527 and 4 others 1 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 9 minutes ago, GatorCruiser said: Also, I must go on boring cruises because I really never see this craziness y’all speak of. My similar but slightly different take is that my wife and I just do boring stuff and that's why we miss it, lol. We're usually in our own little bubble. Cactus527, Neesa, WAAAYTOOO and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 39 minutes ago, GatorCruiser said: Also, I must go on boring cruises because I really never see this craziness y’all speak of. I was thinking the same thing! We never see shenanigans either lol MaryS, GatorCruiser, OCSC Mike and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetPea Posted February 14 Report Share Posted February 14 Rule #1: If you haven't found the shenanigans, you're not looking for the shenanigans..... Jax, Snotarni and PPPJJ-GCVAB 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted February 14 Report Share Posted February 14 37 minutes ago, SweetPea said: Rule #1: If you haven't found the shenanigans, you're not looking for the shenanigans..... Guilty as charged! SweetPea 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asquared17 Posted February 14 Report Share Posted February 14 40 minutes ago, SweetPea said: Rule #1: If you haven't found the shenanigans, you're not looking for the shenanigans..... I AM NEVER LOOKING FOR THEM AND YET THEY BE FINDING ME Cactus527, Va4fam, PPPJJ-GCVAB and 1 other 1 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LandstromCruise Posted February 14 Report Share Posted February 14 47 minutes ago, SweetPea said: Rule #1: If you haven't found the shenanigans, you're not looking for the shenanigans..... I thought if you hadn’t found them maybe it’s because you are the one causing them asquared17, WAAAYTOOO, Cactus527 and 5 others 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asquared17 Posted February 14 Report Share Posted February 14 8 minutes ago, LandstromCruise said: I thought if you hadn’t found them maybe it’s because you are the one causing them gOODBYE FOREVER. Cactus527 and PPPJJ-GCVAB 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted February 14 Author Report Share Posted February 14 It's been a busy day of cruise prep. I got my hairs cut so I can be all pretty in any pictures. In true teenager fashion Lydia decides to tell us today that all her shorts don't fit despite us asking for weeks and her assuring us everything is fine. The Boss is currently working on a last minute Bezos order. Is it time to go yet? Lovetocruise2002, PPPJJ-GCVAB, Cactus527 and 3 others 1 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted February 14 Author Report Share Posted February 14 Excursion Plans: I think this is the first time we have nothing booked through RC and doing everything on our own. We try to split our time up with activities/adventures and lounging so we have a good mix here. Roatan: We booked the private tour with Victor Bodden again. We will be going to their animal sanctuary, doing some zip lining. We were going to do the ATV adventure with them, but saw a post that turned us off to that. We will probably get some lunch somewhere on the island too. Our friends also booked with them as well, thought we won't be in the same vehicle, so hopefully I can get some pictures of monkeys misbehaving on him. Costa Maya: Going to Maya Chan, Dan and family are coming as well, this will be a relaxing beach and get Dan drunk and convince him to retire day. Cozumel: We are grabbing a cab and going to Chankanaab. Johnny said that he wanted to do a swim with dolphins again, because the last time we did this was pre-COVID, and he was so little that he could barely stand on the platform and have his face out of the water. Now that he is bigger and can really enjoy the experience he is looking forward to it. Our package includes their VIP food and bar area, which isn't the best food and highest quality booze, but it gets the job done. We will also have some time there for some beach and lounging. asquared17, Jax, Lovetocruise2002 and 8 others 10 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted February 14 Author Report Share Posted February 14 Genie stuff. We got our survey on 12/22 so about the 60 day mark. I have a word document saved, so I make the necessary edits and copy and paste. Both @Jax and @Yesiamthere had great Genies with Berty and MJ respectively I was really excited knowing that the odds were in our favor for a great genie experience. at 28 days to go, I got the email that we have Berty. We had some initial emails giving the overview of the benefits etc, and mini bar requests, and then he said he would reach out closer to the cruise. He got back to us Sunday with our initial dining and show schedule. He looks like he will be very fun to work with, so we are super excited. Ampurp85, WAAAYTOOO, bellemiche and 4 others 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted February 14 Author Report Share Posted February 14 I have 35 hours of work left this week. My normal 24 hour shift on Thursday, followed by 11 hours of OT on Friday to cover Dan, who took the day off. Not that I can blame him. His flight out on Saturday is at 6 am. Thankfully we are about 20 minutes from our local airport. Sweety, Jax, Lovetocruise2002 and 3 others 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetPea Posted February 14 Report Share Posted February 14 42 minutes ago, LandstromCruise said: I thought if you hadn’t found them maybe it’s because you are the one causing them Well really, i should have said ... if you're not seeing the shenanigans, it's because you're blind .... Ampurp85, asquared17, Lovetocruise2002 and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregD Posted February 14 Author Report Share Posted February 14 Still on track to pack Saturday morning asquared17, Sweety, Lovetocruise2002 and 1 other 2 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted February 14 Report Share Posted February 14 1 hour ago, GregD said: He looks like he will be very fun to work with, so we are super excited. I’m excited for you! You are in for a great week with Berty. Be sure to say hi to Berty for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ampurp85 Posted February 14 Report Share Posted February 14 When you are drunk the real you comes through, so maybe your coworker will tell you he wants to retire......or jetski. I know I am a shenanigans-magnet. It's the face, it's too friendly. MaryS, Cactus527, WAAAYTOOO and 2 others 1 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamesszy94 Posted February 14 Report Share Posted February 14 Another live blog for me to live vicariously through... until either: a) Royal gives us Aussies an Oasis/Icon class ship. I refuse to fly to the US just to get on a 7 day cruise on an Oasis class. I have money, but I'm not THAT rich. b) I can experience a suite... I'm not poor or anything, but I don't have as much disposable income as some others... MaryS, PPPJJ-GCVAB and WAAAYTOOO 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted February 14 Report Share Posted February 14 17 hours ago, GatorCruiser said: Also, I must go on boring cruises because I really never see this craziness y’all speak of. It's because you're not wearing a pineapple shirt. OCSC Mike and WAAAYTOOO 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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