Recruiting new suite snobs and other tomfoolery on Harmony Of The Seas - Feb 18 - 25th

[GregD]

After dinner, we all went to the ice skating show called iskate showcase. We have the Journey Through Time show scheduled for later this week. 
 

Berty got us seats right on the ice. The show was quite enjoyable. 
 

Afterwards, the freeloaders went back to the room while The Boss and I went to the love and marriage game show. Always a good time!

we actually turned in pretty early last night. We were a bit tired.

[GregD]

credit Lydia…..current situation 

[Va4fam]

@GregD.........love the shenanigan meter!

Glad you had a good time with Bodden.......zip lines might be more fun than hydrobiking.  How long was your tour?   We are looking forward to meeting the sloths.  ("Meet the Sloths" might be a good t-shirt idea?)  Honestly my wife would be happy if the entire tour was spent holding a sloth.   Great pics.

 

 

 

[GregD]

2 hours ago, Va4fam said:

@GregD.........love the shenanigan meter!

Glad you had a good time with Bodden.......zip lines might be more fun than hydrobiking.  How long was your tour?   We are looking forward to meeting the sloths.  ("Meet the Sloths" might be a good t-shirt idea?)  Honestly my wife would be happy if the entire tour was spent holding a sloth.   Great pics.

 

 

 

So the zip line portion was about an hour. We were with a lot of other people, but they had plenty of staff to keep it moving and there wasn’t a lot of waiting around. Going through the animal sanctuary was also about an hour. There were 4 ships in port that day, so everything was very busy, but didn’t really detract from our day at all. 
 

The sloth holding was brief just due to the number of people. Each person got about a minute or two of sloth interaction. 
 

One nice thing to see was that within our group of 30+ people, there was a collective understanding to make sure all the freeloaders got time with the animals before any of the adults did. There was no pushing and shoving, everyone did a great job taking their turn.

shenanigan meter….0

[GregD]

Just pulled a shirt of the hanger that I had sent down for laundry and noticed this.

New Harmony tag on the left, old Oasis tag on the right

[GregD]

Woke up really early today, so let’s get caught up here. 
 

Thursday found us in Costa Maya. Our friends had said they hated this cruise port because every excursion they have ever done here they did not like. I told them to book Maya Chan (IYKYK) with us. It will be a great time, so that’s what they did.

We all met early up in CK for breakfast and then headed off the ship.

If you have not been to Maya Chan, or if it’s been a while, you have to get yourself out of the port, and find their meeting area. This meeting spot has been moved in recent years, but is still easy to get to. Their email instructions are simple to follow, and they send you a map.

 

It’s a decent walk, but unless you mobility aides it’s very easy. 
 

Once at their meeting location you are assigned a cab, and taken to the resort. All transportation to and from the port is included. Drop off when returning it inside the port gates, so you don’t have to do that walk again.

For the ride over, the road is in shambles so it’s very bumpy in spots, but as they say, getting there is 1/2 the adventure. We were split into two different cabs for our trip over. Dan and his family ended up ahead of us. The whole way over I was thinking to myself, I should have emailed them to say to put them with us. (Each group is assigned their own cabana)

When we got there, we were surprised to see them in our spot, in one of the larger group cabanas. Clearly one of us did reach out to say to put us together.

Pretty quickly, the kids all got together and realized they were going to have fun. They discovered the tree house and made full use of it.

One of the attendants came along for drink orders and said

“Would you like a BBC?”

Dan: “Would I Ever!”

So here is a picture of Dan with an BBC in his mouth. The guys at the firehouse absolutely loved this image, with the above exchange included.

Full disclosure, I ordered one as well. Dan saw me put my phone down after taking the picture and was mad I beat him to the punch. 
 

Now at Maya Chan, their BBC stands for Banana, Bailey’s and Chocolate. There is a whole other meaning that is definitely not appropriate to type out here, but made my adolescent mind giggle with glee as I sent that photo off. If you do not know the double entendre here…..Do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT. Google “BBC meaning” from a work device, or with freeloaders around.

Better yet, just send me a private message and I’ll tell you. You don’t want that search in your history, nor the images that will inevitably come up.

Shenanigan meter 8

pretty soon we entered full relaxation mode as you saw earlier.

[Cactus527]

13 hours ago, GregD said:

Just pulled a shirt of the hanger that I had sent down for laundry and noticed this.

New Harmony tag on the left, old Oasis tag on the right

We did the laundry service on our 2010 Alaska cruise , and for years afterwards, we would still find tags on random items. It amused us greatly. Glad to know we're not the only ones to forget to take off those tags!

[PPPJJ-GCVAB]

1 hour ago, GregD said:

Now at Maya Chan, their BBC stands for Banana, Bailey’s and Chocolate. 

When we were on Freedom of the Seas our son got very friendly with one of the bartenders at the pool bar.  Every time this bartender saw my son he would call him over to try his special drinks!  One was a BBC which quickly became a favorite for all of us!  It was Banana, Baileys, Colada and was delicious!  Of course the hidden innuendo made this drink fun to ask for!

 

[OCSC Mike]

14 hours ago, GregD said:

Now at Maya Chan, their BBC stands for Banana, Bailey’s and Chocolate.

I'll leave the joke alone but the C in the drink is supposed to stand for colada not chocolate. If he really got chocolate that's more like a banana mudslide or something... which coincidentally was sort of what my wife (who barely drinks) kept getting from the SL on Wonder in June. We got to know an amazing bartender there who would go into the CK kitchen and actually get chocolate ice cream to make it more of an adult milkshake.

EDIT: @PPPJJ-GCVAB beat me to the colada mention as I was typing. I agree it's a very good frozen drink while lying out. Not my go-to but it's in the rotation.

[GregD]

More Maya Chan. 
 

Lunch and beverages are included, and are very tasty.

The have a taco bar set up. You have a choice of homemade flour or corn tortillas. Fillings include skirt steak, chicken, a slow roasted citrus pork, and a fish, which was sea bass. There is rice, beans, cheese, pico, guacamole, and a selection of homemade salsas. If you leave hungry, you are doing it wrong.

This was plate #2….i was too busy shoving tacos in mouth on the first round to remember to get a picture. 

 

After lunch, we continued to make full use of all their included activities. There are glass bottomed kayaks, multiple floats, paddle boards, sand toys. 
 

I love this picture of Lydia and Livi. 

We also tried to make a new friend…he wasn’t exactly cuddly.

Us adults got massages as well….they were just okay. 
 

Eventually we had to head back to the ship. The staff there come around after lunch and ask you what time you want to return, and they arrange your ride. They then give you a ten minute warning so you are prepared by the time your ride comes. 
 

Dan and his family were so happy with their experience I lost track of how many times they talked about how much fun they had. 

 

 

[GregD]

10 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

C in the drink is supposed to stand for colada not chocolate

Whoops…..cruise brain

[DDaley]

On 2/23/2024 at 7:24 AM, GregD said:

I love this picture of Lydia and Livi. 

Love seeing Livi having a good time!! My first ever cruise was on Sovereign of the Seas out of Miami in summer 1997, I went with my best friend’s family as their grandmother was a huge cruiser and paid for everyone to join her. Not only was I away from my family, but I was all the way across the country (BFF from Massachusetts, but we were living in San Diego) at 11! I remember absolutely loving it and her family and I still have inside jokes from that cruise. Best of which is a little ditty we made up about Jacques Cousteau spending all his time on the Cal-yp-so! 

[GregD]

After returning to the port, we took the obligatory “we were here” photo.
 

Once back on board, were again met by “light snacks” from Berty.

 

 

[GregD]

Docked next to us was the Mein Schiff 6, and all I can say is those Germans are a different breed. Yes I know Europeans have a different view on bodies and modesty butttttt…. (no pun intended)

Let me introduce exhibit A 

Then this lady made an appearance…..at least they looked clean….

the worst offender was a vintage male on a lower deck wearing just a robe…..he crossed his legs flashing the twig and giggle berries one to many times for it to be an accident.

As we sailed away the number of people coming out on their balcony in just their underwear was comical. 

[GregD]

Dinner was back at Jamie’s. I have to say, this one has converted us to fans. I still refuse to eat calamari with mayo though…..

I have to apologize, we did not live up to Star Class expectations. We only got two orders of bread, and one order of Bruschetta for The Boss and I to share. 
 

Johnny ate the burger, and Lydia graduated to the adult menu and had the chicken parm. The Boss ordered the same and they both agree that it was very good. 
 

 

I tried a bite as well, and had a moment of nostalgia. The sauce had a flavor very reminiscent of my grandmother’s homemade sauce. I was instantly transported back to big family dinners at their house on Long Island with all of the extended family lots of laughs and a giant bowl of pasta.

Anyway, I need to move away from the guy cutting onions…..making my eyes water like that….

I got the lamb chops. They were perfectly cooked and very tender. I may have forgone the for and knife, and just grabbed and growled.

Our small appetizer order was a bit of strateegery…because we all had room for dessert!

Johnny loved his banana split, 

Lydia tucked into some gelato 

The Boss had the cheesecake 

I rounded things out with tiramisu 

Fat and happy we finished our meal and headed off for evening activities!

[GregD]

We wandered the ship for a bit. We looked at some expensive watches. I tried this guy on. 

This was a 22k Hublot. I sent the picture to my brother, who is a watch guy, his response is that they are overpriced trash…..not that I would buy it anyway. The salesman says they have one in the Hublot store that is 94k. Hard pass…

We took a spin through the art gallery. There were a few nice looking paintings, but nothing that would make me want to sit through the auction. 
 

Eventually we ended here thanks to Johnny and Berty.

 

While chatting with Berty at the start of dinner, Johnny mentioned that he wanted to see the aqua show from the splash zone. We didn’t have anything planned, so he made it happen. Of course, I was forced to sit with that jerk while The Boss was safely outside of the splash zone. 
 

Somehow I got more wet than Johnny did….oh well. Our original assessment of the show still stands. While entertaining, not our favorite. 
 

Another note, if you are watching the aqua show from the theater, sit towards the back row. There is a significant amount of aerial work, and times that cast members are spread out, so if you sit really close, it’s hard to take in the big picture. 

[asquared17]

i dream of those tacos from maya chan what a time to be alive!!!!!!

[OCSC Mike]

12 minutes ago, asquared17 said:

i dream of those tacos from maya chan what a time to be alive!!!!!!

Never made it there. For some reason on most of the Western itineraries out of PC that stop at Costa Maya, you are only there until 2pm and if I'm paying for all you can eat (and drink), I just can't go to an AI beach club knowing I can't stay too far past noon and give myself a nice buffer to get back to the port. If I was ever forced to be a pier-runner, even as a pre-vintage, I'd probably injure myself during the run and I don't think you can get an Alpha call on the pier.

We went to a smaller club on a last minute cruise a long time ago (Maya Chan was fully booked) and LOVED it. Been waiting to either go back to that one or try Maya Chan but it doesn't seem to be in the cards. Oh well. Looking forward Paradise Beach in Cozumel where @Jax was recently.

[asquared17]

54 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

I don't think you can get an Alpha call on the pier.

welp. tell that to the man who fell out of his scooter on the labadee pier in december.

it wasn't an ALPHA, it was an OSCAR.

[OCSC Mike]

17 minutes ago, asquared17 said:

welp. tell that to the man who fell out of his scooter on the labadee pier in december.

it wasn't an ALPHA, it was an OSCAR.

So what I'm hearing is... after I inevitably sprain an ankle or pop a knee ligament... I should hobble over to the edge of the pier and go for a swim? Got it!

[Ampurp85]

Once you posted the picture I finally remembered that bald spinney guy. You are right the Aqua show on Harmony is a meh. IMHO it is slightly better than OceanAria on Allure but way below Aqua80.

 

[GregD]

So bigger updates tomorrow, but….

The Boss and I went to our first Quest….

Shenanigan meter - 1,000,000

The phrase that man’s balls were just touching the floor was said…..

excuse me while I go puncture my ear drums and sterilize my eye balls

y’all are nasty….

[Cactus527]

I've always been curious about The Quest...and now I realize it should probably just remain curiosity.

[OCSC Mike]

23 minutes ago, Cactus527 said:

I've always been curious about The Quest...and now I realize it should probably just remain curiosity.

We stopped going to it a while back after seeing it several times. It was fun but as we became older pre-vintages it lost its appeal a bit (and the shock value wears off if you know what's coming, although I have thankfully never seen nor heard anything about genitalia touching the floor). We popped into the middle of it recently after a show let out and watched from the back for a little while. Mostly felt the same way.

I think everyone should see it once though.

[GregD]

So, back to Day 6, Cozumel.....how are we almost done with this cruise already!!??

Anyway, I woke up early again but hung around the suite. Our day was going to be somewhat relaxing, unlike our friends family.....more on that later. 

Our day was going to be spent at Chankanaab. The kids wanted to swim with dolphins, which The Boss readily agreed to. We have done it before, for me it's a take it or leave it type of thing. Johnny though, was really little the last time we went, so he couldn't really enjoy the experience, so when he asked to do it this year, that was an easy yes for me to say. 

We booked directly with their website which was about $300 cheaper than booking through Royal. Having been to Cozumel a few times now, we felt comfortable venturing off on our own. 

I booked us for 1:00pm which is noon ship time, so that would give us plenty of leeway for random delays, or if The Boss saw sparkly things that she liked.....

After morning Starbucks was delivered, we headed up to CK for breakfast where we all got our usuals. We met with Berty to discuss the plans for the day etc etc and headed off the ship.

While heading towards to taxi stands, The Boss wandered through the Effy Store. She is searching for a particular necklace to match some earrings we found on Oasis. I got lucky that trip, I had planned on spoiling her with something nice, turns out the one that caught her eye the most was a simple set of earrings that were dirt cheap. She has been on a hunt for a matching necklace. Her earrings are round stones in a bezel setting, nothing fancy or spectacular. It seems the ships are focused on giant stones now, which just aren't her...

Unfortunately that store didn't have what she was looking for, she sadly left, while my wallet left happy

We got in line for our Taxi. The rates in Cozumel for taxis are set by their union. Our ride to the park was 15 USD. It's also customary to tip a couple of buck too. Carry the specific amount with you that you want to pay. We met another couple who said their driver "didn't have change" so their tip was 33%

Here is a photo of the current rates. They are based on vehicle size, 1-4 passengers, 5-8 passengers. Price is total for all people. Sorry that it's not the best photo.

When we arrived at the park, if you do this on your own, you first check in at a small dolphin discovery kiosk right by the regular ticket boots. They give you a wrist band that gets you entrance into the park, and direct you where to go. 

Once though the gates, you are directed to the main Dolphin discovery building where you finish your checkin, they try to upsell on the photo package. It's $40 per picture or $70 per person for the package, which includes a voucher for the cab back to the port. Our first time here we weren't really impressed with the pictures, so we passed on this. 

Food, which isn't that good, drinks that are very watered down were also included in our package as well as using the park throughout the day. We wandered a bit to check things out. There are plenty of vendors there selling all sorts of souveniry things, and fake Luis Vuitton bags. We quickly escaped from that area, found some spots by the pool and parked. 

Speaking of delays, they were already behind when we checked in, so our meeting time for the dolphin experience was pushed to 1:30 (12:30 ship time) We were suited up in our life jackets and headed off to our swim pool. They have a large area for the Dolphins. All of them were born in captivity and some are quite old. Our dolphins were Charlie, and 10y/o and Marieta who was 20. Our guide described them as Charlie is the younger brother who is mischievous and loves to play, and Marieta is the moody older sister who says leave me alone. Both are food motivated, as would be expected,  and will do just about anything for a snack of fish and squid. What I did notice was that the guide did give the dolphins a choice. If one wasn't feeling an activity, she would send it off and with to the other. 

I was also impressed by the ability of the dolphins to communicate with each other. Our package included a foot push, where each dolphin would push you by your feel into a standing position. There were a few of us that it took a few tries to get it right. It was really neat to see that the dolphins worked together for this task. 

[Yesiamthere6]

Back to the chicken conversation. Imagine the horror when I sliced into our Sam’s Club dinner to see this!  It’s a blood clot.  It changed my relationship with whole chickens…..forever!

[GregD]

29 minutes ago, Yesiamthere6 said:

Back to the chicken conversation. Imagine the horror when I sliced into our Sam’s Club dinner to see this!  It’s a blood clot.  It changed my relationship with whole chickens…..forever!

Yep….that’s gross

[OCSC Mike]

10 minutes ago, GregD said:

Yep….that’s gross

Agreed. Can we get back to the good version of food porn?

[Lovetocruise2002]

1 hour ago, OCSC Mike said:

I think everyone should see it once though.

Totally agree. We have not gone to the Quest on our last few sailings either because it has also lost a bit of appeal to us. Maybe we are joining the pre-vintage crowd, tired, going to bed early lol

I think it also depends on who the CD is. They can make, or break the Quest.

[GregD]

Hot off the press!!! Utopia of the seas is getting Aqua80 2!!!!

guess I have to get to next cruise today!

[SweetPea]

1 hour ago, GregD said:

While heading towards to taxi stands, The Boss wandered through the Effy Store. She is searching for a particular necklace to match some earrings we found on Oasis. I got lucky that trip,

After first reading that with a "period" instead of a "comma" at the end, i thought, well ... of course you did!

 

We also skip Quest, and TBH (another wildly unpopular opinion), i would rather stand naked and covered in tree sap in the middle of a woodpecker sanctuary than watch any type of Newlywed game. 

[WAAAYTOOO]

2 minutes ago, SweetPea said:

After first reading that with a "period" instead of a "comma" at the end, i thought, well ... of course you did!

 

We also skip Quest, and TBH (another wildly unpopular opinion), i would rather stand naked and covered in tree sap in the middle of a woodpecker sanctuary than watch any type of Newlywed game. 

Soooo agree with both of these.  

[Lovetocruise2002]

19 minutes ago, GregD said:

guess I have to get to next cruise today!

Might I suggest booking 3/10/2025 sailing or getting NC certificate and booking for December 2025 NYE? lol

[jbrinkm]

3 hours ago, Yesiamthere6 said:

Back to the chicken conversation. Imagine the horror when I sliced into our Sam’s Club dinner to see this!  It’s a blood clot.  It changed my relationship with whole chickens…..forever!

Paging @She Sails Away & @Ampurp85

[LandstromCruise]

4 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Might I suggest booking 3/10/2025 sailing or getting NC certificate and booking for December 2025 NYE? lol

Oh I like the sounds of NYE 2025! 

[asquared17]

5 hours ago, GregD said:

Hot off the press!!! Utopia of the seas is getting Aqua80 2!!!!

guess I have to get to next cruise today!

STOP WAIT. NO. OMG. 

[Lovetocruise2002]

1 hour ago, LandstromCruise said:

Oh I like the sounds of NYE 2025! 

That's the plan if Royal will just hurry up and release the new deployments lol

[OCSC Mike]

11 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

That's the plan if Royal will just hurry up and release the new deployments lol

Do delayed, staggered releases bother you or something?

Just a few more days...

[Lovetocruise2002]

5 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

Do delayed, staggered releases bother your or something?

How did you know? 

[Cactus527]

6 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

Do delayed, staggered releases bother you or something?

Just a few more days...

It's why I've downloaded the port schedule for LA just to appease my impatience. At least I know now when the sailings will be and can plan for what I want!