Rob0519

These are just some observations from our week on Harmony.

 

 

Formal nights were Sunday and Wednesday.

 

 

People wore pretty much what they wanted in the MDR on any night.

 

 

That is all I can think of right now. I just wanted to let people know of some differences on Harmony vs. Allure and Oasis and Liberty.

On the Harmony this coming Saturday. So they are not enforcing the Jacket/Tie, Cocktail Dress policy in the MDR even on formal nights?

Hi, We will be on the Harmony of the Seas Oct. 28 sailing out of Ft. Lauderdale. This is our first cruise on RCI. I haven't found anything on the RCI site or here that mentions a daily list of ship activities, shop & food service, hours, etc. I'm assuming Harmony as such a publication. If anyone who has been on the ship recently and saved these, would it be possible for you to scan and post them or just list the activities you may remember?. Thanks.

Bed is near the balcony. You will hear some sound when there are Aquatheater shows, but not too bad other than that.

Thanks for the response. I can deal with not too bad and sounds from the show shouldn't be all that much of a bother.

Hi,

We've never cruised RCII before. We're in 9703 which is an inside balcony. I have no idea what to expect. I'm thinking with the doors open or sitting on the deck it will be incredibly loud, not unlike being in an indoor mall. The room is pretty near the back of the ship. Would anyone be willing to share their experience with these inside balconies and the dining on the ship as well? Thanks.

We personally enjoy what we get for our $ in Suites. No real complaints here.

Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to book a suite. There are many options and amenities available to suite customers that are not available to the rest of the passengers. Comparing the two categories isn't fair. We've sailed in both suite and non-suite staterooms and there is usually a considerable difference in personalized services.

We have a family member who is a TA and he tells us the number of complaints from suite passengers has also increased tremendously in the last 5 years.

Could be delayed flights out of the Midwest due to severe snow. Could be trying to load over 8,000 pieces of luggage and enough supplies to feed and care for over 4,000 guests and 2,000 crew members. The larger the ships get, the longer the loading process.

Sorry, but what they serve in the atrium (Lavazza) is much better, in my opinion than Starbucks.

Just a quick tip about breakfast in the Garden Café. Get in the line for made to order eggs and order fried or scrambled. They will crack the eggs in front of you so you know they are fresh.

Once you've paid your cruise fare, taxes and gratuities as others have said, you don't have to spend any more money. I wish my family would have followed that advice. On the Escape we paid for:

* Bottled Water - not included in the Soft Drink Package

* Specialty Coffee

* Specialty Dining

* Gelato and 10 cupcakes instead of a birthday cake

* Multiple days of Bingo

* Shore Excursions

* Liquor and clothing on board

* Photo package and even a portrait at the portrait studio which is separate from the photo package.

*Gambling in the casino

Unfortunately, this was only our second cruise, the first was on Disney so I really didn't know about ALL the possible ways to spend money. While the bill at the end was rather pricey, I have to admit we had a great time and no one twisted our arms or nickel and dimed us without our consent.

I don't think you made a mistake. In my opinion most balcony cabins are better than any inside cabin. Be sure to pack ear plugs if you're a light sleeper just in case your beneath a deck with early morning maintenance.

If you can afford the cruise, you cannot afford to skip the insurance. The best "just in case stuff happens" money you will spend.

We stayed at the Comfort Suites near the airport before our first cruise. Not a great neighborhood, but a nice clean hotel with a great price and free shuttle to the port.

On our last cruise, we stayed at an Embassy Suites. Still near the airport with a decent price, a large room and breakfast included. No free shuttle, but it was like $26.00 for a taxi to the airport for 5 of us and luggage.

* Mid-ship elevator or add one elevator to each bank.

* Bigger venue than the atrium for many activities held there.

* Slightly bigger balconies.

* Larger or more pools and whirlpools

* Self serve soft drink stations on the pool deck. If Disney and land casinos can afford to offer these, so can NCL.

I sat on the Waterfront every day on the Escape and looked out over the ocean. I usually had no one within 20-30 feet of me. I didn't understand why more people didn't use that space during the day.

Huh? Carnival will be liable in neither case. Sitting on the railing is a negligent act on the part of the passenger, and Carnival is not liable for these, per the ticket contract. So Carnival will not "bury" the video. Because this is a US citizen, the FBI will be involved, and they would take a dim view of a "missing" video.

I assume you meant to type Carnival will NOT be liable in either case. You may be right, I will apologetically retract my statement. It is not however documented that public carriers such as cruise lines chartered outside the U.S. may stall on providing evidence.

When the couple jumped from their Paradise suite balcony in 2009 it was discovered that they had the DND sign out since the second day. No one saw them from that day, nor was their card used. Now it's required for the room steward to see you or to see movement on your card. If not, they will check on you. Only one was found.

 

Very sad all around.

That was my point exactly. Sometimes it takes a tragedy to compel changes to policy or product design to make things safer or as safe as possible for consumers.

Jumped on purpose, fell accidentally, pushed by another, drunk, sober, sane or insane...does it really matter? This is terrible and sad and I feel compassion and empathy for the woman and her family. I stood and gazed out at that same ocean a few weeks ago from our balcony on the Valor and thought to myself how beautiful and overwhelming the ocean is and how small I am in comparison. I can't imagine the pain that must have been going through her head as she contemplated similar thoughts and then made such a tragic choice. How bad must one's perspective be, if going overboard is a better idea than just stepping back from the rail and hoping for a better day tomorrow....:(

Actually, how it happened does matter. That doesn't change the terrible outcome or the fear or desperation the women felt at the time, but how it happened does matter. Unfortunately, this is how changes in design and safety come about. The situation is analyzed and a determination is made as to how this fall or jump could have been prevented. In this case, a higher railing, changes in the barrier so it can't be used as a ladder to climb up and sit on the railing, etc.

Some witnesses said she "fell", which could imply she was trying to climb the railing and sit on top of it. Other witnesses say she jumped. Carnival will of course say she jumped unless there is absolute video proof she was acting irresponsibly and "fell". In which case Carnival will probably bury the video.

Sorry, this happened. While it might be a hard decision, why didn't the three of you go on the cruise and not lose the money?

Two cabs would only be $54. You can't get much less expensive than that except for free, which isn't available. I have not and would not book a flight that early simply based on logistics.

During the day, you should be able to find some quiet places on the Waterfront. Once dinner service starts and bars start to get crowded so does the Waterfront. It quiets down again later in the evening if you like looking into darkness. Hot tub availability on our cruise was pretty much non-existent. There were what always appeared to be several groups who took over the hot tub and sat and drank for long periods of time. I'm sure others may have had a different experience as may you. Have a great trip. It's a big ship with lots to do.

Geez, it wasn't all that long ago we all drank Hill's Brothers, Maxwell House and Folgers and didn't know anything else about coffee. I thought the buffet coffee on the Escape was drinkable, not great. I had no problem going to the Atrium and paying for a "better" cup of coffee. In fact, since the cruise I've bought Lavazza to brew at home. For the record, I'm not Canadian and I like Tim Horton's coffee. Not now, nor have ever been a fan of Starbucks coffee.

One possible way to curb the chair hoggers would be to change the rules a bit. One person can put their items on one chair. Eight people want chairs together, all eight would have to show up at 7:00 in the morning to stake their claim. Now NCL would have to provide staff to enforce their own policies by removing those items at 8:01. However, we all know that is not likely to happen.

Customer Service does not want a group of angry (albeit in the wrong) customers getting into a heated discussion with other passengers or crew about a lounge chair, so the hogs will almost always win. It's just easier for the cruise lines to let it go.

Personally, I don't have any inclination to just lay in a chair and expose myself to harmful UV rays so I don't worry about chair hogs, but to each his own.

Can you see the dates and prices before 5/26 if you're neither Platinum or Gold status? I can't seem to find them.

We were on the Escape last November. I would agree that on our cruise there were always times during the day parts of the waterfront were pretty quiet. I don't remember exactly, but I think on Deck 19 if you walk all the way to the front of the ship there was a small sundeck which was pretty empty. I'll see if I can find more information or a picture. Maybe someone else knows the spot I'm talking about.