hipmomof3

Can anyone who has been on a cruise in/out of Athens this summer comment on the taxi situation at the port?  My family of 5 is doing walk-off with our own luggage at the end of the cruise as we have an early-ish flight (11:40).  We will be getting off the ship as soon as we are able (hopefully around 7 am) and we need a taxi van because there are 5 of us with luggage.  Will there be taxi VANS available at the port that early on a Sunday morning or should I book something in advance?  Thanks for your real-life experience! 

Can anyone who has been on the Jade in/out of Athens this summer comment on the taxi situation at the port?  My family of 5 is doing walk-off with our own luggage at the end of the cruise as we have an early-ish flight (11:40).  We will be getting off the ship as soon as we are able (hopefully around 7 am? can anyone confirm?) and we need a taxi van because there are 5 of us with luggage.  Will there be taxi VANS available at the port that early on a Sunday morning or should I book something in advance?  Thanks for your real-life experience! 

This is what an found today….  Does this mean we only have to wear masks while docked in Greek ports?

Hello fellow Greece travelers!

How is the mask situation on the Jade right now?  I see that NCL is still requiring a mask onboard, even though I thought that Greece had dropped that requirement earlier t his month. Are folks wearing masks? Is it being enforced?  I am a rule follower, so I will do whatever is required, but just trying to plan for my family of 5!

Does a Deluxe Beverage Package and/or a Royal Refreshment Package include milkshakes at Johnny Rockets on AOS? I know that a soda is included in the per person pricing for a meal, but I can't seem to pin down the milkshake question...  Thanks! 

Thanks to everyone for reassuring me that Imm it crazy! And thanks to @smokeybanditfor posting the full FAQ that included the language about the OBC. Still waiting for a callback,  but I’m at least armed now with a little more info. I will post again with an update hopefully soon! 

My family of 5 is sailing on AOS out of Nassau on 7/17.  When we booked the cruise on 5/13, we were told we would get OBC for the amount that we spend obtaining the necessary Bahamas Health Visa.  Royal is now telling me this is not and never has been their policy, which is of course not true.  Does anyone happen to have a screen shot of the  RCL website FAQ section that stated this OBC credit was to be given?  Or anything in writing from RCL regarding this?  It amounts to $200 for our family which is not a big deal but the principle of them changing the policy on this without letting us know makes me livid.  I just spent about an hour on the phone with an agent and a supervisor only to be told that I have no proof and that it is not their policy. I was also told that the reservation agent would have made a note in my file if they promised this to me -- I invite them to go back and listen to the call when I booked the cruise as it was made very clear to me, but I have no control over what was noted in my file...   I am supposed to be getting a call back from a manager in the  next 48 hours and would love to be able to show them a screen shot or other type of proof that this was indeed their policy when we booked our cruise.  Thanks for any help anyone can give! 

Thank you so much,  Bird and others, for all  your helpful tips and observations!  I feel much better about the logistics of our July 17 AOS cruise.  

Question about the MDR - are the dress code rules relaxed a bit due to the unavailability of the WJ for dinner?  Would my husband and 19 year old son be able to wear nicer shorts (not gym shorts) and a collared shirt to dinner without being refused entry or offending anyone?  I think I can make them wear long pants on the two formal nights, but every night is going to be a stretch...  trying to start figuring out packing....  thank you for your replies! 

Question about late- night snacks...  are there any?  We are used to hopping back over to the Windjammer for a late night nosh (or "Twinner" - twice dinner" as my teens call it..)  Where can you find food on the ship after MDR time is over. Is there a Sorrentos?  Thanks so much for all the info - we are excited to be on AOS July 17!

Our one hard and fast rule is to NEVER go into someone else's cabin - also NEVER invite someone else into our cabin! We felt very safe letting our 15 and 16 year olds do things on their own on Harmony last summer - our 10 year old was allowed to go with her brother or sister or to and from the kids club as long as she checked in on arrival. All our kids had cell phones onboard which made coordinating family activities and meals MUCH easier. Overall we felt the ship was very safe!

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How long did it take to order a pot if coffee from room service?

We would generally order the night before for morning delivery. We always received it at the beginning of our time "window" and we did get a courtesy call when they were on our way to the room. We ordered once or twice in the evening - only one time did I think it took a really long time (we had ordered some other snacks as well.).

I see you embarked on Rome. What time did they let you on board? Also on disembarkation- where is the luggage picked up. We have booked a private transfer that is picking us up on the pier. Just wondering if we are better to self-disembark

 

 

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We actually embarked in Barcelona - they hadn't yet started interpreting on our week, so I'm not much help on this. We did a self-disembark in Barcelona so we carried off our own luggage. We left the ship at 6 am and it was a breeze!

They prefer nothing taken out of the lounge, but will likely overlook one per person.

We had no problems taking drinks out of the lounge - no one even looked our way. Often we had a drink of some sort plus a bottle of water or even a can of soda for later.

Separate doors for both bedrooms and bathrooms. No extra sink by the coffee maker, but we found getting coffee from room service worked well. You can also get bottled water from the suite lounge.

You are welcome! Just to clarify on the drinks.. Between 11-11 you can get sodas and selected beer, wine and sparkling wine. Hard alcohol is only available between 5-8:30. I was happy because I was able to get my Strongbow cider all day long with a rum punch or two in the evening. (Thanks, Mary!)

Regarding the shows - it is a huge perk to not need reservations! Most of the time we would show our suite cards and would just get waved in - once or twice they might have scanned them. There is a cordoned off area for suite guests but you are free to sit anywhere.

Favorite perk? The suite lounge, hands down. There are a LOT of people on this ship, and the suite lounge provides a lovely, comfortable place to relax and unwind. The free drinks available in the lounge all day were also a big part of this! There were many times when we went to the lounge to grab a drink and left immediately to go to dinner or a show... There was no problem taking drinks out of the lounge. The suite lounge bartenders, Mary and Jude, quickly learned our preferences and took great care of us. We were also able to get bottled water from the lounge which we did nightly for the next day's excursions.

We were in a Royal Family Suite which is only Sky Level, so no genie for us. (I'm not sure why these cabins didn't qualify for Star Level given the price and that you have to book for at least 5 people, but that's a different thread!).

That being said, the suite lounge and the wonderful staff that worked there made all the difference. We were frequent visitors and took advantage of the complimentary drinks, snacks, desserts, personal assistance every day!

My family and I were on the June 19th sailing on the Harmony. I will be posting an overall review soon, but I'd be happy to answer any specific questions in the meantime. I received so much helpful info in these boards pre-cruise, I'd love to return the favor! Ask away, and I'll do my best to answer.

We are in a RFS on the June 19 sailing out of Barcelona. I'd be happy to post some pictures and maybe even video if I can figure out how to do it! Is there a tutorial somewhere that walks me through the steps? Sorry - I'm slightly tech challenged at times [emoji5]

Can anyone who is or has been on Harmony confirm whether beer, wine and soda are available throughout the day in the Suite Lounge? There seems to be some question about whether beverages will be available outside of happy hour... Also, can suite guests get bottled water in the suite lounge? Boarding in 17 days... Thanks for your help and any info you can provide on the Suite Lounge in general!

Thanks to all for your replies. We did not purchase a drink package with the anticipation of being able to grab a soda or glass of wine from the lounge during the day from the suite lounge. (No vouchers for us, but we are sailing in a Royal Family Suite with our thee kids). Harmony suite cruisers - please keep sharing your experiences so we can be prepared! Thanks so much!

I seem to be reading different info on the

Suite Lounge.... Are you allowed to take drinks out of the lounge or not? It seems as though the official letters from the concierge state that drinks are for consumption in the lounge only, but many people report taking drinks out of the lounge. For example, can I grab a beer or glass of wine during the day and take it back to my cabin in or poolside? What about sodas? Or coffee?

I will be sailing on the Harmony on June 19th - can't wait! I would especially love to hear from anyone who is on the Harmony right now with access to the Suite Lounge. Thanks in advance!

Is there a minimum age?

Is there a minimum age for the Puzzle Room? We will be on Harmony next month and I'm wondering if this will be something we can all do together. My kids are 10, 14 and 16. Thanks!

As a fellow parent of 3 kids, I know and feel your struggle! There is a great website - sleeps5.com - that has lots of suggestions for sleeping families of 5 around the world. Maybe you can find something there that would help you!

Here's another option:

http://www.residenzaanticaroma.it

Although we haven't stayed there yet, they do have a suite that sleeps 5 and we are booked there for 3 nights pre-cruise in June! Good luck!