GetToLivin

When we've booked this we've never adhered to the timeline we've chosen. We just show up and have never had an issue. It's a great way to get away and just chill for a while, very relaxing.

We were in an ATS on Deck 11 on Allure in Dec/Jan. I also went into it with reservations but it was truly the most amazing experience we've ever had. I did NOT notice noise when the doors were shut but we always had a TV on or white noise when sleeping. One of the main charms about this suite is that you have this amazing deck that overlooks the ocean if you want quiet on one side, and for the other, you face the Aqua Theater and Boardwalk if you want to experience more "energy". DS and I loved being able to sit on the deck and watch a movie without having to leave, all with the ocean sounds, just magical. If you can book this suite, do it, it's absolutely amazing and you'll never look at a suite-deck in the same way again.

Just looked up my old reservation from Dec: Modification Policy: Changes to your reservation can only be made 24 hours prior to ship sailing; modification can be processed on our website by using the MODIFY/CANCEL Link. Search "North Lot" in your email and it should pop right up for you. With that said, all we had to do was show our QR code, person scanned it and we were in. I don't think they really looked at the details.

Following! Loving so far but here's hoping breakfast redeems your dinner experience! Smallest ship I've been on was Sovereign waaay back in the day so it's great reading a review of a smaller ship 🙂

FYI you can always take Dramamine at night if it makes you sleepy. I have found that Bonine does NOT make me tired so you might try that instead.

I experienced this pretty hard core after our Nov cruise. I also Googled it and found the same info on it, which kinda freaked me out. It took 2-3 weeks before I didn't feel the "sway" and I think the cruise plus flying really played off eachother. I didn't even want to sail the following month because I was afraid of experiencing it again....but what I did differently was stay VERY active while on the cruise and right after... movement movement movement. Once we were home I was on the Peloton and took several breaks through the day to move around (I WFH). The more I moved the better I was and I maybe only experienced the "sway" for a couple days this last time around.

This is SO true. The desserts are pretty to look at, but for the most part, finding the "flavor" of things outside of, okay you used sugar, is challenging. It's so hit and miss - Allure had pretty good desserts when we sailed her, but Harmony, I just ended up not bothering at a certain point. As an aside, I still don't understand why the Windjammer makes so much jello 🤔

We were on Harmony in Nov and unfortunately, I do agree with OP that the food wasn't great (mainly ate in specialty, never the MDR). Did we go hungry? No. Did we return any dishes? No. Were we underwhelmed? Yeah. It really does seem to vary from ship to ship because when we sailed Allure the following month, food was great, not one complaint (combo of CK and specialty).

It's all so personal - some people prefer to cruise more and stay in a certain category in order to do so. Others might only be able to sail once or twice a year so maybe they like to splurge when they do sail. As for us, we mainly sail in an OVB, though I've also done interior and promenade cabins before. We've also been lucky (pre-Royal Up) to get upgraded to a Grand Suite. Other times we've booked the Jr. Suite as I like the extra closet space and "living" space. But then last Dec, I put in a decent bid for the Aqua Suite over the NYE cruise and won. That has changed my experience when cruising 😬 Realized when sailing with DS and DH that I ****REALLY**** enjoyed the extra room, the extra perks, etc. From here on out, if it makes sense, we'll do an OVB when it's just DH and I, and when it's the family, I would really like to be able to try out different suite categories. And that's what's great about cruising, you can book whatever is comfy for the pocketbook at that particular time.

OH yeah? So do I, but *multiple times* per year.

We've been to Labadee twice and it's not our favorite stop, but I've always wondered about the Bungalows, looks like a great way to experience your day 🙂

Yes, hence why the question was asked.

THIS. There is absolutely something in the air on that first sea day where people tend to flock to the gym like it's a New Year's resolution. Then suddenly, for the rest of the trip, they are nowhere to be found (thankfully). I was on Harmony in Nov and I can attest that the gym was so packed in the morning hours on the first day, that I actually came back in the afternoon, it was just too agitating. That said, the rest of the trip it was fine and when I would emerge around 9 am I had no issues with available cardio or weight equipment.

How many "different yet related" tiffs have spawned from this one post...we're at 18 pages now, who's keeping track, we need stats 🍿

They can be REALLY expensive on board depending which ship you're on. They were going for $199 for 50 minutes on Harmony last November, which is absolutely ridiculous. I want to say they were $159 on Allure in Dec/Jan. I've had a few massages on ships before (back when they were $79 for 50 minutes, prob non-existent now) and they're good, but as far as relaxation goes they go through an entire sales pitch at the end and it really takes you straight out of that relaxing vibe. Also, and this is purely personal preference, but if you're on a ship with a Thermal Suite, I'd consider gifting her with that instead. The thermal suite has 3 different steam rooms (2 dry, 1 wet) and a nice place to lounge in between sessions if she wants. I find them very relaxing and a great way to loosen up after my workouts. We paid $109/for a 7-day pass on Harmony and Allure recently.

Agree with the others, we were on her last Nov and it was the newest ship we'd been on, thought she was lovely and well kept. When we heard she was coming to Galveston this year got even more excited, NYE sailing on her next. Enjoy your cruise!

Reviews from 6 months to 2 months ago are very up and down as I understand the hotel was (or is) going through renovations. We really like the idea of a full-service hotel as we're not renting a car, would like to come in a day early and enjoy the beach, etc, but not at the expense of the stress some of the reviewers experienced. Yet everything on the Hilton website looks updated and beautiful. Has anyone stayed here recently? Did you need to request one of the renovated rooms?

I know someone on here can help me with this one. We've always purchased Voom + ATT cruise package because we thought we needed to 😑 Is it true that you only have to purchase Voom and turn your phone onto Cellular Wifi (and airplane mode) and you will be able to send/receive texts/calls, etc? I understand the only place this wouldn't work is while on land, correct? Thanks for your help!

Question on this: did you just ask the concierge for a roll-away or do they automatically assume that when you have 4 people booked to this room? We have an OS booked for our NYE cruise and we are adding a 4th person. As far as this topic goes, I think something important to remember is that just because a person is sailing in a certain suite category, doesn't mean they're always paying top dollar. We book in advance and I'm finding we're saving several thousand by doing so. I know this because I check throughout the year and sure enough, the same room we booked last year, a month or two later, went up some +5k. We try to cruise 2x a year, one time in an OV and when we have our son/family with us: we will look into a suite. For us, it's worth the memories and amenities that come with the nicer cabins, never had a regret on that, and most importantly, we appreciate it and know it's something special (because we don't do it every time). Another thing I'll mention is that there's a strategy in some of these purchases too, ex: internet included in certain classes which is huge when you have a family sailing, booking on board so you can max out OBC, then transferring to your TA so you can additionally take advantage of AMEX offers for those of us who have that perk, there's value in everything if you strategize.

Needs to add: Cruise Critic can also be quite entertaining as many of the topics covered will inevitably turn into an argument of some sort between members, resulting in a beating of the digital dead horse. 🍿

Or if non-suite guests can go through the suite line with you

80's baby and 90's teen here, I am here 👏for👏this👏! Love reviews that include pics, they're the only ones I can get through with interest, thanks for taking us along! My dad STILL has his @aol email address and yes, uses it 😆

"Let you"? Girl just place the bid and tell him you'll take care of the extra charge lol

Maybe you can drop him off at Adventure Ocean with the rest of the kids 🙄 You are incredibly generous and it is your business who you choose to spend your money on. However, your son-in-law sounds like an entitled brat that should either be left behind or told that if he IS coming, he will act like a respectful adult and not ruin the trip for the other family members who know how to show an ounce of gratitude. I know you're just trying to create memories with your daughter and grandkids, but your SIL is being ridiculous, acting inconvenienced by a luxury cruise vacation. Also, if you're adopting I'm a load of fun and would be happy to replace him 😉😆

We had luck in the suites category over a NYE sailing no less, Dec 2022. We went from a Jr. Suite to a Spacious 1-bedroom Aqua Suite on Deck 11. I bid a decent amount but also what I was comfortable paying, and it worked out for us.