DJan07

The content in the original post is not relevant to me, but it is very clear to me that quite a folks on these boards need to learn how to provide constructive criticism/feedback and have mature and respectful conversations. Yikes...

Hello!

I have continued to use the links provided above, but unfortunately, specific dates/prices no longer populate once you select a specific cruise. I get a spinning blue wheel (on the white pop-up screen that comes from the right side) that never updates. Does anyone have an updated link to search by cabin category?

Thank you,
Derek

It was! 😂

Although Royal Caribbean's website and technology has been a source of frustration for many, I found a glitch while pricing out a cruise tonight that was too funny not to share. You'll laugh when you see it... especially considering the $10 price difference. 😂

I don't speak German, but I can if you like.

Best,

Derek

I can't take credit for it. Someone posted it on here for checking suite prices and I saved it. Then I saw that you could change it to BALCONY etc and get those prices as well

 

 

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Very cool! Thank you again. I haven't gotten the other categories to work by typing in "OCEANVIEW, SUITES" etc., but I'll keep tinkering. :)

Here's a link that will list all balcony prices for cruises. You can filter it by date, ship or departure port. If you replace the end of the URL (I think that's what it's called) where it says balcony you can put in OCEANVIEW or SUITES or INSIDE and it will filer by those categories instead

 

https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/cruises/?action=update&cabinClassType=BALCONY

This is so helpful! Thank you! May I ask how you found this feature?

Good morning, fellow cruisers!

I was just on the Royal Caribbean website in hopes of finding a good deal and found my online search to be more arduous than in the past. Based on my work schedule, a Thursday-Sunday or Thursday-Monday cruise would be ideal, but the Royal Caribbean website only allows you to search for cruises in a given month or months. I remember the old website allowed you to search and end your search for a cruise on a specific day. Additionally, I wish I could search for cruises by "Price: High to Low" for Balcony staterooms rather than only see the Interior stateroom price then go into the itinerary to see more.

Rather than sort through all available cruises manually, does anyone have any tips/tricks to search for cruises that start and end on a specific date or day of the week?

Have you also found the new search function less user-friendly?

Happy cruising!

Derek

Other than the Magic Carpet and a few outdoor spaces, has an exterior rendering photo of the entire ship been released? The Magic Carpet looks a little gimmicky, but perhaps in the context of the ship's exterior, it might not look as strange.

Thanks for your review. We were also on this cruise and couldn't agree more about Simeon. He did an excellent job!! Also felt the Windjammer was quite disappointing in the food options at breakfast and lunch. Just not much variety, and missed having the omelet station in there.

Thank you! I could not agree more. Perhaps you already knew this, but Johnny Rockets does not charge a cover fee for breakfast and serves made-to-order omelets. We went to the Windjammer since it was faster, but we also wished omelets were available there.

Nice review. On the nights you had reservations, how early did you get in line to watch the shows? Did you have good seats?

 

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Thank you! We typically got to our shows about 10-15 minutes advance and got very good seats. For shows in the AquaTheater and Studio B, I suggest arriving about that early. The one night we showed up a little later in the Royal Theater, getting decent seats wasn't too difficult.

Thank you for the review - we are booked for June, have been on Oasis. It was a toss up between Harmony & Allure. I hate that there isn't a pool in the Solarium, did you miss that?

I typically don't spend much time in the Solarium, but since it was February and a little chilly at the beginning and end of the trip, I would imagine the whirlpools sufficed. In warmer weather, I would personally miss the Solarium pool, as every time I was on the pool deck, the pools were generally quite busy.

Hello all,

I returned from the Harmony of the Seas and finally got around to writing a review. I have seen a number of Harmony reviews posted lately, but I figured one more couldn’t hurt.

Overview

As some background, I made an open booking on our Brilliance of the Seas cruise to the Western Caribbean in January 2015. We booked this Harmony cruise in June 2015 and got an outstanding deal despite the long wait. The 7-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary included Nassau, Bahamas, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, and Philipsburg, St. Maarten. This was my 12th cruise and 11th consecutive on Royal Caribbean. I (27) traveled with my boyfriend (29), and we flew in from Washington, D.C. the morning of the cruise. It made me exceptionally nervous, but the price difference was significant enough to risk it, and fortunately, our flight went smoothly.

Embarkation –10/10

We arrived at FLL at about 9:45am, grabbed our bags, and called a Lyft at around 10:10am. We arrived at the pier at about 10:30am and got through check-in and security in about 10 minutes. It was the fastest I’ve ever gone through the boarding process. We sat in the Emerald waiting area from about 10:45am until boarding began at 11:15am. Super easy!

Cabin – 9/10

Upon boarding, we had to wait until 1pm for our rooms to be ready. We grabbed lunch at the Park Café, which was a perfect, quiet spot before the masses boarded the ship, and then walked around the Boardwalk. At 1pm, the doors were opened, and we made our way to our cabin – a D7 Superior Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony – Room 9190. Our room was not quite ready, so we got out of the way and sat on our balcony until our stateroom attendant was finished. The storage and bathroom layout on Harmony was fantastic, and our room was clean.For the ship only being six months old, I was surprised by a few stains on the headboard and some rust on the balcony door, but those were inconsequential. Our stateroom attendant, Keith, was noticeably stressed and short when we saw him a little after 1pm, but when we had our formal introduction a few hours later, we had time to chat. He did an excellent job throughout the week.

I recommend this cabin since it’s on the hump and had some extra balcony space.

Entertainment –9/10

I thought the entertainment on Harmony was hands down the best I have seen on a cruise. I loved Grease, The Fine Line, and Columbus: The Musical! The ice show, 1887: A Journey Through Time, had a strange plot, but the ice skaters were impressive.

We saw the late-night comedians and were not overly impressed, but we had a good time. As always, the Love & Marriage Game Show did not disappoint.

Dining/Food – 5.5/10

For breakfast each morning, we ate in the Windjammer. First,I loved and appreciated that all guests had to wash their hands in the sinks at the entrance before going to the buffet. The food was standard; nothing really blew me away, and nothing was terrible. For lunch, we usually ate at the ParkCafé or the Windjammer. I thought the paninis, Kummelweck sandwiches, and salads in the Park Café were tasty. The Windjammer was hit or miss.

We tried My Time Dining for the first time and would highly recommend it. We made reservations for each evening at 8:15pm (and therefore did not purchase specialty dining), but we sometimes went to dinner a little earlier or a little later depending on other activities. We never waited more than 2-3 minutes for a table and were able to have the same waiter 3 of the 7 nights. The flexibility on a ship with so many options was nice.

As far as food goes, there were some strong dishes, but I must admit that overall, I was disappointed in the options and quality. As many others have stated, the food quality has certainly slipped in recent years. I am a bit of a foodie but think I have reasonable and appropriate expectations. My boyfriend and I cook the vast majority of our meals and only eat out on occasion. Some of the dishes, such as the horseradish-crusted salmon and all of the soups were fantastic. Almost everything else we ate was just ok. I was surprised by the number of dishes that had some sort of potatoes and a heavy sauce/gravy as the side. The crab cake and carbonara pasta were horrible.

We ate at Sabor one night, and although the guacamole was delicious,the biggest culinary surprise and disappoint from the cruise were the “pork carnitas.” I have to use quotes because the pork was not prepared with spices in some sort of slow cooker and then pulled apart. It was julienned pork chop with just a dash of paprika. It was really, really bland and gross.

Itinerary/Excursions

Nassau, Bahamas – 6/10 – On the first full day of the cruise, we arrived in Nassau at 7am and departed at 2pm. Since we woke up at 4:45am to catch our flight the day before, we slept in and then only explored Nassau for a couple hours. I have been to Nassau a few times before and don’t think there are many exciting things to do, so we went to Junkanoo Beach to relax. Overall, I wish Nassau was replaced with another island not only due to the early/short time in port but less tropical temperatures (especially in February) and limited excursion options, as well.

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas – 10/10 – In St. Thomas, we booked the Caribbean 'FastCat' 2-Island Snorkeling Safari and Beach Getaway excursion through Royal Caribbean. We took a catamaran to Buck Island to snorkel with sea turtles and then had some rum punch on the boat before heading to relax at Honeymoon Beach on Water Island. Overall, this was an excellent excursion! The only negative was the heavy seas that day. I don’t really get motion or seasick, but I was white-knuckling the railing on our way to Buck Island. My boyfriend was seasick on our way to Water Island, so be sure to take some Bonine or avoid this trip if you are prone to motion sickness.

Philipsburg, St. Maarten – 10/10 – In St. Maarten, we went over the Divy Little Bay Beach Resort to relax. We walked the 1.5 miles to the resort from the cruise ship in the morning, which took about 50 minutes. We got settled with two beach chairs and an umbrella for $15. We purchased a bucket of beer and two bottled waters for $30 after taxes and tip. It was a perfectly relaxing day in the sun. After a little more than 4 hours on the beach, we took a $12 taxi back to the ship. It was a perfect, relaxing afternoon.

Crew – 8.5/10

All of the crew members we encountered on the Harmony were friendly and professional, but they seemed overworked and rushed. Our stateroom attendant, dining room staff, waiter at Johnny Rockets, and bar staff always seemed too busy to chat for even a few seconds about our trip. It was far more transactional than my experience on other ships. Our favorite waiter that served us three nights in the dining room commented that although we had various waiters during My Time Dining, they all would earn the same service score from our survey. She also apologized for rushing around and was thankful for our patience since she had too many tables and too much to do. It was a bit disheartening to hear in that moment of her clearly being very tired. Again,our service throughout the ship was nothing but outstanding, but it lacked the personal touch that I enjoy.

Our cruise director, Simeon Kirkiles, was top-notch! He was absolutely hilarious and engaging. I learned from watching RCTV one night that he is a comedian and typically hosts the late night adult comedy on Harmony, but since the regularly scheduled cruise director had to attend a meeting/conference with Royal Caribbean, he was asked to step up. I hope to see him again!

Disembarkation - 10/10

The crew had disembarkation down to a science, and it was as smooth as can be. We ate breakfast in the Windjammer, vacated our rooms by 9am,and waited in the Royal Theater until our number (37) was called. We walked off the ship, grabbed our bags, and waited in line to go through U.S. Customs,which took about 15-20 minutes.

Overall Experience– 8.5/10

This was my first time on an Oasis-class ship, and I was simply stunned by the size, modern décor, and number of activities/amenities on the ship. Aside from a few notes about the food and lines around the ship, we had a truly phenomenal time. I hope to cruise again on the Harmony or another Oasis-class ship!

I'd be glad to answer any questions.

Derek

Hello!

I was on the Brilliance from January 3-8, 2015, and the Christmas and New Years decorations started coming down towards the end of our sailing. By the time we got back to Tampa, the decorations were gone.

Derek

I think it's interesting that assuming the fifth Oasis class ship is the final one, the difference between the first and last vessel is 12 years. (I can't think of a another example of this happening.) That seems like a long time, particularly considering how other cruise lines are trying to innovate, but I suppose ships can't really get any bigger. While the class will be the same, I'm curious as to what changes will be made for Oasis IV and V.

Derek

I'd be willing to bet those photos have been tweaked. Even if they don't have filters on them, the person who took them could still have played around with the structure, sharpness, color, highlights, etc. In particular, messing with the saturation could turn the smoke a darker color than it actually is. I'm no expert, of course, and maybe it really is that yellow, but to my untrained eye, it looks like some of the Insta "tools" were used.

You know, I thought the same thing, but the vast majority of photos (clearly taken at the same time/place) looked similarly! You very well could be right, but it's the first time I saw this phenomenon and figured I should inquire if there was another explanation.

Hello everyone,

I was just on Instagram and started looking at some recent Harmony of the Seas photos. I noticed a few of the #nofilter photos showed yellow/green emissions from Harmony's stacks. I know that the stacks themselves are wider to accommodate scrubbers, but can any environmental experts or insiders explain why the emissions look more harmful (yellow/green vs. gray) than on other ships? I've included a few photos below as examples.

Thank you,

Derek

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I am only seeing obstructed OV rooms left for the 5/14 sailing - nothin unobstructed possibly left already?

I thought the same thing for the 5/19 sailing, but if you click "View or Change Location" on the Guest Info page when making a reservation, you can search for specific cabins. I typed in a few and all were available. I assume that Royal Caribbean is trying to get rid of the obstructed cabins, but at least for my sailing, there are more/slightly hidden options.

Hello everyone,

The newly released Empress of the Seas cruises this spring are priced quite well for a long weekend getaway! I'm in the process of booking now but could use some advice. I'm looking at unobstructed category I cabins, and my options on deck 7 are either forward or aft. These cabins, respectively, are above the Royal Theater and Lounge. I'm leaning towards either 7526 or 7166. Although Empress of the Seas hasn't been in the Royal Caribbean fleet for some time, does anyone have any experience or suggestions?

Thank you,

Derek

True but here is my question. Are Pullmantur and RCCL separate entities for stock holders? If they are it would seem inappropriate for RCCL to fund a major renovation of a ship they intend to transfer.

Great point/question. Anyone have the answer?

Derek

The press release talks about "her season" in PC, so my guess is they delayed the transfer by a year so they could get their new builds out (Harmony and Ovation) and re-position the fleet more effectively.

I would be a little surprised that her drydock would be so extensive just to have her stay with the fleet for a year. Then again, if she's being transferred to Pullmantur at some point in the near future, perhaps that will just mean a shorter drydock later.

Back in November 2014, we grabbed an UberX from FLL to Liberty of the Seas. Our driver was pulled over and ticketed just as we got to the port since he had been "caught" before. It's a real shame this new competitor to taxis has been locked out.

I use Uber all the time here in D.C. and have had excellent experiences in comparison to our dirty and expensive cabs with dangers and rude drivers.

Thanks so much for your original post, Ourusualbeach! I have been researching for a while, and most cruises when I'm available were way over my budget. I just put a courtesy hold on a D7 balcony on the February 4, 2017 Eastern sailing, and after taxes, fees, gratuities, and insurance, our total was $2,017 or $144 per person/per day. That's incredible!!!

Sounds like I will need to start saving all the information permanently. My distaste for clutter and "unnecessary/expired" emails got the best of me this time.

Edit: By some miracle, I found the PDF is my downloads folder despite the digit-only file name. Hooray!

Hello all,

I'm currently researching cruises for either later this year or early next year. While I find a good deal to be somewhere in the neighborhood of $125-$150 per person/per day (including taxes and automatic gratuities), I became curious about what I have paid for recent past cruises. I tend to delete old emails, and split costs with travel partners, I do not have an accurate way to calculate the total cost of the trips. Is there is a way to somehow access old booking confirmation emails that has those details?

Thank you,

Derek

I highly recommend Shampbooze! (Search for it on Amazon.) Usually, old containers that are re-purposed have a funny smell or taste from the original product, but these containers are made for carrying alcohol. I just throw a few Shampbooze bottles in my toiletry bag and cross my fingers! Perhaps I'm being naive, but my hope is that the security people only think "Wow, these people must have beautiful hair if they shampoo and condition this much!" :p