Katems75

Thanks everyone!  Yes, I've been looking at Fort Lauderdale and Miami, both.  The options are just so bad. I may end up flying into Fort Lauderdale but not landing until 10:40 pm which kinda stinks, and I may fly out of Miami just because they have the earliest flight (3:45!!!).  I'm in upstate NY and not used to such terrible options when flying to Florida, but then I've only ever flown into Orlando for Disney vacations.

11 hours ago, rockmom said:

@Katems75I was thinking about you and your flights--and got me to thinking--you did book your flight to get to Miami to come in a day before the cruise, correct?  You don't want to risk flying in the day of, that's how a lot of people miss their cruise and lose their $$.   It seems like you're flying from a place where there are not a lot of options, so wanted to make sure you knew to come in at least one day before.  

I haven't actually booked the flight yet, since I'm still trying to figure out which awful options is the least awful, lol, but yes, I plan to come in a day ahead.  Thank you for thinking of me and trying to prevent me from losing out entirely!

1 hour ago, celoplyr said:

We had a choice between 10:30 and then 5 and 8... We chose the 10:30 and then the schedule went to 10am so we couldn't make it with checking a bag and not moving very fast. Now we are on a 5pm.

 

We are taking an everglades tour from RCL since we've never done that in all our time in Miami, and I'm excited. They'll take the bags and then drop us off at the airport. We might be at the airport longer than I'd like (I'm guessing they'll drop us off around 1... and I like 30 minutes at the gate only) but at least we won't be there all day.

Please tell me more about the Everglades tour!  Where would I find this?  I am on Harmony in May if that makes any difference.  So the tour stores your bags and then after the tour they take you and the bags to the airport?

5 minutes ago, bonsai3s said:

Enjoy a nice breakfast onboard.

Take your time and plan to be one of the last ones to get off the ship.

Possibly close to 10am by this time.

Takes about 30 minutes to the airport.

Add about 1 1/2 hours for check-in and the TSA security...almost noon.

If you're hungry, have lunch. (I keep my beautiful wife away from shopping.)

Another option is to go to one of the airport lounges.

Should be close to boarding time.

 

* Or, after disembarking, you can take the free trolley. The trolley goes around the cruise terminal, then around downtown Miami and back. Just have to carry your luggage onto the trolley.

Thank you so much!  

What is the latest we would be allowed to leave the ship?  

What kind of free breakfast is allowed on the last morning?  Is it possible to have a 'nice' breakfast onboard?

Would we have our luggage with us, or do we put it out the night before?  If the night before, how do we see it again?  The one time I cruised before I kept it with me and left as soon as I could to make it to Disney World ASAP (obviously was at Port Canaveral for that one).

If we keep the luggage with us, do we drag it into the ship restaurant, or can we leave it in our room?

So there is a free trolley between the ship and the airport, both ways?

Okay, thank you everyone.  This is only my second cruise and I had heard the port was near the airport and so I was hoping there was a chance.

Since I will be stuck there until at LEAST 3pm as that's the next flight time possible, is there anything I can do with my luggage so I'm able to at least walk around and explore before heading to the airport?  I'm just not sure what we will DO with all those hours (and luggage).  A cheaper flight leaves at 6pm, but again...what on earth do we do between say 8am and 2pm?

Hello, I've only ever been on one cruise before, in and out of Orlando which was much easier than Miami as far as flight times.  The flights are terrible from where I'm coming from, and have resigned myself to one possibility to get there, but for the flights home they are just awful.  What is the soonest I could make a flight?  Is a 7:25 flight out of Miami airport after getting off Harmony just out of the question?  If so what's the earliest flight you think I could make?

Thank you!

Could you describe 'The World' chocolate dessert, please?  Thanks!

Hello, I've never been to either airport and don't know if one is nicer or better in some way than the other. Obviously flight times and prices will play into this, but currently it seems pretty equal.  Is Fort Lauderdale too far from the port to drive in easily the morning of embarkation?  I've heard Fort Lauderdale has cheaper hotels?

Any advice regarding advantages and disadvantages to any scenario (fly into Fort Lauderdale but immediately drive to a Miami hotel?  Fly into Fort Lauderdale and stay the night there and drive to Miami in the morning?  Fly and stay right in Miami from the very start?) would be appreciated.  Coming from upstate NY.

Thank you!

Thank you so much!

Hello, mostly new to this, having cruised only one other time in 2018 on Oasis.  Next year I'll be on Harmony.  Last time we ate in the MDR for every dinner, but the Windjammer for every breakfast and lunch. I keep seeing posts here from people posting their MDR lunches and I believe I see breakfasts that take place other than the Windjammer, too.

So, where can you eat all three meals, for free?  As in what is included in just the cruise price, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  If you CAN do MDR for breakfast and lunch, do you just walk in??  Do you need an assigned time like you do with dinner?

Thanks!

The rep I spoke with didn't seem to understand at all. She went so far as to tell me that if I didn't like the layout the cabin steward could change it!  She said he could move the bed to the bathroom wall and the couch to the balcony wall or vice versa!

Anyway, yes, thanks to the lovely people on this board there IS a way to find this out.  The rooms alternate so you need to find a room that sleeps four, so look for an asterisk on the room.  THAT room has the bed by the bathroom.  Then just alternate up or down the hall to figure out each cabin.  Another method, and one you can use to double check yourself, is to find two connecting rooms. So find two rooms with the connecting arrow in front of them.  Pretend you are standing in the hall looking at the two doors.  The door on the LEFT has the bed by the bathroom.

If you have a specific cabin you are inquiring about you can ask here, too.

Caveat--I believe this only applies to Oasis ships, but Symphony is Oasis so you're good!

On 10/12/2022 at 5:45 PM, GJM said:

We are in cabin 8172 in November, we love Deck 8, was on Allure around the same area and it wasn't noisy.

 

Oh wow!  You'll be in 8172 on Harmony??  I'd love your thoughts and any photos!!  I'm not on until next May.

Please enlighten me on the doorbell!  Why

does the suite have one and why would it even need one?  It's got to still be small enough that one can knock, yes?

Animal sighting advisory?!?!  Wow!  What kind of animals come aboard, and how do they get on there?

Can anyone go to the Solarium for lunch on embarkation day, or just people with some special designation?  If regular (cheap!) people (like me!) can go, is it a daily lunch or just on embarkation day?

I would like to know this location noise, too!  I am on Harmony and in 8172 so very close to you.  Hopefully someone can answer if being near the forward stairs/elevators on Harmony is noisy or not!

On 10/1/2022 at 2:27 PM, cruise_co said:

They were certainly enforcing it on Harmony last month in 150 Central Park.  My adult children had on pleated golf shorts/polos/loafers.  The person at the podium whispered to our genie to ask the children to go change into long pants. I am not sure if she was more emboldened to ask the genie to be the bad guy to enforce the dress code or if she enforced it with everyone. I would guess the latter as I looked around and everybody had long pants on.  Needless to say, the 20 year olds never showed up at specialty dining in shorts for the rest of the cruise

 

🙂

What is a genie?!  I'm so confused, lol, and it sounds like you have your own personal one?

If you've already booked and the price drops during Thanksgiving can you call and get the price lowered?  What if you are part of a group?  Will they lower the price for everyone in the group?

I know that sounds silly, but in looking at the deck plans of Harmony the Starboard balconies definitely APPEAR larger (as in the drawings/blueprints type ship diagrams you see on the RC site).  I figured it must be a poor drawing, but it's like that on every site I look at for Harmony deck plans.  Today I found two YouTube videos by the same person on back to back cruises with two different rooms on Harmony.  One was Port 7220, and one Starboard, 8704 (both regular balconies, not the extra large ones on the bump out).  HE said the Starboard room and balcony seemed larger to him than his Port room in the video, and in the comments he said the room did as well.  

Is this really true?  I can't figure out how or why the Starboard balconies would be larger but it seems the deck plans may be accurate!  If you look at my picture it's especially obvious with the brown and yellow rooms at the top.  Even all along the sides though, Starboard still appears larger.

Thank you!

E158668B-449B-4D36-BE83-A1D33BCF700C.heic

Hello again...I am Harmony of the Seas on deck 8, which I definitely prefer.  My current cabin is 8210 but it has the bed by the balcony and I want it by the bathroom.  I found one room that has it that way but it's near the front elevators and stairs.  It's 8172.  Above that room are handicapped rooms and below are regular cabins.

My desire is quiet and bed by the bathroom and 8th floor.  I'm a little worried that being so far forward all the many inside cabins will be using that stairway section, along with the people along the halls from the mid section and upward.

My desired room would be more like 8220 which is smack in the middle so less foot traffic, but it's booked.

Any insight on whether or not the room 8172 will be noisy?  Will people constantly be running up and down outside my room?  8172 is the room with the pink slash through it.

Thank you!

This is all very helpful, thank you!  I went to 'manage my cruise' and saw internet sales, but did not see how to choose one person with two devices.  I only saw a way to reserve the surf and stream and just surf.  When I clicked on them I could choose the guest but couldn't see a way to choose just me with two devices.  I was too scared to go further in case it booked for real.

The price was 20% off.  Does it normally go less than that?

Also, the surf and stream says you can use it for posting on social media.  Can you not post with just plain surf?  My daughter and I want to be able to text, surf the web, email, and post on social media.  Which package do we need?

Thank you!

The title says it all!  My cruise isn't until May so maybe that's why my app isn't showing options or purchase?  Or am I missing it?  It looks like I can reserve dining but don't plan to, I was just surprised there was a 'reserve' button as I thought one had to be on board first.  Also, in the dining section it said you had to make reservations for Windjammer???  My first and only cruise was 2018 and Windjammer was just a buffet that you could come and go at.

I heard internet packages can go on sale...at what point is best to purchase internet and if the prices drop can you get the lower price?  I also heard purchasing internet for one person with two devices was better than each person purchasing a one device package?  It will just be me and my daughter and we only care about our phones.

Thank you!

On 9/21/2022 at 10:04 PM, Gardener5b said:

We enjoy the smaller ships because they tend to visit more interesting ports.   And the service has always been outstanding.   The Radiance class ships have the most amazing views to the sea.   Lots of good reasons to enjoy the smaller ships if you don't need all of the newer entertainment options.

Curious why the ship would change the views of the sea?  I'm new to cruising so perhaps I'm just. not understanding something.

Hello, I've only cruised one time, four years ago on Oasis of the Seas.  Back then I was on deck eight in an ocean balcony room, and the bed was next to the closet and bathroom, with the couch next to the balcony.  I assumed all rooms were like that but in booking this new cruise on Harmony I'm seeing TONS of photos that show the bed next to the balcony.  For the life of me I cannot figure out why the ship designers would do that as it would be so frustrating to walk from the seating area, around the huge bed, to the balcony, and back.  To me it just makes so much sense to have the balcony and seating area be all together.  Any idea why they vary?

SO!  How do I find out which cabins have the bed where I want it??  I am currently booked in room 8210, port side, but I've not been able to find any information on it regarding the room layout.

Also, is there any notable difference between booking a port side vs. a starboard side?  I read one review that said "being on the port side there was cigarette smell."  I am very sensitive to cigarette smoke and if this is an issue with port side on Harmony I'd really like to know.

Thank you!