mad-dog74

Id never check a $1200 CPAP machine that you depend on. Anything can happen if it is checked. I use one and YES I hate to lug it around but I do.

$147 consultation. Great service Royal, way to take care of people in need. What a freaking shame. I can't even put into words how disappointed I've been with Royals' handling of these 2 hurricanes. It's radically adjusting my perception of them.

I thought offering ships to evacuees and supplying islands with supplies has been a pretty good move. Thumbs up ROYAL. FYI, trip insurance would pay for medical services onboard in addition to travel related expenses

Oasis and harmony ports should be similar. Freedom is smaller without all the "neighborhoods".... doesn't have the AquaTheatre, zipline, central park, boardwalk, etc. Still a fabulous ship though. Harmony is newer, with newer technology, cabin layouts, etc. We just finished a Harmony cruise and loved it... we've done Allure too. The entertainment is top notch on Oasis class ships, and the dive show at the Aqua Theatre is awesome.

I personally would pick Harmony just because it is newer, but you really couldn't go wrong with any of the 3.

We used wi-fi calling on harmony a couple weeks ago... worked perfectly for incoming and outgoing calls.

On iPhones... you have to enable wi-fi calling BEFORE turning on airplane mode.

Go to SETTINGS.... PHONE.... WI-FI CALLING. Then Turn on WI-FI CALLING FOR THIS PHONE. It may prompt you to enter your emergency address... really wont matter on a ship.

THEN

TURN ON AIRPLANE MODE

TURN ON WI-FI and CONNECT to Royal Wifi

We love Columbus Cove.... we rented a bungalow and it was great.... Been to Nellie's and Adrenaline... we prefer Columbus.

I wondered about this too. It seems like a design flaw. Sure you won't melt as someone said, but especially if you are dressed nicer it seems like there would be a way to not have to walk directly in the rain. Maybe it's so infrequently rains that it's not really an issue....still doesn't seem smart.

Not a design flaw... it was designed to be an outside area... just like boardwalk. If it rains there you may get wet, just like you will on the first 2-3 rows of the Aqua Theatre during the show!

We just got off harmony last week... the teen area is awesome. Our kids are too young, it it was a really nice, and large, area!

We were getting off the ship when you were getting on. Did you notice a lot of RUDE people? It's a wonder they didn't knock you down getting off while you were trying to get on... LOL! From the elevators, to chairs by the pool, to parents at the mini-golf letting their unruly kids interfere with the play of others... there were just lots of rude people.

Just did it on Harmony... very nice although the "gift" was lame... we got a lanyard and a knot-tying rope kit. I probably took 100+ pictures. went to the kitchen, I-95, freezers, recycling center, laundry, engine control room, laundry, and the bridge.

Most of the time... price is cheaper in advance. I bought when it was 20%off I think and then I cancelled and re-bought when they offered the package with internet... saved more $

We just, last week, had a bungalow at Columbus Cove for $250. Very well pleased with it... ands we've had cabanas in the past. Super nice furnishings... couch and loungers... cooler with Evian... floating mats...

You should not even have to give it to them... you "scan" it yourself... they usually call u by name and verify your picture.

Just off Harmony... there are multiple places that sell lanyards with sleeves... You gotta use a sleeve. Holes cannot be punched in harmony's sea pass.

I wonder if allure of the seas is that hot??

 

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We were on Allure a few years ago and I don't recall being that uncomfortable. Most hallways and especially the elevators were just downright sweltering.

Oh, also sone thing I forgot to mention was the elevators... the forward elevators were noticeably less crowded. The aft elevators were crazy all the time.

Yikes. This is my nightmare. I can probably handle rude people but I tend to run hot too and this would have been awful for me. Sorry you suffered. :(

Studio B was my favorite place....

This is my quick 2 cents... I probably should wait until tomorrow, until I am more focused, but I am gonna write my thoughts now and will followup tomorrow as well, base on comments and any questions... BTW... did not save compasses so I cannot upload them. We really didn't use them that much. We already had an idea of what we were doing. We relied on the Royal IQ app to remind us of our calendar. I used the app quite often. We did have the internet package and it was the best internet at sea we've experienced.

To get back on track....

Embarkation was the best experience we've had on any ship. We arrived at 10:30 and were on by 11:00.... super easy... no waiting... no lines. We immediately headed to the promenade to wait in about a 20 minute line get our WOW bands... which I would not recommend. We were told they would immediately work... but they were not programmed correctly... so after a couple tries, I went to Guest Services to wait in that line to get them activated. Our complaints with them are, while they are good in theory, they are cumbersome to use. My wife and I both thought a different design would be better... she suggested a 'slap bracelet' style instead of a buckle. We were constantly removing them to give them to bartenders (which I had the alcohol package and my wife had the soda package BTW). They worked flawlessly to make retail purchases, arcades for the kids, unlocking cabin doors, but even if you walked up to a bar to order, chances are you had to take it off unless you happen to be standing right at the POS terminal. The other problem was there was no way to tell them apart... our family of four was constantly getting them confused.... and markers didn't help for us... between sweat, pool water, etc. it just didn't work. We thought you could pick your colors, but they told us our our muster station, BLUE was the only color. I finally came up with what I thought was the best solution in keeping them straight.... taking nail scissors and clipping out a little notch in different places for each person. All was well until on Day 4-5 my wife looked down and noticed her's was missing... so Guest services had to replace all of our sea pass cards and wow bands... could not just replace one... everything had to be redone. THEN, my next problem arose. I began getting charged for bar drinks... so it was back to guest services... where I was informed my wife had been buying drinks at the bar. WOW bands switched up after they assured me and I marked "who's was who's". In the mean time, my wife had been making some retail purchases... which looked like I was making them. Guest services had a hard time believing that bartenders nor clerks at the shops questioned it because our pictures didn't match.... but they sure didn't. At least 2 clerks and 3 bartenders never questioned it. It was only at the bionic bar, when it tried to charge me I realized what was happening... so it was back to... you guessed it... GUEST SERVICES again. Bottom line, I wouldn't do the WOW bands.

OK... getting back on track... our stateroom attendant was the best ever. We had 2 connecting central park cabins. He called us by name every time we saw him, was eager to help and talk.... asked how our day was going... my kids loved him. However, on the first night... about midnight... we turned our sheets back and wife life screamed BED-BUG... I took a pic and about a 10 second video of it crawling around then called Housekeeping. My wife put a piece of tape over it so it wouldn't "get away". While we were waiting, my daughter in the next cabin came over and said "There is something on my sheet". On the corner of the sheet was a... not sure the proper name... but a "booger." So we addressed that with housekeeping. Long story short... at 2 AM after new sheets on all beds and a bed-bug inspection of both cabins... we went to bed. It was just "one of those things". They inspected the room again the next day. I don't blame the stateroom attendant... it was just one of those things... but the hotel director was very apologetic and offered a 205 discount on our next cruse. I asked about just doing a OBC of some sort but he could not do that. The next day, our toilet would not flush... and they were there over 30 minutes replacing the " flush button"

We ate in the MDR every night. Once again, our waiter Roderick and assistant waiter Jerus were the BEST ever. We all loved them.. in fact, my wife confessed she wouldn't mind bringing Jerus home with us. He just had the best personality and smile ever. We had no complaints with MDR food. Windjammer, was a feeding frenzy at all times... total chaos every time we went.

Now is a good time to mention that our nickname for the ship was RUDENESS of the Seas.... the most rude passengers we had ever seen. Snotty people always holding elevators for their party that wasn't even near the elevator.... old ladies on scooters that would run over you without thinking twice about it, etc. Could not even play mini golf without the family behind us allowing their kids to step up on our green interfering with our shots... making our shots for us and running around to the point where we just gave up and quit. The straw that broke the camel's back was at the pool.... or the human soup bowl. (BTW, the pools were WAY overcrowd all week. My theory on that is because of NO solarium pool.) The other 3 main pools are over crowed because of no kids in the adult pool. On Allure, there was basically an extra pool for families because adults had their own pool in the Solarium.) Back to rudeness. We had a little section with only 3 loungers in a little row right on the edge of the water in the beach pool... very prized location. My wife and I had two. A lady had the other one and while we were in the pool her mother came over. She had nowhere to set so she sat on my wife chair. It was so close to where we were at, my wife politely told her that they was her chair... her response was "Don't worry, I will let you use it when you want it.". She just sat on the end of it for a few minutes but then she laid back. Then my wife told her, "please do not lay on my towel and my coverup". She huffed and said in her hispanic accent "Damn Americans". So then, she laid cross ways to where he head was on the bottom half of my wife longer and her feet was over her daughter lounger. Looked ridiculous. We had about had enough of her so I was rude right back. I went over and laid back on my lounger.... the third one over... and crossed my foot over my knee. This put my size 113 foot right in her face... about 30 seconds later, she got up and left and so did her daughter.... so then we had the 3rd lounger for my daughter. That may of been rude of me, but my goodness... I had never experienced anything quite like that.

One more thing I noticed.... Harmony was a very HOT ship in my opinion... I was hot and sweating most of the week. It never felt cool to me...even in cabin... Temperature is subjective I know like food, but to me, it was too hot.

Now, while I shared some NEGATIVES... we had a great cruise. We had a blast...We thoroughly enjoyed the shows, the dining room, etc. We also enjoyed Captain Gus and his daily "Words of Wisdom".

Our Harmony cruise leaves tomorrow. Long story short, we were seconds away today from having to drive from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale because of flight delays. At one point... around 7pm, we were worrried about getting out of NC this evening. We would have surely been out of luck tomorrow flying in the day of the cruise.

It always pays to fly a day early... don't let anyone tell you differet. We have insurance and would have used it if needed for delays, etc. but it wouldn't have got us on the ship in time .

Im a spiced rum drinker too--- they do have Captain Morgan's for sure and I have seen some Kracken a few times.

As much as I loved spiced rum, I've been switching some to Ciroc vodka. Doubt if they will have that though.

3 years ago on Allure, I needed to visit the medical center. My bill was close to $300 which I had to pay. Charged it to my sea pass account. Thankfully we had trip insurance. They wanted me to submit it to my health insurance first, then they paid without a problem. Took a couple of weeks to get reimbursed.

I always have trip insurance for cases like this... the insurance was no where near $300 so it paid for itself.

It's not the cost of the onboard visit that will put you in debt it's the airlift to the US that will cost $$$$$$$$$$$$$.

not always true.... if the USCG does the medical evacuation, there is no charge

Basically the same ship with the exact same stuff in the same place......

Thats not necessarily true. There are quite a bit that is the same... but there is ALOT of stuff that is different... some, very different!

I am anxious to try some new ones too... while I like an occasional beer, I prefer liquor drinks. I usually stick with flavored vodka and tonics... don't prefer the super sweet ones. In fact, I usually get Long Islands without the sweet/sour.

I'm open to suggestions for non-sweet drinks too.

I am going to Maho Beach in three weeks and it has always been on my 'bucket list' to see the planes. I am anxious to go and see the planes. However, there are Danger signs posted warning of what could happen and people choose to do what they do. While it was an accident, it was one that could have been avoided. It wasn't like the was passing by and it happened. She was there to feel the just blast. While I want to see it in person, I have no desire to put myself in harms way by standing right in front of the runway to feel the jet's blast like that. I am excited about standing on the beach though and watching the planes come in.

Can anyone confirm if WOW bands work at the arcade on Harmony?

We are use to loading money on the kids cards for the arcade.... they swipe to use them... so I am assuming on Harmony they would just 'wave' their card... so I am wondering if WOW bands will work?

When the alcohol package was first introduced, everyone in the cabin over 21 had to purchase. It really never has mattered to me. My family always books 2 connecting cabins and we book parent/child in each. That way, only one has to buy the package. We never share the package either.