Punchy

For the Izumi snacks are you doing an early reservation?

Just got off harmony with the drink and ultimate dining package. If the wine is under $13 a glass it was included over you paid the difference.

Also booked with the $50 credit ala carte izumis honored the $50 credit just informed them when we were being seated and they said no problem.

Just did this on the harmony last week. I had wonderland selected for me night 1. Called the specialty dinning line from the cabin and booked the whole week from the ship phone.

Ports: Labadee just sat on the Columbus Cove Beach, very nice beach day, food was terrible at the port. Jamaica was rainy didn't get off the boat. Cozumel had lunch at La Chosa Cozumel very good. Visited some friends on the island and got back on the boat.

Also I smuggled alcohol on board forget that one, even with the drink package.

A quick review of the Harmony of the Seas review:

Background: Me 39, the boss is 41. Our 2 kids stayed back in Minnesota with Grandma and Grandpa so it was truly a vacation. I enjoy land based vacations much more than cruising but the local casino gave me a "free" cruise and the schedule worked out right for family babysitting so away we went. First cruise on Royal so no status to brag about or expectations.

Travel: MSP-ATL-FLL. Flight from ATL to FLL got canceled due to the snow storm in ATL. We had to rent a car and drive from ATL to FLL starting at 2AM. We couldn't get our checked baggage back so did a Walmart run for vacation clothes. The good news is that Delta was able to get our bags to meet up with the ship in Jamaica on Day 4. One travel tip. If you are attempting to rent a one way one day car rental and they say all are gone, change your rental search to 1 week instead of 1 day. You will get a discount returning the car early but still will be pricy but will get you out of the airport.

Embarkation: Took about 30mins as we arrived at the cruise port at 1:15pm.

Cabin/Room: We had 6692, bed by the balcony. Great location for doing many activities on decks 4-8. Going to the pool was only slightly annoying but if you don't plan on much pool time this is a great deck.

Food: We did the ultimate dinning package so hit all the specialty restaurants. Our favorites in order:

1. 150 Central Park
   
2. Chops
   
3. Jamies
   
4. Sabor
   
5. Izumis
   

Other Food: We tried breakfast at Johnny Rockets, Room Service, Main Dining Room, Vitality Café, Solarium Bistro, Wind Jammer, Park Café and Café Promenade. I can say that there isn't a whole lot of change between any of them and in general the breakfast food is bad to average. I would stick with room service cereal and café promenade specialty coffees for breakfast. Other food on the buffets, Dog House and small bites were disappointing but edible.

Activities: Water slides were great, Abyss was good to do once, its bumpy. All the shows were of surprisingly good quality. I was expecting your bad cruise ship entertainment but everything was good. Casinos always have a happy vibe or a sad vibe depending on the people playing. This was a sad vibe Casino, I was looking around for anyone happy just to join a table and not one smiling face in the joint.

Overall: I still prefer land based vacations but was able to do a balcony with the drink package and dining package for under $1,500 for both the wife and I so it was a tremendous value. While I don't prefer cruising as a vacation, Cruise Critic is some of the best entertainment in the world. Just to poke the bear that is cruise critic: I saved loungers on the deck, removed auto-tips, crowded onto elevators, saved seats in the theater, shared the drink package, bragged about my status (or lack there of), snuck into the diamond lounge(really did do this) and smoked on the balcony. Have at me :cool:

They run a casino, so yes.

Attending but also will be streaming a basketball game this Saturday on the phone.

Ripped jeans are required.

If you don't mustard.....you will have to ketchup. ;p

Could get into a pickle.

On the Anthem now. We were not able to watch Sunday’s game as it was on Fox. There were lots of disappointed Eagles fans in the pub. Our cruise director said broadcast choices are not up to RCI.

They are but my guess is the accounting dept doesn't want to pay for them.

Thank You

One other picture request, Could you take a picture of the Vitality Cafe Menu/Smoothie list?

Removing any optional charge should be easy.

Expensive but would work, Rent a car after the 1st cruise and park it for a week to store it.

You have no justification telling me to lighten up when you tell someone they shouldn't be cruising if they can't spend $20. That is just rude and a winking emojii doesn't make it any more tolerable.

Lighten up :cool: ?

Royal seems to follow the path of:

1. Lets Try X, they do it on land. if people don't like it it stops, if they do;

2. Let's try a small fee to see if we can recoup some cost/make some money; repeat conclusions

3. Let's charge land based prices; repeat conclusions

4. Let's go above market value because of a captive audience/sell and experience.

Good Business Model.

I would wait and keep reading VOOM related threads about Harmony. We've had many reports which mentioned that iMessage texting can be sent/received without a VOOM package (just connected to wifi).

 

If really needed, the texting option within the Royal IQ app is $7.95 per device for the whole cruise.

Yes, Royal hasn't closed the imessage port, yet.

I am going to have to sneak into both on my next cruise

It is refreshing to see an intelligent answer on these boards.

If the thread was title: Tips for getting food to your cabin without using room service would be better.

The one where the drunk guy or girl walks away from leaving money in it.

Time to get the rum runners back out.

I don't concern myself with the actions of others when it comes to optional payments.

You are under NO obligation to tip more than what is charged to your account daily. Any drink you buy (or package) will have 18% added to the cost...that's ample tip.

 

Just leave the tips on your rooms, and you're done. There is no need or expectation to tip more.

Fixed.

You are under NO obligation to tip. Any drink you buy (or package) will have 18% added to the cost...that's ample tip.

does anyone have a an official count on tip threads?

 

So long as the cruise line charge these fees as gratuities, then it is up to the individual whether or not to pay them. It is that simple. The employees pay scale, what you earned when you waited tables, what you do in restaurants, breast feeding mothers, and the all the rest are irrelevant. "gratuities" are optional, some of us tip more, some don't, some pull the gratuities and tip in cash, and i'm sure some just don't tip at all. We are not all going to agree and we do not have to. This will only end when cruise lines move away from the term "gratuity" and make the fees mandatory. Like it or not, until then each person is free to do what they want.

496

Feel free to remove them and tip cash.