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womack214

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Posts posted by womack214

    WOW bands - your thoughts?

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    We liked the wow bands. The sea pass cards cannot be hole punched anymore so it was nice to be able to just have the band. Of course getting on and off the ship you will need the card and I believe you needed the card at muster drill. Someone will correct me if I am wrong on that. I don’t recall having any issues at MDR or stores with using the bands. I think the bands were $5 and well worth it for us and especially for young adults under 18.

     

     

    Sent from my iPhone using Forums

    Just off Harmony Oct 21st....any questions??

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    Got off the 14th as well and this was a very real issue. Way too many of the non-American guests were awful, inconsiderate, and rude. We didn't notice a similar issue last year in October though we did sail Carnival last year. Maybe a different crowd? I'm not sure. We'll try October again and hope for the best. Definitely avoid MSC :)

     

     

     

    I think you have to remember what is “rude” to Americans isn’t always the same way in other cultures. Have to try and remember that and respect the differences. Some cultures believe it not cordial to eat a meal with one hand in your lap yet Americans do that. It’s just a difference in culture.

     

     

    Sent from my iPhone using Forums

    Observations from Harmony Cruise....

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    We were on Harmony in September, and went up to the Card Room (where Royal Online is on that ship) and we accessed the internet at no charge. You can go to the airline websites and print out boarding passes for free. We even changed our flight to an earlier one via the Southwest website. o charge. We did not try to go to any other websites so I don't know what other access there is, but others in our group mentioned they were able to access their airline websites from there as well, at no charge.

     

     

     

    Maybe the person who was on it before you did not log out. You have to log in to access the internet. Or at least we had to. I found that if I did not log out during that time frame then I could open the browser over and over and over again.

    Observations from Harmony Cruise....

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    Unless and until RCI confirms this as a feature, we have to chalk it up to chance and right circumstances. Others have reported that on ships with Royal IQ, some internet traffic (like iMessage) comes through, but I'm not sure everyone can expect that. Also, I have a feeling this would have worked even if the Royal IQ app was never installed.

     

     

    Yes I would agree that it would work without the app installed. The app is nice though because you have the compass at your fingertips.

    Observations from Harmony Cruise....

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    How did you enter the room to get the SeaPasses on the bed? Was the door open?

     

     

    They put one seapass in an envelope outside the door.

     

    If you used your passport as your ID, did they still take your photo? (Two weeks ago in Miami, they did not.)

     

    Yes photo is taken at port when checking in for seapass account.

     

    Seems like new-build ships are going to this. It's supposed to be an energy-saving feature and I first saw it in the UK a few years ago. Not sure how effective it is as a power-saver since any card-like object can be left in the slot indefinitely.

     

     

    Agree but most people will leave it in there but still use the switch to turn out the light when leaving the room.

     

    Uh-oh, is this a fleetwide change or just on Harmony? I'll be on the Indy in February and I have a lot of the hole-type lanyards, but few of the other..

     

    I'm wondering if this change and the Wow bands are related?

     

    The cards are now RFD cards and will deactivate if you punch a hole in them.

    Just off Harmony Oct 21st....any questions??

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    We had the WOW bands on the Quantum before it went to China. They were in place of your ship card and I believe we used them as the “key” to get in the stateroom along with charging for drinks,etc. around the ship. Is that how they work now? And why charge us for them? You mentioned that you needed a ship card left in a slot in your room to keep electric on, similar to many hotels. Was that a hassle? Thanks for any reply!

     

     

     

    Yes the wow band gets you in your room, buys food and drinks, gets you into shows, and gets you accounted for at muster. Yes the light switch was a hassle in my opinion. We just put a different card in it and left it in there. Once there is a card in it you can use the light switch to turn it on and off.

    Observations from Harmony Cruise....

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    I just want to understand this part.

     

     

    Did you purchase a VOOM package?

     

    Did you purchase the texting capability for Royal IQ for $7.95?

     

     

     

    NOPE. I know that is why I put it in bold. We boarded on Saturday. I noticed that it showed I was connected to their wifi. I double checked that my cellular data was off, my phone was in airplane mode as well. I had a wifi connection. I would get notifications on my phone and thought what in the world? I downloaded the Royal IQ app which is free for all to download over the ships wifi. I was able to access everything on the app. So I thought well lets see if we can Imessage since that is not usually sent over data connection and yup we could imessage. We do not usually use our phones while onboard except for picture taking and we never purchase internet until it is time to print boarding passes upstairs and that is only purchased for a 60 minute duration so I can print them. You could not surf the internet or do facebook or anything like that but you can imessage.

    Observations from Harmony Cruise....

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    These are just some observations from our week on Harmony.

     

    We received our sea pass cards at our room. One outside the door in an envelope and the other inside the room on the bed. Pictures taken at the port counter.

     

    The lights in the rooms will not stay on unless you put a card in the slot by the door inside, you can use any type of hard plastic credit card size and leave it in there the whole trip and then use the light switch to turn on and off.

     

    Wow bands were purchased at Boleros as soon as we embarked for $4.95 each. You are given one according to your muster station. If you buy a wow band then you will only need your sea pass card when leaving the ship in a port. Otherwise the band functions as your sea pass card.

     

    The lines at customer service are much more efficient because they have someone standing at the end of the line with an Ipad to help you with quick questions eliminating the need to wait in line.

     

    Everyone can download the Royal IQ App. This app will allow you access the compass, your onboard account, and many other things regarding the cruise. This is all free! Also, you can download this app and it will allow you to communicate with your family around the ship if you have an iPhone and use Imessage!!! Free wifi communication. You read that correctly. No more walkie talkies and sticky notes on doors!!! Free communication via wifi when you download the Royal IQ App and have Imessage.

     

    The Abyss---You must have on a T-shirt or long sleeve to ride. Flip flops are ok as well as shorts. Glasses can be on your shirt as well. THe slide has lights in it and is not scary.

     

     

    The blue water slide---no lights, made me dizzy, slow.

     

     

    The Aqua shows at the beginning of the week are different than Wed- Friday shows.

     

     

    There is a guy who plays the piano throughout the ship and sings. He is amazing. Even takes his piano in the elevator singing while you ride.

     

     

    We were able to take a case of water on board no problem. We sent it to our room with our luggage.

     

     

    Rooms were not available until 1pm.

     

     

    You can no longer punch a hole in your sea pass card to attach to your lanyard. IF this is how you carried it before you will have to buy a new lanyard with a plastic carry pouch or buy the wow band so you don't have to carry the card while on the ship.

     

     

    Formal nights were Sunday and Wednesday.

     

     

    People wore pretty much what they wanted in the MDR on any night.

     

     

    Excursion desk is now a bunch of ipads where you can browse and buy yourself. They usually have one employee there to aid you if needed. You can print your own tickets for the excursions or they can print them and deliver to your room.

     

     

    Special Voom desk was setup on deck 5 for internet questions/issues most of the day.

     

     

    Lifeguards on duty all day.

     

     

    That is all I can think of right now. I just wanted to let people know of some differences on Harmony vs. Allure and Oasis and Liberty.

    Just off Harmony Oct 21st....any questions??

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    Awesome!!! We are going on her next Saturday!! We’ve been on both Allure and Oasis but this will be our first time on Harmony and we are super excited!

    * Tell me about the slides? I haven’t read much about them but look forward to trying them for sure!

    * Did you try any of the specialty restaurants?

    * Has Harmony switched to the new menu in the MDR?

     

    That’s it.... For now ��

     

     

     

    We had also been on Allure and Oasis prior to Harmony. The rooms on Harmony are designed batter and fell much larger.

    I went on the blue slide....it was slow and dark. You can get dizzy easy in that one because you have no sense of where you are. I also went on Abyss. It was FUN! It is scarier standing at the top than it was going down. There was not a big drop like was expecting. It has lights inside. You must have on at a minimum a t-shirt with short sleeves and shorts. You cannot take anything down the slide except your glasses. Flip flops are ok.

     

    We ate at Izumi. The food was good but I have decided we won't ever pay that again because I can have Hibachi here at home. So after the fact we decided it was not worth the money for something we can have anytime.

    Just off Harmony Oct 21st....any questions??

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    What do you think the percentage of American guests? We got off Harmony on the 14th and I have to say it was only about 25-30% if that. Trying to decide if it is just this time of year, port, itinerary or ship. A lot of us had issues with language barriers and rudeness.

     

    Not trying to start an issue, but trying to decide if we need to skip October all together.

     

     

     

    I think any ship out of Florida has a higher international passenger rate. We just try and make sure we are always respectful of others and not worry about how they act. Other cultures don't see the same things to be rude like Americans do. Just a difference in culture.

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