Harmony of the Seas "Nearly Live" - 11/19/16

[StlGal]

Having received so much from these boards and all of the incredible contributors I am going to "attempt" to pay it forward by doing a "nearly live" review of the first Harmony of the Seas Western Caribbean sailing. I will also post the compass for each day.

 

Just as an FYI we are traveling with no children so this review will only be from that perspective. I will not be doing a formal review but more of what we happen to be up to that day. We have no real plans per se for the week. The primary plan is to be doing a lot of relaxing, eating and drinking. We will sneak some workout and gym time in there somewhere as well I'm sure. 🤔 For us the ship is our destination as we have already been to all of the ports and realize that there is no way to do everything on these mega ships. We learned that the hard way our first time in the Allure.

 

This will be our first suite experience. So I will primarily be focusing on what the "the suite life" has to offer. We had originally booked a CP balcony but when the prices dropped we splurged a bit and upgraded to a GS. While staying in a GS is not a big deal for most… this is a big freakin deal for us. 😁😁😁 Obviously because we are "only" in a GS we will not have all of the suite perks including a personal butler. Butler schmutler, right???!!??

 

A little background about us… DH and I are both in our late 40's and try to find time to cruise (sans children) at least once a year. Sometimes we are successful in doing so and sometimes we aren't…. We have primarily cruised on RCCL, but have also tried Carnival and Disney. After this cruise we will officially be 3 points away from diamond. Which obviously doesn't even come close to most members on these boards. Maybe one day….. *sigh*.

 

We generally stick to ourselves when we cruise, as we both have very demanding jobs that often find us only spending an hour or two of waking time together each day. We are also often traveling for work and may not see each other for weeks at a time. So we use our cruising time to reconnect and to reenergize our batteries.

 

We booked our HOTS cruise over a year ago when RCCL announced that she would be built. We have been scouring the boards and internet to help with our planning ever since.

 

After months and months of planning and anticipation the time has come and it's finally our turn to enjoy all that she has to offer.

 

With much anticipation we arrived today at the airport a little over 2 hours before our flight was scheduled to depart. DH is a "2 hour guy". If you're not at least 2 hours early for your flight… you're late. If it's an excuse for me to leave the office early then I'm all in… go ahead…. twist my arm. 😂

 

We fly Southwest 98% of he time. I earned a Companion Pass" last year (did I mention that we often travel for work???). Which means that DH flies free whenever he flies with me. Free flight, drink coupons, good service and 2 free bags… who can pass that up???

 

We arrive in Orlando around midnight tonight. So it's directly to the hotel for us to catch some shut eye before we head off to Universal tomorrow morning to meet up with some Minions and Harry Potter. I am a HUGE Minion fan!!! DH humors my obsession… one of the many reasons I love him.

 

On a personal note, please be kind with your comments as this is my first "nearly live" or really any kind of review and I'm certain that it will not stack up next to some of the greats (Radio, A&L_Ont, niks_mom…. The list goes on and on). I will post more obscure pictures as there are plenty of the others on the board. I will also try to answer as many questions as I can during the week. Thanks for following along our version of "the suite life".

[tlcpandb]

Can't wait to follow! We are on the holiday cruise. Loved universal too!!! Central IL here and a Cubs fan!!! Hope you enjoy.

 

 

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[LilBlackDress]

Following along too...

 

We set sail in 99 days!! Finally hit double digits :) We are doing Universal Studios too mainly for Minions and Harry Potter too lol We just haven't decided if we are doing it pre cruise or post cruise. Since we are driving we have options! I wouldn't mind pics of that too :D

 

Enjoy your Suite...It is a big deal :) so make sure you enjoy it!!

 

if you can get either a copy of the menus or the order that would be awesome!! I would really appreciate it :)

[easyboy]

Nice start. Will be following.

[racerxspeedy]

Looking forward to your review. Please try to post a copy of the "showtimes at a glance" document. Im trying to determine the time and dates for the secondary ice and water shows (iskate and hideaway heist).

Thanks!!

[vacationlover_mn]

Looking forward to your review!!

 

 

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[Clarea]

Excellent start, looking forward to more.:)

[melted2002]

following:)

[klass2]

Looking forward to seeing the Western Caribbean compasses.

 

Enjoy your time in Orlando before the cruise.

 

 

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[suesnake2002]

I will be happily following,especially for the first time suite review. I have my first suite booked March 2018

[StlGal]

DH and I made it to Universal this morning at 8:30 am. They started letting general admission tickets enter at 8:45 am (15 minutes before the posted opening time).

 

The park is not very crowded and we have been able to walk directly into the first 3 rides (Minions, Transformers & The Mummy). There is something to be said for "off season".

 

I was doing okay until the last ride and then The Mummy got the best of me and I'm feeling a little green right now. [emoji29]

 

 

I am in Minion heaven.

 

Thanks for following along.

 

 

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[clochette]

great start and enjoy universal.

[TickledBlue]

I was doing okay until the last ride and then The Mummy got the best of me and I'm feeling a little green right now.

 

Sounds like you are having a great time, so why are you posting here? :)

 

Thanks for letting us live vicariously through these posts though.

 

Feeling green? You ought to have an autistic son (who cannot ride by himself) who loves rollercoasters and wants to go on many times in a row. That makes Dad very green.

[KPaul]

I am so very excited for this review as we are on Harmony's second Western itinerary sailing, also kid free! We fly to Ft Lauderdale in two weeks and will spend a couple of days relaxing on the beach before boarding HOTS.

 

Looking forward to see the daily cruise compasses and menus. As well as all the obscure pictures you post. DH and I love to find little hidden spots on every cruise ship we go on.

[StlGal]

Please try to post a copy of the "showtimes at a glance" document. Im trying to determine the time and dates for the secondary ice and water shows (iskate and hideaway heist).

 

Thanks!!

 

 

I'm not really sure exactly what the "showtimes at a glance" is. But I will try to find it and post for you.

 

 

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[StlGal]

 

Feeling green? You ought to have an autistic son (who cannot ride by himself) who loves rollercoasters and wants to go on many times in a row. That makes Dad very green.

 

 

Oh my!!! [emoji15]

 

 

 

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[StlGal]

 

Looking forward to see the daily cruise compasses and menus. As well as all the obscure pictures you post. DH and I love to find little hidden spots on every cruise ship we go on.

 

 

I will post the daily cruise compasses. At this time we don't have any plans to eat in the MDR. However, I will try to get pictures of the menus and post them as well.

 

 

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[StlGal]

Okay so I sat for a bit and thought that the "green" feeling had passed. So going on the Harry Potter ride which we are told by a park worker goes "only 5 MPH and shifts slightly from side to side and up and down". Hmmm... I thought "okay doesn't sound all that crazy". I should have just left well enough alone and called it a day because well, let's just say I'm currently drinking a sprite and eating saltine crackers.

 

 

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[StlGal]

Central IL here and a Cubs fan!!! Hope you enjoy.

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Congratulations on the win this year. I'm not going to lie though once the Cards were out DH and I were rooting for ABTC - Anybody But The Cubs.

 

 

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[StlGal]

Some more Universal pics

 

 

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[StlGal]

 

Dial MAGIC when your in the booth for a surprise.

 

 

We never did get to see him breathe fire. I think there were some issues because they had this ride shutdown.

 

The smells in this shop were simply amazing!! It was hard to resist.

 

 

 

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[ravenjls]

I will post the daily cruise compasses. At this time we don't have any plans to eat in the MDR. However, I will try to get pictures of the menus and post them as well.

 

 

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Thank you....I am looking forward to reading this review including the menus and compasses!

[StlGal]

Received the following email from the concierge last week:

 

It is our pleasure to welcome you onboard the beautiful Harmony of the Seas We are honored that you have selected Royal Caribbean International for your cruise vacation

 

We are Raj and Mohamed, your onboard Concierges. We are available to assist you throughout your cruise vacation from 8:00 am to 11:00 am and 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm daily in the Suite Lounge on Deck 17 Aft.

As a Sky Suite guest, you are offered exclusive amenities and services not available to other guests onboard.

 

For your convenience, here is a brief summary of our services:

· Use of the Suite Lounge located on deck 17 aft.

· A la Carte breakfast in Coastal Kitchen, Check the Daily Compass for the opening hours, (No reservation required)

· Continental Breakfast serve in the lounge. Same hours than the Coastal Kitchen.

· A la carte lunch from 12.00 to 1:30 pm on sea days in Coastal Kitchen, Deck 17, (No reservations required)

· Dinner served in Coastal Kitchen from 06:00 pm to 09:30 pm, Deck 17, (Reservations required)

· Bar service is available from 11:00 am to 11:00 pm in the Suite Lounge, serving a wide array of beverages for purchase.

· Hors d'oeuvres, petit fours and complimentary bar setup with a selection of wine, spirits, beer and soft drinks every evening from 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm.

· Spa bathrobes for use onboard and upgraded bathroom amenities

· Exclusive Reception for Suite guests with Senior Officers. (Invitation will be sent to your suite).

· In Suite Dining. Full Dining Room menu privilege through Room Service, available when the Dining Room is open (For menus, please refer to your stateroom television).

· Priority reservations for any of our specialty restaurants, onboard activities, Shore Excursions, and Vitality Spa services.

· Private sun deck with loungers and cabanas on deck 17 forward.

· Show Reservations are not required for all Sky Suite guests . Please show your Sea Pass card at the entrance 20 minutes prior to show time as booked seats will be given away 10 minutes prior to show time. For Comedy show tickets, please see your Concierge or reserve now through the Royal IQ App.

· Limited VIP seats for the shows in Royal Theater (First 2 rows center, Deck 5), Studio B (Three front rows on left hand side pavilion) and Aqua Theater (first 2 rows from the top). Please show your Sea Pass card at the entrance 20 minutes prior to show time as booked seats will be given away 10 minutes prior to show time.

· Priority departure. Please ask your Concierges for more details.

 

The Suite Lounge is a private area exclusive for guests staying in the Star Class and Sky Class categories and is accessible 24 hours a day with your SeaPass card.

 

We respectfully request that guests observe a Smart Casual dress code when visiting the Lounge (no bathrobes, no swim or pool attire is allowed, and footwear is required at all times). Please be informed that during the cocktail hours on formal nights, shorts, sandals and tank tops are not permitted in the lounge. We encourage all of our Guests to follow the evening dress code reflected on the daily Evening Planner.

To ensure all our guests are able to enjoy these exclusive venues, we require that all minors must be well behaved and accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times.

 

The lounge is designated a smoke-free area. Food and beverages are for consumption within the lounge only.

It would be our pleasure to assist you in any way to make your cruise experience the more enjoyable and wish you an unforgettable time onboard the Harmony of the Seas.

 

Harmony of the Seas is the newest and largest smart ship in the world. We recommend you download the Royal IQ App before coming onboard in order to have quick and convenient access to the most up to date information regarding daily activities and programming, access to show, dining, and Shore Excursion reservations, account information, chat service, and so much more!

 

We look forward to hearing from you and meeting you in person. Please feel free to email us with any questions you may have at the following addresses: hm_concierge01@rccl.com and hm_concierge02@rccl.com

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Raj Bhugwath

Concierge | Harmony of the Seas

hm_concierge02@rccl.com

[StlGal]

We have had a long day today with limited sleep last night. So we are calling it a night. It is dark outside so that technically makes it nighttime, right???

 

But before we headed back to the hotel we headed over to Chuy's for an early dinner/late lunch. For those who have never been it is yummy Tex-Mex food. They have the best chips!!! I also love the quirky colorful decor.

 

We will detox when we get back home. Seriously who can resist these chips??!!??!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[racerxspeedy]

I'm not really sure exactly what the "showtimes at a glance" is. But I will try to find it and post for you.

 

 

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This is the Eastern version of the Showtimes at a Glance:

 

 

They should have these available Day 1 - Thanks!!!