Picture Imperfect: Live on Harmony

[rsharp83]

Believe me, she has tried to talk us into packing less. But on Southwest Bags Fly Free! The photo of our packing process isn't nearly all the stuff we are packing. We do use packing cubes and Amy just ordered the travel bag that Kathy featured today on her live packing video. But we are not the only over packers on this trip. 

 

In light of the packing discussion here is our Cruise News on packing. It features some info on three different approaches to packing for a cruise. 

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/kk339epkb2mjdao/Cruise News Harmony 2019 Packing.pdf?dl=0

[er345]

I am loving reading your cruise news! Thank you so much for sharing these. I am mighty impressed with your pre cruise planning.

[Sea Dog]

Hello rsharp83, Greetings from nearby Lee's Summit, MO. Following along with your adventures on Harmony. We will be on the ship in October!

[rsharp83]

The Packing Continues! 

 

I am currently up for Amazon customer of the month! Because in the last 3 days I have ordered so much stuff for the cruise that UPS has made my house a drop station! It all started innocently enough with ordering a strap for my sunglasses. If it had only stopped there...

 

Then I took the plunge when one of our cruise-mates said he had ordered an upgraded GoPro. It was waterproof without the case. Consequently I decided I needed to up my camera game. But I don't do GoPro. Spending $400 or more on a camera I am going to strap on my head and do some dangerous/stupid thing just seems wrong. Not because of the dangerous/stupid thing...but because the camera I might smash costs $400!  That's why I have a knock off Go Pro, or as I refer to it, FauxPro. 

 

I immediately started hunting for an upgrade to my AKASO EK7000 camera. This camera has been a good little warrior and I have no complaints. But when you put the casing on it to make it waterproof it mutes the sound. So picking up audio is tough. I wanted a waterproof one...and sure enough they have such a beast. The AKASO EK7000 Pro 4K Action Camera with Touch Screen EIS Adjustable View Angle 40m Waterproof Camera. Without the case it is waterproof up to 13 feet. And best of all, its less than $80. And If I signed up for an Amazon credit card I would get $70 off. I couldn't resist.

 

I can tell you that the last cruise was a GoPro vs FauxPro duel. And in the end you can't tell any difference in the video quality.  Here is a short movie we made of our adventures on Adventure in 2017.  Watch closely at the waterfall, there is a large rock/boulder that crashes into the water at the speed of sound. In a place where we were all standing not 2 minutes before that rock hit. It must have slid off the rim of the bluff next to the waterfall. We had no idea what had happened until we watched the footage later. If that rock had hit one of us...

 

This is the 2:30 video of the whole cruise:    https://youtu.be/l8EuEtU69P4

 

This is the 11 seconds of the crashing rock   https://youtu.be/VcyimQVgtBA

 

But, I digress. The camera started the shopping frenzy. Then Kathy started posting video of all her cool packing gadgets and bags. She went "Facebook Live" from the travel section of the Container Store highlighting all sorts of "must have travel items."  Then she shows us her incredibly cool travel organizer toiletry bag thing that my wife started drooling over. Official name is Travelon Total Toiletry Kit, I have to admit it is a pretty cool bag. 

 

Lucky for me, the nearest Container Store was over an hour away. Unlucky for Daughter #1's boyfriend, the Container Store is blocks from their apartment. She immediately headed that way, it's right across from Chipolte, so basically my daughter could live there. Daughter #1 did manage to sort of control herself at the Container Store, I am proud of her. Now she wants to organize EVERYTHING she owns. Apologizes to her boyfriend Riley. 

 

Amy headed to the internet and with a few keystrokes found the travel bag, Only 2 left in stock -- order now! We ordered now. In the packing process we decided that we needed more packing cubes. We have become packing cube people. Yes, we scoffed at the packing cube thing initially. "Who needs those?" Well as it turns out, WE need those. And what started out as a trial purchase of one set of cubes a year ago has now exploded. We purchased them for our daughters, we have now convinced the in-laws, we told everyone on our cruise about them. And yesterday we decided we needed more.  In total (not all for us) there are 4 sets of cubes arriving over the next 2 days. I will say that the cubes are great and it helps in a lot of ways. You can get sets for less than $20 if you shop around. 

 

I then decided I needed a gadget bag of some kind. I have endless cords, chargers, batteries, gizmos, etc. I usually stuff them in my backpack but that has become a bit of a mess. I found a nice gadget bag for $15 and it arrives today. So I can stuff all the new camera doodads in it. 

 

Then there are these little bag oriented pill organizers from a company called Lewis n Clark. We have those coming too. Last but not least, a dry erase board with some magnetic tape. We used to have one..can't find it. With a group it might be helpful. 

 

My entire email inbox is Amazon alerts. I need this cruise to get here soon so I can spend less money! 

 

 

[OCSC Mike]

You still pack too much.  🙂  That said, my wife believes in cubes (I hate them) and she also bought a gadget bag for our 18-day Alaska trip last summer and it came in handy.  We also got some cheap white boards for our last family cruise.  They were useful and our young nieces liked leaving/reading notes.  However we also woke up to some not-so-family-friendly  drawings/messages a couple times.  🙈

 

I have a somewhat random but specific question for ya btw but I'll wait until you're on board since you won't be able to answer it until at least June 7th.  If you have any Disney questions, let me know.

[rsharp83]

Camera Update

 

The AKASO EK700 Pro is here. But I guess I didn't understand the description or I just, in haste, didn't read closely enough. It is NOT waterproof without the case. It is waterproof to 131 feet with the improved case (I will never be that deep). But it does have features my old one didn't like: image stabilization, an underwater light mode, touch screen, different view angles, etc.  I am trying to justify the fact that I purchased it without realizing the thing I wanted most, truly waterproof with no case, is not part of this camera. But daughter #1 will be happy to use my old one and I get a new toy to mess with on this trip. So it's not a bad thing, just a thing. 

[Familygoboston]

42 minutes ago, rsharp83 said:

Camera Update

 

The AKASO EK700 Pro is here. But I guess I didn't understand the description or I just, in haste, didn't read closely enough. It is NOT waterproof without the case. It is waterproof to 131 feet with the improved case (I will never be that deep).

OH NO!! Well, it’ll still be fun! 

And im sorry about the luggage blizzard at your house. But frankly after seeing your “pin” bag, you might have been due! 🙄

 

1 hour ago, OCSC Mike said:

You still pack too much.  🙂  .  However we also woke up to some not-so-family-friendly  drawings/messages a couple times.  🙈

 

 

Whoa! We’ve have notes, even drawings but usually nice stuff! I guess it all depends how many 13yo boys are on board! 🤣

[OCSC Mike]

4 minutes ago, Familygoboston said:

Whoa! We’ve have notes, even drawings but usually nice stuff! I guess it all depends how many 13yo boys are on board! 🤣

 

Or drunken idiots.  They're dry erase for a reason.  🙂

[Familygoboston]

So this is it for 2 weeks. We cross pack a large garment bag and one roller duffle (each half filled with both our things so if one bag goes missing one of us doesn’t  have to go around naked. Instead both of us go around 1/2 naked 🤣) 

We each have a carryon and a small back pack to take on board the ship. 

This is “heavy” packing for us because we are cruising. (And you don’t have to drag your luggage around every day!) 

We head for Orlando early tomorrow. I’ll post a few pics from Mouseland when we get there! 

Bon Voyage to the rest of the MO contingent! See you real soon! 😍

Edited May 27, 2019 by Familygoboston

[mellibee]

From Overland Park, KS! Following along as we will be on Harmony mid-June. :) BTW...we LOVE cruising and WDW! 

[rsharp83]

Stuff to Bring

I thought I would finish up the packing info with one of the Cruise News editions. This one deals with odds and ends you might not think of packing. It's geared more for new cruisers and it's far from an exhaustive list of handy things that you can bring. It also has some info on Sea Pass cards and WOW Bands, how they work and how to get them etc.  I will share some other newsletters as this week goes on. 

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jel2hn6x6cmzjoo/Cruise News Harmony 2019 What to Bring.pdf?dl=0

 

 

[Familygoboston]

Coming to you LIVE, from the sky! 

So ...as you might be aware,  our Boston Bruins took game one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in Boston last night. We stayed up late and arrived at the airport at 6 AM. A family of adult children and their 70 yo mom were waiting at the terminal with us for a flight for their nephews/grandson’s graduation in FL. They decided a shot of FIREBALL would be an excellent breakfast. Or maybe they thought it was mouthwash? 😜

 

 Mom gave them a withering look. In any case, they were friendly folks, they offered me one too! (I politely declined) and we chatted about the Bruins win and our vacations. Mom got up to use the bathroom, and they went right back to the nip back, boom, another shot, and they dump the evidence before mom returns. 

Hubby: “that was the last one?!” 

Wife: “Well, yeah, we had the one at home, plus one in the parking lot.” 😳

So 4 nips in we get discussing their Orlando plans. They tell me they are getting a rental car, their sister will be driving. I say “Good plan” We all laugh. 🤣

 

 

[tcmagnum]

16 hours ago, rsharp83 said:

Stuff to Bring

I thought I would finish up the packing info with one of the Cruise News editions. This one deals with odds and ends you might not think of packing. It's geared more for new cruisers and it's far from an exhaustive list of handy things that you can bring. It also has some info on Sea Pass cards and WOW Bands, how they work and how to get them etc.  I will share some other newsletters as this week goes on. 

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jel2hn6x6cmzjoo/Cruise News Harmony 2019 What to Bring.pdf?dl=0

 

 

 

Quick note to let you know that I LOVE the newsletters you are sharing.  I've cruised before, but I find it a helpful reminder on do's/don't's.

Have a great trip!!!

[zencruisers]

Following along. Thank you for sharing!

 

[rsharp83]

Let's Talk About Food

 

I just had lunch which means it's as good a time as any to talk about food. When I researched my first cruise the most confounding thing to get a handle on was food. I read endless rants about how terrible the food was, right next to endless pictures of food and how great it was. What?? I quickly learned that one of the most hotly debated topics on CC is food. But at that time I didn't know what to think. 

 

As we prepared for Harmony I wanted to communicate to everyone about all their food options. On Harmony there are a lot of options! I give a few opinions here but mostly I stick to what is available that's included and what you can purchase. It's a big, way to wordy, look at food on Harmony!

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/irvwdc8j7o12tj9/Cruise News Harmony 2019 FOOD.pdf?dl=0

[Wildcatfish]

Wow! The Harmony Food Issue is amazing!  That is the best collection of "food" information I've seen. Although specifically for Harmony, most of it covers other Oasis class ships.  Thank you!

 

btw familygoboston... speaking of sports... all in good fun...

Edited May 29, 2019 by Wildcatfish

[OCSC Mike]

Agreed, very comprehensive info.  It even has the specifics of the WJ like to make sure to check the back for the “specialty” area that changes daily.  We actually enjoy the WJ & usually have dinner there b/c DW is very picky so MDR doesn’t work for her & I like to eat so buffets are fine by me.  But I digress...

 

E-A-G-L-E-S..... EAGLES!!!

[rsharp83]

Thinkin' 'Bout Drinkin'

 

If you thought the Food issue of Cruise News was detailed...hang on. If there is another topic besides food that gets a lot of run here on CC it is Alcohol. Specifically if you should spend $X on a beverage package? It's an endlessly asked question with no one answer. However, I will give you the most extensive info I can concerning drinking on Harmony. I am not a big drinker but I have purchased the plan on some cruises and not on others. Depends on the cruise, the group I'm going with, the sea days vs. port days and the pricing. 

 

So here it is...way more than you may want to know about alcohol on Harmony including an extensive list of drinks you can order!

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4i7m5hiq9oterrk/Cruise News Harmony 2019 Drinking.pdf?dl=0

[RazorbackIslandGirl]

Loving this review! Looking forward to another review from you both together. Following! Thanks for taking us along for the ride!

[Sea Dog]

Great compilation of the drinks and kinds of alcohol that is served on Harmony. Thank you for your hard work. I have heard and saw a picture that the rising tide bar has some high end liquors like Louis XIII Cognac for $135 for a 1 once pour. Do you know if this is true? I always wanted to drink some Louie and for $135 even though expensive is far cheaper than buying a bottle for over $2,000.

[Familygoboston]

On 5/28/2019 at 9:07 PM, Wildcatfish said:

Wow! The Harmony Food Issue is amazing!  That is the best collection of "food" information I've seen. Although specifically for Harmony, most of it covers other Oasis class ships.  Thank you!

 

btw familygoboston... speaking of sports... all in good fun...

So 2017! 🤣

 

Do you all see what I’ve been saying about my friend Randys newsletters? They are spectacular!! I’m so proud! 🥰

[Familygoboston]

2 hours ago, RazorbackIslandGirl said:

Loving this review! Looking forward to another review from you both together. Following! Thanks for taking us along for the ride!

Aww thanks!! Great to see you here again too! Hope things are going well! 

[Familygoboston]

DOING DISNEY ?  

With Harmony coming out of PC for a while, more people might be considering a pre or post Disney trip. Here is a little round up of the first 2 days of our Disney Pre Trip. We are staying at the beach club villas resort. 

Tip 1: I’m not sure I can promote them here, but if you do a little research you can easily rent Disney Vacation Club properties for about 1/2 the rack rate by using a DVC members un needed points. There are a couple of 3rd party vendors who facilitate this, easily found in the Unofficial Guide to Disney World. We paid fir a deluxe resort the same as the cost of a moderate resort. We don’t get daily maid service, but they take the trash out and replace towels if you need. 

So far we’ve visited EPCOT for the Garden Festival. Which has been beautiful! 

 

TIP 2: If you visit during an EPCOT festival, there are kiosks with special “snacks” for sale all over the park. You won’t need to book restaurants if you don’t mind wandering and noshing. Portions are “snack sized” but a lot cheaper than standard meals at Disney. 

 

On our second day we visited Animal Kingdom park. 

TIP 3: If you haven’t been to WDW in 3 or more years, there are  a few big changes. First is you’ll be able to make dining reservations months ahead of time  (depending on where you stay) before you arrive. Popular places go fast so you’ll need to plan out which park you’ll want to visit, so you can plan your dining. 

Next a window will open for you to plan your 3 FP attractions (as long as you’ve bought your tickets in advance. These are carefully scheduled one hour windows that can’t overlap. So again, thoughtful planning is required to know what you’d like to do and which of these is must popular and worth using your 3 FP+ 

The last big change is you’ll manage all of this on a phone app called My Disney Experience that pairs with a “magic band” preloaded with your plans as well as your credit card number. WDW is like cruising now, you can travel the “WORLD” with nothing more than your smart phone and your magic band! 

 

This is a very brief digest, broad outline of ideas to think about if you are planning a pre or post Disney trip. 

 

The big big story this week has been the high 90 degree temps! We’ve been hydrating and taking breaks! And we are thankful while it’s not AZ dry, it’s akso not FL humid either! 🙏

[OCSC Mike]

Glad you guys are enjoying it here.  We were actually at Typhoon Lagoon earlier tonight for a special event.  Disney Parks Blog has contests for locals where you win entry to special events, movie screenings, etc.

 

First time I can ever remember a dry heat here and I’ve been here since 2000.  You guys caught a break despite the near-record highs this week.

 

As for Epcot food festivals (which now run just about year-round, Food & Wine is like 3 months long), snack size is being generous for some items.  Almost all the food at Disney is overpriced of course but unless you’re a light eater, it takes a lot of those tiny plates to make a full meal.  Just tried a Sea World food festival for the 1st time & it put Epcot to shame.  They had special deals for pass holders, bigger portions, & bogo drinks on Friday nights.

 

Anyway, enjoy the rest of your stay!

[rsharp83]

What to Wear?

 

I'm no fashion expert, but there are always questions about clothing and what you should and shouldn't wear. Here's a quick primer on what clothing you need for a cruise. Please pay no heed to our fashion choices!

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dqflq1tpkjqyzn7/Cruise News Harmony 2019 Clothing.pdf?dl=0