Semi-live... maybe fully live from Harmony... A tale of two cruises.

[perfect match]

Wow! What a first week you had! That said, I’m guessing I haven’t heard much of anything yet. I do hope that your DD is ok. I’ll definitely be following along. 

[nyyhoneybee]

You got me hooked hope DD is better

[Arzeena]

Looking forward to your cruise review.

I wish your DD the best of health and hope she is well now.

[Tree_skier]

Good morning from the Gulf of Mexico.

 

Last night was actually really lame… After a good dinner in MDR we just roamed the promenade for a while and then crashed early.  Last week was not a restful week 

 

Day 2 began fairly late for everyone since we were all up waiting for news on DD.  She felt better the pain was manageable and she got around rather gingerly.  The groups split up me with the GS, DW with GD’s and DD and SIL did there own thing.  Unfortunately later in the day things turned sour.  Fever developed, pain returned, so severely in caused vomiting. I can’t describe the fear in the pit of my stomach.  It was formal night and we dressed for it but it wasn’t a very festive affair.  DD was in the room praying the pain away. SIL was by her side and she wan’t no one else in the room.  Things were getting worse.  Back to Medical she went.  More tests showed she is fighting an infection antibiotics were given more IV.  IT is likely a combination of things.  A kidney stone and another more private thing she had had a problem with in the past hitting simultaneously.

 

The doctor is concerned about her being septic.  There is a conversation about diverting  the ship into Cozumel. We are panicking because… A. She has no insurance and… B. She only has that green card so getting home once she can travel will be a nightmare.  

 

I’m searching for flights from Cancun to Tijuana where I can arrange a friend to drive down and pick her up.  Simultaneously checking to see how payment can made for what will be astronomical costs.  

 

Before the final decision is made they want the head physician to assess her.  He finally gets there very late in the evening.  The antibiotics have started to take effect.  Pain is subsiding.  He says no to diverting and expects her to be able to enjoy the cruise.  I’m hoping day 2 this week is a little more relaxing than last week.

 

I’m sitting on a lounger in the solarium and relaxing.  Breakfast was in the Solarium Bistro.  The ship is full. Our waiter last night told us 6600 people.  Thankfully a lot must be newbies since SB was deserted when I got there.  

 

No chair hogs either.  I took this picture at 8:30 this morning.  The signage seems to be working.

 

 

 

We’ll I’m off I’ll check back in a little later…

 

 

[clochette]

I am so sorry for the beginning of your cruise, what a nightmare both paperwork and of course much worse your daughter's health, I hope that you can rest this week.

[DaniDanielle]

Wishing you better luck and a safe, happy cruise🙏🤞

[Tree_skier]

Quick room tour. Last week we were a 4D balcony. This week we are in cp balcony. They look exactly the same, only the view is different. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tree_skier]

A note of interest. Last week us diamonds were kicked out of the Crown Lounge during HH. Not that I cared as it never occurred to me to go at that time we have early traditional dining. However, this week we have access. I say it’s of interest since there are 400 more passengers this week than last.  
 

I interpret that to mean lots of kids and lots of newbies. We’ll see what the number look like at the top tier event tomorrow.  
 

[Sea Dog]

1 hour ago, Tree_skier said:

Good morning from the Gulf of Mexico.

 

Last night was actually really lame… After a good dinner in MDR we just roamed the promenade for a while and then crashed early.  Last week was not a restful week 

 

Day 2 began fairly late for everyone since we were all up waiting for news on DD.  She felt better the pain was manageable and she got around rather gingerly.  The groups split up me with the GS, DW with GD’s and DD and SIL did there own thing.  Unfortunately later in the day things turned sour.  Fever developed, pain returned, so severely in caused vomiting. I can’t describe the fear in the pit of my stomach.  It was formal night and we dressed for it but it wasn’t a very festive affair.  DD was in the room praying the pain away. SIL was by her side and she wan’t no one else in the room.  Things were getting worse.  Back to Medical she went.  More tests showed she is fighting an infection antibiotics were given more IV.  IT is likely a combination of things.  A kidney stone and another more private thing she had had a problem with in the past hitting simultaneously.

 

The doctor is concerned about her being septic.  There is a conversation about diverting  the ship into Cozumel. We are panicking because… A. She has no insurance and… B. She only has that green card so getting home once she can travel will be a nightmare.  

 

I’m searching for flights from Cancun to Tijuana where I can arrange a friend to drive down and pick her up.  Simultaneously checking to see how payment can made for what will be astronomical costs.  

 

Before the final decision is made they want the head physician to assess her.  He finally gets there very late in the evening.  The antibiotics have started to take effect.  Pain is subsiding.  He says no to diverting and expects her to be able to enjoy the cruise.  I’m hoping day 2 this week is a little more relaxing than last week.

 

I’m sitting on a lounger in the solarium and relaxing.  Breakfast was in the Solarium Bistro.  The ship is full. Our waiter last night told us 6600 people.  Thankfully a lot must be newbies since SB was deserted when I got there.  

 

No chair hogs either.  I took this picture at 8:30 this morning.  The signage seems to be working.

 

 

 

We’ll I’m off I’ll check back in a little later…

 

 

I’m sorry Dave to hear about your DD. I hope the antibiotics do their thing and she feels better and all of you can relax and enjoy your cruise. 
 

Nice that you gave access to the DL during happy hour on this keg. We really enjoyed happy hour in the DL.

[Tree_skier]

A couple more picture from the room.

 

the balcony and the view from the balcony. 
 

 

[Tree_skier]

 

Very different vibe this week. The solarium is deserted but the pool area is chaos. I went down to the casino and it was nearly deserted as well. 
 

Deck 15 has a little more of a crowd, but there’s still tons of seating down there.

 

As for entertainment, last week, we did all the shows. But I don’t have any intention of going back to Grease or Fine line.

 

I thought the performance of Greece was very poor. A couple of the Support actors were quite good, but the actors portraying Danny Zuko, and Sandra Dee were terrible. They had no chemistry and they lacked energy.

 

as for fine line, I don’t know I can sit through the weird Sufi spinner again. If they actually did some high dive stuff instead of just stomping around sort of dancing. I might enjoy it a little bit more, but there was too much of that and not enough of the actual diving to maintain my interest. 

 

We loved Columbus. It was fantastic and we plan on going back for an encore performance of that.

 

we go back for the skating show as well. I actually like the Iskate program better than 1887, but the figure skating is always a highlight for me.

 

 

 

 

[dani negreanu]

3 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

I’m sorry Dave to hear about your DD. I hope the antibiotics do their thing and she feels better and all of you can relax and enjoy your cruise. 

 

+ 1 🤞

[Tree_skier]

Just had my best session in the casino. Laid down $500 stake (my max loss for a cruise.) and walked after an hour of black jack up $510. That’ll put a down payment on last weeks medical bills. 😂

[Tree_skier]

Current state of affairs. Pub guitarist is just setting up. This’ll be my home for the next hour. 
 

Edited December 18, 2023 by Tree_skier

[taznremmy]

Dave , thanks for posting the link.  All caught up and following along.

So sorry to hear of the rough start to your cruise and hope DD is doing better by now. 
 

[nelblu]

19 hours ago, firefly333 said:

And he hasnt even mentioned the weather

When I disembarked Harmony on the 10th it was blustery and, in the low 50's.  It was warmer back home in NJ.🤣

 

I thought the disembarkation process in Bayonne was weird, but Galveston was even weirder.  Did self-assistance and was ready at the Promenade around 7AM.  The line was already long, and staff kept telling everyone to sit down and not stand around.  Most ignored the instructions.  At around the 7:30 mark there was movement.  We proceeded to an exit and onto the running/walking track on deck 5.  Walked a bit and went thru another entrance to the 5th deck. MDR.  Exited the MDR onto the opposite deck 5 track side.  After another couple hundred feet we finally escaped the ship.  Afterwards everything was very smooth until I got hit in the face with the cold wind.

 

Caught Galveston Express shuttle to Bush Int'l.  Shuttle was excellent and priced reasonably. Had a driver who was very knowledgeable of the many ways to get to the airport as we encountered heavy traffic about halfway to the airport and he took a few side roads and finally got on another roadway/expressway (610?). 

 

Going thru TSA was a bit of a hassle.  One of my carry-ons was pulled aside and had to wait for an officer to re-scan the bag, supposedly initially, the Xray machine could not scan the contents properly.  Finally made it to an Oasis in the airport-- the United Airlines Lounge.

[SteelCityCruiser10]

3 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

Current state of affairs. Pub guitarist is just setting up. This’ll be my home for the next hour. 
 

Who is the guitarist?  We usually enjoy the pub entertainment. Cheers 🍻 

[firefly333]

38 minutes ago, nelblu said:

When I disembarked Harmony on the 10th it was blustery and, in the low 50's.  It was warmer back home in NJ.🤣

 

I thought the disembarkation process in Bayonne was weird, but Galveston was even weirder.  Did self-assistance and was ready at the Promenade around 7AM.  The line was already long, and staff kept telling everyone to sit down and not stand around.  Most ignored the instructions.  At around the 7:30 mark there was movement.  We proceeded to an exit and onto the running/walking track on deck 5.  Walked a bit and went thru another entrance to the 5th deck. MDR.  Exited the MDR onto the opposite deck 5 track side.  After another couple hundred feet we finally escaped the ship.  Afterwards everything was very smooth until I got hit in the face with the cold wind.

 

Caught Galveston Express shuttle to Bush Int'l.  Shuttle was excellent and priced reasonably. Had a driver who was very knowledgeable of the many ways to get to the airport as we encountered heavy traffic about halfway to the airport and he took a few side roads and finally got on another roadway/expressway (610?). 

 

Going thru TSA was a bit of a hassle.  One of my carry-ons was pulled aside and had to wait for an officer to re-scan the bag, supposedly initially, the Xray machine could not scan the contents properly.  Finally made it to an Oasis in the airport-- the United Airlines Lounge.

Wow we were so lucky I guess. We said well anytime between 7:30 and 8 is fine no rush. Sometime half way between we walked forward, it's almost always faster in the forward elevator. There was a sign to the exit in the promenade and we just literally kept right on walking. Walked right on out. Hardly any crowd where I was. I texted my shuttle and they said walk down to blue 3 and I did and got on and was back in 10 minutes to pick up the rest of us. 

 

Went to Buckeyes and wasted some time then onto hobby. I was home past dallas by 2:30. Only one accident on I45 driving home. Not bad. Lol i stopped at a truck stop that has hardees. Along I45 but not in dallas. Ordered a western hamburger which was perfect. I hadnt had one onboard. Dont like rcls as much. 

[fla33023]

9 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

 

 

Before the final decision is made they want the head physician to assess her.  He finally gets there very late in the evening.  The antibiotics have started to take effect.  Pain is subsiding.  He says no to diverting and expects her to be able to enjoy the cruise.  I’m hoping day 2 this week is a little more relaxing than last week.

 

 

 

 

Where was the head doctor coming from? I wonder if he has different rates than the "lower level" doctor.

[molsonschooner]

7 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

 

Very different vibe this week. The solarium is deserted but the pool area is chaos. I went down to the casino and it was nearly deserted as well. 
 

Deck 15 has a little more of a crowd, but there’s still tons of seating down there.

 

As for entertainment, last week, we did all the shows. But I don’t have any intention of going back to Grease or Fine line.

 

I thought the performance of Greece was very poor. A couple of the Support actors were quite good, but the actors portraying Danny Zuko, and Sandra Dee were terrible. They had no chemistry and they lacked energy.

 

as for fine line, I don’t know I can sit through the weird Sufi spinner again. If they actually did some high dive stuff instead of just stomping around sort of dancing. I might enjoy it a little bit more, but there was too much of that and not enough of the actual diving to maintain my interest. 

 

We loved Columbus. It was fantastic and we plan on going back for an encore performance of that.

 

we go back for the skating show as well. I actually like the Iskate program better than 1887, but the figure skating is always a highlight for me.

 

 

 

 

we saw that spinny guy twice. That was twice too often. I just don't get it. I also agree about all the stomping. I did like the slack line guys, their balance is amazing

 

[George C]

7 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

 

Very different vibe this week. The solarium is deserted but the pool area is chaos. I went down to the casino and it was nearly deserted as well. 
 

Deck 15 has a little more of a crowd, but there’s still tons of seating down there.

 

As for entertainment, last week, we did all the shows. But I don’t have any intention of going back to Grease or Fine line.

 

I thought the performance of Greece was very poor. A couple of the Support actors were quite good, but the actors portraying Danny Zuko, and Sandra Dee were terrible. They had no chemistry and they lacked energy.

 

as for fine line, I don’t know I can sit through the weird Sufi spinner again. If they actually did some high dive stuff instead of just stomping around sort of dancing. I might enjoy it a little bit more, but there was too much of that and not enough of the actual diving to maintain my interest. 

 

We loved Columbus. It was fantastic and we plan on going back for an encore performance of that.

 

we go back for the skating show as well. I actually like the Iskate program better than 1887, but the figure skating is always a highlight for me.

 

 

 

 

We really liked the entire cast of Grease a couple weeks ago and wasn’t impressed with ice show , best show was definitely aqua show.

[perfect match]

Dave, glad your DD was able to get antibiotics and that she started feeling better. Hope her recovery has continued and she’s she’s back to normal now.

 

Congrats on your casino winnings! 

 

 

[sgmn]

Just catching up now. Sorry your first week got off to such a bad start with your g/daughter's docs and your daughter being so ill.  I hope she and the cruise improved and that you all had a good time. 

Looking forward to hearing more 

Sue

 

[Ourusualbeach]

Wow, just seeing this thread for the first time and had no ideas of the events that unfolded after being able to board.  I hope everything has turned out well for DD.

[firefly333]

42 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Wow, just seeing this thread for the first time and had no ideas of the events that unfolded after being able to board.  I hope everything has turned out well for DD.

I was surprised he managed to see Columbus. Was only 2 nights and the 2nd got cancelled. I heard the guy that played columbus lost his voice so they did a Christmas show instead they were working on for this week. Onboard feels a lot like Christmas already.