Live: Harmony of the Seas Western Caribbean Aug 25

[ceilidh1]

This is my first time posting on RC boards, so be gentle with me! I have only sailed RC once before, a long time ago (pre-kids), on Serenade of the Seas. While the cruise was “fine” there was nothing that made me anxious to book another RC sailing, and I stuck to my (former) favourite, Princess for a long time. Well, things have changed, I started exploring other options, other lines, other itineraries…and here we are!

 

 

[ceilidh1]

Background:

 

On this sailing will be myself, DD (17) and DS (13). We have all sailed many times, usually on Princess, but starting to explore other lines. We are very spoiled as we live within an 8 minute walk of the cruise port in Vancouver – for this reason, the majority of our cruises have been Alaska or West Coast (no flight costs).

 

This sailing on Harmony was all my DD’s doing. She had been begging to sail on Wonder ever since it was first announced as a build. I occasionally looked and was horrified at pricing, so ruled it out very quickly. I will admit that I’m also not a “mega ship” kind of gal – not that I’ve sailed on a true mega ship, but I dislike crowds, lines, over stimulation, pretty much all the things I think of when I think of these huge ships. However, we were looking at something to do this summer, and the Harmony sailing on August 25^th popped up with a great deal. DD was fine with it not being Wonder, given that much of what appealed to her was on Harmony. Without even thinking about it, I booked…and immediately got buyer’s remorse. After paying that non-refundable deposit, I started to discover that this bargain cruise was not such a bargain after all...

[ceilidh1]

Pre-Cruise:

 

Living in Vancouver, flights are outrageous prices to just about anywhere – including Houston! I had a discount code for Air Canada (the only non-stop option from Vancouver) so was able to save a little money by using that, but the flights still added another $2500CAD to our “bargain” cruise.

 

I refuse to fly in same day, so looked at options for a hotel in Galveston – last time we stayed at Homewood Suites and, while the hotel was fine, it was so far away from EVERYTHING. Even just to go for lunch, we would need to get an Uber. This time I was interested in staying near the Strand so ended up booking Harbor House. It was more pricey than I would have liked, but I had an Amex offer to get $100 credit on hotel bookings plus there was a deal if you booked 2 nights so I ended up getting 2 nights at Harbor House for $800CAD (still more than I wanted but I figured we can walk to everything we want to do so no need for Uber costs).

Harbor House Hotel & Marina at Pier 21 | Official Site (harborhousepier21.com)

 

I did splurge on the transfer from IAH to Galveston as we use a private car company that we love and (in my opinion) well worth the extra cost. We use Highrollers by Shugg – Erika (the owner) is fabulous and always makes a stop at Buccee’s on the way to Galveston. Roundtrip, including gratuity and taxes, was $360USD. I did think of doing the cheaper shuttle option, but after all day travelling it is nice to just have no stress or worry.

Highrollers By Shugg | Transportation Service in Humble, TX

[ceilidh1]

The Extras:

 

One thing I never really thought about with RC (my own fault for not researching well) was that the fare is very basic. I am used to lines such as Princess and NCL where they bundle the most popular extras. RC doesn’t do that, and everything needs to be added separately. And the everything is pricey! I read about watching pricing for the extras and found that it did change quite dramatically – discounts ranging from 10% to 35% on the components I was interested in. I did appreciate the ability to book, and then cancel and rebook at the lower price (as an aside, after several years trying to battle the Princess site and app I have to say that the RC process was an absolute dream).

 

I did find the constant emails from RC telling me about all the things I should buy a little annoying, but they did often feature some kind of discount. I added the alcohol package for myself, at a 35% discount, and the refreshment package for each kid, also at a 35% discount. I was considering the all-inclusive dining package but quickly decided against it when I discovered you couldn’t pre-reserve the restaurants. I’m not up for paying ahead and possibly not getting into what I want. We looked at Wonderland and 150Park and did originally book both, but then decided that they were things we didn’t really have to do and, for the price, weren’t sure we would appreciate! Instead, we booked both the Hibachi and the sushi as two separate lunches at a 35% discount – saved a lot of money and we all love both sushi and hibachi! For internet, I purchased one package for 3 devices as this seemed to be the best value – we will all just use one device each and share the log in. I should mention that the booking came with a decent amount of OBC and I was able to use that for all my pre-purchases (once again, Princess should take note) so the final bill for all of the add-ons wasn’t as scary as I had thought it would be, but it still makes that “bargain” cruise less of a bargain!

 

[ceilidh1]

The "Upgrade":

 

One of the draws of this class of ship for DD was the neighbourhood balconies. She is fascinated by them and desperately wanted to stay in one. When I booked, the only option for these was a guarantee (I should add that, at the time, this was more expensive than booking an oceanview balcony even though it was a lower category). I’m not picky about room location, so went ahead with the guarantee neighbourhood balcony. I did not put in any bids for the Royal Up, as we had purposely booked this room type for a reason. 

 

Our room was assigned about 3 weeks ago and they had “upgraded” us (for free) to an oceanview balcony. DOH. I did try calling to see if we could go back to neighbourhood, but by this point all rooms to accommodate 3 were sold out. Needless to say, DD was disappointed. I was a little miffed at the fact that I could have just paid less and got an oceanview from the start. It won’t ruin our trip, but it was a negative first impression. 

[ceilidh1]

The Ports:

 

Our ports are Roatan, Costa Maya, and Cozumel. We have been to all before – this trip is more about the ship. Given that we are sailing at the tail end of hurricane season, I wanted to do ports that we would not be disappointed to miss, should the worst case scenario happen (looks like we dodged that bullet so far).

 

We decided to do a sloth tour in Roatan and booked through Tucan Tours. It’s apparently a private tour that goes to Daniel Johnson sloth park, the iguana park, and the town. I booked on their website and got a confirmation, but payment is not until the tour itself. I have had no communication from them since the booking, so I’m hoping it goes as planned!

Sloths, Monkeys & Iguana Encounter - Roatan Tucan Aventures (roatantucanadventures.com)

 

In Costa Maya, we usually do Maya Chan, but this is still closed for the season. There were no excursions that appealed to all three of us so we are going to call this a “sea day”.

 

For Cozumel we booked our favourite Paradise Beach with a daybed.

The best all inclusive beach club in Cozumel | Paradise Beach Cozumel

 

[ceilidh1]

The Final Countdown:

 

I have one and a half days of work to get through before I can really call it vacation time. Between now and Friday I need to get a haircut, clean my house (I go into full Zombie Apocalypse mode whenever we go away and clean from top to bottom), finish the laundry and packing, get USD, and make sure all my work stuff has been handed off.

 

We fly out first thing on Friday, which means an early trip out to the airport. We will take the Canada Line as we can do door to door in about 30 minutes, which is actually faster than a cab or uber! It's also "free" for us, since we have monthly transit passes.

YVR Airport Station Guide • The Canada Line

 

Vancouver is a pre-clearance airport for the US, so we will need to pass through both security and CBP prior to getting to our flight. This can be both good and bad - good, because you don't need to deal with it when you land; bad, because sometimes the lines are crazy and it's quite common to miss your flight as you are still in line at CBP! There are some ways to get around this - firstly, you can sign up for YVR Express, which is a free service that allows you to skip the line for security. This opens 3 days before your flight, so first thing tomorrow I shall be signing up for that!

YVR EXPRESS | YVR

 

Once you arrive at the airport, you can submit the CBP Mobile Passport Control (you need to download the app) and this allows you to skip the line for CBP processing (similar to global entry/Nexus) so I have that all ready to go.

Mobile Passport Control (MPC) | U.S. Customs and Border Protection (cbp.gov)

 

Hopefully, the airport will be quiet and drama free. I have a lounge pass but would need to pay $35USD each for the kids - if it was later in the day, I wouldn't hesitate (hello, free bar) but that early in the morning it isn't worth it for the three of us. We will just grab some coffee and donuts at Tim Hortons!

[perfect match]

29 minutes ago, ceilidh1 said:

Our ports are Roatan, Costa Maya, and Cozumel. We have been to all before – this trip is more about the ship. Given that we are sailing at the tail end of hurricane season, I wanted to do ports that we would not be disappointed to miss, should the worst case scenario happen (looks like we dodged that bullet so far).

I hate to burst your bubble, but  hurricane season runs through the end of November. You’re actually sailing during the height of hurricane season. That said, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Since we started cruising in 2011, we have sailed every year in September or October and have never had a problem yet. I know there’s a first time for everything and we are on the September 8 sailing on Wonder in 3 weeks but I’m not worried and you don’t need to be worried either. 
 

I do think you dodged a bullet with your room upgrade We were originally booked in one on Wonder but we changed out of that room when I remembered how noisy they can be. My DH is an early to bed, early to rise person and his schedule would not fit well with loud late night AquaTheater shows and action adventure movies going on every night. You also can’t leave your blinds open because the passengers in the rooms across from you can see into your room. If those things wouldn’t bother you, then you might like the room. Your daughter can certainly spend as much time there as she would like and you can go back to your own quiet room when you’ve had enough of all of the noise.

 

Speaking of shows, don’t forget to reserve your spots in the app or cruise planner. Stand by is usually available but not guaranteed.

 

Our itinerary departs from Port Canaveral which is 90 minutes from our house and our first stop is Coco Cay. We also stop in Cozumel, Roatan, and Costa Maya with Roatan being the only new port for us.

[firefly333]

Dont forget Johnny Rockets is free for breakfast. Something different. 

[h20skibum]

Looking forward to a new perspective on Harmony.   Hope you have good weather for your sailing.

[TravelE]

Following along! I’m very interested to hear your perspective on the ship and experience. 
 

I have only sailed Royal Caribbean once many years ago. Everything was “fine” but I did not leave with the feeling that I must sail with them again. 
 

 

[LuCruise]

Really interested in your review.  We have Harmony booked for next Christmas (two kids 16 and 20). Have been on other Oasis class but not this one yet.  They are amazing and although large, crowds are spread out. Am interested in your experience flying to Houston and your stay. Our cruise is a ways off but have been doing lots of reading.  It's confusing of all the options of getting from IAH to your hotel (and figuring out the best one).  The private shuttle seems well worth it.  Harbor House looks like the perfect hotel, nice and very convenient. 

 

Enjoy Harmony.  Looks like an amazing cruise ship with lots to do for everyone.

Edited August 20 by LuCruise

[MeganGC1983]

I’m here! Ready to sail!

[SenatorsFan]

I look forward to following along! 🍸😀

[ceilidh1]

1 hour ago, MeganGC1983 said:

I’m here! Ready to sail!

Let the shenanigans commence!

[ceilidh1]

1 hour ago, LuCruise said:

Really interested in your review.  We have Harmony booked for next Christmas (two kids 16 and 20). Have been on other Oasis class but not this one yet.  They are amazing and although large, crowds are spread out. Am interested in your experience flying to Houston and your stay. Our cruise is a ways off but have been doing lots of reading.  It's confusing of all the options of getting from IAH to your hotel (and figuring out the best one).  The private shuttle seems well worth it.  Harbor House looks like the perfect hotel, nice and very convenient. 

 

Enjoy Harmony.  Looks like an amazing cruise ship with lots to do for everyone.

We’ve sailed from Galveston before and I said “never again” yet, here we are! The downside (for me) of this port was the distance and price from the airport to port. It took a long time after flying most of the day (that trip our non stop flight was canceled and we ended up on a connecting flight so it truly was an entire day of travel). We also did not choose the best location to stay for 3 nights - the hotel was nice, but it was at the very far end of the seawall. There was nothing within walking distance except the beach and a Walgreens. This meant we had to plan out everything and use Uber, even just to grab lunch. It became a hassle and costly. We were out pretty much the whole day as we couldn’t just pop back to the hotel for a rest so by the time we ended our 3 days in Galveston we were exhausted! This time we only have one full day (2 nights) and plan on just walking around the Strand and taking it easy!

[LuCruise]

35 minutes ago, ceilidh1 said:

We’ve sailed from Galveston before and I said “never again” yet, here we are! The downside (for me) of this port was the distance and price from the airport to port. It took a long time after flying most of the day (that trip our non stop flight was canceled and we ended up on a connecting flight so it truly was an entire day of travel). We also did not choose the best location to stay for 3 nights - the hotel was nice, but it was at the very far end of the seawall. There was nothing within walking distance except the beach and a Walgreens. This meant we had to plan out everything and use Uber, even just to grab lunch. It became a hassle and costly. We were out pretty much the whole day as we couldn’t just pop back to the hotel for a rest so by the time we ended our 3 days in Galveston we were exhausted! This time we only have one full day (2 nights) and plan on just walking around the Strand and taking it easy!

Yeah, Galveston seems much more stressful and challenging then Florida or LA ports.  Tbh, I'm quite worried about it, but Harmony cruise itself works out best for us (for ship and cost).  I'm sorry that your direct flight got changed to an indirect as that certainly adds to the complication. You must have been exhausted when you got there...makes for a very long day.

 

Seems like tons of hotel options...near either airport (which doesn't seem good unless taking Royal transfer the morning of the cruise), in Texas city or Seawall/Galveston area.  Like you, we won't have a car so as you say having things in walking distance is important. Your hotel this time around should be perfect.  Galveston actually seems really nice in itself so great that you have a full day to explore and enjoy.  Safe and smooth travels. 

[PhillyFan33579]

9 hours ago, ceilidh1 said:

The Ports:

 

Our ports are Roatan, Costa Maya, and Cozumel. We have been to all before – this trip is more about the ship. Given that we are sailing at the tail end of hurricane season, I wanted to do ports that we would not be disappointed to miss, should the worst case scenario happen (looks like we dodged that bullet so far).

Are you sailing on August 25 or November 25? The topic says August 25 but this comment states you are sailing at the tail end of hurricane season, which ends November 30. 

[PhillyFan33579]

2 hours ago, LuCruise said:

Enjoy Harmony.  Looks like an amazing cruise ship with lots to do for everyone.

Lots to do for everyone except for people like me who like to spend a lot of time in the Solarium and Solarium pool. You can’t do that since Harmony doesn’t have a pool in the Solarium. One of the biggest reasons Harmony is my least favorite Oasis class ship. 

[ceilidh1]

8 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

Are you sailing on August 25 or November 25? The topic says August 25 but this comment states you are sailing at the tail end of hurricane season, which ends November 30. 

August 25. By tail end of hurricane season I meant tail end of peak hurricane season for this area (per the national weather service). 

[spethstation]

I'm joining you as you adventure out on the Harmony - so far the only RC ship I've been on, but it was an amazing experience for me, and I need to relive it! I was in a boardwalk view balcony room and got to watch the aqua show from my room. Sorry it didn't work out with your room 'upgrade', but hopefully the rest of your cruise makes up for it! 

[edspec]

Have fun @ceilidh1.  If you decide to add another specialty CP 150 is amazing, one of the best specialty restaurants ever for us.  Sorry about losing the neighborhood balcony, DH and DS love those rooms and even as noise phobic as I am I didn't mind and we were on deck 9.  Maybe next time.

[dmet0225]

10 hours ago, ceilidh1 said:

Pre-Cruise:

 

I refuse to fly in same day, so looked at options for a hotel in Galveston – last time we stayed at Homewood Suites and, while the hotel was fine, it was so far away from EVERYTHING. Even just to go for lunch, we would need to get an Uber. This time I was interested in staying near the Strand so ended up booking Harbor House. It was more pricey than I would have liked, but I had an Amex offer to get $100 credit on hotel bookings plus there was a deal if you booked 2 nights so I ended up getting 2 nights at Harbor House for $800CAD (still more than I wanted but I figured we can walk to everything we want to do so no need for Uber costs).

Harbor House Hotel & Marina at Pier 21 | Official Site (harborhousepier21.com)

 

 

I'll be at the Harbor House tomorrow night before I board the Breeze on Thursday.  I was able to get a discount through AARP.  

 

Enjoy your trip!

[HeyJut]

Made it on page one! I’ve never been on RC. Did have Harmony booked several years ago, but long story had to cancel day of. Hope you enjoy.

[dragontrainer]

We'll be sailing along with you.  Our kids are a bit younger than yours.  Our younger son adores sloths (I'm sure we'll be taking pictures around the ship with one of his stuffed sloths). 

 

We booked a 3rd party sloth excursion in Roatan.  I have not told him about it yet, and probably won't until we get off the shuttle at the sanctuary; I don't want to get his hopes up for getting to see/hold a sloth and then something out of our control goes wrong.

 

Have a safe trip down to Houston/Galveston!