JMTtor

Replying to follow. Going on the NCL Escape in mid-November, looking to dive in Tortola (already have dive plans for St. Thomas). I've not dived Tortola before, so looking for current suggested ops. 

To be clear, I never remove the auto gratuities, and I always tip extra directly to people who serve me directly. But I’m not naïve enough to think that those are the only people who get my money from the auto gratuities.

Have you tried https://www.squaremouth.com/travel-insurance-quotes#single_trip? Agreed that the pre-existing conditions is relevant only if you have an issue related to those conditions, but there are policies that cover some pre-existing conditions, depending on what they are and how long it has been since you had any major issues (so if your heart issue has bee well-controlled with meds, you should be able to get coverage for heart-related problems). Might be expensive, but you can determine whether the benefit is worth the cost. The Squaremouth site also allows you to compare policies side-by-side. 

Good luck - hope to see you onboard on the 14th! 

1 hour ago, Host Clarea said:

 

There is a "Search" field at the upper right side of the page.  Click in the blank field to get search options.

Not so on either my Mac or my iPhone. Clicking in the search field brings up only “Search ships, destinations, etc.” And clicking in the lower search field has either “content” or “member” options. Clicking through the content options has NO “thread” reference anywhere that I could find - or if it’s there, it’s not clear how to get to it. 

Having a “search this thread” dropdown was clear and easy. Why take that away? 

UGH - since CruiseCritic redid things for the Forums, I can't figure out how to search this thread (which before we could do with a click on "search this thread" tool) - doesn't appear to be an option any more. So at the risk of repeating a question that was already answered, could someone tell me whether we will get complimentary WOW bands, or if we have to purchase them? TIA.

1 hour ago, Dan-P said:

Not that it probably matters, but that is when Harmony was sailing Saturday to Saturday and not the Sunday to Sunday it is now.

I'm not sure when the day of departure changed from Saturday to Sunday, but these Cruise Compasses are from the October 28th sailing this year (two months ago tomorrow). The itinerary is identical (two sea days, St. Maarten, San Juan, Labadee, sea day) so there should be minimal difference except for everything being a day earlier.

1 hour ago, Dan-P said:

@h20skibum - did you by any chance keep and/or take pictures of the Cruise Compasses?  Any chance on getting you to post them if you did?  Thank you, and thanks for the review.

 

Dan.

Here's the link: https://www.*****.com/cruise-compasses/harmony-of-the-seas/sat-2018-10-27-0000?fbclid=IwAR1BBlOxaAPHnG4GJNq8jKmsfJxDsyd0mfdEH6hrn2WInO-kUMexbuWAlPg

Question for those cruisers who have used the Internet packages: trying to determine which package to purchase ahead of the cruise to get the discount (since I haven't been on a RCI ship since Allure three years ago, and the package stuff has changed). If I bring a laptop as well as my smartphone, I'm assuming I can use both on a one-device package so long as I sign out of one before signing on with the other. Is that correct? I'm thinking I'll go halvsies with my cabin mate on a two-device package, so we get the bigger discount and both of us can then have a device signed on for the duration.

Also, the Cafe Select coffee card: I know it won't be accepted at the onboard Starbucks. If all 15 redemptions aren't used on the cruise, would one be able to use it on future cruises (as Princess does with its coffee cards)?

Any advice or suggestions appreciated!

On 12/14/2018 at 5:43 AM, h20skibum said:

Now we are late enough in the disembark process that the Customs mobile passport is working.  This is the first cruise that it has worked, because it is usually not running during self assist.  I am filling it out as I walk through the line and hit the submit button to get my receipt.  Just then, they say I can put it away, and they usher us through the checkpoint.

So happy you included the information about the mobile passport app - I had no idea! Just downloaded it, scanned my passport, and took my mugshot in preparation for my 1/6/19 Harmony cruise. One question for you: how do you determine the terminal where the ship will be located? Looked on my SetSail pass and tried to Google it, but I'm coming up empty. Help?!

Thanks again for all of the wonderful info you included in this review. Hope you're acclimated back to the PA cold; here in Harrisburg the wind has thankfully subsided, but when it's in the high 20s/low 30s it's still brisk!

Thanks for the tip on the new Royal Caribbean app. I just downloaded it, and it’s the best cruise app I’ve seen across several different lines.

Question: the app lists Cruise Critic meet & greet on both day two and day three at 9:45A in Dazzles. Are there really two, or do they just not have the particular day picked for our cruise which is still a few weeks away? 

Have you done the coaster on Labadee? Not sure I'm brave enough for the flight line... but I LOVE coasters!

3 hours ago, h20skibum said:

Always love the prime rib and lobster for the second formal night.  I know, it isn’t like real lobster, and the prime rib lately has been thinner cuts, but that helps keep the weight gain down. 

—

So the second formal night is San Juan, and that’s the only night for lobster in the MDR, correct?

2 hours ago, h20skibum said:

A towel animal awaited us tonight. Not sure exactly what it was. 

—

 Looks like a teddy bear to me.

 

 Thanks so much for posting your full review; I’m on the January 6th sailing, and I’m very much looking forward to it.  

 

On several different cruises I have asked waiters if they preferred the tips (gratuities). Put into their accounts or if they preferred the old personal envelope way. Surprising or not too surprising every one that I questioned said they preferred the grats automatically put in their accounts. Especially since my time dining. Several also said they were more apt to receive a little extra in cash above and beyond the auto tip and a couple of them said they weren’t so quick to spend it if it was put directly into their acts. Also asked them if Rci charged a fee for handling their acct and they said. No

No question that cruise staff like the auto-grats; I've never messed with those daily charges. But if you want to give extra (understanding that this is TOTALLY up to each individual passenger), the staffers appreciate that in cash, at least according to those with whom I've spoken (admittedly a microscopic portion of the thousands of cruise ship service workers out there).

Most cruise lines, as I understand it, allow you to add extra tips to your onboard account, but then they're apportioned among EVERYONE in your service area; there's no way to give someone who has delivered truly exceptional service a special "extra" tip through your onboard account, so - cash it is if you want to reward a specific individual. If there IS a way to do it through the onboard account, please share - I'd love to get the extra "points" on my RCCL VISA! :D

Thanks to everyone who responded! I'll be bringing my Belkin travel outlet that has two USB ports, just to be sure there'll be enough working ports there, but it's good to know where the availables in the cabin are located.

The FLL airport website specifically mentions Lyft and Uber, including providing signage for designated pickup locations. www.broward.org/Airport/Transportation/Pages/RideSharingCompanies.aspx

Diamond internet discount is $23 off a package OR one free continuous 24-hour period of unlimited internet.

Thanks, Bob.

Forgive me for being a bit dense: since the $19.99/day on the RCI Cruise Planner says it's "an exclusive discount off onboard prices", is the onboard price for VOOM $23/day? I'm calculating seven-day pricing at $139.93 on the Cruise Planner. If onboard pricing is $23/day, then one free day would bring it to $138 for the week ($23 x 6). Assuming there's no Diamond discount for the soda package (IIRC, you said in an earlier post that there's no discount below Diamond Plus onboard for any beverage package), the teeny difference in pricing on VOOM wouldn't seem to change the benefit of purchasing the VOOM/soda combined package on Cruise Planner. Am I thinking correctly here?

Since you're a great resource, would you mind answering one more question? Since Harmony has a Diamond lounge, I'm guessing the nightly happy hour (5-8p IIRC) for Diamond members is there, plus we'll have the three drinks for that time loaded onto the SeaPass/WOW bands. Does the lounge scan for the drinks there? I know three years ago on Allure they didn't bother to scan you for drinks at the lounge, so we were able to have our drinks there and still use the SeaPass preloaded beverages to get a couple of glasses of wine from one of the bars to take to dinner. I understand some ships may differ, though.

Given the nightly Diamond free beverages, I don't really drink enough alcohol to make the Deluxe package worth the cost, even at the presale discount price of $50/day. But I'd like to know in advance how Harmony handles the three Diamond freebies.

Thanks in advance for your input - grateful for your expertise! :)

Depends on C&A level, what is your C&A level?

Hi Bob -

Thanks for responding; I'm a Diamond member.

What is the $ or % discount for C&A on the Internet package? Trying to decide whether to prepay for the $19.99/day package (or $24/day with soda package) or to wait until we're on board to get the C&A discount. Would be nice if they'd allow you to prepay WITH your discount; haven't figured out a way to do that yet. TIA -

For those of you saying "I won't tip extra since the cruise lines started adding automatic gratuities," allow me to offer an alternate perspective:

First, from people in the industry, the cruise lines don't give all of those auto-tips to the people serving you on your cruise; they skim some off the top for themselves.

Second, your decision not to tip "because the cruise line thinks it knows better" punishes the workers, not the cruise line. The workers have to do their jobs regardless of whether you auto-tip, tip according to your own concept, or - since the lines allow passengers to remove the auto-gratuities and there are those lowlifes who remove the auto-tips from their bills - don't give ANY tips, so the hardworking service staff are stiffed.

The cabin attendants, waitstaff, and others work their tails off for peanuts, and for those who provide service above and beyond, ANYTHING extra - even if it's a measly dollar a day - will absolutely make the service person's day. I always give some cash, handed DIRECTLY to the service person, on the last day or two of the cruise (and sometimes, if I'm enjoying a particular bar or bartender, I'll give some bucks on the first day or two, because you'll be remembered and get great service!). Always tip a buck or two for room service, too.

You'd tip a buck at Starbucks for someone who's spent under five minutes making you a specialty drink. Why on earth would you think it's okay to go cheap when someone's been working for you long hours for days on end? Just my thoughts; YMMV. :)

Question for all of you veteran Harmony cruisers: do the cabins have USB ports next to the beds to charge your phone and other accessories? I know the general ship description says there are USB ports in each cabin; I'm specifically asking about their location.

One of the things I absolutely loved about NCL's Breakaway Class ships was the USB port in the side of the light fixtures on either side of the beds. I'm hoping that there would be something similar on Harmony. TIA for your response!

Thom posted his message on November 2015. Long gone and sailed by now.

Thom posted his message on November 2015. Long gone and sailed by now.

0oops -

I saw November 8th and for some reason the 2015 didn't translate in my sievelike brain! Sorry...:o

She sure filled up my computer screen:eek: What a beautiful ship...can't wait to get aboard in 90 or so days!:D

Hi Thom -

When are you sailing? I'm on the 1/27 sailing and looking for dive buddies for Grand Cayman (going to Sunset House for the day to dive the house reef and have a relaxing surface interval at My Bar! Also trying to decide if I want to book with Stuart Cove's in Nassau (I've done a standard two-tank with them on earlier cruises).

Whenever you're going, have a great cruise!

I am travelling with a friend next year and was told by Captains Caleb that she would be invited to any elite events as we are sharing a cabin. It is first time on celebrity for her as I usually travel with DH.

That's correct. I cruised in January with a friend who was not yet Elite, and she was able to go to the nightly Elite cocktail party and partake of the free beverages.