HollandA

My case has a wrist strap so that's what I usually use. Crossbody bag otherwise.

Hi Everyone!

I'm 99.9% sure this has been posted before, but I can't find it so please bear with me and put the pitchforks and torches away. :)

Sailing on Harmony in June and trying to figure out parking. The last time I sailed out of PC was over 15 years ago before Terminal 1 was built. What is everyone's experience? Is parking in the deck worth it or should I look into one of the off-site options? 

TIA!
 

Adriene

18 hours ago, matj2000 said:

I wouldn't exactly call a 3 day cruise a "dream vacation"......

Oh for Pete's sake. For a lot of people, it is. Seeing as how these ladies were fixed income, it's likely they've never traveled far and may not have even ventured much farther than a couple of states away before. So yes, this could very well have been an absolute dream vacation for them.

I think the crux of this issue unfortunately is that you've got two inexperienced travelers who had a one in a million emergency happen while out of the country for the first time. They likely had no clue about trip insurance and even if they did know about it, probably couldn't have afforded it anyway since this trip was a gift. I feel really badly for them and am hoping they're able to make it home with a minimal amount of additional hassle. 

I personally find it hysterical. 

Most Atlanta area schools are on spring break the first week of April this year if that helps. 

Go to the Space Center if you haven't been already. I'm hating we won't have time to take my kids when we're down there in June for our cruise on the Harmony (coming in late night before sailing and then driving home right after arriving back).

I will say it doesn't hurt to ask. RCI gave me points due to a snafu with refunding my money due to a cruise impacted by Hurricane Frances about 15 years ago. 

If they say no, then it's a no. But they could say yes.

We're going the first week in June on the Harmony. It was indeed high. However, given the amenities on board for my kids, I felt like it was worth it.

I also think you're looking at pure supply/demand like one of the above posters mentioned. They're charging this much because people are paying it. 

Keeping my eyes peeled for our June sailing. I've already purchased both for my family at $56 and $26, but if it goes down I'll cancel those and re-buy.

I'd say calling can't hurt, at least? If not, I'd just go ahead to the MDR first day and see if you can get seated together.

I was able to link my parents' reservation for our upcoming cruise through RC's website a couple of weeks ago - has this changed recently?

I haven't been on an Oasis class (yet - remedying that situation next June), but usually any of the walkways/decks towards the front of the ship near the bridge will have less light than the other parts of the ship - they have to keep it darker there to keep from interfering with the crew's ability to see out of the bridge (see also - that's why if you have a room that faces forward you have to keep your curtains closed at night). Even if you can't get access to the helipad, you may be able to find a darker area up front that will do. Good luck!

1 hour ago, fredflint said:

usually hotel rooms have large gaps in the bottom of the doors too!

Yes! We were on a beach vacation this past summer and the door to our room had at least a good inch and a half gap at the bottom! Plus we were next to the elevators.  First night was very loud, but I started shoving a towel under the door at night and that helped a bit.

If you like history, I would recommend getting over to Brimstone Hill. It has an amazing view of Saint Eustatius across the water and it was just a cool thing to see.

But, I'll admit I'm a history nerd and love those kinds of things. 

Hi folks - 

I"m sure this has been asked but for the life of me I can't find it on the boards or anywhere else online. Does anyone know where I might be able to find a nice, up to date map of CocoCay post-refurb? Every map I've found online looks like it predates the Perfect Day improvements. Just curious how the layout has changed. We haven't been there since 2003, and we're stopping there on the Harmony next June so it's no big rush, just mainly for my curiosity. :)

Thanks a bunch!

I'm guessing they're still working out the kinks.

(DH is a web developer, and trust me, this is normal.  I would've been shocked if they had no issues with the transition at all. I'd just recommend reporting any issues you're seeing to the mods and they'll likely add it to the list of bugs that need to be addressed.)

I'm not a brand loyalist by any means - I've taken four cruises and each one's been on a different line (RCI, Carnival, Princess, and NCL). There are things I like about each, and things I don't like about each.

The main reason we're going RCI on our next cruise is that it will be our first with our kids, and the activities on the Oasis class ships can't really be beat. 

I went ahead and bought for the Harmony next June. If it goes down I'll just cancel and re-purchase. I figured it was worth it to go ahead and grab the $56 per day rate before they increased in 2019.

I think the closest thing you would find is the sun deck and lounge that's just for suite passengers on at the Oasis class. I don't believe they have their own pool, etc. though. 

We were on the Pearl a couple of years ago and were at the port by 10:30 - we had to wait in the terminal but it wasn't bad. Still one of the first groups on board a couple of hours later.

It's really up to you. We unfortunately had a bad experience with trying to obtain a refund on a cruise booked on RCI by a TA (due to no fault of our TA, though - I can expound more if you guys are interested because it is a long story - haha!). So, just be aware that if you book via a TA it may be hard to get a customer service agent at RCI to actually talk to you instead of the TA if you have an issue. Otherwise, I'd agree, if it's a complicated itinerary, it may be worth it to let someone else do the leg work of getting you booked. :) Have fun!

I'll just say I'm not a huge fan of the user interface on RCI website, period. It was very hard to navigate when booking our cruise on the Harmony for next year. My parents are supposed to be sailing with us but haven't booked yet and I can just see my dad getting angry and throwing his laptop across the room when it comes time to set up their trip.