KarenR122

Can I ask what do you do if you are swimming. When we go in the pool, we find seats, usually 2 for the 3 of us, put our stuff down and go in the pool with our daughter. I am sure we are in the water for longer than 30 minutes and if someone moved my stuff I would be pissed.

Yes I agree that leaving stuff on a chair at 6 in the morning and not coming back until hours later is annoying and rude but 30 minutes does not seem like a stretch to me if you are enjoying the water, the water splash zones or slides.

Is the Breakaway or the Gem? If it is the Breakaway, then hands down NCL. You can not beat the Haven and there is plenty to do for your child. Gem, while we love the Haven there, I don't find it as fun as the newer ships. You get free dining, free drinks, free internet and a private pool.

Anthem, by far is our favorite ship overall if only doing balcony rooms. We loved the layout and the activities and the restaurants (but that was when they had Dynamic Dining). Now we find the food on NCL immensely better than RCL in the complimentary restaurants.

You really can't go wrong with either but with the price the same, I'd choose the Haven (on the Breakaway).

I find the food on Royal the some of the worst we have encounter on any vacation, whether other cruise lines or land based vacations. There was not one dinner on the last 3 cruises we have taken on Royal that we would consider great. Some were acceptable, others were just nasty. I do not care for the choices in the apps, entrees or desserts. Of course food is subjective but we don't go in expecting 5 star meals. I go with the expectation of Diner food since they are cooking for so many. If they made simpler dishes and executed them well, it would be more pleasing than trying to make "fancier" dishes, lying about ingredients and executed poorly. This is just for the Main Dining Rooms and buffets. I do not have a problem with the specialty dining. Oh and just another food pet peeve. How can you have a buffet, that serves so many kids (since this is family friendly line) and not have chicken fingers or pizza as food options.

We still cruise with Royal because we love the ships and other activities but we know going in that the food will stink!

We have sailed with Autism on the Seas twice this year. Once in June and in November. We have a High Functioning Autistic 10 year old daughter.

There is not enough space here to convey how happy we are with AofS. From working with the staff prior to the cruise to the moment we saw the staff standing in front of the port terminal holding orange balloons we knew we were in great hands. There is plenty of staff to help out with all the kids. They are all either teachers/therapists/working on finishing their special ed degrees and all have hands on knowledge of working with our kids.

Every day they provide a schedule of activities that is specifically geared for our group. They have private rock climbing sessions, flow rider sessions, Shrek even came to see them one day. There is respite at least once a day and the kids look forward to it. The activities they do in respite are customized to the group of kids traveling that week. As an example, our week, they had a few girls so they had a make over night just for them. The girls got their hair done, the staff did makeup and the girls all put on a fancy outfit. It was great. There is also a dedicated time every day that the staff with assist at the pool with the children.

At dinner time, we are all sitting together in the main dining rooms. You become fast friends with your travelmates and the kids just love hanging out with each other. During lunch and breakfast there are dedicated tables at the buffet for the group to use.

We have cruised numerous times prior to finding out about AofS and while we always had a great time, nothing compares to the time we had with the group. It was just an ease of mind to know you were with people who "got it" and there was always someone around to help if needed. Also it gave my husband and I some alone time on vacation which NEVER happens, so that in itself is worth traveling with them!

If you have any specific questions, please let me know!

We were in 6584, 6586 and 6588 and had no issues with smoke or noise. Loved the location because most of the activities (aside from the pool and buffet) were easy to walk too.

No, we did not book through Autism on the Seas because it was so much more expensive and several of the "perks" they offer are actually offered for free through Royal. It's a long story but they came up to us after we went through security and told us that even though we did not book through them they were "adopting us" for the week and we could use their services. Then they told us to wait in a boarding area for more information, disappeared and never came back. They left us without ever explaining what we should do and it wasn't until a security officer from Port Everglades came up to us and explained to us that the AoTs staff boarded without us that we realized we were allowed to board. We would have sat there for hours if it wasn't for the guard. I posted this in detail on their Facebook page 5 days ago and they never bothered to reply there either. I was so disappointed because I planned to book through them for future trips but now I've seen how unreliable their customer service is.

It is only $150 more a person to book with AotS and you get every perk that you would if you booked yourself. Well worth the small nominal charge for the amount of work they do all week. I really think you had some miscommunication about boarding and I would not write them off until you spoke with them. I have not heard one single negative thing from anyone that has booked with them, just the opposite.

Nope, there is no ice cream shop on Harmony's Boardwalk. (No Ben & Jerry's on the Royal Promenade either.) Other than the soft serve machines and MDR options, there is possibility of gelato at Sorrentos and Johnny Rocket offerings (floats, sundaes).

 

~ Judy

Well that's a bummer! Thanks for letting me know!

Thanks for the review. Loved the pictures. We are leaving in 2 weeks and can't wait!

Did you happen to notice if they still had an ice cream shop on the Boardwalk? I know the Allure and Oasis do but I think Starbucks is over there now.

Thanks!

We are also on the Harmony of the Seas 11/26 cruise with Autism on the Seas. Fantastic group and you really should look into booking with them. The kids had a wonderful time and made quick friends with one another, the staff was amazing and the cruiseline went above and beyond in accommodating. The group has a special line to get on and off the ship, which goes super fast so that helps with the waiting in line meltdowns. They sit us all in a special section of the dining room and the windjammer so if the kids want to get up and walk around or are a bit loud, it is not disrupting other passengers and they offer respite services at least once a day so the parents can get a little alone time which is a rarity in a special needs family. Our best cruise yet was with them and can't wait for the next.

That being said, we have also cruise about 5 times without them with our high functioning daughter, now 10. We always had a great time and Royal more than accommodating with the muster drill and getting us reservations for dinner because she needs to eat at a certain time. Just prepare yourself with her favorite things (bring snacks or toys she likes) and follow her lead. I'm sure you will have a fantastic time!! Oh and as far as the noise at night, we have had many nights where our daughter woke up screaming and we would apologize to our neighbors and most of the time they didn't even notice. It is more annoying having people run up and bang on your door at night or a group of drunk people yelling in the halls at 3 am than an occasional noise next door from a child.

We loved DD on the Anthem and we liked going to each of the restaurants. It was some of the best food we had on a cruise ship. We were just on the Oasis last month with the new menus and most of us in our 40+ group did not like that food at all. There were nights we found nothing edible and went to get a slice of pizza instead. I will be sorely disappointed if the menus have changed for our Anthem cruise next summer.

Just a word of caution...if you are booking directly with the concierge, double check that they have you on the list when you get onboard.

Our last cruise this June we booked about a month out with the concierge, have confirmation emails, payments etc. We showed up to check in to the Cabana they forgot to add our name to the list and double sold our cabana to someone else who was already there. After much going back and forth we were basically SOL since all cabanas on the island were sold out. Kind of stunk for us as my daughter can not sit in the sun for an extended period, the main reason why we rent the cabana. We needed to go back to the ship and miss the beach day.

We did not tip them on the last cruise we were on. They actually screwed up two things for us that was very annoying. We did tip the staff in the CL because they were fabulous.

Posts like this really irk me. We have stayed in the Haven about 5 times and each time with my now 9 year old daughter. There has not been one vacation that we have been on that we encountered rowdy kids in the Haven. Yes they maybe having fun in the pool or eating lunch or getting cookies, but never have I seen it a free for all. Half the rooms in the Haven are 2 bedroom FAMILY Suites. Is it fair to limit half the customers that purchased the Haven because occasionally there is a problem?

What I did experience was a bunch of adults and seniors thinking they owned the boat because they paid for a suite. Being rude, loud, cursing and obnoxious. Can we look to have those people only go at designated times?

We were on that cruise as well and the food in the MDR was the worst I have ever encountered. It was really not good. two nights I left not eating an entree and went to have pizza. Another night I ordered from the kids menu and the rest of the nights, I ate but the meals were bland and not great. The only thing I liked was the coconut shrimp as an app one night.

I am not a picky eater and go into all my cruises with the expectation that the dining room food is diner quality and this cruise sorely disappointed. We had a group of about 25 and not one of us enjoyed the dining room food. We were on the Anthem in Feb and the food was 100% better. That being said we ate at Sabor one evening and it was wonderful.

We travel NCL in suites alot who also have a butler and seem to do almost the same amenities as Royal. For a family of 3 we start our base tip at $300. Depending on if they did anything above and beyond the tip would go up from there.

We loved Jamie's when we were on the Anthem. We actually booked another night because we liked the first so much. The planks were great. The pasta was delicious and there was really nothing that we ordered that we did not like.

I prefer not to eat them on the ship because I eat them enough at home but my Husband will have 2 or 3. I noticed a bunch of people say that they may run out in the 2nd seating and if that is true then it is poor planning on the dining room's part. The tails are frozen to begin with so there is no way they should be running out.

We were on the Anthem last week and we enjoyed the food. As long as you aren't expecting gourmet meals you should be fine. I thought the variety in the buffet was great. Loved the tacos and haven't seen that on any other line. For lunches we loved the Cafe at 270. Roast Beef sandwiches and salads were great. All our dinners were excellent except for one night but we were brought something different and it was delicious. Went to Jamie's one night and LOVED it. No complaints at all about food!

I too also have a special needs daughter and normally sail NCL in a two bedroom with the butler.

From what I have read and called up and asked, their new suite program will be rolled out in May of 2016 and only on the Oasis and Quantum class ships.

With their new roll out their "genie" seems to do basically the same duties as the NCL butler so depending on your needs it could work for you. Last year we were able to book the 2 bedroom Aqua Theater Suite on the Allure with only 3 people so you need to call and ask if they can waive the minimums for the rooms.

As I said, we did the Allure last year and honestly it was way to much for our DD (she has high functioning autism and severe anxiety). The ship was way too crowded and unfortunately our week we ran into extremely rude passengers that diminished our experience greatly. I do not think I would sail that class again regardless of their new suite program.

We decided to give Royal another go, since everyone says how great it is and chalking our last trip up to bad circumstances. We are sailing on the Anthem this February. We have booked two connecting balcony rooms instead of a suite because I do not find any of their suite benefits worth the extra cost for us (before the roll out of the new benefits). Hopefully this will be a much better trip but we do have the 2 bedroom booked on NCL for this summer!

Put a call into the special needs desk and tell them what you need to make the sailing a success for your family and see what they can do. Good luck!!

We booked for February 2016 a few weeks ago and the same thing happened to me. I just called Royal gave them my reservation number and they switched over my three rooms. I was almost immediately able to start making reservations. Not a problem.

We stayed in the 2 bedroom Aqua Theater Suite on the Allure last January. I did not like the room at all. The bedrooms were nice sizes but the living room area was small for such a large suite and the ceilings were slanted so it made it seem even smaller. The balcony while huge was always dirty. Not just a little dirty but really filthy. We had to always wear shoes out there and then wipe them off before coming in because the bottoms would be black with soot and we never could just go out and sit down. We always had to clean off everything or bring a towel with us to sit down on. I didn't want to eat any meals out there because it was too dirty. For the amount of money we spent, I would definitely pick a different suite.

Great list. Thank you! Do any of the breakfast locations (except for the buffet and American Icon) have pancakes, waffles or an omelet station? I'm trying to stay clear of the buffet as we had a horrible time with the crowds on the Allure.

Thanks!

We have an 8 year old, high functioning autistic daughter and she loves cruising. She has been on 3 NCLs, 1 Royal and 2 Disney and NCL has been the best in regards to her needs hands down.

We are fortunate that we can get a Haven suite every time we go. The quietness of the Haven is great when she just needs a break. She can also play in the pool without all the kids screaming and jumping all over. The extra room in the suite is great for the hubby and I as we can put her to sleep and still enjoy our evenings in the separate room.

The staff has always been wonderful to her and very accommodating to her needs. We always email the special needs desk before we arrive and have her needs put on our profile before we board. We also ask to stay in the room during the Muster Drill and they are fine with that as well.

We have always had excellent cruises with NCL and my daughter loves them! Good luck on your vacation!!

We just got off the Gem a few weeks ago and had fantastic service. Actually the service was the best I had in years. Everyone was friendly, we never waited too long for service at the bars or the dining room and when the bartender in the casino saw me he started pouring my drink and had it ready by the time I got to the bar. Excellent service.

We had the UDP and we paid a small amount for all you can eat sushi. I think it was $5 but my husband thinks $8 lol. Very minimal. The sushi was ok. Well worth the upcharge but not the best I have had.