Hopefully live from Harmony! 2/4 - 2/11

[S.A.M.J.R.]

4 hours ago, bundtkate said:

Okay so I'm not going to dwell on this too much, but when I got back to my room today there was someone else's cruise card in my electricity slot. I'm in this room solo so obviously a bit alarming.

That seems very strange.  Who put the card in the slot?  Couldn't have been the owner, they'd still be in room.  I would say a worker, but a) only a handful should have easy access to your room (I'm thinking they saw it on the floor out side the door and thought you'd dropped it) and b) surely, if that is what happened, that can't be SOP for returning the card. 

[ShipsandDipper]

5 hours ago, bundtkate said:

CASITAS

 

They are now available to book, but apparently they cost $450/day which my aunt wasn't down with so we won't have one. I think I paid $750 for a retreat cabana on my upcoming HAL cruise for the whole week so I totally get it. Anyway, if you think it's worth it they're there now and bookable for sure.

 

ROOM KERFUFFLE

 

Okay so I'm not going to dwell on this too much, but when I got back to my room today there was someone else's cruise card in my electricity slot. I'm in this room solo so obviously a bit alarming. Brought it to guest services and asked them to rotate the locks on my door. They speculated it was my room steward, but the card is for this cruise so it seems odd he'd have one for a current guest. I can't say I'm totally satisfied with this outcome given the unsettling nature of the whole thing, but I got my new card and locked the deadbolt and will just have to hope for the best. I'd have been happier with a more solid explanation, but it seems this is the best I'm doing tonight. Guest services said they talk to the steward about it tomorrow. I'm going to do the same just in case.

$450 PER DAY?  Absolutely outrageous. 
 

There was a card in our slot a couple of weeks ago on Harmony, even before we were on the room. I just figured the steward put it there. 

Edited February 6 by ShipsandDipper

[bundtkate]

So gonna be a quickie tonight because we are actually in port tomorrow and I have an excursion meeting at 8am. My mom and I are gonna check out some ruins! I've been to Costa Maya a few times, but only actually took an excursion once. I believe we saw Chaccoban (there is a 100% chance I'm spelling that wrong) and this time we're seeing Kohunlich (that one is right cuz I looked at my ticket). I'm a giant history and architecture nerd so I'm pretty stoked.

 

WHISKY TASTING

 

So yesterday my aunt expressed interest in the whisky tasting, but it didn't fit into our schedule. Gal at Vintages overheard and let us know that since we were a larger group, we could do a private one for the same price. She also said I could pay for everyone and we'd get a 25% discount on the whole thing since I have the deluxe package. Prices weren't great for the package so I wasn't sure it would be worth it, but getting 25% off tasting for the big group has made it very much worthwhile. Whisky tasting was at 1 and I learned that I am potentially not sophisticated enough for Scotch, but the family was happy so I'm glad I tried it.

 

 

Fun fact? Apparently, whisky is always Scotch while whiskey can be any kind of whiskey. You learn new things every day!

 

LUNCH

 

After that we grabbed lunch ahead of our champagne tasting. Most of the family went to Windjammer while I hit up boardwalk dog house. I swear there was a smoked beef sausage that was really good when we were on Oasis in early 2022, but either my memory is faulty or it's gone. Everything bun is still delicious and the toppings are still there so I'm not upset, but I think more research is needed.

 

CHAMPAGNE TASTING

 

The champagne tasting was weirdly my least favorite. I just wasn't a huge fan of any of them despite enjoying some variety of Moët in the past. I guess as big as they are there are bound to be varieties I like less than others. It was still fun to learn about it.

 

 

CHANGES TO THE WINE TASTINGS

 

So I have always enjoyed wine tastings on cruises and in the past Royal's have been sommelier led and not focused on a single brand. That seems to have changed post-COVID. On Oasis in 2022, it was no longer a sommelier leading the tasting and now it seems Royal is partnering a lot with specific brands making the tastings a bit more of a sales pitch. The whisky, for example, was all Macallan and the bottles are only available in duty free shops. They were still enjoyable, but they seem a bit less personal with several videos from the companies talking about each product instead of the person leading the tasting discussing their own impressions of it. I miss that personal touch, personally.

 

DINNER

 

MDR today and I have possibly a controversial take: I like the new menus. I'll admit, I usually didn't go for the classics anyway as I tend to be a pretty adventurous eater, but the new menus provide a lot more options overall with the choices being mostly different each day. Today, I had arancini, kofta, and hazelnut chocolate cake which was all wonderful. I purposefully scheduled our Wonderland dinner over Mexican night because I assume any hole in the wall back home probably does Mexican better (I live in South Texas), but otherwise I'm really looking forward to trying the rest of the menus. Sadly, I won't be trying lobster because my family didn't plan around menus and we had Chef's Table on lobster night, but Chef's Table had lobster too so I guess I can forgive them.

 

ROOM DEBACLE

 

No update on this and I didn't see my steward to ask him today. I don't like wasting my vacation fussing so I'll ask when I have the opportunity. Mostly just wanted to reply to some comments here.

 

17 hours ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

Who put the card in the slot?  Couldn't have been the owner, they'd still be in room.  I would say a worker, but a) only a handful should have easy access to your room (I'm thinking they saw it on the floor out side the door and thought you'd dropped it) and b) surely, if that is what happened, that can't be SOP for returning the card. 

 

It is really is perplexing. After all, if someone found it they could clearly see it's not mine. They don't have full cabin #s on them, of course, but last 3 are there and didn't match my room. Honest, the steward thing is most likely I'd wager. Maybe he found it and was going to bring it wherever it is lost cards go, but decided to use it to tidy up in my cabin then forgot it. Usually the simplest explanation is the right one.

 

Oh, and on a positive stateroom note, I got a towel animal! Ain't he a cutie?

 

 

Rizki (pronounced Risky) is my whole family's stateroom attendant and he has really done a lovely job. He seems to always know when we've stepped out and he sneaks in to make the bed and tidy. I haven't missed twice a day service in the slightest. Rizki keeps everything ship shape with just the one.

 

And now I'd best be off to bed. Costa Maya early! 😴

Edited February 7 by bundtkate

[bundtkate]

Today I got back to the ship late for the first time. Luckily, I was on a Royal-sponsored excursion and not at risk of becoming a pier runner. We visited the Kahunlich ruins today which are normally about 2.5 hours away, but thanks to some construction in the area they are now closer to 3.25 hours away. This was just enough delay that we were pulling into the parking lot a whole 5 minutes from all aboard. Needless to say, that pier takes more than 5 minutes to traverse and I was grateful not to be running it.

 

RUINS

 

So what about those ruins? Actually super worth the drive if you're into that sort of thing. I've been to Chaccoban with my husband on a previous cruise which was great, but this site is newer and less built up. They are also still excavating and restoring parts of it providing a unique opportunity to observe the process.

 

The distance also means that fewer groups seem to visit so it's not as overwhelmed with people. I only saw one other group besides our own. I even got a few photos without anyone else in them.

 

 

Aside from ruins, we also saw howler monkeys. There was a whole family of them, but they were a bit far away for great pics. Still, tried to grab a few.

 

 

 

Overall, I'd recommend this excursion. Just be aware that a ship tour may be best until the construction dies down. Oh and the lunch you get is a single slice of baloney and a single slice of American cheese on white bread. Technically counts, but worth being aware of.

 

AQUA SHOW

 

I didn't take any pictures at The Fine Line because I was missing stuff even when I was really trying to pay close attention. I'd be watching people dance and all of a sudden a diver I didn't even see jump would land in the pool. I absolutely love the aqua shows for their uniqueness. I'll agree with others that the spinning dude was a bit 🤔 but everything else was still amazing. I'm going to try to catch another show and grab some pics but I wouldn't miss this one regardless.

 

DINNER

 

I actually took pictures of my food this time! I got bao tacos,

 

 

tiger shrimp,

 

 

and royal chocolate cake.

 

 

Grain of salt when royal says their desserts have a sauce. That squiggle is all the dulche de leche you get. Still, a solid meal overall. Bao tacos don't look great, but they were super tasty and probably my favorite part.

 

A note on the service: Ordering beer in the dining room didn't work out. It arrived right before my dessert. Not a huge deal as it's easy enough to snag one at the bar and bring it in, but something to be aware of on most any ship these days, Harmony included it seems.

 

COMEDY

 

Checked out comedy before turning in for the night. First guy wasn't my style. A lot of punching down humor which just doesn't appeal, but he had one bit that got a laugh out of me where he drafted complaint letters to common cruise passengers. "Dear lady in front of me at the salad bar: You can pick up more than one piece of lettuce at a time. It's a buffet, not an operating room." The second guy was more fun and took jabs at things we all love to hate like Spirit airlines. I don't think I'll go out of my way to see another of their shows in the comedy club but will probably try to catch the show in the theater later.

 

Tomorrow was going to be snorkeling, but my excursion got canceled so it looks like I'll be winging it. Family is just staying on the ship, but I think I'm going to try to find a glass bottom boat or something on shore as a substitute. Wish me luck! Tomorrow is also Wonderland for dinner. With the abundance of amazing Mexican food we have in South Texas, I figured Mexican night in the MDR was a good one to skip. Looking forward to trying something new!

[ShipsandDipper]

I was wondering about your excursion. We went to Kohunlich and Dzibanche with The Native Choice several years ago and the ruins were wonderful. But because of the construction and the uncertain travel time, they won’t even offer that tour right now. We were ok going to Chaccobean since we hadn’t been there before. 

Edited February 8 by ShipsandDipper

[bundtkate]

On 2/8/2024 at 8:12 AM, ShipsandDipper said:

We went to Kohunlich and Dzibanche with The Native Choice several years ago and the ruins were wonderful. But because of the construction and the uncertain travel time, they won’t even offer that tour right now.

 

That would explain why the original one we booked got canceled! My husband and I did Chaccoban with them in ... 2021, I think? Either way, we really liked them so we booked with them originally and it got canceled a few months before our cruise. We weren't sure why but I guess that's it!

 

Sorry, y'all, I missed an update yesterday, but I guess I had to fall off the wagon eventually. All the port days smooshed together is tiring and I was just pooped last night. I'll keep with the format tho and cover Roatan now then come back for Cozumel and the rest of day 6 tonight.

 

ROATAN

 

I was not a fan of Roatan the first time we went, but this is definitely a case where the right excursion makes all the difference. We managed to get a semi-sub excursion last minute and it was just about as good as snorkeling. I have so many pictures and can't possibly pick out the best ones on my phone screen, but here's a few anyway.

 

 

 

The other adventure was just getting back to the ship. We had plenty of time, but traffic was just awful. We got to the semi sub is less than 20 minutes, but it probably took over an hour to get back so plan accordingly.

 

WONDERLAND

 

My mom and I had dinner at Wonderland and it was fantastic. We let our waitress pick and we enjoyed pretty much everything. Only thing I might have skipped was the short rib, but everything else was lovely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Obviously quite a lot of food, but split between two of us we were only mostly stuffed. I'd definitely give Wonderland a try again.

 

Normally, this is where I'd talk about tomorrow, but it's actually today this time so today was Cozumel! We went on a private food tour where I once again neglected to take pictures of everything, but I got most of it. I'll tell y'all about it later tonight, but for now I'm going to cuddle up with a beer and my book in central park for a bit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 9 by bundtkate
Fixing photos - phones are hard!

[aprilcruisers]

Enjoying your review. I don’t know how you do it on the ship. I admire the effort it takes. Thanks. Also in STX, BTW 😄.  Corpus area. 

[bundtkate]

5 hours ago, aprilcruisers said:

Enjoying your review. I don’t know how you do it on the ship. I admire the effort it takes. Thanks. Also in STX, BTW 😄.  Corpus area. 

Thank you! Honest, I'm slowing down at this point. Might have considered just going to sleep tonight and staying a day behind, but today was light on activities so I think I can make it. I also used to live in Corpus! Been gone a bit now and am closer to San Antonio, but I still miss that streudel place on the island. Yum!

 

Anyway, Cozumel. My day started on an unexpected note when I coincidentally woke up one hour early and saw a text from my mom that she forgot to mention that our 11am excursion was at 11am local time which, wouldn't you know, is 1 hour ahead of ship time. So instead of going back to sleep, it was up and at 'em. Got lucky I guess.

 

FOOD TOUR

 

The excursion in question was a private food tour my mom set up for us. I might have spent the last 3 years endlessly gushing about these mole tacos my husband and I had in Cozumel shortly post-restart (Sept 2021, I think?) so I think she was inspired. Or wanted to add some variety to my gushing. Either way, we headed out around 9:30 ship time, grabbed a taxi to the mega where we met our tour guide, and spent the late morning/early afternoon sampling local cuisine. Chow included many aguas frescas, a few Indio beers, cochinitas pibil, shrimp tacos, sopa de lima, pan fried grouper, and pan dulces. All were delicious, but I failed in my photography duties and only took pictures of the cochinitas and the grouper.

 

 

 

We also went on a side quest to a local open air market:

 

 

 

Our guide's finger sneaked into that last photo cuz she was telling us how to figure out if the fish is fresh. The barracuda she's pointing to was – its eyes were clear. The groupers' were cloudy indicating they'd be caught a different day.

 

At our last stop, I bought a small variety pack of pan dulces so I got to try more than just the concha I ordered at the bakery. They were $2.50 and super tasty so I was hoping someone would help me with them. No help from the fam, but a pair of fellow cruisers were jealous of my goodies so I pawned off a mini concha on them. They loved it and thanked me, but I don't think they understood what a favor they'd done me. I thought about how I'd smuggle any leftovers on the ship, but ended up finishing them all in the end. Good thing too as Cozumel port security made me send my cardigan through the scanners even though other ports let me keep it. My plan to hide them under the cardigan tied around my waist would have been thwarted.

 

COLOMBUS

 

I didn't think I'd ever be hungry again after that so I skipped lobster night at the MDR (yes, I know, a cruising mortal sin) and caught the 7:45 pm Colombus showing with my mom. Someone said the set was amazing and OMG was it ever! This former theater kid was thrilled with that ship. I'll admit, I thought the plot itself was a bit much at times, but it was one of those things where it's so corny it's actually kind of amazing in a way. It's probably a one and done for me, but it was very much worth going. The cast for all the shows on Harmony have also been just immensely talented. Even when they're singing songs I'm not big on, I'm blown away by just how good they are at what they do. Royal deserves the entertainment accolades it gets for sure.

 

JAZZ IN THE PARK

 

After crashing my family's balconies and stargazing for a bit, I finished out the evening in central park listening to a jazz quartet while finally polishing off my book and checking out a new one from my local library on my Kindle while in the middle of the ocean. Technology is grand, ain't it? This was such a lovely and relaxing time and the quartet is fabulous. They're going to be back tomorrow evening and consequently so will I.

 

Central Park really cleared out after the music ended so I grabbed a nightcap at Trellis Bar and read a bit more. After a while, I grabbed some Sorrento's and while I was eating some unfortunate cruiser found out pizza was included for the first time. On day 6. Poor guy.

 

Anyway, I'm looking forward to a sea day (and no early morning activities) tomorrow. Only thing on the docket is one more wine tasting in the afternoon so should be a relaxing final day. Always a bit bittersweet that last sea day, but I think it's just about time. I will be glad to watch some football with my husband and our cats soon.

[CruiseMomTX]

On 2/4/2024 at 7:37 PM, The sea calls my name said:

Following. for sure!!!!  My DH  and I sail on her March 3. This will be our first cruise  in 35 years of cruising out of Galveston as well. We have sailed on her before but that was out  of Florida.  We are doing the following itinerary:

 

Port/City Date Arriving Departing
GALVESTON - TEXAS 03 March 2024 4:00 PM
CRUISING 04 March 2024
CRUISING 05 March 2024
ROATAN - HONDURAS 06 March 2024 7:00 AM 4:00 PM
COZUMEL - MEXICO 07 March 2024 8:00 AM 6:00 PM
PUERTO COSTA MAYA - MEXICO 08 March 2024 7:00 AM 3:00 PM
CRUISING 09 March 2024
GALVESTON - TEXAS 10 March 2024 7:00 AM

 

Here are my first two questions

1. Can you, in detail, describe the gangway from the terminal to the ship? I have severe restricted lung disease and the least bit of an incline poses a major problem for me.  The Ft Lauderdale gangway is a prime example of that up, turn, up some more repeat.  If is is like Miami which is an even walk over, I am fine.  Knowing this in advance will help me decide if I need  to request W/C assistance or not. .

 

2.  If this is your same itinerary, could you post the single sheet entertainment summary that shows all shows/times for the entire week on one sheet.  Again this will help with scheduling my specialty dining

 

Lastly, thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope you have a wonderful cruise with you Mom and family.

 

Virginia Lea.
 

 

@The sea calls my name  We have sailed out of Galveston multiple times and there is a small incline on the gangway usually and it's a little bit of a walk from getting inside the building to actually boarding the ship.  My mom sometimes uses a cane on a daily basis and we usually jut go up the elevator or escalator once inside the port building and request a wheelchair.  No need to request in advance just ask once you get upstairs.  They have a little area with a few chairs to sit and wait and an agent with an iPad checks in your group right there then when a transporter/wheelchair is available and it's your turn they take you and escort your group past everyone and in the WC line through security.  They will take you to just onboard then your on your own but it really helps my mom to not be so worn out just checking in and getting onboard.  We always give the transporter a tip too.  Since its your first time sailing from Galveston I would suggest getting the WC assist to board the ship and then you will know for next time but always better to be safe and have a great start to your vacation.  Enjoy your cruise!

 

@bundtkate Enjoying your review and we can't wait until we  board tomorrow 2/11!

[bundtkate]

23 hours ago, CruiseMomTX said:

Enjoying your review and we can't wait until we  board tomorrow 2/11!

Thank you! Not the most pleasant day to be boarding today, but here's hoping it clears up for you quickly. 🤞 I hope you enjoy it regardless and if you find yourself in need of a non-rainy drink, Ram at the Solarium bar took good care of my family this last week. Bon Voyage! 🚢

 

So our last sea day was mostly uneventful, but activities were loaded near the end of the day. My cousin got into the karaoke  contest finals so our afternoon was wine tasting, a surprise show, dinner, and karaoke all back to back to back. This also made for a bit of a late evening and we wanted to get going early to beat the crowds so I decided to fall behind again in favor of getting enough sleep.

 

SURPRISE SHOW

 

I mentioned on CC recently that Hideaway Heist was nowhere to be found in my cruise planner and that was true, but cruise director Steve announced yesterday evening that it would be performed at 5:15pm. That was just after our wine tasting so I went to check it out. It's completely different from The Fine Line in every way (except for spinning guy – he was still there for some reason), but equally fun and impressive. The aqua shows are consistently my favorites and this was no different. We were apparently the first guests to see this show in 2024, but it seems to be ready to go now so anyone else sailing on Harmony soon should keep an eye out. If you're boarding today, check your cruise compass and your app so you can grab reservations if you didn't see them on your cruise planner either.

 

DINNER

 

The last dinner was a bit odd and featured an autumn turkey dinner despite the fact that it's February and very nearly spring here in Texas. It was also the first day I didn't find something that I wanted on the menu so I went with two apps and no main. I wasn't a big fan of the French onion soup. Thin broth, not a lot of onions, and just generally lacking in flavor. Everything else was great tho.

 

Totally anecdotal, but I noticed that the members of my family who went for more traditional dishes found the food to be lacking. Those of us who went for the more exotic fare enjoyed it. Make of that what you will, but it seems like you might get some better meals if you are a more adventurous eater.

 

KARAOKE

 

This is not where you will usually find me as I would pass out before drinking enough that I'd sing in front of others, but my cousin decided to compete and made it through to the finals. This meant she was singing with the house band in Dazzles. Unfortunately, she didn't win, but she had fun and got plenty of compliments from the audience so it was an enjoyable experience for all involved.

 

DISEMBARKATION

 

By the time karaoke was over, it was pretty much time for bed. We wanted to walk off as soon as we could so were aiming to meet in the hallway at 8. We ended up being cleared earlier than that (I think around 7:30?) and I was walking off around 7:45. Disembarkation was pretty easy. We carried off our own bags, but Galveston is apparently a bit weird about that. Cruise director said if you have more than one piece of rolling luggage you can't carry off your own bags. I heard them directing folks with more than one bag to the elevators so it seems that may not be totally true, but for whatever it's worth. They do yell at you for walking on the escalators, I learned. Oops. All told, though, we were at the car and getting on the road a little after 8. Almost no traffic leaving the north lot yet so it was almost no time before we were on 45 and headed home.

 

Overall, this was a really lovely cruise and the family is already talking about making this a regular thing. Since this particular ship was my suggestion, I was glad to hear everyone liked it enough to want to come back. I don't see myself cruising out of Galveston with my husband any time soon as the itineraries remain a bit heavy on places we've been numerous times, but it does seem I'll be back with the girls again so maybe y'all can join me for another live in a year or so. I've got a few final thoughts swirling so I'll probably do a wrap-up sometime this week, but if anyone has questions in the meantime, I'm sure I'll be around. Thanks for coming along, y'all!

[GetToLivin]

1 hour ago, bundtkate said:

We carried off our own bags, but Galveston is apparently a bit weird about that. Cruise director said if you have more than one piece of rolling luggage you can't carry off your own bags. I heard them directing folks with more than one bag to the elevators so it seems that may not be totally true, but for whatever it's worth. They do yell at you for walking on the escalators, I learned. Oops.

We experienced this in January - we are young and able to handle more than one piece of luggage so I don't know why this is a "thing" and we did it anyway. DH did get "redirected" to the elevator v escalator once in the terminal though, since he had 2 bags. My guess is someone, somewhere, at some time, had an 'oopsie' on the escalator with more than one piece of luggage so now there's a rule (I surmise, since it wasn't like this the last time we sailed from Galveston). Glad you had a great trip and thank you for taking us along!

[c-leg5]

5 minutes ago, GetToLivin said:

We experienced this in January - we are young and able to handle more than one piece of luggage so I don't know why this is a "thing" and we did it anyway. DH did get "redirected" to the elevator v escalator once in the terminal though, since he had 2 bags. My guess is someone, somewhere, at some time, had an 'oopsie' on the escalator with more than one piece of luggage so now there's a rule (I surmise, since it wasn't like this the last time we sailed from Galveston). Glad you had a great trip and thank you for taking us along!

 

It used to be this way in the old terminal before it was revamped.
 

We haven’t been to the new terminal. Are you saying they didn’t install the zig-zag Disney type ramps in the new terminal? 
 

I have seen serious mishaps at airports and at the old Galveston port where people have had accidents with luggage on the escalators which makes it very dangerous for the people following, in addition to the passenger themselves.

 

Given the very high percentage of guests that self-disembark I would be surprised if they hadn’t taken this into consideration in a new terminal. 

[GetToLivin]

30 minutes ago, c-leg5 said:

We haven’t been to the new terminal. Are you saying they didn’t install the zig-zag Disney type ramps in the new terminal?

Exactly, they don't exist in the Galveston terminal: there are only escalators or elevators. To your point, I understand why they would enforce this as falling luggage could hurt people, obviously, it's not worth hurting anyone.

 

We experienced the ramps you are speaking about in the Orlando terminal which was awesome, kept everything flowing! 

[c-leg5]

22 minutes ago, GetToLivin said:

Exactly, they don't exist in the Galveston terminal: there are only escalators or elevators. To your point, I understand why they would enforce this as falling luggage could hurt people, obviously, it's not worth hurting anyone.

 

We experienced the ramps you are speaking about in the Orlando terminal which was awesome, kept everything flowing! 

Thanks I find this very surprising and a retrograde step from the previous terminal.

 

people have implied disembarkation is very easy at the new terminal. I am surprised that is the first time I have heard this mentioned.

[ShipsandDipper]

The way I heard/remember the rule was no more than one rolling bag per person on the escalator.  So we were fine with a rolling bag and a backpack. If you had two rolling bags, they directed you to the elevator. 

[bundtkate]

2 hours ago, ShipsandDipper said:

The way I heard/remember the rule was no more than one rolling bag per person on the escalator.  So we were fine with a rolling bag and a backpack. If you had two rolling bags, they directed you to the elevator. 

This is what seemed to happen in practice, but onboard they implied you simply could not self-disembark with more than one roller bag. It was also mentioned that the crew may stop you if you attempted to self-disembark with more than one so YMMV, I guess?

I have to admit, I rolled my eyes a bit at being told to stay put on the escalator with the little carryon I'm regularly expected to hoist over my head into a bin, but I suppose at the end of the day it's both easier and safer to have a hard and fast rule rather than quibble over bad size so I guess I can deal. 😛

[bundtkate]

2 hours ago, c-leg5 said:

people have implied disembarkation is very easy at the new terminal. I am surprised that is the first time I have heard this mentioned.

I mean, from my perspective it was really easy, despite the esclator. I was off the ship and in the car within about 15minutes tops and that includes the time it took me to figure out the parking lot was on the other side of the terminal. There really weren't any bottlenecks and the facial recognition for immigration made getting out of the terminal a breeze.

 

That said, that's just my experience and it may well depend on certain variables -- I was self-disembarking, I'm young and travel light so the escalator wasn't really a bother, and I got off pretty darned early so there weren't any crowds yet. I was also heading to the parking lot, not waiting for an Uber or Taxi to the airport. If you have to collect your luggage in the terminal, have any sort of issues that make the escalator troublesome, get off later with larger crowds, or have to deal with airport transportation, then one or more of these things could make the process harder. 🤷‍♀️

[GetToLivin]

4 hours ago, c-leg5 said:

Thanks I find this very surprising and a retrograde step from the previous terminal.

 

people have implied disembarkation is very easy at the new terminal. I am surprised that is the first time I have heard this mentioned.

It is very easy, I agree with OP that the new terminal layout and facial recognition had us off the ship and through customs within 15 minutes as well. I also agree that they DO make it sound like you simply can't self-disembark if you have more than one piece of luggage per person, but really, what are they going to do about it once it's time to go? Anyway, the new terminal is very nice and easy to navigate, just be prepared for your walk of shame to the elevator if you're handling more than one piece of luggage 😉

[happy cruzer]

19 hours ago, c-leg5 said:

 

It used to be this way in the old terminal before it was revamped.
 

We haven’t been to the new terminal. Are you saying they didn’t install the zig-zag Disney type ramps in the new terminal? 
 

I have seen serious mishaps at airports and at the old Galveston port where people have had accidents with luggage on the escalators which makes it very dangerous for the people following, in addition to the passenger themselves.

 

Given the very high percentage of guests that self-disembark I would be surprised if they hadn’t taken this into consideration in a new terminal. 

Accidents with luggage happen everywhere.  Not sure about the "very dangerous"  description.

 

If the escalator situation is "very dangerous" hopefully they designed in enough elevators to handle everyone.

 

Looking forward to the new terminal.