My husband and I are relatively new to cruising. We took a 3 night cruise to Bimini Bahamas last year on Carnival. This June we are taking a western Caribbean out of Galveston on Harmony of the Seas. It will be a big jump in length of cruise and in ship size and amenities for us.
When is Your Next Royal Cruise?
- Thread starter Frozen2014
- Start date
My husband and I are relatively new to cruising. We took a 3 night cruise to Bimini Bahamas last year on Carnival. This June we are taking a western Caribbean out of Galveston on Harmony of the Seas. It will be a big jump in length of cruise and in ship size and amenities for us.
Coconuts
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2007
We just booked our second RC cruise for 8/8/24 out of Baltimore, Vision of the Seas, for 9 nights. It stops at Bermuda, Bahamas, and Coco Cay. 3 inside cabins for my crew of 6 and we're already arguing about who is bunking with who haha.
I know it's an older, smaller ship without all the bells and whistles but we are all looking forward to a family vacation with all of us.
Our first RC trip was in 2021 on the Adventure of the Seas with 2 days at Coco Cay...that was awesome!!
I know it's an older, smaller ship without all the bells and whistles but we are all looking forward to a family vacation with all of us.Our first RC trip was in 2021 on the Adventure of the Seas with 2 days at Coco Cay...that was awesome!!
PrincessBelle39
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2007
We have a cruise on Quantum of the Seas out of Brisbane in February 2025, going to Airlie Beach, Queensland.
In the meantime, we are trying our first Holland America cruise in June on the Koningsdam out of Vancouver to Alaska.
We do also have a cruise booked for November on Celebrity Edge out of Sydney to Tasmania, but I'm not sure we will make this. We booked this before we knew we were taking a trip to Canada and Alaska which is very expensive from Australia, so we may skip it and forfeit the deposit. We'll see how we go and if we can make it work.
In the meantime, we are trying our first Holland America cruise in June on the Koningsdam out of Vancouver to Alaska.
We do also have a cruise booked for November on Celebrity Edge out of Sydney to Tasmania, but I'm not sure we will make this. We booked this before we knew we were taking a trip to Canada and Alaska which is very expensive from Australia, so we may skip it and forfeit the deposit. We'll see how we go and if we can make it work.
jacksdadcan
Muggle Dad
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2015
While I was cruise shopping last weekend an extremely attractive price came up for 7 night in February 2025.
So... going Harmony next Feb for (another) birthday cruise!
So... going Harmony next Feb for (another) birthday cruise!
Be sure to let us know your thoughts on the Icon. We are booked for the first week in November and I must admit I am a little nervous
SwissTravelingtoFlorida
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2024
October 6 - Harmony of the Seas out of Galveston. First time cruising out of Galveston, first time being back in Texas since 1998 and first time on RCCL since 2003. So many reason for being excited!
jenushkask8s
Cute and fluffy!
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2017
October 19, 2024 - Icon (2nd time), Eastern Caribbean
February 10, 2025 - Utopia, Bahamas
September 20, 2025 - Oasis, Southern Caribbean
February 22, 2026 - Star, Eastern Caribbean
February 10, 2025 - Utopia, Bahamas
September 20, 2025 - Oasis, Southern Caribbean
February 22, 2026 - Star, Eastern Caribbean
kittylady1972
Disneyholic
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2003
TECHNICALLY not Royal...but their sister brand Celebrity. We did our first non-Disney cruise with them last month. We completed 5 nights out of Ft. Lauderdale on the Celebrity Reflection (May 27th to May 31st). If you were on the RC Allure, we visited CocoCay with you on 30-May.
Quick thoughts: The Reflection was a nice ship overall. I think there were 20 kids TOTAL on our cruise (exaggeration, but not many at all) and of course they were all in the pool on the Sea day but we didn't see too many otherwise. The 2 outdoor and one indoor pools were always a bit too crowded, but to just get refreshed we went to the indoor pool. Lots of adults activities happening (salsa dance lesson, line dancing, crew vs guest volleyball) but some of the indoor venues just didn't work well. Example: they had a gameshow one evening, really in a lobby area, seating was for MAYBE 20 people there so if you wanted to just watch, you sat at the nearby bar (full...seating for about 8) or you just stood around for an hour. BINGO one evening was in a small venue but at least there were seats. Karaoke was in a large bar/entertainment area in the rear of the ship, but seating was limited to actually see the stage (trivia was here one time also) and if you sat behind the bar you saw nothing of the stage. Just awkward. There was always music in the lobby area and at the pools, some good some not so good. Lots of seating in the sun, but the seats were SOOO close together on the higher decks so you could only climb onto a seat from the front. Not a ton of shaded areas overall.
Food was REALLY good though...loved the many selections of the buffet and how it was in stations. Fresh made pizza was always a winner, hand scooped and soft ice cream available most of the time. Evening buffet at 10pm had good selections also. Main Dining Room service was good...not great but good...and the food there was also very good...definitely they beat DCL in the food quality and selection IMHO.
Drinks...not a huge alcohol drinker but the few mixed drinks I ordered...not worth it. Exception was the martini bar...we had drinks there twice, all good and had some alcohol. We did not get a drink package of any kind, but we aren't soda drinkers anyway so if we wanted something we just ordered it. So glad for that. Not a lot of high quality alcohol selections anyway, I'm a hard cider drinker and never found that anywhere.
For the weird: We had 3 balcony staterooms in a row, right above the life boats. The first day, the glass on my son's balcony cracked...nobody around when it happened. He was in the middle, glass on both of our other balcony areas. It was cleaned up and repaired that evening...but that night while my husband and daughter were on our balcony, glass fell on them from above...and we heard another one break in our area later that evening. Glass remained on the lifeboat below us for the rest of the cruise (see below).
They did comp my son for the inconvenience with a specialty dinner. He told them he was with 5 others so we all had a nice specialty dinner one night. It was good...not the best but overall good. DCL wins on the specialty dining in terms of service and food quality.
Would we try them again? Probably. We are still considering a RC cruise now that the Baltimore port nearest us is open again, even though getting there without the bridge now is not nearly as convenient for us.
Quick thoughts: The Reflection was a nice ship overall. I think there were 20 kids TOTAL on our cruise (exaggeration, but not many at all) and of course they were all in the pool on the Sea day but we didn't see too many otherwise. The 2 outdoor and one indoor pools were always a bit too crowded, but to just get refreshed we went to the indoor pool. Lots of adults activities happening (salsa dance lesson, line dancing, crew vs guest volleyball) but some of the indoor venues just didn't work well. Example: they had a gameshow one evening, really in a lobby area, seating was for MAYBE 20 people there so if you wanted to just watch, you sat at the nearby bar (full...seating for about 8) or you just stood around for an hour. BINGO one evening was in a small venue but at least there were seats. Karaoke was in a large bar/entertainment area in the rear of the ship, but seating was limited to actually see the stage (trivia was here one time also) and if you sat behind the bar you saw nothing of the stage. Just awkward. There was always music in the lobby area and at the pools, some good some not so good. Lots of seating in the sun, but the seats were SOOO close together on the higher decks so you could only climb onto a seat from the front. Not a ton of shaded areas overall.
Food was REALLY good though...loved the many selections of the buffet and how it was in stations. Fresh made pizza was always a winner, hand scooped and soft ice cream available most of the time. Evening buffet at 10pm had good selections also. Main Dining Room service was good...not great but good...and the food there was also very good...definitely they beat DCL in the food quality and selection IMHO.
Drinks...not a huge alcohol drinker but the few mixed drinks I ordered...not worth it. Exception was the martini bar...we had drinks there twice, all good and had some alcohol. We did not get a drink package of any kind, but we aren't soda drinkers anyway so if we wanted something we just ordered it. So glad for that. Not a lot of high quality alcohol selections anyway, I'm a hard cider drinker and never found that anywhere.
For the weird: We had 3 balcony staterooms in a row, right above the life boats. The first day, the glass on my son's balcony cracked...nobody around when it happened. He was in the middle, glass on both of our other balcony areas. It was cleaned up and repaired that evening...but that night while my husband and daughter were on our balcony, glass fell on them from above...and we heard another one break in our area later that evening. Glass remained on the lifeboat below us for the rest of the cruise (see below).
They did comp my son for the inconvenience with a specialty dinner. He told them he was with 5 others so we all had a nice specialty dinner one night. It was good...not the best but overall good. DCL wins on the specialty dining in terms of service and food quality.
Would we try them again? Probably. We are still considering a RC cruise now that the Baltimore port nearest us is open again, even though getting there without the bridge now is not nearly as convenient for us.
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