Harmony of the Seas

[CaroleC]

3 hours ago, FionaMG said:

@CaroleC Thanks for your comments this week. We are one week out and the information has been very helpful. 

I am particularly pleased to hear that the MDR food has been good as it was less than stellar on our last two cruises with these same menus.

Safe home. ☺️

DH has never been a big fan of MDR’s tbh but we’ve found it more than satisfactory this cruise. With reduced capacity (approx 1,500 this last week, I enquired at GS) at times it did seem there was more wait staff than pax and they all seemed really happy to be sailing again. I had Lamb Shank last night and DH had Steak Diane, both were excellent. Lobster was on the menu Friday evening which was the second formal night. Have a great cruise ⚓️

 

 

Edited September 19, 2021 by CaroleC

[rufusrea]

I wonder.could anyone who has travelled from the uk answer this Question please. Do we need tested before we leave the uk or is the test they do When boarding sufficient we are travelling from Belfast on the 1st Oct for the sailing on the 3rd. Thy

[gumshoe958]

46 minutes ago, rufusrea said:

I wonder.could anyone who has travelled from the uk answer this Question please. Do we need tested before we leave the uk or is the test they do When boarding sufficient we are travelling from Belfast on the 1st Oct for the sailing on the 3rd. Thy

No test currently required for entry to Spain, and Royal only requires the free test it provides at the port.
 

So no, no need to get tested before you leave BUT it might be sensible to do a free NHS lateral flow just before you leave for a bit of peace of mind, as you wouldn’t want to fly to Barcelona only to test positive at the port, be denied boarding and potentially have to quarantine in Spain.

[rufusrea]

7 minutes ago, gumshoe958 said:

No test currently required for entry to Spain, and Royal only requires the free test it provides at the port.
 

So no, no need to get tested before you leave BUT it might be sensible to do a free NHS lateral flow just before you leave for a bit of peace of mind, as you wouldn’t want to fly to Barcelona only to test positive at the port, be denied boarding and potentially have to quarantine in Spain.

Thanks for the reply that solves a lot of confusion.

[mm8516_02]

Hi,

 

Just booked Harmony for next week 🙂

Getting pretty excited and downloaded the app to look at shows etc but there is nothing on it. Does anyone know if you can only look/book once you are on the ship?

 

Cheers,

Mike

[FionaMG]

11 minutes ago, mm8516_02 said:

Hi,

 

Just booked Harmony for next week 🙂

Getting pretty excited and downloaded the app to look at shows etc but there is nothing on it. Does anyone know if you can only look/book once you are on the ship?

 

Cheers,

Mike

The app has only been populating very close in, as in just a day or two before the sail date and even then not everything. Headliners and other shows have generally not been showing up till the actual sailing date.

There have been reports of people being able to book in the app while they are in the cruise terminal, whereas others have reported not being able to until they actually get on board.

However, you can look at this week's sailing in the app and that will give you a pretty good idea of what to expect.

[mm8516_02]

2 minutes ago, FionaMG said:

The app has only been populating very close in, as in just a day or two before the sail date and even then not everything. Headliners and other shows have generally not been showing up till the actual sailing date.

There have been reports of people being able to book in the app while they are in the cruise terminal, whereas others have reported not being able to until they actually get on board.

However, you can look at this week's sailing in the app and that will give you a pretty good idea of what to expect.

Fantastic, thanks for that! I will have a look at the other sailing!

 

Cheers,

Mike

[s_kuegeler]

We are travelling on Oct. 14th from Rome with two teens. If anybody cruises before us, could you please check if fuel and the living room is open for the teens and perhaps post a copy of the teens compass, if that's available. You can't find it in the app and only a few activities for teens are listed, like Karaokee or the flow rider.

 

Thank you so much for your help in advance.

Sandra

[FionaMG]

23 minutes ago, s_kuegeler said:

We are travelling on Oct. 14th from Rome with two teens. If anybody cruises before us, could you please check if fuel and the living room is open for the teens and perhaps post a copy of the teens compass, if that's available. You can't find it in the app and only a few activities for teens are listed, like Karaokee or the flow rider.

 

Thank you so much for your help in advance.

Sandra

Hi Sandra,

 

All being well (fingers, legs and eyes crossed at this point in time), we will be boarding this coming Sunday.

 

If nobody currently on board sees this and posts them for you, I will do my best to do so. How old are your teens?

 

I will probably only have internet on the two sea days, though, making use of our free D internet, as I refuse to pay the outrageous price Royal are asking for the package!

[CaroleC]

1 hour ago, s_kuegeler said:

We are travelling on Oct. 14th from Rome with two teens. If anybody cruises before us, could you please check if fuel and the living room is open for the teens and perhaps post a copy of the teens compass, if that's available. You can't find it in the app and only a few activities for teens are listed, like Karaokee or the flow rider.

 

Thank you so much for your help in advance.

Sandra

Oh we were on Harmony last week and I would have enquired for you but we’re home now 😔. However, what I can tell you is that there were very few teens on board that I saw. Hardly any children either. Not sure if low numbers would affect the opening of the teen venues? I’ve just checked the Cruise Compass for each day and there’s no mention in there but perhaps they’re only listed in the Teens Compass. Even if Fuel and Living Room aren’t open, I’m sure they’ll find plenty to do. The water slides and Abyss looked great fun (wish I was 20 years younger lol) and the rock climbing walls, zip line, FlowRiders, table tennis, sports courts etc are all open. I doubt they’ll have time to get bored 😁

[s_kuegeler]

1 hour ago, FionaMG said:

Hi Sandra,

 

All being well (fingers, legs and eyes crossed at this point in time), we will be boarding this coming Sunday.

 

If nobody currently on board sees this and posts them for you, I will do my best to do so. How old are your teens?

 

I will probably only have internet on the two sea days, though, making use of our free D internet, as I refuse to pay the outrageous price Royal are asking for the package!

That would be great. We have few weeks left, before we will leave.

[s_kuegeler]

47 minutes ago, CaroleC said:

Oh we were on Harmony last week and I would have enquired for you but we’re home now 😔. However, what I can tell you is that there were very few teens on board that I saw. Hardly any children either. Not sure if low numbers would affect the opening of the teen venues? I’ve just checked the Cruise Compass for each day and there’s no mention in there but perhaps they’re only listed in the Teens Compass. Even if Fuel and Living Room aren’t open, I’m sure they’ll find plenty to do. The water slides and Abyss looked great fun (wish I was 20 years younger lol) and the rock climbing walls, zip line, FlowRiders, table tennis, sports courts etc are all open. I doubt they’ll have time to get bored 😁

 

They are 13 and 16. In Germany we have fall school break for up to two weeks starting on October 5th till Oct. 29h, depending  on where in the country you live. I think Italy and Spain don't have fall vacation, but Austria and Swiss have as well. So perhaps there might be a few teens. Otherweise they are looking forward to the FlowRider and the ZipLine. It's our first vacation for 2 years (we were in Disney World in 2019) and just relaxing by the pool sounds good.

[CaroleC]

3 hours ago, s_kuegeler said:

 

They are 13 and 16. In Germany we have fall school break for up to two weeks starting on October 5th till Oct. 29h, depending  on where in the country you live. I think Italy and Spain don't have fall vacation, but Austria and Swiss have as well. So perhaps there might be a few teens. Otherweise they are looking forward to the FlowRider and the ZipLine. It's our first vacation for 2 years (we were in Disney World in 2019) and just relaxing by the pool sounds good.

We took our only son who’s now 32 on his first cruise when he was 14. It was the the one and only time we’ve sailed with Carnival. He made friends with a group of kids from New Orleans which was where we sailed from and we hardly saw him the whole time. It actually used to make us smile, there was this skinny little white kid trailing around with a group of black kids who were twice the size of him and all looked like they played in the NFL. He even started speaking with a bit of an American accent he spent that much time with them lol. Even now he still says it’s one of the best holidays he’s ever been on. I’m sure your boys will have a wonderful time, enjoy yourselves ⚓️

[bnoble1967]

All of the People who have already cruised leaving from Barcelona. When they do the Free Covid test before you board, is that the test they are using for us to enter into Italy on Day 3, because i know we need a 72 hour test before entering Italy?

[CaroleC]

2 hours ago, bnoble1967 said:

All of the People who have already cruised leaving from Barcelona. When they do the Free Covid test before you board, is that the test they are using for us to enter into Italy on Day 3, because i know we need a 72 hour test before entering Italy?

No. The first stop in Italy is actually on day 4 (Wednesday) so another test is required. This was offered free of charge on board on day 3 and covers you for all of the ports on days 4, 5 and 6. As you cannot get off in Italy unless on a ship excursion, this additional test is not required if you stay on board.

[Auntiemomo]

4 hours ago, CaroleC said:

No. The first stop in Italy is actually on day 4 (Wednesday) so another test is required. This was offered free of charge on board on day 3 and covers you for all of the ports on days 4, 5 and 6. As you cannot get off in Italy unless on a ship excursion, this additional test is not required if you stay on board.

I received an email from Royal.  Your requirement for another test on day 3 is because you are from the UK, which requires test 48 hours prior.  If you are from the US, the test on embarkation will suffice.  Here's the excerpt:

 

"Recently, the Italian government announced that guests residing in or traveling through List D countries may enter Italy without quarantining as long as they provide (1) proof of COVID-19 vaccination and (2) a negative COVID-19 rapid antigenic or molecular swab test result taken within 48-72 hours prior to entering Italy. Both documents need to be presented to your airline before travel. Please note: Guests entering Italy from the UK and Northern Ireland are required to present a test - which will be provided onboard at no charge - taken within 48 hours of debarking for their first shore excursion in Italy. If guests choose not to disembark in Italy, they will not be required to take this test. All other guests will be able to use their embarkation test to satisfy this requirement." 

[CaroleC]

1 hour ago, Auntiemomo said:

I received an email from Royal.  Your requirement for another test on day 3 is because you are from the UK, which requires test 48 hours prior.  If you are from the US, the test on embarkation will suffice.  Here's the excerpt:

 

"Recently, the Italian government announced that guests residing in or traveling through List D countries may enter Italy without quarantining as long as they provide (1) proof of COVID-19 vaccination and (2) a negative COVID-19 rapid antigenic or molecular swab test result taken within 48-72 hours prior to entering Italy. Both documents need to be presented to your airline before travel. Please note: Guests entering Italy from the UK and Northern Ireland are required to present a test - which will be provided onboard at no charge - taken within 48 hours of debarking for their first shore excursion in Italy. If guests choose not to disembark in Italy, they will not be required to take this test. All other guests will be able to use their embarkation test to satisfy this requirement." 

Oh yes, of course you’re correct 🙈. I was forgetting the requirements are different depending on where you’re travelling from. My apologies for misleading anyone.

[bnoble1967]

7 hours ago, CaroleC said:

No. The first stop in Italy is actually on day 4 (Wednesday) so another test is required. This was offered free of charge on board on day 3 and covers you for all of the ports on days 4, 5 and 6. As you cannot get off in Italy unless on a ship excursion, this additional test is not required if you stay on board.

Thank you so much, on the Royal Caribbean website they only talk about the free covid test when you board, so thank you again for the information.

[bnoble1967]

Are the Pools heated on Board?

[Twolittleboys]

I am still a bit confused about the requirements. Coming from Europe and embarking in Rome:

 

I know I have to fill in the Italian locator form prior to travel and take the free test at the port

 

Do I also need to fill in the Spanish form (and if yes, once or for each port)? And do I have to fill in more locator forms for Italy (i.e. if getting off the ship in port and for getting off the ship at the end)?

[CaroleC]

22 minutes ago, bnoble1967 said:

Are the Pools heated on Board?

Yes, it was like getting into a warm bath lol

[CaroleC]

11 minutes ago, Twolittleboys said:

I am still a bit confused about the requirements. Coming from Europe and embarking in Rome:

 

I know I have to fill in the Italian locator form prior to travel and take the free test at the port

 

Do I also need to fill in the Spanish form (and if yes, once or for each port)? And do I have to fill in more locator forms for Italy (i.e. if getting off the ship in port and for getting off the ship at the end)?

Yes, you will need an FCS for Spain (that’s what the Spanish Passenger Locator forms are called). It isn’t necessary to complete more than one, the same for Italy, just the one required. You will also need to complete a PLF for returning to your home country, when you do this will depend on when you are going home. I completed mine on board a couple of days before the end of the cruise as we were flying back to the UK following debarkation. You can print the forms out at the online cafe on deck 14 just off from the aft elevators. I always carry hard copies of everything just in case I lose my phone lol.

[Auntiemomo]

Do you have to carry your Vac Card around everywhere, or just show it on embarkation -- will a photo on your smart phone suffice for the remainder of the cruise/getting on/off the ship?

 

[CaroleC]

13 minutes ago, Auntiemomo said:

Do you have to carry your Vac Card around everywhere, or just show it on embarkation -- will a photo on your smart phone suffice for the remainder of the cruise/getting on/off the ship?

 

We don’t have vaccination cards in the UK. I downloaded my certificate from the NHS app and also printed a hard copy. From what I recall, I only had to show it once at the port during the embarkation process, certainly wasn’t asked for it again during the cruise or getting on/off in Palma despite being stated in the Cruise Compass it was required. We didn’t leave the ship in the Italian ports so it may have been needed then.

[CaroleC]

On 9/18/2021 at 10:45 PM, jkx said:

Is the curtain good at blocking this light and light from outside? Also is the glass doors good at blocking out outside noise ? waves, etc

Sorry, I thought I’d responded to your question but it appears I didn’t. The curtains are blackout so let very little light in. The doors certainly block wave sounds, not sure how effective they would be though if you had noisy neighbours on the balcony next door. We were lucky last week as the cabins each side of us were empty so things were very quiet indeed.