First Royal Caribbean cruise with kids

FSU Girl

DIS Veteran
Joined
Oct 20, 2016
So I just booked the Harmony of the Seas over 4th of July week and it will be my first cruise taking kids and I'm a little lost and have lots of questions! The kids have sailed on Disney before so they aren't strangers to cruising, but it will be my first time taking kids on a cruise. It will be me, my Fiance, and his two daughters (ages 14 and 9) Here are some of my questions and thank you in advance for your help and guidance :)
  • How do we stay in touch with the kids on the boat? The younger one will go to the kids club, but the older one probably won't and I want to make sure she's able to reach us whenever. On Disney they have an app where you can text one another without the internet, does Royal do something similar?
  • For the kids club, can we sign the kids up ahead of time or do we do it once we board the ship?
  • We were assigned My Time Dining and when I booked the guy on the phone said we would never wait more than 15 minutes. The last time I sailed on Royal (over five years ago) I had this and if we didn't make reservations we could end up waiting hours for a table. Is there a way to book times we'd like to eat now, or when we get on the ship? Or will we really not have to wait when we show up?
  • I've never been on the huge ships Royal has, my last ship was Liberty of the Seas, which I thought was pretty huge at the time and I know Harmony is bigger. What's a good way not to get overwhelmed by the size?
  • We have two balcony rooms booked overlooking the Boardwalk, will these be noisy because they are so close? Should I change these to a different location on the ship? I booked the nonrefundable deposit, but he said I can cancel within 24 hours so I'm okay moving the rooms if this location isn't that great.
  • We've prebooked all the shows. When we get on the ship will there be something that has these all listed out or tickets for everything? Just want to make sure if there isn't I print out the itinerary.
  • Any other tips on things I might not have thought about?

Sorry for all the questions!
 
I love your questions. We just booked our first Royal Caribbean cruise for July as well (Oasis) and are taking our 14 and 12 year old kids. I'm following to see some of the answers to these questions. :) :) :)
 
So I just booked the Harmony of the Seas over 4th of July week and it will be my first cruise taking kids and I'm a little lost and have lots of questions! The kids have sailed on Disney before so they aren't strangers to cruising, but it will be my first time taking kids on a cruise. It will be me, my Fiance, and his two daughters (ages 14 and 9) Here are some of my questions and thank you in advance for your help and guidance :)
  • How do we stay in touch with the kids on the boat? The younger one will go to the kids club, but the older one probably won't and I want to make sure she's able to reach us whenever. On Disney they have an app where you can text one another without the internet, does Royal do something similar?
  • For the kids club, can we sign the kids up ahead of time or do we do it once we board the ship?
  • We were assigned My Time Dining and when I booked the guy on the phone said we would never wait more than 15 minutes. The last time I sailed on Royal (over five years ago) I had this and if we didn't make reservations we could end up waiting hours for a table. Is there a way to book times we'd like to eat now, or when we get on the ship? Or will we really not have to wait when we show up?
  • I've never been on the huge ships Royal has, my last ship was Liberty of the Seas, which I thought was pretty huge at the time and I know Harmony is bigger. What's a good way not to get overwhelmed by the size?
  • We have two balcony rooms booked overlooking the Boardwalk, will these be noisy because they are so close? Should I change these to a different location on the ship? I booked the nonrefundable deposit, but he said I can cancel within 24 hours so I'm okay moving the rooms if this location isn't that great.
  • We've prebooked all the shows. When we get on the ship will there be something that has these all listed out or tickets for everything? Just want to make sure if there isn't I print out the itinerary.
  • Any other tips on things I might not have thought about?

Sorry for all the questions!

I can answer some for you:

Stay in Touch - Royal does have the Royal IQ app, but it is not on all ships yet. If Harmony does not have it by the time you sail, your best bet is to get the internet plan and use iMessage or WhatsApp or some sort of wifi texting plan.
Kids Club - No, you can only sign up once on board, although you can sign waivers for the kids for certain activities ahead of time. You do that as part of your online check in.
My Time Dining - You can reserve your preferred dinner time before sailing, in the Cruise Planner. You should do this as soon as possible in order to get the time you want. If you have the reservation, you should not have to wait more than a few minutes. If not, yes, you can end up waiting quite a while.
Size - There is a ton of things going on and it is easy to get overwhelmed. Use the Daily Compasses, they will be dropped off the night before. Take a highlighter or something and mark the things you really don't want to miss. It is easy to lose track of time.
I stayed in a Boardwalk Balcony on the Allure and I LOVED it. depending on where you are, you can see the shows in the Aqua Theater without having to stand in line for a seat, you can watch the movies on the screen from the balcony and of course just sit and watch the wake. You will hear noise, but not late and not early so it never bothered me.
Shows - There is nothing that they give you or print for your reservations, it is all tie to your seapass card. I always print out everything just in case.
Other tips - Enjoy. Harmony is a great ship and the kids will have a blast. Everyone will tell you about the constant "nickle and diming" or high pressure sales. I have never found this to be the case. A simple no thank you and your set.

I hope this helps. Let me know if there are any other questions. I have not been on the Harmony specifically but plenty of experience with Royal and kids.
 
I can answer some for you:

Stay in Touch - Royal does have the Royal IQ app, but it is not on all ships yet. If Harmony does not have it by the time you sail, your best bet is to get the internet plan and use iMessage or WhatsApp or some sort of wifi texting plan.
Kids Club - No, you can only sign up once on board, although you can sign waivers for the kids for certain activities ahead of time. You do that as part of your online check in.
My Time Dining - You can reserve your preferred dinner time before sailing, in the Cruise Planner. You should do this as soon as possible in order to get the time you want. If you have the reservation, you should not have to wait more than a few minutes. If not, yes, you can end up waiting quite a while.
Size - There is a ton of things going on and it is easy to get overwhelmed. Use the Daily Compasses, they will be dropped off the night before. Take a highlighter or something and mark the things you really don't want to miss. It is easy to lose track of time.
I stayed in a Boardwalk Balcony on the Allure and I LOVED it. depending on where you are, you can see the shows in the Aqua Theater without having to stand in line for a seat, you can watch the movies on the screen from the balcony and of course just sit and watch the wake. You will hear noise, but not late and not early so it never bothered me.
Shows - There is nothing that they give you or print for your reservations, it is all tie to your seapass card. I always print out everything just in case.
Other tips - Enjoy. Harmony is a great ship and the kids will have a blast. Everyone will tell you about the constant "nickle and diming" or high pressure sales. I have never found this to be the case. A simple no thank you and your set.

I hope this helps. Let me know if there are any other questions. I have not been on the Harmony specifically but plenty of experience with Royal and kids.
Thank you this is really helpful!. For the Royal app, does it say which ships have it or would I not find out until I get on the ship? The sales guy on the phone mentioned we'd be able to see the water show from our balcony, so that's great to hear that's actually true. For the kids cards, we can take the charging privilege away correct?
 


Thank you this is really helpful!. For the Royal app, does it say which ships have it or would I not find out until I get on the ship? The sales guy on the phone mentioned we'd be able to see the water show from our balcony, so that's great to hear that's actually true. For the kids cards, we can take the charging privilege away correct?

If you download the app from the appstore, it does tell you which ships have it. Harmony is not currently on the list, but they are updating all of the ships as they can so I don't know how long it will be before harmony is added.

Yes, in theory you can take away charging privileges, but be very careful about the arcade. My son was able to override my charging block to the tune of $600. Apparently it's separate.
 
If you download the app from the appstore, it does tell you which ships have it. Harmony is not currently on the list, but they are updating all of the ships as they can so I don't know how long it will be before harmony is added.

Yes, in theory you can take away charging privileges, but be very careful about the arcade. My son was able to override my charging block to the tune of $600. Apparently it's separate.
Yikes! How did he override it so I prevent that from happening. Both kids like arcades and I could see that happening
 
Right now I have the water show booked for the first night at 8:30pm. Should I move this to a different day so the kids have more time in the kids club, or would them meeting everyone happen earlier in the day when we get on the ship? I don't want them to miss out on making new friends, but there are so many shows I want to make sure we see everything too.
 


Yikes! How did he override it so I prevent that from happening. Both kids like arcades and I could see that happening

I think if you set them up as Cash accounts, not even connected to your charge account, then it is easier to keep them from spending in the arcade, but check with guest services about it once on board. They will have the best info for each ship.

Usually the kids club does not have much happening on the first night, so your Aqua show should be fine. I think really it is just signing them up and meeting the staff. The activities don't really kick off until the next day.
 
I think if you set them up as Cash accounts, not even connected to your charge account, then it is easier to keep them from spending in the arcade, but check with guest services about it once on board. They will have the best info for each ship.

Usually the kids club does not have much happening on the first night, so your Aqua show should be fine. I think really it is just signing them up and meeting the staff. The activities don't really kick off until the next day.
Ok great, I'll stop by to make sure we don't end up with a crazy bill at the end. And that's good to know about the show thank you :)
 
If you download the app from the appstore, it does tell you which ships have it. Harmony is not currently on the list, but they are updating all of the ships as they can so I don't know how long it will be before harmony is added.

Yes, in theory you can take away charging privileges, but be very careful about the arcade. My son was able to override my charging block to the tune of $600. Apparently it's separate.
We are going on Harmony in April! 6 retirees! I was in a Boardwalk balcony but at the other end- loved it- couldn’t see the aqua show but closer to the elevator lol! I want you to know that Harmony DOES have the RoyalIQ app( approximately $8) You would all have to have it. CruiseCritic is a great site for information. There is a new app out that ISNT on Harmony so I think that’s where the confusion has come in. The kids are going to love it!!!!
 
We are going on Harmony in April! 6 retirees! I was in a Boardwalk balcony but at the other end- loved it- couldn’t see the aqua show but closer to the elevator lol! I want you to know that Harmony DOES have the RoyalIQ app( approximately $8) You would all have to have it. CruiseCritic is a great site for information. There is a new app out that ISNT on Harmony so I think that’s where the confusion has come in. The kids are going to love it!!!!
So there are two different apps? When you use the one that costs $8 you can use it without the internet package correct?
 
Another question. When I booked the guy mentioned getting a soda package included with the room, but I don't see that mentioned anywhere on my confirmation email. On the website it does look like it's included in the room:
upload_2018-3-6_10-10-52.png

Should I call to verify we have this or it's just guaranteed since we booked this room type?
 
Yes- there are 2 different apps. Right now only the Royal IQ is available on Harmony but maybe by the time you go they will have the other one available:) The $8 is for the whole cruise- not per day and you don’t need Voom.
 
Another question. When I booked the guy mentioned getting a soda package included with the room, but I don't see that mentioned anywhere on my confirmation email. On the website it does look like it's included in the room:
View attachment 307142

Should I call to verify we have this or it's just guaranteed since we booked this room type?
I can’t help you with this but did you look at your Cruise Planner?
 
How do we stay in touch with the kids on the boat? The younger one will go to the kids club, but the older one probably won't and I want to make sure she's able to reach us whenever. On Disney they have an app where you can text one another without the internet, does Royal do something similar?
As I mentioned on your other thread, we went low tech and used a magnetic whiteboard. It isn't the most efficient thing around but as long as your 14yo buys in it is helpful.

When I was on Harmony last year they hadn't rolled out the new app yet. And fwiw, the teens seemed to congregate in either the Teen lounge or the card room at night.

For the kids club, can we sign the kids up ahead of time or do we do it once we board the ship?
You do it day 1, or any day, really. But Day 1 they have an open house so that you can see what the kids will be up to.

We were assigned My Time Dining and when I booked the guy on the phone said we would never wait more than 15 minutes. The last time I sailed on Royal (over five years ago) I had this and if we didn't make reservations we could end up waiting hours for a table. Is there a way to book times we'd like to eat now, or when we get on the ship? Or will we really not have to wait when we show up?
I would book your time online. Since you've booked your shows, you can work your dining based on that.

I've never been on the huge ships Royal has, my last ship was Liberty of the Seas, which I thought was pretty huge at the time and I know Harmony is bigger. What's a good way not to get overwhelmed by the size?
I think a lot of what can overwhelm you is the number of people on board the ship. With that in mind, I think the key is to try and avoid the crowds as much as you can on day 1. Hard to avoid at times though. Especially since the first thing you experience is the Promenade.

But with that in mind, I think you should avoid Windjammer after boarding, and go to Park Cafe instead. This has the added benefit of allowing you to check out Central Park as well. And walk around after dinner. Less crowds, so it should be less overwhelming, I think.

We have two balcony rooms booked overlooking the Boardwalk, will these be noisy because they are so close? Should I change these to a different location on the ship? I booked the nonrefundable deposit, but he said I can cancel within 24 hours so I'm okay moving the rooms if this location isn't that great.
Boardwalk will be noisy when The Fine Line is playing. If you are on Deck 14 you will probably hear some activity above you.

We've prebooked all the shows. When we get on the ship will there be something that has these all listed out or tickets for everything? Just want to make sure if there isn't I print out the itinerary.
As mentioned, it's all tied to your Seapass card. I'm not too concerned about it, but our TA prints our bookings out for us anyway.

Any other tips on things I might not have thought about?
- I did a review of my trip. Link is in my sig. Don't know if that will help or not.
- Breakfast at Johnny Rockets and Mini Bites are an excellent alternative to Windjammer.
- In Labadee, take the (free) Water Taxi to Columbus Cove. I've found the beach to be better there. Also bring some money to tip the guys setting up the chairs if you use them.

Should I call to verify we have this or it's just guaranteed since we booked this room type?
For the Balcony bonus I'd definitely check to see if you got that. I mean, a Johnny Rockets lunch is a Johnny Rockets lunch, but it's better than having to pay for it.
 
FYI about the arcade. I've never sailed on Harmony but on other ships kids can sometimes charge in the arcade but it's a 2 step process. The can't just put their seapass in game and start playing. They have to go to a machine, put their card in and specify how much cash they want put on their seapass. Similar to the cards they use at Dave & Buster's and WDW hotel arcades. Then they can use that much to play games. Once it runs out they have to do it again. I tell my kids upfront whether they're allowed to put money on their card and how much and have never had a problem. They can't accidentally charge a ton of money to their account.
 
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We are going on Harmony in April! 6 retirees! I was in a Boardwalk balcony but at the other end- loved it- couldn’t see the aqua show but closer to the elevator lol! I want you to know that Harmony DOES have the RoyalIQ app( approximately $8) You would all have to have it. CruiseCritic is a great site for information. There is a new app out that ISNT on Harmony so I think that’s where the confusion has come in. The kids are going to love it!!!!

Yay...Learn something new everyday! Thank you for the updated info!!
 
FYI about the arcade. I've never sailed on Harmony but on other ships kids can sometimes charge in the arcade but it's a 2 step process. The can't just put their seapass in game and start playing. They have to go to a machine, put their card in and specify how much cash they want put on their seapass. Similar to the cards they use at Dave & Buster's and WDW hotel arcades. Then they can use that much to play games. Once it runs out they have to do it again. I tell my kids upfront whether they're allowed to put money on their card and how much and have never had a problem. They can't accidentally charge a ton of money to their account.
I don't think it would be accidental lol. We'll have a talk about the arcade money
 
So the rooms we have come with free rock wall climbing. How do I book this? Is this something I can book ahead of the cruise or only on board? I don't see it listed anywhere on the cruise planner. I also called to confirm our room had the free soda package, but the lady said there's no where it would say and just directed me to the website where it lists the perks.
 

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