Showing posts with label Embarkation Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Embarkation Day. Show all posts

Sunday, March 22, 2026

Living in Harmony- Embarkation Day

 A Fast Start
February 15, 2026 
Galveston, TX 


Harmony of the Seas... Ready or not, here we come! 

Morning
After over 20 cruises out of our home cruise port, we have our Galveston Embarkation Day routine down to a science and this morning was no different. We were out the door by 7:30AM for a quick 80 minute drive to Galveston via I-45. We have a tradition of stopping at the Kolache Factory and like usual, these did not disappoint. We also stopped for gas at Buc-ee's in Texas City just 15 minutes from the Cruise Port. It was a very windy and foggy day but the Harmony of the Seas was at Terminal 10 waiting for us as we arrived at 9:15AM. 


The feeling I get when I see this sign on Embarkation Day is hard to describe... IYKYK!

We park in the North Lot of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Terminal 10 parking and since this is so close to the actual terminal, we did not drop off luggage. TIP- This is easily the BEST parking EVER; but you will pay for it! We paid $215 for the week with taxes and fees but it was worth it as the other lots are only ~$20 cheaper. 


Hello from RCCL North Parking Lot at Terminal 10! 
The Davis Family has arrived! 

We gave our checked luggage to the porters (with a good tip) and then made our way inside the bottom of the cruise terminal where we waited only a few minutes before they released everyone to get checked in upstairs. We were all checked in and waiting to board the ship within 7 minutes and the whole process was a breeze. The only complaint is how the RCCL Cruise Terminal has you wait for boarding the ship. It is completely random and not organized but it didn't last very long. They called the Pinnacle & Diamond level passengers and then called us- Emerald to board the ship at 10:21AM. We heard the first DING at 10:25AM and after 28 cruises, this was our FASTEST START TIME EVER! 


We are headed to check in... LET'S GO! 

Once onboard we stopped in the Royal Promenade to make our dinner reservation at Izumi. TIP- I highly recommend making dining reservations in the Royal App ahead of time but we were waiting for On Board Credit from our Travel Agent- Cheryl at Cruises Only and had to book once on board. We paid $55/ person which is full price. If we would have booked prior to embarkation, we could have paid as little as $35/ per person. However, it was FREE since we have OBC but if you are really wanting a specific restaurant, I would book early as they do sell out. For example, we hoped to try Jamie's Italian for lunch on a Sea Day but they were sold out... Or so we thought! 

We then went to Deck 3 to the Main Dining Room to confirm our SET dining time of 7:30PM and a table for just the four of us. The old cruising days of sharing at table at dinner are not at all for us so we always go to the Maitre'd on Embarkation Day to confirm our table. We felt the "Mega Ship" vibe while waiting to confirm as we arrived to the MDR at 10:35AM and we were 20 people or so deep in line. The whole process felt very rushed and not personal at all- very unlike Royal Caribbean. I asked the worker for a table to ourselves and was told it was a table for FOUR.... But it was NOT! TIP- If you are going to confirm this with the Maitre'd, I would now suggestion actually walking in to see the table yourself as this would have saved us nearly an hour later on this day. More on that later! 

After the MDR we went up to Deck 15 to get the FlowRider, Ultimate Abyss and Rock Wall waivers signed as that is a PRO TIP for all Royal Caribbean ships. Chris and I grabbed our first drink of our Deluxe Beverage Package at the Wipe Out Bar and the kids started exploring Deck 15. We then played our traditional Embarkation Day golf game at the Harmony Dunes. It was WINDY but Chris won! 


That first drink feeling... IYKYK!


Less than an hour on board but we are already IN LOVE with the Harmony! 


Family Mini-Golf was a success and once again Chris is the winner! 

Afternoon
We then went to the Windjammer on Deck 16 Midship shortly after it opened at 11AM. It was already crowded but we managed to find a table and enjoy an "early lunch" before the kids went exploring on their own. We all walked down to Deck 6 to explore the Boardwalk before it got busy with passengers. We were able to ride the carousel and enjoy a drink from Sabor. TIP- Sabor was RARELY ever busy for a quick margarita or drink. A worker came and offered specialty dining and despite being told Jamie's Italian was sold out for lunch, this manager was able to get us reservations for the last Sea Day at Jamie's Italian. We paid $25/ person onboard and could have paid as little as $17/ person if booked prior to embarkation. 


The Carousel is one of my favorites... On a cruise ship nonetheless! 


We LOVE the Boardwalk so much! 
It really is hard to believe all of this is on a CRUISE SHIP! 

The kids opted to change into their swimsuits to try out the hot-tubs and the FlowRider. TIP- Be sure to pack your swimsuits and a change of clothes in your carry on bag if you want to swim or try out the FlowRider or Waterslides on Embarkation Day. We forgot the crocs so be sure to pack those in the carry on as well. Luke was able to get 3 sessions on the FlowRider while Natalie enjoyed the cantilevered hot tubs just outside the Solarium. Chris and I enjoyed a nap in the shade in a deck chair briefly before the announcement for the opening of the staterooms was made right before 1PM. 


The kids had this MASSIVE hot tub all to themselves at 12:45PM on Embarkation Day! 

Chris and I made our way to Deck 11 where our 2 inside cabins were located and found all 4 pieces of our luggage so I opted to unpack everyone while the kids enjoyed a rather empty ship and Chris took a nap. 


Stateroom 11541- We thoroughly enjoyed this inside cabin on Deck 11 (forward). 

After the rooms got set up and our luggage was unpacked, the kids and I went to Deck 15 to ride the Ultimate Abyss. This is a DRY slide that takes you 10 stories to the Boardwalk below. This was SUPER intimidating at first and all three of us were a little nervous but it turned out to be Luke's favorite thing on the ship and I LOVED IT! TIP- Try out the Ultimate Abyss on Embarkation Day to avoid long lines. We never had TERRIBLY long lines but it was shortest on Embarkation and Early Port Days!  


We are ready to explore more of the ship! 


Hello MSC Seascape & Regal Princess! 
Will we see MSC in April??? 


The Ultimate Abyss Operating Time for our cruise! 


We are ready... albeit a little nervous! 


Luke was literally SO SCARED !


But we all made it down in one piece! 
It was seriously awesome and I LOVED it so much! 

After our afternoon adventure we then we met at my favorite bar on any Royal Caribbean ship- Vintages for an afternoon pick me up! Ursala, our bartender, was fantastic and almost immediately became a favorite of ours onboard the Harmony of the Seas! 

Central Park is GORGEOUS and never disappoints!


The Oasis Class Vintages has REALLY spoiled me! I love the isolation and location on the ship. It was NEVER crowded and always very quite and chill... A true definition of my type of bar! 

We all met up at Schooner Bar for afternoon trivia at 4PM and while we didn't win, we had a lot of fun trying. The Harmony of the Seas officially set sail to Roatan at 4:25PM. We grabbed a few slices of pizza at Sorrento's and some cookies from Cafe Promenade before we all decided to walk along the Promenade Deck 5 outside to walk off some of our afternoon snack at Sorrento's and then we were able to watch the sunset over the Gulf of America.


A view of the Aqua Theater at the aft of the Boardwalk on Deck 6 


This was a gorgeous sunset! 


It doesn't get much better than this! I could stare at this for the rest of my LIFE! 


This evening and this sunset really set the tone and vibe for this cruise and I knew right then and there that this was going be an INCREDBLE cruise! 


We loved the Boardwalk area of the Harmony of the Seas! 


This is going to be an EPIC cruise! 

When your near 17 year old wants to climb on the little kid (Toddler) play area... you let her! 
Time needs to SLOW DOWN! 

Got Little Kids? (Or teenagers reliving their youth?)... Check this out! 

Evening
We enjoyed more time at Vintages while the kids played table tennis on Deck 15 prior to dinner. We made our way to Deck 4 to our table at 7:25PM only to find out we were able a table for EIGHT and with a baby and currently screaming toddler. I was not having that, so I waited to talk to the Head Maitre'd to get our table fixed. Being that it was the first night and people were still coming in, we were pushed aside. The whole ordeal was very frustrating as I took time to come and take care of our request VERY early in the Embarkation Day process and was told it was taken care of and it was not. The Customer Service in this instance was actually awful and easily some of the worst we have had with ANY cruise line in our 28 cruises. Eventually, around 7:50PM we were taken to Deck 5 to sit at a table for four. We tried to make the most of it from there on out and our wait staff was very quick to accommodate us but this whole meal time took nearly 2 hours since we were late arriving at our finalized table. The food was good and the service was average but we made an effort to not let it ruin our evening. 


The Welcome Aboard Menu in the MDR 


The Crab Cake 
Luke- 4.5, Chris- 3.5 & Kellie- 4.0
This was VERY flavorful! 

Tomato Soup 
Kellie- 4.0 & Natalie- 3.0

Caesar Salad 
Luke- 4.5 
*He ordered this nearly every night! 


Prime Rib 
Chris- 3.5, Luke 3.5 & Kellie- 3.0
This was cooked perfectly but not near as flavorful as we all remember from our Anthem Alaska Cruise. 

Boston Cream Pie
Kellie -3.5 & Chris- 4.0

After dinner Chris went to take his medication and then lay down for a brief nap while Luke, Natalie and I meandered around the ship. We met up with Chris on Deck 4 to explore the Smoke Free Casino and then go to the adult comedy. TIP- You have to reserve show tickets on Harmony of the Seas (as well as most other MEGA ships in the RCCL Fleet) ahead of time in the app but they do have a standby line as well. 

The kids were very tired and opted to go to bed early but Chris and I tried to try out a few more places on our Bar Hop. We stopped at the Trellis Bar in Central Park and the bartender made me an "off menu" specialty from his home country of Brazil. It was delicious! 


The Trellis Bar in Central Park may be small but the bartenders are AWESOME and the drink menu is wonderful! 

We then opted to just stay up to enjoy the Balloon Drop in the Royal Promenade around 10:45PM but it was well past 11 and the festivities had yet to begin so Chris opted to go to bed but as soon as we got on the elevator, we heard the countdown to the Balloon Drop! TIP- They fell around 11PM so just be patient! 

We were all tired as this cruise was in the middle of the school year and our busiest time as a family. It was a GREAT Embarkation Day and we could not wait to explore more of the Harmony of the Seas on Day 2! 

This was a GREAT DAY and we are READY for more! 

Stay tuned for Sea Day #1! 

God is Good... ALL THE TIME! 

Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:
Jewel of the Seas (B2B Part 2)- July 2025








 


Carnival Conquest- 2006

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Sunday, July 13, 2025

The Back to Back- Embarkation Day #1

The Ultimate Embarkation
June 27, 2025
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 


Cruise #26 and the FIRST LEG of this Back to Back... Let's GO! 

Morning
It's CRUISE DAY... The BEST DAY EVER! We had an 11:30AM arrival time so we were slow to get around and ready for our embarkation aboard the Jewel of the Seas. TIP- Check in for the cruise happens 45 days prior to the cruise embarkation day at midnight LOCAL time (11PM our time). I was online checking in the literal SECOND it changed to 11PM but I still got an 11:30AM arrival time- our latest ever. This was disappointing but since this was a much smaller ship we assumed it was the earliest time. I also got that time for the SECOND cruise and I checked in at 5AM the next day. 

Once we were ready we decided to Door Dash McDonald's for breakfast instead of pay the $40-50 for the breakfast at the hotel restaurant. This breakfast, with tip, was $22. However, it took nearly an hour for delivery despite quoting 25 minutes. Since we were not in a rush, this wasn't a concern. But when the food arrived while opening the bag, Chris spilt his coffee all over the table and my phone. Unfortunately, liquid got into the charging port and my phone would not receive a charge for several hours. We then realized we were missing two burritos from our bag. I tried calling the driver and the restaurant but had to go through Door Dash. I was finally able to get a $12 credit but it was so frustrating. It was a disastrous way to start our day but I was not going to let it spoil anything! Like I said... It's the BEST day EVER! 

Our Uber arrived at 10:30AM to get us to the cruise terminal that was about 6 miles away. This Uber was a Toyota Tacoma truck and getting all of our luggage in the back of the truck and secure took a while but we finally were on the way to the ship at 10:45AM. There was a lot of construction on the way to the terminal and then once we arrived we had to be searched by security just to enter the pier area. This was very odd and our Uber driver did not speak any English but we all got cleared and we were at Pier 25 by 11:05AM. 

This was EASILY the absolute easiest embarkation we have EVER had. From the moment we stepped out of the truck with our luggage to the time of stepping on the ship was LESS THAN 10 MINUTES! No kidding... It was flawless. It's hard to tell if this was the port, the arrival time or smaller ship but I am IN LOVE! TIP- We did notice on the 2nd cruise that people started arriving at 10:30AM so we did not have the earliest arrival time like I originally thought. We heard our FIRST DING at 11:14AM. 


Check it out... Easily the FASTEST and EASIEST Embarkation EVER! 


Hello Jewel of the Seas! 
It's Friday and it's the BEST DAY EVER! 

We immediately got on board and went to our Muster Station to get checked in and cleared for our cruise. TIP- Royal Caribbean still has the post-Covid Muster Drill that allows you to watch a video prior to embarking on the ship and then checking in with a crew member instead of the MASSIVE crowds at the pre-Covid meetings. THANK YOU ROYAL CARIBBEAN (and most other cruise lines too). This is so much easier and I hope we NEVER go back to the large group muster station drill. 


CHEERS to Cruise #26! 

Afternoon
On this first 3 day cruise, we decided we would splurge and pay for the Ultimate Dining Package. This allowed you to eat lunch and dinner in Specialty Restaurants. In fact, we NEVER ate in the Windjammer for this cruise and for that reason alone, this cruise was a MAJOR SUCCESS!  We went to Chops to confirm all of our reservations for the week before chilling at Schooner Bar before lunch. We had a 12:30PM reservation at Chops and this would be our first time to eat LUNCH in Chops. This meal was incredible and I may now be addicted to lunch in Chops. We both got steaks and while it was so fulfilling, it was SO GOOD! TIP- During lunch Chops enforces the only ONE per category of ordering. So only 1 appetizer, entrée and dessert each. We have almost ALWAYS had 2 appetizers but at lunch they only allowed one of each and only 4 sides total. 


The Chops Grill LUNCH menu
(It is a little smaller and some offerings are missing) 


Mushroom Soup- 5.0+ 
It's a MUST and literally the best soup either of us have EVER had! 


The 5oz Filet (cooked to perfection)- 4.5
This steak was perfect! 


Key Lime Pie- 4.5
I don't even like pie but this was PERFECT! 

After lunch the staterooms were ready so we made our way to Deck 3 forward to our inside cabin. This cabin was well appointed for an interior room but it was still rather small compared to the Anthem of the Seas we just got off of. In fact, it was VERY OUTDATED and needed an upgrade in the worst way. Again, I may have noticed this more since we just got off a newly built and up to date tech room in the Anthem of the Seas but it was visibly needing repairs and showing age. But it worked and we didn't complain. I was able to spot all of our luggage at the end of the hallway and was able to completely unpack all of our suitcases while Chris took a nap. 


Overall, I have no complaints of this cabin! It got the job done! 

We walked all the decks and open areas and decided that Vortex Lounge on Deck 13 would be where we would watch sail away. As the passengers boarded the ship we noticed not too many kids but a lot of adults and party atmosphere was present. In fact, it was a "Spirit Airlines" type of vibe from the get go. We could tell this was going to be a "Booze Cruise" crowd and we were right. Lots of rude, obnoxious and rowdy adults but we didn't let that bother us because the service of Royal Caribbean made up for this. TIP- We have heard that the 3 day weekend cruises out of Miami are ALWAYS Booze Cruises and this was true out of Ft. Lauderdale too. Again, this didn't bother us but be mindful of this.


We are ready to set sail to Coco Cay! 


My traditional buoy picture... 26 strong! 


Goodbye Ft. Lauderdale, we will see you in THREE days! 


We are about 2 hours into sailing and you can still see Miami and Ft. Lauderdale! 

Evening
We watched sail away in Vortex for nearly 2 hours before going to Schooner Bar for Pre-Dinner Trivia. We did NOT win the General Knowledge Trivia but we did win the Love Songs trivia. We won on the FIRST DAY again- We are on a roll! We went to chill at the Safari Lounge until our reservations at Giovanni's Table. We had eaten at Giovanni's a few times in the past but this was a HUGE surprise and completely blew us away. The food and service were phenomenal, albeit a little slower than we prefer, and we couldn't get enough. The Mushroom risotto was "to die for" and the Caprese Salad has been in my dreams the last week it was so good! 


WINNERS- Love Song Trivia! 


I loved the Safari Lounge and the views of the wake- my favorite! 


Giovanni's Table Menu 


Crispy Calamari- 4.0
This was cooked to perfection and nice BIG pieces. 


Caprese Salad- 4.5
Wow... the beefsteaks tomatoes made this so delicious! 


Seafood Linguini- 4.5
This was the most decadent white sauce I have ever had!

The Garlic Prawns-4.0
I was so full at this point! 


Pork Cutlet- 3.5
Chris said this was a little bit of a miss !

Tiramisu- 3.5
This was almost TOO rich to eat! 

Cannoli- 3.5

Giovanni's was the SURPRISE of the cruise and overall we would rate the FOOD a 4.5 and the service 4.0. This may be a new MUST do specialty restaurant! 

After dinner we walked around the outside of Deck 5 on the Promenade to help walk off our dinner as we were SO full. Then we went back to the room to take medication and of course, took a brief 30 minute nap before going to the Coral Theater for the TANGO Dance show. This was not a typical Royal Caribbean Production show and we were not impressed at all. In fact, the entertainment was probably the biggest disappointment of our time on the Jewel of the Seas. 


I seriously HATE this in the Royal Caribbean theaters- the cup holders. 
These don't hold all glasses and the seats seem really small (even for smaller passengers I have questioned). It is tight and uncomfortable in my opinion! Carnival does this SO MUCH better with the couch seating and small tables for drinks!


This show was so boring... Once you have seen them do one tango dance move, you've seen the whole show. It just wasn't for us! 

We left the Tango show early to go to the Pit Stop Sports Bar and watch Cricket until the bar closed at midnight. 


Our new summer cruise tradition- watching Cricket in the Sports Bar! 
It's weird but kinda cool! 

It was a great embarkation day and it really was the ULTIMATE way to spend a day aboard a cruise ship! 


Embarkation Day #1 was a success! 

Up Next... The ONLY Sea Day of our First Cruise. Stay Tuned! 

God is Good... ALL THE TIME! 

Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:
Anthem of the Seas (Alaska)- June 2025








 


Carnival Conquest- 2006

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