All muskmelons release from the vine (slip) when ripe. The charantais do not so you have to rely on appearance and smell. Some honeydews slip but most do not so again you have to depend on appearance. They are long shelf life melons so you can actually leave them on the vine for a longer period to make sure. The blossom scar softens a bit on a ripe honeydew but it is tricky. I lean toward varieties that slip.
