Symphony was the best cruise we've taken. Harmony was a close second. The difference for us the is better restaurants on Symphony and Mama Mia versus Grease. Adding in a great (perfect day) on Cocoa Cay made it even better. We like going to Labadee but Coco Cay is our new preference. Super weather and no delays at any time made for a very enjoyable trip.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Earliy arrival at about 10:30 found hundreds of earlier arrivals already waiting. But the security lines were short and check in was easy. Boarding start a about 10:50 which was earlier than usual.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Went to the main dining room dinner three time with very good meals each time. Wind Jammer dinner two times. Acceptable meals here but not as good as some in the past on Oasis and Allure. We also went to Jamie's and Chops the first two nights. We were with another couple and the waiter at Jamie's brought many more sides than we would have gotten otherwise. It was the dining highlight of the week. His service and attention stood out even though the restaurant was full.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
The new slides were a hit. Putt Putt was fun. Did a bridge tour for the first time which added a new memory.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
I liked every show but did not love this aqua show. Grease was done well. I had seen a different version on Independence. This was a bit longer I think. The same performers did Columbus which I had never seen before. This show was so entertaining and fun that I look forward to seeing it again. Another standout (of all things) was the Schooner bar piano player/singer. Nonstop tunes that fit my personal musical preferences. Very decent voice. The two comedians had a bad night's performances when we went to the late night show. They both did better with the clean routines on the last night of the cruise in the main theatre.
Children's Programs
No children with us.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
No complaints in any aspect of the service. The guest services staff resolved a billing issue quickly and easily.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
I saw staff cleaning various parts of the ship constantly. People are pigs but you would never know it on this ship.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Typical Oasis class balcony room size. Similar design features decor as Anthem. The beds were reasonably comfortable (much more so than Anthem). The two verticle closets on each side of the couch are better than the single sliding door style. The makeup mirror is a few inches too high. It was an issue for my short wife.
First Harmony cruise to CocoCay after it's opening. Such an improved experience over past stops here. Of course the pier virtually guarantees being able to get on to the island. We did not go into the paid section so we can't comment on the slides etc. But the free pool and the improved food services, the free beach chairs and umbrellas (both at the beach and at the pool) were nice to have. Most people seemed more interested in the pool than the beach. There was enough space and cairs for another cruise ship worth of people. The pool music was a bit lowder than we could handle for long periods of time. We noticed later in the day they toned it down a bit. Two really nice features of the pool and deck were their surfaces. The pavers around the pool never got hot nor even warm even in the hot sun all day. The pool serfuce was something I had never experienced. There was a soft cushiness feel to it. There was a nice breeze most of the day. Just enough to make it comfortable. I noticed the balloon did not go up all day. If this breeze prevented it going up (which I'm not sure was the reason), then don't expect the balloon to go up very often.
We traveled over to St. John for the day. The downtown ferry was no longer operating (we were told) so we had to taxi over to Red Hook. The ship got to port just before noon and we were off and sitting in a taxi/bus at 12:17. We just barely made it to the ferry and were the last people to board at a few minutes after one. On to Trunk Bay for about 2 hours before returning to the ferry. Not a good use of time for sure but when you haven't seen Trunk Bay it is a viable option. Had we missed that ferry and had to wait to two oclock for the next one, it would not have been a good option at all. Too much travel time. We had great weather though and that helped.
Spent the day on the beach at Grand Bay. Took the water taxi for $7 all day. Spent $25 for two chairs and an umbrella plus 5 sodas or water. Beer instead of soda would be $30. Bargain and you might do better. Don't bargain and you could do worse. The couple next to us paid $35.
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