This 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise on Harmony was our first with our granddaughters and their parents. We chose Harmony because of the kids, ages 4 and 6. There were many activities for them on the ship. One of their favorite activities was the carousel. We even got the 6-year-old to go down the Ultimate Abyss slide. We were amazed at how clean the ship was kept and how friendly the staff were to all of us. We did purchase 3 cabins, 2 C1 connecting Central Park balconies and 1 Ocean View balcony. This insured we all got a good nights rest for our busy days. We totally enjoyed cruising with the family on the Harmony.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
The day before embarkation, we received an email asking us to show up later than our appointed time because of the ship being chartered the week before and more time was needed to ready the ship for us. I have always arrived at the port early on embarkation in the past but thought I would honor Royal's request and waited until 1:30 to show up at the port. Big mistake! What a rush of people and long lines. I should have kept with my plan to arrive early and will in the future. Those who arrive early and did not heed the warning had a more relaxing journey.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We were traveling with family on this cruise and there was a total of 6 of us, 4 adults and 2 children. Windjammer did not always have a place for us to sit together for breakfast or lunch when we need a seat. The cleanliness and presentation of the food was very good. The variety of food was wonderful and very tasty. We did have to wait longer than usual for drinks but I did expect that when I booked Harmony along with thousands of other customers.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
The promenade parade was wonderful. Very lively. The escape room was just ok.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The shows we did get to see were wonderful: Grease, Columbus, Hide-Away Heist, but the main aqua show was cancelled many times because of rough seas. I know the weather can't be controlled, but why make the most talked-about event one that causes disappointment? Maybe the show should be altered or restaged to provide more chance of it being run.
Children's Programs
2 out of 5
To be fair, my granddaughters only spent about 1 hour in Ocean Adventure. It was not to their liking nor mine either. It took us 20 minutes to get one child out of the Aquanauts program because of disorganization at the font desk and 15 minutes to check in the 6-year-old because of parents monopolizing the desk attendant's time. My daughter finally asked the parent to step aside to discuss her family issue so that others could complete their business. This should have been the job of the staff. They were just too polite at times.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our dining team, from head waiters to assistants, were out of this world wonderful! We even had to visit the doctor's office on this trip and experienced a very caring team. Our cabin steward was always there when we needed him and offered a smile and "good day" when he saw us coming.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Harmony still shines with newness. Public bathrooms were spotless. As large as Harmony is, it is remarkably easy to navigate.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Size, Cleanliness and appearance of our cabin was wonderful. The bed, however, was not very comfortable. We chose to keep the beds together and there was always a very definite crack in the middle. I have never experienced this on any other ship until Harmony.
Ship tip
Make sure to reserve everything you can prior to sailing. Search on the web for a recent past cruise compass to get an idea of show times and use it to reserve dining times.
We prebooked a cabana at Nellie's Beach and had a spectacular day. The water mats were so fun and the beach was sandy with no rocks and few shells. Our cabana boy set our area up to allow us waterfront sitting along with the shade of our cabana.
We chose self-assist and got off ahead of the crowd. Tried to use Mobile Passport but it was not working. It was not needed, however, because we were so early but I was excited to try it as we are sailing out of Fort Lauderdale again soon.
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