Large ship = large everything else
Harmony of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western
7 Night Western Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)
Sail date: June 09, 2018
Ship: Harmony of the Seas
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 11294
Traveled as: Family (older children)
Reviewed: 6 years ago
Review summary
The ship is beautiful...very large, but beautiful. The food and service was excellent and we were very impressed with the selection/variety of food around the ship during the day as well as for dinner. Late nigh options, not so much as only pizza and small snack type sandwiches (pre-made) were the only things available late at night or you can order via room service for a fee. You need to make arrangements prior to boarding for all your evening entertainment and shows. If you don't have reservations ahead of time, then you need to wait in line until just before the start of the show to see if there are extra seats available. You can also use the Royal IQ app while onboard to book dining and activities that are available. If you are use to sailing on smaller ships, be warned this ship is very large and with that comes lots of people and lines for things. The Windjammer at breakfast and lunch was a complete and utter madhouse so many days we went to the dining room where they offered the options to order off the menu as well as a nice buffet option with nice selections and salad bar. There was no nightclub on this ship which seems very strange for ship this large. There was a multi-use room, The Attic, which was used as a night club but the atmosphere was all wrong and the lighting was not really set up for this purpose. With most ships you find the public areas, especially entertainment venues cooler and many times needed a sweater...that was NOT the case on this ship. It was actually hard to find places that were cool/cold as there are so many doors that open to the outside that it was hard to find a place to cool off. Even the cabins on the coldest settings were not all that cold. The cabins are nicely appointed and the rooms alternate bed by the balcony doors or sofa by the balcony doors. I think this was done specifically to cut down on the transfer of noise from room to room. We were traveling with several cabins of family, all of us in a row and never heard any noise while in the cabin. The balconies offer dividers/privacy but part can be opened up (if you want) so that we could all talk and enjoy the outside area together. This was also super helpful when/if you got locked out of your cabin, you could go in one room and then use the balcony to access another room. All the cabins do offer hair dryers, but if you have a lot of hair then it can take a long time using the small hair dryer provided. Also if you are picky about your hair dryer, bring your own as the one provided is pretty gut less. There is only one electrical outlet by the bed, so if you have medical devices or phones to charge, be sure to ask for an extension cord or multi-plug. You can bring your own, but be sure to put in your checked luggage, not your carry on. Overall the ship is great for families and multi-generational groups as there is truly something for everyone. As a avid cruiser, I have to say this large of a ship is not really my cup of tea, but I was glad I experienced as it reaffirmed my need to be on a smaller or mid-size ship.Embarkation
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Children's Programs
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
Be sure you are ready for a large ship experience - with more than 5,000 people onboard the odds are you will not see the same people twice, but you will have a lot of venues and things to do onboard
Ports of call
Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida
Labadee (Cruise Line Private Island)
Disembarkation
Traveler Photos
9 Comments
cruisereckoning 4 years ago