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Harmony of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

lraff1

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 39

Overall rating:

3.8 out of 5

7 Night Western Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)

Sail date: January 27, 2019

Ship: Harmony of the Seas

Cabin type: Oceanview

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

I would not do this cruise again primarily because it takes forever to get around the ship, it is mob scene central all the time, getting reservations for things not so easy, food only so-so. Destinations not interesting. The most important thing for me, however, is the fact that the internet service offered doesn't really work (and is very expensive) and communications to home by phone are virtually impossible. I felt like it was back to stone tablets and chisels. Be prepared to be nickel and dimed to death. I hate that gratuities are added to the final bill. If you want a certain amount of gratuity for the staff, build it into the fare or else allow travelers to decide on the gratuity they will leave. Charging $4 for even a glass of seltzer is terrible. Most of the cruise lines should adopt the Viking Cruise model of having many more items included. I most likely will not take a large cruise again. Lovely ship and excellent staff.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Quick, organized and easy

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Food is nothing special. It's really sad when you see breakfast buffets with no blueberries or raspberries. Restaurant food usually good. Desserts not so good. Did not go to specialty restaurants. Cruise is already expensive enough without this experience.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Like the Abyss and the lovely merry go round. The climbing wall, however, is suffering from lack of maintenance. Hand holds twist and are very slick due to a combination of Purell hand sanitzer and humidity in the air. When I noted the hand holds twisting, I was told they can't tighten them because the bolts are stripped. This is a VERY LAX attitude where an attraction can become a safety hazard and in my opinion, already is. Don't try the zip line. If climbing wall safety is so slack, don't risk it.

Running Track

2 out of 5

This is a "track" painted on hard concrete. I did roughly 5 miles on it one day and it took my shin splints and calf muscles 3 days to lose their soreness. Track should have a cushioned surface.

Port Shopping

4 out of 5

Fun shopping. Good Haitian crafts at Labadee. Good T-shirts in Jamaica and Cozumel.

Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center

2 out of 5

Aside from treadmills, ellipticals, weights and bicycles, any other equipment could only be utilized by paying for a class. Here we go again - nickel and dimed to death. I utilize TRX equipment routinely in my home workouts and could not use them on the ship.

Art Gallery

4 out of 5

Good, but should be showcasing a wider range of affordable art works by up and coming artists.

Entertainment

2 out of 5

The headliner show we saw was a black man who was supposed to be a comic/musician. He was a racist and the bunch of sheep in the audience applauded him like mad. It is not funny when anti-white "comic" remarks are allowed but if the same thing were done in reverse (i.e. a white comic making racist black remarks) that performer would never have a gig anywhere again. Grease was a poorly done show. Much so-called entertainment was not interesting nor well done.

Rock Climbing Wall

1 out of 5

This is a dangerous venue and not well maintained. The hand holds are very slick due to an accumulation of Purell hand sanitizer and humidity. Many handholds are loose and turn. When I commented on this, I was told that they can't be tightened because the bolts are stripped. Hello? Even harnessed one can be injured by this and the attitude was that nothing could be done about it. With that the case, I abandoned my plan to ride the zip line. I would be suspect of the same lax attitude toward maintenance.

Arcade

2 out of 5

It is very expensive when everything you play for only a minute or two costs $2. Some machines did not function.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

High marks should go to every single person working on this massive ship. They are well trained, very responsive and accommodating.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Excellent

Ship tip

Be prepared to enjoy a mob scene

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida

3 out of 5

Did no excursion. Terminal and checkin process very smooth.

Thumbs Up 7

Labadee (Cruise Line Private Island)

4 out of 5

I think this is a sad place. Armed guards patrol this private area. Haitian crafts people present some very nice art work and crafts. It is not a realistic portrayal of Haiti however.

Thumbs Up 4

Falmouth, Jamaica

2 out of 5

Did horseback ride followed by tubing down a river. It poured down rain the entire day. I haven't been so cold and wet since I spent a week in Ireland in the winter.

Thumbs Up 3

Cozumel, Mexico

4 out of 5

I swam with the manatees. It was great. Shopping also fun.

Thumbs Up 5

Disembarkation

5 out of 5

very easy

5 Comments

chriskim13 5 years ago

Just some one to bitch about something obviously he didnt look into details before booking the lady on the phone when booking explained everything and this app here tells you the ship size and passenger capacity

Thumbs Up 1

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nekocrouton 5 years ago

Okay, I’m going to call BS on reservations being difficult to make. When I was on the HOS, I made them through the Royal IQ app (which they’ve now discontinued in favor of their new app) and it was super easy to do so. Or if I had to, I called the dining room, specialty restaurant, etc and did it that way. It’s quite easy. But mostly I made reservations before I even got on the ship through the RCCL cruise planner. There are a lot of ways to make reservations and they’re all pretty easy to do. Also, the Voom internet being slow and useless? Now I know that’s a straight up lie. Even just the regular web surfing package was at a decent speed, both on HOS and SOS. I’ve never had an issue with internet speed on any of the Oasis class ships and I’ve been on all four. I’m sorry that you didn’t enjoy your time on a mega cruise ship, but making things up to fortify your case as to why you didn’t like your cruise is just silly. Just admit you didn’t do your research, or maybe cruising just isn’t for you.

Thumbs Up 0

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joolz47 5 years ago

I guess you didn't research the ship - it is big! It does accommodate 5000+ passengers, did you expect a ghost ship? There are enough reviews in various places to help people make an informed decision, and tipping is endemic in the recreation industry.

Thumbs Up 1

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pruett92 5 years ago

Gratuities are pretty much that way on most cruise lines. There is always a set amount in the beginning, you can always change that at guest services or online prior to setting sail

Thumbs Up 0

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KofiNaija 5 years ago

A lot of passengers don't realize it, but gratuities are discretionary on Royal. Just go to Guest Services and tell them you will pay in cash. Non issue.

Thumbs Up 2

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