Best. Cruise. Ever.

Harmony of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 8
Helpful Votes: 142

Overall rating:

5 out of 5
Harmony of the Seas

7 Night Western Caribbean Holiday (Galveston Roundtrip)

Sail date: December 24, 2023

Ship: Harmony of the Seas

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 10162

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 10 months ago

Review summary

Loved the Harmony of the Seas - it was a great holiday cruise.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
Very fast, from beginning to end. We parked in the covered premium lot, so were next to the pier. We dropped off our luggage, went up the escalators, through security, had photos taken and were on the ship. Amazingly fast.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
We had the Unlimited Dining Package so we tried a number of the specialty restaurants. Jamie's was the only disappointment - we weren't impressed with the food. All the others were great and Wonderland should not be missed!

Rising Tide Bar

5 out of 5

I love this bar. It is a elevator with bar service. Lots of fun, can almost always get a table. Some of the best bartenders on the ship.

Wonderland

5 out of 5

Best dining experience on any cruise we have taken. A must-do experience.

Solarium Bistro

5 out of 5

We enjoyed the breakfast buffet - a smaller version of the Windjammer, but with less people.

Solarium Bar

5 out of 5

Nice bar with great views of the ocean.

Room Service

5 out of 5

Very prompt service.

Boot and Bonnet Pub

5 out of 5

Great staff, love the outdoor seating along the Promenade, great place to people-watch.

Bionic Bar

4 out of 5

Fun concept but not somewhere I would buy all my drinks. Did see someone lose his drink when the robot didn't get the cup seated properly and the drink pour knocked it over.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5
Don't miss the balloon drop! If there is a parade, go to it. We did the digital scavenger hunt and it was a lot of fun. Even if you choose to stay on the ship on port days, there will be things to do.

Guest Services

5 out of 5

Very helpful staff - will just call the proper team and deal with the issue if you ask them a question that should go somewhere else (restaurant reservations.)

Entertainment

5 out of 5
We went to the many of the shows. Grease was a lot of fun. Columbus, The Musical was hilarious. The skating show and aquatics show seem to invent storylines to justify the acrobatics, but are still fun. The Great Dubois was a fun show.

Solarium

5 out of 5

A very peaceful area for adults (18+) only.

Children's Programs

Were traveling as a couple - no kids.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
Bar staff was uniformly great (even the robots who spilled someone else's drink.) All of the restaurant staff were friendly and helpful. The buffet staff goes above and beyond - in Windjammer, Park Cafe and the Solarium. Our room steward did a good job of working around our rather unpredictable schedule.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
Ship was in good condition. The Oasis class is well-designed so that even with 6600+ people onboard, it never really feels crowded - there are so many different areas for people to be.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
We had a handicap balcony which was spacious and comfortable. The shower has a chair for people with mobility issues. The ramp to the balcony works well, but drops quite loudly when the door is opened or closed. Be warned. I was very impressed with the room. We had some plumbing issues which were resolved quickly but there were children on either side of us, so I assume there was a flushing issue.

Ship tip

If you don't have kids with you (or want to escape them), don't forget the Solarium.

Ports of call

Galveston, Texas

5 out of 5
The new Royal Caribbean terminal is a joy to transit, both for embarkation and disembarkation.

Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico Did not visit port

We stayed on the ship, been here many times before.

Coxen Hole, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras Did not visit port

We stayed on the ship, been here many times before.

Cozumel, Mexico

5 out of 5
We just walked into the shopping area, had some lunch and did some shopping. We've been here many, many times.

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
We asked for assisted disembarkation, and it was very helpful and very fast. We were off the ship and on the road home in a half-hour or less.
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6 Comments

Gwbigdog     10 months ago

Thanks for sharing

basssacker     10 months ago

Thanks for your review

WeinerDogMom     10 months ago

Thank you for sharing! Glad you had a great time. Harmony was the 1st cruise I ever went on and it was unbelievable! It's hard to believe the size of these ships and how smoothly everything goes with the massive amount of people onboard!

javawoody     10 months ago

Best ever says a lot

Niavlys     10 months ago

Happy to read that you enjoyed your cruise. Tks for sharing

cruising2004     10 months ago

Glad you had an awesome holiday cruise! Thank you for your detailed review.