Best. Cruise. Ever.

Item: Harmony of the Seas
Rating: 5
Author: grahamgnome

Harmony of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

grahamgnome

Contributor Level: Second Mate

210 Days Till Next Cruise

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 8

Helpful Votes: 112

Overall rating:

5 out of 5

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: 4 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!

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.

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.

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.