Best Cruise Vacation - Perfect Day @ Coco Cay!

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

Harmony of the Seas Cruise Review

AhoyitsMabel

Contributor Level: Second Mate

45 Days Till Next Cruise

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 9

Helpful Votes: 116

Overall rating:

5 out of 5

8 Night Western Caribbean & Perfect Day (Galveston Roundtrip)

Sail date: September 14, 2024

Ship: Harmony of the Seas

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 11239

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 1 month ago

Review summary

Excellent vacation with a Perfect Day at Coco Cay

Embarkation

5 out of 5

It was incredibly fast. We were inside the terminal a max of 10 minutes, not even 15. This is my second time in the new terminal for Royal Caribbean in Galveston and they have really perfected the embarkation system from anywhere else. So beautiful too. Only downside is they need more signage on where to go, or what tables are for. We were unable to find the table to declare our wine bottles but the good thing is that there’s plenty of workers that can help guide you. It makes up for lack of signage but would be better if they just had it. Otherwise, quick, beautiful, comfy, and easy.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Overall, the food across the board was excellent. I could not complain whatsoever on the quality. MDR was excellent! Windjammer/Buffet was what you would expect. I was not impressed with the food but it was good for what it offered. The staff in Windjammer were phenomenal, though. Everything was clean and beautiful. All Speciality Dining was absolutely fantastic and made up a good portion of where my money went towards the trip. I do have to note that I did Main Dining Room on one night only, Windjammer three times for breakfast and once for lunch. Otherwise, dinner and lunches were spent mainly in Specialty Dining. Just to add, 150 Central Park was amazing and I highly recommend all the dishes. Beef tenderloin for two was incredibly tender and soft. Fries cheesecake for the win!

Izumi

5 out of 5

Izumi’s food was wonderful all around. Staff was incredibly helpful. Booked lunch here and it was incredibly filling—one appetizer, two sushi rolls or one sushi roll & a main dish, and one dessert. We did Hibachi for lunch and dinner… I’d recommend to do it only for lunch. You get the exact same menu/experience for dinner as you do for lunch. There was nothing different in regard to the experience or the items on the menu. Save your money and book Hibachi for lunch online before your sailing. It does book out quick for lunch.

Main Dining Room

5 out of 5

Only came here for one night — Caribbean night. The menu was AMAZING. All good foods but I know it’s not for everyone. The jerk chicken, coconut shrimp, and pork bao tacos were delicious. Again, not everyone’s cup of tea. I loved it, though. Our server was amazing. I do wish that Royal Caribbean would incorporate Carnival’s method of standby by queueing on the app rather than standing in line for 45 minutes just to get a seat. I was solo for dinner, too… Too long of a wait just to eat in under 1.5 hours.

Windjammer Marketplace

3 out of 5

Staff were phenomenal but the food was ok. Nothing crazy, it’s just a buffet. Maybe I’m getting tired of buffet food. For some, this is their favorite spot, and it is good to get a bite if you missed the window at other restaurants.

Wonderland

5 out of 5

Great service, staff, and trippy food. Delicious.

Vintages

5 out of 5

Beautiful bar!

Sorrentos

3 out of 5

Genuinely worst location for the pizza place, especially when there’s a massive party going on. Oh well. Good pizza.

Solarium Bar

2 out of 5

Always packed, bartenders don’t notice you unless you’re seated. You have to basically push in to get served. There’s no way to get a glass of water here unless you ask. Solarium should have a designated water area, considering how hot it gets.

Sabor

1 out of 5

Our food here was disgusting. You do get a lot but the quesadillas had a weird after taste, the chips were just simple regular Tostito-tasting chips, and the calamari was leaking grease on the plate. Yuck. Only the chorizo fondue was good.

Park Cafe

5 out of 5

Excellent! Recommend for breakfast and lunch. Clean, too. Quick bites and healthy options.

Johnny Rockets

4 out of 5

Breakfast was relatively good here. Service was slow and it felt stressful eating her since it was close to 9am when complimentary breakfast closes.

Jamie's Italian by Jamie Oliver

4 out of 5

Lunch at Jamie’s was solid. You get lots of food but it’s what you’d expect for Italian. I prefer Giovanni’s, personally.

Chops Grille

5 out of 5

This is your typical steakhouse, nothing out of the ordinary. Great staff, the vibe fits the atmosphere, and the food was top excellent. Came here twice for dinner, once for lunch. Highly recommend the burger for lunch! The sweet potatoe fries were amazing.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

Plenty of things to do. The card room had puzzles, books, games, and plenty of tables for board games. All sporty things looked fun for the kids, and clean. There was plenty to do on board depending on what you liked to do. Pools weren’t bad, but even with as many as they have, still doesn’t feel like enough. They shouldn’t have removed the big pool in Solarium like Allure has.

Casino Royale

4 out of 5

Shocked that I didn’t get stopped every 10 minutes by a waiter to ask for my drink… It was hard to get by someone. Fun time here, though. Very smoky.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

All around, music on the ship was amazing. Musicians are good from Boleros, to the pool deck, piano guy, down to the Central Park night time entertainment. Fine Line did not have many dives but still a wonderful show. Overall solid entertainment on this ship. Not too bad.

Solarium

3 out of 5

Nowhere to get water nearby. They should have a pool like Allure does. Just really unfortunate use of the space here. The lookout spots off the bridge wings were great, though.

Central Park

5 out of 5

Favorite spot in the entire ship. Always down here 4 times a day.

Card Room

5 out of 5

Great space for introverts like me. Or if you love board games, puzzles, and more.

Aquatheater

4 out of 5

Good show overall. Fine Line did not have as many dives as other shows. More dancing than anything. Still enjoyable and entertaining.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Overall amazing. Everyone really cared for our sailing, did not seem stressed in the slightest. Best staffing I’ve seen across the board on a cruise in a long time.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Beautiful ship and well taken care of. Harmony has to be one of my favorite ships. Wish Oasis class ships offered more opportunities to look outside. The ship does make it feel like you’re not out on the ocean a lot of the time.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Great cabin, plenty of space! Loved that the bed was in a nook and there were two spots for closet space. Only downside was that our room was a few decks below the kid’s pool area. Lots of screaming, splashing, and more from above. Not too loud, just loud enough to hear it distinctively in the distance. Too far from the Central Park entertainment at night. If you want a room for that, book closer to the middle of this neighborhood.