Harmony of the Seas is HUGE - and has something for everyone! We are an active family of 5 (with 3 teenagers) and all really enjoyed our cruise. We scored a 9-day itinerary instead of the usual 7 days, and loved the extra ports plus felt like we had time to relax and enjoy the ship. Embarkation - we flew into Ft. Lauderdale the night before, the airport / hotels / cruise port are very close and easy to get to. Boarding the ship was quick and easy thanks to completing info online in advance, and then picking up SeaPass cards at our staterooms after boarding. Disembarking was also smooth and easy. Ship Activities - So much to do! We enjoyed the zip line, flow rider, rock climbing wall, water slides, Abyss slide and did the Escape Room just to name a few. Fitness center is excellent. Teen Activities - they have a separate Cruise Compass with teen activities, broken down by 12-14 and 15-17 age brackets. My son especially enjoyed the sports court with teen basketball, etc and the flow rider. The kids have a nice "living room" area to hang out with ping pong, the Mini Bites restaurant, and stuff for them to do. Entertainment - We enjoyed all the shows. Grease was great, Columbus was a little wacky (had tap dancing sharks!) but fun; we loved the ice skating show and the Aqua Theater Fine Line show. All of the entertainers were extremely talented and did a great job. Reserve shows online as early as you can - the reservations fill up and some (Aqua shows) have long lines of people without reservations waiting. If the seas are rough the Aqua show will cancel and reschedule. Main Dining Room - we really enjoy the MDR, we ate there every night. It had something for all of our different tastes (including our kids), and if we didn't care for something we just got a different item instead. Waitstaff was great about making sure we enjoyed the food, and gave excellent service. Breakfast buffet in MDR was also great. Windjammer - crowded and hard to find an open table, but lots of food choices and we liked the food. It's shaped like a long narrow "U" shape, and it's really hard to find a family member if they are already sitting somewhere. VOOM internet - the ship is so big we paid the $ to get internet for all of us & texted A LOT to touch base when we wanted to find each other. Even when searching for each other in the Windjammer. Internet was very good. Watch for pre-cruise discounts on VOOM internet in Cruise Planner in advance, you can get a 4-device package (4 people can use) for a good discount. Since we had 5 of us, I booked a Deluxe Beverage with VOOM package for myself to get the 5th internet connection. Deluxe Beverage Pkg - I thought it was worthwhile for me. I got a couple hazelnut latte's each morning in Cafe Promenade, and soda in the afternoons. Every time I went to the bar I got a water bottle and stockpiled in my room fridge so I always had a cold bottle - very convenient. Afternoon frozen drinks by the pool, wine with dinner, a drink at a show or bar in the evening - it's pretty easy for them to add up. Every time I got a drink I also got a water or soda so I didn't load up on too much alcohol and I never had a problem with drinking too much but I felt like I got my money's worth. Pkg works on Labadee too. Consider what other "paid" drinks you would get (vitamin water in the spa, fresh squeezed OJ at breakfast, soda, coffee, bottled water) and add that to alcoholic drinks when deciding if it's worthwhile. Plus once or twice I got drinks I didn't like so I left them behind and got something else. Shore Excursions - We booked through Royal Caribbean for 3 of the ports. Nassau - Balmoral Island beach break - rode ferry to the island which had a really nice beach and 2 pools. It rained on us, but would have been great and relaxing if the weather had cooperated. St Thomas - fantastic! Did the Fast Cat catamaran snorkel and beach break excursion - loved it. Great crew. Clean safe friendly port area. St. Maarten - awesome! My guys did Loterie Farm Zipline Excursion - very active & included ropes course / climbing. They had a great time. My daughter & I did the horseback riding excursion at Lucky Stables, trail riding and rode horses into the ocean. It was great - horses were well cared for, our guide was great, we really enjoyed it. We walked from the cruise port to the town area with shops and restaurants along a beach. Nice and easy to get around. Still some hurricane damage. San Juan - we explored on our own; toured San Cristobal fort ($7 each) - lots to see, we really enjoyed it. Could have gone to El Morro fort with our tickets as well, but we skipped that one and did some sight seeing in Old San Juan. "Umbrella" street was neat to see. We bought some souvenirs and stopped in a cafe for a snack. Everything was easy walking distance from ship. Labadee - great beach day!! Went to Columbus Cove beach (the farthest) it had nice sand and calm water for floating around and relaxing. We took our own inflatable floaties. BBQ lunch was good. Lunch, a bar, and bathrooms were all close and nice. Loved Labadee. Cruise Critic Meet & Mingle - it was fun! There were prizes and giveaways. We had a large group. They had coffee & breakfast there - if I had realized that I would have gotten there earlier and skipped the long coffee line at Cafe Promenade. I wish there had been a little more "mingling" afterwards, but a big group had pre-planned a casino outing right after the Meet & Mingle, so most headed out. It was really nice connecting online in the Roll Call forum before the cruise; the ship is so big I wish I had run into the people we met more often but that's the downfall of a huge ship. We didn't see some of our "new friends" again for the last half of the week. I hope my review is helpful! I read tons of reviews, articles and blogs before our cruise and really appreciated the info when I was planning. Read Less

We chose to sail on the Harmony of the Seas because we had not been on Royal since 2011, when we sailed on the Monarch of the Seas. We were tired of going on Carnival over and over again and we needed something different. That's exactly what we got on the Harmony. This was hands down the best cruise I have ever been on. The ship was absolutely stunning. If you have not been on an Oasis class cruise ship, you should really consider making it your next cruise. The Harmony stood out in so many ways... The staff on board were amazing. Much better than what I have experienced with Carnival and Norwegian. Our room steward would clean two times a day, every single day. He also never had a problem with stopping what he was doing so he could have a conversation with you about your day ashore or about the ship. The next big thing that stood out to me was the room. The cabin on board the Harmony was noticeably bigger than on other cruise ships that I had been on. It was tastefully decorated. There was tons and tons of storage. It was perfect. We stayed in a standard balcony room (ocean facing). The food. The Harmony of the Seas had some of the best food I have ever had, period. The food was absolutely amazing. From the buffet, to the dining room, to the specialty restaurants. All of it was perfect. Regarding the specialty dining... we went to Chops and Wonderland on the ship. Wonderland was fantastic. Our server, Elton... was one of the best crew members that we had the pleasure of meeting on the ship. The food was presented in really neat ways, it was all really good. Overall a great experience. The embarkation process for the Harmony of the Seas in Port Everglades was amazing. We arrived at the cruise terminal at 11:15 and we were on the ship at 11:30... no lie it took only fifteen minutes to give our bags to the porters, check in, get our pictures taken and walk right onto the ship. The entertainment on the Harmony was really good. We only decided to see a couple of shows. But the one that really stood out to me was "The Fine Line" aqua theater show on the back of the ship. The things they were doing was absolutely outstanding. Read Less

First of all sorry for the bad english :-) 3 years ago i got cruising on Oasis of the Seas and i was so well impressed that i decided to sail on another Oasis Class ship. We were 6 women (around 50 yo) from Rome, Italy. It was my 4th cruise with RCI, and 1st for my friends. I could find some differences from Oasis of the seas, more kids on the Harmony maybe caused by the introduction of the Abyss and waterslides, so you couldn't find sometime a place where to be quiet except for the solarium area that is adult only but has not a pool. The many whirlpools were to much hot than on the other ship. The internet voom connection went lost many times and for more than 1 day it didn't work. I noticed there were less people working on the ship, difference underlined in the main dining room where was missing the excellent service i found on the Radiance and then Brilliance of the seas. We arrived at the terminal in Port Everglades from Miami around 11 am and in about a hour we were on the ship. They were well organized and all went quick. My friends were excited entering in the ship from the Promenade at deck 5, they didn't know exactly what to expect. And i was happy to look at their faces. The first day on the ship was more crowded than the others 'cause people had to organize and chose their loved place to stay. We had chosen traditional time at 8.00 pm in the American Icon grill to have always same service and the same table. The food at the main dining was good but not excellent, a few small in choices. The service was good but i think under exstimated for the many people having dinner. For breakfast we went to windjammer and solarium 'cause we wanted to have a seat in the adult pool and the closer place where to eat staying away a short time were these two. (you can't go away rounding on the ship leaving your pool seat reserved) I think that if your group is numerous the windjammer is the best place where to have lunch or breakfast because you can find many different choices. I also loved to go at Park cafè in the fascinating Central Park, so quiet and beautiful surrounded by many plants. We tried the different activity the Abyss, the rock climbing wall, the mini golf, the zipline and we had fun. The shows were great and we loved first of all the Aqua Fine Line, then the show in the studio B, Grease, Columbus.... We had 3 interior cabins and even if they are without window they are comfortable, with the needed space to stay. The cabin attendant also was great. About ports of call, we booked a couple of excursions with Royal on Labadee. The port was a big village well organized even if too much crowded for having lunch. When in Falmouth we reserved a private car with a guide, we went first to Blue Hole (we planned to go to the Dunn's Falls but too crowded) and it was a good choice, then the driver brought us to a market and finally in a public quiet beach to stay laying at the sun and having a swim. In Cozumel, that we liked really deeply, we had friends waiting with their cars and we went to Punta Sur, beautiful place, and then in a private beach. Cozumel has the best sea where to see and swim with fishes. At the end of all i can say that it has been a great cruising time on an amazing Royal ship, and we are already ready to book our next cruise on the same Oasis Class. Read Less

Always heard from earlier cruisers that once you go cruising, you can't go back to your beloved "all-inclusive destinations" and now I know why. Only thing that I can't stress enough is always, always and always take a direct flight no matter the cost. Even though I had planned well,our connection was delayed 8 times ( not a typo ) before it really took off. Never again AA. Speciality restaurants may not be worth extra. Great work was accomplished by the cruise crew. Tired but always smiling and welcoming. Cabin size was not humongous but good enough to have 2 catch asleep after a long tiring / relaxing day. Different dining options made us gain weight. I only wish that port and shore excursions were little longer. Dun's river experience in Jamaica is just breathtaking and a MUST DO. We did all excursions on our own and don't regret saving quite a bit. Read Less

This ship was great, since we are now doing the suite life, the suite lounge and staff were great, from the time we got on till we got off. I would recommend this cruise to anyone. We had the dining plan so only ate once in the main dinning room. The food was great at every venue. Found our new favorite restaurant was Wonderfand. The food was both fun and amazing. The wemsical and happy attitude of the staff was great. Even though we had a group of 5 thus having a odd number of people at the tabl. Food at the coastal kitchen was both well presented and tasted outstanding. Told the family that they had to try something different that they had not eaten before with every meal. While at Labadee we had a Cabana on barefoot beach, this was. One of the best days on the trip. Best no paperwork when disembarking. With luggage valet we were off the sip in less than 5 minutes. Read Less

We planned this vacation around visiting family in Florida and were so excited to cruise with Royal Caribbean again after many years. The ship was large, fun and the staff was very professional. Since it had been many years since we cruised with RCCL we didn't know what to expect. The food in the main dining room was better than we had read in cruise critic reviews. We enjoyed Chopped Grill and the lunch salads/sandwiches at Park cafe for lunch. We are adults (60) and tried the Abyss slide, zip line, flow rider and enjoyed the entertainment. wish there were more adult activities like a cooking class, ship kitchen tour, book discussion (tell passengers title selected for each month, retirement skills Our biggest complaints were the ship staff DID NOT make people wash nor purell before entering the dining rooms and at the eating establishments (despite all the signage and videos). We were fastidious about cleanliness and abstained from buffets but on the second formal night (after my husband ate the lobster dinner) he and I both felt very sick. We were up sick all night and we had to go to the medical compound on deck 2, which was 2 hours backlogged with other sick patients. While I was feeling a bit better by the time we got to see a doctor (3 hours) my husband required intravenous fluids and meds, requiring quarantine status of our cabin. neither of us could eat much and we missed the Labadee port, as that was our quarantine day. That night when we went into the main dining room purell use was mandatory (thank goodness) as the virus was spreading quickly. RCCL offered us a credit only for my husband for one day, which we feel was insufficient and our cruise was negatively impacted as we could not eat nor drink much. our other issue was the "nickel and diming" through the cruise. We felt the cruise was a sales event at every turn. I would prefer to pay more and not have to be constantly up-sold. also, often we could not participate in nightly activities as the venue choice was too small and so many people were turned away, i.e. Karaoke (held in ON Air) no seats and dangerously crowded. BINGO - i tried twice and could not participate as again it was held in ON AIR and no seats or even standing room. Why not use overall, we enjoyed the ship Read Less

I traveled with my wife March 1st. . We had an amazing time. Got to and on the boat with absolutely no issues. T he boat was full and loaded families with kids. Later I was told it was still spring break not aware of that it booking time but it Didn’t matter we were able to escape to the solarium where we spent our days, The reality is though the the pool area was overrun with children. This is kind of a vibe killer but again, the Solarium saved the day. We love the boat and the layout. We were never bored and always kept busy We both work out and use the track and gym and both were phenomenal. The food is cruise food. Remember you’re going on a moderately priced cruise not the queen Elizabeth. If you understand this and look for good food options you will be more then satisfied. The windjammer is a bid crowded at most times try the solarium bistro or some other options for lunch. We always have a balcony this time we just got a large window it was more than fine for us and we saved a lot of money. The evening entertainment and shows ware spectacular I work on Broadway in New York City they were comparable to shows seen there- some even better. Saint Martin, Labadie, and San Juan Nice island stops we didn’t need to do excursions and had a great time anyway. We did a self disembarkation took our luggage off of the boat ourselves And we’re at the airport in minutes. Personally I'd only go on this cruise again if we had kids coming along but that does not mean without them you could not have a ball. BTW the casino is awesome, albeit there is a smokey smell. All of the service was great !!!!! Enjoy. Read Less

I have cruised many times on many different lines and was skeptical of taking this large ship with so many people. My grandsons ages 11 and 6 have a spring break from their school so we try to schedule different family trips. I thought what a fun vacation for the boys and they would be fascinated with the size of this ship. They thought the Disney Fantasy was big but nothing compared to Harmony. I was so pleasantly pleased of our experience on this ship. From embarkation, cleanliness of the areas, the wonderful staff, and the cabins, we were impressed. I would say the first full day the areas were busy but as the week went on you could find areas that were quiet and wondering out loud where everyone was. We had My Time dining which worked out well but we also tried the specialty restaurants for either lunch or dinner. All were excellent. May I also compliment all the serving staff as well who were professional and so kind to my grandsons. Food was very good and I found the portions more than adequate. We did attend the water show which was good and the production of Grease, which I thought ran a little too long but certainly ok. My grandsons did the Flowrider which they enjoyed and the waterslides also. We had a Crown Loft Suite which was fantastic. The perks for Grand Suites and above were worth every penney. Having the concierge service, separate lounge and restaurant were so enjoyed. Also express disembarkation was fantastic. All in all a wonderful experience and we have booked this boat again for 2020. Read Less

I have never gone on a ship this big and in fact when the Freedom of the Seas first came out I sailed on it and did not like it as I thought it was too big. That being said, I absolutely LOVED Harmony of the Seas. While it may hold 6,000 plus guests it did not feel crowded at all! The pool area was usually busy in the day but the Solarium for adults only was always quiet and uncrowded. The shows were fantastic, especially the water diving show and the ice show. I did not do any specialty dining but the Park Café for lunch and the Solarium Bistro for Breakfast has great selections and good tasting foods. The Boardwalk Hot Dog area had the best hot dogs and it tasted just like I was at he boardwalk! We had great service from our waiter Mohamed and Assistant Waiter Chondra. Both were very attentive to our needs and made sure everything was perfect for us. Overall, their seems to be less choice in meals from the menu now than in previous cruises and some meals were repeated during the week. I guess if you really liked that meal you could have it twice. The first night though I had a hard time as none of the items appealed to me so I went out of my box and tried the baked polenta with Feta Cheese. It was delicious!!! If I could make any changes to the ship it would be to have a little more variety and selection for dinners every day, We did the Eastern Caribbean with stops in St. Maarten, San Juan and Labadee. San Juan was a very short stop from 9 am until about 2 pm. We did not do excursions as we have been at these stops before so we just walked around on our own at all three. We had a Balcony room on the 9th floor in the middle of the ship so it was easy to get from one end to the other depending on where we had to go. Embarkation and debarkation were very smooth. We were on the ship in less than 20 minutes of getting into the check in area. Leaving the ship took a little longer as they only had a few Customs officers working that everyone had to go through but finding our luggage was very easy. Overall, I would go on Harmony of the Seas again in a heart beat! I loved the ship and the crew. Now if they could just add some more variety to the dinner menu in the Main Dining room. Read Less

After experiencing the Diamond Club on Allure of the Seas, high above and looking out over the beautiful ship and the ocean, the Diamond Club in a closet atmosphere (deck 4) on Harmony of the Seas was very disappointing. Poor atmosphere and same set up on Symphony of the Seas. They do virtual balconies so they should at least do the virtual views in the enclosed Diamond Clubs. Everything else on the ship was perfect. The food, service, cleanliness, entertainment, activities were all excellent. The show "Columbus" was wonderful. I saw it twice. The ice and aqua shows are great. If you don't have a reservation, they still could usually get you seats by waiting 10 minutes before showtime. The entertainment (music & dancing) and parades in the Promenade are big fun! The Cruise Director, Ricky, was amazing. He is so talented! We were so impressed with his Caribbean dancing! Read Less