This was our first big ship. Loved it. We had the key program which was our only disappointment. We got the run around from crew when we asked where key disembark breakfast and gangway was. Communication to key guests is sadly lacking. Its a shame as the program could be great. Coastal kitchen food and service was excellent. As junior suite guests we were allowed to have dinner there but our passcards didnt open the door and we had to try to attract the attention of someone to let us in. It was awkward and unwelcoming. Service on this ship by waiters and stewards was superb! . They work hard And are always friendly and cheerful. Our room steward Wayan was wonderful, he had our room made up quickly efficiently and was always ready to greet us when we returned from our days outings. Just terrific! The coastal kitchen food was awesome! Servers were great.! Such a fun trip. Read Less

We chose this cruise as we wanted to try a more recently built ship. The overall cruise was good. No real show stoppers, but there was some concerns. Embarkation was absolutely perfect. We never stopped moving from our shuttle to inside the ship. While on the subject, the disembarkation was the fastest ever. This new facial recognition for those with passports was so fast I was concerned it never happened. Odd little things were noted this trip. Many areas are in great condition and others show pretty hard use. Anytime we have had My Time dining on other RCCl ships we have taken a bit of time on the first night but had no issue after that with walking right in with reservations. This cruise had a reserved line as long as the no reservation line.. We waited in line two nights and on third night after another wait - with reservations, we lady and didn’t return for the duration of the cruise. Sad because our waiter and the food was very good. One night we reserved at the Bistro and it was the best of all. If you like Mediterranean food-do it. Free. Food was generally good in all locations aboard. We found the backs of chairs in the marketplace to be a bit grungy. Mostly the upholstered type. I hesitate to say it, but the soiled areas seem to be made by numerous hands with food on them. Ah, er, children. The vinyl covered chairs don’t show this. As for the stateroom, it was generally great. Good room steward and he kept the room very nice. Only issue noticeable was a rather well stained couch that we put towels on not the get the creeps. Not sure how it got so bad, but hard use, spillage, and likely, food made this possible. Anyway, the new room styles (balcony cabin) were the best we have seen. Far more efficient as we saw it. In the area of ports, I won’t go into it as the wind was wicked this trip. One port cool with wind, one port canceled due to wind, wind throughout. Mother Nature. Pay attention to your towel returns. After the cruise, many on followup media mentioned having been billed for towels. They use room cards and readers to electronically record your issues and returns now. No more name on a sheet of paper. Likely better inventory control. Moving right along. I’m not sure anyone ever needs to build a bigger ship. It seems the saturation point has been reached. The only words we could come up explain this was “controlled chaos. Just seemed like too much. Great shows and other entertainment. Maybe too many. Seemed like a full time job trying to reserve them, work around dinner, and other possible activities. Maybe that’s a good problem. In the end the cruise was fine. There are things only a large ship provide and some things they just can’t. We are likely to go back to the smaller Royal Caribbean ships but others might find this ship to be just grand - and in many ways it is! Finally, Those who are Royal regulars and like the inside solariums, you may not care for the more open air solariums on these larger ships. We missed them. Especially in the windy and cooler weather experienced. Fortunately that doesn’t happen too often in the Caribbean Keep cruising. Read Less

Our friends recommended HOS. We had an amazing time with our two teen daughters and group of friends which consisted of 4 other families. The weather/wind is beyond the control of the captain. We didn’t get to port at Costa Maya because of the high winds that day and there were a few times of rough seas. Will never do a sailing for Roatan again. That port was over crowded and not very clean. Scale of 1-10 and 10 being the most cleanliness, Roatan gets a 5. Do NOT go beyond the taxis at Roatan to do some self exploring of the city. We stepped across the street from the taxis to do this and immediately turned around to go back to the port shops. Our teen daughters as well as their friend, were getting some very uncomfortable stares from the local men in Roatan. Perfect Day was fun and the food was a good variety. The pool Water was freezing! We rented a taxi in Cozumel and visited a free local beach for the day. The restaurant there was decent. We only had the chips and guac and beer. The mariachi band sang happy birthday to our 14 year old that day. The shop employees at the port were not pushy. They did want you to buy their products, but were not rude about it if you didn’t stop in the store. Read Less

We arrived to the Cocoa Beach area the day before embarkation. It was a nice, sunny day, with temperatures in in the low 70's so we decided to spend the afternoon at Jetty Park. It costs $15 per car for the entire day. They have restaurants there to grab a bite to eat, or you can pack a lunch and picnic. After a relaxing day at the beach, we went to Fishlips to have dinner and watch the cruise ships leave Port Canaveral. Fishlips has great food, good drinks, and good service. Embarkation - It was the quickest embarkation ever! We already did the online check in. They verified our passports, made sure we weren't a Corona-virus risk and we were on our way. From the time we got off our shuttle at 10:30 AM, we were on board by 11 AM! The ship is very clean and the crew works tirelessly making sure everything is spotless. We noticed that the crew really took the Corona virus threat seriously. Our first stop was to the box office to make sure we had tickets to all of the great entertainment. Once we had all of that settled, we headed up to Windjammer for lunch. If you've ever been on a Royal Caribbean cruise, you know that the Windjammer is packed with people. The Food: We ate most of our meals in Windjammer. We were on vacation, and we wanted to rest a relax. It was our decision to not dress up and go to the MDR or any of the specialty restaurants. The food in the Windjammer was good most of the time. There were a instances where the food was meh. Thankfully, the pizza at Sorento's is consistently good. We had the "Refreshment Drink Package." That includes sodas, virgin drinks, and specialty coffees. There should be more soda fountains to refill your soda cup. The bartenders don't especially care for drink package people. We highly suggest going to the Cafe Promenade for Seattle's Best Iced Caribbean Coconut Latte. We're craving them right now! They are sooo good! A nice pick-me-up for the middle of the day. Cabin: We had an Oceanview Room on the 3rd floor. Our room steward was Mila. She was outstanding. So personable. We enjoyed talking to her throughout our cruise. She kept the room neat and tidy. Our room was nice. No complaints. Entertainment: Royal Caribbean's entertainment is second to none! We enjoyed all of the shows. Grease was very good. The cast was extremely talented. We enjoyed the ice skating show, "1887". Some people didn't understand it, but if you are familiar with Jules Verne's novels, you can get the gist of it. Again, the talent was amazing. We were fortunate for the weather to cooperate the night we had tickets to see the diving show, "A Fine Line." The aerialists, especially the high-wire act, kept you on the edge of your seat. It was a great show. Mo5aic, an acapella group, was very entertaining. We wanted to see them again they were so good! Activities: There is so much to do and see on Harmony of the Seas! You really need to plan out your days so you don't miss it all. Unfortunately, we never got around to trying out the Ultimate Abyss, the water slides or the zip line. The week went by way to fast. We simply relaxed in the Solarium and enjoyed a good book. Very relaxing. Ports: We stopped in St. Maarten, Puerto Rico and Coco Cay. We did our own adventure in each of the ports. In St. Maarten, we walked along the beach. Visited the Yoda Guy in Phillipsburg and had a few drinks at Dirty Sanchez's Crew Bar. In Puerto Rico, we walked around and checked out the arts and crafts. Ate a delicious lunch at La Bodega (excellent mofongo and flan!) and got back on the ship. Coco Cay was very relaxing. The waterpark was expensive and cost prohibitive. The weather was a bit chilly and windy. Nonetheless, it was still a nice day on a private beach, beautiful sand, sunshine and a good book. It was a perfect day! The Ship: The ship is clean, modern, with plenty to see and do. The only negative is there are not enough elevators. You spend a lot of time waiting for an elevator. When elevators are limited, it brings out the worst in some people. They will see that an elevator is full and yet they will still try to shove their way on. Some people will also not allow for people get off the elevator before they get on. This is not the ship's fault. Some people are just rude and have no manners or proper etiquette. There were a few fellow guests that were rude and obnoxious. For example, they would talk over the performers in the Jazz club. Or, they would shove you trying to get a cup of coffee or some food at the buffet, or they would just treat the crew poorly. Again, not RCL's fault. It is a shame that some people, in this day and age, don't know how to act in public. Disembarkation: It was the easiest process ever! We have been on about 14 cruises, and this was by far the easiest. The longest part disembarkation is walking off the ship. If you have a passport, the only time you stop is for the facial recognition camera to verify who you are (5 seconds). We did self assist. We were off the ship in less than 15 minutes. Overall, we will definitely go again! Read Less

$th time on this ship & it never disappoints. I read the article on this site about keeping healthy-as a Nurse x 50yrs,I'm always health conscious.We were in deck 10-10185(Cent.park balcony) Wiped down all surface areas upon getting into our cabin-wiped down remote & out in a zip lock bag.Told the cabin attendant,I would be following her with disinfectant wipes due to my med condition & she was ok with that & appreciated the explaination. We booked the Solarium Bistro for our evening meals-after you chose your appetizers,they take your order.We washed our hands frequently,supplemented with hand gel,no problems.In Phillipsburg we did the Eco-snorkle-ok,but a long walk to & from the site off the ship area-saw some fish,but not many. We walked around San Juan as we went to the Cathedral up the hill on our last trip in November on HAL.We did use my shipboard credit toward the Cocoa Club& it was more than work it-Surf & Turf for lunch with all kinds of salads etc. Snorkeling with a small blacktip shark under me,a lemon skark next to us & lots of Rays(no not the TB team!) It was sheltered due to the seawall & broke the wind which was pretty breezy when we first got there. Cabin Attendant-superior to all I had in the prev. 19 cruises(Sandra is a keeper).Excellent service in the Solarium.We saw 2 dive shows,skating,,Mos5iac(sp) group,Grease all which were excellent. Still heavy smoking in the Casino & the odds are NOT in your favor,but did play enough to get 200bucks off my next cruise.This was a Casino comp& I'd go again in a heartbeat-flu or no flu! Read Less

My sister turned 40 and I surprised her with a cruise. She had always wanted to sail on one of the biggest ships. The ship was absolutely beautiful, modern and clean. Our room Steward and dining room Waiter and his Assistant were fabulous. Embarkation/disembarkation was extremely quick and very smooth. On the downside, the food was edible with the exception of my raw hamburger. I can honestly say that I did not look forward to any meal. The pool was crowded and rarely found a decent lounge chair. Casino was smoke filled and paid out next to nothing every night. Cruise Director seemed to be missing a good part of the trip. On board announcements were difficult to understand from the stateroom. Employees seemed overworked and tired. Entertainment was decent but wish there was more than one dance club. Not much pool entertainment throughout the day. My sister and I were definitely disappointed on our overall experience. Read Less

My husband and I cruised on the Harmony. Its our favorite way to disconnect from the world. We flew in night prior stayed in Cocoa. Check in :Arrived at the pier around 11 already boarding, from curb to ship maybe 10 minutes! Got in line to make dinner reservations then lunch at Park Cafe. Ship: the ship is perfect we love this class with all its nooks and crannies to explore. The only negative is no pool in solarium! Staff: We found the staff to be supper friendly and accommodating. Loved the captain. Diamond Staff fantastic. Entertainment: What we saw we enjoyed. Grease, Mo5aic (acapella), comedy show, water show, Southside showband, Andy C Piano Bar, Kieron Cox Guitar Food: Never went hungry a bit of a mess at first with my time dining but all worked out. 3 night package Wonderland: yummy experience, Jamies: Short Ribs... wanted more the Keylime cheesecake so good. Chops : always worth a visit. Solaruim Bistro is a treat if you can get a reservation. Breakfast and lunch in the main dining is work a visit also a bit quieter with all the same choices. ( you can choose buffet or table service.) Islands: The ship visited St Martin, SanJuan and Cocoa Cay. We only got off in Cocoa Cay, a perfect albeit chilly day. The pool is beautiful, lots of chairs and umbrellas if needed. Walk over to South Beach for some calm waters and perhaps a drink on the floating bar. (Water was to chilly to try this on this visit. ) Debarkation: We did express, got up had breakfast out of room by 8. We were off the ship in less then 30 minutes. Grabbed an Uber to Orlando. ( keep in mind you can not check bags till 4 hrs prior to departure. ) We are happy we choose this ship and would not hesitate to book again. Read Less

We are foodies and really enjoyed Wonderland (both the service and the food were outstanding) and Jamie's (we're now addicted to the Taglietelle Bolognese)! Overall it was a good cruise. The ship was very clean and had a variety of activities on sea days to keep us busy. The port presentations, though, were geared towards shopping; no other activities available in port were mentioned. I'd like to see more about attractions, museums, cultural activities, etc. The food ranged from mediocre (Solarium Bistro, Main Dining Room, room service) to very good (usually in a fee-added restaurant). Of special note, other than the croissants, the pastries were generally bad, and the chocolate-frosted donuts were absolutely vile, too much baking powder and topped with a waxy, fake-chocolate blend -- or at least tasted like it. Room service coffee was acceptable, though for some reason the kitchen staff **always** put halfnhalf into a wine glass instead of a pourable creamer, which was messy to clean up after. Overall, the desserts seemed made for looks rather than taste -- the "Royal Chocolate Cake" was particularly disappointing. I'd also like to see an interactive ship's map/diagram added to the cruise TV channel. Or even a hard copy... Read Less

We chose this cruise to experience sailing on an Oasis class ship and to compare Royal Caribbean to other cruise lines we have sailed. This ship and crew far exceeded our expectations and provided us with a wonderful cruise. We found the ships crew from the captain on down were all professional and genuinely happy to be on board, something we haven’t always found. The entertainment was outstanding and the Fine Line aqua show is not to be missed! If asked would we recommend sailing with Royal Caribbean on a Oasis class ship based on this last cruise, our response would be definitely yes! You can find anything from music to a quite cup of coffee in Central Park. The rest of the ship has such a wide choice of entertainment and food selections that you can not take it all in with the time you have and we had seven days! Coco Beach Club was a definite plus on our Perfect Day at Coco Cay. Yes it is an up charge but well worth it for the food and setting. We also booked the key and found it to be good value for the cost for the expedited boarding and reserved seating areas for the shows and the internet. Read Less

We chose this cruise (1) to move us up to D+ before our Dec cruise, and (2) proximity of our home to Port Canaveral. We were in Grand Suite 10250. We left our house at 9:10am and were ON the ship by 10:30am. ARRIVAL - Dropped hubby off with luggage and went up to park. You have to pay on the way in as opposed to on way out at other locations. Walked right in and up to the ship. This place surely have their "ducks in order" and it was pleasant and quick! CABIN - As expected. Our steward was awesome and got me an extra pillow and some wine glasses. Cabin was always clean! DINING - We ate every dinner up at the Coastal Kitchen. OMG Chef Henry made sure I got my Onion Soup with no onions (yeah, it's weird) every night and it was fabulous. Every bar server and each of the wait staff was superb! Shout out to Steve the waiter too! Went to the Windjammer once for lunch - aside from the folks pushing their way into line, kids taking and putting back stuff, it felt "dirty" to me. We also went to Johnny Rockets (now over-priced at 12.95 a head - we remember when it was free!) Burgers used to appear hand made but now they are apparently from a box. Would not go back. Starbucks is Starbucks. SHOWS - Grease was great, 1687 (whatever year) was OK and the Ariel show was very good. Many of the ariel shows had to cancel due to weather conditions. CASINO - machines were good - bar service was good SPA - VERY DISPLEASED - I went to the spa on the Explorer in December for haircut and eyebrow wax. The haircut guy was great, took his time, layered my short hair, scalp massage, deep condition and even used some Elemis balm on my face followed by a moisturizer. Loved it. Eyebrow lady was good, but at $35 for a wax, not that good. LOL So when we got on Harmony, I decided to get my haircut (expecting same type of service) and also to treat husband to couples massage using price on the App ($139 pp). Well, the haircut alone ended up being 15 minutes and I was charged $95!!! When we checked into spa, were told couples massage would be $412 and our Diamond discount would be applied but we had to use both discounts due to husband wanting bamboo and me hot stone. I was like, the price on app different. So after some back and forth with the manager (and at this time, there was another woman on other side of the desk who had the same problem with different prices!!). So my comment would be whatever service you want to get - get it IN WRITING BEFORE you book it. I was expecting to pay around $300 NOT $412 and then another $95 for a haircut when I paid less than that for a haircut (and all that came with it) AND and eyebrow wax on a different ship less than 90 days later. We did go down and say something to guest services but heard nothing back. PORTS - St. Maarten - was raining early in the day, so we walked around town and decided to go back to the ship to sit in the pool. San Juan did not even get off - been there enough times. CocoCay - extremely windy and chilly so we walked around and went back to ship. It's a nice place, don't get me wrong, but I prefer Labadee with the dedicated suite area. We were invited to a sailaway from San Juan on the helipad, which was neat. Music and drinks and we got to meet some of the officers. It was very sad to watch the children climbing up the slope of the ship, walking across the cabin windows (trying to be superheros) and no one correcting this behavior (staff or parents). If it were my window they were jumping on I would have been quite angry. I was also irritated at parents pushing the kids into the elevators ahead of them before anyone could even get off (teaching them right?? - WRONG) and observed another family come in and the parents watched the kids run right to the buttons and press them all - parents just smiled at how cute "little johnny" was. I don't mind kids, I have one, but I taught mine to respect elders, not destroy other's property, etc. Perhaps this is a thing of the past. (Rant over). We booked this ship with stops at Falmoth Jamaica, Labadee and Cococay for 2021. Interesting to note all private islands for RCCL. Read Less

Traveling with my 3 brothers/2 spouses for our annual family trip. Flew in the day before. We had rented a suburban for the 6 of us through Budget. This was a disaster. The Budget line was 50 people deep and when we finally got up there, my brother forgot his license. Instead of just letting us add a driver they made us get out of line and call budget to do this and they said they didn't have a suburban for us to rent. We ended up getting a minivan through National but this took us 2 hours to solve and budget was NO HELP. We stayed at a 3 bedroom townhouse at Cape Crossing Marina. Very nice place about 5 miles the port. It was clean and ended up being cheaper than getting 3 hotel rooms. Very much recommend. The cruise itself was a reschedule from September 1st cruise that was canceled due to Dorian. Not sure if I'll ever cruise in February again. Maybe it was just one of those weeks, but it was windy and chilly on most of the days and definitely not warm enough to get into the water. Due to the weather, the aqua shows were canceled several times. I understand that safety comes first, but maybe they can have a plan B show to do. Yes I want to see the high dive, but I would have been satisfied with a scaled down show that they could have done. Another issue I had was that there was a private group on board that took over many of the venues. This caused a complete cancelation of I SKATE ice show. Which by all accounts was a better show than 1887 show I was looking forward to seeing. REALLY DISAPPOINTED! One other minor complaint was that our room steward never introduced himself, never asked if we needed anything. I found that odd since every other cruise I've been on that was never an issue. I also never really saw the cruise director much other than coming out after shows. I actually saw the captain more than the cruise director. FOOD. it was definitely hit or miss but it was edible. Our dining wait staff was awesome. Cabin. Oceanview balcony, very nice location deck 8 close to elevators Ports. St. Maarten, we went to orient beach and then on to Maho beach. It was very windy and sprinkled a bit. This is the best shopping port. San Juan. We did a private tour of san Juan and it was nice. Coco Cay. I really like RC's private island. It has all you need just steps from the ship. The weather was ok. VERY WINDY and the water was cold, but enjoyed the views and soaked up too much sun. Shopping was not good. Everything overpriced. $10 for a magnet. Braiding lady wanted $40 when I asked for a French braid. The food that was offered on the island was outstanding! Overall it was a good trip. Loved spending time with my family which is #1 priority. Also to note the embarkation/disembarkation was Awesome. Walked right on and walked right off. Port Canaveral was very easy. Read Less

I previously took a 6-day Royal Caribbean cruise on Freedom of the Seas and loved it. Tremendous service! Housekeeping was attentive, and gave us lots of advice on getting around the ship and ports. They removed the barrier between two ocean balcony rooms, so friends could share that space. My Time Dining was flexible, we didn't need to book dinner or entertainment in advance of the trip. On Harmony, we had to pre-book every dinner and show, and even then, got bad timeslots. In spite of this, My Time Dining was a disaster the first couple of nights. Throngs of upset customers crowded the third deck, asking for more reasonable times. Even more waited for hours to be seated. Housekeeping was minimally adequate; we had to ask multiple times for toilet paper, tissues, soap & blankets. We asked Guest Services at least three times to remove the barrier between our balcony patios, and no one ever helped. We did eventually have a great time with our My Time Dining team. Yay for Antra and Imad on table 300! Love those guys. That said, we'll stick with Freedom of the Seas, or try another cruise line for the next trip. Read Less

We wanted to try the biggest cruise ship in the world. We'd previously been on The Anthem of the Seas for a New England cruise and loved it. Part of loving that ship, was being upgraded on the first full day via a bingo win to one of the Sky Loft Suites. Amazing. Alas, I am reviewing Harmony. This ship is huge. But there really is no bonus to being on this ship for adults alone. Families with kids will likely appreciate the myriad activities geared towards them. There was no pool time for us because the only activity was standing in the pool swaying from side to side because it was so crowded. The Windjammer buffet had great food, but limited hours and jammed indeed. It was packed and there were always lines at the hand washing stations to get in. A bummer. The gym was large and well-appointed but did not have the stunning view of The Anthem which makes a cruise workout go by so much quicker. The main dining room had great food. Some of the best I've had on a cruise including the Celebrity cruise line. The ship feels very roomy in most of the public spaces, which is really nice. So you don't always feel like you're on a ship with thousands and thousands of people. But, because there were so many kids, many seemingly left unfettered by their parents, we encountered a lot of rudeness -- running around, slamming into you or cramming into a very full elevator. The staff was very warm and helpful. Guest services was always a satisfying and expedient experience. Every issue was resolved and done so quickly. The spa was huge! A big variety of services. Pricey, as most cruise spas are, but the facilities were very nice and the actual services were above average, though I do tire of the selling of products while trying to relax. The casino was large too. But, they had very few games I like to play. I still managed to lose a fair amount though! Disembarkation for ports was surprisingly easy given the number of passengers. There was never a wait to get off and very little wait to get back on. Very easy process. For us, there was little the shops had to offer, though I did love the Sephora pop-up shop in the beauty store. That was fun. Overall, a great cruise. I don't think we'd sail on that ship again, but I do think it has a lot to offer families with kids. Read Less

This was our first RCCL cruise, we've also done Princess and Carnival several times. I liked the cruise a lot, but probably will not sail with RCCL again. PROS: - The crew was extremely friendly and the service was outstanding. - The ship was very clean, including the bathrooms. There were Purrell hand santiizers everywhere. There was a hand washing station at the buffet that you had to walk through to get to the buffet. - The ship looked very modern and stylish, with nice artwork and contemporary decor. - We had an ocean-view balcony. The room was plenty big for myself, my wife, and our two small children. The trundle beds (converted from a couch) was comfortable for the kids. I slept in one of the twin beds one night and it was fine for me too. The king bed my wife and I shared the other nights was comfortable too, though the pillows were a little hard. The balcony was sufficiently big to put our feet up an relax. The door had a child lock and sealed off the sound from outside too, we never heard anything and there was no soot on the balcony either (we were towards the back of the ship). The showed was comparatively big with the round "glass" door providing a lot of space, and good water pressure too. - There were a lot of activities on the boat and a lot too do all the time (probably too much to do, we had to skip some things). -The shows we went to were fantastic, especially the Columbus musical. That was really really good. The Aqua Theater show (the Fine Line) was also really good with incredible diving and acrobatics. I've never seen shows that good on a ship, it rivaled Vegas. - Roatan is a great stop, probably one of the best beaches we've been to in the Caribbean. Go to West Bay beach and walk around the West End area if you go. It's great! -Embarkation was smooth and fast. We got there at 10 and we were on the ship by 10:45. You should scan your passport using the app so that you can use the expidited line to get on faster. -Debarkation was very fast, we walked off the ship at 9am (we chose to stat on a little later) and were off the boat and through customs 10 mins later using their facial recognition. One of our bags got lost (someone wasn't paying attention and walked off with our bag, but left it outside the terminal when they realized their mistake). The port staff helped track it down after about 20 mins of us looking inside. I was very relieved they found it, but it would be great if they had a more secure way for people to confirm their bags (e.g. showing some form of ID, or using a barcode scanning process). - The comedian they had was really good, but he did the same act each night. Carnival has great comedians and they do a different act every night, so you can go every night and see something good. CONS - The food was sub-par all around. The dinner in the MDR had a pretty repetitive menu and the cuts of meat were not very good. I wasn't looking forward to dinner. The dessert were generally uninspired and they only had a warm cookie or brownie one night (I really like warm desserts with ice cream on top, rather than just a cold cake). Food is the main reason I cruise, so that deficiency on this ship is a show-stopper for me. I only ate in one specialty restaurant (Izumi Hibachi, which was very good itself and the show there was fantastic), but the food in the MDR and Windjammer were mediocre at best. I think they are trying to get you to buy the upsold specialty restaurants. I thought the food on Carnival was much better, especially since I like burgers and pizza. The Guy's burgers on Carnival are really good and their pizza is better than HOTS too. The breakfast and desserts on Carnival were also much better, they have melting chocolate cake every night. - The cruise director and his staff were not very visible for the first few days of the sailing. One of the questions at trivia on the third day was "what's the name of your cruise director." I think it speaks volumes that that was a trivia question. The atmosphere on the ship was not as fun as past cruises we've been on. - The stop at Costa Maya was not very interesting. We got off the ship for 30 mins and then got back on. - The ice skating was only open for a few hours the entire cruise and you had to get there early to get a slot. We ended up having to skip that due to its limited availability. - The kids club was ok. My 4 year old liked it a lot, but my 7 year old did not have such a great time there. He really wanted to play a specific video game they had there, but there was another kid that was hogging it the whole time and the staff did nothing to enforce time limits or sharing among the kids, despite me asking them multiple times to ensure my son got a turn. - Elevator wait times were not great, but I recommend using the stairs if you aren't too lazy and if you aren't disabled. Read Less

Booked 16 months in advance to celebrate relocating to Florida and have a vacation on the books that also celebrates what would be the first year of our empty nest. I had sailed the inaugural eastbound TA on Allure of the Seas without my husband, and since then had been just waiting for the right time and opportunity to take him on an Oasis class cruise ship. With our efforts to have a more active lifestyle (more kayaking, more walking/hiking, beach time, swimming, etc), I wanted a ship that would be the most supportive of such a lifestyle and not necessarily be a vacation that we would have to recover from. Like needing a vacation post-vacation to catch up on sleep, etc. I love Oasis class for the sheer number of active activities on board. The gym is one of the most extensive in my experience. The walking/running track may be the BEST on a ship. The variety of dining options, both complementary and specialty is all that you could ask for to be able to eat well, as defined by tasty but also more nutritious than typical restaurant food. I debated the Ultimate Dining Package (UDP) and how necessary that would be with so many complementary options, but with all the specialty options, it seemed like taking advantage of the Ultimate (or Unlimited?) would be the most special thing on Harmony. Dining was great fun. Over the course of the week, we ate breakfast at Mini-Bites (2X...outside dining, make your own omelets), Johnny Rockets (service dining outside on the Boardwalk), Solarium Bistro (mini-buffet selection where you can eat in the sheltered outside area of the Solarium), Park Cafe (in or outdoor dining from a variety of breakfast sandwiches), and of course, the main buffet (made to order eggs and Eggs Benedict available in the back). Lunch we ate at Solarium Bistro, took Park Cafe to go to our balcony, Sabor (2x...great outside Boardwalk atmosphere with great guacamole (ask for the spicy version if you prefer) and good tacos), and buffet (2X...build you own wok in the back was excellent). Even with the UDP, we didn't feel the need to always eat in specialty dining. Dinner was always in specialty dining. Our favorite combination of atmosphere and food was 150 Central (3X), Chops (2X), Jamies (1) and Wonderland (1). The specialty restaurants are so appealing because of the atmosphere in the smaller dining venues. I don't know that the food is better necessarily, but the overall experience is more to our liking than the MDR. You could be busy every night on Harmony, but we only went to shows 4 nights. Having done the comparison between a Broadway production on Broadway and the same show I saw on Allure, I can attest to the fact that the cruise ship production IS a true Broadway production. Grease was great fun. We watched the movie about one week before the cruise and that made it that much more fun to be able to compare the movie to the production that inspired the movie. The aqua theater is so unique, but try to see earlier in the cruise because it is subject to cancelation due to weather. Our Day 2 reservation was automatically rescheduled to Day 5 when it was canceled. We saw one ice show and also went to one comedy show. It was nice to have the other evenings free to just be able to relax. The thermal suite isn't as grand as photos I've seen on other ships, but we purchased the couples pass and went everyday with one exception. The pass made it possible to enjoy just going to for the relatively short recommended times in the sauna and steam rooms...use the showers to cool off...enjoy the heated loungers for a bit...and then we would go straight to the hot tubs in the Solarium afterward. While the suite was never empty, it was never crowded and we never were unable to get two loungers. I pictured our particular sailing because one of the specific cabins I was looking for was available. Central Park balconies ending in 229/629 are "double wide" balconies and have a table with 2 chairs as well as two loungers. During the day, you can here the music from the pool, generally a DJ in the morning and a live steel drum band in the afternoon. I enjoy people watching during the day and in the evening. Also, there is usually evening music along the lines of pianists and classic guitars...usually instrument classical or jazz...and that was so enjoyable to hear as we were getting ready for dinner or enjoying a pre dinner drink on our balcony...or post dinner drink with from one of our brought on board bottles of wine. At night, the low lighting is also quite lovely. I enjoy the sheltered outside, more natural feeling area on the ship with all the plants. Even though it too is an artificial environment, it's soothing in the midst of the environment that is a mega-ship. Every crew member we encountered seemed to be enjoying their work. I attribute that to the popularity of the current Master of the Ship, Captain Johnny. Some crew went out of their way to ensure that we had a special vacation. Valentine's Day was during our sailing...and so it was a very special couples cruise for hubby and I. The major flaw in the Oasis design is the lack of ocean views from an interior space on the ship. You can find them, but you will generally be outside. Similarly, it is difficult to find a nice space to just sit and enjoy watching the wake, one of my favorite things on a ship. But our aim on this vacation was to take time to do things that we don't normally make time to do...including sleep, relaxing, naps, eating leisurely meals, pampering ourselves, reading on our balcony, etc. There were many places on board to separate ourselves or socialize ourselves as we saw fit. Harmony has a wealth of nooks and crannies to find. I am excited to have Harmony booked for her inaugural Eastbound TA cruise. After that, I would book her again, but it will always be with the knowledge of what she is and what type of cruise vacation it will be. Read Less

This is our 5th cruise, 4th will Royal. We have been on the Vision, Independence, Oasis and now the Harmony. I would rank them in that order as well. We travelled Feb 9-16th 2020 in the Eastern Caribbean itinerary. Check in - awesome, check out Awesome. Drink service (we are not big drinkers and only had 150$ billed) was very slow, it seems that a lot of people have the drink package with tips included and this equals bartenders taking their time, there is no incentive to hustle. RCL maybe make certain bars for the (All inclusive mindset people) other bars for people to have a good experience. You had trouble sitting as the seasoned alcoholics stayed at the bars pounding them back. It seemed more like a trip to Mayan then a cruise. Service at the Icon was hit or miss, we found it slow, they forgot things, we asked for coffee and desert, they would forget etc. Service at Sabor was very slow. We went for a quick lunch that took 1.5hrs, my wife left and I had to wait for the server to sign for the 40$ surcharge (not worth it). The Chop house and Jamie Oliver's were excellent, great food, great service, highly recommended. This goes to my theory that RCL wants to upsell everything, (drink packages, dining packages etc.) and everything else suffers to motivate you to spend spend spend. The entertainment was awesome, well beyond anything anywhere. Grease, the Water show, the ice show just excellent. Due to high winds the 16th floor was closed causing people to stay on 15 (pool deck) or in the front of the ship. It became impossible to get chairs because of the typical towels on chairs that nothing is ever done to fix the problem. In our experience the smaller ships were more intimate, better service, less crowded, and went to better places. These larger ships have limited itineraries. We most likely will not sale on an Oasis class again...after speaking to others onboard that seems to be a consensus. The Oasis of the Seas was top notch in every way (2018 sailing) Harmony just so so. A few pointers, if you need a wheelchair you need to arrange first and have prior to boarding...our in laws came with us and once on ship we could not get any assistance for them (recent hip and knee replacements). Make sure you cancel the tipping...at 14.50 per person per day it is excessive. Keep cash and tip who you want. This seems to be a practice at the bars to get the bartenders to pay attention to you....same as all inclusives. Pre book all your shows (with APP or online) it def helps. The drink package is excessive both people have to purchase, my wife hardly drinks so you would be paying about 130USD per day...drinks are 10$ for a pint of beer, 14$ for mixed drinks. (excessive). We payed about 1100$ each for the cabin which was fair. Watch the prices as they fluctuate ALOT, always going up and down. Read Less

Feb. 15th we were on Coco Cay, and booked an "over the water cabana at the Coco Beach Club" yes, its pricey, let's just put that out there, but worth every penny!! The food and drinks that they bring you to the cabanna- amazing!!!! Snorkel gear is in the cabana ready for you, as well as floating mats, towels, cold bottled water ... The caban itself is amazing! The cabana has music you can select from or you can blur tooth from your device, and they will bring out speakers. The entire part of Coco beach club is BEAUTIFUL, QUIET, CALM, high end resort!! Staff at Coco Beach on top of everything. We had a cloudy day, but still warm and amazing. Yes, you will see sea creatures from your cabana, we saw lots! The frig. Is packed with sodas and beers you my take what every your your drink package allows, or pay the extra listed on the frig. The cabana attendants will bring you any frozen drink you like if it's in your drink package. The First formal night we booked reservations at Wonderland. The service and atmosphere was excellent, but if you are not one for crazy experimental foods you might want to choose one of the other fabulous restaurants. The 4 in our group, not a fan of the food. At Phillipsburg we did a chartered tour of the entire island. The driver and our tour guides excellent! We left the island feeling sad for the people on the island. So much devastation from the hurricane. San Juan, the 2 fortress tour. Was not anticipating as much walking as we did, but the tour and tour guides... Well worth your time! The views from the fortresses, breathtaking! Not a fan of the "key" did not feel we got our money's worth. The signage of key holders non existent when we boarded. We were left wandering and asking. We almost missed our lunch which was included. And when lunch was done, pressured by waiter for a tip. That was shocking. The ship overall was amazing. Takes a day or two just to become familiar with locations. Windjammer buffet was best I have had on any cruise ship. Main dining room, the food was good. Waiters seemed over worked, rushed and not the calm of the Solarium. We very much enjoyed dining in The Solarium. Great atmosphere, quiet, and excellent food. Make reservations! Johnny Rockets for breakfast was very nice to have omelets and coffee out in the fresh warm air on the Boardwalk. Breakfast was very good. Columbus The Musical and the Fine Line are must see's!! Make reservations!! The quiet times for pools and hot tubs is from about 5 to 9 pm, most are empty during that time. As I have said loved our rooms 11329 and 11327. Day time and nighttime shows, had the best seats in the house. Lots of storage options in the rooms. Embarkation was quick and easy because, but noticed others without the key boarding g just as quickly and smoothly as our group. Debarkation was fast and easy. The new facial scanners get you through TSA and customs quick. We choose to utilize the valet luggage service on board. I was a small charge, but we did not have to touch, our be concerned about our luggage till we got to our home airport. It was worth not having to find it after customs, put it on the bus, take it off the bus, lug through the airport to check in. We were hands free of luggage till we got home. Read Less

my first cruise was just amazing, windjamer was a little crowded but there are so many optionsto eat on bord, the entratainment was just amazing, i've been three times to the aquatheather, the best! this cruise steps on Labadee where is a greatplace and you can even not spend a coin if you want, cause there is a restaurant from the cruise there, also beach chairs for free under the trees. next stop was falmouth but was raining a lot so we can´t go down on the port On Cozumel we could go to Playa Mia beach club, was really nice but the pools were really cold in January, so there was nobody inside, bathrooms were good, food was good. We paid 45$ per person with transportation when we shored with royal, but you can get a taxi from 15$ and pay for the day use of 29$ (for some families it may worth) Dining on the ship was really nice, we could get some dinner on the main dinning with the best food of my life. We´ve booked this travel on black friday and only spend on board the excursion, there´s juice and iced tea avaliable so we didn't need to have a drink package, so it was a really worth vaccation for a brazillian familly who pays 5x dollar Read Less

We chose this cruise to experience the Harmony of the Seas from Royal Caribbean. We have sailed on 4 of their other ships. Also, have cruised with Princess, Cunard, and Seabourn. We had doubts about such a large ship, but we were pleasantly surprised. Yes, there are a lot of people and lots of kids. That is what this ship attracts with all the activities like waterslides, zip line, flow rider, etc. Tons of things for kids! The Aqua Shows, Ice Shows, Grease the musical, Columbus the musical, the comedians were all spectacular!! We couldn't say enough good things about all the shows. We had no trouble getting in as some reviews said. That being said, we still didn't get to see everything! Not enough time in a week!!! Also, the shows all started right on time. If you go about 15 to 30 minutes early, you won't have any trouble without a reservation. Smart to make reservations if you can. Dining: We chose anytime dining which really isn't the case because they still encourage you to make reservations. If you don't, you will wait in line. Go after 8:15 and you won't have an issue. I would recommend the set dining times - I believe they were 6:30 or 8:30. The food was terrific which I don't usually expect on a cruise. This was the best dining room food of any cruise that we have been on. We only ate breakfast once in the Windjammer. Lots of families/kids. Good service though. Specialty Restaurants: We went to Chops the first night on board which we usually do on a cruise to avoid the chaos of the first night dining. The filet at Chops was perfect and delicious. My husband had lamb and loved it. He had lamb a lot! Loved his meals!! The atmosphere is not as nice as other ship's Chop Restaurant. I thought it lacked intimacy as did Jamie's Italian restaurant. (had a somewhat cafeteria feel )150 Central Park hit all the marks for food and atmosphere. Sabor, the Mexican restaurant, was really good. Coco, the waiter, is a riot!! They also give a guacamole class there which I would highly recommend. Very fun and then you have lunch there. It is very noisy because it is right beside the Aqua Theatre. Johnny Rockets is great for burger/fries, milkshakes, etc. Always fun there. The galley tour is amazing!!! Put that on your to-do list. Great buffet lunch at the conclusion of the tour. Ports of call: We had already been to St. Maarten, so we just walked around the downtown area and shopped. Puerto Rico was very interesting! Lots to see in just 6 hours. We always use "Tours by Locals" wherever we travel, and our tour guide, Daniel, was wonderful. He is a native, so was very knowledgeable about the island and their history. He also took us to Bacardi Rum factory. Great tour!! Final day was Coco Cay island which is RC's own island. They say, Perfect Day at Coco Cay and they are right! It was simply wonderful!!! Lots of beach areas, a fabulous gigantic pool (wonderful DJ playing music there). We did not do the waterpark area, but it is just perfect for families with kids!!! Food on the island was also great! So much to do and see! We also lucked out with perfect weather our whole week!!! Staterooms: We had a regular room with an ocean balcony. Rooms are a nice size with plenty of storage. Bathrooms are small, but adequate. Bring your own shampoo/conditioner. Our steward was friendly and nice. I would say that the whole staff on the ship were wonderful. Comfortable bed and linens. We had a very quiet room/ 11th floor #700. Thanks Kadek!!! You can request a robe. We bought the water package (case of Evian) and the coffee card. My husband doesn't drink, so the drink package did not work since you both have to buy it. You are allowed to bring on 2 bottles of wine/champagne. It's possible to bring liquor if you know how, but we all know that is not allowed!! LOL!! You end up buying drinks anyway when you are out and about on the ship. Not cheap! I'd say 12-14$ per drink. Pool areas: Depends on what you like. Main pool has lots of action/good music and great bands - plenty of lounges/chairs - lots of people and lots of kids. Solarium (Adult Only) area was our speed. Nice lounging and great bar area. Someone did have loud music playing...What about AirPods people!! Really, in this day and age...I don't want to listen to YOUR music. Solarium has hot tubs too. They have a buffet there too for all meals. We did not eat there. You will have an amazing vacation on this ship!!!! Read Less

Let me start off by saying that if I was only rating the ship, crew and staff, 5 stars wouldn’t be enough. Dwight our cabin steward was amazing, he greeted us warmly every time he saw us, asking how our day was, did we see this, did we try that or did we need anything and if we did need something he would do everything possible to get it. Dwight was a pleasure to meet. The same goes for our MDR waiter Kuljit and the assistant waiter Filip. They took care of us like we were family. It was an honor to have met both of them. The one time I needed to use guest services with help getting boarding passes and getting the luggage transferred to the airport, Nelia (I think that was her name) went above and beyond to make sure everything was taken care of. On the last day aboard they had t-shirts for sale and my wife picked out a few, since there was a large line at all kiosks so I thought okay here’s my chance to get a little attitude from one of the staff, so I went into one of the fancy perfume shops that was empty to see if they would check out the t-shirts for me not only did I NOT get attitude I had a most pleasant conversation with the salesperson as she checked out my t-shirts and that’s how it was with every interaction with the staff and crew. Now the reason for the 4 stars and honestly, I’m being kind of generous. There was a group of over 2000 onboard that were absolutely the rudest people we have ever encountered. There was not one individual in the group that was not extremely rude. Their children were totally undisciplined, numerous times I saw a child from their group kicking their parents, screaming at them, and laying on the floor throwing tantrums, this group was disgusting, disrespectful, and disturbing. More than once my wife who has mobility issues was nearly knocked down by members of the groups children or parents chasing their children and of course not one apology. Sorry Royal Caribbean but I have to warn others about cruising with you in January because I understand that this is an annual thing. Seriously if you have booked a cruise with Royal Caribbean in January find out if this group is on board and cancel it if you can and chose a different ship. Not only are they disgusting and rude people but Royal gave them exclusive use of the Solarium Bistro so we were not allowed to eat there which was a bummer because I was really looking forward to trying it. This was our first ever cruise and even though these disgusting people were onboard the staff, entertainment people and crew made sure we had a great time. Read Less

This is a fairly new ship, & since we were travelling with 1st time cruisers, I wanted that for them. The ship dwarfs all others in port. It didn't end up being what I thought it would be in decor, especially the dining rooms. We ate in the American Icon deck 3. It had dark brown paneling, beige walls, and dark brown curtains along the window side. Pictures on the walls were not great. Service was excellent, including the dining room, specialty restaurants, and at the buffet. The shows that we saw were all excellent, but I didn't care for the Columbus show. Having reservations worked out so well. You HAVE to see The Fine Line show. I have never seen anything like it! Dancing and acrobatics in a pool, high diving and acrobatics on a wire. The food was excellent. We ate in the buffet a few nights, the American Icon dining room, Jamie's Italian and Chops Grill. We enjoyed each place. Good variety. All waiters did their jobs with a smile, and courtesy. Shops were ok, but heavy in to watches. Would like to see more fashion All very small. People working in shops were not as courteous as the service people. Read Less

Harmony of the Seas was an amazing cruise ship. Very engaging staff who helped made the experience memorable. The ship has a lot of on-board options; whether you're with a large group, with 1 other person, or by yourself. Cabin was fairly small but spacious enough for 2 people to move comfortably with 2 suitcases in the room. Dining options were nice. If you're on a budget, the free dining areas offer plenty of quality options; if you're looking for fine cuisine, the on-board restaurants offer many options/experiences too. The bar staff do a great job of personalizing your experience, with many of them remembering who you are and what your go-to drink is; and this was on a 6,000 traveler cruise ship. The waiters and other restaurant staff were great as well. They consistently looked to make sure you were OK and didn't need anything. The room staff was very good as well, personable. The port time-frames were very good as well, as most gave stops gave you time to explore even with long excursions. As for the excursions, very diverse options that cater to any type of traveler. Read Less

Embarkation and disembarkation were quick and straightforward. We were on the ship within 20 minutes of arrival at 11am. We carried our own luggage off the ship and we had no trouble getting a lift or getting off the ship. We found the food on the ship to be generally very good. We continue to notice a reduction in the number of options at dinner, particularly when it comes to dessert. I remain astounded that Royal considers carrot cake to be an appropriate dessert for formal night; carrot cake should be served for afternoon tea only. The Solarium Bistro was excellent on all occasions. We enjoyed the Windjammer for lunch and dinner but not breakfast which looked awful. We also ate at the Park Cafe which was great. The various parades on the ship have really gone downhill and are not now worth getting off your sun bed for. The Diamond club was overrun, which is now the norm, but Gavin was excellent. We didn’t make it to the ice show or any of the theatre shows, but we did enjoy both aqua shows. We took this cruise because of our travel dates. We now find Royal’s itineraries to be uninspiring in comparison to other cruise lines. CocoCay was excellent although it was cold and windy on the day we were there. We still had a good time and enjoyed the new island and food (our second visit to the ‘new’ island), but CocoCay is very much a hot weather port of call. San Juan was dull and boring. There was also a local festival in town so as advised, we did not venture far. In St Maarten, we went to the beach via water taxi and had a fantastic day. Unfortunately this ship was full of poorly behaved adults and children. A large group of South American teenagers ran amok with no apparent supervision. At least one of the pools was closed every day due to glass being found on the pool floor or adults allowing their babies wearing nappies into the adult pools. The jacuzzis were full of drunk, obnoxious people smacking gum who thought we all wanted to see. On the sun beds, a number of people were playing their own music via speakers or using multiple sun beds per person. My 4 year old niece cruised with us and has previously really enjoyed going to the kids’ club on other cruises. On this cruise, she went once then would not go back. The club seemed to be full of loud, poorly behaved and hyperactive children, such that the supervisors had no control at all and just left the kids to their own devices with no activities to be seen. My niece loved the carousel and climbing area. She also enjoyed the family puppet show (twice) and the family aqua show. She was treated like a Queen by our cabin attendant, Daisy (who was excellent) and Ljublo, our waiter on my time dining (also excellent). We are not keen on the half-covered solariums on the Oasis class ships and we desperately missed the Solarium pool on the Harmony. I have sailed on the Oasis twice, Symphony and now Harmony. There are just too many people on these ships for my liking. If everyone behaved appropriately and was considerate of others then it would be fine. However after our experience on this cruise and the multiple examples of appalling behaviour we observed, I am really put off about sailing on these ships again. I much prefer the Voyager class ships for that happy medium of a manageable number of people balanced with a range of activities. We also prefer longer cruises but unfortunately Royal only runs to 7 nights in the Caribbean. We had interconnecting cabins on deck 3 which were perfect for our requirements. Both cabins were immaculate, spacious and quiet. We had to wait for a lift every now and again, but we used the stairs whenever we could. Overall and because of the people on this ship, we felt like we were on a floating holiday camp. The people on this ship did not know how to behave. This is unfortunately not the first time we have thought this on a Royal cruise and because of this, along with the uninspiring and unchanging itineraries which Royal offers and our preference for longer cruises (10+ nights), my family and I have decided we are now defecting to Celebrity. So long as Royal’s target market is first-time, uncivilised cruisers on short or ‘booze’ cruises, we will be staying away and making the most of our reciprocal Elite status on Celebrity. Read Less

We booked Harmony two years ago because of the hype. Overall, our trip was ok. The ship is too big and spread out. We missed having every amenity conveniently located throughout, we enjoyed Brilliance so much more. (It took me 5 days to find the froyo on Harmony!) The crowds were a bit much, especially on formal nights. Our balcony stateroom on 10 was nice, but opening the door at all screwed up the A/C and we woke hot every single night. Mid ship was perfect for the crazy amount of waves (all the crew said they hadn’t seen anything like it in years) we had. The wait staff was phenomenal, especially with my need for gluten-free food. Loved that the casino had smoking and non-smoking! But at the slots we were never asked if we needed a drink, only at tables. Overall, Harmony was a fun one-time experience. But it’ll be smaller ships for us from now on. Side note: Do not book for CocoCay. Everything on island was much too expensive, the food selection where we were was crap (and we didn’t know until after that we had to search for more choices), and it was SO windy and cool. Not enjoyable at all in winter. RC shouldn’t send anyone there. Read Less

Our family chose this cruise line because we have gone through it before and have really enjoyed the service and overall experience of the ship! We came to Orlando,FL a day before embarkation and stayed at The Avid Hotel which was very clean and 3 weeks new! We were told it was built with the intention of serving professionals, so I would not suggest this place with families with younger children if you are looking for something like a pool. However, for young adults and older it was just fine! Embarkation overall went very smoothly and they even let us on the ship a little early than our original boarding time! Once we got on they let us explore the Ship and our rooms were ready at 1pm. For the duration of our cruise our room was ALWAYS clean after a day of fun! Sabina, who worked as a state room attendant, was incredible clean and responsive to any mess we made! She also has an amazing and warm personality and whenever we saw her we had a great chat because she always asked us about our day! The dining experiences were amazing but I have to highlight Jacinto the head waiter, Kexin the assistant waiter, and Reuben who I believe was a manager, went above and beyond for their service! We made sure to be seated at their table every night because they were such a joy to be around. They were all very personable, welcoming, and went above and beyond in their job each in their unique way. They also all remembered our tendencies in terms of what we ordered whether it was extra vegetables on the side to an order of espresso. Royal Caribbean Cruises really hires top people in their industry! I would say that every staff member I encountered on the ship I had a positive experience with. The entertainment was AMAZING. Definitely top performers around the world!! The ports and shore excursions were very fun! Even though Coco Cay excursions were canceled due to weather, the Island was beautiful and the service was still great! The ship did not seem overcrowded ever and the only time it ever felt busy was during dinner in terms of waiting, however we never even waited that long. There were children on board, but there was this place called the solarium which was an adult only place and it was incredibly relaxing. It definitely felt different than the rest of the pool areas. If you’re someone looking to meet others on the ship it is actually quite easy to because it seems that many guests are very friendly and open to meeting new people! There’s also many opportunities to meet people either the same and or similar identities. My sister and I went the the LGBTQ meet and greet one night and met some really nice people we kept in contact with and hung out with for the rest of the duration of the cruise! The cruise line made it easy because they have an app where you can actually message Other passengers on! I would definitely recommend using the app if you go on the ship. It keeps you updated on all events and activities and really promotes involvement. However the only down side is that the other guests would save the cabanas and not let other guests use them, so I would say maybe add more cabanas if possible? I would definitely go again!!! Read Less