Just returned from another great RCCL cruise. Service was even better than previous cruises on Harmony. Food which has always been good, seems to have improved in quality, especially the meats. Steaks and roast beef were much improved from previous Oasis class cruises. Entertainment on Harmony is vast and offers so much for every taste and interest. Cabins are done in low key, relaxing colors. Not the largest at sea, but thoughtfully appointed; it's the small things, like hair dryers NOT attached to drawers, walls, or counters. New this voyage was a cabin refrigerator I could actually use. Was wonderful to enter the cabin (boardwalk balcony) and NOT find it packed with cruise line items for sale. Really appreciated the empty refrigerator; who wants to pay that much a night for a hotel room with a frig only to find you can not use it as the cruise line has it full of items to sell. Kudoos to RCCL ! Cabin attendant Iputu S. was among the best I have ever had. I always marvel that embarkation and debarkation on Oasis class ships is the most efficient and speedy of any ship; I attribute this to the new RCCL super terminals ! My advice to those reading this review is to give careful consideration to cabin choice. I prefer the Boardwalk neighborhood, but do tend to switch depending on the purpose of the cruise; family when young grand children are with me, solo get a way to relax, etc. While I usually book a BW cabin, I love the open, peaceful, atmosphere of central park with its live light classical concerts nightly (acoustic guitar, string quartets, keyboard) and twinkling lights of the park at night. Those who worry that the boardwalk is "too noisy", I "usually" do not find it so, having said that, because the weather/wind can effect the aqua show on the Boardwalk, and often does in the Caribbean, the shows sometimes must be postponed and are performed as late as a 10:30 start. Although not often, there can be special parties, with bands and dancing that at times last until midnight. Again, not the usual, but, for those who may have very young children with early bedtimes, or those who themselves like to turn in early on cruises, or those who just want quiet when sitting on their balcony, the boardwalk is probably not for you. I personally also very much enjoy booking Central park balcony cabins at times, but usually go back to the view of the Boardwalk for the next cruise. Read Less

This was our first Presidents Cruise and if I could only cruise once a year I would pick this cruise. The entertainment, food and general overall atmosphere was wonderful! The only drawback is the sheer number of high-level crown and anchor members aboard, this limits the number of extras those in lower levels get, you still get to attend things , but maybe not in person it may be at the Aqua theater or Studio B. In terms of things to do - one could not attend every event but the opportunity to try was there. My only criticism in the negative is that the staff was pulled in many directions with the corporate CEOs aboard and service in the dining areas for breakfast and lunch needs attention. Harmony is a huge ship and for those with disabilities, the wait time to go from floor to floor with elevators can take time. Despite any negatives, this was the best I have taken in a long time already booked for next year! Read Less

We decided to sail the Harmony of the Seas this year, and we have sailed with Royal Carribean before (Allure of the Seas) as the previous one. This time, we felt like we had the worst service and experience possible. We went as a family of 8, we had a total of 3 rooms. Service: 1. When we went to grab food from the buffet, which took forever to get in because there were constant lineups. I met up with my sister and her baby at the table they chose because they were there earlier, they were already done eating so they gave us the table with their finished food left there. My boyfriend grabbed 2 full plates of food for me as I waited - a freshly made pasta from the make-your-own pasta section in which, may I mention, he literally lined-up for 20 minutes, and another plate from the selection of foods. I left my table with the 4 plates ((2 obviously finished, and 2 COMPLETELY untouched) with grated cheese sprinkled on my pasta still)) with my purchase coca-cola bottle there to grab tobasco, a 10 second walk to find that the 2 completely untouched food were gone, and the 2 finished plates were still there. No one came around, and I asked a server if she saw, she replied: Because you left your table. I explained the situation to her that I was only grabbing tobasco, for 10 seconds but she still blamed it on me that I left. I questioned, are the servers not able to tell the difference between what is eaten and what is not? I even questioned why she didn't take the other two plates that were finished, but she actually shrugged and walked away from me. She did not apologize at all, but she talked to her manager and her manager came and apologized and to also offer to grab new pasta for me. I am extremely furious with her bad attitude, if she had apologized, I honestly wouldn't be writing this review. 2. When we got to Haiti, we signed up for an activity where a small boat would take us to a complete ALL INCLUSIVE private island called the Amigas Island or at least that was what the sales said. She sold us on being able to drink, scuba-dive and do water activities for free on that island if we signed up. So we did, we paid. But when we got there, nothing was for free. We were stuck on the Amigas Island for 2 hours to do nothing, when we could have just stayed in Labadee and ate buffet. We got back to the cruise to specifically speak with her regarding this incident, she only gave us a refund for the price of the scuba-diving rentals (12$ USD). 4. On the last night, we went down to guest services to pay the remaining card balances, we paid with my credit cards, but we specifically asked to keep my credit card on file because I was going to make purchases at the duty free before we get off the next day, and didn't want any complications when we get off. I specifically mentioned and asked twice to confirm that the credit card was a file because I didn't want any complications, I wanted to just get off and go straight to the airport to catch a flight. The representative reassured us that the credit card is on file, everything was fine. However, when we were getting off the cruise ship, I GOT DENIED. because apparently there was a remaining balance to be paid in cash. So I go back to the guest services in which I see a really long lineup, but there was a representative at the end of the line. I spoke with him about my situation, there must have been a mix-up. He said he will check right away and had gone to the back. I also mentioned that I am in a hurry to catch a plane. He came back and said that my card might have a limit that is why it didn't go through. He told me I had to line up anyway despite the fact that I really had a plane to catch. 40 minutes later when it was my turn, another representative said that there is NO credit card on file and asked if I wanted to pay by cash or credit card. They pretty much lied to my face right? But I had to let it go by paying and rushing to the airport. All and all, I would definitely not recommend Royal Caribbean, or at least not the Harmony of the Seas. If I had to recommend, I would recommend going for Princess cruises instead. They have amazing service. Read Less

My dad and his wife had been on 15 cruises in the past and have been trying to get the rest of our family to join them for the past few years. My wife and I were always reluctant, mostly due to the price, and usually ended up at an all-inclusive resort in places like Cancun or Punta Cana. One day my dad asked us to drop by cause he had some news he wanted to share. We arrived and he generously told us that he was going to take me and my wife, as well as my brother and his wife, all on the Harmony of the Seas with them! For the six months or so leading up to the trip, we were told how amazing the food was, how great the entertainment was, and how we would never run out of things to do. We were a bit skeptical since we were going to be "stuck on a boat", but excited to see what all the hype was about. IT. WAS. AWESOME! Everything they told us about was true. The food was incredible! The shows were amazing! The activities were fantastic! On top of all that, the service was unreal! The crew was more than happy to get us anything we needed at any time, and never once did we feel like we weren't the most important people on the ship. We made friends at the pools, the nightclubs, and the sports courts. We explored the beaches and shops of Labadee and St. Maarten. We participated in the daily games, shows, and tournaments. We sang, danced, and ate...boy did we eat! I really could go on and on about the details, but the highlight of the trip was seeing my dad's face light up while he watched us thoroughly enjoying his favourite thing...and that will stay with me forever. As always, you were right dad. It was everything you said it would be and more. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Read Less

We chose this cruise because we were traveling with friends in a separate cabin who were First Time Cruisers traveling with their nine year old child. It MORE than lived up to our expectations! It is a most impressive ship when first approaching by land (before boarding), it's fantastic on the inside - like a shopping mall, so much to see and do. It has a multitude of specialty restaurants, shops, pools, water activities, etc. The ship makes the cruise more than the destinations. One can't take it all in on a 7 day cruise! A great reason to take another cruise - which we hope to do, next year. Food was great. Entertainment superb - especially the diving shows. So many choices, it was wonderful. However, there were 6,000+ people (guests and crew) so it is like a small city and a floating resort. The huge size of the ship also make it very stable and smooth, we could hardly tell it was moving. Read Less

We wanted to experience the bigger ships, but didn't realize the crowds would be like Black Friday at Walmart. With big crowds come rude people, parents that allow their children to talk aloud during the shows and performances, obese individuals that take up extra space without paying extra fees. If the cost of the ticket was based on body mass Royal Caribbean would not have to go after collecting money from the passangers any way possible. Big New Ships mean big expenses. We also were very disappointed in the shore excursions we chose to purchase. Labadee was overcrowded and the excursion we chose started late, which made us almost miss the lunch meal. Half the serving line had been closed already when we returned. St. Maarten was pitiful since the hurricane last year. Still only 40% or less recovered. The shopping district is mostly rebuilt but the remainder of the Island is still devestated. Again overcrowded tour bus and destinations. There were only one other ship in port and I cant imagine how it would be with 5 large ships in port. The San Juan Port was the best of all ports but we were docked there the least amount of time of all ports. So rich in history and very little time to discover the beauty of this culture rich destination. As for the ship, it is a beautiful vessel, magnificant in every category. The food is amazingly delicious, the staff is superb, and the amenities are well layed out. But too many people. As the reviews that I read before our cruise stated RCI is more about numbers than quality of your cruise experience. Did I complain while on board? No. I felt that stating my dissatisfaction online would receive more attention. Read Less

Terrible food in the free and paid venues. Imitation crab in crabcakes, low quality ingredients evident in all dishes and just cheapeness everywhere Chops is $49 usd a person and quality of steak is on par with outback, add an extra $19 on top of $49 for lobster. Had a fish filet as well and the cheapest red lobster fish entree is better. Had jumbo shrimp cocktail and flavorless and clearly frozen. Awfu for price 150 central park is better but it's still not worth the upcharge they want and quality on par with Applebee's The free venues like the MDR and windjammer are terrible and blatant recycling of food from previous meal service in dishes. Shrimp cocktails have shrimps smallest I've ever seen and thought they forgot the shrimp cause the lemon wedge was bigger than the 4 shrimps and hid them. Cheap ingredients, too few servers so windjammer is always just dirty tables that are empty Overall, paid restaurants are on par with Applebee's and outback or Olive garden for $49 a head . Free venues are food court or school cafeteria quality Didn't see anyone cleaning carpets, walls, or public areas all week other than vacuum. Stains in carpets in common areas service shaky and below other cruise lines for cheaper prices . The good + Pizza, fries and nuggets, room was a good size, gym was sufficient size and had good variety of equipment ..that's about it Read Less

We had a noisy cabin next door, loud music at 2am. It took 4 days and a lot of complaining to get the ship’s crew to do anything. This basically ruined the cruise and is justification for 1 star on its own. Staff are told to “push” specialty restaurants, their words. So, if you aren’t one of the many people who are happy to go to the windjammer and shovel copious amounts of sub-average food into your face non-stop, then you will need the premium dining package. The main dining room food has gone downhill, probably to incentivise guests to pay for the “specialty” restaurants. They seem to be substituting pestering for service. Whether it is photographs, drinks packages, merchandise, etc., the crew are clearly incentivised to make the hard sell. It makes the whole experience fee cheap. There were wires all over the common area that were racked up with Velcro. It just goes to hilight the lack of attention to detail. Yet another symptom of the slow grinding decline of Roya Caribbean. Standards are slipping. I left my crown and anchor pin on the desk at guest services. I won’t be back. Read Less

I chose Harmony because I always enjoyed sailing on Allure of the Seas. This was my thirty-sixth (36) cruise and I usually go Solo. I enjoyed my cruise experience because of the many wonderful and interesting people I met, not because of the ship itself. As a returning Diamond member, I received three cookies from Royal Caribbean to welcome me back; 3 cookies I could have picked up from the WindJammer. I returned the cookies to the Diamond Consierge with a note that read "Really!" This ship might have been trying to outdo its predecessors Oasis & Allure, but missed the mark, in my opinion: 1) While a beautiful ship, it was lacking the warmth and character other ships have; 2) The Solarium was hot, had poor air circulation, and there was NO POOL; 3) In the WindJammer Cafe, RC cut back on the number of food stations, limited available food choices, and the quality of the food was mediocre to bad. For 3 days I thought they cut out bagels and bread but it turned out these items were now behind the counter, you had to ask for it then wait for it to be toasted. I did not eat in the main dining room, and was not going to throw away good money at Specialty Restaurants because the included restaurants served mediocre food. On NCL I ate in at least half their Speciality Restaurants because their regular restaurants served such good, quality food. Why was food in Cafe Promenade so bland and tasteless? And RC can learn a thing or two from Carnival when it comes to a Mongolian Wok. Service was friendly but a little slow when making tables available. Although I've been on many large ships, this one did not manage crowds very well. Outside Lounging Areas - RC took away the tables and chairs, replacing them with Adirondack-type, wood composite, low-slung non-adjustable chairs that were too uncomfortable to sit in for any period of time. Was there a fire sale on these chairs? And moving through these areas was a bit confining. On the Central Park Deck they crowded in much more plant-like material, left out the bird statutes and bird sounds Allure & Oasis has and generally made the area feel less open and airy-with narrower pathways. I was truly disappointed in that. But there were definitely more exclusive shopping stores to take more of your money. Embarkation was easy; disembarking was slow through customs for some reason I cannot imagine why. Comments on cabin and shore visits to follow. After taking cruises on smaller NCL and Carnival ships earlier this year, I've decided to go back to sailing on smaller ships after this Harmony experience. I want to feel like I'm being recognized as a valued customer, treated as such, and not viewed as a $ sign. I miss the way cruising used to be and will pay even more money to get some of that feeling back. Read Less

Cruised on the Allure several years ago which my wife and I enjoyed and our 8 family members wished to try the newest and largest Royal Caribbean ship. Very efficient getting on and off the ship. We saw all the scheduled entertainment which was excellent. Loved the park cafe for breakfast in central park—very peaceful unlike the Windjammer which was always very crowded whereby finding an empty table was difficult. It was probably too small given all the passengers on the ship. Our party went to Chops Grill, a specialty restaurant, for dinner one evening—the steaks were delicious but did not care for the crab cakes for an appetizer which were very spicy and had too much filler feather than a lot of crab meat. Waiter did not ask us whether we wanted coffee. The apple pie also had a lot of raisins which I did not like. Food at the dining halls were very good and the service was excellent. Loved the hot tubs; Hard to find an empty chair around the pools during sea days. The ship did not offer a number of activities which we enjoyed on other RC ships such as cup cake making, flower making, towel folding into various animals, and did not have a large outdoor movie screen. We did not take any port tours since we have seen them a number of times. The ship had a large number of older as well as younger families with young children—a good mix— not all old folks like one of the other cruise lines that we have been on. For disembarkatation, we had our luggage picked up at 11:00 pm Friday evening and delivered directly to the airport—great service. Overall, it was a good relaxing vacation and a great value for your money. Read Less