After some twenty cruises aboard Azamara and Celebrity ships, we had an urge to try the world’s largest cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas. We are avid readers of Cruise Critic, and we really had no prior expectations regarding this ship. There are three companies under one umbrella – Azamara at the top of the list (in both price and quality), followed by Celebrity and then Royal Caribbean (RCCL), which is the company most suitable for families. We were pleasantly surprised.

The ship was new and had naturally benefited from the technological developments that have taken place in the ship-building industry during the past couple decades. Harmony of the Seas is an architectural success: easy to find one’s way around, and the dining rooms were partitioned off into separate rooms so that one never had the feeling of being smothered in a crowd. The colors chosen are discrete and remind one of Azamara’s ships after their recent refurbishment. The shower was spacious and enclosed with an arched door – the most effective design I have experienced on any ship; designers have obviously taken into account that Americans (who are the primary target clients) have also become increasingly ‘spacious’. The arrangement leaves room for only a very tiny sink, and washing one’s hands, not to mention the usual morning face wash, results in a lot of water spilt on the floor. Fortunately the floor mat and towels are changed twice a day, so never mind.

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