The February 10 Harmony of the Seas sailing was our 18th cruise, and 4th with Royal Caribbean. For reference: previous lines are Princess (10 cruises) and Holland America (4 cruises). Also, we did a back to back, getting off the Independence of the Seas the same day as boarding the Harmony.

As we had just left the Independence, we were at the Harmony at 10:30AM. The boarding process was quick, and we were immediately impressed with the design and quality of the ship. As it was early, very few passengers were on yet, which allowed us to enjoy our only enjoyable meal in Windjammer, their buffet restaurant.

Our ocean facing balcony cabin was on deck 11 aft, where the room steward opened the adjoining balcony with our friends, who were in the cabin next door. The cabin is the nicest and most modern of any cruise ship we have been on: the colors are modern greys, whites, medium browns with some green added in. The furnishings included a nice couch, backlit mirror, and decent linens on the bed. The mattress was comfortable, medium firm, but something about the pillows made a good nights sleep difficult. The balcony is medium sized: larger than Princess, but not as deep as Holland America but with 2 reclining chairs and a side table. The cabin makes even the newer Princess ships cabins feel dated, a real plus for Royal Caribbean. Read more