Harmony of the Seas Review

Great ship, great entertainment, limited late night food

Review for the Eastern Caribbean Cruise on Harmony of the Seas
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rspec7
2-5 Cruises • Age 40s

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Additional details

Sail Date: May 2018
Cabin: Boardwalk View Interior

Wow, this ship is fantastic. If you're thinking of booking this ship, it might be because you feel the ship itself is the destination. If you agree with that statement, then book it and be amazed when you step onto the Harmony of the Seas.

The shows and entertainment are top notch. Grease is truly a Broadway-like experience. The Fine Line water acrobatics show is not in the same league as Cirque's "O" at the Bellagio or The Wynn's "La Reve" but it's enjoyable. You'll have the best experience if you make reservations for all the shows you want to see ahead of time via the cruise planner on the Royal Caribbean website, as they get "sold out" and it looks frustrating for non-reservation holders to have to wait outside in a line, while reservation holders just walk right in to choose their seat.

While the dining options are numerous, many come with an additional fee. The included (non-fee) dining options are great, however, most dining venues close by 9:00 PM. So, if you are hungry after that time, your only options are pizza, some sandwiches and desserts from Cafe Promenade, or room service at a fee of about $8 per delivery (but order as much as you want within that delivery). No midnight buffets or 24 hour soft-serve machine access on these Oasis-class ships unfortunately. Also, DO NOT EAT AT SABOR, unless you like the idea of paying $25 per person for sub-par Mexican tacos/quesadillas and side dishes (but the fresh guac, chips, and churro were great. Just not worth the cost).

Cabin Review

Boardwalk View Interior

Cabin 1S

The cabin was great, if you don't need a balcony. The cushioned seating area next to the window was an awesome spot for reading or watching people go by in central park. The window made the room feel more open than an interior room, and the natural light was nice. This is a pretty quiet cabin, as I couldn't hear noise from the park. However, since this cabin is located fairly close to the elevators and stairways, people would walk by talking sometimes and you can definitely hear them. On the other hand, it was really convenient being so close to the elevators.

Port Reviews

Labadee

There will be no one to guide you to excursions right off of the ship. Instead, walk down the pier until you arrive at the Labadee sign, and there will be a hut towards your right with a sign for the excursions. Personally, I like Columbus Cove as it's a further walk from the pier, so it's easy to find a beach chair and a nice spot if you head straight there. There are also less rocks in the water here versus Adrenaline Beach which has tons of rocks. In Columbus Cove, there is also a nice protected shallow area which is great for kids to splash in near the bottom of the Dragon's Splash Water Slide.

San Juan

Skip Starbucks and find a local cafe once you're in port and try the coffee from Puerto Rico -- it's amazing! Old San Juan is very easy to walk. The forts are also easy to walk to, and less expensive to purchase a ticket to tour it yourself versus booking an excursion through the cruise line. Shopping was mostly the same souvenirs and trinkets at every gift shop, but I did find 2 shops that offered items handmade by local Puerto Ricans. They will tell you this right when you walk in. There is an amazing chocolate shop nearby as well.

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