Harmony of the Seas Review

Great NYE Cruise!

Review for the Western Caribbean Cruise on Harmony of the Seas
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jholzhauser
10+ Cruises • Age 30s

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Sail Date: Dec 2018
Cabin: Boardwalk View Balcony

We chose this trip because it was over the holidays and the itinerary worked out for us scheduling wise. Embarkation was really easy. We stayed at the Hilton Marina and got an Uber to the pier about 10:30 am. Pier was very crowded but we were checked in and on the ship in 17 minutes (I timed it!). Rooms were ready at 1pm and we hung out and explored the ship until then. We were prepared for that so we took only what was necessary to have with us for a few hours. Our room 9719 was a Boardwalk balcony room. We got the Soda Package and the cups were in our room upon arrival. Room was spacious and had a lot of storage. Was clean and perfectly kept up daily. Bring your own soap and shower supplies, stuff provided was pretty basic. My only complaint about the Boardwalk rooms was that it was LOUD. By about 5am every day the aqua theater tv's were playing bright images and there was carnival music going from the merry-go-round. Those rooms are not sound proof no matter what anyone tells you. It was only quiet from about 1am-5am. Thank heavens for a sleep mask! Dining was great all around! Windjammer had tons of options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We were a full capacity cruise so finding a spot was sometimes difficult. Hand washing stations were readily available to use as well.

Main Dining Room we ended up there only twice. We were late seating and in the American Icon Grill. Pretty standard operating procedure there. Food was good, not incredible, but good. We dined at Chop's on NYE and it was very good. We got champagne upon arrival and some appetizers for doing the Holiday reservation. They were a little busy but they did mention that they had about 5 more tables than usual going on that evening so it was understandable. Steaks, sides, and dessert were all very well made. We also ate at Jamie's Italian one evening and everything we ate was wonderful. Our waitress brought us so many special things and talked to us about everything. Go! We also had room service one evening, speedy and hot. Easy to order from the tv too. We also did the galley brunch. I was a little disappointed because it was a pretty sad brunch. We did this on Jewel and it was above and beyond. Harmony's version had a set menu and was pretty much regular dining room food. Nothing special like Jewel. Don't waste the time or money. Little restaurants around the ship were great! Park Cafe, Sorrentos, Mini Bites-- all great for snacking! Plenty of Coke machines around too for drink package use. Ship activities were great too! Bingo, a must! Love and Marriage, a must! We went to all the shows which were fabulous. Ice Skating shows, Aqua Theater Shows, Headliners, and musicals. All were absolutely fantastic. Big activities were fun too. We did the Bionic Bar, Rising Tide, Abyss Slide, water slides, surfing, merry-go round, and ice skating. Be prepared for them telling you to have special clothing for like EVERY special activity. We gave up on zip lining because every time we went, something was wrong with what we were wearing. Pool deck ultra packed because of the holiday so, be mindful of getting out early! Spa services were fantastic! We did 90 minute hot stone massages and they were out of this world relaxing. Spa was clean and service attentive. Ship staff incredibly friendly and attentive. Mark the cruise director and Captain Johnny were great too. Ports were pretty standard Caribbean stops. Labadee was overcast but we had fun on the zipline and beach. Save yourself and skip the BBQ. Go eat on the ship. Jamaica... little to be desired. We did Dunn's River Falls and a float trip tour and I felt gross after all of it. Cozumel we did a cave exploration and shopping, great day! Sea days were busy and packed full of activities. Solarium was nice to lounge in when pool deck got too crowded. Disembarkation was incredibly smooth. We had an Everglades and airport transfer excursion lined up so we were off the ship and through immigration in minutes. Overall, fantastic cruise and loved practically everything on Harmony!

Cabin Review

Boardwalk View Balcony

Cabin 1I

Our room 9719 was a Boardwalk balcony room. We got the Soda Package and the cups were in our room upon arrival. Room was spacious and had a lot of storage. Was clean and perfectly kept up daily. Bring your own soap and shower supplies, stuff provided was pretty basic. My only complaint about the Boardwalk rooms was that it was LOUD. By about 5am every day the aqua theater tv's were playing bright images and there was carnival music going from the merry-go-round. Those rooms are not sound proof no matter what anyone tells you. It was only quiet from about 1am-5am. Thank heavens for a sleep mask!

Port Reviews

Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades)

Really chilly since it was so early! Bring a coat if you're going on this tour since the airboats go fast!

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