Harmony of the Seas Review
Least favorite Royal Caribbean cruise ship we've sailed on!
Rating by category
Additional details
My husband and I who are in our early 60's booked this cruise ship as we prefer a 8-night cruise over a 7-night, along with the fact that we had never sailed on this RC ship before and it had a previous port favorite - St. Thomas and a new one - Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. We've sailed on other RC crusie ships such as Jewel of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, Oasis, Oddessey of the Seas and Allure of the Seas. Booked Freedom in March of 2020; however, that cruise was canceled due to COVID-19. I've provided a list below of the pro's and con's of Harmony of the Seas and my reason for indicating why Harmony of the Seas was our least favorite of RC ships.
Pro's:
1. Large ship with lots to do for families with kids such as children's water area, slides (3 water slides, 2 dry slides), carousal, water show, zip line, rock wall, flow rider, video game room, and children's/tean clubs/areas.
Cabin Review
Central Park View Balcony
Always booked ocean view balcony cabins in the past but tried Central Park View Balcony, cabin 10229 on Harmony of the Seas. Liked room location which mid ship (slightly aft). Not the same privacy as an ocean view room but it does offer some perks, one of which is slightly cheaper cabin fare. Cabin 10229 has double balcony, which offered table, two chairs and one lounge chair. We enjoyed the view, which over looks Central Park. There will be some noise in Central Park during the day from the pool music, which is probably loudest between 3:00-5:00pm. At night it's really peaceful. No bright lights but there will be people strollign through the park and some jazz or harp music at night (but not too loud). Wasn't sure when we booked the Central Park Balcony if we'd like it or regret not getting an ocean view balcony but we actually really liked a lot about this area of the ship and enjoyed our time on the balcony. Overall, we don't spend alot of time in our room other than sleeping. The cabins on RC even when right outside an elevator (which is our favorite location) have always been sound proof. Cabin 10229 is right next to a large crew area and there will be some noise in the afternoon, mostly sounds like clanking of dishes but the noise never bothered us and we only ever heard it for a few minutes.
Port Reviews
Nassau
Liked the shops and had a fabulous lunch at the Tiki Bar.
St. Thomas
Booked Someday Snorkel Charter through Viator. The online half-day snorkel excursion, desciption and pictures are spot on. It's a luxury power catamaran that takes you to two snorkel stops. First stop is Turtle Cove, Buck Island National Wildlife Refuge. We loved the fact that we could snorkel on our own and really did see a lot of fish and coral. Katie, the professional snorkel guide also gave us a guide of the area, which was interesting. Definitely recommend some time snorkeling on your own though to see as much variety of fish and coral that you can see at this location. Snorkel gear is of top quality and liked the fact that Katie worked with guests to ensure a perfect fit, which ended up for me switching from an adult mask to a child's mask. Once back on the catamaran, the top-shelf bar was open and snacks were served (breads, croissants, cookies and fruit), with great presentation too. Next stop was Honeymoon Beach where we got to swim/snorkel with turtle. I spent about 10-15 minutes snorkeling/watching one turtle and opted for some time by the beach. My husband spent the whole time watching turtles and was able to watch/see more than one. Well worth the money and would highly recommend.
Someday is a specially designed catamaran that provides a superior stable ride and easy access to and from the water. Other features include spacious shaded cushioned seating and lounging areas, a fresh water deck shower, clean modern bathroom, and a surround sound music system.