Entertainment & Activities

This ship really isn't about entertainment; passengers make their own. On one night, a Greek dance troupe was brought on board for a folklore show with audience participation, which was a lot of fun, but apart from that, there was no structured entertainment. Expect one similar folklore night per itinerary, though, or more when the ship is in West Africa and it's not practical to go ashore; these itineraries include more themed dinners and a Gambian folklore night.

Harmony G Enrichment

The only enrichment is the daily port talks and briefings by the cruise director.

Shore Excursions

Shore excursions are offered in most ports, ranging in price from 57 euros for a half day to the archaeological site of Mycenae to 85 euros for a trip to Knossos, including an excellent and extensive buffet lunch with wine in a Cretan taverna. If you have your heart set on something, be aware that minimum numbers have to be achieved (14 on my cruise) for an excursion to operate. There's just one tour per day, with no choice, and you book on board.

Tours cover the big attractions -- in Spain, a full day in Seville, for example, or a visit to the Alhambra's Palace in Granada. Guides on our cruise were all excellent. There's nothing geared to special interest, like culinary, or sport, but the enthusiastic cruise director was certainly willing to help anybody who wanted something different and was prepared to pay for it.

On a couple of days, transport was laid on, for example, on the Greek island of Kythera, where a bus took the whole contingent of passengers up a hillside to visit the medieval capital for a couple of hours before dinner. In Monemvasia, a shuttle was provided from the ship to the old town. There was no charge for this.

Daytime and Evening Entertainment

Entertainment is limited to conversation, card games, reading and the daily briefings from the cruise director. There's a small library in the bar on Upper Deck, with board games, books in different languages and fun things like language crib sheets. A TV shows rolling news, or movies, although most people spent their time on deck or ashore.

Harmony G Bars and Lounges

There's just one bar on the ship.

Lounge Bar (Upper Deck): The bar is furnished with big sofas and comfortable chairs, and has a beige, blue and aquamarine color scheme. It has the feel of a living room, with a library in one corner and a TV screen. Tea and coffee, cake and cookies are available here all day. There's an outdoor section, nicely shaded, with tables seating six; this is a popular pre-dinner gathering place, overlooking the ship's wake, or a shady area in which to curl up with a book when the vessel is sailing.

Harmony G Outside Recreation

The whole of the top of the ship is a sun deck, although there's only one area with shade, a large and very comfortable padded bed that takes six at a squeeze. This was in big demand. There's also a good number of loungers, but in the heat of the Mediterranean summer, these were only used early morning or at sunset.

On the main deck, aft, there's a platform that's used for swimming, which is one of the big highlights of this ship. Wherever possible, the captain drops anchor for 30 to 60 minutes of swimming off the back of the ship. There's a ladder to get in (although most people jump) and masks and snorkels are provided. This daily swim is, of course, only possible when conditions permit and when the ship is sailing in southern Spain or the Canary Islands, there's less of a chance of a dip than when it’s in, say, Greece.

Harmony G Services

There’s a small reception area where notices are pinned up and excursions can be booked but in reality, the cruise director is always around to help. Wi-Fi is available at 20 euros for 500MB, and laundry can be turned around in 48 hours.

Spa & Fitness

The ship does not offer any spa facilities and does not have a gym.

For Kids

Children over seven are welcome onboard but there are no special facilities for them. Harmony G is really only suitable for families who make their own entertainment and expect to be ashore most of the time.