Harmony experienced compared to Oasis/Allure

[peacefrogdog]

Just got off the Dec 10-17th sailing on Harmony. Rather than post a complete review, I thought I'd write my experiences on Harmony as compared to past cruises on Oasis and Allure. Perhaps it will be helpful to those who have done one of the older ones, and are debating whether to book harmony.

 

A bit about us: we are a family of 5 with 3 kids now aged 14, 12 and 12. We also typically travel with my older parents. We have previously sailed on Allure in 2011, Oasis 2012 and Allure again 2014. In general we like the bigger ships because of what is offered for our family, and didn't find much difference between Allure and Oasis. We are Platinum members, and typically book adjoining balcony cabins, so have never experienced Suite benefits. We tend not to go to Specialty restaurants, and typically stay on the ship rather than do excursions.

 

When making these comparisons, I realize that some may be more due to changes at RCI in general rather than the ships themselves. I will comment mainly on the differences I experienced and perceived between Harmony and Oasis/Allure.

 

Disembarkation

 

On Oasis/Allure we could start boarding around 10:45 - 11. Even though we were platinum, we always got on by 11, went to a near empty Park Cafe, ate lunch, and got up to the pool deck that was fairly empty. On Harmony however, boarding didn't start until 11:30-11:45. Thus by the time the Platinums could board, there were more people already waiting. By the time we got there, there was a lineup out the door at Park Cafe and Windjammer was packed.

 

Advantage: Oasis/Allure (although this may not have to do with the ship itself, and may be a port thing)

 

Cabins

 

Whereas Oasis/Allure have that pastel, "Florida" look, Harmony rooms looks classier, a bit more modern and the storage is a ton better.

Also, whereas on Oasis/Allure the deck chairs are those ones that have the plastic ribbon like things running across, we had actual loungers on Harmony that reclined.

Only negative on Harmony was that out of the three cabins we had booked in total, two of them had sliding balcony doors that were either very difficult to open, or emitted a constant whistling sound even when locked shut.

 

Advantage: Harmony

 

Ability of cruise ship staff to help

 

Big difference here. While we had a great wait staff and room attendant, on Harmony no one could help me with anything. Some examples:

 

- I purchased onboard credit for my mother as a gift, but it didn't appear on her account. Tried to get guest services to help, to which they responded with many different replies including: "just wait another 48 hours and your credit will appear", "you must not have actually purchased the OBC", "you didn't activate it in time". Not once did they actually consider I purchased the OBC properly. They all assumed I did something wrong.

- By day 5, all my kids sea passes stopped working. Guest services was quick in issuing new ones, but all had issues: one didn't work, the other allowed room entry, but when scanning elsewhere it was not associated with my daughter's name or picture. When going back to guest services, we were told that either it takes 24 hours for changes to appear, or we were using the cards wrong, or that they will contact someone from "tech" who will get back to us.

- No one could explain why suddenly, one of our specialty dining ressies was cancelled from our accounts.

 

Overall the staff were trying to be helpful, but they always spoke as if any thing that wasn't going well was my fault. No one accepted responsibility for anything, and seemed to come up with a reason for me to just go away, usually by saying "wait another XX minutes and it should be ok". Every day on Harmony, the guest services line was huge. I never saw that on Oasis/Allure other than on embarkation day or the last day.

 

Advantage: Oasis/Allure in a big way

 

Main dining room - supper

 

I know the common sentiment is that Harmony food is not as good, but we were quite happy with it as well as the service. We are not foodies by any means, but I think we know what is and is not good food. None of the MDR meals were ones I would describe as being memorable, but if I had ordered any of what I ate at a restaurant at home, I would have been happy with it.

 

Advantage: Draw

 

Main dining room - breakfast/lunch

 

We loved going to the MDR for break/lunch on past cruises because it was relaxing. Everyone seemed happy, it was nice to sit down and not have to worry about the crowds.

On Harmony, we didn't get that feeling. Granted we didn't go there everyday, but we went, they offered a buffet that was similar to Windjammer. You could still order off the menu, but if you did, it took a long time to get your food. For example, 35 minutes to get Eggs Benedict.

 

Advantage: Oasis/Allure

 

Windjammer

WJ was a zoo on Harmony, albiet not much more than Allure/Oasis. Biggest difference was that the circle format of the pods on Harmony created more traffic, especially on embarkation day or other busy times. From what I recall Allure/Oasis stations seemed to flow better.

 

Advantage: Oasis/Allure

 

Boardwalk& Central Park

 

Pretty much the same, although the Boardwalk Dog House only served four possible sausages, whereas on our past Allure sailings there were 8 or so. This may be fleet wide.

Otherwise, Harmony seemed to show less sports and movies on the Aquatheatre screen, likely because the first few water shows had to be cancelled on days 1-2 and were rescheduled for later days.

 

Advantage: Toss up

 

Royal Promenade

 

Not a ton of differences. On previous sailings, there was a separate coffee section, and another line to get food or specialty drinks. A minor hinderance on Harmony was at Cafe Promenade, there was one continuous line to get coffee or food. This resulted in often long lineups for Cafe Promenade especially after shows were let out. Not a huge issue, but I always remembered CP as being the place that was the least hassle. Not so much on Harmony.

I expected the Bionic bar to be a novelty the first night, and then we would ignore it. However, my kids and I ended up using it every night. It helped that we had the RR package, so we could order any non-alcoholic drink for free. So it was an ok way to spend some time.

Definitely noticed more people stopping us to try different drinks, or handing out coupons or tickets for raffles, although this made be fleet wide.

 

Toss up.

 

Pool decks

 

We are happy to spend time on the cruise sitting on the pool decks, while the kids play.

Of course, the water slides, even though they weren't the best we've been on, were a hit among the kids. In the past, we used to sit near the old kids area the H20 zone, when it not only had spray stuff but also had a whirly-pool. But on Harmony, the kids area seems to be more targeted to younger kids with more climbing stuff and mini slides, such that kids 8 and above are less likely to use it. Due to the winds, the sprays coming from those kids slides prevented anyone from wanting to sit near that area. I never saw anyone sitting in that section and it seemed like a bit of wasted potential seating space.

My kids had a bit of an issue of the ice cream/frozen yogurt being available for fewer hours on Harmony.

 

Advantage: Harmony (for the water slides)

 

Shows

 

We saw Hairspray and Chicago on the older ships, and Grease on this one. Thought they were comparable.

The Fine Line show on Harmony seems to be more Stomp-like dancing, with less diving compared to the Aqua show on Allure which we enjoyed more.

We've skipped out on skating shows on both so can't compare.

 

Toss up.

 

Technology

 

While all ships have digital signage near the elevators, on Harmony I missed what was on Allure/Oasis which showed how busy each of the restaurants were at that time. Harmony showed basic information like what was going on, and directions to things, but being familiar with this class of ship, I missed the older sign ate.

The Royal IQ app, to me, was like a handheld version of the elevator signage. It did show what activities was going on, but neither had information like what times each restaurant opened, what times regular things like the Flowrider or walk climbing wall were open or closed.

 

Advantage: Oasis/Allure (just for the elevator signs showing restaurant business).

 

That's all I can think of for now. If I didn't mention a category it's probably because differences weren't significant enough to notice. Feel to ask about anything else specific.

Edited December 22, 2016 by peacefrogdog

[mad-dog74]

Thanks for the heads up! Our family is going on Harmony next summer after being on Allure. Good things to know!

 

Did you do the Rubicon (escape room)? My kids are anxious for it as well as the Abyss and waterslides.

[39august]

Friends who have done all three "sisters" say OA and AL seem less crowded and over-all better organized than HOTS. We were a bit disappointed on HOTS in several ways and are going on AL in Feb. for a comparison. Did OA several years ago and remember it not seeming crowded.

[vacationlover_mn]

Thanks for the review!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[riclop]

Thanks for your thoughts.

[Clarea]

Appreciate the feedback.

[somerandomidiot]

I was also disappointed in the selection at the doghouse.

 

I also thought that one line for beverages and food at CP made no sense.

 

The biggest difference for me amongst the the three ships was the gym. the entire gym on Harmony smells like cigarettes. there are no distance markers on the running track. for a lazy person like me, those markers were very motivational.

[Clarea]

I was also disappointed in the selection at the doghouse.

 

I also thought that one line for beverages and food at CP made no sense.

 

The biggest difference for me amongst the the three ships was the gym. the entire gym on Harmony smells like cigarettes. there are no distance markers on the running track. for a lazy person like me, those markers were very motivational.

The same has been said about the fitness centers on Oasis and Allure. A crew rec area is supposedly nearby.

[Pumbaamd]

Thanks for your 411 on HOTS. We sail on her in August, lots of time for things to get better. Final payment 5/28 for us. We will be monitoring reports from her.

Rick and Deirdra

[somerandomidiot]

The same has been said about the fitness centers on Oasis and Allure. A crew rec area is supposedly nearby.

 

Definitely not the same as on allure or oasis. i used the gym 2-3 times a day on all three ships. on oasis or allure you might get a brief whiff but the cigarette smell in the harmony gym is constant. u notice it most when the door to the running track opens and a blast of fresh air comes in. it smelled more of cigarettes than the casino. they also had some kind of spray to try to mask the smell and the combined fragrance was even worse. the gym staff said that the ventilation was being worked on and that they thought the smell came from the casino. i thought that was odd since the two areas seem quite distant from each other but I don't much about how the ventilation systems work on the ship.

[drrich2]

Appreciate the review. A fair, objective critical comparison can be quite useful.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Grandma Petania]

I really appreciate your comparisons. Oasis is the only RCI ship I have sailed, but will be on Harmony in 5 weeks. I particularly appreciated your description of the Fine Line show. From the few clips I have seen, I think I will have the same impression. I hope they will have a second show similar to Splish Splash on Oasis, with more diving, etc. Different strokes for different folks. Quite a few have praised Fine Line highly on these boards.

 

It is also good to know what to *not* expect in the way of signage. Quite a few people have mentioned the whistling from the balcony doors - and poorer insulation from noise in general.

[Bootman4U]

Thanks for your post. We are on the Harmony 8 April 2017 sailing. We've done both the Oasis and Allure and in OUR case we thought the wait for food in the MDR on the Oasis was simply unacceptable and as a result I ate in it exactly once.

 

Yes, we know Royal has made a big, BIG deal about being, well, "big" and I am not one who necessarily likes so-called "smaller" ships. We are anxious to see how the Harmony measures up in every way including service speed. And yes there IS a way to make it happen as we all know.

[little britain]

I have also been on all 3 sisters, and I would put them in order of preference as Allure, Oasis and then Harmony.

 

They ruined Harmony with that ghastly purple eyesore and forgetting to put a pool in the Solarium IMHO.

It also seemed to be a 'cheaper' build to me - no wooden horses in the entrance to Broadwalk, no doughnut shop, tiny little gift shop.....

 

Lets hope they make necessary alterations and corrections to Oasis IV

[peacefrogdog]

Thanks for the heads up! Our family is going on Harmony next summer after being on Allure. Good things to know!

 

 

 

Did you do the Rubicon (escape room)? My kids are anxious for it as well as the Abyss and waterslides.

 

 

Only my 14 yr old could do the Rubicon, but it was one of the favorite parts of the cruise. They liked the Abyss but they don't talk about it as much as the waterslides in terms of reasons to go back

[peacefrogdog]

I have also been on all 3 sisters, and I would put them in order of preference as Allure, Oasis and then Harmony.

 

 

 

They ruined Harmony with that ghastly purple eyesore and forgetting to put a pool in the Solarium IMHO.

 

It also seemed to be a 'cheaper' build to me - no wooden horses in the entrance to Broadwalk, no doughnut shop, tiny little gift shop.....

 

 

 

Lets hope they make necessary alterations and corrections to Oasis IV

 

 

Didn't they get rid of the donut shop (and the cupcake cupboard) in all three oasis class ships?

 

My kids also missed those things near the elevators where you look inside a lens to see a small piece of art

[peacefrogdog]

Friends who have done all three "sisters" say OA and AL seem less crowded and over-all better organized than HOTS. We were a bit disappointed on HOTS in several ways and are going on AL in Feb. for a comparison. Did OA several years ago and remember it not seeming crowded.

 

 

We had quite a few staff voluntarily tell us they had applied to be in oasis or allure because those were the 'happier' ships, but ended up on harmony. I'm guessing these little wrinkles have an impact on staff morale who have to bear the brunt of passenger frustrations.

[pinkandgreenmom]

Only my 14 yr old could do the Rubicon, but it was one of the favorite parts of the cruise. They liked the Abyss but they don't talk about it as much as the waterslides in terms of reasons to go back

 

Thank you for the review. Very helpful. Is there an age limit for Rubicon that you are aware of? We have a 16 year old and a 12 year old and it is all the 12 year old can talk about. I was wondering from your comments if 12 year olds aren't allowed to do it.

[LisaT91403]

Thank you for the review. Very helpful. Is there an age limit for Rubicon that you are aware of? We have a 16 year old and a 12 year old and it is all the 12 year old can talk about. I was wondering from your comments if 12 year olds aren't allowed to do it.

 

I believe the minimum age is 14. We just did it this week -- really fun! DH and I didn't know anyone in our group of 11 people. There was one kid in the group, probably around 14 or 15 years old. While I realize that all kids are different, the one in our group was not helpful or engaged (because he couldn't help).

Edited December 24, 2016 by LisaT91403

[39august]

HOTS had to be the noisiest ship we've been on in many years, in terms of creaking and cracking sounds in our JS. It was really noticeable at night. Didn't get the whistling sound from the balcony doors though. I also REALLY disliked the ugly giant head in the promenade. Who thought that was attractive?

[Paulette3028]

I have also been on all 3 sisters, and I would put them in order of preference as Allure, Oasis and then Harmony.

 

They ruined Harmony with that ghastly purple eyesore and forgetting to put a pool in the Solarium IMHO.

It also seemed to be a 'cheaper' build to me - no wooden horses in the entrance to Broadwalk, no doughnut shop, tiny little gift shop.....

 

Lets hope they make necessary alterations and corrections to Oasis IV

 

 

As much as we have enjoyed the solarium pool areas on other ships, when we sailed on Allure the solarium it had NO shaded sections.....we sail on Harmony in mid February, and the fact that it doesn't have a pool won't cause us any issue, since they probably have no added any 'shaded' areas with lounges -- therefore no reason to go there at all.

 

We had the donut shop on Allure, and the donuts were awful, but I think the donuts made on ships are awful, they clearly lack the secret of Dunkin Donuts.

 

I loved the Diamond Lounge on Allure (which overlooked the Promenade), but I know that Harmony doesn't have it there either. The DL was relocated on Allure as well from what I remember reading.

 

I do plan on enjoying the waterslides on Harmony, which is the primary reason we are sailing on her.

[Thorben-Hendrik]

Overall the staff were trying to be helpful, but they always spoke as if any thing that wasn't going well was my fault. No one accepted responsibility for anything, and seemed to come up with a reason for me to just go away, usually by saying "wait another XX minutes and it should be ok". Every day on Harmony, the guest services line was huge. I never saw that on Oasis/Allure other than on embarkation day or the last day.

 

Advantage: Oasis/Allure in a big way

 

 

This is SOP on Harmony - the guest is always the problem - guest are dump and a problem - it comes from upper management on Harmony - when interacting with the heads of certain departments you will experience the same attitude - Harmony management has an attitude problem towards the guests and they are incapable to run a smooth operation - so it is easier to blame their incapability on the guest.

Edited December 24, 2016 by germanfflyer

[setsail]

Amazing when you just get off the same ship that posters are posting about:rolleyes:

[CruzinSuz]

We definitely noticed HUGE differences from AL and OA. As Pinnacle guest's we totally enjoyed the Suite Lounge, but the MTD seemed very disorganized, we had room service knocking at our door at 10.30 at night with a cheese tray, never had that happen before...the ship didn't flow like it should. Our traveling friends had an OS both weeks and had an issue in their second week, with the new cabin they had to move to. The ship took care of it though, but it just isn't the same as her other sisters which we love.

 

Overall, the food was awesome in the Coastal Kitchen, I think the lay out in the WJ was similar to Quantam class, but less efficient, the Park Cafe seemed less user friendly in it's environment also.

We're booked with our friends again for two weeks next year in December, and will be doing AL for two weeks in April.

 

We had a great state room attendant. We heard lot's of whistling in our CP cabin, but I thought that was from the wind from the windy weather, which we had a lot of.

 

Beautiful ship, but totally different than the other two....IMHO.

 

But the cabins are SO MUCH better, great closets and storage.

 

Suz

Edited December 25, 2016 by CruzinSuz

[INGODWETRUST]

Hi

I was looking at the Superior Balcony on the harmony of the Seas and wondering if the table on the balcony is as tall as the Oasis & Allure. We love to eat breakfast on the balcony. Are the table smaller?