Your opinions on Entertainment/Shows on your cruise on Harmony of the Seas

[cubalinda]

Hi there. I know that this is a subjective matter of opinion, but I am looking to hear from others about their opinion of the Entertainment/Shows they have seen on Harmony of the Seas.

 

I have tentatively booked a few shows for my cruise, but would like some feedback, good and bad about what you saw on your cruise.

 

If you made reservations, how much time before the show did you get to the venue? Did you have to line up for long? I am a just a Gold Crown and Anchor so I would appreciate comments from the lowly masses (lol) who may have to line up even with reservations.

 

How were the show line-up(s), seating handled by RCL staff? (organized?)

 

Did you enjoy any of the Cruise/Activities Director events? I loved The Quest last yr- A lot of fun. Any recommendations?

How was the 90's Dance party in the Promenade?

How did you like the comedian? I've read that it's an MC and 1 comic. Is that true? How was The Attic for watching comedy?

 

I tried to find out the Headliner on my cruise and RCL emailed back and said tentatively Ron Lucas ventriloquist. I thought he was okay last year but was hoping for someone new. I guess they jump around from ship to ship and it's luck of the draw, but with this new ship I thought they would maybe have some new talent. Oh well.

 

Last question: How many movies did they show on your cruise? Were they any good/recent? My travel partner was hoping for lots of movies. I told her there might be a few but wasn't sure and I thought they were shown in the Aqua Theater. Is that about right?

 

 

Thanks for your input.

[Hoopster95]

Answers in red

 

Hi there. I know that this is a subjective matter of opinion, but I am looking to hear from others about their opinion of the Entertainment/Shows they have seen on Harmony of the Seas.

 

I have tentatively booked a few shows for my cruise, but would like some feedback, good and bad about what you saw on your cruise.

 

If you made reservations, how much time before the show did you get to the venue? 15 minutes Did you have to line up for long? zero lines with reservations I am a just a Gold Crown and Anchor so I would appreciate comments from the lowly masses (lol) who may have to line up even with reservations.

 

How were the show line-up(s), seating handled by RCL staff? (organized?)

Yes very organized

 

Did you enjoy any of the Cruise/Activities Director events? yes

I loved The Quest last yr- A lot of fun. Any recommendations?

How was the 90's Dance party in the Promenade? great idea by Royal but needs to be polished and added to to make it as good as the 70's party

How did you like the comedian? awful I've read that it's an MC and 1 comic. Is that true? yes How was The Attic for watching comedy? If you book the early show, it is a "family" show in studio B. Reserve the "late" show as that is The Attic

 

I tried to find out the Headliner on my cruise and RCL emailed back and said tentatively Ron Lucas ventriloquist. I thought he was okay last year but was hoping for someone new. I guess they jump around from ship to ship and it's luck of the draw, but with this new ship I thought they would maybe have some new talent. Oh well.

 

Last question: How many movies did they show on your cruise? 2 or 3 Were they any good/recent? Star Trek was the only one I really noticed. With the greatest sincerity I say the following: There is no way in hell anyone should be watching a movie on that ship... way too much to do. Stay home if you're going to watch movies. Just my humble opinion My travel partner was hoping for lots of movies. I told her there might be a few but wasn't sure and I thought they were shown in the Aqua Theater. Is that about right? Yes

 

 

Thanks for your input.

[vacationlover_mn]

Following

 

 

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[rum & monkey]

I can give you a mini review on Entertainment on Harmony. We sailed December 17th. A little about us so you can see if you can even relate. I am 47 husband is 50 we were traveling with my parents (early 70's), our three girls (20, 18, & 14), my sister (49), her daughters & older daughter's boyfriend (13, 20, & 20). My husband and I (& my parents) have spent many years as season ticket holders to the theater in Houston & my girls have attended the theater since a very young age. My husband & I cruise Royal 2-3 times a year and quite often are less than impressed with the shows and mostly don't even bother going anymore. We did not miss one show on Harmony.

I booked reservations for what I thought were all the shows on-line trying to make sure we did not miss one (especially as I was making reservations for our whole group). It turns out there is an extra aqua show & ice show that you cannot make reservations for towards the end of the week.

 

We also did MTD as to work around the shows however our group of 11 was one to many to book MTD ahead of time. So dining did not get booked until day 1 onboard. For the most part they were accommodating and days they did not have early enough reservations to go to the show they told us make the MTD reservation and just to show up 30-60 minutes early and they would seat us and they did.

 

Day 1

MTD @ 6:30; Grease @ 8:30 PM; comedy show @ 10:45PM

 

We arrived at MTD @ 5:30 and were seated right away. The week we sailed Harmony had their largest # of passengers to date which was over 6200, and the most # of large family groups to date also. They were clearly not ready for it and dining service was beyond slow and food was coming out wrong (medium steak half raw & purple) we were there until almost 8:15. This was the only night it was like this but it did not leave us the time we wanted before the show.

 

We went directly to the theater and to our surprise not a lot of people chose day 1 for Grease and it was not crowded but 10 minutes before the show it filled up. We sat on deck 4, center, in the raised lower balcony area where we had no problem getting 9 seats together (13 & 14 year old had a dance party in the teen club that was more pressing than their theater reservations) and had a great seat for the show. The musical itself I thought was fantastic. All ages in our group enjoyed the show, my dad who usually falls asleep 1/2 the time during musicals stayed awake for the whole thing. My husband who usually likes more acting than singing enjoyed the show but his comment afterwards was as much as he enjoyed the show and is glad he saw it, once is enough and any later sailings with Grease he is going to pass on it.

 

Next up was the comedy show. It (2 shows) seems like a lot on day 1 but day 2 was a sea day, so day 1 was the best night for the comedy show. The comedian that was onboard was Jessica Kirson and the host was Simeon. The venue was The Attic down on deck 4 (should be called the basement). All 18 and older went in our group. I liked the venue however the chairs were not the most comfortable. Everyone (young & old) agreed that the host was much funnier and entertaining than the comedian. I don't mind a dirty joke and if told right is entertaining but her comedy was down right crude and vulgar through most of it. This was a cruise that was full of multi-generation families cruising together, I am not sure why Royal would have picked her for this ship and the demographics. I am sure there are people out there that liked it but I did not. The first on a Royal ship that I did not like and we never miss the late night comedy when we cruise.

 

For people with younger kids there was also on Day 1 @ 5:00PM a Dreamworks dance party @ the aqua theater

 

Day 2 MTD 6:00 PM The Fine Line @ 9:00 Pm

 

After the 3 hour meal the night before We arrived at MTD @ 5:45 and again were seated right away. This time however we were done 8:00PM which gave everyone a chance to go and change after dinner and before the show. For this show we were there about 30 minutes before the show which is about the time they started letting people in to get seats. We were on the starboard side about half way up and had great seats. The front row seats get wet so those did not fill up quickly and were mostly kids. The show itself was excellent, as good as any sea world or Vegas show (actually I liked it better than the Vegas ones as they are always to long for me). Everyone in our group enjoyed the show and it is one my husband said he could see a second time on a different sailing.

 

Did not go to any but you asked about Movies:

12:00 PM Family movie Inside Out Adventure Ocean deck 14

3:30 PM 3D movie Trolls Royal theater

 

Day 3 (port day Labadee- all aboard 4:00PM)

We did not have any show reservations but did dinner at Sabor @ 8:00PM. Enjoyed the atmosphere but did not find the food as good as Navigator or Liberty.

 

Movie options

12:00PM Family movie matinee The BFG Adventure ocean deck 14

 

Day 4 (port day Falmouth all aboard 6:30)

MTD @ 6:45PM; iSkate ice show @ 9:00PM (no reservations first come); 11:45PM The quest (doors open @ 11:15)

We probably were only 5 minutes early for dinner on this day and again we were seated immediately and we told them we wanted to go to the show at 9:00 when we sat down and they had us out of there by 8:30. We headed straight to Studio B from dinner and probably got there 20 minutes before. Looking for 11 seats together we were on the side about 3 rows up.

 

iSkate ice show (was offered 3x - Day 4 @ 7:15 & 9:00 and Day 7 @ 2:00PM) show is 36 minutes

Again a little about us: We can be ice show snobs as we have two daughters who are figure skaters and have spent the last 14 years in ice rinks. Our oldest has done theater on ice and has competed in this division of figure skating at the international level. Any of these shows on any of the ships is incredible with what they are doing on that fraction of a piece of ice. That being said, that does not always make it entertaining. We all found this show to be more entertaining than the main show 1887: A journey in time. We all enjoyed the show including our two figure skaters. This show was more of an exhibition than a show though as there was no storyline to follow.

 

Quest: we never miss the quest and this one was just as humorous as the rest. The CD did try and do some new things and did away with the old to change it up some which is a welcome change. For those that have never been The Quest is an in your seat adult scavenger hunt game in studio b on the ships with an ice rink. The audience is divided up into teams and you play it s a team with team captains presenting the item or activity for points. Each item or activity that is called out is called a quest. Points are earned by the order in which your team presented the item or activity (1st them gets more points). Lots of fun if you've never gone, go! But definitely over 18.

 

Movie Choices Day 4

12:00 Family Movie Matinee: The secret Life of Pets Adventure ocean deck 14

7:00PM Outdoor Movie: The Secret Life of Pets Aqua theater deck 6

9:00PM Outdoor Movie Suicide Squad Aqua theater deck 6

 

Day 5 (Sea day)

MTD @ 5:15PM; Big Daddy's Hideaway Heist Aqua show @ 7:30 PM; Headliner @ 8:30PM

 

Arrived at MTD and were seated right away, told them we were going to the 7:30 show and they had us out before 7:00PM. We had the same seats we had for The Fine Line.

 

The Hideaway Heist show (35 minutes) was offered on Day 5 @ 7:30PM & 9:00PM and Day 7 @ 2:00PM & 3:30PM. No reservations available, first come basis only. Although everyone in our group enjoyed this show some like The Fine Line more but it was more half and half on who liked which one more. Definitely worth going to, at one point they were calling it a comedy in their description. Although there are funny parts and it is light hearted I would not consider it a comedy.

 

Headliner - we went straight from the aqua theater to the headliner show and again had no problems with seats even with our large party. The headliner was Ron Lucas the ventriloquist, lets jut start with I am not a ventriloquist fan. However this is a family cruise so I just suck it up and go. Again everyone enjoyed the show, me included. I actually enjoyed his show more than the comedian in the attic (although that was not really that difficult). Not sure if he changes his shows much since you said you saw him last year but I was surprised that I liked it at all. Usually I won't sit through ventriloquists or magicians.

 

Movie options day 5 (no family matinee today)

4:00PM 3D Movie Trolls Royal Theater

10:00PM Outdoor movie Christmas Vacation Aqua theater

 

Day 6 (port day Cozumel all aboard 6:30PM)

MTD @ 7:15PM 1887: A Journey in Time @ 10:00PM

 

We arrived at MTD right at 7:15PM and were seated right away and were done in less than 2 hours. Everyone went and changed after dinner and we arrived at studio B for the ice show as they were opening it for seating. Our seats were on the front end that is usually reserved for suites only, but not this time. We were about 5 rows up. I have discovered I actually like sitting on the side better. Remember what I said about being ice snobs, well we did not enjoy this show at all. Okay at all is strong. The show was boring and for whatever reason they added a special guest star to it (those are usually pretty good right?). Well there guest feature star isn't even a skater, but a women who makes bubbles. Yes bubbles, tricks with bubbles. Not entertaining unless you are a preschooler. The best thing about this show was the special effects. They have a projector above the ice that they can make it look like ice cracking then melting and water flowing and it looks pretty realistic. This show was liked by none in our group, it dragged on and seemed like it was longer than it actually was , the youngest two (13 & 14 years old) got up and left 15-20 minutes in. I would not say do not go to the show, you may like it even if we did not but I will say sit on the end of the row so if you decide you could be having more fun somewhere else on the ship you can make an exit when you've had enough. If one ice show is plenty for you I do strongly suggest to go to the iSkate show instead.

 

Movie options day 6

12:00PM Family movie matinee Angry Birds Adventure Ocean theater deck 14

7:00PM Outdoor movie Elf aqua theater deck 6

10:00PM outdoor movie Ghostbusters aqua theater deck 6

 

Day 7 (Sea day) Columbus @ 5:00PM MTD @ 7:15

The musical was written for Royal and it wasn't bad. They brag about how it was written by writers that write broadway plays and I wouldn't rate it that high but better than anything I have seen the royal Caribbean dancers do. I enjoyed it, some good tunes that you know, it was a comedy so not serious or factual. My husband said it wasn't bad but he wasn't overly impressed. They talked about it each evening not to miss it, it's the same cast that does the Grease show and how great it is so I can see where the expectations are high and it is a little bit of a let down for what you are expecting.

 

You need to do reservations for all the shows you can if you want to go in early and pick your seats. 10 minutes before the show the let people in from the "standby line" . You can only have 1 reservation per show so if you miss your reservation on one day you can not make a new one for another day, you will need to go to the standby line.

 

Movie options day 7

2:00PM Family movie matinee Finding Dory Adventure ocean theater deck 14

7:00PM outdoor movie A Christmas Story aqua theater deck 6

9:00PM outdoor movie Christmas Vacation aqua theater deck 6

 

Sorry we did not attend any of the dance parties so I cannot comment on them.

 

 

 

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[cubalinda]

Thank you very much rum & monkey for your thoughtful detailed information about your entertainment experiences aboard Harmony of the Seas. I also appreciate it that you have read my lengthy post and responded to many of my queries. You should be applauded for your attention to detail and being kind enough to provide such an informative post. It was very helpful indeed. My sincere thanks.

 

Having said that; if others are still reading this post i would also hope to get some more experiences/feedback about your time taking in the Entertainment on Harmony of the Seas.

[MrsKC08]

You will find different answers from different people, because as you mentioned this topic is subjective. We sailed on Harmony the week after Thanksgiving, which was one of the first Caribbean cruises from Ft. Lauderdale. I mention that because I think they were not as organized then as they might be now. So take that into consideration. My replies are below in RED.

 

Hi there. I know that this is a subjective matter of opinion, but I am looking to hear from others about their opinion of the Entertainment/Shows they have seen on Harmony of the Seas.

 

I have tentatively booked a few shows for my cruise, but would like some feedback, good and bad about what you saw on your cruise.

 

If you made reservations, how much time before the show did you get to the venue? We always arrived about an hour or so early and were normally one of the first people in line. Did you have to line up for long? They usually open the doors to the theater or venue about 30-45 minutes prior to the show for those with reservations. Standby line starts to enter about 15 minutes before the show. I am a just a Gold Crown and Anchor so I would appreciate comments from the lowly masses (lol) who may have to line up even with reservations.

 

How were the show line-up(s), seating handled by RCL staff? (organized?) This was sometimes not very organized at all. For example, we got to the theater to stand in line for Grease. When we got there two lines had already started to form, so we just got into one. We asked and both lines were people with reservations. Once the lines had gotten pretty long, a Cruise Director staff member came out and made everyone get into 1 line for reservations and a different line for standby. Now...there was no signage at all for this, which there should have been. Everyone just merged together and many people were getting very upset over this because we had stood in line for 20-30 minutes already. We had similar problems at the aqua theater as well because there are no real "doors". We had started a line every time we had a show there (it was canceled almost every night due to weather). But people would just walk on past us as if we were not standing there. The stansion ropes were not keeping people back in the line, they would scoot under the Abyss and there was very little organization!

 

Did you enjoy any of the Cruise/Activities Director events? I loved The Quest last yr- A lot of fun. Any recommendations? They do Quest on Harmony and it was great. Our CD, Abe was great. Some of the other activities on board were kind of minimal and not very exciting. My husband and I were one of the couples who won the twist competition at the sock hop event in Studio B.

How was the 90's Dance party in the Promenade? This is an event we didn't attend, because we had another thing going on at the time.

How did you like the comedian? I've read that it's an MC and 1 comic. Is that true? How was The Attic for watching comedy? The attic is a great venue for comedy. Our comedian was ok, but the MC who is a Royal Caribbean employee was so much better. I could have watched him for the entire show. They do another comedy show late on the last night, and they told us it would be a different show, but almost every single one of the jokes were the same as his show in the Attic. Had we known, we would have skipped it.

 

I tried to find out the Headliner on my cruise and RCL emailed back and said tentatively Ron Lucas ventriloquist. I thought he was okay last year but was hoping for someone new. I guess they jump around from ship to ship and it's luck of the draw, but with this new ship I thought they would maybe have some new talent. Oh well.Ron Lucas was on our cruise as well. First time we had seen him and we thought he was pretty good. I don't know if I would see him again if he is on a cruise we take because his act is probably the same every time. Several years ago we had MO5IAC and they were fantastic. I hope to see them again on a future cruise.

 

Last question: How many movies did they show on your cruise? They showed probably 4-6 different movies on our 7 night cruise. Most of which were kid friendly like Trolls and such. We didn't watch any movies on this cruise.Were they any good/recent? My travel partner was hoping for lots of movies. I told her there might be a few but wasn't sure and I thought they were shown in the Aqua Theater. Is that about right?Most were shown in the Aqua Theater, but they did a couple in the main theater, one of which was a 3D movie. We walked in there just to see what it was and then we left.

 

 

Thanks for your input.

 

My review from our cruise was live and you can find it in my signature below. I scanned the cruise compasses and that will help you to see what movies they showed and the other activities. Enjoy your cruise!

[rum & monkey]

Thank you very much rum & monkey for your thoughtful detailed information about your entertainment experiences aboard Harmony of the Seas. I also appreciate it that you have read my lengthy post and responded to many of my queries. You should be applauded for your attention to detail and being kind enough to provide such an informative post. It was very helpful indeed. My sincere thanks.

 

 

Your quite welcome. Hope you enjoy Harmony & her many shows!

 

 

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