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Currently on the Harmony - 6/17 through 6/24

DadofKAD
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DadofKAD

DadofKAD

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Greetings All!

 

We’re currently on the Harmony of the Seas (left FLL on 6/17 and due back 6/24). Here are a few initial impressions but, as we’re still on the ship, happy to find out any info I can for any of you needing anything. No guarantees though…

 

Quick background – this is our 5th cruise but only 2nd on RCL (first was on Anthem last summer). We’re from the Vegas area which is well over 110 degrees – so a good time to take a cruise… The kids (actually teens) enjoyed the thunder, lightning and flashfloods of FLL the day before embarkation.

 

We are in a Central Park Balcony room (actually two rooms with the teenagers). Must say that the couple of hundred bucks more in cost to get the second room rather than squeeze a 3rd and 4th cruiser in our room was well worth it. Room is nice (typical size) and comes with a bottle of wine along with lunch for two and Jamie’s (I heard you could use it at Chops as well). We were on the 10th floor. While we love the view of Central Park, I do miss the ocean views and would probably switch back next time…

 

Embarkation – Really smooth. We arrived quite early (around 10:00 AM) and moved through rather quickly. After all my preparation and print-outs, I’m guessing two of our SeaPasses were somewhere back in my office at home. Oh well – they quickly printed new ones for us and we were off. As we love the Specialty Dining options, I immediately went to the dining room to make the specific reservations for the week (bought a 5-night plan months earlier but you can’t choose the restaurants till you board / or are assigned). That process, again, went rather smoothly other than a few WiFi issues the crew was having early on… We then exchanged our Anthem WOW bands and bought two more for our teens. That line was incredibly long (in Boleros). The line for excursions was also way too long with only two folks assisting. I wasn’t planning on standing in that line but I had been sent by the dining staff and Guest Services to the shore excursion area in order to book the galley lunch tour (which we planned on using our mealplan for). After 40 minutes in line, we were informed that the only day available was a day we had something booked in Cozumel. Not the best first impression with these waits…

 

Soon after that, my son and I had to take in the Abyss before the lines got too long. We were there right when it opened and, a few minutes later, were safely at the Boardwalk. The slide is quite cool looking and I’m glad we did it – but never felt the need to do it again so far… We had a quick bite at the Park Café and then the kids tried out the water slides for a bit.

 

The Muster Drill began at 345 and, again, was simple. I’ll give it to RCL on making creative videos to share the safety info. The handwash song, on the other hand, is torture…

 

After waiving bye to FLL and cleaning up in our room, we were on our way to Jamie’s for dinner. Couldn’t find one thing to be disappointed in. The service and food were top notch. I had the lamb chops and my wife had something much healthier which I can’t recall. For the four of us, our waiter surprised us by bringing out one of every dessert. Just what we needed to start the cruise. By the way –you have to try the lemon cheesecake.

 

We were then on our way to Grease. We had switched our times when we first boarded (were originally scheduled for the last day but wanted to see it on Day 1 and free up the later schedule). Unfortunately, the reservations were not updated in the system so it didn’t show for the theatre hostess. We showed her our reservation on Royal IQ and were quickly allowed to enter. I must say, I don’t remember blushing as much watching Grease with my kids around, but it was a bit more risqué in a scene or two than I remembered. However, even after saying that, the family loved the show and were very impressed with the talent on board. After a little more ship exploration, we were on our way to rest for the night…

 

Day 2 – At Sea

The day began with breakfast at the Park Café while I ran down to grab a Latte at the Café Promenade. Everything I read prior said the Park Café has espresso options (I bought the non-alcohol drink plan as I drink multiple lattes a day) but,unfortunately, I only found the lattes at Café Promenade and the Windjammer (as Starbucks obviously doesn’t accept it). This was the day of our Cruise Critic Meet-Up and I was thoroughly impressed at the number of Senior Staff that attended. Having the intimate time to chat with Captain Johnny and/or Cruise Director Abe was quite nice. I will say that, even though many signed up,the attendance was a bit low – especially considering the team RCL sent to us. We then immediately went to the Aqua Theatre for the Crown & Anchor Society welcome where the same senior staff spoke to a much larger group and we received a sneak preview of the new aquashow – Hideaway Heist.

 

This was a Day at Sea and the only day I’ve experienced so far that I really felt overly crowded. One of my mistakes was thinking the family could take in a quick round of miniature golf at Harmony Dunes. There were so many little kids (without parents or parents who didn’t care what they were doing) running around the entire course kicking golfballs and blocking shots. We gave up on that quite quickly and headed to the Solarium. While I hear a lot of folks complaining that there is no pool – I do love the three levels and the glass bottom observation area in the front. Quite windy though…

 

The highlight of the day was Izumi Hibachi. I was hesitant to book this as it wasn’t included in the meal plan and I really didn’t want to fork out even more dining money. However, having said that, the dinner and “show” was amazing. Way too much food and fun. You’ll see early on that I’m horrible with names as I wish I could share who our chef was – but it was a lot of fun. Only issue was that our Royal IQ stated the dinner was at 5:00. However, while we waited outside at 5:00, a crew member told us it didn’t open till 5:30. Therefore, we went up a deck for a few photos and came back closer to 5:30 only to see the rest of our table already seated and a bit frustrated we hadn’t arrived yet…

 

That night was 1887 Ice Show. I thought the talent level was quite surprising given they were performing on a surface that was moving (as it’s on a ship). There were a couple of minor falls but, for the most part, a very good performance. Not sure I was able to follow the storyline much – but I at least enjoyed the cool air of the ice how area…

 

Day 3 – Labadee

Another lesson learned. I didn’t want to spend the money on a cabana or the overpriced zipline. I did both. We had a cabana at Columbus Cove. That might have been some of the best money I spent at a port. It was so nice to have a reserved area, cool water and a little shade (as it was a bit warm). The kids also loved the zipline over the beach.

 

This is the only night we visited the MDR (Silk for us). It was about what we expected – topnotch service but I think we’ve been too spoiled with the food from the specialty restaurants.

 

 

We also enjoyed the Fine Line aquatic show on this evening –although I don’t understand how a guy could spin in place for so long… or how an audience could watch spinning for so long. This show was edge-of-the-seat exciting. The tightrope walking/dancing, the diving and the simple fact that we couldn’t figure out how folks were kept popping out of the water was amazing.

 

Day 4 – Falmouth

We decided not to do an excursion at this port. We wanted to explore the nearby shops and my daughter was set on getting her first drink (legal in Jamaica) at Margaritaville. Had a nice time there but had to rush back to the ship for the puzzle room challenge. Wish we would have had more time but our choices were minimal on the puzzle room since we booked it so late… Unfortunately, we did not complete the room on time and were sent out into space for eternity…

 

Luckily, eternity only meant till dinner as we were going to Chops on this particular night. I will say that my Chops experience was a bit underwhelming on Anthem last year so I was eager to give them another shot. While the view of Central Park is beautiful while enjoying our meal, I wasn’t blown away by anything at the restaurant as we were at Jamie’s and Izumi. Food was good and service was great.

 

Our headline entertainer was a ventriloquist named Ronn Lucas. He was extraordinary. The family loved his mix of humor, puppets and audience participation. Frank (the audience volunteer) gets a special call-out as well for surprising even Ronn with his enthusiasm. Later that night, we took in the “newlywed show” (sorry – forget the correct name). Abe (Cruise Director) did an incredible job of keeping the show together with some very interesting couples…

 

So far, having a great time Harmony. My wife has declared it her favorite cruiseship and experience so far. There were, however, a couple of frustrations. I really relied on Royal IQ on Anthem. On Harmony, however, it did not live up to my expectations. My dining reservations (made on Day 1) never did appear in the app. Therefore, trying to plan activities and entertainment throughout the cruise was a bit difficult without having those details. I finally went to Guest Services (ugh) to see if they could get me a list of all my reservations and it was waiting for me when I got back to my room that night. The Wifi also does not seem as strong as I remembered on Anthem.

 

Oh well – some other general info I see asked a lot on this forum: As of Day 4 – there is no alcohol drink card offered yet. I’ll let you know if it shows up and, if so, how much. We’ll also post a copy of the Teen cruise compass later as I’ve seen a few requests.

 

I am writing with hundreds of folks before me swarming a watch sale in the Promenade. Not necessarily my thing but at least they’re getting good deals… I assume… maybe…

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BNBR

BNBR

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I am writing with hundreds of folks before me swarming a watch sale in the Promenade. Not necessarily my thing but at least they’re getting good deals… I assume… maybe…

 

Sitting at the Rising Tide, having a cocktail, and watching the pandemonium around promenade sales is one of our favorite activities! It's so funny to watch people go nuts over cruise ship shopping.

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shelzie95

shelzie95

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We are sailing on this cruise in the middle of August with my parents and our boys. I'm so glad to hear you are having a fantastic time! What is the drink card you mentioned? I haven't read about that before.

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leela14

leela14

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We just got off Anthem and are considering Harmony as our next cruise (or some Oasis class). We LOVED the Solarium on Anthem - not the pool so much but the whirlpools, no kids and quiet relaxing atmosphere without all the music and activities. Do you find the Solarium on Harmony to be a similar experience to Anthem?

 

Thanks and have a great time. I miss being on board something awful.

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DadofKAD

DadofKAD

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Some cruisers have seen a 10-drink card for alcohol if bar sales are light. Sounds like it's typically one of the last couple of days so I'll keep my eye out. Not limited to one person so likely a good deal depending on when available.

 

 

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DadofKAD

DadofKAD

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Couple of other answers. Margaritaville did not had a cover when we were there. In fact, I happen to have packed a Margaritaville tshirt and decided to wear it that day - not know you get a free margarita if you're wearing one of their shirts. So, that worked out well. We didn't explore too much but there was a pool as well.

 

Formal nights - they differ based on itinerary.

 

Solarium - definitely a bit more peaceful on Anthem. However, I really liked the three level layout on harmony. Curious what you'll think. My wife spent much more time there than I did.

 

 

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leela14

leela14

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Still sounds like it will be a nice experience, thanks for the answer. We won't be going until next year, but it's never to early to start the research. :D

 

Solarium - definitely a bit more peaceful on Anthem. However, I really liked the three level layout on harmony. Curious what you'll think. My wife spent much more time there than I did.

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suizas

suizas

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Have you been to the Wonderland Bar on deck 12? I was on the 2 week Harmony transatlantic and enjoyed many many evenings there drinking French Martinis made by Cat, the bartender. He is terrific! If you go and see him, tell him hello from Susan, the mini French martini girl!

 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise!

 

 

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DadofKAD

DadofKAD

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Suizas- dining at Wonderland tonight so I'll check the bar...

 

Pinkandgreenmom - while I hear the buffet isn't as crazy on the Harmony, I've only stopped by for breakfast so not sure about the shrimp... sorry. Don't recall seeing at the other restaurants we've visited (although 99% sure there is an option at wonderland tonight).

 

 

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SilkySal

SilkySal

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Only if it crosses your mind, please ask if one could order "just that mouth-watering chocolate ball that melts when covered with hot caramel to reveal the yummy vanilla ice cream inside" to be delivered to the dining room for an anniversary!:hearteyes: Our family (8 total) will be on our cruise this October and DH doesn't want to shell out the money for all of us to eat in Wonderland for our anniversary, so I was wondering if somehow I could just get that big ole chocolate ball delivered to our table, as that's all I really want!:o That's ok if it sounds to crazy to ask. I was just wondering. Please tell us all about your Wonderland experience!!:cool:

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Nolefan95

Nolefan95

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Thank you for posting info on the Headliner act - we board on June 24 so I wonder if he will still be on board then. Sounds like fun!

 

My 12 year old wants to know if you have seen fried shrimp at the buffet or any of the restaurants.....

 

 

Ronn Lucas will not be on board next week per his calendar on his website. He is on a Miami - Aruba cruise next week.

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chawkjewel

chawkjewel

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Have you been to the Wonderland Bar on deck 12? I was on the 2 week Harmony transatlantic and enjoyed many many evenings there drinking French Martinis made by Cat, the bartender. He is terrific! If you go and see him, tell him hello from Susan, the mini French martini girl!

 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise!

 

 

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Susan,

 

Why didn't you ever come to the Martini making classes. We had a blast and yes, Cat was the best bartender I have ever gotten to know. I wonder if he is still on the ship and if so, if he is still in Wonderland?

 

 

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