Only sailed on Carnival, now looking at the Harmony of the Seas

[iamchrisstone]

I have sailed a few times so far, all being on Carnival. A year ago or so, my niece and nephew (now 13 and 14, respectively) came to live with me and have never had great things happen, let alone a cruise. Right now we are on the Carnival Sunshine and they are having a blast.

 

I think that every year the week before Christmas I may take them on a cruise. I was looking at the Breeze or Vista next year but one of my best friends swears by RC. I start looking at the newest and biggest and the Symphony either didn't work because of pricing or dates. I can't recall. So, I decided on the Carnival Breeze about a month ago.

 

A few days ago I started researching the Harmony and really seems nice. I would like to get some info from all of you who have been on it. I'm primarily interested in the all-inclusive stuff (food, activities, etc). I don't pay for the extra's often. For instance, this cruise we will probably go to the steakhouse once. Everything else is what is included.

 

I'm semi-interested in stuff for me or my age, especially if I bring a date next year, but I'm primarily interested in stuff for the kids. They love waterslides and movies. We seen that one cruise did scuba lessons, one with a gokart track (i think that was Norwegian), one with skydiving, etc. What all does this one have? How is the food? with a ship that has 6,000 people on it, how crowded does it feel and the lines? How about he layout of the ship? I've been told Carnival is best for teens, is that true?

 

I'll have more questions later. Thank you all in advance for being so awesome!

[Clarea]

Harmony has the Flowrider (surf simulator), zipline, mini golf, basketball court, rock climbing wall, ice skating, water and dry slides.

 

One thing different from most ships is that the shows on Harmony have reservations. You can get in without reservations, but you get the best seat selection if you can get in earlier with reservations.

 

There are over 20 food venues and half are no extra charge.

[Valiamo]

I have been on the Oasis (Harmony's sister ship) and can tell you that the ship is the destination in itself. We will be on the Harmony in early 2019.

 

At Christmas, it will be PACKED with families, and that means that your niece and nephew will have loads of other kids their ages to have fun with.

 

There is just so much to do on the ship, and they have cool slides (both water and dry), one of which goes down a number of decks. You can never be bored on an Oasis class ship.

 

Book soon, so you can get your choice of cabins! They have a great sale on now with a 30% discount.

 

Also; your niece and nephew could not have a better Aunt/Uncle by taking them on cruises like this.

[racerxspeedy]

I agree - If you enjoy Carnival you should enjoy Oasis/Allure/Harmony as much or more. These ships require a bit more planning and patience. The production shows (Water, Ice and Broadway) are must see, but can require effort to get good seats. The pool deck is much larger than Carnival ships, but it can be challenging to get multiple seats near the pools. Great for families, but not your typical "relaxing" cruise.

[kctwinmommy]

I actually wrote up a Pros/Cons post comparing both lines. We also had only done Carnival until we did RCI this past summer. It gives you some idea of what things you'll notice between the 2. We also had our 14 year old son with, so an idea of those things too. The link is in my signature. Hope it helps!

[iamchrisstone]

I wanted to reply to each of you, but with the wifi out in the middle of the ocean, it would take half a day LOL. thanks to each of you for replying! I'm starting to think I'm a loyalist and hate to jump ship (pardon the pun haha) to another line after being loyal to one. But I guess I need to remember it's about the memories and experiences, not the "points" lol.

 

Any other thoughts or feedback?

[vacationlover_mn]

My DH and I went on Harmony this past February with another couple who are very thrifty and don't pay for extras. My DH and I did pay for one restaurant (Wonderland), but the other couple only did the free ones. They LOVED doing the Solarium for free one night. Other free activities we enjoyed were ALL of the waterslides, the dry slide, the shows, hanging out by the pool, the water show... The list goes on and on :)

[renza]

We sail a lot being we live only 40 min from Fort Lauderdale. We have been on all oasis class ships and many carnival. We loved carnival breeze, went on it 3 times before it moved to Texas. My kids like breeze more than harmony. Carnival has way more food options. Royal has few free areas and the worst pizza at sea. The entertainment is awesome on royal not so much on carnival. Either way you will enjoy. We r going on the new msc seaside in March and anthem of the seas in May. Happy sailing

 

 

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