Just back from Harmony - 5/19 to 5/26 - AMAZING!

[myacuna]

I am still in recovery mode but wanted to post a few thoughts and answer any questions! Travelers are me (37), my husband (39) and our son (4.5) so I can probably give you lots of info on Adventure Ocean!

 

Embarkation and debarkation: super super easy! We decided to park at Park Port Canaveral/Radisson to save a few dollars. Drove over from Disney the am of the cruise, parked, had our luggage loaded, and then waited. It was approx 20 min which was my only complaint about them. Drive to port was simple and fast, and porters were right there to take luggage. Time though security and check in was nearly non-existent and we were onboard within 20 min of arrival. When we left, luggage tag was 27, we were up by 7:15 and off the ship by 8:40. Porters took luggage and we bypassed any lines at customs. Bus was waiting for us and we were on the road quickly.

 

Food: Always a subjective subject but generally I thought the food was good to great. We are not breakfast people but preferred to go to Park Café over other venues. This is where we had embarkation lunch and debarkation breakfast. We ate dinner in MDR 3 nights (2 in the MTD restaurant and once in traditional dining since they had extra space).

• Wonderland was great (for me) as I love seafood...husband was not as impressed. I thought overall that the venue on Anthem is above and beyond better than the Harmony location, but the food was equal, as was service. This was a miss and we probably would not go back again just the two of us.
• 150 Central Park - service was above and beyond lovely. The lavender cucumber martini was a highlight, but food overall was just...food. Nothing to write home about and probably our least favorite specialty. The ambiance was stuffy and drab. We will not be back.
• Chops - always consistent and always good. We asked to sit "outside" at CP and people watch while dining. This allowed a little more of a causal experience and a nice time spent with my husband. Food, as usual, was great for us.
• Jamies - not a popular opinion, but this is always our favorite. Service was impeccable, we love that we can sample a few dishes in a smaller portion, and we felt comfortable brining our child (who fell asleep in the middle of dinner).
• Sabor - huge letdown and not worth the upcharge.

Note: we celebrated our 10 year anniversary on this trip (May 9, so a little late). Every restaurant brought out a dessert and sang to us which was cute.

 

Spa/Gym: I got the unlimited class pass which was a waste of money. The "bootcamp" class was lame and I could have just done it myself (off the pamphlet the guy was reading from). While all the guys were nice in there, the 30 min workouts were nothing to write home about. I actually asked for a refund and was turned down. Live and learn. My husband and I got a couples massage as well...it was nice and quiet and relaxing but was more for him as I have the best masseuse at home for a fraction of the cost and who is worlds better. But still worth some quite time!

 

Shows: In order of preference - Fine Line, Grease, Columbus, 1887, Hideaway Heist, Headliner. Fine Line was amazing for its music and performers, and we had a lovely time chatting with the twirling guy while returning from an excursion. The Headliner (Jeff Trachta) was awful and we walked out mid-performance. I know people liked him, and maybe some of his shows are better than others...but he was not funny nor were his impressions all that good. I will say, the performers on this ship are top-notch. We had the pleasure of watching the grease/Columbus actors sing at the jazz club and they are the real deal. Best shows I have seen on a ship, hands down.

 

Casino: Appreciated the ample non-smoking space and left generally not smelling like an ash tray. Didn't lose much and husband did well at blackjack.

 

Pool/other: Did not spend as much time at the pool(s) as we wanted to. But when we did, they were warm and not busy. I did see that they got crowded, especially on a sea day. We spent more time at the splash pad area, which my son loved. He wishes he was tall enough for the big slides (which were fun), but still made friends and found entertainment there. We all loved the abyss (by all, I mean the 4 year old...us parents got a bit dizzy), kiddo loved the climbing thing and the carousel, and balloon animal makers....really, there is way more to do on this ship then time!!

 

Adventure ocean: There are definitely repeats to the topics and projects. This is not a big deal for a 4 year old, but could be for older. There were also a ton of kids. I am not sure what was up with mine, but he cried at the thought of going and then had a great time. So, I think it was a combo of being overwhelmed and overtired. We love AO and will continue to sail RCCL because we know the kids club is great. We also appreciate the late night option and used it! The family showing of Away We Go blacklight puppet show was amazing and one of the best shows on the ship (not noted above). We also made slime in the lab which was crowded and hot, but fun for a few min.

 

Ports - Perfect Day was perfect. We did NOT do any pay items and still had more than enough to do. The splash pad areas are beyond perfect...the ocean was glorious, ample seating everywhere, and the pool was huge and refreshing, It did get party-esque later in the day but you can avoid that. Note for kids; no jumping and no floating mats in the pool. San Juan was fun (we have been there before) and easy to get around. St. Martin is our favorite and we spent the day at Orient Beach.

 

Overall this was our fave ship - first time on an Oasis class and super happy to have Harmony at PC. We loved the itinerary and would 100% sail again and hope to soon!

 

Happy to answer any questions!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GTO-Girl]

We are boarding the Harmony on June 16th and again on August 25th. We love the Oasis class ships!

 

We cannot wait!!

[Judyrem]

20 minutes ago, myacuna said:

I am still in recovery mode but wanted to post a few thoughts and answer any questions! Travelers are me (37), my husband (39) and our son (4.5) so I can probably give you lots of info on Adventure Ocean!

 

Embarkation and debarkation: super super easy! We decided to park at Park Port Canaveral/Radisson to save a few dollars. Drove over from Disney the am of the cruise, parked, had our luggage loaded, and then waited. It was approx 20 min which was my only complaint about them. Drive to port was simple and fast, and porters were right there to take luggage. Time though security and check in was nearly non-existent and we were onboard within 20 min of arrival. When we left, luggage tag was 27, we were up by 7:15 and off the ship by 8:40. Porters took luggage and we bypassed any lines at customs. Bus was waiting for us and we were on the road quickly.

 

Food: Always a subjective subject but generally I thought the food was good to great. We are not breakfast people but preferred to go to Park Café over other venues. This is where we had embarkation lunch and debarkation breakfast. We ate dinner in MDR 3 nights (2 in the MTD restaurant and once in traditional dining since they had extra space).

• Wonderland was great (for me) as I love seafood...husband was not as impressed. I thought overall that the venue on Anthem is above and beyond better than the Harmony location, but the food was equal, as was service. This was a miss and we probably would not go back again just the two of us.
• 150 Central Park - service was above and beyond lovely. The lavender cucumber martini was a highlight, but food overall was just...food. Nothing to write home about and probably our least favorite specialty. The ambiance was stuffy and drab. We will not be back.
• Chops - always consistent and always good. We asked to sit "outside" at CP and people watch while dining. This allowed a little more of a causal experience and a nice time spent with my husband. Food, as usual, was great for us.
• Jamies - not a popular opinion, but this is always our favorite. Service was impeccable, we love that we can sample a few dishes in a smaller portion, and we felt comfortable brining our child (who fell asleep in the middle of dinner).
• Sabor - huge letdown and not worth the upcharge.

Note: we celebrated our 10 year anniversary on this trip (May 9, so a little late). Every restaurant brought out a dessert and sang to us which was cute.

 

Spa/Gym: I got the unlimited class pass which was a waste of money. The "bootcamp" class was lame and I could have just done it myself (off the pamphlet the guy was reading from). While all the guys were nice in there, the 30 min workouts were nothing to write home about. I actually asked for a refund and was turned down. Live and learn. My husband and I got a couples massage as well...it was nice and quiet and relaxing but was more for him as I have the best masseuse at home for a fraction of the cost and who is worlds better. But still worth some quite time!

 

Shows: In order of preference - Fine Line, Grease, Columbus, 1887, Hideaway Heist, Headliner. Fine Line was amazing for its music and performers, and we had a lovely time chatting with the twirling guy while returning from an excursion. The Headliner (Jeff Trachta) was awful and we walked out mid-performance. I know people liked him, and maybe some of his shows are better than others...but he was not funny nor were his impressions all that good. I will say, the performers on this ship are top-notch. We had the pleasure of watching the grease/Columbus actors sing at the jazz club and they are the real deal. Best shows I have seen on a ship, hands down.

 

Casino: Appreciated the ample non-smoking space and left generally not smelling like an ash tray. Didn't lose much and husband did well at blackjack.

 

Pool/other: Did not spend as much time at the pool(s) as we wanted to. But when we did, they were warm and not busy. I did see that they got crowded, especially on a sea day. We spent more time at the splash pad area, which my son loved. He wishes he was tall enough for the big slides (which were fun), but still made friends and found entertainment there. We all loved the abyss (by all, I mean the 4 year old...us parents got a bit dizzy), kiddo loved the climbing thing and the carousel, and balloon animal makers....really, there is way more to do on this ship then time!!

 

Adventure ocean: There are definitely repeats to the topics and projects. This is not a big deal for a 4 year old, but could be for older. There were also a ton of kids. I am not sure what was up with mine, but he cried at the thought of going and then had a great time. So, I think it was a combo of being overwhelmed and overtired. We love AO and will continue to sail RCCL because we know the kids club is great. We also appreciate the late night option and used it! The family showing of Away We Go blacklight puppet show was amazing and one of the best shows on the ship (not noted above). We also made slime in the lab which was crowded and hot, but fun for a few min.

 

Ports - Perfect Day was perfect. We did NOT do any pay items and still had more than enough to do. The splash pad areas are beyond perfect...the ocean was glorious, ample seating everywhere, and the pool was huge and refreshing, It did get party-esque later in the day but you can avoid that. Note for kids; no jumping and no floating mats in the pool. San Juan was fun (we have been there before) and easy to get around. St. Martin is our favorite and we spent the day at Orient Beach.

 

Overall this was our fave ship - first time on an Oasis class and super happy to have Harmony at PC. We loved the itinerary and would 100% sail again and hope to soon!

 

Happy to answer any questions!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Concise good review!  Thanks, my grandaughter and I are going on  Harmony in July.

[Sea Dog]

Great review! We will be on Harmony in October. I've heard good and bad as far as Central Park 150. I'm hoping that it will be good for us. 

[myacuna]

8 minutes ago, Swank Pad G said:

Great review! We will be on Harmony in October. I've heard good and bad as far as Central Park 150. I'm hoping that it will be good for us. 

 

It wasn't bad...nothing was glaringly bad about it!! It just was not my favorite and coupled with the fact that it was dark and quiet in there, it just didn't fit the vibe I was going for. The food, overall, was great and so was service, The fried cheesecake was not good though!!

[Cbenne16]

We are leaving this Sunday to go on Harmony.  We picked Deck 6 as we wanted to be sort of in the middle of the "action" so to speak.  Why were you disappointed in Sabor?  That was one of the places I was looking forward to, being so close to it.  Thanks!

[Snit13]

150 Central Park has always been my favorite and I am so looking forward to it in November.  It reminds me of Murano's on Celebrity.  Love the upscale atmosphere and have always found the food very good.  But then, anything/anywhere on ship is better for me than MDR for me.

[myacuna]

15 minutes ago, Cbenne16 said:

We are leaving this Sunday to go on Harmony.  We picked Deck 6 as we wanted to be sort of in the middle of the "action" so to speak.  Why were you disappointed in Sabor?  That was one of the places I was looking forward to, being so close to it.  Thanks!

 

We were on 7 and found that it was the perfect location, so 6 should be just as good. I guess we get really really good Mexican where I live so I am spoiled. Service at Sabor was awesome (as was everywhere on harmony). The food was just not worth $20 pp to me. I will say, the guac was good, the pico was good, and the bacon wrapped chicken was awesome. My husband hated his quesadilla and said my son's cheese quesadilla was better. My shrimp tacos were just ok (did not expect fried, I guess). I would have rather it been ala caret TBH. Again, not bad but I would go back if I had unlimited dining.

[myacuna]

5 minutes ago, Snit13 said:

150 Central Park has always been my favorite and I am so looking forward to it in November.  It reminds me of Murano's on Celebrity.  Love the upscale atmosphere and have always found the food very good.  But then, anything/anywhere on ship is better for me than MDR for me.

 

Ha! I did NOT hate MDR this time for once. The service was lightening fast, even on the first night. And overall, the people around us were nice (except the giant table of kids who were horrible and the parents that did nothing about it....).

 

I would still take 150 over MDR, but in weighing extra costs, I felt it was towards the bottom. I just was not in love.

[myacuna]

I will also add that we had the 3 night dining package at $89 pp plus our TA gave us a night as well, so for $22 per night, we did not make out bad on this deal.

[RazorbackIslandGirl]

Thank you for sharing! We will be back on her in Sept. I don't think 150 CP has been the same since they stopped doing the fixed menu w/ wine pairings. I thought it was much better then. I agree with your opinion of Sabor. I found the food to be just OK. We did enjoy the guacamole as an afternoon snack or light lunch. They also have a nice selection of tequila. Harmony is one of my favorite ships. This will be the first time in several years we board at PC. I'm glad to hear it was a smooth embarkation & debarkation. Any tips for boarding? What time did they start the boarding process there?

[myacuna]

4 minutes ago, RazorbackIslandGirl said:

Any tips for boarding? What time did they start the boarding process there?

 

Not really! We were like an hour late for our "boarding appointment" because the boys were being pokey leaving from Orlando, but it was a non-issue. Boarding started right around 10:30 from what I remember. It seems like for 6500 people boarding, these people know what they are doing!

[Sea Dog]

2 hours ago, myacuna said:

 

It wasn't bad...nothing was glaringly bad about it!! It just was not my favorite and coupled with the fact that it was dark and quiet in there, it just didn't fit the vibe I was going for. The food, overall, was great and so was service, The fried cheesecake was not good though!!

Thank you for your review. We will still go as we a 3 night dining pkg. I am excited for the cucumber martini!!

[mickeygirl78]

Sounds like you had a great trip, thanks for sharing.  I'm booked on the Harmony for October.  It will be my first time on Harmony, however I have sailed on Symphony and Oasis.

 

I have a question about the specialty dining, since it looks like you did quite a few.  I'm thinking of buying the 3 day package.  Do you only get 1 app, 1 entrée and 1 dessert?  Do you have recommendations for your favorite dishes?  We are planning Chops, Jamie's and 150 Central Park.

[myacuna]

13 minutes ago, mickeygirl78 said:

 Do you only get 1 app, 1 entrée and 1 dessert?  Do you have recommendations for your favorite dishes?  We are planning Chops, Jamie's and 150 Central Park.

 

We were able to get multiple apps and desserts if we wanted (and we did in some places). Usually only one entrée though.

 

Here what I liked:

Central Park Martini

Scallops app (150)

Crispy goat cheese salad (chops)

Tuna Tartare (chops)

Grilled Branzino (chops)

My husbands bone in ribeye (chops)

Sides: Tots, asparagus, spinach

Literally everything at Jamies (meat board, arancini, ricotta bruschetta, penne carbonara, epic brownie, cheesecake)...

[Artemus]

Great Trip Report. Thanks for sharing. Why are you wearing stocking caps❓

[myacuna]

Just now, Artemus said:

Great Trip Report. Thanks for sharing. Why are you wearing stocking caps❓

 

Picture of us from Christmas time. I should update

[Artemus]

Haha, great picture ‼️

[katiel53]

2 hours ago, myacuna said:

 

 

I would still take 150 over MDR, but in weighing extra costs, I felt it was towards the bottom. I just was not in love.

I agree with you and I was very disappointed in 150.  I had the lobster Thermidor and it was only 1 small lobster tail filled with dry Thermidor.  I saw a picture of it on Allure after our trip and there were 2 tails and it didn't look dry at all.  I also didn't care for the fried cheesecake.

 

I did love the beet salad though.  The tenderloin for 2 looked really good, but it was a huge mistake for me to get the lobster.

 

I also don't care for Sabor.  The soup was just ok.  I ordered a steak quesadilla and ended up with a chicken taco.  How that happened, I will never know, but service was so very slow that I didn't want to wait another half an hour to get what I ordered.  The chicken for the taco was like a stewed chicken in some tomatoey sauce and the taco was a small pancake instead of a flour tortilla or a corn tortilla.  It was too thick and doughy.  I don't think it' s worth the money, even though I did love the guac. It's definitely not a place I'd repeat.

[Snit13]

1 hour ago, katiel53 said:

I agree with you and I was very disappointed in 150.  I had the lobster Thermidor and it was only 1 small lobster tail filled with dry Thermidor.  I saw a picture of it on Allure after our trip and there were 2 tails and it didn't look dry at all.  I also didn't care for the fried cheesecake.

 

I did love the beet salad though.  The tenderloin for 2 looked really good, but it was a huge mistake for me to get the 

Curious as to why you did not send it back and order a different dish.  When I am paying their prices and I do not like what I ordered I always send it back.  They really want you to be happy and enjoy.  Was fried cheescake the only thing you could order?

[katiel53]

1 minute ago, Snit13 said:

Curious as to why you did not send it back and order a different dish.  When I am paying their prices and I do not like what I ordered I always send it back.  They really want you to be happy and enjoy.  Was fried cheescake the only thing you could order?

I am not one to return items.  I would just not eat the item, as I did after a couple of tastes of the Thermidor.  The waiter saw that I didn't eat it, but never asked or made any comment.  So, I guess you would say it's on me.  I would have thought the waiter would ask or mention that I left everything on the plate, but who knows why he didn't?

 

Regarding the fried cheesecake, I'm sure there were other things on the menu for dessert, but cheesecake is one of my favs so I thought I would try it.  It was not for me, but it might be for others.

 

 

[villager70]

Thanks for the review. We are going on Harmony east in Aug. & west in  Sept.  Have read several post that the formal nights have been changed to  night  THREE instead of the normal night two because of CoCo Cay.   Can you advise what two nights your cruise had.   Appt.  shows dinning but  not until much closer.   Thanks in advance .   Bob & Nancy

[FTD]

Yes,  formal nights were days 3 and 6.  This was on eastern route.  Coco Cay

on day 2 is why sea day (3) is formal.

 

FWIW We went on May 12th.  Had a great time.  Doing it again August 25 but this time in a GS.  We want to experience the CK and SL.

[villager70]

12 minutes ago, FTD said:

Yes,  formal nights were days 3 and 6.  This was on eastern route.  Coco Cay

on day 2 is why sea day (3) is formal.

 

FWIW We went on May 12th.  Had a great time.  Doing it again August 25 but this time in a GS.  We want to experience the CK and SL.

Thanks for the info. Read today they had changed to night  three.     You will like coastal. First night filet is very good.   Were in Grand in Jan but these two coming up have gone back to Jr. on deck 8 & seven. We will be there also on 25th Aug. & Sept.29th.