Party of 12! Harmony of the Seas, Extended Family Style! June 12-19 2022

[js10]

Pop here--my wonderful daughter asked me to comment if I had anything to add (from a grandfather perspective?!).  Concerning the Autotrain, I had never taken it until last October when I booked a roomette for a wedding in Orlando.  It was great fun but it was only me in the room.  If you can possibly spring for the increased fare, the bedroom cabin is a much more comfortable choice for two adults.  Larger lower bed and more headroom for the upper bed.  The bathroom/shower is also nice!

[Benson09876]

Thank you for posting this review. My wife and I took a Carnival cruise back in 2005 and hated it (the inside of the ship was Pepto pink, it was like a booze cruise for a week and the restaurants were closed most of the times we were hungry).

We will be going on the Harmony July 3-10, so your review is really helpful to find out more about the ship. Our ports are different that yours but at least I will know what to expect as far as the ship is concerned.

Can't wait for the other days updates

[Merion_Mom]

4 hours ago, xtremegk said:

 

Loving your review. Jealous you guys had Louis Ramey aboard -- his is the one and only Comedy Central Presents that I have downloaded and saved in my phone's music playlist. The guy is an absolute riot.

 

He was just on the Oasis 4 weeks ago.  🙂  Funny guy.

[Merion_Mom]

3 hours ago, js10 said:

Pop here--my wonderful daughter asked me to comment if I had anything to add (from a grandfather perspective?!).  Concerning the Autotrain, I had never taken it until last October when I booked a roomette for a wedding in Orlando.  It was great fun but it was only me in the room.  If you can possibly spring for the increased fare, the bedroom cabin is a much more comfortable choice for two adults.  Larger lower bed and more headroom for the upper bed.  The bathroom/shower is also nice!

Hi, Pop!  Sounds like you are the patriarch of a great family!

[Missusdubbya]

Great review so far!

[ChristyLNDRN]

15 hours ago, xtremegk said:

 

Loving your review. Jealous you guys had Louis Ramey aboard -- his is the one and only Comedy Central Presents that I have downloaded and saved in my phone's music playlist. The guy is an absolute riot.

 

10 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

He was just on the Oasis 4 weeks ago.  🙂  Funny guy.

He was HILARIOUS.  Caught him twice, at the attic and then at the family comedy show the last night.  

 

11 hours ago, Benson09876 said:

Thank you for posting this review. My wife and I took a Carnival cruise back in 2005 and hated it (the inside of the ship was Pepto pink, it was like a booze cruise for a week and the restaurants were closed most of the times we were hungry).

We will be going on the Harmony July 3-10, so your review is really helpful to find out more about the ship. Our ports are different that yours but at least I will know what to expect as far as the ship is concerned.

Can't wait for the other days updates

Hope you love your Harmony cruise!  It’s my favorite class of ship. 

 

2 hours ago, Missusdubbya said:

Great review so far!

Thank you!

[ChristyLNDRN]

Days 2 and 3 (at sea)

 

I don’t think I’ve had a cruise that started off with two back-to-back sea days. It was a pretty relaxing way to start.  I can never sleep in on cruises, so my morning always starts off by popping down to the promenade for caffeine and a treat from cafe promenade…love that there are different types of croissants there every day and always chocolate donuts to bring back to the room for the kids for “first breakfast”.  

 

 

 

 

Favorite early am spots are in the solarium on the bridge wings or all the way aft😀

 

7 of us met for breakfast at 8 at Johnny Rockets.  Love the free breakfast here on Oasis class ships.   (Johnny Rockets is an up charge for lunch aNd dinner). It’s quite nice outside on the boardwalk in the morning.   It’s a fairly limited menu but still yummy. 

 

 

The menu seems slightly different from our last cruise on an Oasis class.  I swear there used to be omelettes…my am go-to.  Now it’s all different scrambles.  However, our server this morning said one of the scrambles could be made into an omelette so that worked!

 

I think I read about the art of  cruise ducks on these boards (hiding small rubber ducks for other passengers to find) and Suzy loved the idea.  We ordered a bunch on Amazon pre-cruise.    The kids had a “duck draft” to decide who got to hide which ones and then she spent a lot of time making tags for all the ducks.

 

 

 

She had a blast hiding ducks throughout the cruise and then sometimes seeing who found them.   Such an easy way to spread a smile.  Crew members were so thoroughly cleaning though we saw a few get picked up by crew members.   Case in point…they hid two in Central Park and then came back to our balcony to watch…

 

 

Cleaning crew member walked by and pocketed one, and then found the other and did the same!  We watched and it went in his pockets not the nearby trash so we hope he kept it!

 

She was thrilled when she found a duck that someone else hid!
 

 

She found several throughout the week and the littles loved joining in the duck hiding as well.  
 

Looks like we all spent the day exploring all the activities the ship has to offer.  Teens spent the morning together bouncing from the abyss to rock wall to flowrider to ping pong to waterslides.  Many of us signed up for the chat feature through the Royal Caribbean app to keep in touch. It was $1.99 per day ($13.99 was charged when you first started using it). It worked out pretty well to give the teens a measure of freedom to explore but still be able to check in.  Note—you do not get a notification when messages are sent, so you would have to keep going back into the app to see if someone had sent something.  I also found that my phone battery drained pretty quick when using the app. I had a few power packs, I got used to throwing one in a mini-backpack for Zach to carry around with his phone.  Had to be 13 to use the app so we couldn’t sign Suzy up for it.  She doesn’t roam alone so that was fine..she was either with Zach or an adult.  
 

For the less tech-inclined among us (I’m looking at you Pop😂) I also bought magnetic boards and markers sets ($8 each on Amazon) for everyone’s cabin door so we could leave each other notes. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

I spent a lovely morning in the solarium…my favorite spot!  Much easier to get a chair here than in main pool areas.  Mike and I hit Park Cafe for lunch.

 

The famous roast beef sandwich!

 

Edited June 24, 2022 by ChristyLNDRN
Extra pics

[Cruise a holic]

Looks like a ball!  Smiles all over!  We have a cruise in about 6 weeks and are really looking foward to it!  Enjoy.

[ChristyLNDRN]

Days 2 and 3 (sea days) continued..

 

Early seating comes very early!  Tonight was the first formal night, it was always a bit of a challenge to get the kids back to the room in time to clean up.  We decided that this is our last cruise for the four of us in one cabin—I’m going to miss the lower prices!  It has worked for us so far but it’s getting challenging to share one bathroom, and they are starting to outgrow the couch set up.   On Mariner this December, Zach’s feet hung off the pullout, and he is actually only average height for his age.  The trundle bed set up works better for them but it’s still very tight in the cabin with the trundle pulled out. We picked the CP balcony based on pricing for this cruise, and while it was fine, I really missed our usual ocean view balcony. Missed the views coming in and out of port especially.  Anyway, back to formal night..

 

Ah, yes, the teen mirror selfie🙄😂….had to get the kicks in the picture..

 

 

 

 

We met up at the schooner bar for a quick drink, and then it was off to our first meal in the dining room!

 

 

 

The tables were just as requested, an 8 top and a 4 top next to it.  We were on deck 5.  Our waiters, Sunil and Juan were AMAZING.  Excellent service every single night (we ate dinner here the remaining 6 nights).  Sunil always brought extra appetizers or entrees for the table to share whether we asked them or not…by night 4 we were begging him not to bring any more escargot😂.  When they figured out that the kids loved fruit, there were always fruit cups waiting on the table for all the kids, as well as a giant plate of strawberries for Lexi and James.  Actually, we may be single-handedly responsible for why the dining room ran out of strawberries by day 7!  They were very friendly, efficient, and just all around great.  Sunil had the best giggle!!!    Food was consistently good.  
 

 

 

 

Look!  We got Allison on camera!

 

 

 

 

After dinner tonight we had reservations for Hideaway Heist.   The aqua shows are some of my favorite entertainment that I’ve seen on a cruise ship.  So unique, and amazing what they do on a moving ship.  Love the slack line performers and the high dives are mind-blowing.   

 

 

 

There were plenty of showings throughout the cruise.  My kids went back later in the cruise and got in standby and sat in the front row in the splash zone.

 

 

 

 

Came back to the rooms later to find our first towel animals:

 

 

 

And finished off the night with some mini-golf after dark 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 24, 2022 by ChristyLNDRN
Pic

[gometros]

23 hours ago, ChristyLNDRN said:

No restrictions.  We walked back and forth to my dads room several times. 

 

Has the mask restriction been lifted? When we took it home in February, you still had to wear a mask when out of your room.

[ChristyLNDRN]

2 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

Looks like a ball!  Smiles all over!  We have a cruise in about 6 weeks and are really looking foward to it!  Enjoy.

Have a great trip!

 

12 minutes ago, gometros said:

 

Has the mask restriction been lifted? When we took it home in February, you still had to wear a mask when out of your room.

 

Yes, the mask restrictions on Amtrak have been lifted.  Masks not required on the train for passengers or employees. 

[LuCruise]

I'm silently following...but just have to say what an amazing review....and what a lovely family you have!  Your youngest one reminds me of my daughter when she was younger, liking to wear pretty dresses. 🙂

[Jimbo]

19 hours ago, js10 said:

Pop here--my wonderful daughter asked me to comment if I had anything to add (from a grandfather perspective?!).  Concerning the Autotrain, I had never taken it until last October when I booked a roomette for a wedding in Orlando.  It was great fun but it was only me in the room.  If you can possibly spring for the increased fare, the bedroom cabin is a much more comfortable choice for two adults.  Larger lower bed and more headroom for the upper bed.  The bathroom/shower is also nice!

Thanks for checking in, From the pictures and dimensions I have seen I think you are right, The Roomette would be pretty small for 2 adults, The Bedroom Cabin looked to be twice the size of a Roomette.  Do you believe that is a accurate assumption?  I think that is what we will do if we decide to go  with the train.

 

You took your own cars down to Florida on the train, so did you all drive back or use the train again for your return home back to Lofton, Va.

[js10]

Yes, I would guess that twice the size is right on the mark, way more when the beds are made.  I still remember trying to put on my socks in the roomette when the bed was still in place.  There could not have been more than a foot of space between the edge of the bed and the door!  Also the lower bed is set up as a couch during the day with lots of storage space and the ability to lie down while still preserving the open space in the cabin.

[js10]

Sorry, missed the second question.  Yes, drove back from Florida.  Daughter's family did it in one day, took me three!

[Honeyroastedmelnut]

Thank you for taking the time to post this. I will be on the Harmony in a little less than a month with extended family. Different itinerary but so nice to have recent/post COVID reviews.

[ChristyLNDRN]

Day 2 Compass

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jerseygirl1416]

What a great review and a lovely family! Thanks for taking the time😊

[ChristyLNDRN]

Day 3 (sea day)

Best place to start the day!
 

 

 

 

Breakfast was in the MDR this morning  (deck 3) with some of our group.  I recommend going close to opening (8 am) if possible as there was a decent line to get in by the time we left at 8:50.  A nice relaxing option for breakfast as opposed to the windjammer. I was warned when I ordered my omelette that it would “take some time” which was fine since we weren’t in a rush.  Well, actually Zach was in a rush to get to the flowrider at 9 but that’s another story LOL.  My omelette did arrive after everyone else’s food but not significantly so.  And it was hot and delicious so worth the wait.

 

Check out the Suzy time-lapse from our last Harmony cruise in 2018!

 

 

My beautiful Suzanna was a 28 week preemie.  She was only 2 lbs 11 oz when she was born, and she’s still on the small size for her age so she surprises people that she’s almost 13.  Tiny but tough…I always tell Zach not to start stuff because she will finish it!

 

Boys entered the all-ages ping pong tournament today and survived a few rounds!

 

Suzy and I did the abyss a few times and then watched rehearsals for Fine Line while waiting for the rock wall.

 

 

Dan and Ethan had lunch at Izumi and said it was awesome!  He tried to get reservations again  for later in the week but it was booked solid.  
 

Always time for pools and hot tubs on a sea day!

 

And thank you Mike for telling Sunil we were celebrating my birthday…from March 2020 when my 40th bday cruise got cancelled.  Since I finally got my birthday cake on a ship I guess that means I have to acknowledge my age now😂

 

Central Park was a great spot for family pics after dinner 

 

 

 

And this is one of my favorite pics of the trip…finally Suzy has a girl buddy after all those boy cousins!

 

Tonight’s show was Grease!  We took the older kids while the littles were happy to hang in the kids club.

 

 

Show was great and apparently so was the club…..(Insert pirate “Aaaaaarrrrr” here….)

 

 

Next up….St. Kitts!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 24, 2022 by ChristyLNDRN
Pic

[ChristyLNDRN]

3 hours ago, LuCruise said:

I'm silently following...but just have to say what an amazing review....and what a lovely family you have!  Your youngest one reminds me of my daughter when she was younger, liking to wear pretty dresses. 🙂

Thanks for following❤️
 

33 minutes ago, Honeyroastedmelnut said:

Thank you for taking the time to post this. I will be on the Harmony in a little less than a month with extended family. Different itinerary but so nice to have recent/post COVID reviews.

 

Enjoy!  It’s a great ship for an extended family group. 
 

19 minutes ago, Jerseygirl1416 said:

What a great review and a lovely family! Thanks for taking the time😊

Thanks for reading along😀

[ChristyLNDRN]

Day 3 Compass

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bobmacliberty]

Great review so far.  What a nice extended family.  Our daughters loved vacationing with their cousins, since they didn't get to see them too often.  We never cruised together as a large family though.  That would have been fantastic.  

 

And after about 25, you never have to admit your real age, until you get to senior discount age. 

[ChristyLNDRN]

15 hours ago, bobmacliberty said:

Great review so far.  What a nice extended family.  Our daughters loved vacationing with their cousins, since they didn't get to see them too often.  We never cruised together as a large family though.  That would have been fantastic.  

 

And after about 25, you never have to admit your real age, until you get to senior discount age. 

LOL I like that!   And yes it’s a such a treat for the cousins to see each other.   

[ChristyLNDRN]

Day 4–Good Morning St. Kitts!

 

 

 

 

Mike almost always forgets to pack his binoculars on vacation…not this time!

 

 

 

Bridge wing was one of our favorite spots to watch the ship approach 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A good view of just how far forward their ocean view balcony 11538 is…pic taken by Allison from the balcony looking forward at the bridge/bridge wing

 

 

 

 

 

I love the forward locations’s proximity to the solarium bistro.   Another nice alternative to the windjammer.   Less selection, but definitely less crowded.  I piled a few plates up and then met the kids at some nice chairs just outside the top deck of the solarium. 
 

 

 

Looks like Dan delivered breakfast to the littles on their balcony…that’s the view in port I miss having the CP balcony.  

 

 

 

 

 

[ChristyLNDRN]

With the age range of our group, I struggled a bit with what to do in St. Kitts.  Taking into consideration need for shade, facilities, not wanting to go too far from port, I discovered that the Marriott resort offered day passes.  While you can reserve on resort for a day, it was much cheaper to go directly through the resort.  Here’s what you get and the contact info:

 

 

Obligatory ship pics as we walked to find a taxi 

 

 

 

We found a taxi large enough to hold us all.  It was $5pp plus tip and about a 15 minute ride.  We also got our driver’s business card and made arrangements to call for him to come back for us around 2:30. 
 

We checked in at the main desk in the hotel lobby, all received wrist bands, and headed to the beach. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were tons of shade huts available.  There was also a ton of seaweed (sargassum?) although a central area had been cleared.  The beach was not crowded at all.  However, the water looked a little rough for swimming so we ended up moving to the pool area fairly quickly and that’s where we spent the rest of the day. It was also not crowded, service was friendly and an altogether enjoyable place to spend the day for our group.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lunch menu.  Restaurant right behind the swim up bar.  Food a little pricey although we did get 10% discount.  There was also a pizza restaurant near the pool which was a better value ($20 for a large pizza).  Both pizza and food from the menu was good.