Live Review - Harmony of the Seas 2/18-2/26 Southern Caribbean

[DaKahuna]

First drama.  Flight from EWR to IAD is 25 minutes delayed. Looks like an Lyft/Uber home instead of dinner with our daughter. She’s got an early meeting tomorrow morning for work. 

[Stratford1950]

DaKahuna…

I have a question about smoking on the Harmony.

My brother just boarded the Oasis today and of course headed to the Solarium. He was shocked to find people smoking in the loungers behind the bar in the shade.

Was smoking allowed in the Solarium on the Harmony?

[DaKahuna]

1 hour ago, Stratford1950 said:

DaKahuna…

I have a question about smoking on the Harmony.

My brother just boarded the Oasis today and of course headed to the Solarium. He was shocked to find people smoking in the loungers behind the bar in the shade.

Was smoking allowed in the Solarium on the Harmony?

Not that I am aware of.  The only smoking areas I know of were those outside the enclosed areas. 
 

He should report them to the crew. 
 

[Sigyn]

8 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

Disembarkation was interesting.  There was at least a 30 minute line of people doing self assist. 
 

Suite passengers who did not do self assist were  able to start leaving the ship around 0730.  We were off the ship and only with little difficulty were able to find all three of our bags and go to customs where facial ID worked without issue.

 

Ordered Lyft and only had a 6 minute wait. 
 

By 0830 we were sitting in the United Club Lounge at C Gates.  So an hour from the gangway to the gates.  This included the extra time it too to renew out ID’s for Clear. 
 

I tank everyone for following along on our ‘adventure’.  My next cruise and live post will be in April when we sail Celebrity Millennium from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles.  This will be documented on the Celebrity CC Board. 
 

bon voyage! 
 

 

I read about the Veteran's tribute on board. Thank you for your service. That is wonderful to hear Royal offers that to veterans.

 

It's interesting that you will be on the Millennium next. We are doing similar cruise lives. I will be on the Harmony in April and then the next cruise is the Millennium in July. I look forward to hearing what you think of it, since it will be my first time on that ship, too. 

[Rusty_lock]

On 2/23/2023 at 7:37 PM, DaKahuna said:

Upon arrival back on the ship, I went to my cabin and washed off my injured areas and, as by directed by the driver/tour guide, went down to Medical on deck two, my DW also insisted. 
 

I was attended to by medical and sfter filling out a report and consenting to pictures being taken my the Public Safety officer, the nurse applied antiseptic ointment to my arm and knee, placed a bandage over the area where the cut was on my arm, and since I had no idea when my last tetanus shot was, gave me a tetanus shot for good measure. Oh, also there was paperwork describing when, where, and what happened.

 

I am sure I will be sore in the morning but for now, I am more embarrassed than physically hurt.

 

Time to finish my double Belvedere and Sprite Zero and call it a night.

 

Thanks for the great review!

 

How much did the medical visit cost?

Edited February 26, 2023 by Rusty_lock

[topnole]

3 hours ago, Stratford1950 said:

DaKahuna…

I have a question about smoking on the Harmony.

My brother just boarded the Oasis today and of course headed to the Solarium. He was shocked to find people smoking in the loungers behind the bar in the shade.

Was smoking allowed in the Solarium on the Harmony?

I’m pretty certain it is not.  Lots of

folks smoke/vape in places where it is prohibited. Definitely rude and annoying.  The employees seem afraid to say anything.  They must not want to get in trouble.  

[loman]

On 2/24/2023 at 9:54 AM, poocher said:

And I am definitely the minority opinion here 😁.  You could not drag me to Grease or Mamma Mia.  Just not my cup of tea.

Im with you on Mamma Mia . 

Will see Grease in a few months but will sit on the end of the row just in case 🙂

[DaKahuna]

17 hours ago, Rusty_lock said:

Thanks for the great review!

 

How much did the medical visit cost?

 

 Thank you. 

 

 I only saw a $0.00 charge from medical on my onboard account.  I have not received my final statement, which should come via email today or tomorrow but do not really expect to be billed. 

 

[DaKahuna]

17 hours ago, njsmom said:

I read about the Veteran's tribute on board. Thank you for your service. That is wonderful to hear Royal offers that to veterans.

 

 
It was very moving and very well done.  One of the few times I enjoyed listening to the Cruise Director.  I was impressed at how well attended it was.  The Captain, Cruise Director, and others that hosted it spoke from the Rising Tide Bar that was raised up above the level of Deck 5, where the guest were gathered.  i was on the rail at the Schooner Bar and had a great view. 

 

When we had lunch together Captain Marshall did say that he was very honored to be able to recognize the veterans, first responders, doctors, and nurses for their service.  

[DaKahuna]

17 hours ago, njsmom said:

It's interesting that you will be on the Millennium next. We are doing similar cruise lives. I will be on the Harmony in April and then the next cruise is the Millennium in July. I look forward to hearing what you think of it, since it will be my first time on that ship, too. 

 

 I am planning another live Review similar to this one on the Celebrity forum so please feel free to follow along there.  I have older reviews of our December 2021 B2B on Celebrity Reflection, and our 12 Day Southern Caribbean on Celebrity Silhouette last April.  Lots of pictures in those reviews. 

 

[DaKahuna]

13 hours ago, loman said:

Im with you on Mamma Mia . 

Will see Grease in a few months but will sit on the end of the row just in case 🙂

 

 I did not think Grease was horrible but it was also not the best show we have seen at sea.   I put it just ahead of Cats, only because it was much shorter, but I thought the vocalist in Cats were better.  

 

[DaKahuna]

Now that I have sailed on both, I thought I would contrast likes / dislikes between Quantum and Harmony.

 

1. Suite Lounge --

     View: I give Quantum the nod for this only because of the serenity and the view.  The Suite Lounge was not overly crowded, except just before Coastal Kitchen opened for Dinner on Harmony and it was peaceful but the view of the kiddie splash pool is no where near as enjoyable as the floor to ceiling view of the wake from the Quantum Suite Lounge. 

     Bar:  The nod here definitely goes to Harmony.  The bar being in the lounge, although there were only five or six chairs was wonderful.  The bar staff and servers in the lounge were very personable and make it a pleasant place to enjoy a drink or three.  I had a night cap there almost every night and had a good time getting samples of things I had never heard of or tried, e.g. the texas bourbons. 

 

2.  Coastal Kitchen --  the nod here goes to Quantum.  While the menu was very similar the ability to ask for things that were off menu, e.g. some fried rice from Windjammer, on Quantum was great.  Having the Windjammer so close and the staff willing to either obtain,  prepare, and or have ready things from there was great.  I even overheard a couple of people asking for items from the Windjammer and being served them, e.g. curry and tandori chicken.   

 

Also always pleasant and personable, the Assistant Maitre'd who ran the CK on Quantum was amazing.  She stopped by our table and talked with us every meal.  I believe the fact that CK was busier on Harmony may have prevented this,  it did seem she had time for a few other tables but never hours.  

 

Lastly, and this is something I mentioned specifically in my feedback response this morning - the simple things, such as slippers in the suite, seem to be lacking on Harmony.  

 

All in all it was a wonderful cruise but this is the first time we have sailed Royal Caribbean where we did not book a future cruise with them, also something I mentioned in our feedback response.  Not that we will not but at this point we do not feel compelled to sail as we did in the past. 

 

[Tulsacoker]

Thanks DaKahuna, seems like Stacey and I are following you around..  Quantum, then Harmony in April then Celebrity (our first Celebrity) so no need for us to blog a live review. 🙂

[DaKahuna]

2 hours ago, Tulsacoker said:

Thanks DaKahuna, seems like Stacey and I are following you around..  Quantum, then Harmony in April then Celebrity (our first Celebrity) so no need for us to blog a live review. 🙂

 

LoL.  But you know that is not really true.  Remember, you are going to have to live review so people can enjoy your experiences at the Speciality Restaurants, e.g. Wonderland, the pools, night clubs, and all those other things you younger generation like to do while I am napping or drinking wine on my balcony.  (Went quickly went through both our C&A amenity bottles so I had to replenish a few days into the cruise.)

 

Also thanks to @Sea Dog I discovered a wonderful drink that was replicated perfectly by Mapula in the Suite Lounge that you'll have go try -- cucumber martini.  Absolutely delicious.  I will be having my fare share of them on Millennium come April.  So forego a glass of white wine every once in a while and have one of those. 

 

 

[Sea Dog]

2 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

Also thanks to @Sea Dog I discovered a wonderful drink that was replicated perfectly by Mapula in the Suite Lounge that you'll have go try -- cucumber martini.  Absolutely delicious.

My pleasure! I’m glad you liked it.

[DaKahuna]

17 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

My pleasure! I’m glad you liked it.

 

 I did .. both in the restaurant and then again in the Suite Lounge.  

 Our next cruise is with Celebrity and can't wait to see what those geniuses at the Martini Bar can come up with for a cucumber martini. 

 

[Sea Dog]

4 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 I did .. both in the restaurant and then again in the Suite Lounge.  

 Our next cruise is with Celebrity and can't wait to see what those geniuses at the Martini Bar can come up with for a cucumber martini. 

 

Also try:

Lavender Martini 

Elderflower Martini

[topnole]

7 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 Thank you. 

 

 I only saw a $0.00 charge from medical on my onboard account.  I have not received my final statement, which should come via email today or tomorrow but do not really expect to be billed. 

 

I would be very surprised if you were billed.  

[DaKahuna]

My wife and I were talking yesterday and tonday about our cruise experience and a couple of things that I should have pointed out I neglected to do.  

 

1.  We did not ask our room attendant to bring us ice twice a day.  We never mentioned ice at any point at all.  As a result, we did not receive ice in the ice bucket at any point during the cruise. 

 

2.  When we first meet our room attendant we always ask for extra sheets to use to cover the couch and chairs.  This is the first time the room attendant did not cover the couch and chairs - he left the sheets on the bed and we did it ourselves.   He did straighten the sheet on the couch up once or twice but did not do it every day.  

 

3.  I had requested in my pre-embarkation communications with the Suite Consierge's a kettle to make hot water in the room.  I was informed there were none available.  We asked our room attendant for one and he had no problem getting it for us ( I mentioned this earlier).  

 

4. All of the wait staff in CK were friendly and excellent.  We had differernt wait staff for breakfast and lunch but the same waitress every night for dinner.  The two host, assume Maintre'd and assistant were very personable but always seemed very busy.  Our eating. a 6:30 pm everything put us right in the busiest time but neither of the two every seemed to have time to stop by our table and engage with us for any length of time.  This was totally different experience that what we had on Quantum.  The Assistant Maitre'D made a point of talking with us a couple of times at almost every meal.  

 

5.  We noticed that unlike every other Royal Caribbean ship we have sailed on, including Quantum last year, there was a waiter or assistant waiter going around with a basket of pastries and offering them.  We did not see this happen at any breakfast, and we ate in CK all but two mornings.  There were pastries on the counter in the Lounge area but we did not see them being offered to diners eating in CK at all.  I never paid that much attention until my wife mentioned it so I thought I would let others know in case it was a one off. 

 

6. Both Elaine and Junior, the Suite Concierge's were excellent.  However, they were very busy as well and I did not see them circulating in the lounge area engaging with guest.  I again this is was a result of every suite on the ship being booked and quite a few people needing their assistance with one thing or another.  The only time we asked for any help from them was arranging a lunch in Izumi.  I was unable to book it using the app so I asked Junior and he was able to get a lunch reservation for us.  If you need some assistance, do not hesitate to ask them for help.  They seem to bend over backwards to help in any way they can. 

 

 

[perfect match]

Thank you @DaKahuna, for an excellent and informative review. I will be watching for your upcoming Celebrity review, as we have been considering giving them a try.

[DaKahuna]

3 minutes ago, perfect match said:

Thank you @DaKahuna, for an excellent and informative review. I will be watching for your upcoming Celebrity review, as we have been considering giving them a try.

 

 We love Celebrity and it is going to be interesting to see if there are as many little things that have changed on Celebrity like they have on Royal Caribbean. 

 

[Tulsacoker]

I'll be interested on your take between the SL/CK and the Retreat 

[SteelCityCruiser10]

21 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 We love Celebrity and it is going to be interesting to see if there are as many little things that have changed on Celebrity like they have on Royal Caribbean. 

 

Gonna have to venture over to the X  boards for that one!  i keep hearing great things about Celebrity and especially the suite program.  Will you be in a suite? 

 

Thanks for taking the time out of your vacation to include us all!!  

Cheers 🍻 

[DaKahuna]

2 hours ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

Gonna have to venture over to the X  boards for that one!  i keep hearing great things about Celebrity and especially the suite program.  Will you be in a suite? 

 

Thanks for taking the time out of your vacation to include us all!!  

Cheers 🍻 

 
We enjoy Celebrity a lot.  It is a lot more laid back than RCI.

 

Yes, we will be in a Sky Suite on Deck 6. 
 

It will be the first time we have sailed on this class, the Millennium class, of ship.  I am going to try and get a lot of pictures. 
 

[George C]

17 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 
We enjoy Celebrity a lot.  It is a lot more laid back than RCI.

 

Yes, we will be in a Sky Suite on Deck 6. 
 

It will be the first time we have sailed on this class, the Millennium class, of ship.  I am going to try and get a lot of pictures. 
 

I really like suite restaurant and lounge on M class, we sail in royal suite on summit in two weeks. Although outside retreat is not much.