Harmony of The Seas - The World's Biggest Cruise Ship
I have been lucky enough to of taken over 30 cruises on many different cruise lines but my favourite cruise line is Royal Caribbean, I love that there is so much to do and some of them are things you would never of dreamed are even possible on a cruise ship - I have Sky Dived, Ice Skated, Surfed, Climbed a Rock Wall and even drove a Bumper Car. I think there is something for everyone on a cruise and it is such good value for money.
Harmony of the Seas was offering 2 short breaks, I knew that this wouldn't be enough for me so I booked the two of them together as a back to back, the ship was cruising to Europe with a couple of port stops in France and Amsterdam but I was more interested in what was on board.
Harmony is a big girl, she can hold over 5400 passengers, has 18 decks and is bigger length wise than the Eiffel Tower, but don't let that put you off, there are plenty of quiet spaces to have time to yourself and the only queuing I experienced was on the last morning in the buffet restaurant.
The new thing that everyone was talking about was a brand new slide called "The Ultimate Abyss" it is the worlds tallest slide at sea with a 100ft plunge, 2 slides side by side so you can race your friends, do it during the day and then again at night for a completely different experience. It's even more scary if you have maybe had a couple of cocktails - as I found out!!
Another thing I tried for the first time is Panic Room - you are locked in a high tech room with a team of friends or other cruisers and you have an hour to solve all the clues so you can be released - we did it with 3 minutes to spare!
CABINS
There are many different types of cabins, you have the standard Inside, Outside and Balcony and then the Suites, something different is what is called a "Virtual Balcony" this is basically an inside cabin with a large Flat Screen down the side of the wall that projects real time images and sound - so it's like looking through the side of the ship, this is great for the budget conscious as it really is like having a balcony.
Another different type of cabin are the Central Park View or Boardwalk View balcony cabins - instead of looking out to the sea, you overlook Central Park (yes it's a real life park with trees/flowers etc) or the Boardwalk (where the Carousel is) again if you are trying to keep costs down these type of cabins are great.
I stayed in a Central Park View Balcony, my only criticism was that there are no net curtains and you are looking directly opposite (across the park) into other cabins, also if you go for one on deck 14, people that are sunbathing on deck 15 can look right into your cabin.
WHAT TO DO ONBOARD
Honestly there is so much, I don't think I have enough space to tell you everything.. so I will try to highlight the best bits..
Waterslides and Pools Surf Simulators Rock Climbing Panic Room Ice Skating Mini Golf Zip Wiring Central Park Boardwalk - full size Carousel Aqua Theatre - Dive shows Kids Clubs Bars Disco Food .. Food .. Food (see my review below) Shops Gym Spa Casino Solarium
FOOD
When they say you might put on some weight on a cruise.. well it's definitely going to happen on here. You have a main restaurant for dining and also the famous Windjammer buffet restaurant but that is only just the start, also included in your cruise are Sorrentos and Café Promenade that provide snacks throughout the day, a delightful little café in Central Park for a "healthy" breakfast, lunch and snacks, self service ice cream and then you have the speciality restaurants which have a small cover charge, I ate in Jamies Italian and Izumi - both were out of this world and well worth the extra charge, there is also Chops Grille (steak house) Giovannis (Italian) Vintages (fine wines and tapas) and 150 Central Park (upmarket dining)
You certainly don't need to splash out on a speciality restaurant, there is so much choice included but I would definitely recommend it if you are celebrating or want to treat yourself.
ENTERTAINMENT
On most Royal Caribbean ships deck 5 is what they call the Promenade Deck, this in reality is like a large street with shops, pubs and bars and restaurants running each side. Some people worry that they will get lost on a ship this size but I always find if you go back to the promenade you can work out where you are.
On Harmony the promenade runs the whole length of the ship with the theatre at one end and Boardwalk at the other, there is a bar called the Rising Tide Bar which literally rises up throughout the ship, an old English pub which is great for a singalong in the evening, a sports bar that also offers karaoke, a bar called Boleros for dancing and what has become quite famous is the Robotic Bar, were your drinks are made for you by a pair of robotic arms.
Aside from all the sporty entertainment, there is a show pretty much every night, it can range from a comedian to a magician or even a singer, we also had Bobby Davro who was very funny.
There is also a big production - when I was on Harmony it was Grease - I really cant explain to you the amount of work that must go into these shows, it really was like watching a West End Theatre Show, the staging and the performers were amazing.
Every night you get a newsletter that tells you what is happening on board for the next day/evening, as well as all the main places of entertainment you will also find quizzes, fun game shows that you can take part in, destination talks, cookery demonstrations/lessons, card games, you can even learn how to make the towel animals that magically appear in your cabin at night time.
Harmony has now left Europe and is currently cruising around the Caribbean along with her sister ships Oasis and Allure of the Seas if you would like more information on any of these ships then please get in contact with me.
The 2 Royal Caribbean ships that are in Southampton for this year and for 2018 are The Independence and The Navigator, both of these are smaller than Harmony but still have some amazing facilities on board, again if you are interested in hearing more then just give me a call.
Happy Cruising!!