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First Reactions to Royal Caribbean’s Newest Ship, Harmony of the Seas

Harmony of the Seas at Night - Courtesy of Royal Caribbean

Harmony of the Seas at Night - Courtesy of Royal CaribbeanRoyal Caribbean just celebrated the U.S. debut of the world’s largest cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas, and The Cruise Web was on hand for the festivities! With Harmony of the Seas, the adventure begins once you step on board – from breathtaking thrill rides to stunning live entertainment.
The ship features a variety of modern amenities coupled with a fresh lineup of onboard experiences to create a perfectly relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere. Though massive, Harmony of the Seas never feels overwhelming thanks to a creative open design with 7 distinct neighborhoods spread around 16 guest decks.
Gather the kids – if you can pull them away from the incredible Youth Zone – and head to the AquaTheater for a high-flying, death-defying show, or relax among the living greenspace of the ship’s Central Park. Enjoy a stroll along the Boardwalk, discover nirvana at the Vitality Spa, see the Broadway-hit musical Grease at the Entertainment Place, and cap the night off with a drink mixed by robots at the Bionic Bar!
Continue below for The Cruise Web team’s first impressions and biggest takeaways from last week’s U.S. debut of Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas:

FlowRider, Ultimate Abyss and Bionic Bar - Courtesy of Royal Caribbean
“Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class is my favorite and Harmony of the Seas has the best of both the Oasis and Quantum class, plus more! I love the Bionic Bar (also on the Quantum class) and the neighborhoods are fantastic and spread everyone out so it never feels crowded. The new features like Ultimate Abyss, the 360 Selfie, the waterslides, and the Rubicon puzzle escape room were so fun. And the entertainment so original and amazing! You won’t want to leave this ship! Oh, and after many Royal Caribbean cruises, I finally tried the FlowRider for the first time – wow what a thrill!” – Heather W.
Ultimate Abyss, AquaTheater Suite and Splashaway Bay - Courtesy of Royal Caribbean
“My family and I just got off the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas and all I can say is WOW! We’re avid cruisers, however I never expected such an amazing ship in my wildest dreams! My six year old had so many adventures from the 10-story Ultimate Abyss slide, to the huge Splashaway Bay water park with a drench bucket, slides and water cannons – she doesn’t stop talking about it. The food, service and staterooms are top notch. Royal Caribbean does it right!” – Karolina S.
Central Park, Rubicon and Boardwalk - Courtesy of Royal Caribbean
“The Harmony of the Seas is the largest cruise ship in the world and I can say that it is extraordinary! I had an amazing time on the inaugural, and even though the ship is so big, it really doesn’t feel overwhelming. There are so many different “neighborhoods” to enjoy. I especially loved strolling through Central Park with the trees all lit up at night and music playing. The Boardwalk was another “neighborhood” that we really enjoyed. It was bustling with people, activities and even a colorful Carousel to ride!
If you love activities and entertainment, this is one ship you don’t want to miss. The Ultimate Abyss was a thrill-seeking slide that is 10 stories high and ends all the way on the Boardwalk, and was incredibly fast, fun and scary! There is also an escape room called Puzzle Break: Escape the Rubicon where you are transported to another time and have to work together with your teammates to escape. It was really an exciting and different adventure to experience on a cruise ship. There is something for everyone on the Harmony of the Seas, and I can’t wait to sail on her for a longer voyage!” – Beth T.
Balcony Cabin, Waterslides and Jazz on 4 - Courtesy of Royal Caribbean
“I enjoyed the various entertainment venues and especially “Jazz on 4” which is a really nice jazz lounge. The cabins are really nice and give you enough storage space and they’re laid out nicely. I also enjoyed the variety of food options in the Windjammer Marketplace. The waterslides, Ultimate Abyss and various activities make this a dream come true for families.” – John H.
AquaTheater, Bionic Bar and Casino - Courtesy of Royal Caribbean
“The entertainment aboard Harmony of the Seas was amazing. The show Fine Line at the AquaTheater was the best show, hands down! It included great music and high wire acts, as well as high diving, and all that was combined with a really cool storyline. Overall, I had a great experience with tons of things to do on board. The waterslides were addicting. The ping pong tables were extremely high quality and the robot Bionic Bar was so cool to watch. The Harmony of the Seas is a perfect fit for families with kids. There’s the amazing Youth Zone with tons of things for the kids to do, plus the other neighborhoods feature activities like a carousel, water park, rock climbing walls, arcade, sports zone and so much more.
The cabins are great, and the movie selection in the room made the cabin an extremely relaxing sanctuary to rest. I would recommend booking a mid-ship cabin to cut down on the walking (this is the largest cruise ship in the world, after all). From mid-ship, the engine was so quiet that you couldn’t hear or feel it, and I was truly amazed by that. The loft suites are the most amazing suites I’ve ever seen on a cruise ship – they’re two levels high and truly have tons of space and some even have a full-size hot tub in them. One of the suites overlooks the AquaTheater where you can watch the AquaTheater shows from the comfort of your balcony. The Harmony of the Seas was an unforgettable experience that my wife and I will never forget! We look forward to bringing our daughter on a much longer trip in the near future.” – Colley C.
Grease, Pool and Solarium - Courtesy of Royal Caribbean
“This was my first time on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class of ship, and I really enjoyed the Central Park area. There are some really nice fine dining restaurants; we got to sample food from most of them, absolutely delicious! I also loved the adults-only Solarium area – very relaxing with plenty of quiet areas, and there’s also a lovely restaurant here too. The Broadway show Grease was amazing and the cast fantastic. We had a balcony cabin and the room was very well laid out; plenty of closet space and I loved the large flat-screen TV. Loved it all! My 9-year-old daughter loved the Youth Zone – I couldn’t get her out of there – and she spent a lot of time at the waterslides and on the Ultimate Abyss. Overall, Harmony of the Seas was a big hit for all of us.” – Julie A.
 
Harmony of the Seas is currently sailing 7-night Eastern Caribbean and Western Caribbean itineraries from Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. What could be better than enjoying beautiful Caribbean islands during the day followed by amazing dining and entertainment at night!?!
To cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas, contact the experts at The Cruise Web today at 1-800-377-9383. Our consultants provide stress-free cruise vacation planning to fit every vacation style at any budget. Call The Cruise Web today to enjoy a World of Choices Made Easy.
 
NOTE: The Cruise Web, Inc. received complimentary inaugural staterooms from Royal Caribbean, which in turn were offered to the employees listed above. The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the contributors, and do not necessarily reflect the position of The Cruise Web or Royal Caribbean.
 
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