Harmony of the Seas Review 10/6/18 - Long and lots of Photos!

[JeffLazoCP]

We started our cruise adventure with an evening flight from Denver International Airport en route to Fort Lauderdale.  Due to school schedules, we chose to fly on Spirit Airlines rather than our go-to airline of choice Southwest Air.  We were fully aware of the added costs to the base fare for Spirit, but it wasn't until our packing commenced that we felt the difference between Southwest and Spirit.

 

We always pack in soft-side duffel bags to best pack in as much weight as possible, after a quick review of Spirit's website we found that we had 10lbs less per back to work with (40lbs vs. 50lbs)!  Packing got creative, and upon check-in, we were both at 39lbs.  The other big difference is that my travel backpack was a couple of inches too large to count as a personal item, so I had to rethink my carryon to avoid $90 roundtrip charges for my backpack.

 

The flight was very uneventful, seats were somewhat comfortable, and we enjoyed the food that we had brought onboard so not to have to buy anything.  Service was courteous, and we departed and arrived on time.  Once in Fort Lauderdale was grabbed our bags and hopped in our Lyft to the Hilton Ft Lauderdale Marina.  Using the digital key in the Hilton app we proceeded straight to our room and convinced the boys that they needed to go to sleep since it was approaching 11 pm, they were a little restless from their naps on the flight, but soon enough they fell asleep.

 

When we awoke, we met up with my parents (who flew in from San Francisco the day before) for a quick breakfast from the bagel shop down the street.  Our check-in time window as at 11 am, so we then proceeded via  Lyft XL to Port Everglades.  As we drove closer to the port, the sheer size of the Harmony of the Seas became more and more evident.  Seeing her next to other ships was just amazing, she seemed to tower over her port-mates, and her young age showed in the overall appearance of the ship.  

 

[JeffLazoCP]

From the time that we dropped our bags with the porter to when we were onboard only about 20-30 minutes had elapsed.  The security line was about 10 minutes, from that point forward we did not wait in line again.  We swiftly moved through check-in, the obligatory pre-cruise photo, table to get the kids' wristbands then on to the ship; this was by far the fastest embarkation that we have ever experienced.  Once onboard we headed straight to Park Cafe in the Central Park Neighborhood, and our vacation started.

 

Here are some first-day photos from around the ship:

 

I am going to break the rest of our trip into a few handy sections.  First up, and arguably the most important while on vacation, the food!

[JeffLazoCP]

Park Cafe
As mentioned previously, we started our cruise on deck 8, at the Park Cafe in Central Park.  This is a great place to grab lunch on embarkation day since most everyone heads up to the Windjammer Buffet on deck 16.  There was a very short line to get the famous roast beef sandwich as well as a nice salad.  We were able to find a table outside and enjoy the wonder of Central Park.  We did get interrupted by a quick downpour of rain but found shelter in a covered area of Jamie's Italian (more on specialty dining later).  Park Cafe was a great complimentary venue for breakfast and lunch, serving lighter options like oatmeal, breakfast sandwiches, bagels, and fruit as well as salads, wraps, and sandwiches for lunch.    We grabbed many meals here during our cruise!

 

Windjammer Marketplace
Windjammer buffet was enormous on the Harmony of the Seas!  We had breakfast, lunch, and dinner at this complimentary venue.  The selections were always diverse, and the food fell in line with all of the buffets that we have experienced while on cruises.  Breakfast items were consistent, with all of the typical American breakfast options like eggs, pancakes, french toast, etc.  There was also a nice selection of fruit and yogurts, as well as cereals both hot and cold.  Lunch and Dinner seemed to introduce a good amount of regional food which was great to experience.  Much more than hot dogs, chicken fingers and fries!  Flavor was excellent, and I think we all left full!  One thing that I have always experienced was that desserts typically are lacking at buffets.  The Windjammer did have some tasty cookies, and the boys enjoyed the jello, however, the cakes an pastries always seem a little bland.   My only complaint is that the Windjammer was always crowded and finding a table at all times of the day was a challenge for our group of 6.  

 

Main Dining Room 
We selected My Time Dining for our dining time, however, I ended up making reservations (as suggested by Royal Caribbean) around 5:30 for every evening.  It would have been just as easy to select early dining for the entire cruise rather than making reservations.  We had the same waitstaff for all but one evening.  Service was bordering on a little slow on some evenings, but we thoroughly enjoyed all of our meals.  They were very well prepared and tasted great!  Between the 6 of us, we all felt that our meals were top notch all of the way through the dessert course.  We appreciated the pleasant service and great food!

Wonderland
"Venture down the rabbit hole and ask yourself: What is real and what is imagined? At Wonderland, chefs twist their culinary kaleidoscopes to invent an elaborate dreamscape of never-before-seen fare.

Based on a new post-modern style of cooking and categorized by theme rather than course, Wonderland features a variety of flavors, textures, temperatures and portion sizes, each presented in a non-traditional, progressive and creative fashion."

We left the kiddos with Grandma and Grandpa so that we could enjoy an evening meal at Wonderland.  It was an incredible experience.  The meal followed the theme of wonder and selections from Sky, Sea, Wind, Ice, Earth, Fire and Dreams.  We let our waiter make our selections, and we thoroughly enjoyed EVERY dish brought to us.   We were just amazed by the creatively, flavor and execution of all of the dishes.  

Wonderland is a must eat on the Quantum and Oasis-class ships!

Quick Bites
There are numerous complimentary food opportunities and venues all throughout the ship in the form of quick bites and grab and go.  Some of the snacks and meals that we enjoyed:
-Pizza from Sorrentos
-Snacks, desserts, and sandwiches from Cafe Promenade
-Frozen Yogurt from machines on deck 16
-Hot snacks from "Mini Bites."
-Solarium Buffet
 

[JeffLazoCP]

Stateroom 
We had an oceanview balcony room, 12316.  The room measured 182 sq ft with a 50 sq ft balcony.  We felt that the room was comfortable for our family of four, especially with the new couch bed that Royal has started to use.  Rather than a typical sofa bed, the couch itself converts easily very comfortable bed, then below it is a slide out trundle mattress that had a great memory foam mattress.  Both of our boys said that their beds were very comfortable!  

The room had ample storage for us all, plenty of closet space as well as drawers and cubbies.  The bathroom was very typical for Royal Caribbean ships, with a glass-enclosed shower, small sink and unfortunately not a lot of storage for my wife.  

We enjoyed the placement of both our room and my parents' room.  I selected staterooms on Deck 12, AFT, near the elevator stack.  My parents were a few doors from the elevator hallway, and we were a few rooms down the hall.  Deck 12, AFT was PERFECT for easy access to the main dining rooms, Windjammer Cafe, the Boardwalk and the Promenade.  The only venue that was further for my parents to walk to was the Royal Theater.  They seemed to enjoy the ease of access to a good majority of the ship!

[John&LaLa]

Enjoying both the review and the pictures. We were on the week before.

 

Looks like you're taking advantage of the new photo features. 😉

 

Borrowed this from another thread.

[lbjen]

Thanks for the info on the new sofa bed set up, my kids won’t share a sofa bed but it sounds like this might be a good option for us. 

 

Love all the food photos!

[JeffLazoCP]

Boardwalk
The Boardwalk by far was the most frequented neighborhood for our kids.  Between the netted climbing structure and the carousel, the boys were in heaven.  Sweaty heads, endless laughs, and fun for both fit the atmosphere of the Boardwalk perfectly.  My older son did the Ultimate Abyss many times, my wife did it once, and I joined in a half a dozen times!  

 

Royal Theater
The entertainment staff, namely the theater performance group, was one of the highlights of our trip.  We saw Grease very early on, and my younger son was entirely in love with Sandy (Jessica) and Rizzo (Laura).  He had Sandy in is sightline for 2 hours straight!  After the show all he could talk about was Sandy...  We had the opportunity to connect with her after the Cabaret show on Deck 4, and he was so thrilled to have a picture with her.  She later made his day meter up with us to watch the parade on the final day of the cruise.  With colored pictures and shells he had found for her in hand, he happily enjoyed his time with Sandy this evening!  We have continued to stay in touch via social media and have much appreciation for their part in our vacation!

Unfortunately, our scheduled showing of Columbus was canceled due to a malfunction with the ship used as a set in the production; however, it was later rescheduled for a late showing on the final night of the cruise. We thoroughly enjoyed the show albeit with a much smaller crowd.  We were, however, able to sit in the front row for one more night with "Sandy" and "Rizzo"!

Ice Show
The family had some great "ooh" and "aah" moments at the ice show at Studio B.  The main show 1887, was canceled due to an injury, but we were able to see iSkate twice.

[JeffLazoCP]

Aquatheater 
Continuing with our unfortunate show cancelation luck, the Fine Line was postponed numerous time through our week due to high seas.  They were finally able to have calmer waters near the end of the sailing and did an abridged showing for the performer's safety.  We were all amazed by the talent and athleticism by the performers.  The boys loved every second!  We did have the chance on our last sea day to see Hideaway Heist, with perfectly calm seas, the performers held nothing back.  This show was breathtaking and is a can't miss in my book!

[JeffLazoCP]

Pool Deck
We didn't spend all that much time on the pool deck but here is what we did do.  My wife enjoyed her books at the Solarium while the boys were at Adventure Ocean.  The bar and buffet were conveniently located, and the glass roof was very nice to enjoy the sun while not being beat up by the wind.  The boys enjoyed the pools, as well as the splash pad.  My wife, older son and I all enjoyed the three water slides onboard!  They were all a lot of fun and my son loved "racing" down the Perfect Storm.  Little did he know, that even with his huge head starts it was tough to beat an adult!  Even with a fully booked ship, we didn't have any issues finding chairs although we didn't spend too many days lounging.  

[JeffLazoCP]

San Juan
We had a short port stop in Puerto Rico, so we chose to walk around Old San Juan for a bit of eating and shopping.  Our first stop was ChocoBar for a little snack, chocolate grilled cheese, cold drinks, and churros!  To burn off the sugar we walked around visited a bunch of shops and did our best at stimulating the Puerto Rican economy by spending money!  It was a quick stop, but we always love exploring Puerto Rico and always forget how close and easy it is to this beautiful little island.

[JeffLazoCP]

St Maarten
Another day filled with eating, shopping and beach time!  We paid for the roundtrip water taxi that departed from the cruise port.  It was a quick 5-minute boat ride straight into town.  After disembarking, we were greeted by enthusiastic locals all hoping to grab out attention for tours, umbrellas, and shopping.  This stop showed more of the rebuilding process from the hurricane last year but all in all, we were amazed at the progress that has been completed and also illustrates the importance of tourism in the rebuilding of a place like St Maarten.  

We walked down Front Street, poking in and out of jewelry stores and souvenir shops, ending out walk at a GREAT restaurant called the Lazy Lizard.  We enjoyed a wonderful lunch that paired local flavors with fresh ingredients.  It was a fantastic lunch, and I  recommend looking them up!  We took advantage of their umbrella and cold drink package and spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the sand.

[JeffLazoCP]

Labadee
This was our first ever visit to Labadee, and we did have a lovely time.  We had reserved beach loungers and shades from the ship which were on Adrenaline Beach.  We took the complimentary tram but unfortunately got off at the far end stop and had to walk back to the loungers.  The staff were very courteous and helped us with our chairs.  Unfortunately, due to the recent storms the beach and water were filled with plastic trash.  It was to see our impact on the ocean and how our consumption directly affects the beauty of our world.  Every wave brought in more and more trash, and even though the staff was raking it up, it was an uphill battle.  After enjoying our BBQ lunch, we decided to head to the protected cove on the other side of the island and enjoy the clear, clean, wave-free water.  Later, once back onboard we were automatically refunded for the chairs, I assume other complained about the trash.  Labadee was a great beach day for our family, food was, and the boys had fun.

 

I took a few drone images while in port, Royal Caribbean recently changed their drone policy to allow them on board. However, they do say that they should not be flown while at their private islands.  I ended up friending one of the ship security officers, and he permitted me to fly for a few shots!

Edited October 24, 2018 by JeffLazoCP

[JeffLazoCP]

And a few final random images...

[LuCruise]

What a great review ..and such sweet kids.  Love that your son made friends with Grease lead.  Looks like you had a great cruise!

[mrpayroll]

We were on Harmony in September and  loved it. Enjoyed seeing all your pictures. 

[Ukigirl]

Thoroughly enjoyed your review, photos are amazing and your boys are adorable!  Hoping to cruise on Harmony in 2019.

[Andy C]

Very nice review and you have a beautiful family.  

[BuzzBuzzen]

Great photos and story , thank you.

[JeffLazoCP]

Thanks every one!  We did have a great cruise!  As you might have guessed, I definitely love photography!

 

For full disclosure,  I do own a TA, however, we paid full fare for this trip (Kids sail free promo is hard to beat!), we did have Wonderland comped by Royal Caribbean.  

[JeffLazoCP]

1 hour ago, LuCruise said:

What a great review ..and such sweet kids.  Love that your son made friends with Grease lead.  Looks like you had a great cruise!

He definitely fell in love with her!  The last cruise it was Mercedes the Cruise Director on Freedom of the Seas!

[Sixtynifty]

Thank you for review! Your children are adorable. Taking my 3 year old grandson and 5 year old granddaughter on March cruise! How old is your youngest son? Definitely can see my grandson adoring Sandy also!

[PhilNDebbieAtSea]

Wow, your pictures are amazing! So impressed! Your boys are so adorable! Looks like a great cruise! Thanks so much for sharing!

[Bellacruz54]

32 minutes ago, JeffLazoCP said:

Thanks every one!  We did have a great cruise!  As you might have guessed, I definitely love photography!

 

For full disclosure,  I do own a TA, however, we paid full fare for this trip (Kids sail free promo is hard to beat!), we did have Wonderland comped by Royal Caribbean.  

 

[Bellacruz54]

Oops..... new to this new format.... just wanted to say your review was awesome! Beautiful pictures and a beautiful family!  Thank you so much for sharing, 

[JeffLazoCP]

23 minutes ago, Sixtynifty said:

Thank you for review! Your children are adorable. Taking my 3 year old grandson and 5 year old granddaughter on March cruise! How old is your youngest son? Definitely can see my grandson adoring Sandy also!

 

My boys are 4 and 8, it was a little tough for Bryce (4) because he wasn't tall enough for the slides, even in the splash pad area.  He still had a blast though!