In 2016 Harmony of the Seas took the waters as the largest cruise ship afloat, longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall and able to carry over 5,000 guests. In this post I explore the public areas onboard to see if things were ship-shape before Harmony’s maiden voyage to the Mediterranean.
Harmony has blended the innovations of Royal Caribbean’s Quantum Class ships (like the Bionic Bar and Wonderland) alongside fleet-wide staples Flo Rider, Ice Rink, Promenade and more.
You can view my experience onboard Anthem of the Seas as well by clicking here (opens in a new tab).
In traditional Royal Caribbean style, they’ve taken it a step further and included some more firsts at sea with The Ultimate Abyss, a daring white-knuckle dry slide that plunges you down ten decks in seconds.
Check out my Jamie’s Italian review
Something exclusive to Oasis Class ships (and where the name really rings true) is Central Park. Located on Deck 8 at the heart of the ship, this outdoor area is brimming with tropical flowers and trees. Meandering through the park you’ll find restaurants, bars and outdoor seating areas to dine Al Fresco, including Vintages, a casual Park Café and Jamie’s Italian.
Two decks below between five and six are more public areas, including the Promenade where familiar favourites can be found like Café Promenade (cake and coffee stop), Sorrentos (late-night pizza stop), Schooner and Boleros Bar.
I can see why this class of ships favours sunny climates, there’s so much outdoor space to enjoy. I was amazed to see following the Promenade is yet more bars and restaurants on the outdoor ‘Boardwalk’ like Johnny Rockets and Starbucks.
If you’re wondering what it’s like to cruise the Mediterranean on a Royal Caribbean ship, have a look at my highlights post.
There’s also a carousel, rock climbing wall and AquaTheatre beyond the Ultimate Abyss slides to enjoy amazing stunt shows. Guests also have the option of enjoying views over this space, as well as Central Park from their own balcony – see Reasons to Cruises’ review of cabin 8279.
I’ve no doubt top decks fifteen and sixteen will soon be very popular spots while at sea with pools, loungers and the company’s biggest splash park yet, ‘Splashaway Bay’.
It was great to see other familiar features up here too, like the Adult-only Solarium and The Living Room and Fuel for teens.
Enjoy this post? You can find my other ship tours and videos by clicking here.
Many thanks to Royal Caribbean UK for inviting me onboard Harmony. All opinions are my own.