Harmony Of The Seas - Maiden Voyage - Live Blog

I wonder if part of the problem is the market this ship is aimed at?

It's a fantastic new take on family cruising, with loads of things to see and do, so seems to be aimed at families new to cruising with all the goodies on offer to amuse the kids.

It's a very different market not often seen in the uk so were most of the cruisers new to cruising?

I've only done 4 or 5 cruises my self and even I wouldn't understand the implications of a 'pre-inaugrial / shakedown or preview cruise - I would expect thinks to be ready , with maybe the staff being a little unfamiliar of the boat.

I've learn't a lot from the press coverage and certainly wouldn't book on a ship straight out of the yard!

It reminds me of all the old holiday complaints and TV footage of people booking Spanish hotels to find they weren't finished when they got there!

by the way, to those who've said it's just minor 'finishing touches", missing glass panels up on open decks is not a finishing touch....

Deck 15 pool deck uploaded:

We've been avoiding a video interview with journalists for the last few days, who have found us from Twitter, my blog and this site, as overall it's a great ship.

However, I've just had an interview with ITV via Skype video chat, and gave what was a very balanced view. I acknowledged the good and bad aspects and that day by day it is getting better. It was probably more balanced than they would have liked and not just a doom and gloom story.

Great videos! Thank you for sharing here.

We've been avoiding a video interview with journalists for the last few days, who have found us from Twitter, my blog and this site, as overall it's a great ship.

 

However, I've just had an interview with ITV via Skype video chat, and gave what was a very balanced view. I acknowledged the good and bad aspects and that day by day it is getting better. It was probably more balanced than they would have liked and not just a doom and gloom story.

Good for you.......................that will be much appreciated by those of us joining tomorrow and looking forward to the experience. However, not what ITV wanted to hear I'm sure, and the papers as they want to 'sell' the doom and gloom story!!

Thanks.............

Great videos! I´m now waiting for Central Park and Royal Promenade ;)!

steamboats

Great videos! I´m now waiting for Central Park and Royal Promenade ;)!

 

 

 

steamboats

I'll do them next after the show this afternoon

I've just caught up on day 3 of your blog. Thank you for posting a photo from the top of abyss. It's exactly what I've needed. There's no way in hell I'll get my husband on that with the glass floor!!!! He said he'd do it as long as it wasn't obvious how high up you where or that you couldn't see down hahaha.

I'll do them next after the show this afternoon

An additional question please...............do you know where the Platinum and above lounge is for evening drinks and continental breakfast?

Thanks....

Diamond lounge is on D4 by the theatre. This is for D and D+. They overflow into The Attic opposite if there are too many, as the lounge only seats 60. They also serve continental breakfast in there; never been. Coffee machine accessible all day and they lay out cookies too during the day.

3 drinks loaded onto your seapass too which you can use during 5-8:30 cocktail

Hour.

There's no drinks hour for Platinums.

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An additional question please...............do you know where the Platinum and above lounge is for evening drinks and continental breakfast?

Thanks....

Schooner bar is nice

We sailed Anthem in January and loved it. (except for the day I broke my

arm & spent the rest of the cruise in a cast. :mad: still doing therapy)

We booked a back to back on the Harmony in January 2017. Can't wait to

hear of your experiences. :)

Did you break your arm on board or land? Did the ship doctors put the cast on? Just wondered if you had to go to a hospital on one of the islands you visited?

It is never a good thing to break a bone but at least it wasn't your foot.

Diamond lounge is on D4 by the theatre. This is for D and D+. They overflow into The Attic opposite if there are too many, as the lounge only seats 60. They also serve continental breakfast in there; never been. Coffee machine accessible all day and they lay out cookies too during the day.

3 drinks loaded onto your seapass too which you can use during 5-8:30 cocktail

Hour.

There's no drinks hour for Platinums.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 6s using Tapatalk

Many thanks.................

Enjoyed your great videos -- thank you.

Diamond lounge is on D4 by the theatre. This is for D and D+. They overflow into The Attic opposite if there are too many, as the lounge only seats 60. ...

3 drinks loaded onto your seapass too which you can use during 5-8:30 cocktail

Hour.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 6s using Tapatalk

Can you use these vouchers in any bar and also visit the Diamond lounge? (not that I have ever managed 3 drinks before dinner though!)

Oh yes......!!!!

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We tried to go the WJ for breakfast this morning although it was too busy so ended up back in American Icon. There was only a short queue and we were seated quickly.

 

Breakfast was pretty good but very slow again. It took 25 minutes for our cereal / fruit, 30 minutes for a cup of tea then 45 minutes for the food. It was hot when it was served.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was someone seated behind us who was rude, obnoxious and very demanding to the waiters and was served within 10 minutes, in fact she was seated served and left before I had even got a cup of tea. It does appear the louder and ruder you are the quicker you get served and this should not be the case. People should be served in turn and there is certainly no reason to have such a lack of manners.

 

The waiter did advise there are just too many people on the ship for them to serve and they are having to work 18 hour days as a result. That's really not fair on the staff to expect those working hours.

 

This morning we haven't really done much just had a lazy morning and been updating my blog.

 

We had planned to go to Johnny Rockets for lunch but unfortunately it was closed. There is no sign showing the opening times but have just checked the cruise compass and it doesn't open till 2, which is a bit late for lunch for us after eating breakfast early.

 

We then tried to go to the Doghouse although that's closed till 1 so have ended up in the Windjammer which is busy with cold food, brilliant!

You should never be rude to your servers although she received prompt service for being rude, who knows what was done to her food they could have spit in it put they're private body parts in it etc.:eek:

Love the videos! Thanks for posting them.

You should never be rude to your servers although she received prompt service for being rude, who knows what was done to her food they could have spit in it put they're private body parts in it etc.:eek:

This has me wondering, perhaps people that are rude to their waiters have never worked in a restaurant before. Behind the scenes is where it all happens so I agree! :)

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You should never be rude to your servers although she received prompt service for being rude, who knows what was done to her food they could have spit in it put they're private body parts in it etc.:eek:

Private body parts, really. :eek:

Private body parts, really. :eek:

Lol, some may not be human!

Sent from my Galaxy Note 4

This has me wondering, perhaps people that are rude to their waiters have never worked in a restaurant before. Behind the scenes is where it all happens so I agree! :)

 

Sent from my Galaxy Note 4

A former co worker told me some horrible things. The two worst were filling the water glasses from water in the toilet bowl for a complainer, and wiping there hamburger bun on the under side of a toilet seat before serving it!!

I never complain to a server!!

So today hasn't been a bad day.

We went for breakfast early in the Windjammer, just after 7 whilst it was quiet and it was pretty good.

We then went to the iSkate preview show. Anyone who was a consecutive cruiser had been invited to this and there was the cruise director, captain, and some other senior officials at the show.

The preview was the final 15 minutes of the show as the first 15 minutes are still being worked on and they advised this will be finished in a couple of weeks time.

After this, there was an event for crown and anchor members in the theatre, where they had the jazz band on stage, introduced all the officers and awarded the people with the highest number of C&A points, which on this cruise was 3,200!

At both of these events, there was free champagne, bucks fizz and orange juice, of which kept coming throughout the events.

From here, we headed back to the cabin, to try and get some more videos upload before going to Johnny Rockets for lunch. This wasn't the best experience, there was a big queue although plenty of tables available outside. However, a number of people ignored the queue and just sat down and then were served, so again rudeness meant quick service, rather than us and other guests who had been in the queue had to wait.

The service was slow even when seated with the fries being served as a starter then you burger coming out 20 minutes afterwards. This was very odd, as I always expect my fries with my burger and to be brought out claiming they are a starter. The uncharge is $6.95 per person then shakes are an additional $5 each.

As this took over an hour, we then headed straight off to the afternoon showing of Grease we were booked into. Again this was a great show.

We then spent over an hour at guest services sorting issues with our bill out and also getting a refund for the credit on our account, due to the downgrade of our drinks package, which we had done, due to the lack of availability of any fresh juices. Guest services was unfortunately as busy as usual.

Tonight we are eating in the MDR at 20:45 which gives me time to try and upload the remaining videos and also pack our cases which must be outside the room for 22:00. Our disembark time has been confirmed as 07:30 in the morning.

Deck 15 Pool Deck