Harmony still a "construction site"

[Baowen]

I'm on the Harmony now- it all looks good to me. The only place I saw workers was under the slides. I would say it's a normal functioning ship from my point of view. Saw a bunch of travel agents/reporters today on the promenade - that's different. Besides that all working fine.

[Antropos]

I'm on the Harmony now- it all looks good to me. The only place I saw workers was under the slides. I would say it's a normal functioning ship from my point of view.

 

That sounds good and a lot different from reports from people who sailed the 4 nighter. Some of those reports even mentioned there were 900 contracters onboard. I haven't seen any other number specified, but judging from your observation this number has come down quite a bit for the current 3 nighter. Maybe a lot of these contracters left the ship yesterday in Southampton.

[wendychloecruiser]

Yikes...I'm on harmony on Sunday which was mostly paid for by the mess up on Quantum! My master's degree has failed me again....:D

[Tommy3putts]

Totally agree with LMaxwell. I sailed Rhapsody of the Seas during her inaugural year. There were still minor issues with her on our August Alaska cruise.

 

I do find it amusing that during the delivery ceremony there was a concerted effort to make sure everyone knew the ship was being delivered a month earlier than on contract.

 

Can't wait to sail this lady in 2017 or 2018.

Edited May 27, 2016 by Tommy3putts

[dutchclogs]

That sounds good and a lot different from reports from people who sailed the 4 nighter. Some of those reports even mentioned there were 900 contracters onboard. I haven't seen any other number specified, but judging from your observation this number has come down quite a bit for the current 3 nighter. Maybe a lot of these contracters left the ship yesterday in Southampton.

 

Someone reported 277

[jules815]

 

This is a fabulous ship, with an amazing crew that are smiling through despite the rudeness of some guests. We are happy to be on board and even happier to be staying on for the next 9 days.

 

Thanks for taking the time to check in, Chip.

 

How has the food/service been in Coastal Kitchen?

 

Enjoy the remainder of your time on Harmony. Are the next 9 days bringing her to Barcelona??

[Antropos]

Are the next 9 days bringing her to Barcelona??

 

The next 2 days are bringing her back to Southampton :D The 7 following days will bring her indeed to Barcelona, arriving June 5.

[sarahp1981]

Okay so you ask "What do you think", well I think this

 

The title of this thread and the news report is a massive over exaggeration of the facts.

 

Sure it is easy to take some photos of areas that need finishing touches, but this is only a very small percentage of the overall ship.

Yes some areas like the suite sun deck are closed of, but there has until today been no sun anyway, and yes there are some small areas that need some finishing paint work or decorative touches, but none of these are major.

 

The restaurants and bars are fully open, as are entertainment areas except the Acqua Theatre as the weather has been too bad to enable the performers to complete final onboard practices.

 

Day by day some facilities are being opened like the one of the water slides today. Anyone that booked one of these first 4 or 3 days cruises knew what they were booking, and as such had a risk that not all facilities or shows would be up and running from day one, as it has been for the last few ships.

 

Anybody that has fears about the Harmony please do not have, the ship is incredible and the management and crew working hard to ensure guests have a great cruise experience.

 

I have taken many photos around the ship and it looks amazing, could I repeat some of the less attractive photos, yes sure I can. Have I seen ceiling panels being removed to fix electrical or plumbing issues, yes I have but I can see this any week on any ship. But this ship is not a construction site, and unsafe to walk around.

 

Of course I am sure the management on board would want to have everything perfect from day one, however they were only handed the ship a short while ago, and yes it should have been handed over without any issues.

 

The areas that require work are those ares that are least used by guests in the current weather conditions, who cares if a couple of hot tubs are out of use, there are others that can be used and only have a few people in them.

 

I respect the OPs opinion that it is not ready for prime time, but these first sailing are not prime time nor sailing with a full house. Sure this does not help those that only cruised for the first 4 days sailing, but already things are better on this 3 day sailing. Anyone that cannot enjoy themselves with all the facilities that are available will probably never be happy. I agree that guests should have reasonable expectations met, but having heard some people scream because there favorite hot tub or water slide is closed, well I am not sure if that is reasonable.

 

This is a fabulous ship, with an amazing crew that are smiling through despite the rudeness of some guests. We are happy to be on board and even happier to be staying on for the next 9 days.

ChipLondon: I don't normally post on here - I just tend to read everyone else's comments pre-cruise!

 

We booked our Harmony cruise last summer (we join on Sunday at Southampton) and were really excited, but over the last few days have been becoming increasingly concerned after reading various reports of problems and work still required.

 

But a huge thank you to you for your post and the reassurance - you really have set our minds at rest and reignited our excitement. Hope you are having an awesome time - see you on board :)

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

I'm on the Harmony now- it all looks good to me. The only place I saw workers was under the slides. I would say it's a normal functioning ship from my point of view. Saw a bunch of travel agents/reporters today on the promenade - that's different. Besides that all working fine.

 

Nice to hear a positive report! :)

[ChipLondon]

Welcome to your first post here on CC, and your kind words.

 

Trust me everyday the ship is becoming more and more amazing, today the water slides opened and by a miracle the sun decided to shine, people are enjoying also enjoying the large hot tubs and some of the finishing details are being completed.

 

To those that comment about the contractors, yes there are still many on the ship, but they are as discreet as possible, a lot of the work is little things like artwork and information screens. You may see some small open deck areas that require the finishing sanding but you would have to search these out.

 

If you come with a positive approach and the intention to have a good time, then that is what you will have.

 

If you think you see me please stop me and say hello, I don't bite :D

 

ChipLondon: I don't normally post on here - I just tend to read everyone else's comments pre-cruise!

 

We booked our Harmony cruise last summer (we join on Sunday at Southampton) and were really excited, but over the last few days have been becoming increasingly concerned after reading various reports of problems and work still required.

 

But a huge thank you to you for your post and the reassurance - you really have set our minds at rest and reignited our excitement. Hope you are having an awesome time - see you on board :)

[saphir]

This is well beyond normal first cruise bugs; the ship simply is not ready for prime time. These cruises were sold as regular cruises and guests have a reasonable expectation for things to be ready.

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-36389384

 

Just reinforces my viewpoint of

 

-No new ships for 6 months

-No ships out of drydock for 1 month

-No ships going to dry dock in 2 to 4 weeks.

Apply to all cruise lines

 

 

What do you think? I have heard of no compensation, but in this instance I feel some is due.

 

I'll be there on September 1 (3 months after the inaugural). I hope that everything will be completed and adequate service:rolleyes::cool:

[ChipLondon]

Hi

 

Coastal Kitchen is great, very different from the one on Oasis or Allure, the dining area has been swapped to the other side, and the bar has been moved to the back wall, which allows tables to be at the window wall.

 

The food menu has been different every night, with the lunch menu the same daily.

 

However the main different is much less drinks service in the Suite Lounge, it is more reliant on the bar service. I do not know if this is ongoing but I fear it will be.

 

We will be heading to Barcelona after this 3 day sailing.

 

Thanks for taking the time to check in, Chip.

 

How has the food/service been in Coastal Kitchen?

 

Enjoy the remainder of your time on Harmony. Are the next 9 days bringing her to Barcelona??

[vino123]

We boarded the Harmony yesterday in Southampton. As Chip says there are only minor works going on, nothing to spoil our enjoyment. Ship is amazing,staff and crew very friendly and polite as always.

We also did the Quantum maiden transatlantic and despite the technical problems on that we still had a great time and will always have fond memories of the sail into New York for rhe first time.

I do agree though that Royal are a bit misleading to suddenly call these preview cruises when they clearly were not advertised as such and were not bargain prices either. I booked this cruise back in September.

They were very generous with compensation on the Quantum, not so forthcoming with anything this time as yet.

[laurac22]

We will never do a first cruise after dry dock. Learned our lesson on Liberty's last one.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[STANMELB]

Hi

 

Coastal Kitchen is great, very different from the one on Oasis or Allure, the dining area has been swapped to the other side, and the bar has been moved to the back wall, which allows tables to be at the window wall.

 

The food menu has been different every night, with the lunch menu the same daily.

 

However the main different is much less drinks service in the Suite Lounge, it is more reliant on the bar service. I do not know if this is ongoing but I fear it will be.

 

We will be heading to Barcelona after this 3 day sailing.

 

Are they serving complimentary beer, wine and soda from 11:00 AM until 11:30 PM as they do on the Allure and Oasis?

[setsail]

Hi

 

Coastal Kitchen is great, very different from the one on Oasis or Allure, the dining area has been swapped to the other side, and the bar has been moved to the back wall, which allows tables to be at the window wall.

 

The food menu has been different every night, with the lunch menu the same daily.

 

However the main different is much less drinks service in the Suite Lounge, it is more reliant on the bar service. I do not know if this is ongoing but I fear it will be.

 

We will be heading to Barcelona after this 3 day sailing.

 

Thanks for posting in this thread. First hand info is always better than the normal cc drama posted by people not even on the ship.

Sounds like CK has a different menu each night

Are you saying its a little easier to go straight to the bar to order your drinks?

I hope this bar is full service like O/A, you can order anything but if it's not on the happy hour you give them your sea pass, same during the day

Are there bar stools at the bar?

Thanks

[ChipLondon]

11-11 in the Suite Lounge to those with access.

 

 

Are they serving complimentary beer, wine and soda from 11:00 AM until 11:30 PM as they do on the Allure and Oasis?

[wendychloecruiser]

It is our pleasure to welcome you onboard the beautiful Harmony of the Seas. We are honored that you have selected Royal Caribbean International for your cruise vacation.

 

We are Raj and Ricardo, your onboard Concierges. We are available to assist you throughout your cruise vacation from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm to 8:30 pm daily in the Suite Lounge on Deck17aft.

As a Sky Suite guest, you are offered exclusive amenities and services not available to other guests onboard.

 

For your convenience, here is a brief summary of our services:

· Use of the Suite Lounge located on deck 17 aft.

· Continental Breakfast from 7:00 am -10:00 am daily in the Lounge

· A la Carte breakfast in Coastal Kitchen on port days from 7:00 am to 09:00 am and sea days and from 8:00 am to10:00 am. (No reservations required)

· Express lunch from noon to 1:30 pm on port days in the Suite Lounge, deck 17.

· A la carte lunch from noon to 1:30 pm on sea days in Coastal Kitchen, deck 17.

· Dinner served in Coastal Kitchen from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm, deck 17,

· Bar service is available from 11:00 am to 11:00 pm in the Suite Lounge, serving a wide array of beverages for purchase.

· Hors d'oeuvres, petit fours and complimentary bar setup with a selection of wine, Champagne, beer and soft drinks every evening from 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm.

· Spa bathrobes for use onboard and upgraded bathroom amenities

· Exclusive Reception for Suite guests with Senior Officers. (Invitation will be sent to your suite).

· In Suite Dining. Full Dining Room menu privilege through Room Service, available when the Dining Room is open (For menus, please refer to your stateroom television).

· Priority reservations for any of our specialty restaurants, onboard activities, Shore Excursions, and Vitality Spa services.

· Private sun deck with loungers and cabanas on deck 17 forward.

· Show Reservations are not required for all Sky Suite guests except for the comedy show. Please show your SeaPass card at the entrance 20 minutes prior to show time as booked seats will be given away 10 minutes prior to show time. For Comedy show tickets, please see your Concierge or reserve now through the Royal IQ app.

· Limited VIP seats for the shows in Royal Theater (First 2 rows center, Deck 5), Studio B (Three front rows on left hand side pavilion) and Aqua Theater (first 2 rows from the top). Please show your SeaPass card at the entrance 20 minutes prior to show time as booked seats will be given away 10 minutes prior to show time.

· Priority departure. Please ask your Concierges for more details.

 

The Suite Lounge is a private area exclusive for guests staying in the Star Class and Sky Class categories and is accessible 24 hours a day with your SeaPass card.

 

We respectfully request that guests observe a Smart Casual dress code when visiting the Lounge (no bathrobes, no swim or pool attire is allowed, and footwear is required at all times). Please be informed that during the cocktail hours on formal nights, shorts, sandals and tank tops are not permitted in the lounge. We encourage all of our Guests to follow the evening dress code reflected on the daily Evening Planner.

To ensure all our guests are able to enjoy these exclusive venues, we require that all minors must be well behaved and accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times.

 

The lounge is designated a smoke-free area. Food and beverages are for consumption within the lounge only.

It would be our pleasure to assist you in any way to make your cruise experience the more enjoyable and wish you an unforgettable time onboard the Harmony of the Seas.

 

Harmony of the Seas is the newest and largest smart ship in the world. We recommend you download the Royal IQ App before coming onboard in order to have quick and convenient access to the most up to date information regarding daily activities and programming, access to show, dining, and Shore Excursion reservations, account information, chat service, and so much more!

 

We look forward to hearing from you and meeting you in person. Please feel free to email us with any questions you may have at the following addresses: hm_concierge01@rccl.com and hm_concierge02@rccl.com

 

Sincerely,

 

Raj Bhugwath

Concierge | Harmony of the Seas

Office Phone: 26552|Dect Phone:55014

hm_concierge02@rccl.com

[abo]

· Bar service is available from 11:00 am to 11:00 pm in the Suite Lounge, serving a wide array of beverages for purchase.

· Hors d'oeuvres, petit fours and complimentary bar setup with a selection of wine, Champagne, beer and soft drinks every evening from 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm.

·

 

So does that mean there are no complimentary drinks 11:00 - 11:00, just the pay for bar?

[John&LaLa]

Well that doesn't mention beer and wine from 11-11

[setsail]

So does that mean there are no complimentary drinks 11:00 - 11:00, just the pay for bar?

 

Answered in post 42

 

This tells me it's a full service bar and if you want something other than the beer/wine they will be glad to fix it for you, but you provide your sea pass. Great news

Edited May 27, 2016 by setsail

[moqui_girl]

We are also on Harmony at the moment. It's fantastic. Very few issues other than those documented (aqua theatre and Starbucks etc). There is so much to do that it just means we get to do others things. I wish we were staying longer!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[bertrande]

It is our pleasure to welcome you onboard the beautiful Harmony of the Seas. We are honored that you have selected Royal Caribbean International for your cruise vacation.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Raj Bhugwath

Concierge | Harmony of the Seas

Office Phone: 26552|Dect Phone:55014

hm_concierge02@rccl.com

 

Thank you for this - somehow I found it very reassuring - we are the first cruise out from Barcelona on 5 June so have been following the boards with a mixture of anxious excitement and trepidation. We will be in a Royal Family Suite so Sky class and have been waiting for this cruise for so long (the open booking was booked on a ship what seems like a million years ago - a miscarriage and a subsequent pregnancy meant we had to keep cancelling and rebooking cruises for a while).

 

This thread has been brilliant; thanks for all the balanced views for and against. :)

[LMaxwell]

More photos and videos. I'd be among the irate as well. 15% FCC for this? They gave me more when my door lock failed and I didn't even ask...

 

No one would be happy with this.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3612880/How-Harmony-Seas-trip-PR-disaster.html

[CVU]

Oasis TA after Dry Dock out of Rotterdam, was not finished and the TA was a construction area too with problems.

Edited May 27, 2016 by CVU