Live harmony

[dirkd]

Few thoughts.

 

Beautiful ship. Walked right on without needing any suite special lines. Suite room outstanding. Suite sun Deck nice open space for sail away. Crew so far nice but some (just a few) seem a little unhappy at times. I don't even bother with the lifts. Too long of a wait. Stairs excellent exercise. Voom wifi great but intermittently kicks you out. So if you want to use for incoming calls(I know vacation, turn off phone) does not work well especially at night because you won't know your logged off. Found great solution which is app that detects wifi and re-establishes in the background. In fact just did while I am typing this. Food tastes just like food which is not always true on RCI. However eating in coastal kitchen so far. 150 tonight. The windjammer is constantly packed and this morning had to turn people away due to seating limitation. Seems like a problem however passengers have other good options. Cab fair into Palma center was ten euro and easily accessible at port. More later......

[tropiclvrs]

Thanks for taking the time to post. Have a great cruise!

Edited September 5, 2016 by tropiclvrs

[dirkd]

Thought there may be a problem with deck chairs but after everyone back from Palma by 3:30 plenty of chairs on great sunny day. Thought the suite deck would be important but may be less so. Btw, suite deck has these awesome cabana like spaces for a group that are private and enclosed.

[dirkd]

150 meh, it's a charming dark little box with no windows. Six different kinds of salt. Steak better in coastal kitchen. Menu pretty limited. Wife liked alot. Me not so much.

 

Getting off ship this am staff had no idea what door we were exiting from and herded everyone into a small pen. Mental note to figure this out prior in the future and not depend on the crew to be well trained.

 

Does anyone know where to get Ice cream on board. Have not figured that out yet. And it is a priority. Frozen yogurt machines on deck but looking for the real thing.

 

Ship actually moved a bit last night. Almost motionless prior to that. I tend to sea sickness and really stable. But maybe just lucky weather.

[jules815]

What are the hours for the bar at the Suite Sun Deck? Looks like a nice place to get a drink in the evening, too.

 

I was actually going to post about real ice cream availability on HOS. Anyone??

[dirkd]

I'll find out the hours on the suite deck.

[dirkd]

Suite deck bar 10:30am to 9:30 at night. But bring lot of$$. Went to comedy club last night and one drink 16.50 before tip but there was a "service fee" included which may or may not be a tip but still another option for tip. But of course there are drink packages as everyone knows and I would not want to get into that!

[dirkd]

Tonight in the pitch black Mediterranean night two military helicopters hovered less than 100 yards away on two occasions from the ship directly of of our balcony. Almost no lights. Unnerving. Called the bridge and they explained "the French military is doing drills". Might have told my wife so she could have put a robe on first.

[jules815]

Suite deck bar 10:30am to 9:30 at night. But bring lot of$$. Went to comedy club last night and one drink 16.50 before tip but there was a "service fee" included which may or may not be a tip but still another option for tip. But of course there are drink packages as everyone knows and I would not want to get into that!

 

What was the $16.50 drink?!

[dirkd]

I will take a moment away from the air attack to specify.

 

It was a foofy drink of sorts. Orange. No umbrella. My wife was explicitly asked to not order the foofy drinks however I had as much effect on her as I do on dry land.

 

Movies are now pay per view. 11.99. seems last RCI they had movies for free.

 

And they are back again. Fourth sortie.

[Paulette3028]

I know on ships that have a flowrider, there are hours of operation when the flowrider is open.

 

How is it for the waterslides? Are they open all day long or only during specific hours?

[riclop]

Few thoughts.

 

Beautiful ship. Walked right on without needing any suite special lines. Suite room outstanding. Suite sun Deck nice open space for sail away. Crew so far nice but some (just a few) seem a little unhappy at times. I don't even bother with the lifts. Too long of a wait. Stairs excellent exercise. Voom wifi great but intermittently kicks you out. So if you want to use for incoming calls(I know vacation, turn off phone) does not work well especially at night because you won't know your logged off. Found great solution which is app that detects wifi and re-establishes in the background. In fact just did while I am typing this. Food tastes just like food which is not always true on RCI. However eating in coastal kitchen so far. 150 tonight. The windjammer is constantly packed and this morning had to turn people away due to seating limitation. Seems like a problem however passengers have other good options. Cab fair into Palma center was ten euro and easily accessible at port. More later......

Thanks for the update.

[easyboy]

Following your review.

[Clarea]

Real ice cream is usually offered every night in the MDR and some nights in Windjammer.

[dirkd]

Could not find I've cream so I ordered through suite option from mdr. Fairly bad Ice cream however the worst chocolate ice cream is better than most anything else in life.

 

I will find out the slide times today.

 

La Spezia port. 15 euro flat fee for the cab to the train station and 15 back.

 

The art is actually unique and interesting on Harmony. An unexpected pleasure. Is that normally true on RCI? And not just the big common space installations but the smaller Hall wall pieces.

[ravenjls]

If you get a chance, would you please check to see if there is a baby splash pool attached to the kids waterpark. On the Allure and Oasis they have a small area just for babies. I just assumed when we booked that Harmony, it would have one too but now I am not so sure.

[dirkd]

Slides have different times everyday depending on the port. Always a morning and afternoon .

 

Went to wonderland. It was supposed to be magical. I kind of just want to get my food without a lot of razzmatazz. The beef was amazing. Waiter offered to bring out another serving. Chocolate dessert was awesome and shrimp was very good. Others I was not thrilled with but nothing terrible occurred. Waiter basically told us he knew what he was doing and would order for us and I capitulated. Wife said " I think if I am going to a specialty restaurant I would pick that one because it is an experience". Restaurant has windows which you would not think would be an issue but it is. Watched the zip liners while eating.

 

Two minutes late for suite seats at grease and they gave them away and no other seats left thirteen minutes before show. Will show up on time mañana.

 

This is the least ship like experience I have ever had on cruise. been on freedom class twice. Hard to explain but just feels like a land resort. Less unusual ship things like port holes and strange door ways and other odds accommodations for the sea and lack of space.

[dirkd]

About the baby pool,

 

there is definately a very shallow area in the water park the tiny people go into.

[Pencruise]

If you get a chance, would you please check to see if there is a baby splash pool attached to the kids waterpark. On the Allure and Oasis they have a small area just for babies. I just assumed when we booked that Harmony, it would have one too but now I am not so sure.

 

Yes there is a babies splash pool adjacent to the kiddies waterpark, there is even a little slide there for them - we were on the Harmony the week before last - fabulous ship.

[jules815]

Thanks for the reports.

 

Do you know if they have suite seating in the Aqua Theater?

[dirkd]

Thanks for the reports.

 

Do you know if they have suite seating in the Aqua Theater?

 

Yes, very nice seats in aqua theater. Right in middle and I think they were actually better quality seats but don't quote me on that. But better get there by fifteen minutes prior or they will give away.

 

Went to the comedy show and they had special seats only for the suites with a genie. This was the only location I know with that. Non suite people came early and sat in these seats while management watched without saying anything. Once the room filled up they kicked them out leaving them with nothing while the genie people sat in their place. Did not feel fair. They were marked seats so they should have known but since it was obvious they were there in this tiny venue and no one helped them into adjacent seats out it was odd. But often no one working on this ship seems to know what's going on.

[littleanimal]

Thanks for your review! Just wondering is coffee card ($30 for 15 cups) available on Harmony of the Sea?

[dirkd]

Izumi - not ready for prime time. Seated in 1/4 full restaurant and no one came to see us for 25 minutes. When I complained a waiter came to the table and irritatedly said "do you want to order?". Told him maybe we could start with some water. Food was then good to very good. Then they gave me someone else's much more expensive check which I fortunately caught. Oddly both my wife and myself developed rhinitis simultaneously while in izumi which then promptly resolved when we left.

 

Sea day available chairs on deck became pretty sparse.

 

Departing with suite priveledge great. Slept in till 8:30 then walked off through promenade with zero wait.

 

Breakfast available in coastal kitchen before departing.

 

I took my luggage with me rather than put outside of door. Easier to finish packing in the morning and I wanted to control everything so no hitch getting out of port. Other than having to wait about seven minutes for the elevator it was easy. I don't see an advantage to checking bag if you have good rolling suitcase.

 

Zero wait for cab at Barcelona port. 39 euro flat fee to airport.

 

One hour wait to have passport checked in Barcelona airport. People freaking out everywhere. People's getting in wrong lines because no adequate signage.

 

Tipping was uncomfortable. Lots of people helped us and I really don't know who got what. I tipped extra the room stewards and concierge. Concierge were very nice and tried to be helpful but honestly knew less than I did. In their defense, when they did not know which was most of the time they found out the answer eventually. So, an A for friendly, attentive and hard working and a C for knowledge of their ship and ports.

[Paulette3028]

Izumi - not ready for prime time. Seated in 1/4 full restaurant and no one came to see us for 25 minutes. When I complained a waiter came to the table and irritatedly said "do you want to order?". Told him maybe we could start with some water. Food was then good to very good. Then they gave me someone else's much more expensive check which I fortunately caught. Oddly both my wife and myself developed rhinitis simultaneously while in izumi which then promptly resolved when we left.

 

Sea day available chairs on deck became pretty sparse.

 

Departing with suite priveledge great. Slept in till 8:30 then walked off through promenade with zero wait.

 

Breakfast available in coastal kitchen before departing.

 

I took my luggage with me rather than put outside of door. Easier to finish packing in the morning and I wanted to control everything so no hitch getting out of port. Other than having to wait about seven minutes for the elevator it was easy. I don't see an advantage to checking bag if you have good rolling suitcase.

 

Zero wait for cab at Barcelona port. 39 euro flat fee to airport.

 

One hour wait to have passport checked in Barcelona airport. People freaking out everywhere. People's getting in wrong lines because no adequate signage.

 

Tipping was uncomfortable. Lots of people helped us and I really don't know who got what. I tipped extra the room stewards and concierge. Concierge were very nice and tried to be helpful but honestly knew less than I did. In their defense, when they did not know which was most of the time they found out the answer eventually. So, an A for friendly, attentive and hard working and a C for knowledge of their ship and ports.

 

We always go to Izumi, so hoping that all is better come February. Sea day availability of loungers on deck is always a problem.

[seatraveler24]

I noticed the Diamond Club on the Harmony appears to be an interior room on deck 4, which is different from the Concierge Lounge on deck 11 on the Oasis and Allure. Have you seen Harmony's Diamond Club and your impression?

 

Thanks so much,

Tracy