Just back from Harmony - some info to help you

[KiwiGal117]

The service-level on Harmony is consistently very low....read the reviews in the CC review section...

 

That was not our experience at all. Just goes to show that you have to be careful about what you read on here. I was a bit apprehensive before our cruise having read reviews here, especially because we were traveling with friends who had never cruised before, and were a bit skeptical. Suffice to say our experience, and that of our friends, have turned us into big fans. Use your own judgment.

[Totalelf]

Amazing just how many times you post that identical false propaganda in nearly every thread that appears about Harmony.

 

There are plenty of posts for cruisers on Harmony who directly contradict what you've posted.

 

Saying something over and over and over again doesn't make it true. We get it that you didn't find your experience as good as it could have been. No need to pollute another thread with this kind of repetitive nonsense. :rolleyes:

 

 

I was on the inaugural 7 day a couple weeks ago and I must say the service in the dining room was horrible!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[CruiseDiver]

 

 

 

Sorentos, Promenade Cafe and the hot dog place only served water, no ice. Park Cafe had lemonade, flavored water, but also no ice. The only place to get iced tea was main dining room .

 

 

There is an ice machine in Park Cafe.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[CruiseDiver]

I was on the inaugural 7 day a couple weeks ago and I must say the service in the dining room was horrible!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

This cruise was ok. The ship is beautiful with lots to do. This was the 2nd worst experience we've had in the MDR. No water or bread being replenished, waiting a long time for our 2nd appetizer while others were getting their meals. Head waiter skipping over our table while greeting other tables 3 days in a row. My wife complained to the assistant waiter when asked how was everything. The waiter came and apologized then got the head waiter who also apologized and said he would make it up to us by offering a glass of wine. We said no thanks to the wine. Next day a little better with head waiter checking on us and offering a glass of wine again. Again we said no and after having dry tough lobster we didn't return to the MDR.

Will continue to sail with Royal, but not on Harmony.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[bigbeergut]

Does anyone understand the reason that holes can't be punched in the sea pass cards? Are the cards different that cards used on other ships? Is Guest Services just trying to avoid this service? :confused::confused::confused:

[Clarea]

Does anyone understand the reason that holes can't be punched in the sea pass cards? Are the cards different that cards used on other ships? Is Guest Services just trying to avoid this service? :confused::confused::confused:

There is a chip inside the SeaPass card that can be damaged if the hole is not punched correctly.

[Totalelf]

This cruise was ok. The ship is beautiful with lots to do. This was the 2nd worst experience we've had in the MDR. No water or bread being replenished, waiting a long time for our 2nd appetizer while others were getting their meals. Head waiter skipping over our table while greeting other tables 3 days in a row. My wife complained to the assistant waiter when asked how was everything. The waiter came and apologi then got the head waiter who also apologized and said he would make it up to us by offering a glass of wine. We said no thanks to the wine. Next day a little better with head waiter checking on us and offering a glass of wine again. Again we said no and after having dry tough lobster we didn't return to the MDR.

Will continue to sail with Royal, but not on Harmony.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

 

We had a similar experience in the dining room. Not asked about drink orders. Not replenishing water or iced tea, bread, butter, etc. Very slow service...2 hours to eat dinner in the dining room. I'm not a fan of the new menu either. I think they have lowered the quality of the main dining room to get people to go to the specialty restaurants.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Thorben-Hendrik]

I wasn't stressing no ice as much as stressing there was only water available to drink with hot dogs and pizza. The water had ice in it, but there was no ice machine. It looked to me like it was RCIs push for you to buy the soda package.

 

I think you are correct - they have really downgraded the free drinks on Harmony as well as the room-service menu that does not really have anything free any-more.

[Thorben-Hendrik]

Does anybody know how the wow bands work in the casino? Your card is normally scanned when playing table games, so I wonder how that is adapted to the card.

You have to take it off and they will scan it.

[Thorben-Hendrik]

Your "truth" is subjective opinions. I don't discount them, but don't discount those of us who had an amazing experience, great service, etc. Honestly, I was an uncertain cruiser prior to my Harmony cruise, and I'm now a big fan. Everyone has different experiences, and everyone reading the opinions on here need to take them with a grain of salt and try not to let these opinions colour their own experience.

 

I absolutely agree!

It is the Harmony-Cheerleaders that want to shut up any other opinion - that is why I pointed out the "truth".

A fact is that only 56% of the reviewers were happy with their experience currently.

Another fact is that Harmony currently has the lowest review rating of any big RCI ship.

So some may be aware - that there is a bit of a risk they might not get what they expected.

 

If you are new to cruising and have nothing to compare the service to - it will be OK - as you have nothing to compare it to. But for RCI the service-standard is well below average....

Edited November 27, 2016 by germanfflyer

[CRUISEFAN0001]

I absolutely agree!

It is the Harmony-Cheerleaders that want to shut up any other opinion - that is why I pointed out the "truth".

A fact is that only 56% of the reviewers were happy with their experience currently.

Another fact is that Harmony currently has the lowest review rating of any big RCI ship.

So some may be aware - that there is a bit of a risk they might not get what they expected.

 

If you are new to cruising and have nothing to compare the service to - it will be OK - as you have nothing to compare it to. But for RCI the service-standard is well below average....

Here we go again...

 

[Thorben-Hendrik]

We had a similar experience in the dining room. Not asked about drink orders. Not replenishing water or iced tea, bread, butter, etc. Very slow service...2 hours to eat dinner in the dining room. I'm not a fan of the new menu either. I think they have lowered the quality of the main dining room to get people to go to the specialty restaurants.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

Funny how this seems to be the norm now with Harmony - they also do not give you much choice with the bread.

It is ridiculous how the WJ has better bread choices than the MDR!

 

Another thing that was observed was the fact that our waiter told us even so 1st seating complained about the duck not being done and tough they served the same underdone duck in 2nd seating - that made him upset because again he got lots of complaints!

 

For me that is in line with other bad management decisions on Harmony!

[Thorben-Hendrik]

Here we go again...

 

 

Very interesting how desperate you are to stop others from posting their opinion.....

Breaking news: There is no way you can stop them!:D:p

 

You yourself have not sailed on many cruises to begin with - NO cruise on Harmony - yet you claim to be the one to control others opinion or have the right to police their postings.....I find that pretty loco!

Edited November 27, 2016 by germanfflyer

[Cruisin' Cats]

You have to take it off and they will scan it.

 

 

Do you have to remove the Wow band to make purchases? It can't be scanned while you are wearing it?

[CRUISEFAN0001]

Very interesting how desperate you are to stop others from posting their opinion.....

Breaking news: There is no way you can stop them!:D:p

 

You yourself have not sailed on many cruises to begin with - NO cruise on Harmony - yet you claim to be the one to control others opinion or have the right to police their postings.....I find that pretty loco!

More experience than you...also on Oasis and Allure. There are hundreds of posts directly contradicting your opinion.

 

The person starting this thread is trying to share and help others - in contrast to your repeated negative agenda posts in multiple threads.

 

Opinions are just that and no more - repeating things over and over doesn't make them true or more important than others.

Edited November 27, 2016 by CRUISEFAN0001

[Thorben-Hendrik]

Do you have to remove the Wow band to make purchases? It can't be scanned while you are wearing it?

Yes you have to remove most of the times - at some locations they have a scanner that can be moved so you can touch it - but I would say at 9 out of 10 times you will have to remove the band.

[Thorben-Hendrik]

More experience than you...

You are making a fool out of yourself!

Sorry you are now on my ignore list....so keep trying to police others - it will not work - good luck!

[CRUISEFAN0001]

You are making a fool out of yourself!

Sorry you are now on my ignore list....so keep trying to police others - it will not work - good luck!

Please refrain from ruining this person's helpful thread for others.

 

Your negative comments and personal attacks are a disruption to the many fine people at this site looking to learn something from facts, not fiction.

[bobkat12]

So, I'll chime in now, 25 cruises, 22 with RCI. Giving Harmony one more chance in 3 weeks to improve. Our waiter and waitress were the best, they worked like a true team! I only wish the food was half as good, it wasn't! They have indeed cut down on the bread selection, and what they had could break your teeth. Room service is now lessened to where you will pay for anything you really want. I don't think this hybrid thing with Oasis class and Quantum class works for us, but we will give it another try. The ship is beautiful and high tech and has many positive features. I just think we prefer Allure, Oasis, and Independence OTS. Harmony does have the best casino we have seen on a ship also.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[ValerieJo]

To the OP,

 

You mention there are no clocks in the room. Is there a phone with the time? We always request a wake up call on the phone. Will we still be able to set that up?

[A&L_Ont]

To the OP,

 

You mention there are no clocks in the room. Is there a phone with the time? We always request a wake up call on the phone. Will we still be able to set that up?

 

There is a phone that you have to push the screen to make it "live" and then it will display the time. After a few seconds the screen shuts off.

 

Edit. I'm not sure about setting a wake up, as we always bring our own small alarm clock.

Edited November 27, 2016 by A&L_Ont

[A&L_Ont]

Yes you have to remove most of the times - at some locations they have a scanner that can be moved so you can touch it - but I would say at 9 out of 10 times you will have to remove the band.

 

Our experience was not as bad as the germanfflyer's. When it wouldn't scan (2 of the 10 times) we just put a bit more pressure on the reader and it worked. Obviously it varies for everyone.

Edited November 27, 2016 by A&L_Ont

[A&L_Ont]

This seems to be a common behaviour of the Harmony management too - it also explains the low service level!

Our MDR server told us the last night he has been working for RCI for 10 years - started working on Harmony just before the TA and now has requested to be transferred to another ship - as there are just too many complains and he is not comfortable with the service he is able to give.

There seems to be a Harmony-Management-Problem...affecting the service seriously...

 

Yes the ice-boxes with everybody helping themselves are also in the WJ - very UN-sanitary - ...but they make you wash your hand there.....but only when you enter ....:rolleyes:

 

Germanfflyer, I too saw the same style of ice bin in Park Cafe on Harmony and the first thing I thought about how unsanitary it was. When washing your hands is touted as the right thing to do, this seemed counter productive. We skipped the ice there, and any locations in which ice was available in this style of dispensing. When I needed ice I got it from the freestyle machines. In all honesty the ice makers on Oasis and Allure beside the water machines never kept up to their needed production in locations like Park Cafe and the Wipe Out Cafe.

 

It's highly obvious that you don't like Harmony, but was it just the service that did it or was there more? I'm asking an honest question as whatever it was it really must have got you. If I remember you were on the TA. In my live review I posted our downfalls that we encountered and I wonder how parallel and varied yours were to ours.

 

The other thing we think has happened is that RC has taken to technology to reduce staff in some areas. I would be curious to know if the staffing levels are less across the ship, and if so to what level on Harmony compared to Oasis and Allure. A prime example is the shore excursions area with multiple iPads/tablets with less crew to assist guests. A few other simple service cut locations, no drink service in Park Cafe putting more pressure on the bar in a Central Park. The staffed Champagne Bar is now manned by two robots. We have also never seen just 2 waiters at night in JR and 2 waiters in Sabor. Typically there are 3-4 working these venues. Yes these are simple and small locations for a few staff cuts but it does decrease the service levels.

 

I wonder out loud, could there have been a change in the MDR that led to the inept service that your waiter spoke of? Obviously your waiter feels as though there is a problem since he wants to go, and it is obvious that there is a service issue as other cruisers have made note about it. I noted issues in Specialty Dining venues where we ate, where they are supposed to be even better, and weren't for us.

 

I honestly think they need to do a major shakeup to get thinks running better. Harmony has been in service for half a year and we expected service equal or better to our past recent experiences. When our food arrived it was great, for mass market cruising, but the patience that we needed for the long waits for it's arrival was exasperating.

[Sam.Seattle]

I had completely forgotten about the ice thing on Harmony. We had lunch several days in the Solarium Bistro, and there were no ice "machines," but they had a tub with ice and a scoop to "serve yourself" next to the dispensers with the flavored waters and iced tea. I remember thinking it was a little odd, but not a big deal. I also remember thinking that scoop laying on top of the ice was a little unsanitary and surprised they allowed it.

I would assume the ice scooper would have about the same amount of germs the serving spoons do on the buffet.

[Thorben-Hendrik]

To the OP,

 

You mention there are no clocks in the room. Is there a phone with the time? We always request a wake up call on the phone. Will we still be able to set that up?

You can set up a wake-up call.