Picture Imperfect: Live on Harmony

[Familygoboston]

A little Latin dancing in Boleros?! We have a late arrival in St Thomas (12:30pm) so we can have a late night. 

[darkchocolate]

6 hours ago, Familygoboston said:

After all the dining at Wonderland and sexy man excitement, taking in piano man in the Schooner bar. Tonight is standing room only for Beatles. 

 

 

Do you mind asking how long Kelly Goodrich will be there?  I will be on the June 16th sailing.

[bobmacliberty]

8 hours ago, Familygoboston said:

 

Kelly is fantastic.  Love his Elton John and Billy Joel nights also.

[rsharp83]

What’s the best desert at Wonderland? For our crew it was hands down “The World” chocolate globe. It was insanely good. Amy & Jeff literally we’re scraping the plate clean. 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 5, 2019 by rsharp83

[Familygoboston]

DARKCHOCOLATE- I’ll ask Kelly about how long he’s on board. I’m sure we will be back to his sing along in the Schooner Bar another night.  Beatles was last night, people weren’t really singing, but there was not a seat to be had, so he’s very popular. We don’t carry cash but at the end of the trip we’ll put “bread in the jar” 🤣

 

SOME THOUGHTS ON HARMONY’S DESIGN

I’m a little dissapointed with Harmony after sailing Oasis and Allure. If you read my review of Oasis (linked in my signature) you’ll see I was a reluctant sailer of Oasis class. After sailing Oasis I marveled at how the design was game changing. Avoiding passsenger bottlenecks that allowed a ship with 6 k people to feel less crowded than one with 2500 ( sorry but nuthin is going to feel as uncrowded as a 150 pax river cruise or 70 pax expedition cruise. 😉) 

All the bottle necks have returned - the WJ design with its front facing staircase requires extra steps to enter, 3 or 4 sinks are not near enough (NOS added a dozen on each side )  and creates a line to wash before even entering. The photographers so carefully tucked away on Oasis and Allure are blocking all but one staircase on the promenade. I could go on... suffice to say, it’s disappointing to see good design “tinkered with” to create form over function. 

 

 

The “world” at wonderland as served ...

[Lionesss]

OOOOPS

 

wrong thread.

 

 

 

No, right thread.

 

Do you have a picture of the hot tub on suite deck.

 

Thanks

 

 

Enjoying the thread.

 

 

Edited June 5, 2019 by Lionesss

[PlanetX]

1 hour ago, rsharp83 said:

What’s the best desert at Wonderland? For our crew it was hands down “The World” chocolate globe. It was insanely good. Amy & Jeff literally we’re scraping the plate clean. 

 

 

 

The World has always looked amazing!  I'm glad to hear it was just as good for you as so many other people I've read. 

 

I do wish Wonderland had a more appealing menu, at least for us - the whole concept of the place is very exciting, but when my wife and I looked at the actual offerings, we quickly decided that Chops or Jamie's was more our speed.

[Familygoboston]

Guess where we are? Again! A: Solarium

 

great place to watch the sail in from the fly bridge. Plus you can do a “”toes over the edge” photo opp on the gkads floor if the flybridge to the left side 

[Familygoboston]

Suite tubs :nope, sorry, unless you are paying we aren’t staying in suites 🤣.  

 

Wonderland menu: you really do have to put your preconceived notions away. I’m not a fan of tuna tartare and yet I loved the tuna with sherbert! 

 

Its a lot of $ so it’s your call. But if you take a bite and hate it they’ll bring something else, or hit the buffet afterwards. Also check if you can do late night or quiet night “dessert only” reservation! 

Edited June 5, 2019 by Familygoboston

[Lionesss]

9 minutes ago, Familygoboston said:

Suite tubs :nope, sorry, unless you are paying we aren’t staying in suites 🤣.  

 

 

Cute, gotta remember that one.

 

You had made a reference to it that is why I asked.

 

Safe travels.

[LC2626]

1 hour ago, PlanetX said:

 

The World has always looked amazing!  I'm glad to hear it was just as good for you as so many other people I've read. 

 

I do wish Wonderland had a more appealing menu, at least for us - the whole concept of the place is very exciting, but when my wife and I looked at the actual offerings, we quickly decided that Chops or Jamie's was more our speed.

We felt the same way when glancing at the menu. Almost didn’t eat there at all.  We ended up eating there TWO times on our March sailing.  It was amazing! 

[LC2626]

2 hours ago, Familygoboston said:

DARKCHOCOLATE- I’ll ask Kelly about how long he’s on board. I’m sure we will be back to his sing along in the Schooner Bar another night.  Beatles was last night, people weren’t really singing, but there was not a seat to be had, so he’s very popular. We don’t carry cash but at the end of the trip we’ll put “bread in the jar” 🤣

 

SOME THOUGHTS ON HARMONY’S DESIGN

I’m a little dissapointed with Harmony after sailing Oasis and Allure. If you read my review of Oasis (linked in my signature) you’ll see I was a reluctant sailer of Oasis class. After sailing Oasis I marveled at how the design was game changing. Avoiding passsenger bottlenecks that allowed a ship with 6 k people to feel less crowded than one with 2500 ( sorry but nuthin is going to feel as uncrowded as a 150 pax river cruise or 70 pax expedition cruise. 😉) 

All the bottle necks have returned - the WJ design with its front facing staircase requires extra steps to enter, 3 or 4 sinks are not near enough (NOS added a dozen on each side )  and creates a line to wash before even entering. The photographers so carefully tucked away on Oasis and Allure are blocking all but one staircase on the promenade. I could go on... suffice to say, it’s disappointing to see good design “tinkered with” to create form over function. 

 

 

The “world” at wonderland as served ...

I agree with the bottle neck! Sailed a 9 night on Harmony at end of March. First time on that size ship but we ended up avoiding Windjammer due to the bottle neck that seemed to happen up there. I think we only there 2-3 times the whole sailing.  And, yes the photographers constantly blocking the stairs on Promenade!  And we LOVED Wonderland. 

[OCSC Mike]

Sad to hear about these crowd comments.  We eat dinner in the WJ almost every night and never experienced anything like that on Oasis twice or Allure once.  Oh well, I can deal with lines, won't remember them as soon as I start eating.  🤣

[Familygoboston]

Coming into port at st Thomas 

[Familygoboston]

Mike -I should clarify: there has never been a line in the WJ at night, it’s very pleasant at night breakfast and lunch hours are the biggest bottlenecks. It’s the sinks, I get it, “washy washy” but on NOS there were about 8-10 or more on a side almost never a wait to wash. Only 3 or4 sinks on Harmony. Maybe they are hoping to encourage people to other venues since they keep announcing that on the loud speaker. I do need to try MDR lunch, everyone says salads are great! 

[Ocean Boy]

I love St. Thomas.

[OCSC Mike]

2 minutes ago, Familygoboston said:

Mike -I should clarify: there has never been a line in the WJ at night, it’s very pleasant at night breakfast and lunch hours are the biggest bottlenecks. It’s the sinks, I get it, “washy washy” but on NOS there were about 8-10 or more on a side almost never a wait to wash. Only 3 or4 sinks on Harmony. Maybe they are hoping to encourage people to other venues since they keep announcing that on the loud speaker. I do need to try MDR lunch, everyone says salads are great! 

 

Thanks for the clarification.  What "sinks" do you keep mentioning?  Never seen a sink in any WJ.  Was on Oasis twice in 2017 and Radiance last summer.  There were just greeters with hand sanitizer.  Is this a new thing?

[Familygoboston]

Dock at st Thomas. It’s a ways out of the main “town” or any beaches. You’ll need to get a taxi or schedule an excursion here if sailing in the Oasis class ships which always dock out at the commercial port. 

 

Btw, if it matters to you, stay on the starboard side if you like being alongside the dock ( view from your balcony) defying nautical tradition, Oasis class ships dock on the STARBOARD side not the PORT side (hello?! Isn’t it called port side for a reason? 🤣)

[Ocean Boy]

1 minute ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

Thanks for the clarification.  What "sinks" do you keep mentioning?  Never seen a sink in any WJ.  Was on Oasis twice in 2017 and Radiance last summer.  There were just greeters with hand sanitizer.  Is this a new thing?

They have been adding sinks to older ships in dry dock. Adventure now has them and I really liked it. I'd much rather use soap and water than sanitizer. Adventure has about 6 sinks on each side if I remember correctly.

[Familygoboston]

If you want ferries to St John or Water Islands, make your way to the dock by the restaurant I’ve cicked next to Jarmonys “dock” Check schedules on line things change!  

[Familygoboston]

Yes Mike- there’s a little alcove and there are 3 maybe 4 sinks. The attendant has a tensator closing the entrance and diverts everyone to sink alcove. This creates a bottle neck into the hall towards the front facing stair well (which is also a change from other ALL and OOS. 

As Ocean boy mentions the older ships placed many more sinks in the open hallway onto the WJ- no bottlenecks plus half the people. 

[Sea Dog]

Have fun in St. Thomas. Can't wait to hear how the day went. btw, thank you for the photo's of the compass. I am saving these to plan our trip on Harmony in October.

[rsharp83]

Here’s the WJ line for lunch.  And the 4 hand washing to accommodate all these people. 

 

My my theory is the created this bottleneck to try and force people into using some of the other options.  

 

 

[Ocean Boy]

Bad set up. The flow is much better at the entrance of Voyager / Freedom class, and I suspect Radiance, too.

[vpat48]

Damn that is a terrible setup to enter the WindJammer. I like the hand sanitizer station on the Oasis/Allure so much more than this.