Harmony of the Seas

When my parents asked if I was interested in going on a Mediterranean cruise for our annual family vacation, I was thrilled. When they said we would be taking said cruise on Harmony of the Seas for a 7-night cruise through the Mediterranean, I was besides myself. The two things that sold me on this vacation were the itinerary and the ship. Especially the ship. (It was kind of hard to say no to sailing on the newest and largest ship at sea.) Even if I absolutely hated it, it would still be something worth experiencing. Here are some of my highlights from sailing on Harmony.

THE ROOM

The room itself was beautiful and had a great layout and tons of storage space. What “made” the room for me were some of the smaller details like the USB outlets, the reading lights and the nightlight in the bathroom. Again, small details, but they were really nice to have.

Speaking of the bathroom, like the room, it was very nice and surprisingly spacious with a beautiful, modern design. My favorite thing about sailing on new ships has to be the bathrooms as they have a nice homey feel to them. It really helps in settling in. (Not pictured: the settling in where my stuff is neatly organized but everywhere.)

THE FOOD

I normally come home with a few pictures of the food from the ship but I guess I was too busy stuffing my face to take any. I guess you will just have to take my word for it that the food was exceptionally good.

One thing I really liked about this ship was the availability of quick breakfast options outside of the Windjammer (which can be an absolute zoo in mornings). Since I was always running late, most mornings I just grabbed an egg sandwich and a cup of fruit from Park Cafe which was both portable and healthy. I also ate at Park Cafe for lunch the first two days and it was the perfect option for a fresh, light lunch. For ships that have a Central Park, this will be my first choice for breakfast and lunch from now on.

We had intended on trying one of the specialty restaurants on board, but we ended up only eating in the main dining room. The food was great, but more than that, we had the best, hardest working waiters, Hydee and Imade. If there was one thing I looked forward to everyday, it was seeing them and chatting with them at dinner. By the end of the cruise, they felt like family. They were also very helpful and picked up on our personal preferences very quickly. If I was stuck on two appetizers or desserts, Hydee (our head waiter) would bring them both, (I had two entrees one night also…) and everything she suggested was always a hit. It’s truly amazing that I did not gain weight on this cruise.

I cannot mention the food onboard without mentioning my all-time favorite place to eat, Sorrento’s pizza. I love pizza, good pizza, and Sorrento’s is it. Custom pizzas, to-go pizzas, gluten-free pizzas- there is something for everyone.  Oh, and it’s free and open basically all day/night long. I’ve been known to shamelessly have Sorrento’s as a night cap. Or as a post-breakfast snack…

THE ENTERTAINMENT

I have to confess: I barely took in the entertainment onboard.  Our days were so hectic that once we were done with dinner, all I wanted to do was relax. (Isn’t that the definition of a vacation?) I did go to Grease the first night and even though it is my least favorite musical in the world, the production value of the show was really good and I almost stayed for the whole thing.

What I did love for entertainment was The Fine Line in the AquaTheater. Located at the back of the ship, the AquaTheater is an incredible open-air venue. Taking in a show like this with all of the cool lights against the black of the night, under the stars truly left me speechless. Then there were the dancers, acrobats, divers, gymnasts, aerialists and synchronized swimmers of the show who are just phenomenal. I really don’t want to give anything away except that it’s something worth experiencing. I saw the show three times while I was onboard, it was that good.

HIGHLIGHTSThe Promenade is always a favorite.

VITALITY SPA & CAFE

Did I mention that our schedules were crazy? I always vow to check out the spa when I cruise but never do, so it was at the top of my list for this cruise. My first purchase within the first hour of boarding was an unlimited pass for the week to the Thermal Suite for the ultimate in rest and relaxation. I knew I wouldn’t have time for a treatment, so having access to the Thermal Suite was perfect as I could go whenever the spa was open to relax in the sauna or on the hot stone beds. It was truly one of the the most relaxing experiences of my life. Post-spa, The Vitality Cafe was my favorite stop for a fresh juice or smoothie. I truly felt the sauna and the juices helped balance out all of the late night pizza…

CENTRAL PARK

Central Park is such a unique concept to a ship but one that I absolutely loved. How can you not love having access to a park while in the middle of the ocean? When I needed to get away from the hustle and bustle of the ship for a few moments, there was nothing like being around all of the fresh flowers and under the sun (or stars!) for a few moments of peace and quiet.

THE BOARDWALK

I loved the Boardwalk for the opposite reason I loved Central Park. When I wanted to be a part of the excitement of the ship, I went to the Boardwalk. Between the carousel, the AquaTheater, the Ultimate Abyss, there was so much going on and always so much fun. The Harmony of the Seas Orchestra even put on a concert one afternoon!

GALLEY TOUR

Whenever there is an opportunity for a behind the scenes look at the ship, I take it. Our head waiter Hydee let us know that they would be offering tours of the galley on our last day onboard/ our day at sea, and since I loved the food so much, I definitely wanted to take a look.

The galley is immense. It spans multiple decks and is the center for the majority of the food preparation onboard. When we entered, the chefs were prepping dinner and searing meat that would then be roasted. I don’t really eat meat, but the smell had me salivating. (I also ended up ordering it at dinner.) We also got to see where the waiters lineup to get the orders, where all the silverware and china is washed and stored, where all the liquor for cooking is kept and last but not least, my favorite part, where all the delicious bread is made. It was heaven! There is nothing quite like the smell of freshly baked bread.

The tour concluded back in the dining room where there were glasses of champagne and plates of treats including my absolute favorite, macarons. Thankfully we did not tour the deck where the desserts were made…

FINAL THOUGHTS/ OVERALL EXPERIENCE ON HARMONY OF THE SEAS

Driving into port, I honestly didn’t think the ship looked that big. Obviously I was wrong as Harmony of the Seas is huge. It’s hard to believe that there were roughly 8,000 people onboard (passengers and crew) because the ship never once felt crowded. The size (roughly the length of 3 football fields!) definitely helped with that, as well as all of the activities and amenities they are able to provide onboard.

Prior to sailing on Harmony of the Seas, I was a bit hesitant about sailing on such a big ship. With so much to do and see onboard, I wanted to take it all in, but worried that a week would not be enough time.  As much as I tried, I didn’t get to see and do all that I wanted to because of our schedule. Cruising the Mediterranean is an intense itinerary with early starts and long days. And with only one sea day to explore (the day before we disembarked), there just wasn’t enough time to get it all in. However with Harmony repositioning to Florida and sailing to the Caribbean, I definitely think that the island itinerary will equal more balance and allow for more time to explore the ship.

Overall, I had an incredible time and loved sailing on the biggest and newest ship at sea. I can’t say that I am a big ship convert just yet, but I definitely enjoyed myself and would absolutely do it again.