Nine Things To Like And One To LOVE About New Harmony Of The Seas

New Harmony of the Seas is a shiny new cruise ship from Royal Caribbean International.  That’s the same people who have offered sailings in their middle name for decades.  Founded in Norway, the company launched the first in an initial trio of ships in 1970.  First was Song of Norway, followed by Nordic Prince in 1972 and Sun Viking in 1978.  From there, Royal Caribbean and its ships have grown to be one of the largest travel companies in the world.  One of the ways they got there was by building unique ships.  Each has a character of its own. Grouped by class, each one has sister ships of roughly the same size.  Still, each is unique.  New Harmony of the Seas is no exception.  Let’s take a look at ten unique reasons to like Harmony of the Seas.

1. Like- Size Matters- Technically an “Oasis class” ship, Harmony of the Seas will weigh in 227,000 tons. Sisters Oasis and Allure of the Seas come in at 225,282 tons. New Harmony of the Seas will technically be the new largest cruise ship in the world.   For cruise travelers who want bragging rights, you’ll need to sail Harmony to keep your badge of honor.
2. Like- The First Water Slide. Royal Caribbean will be adding water slides to other ships in the fleet.  But Harmony of the Seas will be the first to have one.  New Harmony will also be the first to have the Perfect Storm. That’s actually a set of three slides named Cyclone, Typhoon and Supercell.  Each is three decks high.  All will be towering five decks above the Central Park neighborhood.
3. Like- Ultimate Abyss is the tallest slide at sea, actually two of them and not a waterslide as guests sit on mats to ride it. At 10 stories high, the slides begin in the Pool and Sports Zone high up on deck sixteen and ends in the Boardwalk neighborhood far below. Sliding at nine miles per hour,  guests will experience sound effects on the way down the 100-foot drop.
4. Like- Grease- Broadway’s hit musical Grease is the headline show onboard new Harmony of the Seas. The never-before-seen stage production, specially adapted by Royal Caribbean Productions, will boast a soundtrack of crowd favorites such as “Summer Nights,” “Greased Lightnin’,” “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee,” “Born to Hand-Jive,” “Beauty School Dropout” and more.
5. Like- Royal Suite Class Experience- The most discerning cruise travelers will enjoy an experience like no other featuring a wide-range of benefits and amenities that they expect from a world-class luxury vacation.  Divided into three levels, Star, Sky and Sea class all add superior service, upgraded amenities, personalized experiences and exclusive access that those in the regular inside, oceanview and balcony accommodations will never see.
6. Like- Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine will bring Harmony of the Seas guests a chance to experience a unique culinary adventure for the senses when chefs twist their culinary kaleidoscopes in a whimsical setting that challenges the imagination with unique new cuisine.
7. Like- Enhanced Adventure Ocean Programming- New in Harmony’s Adventure Ocean Theater is Away We Go!, a black light puppet show created by Tony® award-nominated actors and imaginative producers John Tartaglia by and Michael Shawn Lewis.
8. Like- New Amenities for Central Park and Boardwalk Staterooms-  Interior-facing Boardwalk and Central Park staterooms will get bonus amenities in a move to fill the cabins that are usually priced very nicely in comparison to others on board.  In the more adult-oriented Central Park neighborhood,  guests will get lunch for two at Jamie’s Italian, a bottle of wine upon arrival and special casino perks.  In the more family-friendly Boardwalk neighborhood, it’s lunch or dinner for four at Johnny Rockets, a soda beverage package for two and private time on the 38-foot tall rock wall.
9. Like- Quantum Features.  Introduced on new Quantum class and brought to new Harmony of the Seas, Wonderland Restaurant grows to a two-story venue and Bionic Bartenders hitch a ride. Working tirelessly, the robot bartenders craft concoctions from 30 spirits and 20 mixers.  Also on Harmony of the Seas, WOW bands to open stateroom doors and pay for stuff not included in the cruise fare.

New Harmony Feature To  LOVE- It’s Pushy, Perhaps To A Fault–

To accommodate Harmony of the Seas at Florida’s Port Everglades, older sister Oasis of the Seas will head north to Port Canaveral, gobbling up as many as 6000 of the cruise travelers sailing from the Central Florida port every week.  That might translate to a fare war of sorts as other lines vie for passengers to fill up their ships as well. Initially priced higher sailing from (harder to get to) Port Canaveral than sailing from (easy access) Port Everglades, look for Oasis of the Seas pricing to drop closer to the ship’s November move. Meanwhile, pay special attention to prices on Carnival Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and other Royal Caribbean ships sailing from Port Canaveral.  6000 passengers is a big bite out of the apple.  Still, two things we know for sure: Cruise lines know reducing prices fills ships and those floating hotels can be moved rather quickly if the competition does not yield the desired occupancy levels. Count on both happening, briefly, thanks to Harmony of the Seas.

Flickr cover photo- m01229