The Giant Cruise Ship: "Harmony of the Seas"
♦ Routes (free): Detailed travel itineraries in USA
Royal Caribbean has done it big, as only it knows how: following the two largest ships in the world (as of their launch date) which were launched
in 2009 and 2010: Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, Royal Caribbean launched in 2016 the third ship in the same series: Harmony of the Seas. This ship is an improved and upgraded model of the Oasis and is even larger than it by almost two tons (not that it can be felt): 227,000 tons! A new all-time record for cruise ships until that year.
3 more ships have been released in this series since then until today, so there are now six giant ships in this series.
Names of all ships in the series: Harmony®, Allure®, Symphony®, Oasis®, Wonder®, and Utopia of the Seas℠
The fourth in this series was released in 2018, and you can find a separate article about it and its innovations in my article:
Symphony of the Seas ).
Last Minute Cruise Deals:
Innovations on the Harmony Ship
The main innovation on this ship is the state-of-the-art water slides, two of them at a height of ten(!) floors located at the stern of the ship. They are considered the longest slides on cruise ships. A real experience for the daring.
This is the first Royal Caribbean ship to have water slides (Norwegian is known for its modern and recommended water slides) joining the surf pools that already exist on many other ships of the company, the climbing walls, ice skating, and a variety of other cool sports and recreation facilities that cruise enthusiasts are already used to enjoying. This ship has the largest children's play area of all ships to date.
Another attraction on the Harmony, which was not on the Oasis and Allure (but exists in the "Quantum of the Seas" series), is the "Bionic Bar" where robotic bartenders will serve you.
Another recommended innovation on the ship is that even in the interior rooms (without a window or balcony) there will be a "Virtual Balcony": spectacular views will be projected in them so that you won't want to leave the room...
Ship Neighborhoods
But it's hard to believe anyone can stay in the room when there are seven "neighborhoods" to explore, full of attractions and restaurants (20 different restaurants!) including, among others:
"Central Park"
A giant park, longer than a football field, completely open to the air, rich in (natural) vegetation located in the center of the ship with over 12,000 plants including, among others, tropical vegetation, bamboo, tall trees reaching a height of 2.5 floors, climbers, vines, and designed gardens integrating a variety of artworks from all over the world.
"Boardwalk"
Reminiscent in character of the seaside promenade at Coney Island or Atlantic City.
The "Aqua Theater"
Located at the end of the Boardwalk is an amphitheater overlooking a pool 5.4 meters deep, which is considered the deepest pool on cruise ships, also used as a pool for various water activities but mainly as a stage for various water shows including, among others, impressive fountain shows integrated with lights and music. The sight of a hundred water jets firing into the air to a height of over 20 meters is spectacular.
The "Royal Promenade"
A central space that serves as a giant shopping and entertainment center.
Short video presenting the attractions on the Harmony ship: