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5 reasons you should cruise
on the world's largest ship

By Tracy Brown
May 14, 2017
Photos contributed by Royal Caribbean International

Last fall, Royal Caribbean debuted its newest ship, Harmony of the Seas, touted as the world’s largest cruise vessel.

Indeed, the Harmony is impressively big, so much so that it’s easy at times to forget that you’re actually at sea instead of strolling through a quaint neighborhood district or splashing at a terrifyingly-fun amusement park or dining at some exclusive, hard–to-get-a-reservation restaurant.

The ship, based in Fort Lauderdale, stands at 1,888 feet tall, which gives Royal Caribbean bragging rights that Harmony is more than double the height of the Washington Monument. Size aside, what makes Harmony of the Seas different from what you might find on other shiny new ships? For sure, you’ll get the standard endless buffets, the cheesy, but entertaining theater productions, casinos and countless swimming pools. The accomodations range from tight interior rooms as small as 149 sq feet, to the more generous balcony rooms. (If you want more space and comfort, go for one of the suites. Even the junior balcony suites are almost 300 square feet and the balcony makes the room feel even larger. The Royal Balcony Suite is pictured here.)

So here’s what’s really special about Harmony of the Seas:

Wonderland. There are 20 restaurants on Harmony. Most are complimentary, including the Main Dining Room, Park Café and Sorrento’s Pizza. Then there are the specialty restaurants like the farm-to-table 150 Central Park from James Beard Award winner Michael Schwartz, Izumi (featuring Asian cuisine) and the popular Jamie’s Italian, an outfit by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. But the one to snag a reservation at — if you can — is Wonderland. In case you’re wondering, yes, it’s Alice-inspired with creative dishes that are as much a piece of art as food for the soul. The whimsical décor is a page out of Lewis Carroll’s novel, but it’s the cuisine that will take your eyes and palate on a dreamy journey you won’t forget. And whatever you do, save room for dessert, particularly if they are serving the magical chocolate globe.

The Ultimate Abyss Slide. This daring, 10-story dry slide is not for the faint at heart. With a placement 150-feet above sea level, the structure is designed to intimidate you from the start with its gaping, toothy mouth that greets you as its entrance to twin tubes that take riders from the top of the ship at Deck 16 down to the ships Boardwalk area on Deck 6. Though the ride lasts just 13 seconds, its steep dips will make you question your judgement during descent. Other thrill-seeking options include the Perfect Storm water slide and Zip-lining on Deck 9.

The Bionic Bar. They say robots can do almost anything, but prepare you a specialty cocktail to order? This mixology spectacle melds technology with spirits, delivering a concoction that will give your favorite bartender a little friendly competition. Patrons start their order on one of the available iPads inside the bar area, choosing from standards like a Mai Tai or Manhattan to house specialties. Or you can create your own made-to-order cocktail using a combination of spirts and chasers. Once you submit your order, it’s placed in a queue on an electronic board. Then just sit back and watch as two sleek robots grab bottles, pour spirits with precision, and give them the shake-shake before pouring them into assembly-line cups. The results is pretty close to what’s humanly possible.

The Escape the Rubicon. Escape rooms are all the rave for Millennials. This mind-bending, puzzle exercise can exercise can be hard to pull off without young minds who naturally think outside the box. For 60 minutes, a small group gathers inside this futuristic James Bond meets Star Trek world, searching for clues, turning knobs and pushing color coded buttons. In addition, you and your team are working to decipher and pair the meanings of numbers, figures and other clues. Just when it doesn’t make any sense at all, some bright mind asks, “Why don’t we try this?” And Voila! It’s also a great way to meet other people on the ship.

The Neighborhood Districts. Harmony boasts seven districts, but there are two that will make you forget that you’re really aboard a ship: Central Park and the Boardwalk. Central Park has the feel of a chic, urban neighborhood with its welcoming seating, beautiful greenery and open-aired feel as you stroll past its three restaurants (Jamie’s Italian, 150 Central Park and Chops Grill) and upscale shopping (Bvlgari and Cartier). The boardwalk, on the other end of the ship and wedged between balcony staterooms, is just plain nostalgic fun with its bright carousel, AquaTheater, Johnny Rockets diner, and small dose of modernity with its Starbucks coffee shop.

If you go

Harmony of the Seas offers 7-day cruises out of the Fort Lauderdale port. It rotates between the Eastern Caribbean (St. Maarten, Puerto Rico, Haiti) and the Western Caribbean (Haiti; Jamaica and Cozumel, Mexico). Room rates range from $800 per person for an interior stateroom to the Royal Suite at nearly $2,500 per person. For more details, go to royalcaribbean.com.

Insider tips

  1. Take a cooking class. Even if you don’t know much about cooking, this hands-on fun experience is worthwhile. Jamie’s Italian offered our group classes on pasta making from mixing the flour and eggs with your hands to pushing it through the pasta machine. At Isumi, we rolled spicy tuna and made shrimp nigari sushi and got fun lesson on sticky rice. And the best part is you get to feast afterward.

  2. Spend some time getting to know the ship before it leaves port. That means arriving a few hours early to do a self-guided tour. Make notes of different parts of the ship and things you want to see or do. The ship is big and it can take a minute to learn your way around, so get to know it early.

  3. Book your dining package before you sail. Not only are there early discounts and deals available on dining and drink packages, but you can better ensure that you will get a reservations at specialty restaurants such as Wonderland and Isumi. Also, consider going to specialty restaurants for lunch instead of dinner lower your costs at select restaurants that have additional costs.

  4. For onboard activities – particularly those in the thriller category (Ultimate Abyss and FlowRider) — plan your experience during days when the ship is at port or on embarkation day when the crowds or thinner. The same for getting a spa treatment. The best spa deals are available during these off-peak times.