Despite the fact Harmony of the Seas is Royal Caribbean's third Oasis-class cruise ship, she offers a number of different experiences that distinguish her from her sister ships. While Royal Caribbean may build many ships within a class of vessels, they are not, "more of the same," when it comes to what these ships offer.
Harmony of the Seas is the newest Oasis-class ship and offers a lot of fun activities for guests to enjoy. Here is our list of the top eight ways Harmony of the Seas is different from Allure of the Seas or Oasis of the Seas.
1. Art
Nearly every Royal Caribbean ship is different from each other in the art work featured all over the ship. Harmony of the Seas has thousands of art pieces that Royal Caribbean has added for guests to see as they explore the ship.
The art found onboard Harmony of the Seas consists of a $6.5 million art collection of more than 3,000 works. Inspired by the theme “The Wonder of Our World, The World We Live In”, artists from around the world – more than 60 countries, from Argentina and Australia to Greece and Morocco – created unique pieces to intrigue Royal Caribbean guests and crew, alike.
Once you get onboard Harmony of the Seas, be sure to explore the ship to discover the many pieces of art. You will find art all over the ship, from the stairways to the restaurants, staterooms and even out on the decks.
2. Starbucks
If you have cruised on Allure of the Seas or Oasis of the Seas, you will know the go-to spot for a caffeine fix is Starbucks on the Royal Promenade. However, if you want a latte, frappuccino or macchiato on Harmony of the Seas, you will have to look elsewhere.
Royal Caribbean decided to move Starbucks to the Boardwalk neighborhood, just outside the Carousel.
In addition to the new location, the Starbucks on Harmony of the Seas is more of a real store, with seating inside and bright, colorful designs all around.
Ordering your drinks at this Starbucks is very similar to ordering at any Starbucks location. The barista takes your order, as well as your payment. You then step to the preparation area and pick up your Starbucks drink when it is ready.
3. Water slides
One of the largest and noticeable differences to Harmony of the Seas is this Oasis-class ship offers a number of water slides for family fun throughout your cruise.
Copyright, Simon Brooke-Webb Photography
Harmony of the Seas features three water slides: Cyclone, Typhoon (the yellow and blue slides) and Supercell.
Cyclone and Typhoon racer slides twist and turn, while Supercell slide is a "champagne bowl" slide, which has clear sections so guests can see those riding the slide. Guests exit Supercell in the Beach Pool.
In short, these new slides are not only something unique to Harmony of the Seas, but a really fun spot for everyone in your family to take a wet, wild ride!
4. Ultimate Abyss
Speaking of slides, there is one more slide on Harmony of the Seas that involves no water, but does offer a really big thrill.
The Ultimate Abyss is a 10-story dry slide on the aft of the ship that is 150 feet above sea level. Guests descend down one of two side-by-side slides that will accelerate down 10 decks at a speed of 9 miles per hour.
Unlike the water slides, guests are handed a black mat with an opening for one's feet. All that someone has to do to ride is sit down, lean back, and while holding onto a strap, wait for their turn to go. Screaming optional.
5. New restaurant choices
Oasis-class ships are known for their many dining options, and there are two restaurants on Harmony of the Seas that are not available on Oasis-class ships.
Jamie's Italian is a specialty restaurant created by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver that offers rustic Italian dishes made from seasonal ingredients and tried and true recipes. It is located in Central Park and replaces Giovanni's Table, which is available on the other Oasis-class ships.
In addition, Wonderland is available to guests on Harmony of the Seas. Wonderland is an imaginative take on specialty dining, where the experience is just as important as the food offered.
Wonderland debuted on Quantum-class ships first, but the Wonderland on Harmony of the Seas is actually the first two-story Wonderland restaurant. It is only natural for the Wonderland on an Oasis-class ship be larger than any other!
6. Grease
Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas made big news when the cruise line added the first Broadway show at sea back in 2009, and Harmony of the Seas continues that tradition with the hit Broadway classic, Grease.
The all-new stage production, specially adapted by Royal Caribbean Productions, boasts 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.
Not only is Grease an entertaining and fun show to watch, it is a great example of the first class entertainment Royal Caribbean is known for.
7. Lots more new entertainment
Speaking of shows, Royal Caribbean did not just "copy and paste" its entertainment line-up from other Oasis-class ships for Harmony of the Seas. A number of brand new productions are available on Harmony of the Seas that are shown throughout the ship and a brand-new experience for all guests.
In addition to Grease, there is a lot more wonderful entertainment to enjoy. Here are some of our favorites
Columbus, The Musical!: An original Royal Caribbean production created in the spirit of “Spamalot” and “Something Rotten,” the story recounts the imagined history of Marvin Columbus, Christopher’s fictional, down on his luck, distant cousin. A breathtaking and revolutionary set design, transporting the audience across the Atlantic to the Caribbean, will awe the entire family and adults will thoroughly enjoy the smart, nuanced humor.
The Fine Line: A journey from extreme to extraordinary, The Fine Line is the AquaTheater redefined with high-flying feats, mind blowing stunts and physically demanding acrobatics brought to life by the world’s best extreme-sport athletes. Designed as a 360° immersive entertainment show, revelers will be wishing for eyes in the back of their head to take in all the action happening around them.
1887: An original Royal Caribbean production about love and adventure that begins in Paris on February 14, 1887 at the height of the career of Jules Verne, renowned author of timeless adventure novels such as “Journey to the Center of the Earth” (1864), “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea” (1870), and “Around the World in Eighty Days” (1873).
Puzzle Break Escape the Rubicon: A 60-minute escape room game, where guests must work together to solve a puzzle from the hidden clues in the room that will eventually unravel the mystery of the Rubicon.
Totally Awesome 90s: Harmony of the Seas debuts the evolution of Royal Caribbean’s much-loved Promenade 70s Party as the clock is pushed forward to the 90s. Guests can party it up in a new era when soundtracks are dominated by teen pop, dance-pop and the growing popularity of hip hop. A live DJ spinning favorite 90s hits, live pop-up performances and crazy neon track suits set the stage to transport party goers back to this totally awesome decade.
8. Bionic Bar
Harmony of the Seas is the first Oasis-class ship to offer the same robotic bar that made headlines on the Quantum-class of ships, the Bionic Bar.
The idea is simple: guests place orders via tablets and then can watch the robot bartenders start mixing the cocktails. Bionic Bar combines two big trends, robotics and mixology.
The single armed robot will get the ice, mints and lemon and then squeeze and shake them to make your drink. Eventually, there wont be a limit on what the drinks the robots can make. The customization is what Royal Caribbean is aiming for.
