Visit our travel agent friends at MEI Travel

99 days of Harmony: Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas to begin sea trials

In:
10 Mar 2016

Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas is preparing for her first set sea trials, which will take place over the course of three days.

Harmony of the Seas will carry out her sea trials on Thursday, March 10th.  She will return to port on Sunday, March 13, 2016.

STX France indicated this first sea trial is devoted mainly to test her electric power plant and propulsion system, as well as maneuverability tests.

There are 500 people onboard Harmony of the Seas: crew members, STX test teams, suppliers and Royal Caribbean's customer monitoring team.

Delivery of Harmony of the Seas to Royal Caribbean is scheduled for May 12, with departure to Southampton, UK around May 15.

The next set of sea trials is scheduled to be held before the end of April.

Carlos PenaVega joins cast of Grease on Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas

In:
25 Feb 2016

Dancing with the Stars fan favorite Carlos PenaVega will be onboard Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas to host celebratory activities when the ship launches in May 2016.

Grease is the headline show onboard Harmony of the Seas and the all-new, 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.

As part of PenaVega’s partnership with Royal Caribbean he’ll lead a number of Grease-inspired special activities onboard Harmony of the Seasduring inaugural events in Southampton, England. These include teaching guests the hand jive, presiding over a dance competition, giving an exclusive performance of “Greased Lightnin’,” and more.

Possible video simulation of Ultimate Abyss slide on Harmony of the Seas

In:
19 Feb 2016

A video has been posted online that shows what appears to be be a computer generated simulation of what the Ultimate Abyss slide will look like.

The video was originally posted at ShipMonk.

Royal Caribbean has said the Ultimate Abyss is more than 150 feet above sea level and offers side-by-side slides that send guests down 10 decks at a rate of 9 miles per hour.

99 days of Harmony: Harmony of the Seas construction photo update

In:
18 Feb 2016

There's less than 99 days until Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas debuts so we're counting down each day with a brand new blog post all about Harmony of the Seas. Read our blog each day for a new post all about this amazing cruise ship.

Harmony of the Seas construction photos

Friend of the blog Stewart Chiron, aka The Cruise Guy, is at STX France shipyard and shared with us photos of Harmony of the Seas that he took while on a hard-hat tour.  Enjoy!

Exterior of Harmony of the Seas

AquaTheater tan

Boardwalk Views

Studio B ice skating rink

Bionic Bar

Rising Tide Bar

Royal Promenade

Main dining room

Central Park

Adults-only Solarium

AquaTheater

Looking down to the Boardwalk

Thanks again to Stewart for the photos and be sure to follow the Cruise Guy on his many cruise adventures on Twitter!

 

99 days of Harmony: Royal Caribbean reveals more details about Harmony of the Seas at media event

In:
17 Feb 2016

Royal Caribbean held a press conference earlier today at STX France shipyard to discuss Harmony of the Seas with members of the European press.

Present at the question and answer session were Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President, Hotel Operations Mark Tamis & STX France Responsable d'affaire, Jean Yves Pean.  

The event was hoted by Royal Caribbean Vice President of Entertainment Nick Weir and also featured a video segment with Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley.

At the event, some tidbits and factoids were shared with those in attendance.

  • Harmony of the Seas cost is "somewhere north of a billion dollars"
  • Harmony of the Seas will be 20% more efficient than the other two Oasis class ships, thanks to improvements in hydronamic design, a new type of engine and product enhancements
  • Harmony of the Seas will be 33 centimeters longer than Allure of the Seas, making it the largest cruise ship in the world.
  • Some of the technology from the Quantum class ships Two70 space will be utilized in Studio B.
  • The AquaTheater will feature video projection mapping on the two "tusks".
  • There will also be an aerial element in the AquaTheater that involves "3D flying", where acrobats can be flown all around the AquaTheater.
  • Bionic Bar will replace Champagne Bar on Harmony of the Seas.
  • Jamie's Italian will replace Giovanni's Table on Harmony of the Seas.
  • A new menu with new offerings will be in Harmony of the Seas' main dining room.
  • Wonderland will feature a bar that has "creative cocktails" for guests even if they are not dining in the restaurant.
  • There will be more space available in the staterooms by making them longer, especially from deck 6 and above.
  • The Stowaway piano player will be onboard Harmony of the Seas.
  • Puzzle Break escape room will be on Harmony of the Seas.

A look at new art feature coming to Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas

In:
11 Feb 2016

Art and architecture firm Marc Fornes & Theverymany has provided a preview of one piece of art they are working on for Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas.

Entitled, "Ivy", the art was created by Marc Fornes and is a 40m high permanent aluminum structure within the elevator lobby of Harmony of the Seas.

There is an interesting look at the initial sketches and the development in progress.

Tip of the hat to Frank Ireland for alerting us to this information.

Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas will offer all-new programming and activities for family and children

In:
26 Jan 2016

Royal Caribbean announced today that one of its newest ships, Harmony of the Seas, will feature the DreamWorks Experience, all-new Adventure Ocean youth programming and new family amenities.

DreamWorks Experience

Harmony of the Seas will offer guests the DreamWorks Experience that other ships in the fleet have offered and many guests have come to enjoy.

DreamWorks Animation characters including Po of Kung Fu Panda; Shrek, Fiona and Puss in Boots of Shrek; and from Madagascar, Alex the Lion, Gloria the Hippo, King Julien and the Penguins will be available for guests to meet during their cruise.

DreamWorks Experience activities onboard will include

  • A DreamWorks Character breakfast in the main dining room
  • 'Meet and greet’ experiences throughout the day
  • Photo opportunities with the characters
  • Adventure Ocean programming featuring DreamWorks Animation
    • Story time
    • Dance parties
    • Adventures rooted in the popular character stories

In addition, guests will have guaranteed seats on “opening weekend” of highly anticipated feature films such as "Kung Fu Panda 3,” which premieres onboard the same day it does in theaters on land. Year-round, guests can watch the latest and long-term favorite DreamWorks Animation films in the ship’s 3D movie theater and on a dedicated DreamWorks TV channel in their stateroom.

Enhanced Adventure Ocean Programming

New to be offered 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 of Gable Grove Productions.

Additionally, programming by “Muffalo Potato” – the popular YouTube show, which teaches kids to draw anything in minutes using only letters and numbers – will round out Harmony’s lineup.

Muffalo Potato originally debuted aboard Anthem of the Seas and will expand fleetwide just in time for summer vacations, starting with Harmony of the Seas.

New family amenities for Central Park & Boardwalk staterooms

Starting in November 2016, Central Park and Boardwalk balcony staterooms will receive additional ammenities.

Guests with views of Central Park will enjoy

  • Lunch for two at Jamie’s Italian
  • A complimentary bottle of wine upon arrival
  • Special perks in the Casino Royale. 

Guests with Boardwalk views will receive

  • Lunch or dinner for four at Johnny Rockets
  • A soda beverage package for two
  • Private time on the cruise line’s iconic 38-foot tall rock wall.

Harmony of the Seas and Oasis 4 construction photo update

In:
19 Jan 2016

Royal Caribbean has released new photos, showing the construction progress of two of its newest cruise ships, Harmony of the Seas and and its fourth Oasis class ship.

Harmony of the Seas is under construction at the STX ship yard in France and will debut in May 2016.

Royal Caribbean's fourth Oasis class ship is under construction at the STX shipyard in France.

All photos are copyright Royal Caribbean International.

Royal Caribbean announces entertainment line up for Harmony of the Seas

In:
12 Jan 2016

Royal Caribbean formally announced the entertainment line up for its brand new third Oasis class ship, Harmony of the Seas.

Royal Theater

Harmony of the Seas will feature two headline shows for guests to enjoy in the Royal Theater that can accomodate 1,380 guests.

Grease

Harmony of the Seas will offer guests the musical classic, Grease, which has been specially adapted by Royal Caribbean Productions. It will boast original choreography, costumes and aerial elements set to amaze the most seasoned theater goers. 

Featuring 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, guests will follow the romantic twists and turns of Sandy and Danny as they navigate the tricky social waters of Rydell High School while keeping their reputations – and relationship – together.  

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. 

Banished from his family’s kingdom, Marvin sets sail on a madcap voyage of discovery in the hopes of claiming his own place in history. Unforeseen romance and a “happily ever after” story are on the map as Marvin Columbus crashes into his Caribbean destiny. 

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.

AquaTheater

Harmony of the Seas will offer two shows in the AquaTheater, the distinct high diving, acrobatic performance space introduced by Royal Caribbean with the Oasis class of ships, that feature two 10-meter high platforms and the hydraulic-floored pool, the largest and deepest freshwater pool at sea, below will serve as podiums for high-diving, hair-raising aerobatics that AquaTheater audiences have come to love.

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.

Hideaway Heist

A dive into hilarious escapades, guests will steal some laughs and experience amazing wows with Royal Caribbean’s new comedy dive show, Hideaway Heist. This action packed comedy aqua show jumps into the world of a swanky 1950’s holiday resort where guys ‘n’ dolls take the audience on a frolicking escapade in, on and around the pool as an undercover detective, playing the part of a high-rolling vacationer, pursues a crafty burglar. Guests can expect plenty of family-friendly fun and awe-inspiring performance tricks as the staff of the Hideaway Resort solve the crime of a century.

Studio B ice skating

Royal Caribbean's ice rinks have been home to some amazing shows in the past, and Harmony of the Seas will feature world-class skaters that can perform extraordinary skills as stunning multimedia visuals, audio and state-of-the-art technology provide a sight and sound theatrical extravaganza.

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). 

Beginning their journey on the frozen River Seine, Juliet and her mysterious time traveling companion, the Tempus, travel in multiple dimensions to discover the wonders of the world, and of the heart. World-class skaters and striking technology combine in a unique way that is guaranteed to leave audiences both breathless and emotionally touched. 

iSkate Showcase

A Studio B ice show unlike any other where Royal Caribbean’s talented skaters put their best blade forward in a dazzling showcase of their very best moves set to their own favorite tunes. The cast goes rogue and anything can happen!

Fan favorite entertainment

Royal Caribbean is also adding entertainment that guests have enjoyed on other Royal Caribbean cruise ships including

Puzzle Break Escape the Rubicon

A puzzle that transports players to another world and another time where they must ESCAPE! Players will collaborate with friends, old and new, as they attempt to find the hidden clues needed to solve a collection of puzzles that will eventually unravel the mystery of the Rubicon.

With only 60 minutes of life-support, the suspense builds with every tick of the clock.  For the first time, this remarkably popular activity will take place in a dedicated space designed in partnership with ShowFX Inc., a staple for Hollywood studios’ engineering, design and fabrication of custom entertainment equipment.

Red Party

The hottest high-energy party at sea. With DJs, surprise performances, special effects and technology, this all out nightlife extravaganza is an experience not to be missed.

Stowaway Piano

The pop-up piano player, which originally debuted on Anthem of the Seas, heads to Harmony. Behind the door. Around the corner. In the elevator. By the pool. Guests never know where the Stowaway Piano will turn up next.

Royal Promenade

Guests can enjoy on its Royal Promenade some great themed nights and parades.

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 partygoers back to this totally awesome decade.

Let’s Celebrate!

When on a cruise, vacationers really don’t need an excuse to celebrate, but Royal Caribbean is giving guests one anyway with Let’s Celebrate! – the ultimate celebration of celebrations. Halloween, Birthdays, St. Patrick’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve will all be celebrated at once, in a wild and crazy parade that’s truly unforgettable. 

“We are taking entertainment to the next level on Harmony of the Seas with more captivating, immersive entertainment experiences than ever before,” said Nick Weir, Vice President, Entertainment, Royal Caribbean International. “The level of innovation that has gone into our latest lineup is truly mind blowing, and Harmony guests can expect the unexpected with our biggest, most awe-inspiring stage yet.”

Subscribe to Harmony of the Seas