Big Royal Caribbean ships may seem similar, but there are a lot of differences you should know about.
Among the six Oasis Class cruise ships, Harmony of the Seas and Allure of the Seas are popular choices that offer so much to do onboard.
Harmony was built after Allure, and she represents the evolution of the Oasis Class. Having sailed on both ships, it becomes clear quite early there are lots of changes between the two ships.
While the layout and overall feel of the ships are similar, there are noticeable changes between the two ships that could change your decision of which to book.
Here are the key differences between them both.
Ship size
Harmony of the Seas is slightly bigger than Allure of the Seas in order to market the ship as the "biggest cruise ship in the world" when she debuted in May 2016.
That isn't to say it's a big difference, as Harmony is a few feet longer and has a bit more gross tonnage.
Here's a look at each ship's size:
| Harmony of the Seas | Allure of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Tonnage | 226,963 | 225,282 |
| Length | 1,188 | 1,187 |
| Width | 215.5 | 215 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,479 | 5,496 |
| Crew members | 2,200 | 2,054 |
Dining
You will find complimentary dining restaurants that are included in your cruise fare, along with the choice of specialty dining restaurants that cost extra.
The core dining experience is the same on both ships, with the Main Dining Room offering traditional and My Time Dining for dinner. It's also open for breakfast every day and lunch on sea days.
The Main Dining Room on Allure of the Seas looks like it's split up among three restaurants (it even has a different name based on which deck you're on), but it's the same menu across all three areas.
The Windjammer buffet is open every day for all three meals, although the venue on Harmony is a bit wider to help with crowds.
If you're staying in a suite, there is a complimentary restaurant exclusively for you at Coastal Kitchen. This is available on both ships.
The specialty restaurant choices are where you'll notice the biggest difference among the two ships. There are different restaurant choices you can eat at on both.
Here are the differences among the specialty restaurants on Harmony and Allure:
| Restaurant | Harmony of the Seas | Allure of the Seas |
|---|---|---|
| 150 Central Park | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Candy Beach | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Chef's Table | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Chops Grille | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Giovanni's Table | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Izumi | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Jamie's Italian | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Johnny Rockets | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Sabor | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Samba Grill | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Starbucks | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Wonderland | ✔️ | ❌ |
The biggest difference is Samba Grill on Allure or Wonderland on Harmony.
In terms of bars, there are minor differences between the two ships.
| Bar | Harmony of the Seas | Allure of the Seas |
|---|---|---|
| Attic | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Bionic Bar | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Blaze | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Boleros | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Champagne Bar | ❌ | ✔️ |
| English Pub | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Casino Bar | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Dazzles Bar | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Mast Bar | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| On Air | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Pool Bar | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Rising Tide Bar | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Sand Bar | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Schooner Bar | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Sky Bar | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Solarium Bar | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Trellis Bar | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Vintages | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Wipe Out Bar | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Cabins
The cabin selection on both Harmony and Allure should be just about the same.
You will find plenty of inside, oceanview, balcony, and suite cabins across either ship.
Being that both are an Oasis Class ship, these vessels have balcony cabins that face inwards instead of the ocean. The Central Park and Boardwalk balcony cabins are an interesting alternative to ocean balconies, and you can book them on either ship.
If you're a solo traveler, only Harmony of the Seas has cabins specifically designed (and priced) for you. There are 12 Studio Ocean View cabins and 3 Studio Interior rooms.
Read more: Guide to Royal Caribbean's Single and Studio staterooms
You may also notice the cabin aesthetic is different between the ships. Harmony of the Seas is newer and adopted a new look for cabins that was first introduced with Quantum of the Seas in 2014.
Inside cabin on Harmony of the Seas
Inside cabin on Allure of the Seas
The rooms on Harmony generally have more storage space, darker woods, and a more modern feel to the cabin.
You'll also find USB outlets in a room on Harmony.
Entertainment
An area you'll notice differences between the two ships are the featured shows onboard.
Royal Caribbean has a well-deserved reputation for its entertainment, and nearly every ship has different shows onboard.
Both ships feature a Broadway show, along with original Royal Caribbean productions.
Royal Theater
- Allure
- Mamma Mia
- Blue Planet
- Harmony
- Grease
- Columbus, The Musical
AquaTheater
- Allure
- Oceanaria
- Harmony
- Hideaway Heist
- The Fine Line
Studio B
- Allure
- Blades! Ice Spectacular
- Harmony
- 1887: A Journey in Time
- iSkate
You will notice that there is an extra show in Studio B and AquaTheater on Harmony, which is nice to have additional variety.
Activities
You won't have any shortage of things to do on any Oasis Class ship. These ships were designed to offer more than you can experience in just a week.
One big difference between the Allure and Harmony is only Harmony of the Seas has waterslides. Harmony was built with the slides, while Allure has yet to have them added.
The Perfect Storm slides are comprised of two racer slides and one champagne bowl slide. The slides descend three decks through a series of twists and turns over the ship’s tree-lined Central Park neighborhood 10 decks below.
Speaking of slides, Harmony of the Seas has the Ultimate Abyss dry slide, which is a 10-story slide that descends from the Sports Deck down to the Boardwalk. Allure does not have an Ultimate Abyss slide.
Both the water slides and Ultimate Abyss are complimentary.
For younger kids, there are different splash areas on both ships.
Harmony of the Seas has Splashaway Bay where kids can play among the water slides, water cannons, fountains, pools and whirlpools.
Allure of the Seas has the H2O Zone, which was the precursor to Splashaway Bay. It has water geysers, a small whirlpool, and hot tubs.
Harmony of the Seas has a dedicated escape room onboard, which has an extra cost. Allure of the Seas does not have an escape room. The goal of an escape room is for the guests to work together to find clues needed to solve various puzzles in 60 minutes or less.
Both ships have twin Flowrider surf simulators, twin climbing walls, a zip line, outdoor mini-golf and a basketball court.
While both ships have pools and hot tubs, there is one significant difference between Allure and Harmony in the adults-only area.
The Solarium on Harmony of the Seas does not have a pool. Instead, it has a walk-through mister meant to cool people off. Allure of the Seas has a pool in its Solarium.
Bottom line
As the only "un-upgraded" Oasis Class ship, Allure of the Seas sometimes gets overlooked because it doesn't have waterslides or some of the newer dining venues.
If you have children that absolutely need waterslides, then the choice between the two is obvious. Otherwise, you're balancing the virtues of each ship.
The different Broadway shows may sway you in one direction, or you may feel strongly about a certain specialty restaurant.
The most notable difference are the lack of slides on Allure of the Seas.
Depending on when you are looking to cruise, the home port and itineraries may be different too.
