Ten things to love about Harmony of the Seas

There is so much to love about Harmony of the Seas, the biggest cruise ship of the world, that it's really tough to pick only a few. As I got on-board on its inaugural trip from Southampton, i was blown by everything around, every single day! In fact there is so much to do that it's tough to do it all :)

top things to do harmony of the seas
The inaugural ride

As someone who had never set foot on a cruise before, this new experience certainly made me feel differently about cruises. I have loads of tips to share for a first time cruiser, but more on that in another story soon on the blog.

So without further ado, here are the ten things I loved about Harmony of the Seas :)


Size - largest cruise in the world!
Size DOES matter! Haha...I guess this was one of the factors which got me so intrigued when I was first invited for this cruise. I had never set foot on a cruise before and thought this would be a good time to change that.

top things to do harmony of the seas
The HUGE ship! (Credit: Simon Brooke-Webb Photography)

So here are some mind boggling figures:
It wighs 226,000 tonnes
Length 1187 ft
7 distinct neighborhoods
20 dining options
2394 crew members
6780 guests
18 decks and 24 guest elevators
And much much more...


Bionic Bar
Imagine walking into a bar with two super cool looking robots maxing drinks and grooving to the music at the same time! Well this is what you get when you want to have some cocktails in the ship at the fantabulous bionic bar!

The two robots at the bar have quite a history actually and were originally designed to assemble cars. But then they escaped the factory to land on a cruise ship and do what they like the most - make yummy cocktails. Ok, there is a bit of fiction here, but truth remains that Bionic Bar is hands-down the most cool and fun drinking joint in the ship.




Ultimate Abyss
Ok so this is the BIG one everyone has been talking about, and why not! This is world's biggest slide on sea and at a height of ten floors, it can give anyone some goosebumps!

Unlike most other slides, this one has a dry slide and you slide down the entire distance in just a few seconds.

top things to do harmony of the seas
The Ultimate Abyss!

But I have something rather sad to share - since it was raining most of the time I was on the ship, I never quite managed to try it out. However, my good friend Mridula did and you can read about her experience here - The Ultimate Abyss Slide.

Here is another cool video of the ride!



Central Park
Now gardens was the last thing I was expecting when I got on-board Harmony of the Seas, and maybe that's why it was such a pleasant surprise.

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Central Park (Credit: Simon Brooke-Webb Photography)
The ship doesn't just have a few token trees but almost an entire floor is dedicated to a garden - Central Park. I spent most mornings (around 6am) with my coffee alone here, even when it rained. It was peaceful and allowed me time to just sit, write and think things over.




Dining experiences - 20 options!!!
Well any travel experience is often made or not, based on the food that you try out and this is one department where the cruise ship certainly excels.

top things to do harmony of the seas food
Boot & Bonnet

From fine dining options to more chic and contemporary restaurants, the ship has it all. Plus there are number of cafes, including the Promenade cafe which is open 24 hours, and multiple bars, including Bionic bar.

The bars were especially my favorite, and Mridula and I hopped them through the day, getting more and more drunk with every passing hour ;)


Grease!
I have been a Grease fan for years but had absolutely no clue about the launch of this show in sea when I got on-board. Imagine my surprise when I browsed through the programs and found a pre-launch show (first time ever performance on sea) right in the evening.

top things to do harmony of the seas Grease
Grease show!

I was happy to be a part of this esteemed group of people, but I was even more mesmerised by how well executed it was! Certainly reminded me of the few plays I saw at Broadway in New York a few years back.

Here are some cool dance moves from the show!




Perfect Storm
Well if you are not done with thrills with the Ultimate Abyss, there is still more to give you  that awesome adrenaline rush - Perfect Storm!

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Perfect Storm (Credit: Simon Brooke-Webb Photography)
top things to do harmony of the seas perfect storm
Perfect Storm from below (Credit: Simon Brooke-Webb Photography)

Don't believe me? Check it out and decide for yourself :)




Shop till you drop!
Shopping isn't something that's very exciting for me, unless it's electronics. However, if you love shopping till your bags literally drop, this is the place for you!

There are numerous high end brands with products that lure you to them, and trust me, it's tough to fight that temptation!

Don't want to spend? Well, that's cool too and you ca just do window shopping like I did :)


Space to simply relax
Travel is never complete unless you get your own time to relax as well. Central Park was one such place, and the other was the balcony of my own room (the pic attached below is a selfie on my balcony).

I made sure I sat there and enjoyed a cup of coffee, along with a book, everyday. Weather it was cold or rainy, my balcony was always nice and welcoming. The first night I even tried sleeping with the door open, but was frozen soon!

A photo posted by Siddhartha Joshi (@siddharthajoshi) on



Lightning fast wifi
Sometimes you want to be completely disconnected from the world, but I actually don't feel that way often. So was pleasantly surprised to find such good internet on-board.

For those who want to simply zone out, it's easy - don't take the connection and enjoy your time-out! For the rest, stay connected and share your moments with the family back home :)


I have one bonus tip also for all those who love to live life king-size :)

Casino
The only time I visited Casinos was when I was a student in US (haha...that already sounds funny), and I must confess that it was fun!

Have a budget and keep some money aside for the casino. Of course, if this is not what drives you, then you can simply walk past it and go right into the theater and catch some live action there - like an evening show of Grease or acrobatics on ice!

Do you think this is it? Well, actually not and there is much more :)


How to book your ride on Harmony of the Seas in India?
If you are already excited about this cruise and based in India, this is where you can book your cruise on Harmony of the Seas - Tirun :)

To help you make your choice, here is a schedule for the cruise ship for the next few months. This will surely tempt you :)

tirun harmony of the seas booking schedule
Booking schedule for harmony of the seas


Do share the spread the word :)


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Disclaimer: I was on-board the inaugural ride of Harmony of the Seas on invitation of Tirun, India. All views expressed above are unbiased and based on my own personal experiences.

Comments

  1. I have another blogger friend, Lois who is always on board on such a cruiser and have always admired in awe her journey. Your post makes me even more excited about this ship. It's truly magnificnet.

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    1. That's fantastic! I think it's quite a life on-board and once you fall in love with it, there is no going back :)

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  2. Interesting to know the details... Thanks for sharing... Hope it sails towards India some day

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    Replies
    1. I think it would be super fun to sail along India's coast someday :)

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  3. Very nice blog. Thanks for sharing.

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  4. Yes let us go on another trip together! :D

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  5. A complete trip with nice photography.

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