I have never made any secret of the fact that I prefer smaller, more intimate ships – ships that feel as if you are sailing on an ocean – so friends thought I had gone crazy to book this cruise, but I am also fascinated by cruise ships, and the new technology that is being employed in them and this brings us to …
EMBARKATION
For a ship with close on 6000 passengers this was a dream. RCI have really nailed it. I had done my online check-in a few days before including details of the credit card I would be using on board and even uploading my own security photo. Because of this, I was able to hand over my small suitcase and then go to the terminal where I was met by a roving check-in person holding an iPad. Having checked all was correct and scanned my passport, my seapass was stamped and I was free to walk through security and onto the ship. Possibly due to her size, and also the low level at which the survival craft are placed, boarding was from Deck 2 via dockside. The air-bridge could not be used. However, from inside Deck 2 an escalator took you up to one deck and to the main lifts etc. The whole embarkation took less than half an hour.
Incidentally the ship's sheer size led to an unusual solution to going ashore at Cherbourg where, once again, the air bridges would not work and gangways had to be rigged across shipping containers!
For a ship with close on 6000 passengers this was a dream. RCI have really nailed it. I had done my online check-in a few days before including details of the credit card I would be using on board and even uploading my own security photo. Because of this, I was able to hand over my small suitcase and then go to the terminal where I was met by a roving check-in person holding an iPad. Having checked all was correct and scanned my passport, my seapass was stamped and I was free to walk through security and onto the ship. Possibly due to her size, and also the low level at which the survival craft are placed, boarding was from Deck 2 via dockside. The air-bridge could not be used. However, from inside Deck 2 an escalator took you up to one deck and to the main lifts etc. The whole embarkation took less than half an hour.
Incidentally the ship's sheer size led to an unusual solution to going ashore at Cherbourg where, once again, the air bridges would not work and gangways had to be rigged across shipping containers!
ACCOMMODATION
My cabin was on Deck 7 forward and here was a first indicator of the design of the vessel. Because of the “hole” in the hull where Central Park and the Royal Promenade are situated, you have to make sure you use the correct lifts to reach your cabin and go up one deck to Deck 8 and across and down again to Deck 7. This is not a problem once you have sussed it out.
My cabin was on Deck 7 forward and here was a first indicator of the design of the vessel. Because of the “hole” in the hull where Central Park and the Royal Promenade are situated, you have to make sure you use the correct lifts to reach your cabin and go up one deck to Deck 8 and across and down again to Deck 7. This is not a problem once you have sussed it out.
The stateroom was one of the forward facing ones overlooking the helipad. Not
that we wished anyone ill, but it would have been a great spot to watch an evacuation! The floor area was vast, running right out to
a V where the sloping floor-to-ceiling window met the deck. There were four
small drawers, another one with hairdryer in over a fridge and a writing desk
with glass shelf and mirror. One wardrobe was floor to ceiling handing, with a
half-width folding rail that could be dropped if needed. The other wardrobe had
half hanging, a safe and two drawers below. We had the cabin in twin bed
configuration but they were very close together with tiny narrow nightstands.
There was a comfortable sofa opposite the drawers.
The bathroom was tiny, but with a good shower with glass
curved door, toilet and very small hand basin. There were no amenities other
than soap and shower gel.
We suffered two major issues – every time water was run from
basin or shower, there followed up to an hour of banging pipes and secondly –
the toilet flush only worked intermittently! We reported this at least twice a
day, every day of our cruise and I am sure it was looked at, as it worked for a
bit and then went again. I also found the mattresses too hard for me, but my friend
loved them - obviously a personal choice.
MUSTER DRILL
Muster drill was at 4pm and at first we struggled to find our station. The crew do not as yet know the ship very well and many times when we asked to way to somewhere, had to pull out a plan or ask someone else. It turned out it was in the Gym! Cruise cards were scanned on entry to ensure all pax attended. Now, although I am not physically disabled to need a wheelchair or crutches, I do have arthritis, a fairly new knee and a strained back at present. I went to sit down on one of the chairs and promptly got told I couldn’t sit down – no one could sit down! Walking isn’t too bad for me but standing still causes pain, but even explaining this to a sympathetic crew member didn’t get me a chair, although I was allowed to sit until it started properly. After the emergency signal we all had to stand lined up – without lifejackets since on Harmony you do not get your lifejacket in your cabin. One reason I was told for not allowing anyone to sit is that it is supposed to simulate a real-life emergency and that sitting down would be the last thing on my mind as I would want to be off the ship as soon as possible. Now this is rubbish in my opinion. As everyone has been told at every previous muster I have ever attended (not this one) the call for passengers to muster station IS NOT the signal to abandon ship. We could be mustered for any number of reasons, for example a fire, where it is then got under control and guests allowed to return to their staterooms. In fact there was a small fire (Code Bravo on tannoy and Captain explaining the issue a little later) just after we boarded where smoke was coming from the ship’s incinerator.
Muster drill was at 4pm and at first we struggled to find our station. The crew do not as yet know the ship very well and many times when we asked to way to somewhere, had to pull out a plan or ask someone else. It turned out it was in the Gym! Cruise cards were scanned on entry to ensure all pax attended. Now, although I am not physically disabled to need a wheelchair or crutches, I do have arthritis, a fairly new knee and a strained back at present. I went to sit down on one of the chairs and promptly got told I couldn’t sit down – no one could sit down! Walking isn’t too bad for me but standing still causes pain, but even explaining this to a sympathetic crew member didn’t get me a chair, although I was allowed to sit until it started properly. After the emergency signal we all had to stand lined up – without lifejackets since on Harmony you do not get your lifejacket in your cabin. One reason I was told for not allowing anyone to sit is that it is supposed to simulate a real-life emergency and that sitting down would be the last thing on my mind as I would want to be off the ship as soon as possible. Now this is rubbish in my opinion. As everyone has been told at every previous muster I have ever attended (not this one) the call for passengers to muster station IS NOT the signal to abandon ship. We could be mustered for any number of reasons, for example a fire, where it is then got under control and guests allowed to return to their staterooms. In fact there was a small fire (Code Bravo on tannoy and Captain explaining the issue a little later) just after we boarded where smoke was coming from the ship’s incinerator.
DINING
Due to the timings of our booked shows, we had opted for My Time dining. This is not quite like Freedom dining on other lines as we still had chosen booked times to eat dinner, but these were different on each night. There are three main dining rooms on three levels with a common open atrium, Silk on the top level, Le Grande on the mid level and American Icon at the bottom. We ate in Silk on the first and second nights and Le Grande on the last night. We chose American Icon for our final breakfast.
Due to the timings of our booked shows, we had opted for My Time dining. This is not quite like Freedom dining on other lines as we still had chosen booked times to eat dinner, but these were different on each night. There are three main dining rooms on three levels with a common open atrium, Silk on the top level, Le Grande on the mid level and American Icon at the bottom. We ate in Silk on the first and second nights and Le Grande on the last night. We chose American Icon for our final breakfast.
The first night
service of both food and wine was very slow indeed. Now admittedly there was a
flood of people coming in as the show ended at 8.30pm but this would be known
in advance. Also, although the ship was new and bedding in, the staff would
most likely be recruited from Oasis and Allure so again should be used to the
layout with a few adjustments.
First night - Wine
didn’t arrive till well into our entrée, my escargots were lukewarm but the
salmon was large and cooked perfectly. The New York cheesecake also was
perfect. However, my friend never did get her wine receipt, nor her Seapass
card back (it was on her bill though!)
Second night – The wine
server took so long coming, our embarrassed waiter asked his deputy to take the
order. This resulted in the receipt being wrong. Each of us had got a “buy one
glass get one free” offer, but as the wine I ordered was rung up as one
transaction it didn’t come off the total. (The whole bill was later refunded by
Guest Services). My starter was not quite what I expected but was fine, the Shrimps
however were overcooked and not at all nice but the Baked Alaska divine.
Third night – This was
altogether different with attentive service from both waiters and the wine
server. I had Gravadlax to start followed by Caesar Salad and a Marsala Chicken,
finished off with a delicious Pavlova.
Naturally on a
brand new ship, we felt a duty to sample all the complimentary restaurants J Our
first light lunch on boarding day was in the Windjammer buffet. I suppose it is
due to there being so many other places to eat but I thought this very small
for so many passengers. Both sides had identical food with pasta and pizza
dishes across the end. There is free flavoured and iced water on offer all day
and various deck stations dispensing frozen yoghurt but no ice cream that I
found.
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| Windjammer |
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| Mini Bites |
Other complimentary cafes include
the Park Café (a sort of Greggs with indoor and outdoor seating), the Promenade
Café in the Royal Promenade atrium area, as is Sorrentos for pizza. We tried
the Solarium Bistro for breakfast – offering the usual cereals, light cooked
food, pastries etc but no orange juice! Our other breakfast we had at Johnny
Rockets in The Boardwalk, again with indoor and outdoor seating. This offered
typical American diner food and had delicious orange juice. In American Icon we
had a choice to go for the express breakfast (a buffet) or a la carte from a
menu and served. This was on disembarkation day so I am not sure if the two
options were available every day.
Snacks were available
at the Dog House and Light Bites – corn dogs, chicken “sausage” rolls, spring
rolls and cakes. Also the Café Promenade.
If you were willing
to pay extra there was a wide variety of places to dine – Jamie’s Italian,
Izmui Hibachi & Sushi, Wonderland, Chops Grille, 150 Central Park etc.
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| Izumi |
ENTERTAINMENT
The one thing I feel no-one could ever complain about is the superb evening entertainment on these ships. Anthem was brilliant, Harmony was spectacular. The theatre is not that large for the number of guests hence the need to pre-book or risk missing the big shows. However, booking only guarantees you a seat, you have to be early to get a good one and even then the best seats are reserved for top tier loyalty club members (a crew member with a board stands guard over them!).
We booked Grease – a full 1½ hour proper production – and the
Ice Show 1887. The latter was mesmerising
with incredible use of technology and projection to simulate a frozen river
breaking up, the universe and other Jules Verne-ish ideas.
The one thing I feel no-one could ever complain about is the superb evening entertainment on these ships. Anthem was brilliant, Harmony was spectacular. The theatre is not that large for the number of guests hence the need to pre-book or risk missing the big shows. However, booking only guarantees you a seat, you have to be early to get a good one and even then the best seats are reserved for top tier loyalty club members (a crew member with a board stands guard over them!).
We had also booked the Aqua show, performed right at the
stern of the ship with Olympic-height diving boards and flying rig. We saw a
few of the rehearsals which looked great but sadly there were on-going issues with
equipment and the shows were cancelled.
All the bars seemed to have live music going on – there was
a wonderful Classical Flamenco guitarist in the Schooner Bar which I would have
loved to just listen to, but he was largely drowned out by the whistles and general
loudness of a hen party group there. At 9.30pm on the first night there was a
90s Street Party performance in the Royal Promenade. My problem with all this is
that, like Norwegian Escape, most of the bars are close together and, along
with general chatter, sound bleeds from one to the other leading to an almost
unbearable noise in the Royal Promenade. At one point, trying to attract my friend’s
attention, I shouted her name at the very top of my voice and still she couldn’t
hear me, even though I was just behind her!
I would imagine the huge range of daytime activities are one
of the main reasons for booking on this class of vessel and are likely to
appeal to most ages except the elderly. These include the Ultimate Abyss slide (10 decks
down in a spiral - no I didn't try it), Zip Line across The Boardwalk 10 decks up (didn't try that either!), carousel, Champagne Bowl water slide, two rock climbing walls,
basketball court, table tennis, two flow riders, crazy golf ……..
Obviously RCI feel there is an increasing demand for these
vessels, having just signed a order for a fifth Oasis class ship and for a week
floating round the Caribbean they would fit the bill. Personally my cruises are
as much itinerary driven as ship driven and these 228,000grt ships are too large for many ports
and, given the number of passengers, cannot tender them ashore either. This
limits them to big, popular destinations and indeed when she reaches Barcelona
(where Harmony is based for the summer of 2016) she will then operate a series
of 7-night itineraries to Palma, Marseille, La Spezia and Civitavecchia.
There are dozens of drinking venues, each with
their own theme, from an English Pub to a Mexican Tequila Bar, and including
Vintages wine bar, the Schooner Bar and the two most innovative on board –
Rising Tide and the Bionic Bar. Rising Tide is a large boat-shaped bar which,
every half hour or so, moves slowly up and down between Deck 5 (Royal
Promenade) and Deck 8 (Central Park).
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| Rising Tide |
The Bionic Bar debuted on Quantum
of the Seas and features two robotic arms that mix and serve drinks, either
from a menu ordered via iPad, or made up to the guests own recipe. Generally a
glass of wine costs between 7$-12$ plus the usual 18% gratuity. A Gin Martini
cost around $15 inclusive, but was nearly twice a UK measure.
ACTIVITIES
There is also the usual bingo and a huge casino.
For children there are scrambling nets and a mini water park with slides etc.
DISABLED GUESTS
I would argue that the ship is not ideal for the physically
disabled and has some major design flaws that should not occur in a brand new
ship. The worst of these in my opinion is the siting of the disabled toilets.
Instead of being separate, these are situated within the ladies and gents. This
means opening two heavy doors instead of one – and there is no automatic opener
that I saw. Once inside, the toilets are very low and only have grab rails to
one side and the back. There is no drop-down rail on the other side. They
double up as baby change cubicles
As well as sunbeds, there are a lot of chairs with foot
rests – something I particularly prefer BUT these are a sort of modern version
of a deck chair with a seat that slopes down are are very difficult to
get up from.
Cabin numbers and some other signs are in Braille – but again,
weirdly, one I touched had a surface coating that completely smoothed out the
Braille symbols so they could not be felt at all, only seen – an inspired touch
- not!
OVERALL
I enjoyed the three nights as an experience but would not
choose Harmony for a cruise, but then I do not fit the target demographic.
Above all I want to feel I am on a ship at sea. There was no sensation of this
whatsoever. Not only could you not feel any gentle vibration of the engines;
there were few places from where you could even see the ocean. I found myself
saying to my friend – let’s go back to our room through the park!!! It was
indeed a lovely park, especially at night – but I prefer to go to a hotel or resort
for that kind of scenery. I also found the overall noise levels too much and
for a longer cruise feel a balcony is essential - one on the outside of the
ship, not one overlooking the park and overlooked by everyone, both in other
cabins and on deck. You could clearly see the beds in them so would need to be
very careful about privacy!!
Obviously RCI feel there is an increasing demand for these
vessels, having just signed a order for a fifth Oasis class ship and for a week
floating round the Caribbean they would fit the bill. Personally my cruises are
as much itinerary driven as ship driven and these 228,000grt ships are too large for many ports
and, given the number of passengers, cannot tender them ashore either. This
limits them to big, popular destinations and indeed when she reaches Barcelona
(where Harmony is based for the summer of 2016) she will then operate a series
of 7-night itineraries to Palma, Marseille, La Spezia and Civitavecchia.
She does have a distinct WOW factor which I felt Anthem
lacked, and families will love her, but she is not the ship for me.
