Harmony of the Seas Review: Dining, Bars and Cabins on Our Honeymoon Ship

By Rod & Melody. Harmony of the Seas is our honeymoon ship, and we went back four years later.

Our Sailings: June 30, 2017 (our honeymoon) and October 24, 2021 (Western Mediterranean from Barcelona)

Harmony of the Seas is where our married life at sea started. We spent the cruise part of our honeymoon on her in 2017, and in 2021 we flew to Barcelona to sail her again. Coming back felt like visiting an old friend, with a few new wrinkles.

She's an Oasis Class ship, so she's huge. Think neighborhoods instead of decks, including a real park with live trees and a boardwalk with a carousel. This is our walk-through of the ship, what we ate, where we drank, the cabin we picked and what has changed since our last sailing. You can watch all our Harmony videos here:

What Harmony Is Now

Harmony of the Seas debuted in 2016 as the third Oasis Class ship, and she was the largest cruise ship in the world when she launched. In 2026 she came out of a Royal Amplified refit, so the ship you'll board today is different from the one in our videos.

Here's what changed in the refit:

New: Samba Grill Brazilian steakhouse, El Loco Fresh, Giovanni's Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, the Pesky Parrot tiki bar and a bigger casino
Gone: Jamie's Italian, Vintages, Sabor Modern Mexican and the Bionic Bar
Refreshed: The pool deck, the adults-only Solarium and dozens of new staterooms

The ship is laid out in seven neighborhoods. The three you'll use most are Central Park on deck 8, the Boardwalk at the back of the ship and the Royal Promenade on deck 5.

✈ PRO TIP: Pick a cabin deck that keeps you off the elevators. We chose deck 7 midship. It's one flight up to Central Park, one flight down to the Schooner Bar and the Boardwalk, and two flights down to the Promenade. We almost never waited for an elevator.

Up on Deck: The Thrills

Harmony is built for people who don't want to sit still. The Ultimate Abyss is the tallest slide at sea, a ten-story drop from the top deck to the Boardwalk. The Perfect Storm waterslides, a zip line that crosses nine decks above the Boardwalk, two FlowRider surf simulators and a rock-climbing wall round out the list.

Inside, Studio B hosts the ice show and the AquaTheater at the back of the ship puts on the high-diving show. Both are free, and both are worth planning around.

One thing surprised us: Harmony's adults-only Solarium has no pool, only hot tubs. We keep our hot tub at home at a steamy 104 degrees, so we aren't big public hot tub people anyway. If an adults-only pool matters to you, plan to use the main pool deck early in the morning instead.

✈ PRO TIP: Book the AquaTheater show the day your Cruise Planner opens. Show reservations fill fast on Oasis Class ships, and the AquaTheater only runs a few times a week.

Dining: Our Top Five

On our 2021 sailing we added the Unlimited Dining Package after our first night and ranked every place we ate. Some of these venues have changed since the refit, so we've noted what's still on board.

1. Chops Grille: Our favorite. We ate here twice. The premium cocktails are excellent, especially the lavender vodka martini. Start with the colossal shrimp cocktail and the crab cake, then pick the filet or the prime rib eye. Don't skip the cheesy tater tots.

2. Jamie's Italian: A very close second, and we still dream about the tiramisu. Jamie's is gone now. Giovanni's Italian Kitchen took its place, with a menu of pizza, lasagna, chicken parmigiana and osso buco.

3. Sabor Modern Mexican: Great patio seating on the Boardwalk. Sabor was removed in the refit. El Loco Fresh now covers free Mexican food on board.

4. Wonderland: Dinner and a show inspired by Alice in Wonderland, with a "magic menu" built around the elements. It's polarizing. We loved the fun, but Rod doesn't eat tomatoes and that limited the menu for him. Check the app to confirm it's still on your sailing.

5. Main Dining Room: Good food and prompt service. Rod never passes up the crème brûlée, and I'm a sucker for the lemon meringue.

✈ PRO TIP: Buy the dining package before you sail. We upgraded on board at Guest Services, which worked, but Cruise Planner prices are usually lower. Do the math first. The package only pays off if you'll eat at specialty restaurants most nights.

Tell us in the comments: Would you book Chops Grille or the new Samba Grill for your big night on Harmony?

The Bar Scene

We bought the drink package three days before sailing when the price dropped in the app. Then we ranked our ten favorite bars.

On Air: Our surprise number one. The bartenders learned our drinks fast, and it was our last stop every night. It's also the trivia and karaoke spot.
Schooner Bar: The piano bar, with more comfortable seating than Freedom's. Try the lavender daiquiri.
Boot and Bonnet: The pub on the Promenade, with live guitar and a good beer list. This is where Rod found his favorite drink of the trip.
Pool Bar and Sand Bar: Twin bars on the pool deck. Dancing under the stars here was one of our best nights.
Solarium Bar: Order the Caribbean mule.
Trellis Bar: An outdoor bar in Central Park, great for a drink before dinner. Bring a wrap at night.

The Bionic Bar with the robot bartenders landed near the bottom of our list. It's been replaced by the Pesky Parrot tiki bar.

✈ PRO TIP: Find a bartender you like and go back. Bartenders stay at the same bar all cruise. Tip well on the first visit and you'll rarely wait for a drink.

Our Cabin

On our 2021 sailing we booked an ocean-view balcony on deck 7, midship on "the hump," where the balconies are larger. The room felt smaller than our previous cabin, but the balcony was huge.

One perk we used: the stateroom pressing deal on embarkation day. You fill a bag with shirts, jackets and pants, and they press everything in it for one flat price. It's a smart buy for a cruise with formal nights.

✈ PRO TIP: Look for "hump" balconies. Some midship balcony cabins on Oasis Class ships sit where the hull bulges out, and they come with a much bigger balcony for a similar price. Check the deck plan before you pick.

Where She Sails

Our 2021 sailing was a 7-night Western Mediterranean cruise round trip from Barcelona. We stopped in Palma de Mallorca, La Spezia for Cinque Terre, Civitavecchia for Rome and Naples for the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii. Our stop in Marseille was canceled, and Royal Caribbean extended our time in Palma instead.

After her 2026 refit, Harmony moved to Port Canaveral, Florida, for 7-night Caribbean sailings with stops like Cozumel and Perfect Day at CocoCay.

✈ PRO TIP: Book your own Rome plan if you can. Rome is about 90 minutes from the Civitavecchia port. In 2021 Royal Caribbean required its own excursions in Italy. If that rule isn't in place on your sailing, a private driver gives you more time to explore at your own pace.

What We Pack for a Harmony Sailing

A big ship means a lot of walking, and we pack the same few things every time:

Magnetic hooks for the steel cabin walls
A cruise-approved power cube, since surge protectors get pulled at security
A light wrap for the outdoor bars at night
Reef-safe sunscreen for the pool deck and the beaches

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Before You Sail: Quick Tips

Don't book the dining or drink package on board. Watch the Cruise Planner for price drops before you sail. Ours dropped three days out.
Don't spend your whole first day exploring. Reserve your shows and specialty dinners in the app as soon as you're on Wi-Fi.
Don't count on an adults-only pool. The Solarium has hot tubs only.
Don't take the elevators. On a ship this size, a midship cabin and the stairs save a lot of time.

Harmony will always be special to us because it's where our travels together started. Watch the full series to see her through our eyes, then use the guides above to plan your own sailing.