Choosing a cruise and a cruise line isn’t always easy. Personally, I find it helpful to read reviews of ships and cruises to help me decide which trip would be a good fit for me. That’s why I have decided to write up a quick complete (got much longer than I had anticipated) review of my 7-day Med cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas.

Obviously, this review is somewhat subjective and reflects just a moment in time (especially as this cruise still was impacted by the pandemic). Nevertheless, I hope to share some helpful details, tips, and tricks to make your vacation planning (and your trip) even better!

The Basics of this cruise: What, when and where

This was my first cruise (mostly) after the pandemic. It was a 7-day Med cruise from Rome, Italy, on Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas from October 7 to 14, 2021.

Cost of the cruise for a solo guarantee cabin in the oceanview category was EUR601 – a very good price indeed!

Review of Embarcation Port and Itinerary

Start and end of my cruise was in Rome, Italy and the (revised) itinerary was:

Originally, the ship was also supposed to visit Marseille, France, but a couple of weeks before departure that port was cancelled due to pandemic limitations. I really they had kept Marseille but as I didn’t book until after the change I can’t complain (and likely this contributed to the low price).

Another change from Royal Caribbean’s usual business model was that this cruise had two embarkation ports – Rome and Barcelona. This turned out to be a major problem for me – but more about that later!

So what were the ports like?

Embarcation Port: Rome, Italy

Are you asking yourself how Rome can be a port for a cruise even though it is quite a bit distant from the sea? You are right – when cruise lines advertise “Rome” as a stop they generally mean that the ship will berth in Civitavecchia, about an hour by train from the Eternal city.

Civitavecchia is a popular port for Med cruises and I have started several cruises from there. Due to the distance from Rome it isn’t as convenient as some other ports where you are right in the city.

However, it is fairly easy to get cheap flights to Rome and it is always great to spend a couple of days before or after a cruise in the Eternal City (top tip: avoid flying on the day off as just too much can go wrong).

And the transfer from Rome itself to Civitavecchia is very easy. There are regular trains and the ride is inexpensive. You can easily walk from the Civitavecchia train station to the port (if you don’t have a lot of luggage).

You will probably need to take a shuttle within the port but all in all it isn’t too much of a hassle.

Score: 4/5

First Port: Naples, Italy

Like Civitavecchia, Naples is a staple on Med cruises and consequently I have visited several times.

Luckily, as Naples is one of my favorite cruise ports – it offers so many different excursions: A visit to the ancient ruins of Pompeij, the majestic sleeping giant of Vesuvius, the bustling city of Naples itself, the idyllic island of Capri, and the charming (though congested ) Amalfi Coast…

There is so much to see and do here, that I don’t mind visiting repeatedly.

Score: 5/5

Naples Tour: Amalfi Coast & Pompeii by Land and Sea

You may already know this about me, but I am not a fan of organized tours. There is nothing wrong with them but I would just much rather do my own thing.

I also hate paying more than necessary and cruise tours are usually vastly overpriced so I rarely take part in one.

However, this cruise was different from most as the pandemic was still not over and Italy in its wisdom (not) had decreed that only passengers on organized shore excursions run by the cruise line were allowed to leave the ship.

Now, I am happy to do all I can for public health but it just made no sense whatsoever. Most restrictions had been lifted and I was allowed to fly into Rome, spend a couple of days before the cruise walking around the city and doing whatever I pleased. But the moment I had checked into the ship, I was no longer allowed to get off on my own.

As annoying as it was, there was no changing it. So I bit the bullet and booked the cruise excursion Amalfi Coast & Pomeii by land and Sea to visit Pompeij and the Amalfi Coast.

The biggest negative was that these excursions were even more expensive than normal as they had to include all meals and a guide for every second. There was a strict prohibition against leaving the group. So the price increase kind of made sense but at around €150 it was expensive!

I could justify it as a) it was the only way to leave the ship and b) the Amalfi coast is difficult to do independently. The streets are congested and narrow and public transportation is iffy when you are tied to a cruise schedule. But even though it made sense it was a lot to spend for one day.

That’s all well and good, you say. But what was the excursion like?

Royal Caribbean’s “Amalfi Coast and Pompeii by Land and Sea” was good. If you enjoy organized excursions you would have loved it.

We started out by visiting a Limoncello factory. This also offered a chance to grab a quick breakfast (the excursion had started at the horrendously early hour of 7 am), use the restrooms, and enjoy the pretty view.

After that, we drove along the stunning coastline to the small town of Amalfi where we had a couple of minutes on our own (yes, our guide let us sneak off for a couple of minutes – don’t tell!)

After that we took a short boat ride (more pretty views of the stunning shoreline). 

Then we drove on to Pompeii where we first had a three-course meal in a restaurant. The food was actually better than I had expected and everything was very efficient.

Finally, we toured the ruins of Pompeii before returning to the ship.

This tour was overpriced but it did do what it promised and was run very efficiently. While I would have prefered something more low-key on my own, I really can’t fault the excursion so will give it a score of

Score: 5/5

Second Port: Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona is yet another common port on Med cruises. Most people love this Spanish city – I am in the minority as I much prefer others and think it is just okay.

However, even though it isn’t my favorite town I will admit that there is loads to do in Barcelona. And as the port is right in town it is easy to do your own thing.

Score: 5/5

Luckily, Spain did not insist on organized tours so I was able to visit Montjuic on my own. The weather was just so-so and my visit to the maze garden at Laberint d’Horta was a bust (it is apparently so popular with locals that the line to get in was the longest line I have seen in years). Consequently, my personal score for this port on this day is a bit lower.

Score: 4/5

Third Port: Palma, Mallorca, Spain

I love Mallorca and think this island and its capital, Palma, are underrated. People often think it is just a party place but it has so much more to offer.

Again, the port is close (or very close, depending on where you berth) to the city. We docked a bit farther out but there was a free shuttle depositing us near the Cathedral.

I am giving Palma as a port a slightly lower score because it doesn’t have as many different activities to offer as Barcelona or Naples but if you are looking for a more low-key day it is absolutely perfect.

Score: 4.5/5

I got lucky with the weather – it was nice and warm so you would never have guessed that it was already October.

Using the modern and efficient local buses I visited Valldemossa and Port de Soller and truly had one of the best days ever. Highly recommended!

Score: 5/5

Fourth Port: La Spezia, Italy

La Spezia is of course an ideal base for exploring Cinqueterre. Surprisingly, the city of La Spezia itself is quite pleasing as well.

Similarly to Palma, I will give it an almost perfect score. Definitely a great port the first time around but maybe doesn’t offer as much variety as some bigger cities.

Score: 4.5/5

Okay, in La Spezia I could not reconcile myself to the prices for shore excursions. I felt okay paying buckets in Naples as I knew the Amalfi Coast would be difficult to do on my own but there was nothing similar offered in La Spezia.

Consequently, I ended up staying on the ship and treating this as another sea day. I love exploring on port days so that was a bit of a bummer.

Score: NA

Review of my Cabin on Harmony of the Seas

I originally booked the cheapest guarantee cabin on offer but got upgraded to a cabin with boardwalk view. Yeah! I assume this was done as the ship was fairly empty and I have cruised quite a bit with Royal Caribbean before (I actually made it to Diamond level on this cruise).

Boardwalk view cabins are basically the same as balcony cabins but instead of having a view of the ocean the balcony faces the interior “courtyard” of the Boardwalk (there are similar cabins available at the Central Park area).

I was of course stoked to get an upgrade. But what was the cabin like?

Review: Cabin Location (11329)

To be honest it was a bit of a mixed bag.

Advantages of Stateroom 11329 (Boardwalk View)

The large window/balcony made the room much brighter which was a plus. Also, it is rather fun to sit on the balcony and watch what is going on the Boardwalk.

Last but not least, you have a great view of the back of the ship. As you can see on the picture, the slide does obstruct the view but you can still see the sea/port quite well. 

If you find just the right position you have a great view of the Aqua Theater as well (you can admire my view further down when I talk about the ship venues). No need to make a reservation if you want to see the show there. You can enjoy it right from your own balcony.

I have been known to scour the internet before a trip for exact info about an assigned cabin so I wanted to give a little more info about  the exact view from Stateroom 11329.

Disadvantages of Stateroom 11329 (Boardwalk View)

Unfortunately, there were some negatives to having a cabin with boardwalk view as well.

The main drawbacks ist however the lack of privacy. Guests in cabins across on the other side of the Boardwalk have a direct view of your balcony and even of your room. Because of that I did keep the curtains drawn a good part of the time when in the room – which kind of negates the advantage of more light/a view.

The second disadvantage is that these Boardwalk View Cabins can be quite noisy. This was the second time I had a cabin in this category and the first time (on a transatlantic) I had no issue with this.

But this time I could understand why some people dislike Boardwalk Cabins. It wasn’t so much the noise from passengers on the boardwalk (as the ship wasn’t very full that wasn’t bad) but any announcements in public areas was very loud in the cabin.

This isn’t an issue at night but if you enjoy a nap in the afternoon a Boardwalk View Cabin may not be the best choice for you!

The biggest bummer was that it was a bit too chilly in October to really enjoy the balcony. I tried to sit out there so not to waste it but it was quite cold!

Still, all in all it was a good cabin (and definitely better than what I had paid for).

Score: 4/5

Review: Cabin Layout and Amenities (11329)

Aside of the location, I believe it was a fairly standard balcony cabin.

There are different layouts offered on Harmony of the Seas – Stateroom 11329 has the bed next to the window/balcony. Better natural light but less privacy (from the balconies across the Boardwalk).

The room was nicely furnished though you could see some wear (like the spot on the couch).

There was a fair amount of space and storage in the cabin.

The bathroom was on the smaller size but adequate. The shower did have glass walls, better than the clingy curtains that you will find on some ships.

All in all I would give the cabin an average score. Considering that I had paid for a lower category I was however very happy with my upgrade!

Score: 4/5

Review: Room Attendant

I am usually very impressed with the room attendants on Royal Caribbean (or other) cruise ships. They seem to always be out there in the hallway, smiling and working.

On this cruise I was a bit less impressed. My cabin was kept clean and I did get plenty of towel animals but the room attendant just never seemed to be around.

Normally, this wouldn’t much matter but due to pandemic regulations the room attendant was supposed to come by in the morning and take your temperature.

Unfortunately, I could never find mine. Luckily, usually some other room attendant would take my temperature on my way to or from the cabin.

So the service was fine – the room was clean enough – but didn’t feel as indulgent or personal as on most cruises.

Score: 3/5

Food and Drinks on Harmony of the Seas

Food

On this cruise I had booked the Unlimited Dining add on – this extra-charge let’s you eat at almost any of the for-fee specialty restaurants as often as you want during your cruise.

Obviously, I wanted to get my money worth from this so I didn’t eat in the main dining room (which did not offer shared tables due to the pandemic) or at the Windjammer buffet (which required reservations again – you guessed it – because of the pandemic).

Consequently, I can’t say anything about the “included” food during this cruise. Based on my prior experiences with Royal Caribbean I assume that it was pretty tasty though!

All in all, I was very happy with the Unlimited Dining – you can read my complete review of all the restaurants and dishes I tried.

As I didn’t eat at any of the “free” venues I can’t really rate the quality of the food on this Royal Caribbean Cruise (aside of the specialty dining) but I will give an above average score for the variety of restaurants/venues.

Score: 4.5/5

Drinks

I  did not have any beverage package. Aside of the free drinks (water, juice, lemonade) and some sodas I brought on board, I ordered a couple of cocktails and some sodas.

My entire bar bill for the week was $78.36 (4 cocktails, 3 sodas) – definitely glad I didn’t go for a beverage package!

I will give the drinks an average score – prices were okay and I do appreciate that they let you bring on some drinks for your cabin.

Score: 4/5

Ship in General

Harmony of the Seas is one of the Oasis class of ships and with a capacity of over 6,000 passengers one of the biggest cruise ships! Consequently, the ship has a lot to offer but is far from a small, intimate experience.

Some people dislike large ships (which are more like swimming hotels than regular ships) while others love them. It is up to personal taste!

Personally, I prefer ships that are slightly smaller but do appreciate all the Oasis class has to offer.

Due to the pandemic, Harmony of the Seas on this trip was fairly empty so I never had an issue with it being crowded or there being too many people. I can imagine that during busy times it could be an issue though.

As far as the layout of Oasis class ships is concerned, it is actually fairly straightforward and easier to navigate than you might expect.

I took a look at the deck plans for Harmony of the Seas and came up with a handy little chart of what to find where. So not to make it too complicated I concentrated on the most important areas/venues – not every bar is listed.

Hopefully, it will give you a first idea of what to find where:

Some people dislike large ships (which are more like swimming hotels than regular ships) while others love them. It is up to personal taste!

Personally, I prefer ships that are slightly smaller but do appreciate all the Oasis class has to offer.

Due to the pandemic, Harmony of the Seas on this trip was fairly empty so I never had an issue with it being crowded or there being too many people. I can imagine that during busy times it could be an issue though.

As far as the layout of Oasis class ships is concerned, it is actually fairly straightforward and easier to navigate than you might expect.

By looking at the chart you can tell that not all decks are of interest to most passengers. You will likely spend most of your time on decks 3 to 6 (MDR, theater, Royal Promenade with bars and stores, Spa, Boardwalk with Aqua Theater, restaurants), deck 7 (Central Park with restaurants, stores, and bars), deck 15 (Solarium, pools, Sports), and 16 (flowrider and Windjammer buffet restaurant). Most of the rest is cabins.

The main thing to know about Harmony of the Seas (and all Oasis ships) is that it is set up as a series of neigborhoods. Once you realize that it is much easier to find your way around.

The main ones are:

 You will likely spend most of your time on decks 3 to 6 (MDR, theater, Royal Promenade with bars and stores, Spa, Boardwalk with Aqua Theater, restaurants), deck 7 (Central Park with restaurants, stores, and bars), deck 15 (Solarium, pools, Sports), and 16 (flowrider and Windjammer buffet restaurant). Most of the rest is cabins.

The main thing to know about Harmony of the Seas (and all Oasis ships) is that it is set up as a series of neigborhoods. Once you realize that it is much easier to find your way around.

The main ones are:

Boardwalk

The Boardwalk is located back on deck 6 at the stern (back) of the ship. It is open to the sky and is supposed to evoke the bustling atmosphere of a traditional boardwalk on the East Coast. Think Atlantic City or Coney Island.

Here you will find several restaurants – Sabor (Mexican), Johnny Rockets (Burgers), and Dog House (yep, you guessed it – hot dogs).

This is also where the lower end of  the climbing wall and the Ultimate Abyss Slide from deck 16 to deck 6 end. The Carousel is another family attraction here.

Finally, you will find the Aqua Theater at the very end of the Boardwalk. Here you can watch impressive water shows with divers jumping from high up! Not to be missed.

Central Park

Central Park is the green oasis of the ship. Here you will find real, actual plants and trees!

The Central Park area is the location of several restaurants – and bars.

Truth be told, there isn’t that much to actually do in Central Park but it is a nice, serene location and quite romantic in the evening.

Royal Promenade

Like most of the bigger Royal Caribbean ships, Harmony of the Seas has a Royal Promenade. Basically a small shopping mall in the middle of the ship.

Here you will find a couple of restaurants and most of the ship’s shops. In non-pandemic times they also have parades and parties here.

Sport Deck

Most of the sports/activity venues are on deck 15. My personal favorite (though not as a solo traveler) is the minigolf course.

Pools

You may not believe it but on all my cruises I have never really used a pool. They just seem rather small, crowded and not that inviting.

So I can’t say much abot the pools on Harmony of the Seas other than they had them.

Deck 16

I enjoy watching the flowrider (a small area that allows you to body surf). I am not daring enough to give this a try but do enjoy watching.

Deck 16 is also the start of the Ultimate Abyss slide. After reading the safety instructions and considering that this slide goes all the way from deck 16 to the Boardwalk on deck 6 I was not sure if I was up for it.

However, from my balcony I could watch as small kids got off at the end, smiling, so eventually I screwed up my courage. It is indeed very mild – no need to be nervous at all!

Solarium

There is a fairly large indoor/outdoor area with sun loungers and whirlpools reserved for adults.

I loved the look of this and appreciated that it is an included venue. No need to pay extra for this as on many other cruise lines.

Unfortunately, it was a bit too chilly here in October. On a cruise during the summer or further south it would probably have been my favorite spot on the ship.

Theaters

Aside of the Aqua Theater mentioned above, Studio B (the ice rink) has regular ice skating shows that are quite impressive. At certain (though fairly limited) times you can also try your hand at ice skating yourself!

During my cruise there were regular shows by Comedians, two different ice skating shows, and the Aqua Theater Show.

Then there is of course the large Royal Theater which is mainly used for headliners and the musical.

I didn’t go to many of the shows but I did see GREASE: The Broadway Musical in the main theater and it was quite impressive. Definitely a nice way to spend an afternoon on a lazy sea day.

Casino

Unfortunately, the casino was a disappointment on my trip.

I am not a big expert on casinos so can’t comment on number of tables/set-up. It looked fairly big and nice enough to me.

There wasn’t a lot going on there – I was told that the casino is very busy in the Caribbean but comparatively empty in general in Europe so that not all tables are open.

Avoid the “Learn to Play” Promotion

However, my complaint had to do with the “Learn to Play” add on I booked. Basically, you pay $25 ahead of time, go to the casino to get “step-by-step instructions from the pros”, receive $25 in free play, and two cocktails.

It sounded like a win/win. Usually, I stick to the inexpensive slot machines when in a casino but I thought this would give me the confidence to maybe try table games. At the same time, I had a stake to play with and couldn’t really lose as the two cocktails were worth about what I paid for.

It sounded good in theory but turned out to be fairly unpleasant. When I went to the casino to get my “free instruction” nobody knew what to do with me. Even though the place was basically empty, noone seemed to be interested in getting me involved.

I was told to maybe “try my hand at roulette because that isn’t too difficult” (I am not so dumb I can’t figure out). The very nice guy working at the roulette table was game but didn’t know what to tell me either. The rules for roulette don’t take that long to explain.

The guy in charge insisted that I had to spend at least 30 minutes “learning” if I wanted my included cocktails.

All in all, it made me feel stupid, out of place, and like I was trying to scam them for my drinks. I doubt that was the intention of this promo (which clearly is supposed to entice new players to feel more comfortable there).

Anyway, I think I am done with cruise ship casinos for the foreseeable future. Maybe I should count it as an advantage of this cruise after all as I am sure to save money this way!

Harmony of the Seas overall

After reading everything offered on Harmony of the Seas (and I am sure I forgot something) it should be clear that there are vast opportunities no matter whether you prefer thrills, sports, or just plain chilling out.

I have noticed over the last couple of cruises that I do not really take advantage of many of these offerings. Consequently, I don’t require a ship to have so many bells and whistles.

But it can’t hurt to have them and objectively speaking, Harmony of the Seas is one of the best there is.

Score 5/5

WIFI on Harmony of the Seas

I thought I could make do without Wifi but after a couple of days I gave in and paid for the unlimited Wifi for the reminder of the trip.

I paid around $100 for I believe 5 days. One afternoon there was some issue and the internet was out on the entire ship but during the rest of the time it worked just fine. Definitely much better than during my transatlantic on Norwegian Getaway but that has probably more to do with the itinerary than the ship.

I am going to give this an average score of

Score: 4/5

Royal Caribbean’s App

Over the last couple of years I have seen/used the apps of several cruise lines and – aside of one big caveat – I like Royal’s the best.

Basically, you can make all reservations via the app. It tells you what is going on where, shows the menus for all the restaurants, let’s you book excursions etc. For the most part, the app seemed to work well (i.e. it didn’t crash and gave good information).

Now for the major caveat: It does mean that you do need a phone with the app installed (you don’t need a WIFI package as it will work “for free” on the ship). Without a phone and a functioning app your vacation will be a lot less seamless.

And that mattered because of the last – and biggest problem of this cruise:

Secondary Embarcation Port

When I booked this cruise I knew that there were two embarkation ports – Barcelona and Rome.

I decided on Rome as that gave me two Spanish and two Italian ports as opposed to three Italian and just one Spanish port if starting in Barcelona. As we were not allowed to leave the ship independently in Italy, Spain seemed preferable.

However, Royal Caribbean had set Barcelona up as the MAIN embarcation port. And for some reason that only IT-people will understand, the app did not work if you started the cruise in Rome.

When I say not work, I mean you could use it to look up menus, activities, etc. but could not use it to book anything. Which doesn’t sound so bad but was horrible.

Instead of quickly making any show reservations online, passengers embarking in Rome had to stand in line to make their reservation. 

Well, that’s not too bad, you may think. And it wouldn’t have been but once the ship got to Barcelona the system deleted all the manual bookings so reservations were gone (they did still let you in as they were aware of the issue).

For the same reason, my casino account also got “wiped” and I had to argue with the casino staff to get back any money I had “won” there.

All in all, I strongly advise against booking a cruise from such a secondary port unless Royal has fixed the issue!

Do I recommend this 7-day cruise on Harmony of the Seas?

Absolutely. Overall this was a good (though not perfect) cruise.

The ship, the itinerary, the food, the entertainment, and especially the price were great. 

Most of the issues I had were either due to the pandemic (e.g. only expensive shore excursions arranged by the cruise line in Italy) or can be avoided (like the casino and starting the cruise at a secondary port).

If you enjoy large ships with a variety of eating venues, many activities, and great entertainment you will love this cruise!

Highs and Lows of my Cruise

The Great

• Harmony of the Seas is a beautiful, well-organized ship
• The ship offers a huge number of activities and spaces
• I very much appreciated the cabin upgrade I received
• The price was great
• The itinerary included some real highlights (though the original itinerary with Marseille was even better)
• The food in the specialty dining restaurants was good to very good
• The offered entertainment/shows was great

The not-great-but-unavoidable

• Cabins with Boardwalk view are not for everyone – they lack privacy and are rather noisy
• There were still a number of restrictions due to COVID,  most notably no shared tables in MDR and no independent excursions in Italy
• October was a bit late for a Med cruise. It was too chilly to enjoy the balcony or the solarium
• The room attendant was okay but not as good as on most other cruises I have been on

The Bad

• I hated my casino experience and would not recommend it unless you really are desperate to save the money of two cocktails
• I would NOT book another Royal Caribbean cruise from the “secondary” of two embarcation ports unless I was certain the IT problems have been resolved