The Harmony of the Seas is a huge ship and it can be hard to know where to spend your time on board without a few tips before you go. The tips below are specific to the Harmony of the Seas, though some would work on other Oasis Class Royal Caribbean Cruise ships.
We spent a full seven days on board the Harmony of the Seas and these are our best tips and tricks for making the most of your time on this huge cruise ship!
Coffee & Water 24/7
There is a coffee, water and ice station located on deck 5 in the Cafe Promenade. It is open 24/7 so it is a great place to get ice and water first thing in the morning, before bed or when you are getting off or back on the ship.
Choose your room location carefully
Food & pools are on decks 15 and 16 so if you are interested in being closer to the windjammer and pool, choose a stateroom on a higher deck. If you want to be closer to the boardwalk and Central Park choose a lower deck.
Breakfast at Johnny Rockets is free
The best breakfast we found on the Harmony of the Seas is at Johnny Rockets. During breakfast, Johnny Rockets served tasty, complementary breakfast sandwiches. They have traditional eggs and sides, pancakes, french toast and a small for-fee menu. They also have donuts – you just have to ask!
Mini Bites on deck 15 is a great spot for an afternoon snack
Mini Bites on deck 15 has a pared down breakfast in the morning and then is open again in the afternoon with hamburgers, hot dogs, nachos, quesadillas and other snack foods. There was also a cooler with some fruits and a few other healthy items. It has water (but no ice) and coffee as well as a freestyle machine. Mini Bites is located sort of tucked into a corner by the sports deck. They have several open air tables that seem to turn over very quickly.
Park Café is a calmer alternative to the Windjammer
Looking for a calmer, quieter breakfast or lunch option? The Park Cafe is a great spot for a quick and easy breakfast or lunch without the crowds and congestion of the Windjammer. Park Cafe offers a couple of breakfast sandwiches and then a bagel bar for breakfast. (And pastries. There are breakfast pastries.) For lunch at Park Cafe, there are soups, sandwiches and salads.
Make reservations as soon as you get on board
Grease, the AquaTheater and ice skating shows are really good. The Harmony of the Seas has some phenomenally talented crew on board. When you first get on board make reservations for your shows and any dining you want. This includes both speciality and main dining (if you have my time). Dining reservations for prime times are hard to come by. Be proactive and sit down when you first embark and make those reservations as a group.
Ice Skate Early
The slots for the ice skating sessions do fill up so make sure you are there at the beginning of their opening hours. They only have a few of the 20 minute slots for each day they offer ice skating and only let a set number of people out on the ice at a time. Also, you have to wear long pants and socks to ice skate.
Looking for a quiet space on Harmony of the Seas? Try the Solarium
On some Royal Caribbean ships, the Solarium with its adults only pool can be a place of parties and activity. Because Harmony of the Seas does not have a pool in the Solarium, it really is a place of quiet and calm. Looking for a deck chair that faces the ocean? Want some peace and quiet? The Solarium is definitely the place for you!
Great views from the front of the ship
The front of the Solarium has great views! From the Solarium, there are two wings where you can walk out to the very front on the glass platforms. There is also a line of deck chairs at the full glass windows at the front of the Solarium on deck 14. These are blocked from the wind and importantly relatively dry if it rains, which the rest of the solarium is not.
Views from the back of the ship on 5 and 15
The jogging track on deck 5 is a great spot to see the wake and any ports you have recently left. Deck 15 behind the Flow Riders has traditional views from the aft of the ship as well.
The Harmony of the Seas is a huge ship full of activities and interesting spaces.
Enjoy your cruise!
What to read next:
Why you SHOULD overpack for a cruise: my most radical packing opinions!
Best Cruise Cabin For…I promise it’s not the list you are expecting!
Hidden Costs of Cruising: Always things that are important to remember!
