Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas is filled with so many fun things to do.  Whether you are new to Royal Caribbean or have remained "loyal to Royal" for years, here are five things we think everyone should try onboard Harmony of the Seas.

Get a WOWBand

Harmony of the Seas features WOWbands bracelets that allows you to open you stateroom door, charge onboard purchases or check into shows and restaurants. They essentially an optional replacement for your SeaPass card.

They are made of silicone and come in a variety of colors: white, yellow, black and blue. WOWbands use Radio Frequency (RF) technology that can be read by Royal Caribbean's readers that are found at kiosks, tablets and mobile scanners that Royal Caribbean crew operate.

Your WOWband is linked to your SeaPass account and holds all of your information related to your cruise vacation such as your stateroom information, dining reservations and more.  Harmony of the Seas is one of the few Royal Caribbean ships in the fleet to offer WOWbands, making it a little extra special.

Guests on Harmony of the Seas can choose to purchase WOWbands for $4.99 each at Guest Services.  If you are staying in a suite, WOWbands are complimentary.

Try the Escape Room

One of the most fun activities on Harmony of the Seas is Escape the Rubicon, which is an escape room experience. 

This is different kind of onboard activity that was pioneered by a group called Puzzle Break, which have created similar experiences on in a few cities.

After a briefing, guests search a room for clues and hidden messages and then try to put it all together to figure out the key phrase.  There are word searches, patterns and other challenges designed to get you thinking in a lot of different directions.

If you are knew to an escape room game, you might be a little hesitant at the idea of going into a "locked" room for an hour and not really knowing what to expect. Take solace in the fact that Escape the Rubicon might have been the most fun we had onboard the ship. This is truly unlike anything else you have ever done on a cruise ship, and it is incredible appealing.

Eat at Wonderland

Royal Caribbean's Oasis class ships have been known for offering guests a lot of dining options and Harmony of the Seas continues that tradition by offering a new restaurant to the Oasis class.

Wonderland is an imaginative take on specialty dining, where the experience is just as important as the food offered. On Harmony of the Seas, guests will find the first two-story Wonderland restaurant, where guests can enjoy totally inventive and "maddeningly delicious" cuisine.

Wonderland is a specialty restaurant developed by Royal Caribbean that is loosely based on the Alice's Adventures in Wonderland novel by Lewis Carroll. Like all Royal Caribbean specialty restaurants, the food available is different than anywhere else on the ship, but it also is big on the experience.

Go on the bridge wing

Regardless of if you want to take a selfie or just an epic photo of the ocean around you, make plans to go up to the bridge wings during your cruise.

The bridge wings are observational platforms that jet out from the side of the ship, and offer terrific views of the area around you.  The port bridge wing even features a see-through glass floor that you can stand on to add some panache to your photo.

Sunset, sunrise, sailaways and any other time are great for taking photos, and your album will not be complete without a few shots from the bridge wing.

See Columbus: The Musical

Royal Caribbean packed Harmony of the Seas with lots of terrific entertainment, but the one show we cannot get enough of is Columbus, The Musical!. This original Royal Caribbean production is a fun musical that takes inspirations from hit Broadway shows, such as “Spamalot” and “Something Rotten."

Marvin Columbus is the very, very, very, very, very distant relative of Christopher and spent his entire life ‘neath Chris’ shadow. Marvin’s disappointed nobleman father, sends him on a voyage to find his destiny.

The story is fun, the cast energetic and the music perfect to sing along with. Columbus is at the very top of our list of favorite shows we have seen onboard any Royal Caribbean ship.

Your thoughts

Have you been on Harmony of the Seas?  What do you think is something that everyone should try onboard? Share your thoughts in the comments for the blog post!

Guests aboard this week's Harmony of the Seas sailing may notice a new pricing structure at Sabor Taqueria & Tequila Bar.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader Todd Fagan shared photos of the new menu at Sabor on Harmony of the Seas, in which there is no longer a la carte pricing. Instead, the menu resembles that of Sabor Modern Mexican, found on Freedom and Voyager Class Royal Caribbean ships, where a cover charge includes all the food on the menu.  

The new price for lunch or dinner at Sabor is $19 per guest. Todd noted the staff incidcated the price is the same all day, regardless of when you go, and supposedly will be like that for the foreseeable future. They no longer have an a la carte option.

Until now, Sabor on Oasis Class ships have always been priced on an a la carte basis. 

Checking Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner, we can see the $19 price listed for an upcoming Harmony of the Seas sailing in July.

It is hard to believe, but one year ago today, Royal Caribbean took delivery of Harmony of the Seas.

In her first year in service, Harmony of the Seas has made a big impact on the cruise industry and we wanted to look back on the events that shaped her first year.

Delivery

Following 32 months of construction, on May 12, 2016, Royal Caribbean took delivery of Harmony of the Seas from STX France shipyard at a traditional delivery and flag changing ceremony in Saint Nazaire, France.

Joining the festivities in the ship’s signature AquaTheater were Richard Fain, Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and Michael Bayley, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International together with Laurent Castaing, General Manager, STX France.

This would mark the beginning of Harmony of the Seas' service in Royal Caribbean's fleet, and a momentous day many in the company and public had been looking forward to for so very long.

Arrival in Southampton

Before Harmony of the Seas would visit the warm waters of the Mediterranean or call Port Everglades home, she visited Southampton, U.K. on May 17, 2016 to offer early sailings.

Harmony of the Seas offered guests some quick sailings from Southampton to Northern Europe, prior to beginning her summer season in Barcelona.

Harmony of the Seas began maiden Mediterranean season

On June 9, 2016, Harmony of the Seas began her inaugural cruise season from her summer homeport of Barcelona, Spain. 

Guests on the first sailing enjoyed a five-night Western Mediterranean itinerary with visits to Rome (Civitavecchia) and Naples, Italy. Guests from 34 countries flocked to enjoy that historic occasion.  For the rest of the summer, Harmony of the Seas offered seven-night Western Mediterranean itineraries, showcasing Europe’s most popular destinations – Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca, Spain; Provence (Marseilles), France; Florence/Pisa, Rome and Naples, Italy.

Godmother chosen

Believe it or not, Harmony of the Seas did not have a Godmother until October 2016, when a contest concluded among educators in South Florida and a winner was chosen.

Brittany Affolter was the lucky winner, having distinguished herself from her work with Teach for America in Miami-Dade County.  Brittany supported and inspired a number of high-needs schools in Royal Caribbean’s hometown.

The ship's Godmother, Brittany Affolter from Teach For America Miami-Dade, was selected as Godmother of Harmony of the Seas for her work in inspiring South Florida’s next generation to dream big, think differently and challenge the status quo. Royal Caribbean conducted a six-week search and received nearly one thousand nominees for the honor usually reserved for celebrities and royalty.

Epic meet up

How do you celebrate the arrival of Harmony of the Seas to the United States? How about an incredible photo opportunity with her sister ships, Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas?

On November 6, 2016, Harmony of the Seas greeted her sister ships off the coast of Florida.

The world’s most adventure-packed ship was fêted with an adventurous take on the traditional flotilla send-off, complete with a team of 16 jetboard and jetpack riders from the world-renowned Aquafly Hydroflight Sports Performance Team leading Harmony out to sea and performing a show of extraordinary stunts.

DNCE rocked Friendsgiving

Part of the celebration involved with Harmony of the Seas' arrival at her homeport of Port Everglades, Florida included a private concert with multi-platinum-selling band DNCE.

In a spin-off of Thanksgiving, Royal Caribbean celebrated "Friendsgiving" by throwing, "the Ultimate Friendsgiving party" onboard Harmony of the Seas. The concert was held in the AquaTheater on November 11, 2016.

DNCE live from world's largest cruise ship!

A post shared by Royal Caribbean Blog.com (@royalcaribbeanblog) on Nov 11, 2016 at 3:23pm PST

Harmony of the Seas officially named

Following maritime tradition, Royal Caribbean officially named Harmony of the Seas on November 13, 2016 that was centered around the ship's Godmother, Brittany Affolter.

The event took place onboard Harmony of the Seas, and included Affolter, as well as singer-songwriter Jon Secada. The two took turns during the event to celebrate the ship's official arrival in her new home.

To cap off the evening, an array of fireworks filled the sky over Port Everglades in commemoration of this special day.

Your favorite memory

What was your favorite memory from Harmony of the Seas' first year?  Share them in the comments below, and be sure to include photos if you happened to be onboard!

The Grand Suite on Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas is a popular choice for guests who want to indulge in a suite experience. It offers a lot of living space, and the Sky Class benefits of the Royal Suite Class.

This photo tour comes to us from Royal Caribbean Blog reader Ron Lodowski, who recently sailed on Harmony of the Seas.

Ron took photos of his Grand Suite, which was in stateroom 12254 on Harmony of the Seas during an April 2017 sailing.

The Grand Suite measures 371 square feet and has a balcony that is 105 square feet.

Grand Suite staterooms on Harmony of the Seas include a bedroom area with two twin beds that convert to a Royal King. There is a living room with a sofa that converts to double bed. The private balcony has a seating area and private dining.

Also includes minibar, TV, stereo, DVD player, larger private bathroom with bathtub and double sink, vanity area, hair-dryer, phone, vanity table with an extendable working surface for laptop computers and 110/220 electrical outlets. Sleeps up to four people and can accommodate a rollaway bed and/or Play Yard.

All photos by Ron Lodowski

Diving into interactive tutorials created exclusively for Royal Caribbean, families sailing on Harmony of the Seas tap their creativity to sketch one-of-a-kind memories with one of YouTube’s most popular kids’ channels, Muffalo Potato. Whether a beginner or a budding Picasso, guests learn how to draw simply by using letters and numbers while guided by the series’ stars John and Muffalo.

Chops Grille has been a popular stalwart of Royal Caribbean's specialty dining choices, and Royal Caribbean has recently begun offering a lunch option too.

For years, Royal Caribbean only had Chops Grille open for dinner.  Recently, Royal Caribbean has begun offering a lunch option for guests to book.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader Angie La Malfa Muma shared photos from her Chops Grille lunch on Harmony of the Seas. 

The Chops Grille lunch menu is smaller than the Chops Grille dinner menu, yet retains much of the Chops Grille "experience."

There are also two dessert options, boysenberry cheesecake and chocolate mudpie.

There is a $19 cover charge for adults and $10 cover charge for kids for lunch. 

Do you want to try Chops Grille for lunch? Let us know in the comments!

From cops and robbers to high-divers and synchronized swimmers performing amazing feats in, on and around the deepest pool at sea, Hideaway Heist is an action-packed dive show brought to life at the AquaTheater on board Harmony of the Seas. Set in a swanky 1950’s resort, a crafty burglar has taken off with a bounty of jewels, and the staff of Hideaway Resort must take the audience on a high-flying adventure to solve the crime of the century.

Towering over 150 feet above sea level, the Ultimate Abyss on Harmony of the Seas launches thrill seekers into a serpentine of twists and turns on the world's biggest ship. Guests climb to the slide's glass platform, taking in the view from the top of the tallest slide at sea. From there, sliders launch into 216 feet of tunnels, whizzing past multi-sensory effects and blast onto the Boardwalk 10 decks below.

We love to explore the various staterooms on Royal Caribbean cruise ships and today we have a look at the Two Bedroom AquaTheater Suite stateroom on Harmony of the Seas.

This category A1 room was photographed by Frank Battiston during his stay in stateroom 8330.

Category A1 staterooms on Harmony of the Seas measure 823 square feet with an additional 772 square feet of space on the balcony.

Guests staying in this room are eligible for the Star Class benefits of the Royal Suite Class.  This includes

• Exclusive Access to Royal Genie Service
• All Day Access to Coastal Kitchen
• Complimentary Specialty Restaurants
• Complimentary Ultimate Beverage Package (for guests 21 years or older)
• Complimentary Royal Replenish Package (for guests under 21 years old)
• Complimentary Gratuities
• Complimentary VOOM - The Fastest Internet at Sea
• And more

There are two bathrooms in this suite, with the master bathroom featuring a tub.

There is also a large dining area and living room.

Of course, the compelling reason to book a room like this is the balcony.  Not only is the balcony quite large, it offers views of the ocean, Boardwalk neighborhood and the AquaTheater.

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Harmony of the Seas is the most energy-efficient and technologically advanced cruise ship ever built. Equipped with next-generation technologies, from a multi-stream exhaust gas cleaning system (scrubbers) to an air lubrication system that allows the ship to float on air, with millions of tiny bubbles created under the hull to reduce drag and increase fuel efficiency. Harmony of the Seas raises the bar on environmental stewardship technology.