99 days of Harmony: Why Harmony of the Seas will be a Broadway fan's favorite cruise

In:
02 May 2016

Royal Caribbean designed its newest cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas, to be an entertainment mecca that offers it all. The ship is also shaping up to be the premier cruise ship for Broadway fans all over.

Royal Caribbean has had a strong relationship over the years with theater and Broadway, but Harmony of the Seas is taking it a whole new level.

Broadway fans will appreciate these three aspects of the ship that offer the most Broadway connections of any Royal Caribbean ship to date.

Grease

For nearly a decade, Royal Caribbean has been offering Broadway shows on its ships and Harmony of the Seas continues that tradition with Grease.

The all-new, never-before-seen stage production, specially adapted by Royal Caribbean Productions, will boast a soundtrack of crowd favorites such as “Summer Nights,” “Greased Lightnin’,” “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee,” “Born to Hand-Jive,” “Beauty School Dropout” and more.

Grease is an established Broadway show that has played on The Great White Way, and all over the world. Its songs are classics and the story has become so well-known that it transcends its stage roos.

Columbus, The Musical!

Harmony of the Seas will see Royal Caribbean venture out to create its own original production musical, which aims to be just as entertaining as anything on 42nd street.

Columbus, The Musical! is a new Royal Caribbean original production that tells the tale of Christopher’s luckless distant cousin, Marvin, on a madcap voyage to the Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean created the show in the spirit of “Spamalot” and “Something Rotten." With inspiration like those two shows, this new musical is headed in the right direction.

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. Storms, pirates, and even flying sharks – all lead Marvin to his greatest discovery; himself. Romance, adventure, and ‘happy ever after’ are on the map, as Marvin Columbus finally finds his destiny.

Away We Go!

One of the funniest and heart-warming musicals of all time is Avenue Q, and its creator has created a brand new show just for Royal Caribbean.

Tony award-nominated actors and imaginative producers John Tartaglia by and Michael Shawn Lewis of Gable Grove Productions created, Away We Go! just for Harmony of the Seas.

This is a family show, that is meant to be seen by kids and their families.

Away We Go! is aimed at 3- to 11-year olds and follows up Tartaglia's previous creation for Royal Caribbean, ImaginOcean. 

99 days of Harmony: Away We Go!

In:
28 Apr 2016

As we get closer to Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas launch, we are counting down until the ship's debut with new blog posts about an aspect of the cruise.

Away We Go!

Entertainment on Royal Caribbean ships comes in many forms, including entertainment specifically for kids and their families.

Harmony of the Seas will feature a brand new show in the Adventure Ocean Theater called, Away We Go!, a black light puppet show created by Tony award-nominated actors and imaginative producers John Tartaglia by and Michael Shawn Lewis of Gable Grove Productions.

Away We Go! is aimed at 3- to 11-year olds and follows up Tartaglia's previous creation for Royal Caribbean, ImaginOcean. The show was originally performed on Oasis of the Seas and actually ended up being shown on land as well. It was also shown on Allure of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas.

The show utilizes blacklight sets and lighting as well as puppets with fabrics that work well with blacklight, giving the illusion that the puppets are floating against the black background. As such, the show is marketed as the first "glow-in-the-dark" musical.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post as we celebrate 99 days of Harmony!

99 days of Harmony: Harmony of the Seas' cruise director

In:
27 Apr 2016

There's less than 99 days until Royal Caribbean's brand new Harmony of the Seas debuts and we're counting down each day with a brand new blog post all about this amazing ship. Check into the blog every day for something new to read about Harmony of the Seas.

Harmony of the Seas' cruise director

The heart of any Royal Caribbean cruise is the cruise director, who is the force behind all the onboard activities you find on your cruise. On Harmony of the Seas, Royal Caribbean has selected two cruise directors to get the party started on Harmony of the Seas.

Ken Rush will be Harmony of the Seas' cruise director until the ship reaches Barcelona on June 5.

Ken Rush has been working at Royal Caribbean for over 30 years and has been Cruise Director on a number of new Royal Caribbean ships, including Allure of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas.

As cruise director, Rush said he will head all entertainment for guests onboard. In doing so, Rush said he will manage a team of dancers, musicians, youth and activities staff.

From June 5 through October 23, 2016, Bobby Brown will take over the cruise director role while the ship is operating in Europe.

Bobby joined Royal Caribbean in 1995 and has worked on a number of ships, including Majesty of the Seas, Rhapsody of the Seas, Vision of the Seas, and Brilliance of the Seas.

When Harmony of the Seas makes her way to the United States, Ken Rush will return on October 23 to take the ship to Florida.  He is expected to remain the cruise director on Harmony of the Seas through at least New Years 2017.

Here is a great interview with Ken Rush from a few years ago, that talks about Ken's role as Cruise Director.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post as we celebrate 99 days of Harmony!

99 days of Harmony: Carousel installation

In:
26 Apr 2016

One of the most beloved forms of entertainment on a Royal Caribbean Oasis-class cruise ship is the carousel in the Boardwalk neighborhood and we have a photo update of it to share today!

The installation of the carousel is underway on Harmony of the Seas, as shown in this photo provided by Carousel Works.

The carousel on Harmony of the Seas is hand-crafted and especially designed by Carousel Works for Royal Caribbean and is one-of-a-kind.

The inspiration for the carousel was taken from turn-of-the-century carousel designs. Even the original artwork scenery panels located on the carousel’s eight Rounding Boards feature custom painted scenes to highlight the wistfulness of life on the historic boardwalks.

99 days of Harmony: Photo update

In:
23 Apr 2016

When it comes to new Royal Caribbean ships, it seems like there are never enough new photos and today, we have a few new shots to share.

Virginie Minot posted these Harmony of the Seas photos online and the ship is definitely looking the part of the world's largest cruise ship!

Enjoy!

#harmonyoftheseas #stnazaire #royalcaribbean #sea #chantierdelatlantique #bleu #followme @virginieminot

A photo posted by Virginie Minot (@virginieminot) on

#harmonyoftheseas #stnazaire #royalcaribbean #sea #chantierdelatlantique #bleu #followme @virginieminot

A photo posted by Virginie Minot (@virginieminot) on

#harmonyoftheseas #stnazaire #royalcaribbean #sea #chantierdelatlantique #bleu #followme @virginieminot

A photo posted by Virginie Minot (@virginieminot) on

#harmonyoftheseas #stnazaire #royalcaribbean #sea #chantierdelatlantique #bleu #followme @virginieminot

A photo posted by Virginie Minot (@virginieminot) on

#harmonyoftheseas #stnazaire #royalcaribbean #sea #chantierdelatlantique #bleu #followme @virginieminot

A photo posted by Virginie Minot (@virginieminot) on

99 days of Harmony: Chef's Table

In:
22 Apr 2016

We're counting down to the 99 days until Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas, launches with a brand new blog post every day. Be sure to check back for something new everyday here.

Chef's Table

The Chef's Table has become a coveted experience on Royal Caribbean ships.  It's an intimate dinner with just you and a few other guests in an exclusive enclave to savor a five-course, gourmet menu specially prepared and presented by the Chef de Cuisine.

Located inside a special part of Chops Grille, the Chef's Table offers just 14 spots for a culinary adventure.

If you like gourmet food and good wine to accompany it, Chef's Table is for you.  The idea behind the Chef's Table is to give guests an unique five-course dinner with wine pairings.

Every course pairs with wine chosen to enhance your enjoyment of the dish.

It's meant to be educational as well, as with each course the Chef de Cuisine specially prepares and presents each course, while explaining its cooking techniques, ingredients and flavors.

With each course, a sommelier pairs every course with wine chosen to enhance your enjoyment of the dish. 

Chef's Table is a premier dining experience on Harmony of the Seas and it's also going to be the priciest but if fine dining is what you desire, this is the place for you.

Chef's Table is a specialty restaurant and has a cover charge to dine there. There is a formal dress code and it will be open for dinner.

Royal Caribbean offering chance to win ultimate adventure on Harmony of the Seas

In:
21 Apr 2016

In celebration of the Harmony of the Seas' European debut, and in anticipation of her U.S. arrival in November, Royal Caribbean is kicking off a multi-faceted consumer promotion, “Ticket to Adventure.”

The immersive and interactive sweepstakes encourages consumers to virtually discover and explore Harmony’s thrilling features and seven neighborhoods, and enter for their chance to win more than $300,000 worth of prizes that range from a grand prize, seven-night Caribbean cruise for four, to 200 invitation-only getaways, more than 175 GoPro HERO4 cameras, over $40,000 in gift cards, and more.

Starting April 21 through November 5, 2016, consumers can simply register for the promotion at RoyalCaribbean.com/TicketToAdventure, and then the adventure begins!

Every two weeks, one of Harmony’s seven signature neighborhoods will be unlocked on the site and open the door to interactive content and fun facts, such as the height of The Ultimate Abyss, the tallest slide at sea, to the number of plants in Central Park – the largest living park at sea – and the variety of cocktails the robot bartenders at Bionic Bar can sling.

Bonus instant win games are hidden within each neighborhood and extra sweepstakes entries will be awarded to those that share Ticket to Adventure with their friends via email or social media.

There will also be other ways to enter the contest, as Royal Caribbean will infuse a little adventure into some unexpected places and pop culture events, as well as partner with well-known personalities.

Actor and singer Carlos PenaVega will give fans the chance to join him onboard Harmony of the Seas during exclusive, invitation-only preview events in Southampton, England. Hot off his starring role as Kenickie in FOX’s GREASE LIVE, PenaVega will hang out with his winning fans as he leads a number of Grease-inspired special activities and attends opening night of Royal Caribbean’s original production of Broadway’s hit musical Grease. Fans can enter for the chance to win by visiting the sweepstakes site between now and May 1 and entering code GREASE.

 In addition, Royal Caribbean will deploy a series of code words that can be uncovered on RoyalCaribbean.com, through Royal Caribbean emails and exclusive Crown & Anchor Society newsletters for loyal guests, as well as through participating travel agents, or by following Royal Caribbean on FacebookTwitter and Instagram. Consumers that find a code can enter it at RoyalCaribbean.com/TicketToAdventure to be entered into the grand prize drawing and also to unlock chances for instant win prizes.

99 days of Harmony: Single cabin staterooms

In:
19 Apr 2016

There's less than 99 days until Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas debuts so we're counting down each day with a brand new blog post all about Harmony of the Seas. Read our blog each day for a new post all about this amazing cruise ship.

Studio Staterooms

A big change in the cruising industry has been offering stateroom options to people cruising alone and on Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas, there will be a class of staterooms just for people that prefer to travel alone.

These "studio" staterooms offer the single traveler accommodations without the hefty single supplement fee that was traditionally added to the cruise fare.

Harmony of the Seas will offer a variety of studio staterooms for guests to choose from.

Studio Interior Stateroom

Full size bed and full bathroom. Single occupancy stateroom, no single supplement required. 103 sq. ft., escept for stateroom 4660 is 96 sq. ft

Studio Ocean View Stateroom

Full size bed and full bathroom. Single occupancy stateroom, no single supplement required. Can sleep up to 2. (96 sq. ft.) Staterooms 4682 and 4688 are 104 sq. ft.

99 days of Harmony: Izumi Hibachi & Sushi

In:
16 Apr 2016

As we get closer to Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas launch, we are counting down until the ship's debut with new blog posts about an aspect of the cruise.

Izumi

One of the most popular and successful specialty restaurants across Royal Caribbean's fleet is Izumi and Harmony of the Seas will offer her own edition.

The experience at Izumi is about offering fresh, flavorful and quality Japanese cuisine.  This is more than just sushi, and includes soups, salads and an incredible hibachi experience.

INTERVIEW WITH IZUMI'S MASTER CHEF

Sushi is at the heart of the Izumi experience and if you are a fan of sashimi, nigiri and maki, then Izumi is the place for you.

Izumi offers a pretty wide selection of sushi options, so it's not just California and Rainbow rolls. 

On Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class ships, Izumi has expanded to also offer a Hibachi experience where guests can enjoy teppan-style dining.

Izumi's Hibachi option is as much about the experience as it is about the food. Izumi's chefs cook the food in front of guests surrounding a cooking table.  

If you have never done hibachi, it is a must-do and if you have, then you need to check out the great food (and show) Izumi offers.

Do you want to try Izumi on Harmony of the Seas? Tell us in the comments!

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