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

Photos by Royal Caribbean International, Oliver Bennett and Andrew Evans

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.

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.

Embark on a journey that recounts the imagined history of Marvin Columbus, Christopher’s fictional, down-on-his-luck, distant cousin. An original Royal Caribbean production, the story recounts Marvin’s banishment from his family’s kingdom, and his madcap voyage of discovery in the hopes of claiming his own place in history. Unforeseen romance and a “happily ever after” are on the map as Marvin crashes into his Caribbean destiny.

Winding along walkways and climbing up two living walls, the 12,000 plants and trees are undeniably the stars of Harmony of the Seas’ Central Park. But hidden below is an intricate system of irrigation, fertilization, lighting and drainage that keeps the foliage green and beautiful. In partnership with the park’s horticulturalists, a team of engineers maintains the steel decks that house the plants, and the lighting and speaker systems that create the unmatched tropical ambiance at the heart of the world’s largest cruise ship.