Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Living in Harmony- Sea Day #1

 All of the Above 
February 16, 2026 
Sea Day #1 


What a GREAT day on the Harmony of the Seas! 

Morning
I woke up naturally around 7AM only to find out the boys had been up since 5AM. We met the boys at Park Cafe in Central Park on Deck 8 for coffee before going to the Windjammer Bar on Deck 16 for freshly squeezed orange juice. TIP- If you purchase the Deluxe Beverage Package, the freshly squeezed OJ is included and honestly worth every penny and unlimited! 


It's Sea Day #1 and I am ready to explore IT ALL! 


You know... I like Mondays on a cruise ship! 

Luke wanted to eat "real breakfast" in the Main Dining Room so the boys and I were at Deck 3 when it opened at 8AM. The service was quick and the food was delicious and in my opinion, way better than fighting for a table in the Windjammer. TIP- Sea Days can get VERY crowded in the WJ between 8:30-10AM so we opt for full service in the MDR. However, it too can get crowded and there can be a wait of 10-20 minutes if you arrive in the 9AM window. 


The Main Dining Room Breakfast Menu 
TIP- This menu remains constant on all days the MDR is open for breakfast (including Sea Days) 


The Banana pancakes were incredible! 

Chris and I wanted to try every single bar/pub on the Harmony of the Seas since we had the Deluxe Beverage Package (why not?) so we opted to check a few more off our list while Luke went and did the FlowRider when it opened at 9AM. TIP- Like most activities on Sea Days, the FlowRider fills up FAST. Be sure to set the alarm to experience it before the crowds if that is your thing. Luke was able to have 5-6 sessions before it got really busy. He only waited >5 minutes between each session on this first Sea Day. 


A stop on our Bar Crawl on the Harmony of the Seas... 
The Mast Bar on Deck 16 Midship (near the pool). 


A view of Central Park from Deck 15 (near the Main Pool). 


Good Morning... It's going to be a GREAT DAY! 


Luke enjoying the FlowRider all to himself for about 10 minutes! 


This view will NEVER get old! I literally have several these laying around the house and office to look at when I am stressed. This view makes EVERYTHING better! 


I believe this was Luke's favorite thing to do on the Harmony of the Seas! 
Check out Luke's Sea Day #1 FlowRider! 

Luke also enjoyed the Waterslides and Water Park on Deck 15 Midship. TIP- While we were sailing on 1 water slide was actually working as the other two were under repair FLEET wide for a safety concern. This was a bit of a bummer but we didn't let it bother us too much. 

I made sure to wake up Natalie around 9:30AM and she then spent over an hour in the gym on Deck 6 Forward. We then all met at Schooner Bar for Morning Trivia and stayed for the Classic Rock trivia. We failed miserably at both but it was a lot of fun. 

Afternoon
For lunch we split up as Chris and I love Park Cafe and the lighter lunch options and the kids wanted to try the Windjammer out for Sea Day lunch. Luke LOVED the Windjammer for lunch on our Anthem Cruise 2025 and he was really disappointed in the selections here on the Harmony. (I think this was due to the itinerary being in Alaska for our Anthem cruise but it is hard to tell). Chris also grabbed something at the Doghouse in the Boardwalk. TIP- These are FANTASTIC and so much better than our experience on the Allure of the Seas 2023 and Anthem of the Seas 2025. 

After lunch Chris and I walked around Deck 5 to try and walk off some of our lunch and then went to the Solarium on Deck 16 forward to try and find lounge chairs in the shade. We found 2 chair perfectly shaded and spent the next 2 hours there just lounging, reading and napping. It was literally a perfect Sea Day afternoon. The kids opted to spend their afternoon in the Main Pool and Hot Tubs and LOVED it! 


The Solarium Bar on Deck 16 is tucked away and in the shade! 


Luke and I are loving Central Park this afternoon! 

We all met up at Boleros for a gameshow called The Hot Seat. Luke was even chosen to play a round but did not advance! We even ran into an old bartender from our cruise on the Jewel of the Seas 2025- Yash! And funny enough, he recognized us! It was really cool. Despite Boleros not being our absolute favorite bar, we tried to frequent it more than usual solely due to Yash being there. We all grabbed some pizza from Sorrento's and then decided to go and walk around the Promenade while Chris went to take a nap in the stateroom. The kids and I enjoyed the chess tables in Central Park before all meeting at The Attic on Deck 4 for the "Escape Room" game. I assumed this would be an actual escape room but it really was more of a "Who Done It?" type of activity. Luke was not a fan at all and honestly it had too many people and too many moving parts. It was a decent experience but I would not do it again. 


Which one of us will end up in the Hot Seat? 


This makes my heart SO HAPPY! 


Time really needs to slow down... They are growing up so very fast! 


Another perfect view of the Gulf of America! 


Life is GOOD! 

TIP- Have your kids download games onto their phone/device for afternoon boredom! 


They are just learning chess and this was fun to watch! 


This "Escape Room" game certainly was an experience! 

Evening
We all got ready for formal night #1 aboard the Harmony of the Seas and then went to Vintages for Pre-Dinner wine and the kids enjoyed the live music and more chess/ checkers in Central Park. This is truly the most perfect way to spend an evening onboard. 


This girl... STOP! Just STOP IT! 
We only have 18 months left with this gorgeous girly and I am trying to enjoy and take in EVERY MINUTE!

I loved getting all "fancy" with her for this Formal Night! 


Where have my babies gone? 


My whole heart in one picture! 


Be still my heart! 

Our favorite place to be... Together on a cruise (at Vintages). 


I am truly blessed! 

We made our way to dinner hoping for a better experience than the previous night and it was a great dinner in the Main Dining Room. The service was really good for a Formal Night and it took just over an hour from start to finish. TIP- The Royal Caribbean MDR service has drastically improved and truly is hard to beat in the cruising industry. We love the full service sit-down dinner but to be honest, we want to get in and get out. Many of the opposing cruise lines really suffer in this area of service and I am so grateful Royal Caribbean is thriving in this area! 


The Taste of France Menu 


The Fried Calamari
Everyone but Natalie gave this a 3.5 (it was a little chewy). Natalie- 4.5


The Famous Royal Caribbean Escargot
Luke- 4.0, Kellie- 4.


French Onion Soup 
We all gave this a 5.0 as it truly is a staple in the RCCL Menus! 


Steak Au Poivre
This is new option on this menu and we LOVED it! 
Kellie- 4.5 & Chris-5.0


Creme Brulee 
The kids and I gave this a solid 3.5!

After dinner Luke opted to go to bed as he did not sleep well on night #1 due to a very hard mattress. TIP- Royal Caribbean may be known for speedy MDR service but their mattresses are literally the worst in the industry. They are stone hard and give very little breath. We went to Guest Services in the afternoon and asked for a mattress toppers for the boys cabin. However, I highly recommend going to Walmart and buying the "Egg Toppers" prior to your cruise and bringing them with you onboard. They are kind of a hassle to tag along with you on Embarkation Day but well worth the $12-15 you will spend. Most of the time, I leave it onboard and the steward uses in their own room (or so I have heard when I have asked). 

Natalie opted to enjoy the hot tub near the Solarium and Chris and I went to the show in the Royal Theater called Voices. This is a new show on this ship and it was done very good. It is an all A Capella show and the singers were actually good. Although it was not as engaging as other shows, we really enjoyed it! Chris and I went to Vintages to end the evening and we loved the quiet atmosphere and outstanding service! Easily the best place on board!


Cheers... It is a GREAT cruise already and it's only day 2! 

 Natalie met us at Sorrento's around midnight and we grabbed some late night pizza before going to bed! 


Check out the Royal Promenade (Empty) at Midnight! 

It was a great day spent onboard Harmony of the Seas and we literally tried to do All of the Above but the ship is so big and extensive, it will take more than one day to see it all! 


This was a PERFECT day! 

Stay tuned for Sea Day #2. 

God is Good... ALL THE TIME! 

Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:
Jewel of the Seas (B2B Part 2)- July 2025








 


Carnival Conquest- 2006

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Sunday, March 22, 2026

Living in Harmony- Embarkation Day

 A Fast Start
February 15, 2026 
Galveston, TX 


Harmony of the Seas... Ready or not, here we come! 

Morning
After over 20 cruises out of our home cruise port, we have our Galveston Embarkation Day routine down to a science and this morning was no different. We were out the door by 7:30AM for a quick 80 minute drive to Galveston via I-45. We have a tradition of stopping at the Kolache Factory and like usual, these did not disappoint. We also stopped for gas at Buc-ee's in Texas City just 15 minutes from the Cruise Port. It was a very windy and foggy day but the Harmony of the Seas was at Terminal 10 waiting for us as we arrived at 9:15AM. 


The feeling I get when I see this sign on Embarkation Day is hard to describe... IYKYK!

We park in the North Lot of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Terminal 10 parking and since this is so close to the actual terminal, we did not drop off luggage. TIP- This is easily the BEST parking EVER; but you will pay for it! We paid $215 for the week with taxes and fees but it was worth it as the other lots are only ~$20 cheaper. 


Hello from RCCL North Parking Lot at Terminal 10! 
The Davis Family has arrived! 

We gave our checked luggage to the porters (with a good tip) and then made our way inside the bottom of the cruise terminal where we waited only a few minutes before they released everyone to get checked in upstairs. We were all checked in and waiting to board the ship within 7 minutes and the whole process was a breeze. The only complaint is how the RCCL Cruise Terminal has you wait for boarding the ship. It is completely random and not organized but it didn't last very long. They called the Pinnacle & Diamond level passengers and then called us- Emerald to board the ship at 10:21AM. We heard the first DING at 10:25AM and after 28 cruises, this was our FASTEST START TIME EVER! 


We are headed to check in... LET'S GO! 

Once onboard we stopped in the Royal Promenade to make our dinner reservation at Izumi. TIP- I highly recommend making dining reservations in the Royal App ahead of time but we were waiting for On Board Credit from our Travel Agent- Cheryl at Cruises Only and had to book once on board. We paid $55/ person which is full price. If we would have booked prior to embarkation, we could have paid as little as $35/ per person. However, it was FREE since we have OBC but if you are really wanting a specific restaurant, I would book early as they do sell out. For example, we hoped to try Jamie's Italian for lunch on a Sea Day but they were sold out... Or so we thought! 

We then went to Deck 3 to the Main Dining Room to confirm our SET dining time of 7:30PM and a table for just the four of us. The old cruising days of sharing at table at dinner are not at all for us so we always go to the Maitre'd on Embarkation Day to confirm our table. We felt the "Mega Ship" vibe while waiting to confirm as we arrived to the MDR at 10:35AM and we were 20 people or so deep in line. The whole process felt very rushed and not personal at all- very unlike Royal Caribbean. I asked the worker for a table to ourselves and was told it was a table for FOUR.... But it was NOT! TIP- If you are going to confirm this with the Maitre'd, I would now suggestion actually walking in to see the table yourself as this would have saved us nearly an hour later on this day. More on that later! 

After the MDR we went up to Deck 15 to get the FlowRider, Ultimate Abyss and Rock Wall waivers signed as that is a PRO TIP for all Royal Caribbean ships. Chris and I grabbed our first drink of our Deluxe Beverage Package at the Wipe Out Bar and the kids started exploring Deck 15. We then played our traditional Embarkation Day golf game at the Harmony Dunes. It was WINDY but Chris won! 


That first drink feeling... IYKYK!


Less than an hour on board but we are already IN LOVE with the Harmony! 


Family Mini-Golf was a success and once again Chris is the winner! 

Afternoon
We then went to the Windjammer on Deck 16 Midship shortly after it opened at 11AM. It was already crowded but we managed to find a table and enjoy an "early lunch" before the kids went exploring on their own. We all walked down to Deck 6 to explore the Boardwalk before it got busy with passengers. We were able to ride the carousel and enjoy a drink from Sabor. TIP- Sabor was RARELY ever busy for a quick margarita or drink. A worker came and offered specialty dining and despite being told Jamie's Italian was sold out for lunch, this manager was able to get us reservations for the last Sea Day at Jamie's Italian. We paid $25/ person onboard and could have paid as little as $17/ person if booked prior to embarkation. 


The Carousel is one of my favorites... On a cruise ship nonetheless! 


We LOVE the Boardwalk so much! 
It really is hard to believe all of this is on a CRUISE SHIP! 

The kids opted to change into their swimsuits to try out the hot-tubs and the FlowRider. TIP- Be sure to pack your swimsuits and a change of clothes in your carry on bag if you want to swim or try out the FlowRider or Waterslides on Embarkation Day. We forgot the crocs so be sure to pack those in the carry on as well. Luke was able to get 3 sessions on the FlowRider while Natalie enjoyed the cantilevered hot tubs just outside the Solarium. Chris and I enjoyed a nap in the shade in a deck chair briefly before the announcement for the opening of the staterooms was made right before 1PM. 


The kids had this MASSIVE hot tub all to themselves at 12:45PM on Embarkation Day! 

Chris and I made our way to Deck 11 where our 2 inside cabins were located and found all 4 pieces of our luggage so I opted to unpack everyone while the kids enjoyed a rather empty ship and Chris took a nap. 


Stateroom 11541- We thoroughly enjoyed this inside cabin on Deck 11 (forward). 

After the rooms got set up and our luggage was unpacked, the kids and I went to Deck 15 to ride the Ultimate Abyss. This is a DRY slide that takes you 10 stories to the Boardwalk below. This was SUPER intimidating at first and all three of us were a little nervous but it turned out to be Luke's favorite thing on the ship and I LOVED IT! TIP- Try out the Ultimate Abyss on Embarkation Day to avoid long lines. We never had TERRIBLY long lines but it was shortest on Embarkation and Early Port Days!  


We are ready to explore more of the ship! 


Hello MSC Seascape & Regal Princess! 
Will we see MSC in April??? 


The Ultimate Abyss Operating Time for our cruise! 


We are ready... albeit a little nervous! 


Luke was literally SO SCARED !


But we all made it down in one piece! 
It was seriously awesome and I LOVED it so much! 

After our afternoon adventure we then we met at my favorite bar on any Royal Caribbean ship- Vintages for an afternoon pick me up! Ursala, our bartender, was fantastic and almost immediately became a favorite of ours onboard the Harmony of the Seas! 

Central Park is GORGEOUS and never disappoints!


The Oasis Class Vintages has REALLY spoiled me! I love the isolation and location on the ship. It was NEVER crowded and always very quite and chill... A true definition of my type of bar! 

We all met up at Schooner Bar for afternoon trivia at 4PM and while we didn't win, we had a lot of fun trying. The Harmony of the Seas officially set sail to Roatan at 4:25PM. We grabbed a few slices of pizza at Sorrento's and some cookies from Cafe Promenade before we all decided to walk along the Promenade Deck 5 outside to walk off some of our afternoon snack at Sorrento's and then we were able to watch the sunset over the Gulf of America.


A view of the Aqua Theater at the aft of the Boardwalk on Deck 6 


This was a gorgeous sunset! 


It doesn't get much better than this! I could stare at this for the rest of my LIFE! 


This evening and this sunset really set the tone and vibe for this cruise and I knew right then and there that this was going be an INCREDBLE cruise! 


We loved the Boardwalk area of the Harmony of the Seas! 


This is going to be an EPIC cruise! 

When your near 17 year old wants to climb on the little kid (Toddler) play area... you let her! 
Time needs to SLOW DOWN! 

Got Little Kids? (Or teenagers reliving their youth?)... Check this out! 

Evening
We enjoyed more time at Vintages while the kids played table tennis on Deck 15 prior to dinner. We made our way to Deck 4 to our table at 7:25PM only to find out we were able a table for EIGHT and with a baby and currently screaming toddler. I was not having that, so I waited to talk to the Head Maitre'd to get our table fixed. Being that it was the first night and people were still coming in, we were pushed aside. The whole ordeal was very frustrating as I took time to come and take care of our request VERY early in the Embarkation Day process and was told it was taken care of and it was not. The Customer Service in this instance was actually awful and easily some of the worst we have had with ANY cruise line in our 28 cruises. Eventually, around 7:50PM we were taken to Deck 5 to sit at a table for four. We tried to make the most of it from there on out and our wait staff was very quick to accommodate us but this whole meal time took nearly 2 hours since we were late arriving at our finalized table. The food was good and the service was average but we made an effort to not let it ruin our evening. 


The Welcome Aboard Menu in the MDR 


The Crab Cake 
Luke- 4.5, Chris- 3.5 & Kellie- 4.0
This was VERY flavorful! 

Tomato Soup 
Kellie- 4.0 & Natalie- 3.0

Caesar Salad 
Luke- 4.5 
*He ordered this nearly every night! 


Prime Rib 
Chris- 3.5, Luke 3.5 & Kellie- 3.0
This was cooked perfectly but not near as flavorful as we all remember from our Anthem Alaska Cruise. 

Boston Cream Pie
Kellie -3.5 & Chris- 4.0

After dinner Chris went to take his medication and then lay down for a brief nap while Luke, Natalie and I meandered around the ship. We met up with Chris on Deck 4 to explore the Smoke Free Casino and then go to the adult comedy. TIP- You have to reserve show tickets on Harmony of the Seas (as well as most other MEGA ships in the RCCL Fleet) ahead of time in the app but they do have a standby line as well. 

The kids were very tired and opted to go to bed early but Chris and I tried to try out a few more places on our Bar Hop. We stopped at the Trellis Bar in Central Park and the bartender made me an "off menu" specialty from his home country of Brazil. It was delicious! 


The Trellis Bar in Central Park may be small but the bartenders are AWESOME and the drink menu is wonderful! 

We then opted to just stay up to enjoy the Balloon Drop in the Royal Promenade around 10:45PM but it was well past 11 and the festivities had yet to begin so Chris opted to go to bed but as soon as we got on the elevator, we heard the countdown to the Balloon Drop! TIP- They fell around 11PM so just be patient! 

We were all tired as this cruise was in the middle of the school year and our busiest time as a family. It was a GREAT Embarkation Day and we could not wait to explore more of the Harmony of the Seas on Day 2! 

This was a GREAT DAY and we are READY for more! 

Stay tuned for Sea Day #1! 

God is Good... ALL THE TIME! 

Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:
Jewel of the Seas (B2B Part 2)- July 2025








 


Carnival Conquest- 2006

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