Harmony of the Seas 2024 Review + Cruise News [PODCAST]

In this episode of Cruise Radio, Doug discusses cruise news with staff writer Richard Simms, and hears from guest Michael about his recent trip on Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas.

The episode covers MSC’s new swing ride, a tragic man overboard incident, celebrity godparents for new ships, and a missing passenger in Cozumel. Additionally, an MSC ship was delayed due to guests with falsified visas.

Michael recounts his enjoyable experiences in Roatan and Costa Maya, including staying on the ship in Cozumel, and offers tips for first-time cruisers. He praises the ship and crew and recommends the Western Caribbean as a destination worth revisiting.

This episode is brought to you by TripInsurance.com, giving you three levels of travel protection — Good, Better, and Best — a travel insurance policy for every budget.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or where you listen to your favorite podcast.

Timestamps:

• New High-Flying Attraction by MSC (00:00:22) MSC introduces its new high-flying attraction, the Cliffhanger swing, on the top deck of the MSC World of America.
• Tragic Overboard Incident (00:02:37) Discussion of a 20-year-old passenger jumping overboard from Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas in front of his father and brother.
• Celebrities as Godparents of Cruise Ships (00:04:15) Announcement of Jonathan Bennett and Hannah Waddingham as godparents for Carnival Frenzy and Princess Sun, respectively.
• Missing Passenger in Cozumel (00:05:57) Coverage of a 66-year-old nurse with dementia who went missing during a stop in Cozumel while disembarking from the Icon of the Seas.
• MSC Harmonia Immigration Issue (00:07:46) Delay of an MSC itinerary for two days due to nearly 70 guests onboard with falsified visas, leading to a cancellation of the next sailing.
• Virtual Reality Jewelry Shopping on Carnival Frenzy (00:10:10) Introduction of a new virtual reality jewelry shopping experience for guests on Carnival Firenze using hand scanning and virtual reality technology.
• Review of Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas (00:13:07) Interview with a guest who recently returned from a seven-night Western Caribbean cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas.
• Cruise Preparations (00:14:41) Planning and travel to the embarkation port, including dining and traffic experiences.
• Embarkation Process (00:16:26) Efficiency and speed of boarding the ship, including baggage drop-off and terminal experience.
• Ship Impressions (00:17:15) First impressions of the Harmony of the Seas, ship maintenance, and onboard facilities.
• Stateroom Experience (00:18:40) Description of the ocean view balcony stateroom, noise issues, and comfort.
• Dining Experiences (00:20:03) Meals in the Windjammer marketplace, specialty dining, and complimentary dining options.
• Entertainment (00:23:26) Review of onboard shows, including ice shows, “Grease,” “Columbus,” and aqua shows.
• Casino and Key Days (00:24:47) Casino experience, including non-smoking area and crowd and congestion observations during key days.
• Port Day Experience (00:25:26) Activities and experiences at the ports, including Cozumel and renting a casita on the pool deck.
• Roatan Excursion (00:26:44) Describes a visit to Little French Key and Daniel Johnson’s Sloth and Monkey Hangout.
• Cozumel Stay (00:28:33) Details about staying on the ship and dining at the port area in Cozumel.
• Costa Maya Port Experience (00:28:49) Observations about the crowded port and witnessing a pier runner.
• Disembarkation Process (00:29:40) Discusses the digital debarkation process and luggage collection.
• Dining Package (00:30:38) Explains purchasing and using a dining package on the cruise.
• Tips for Harmony of the Seas (00:31:39) Offers advice for first-time Harmony of the Seas cruises and Western Caribbean visitors.
• The highlight of the Cruise (00:32:07) Highlights the visit to Roatan as the standout experience of the cruise.
• Final Thoughts on Harmony of the Seas (00:32:29) Shares overall positive impressions of the ship and crew.