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It’s official – Royal Caribbean International has taken delivery of its newest ship, Harmony of the Seas. Honoring the ship’s 2,100-member crew – representing 77 nationalities – as well as the project team who built the ship, the traditional delivery and flag-changing ceremony and festivities took place at STX shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France.
Joining the honorees were Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.; Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean International president and CEO; and Laurent Castaing, general manager, STX France.
“Harmony of the Seas is the product of our zealous spirit of continuous improvement, where we have combined revolutionary ship design with the technological strides that have defined the Royal Caribbean brand,” Fain said of the vessel, which took 32 months to complete and is now the largest cruise ship in the world. “Thank you to STX France for their ongoing partnership in building our ships, which continue to introduce unexpected industry innovations.”
Bayley spoke with equal pride and admiration for the brand’s 25th ship and her crew.
“Harmony is truly magnificent in every sense of the word, from her architecture and design to the level of care and attention to detail with which our incredible crew are taking to prepare for our first guests,” Bayley said. “The ship is the ‘best of the best’ of what our guests love most about Royal Caribbean, combined with new and thrilling experiences never before found in one place. But it is the passion and dedication of our crew that will make everlasting memories for our guests.”
At a cost of more than $1 billion, Harmony of the Seas boasts attention-grabbing first-at-sea experiences as well as the most popular features of her sister ships in Royal’s Oasis class, including:
- The Ultimate Abyss, at 100 feet the tallest slide at sea, plunging brave riders 10 stories down from deck 16 to the Boardwalk on deck 6
- 4,700,000 pounds of water in 23 swimming pools, whirlpools, two FlowRider surf simulators and waterslides, including the Perfect Storm, a thrilling trio of waterslides, and the Splashaway Bay waterpark for kids
- The first two-story version of Wonderland, the specialty restaurant that debuted on Royal’s Quantum-class ships, delivering an innovative and whimsical feast for all the senses, and one of 20 dining venues on board
- The debut of Broadway’s hit musical Grease in the Royal Theater, and spectacular high-diving, acrobatic and aquatic performances in the AquaTheater
- 11,252 works of art showcased throughout the ship, and Central Park, a living park in the center of the ship featuring 10,587 plants, 48 vines and 52 trees, some over 20 feet high
- VOOM, the fastest internet at sea, available exclusively to Royal Caribbean guests, which allows them to seamlessly stay connected, stream their favorite entertainment, video chat and share their adventures with friends and family at home
Harmony of the Seas will homeport in Barcelona, Spain and embark on the first of 34 seven-night sailings in the western Mediterranean on June 7. In November, she’ll arrive at her Florida homeport of Port Everglades, for seven-night eastern and western Caribbean sailings.
An architectural wonder at 227,000 gross registered tons, Harmony of the Seas employs the distinct seven-neighborhood concept that the Oasis class is known for and spans 16 guest decks that accommodate 5,479 guests at double occupancy in 2,747 staterooms.