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Royal Caribbean's 10-Story Slide on Harmony of the Seas

7/17/2015

Harmony of the Seas rendering courtesy of Royal Caribbean

By John Roberts

Never afraid to make a splash with its cruise innovations, Royal Caribbean is going bigger with a 10-story "dry slide" on Harmony of the Seas. All the fun -- without getting wet!

Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas is the line's third Oasis-class ship and will be even bigger than sisters Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas when it launches in spring 2016. Harmony of the Seas will homeport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, beginning in November 2016.

The big new ship will have a big new attraction, too. Harmony of the Seas is going to feature a 10-story slide called The Abyss, which plummets brave souls from the AquaTheater area to the Boardwalk neighborhood at the back of the ship, Royal Caribbean said.

The Abyss on Harmony of the Seas is one of four slides on the ship. Three other waterslides make it easy to cool off in the Caribbean sun. These slides drop a mere three stories and are named Cyclone, Typhoon and Monsoon, creating an attraction that together is called "The Perfect Storm."

I love a good thrill ride, myself. But Mrs. In The Loop chuckled when I told her about this new 10-story monster on Harmony of the Seas, saying she couldn't wait to see me go down it and hear me scream in fear like the last time I tried a steep cruise ship slide.

Oh, yeah.

I had forgot about that and hoped that she had, too.

It was a scream of joy, by the way.

JR

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All the Action on Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas

3/23/2015

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This Royal Caribbean rendering of Harmony of the Seas displays three multistory waterslides on the megaship.

By John Roberts

Harmony of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's third Oasis-class ship will be the biggest cruise vessel the world has seen when it hits the waters to sail in April 2016.

Bigger is not better. But the massive cruise ship features an incredible amount of space devoted to active fun. Sure, there is a time for sitting around and doing nothing on vacation, but you do that after tiring yourself out with a little adventure.

Harmony of the Seas looks like it will offer you a few ways to get a rush. The ship will have a three multistory waterslides. Wheeeeeee!

Harmony of the Seas also will offer an 82-foot-long zipline, two FlowRider surfing simulators, two rock-climbing walls, four pools, an ice-skating rink, full-court basketball, large fitness center and a jogging track that makes a full circuit of the giant ship.

"We are orchestrating a medley of new exciting concepts with the best Royal Caribbean innovations to strike the perfect chord for adventurous vacationers," said Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International.

Ha! Very clever. I get it. Because the ship is called Harmony of the Seas. How cute.

Witty quotes aside from the line's top exec. The ship looks as if it might really be a step forward again for Royal, which long has been a leader in providing creative onboard activities that can challenge the most active traveler.

Now, we just have to find a way to fend off those 5,000-plus other passengers onboard who might want to share these rides and activities with you. Ugh!

See you on the seas,

JR

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Big, Shiny New Cruise Ships Coming in 2015

11/25/2014

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The new Breakaway Plus class Norwegian Escape (coming in 2015) will be in the same mold as its Breakaway-class cousin Norwegian Getaway, also sailing from Miami and featuring neat water activities, right.

Courtesy Royal Caribbean

By John Roberts

As the year winds down, we can look ahead to 2015, when a new batch of exciting cruise ships will be hitting the oceans.

That means more choices for you to consider for your next great adventure.

Let's check out what's coming from the major cruise lines.

Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas is due to launch in spring 2015. This is the sister ship to the world's first smartship, Quantum of the Seas, which debuted in November 2014 and is sailing its initial voyages out of Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey. Anthem of the Seas (rendering at top) essentially will be an identical version to 4,180-passenger Quantum. You'll get a FlowRider surf simulator, RipCord by iFly skydiving simulator, SeaPlex sports court (bumper cars, roller skating, basketball, soccer), Dynamic Dining, climbing wall, 1/3-mile jogging track and a fantastic fitness center. The ship will come to the U.S. market in fall 2015 after a season in the Med.

Viking Cruises, the fast-growing and best-known river cruise company, will debut its first ocean vessel, Viking Star, in May 2015. Viking, which operates more than 50 river ships, has plans for at least four ocean ship, including the 930-passenger Star, which will cruise in Northern Europe, in the Baltics and fjords, as well as the Mediterranean. It will feature a walkaround promenade that encircles the ship and a pool with a retractable glass roof. Star also will have the line's popular Aquavit Terrace indoor/outdoor restaurant area.

Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Escape will become the first ship in the Breakaway Plus class. It debuts weeklong sailings from Miami to the Caribbean in November 2015. So far, Norwegian hasn't revealed what will distinguish Escape from the two ships in the Breakaway class: Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway. Expect the 4,200-passenger ship to have many of the same features as the Breakaway ships, such as a ropes course (with walk-the-plank attraction), waterslides, waterfront outdoor promenade filled with bars and restaurants and a wide range of entertainment options. Escape will have a Tobacco Road bar, named for the iconic Miami establishment that was in existence for 102 years and owned the city's first liquor license.

Elsewhere in cruise news . . .

Crystal Cruises announced a unique journey it is taking through the Northwest Passage. Crystal Serenity is scheduled to become the first luxury ship to venture a route that takes passengers from Anchorage, Alaska, to New York, sailing a series of waterways north of the Arctic Circle that link the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, from Greenland through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The 32-day voyage begins August 16, 2016, and prices start around $20,000 per person. A 14-person expedition team will lead you on an adventure during which you can spot musk ox, seals, walruses, whales and much more wildlife -- all while enjoying the all-inclusive onboard experience with Crystal. The expedition team will conduct workshops and lectures about the region and special topics such as landscape photography.

Scenic Cruises, a river line, gave plans for its latest luxury river cruise ship, Scenic Spirit, which will launch on the Mekong River in January 2016. The 68-guest ship will sail itineraries that range from eight days between Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and Siem Reap, Cambodia, to a 27-day journey that combines land adventures with your cruise traveling from Hanoi, Vietnam, to Luang Prabang, Laos.

I hope you find a fantastic voyage. Travel happy!

JR

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Royal Caribbean's 10-Story Slide on Harmony of the Seas

All the Action on Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas

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