Adventure Ahoy!

Being aboard the world’s largest cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas, is akin to being in a tony neighbourhood that moves on water, finds Mridula Dwivedi.

- Mridula Dwivedi

In a casual conversation, I mentioned to the commander of our ship, Captain Guss Andersson, “This is my first cruise.” Without hesitation, he replied, “After Harmony of the Seas, it is going to be all downhill for you.” The statement wasn’t an exaggeration, as I discovered during my two-night stay on the brand new cruise ship of the Royal Caribbean cruise line. At 1,187 ft, the length of Harmony of the Seas is more than the height of the Eiffel Tower, which boasts of 1,063 ft.

With seven ‘neighbourhoods’ and 20 dining areas, the ship floats with a crew of over 2,000 for its 6,000 guests. As I have motion sickness, my first fear was of the rough waters. I did not wish to go green in my face. On this pre-sail for media, we were starting from Southampton, UK, for a little spin in the English Channel. Though gale-force winds were predicted in the area, the ship barely rolled; the anti-nausea medicine stayed firmly in its place in my bag.

With 16 floors on the ship, and just two nights to explore, I was overwhelmed, to say the least. However, after a few deep breaths, calmness prevailed. I could see public areas clearly marked next to the lifts. Some floors have only rooms or ‘staterooms’ as they are called. Soon enough, I was absolutely at home on the ship.