Let Harmony of the Sea’s Entertain You

Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas will be the cruise line's third Oasis class cruise ship, launching in the spring of 2016. The first two Oasis class ships, Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, made waves in the cruise industry when they debuted in 2009 and 2010, respectively, and are by far the largest cruise ships currently afloat. But Harmony will measure 227,000 tons, eclipsing its sisters by more than 1,700 tons!  So how do you keep a record 5,400+ passengers entertained for seven days?  Easy!

I love a good musical so I was excited to hear that the Harmony’s Royal Theater is home to two headline shows.  The first I’ve mentioned briefly before, “Grease”.  I love this show, a story about teens in the 50's. Good girl Sandy and greaser Danny fall in love over the summer. But when they unexpectedly discover they're now in the same high school, will they be able to rekindle their romance despite their differences? Well, you know the answer to that! And who doesn’t love singing along to "Summer Nights”?

The second show is a Royal Caribbean original production. “Columbus, the Musical!” recounts the imagined history of Marvin Columbus, Christopher's fictional, down on his luck, distant cousin! Royal Caribbean says the story was created in the spirit of "Spamalot”.  If it is half as funny as the Monty Python parody then I’m sure they’ll have a winner on their hands with this!

Things I Love About The Norwegian Escape

There is no denying that one of the best perks of my job is the opportunity it gives me to cruise, particularly the chance to experience many of the new ships! Somebody once asked me if because of that, do they tend to all blur together and lose their uniqueness? Absolutely not!  I was recently aboard the new Norwegian Escape and I can’t stop talking about all her! Here are some things I love about her.

What I love about all the newer Norwegian Cruise Line ships, including the Escape is the Waterfront. The idea behind the Waterfront is to connect the inside area of the ship to the outside by adding open air entry ways and seating areas for bars and restaurants.  What’s more romantic than dining under the stars with the sound of the ocean lapping softly against the side of the ship? Just thinking about how lovely it was to dine al fresco makes me want to immediately book another cruise!

When I cruise I’m all about eating where and when its right for me, and freestyle dining lets me do just that! I love the fact that the Escape had so many choices…all my favorites and some new places that were incredible.  I can’t say enough about Jose Garces’ places. The Iron Chef is one of the leading chefs and restaurateurs in the country and his onboard restaurant, Bayamo, which showcases seafood with a Latin twist did not disappoint. However, Pincho Tapas Bar was the best!  I absolutely loved the yummy small plate dishes that brought back wonderful memories of eating my way through Spain!