The vessel was floated out on 19 June 2015, began her first sea trials on 10 March 2016,[17] and was delivered to Royal Caribbean on 12 May 2016.[5]
After a construction time of 32 months, the ship first set sail on 15 May 2016 from the STX France docks in Saint-Nazaire, viewed by some 70,000 people.[18] Her first destination wasSouthampton, England, although her home port wasBarcelona until 23 October 2016 when she crossed the Atlantic.[19]
Harmony of the Seas departing Southampton on a preview cruise
Harmony of the Seas took two short "preview cruises", three nights toCherbourg and four nights toRotterdam, after reaching port in Southampton on 17 May.[20] During these voyages, passengers complained of ongoing construction, a lack of hot water, unopened attractions, excessive waits at restaurants, and other issues.[21]
The ship's maiden voyage departed from Southampton on 29 May and arrived at its summer home port of Barcelona on 5 June. According to passengers on this cruise, construction had finished and the ship was ready to sail.[22] For the inaugural season,Harmony of the Seas offered seven-night western Mediterranean cruises originating fromBarcelona andCivitavecchia.[23]
On 10 November 2016, the vessel was officially christened by her godmother,Miami-Dade County teacher Brittany Affolter.[24]
Harmony of the Seas has 2,747 staterooms, of various sizes, to accommodate (at double occupancy) 5,479 guests.[25] The ship is divided into seven neighborhoods, including Central Park and Boardwalk, like herOasis-class sisters.[26]Harmony of the Seas has a number of water-based attractions including two surf simulators, threewater slides, and 3swimming pools.[5][27][28] These include the first water slides on a Royal Caribbean ship.[29] It also includes a large dry slide complex, known asThe Ultimate Abyss. She also has 20 dining venues,[30] a 1,400-seat theatre[31] and 11,252 works of art.[28]
On 13 September 2016, one employee was killed and four were injured when a lifeboat broke loose and dropped from the fifth deck during a security drill.[35][36]
On 25 December 2018, British crew member Arron Hough was reported missing by other crew members after failing to report to work. TheUnited States Coast Guard suspended the search for the on-board entertainer on 27 December 2018, after stating that the ship had reported that a crew member had gone overboard.[37][38][39]
On 11 January 2019, 16-year-old Laurent Mercer was trying to enter his eighth-deck cabin through a nearby balcony when he slipped and fell to his death. The accident happened while the ship was docked inLabadee, a leased peninsula inHaiti. The ship's medical team performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but he had sustained major head trauma and died of his injuries.[40]
On 30 January 2022,Harmony of the Seas entered a temporary exclusion zone aroundCape Canaveral, which caused the postponement of a planned launch of aSpaceXFalcon 9 rocket.[41] The rocket was able to successfully launch the following evening.[42] A Coast Guard investigation found Royal Caribbean responsible for the incident, but also led to reforms in how the Coast Guard determines exclusion zones and disseminates that information to ships.[43]
On 26 May 2022, the vessel collided with a jetty inFalmouth, Jamaica. The vessel suffered minimal damage, and was safely docked shortly afterwards. No injuries were reported.[44]
On 7 September 2024, a guest died onboard the ship while out at sea.[45] The 12-year old child died when falling from a balcony, in an incident reminiscent of the 2019 incident where Laurent Mercer was fatally injured when falling from a balcony.[46]
In October 2024, the ship sailed dangerously close toHurricane Milton which resulted in the ship encountering large waves and extreme rocking aboard the ship.[47]
^"World's largest cruise ship sets sail from France".CTV News. Agence France-Presse. 15 May 2016. Retrieved16 May 2016.The ship is headed for Southampton in southern England and is to embark on its official maiden voyage on May 22 to its new home port of Barcelona.
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