Things are changing in a big way over at Royal Caribbean.
The line that has the largest cruise ships at sea (Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas) and the most technologically advanced ships on the water (Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas) unveiled something totally new to the line which will debut on Harmony of the Seas later this year.
Water slides.
I hear you saying, “water slides are nothing new to cruise ships, Scott.”
But for Royal Caribbean they are. There are a scant few ships in the Royal fleet that have water slides, but they’re just for kiddies. Until now, Royal has shied away from putting water slides on their vessels. Those looking to slip, slide and scream their way down a tube full of running water had to look to other lines for that type of thrill.
Seeing that they were missing the boat, Royal is introducing waterslides to Harmony in a big way. A REALLY big way!
When the ship debuts in May, Harmony of the Seas will be home to not one, not two, but three water slides the line has dubbed “The Perfect Storm” each appropriately named Typhoon, Cyclone and Supercell – three things you never want to run into while on a cruise vacation!
The Perfect Storm will be located on the ship’s Pool and Sport’s Zone and will take riders on a watery adventure three stories down into the pool. For those wanting to take sliding to a new level, Supercell will feature a champagne bowl designed to swirl guests around as they descend into their approach towards a big splash finale. (Hint: hit the lido after, not before riding this one.)
But that’s not all. Besides the water slides, Royal Caribbean is introducing what is being called “Splashaway Bay” – a huge waterpark just for kids that will feature splash pools, water cannons, waterfalls, and kid-sized slides for those too little to experience The Perfect Storm.
If twisting and turning down three stories and splashing down in a pool sounds like fun, wait till you see this. Harmony of the Seas will have a dry slide that will take guests riders from the Pool and Sports Zone down to the ship’s Boardwalk, 10 stories below. That’s a heart-pounding 100 foot drop!
While I’m not a huge fan of mega-ships like Oasis, Allure and the “coming soon” Harmony, I’ll be looking forward to stepping onboard when she makes her arrival in Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale, FL) next November. She will begin her life cruising the Med in May 2016 when she officially is named the newest “World’s Largest Cruise Ship” an title previously held by Oasis of the Seas, and currently held by Allure of the Seas, all Oasis-class vessels.