As part of our escort function, Barbara and I constantly reminded everyone about the requirements right up to the TSA line.

The next 2 hours are the best 2 hours of the whole trip. Every time we cruise, we spend 2 or 3 hours walking around and exploring our new home for seven days. Barbara and I have been on an estimated 85 cruises. This was the first time aboard Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas. Here is what we were so pumped up to find.

Our new home is 17 stories high. We have about 6,000 fellow passengers on board with us. There are 6 slides, 2 Zip Lines, 2 Wave Runner Surfing locations, 4 pools, 10 Jacuzzis, 23 dining locations, 26 bars, 5 theaters, a library and a card room on this ship. There are 32 elevator cars and about as many stairwells if you like stairs. Barbara and I actually do like stairs. You see, if I am going to eat and drink as fabulously as we do on Royal’s ships, we need to exercise. We do this on the stairs as well as the walking track/ running track. Before you look at a picture of me and mumble something about “exercise, really?”. I walk down as many steps as my Asthma will allow, as many times as I can. Thinking about that, what goes down must, eventually, go back up. That is why Mr. Otis invented the elevator. STAIRS DOWN, ELEVATOR UP!

Right at 1 p.m, an announcement was made over the ship’s PA System that all staterooms and suites were ready for passengers. Barbara and I had selected a Balcony Stateroom described as“Central Park View Balcony Stateroom”. This ship has 22 different classes of staterooms. What makes this class of Royal Caribbean ships different than any other Ocean Cruise Ships, is open CENTRUM. That’s right, the entire center of the ship is open to the sky from deck seven up, down the rear one half of the ship. Our cabin was on deck 14. We had a clear view down 7stories to the trees, park benches, and restaurants on deck seven.

We will continue Where in the world is Phil Next week.