Cruise Spotlight
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Harmony of the Seas vs Magic
The Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas was built in 2016. It's 18 years newer than the Magic, which was built in 1998 and renovated in 2013. Disney Magic's exterior has a old-school steam boat feel while the interior leans into the Art Deco styling. Outside the ship, you'll see Goofy painting the name on the stern.
Comparison Overview
- Ship Size
- Number of Passengers
- Food and Restaurants
- Bars and Drinks
- Pools and Hot Tubs
- Ship Features and Activities
- Cruise Costs
- Onboard Costs
- See Our Detailed Cruise Blog
Ship Size
The Harmony of the Seas is considered an extra large size ship. Coming in at 1,188 feet long and 216 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.3 football fields, as wide as 4.1 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 16-story building. Compared to the Disney Magic, the Harmony of the Seas is 170% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
The Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas holds more than double the amount of people as the Magic based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Harmony of the Seas has less space per person compared to the Magic.
The Harmony of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | Disney Magic | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Oasis | Magic |
| Gross Tonnage | 226,963 | 84,000 |
| Length | 1,188 | 984 |
| Beam/Width | 216 | 106 |
| Passenger Decks | 16 | 11 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,497 | 1,750 |
| Crew | 2,200 | 950 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.5 | 1.8 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 41 | 48 |
Food and Restaurants
Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.
The Harmony of the Seas has twenty different dining options like Cafe Promenade, 150 Central Park, and Chops Grille. Of those options, fourteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other twelve options have an additional fee.
The Magic has ten fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Lumiere's, Animator's Palate, and Rapunzel's Royal Table. eight of these restaurants are complementary and the other two have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Harmony of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 100% more dining options than the Magic.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Magic might be a better choice then the Harmony of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | Disney Magic | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 20 | 10 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 14 | 8 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 12 | 2 |
| % of Included Options | 40% | 80% |
| See the options | See the options |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship. Most Royal Caribbean ships also have Coke Freestyle machines where you can make 100 different flavor combinations.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Harmony of the Seas and the Magic below.
Pools and Hot Tubs
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas has a total of 3 pools and 10 hot tubs.
The Disney Magic has the same number of pools as the Harmony of the Seas and fewer hot tubs.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? two of the hot tubs are adults only on Harmony of the Seas.| Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | Disney Magic | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 0 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 10 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 8 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 |
Ship Features and Activities
Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. You might up paying more while on board the Harmony of the Seas. Only 77% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Magic, 83% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | Disney Magic | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Aquatheater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bionic Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Carousel | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✗ |
| Character experiences | ✗ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Escape Room | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ice Skating | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Movie Theater | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Salon | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thrill Slide | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Zip Line | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Royal Caribbean is considered a mainstream cruise line. Mainstream cruise lines cater to a variety of guests, hoping to provide something for everyone. These typically cost about $100 - $350 per person per day.
Disney, on the other hand, is a premium cruise line. Premium cruise lines typically offer upscale food, accommodations, and service. These typically cost about $150 - $400 per person per day.
Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. To get a good idea of how the pricing compares, visit the cruise line's website to price out the separate cruises or consult a travel professional.
Onboard Costs
Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.
Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.
The table below will help you compare onboard prices to see if you might spend more on a specific ship.
| Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | Disney Magic | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.50 | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | Included |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.25 See drink menus | $6.50 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $77 - $118 Learn more | No drink package available |
| Internet Plan | $19 to $30 per device per day | $12 - $36 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing, which means the pricing for many things will vary per sailing. The daily gratuities and tip are consistent across the fleet, but the pricing for the drink package, internet, and excursions will change. The only way to know your price is to consult the Royal Caribbean cruise planner once you're booked.
With Disney Cruises, soda is included for meals, but will have an extra cost at bars and throughout the day. While no drink packages are available, you can preorder bottles of wine or beer at a discount.
We sailed aboard the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas
Follow along on our sailing on the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas. We take you through every aspect of our sailing, from getting to the port to debarking the ship. See the schedule of events, menus, what excursions we did, and what we really thought about the ship.
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - Fort Lauderdale
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 3 - Costa Maya
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 4 - Cozumel
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 5 - Sea Day
5 Hits and Misses on Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas
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