Liberty of the Seas vs Harmony of the Seas

The Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas was built in 2007. It was renovated in 2016. It's 9 years older than the Harmony of the Seas, which was built in 2016.

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 Liberty of the Seas is considered a large size ship. Coming in at 1,112 feet long and 185 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.1 football fields, as wide as 3.5 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 14-story building. Compared to the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas, the Liberty of the Seas is 32% smaller in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas holds 31% fewer passengers than the Harmony of the Seas based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or tons of ship compared to number of passengers, the Liberty of the Seas has the same amount of space per person as the Harmony of the Seas.

The Harmony of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.

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 Liberty of the Seas has twelve different dining options like Giovanni's Table, Sabor, and Sorrento's Pizza. Of those options, nine are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other eight options have an additional fee.

The Harmony of the Seas has eight more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Vitality Cafe, Windjammer, and Sabor. fourteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other twelve 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 67% more dining options than the Liberty of the Seas.

If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Harmony of the Seas might be a better choice then the Liberty of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.

Restaurants on Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas & Harmony of the Seas

Bars and Drinks

The Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas has 5 fewer bars than the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas.

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.

You can check out recent the bar menus for the Liberty of the Seas and the Harmony of the Seas 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 Liberty of the Seas has a total of 3 pools and 7 hot tubs.

The Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas has the same number of pools as the Liberty of the Seas and more hot tubs.

Worried about lots of kids onboard? Visit The Solarium, an adult-only area for guests 18 and older only. Only Liberty of the Seas has an adult-only pool in its Solarium (it’s a full-depth pool). Liberty of the Seas’ adult-only area is not enclosed, while Harmony of the Seas’ is is open to the elements with some wind breakers. The Liberty of the Seas’ adult-only area is in the middle, while the Harmony of the Seas’ is in the front.

Cruise Coloring and Activity Books for Kids
Get your kids ready for their cruise or keep them entertained while on board with our custom made coloring and activity books. These are the Royal Caribbean editions with places like Studio B and Sorrento's featured.

Cruise Ship Coloring Book for Kids 3-5 - Royal Caribbean Edition

Let's Get Cruising Activity Book for Kids 6-8 - Royal Caribbean Edition

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. On the Liberty of the Seas, 81% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Harmony of the Seas, only 77% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.

Cruise Costs

Royal Caribbean is 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.

Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas will likely be cheaper than on Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas.

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 understand what you might spend onboard a Royal Caribbean ship.

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.

We sailed aboard the Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas and Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas

We sailed aboard both of these ships. Follow along on our sailings at the links below. 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 ships.

Liberty of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - Bayonne

Liberty of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day

Liberty of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 3 - Bermuda

Liberty of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 4 - Bermuda Still

Liberty of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 5 - Final Sea Day

5 Hits and Misses on Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas

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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