Utopia of the Seas vs Harmony of the Seas

The Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas is a fairly new ship, being built in 2024. The Utopia of the Seas is the first Oasis-class ship to run on LNG, a cleaner burning fuel. It's 8 years newer than the Harmony of the Seas, which was built in 2016.

Comparison Overview

Ship Size

The Utopia of the Seas is considered an extra large size ship. Coming in at 1,188 feet long and 211 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.3 football fields, as wide as 4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 16-story building. The Utopia of the Seas and the Harmony of the Seas are in the same class, which means they're sister ships. For the most part, they're similar in terms of size and layout; although they may have different features and attractions on board.

Number of Passengers

Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas holds about the same number of passengers as 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 Utopia of the Seas has the same amount of space per person as the Harmony of the Seas.

Both the Utopia of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas use a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.

Royal Caribbean
Utopia of the Seas
Royal Caribbean
Harmony of the Seas
ClassOasisOasis
Gross Tonnage236,860226,963
Length1,1881,188
Beam/Width211216
Passenger Decks1616
Passengers (double occupancy)5,6685,497
Crew2,2902,200
Passenger to Crew Ratio2.52.5
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger)4141


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 Utopia of the Seas has 30 different dining options like Johnny Rockets, Chef's Table, and Giovanni's Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar. Of those options, 15 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 15 options have an additional fee.

The Harmony of the Seas has 4 fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Solarium Bistro, Dog House, and 150 Central Park. 14 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 12 have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Utopia of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 15% more dining options than the Harmony of the Seas.

Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.

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

Royal Caribbean
Utopia of the Seas
Royal Caribbean
Harmony of the Seas
150 Central ParkLearn More
Cafe PromenadeLearn More
Chef's TableLearn More
Chops GrilleLearn More
Coastal KitchenLearn More
Dog HouseLearn More
El Loco FreshLearn More
Giovanni's Italian Kitchen & Wine BarLearn More
Hooked SeafoodLearn More
IzumiLearn More
Izumi Hibachi & SushiLearn More
Izumi in the ParkLearn More
Jamie's ItalianLearn More
Johnny RocketsLearn More
Main Dining RoomLearn More
Mini Bites
Park Cafe
PlaymakersLearn More
Royal Railway - Utopia StationLearn More
SaborLearn More
Solarium BistroLearn More
Sorrento's PizzaLearn More
Sprinkles
StarbucksLearn More
Sugar Beach
The Mason JarLearn More
The Spare TireLearn More
Vintages Wine BarLearn More
Vitality CafeLearn More
WindjammerLearn More
WonderlandLearn More

Bars and Drinks

Royal Caribbean's Rising Tide Bar
Royal Caribbean's Rising Tide Bar
Royal Caribbean's Bionic Bar
Royal Caribbean's Bionic Bar

The Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas has 1 fewer bar than the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean
Utopia of the Seas
Royal Caribbean
Harmony of the Seas
Bionic Bar
Boleros
Cantina Fresca
Casino Bar
Dazzles
English Pub
Giovanni's Wine Bar
Mast Bar
Music Hall
On Air Club
Pesky Parrot
Playmakers
Pool Bar
Rising Tide Bar
Sabor Bar
Sand Bar
Schooner Bar
Solarium Bar
Spotlight Karaoke
Suite Lounge*
Suite Sun Deck Bar*
The Attic
The Lime & Coconut
The Mason Jar
The Vue Bar
Trellis Bar
Vintages
Wipeout Bar
Wonderland
* = this bar is exclusive and not open to everyone.

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 Utopia of the Seas and the Harmony of the Seas below.



Pools and Hot Tubs

One of three main pools on Royal Caribbeans Utopia of the Seas
One of three main pools on Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas
The main pool and loungers on Royal Caribbeans Harmony of the Seas
One of three main pools on Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas

Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The problem is that with thousands of people on a ship, there's not always room. If you want to spend all day for 7 days in a pool, a cruise isn't for you. You would have a much better bet choosing a resort with a huge pool complex. That being said, a quick dip in the pool can be nice on a hot day.

The Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas has a total of 5 pools and 7 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 1 of the pools and 3 of the hot tubs are adults only. 1 of the pools and 2 of the hot tubs are exclusive access, which means there's either an extra charge to access them or you need to book a certain class of cabin to have access to them.

Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas has fewer pools than the Utopia of the Seas and more hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Harmony of the Seas. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.

Royal Caribbean
Utopia of the Seas
Royal Caribbean
Harmony of the Seas
Total Pools53
Pools - General Access33
Pools - Adults Only10
Pools - Exclusive10
Total Hot Tubs710
Hot Tubs - General Access28
Hot Tubs - Adults Only32
Hot Tubs - Exclusive20


cruise coloring book

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 Utopia of the Seas, 84% 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.

Royal Caribbean
Utopia of the Seas
Royal Caribbean
Harmony of the Seas
Adult Only Relaxation Area
Aquatheater
Arcade
Basketball
Bionic Bar
Carousel
Casino
Climbing Wall
Comedy Club
Escape Room
Fitness Center
FlowRider
Ice Skating
Kid's Play Area
Laser Tag
Mini golf
Pool-side Movies
Shows - Broadway play
Shows - musical review
Spa
Splash park
Thrill Slide
Water slides
Zip Line
Learn moreLearn more

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 Utopia of the Seas will likely be more expensive 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
Base Daily Gratuities*
(Per Person Per Day)
$18.50
Tip added to drinks & services18%
Soda Price$3.50
Domestic Beer Price$8.25
See drink menus
Drink Package Price$70 - $125
Learn more
Internet Plan$17 to $30 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.

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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