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First Time Ever on Royal Caribbean - Thanksgiving 2025 Cruise! Harmony of the Seas

ATW Travels
ATW Travels
🥉Knowledgeable
👁️ 694 views📅 3 months ago⏱️ 9:55
What This Creator Said
Creator RecommendsCruise Vlog🥉Knowledgeable Creator
Caribbean · FallFrom GalvestonFirst-Time Cruiser

Source: Our analysis of the creator's lived experience, based on what they said in this video.

Creator's Key Takeaways

We've been waiting for this for about a year.

It's modern, efficient, and security was pretty quick.

Royal is much more low-key and it was windy and chilly that day.

We highly recommend reserving early to get the best seats.

Creator's Tips & Advice

Reserve show seats early using the Royal Caribbean app.
Bring comfy shoes for standing room only events.
Plan ahead for limited seating in the Promenade during events.

🆕New to Cruising? This Creator Addresses:

Differences from CarnivalNote that Royal's sail away is more low-key and pool deck has fewer loungers and screens.
Finding seating for eventsPlan ahead for standing room only in Promenade and bring comfy shoes.

Questions This Creator Answers

QWhat is boarding like for a first-time Royal Caribbean cruiser?
QWhat are the key differences between Royal Caribbean and Carnival?
QHow do you reserve seats for shows on Royal Caribbean?

Topics Covered

Entertainment Shows4 Happy BaconCrowd Capacity1½ Happy BaconEmbarkation3½ Happy BaconService Crew4 Happy BaconShip Condition4 Happy BaconPool Deck1½ Happy BaconEntertainment Activities3½ Happy Bacon

Port Highlights

Galveston2½ Happy Bacon
How to read the Trip Bacon Score
Happy Bacon — creators loved this aspect
Sad Bacon — creators took issue with this
Meh — no strong opinion either way

Scale: 0–5 strips in half-step increments. 0 = “meh”, 5 = “bacon bliss”. Aggregated from creator-review sentiment, weighted by channel expertise.

About our Bacon Score methodology
YouTube Video Description

Welcome back to ATW Travels! This is our first-ever Royal Caribbean cruise aboard Harmony of the Seas, and in today’s vlog we take you through Day 1 onboard. We explore Central Park, the Royal Promenade, and the Boardwalk, check out food and drink options, and talk about how to reserve shows using the Royal Caribbean app. We’ve cruised Carnival before, and right away you’ll notice some differences: Carnival tends to feel more open around the pool deck and has more loungers and big screens in those areas, while Royal spreads things out into themed spaces with shows and activities all over the ship. Not better or worse — just a different style depending on what you’re looking for. If you’re planning your first Royal Caribbean sailing or comparing cruise lines, hopefully this gives you a helpful look at what to expect. This wraps up Day 1 on Harmony of the Seas — more cruise videos coming soon! 00:00 Opening Intro 00:14 Harmony of the Seas arriving in Galveston 00:26 Bird's eye view of the Royal Caribbean Terminal 0:35 Inside the terminal 01:08 Getting ready to board the gangway 01:42 Officially on ship time and walking through the Promenade 02:11 Lunch at the Windjammer 02:41 Walking through Central Park 03:27 Heading to the pool deck for the sail away 04:27 Solarium adults only area 04:37 Walking in the Promenade 05:13 The Boardwalk Area 06:21 Aqua Theater and TV viewing area 06:52 Dinner time 07:22 Voices music a cappella show 08:12 Midnight Balloon drop in the Promenade area #atwtravels #harmonyoftheseas #royalcaribbean #royalcaribbeancruise #cruiselife #cruisetips #cruisevlog #travelvlog #travelchannel #oasisclass #centralparkroyalcaribbean #carnivalcruise #carnivalversusroyal #firsttimecruiser #cruiseshipwalkthrough #boardwalkroyalcaribbean #travelcouple #vacationvlog #cruisevacation #cruising #travelvideo