What happened to the pool on Harmony of the Seas?

Cruise ship pool becomes six-story waterfall after ship takes hard turn out at sea. Royal Caribbean said a maneuver to avoid hitting a raft at sea caused a pool on the Harmony of the Seas to pour down six stories into center of ship.



The most notable recent incident involving the pool on Harmony of the Seas occurred when the ship made a sudden, sharp turn to investigate a possible refugee raft in the water. This maneuver caused the ship to list (tilt) significantly to one side, leading to a massive "tsunami effect" where the water from the main Beach Pool overflowed with such force that it created a spectacular "waterfall" cascading down several decks into the Central Park area below. While the footage became a viral sensation in 2023 and 2024, the pool structure itself remained intact. In 2026, Royal Caribbean has refined its automated stability and "pool damping" protocols to mitigate such spills during emergency maneuvers. No serious injuries were reported, though the incident served as a dramatic reminder of the physics of moving thousands of tons of water on a high-deck cruise ship. The pool remains a central feature of the ship’s "Pool and Sports Zone," continuing to operate normally for thousands of guests each week in 2026.

In 2026, the pool deck on Harmony of the Seas underwent a massive transformation as part of Royal Caribbean's "Royal Amplified" fleet-wide modernization program. The ship's original 2016 pool layout was reimagined into a Caribbean-themed poolscape, featuring vibrant "Lime & Coconut" bars, multi-level seating, and expanded "Splashaway Bay" areas for children. A major addition was the "resort-style" pool deck which includes more shaded "casitas" and hammocks to create a more relaxed, island-vibe atmosphere. Additionally, the Adults-Only Solarium was upgraded with more modern lounging options and refreshed "infinity-style" whirlpools. This "amplification" was designed to keep the older Oasis-class ship competitive with the newer "Icon" and "Utopia" classes, ensuring that the pool deck remains a high-energy centerpiece for the 6,000+ passengers who board the ship every week for its year-round Caribbean itineraries from Port Canaveral.

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26 May 2022Ship Collision / Allision On May 26, 2022, at ~7 am Jamaica time (12:00 UTC) while maneuvering for berthing in Port Falmouth (Jamaica), the liner collided with the dock's extension/contacted one of the two concrete mooring pylons.

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Pool Overflows on Harmony of the Seas The incident occurred on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, as the Oasis-class cruise ship was enjoying a day at sea.

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Nowadays, passengers expect pools to be out in the sunlight and so they must be at the top of ship. This magnifies the risk of throwing the ship off balance in rougher weather when the water starts moving around. That is also why they are often drained and emptied when seas are rough.

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Shipboard potable water (drinking, bathing, whirlpools, etc.) either comes from a shoreside water treatment plant or is generated on board from seawater via Reverse Osmosis systems or Evaporators. Swimming pool water is typically seawater.

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It is winter in the northern hemisphere, ocean temperatures are cooler and since cruise ship pool water is drawn from the ocean, it reflects the same temperature. Pool water during the summer can be considerably warmer due to higher air temperatures and warmer ocean temperatures.

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Cruise ships dump waste in the ocean ?Gray water? ? the water that is collected from showers, sinks, and laundry facilities ? is also dumped into open ocean waters and graywater can be just as polluted as sewage but there are even fewer rules for where this can be dumped.

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There's a special place, however, for those who commit serious crimes at sea — the ship's jail, or “brig” in nautical terms. These steel rooms are located on one of the bottom decks of the vessel, usually near the security office. And if you end up down there, you won't be staying there for the duration of the cruise.

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Not all ships do, but some certainly have this idiosyncrasy. This can confuse some people that they missed a stop on a non-existent deck or simply wonder why it doesn't exist. As you might imagine, the reason for skipping deck is out of fear the number brings bad luck.

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Cruise ship tap water in your stateroom is perfectly safe to drink. It likely won't be as cold as the water you'd get in the restaurants or from the dispensers around the ship, and since it isn't filtered as heavily it may not taste the same, but there's nothing wrong with it.

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Cruise ship tap water is safe to drink unless you are told otherwise by the ship's authorities. The water throughout the ship has been treated, filtered and frequently tested to meet the standards of the World Health Organization and the U.S. Public Health Service on ships sailing into and out of U.S. ports of call.

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Royal Bay? Pool This sprawling oasis on Chill Island? is the largest pool at sea, with over 40,000 gallons of water. Here, you'll find plenty of space to soak up the sun or make a splash.

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