Fam Report: Symphony of the Seas, 11/15-11/17/2018
I recently was invited to a pre-inaugural event aboard the Symphony of the Seas. The Symphony is the 25th ship in Royal Caribbean’s fleet; she’s the largest passenger ship in the world and the most adventure-packed cruise ship ever built. She is 228,021 gross tons with a guest capacity of 6680 and a 2200 person crew. She will sail from the all-new PortMiami, cruising the Caribbean year-round. There are more staterooms aboard her than her sister Harmony of the Seas. Royal Caribbean introduced a slew of new onboard adventures, dining concepts, productions and activities for families, but has retained all of the favorites including, Zip Line, Rock Climbing Wall, Ice-Skating Rink.
Like the other ships in her class, she consists of seven neighborhoods – Boardwalk (with an original hand carved carousel), Central Park (with entertainment, shopping and alfresco dining, Entertainment Place (with casino, live music), Pool and Sports zone (with three waterslides, two Flowrider surf simulators), Royal Promenade (central gathering spot), Youth zone (Adventure Ocean youth program) and finally Vitality at Sea (their spa and fitness center).
The ship has 20+ restaurants and features “Hairspray”, the Broadway hit and Tony Award winner as well as another wonderful production entitled “Flight” which chronicles the history of aviation.
Several staterooms were open for inspection, including the Ultimate Family Suite, a 2-level suite with in-room slide, floor to ceiling lego wall and a balcony with table tennis and a full size whirlpool bath. The Royal Loft Suite is also a two-story suite with floor to ceiling windows, two bedrooms, a separate living room (including a grand piano) and dining area.
Next summer, Symphony of the Seas will set sail to Perfect Day at CocoCay, a new destination which will include the Caribbean’s largest wave pool and the tallest waterslide. It will be home to the first overwater cabanas in the Bahamas and Splashaway Bay, the largest aqua park yet.
As Michael Bayley, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean stated, “We set out to create a new level of vacation adventure and deliver the ultimate escape for families. Symphony will introduce the most cutting edge, customizable and digitally enhanced experiences in the Royal Caribbean fleet”.
Leslie Hackman, Travel Expert