Symphony of the Seas the largest cruise ship in the world!

Symphony of the Seas – the largest cruise ship in the world, the new sound of adventure at sea is truly revolutionary and comes with:

a mix of innovative technologies
a very varied range of activities and opportunities for leisure
word class shows, and
a royal treat for taste buds provided by the 20 restaurants on board!

Add to these:

the excellent Royal brand services,
the attention and friendship of the staff,

and we can say, without exaggerating at all, that at the moment, the Symphony of the Seas is, besides the largest, undoubtedly the greatest cruise ship! In the construction of the vessel, the feedback from the passengers who traveled with Oasis class, the highest Royal class, was essential, an excellent thing from our point of view!

After 10 cruises, with 7 different “lines,” including the colossal Allure of the Seas, we didn’t think we could be impressed more by a cruise ship, but the butterflies in our stomachs made their presence felt, from the moment we stepped on: Symphony of the Seas!

To be able to tell you as much in detail as possible, we took a “behind doors,” tour which fascinated us, because:

we had the opportunity to see what is happening “behind the cameras” and
how you organize such a titan!

As with all ships in the Oasis class, Royal continues to rely on seven large neighborhoods and:

Boardwalk with the already well-known Aqua Theater (the only aquatic theater on the sea),
Central Park with over 12,000 species of natural plants and trees,
Royal Promenade main street with restaurants, shops, and bars

are always in the spotlight.

What’s new on Symphony of the Seas?

The ship comes with many improvements to classmates. Among them, we mention:

Laser Tag – a unique and enjoyable attraction at sea,
Escape the Rubicon – an escape room type game

Two new restaurants:

El Loco Fresh – a Mexican restaurant included in the price of the cruise and
an exceptional rebranding of Sabor and Hooked restaurants – restaurants where the seafood is the main star, and they are always fresh.

Also, in the new section things, we have:

Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade – a sports-themed bar where you can see your favorite sporting event. For this, you will have at least 31 HD plasma available! You can also relax by playing different arcade games, serving chicken wings, popcorn shrimp, or the famous Playmaker Burger.

Sugar Beach – a paradise of sweets. In addition to the many candy options, the store also comes with a generous ice cream station (for a fee), complementary to the dispensers on deck 15, where you can serve for free. But you can’t compare the quality, so we suggest you try the option for a fee.

The Ultimate Abyss – the highest sea-level slide, a land-based one, descending 10 decks, a big plus in addition to the three water toboggans on the Pool Deck!

The shows are another chapter where Symphony excels. The famous Broadway theater production, Hairspray, is featured in the Main Theater. The show has 8 Tony Awards (similar to the Oscar in Cinematography) and comes to complete:

the aquatic show,
magic show
the ice show, respectively
“Headliner Show” and other Comedy or Musical shows!

It is time to find out some technical details about Symphony of the Seas:

its construction began in 2015 in France, at Chantiers de l ‘Atlantique in Saint Nazaire
it cost $ 1.35 trillion.
the ship has 18 decks (floors), but we must keep in mind that on the Royal floor 13 (bad luck) are missing.
it is 362 meters long (as many as three football fields), and 72.5 meters high
and can accommodate 6680 passengers, in addition, the 2200 crew members
have a cruise speed of 22 knots (45 km/h).

It will sail on the waters of the Western Mediterranean only until October 2018, after which it will leave for Miami, where it will receive a new terminal, built specifically for the large Royal vessels, and will begin its itineraries in the Caribbean. In addition to the record for the largest cruise ship in the world (both in length and number of passengers it can accommodate), Symphony of the Seas is also known because:

“There are more works of art onboard than the paintings in the famous Louvre Museum.”

Relaxation, sports, free time 🙂

Symphony of the Seas comes with a generous offer when it comes to leisure.

Pool Deck (deck 15) looks great and has many options for:

swimming,
relaxation in the sun or Jacuzzi, and
adrenaline on the water toboggans.

Even when the weather is bad, or you want to relax in peace, you have an incredible oasis at the Solarium (area 16+) with a huge pool and a few whirlpools.

The little ones could not be forgotten, so they also have an aquatic paradise, with a playground and slides, in heated water.

Also on deck 15, behind the rear of the ship we have:

Ultimate Abyss’s tallest sea slide,
Surf simulators,
Tyrolean
multifunctional sports field (soccer, basketball, and volleyball)
table tennis and mini-golf.

Every day you will take part in tournaments and different activities. Just pay attention to Cruise Compass (the daily newspaper, where you have all the essential information).

On deck 4, at Studio B:

you can skate or play laser tag, two unique activities that you will enjoy
and on deck 7 for the bravest, there are two climbing panels.

Even the little ones have special programs onboard the Symphony:

Adventure Ocean with themed rooms, many educational programs + many games, and individual classes for children between 3-5 years, 6-8 years, 9-11 years, and
Fuel + Video Arcade area, exclusive for teens between 12-17 years old.

Are you tired? Stay “on board.” We have many important things to tell!

Love goes through the stomach for the first time, so it’s time to talk about eating on board. Royal comes for the first time with an excellent option when it comes to dining in the My Time Dining main restaurant. You will find it on Symphony!

The main restaurant is elegant, and beautifully decorated, and is located on three floors (decks). On decks 3 and 5, are assigned the passengers who chose a fixed time for a meal (18.30 or 20.30), and on deck 4, the passengers who chose My Time Dining, the flexible service for the main table, between 18.00 and 21.30. As with any cruise ship, breakfast and lunch can be served here – in the a la carte system, and on sea days, different brunches are organized. If you prefer to serve the meal quietly and run away from the crowded Windjammer Cafe (the buffet restaurant we will talk about immediately), you can enjoy the excellent service and dishes from the main restaurant.

The food in the main restaurant is excellent and diverse. There are two formal evenings, where you can serve unique dishes, which you can usually find only in specialty restaurants, such as:

lobster, prime rib, or other specialties.

Why is it worth eating in the main restaurant at the expense of the buffet?

The atmosphere is very relaxed, and our recommendation is to have dinner in the main restaurant, where you will have an excellent experience, even if at Windjammer, the dress code and the opening hours are “lighter.”

There are dishes you can serve throughout the entire cruise:

snails,
French onion soup,
Caesar salad,
chicken breast, and other preparations that are changed daily.

As you probably know, they are divided into 3:

Starter,
Main Course, and
Desert,

but anytime, if you prefer something, you can order two appetizers, two desserts, or even two main dishes. Also, if you do not like what you ordered, everything is changed quickly, with the help of the waiter, who is there to give you an excellent experience. The dishes here look great, the dishes taste good, and the diversity is ok. Each evening you can choose between:

various appetizers and salads
soups
fish/chicken or pork/beef, lamb, and other meat specialties
seafood and a selection of desserts

Windjammer Cafe, the buffet restaurant!

The next restaurant on the list and perhaps the most popular, Windjammer Cafe (deck 16), is a self-service restaurant with specialties from around the world, that changed daily.

Without fixed tables,
a more relaxed “dress code”
open almost all the time,

Windjammer is the busiest restaurant, but because it has two identical parts, you should not worry that you will not take a seat.

What we liked here, besides the diversity of dishes, which we expected, was the egg station, from breakfast (the first of its kind on Royal ships). At lunch, it turns into a pasta/fresh meat grill or seafood station. The food was extraordinary, and also, you could create your omelet or pasta plate.

Below with a deck (15), you can dine at: El Loco Fresh, a free Mexican restaurant (quesadilla, burrito, nachos, and many other dishes) open between 1 pm and 6 pm.

On the same deck, in the front of the ship, you will find Solarium Bistro (area of 16+, with more peace), for breakfast and lunch (free), and dinner for a fee. It is the place where you go to eat healthily, soups, salads, fruits, fresh foods, and various specialties, most of them with low or very balanced caloric content. For dessert lovers, at the Sports Deck area (15), there are two free ice cream stations.

Other restaurants, where you serve the meal for free!

Park Cafe (deck 8) – Panini and various sandwiches, open between 7.00 and 18.00 with a small lunch break.
Johnny Rockets (deck 6) – free for breakfast between 8.00 and 10.00, and if you want to eat lunch or dinner, you can for a fee. You find burgers, potatoes, and American food.
Boardwalk Dog House (deck 6) – you can serve different types of hotdogs and many options of side dishes, from 13.00-19.00.
Sorrento’s Pizza (deck 5) – you can serve 4-5 types of Pizza between 13.00-03.00. They are always fresh.
Cafe Promenade (deck 5) – a non-stop open-air café with coffee/tea, sandwiches, fruit, and cakes
Vitality Cafe (deck 6 at Spa) – for a healthy snack

and the passengers staying in the suite can dine at the Coastal Kitchen (deck 17), a restaurant reserved exclusively for them.

Specialty restaurants

Besides the 10 restaurants where you can have free meals, you have 10 other options, where even if you have to pay an access fee, we guarantee two things:

for a culinary experience at superlatives, and
the taste buds will undoubtedly be more than delighted.

Our recommendation is to choose the package with three specialized dinners, available before the cruise, at a very attractive price. You will have an unforgettable dining experience. We choose:

Wonderland (deck 12) – with molecular cuisine, in a fairy tale world,
Chops Grille (deck 8) – the best grill restaurant on the sea, and

Jamie’s Italian (deck 8) – the restaurant of the famous English chef, Jamie Oliver, with delicious dishes and desserts.

The experiences were sensational, and hard to describe in words, so it would be challenging for us to make a top, because, each restaurant in particular, really represented something special.

You can also eat at:

Izumi Hibachi or Sushi (deck 4) – Hibachi Experience a colorful culinary show where Japanese chefs cook in front of you (for dinner) or Sushi for lunch and a la carte dinner.
Johnny Rockets and Playmakers (deck 6) – fast food
Hooked (deck 16) – for seafood lovers, an excellent restaurant with great dishes, always fresh!
150 Central Park (deck 8) – the most exclusive restaurant, under the signature of the famous chef in Miami: Michael Schwartz proposing two menus with 6 plates.

How do you have fun on Symphony?

Until we have fun, after all this delicious food, a visit to Vitality Spa (deck 6), is imperative. You will find here:

a fitness room with extraordinary cardio and strength equipment
fitness classes (Cycling, Boot Camp, Yoga)
seminars on nutrition and healthy living
Spa area with lots of treatments, massages, sauna
hair salon.

The “offer” is also incredible when it comes to bars and cafes:

from the famous Starbucks cafe (deck 5),
Rising Tide (deck 5) – the bar where, while serving your favorite drink, you are raising three floors,
Vintages (deck 8) with an extraordinary selection of wines,
Dazzles (item 9), The Attic (item 4), Jazz on 4 (item 4), Boleros (item 5), Schonner Bar (item 6)
to the “star” Bionic Bar (deck 5), a bar where the robots create your chosen drink.

In total no less than 17 options, where you can have fun, you can dance, listen to LIVE music, and participate in dance courses, contests, shows, and various themed parties, for all ages.

Relaxation continues in Central Park (deck 8), a neighborhood with over 12,000 species of trees and natural plants. It is the oasis of greenery of the vessel, a place where you are loaded with energy, and you can read and meditate quietly while the ladies are shopping at the “high class” shops from the boat:

Cartier, Bvlgari, or Hublot

Shopping, shows, and nightlife

Because we spoke about shopping, Royal Promenade is a neighborhood with restaurants and shops, the main boulevard of the ship (deck 5), where you will find excellent shopping options (watches, jewelry, cosmetics, gifts). Usually, everything is tax-free, but not when the ship is sailing in Europe, because then you will have to pay 21% tax for any purchase.

The shows are great, as we said in the introduction. The main theater is located on three levels (decks 3,4,5) houses:

the famous Hairspray,
Flight,
magic shows, music, dance, and comedy

Aqua Theater – (6 Boardwalk deck) aquatic theater found only on some Royal vessels, with an aquatic show that cuts your breath and

Studio B – (deck 4) with a superb ice show: 1977.

We warmly recommend that you book the shows before the cruise, because otherwise, you will have to be lucky enough to take seats at the times you want.

Also on deck 4, if you want to test your luck and are passionate, you can go to the enormous Casino, participate in Bingo, or the various competitions during the cruise (keep an eye on Cruise Compass, there you will find all the information).

Do not miss it!

welcome party
a cocktail at the Bionic Bar
meal at a specialty restaurant
the show at Aqua Theater
Silent Party, a completely new party 🙂
music stairs and “Bridge Eye.”
a tour of Ultimate Abyss
behind doors tour

We have tried to condense the information, so you do not get bored, but we want to show you as much as possible about this beautiful ship. Although huge, the boat is very well signposted, including LCDs. These are on each deck and will make your life on the boat more comfortable. You can find out in seconds:

the way to your cabin,
the daily program,
the main activities,
the locations you are looking for etc.

Are you going to Symphony of the Seas, or are you interested in this ship? Do not hesitate to write to us and we will answer you with great pleasure!

Find out more about Symphony of the Seas, Royal’s vessels, and itineraries on the official website.

Are you going on a cruise for the first time? We wrote an article, especially for you. Read it here! Want to go on a cruise, but don’t know which company to choose? We help you!