We had a great time on this cruise. The crew was phenomenal, the ship is beautiful and expertly planned. The dining and drink options were endless and I highly recommend doing the ultimate dining package because the specialty restaurants are THAT good. Make sure you get reservations to the shows and events you want to see but plan on not being able to do everything onboard because there is just so much! Relax and enjoy - it's really hard to not be happy while you're on a cruise!
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Embarkation was mostly smooth. Shortly after we arrived, they closed check-in due to an IT issue that took about an hour to resolve. After that, the process was smooth and the Port Miami terminal is beautiful inside!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We did the Ultimate Dining package (7 specialty dinner, specialty lunch on sea days) and have no regrets. The service was great as were the options in all the restaurants. Favorites were Hooked and 150 Central Park. The tables at Chops are too close together and that made for some unpleasant experiences. The bar staff throughout the ship was top-notch.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
The pools onboard are very nice and plentiful with fun water slides. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to try the FlowRider or rock-climbing since there was SO MUCH to do onboard that I didn't have time for everything. The Ultimate Abyss (slide) was ok, but wasn't a necessity.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
HiRo is spectacular! One of my favorite shows I've seen. We also enjoyed 1977 and Flight. The Hush Silent Dance party was fun, but the venue (The Attic) was a terrible choice as having that many people in such a small space meant it was HOT and sweaty inside. The on-deck activities were fun and the music throughout the ship was appropriate.
Children's Programs
We did not travel with any children.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Unquestionable that the Crew were attentive to the guests needs. They were all so friendly and accommodating.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Symphony is a BEAUTIFUL ship! Everything was clean and constantly being cleaned. Bathrooms were plentiful around the ship and ALWAYS spotless. For having nearly 6000 passengers onboard, it never really felt crowded. The color schemes used are modern and yet the evoke a sense of whimsy while still maintaining a level of that classic ocean liner feel.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The cabin was an interior balcony room, meaning it overlooked the Boardwalk in the middle of the ship with a view of the ocean on the Aft end. We were surprised at how large the cabin and how well-laid out it was. Overall, this was one of the nicest cabins in all of the cruises I've been on.
St. Kitts had a nice arrival area with typical touristy shops but did not have locals screaming at you to buy their things, which was really nice. We did a Catamaran and snorkel excursion which was nice because the catamaran was just a short walk from the pier.
I always love going to St. Thomas. We did a champagne catamaran & snorkel excursion to St. John and had a BLAST. The Catamaran crew was great and super fun. The pier we docked at is a bit of a distance from 'downtown' so we didn't do as much exploring as we would have liked due to the short time in port.
Ugh...where to even start? These cruise lines have got to stop going to Nassau. We had not planned to even leave the ship, but decided to get off and look around (it helps that the ship we will be sailing on in 3 months was also in port and we wanted to get a look at her). However, as soon as we passed through the 'security area' we were immediately swarmed by locals trying to get us to buy their wares, ride their scooters, give us scenic tours, etc. It was terrible and we immediately turned around and got back on the ship to enjoy the sun.
This was one of the smoothest disembarkation experiences we've had. There was not massive line or long wait to get off the ship, the luggage was waiting for us in our area when we walked through. I really enjoyed the facial recognition feature at customs that didn't even require me to open my passport. The worst part was outside the terminal trying to get our Lyft to the airport.
Great review. I cant wait to sail on her . We have 67 days to go. Weve done the allure x3 times so were used to oasis class ships. I am super excited to go to wonderland, we also booked galley brunch tour I am hoping it is worth the money.
My family and I will be on her in July we can’t wait bin on all the oasis class ships except symphony of the seas I love the megaships great review keep on cruising I love the cruise
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