Sunny2004 Cruise Review on Symphony of the Seas on Jun 01, 2019

Symphony of the Seas Cruise Review

Sunny2004

Contributor Level: Third Mate

Reviews: 2

Helpful Votes: 65

Overall rating:

5 out of 5

7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: June 01, 2019

Ship: Symphony of the Seas

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

We sailed on June 1. Royal Caribbean does it again! We had a fantastic time. This is a massive ship and because there was so much to do, we never had the opportunity to explore the entire ship. We came in a day early and stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel Miami. Very nice hotel. Bayside Marketplace (stores, shops and restaurants) is a short (5 min) walk away. Recommendation: There’s a Whole Foods 2 blocks away. They serve both hot and cold meals. Found this the next morning. Note: They play live salsa music every Friday on the pool side of the building. If you’re a light sleeper you may want to change your room location. We flew into FLL and used SAS for transportation. It was a 45 min wait. Not a deal breaker, but we’ll get off our high horse and use Uber/lyft the next time. I have to say it again, this ship is HUGE. We arrived at the port (impressive new building) at 12:45pm and was on the boat and in line to activate our WOW bands from last year at 1:15pm. We were in our room, Deck 6, 6130 by 2pm. Ocean view balcony. We decided to try a lower deck this time...no issues. A Plus: this room is the very last room on the end, which meant that we had someone on just one side. Layout was perfect. Very quiet area and easily accessible if you’re in the solarium on the lower deck. Take the glass doors to the nearest elevator and it puts you out right where you need to be, on deck 6. We purchased the drink package again. Same issue as last year, didn’t even come close to drinking my monies worth. Yes, it was a convenience not having to worry about each charge, but overall probably not worth it $$ for $$...c’est la vie. Dining: We ate breakfast in the Windjammer and in the Solarium (first time) on this sailing. No complaints. We ate lunch at the Park Cafe as soon as we boarded the ship. The best roast beef sandwiches ever. The pizza at Sorrento’s is a must have. El Loco Fresh was very good. I participated in a few onboard activities this time so I missed a few dinners. I miss Sabor’s and Mini Bites. We visited Vintages every evening before we went out. They serve the best Sangria. Activities: Ladies, if they have the Pamper Party be sure to participate. It was a great time and allowed you to meet other people. Do not miss Hairspray and 1977. 1977 was the greatest show ever. If you get off the boat in St.Maarten be sure to stop in at nuLove Restaurant and Beach Bar for a meal and a few drinks. Great food and the owner Suzie is awesome. It’s located at the end of the pier. You can see it as you walk off the boat. Because there was so much that we didn’t we get to see/do/visit, I would sail SOS again.

2 Comments

Sunny2004 5 years ago

@GigiE, we thought about purchasing the Key, but we had already purchased the WiFi (stream & zoom) and the drink package in a combo. At the time, the deal was too good to pass up. I would do them all. Some have suggested waiting until you’re onboard to purchase a dining package bc you’ll get a better deal. I never saw this on this past cruise, but I’m sure I probably missed it. A little advice, be sure to pay close attention to which night is formal night. The actual days didn’t correspond with what was posted or reported. This is a big beautiful ship. Enjoy her! You won’t be disappointed.

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GigiPartyof4 5 years ago

Thank you so much for the extensive detail. I could easily follow along with you explanations in descriptions, especially with embarkation day. My husband and I have purchased the Key and the drink package. For the past week, I find myself wavering on both, opting maybe for a dining package instead. Yes, I know they're 3 different types of services. Thoughts?

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