Overall it was a great cruise and we will definitely go on the Symphony again. Considering how big the ship is and the number of people on it there is so much to do that it never felt crowded.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We purchased the Key and in our opinion it was worth every penny. From the time we got off our hotel shuttle at the terminal until we dropped off our carry on bags and got our first drink was less than 1/2 hour. Couldn't have been easier.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Food was good in the MDR but the buffet was average at best...the selection was good though.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Activities were great. The flow rider was entertaining even if you weren't riding on it. Zip lining, mini golf. There is so much to do it's hard not to stay busy if you want.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Having the Key helped assure great seating for the shows. Speaking of which the shows were excellent. The Pirate Parade in the Promenade was just plain fun to watch.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Couldn't have been happier with all the service we had.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ships layout was good. Even though it's a big ship it was easy to get around. Staff did a great job of keeping the ship clean. I did find myself wishing there were more places on deck to just relax in a comfortable chair...maybe with a table rather than sun the deck chairs for tanning.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The cabin was nice. We had an interior balcony overlooking the Boardwalk and it was nice and roomy. Only complaint is that I wish the TV was situated so that it could be viewed from the couch.
We had a great view of the Aqua Theater right from our balcony and watched Hiro a number of times from it. Speaking of which it's an amazing show and a definite must see.
Ship tip
On the back deck by the flow rider there are chairs and a small shelf to hold a drink or plate of food that is the perfect spot to watch the sail away or a sunset. There is a bar right there also.
St Thomas itself is a great island, but due to its size the Symphony has to dock at the Crown Bay pier and there just isnt much right there. There were no small taxis there where two people could just rent it and do their own tour of the island. They were all 10 passenger vans or larger and expensive unless you were willing to cram into a local tour bus....and I do mean cram. After things settled down and most of the people had left we were able to talk one of the drivers into taking us on our own tour for half his normal rate. In the end it was worth every penny.
It was nice and relaxing. It was our first time going to a private island and we weren't sure how we would like it but it turned out to be a nice day. The food was actually much better than what you got from the buffet on the ship.
Again because we purchased the Key disembarking could not have been easier. We were escorted right off the ship...no lines and cruised right through customs. From the time we left our room, got off the ship, got a Lyft to the Miami airport and picked up our rental car we were on the road in less than an hour total.
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