Symphony 2/6/2020

Item: Symphony of the Seas
Rating: 4.1
Author: therealBigRick

Symphony of the Seas Cruise Review

therealBigRick

Contributor Level: Second Mate

11 Days Till Next Cruise

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Reviews: 4

Helpful Votes: 81

Overall rating:

4.1 out of 5

7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: February 08, 2020

Ship: Symphony of the Seas

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 14140

Traveled as: Large Group

Reviewed: 4 years ago

Review summary

This was our first Royal Caribbean cruise. I thought over all it was a great experience other than that the ship is so big. People say you don’t feel crowded since it’s so big but I disagree. Sea days were really hard to find good deck chairs. We had a large group and everyone complained about the picture place. We didn’t get any so I’m basing it on their experience. I’d go on a smaller royal ship for sure but not another oasis class.

Embarkation

4 out of 5

We arrived at about 11:00 and after the checkin we only sat for about 30 minutes and we was on the ship.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

We really loved Sorentos. Didn’t eat at any upcharge restaurants but everything else was great.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

So much to do. I honestly feel like you would need back to back cruises to be able to do everything onboard that is offered. It’s a little much for a 7 day cruise.

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Went to Hiro, 1977 and Flight. All great shows. We missed the comedian but I heard he was great.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Service was awesome everywhere we went.

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

Not a fan of the mega ship. Didn’t like that they didn’t have deck parties outside. I know it’s due to the ship design. Way too big for my taste.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Loved the cabin. Our room steward was awesome

Ship tip

Book all your shows months in advance. Get the drink package if you drink more than 6 beers or 4 glasses of wine every day and don’t forget a beer coozie. If you want a deck chair on sea days, get up early. With a ship this big, it’s still hard to find more than 2 together. Take some time on the first day to walk the whole ship, especially the running track. There’s table tennis and it’s the best place to see the wake and it’s usually not crowded. It’s the stairs as much as possible so you can work off those extra calories.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Basseterre, St. Kitts

3 out of 5

It’s pretty basic if you don’t leave the port shopping area. We didn’t do an excursion here. There is a certified Cuban cigar shop.

Thumbs Up 0

Perfect Day At Coco Cay, Bahamas

4 out of 5

Pretty nice island. All the chairs fill up fast and they fill up closest to the ship first so walk to the other side for a better selection. They have Heineken dispensers but they kept breaking. Same food as they have in the ship. Bring your own snorkel gear so you don’t have to pay 39 bucks to rent them.

Thumbs Up 1

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

3 out of 5

It’s all typical shopping at the port. We went to St John and LOVED it.

Thumbs Up 0

Miami, Florida

5 out of 5

Always love Miami. Go a day or two early and visit south Miami Beach.

Thumbs Up 9

Disembarkation

4 out of 5

No problems getting off. Was surprised with the automated customs thing. Not a single question about what we brought back. Bonus if you win big in the casino or you can afford more than 100 Cuban cigars.

Traveler Photos

7 Comments

bluewaves 4 years ago

It appears that you made the best of it!

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PhillyFamilyof6 4 years ago

Nice review... my first mega ship and so looking forward to it!!

Thumbs Up 1

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ants1980 4 years ago

Thankfully never had any issue on any ship in ship in finding a seat :)

Thumbs Up 2

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TXatsea 4 years ago

Great insights. I must take issue with the “prime location” pool chair however. Regardless of ship size, prime location deck chairs are hard to find. smaller ship, smaller prime location. We cruise Oasis class quite a bit and rarely have trouble finding multiple chairs together, just not pool side

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Cruiserike0322 4 years ago

As for us, any size ship is fine with us

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CVCruiser 4 years ago

Deck parties are great and all, unless its raining or high winds and cooler... They still have great parties all over the Oasis class ships. YES... it takes more than a 7 day cruise to experience all these ships have to offer.... Hince why we do Transatlantic cruises on them as well. Sea days is when you really get to explore and get a feel for the ships.

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queenb12702 4 years ago

Great review and advice. Did Allure last month as our 1st ever cruise but I picked that ship because of the size and amenities and don't regret it. But I totally agree with you about the deck chairs and not able to experience a deck party. However overall it was a great time to be had!

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