Surreal week in the Caribbean

Item: Symphony of the Seas
Rating: 4.7
Author: Sharkey1955

Symphony of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern

Sharkey1955

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 43

Overall rating:

4.7 out of 5

7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: March 07, 2020

Ship: Symphony of the Seas

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 8300

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 4 years ago

Review summary

If you did not read the news you would not know that the cruise industry was going to come to a complete shutdown. The last day of our cruise while at Coco Cay, RCCL and other cruise lines announced the suspension of services. The stress related to the news on the virus had an impact on our cruise enjoyment. That being said I commend Royal Caribbean for a beautiful ship, excellent food and entertainment, and most of all for it’s hard working dedicated people. When the world recovers I would recommend this ship and it’s ports of call.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Even with the temperature checks the embarkation was quick and painless.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

We ate in the specialty restaurants each night and stayed away from the main dining room and Windjammer buffet for the entire trip. Food and service was great. Wonderland was an entertaining treat. Chops and 150 Central were great as expected. Hooked and Jamie’s Italian were new to us. The service and food for all the restaurants was excellent. Our breakfasts were split between Central Park Cafe and Johnny Rockets. Both worked well for us.

Jamie's Italian

5 out of 5

Had lunch and dinner here a few times. Food and service was very good. Portions are large. Come hungry. The service was excellent .

Hooked Seafood

4 out of 5

Had lunch and dinner a few times. Tried soft shell crab for the first time. Not my favorite. The shrimp cocktail and seafood chowder were excellent. More of a casual restaurant located on deck 16. Easy to miss if you are looking for it. Service was excellent.

Johnny Rockets

5 out of 5

This was one of our go to places for breakfast. Normally not crowded with excellent food and service. A hidden gem for breakfast.

Trellis Bar

5 out of 5

Not only do they provide all the mixed drinks for the restaurants in Central Park but provide excellent service at their small bar. This was our go to bar for much of our trip.

Chop's Grille

5 out of 5

Never disappoints. Enjoyed dinner there on two nights. My wife and I enjoyed the steak perfectly cooked. Service was great.

Cafe Promenade

5 out of 5

Great place to get your specialty coffee. Lines were sometimes long but they moved quickly. Coffee drinks were very good. Good place to get your Irish coffee in the evening.

Dog House

4 out of 5

Hot dogs and sausage were very tasty but could have been much hotter.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

Due to the virus scare we backed off on some of the activities. We did participate in the escape room which was interesting.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

As always, entertainment on Royal Caribbean is over the top. We enjoyed all the shows especially Hairspray and the Aquatics show.

AquaTheater

5 out of 5

Probably best show we saw all week. Reserve early because the show gets cancelled often due to weather.

Jazz on 4

5 out of 5

Perfect way to end the evening. Located on deck 4. A small intimate venue with unbelievable musicians. You don’t need to love jazz to enjoy this venue.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Service was excellent throughout the ship.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Beautiful ship and very clean. The cleaning and wiping down handrails and tables was non-stop on this cruise.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

This was slightly aft but a great location. Not too far from steps and elevators but far enough away from the related noise. Cabin was modern, clean and more than big enough for my wife and I. Plenty of storage for your clothes.

Ship tip

Don’t be afraid of the size of this ship. We never felt overwhelmed or too crowded at any venue on this ship. Very good design.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Basseterre, St. Kitts

5 out of 5

We did the train ride followed by a boat ride back to port. Island was less developed than other Caribbean islands we have visited. The people on the island were friendly and warm. Enjoyed this stop.

Thumbs Up 1

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

3 out of 5

I’m sure there was more to this island than we saw. Our excursion was to be a boat ride to a reef for snorkeling followed by an hour on a private beach. Instead it was spent floating for at least an hour and a half waiting for passengers from another cruise ship. The reef snorkeling was canceled and we were taken to the private beach to swim. Very disappointed in this excursion.

Thumbs Up 0

Perfect Day At Coco Cay, Bahamas

5 out of 5

We paid for the Coco Beach club experience. Well worth it. Beach, pool and restaurant were wonderful. Very relaxing day on the beach. The food and service was great. Will return to Coco Cay in the future.

Thumbs Up 3

Disembarkation

3 out of 5

We chose to walk off our luggage at 7:00am. Normally this is a walk in the park but this time their were long lines. Part of the problem we were told was a problem customs was having with their computer servers.

5 Comments

LJD1030 4 years ago

Did they charge for escape room

Thumbs Up 2

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cruisereckoning 4 years ago

Thanks for the review, so glad you enjoyed.

Thumbs Up 0

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portofrome 4 years ago

Thanks for your review

Thumbs Up 0

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Cruiserike0322 4 years ago

Thank you for your great review!

Thumbs Up 0

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papapot41 4 years ago

Glad you enjoyed your cruise

Thumbs Up 0

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