The Symphony of the Seas is an amazing cruise ship. It is so modern and has endless entertainment options. The staterooms are huge and the staff is amazing. Whether it is your first cruise or your 20th, you would be pleasantly surprised. The central park area is incredible and truly felt like a park setting (Bird sounds and all). We never felt cramped or over crowded. The Aqua theater on the back sells the whole ship in our opinion. It is like sitting in the park watching movies. They even had hot dogs and merry-go-round. Incredible feel to it. Sports bar right next door as well. There are many adult areas so it never felt over ran by kids (No offense). WI/FI package was worth it. We did not experience any issues connecting or using services. We love the Symphony series of ship and would definitely cruise again on Royal Caribbean.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We chose to use the Key Program for the first time. It went so smoothly and we felt like royalty. It probably wasn't needed because Royal was doing an awesome job on their embarkation process.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The food was excellent. Great variety and mixture of tastes. We were disappointed in the level of service, or lack there of..... We chose the "My Time Dining" for the first time. Not sure if that was the issue. We started with the Key Program special "Chops" Lunch. The food, when it finally came was excellent. The problem was in the service. It took over 15 minutes just to get a beverage.
Another 15 minutes to take our order. Then another 35-40 minutes to get our food. No one ever checked back after we got the food to see if we liked it, needed more. Maybe a refill of beverage would have been nice. So many guests were getting up and eventually just leaving. Everyone around us was not happy at all. We thought about leaving but but decided to stay. This type of service continued throughout the voyage. We were forgotten many times, never received refills on beverages unless we asked someone. Every time we ordered we felt pressured. It felt like, you have one chance to order so hurry up, decided. You had to decided everything at once, appetizer, dinner, dessert and drink. It was not a relaxing environment at all. We went to main dining so we could eat slow, enjoy the atmosphere. Unfortunately, it was anything but relaxing. It is a shame because the Chef's did an outstanding job preparing and the presentation of the food was great.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Spa was excellent and really felt like you were being pampered. Best part was the Starbucks right next to the spa!! The fitness center was great and had a great variety of equipment options. I would have like to have showers in the fitness area so you did not have to go back to your room all sweaty. We loved the shows and aqua theater. It was awesome watching movies and football on the big screens outside!!! HUGE plus!!
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The DJs were very good. The only issue we had was the trivia type games. This area needs a major improvement. The hosts are not the issue but whoever is putting it together needs to work on it. Our fellow guest all agree that the activities need to be longer and more thought out. Example would be the rock/roll trivia. It was listed in one location only to have a staff member come to say it was moved to another location. Several of us had just ordered drinks (Which were taking forever to come). By the time we made it to the next location, half the game was over. Everyone was really enjoying themselves and asked the host if we could play some additional games/music. He apologized and said he was only given 16 clips of music and no option to extend. There were no events happening in that lounge for several hours. Everyone wanted to stay and at least keep listening to rock/roll music (Keeping with the theme) but instead everyone got up and just wandered aimlessly around the promenade deck. It was a shame. Missed opportunity to entertain for sure.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Except for the main dining wait staff, the waiters/waitresses were great. The Windjammer staff was phenomenal. They had their "A" game on the entire cruise from cleanliness to service with a smile. The room stewards were great as well. We felt very special and welcomed with a warm greeting every time. We took a Ship All Access Tour and that was great as well.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Loved the layout of the ship. It felt so open and modern!! They kept everything very clean and tidy!!
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
What a shock!!! I have been on at least 10 cruises and this was the largest best laid out cabin in all my years. The balcony was huge and the chairs so comfortable. I loved the couch being the first thing in the room. It made it feel so much larger, open near the closets and bathroom and easier to get dressed in the morning. Great closet space and separated for more room between cabinmates. Lighting was great as well. We loved the placement of the cabin. We did not feel and ship sway at all. It was also located so close to all the attractions and elevators. We also like the door being pushed back a bit. We don't care to step out in the hall and run right into someone. Small details but they make a difference!
Ship tip
BOOK YOUR DINING ASAP and I mean as soon as you board the ship!!! So many dining times were sold out so fast.
WOW, having the KEY Program and getting to leave when we wanted to leave was great. We had a great breakfast before leaving and really never felt rushed to get off. It was so organized. The best part was that our luggage was in a separate area just for KEY members. But even without the KEY program. The organization was incredible. Great job on everyone's part.
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