Overall, it was a very nice trip!

Item: Symphony of the Seas
Rating: 4.6
Author: alexthetraveler

Symphony of the Seas Cruise Review

alexthetraveler

Contributor Level: Second Mate

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 8

Helpful Votes: 203

Overall rating:

4.6 out of 5

7 Night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: September 24, 2022

Ship: Symphony of the Seas

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 12601

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 2 years ago

Review summary

Overall, it was a very wonderful cruise! The ports were amazing, ship was beautiful, met some cool people onboard, and did a lot of relaxing. The ship was very crowded but for the most part everyone was spaced out due to the size of the ship. The only disappointing part was just the dining experience such as waiting in a very long line to get a table in the MDR for breakfast on the sea days, and the crowded windjammer. Some fellow passengers are inconsiderate and rude but that’s not the ship’s fault lol, and that you find everywhere you go nowadays. I still had a great time, just probably won’t do an Oasis class ship for a while, too many people! Just bring patience if you do a cruise on Symphony or any other Oasis class ship!

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Super easy and quick. Fastest I’ve ever boarded a ship. Was onboard within 20 mins of arriving to the port.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Food was okay, it varied. Sorrento’s pizza was probably my favorite thing I ate during the cruise. My time dining is a nightmare, definitely do a set time dining because if not, getting a table is crazy even with a “reservation”. You still have to wait in a crazy long line just to get seated. Breakfast in the dining room was also a nightmare. Always a huge line to get a table. We waited almost an hour one day to get seated. Royal definitely should consider utilizing their app so you can waitlist yourself for a table on there and simply get a notification when a table is ready for you.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Hiro, Hairspray, and Flight were AMAZING! Royal definitely always has great shows onboard.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Crew was super friendly and helpful! No complaints here about the crew. Always greeting you and working hard to make sure you’re having a great cruise.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

The ship itself is BEAUTIFUL and very clean. I always saw the crew constantly cleaning everywhere and picking things up. The ship is in great shape, and I love the design of the ship.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Ship tip

Bring lots of patience because there’s a lot of people onboard the ship. With that said, there will be lines for everything and crowds so definitely be patient and don’t that ruin your cruise for you. You have to make reservations for a lot of activities/shows so do that as soon as you board the ship. Do not do the “My time” dining because it is very chaotic to get a table- huge line all the time to even be seated. Set time dining on an Oasis class ship is a must because of how crowded these ships get. If you don’t like crowds and waiting for elevators, definitely consider a smaller ship!

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

5 out of 5

Perfect Day At Coco Cay, Bahamas

5 out of 5

Philipsburg, St. Maarten

5 out of 5

Miami, Florida

5 out of 5

Disembarkation

2 out of 5

Getting off was very chaotic and disorganized. People cutting lines, not knowing where to go, announcements weren’t always made when your group was called.. it was a mess to get off this ship. And then be prepared to wait a very long time to get an Uber/Lyft. We waited over an hour and a half to get a ride to leave the terminal, people were already arriving for the next cruise while we were still waiting to leave! So if you’re flying back home the same day, please make sure to take a flight in the afternoon so you won’t be cutting it close or miss your flight.

7 Comments

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An amazing boat

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this cruise was great lots to do and eat!