Disappointing Customer Service & Accessibility Issues
Symphony of the Seas Cruise Review
7 Night Western Mediterranean (Barcelona Roundtrip)
Sail date: June 25, 2023
Ship: Symphony of the Seas
Cabin type: Suite
Cabin number: 11640
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 10 months ago
Review summary
A little background, my significant other has a walking disability so he is in an electronic scooter. We boarded the ship in Barcelona for a 7 day European cruise going to Spain, Italy, and France. We booked in a Sky Class Owners Suite for $12.5k. Upon arriving there was no Suite Class priority line or wheelchair line, I had to find someone to assist us thru the crowds. Then one amenity with purchase of the Suite was a Suite Only Sun Deck on deck 17. There is no guest accessible elevator to deck 17, you have to climb 2 flights of stairs - so there is absolutely no way to get up and down without having to call managers to put us in crew elevators to get up and down. We basically ended up getting stuck with going to the Solarium - they have 2 jacuzzis and 1 infinity pool - NONE have a ramp or swing chair for disabled people to utilize. It’s only accessible by steps and the furniture in the solarium is not conducive to wheelchair users - we literally had to move full couches to be able to get thru to the pools and then I had to assist my SO up and down the stairs - thank god he still has some use to his legs and can stand. Only 1 bar on the ship is ADA compliant with a lowered counter for him to roll up to. The buffet you cannot read the food signs on the sneeze guards because they are pointed upwards. The worse part is the staff. Everyone has been very off putting, unhelpful and a lot of times just watched as we struggle to get around the boat or on and off at the ports. We only got off once in Rome and the other ports we missed tours booked because we couldn’t get handicap accessible buses to get out of the working ports to meet our tour guides. I have been on MSC & Celebrity since being with my SO. They both were amazing on so many levels to assist with the disability. MSC engineers actually built my SO a step to help him get in a jacuzzi in our suite last year in the Caribbean. Celebrity had assistance anytime we needed it. For those who are disabled and travel or for those who specialize in accessible travel - I would highly recommend thinking twice before putting clients or yourself on this ship. To add to our disappointing trip: I was served food I was allergic to after informing the restaurant of my allergy - the waiter & kitchen staff had no idea was what in their food. They had to call the pastry department. And they have lost my clothes I sent to the laundry on day 1 to be washed. It’s day 6 of the cruise and they still can’t find my clothes 😭. We spent $24k on this trip between flights and the ship and this is the first ship we ever actually want to get off - there has not been a wow factor on any level from accessibility to customer service to food to housekeeping.Embarkation
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If you have a disability or need accessibility do not book this ship.