Unfinished Symphony

Item: Symphony of the Seas
Rating: 3.9
Author: bigcello1713

Symphony of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Bahamas

bigcello1713

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 2

Helpful Votes: 28

Overall rating:

3.9 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Bahamas & Perfect Day (Cape Liberty Roundtrip)

Sail date: June 14, 2024

Ship: Symphony of the Seas

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 14548

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 2 months ago

Review summary

It was a nice vacation, but we are not sure if we would like to repeat on this ship again.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Smooth

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Our memory of past Royal Caribbean Cruses was always excellent dining experience with good quality of food and wait staff. This time, however, the experience was completely different and unexpected. The wait staff in Main Dining Room did not seem to have enough training to know the menu or the dining customs, and there were many mistakes and confusions. Moreover, no single wait staff in the main dining room or the buffet had a knowledge of bar menu. And, unless we ask for something, things were never offered, even a cup of coffee at the end of a meal. Speciality restaurant was really disappointing in all aspects. As to the buffet, we thought it was a really cleaver idea to consolidate the variety of foods, but it was quite underwhelming and not what you would usually expect on a cruise ship (especially pastries!).

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

With the amount of passengers, there seems to have not enough pools and chairs. Non-smoking casino should be replaced by Smoking casino, and regular casino should be all non-smoking. The smoking area was really not possible to breathe. Art auction had friendly staff and was entertaining. We enjoyed the Spa. It was serene and relaxing, and the staff there, Laura and Rea, who gave us a massage were excellent.

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Ice Skating and Aqua shows were all excellent! We did not care much about the music played in bars and other places.

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

Room Attendant -- We never had a chance to meet him! We even don't know his name! This is the first time! We could say that he never bothered us and his service was quite fine. We just felt it was strange not to greet him as we usually expected. When did it change that the room service became only once per day? Niva at Shooner Bar -- He was most friendly and knowledgeable and fun person who we think deserves recognition. We enjoyed his service and wish him well. Laura and Rea at Spa -- They were excellent and really worked on us!! We wanted to go back the next day, but it was not quite possible.... Guest Relation Staff were all friendly, calm, and helpful and they efficiently solved everything asked for. Zif An at Royal Casino -- She was a dealer at poker table at one night. There was a player who was new to the game. She was very impatient and rude to him, making mocking remarks several times. It was not appropriate and made us uncomfortable.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Ship's layout and design were nice and it was kept clean always. It was pleasant to walk around.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

It felt spacious both inside the room and on the balcony. The only thing we noticed was it was quite noisy. (noisier than other ship experiences, hearing wind through the balcony door, and other surrounding rooms' noise more clearly.)