In mid-November, I was able to enjoy the inaugural cruise of Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas to the Bahamas as a part of a media and travel industry sailing. The Symphony is billed as the the “World’s Largest Cruise Ship” and, after touring it over my two-night cruise, I agree that title is accurate. With 18 decks filled with entertainment, dining, shopping, and staterooms to sleep 6,680 passengers and 2,200 crew, this ship brings new meaning to “floating city”.

Welcome to the Symphony of the Seas!

My stateroom was on deck 6 forward, near the spa and with easy access to the Royal Promenade and theater. This was a perfect spot for me and I enjoyed being so close to the theater each evening when returning from the nightly show. The room was comfortable with the bedding in the ‘royal king’ format — two twin beds connected — and a nice balcony with comfy chairs and foot stools. Always important for me is the wi-fi service and Royal excelled in this area. Amazing connectivity and fast speed plus unlimited package availability, a huge difference from Disney Cruise Line’s per MB package cost.

My balcony stateroom on deck 6

The activities on the ship were mind-blowing. Mini-golf, ziplining, Flowrider surfing or boogie boarding, an escape room, several pools, ice skating, laser tag, a carousel, waterslides, and a slide that plunges you down a 10-story drop in the dark.

Get ready for some mini-golf at sea!

The entertainment onboard was spectacular and I actually preferred the shows on the Symphony to Disney Cruise Line’s offerings. A musical ice dancing show, a musical show recapping the history of flight from the future back to the Wright Brothers, a high-energy aqua show with amazing diving and choreography, and the musical “Hairspray” didn’t disappoint. I was glad that I made time during my short sailing to get these shows in as I really enjoyed each one.

Hairspray the Musical had the theater rocking to the music

The food aboard the Symphony was delish and the culinary staff worked to ensure that the presentation of the options was pleasing to the eye.

Beautiful food for the guests aboard

I was blown away by the variety of environments found on the ship too. It was easy to forget you were at sea while enjoying the onboard experience. The Boardwalk area at the rear of the ship featured the aqua theater, a sports bar, candy shop, rock climbing wall, hot dog stand, and a carousel. There are staterooms onboard that have balconies that overlook this Boardwalk area, for those who would like a balcony but might be nervous about looking out at sea.

The Boardwalk area from above

Central Park is another open-air area of the ship with trees, a coffee shop, and meandering paths that wind their way around to various high-end restaurants. On the Royal Promenade, the Bionic Bar was a place I had to stop at after seeing pictures online before the sailing. The bartenders here are “Rock ‘Em” and “Sock ‘Em” and they make custom drink creations while you watch.

Rock ‘Em and Sock ‘Em mixing it up at the Bionic Bar

Alas, a two-night cruise is a short one and, before I knew it, we were docking in Miami and hopping on buses back to the airport.

Until next time…

Amber

Sailing off into the sunset