An Honest Review of Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas

My husband and I recently took our first vacation on Symphony of the Seas in over three years! We sailed on the 6-night Western Caribbean itinerary from Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale) in May 2024 on Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas. 

This itinerary takes you to Labdee, Falmouth, and Nassau. However, due to the unfortunate events in Haiti, our Labdee port was canceled, and Royal Caribbean gave us an extra sea day ( we were hoping for Perfect Day at CocoCay, but it wasn’t presented as an option!).

This review is my personal opinion of the Symphony of the Seas from the perspective of someone who has never cruised on a mega-ship!

Here is what I will be covering in this review:

• Embarkation Day + First Impressions
• Stateroom 
• Ship Spaces on Symphony of the Seas
• Dining & drink options (what you should eat & drink)
• Entertainment
• Staff and Service
• Overall Thoughts on Symphony of the Seas

Things To Know Before You Go

• Download the Royal Caribbean app after you book. You’ll use the app to check in, upload your travel documentation ( you can also use the web version), make reservations at specialty dining, book shore excursions, and see what activities are planned on the ship. You can also communicate with your family directly through the app once onboard!
• Purchasing pre-cruise packages can save you money! We purchased our unlimited drink package on a 30% off sale. The earlier you book, the more potential savings you’ll have!
• Remember your important toiletries, such as sunscreen, feminine products, and motion sickness medication. They are for sale onboard, but they are very expensive!

Embarkation Day + First Impressions

This cruise was the first vacation my husband and I had in over three years, and as a full-time working mom, this was much needed! To say we were excited is an understatement. I vlogged my entire experience on my YouTube Channel. You can watch the video below or keep reading for my review.

We arrived at Port Everglades around 10 a.m. and could go straight through to security and check-in. Since our boarding time wasn’t until 11 a.m., we had to wait in the waiting area until we could board the ship. Luckily, we only had about a 30-minute wait time, and we were on our way to get our first drink!

First of all, upon stepping foot in the Royal Promenade, all I could think of was that Symphony of the Seas was huge! We were so surprised at how massive and well-maintained this ship is. I just couldn’t believe all of this was available on a ship!

There are so many options for food, drinks, and entertainment. There is truly something for everyone! 

From the time we entered the ship, we had nothing but pleasant interactions with the crew.

It’s evident that everyone loves their job and does their best to ensure that the guests enjoy their stay.

Stateroom

I only have one rule when cruising: I must have an oceanview balcony! 

We stayed in a Deck 11 Ocean View Balcony, cabin 11306 for this cruise. Our stateroom was pretty standard for cruise ships. It was clean and offered the necessities for our 6-night cruise, so we had no complaints.

Another perk of having a balcony room is having a place to escape on sea days! I don’t know about you, but I need to have time to recharge, especially when on a mega-ship with thousands of people!

I was surprised at how spacious the bathroom was for a cruise ship. I was expecting it to be much smaller, so that was a plus! If you happen to forget your Shampoo, conditioner, or body wash, don’t fret. They are available in your stateroom.

Stateroom Tips: Unpack asap and store your luggage in the closet. You’ll be thankful for the extra space! I would also recommend bringing magnetic hooks and a hanging toiletry bag.

Ship Spaces on Symphony of the Seas

The Oasis and Icon class ships are known for their many “neighborhoods,” which provide an experience like no other on a cruise ship.

The Symphony of the Seas has 7 neighborhoods. Here’s a brief look at what you’ll enjoy in each neighborhood:

Boardwalk

This was one of my favorite places on the ship! You can find Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade, the AquaTheater, a carousel, Johnny Rockets, the Boardwalk Dog House, and a candy & ice cream shop here.

We ate lunch at Playmakers a few times, and the vibe was always great. We had the same waiter a few times, and he had such a fun spirit! 

Central Park

When we first entered Central Park, I was blown away by the fact that this was on a cruise ship. Sure, I watched a few YouTube videos before our trip, but seeing it with my own eyes completely shocked me. 

How can they keep all the plants alive on a ship, but I can’t even keep plants alive at home? How sway? 

Anyway, this was hands down my favorite spot on the ship. My husband and I were here at least twice a day, if not more! 

Here, you can find a few specialty dining restaurants, such as 150 Central Park, Chops Grille, Jamie’s Italian, and Vintages Wine Bar. You’ll also find Park Cafe and my favorite, Trellis Bar ( more on this later).

Vitality Spa and Fitness

We didn’t spend much time here other than getting a pedicure (grossly overpriced, but it was a gift from my husband), Starbucks, and smoothies.

Fun fact: With the unlimited drink package, you can get free Starbucks drinks and smoothies at the Vitality Cafe!

Royal Promenade

The Royal Promenade is the heart of the ship. You will enter the ship here, where the parades, dancing, and people-watching happen! If you like to be where the people are, this is the spot to be on embarkation day!

Pool and Sports Zone 

There is so much for families to do here! I can’t wait for our next cruise to take our kids to Splashaway Bay. It is a cute and safe area for toddlers and babies, and if you have younger kids, you will also love this area. 

In addition to the pool and water slides, there is mini golf, a zip line, a sports deck, and the adults-only Solarium.

Royal Caribbean has cracked down on seat reservations, so if you want side-by-side chairs for your family, you’ll want to get here early on sea days!

Entertainment Place 

This is where you’ll find the Royal Theater and Studio B, where a few popular Broadway-type shoes are performed. I’ll get into each show below, but I noticed that Royal Caribbean did not cheap out regarding entertainment. Every show we went to was amazing! You can tell that each performer dedicates so much time to perfecting their craft.

Youth Zone 

Here, you’ll find the Adventure Ocean youth program, which offers dedicated spaces and play areas for different age groups, from babies to teens. 

If you want to have a date night and have babies or toddlers, you’ll want to look into Royal Babies and Royal Tots, Royal Caribbean’s nursery/daycare.

As mentioned earlier, we didn’t bring our kids on this trip, so I can’t speak much about the program now, but I’ve heard nothing but great reviews from other parents with children around the same age as mine!

Dining & drink options (what you should eat & drink)

I wouldn’t call myself a foodie but I appreciate good food and drinks. I had a few hits and misses regarding food and drinks while on the Symphony of the Seas. 

Before we review each restaurant/bar, please note that we purchased the three-night specialty dining and unlimited drink packages. Both packages were expensive, but as mentioned earlier, this is our first vacation in over 3 years, so we wanted to ensure we enjoyed ourselves. 

We think both packages were worth the money, but we also booked in advance and watched for sales before purchasing!

Let’s discuss a few places where we ate and had drinks and see what I thought about the food and/or drinks.

Please note: The list below does not include every restaurant and bar available on the ship. It includes specialty dining and a few bars we visited, and we could provide a rating based on our experience.

Dining options

150 Central Park

The vibe, food, and service were all 5 stars! This restaurant was the best I’ve experienced on a ship. Without a doubt, if you decide to go to a specialty restaurant, you should go here. The truffle butter bread was so delicious that we asked for seconds.

150 Central Park also had a great selection of wines and champagnes, all included in the unlimited drink package!

What we ate:

My husband and I both had the Caesar salad for appetizers, and it was as expected—nothing too fancy. Your meal also comes with truffle butter bread, and oh my gosh, it was DELICIOUS!  

For entrees, I had the Lamb Wellington, and my Husband had the Lobster thermodor. Overall, we had a great experience here, and the food was delicious.

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Chops Grille

Chops Grille was among my top 5 favorite restaurants on the Symphony of the Seas. As the name suggests, Chops is a Steakhouse with some of the best prime beef on the ship. 

Fun fact: The Main dining room and Hooked Seafood can order steak from Chops Grille upon request!

What we ate:

I had the jumbo crab cake and lobster bisque soup for appetizers, and my husband had the shrimp cocktail and Caesar salad. 

After eating our appetizers, we realized that we had eaten our lunch too close to dinner, so we were kind of full. So, we opted for lighter items for our entree.

I went with the steak, and my husband opted for the rack of lamb!

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hooked Seafood

When I first researched the Symphony of the Seas, almost everyone I know who has cruised on an oasis-class ship or read online reviews recommended that we try Hooked Seafood. I’m a huge seafood lover, so I was really excited to try this restaurant. 

Although the food was good, I was expecting more options with crab. Overall, they had a good selection of entrees to choose from, depending on what you were craving!

What we ate:

I had crispy calamari for my appetizer and my husband had shrimp cocktail. For the Main course we both opted for the steak and lobster with a side of lobster mac and cheese and fries respectively.

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐( 4 stars – only because it was very busy and took a little longer than expected for our food to come)

Bars

If you’re looking for the best places to grab a drink, look no further. Prior to our cruise, we did tons of research to find the best bars, as we wanted to take full advantage of the unlimited drink package. 

Below are our top 3 bars. We visited each of these bars multiple times a day because they had the best drinks! We also tried the Bionic bar, and I was very disappointed in the drinks. They were not very strong at all!

1. Trellis Bar
2. Schooner Bar
3. Rising Tide Bar

Symphony of the Seas Entertainment

During the day, there are always many different activities going on. Be sure to check your Royal Caribbean app to see what activities are planned!

While on the Symphony of the Seas, we made it a priority to see every show that was available to us. The adults-only comedy shows Hiro, Flight, 1977, and Hairspray were a few shows that we were able to see! 

All shows were 10/10! I was completely pleased with how well each show was put together! One thing about Royal Caribbean is that they are going to invest in entertainment! 

I would 1000% recommend you also try to make it to a couple of shows onboard. You will not be disappointed.

Symphony of the Seas Service & Experience

During our trip on the Symphony of the Seas, the service on the ship exceeded my expectations!

From our room attendant to our bartenders at our favorite bars, the service we received was the best we’ve received on a cruise. 

As we explored the ship, the staff were always willing to help us find our way and everyone seemed happy and excited to be working onboard!

Overall Thoughts on Symphony of the Seas

Overall, I was very happy with my experience on board the Symphony of the Seas. So much that we’ve already booked our next cruise on Wonder of the Seas, this time with our children!

I’ve cruised a few times on Carnival Cruise Lines and there are pros and cons to both cruise lines but after this cruise I can confidently say that my experience was much better with Royal Caribbean! #loyaltoroyal