AbeFroman2

All depends on your needs. To us the priority boarding line was enough of a perk to get since we were getting the Internet anyway and the Internet and Key were within 10 bucks of each other.

We were just on this ship in February and loved it! D.dee covers many of my thoughts but cannot stress enough booking your entertainment and speciality dining as soon as you can. Also, if doing my time dining, make sure you have a time selected. That sounds contradictory, but we did not have one. We showed up at 445-5 each night and never waited too long to get in but would have preferred to have a time. There is free coffee off to the right of the bistro beside guest services on Deck 5. The name of that place escapes me but you don't have to wait in line and just go over and get it. We loved the piano music at Schooner. I'll try and think of any other tips and tricks, but you will have a blast!

It was hit or miss on Symphony. One time I was reminded I had two checked out when getting a third. Other times my card was never asked for. It also wasn't always asked for upon return, either. So, hard to say.

We did do that ones yes through RC and ours said 90 minutes too. It was actually about two hours. I wouldn’t do it again, I don’t think. And that is not to suggest the tour operators did anything wrong. It just all felt a bit rushed, which is to be expected when you’re only in port from 7a to 230p as we were. However, the time problem is unavoidable really; It’s about a 30-40 minute boat ride then 15-20 minute open air taxi shuttle one way. We enjoyed it for what it was, but if I was going back there again, I’d pass for those reasons.

I wish I would have looked into that. Unfortunately the things that had those like FlowRider and what not, we were not interested in. They don’t deliver cruise compasses anymore but I think I still have the key paperwork we received in our room in my bag. I’ll check for you in the morning.

Ha, it’s my favorite movie and always available username on almost every site so it is perfect! But yes, you know what you’re getting into, and will have a great time!

Disembarkation We did self-assist so no need to stop for our bags. There was a Key area, though, that we could have used. But, with a 10 a.m. flight, I was nervous about having to deal with that. We got in line to get off at 7, were through Customs (no more forms or apps, just a scan of your face, that was new to us but much quicker) and outside of the terminal by 7:30ish, and were to the airport and through security after checking bags by 8. Never in a million years did I think it would be so easy, but it was. So, what questions do you have? Feel free to fire away!

Ports Our first port of call was St. Martin. It is BEAUTIFUL. I would love to go back there again. We went to Maho Beach and watched the planes come in and take off at the airport. That was really cool. When our tour ended they let those who wanted off at the shops downtown. We cruised around there and then took a water taxi back to the ship for $3 each. Our second port of call was St. Thomas. We took a boat ride over to St. John and snorkeled at Trunk Bay. The beach was nice but the seaweed has really kind of destroyed the snorkeling experience. We were only in port from 7a-2p so it was a bit of a rushed day. If doing it again with the same itinerary, I think we would have just got off and walked around a bit but otherwise spent most of the day on the boat. Finally, we went to CocoCay and WOW, is it different compared to 2018. Namely, there are no more tenders, of course. We walked the whole island just checking out all the new things before settling in on the beach for a few hours. Chairs were not very difficult to come by. It's not that we didn't enjoy it the last time we were there but we definitely found ourselves having more fun than we did before.

Hi, all! I've finally come to grips with the fact that our trip is over and we're back to reality. So, to give back to all of you who provided so much great info to us prior to our sailing, I wanted to write up a review and see if there are any questions. I'll hit on some high level stuff but please feel free to ask for any details! Arrival We left Pennsylvania and flew to Miami through Charlotte on Friday, so the day before our Saturday cruise departure. No real issues to speak of there. We stayed at the Hampton Inn Brickell, which was fantastic. Slightly pricey, yes, but great breakfast and within walking distance to plenty of shops and restaurants, including a Walgreens. Would recommend. It does not have a shuttle, though, We just took a short Uber ride over to the port. Embarkation We did purchase The Key. I know there are various opinions on its value. For us, the ability to skip the line (which was long when we arrived at 11 a.m.) and walk right in, in addition to the one-device Internet package plus Chops lunch, was worth it. The priority seating was nice, too. But, those other things made it worth its value. I will say that the operation at the terminal is seamless. I cannot and will never be able to fathom how they process so many people so quickly. We were from the entrance to the boat in probably 25 minutes, and it may not even have been that long. On the boat - Departure day and sea days This was our third cruise. We previously sailed on Anthem and Allure. So, much of Symphony was familiar to us. The Playmakers sports bar is new, though. We enjoyed spending time there, and you can't beat the $3 truffle fries for a quick snack. I will note for you sports fans that they can't get every game. It has to be tied to ESPN/ESPN+ programming or the Live24, which shows some soccer and cricket. An example here is that they could not get the Daytona 500, but they could get the Genesis Invitational, since that also streamed on ESPN+ even though it was aired by CBS. The ship itself is beautiful. We do not do FloRider, the slides, etc., so unfortunately I do not have anything to offer on those. The same goes for any kids activities. We did not do speciality dining on this trip (booked too late). MDR, I messed up with my time dining and did not make reservations. I'm still not sure how I managed to do that but recommend double checking once on board just to make sure you're good. And, if you're not, just show up around 5 p.m. each night. We never had any issues getting in by 5:30 or so. Shows: We watched a bit of the AquaTheatre production, which was of course spectacular. There were technical difficulties during the ice rink show so we left that early. HairSpray and Flight are must-sees, in our opinion. Drink package: We had it, found it worth it, but as always, watch your cruise planner to take advantage of price drops. I think we re-booked two or three times to get the best deal. As for the pools: Yes, chair hoarding still exists. But, I did notice that the staff was quite attentive to chairs that were not being used but had stuff on. They'd tag it with a sticky note and then come back 30-45 minutes later and if nothing moved and no one was there they stored the belongings at the towel security place until someone came and claimed it.

Just off Symphony. If booking my time dining just be sure to not screw it up as I did! I’m still not exactly sure what happened. I thought we had 5:30 selected. However our cruise documentation clearly shows we were on the 5:30 wait list. Not a huge deal, though. We showed up at 5ish every night besides the two we ate in WindJammer (recommend doing this at least once!) and were seated by or before 5:30 every time and out by 7 or a little after if we needed to be for a show, no problem.

On the sailing with you and similarly hoping the best for the person in need of medical care

You are! Lol. Has been a go to forum/contest name for year.

Curious, as I said this Saturday: In what ways do you think the experience has been lost? Like OP I haven’t cruised since 2019. OP: What do you wish you knew about The Key the first time you had it that you didn’t, if anything? We have it for first time. Thanks! On Allure, we positively loved it when we sailed on it a handful of years ago. Great boat, lots to do, and definitely don’t miss the aqua show.

Hi everyone. Hope you’re having a great December: I’m seeking info about the suites on Symphony of the Seas. First, does anyone have a recommended level for two? And do you get different peri levels access to things the bigger you go or are all suites the same in that regard? Thanks!