Symphony of the Seas - Please share your opinions, experiences, etc.

[ajacobs79]

Hi Everyone!

 

I just joined Cruise Critic, and this is my first post! My wife and I are honeymooning on the June 3rd Symphony of the Seas Mediterranean itinerary. We're beyond excited, but neither of us have been on a ship this size before. Those of you who've been on the Symphony (or a comparable class ship)...what are things we should know ahead of time, what recommendations or thoughts do you have based on your experiences, etc.? I know it's a broad question, but we aren't regular cruisers so it would be great to hear from the experts!

 

Thanks!

Andrew

[Clarea]

Make all possible entertainment reservations in advance.

[scoochy12]

We are on this cruise too! Also if you plan on doing the specialty dining package - reserve that prior to boarding. They do stop selling them.

[ajacobs79]

Make all possible entertainment reservations in advance.

 

Great advice, thank you! We're doing some already, but good to know it's more a necessity than we realized.

[ajacobs79]

We are on this cruise too! Also if you plan on doing the specialty dining package - reserve that prior to boarding. They do stop selling them.

 

Great, thank you! Very cool we'll be on the same cruise! Any advice/recommendations about the dining on this ship? We don't know if the "premium" dining options are really worth the extra money.

[taglovestocruise]

Great, thank you! Very cool we'll be on the same cruise! Any advice/recommendations about the dining on this ship? We don't know if the "premium" dining options are really worth the extra money.

Well worth the money if you do the bogo or fndr. We just booked the UDP for our upcoming Symphony transatlantic. $348 pp and it includes 11 sea day lunches which brings the cost to $16.00 per meal. Not bad for a normally priced $50.00 dollar meal at Chops or 150.

[ajacobs79]

Well worth the money if you do the bogo or fndr. We just booked the UDP for our upcoming Symphony transatlantic. $348 pp and it includes 11 sea day lunches which brings the cost to $16.00 per meal. Not bad for a normally priced $50.00 dollar meal at Chops or 150.

 

Wow, that's a huge difference. If the quality of the food is good (which I'm sure it is) it's actually a really great deal. Thanks for this! :)

[stp_mmh5]

Great, thank you! Very cool we'll be on the same cruise! Any advice/recommendations about the dining on this ship? We don't know if the "premium" dining options are really worth the extra money.

 

Just coming off the Symphony, I would recommend the Wonderland dining experience if you want to try something completely different. It was by far the best we experience we had. The food is very different, so it may not be a first choice for picky eaters, but they will work with you. I plan on going more into it on the Semi Live Symphony thread relatively soon. Also Hooked was a great seafood lunch for us. Very fresh and was not super busy. Which was nice as the food came out quickly.

 

Also would recommend booking the Aquatheatre earlier in the cruise, so that if the show gets cancelled, you can catch it later. Plus if you arrive about 20mins before the show, they open up seating and you'll get first choice in where you want to sit. Same goes with 1977, arrive early if you want the center section seats as they filled quickly

[kdnurs]

Hi Everyone!

 

I just joined Cruise Critic, and this is my first post! My wife and I are honeymooning on the June 3rd Symphony of the Seas Mediterranean itinerary. We're beyond excited, but neither of us have been on a ship this size before. Those of you who've been on the Symphony (or a comparable class ship)...what are things we should know ahead of time, what recommendations or thoughts do you have based on your experiences, etc.? I know it's a broad question, but we aren't regular cruisers so it would be great to hear from the experts!

 

Thanks!

Andrew

 

Hello!!! We are sailing on that date as well....Join the Symphony of the Seas ROLL CALL for June 3, 2018. You can chat with a lot of us sailing together who have either sailed her sisters (I have 3 of them) or are newbies too. I agree with Bob who gives the best advice, book as much of your entertainment, excursions and dining in advance. It makes the cruise so much smoother. I look forward to chatting more on our Roll Call :D

[taglovestocruise]

Wow, that's a huge difference. If the quality of the food is good (which I'm sure it is) it's actually a really great deal. Thanks for this! :)

Be careful with the bogo or fndr, Chops, 150, and Wonderland are usualy not included. The 3 night package will let you do any venue, if you get the 3 night package they will pick the first night for you, but you can go to any restaurant and change what they picked to any other day, time, or place and make reservations for the other two nights.. happy cruising

[Ourusualbeach]

There are a few live reviews if both Symphony and Harmony happening now. You could start by reading these.

 

Harmony

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2618647

 

Symphony

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2620084

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2618662

[regent218]

Just coming off the Symphony, I would recommend the Wonderland dining experience if you want to try something completely different. It was by far the best we experience we had. The food is very different, so it may not be a first choice for picky eaters, but they will work with you. I plan on going more into it on the Semi Live Symphony thread relatively soon. Also Hooked was a great seafood lunch for us. Very fresh and was not super busy. Which was nice as the food came out quickly.

 

Also would recommend booking the Aquatheatre earlier in the cruise, so that if the show gets cancelled, you can catch it later. Plus if you arrive about 20mins before the show, they open up seating and you'll get first choice in where you want to sit. Same goes with 1977, arrive early if you want the center section seats as they filled quickly

do they have more than one show time if you have a late seating in the dining room?

[stp_mmh5]

do they have more than one show time if you have a late seating in the dining room?

Yes they do. There was always at least two showings for each show on nights they preformed. Sometimes the shows lined up that you would see them before dinner or the shows would be later and would be able to catch them after dinner. We also had late seating and prefered to catch earlier shows, but on our original Aquatheatre show, we caught the later showing. We just let our dinning room team know that we were going to catch that one and they expedited our meal so that we made it with plenty of time to spare

 

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[ckelly14]

I'm sailing in July and was surprised at the lack of threads/live reviews/etc.

 

Your June sailing is already loaded on the RC app and it does have quite a bit of info. Cruise compasses are out there - see the live reports noted above. Also can look here

 

I wouldn't count on any dining packages this summer.

[HusemanCruzer]

These might be outdated now since she has added shows and entertainment since the maiden voyage, but you can look at these:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2625606

 

 

My personal Tips:

1. Quick and easy lunch? Head to deck 8 for Park Cafe, great food and not as busy as Windjammer
   
2. Wear a bathing suit on board... Flowrider is open and you can ride it with a short line.
   
3. Get to the port early.... Although it is very efficient to get on the ship, (pier staff is fantastic) that counts as Day 1, so make the most of it.
   
4. Plant Z... Great experience for Adults and kids.. But it can have a 2 hour line, I did it the first day with no wait. Just make sure that you have closed toed shoes.
   
5. Drink Package? Worth it in my opinion... I drink a lot of Tito's and Cranberry + Crown Royal so it payed for itself. I have also found if you ask for receipt (if you have a drink package) I get better bar service because I add an extra tip!
   
6. Enjoy your cruise... Don't stress because you won't enjoy it.
   
7. I brought Euros to spend onshore, but found most places preferred credit cards, i have the RCCL CC and I avoided Foreign Transaction fees.
   
8. She is a big ship with a lot to see and do... Make sure to leave yourself time to explore! I love getting up early (before the crowds) and roam the ship or pulling into a port with a cup of coffee.
   
9. Book your shows... That is a must! I always do the comedy show!
   
10. Have fun and take a lot of pictures!
    

[mcatmcat]

I'm sailing in July and was surprised at the lack of threads/live reviews/etc.

 

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I.

 

 

I was thinking the same, maybe it’s because is not sailing from the US now.

 

 

 

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[ckelly14]

These might be outdated now since she has added shows and entertainment since the maiden voyage, but you can look at these:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2625606

 

 

My personal Tips:

1. Quick and easy lunch? Head to deck 8 for Park Cafe, great food and not as busy as Windjammer
   
2. Wear a bathing suit on board... Flowrider is open and you can ride it with a short line.
   
3. Get to the port early.... Although it is very efficient to get on the ship, (pier staff is fantastic) that counts as Day 1, so make the most of it.
   
4. Plant Z... Great experience for Adults and kids.. But it can have a 2 hour line, I did it the first day with no wait. Just make sure that you have closed toed shoes.
   
5. Drink Package? Worth it in my opinion... I drink a lot of Tito's and Cranberry + Crown Royal so it payed for itself. I have also found if you ask for receipt (if you have a drink package) I get better bar service because I add an extra tip!
   
6. Enjoy your cruise... Don't stress because you won't enjoy it.
   
7. I brought Euros to spend onshore, but found most places preferred credit cards, i have the RCCL CC and I avoided Foreign Transaction fees.
   
8. She is a big ship with a lot to see and do... Make sure to leave yourself time to explore! I love getting up early (before the crowds) and roam the ship or pulling into a port with a cup of coffee.
   
9. Book your shows... That is a must! I always do the comedy show!
   
10. Have fun and take a lot of pictures!
    

 

Thanks for the info. Do you recall any dining packages being offered?

[alaskawdw12]

Hi! We were on the Allure and have a cruise booked on the Symphony in July. Just wanted to say that we thought the free venues onboard were great, so don’t feel like you have to get a dining package. Only if you want to.

 

 

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[HusemanCruzer]

Thanks for the info. Do you recall any dining packages being offered?

 

They did offer BOGO dining packages, however my wife and I did not take advantage of them. We did book Jamie's (okay) Izumi (Very good as usual) and the new Hooked Seafood (LOVE IT!!)

[HusemanCruzer]

do they have more than one show time if you have a late seating in the dining room?

 

Yes they do, but in my experience I find it more beneficial to do MTD.

[luv2sail7]

They did offer BOGO dining packages, however my wife and I did not take advantage of them. We did book Jamie's (okay) Izumi (Very good as usual) and the new Hooked Seafood (LOVE IT!!)

 

We are considering Hooked Seafood. Did you go there for lunch or dinner? And may I ask what items you had that you loved? TIA

[HusemanCruzer]

Did you go there for lunch or dinner? And may I ask what items you had that you loved? TIA

 

We did the dinner, loved the casual atmosphere, the view was great, our server (Richard) was awesome. They start you off with Cheddar bay Biscuit's (loved) and we ordered Calamari (loved, best I've had) and I ordered the Captain's Platter (loved and worth it!)

 

I have posted picture's of the food and a menu. CLICK HERE to see the menu!

[besberry]

Just coming off the Symphony, I would recommend the Wonderland dining experience if you want to try something completely different. It was by far the best we experience we had. The food is very different, so it may not be a first choice for picky eaters, but they will work with you. I plan on going more into it on the Semi Live Symphony thread relatively soon. Also Hooked was a great seafood lunch for us. Very fresh and was not super busy. Which was nice as the food came out quickly.

 

Also would recommend booking the Aquatheatre earlier in the cruise, so that if the show gets cancelled, you can catch it later. Plus if you arrive about 20mins before the show, they open up seating and you'll get first choice in where you want to sit. Same goes with 1977, arrive early if you want the center section seats as they filled quickly

 

Funnily enough, we were disappointed with Wonderland, it bore no comparison to the one on Ovation which I wholeheartedly would recommend. I concur with the Aqua show statement, every single show was cancelled on our cruise, so the chance to rebook if the earlier ones are cancelled is an option. Do try the Ultimate Abyss, but be warned that you have to wear long legs, no shorts allowed. We did it as soon as we boarded, well almost. I would also recommend Jamies Italian. We had lunch in there (it was free as we were in a Central Park Balcony) and it was excellent. No one back home believes me as the UK land based ones are overpriced rubbish! 1977 was great fun and so was the laser tag.

 

All I would say is, enjoy her, she's great.

[martyap]

We sail 10/14.....anyone have dinner at the Solarium Bistro? What shows require reservations?

[HusemanCruzer]

We sail 10/14.....anyone have dinner at the Solarium Bistro? What shows require reservations?

 

From my understanding.. Show's don't "Require" reservations, but are HIGHLY recommended!

 

• Aqua Theater Shows
  
• Hairspray / Headliner/Hector is Magic (if still on board)
  
• Comedy Show's