Symphony – Worth the 731 Day Wait!

[LuCruise]

Day 1 (continued) - Jamie's Italian

 

Of course we had to have dessert.  

 

DS and DD had the brownie and caramel popcorn

 

DH had the raspberry and chocolate pavlova

 

I had the lemon cheesecake.  Couldn't they make this any higher?d

 

Our meal was excellent and we walked out (or wobbled out) pretty stuffed.

 

 

Edited March 19, 2019 by LuCruise

[LuCruise]

PS - Here is the correct photo of the Crab and Avocado Bruschetta

Edited March 19, 2019 by LuCruise

[LuCruise]

Day 1 (continued) - Hairspray

 

Dinner ended in good time without being rushed.  I think it was around 7:10pm.  We returned to the stateroom to get DD’s cardigan and then DD and I headed to the theatre.  As mentioned, DD and I are big theatre fans and we love sitting close.  I knew that some rows would be reserved for certain staterooms or groups, but still wanted to try for good seats.  We lined up around 7:30pm  for an 8:30pm show and there were just a few people in line before us.

 

DS had no interest in seeing Hairspray and was excited to able to roam around the ship by himself for a bit.  This was the first time we were letting him on his own.  He’s quite responsible though and he remembers the layout form Allure so I wasn’t (too) worried.  (But I’m a mom so not gonna lie and say I had no worries at all).  We had set a meeting time back in the stateroom for when the show was over.

 

They opened the doors around 7:45pm and we went in to grab a seat.  The first 3 centre rows were reserved so we just went on the right side.  The group ahead of us grabbed first row, so we went to second row.  So still pretty good seats.

 

DH joined us around 8pm (no way he was lining up 1 hr early)...lol.

 

Wish I had snuck my camera out during the show to grab more photos , but all I can say is that the show was done really well.  It was just as good as shows performed on Broadway.  The acting/singing was excellent as was the set and full performance.  It was really enjoyable.  My only regret is that we didn't go to see it a second time as standby.

Edited March 19, 2019 by LuCruise

[LuCruise]

Day 2 - Sea Day

 

Clocks moved forward last night to this threw off our schedule a bit.  But we got up on our own time and had a big decision to make.  Where to go for breakfast?  So many choices!  Our daughter remembered Solarium Bistro on Allure and wanted to try it on Symphony so we went there.  It wasn't too busy and had a good selection of items.  It was certainly much nicer than the breakfast we would have been having otherwise on a Sunday morning.

 

We weren't sure if we were going to make the cruise critic meet at greet at 9:30am as we got up a bit later than expected, but we finished around then so we headed over to The Attic.  People were already seated but don't think we missed too much.  Both the activity manager and Simeon the cruise director were there.  They ran a raffle for prizes and DS won a Royal water bottle (woo hoo!).  Afterwards they let us chat among ourselves.  It was nice meeting members from our group and putting faces to cruise critic alias.

 

At 10:30am was the crown and anchor Top Tier event on the Boardwalk.  The captain spoke, introduced some officers, etc, and recognized high level statuses.  Some people have spent a nice impressive number of days at sea!

 

They did a small aqua show and then it ended.

 

[South Shore 41]

25 days until we set sail!!! Yay!! Getting excited myself.  We have an Ocean View Balcony room for this trip (our trip was booked for us by my brother's friend - she cruises quite a bit).  I'm just wondering about the inside balcony rooms.  Would love to try it the next time, perhaps over Central Park.  My question - is it noisy in the Boardwalk section?  Thanks.  🛳️

[LuCruise]

Day 2 (continued) - Sea Day

 

DS was anxious to play laser tag and DD was anxious for the pool so we split up for a bit.  As mentioned, we couldn't snag a laser tag reservation, but he thought he'd try stand by.  We didn't purchase voom so we just made a meeting place and time for early afternoon.

 

DD swam in the pool and then tried the waterslides.  One of them is the same as Mariner so she stuck with that one that day (i.e. didn't yet try the toilet bowl one).  

 

 

One of the pools

 

And the kid's area

 

Edited March 20, 2019 by LuCruise

[LuCruise]

2 hours ago, South Shore 41 said:

25 days until we set sail!!! Yay!! Getting excited myself.  We have an Ocean View Balcony room for this trip (our trip was booked for us by my brother's friend - she cruises quite a bit).  I'm just wondering about the inside balcony rooms.  Would love to try it the next time, perhaps over Central Park.  My question - is it noisy in the Boardwalk section?  Thanks.  🛳️

You're getting close to your cruise!  The ocean views look wonderful! 

 

As for noise on the Boardwalk rooms...yes, we did hear sortuv muffled sounds at night, even with the balcony door shut.  But it didn't stop us from sleeping since after a full day of activity and sun, we were tired.  If you end up booking one, I just suggest that you bring ear plugs.  That's what I did and once I put them in, I heard nothing.  We have a Central Park (inside) booked for a future cruise, I do wonder if I'll like it as much.  I like the fact that you can see the water on the Boardwalk balcony, even if its in the distance.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Edited March 20, 2019 by LuCruise

[LuCruise]

Day 2 (continued) - Sea Day

 

After pool time, DD dried off and we went to look for lunch.  Nothing interested her at Park Cafe (boo, as I really like that place) or Cafe Promenade, and so we ended up at the MDR.  She grabbed a variety of breads (super healthy....not!) and I ended up with Tutti Salad Bar...yum!  You can order from the menu as well but we stuck to the buffet as it was nearing 1:15pm which is when it closes.  We also snuck in a mini dessert. 

 

The dessert's area really impressive and beautifully arranged on a table.  This is just a small section of it.

 

After lunch we met up with DH and DS by the slides and the kids went on them for awhile.  DS said that they were able to go on Laser Tag around 5 times (i.e. without reservations) as most were probably enjoying the nice weather and outside activities.

 

They then spent some time in the pool, and then went for the obligated soft ice cream snack.

 

One thing that impressed me with Royal is how they really try and stop the spread of germs.  Outside of the Windjammer they have sinks with soap.  Outside of the MDR they have sanitizers.  And next to the soft serve ice cream, they have a single sink to wash hands.  They also do smart things like have a button at each washroom entrance (on the outside and inside) so that you can open the door with the sensor vs touching the door knob. 

 

The afternoon went quick and before you knew it, it was getting time for dinner.  

Edited March 20, 2019 by LuCruise

[LuCruise]

Day 2 (continued) - Sea Day

 

Meant to comment that as we were heading back to meet up with DH and DS, that we were waiting for an elevator and found the stowaway piano man.  We even rode in the opposite direction just so we could hear him for a bit.  It's such a simple, but yet hilarious concept and so fun to see him around.  I could have stayed there awhile but not sure he would have wanted us riding with him all day.  It's fun to catch him thought.

[Ourusualbeach]

On 3/18/2019 at 7:21 AM, LuCruise said:

Storage

 

One thing I also want to mention is storage, and this is where I'll compare to past cruises.

• On Allure, we had a promenade room (all 4 of us)
• On Mariner, we had a spacious balcony room (all 4 of us)
• On Independence,  we had a promenade room (just DH and I)

The Independence room was quite small, with very few drawers, but since it was just DH and I, we had less stuff.

 

Allure and Mariner were the best for storage.  Even though Mariner is older ship, it had tons of drawers and shelves in the closet.  It might be a bit unfair to compare storage though Mariner was only a 4 day cruise (and thus, 2 suitcases vs 3 that we had on Symphony).

 

I know a lot prefer Harmony and Symphony rooms over Allure/Oasis.  I'd say the decor is nicer, but we had more space on Allure.  It just has all these extra nooks and crannies.  For example, it had a very thin shelf along the wall across from the bed.  This was great for putting your sunscreen bottles.  If I'm remembering correctly, the washroom also had a similar extra shelf along the back of the sink.  Also, the night tables were really narrow on Symphony whereas they were a good width on Allure.  Another thing that helped on Allure is that we had a pullman over the (single) sofa bed.  This allowed for more floor space when opened up.  The Symphony's trundle bed was great for our kids having their own space, but it did leave very little floor space between the trundle and the desk.

 

Symphony still did a good job, but that storage space is one difference that I noticed.  Having said that, it does have the split closet with deep shelves in one of them, and the second closet being larger.  It also has 4 good size drawers.  We managed but definitely had to be a little creative (and guess it didn't help that we had 3 suitcases).  Lots of space though under the bed for suitcases or extra stuff.  Plus one thing that is nice is that the shower is a bit larger than the other ships we've been on.  It's not by a huge amount but makes a big difference.

Great review, glad we got a chance to meet on-board. 🙂The cabins with the Pullman’s were great on Oasis and Allure...really wished they had those on Harmony and Symphony.  We brought a couple of these along with us to hang in the closets.  They were under $10 at Wal Mart

[LuCruise]

9 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Great review, glad we got a chance to meet on-board. 🙂The cabins with the Pullman’s were great on Oasis and Allure...really wished they had those on Harmony and Symphony.  We brought a couple of these along with us to hang in the closets.  They were under $10 at Wal Mart

 

Wonderful to meet you too!  I agree..the pullman layout ontop of the sofa bed is the best configuration.  Both kids get their own mattress (still like Harmony/Symphony) but it leaves more floor space.

 

That's brilliant to bring the above. Funny enough, I have one of those at home in my own closet.  Great idea to bring one along on a cruise.  The next couple cruises we have 2 rooms, but when back to 1 room, will bring.  Thanks for the idea.

[LuCruise]

Day 2 (continued) - Chops

 

We had made a dinner reservation for 6:30pm at Chops.  We were really looking forward to this meal as it was excellent on Mariner.  The physical location of Chops on Mariner and Independence isn't as nice as it's next to the Windjammer , but what is nice is that it overlooks the ocean.  On Symphony, it's located in Central Park, which is so peaceful and beautiful.  But then the downside is there is no water to relax with while you have your meal.  Give and take.

 

We were seated right away and met our waiters for the night. For appetizers, DH ordered his usual drink of old fashioned and this (sorry...i don't remember what it is - searching menus as maybe it's the tuna tartare?)

 

DS ordered peppercorn bacon

 

DD ordered the mushroom soup, but it wasn't her thing so then asked for a Caesar salad

 

and I got the Goat Cheese salad, which was very good.

 

 

 

Edited March 20, 2019 by LuCruise

[LuCruise]

Day 2 (continued) - Chops

 

For our main meals, this is where we were most disappointed.  It's not that the food was bad, but it was amazing on Mariner, and the same items weren't seasoned and/or cooked quite as well.  Again, they were good, but not OMG, amazing as on Mariner.

 

DH, DS and DD all had the steak...just different sizes.  DH said he never adds pepper and salt and yet he had to add to this one.  The kids seemed happy though with their meal (but no one was raving).

 

I had the Spicy Jumbo Shrimp but asked for not spicy.  This is how I asked on Mariner as well.  On Mariner, the shrimps were huge and really tasty.  On Symphony, they were normal size, which is fine, but were a bit more bland.  Still good, but not as good.

 

We ordered a bunch of sides...mac and cheese, spinach, asparagus, tator tots and truffle fries.

[LuCruise]

Day 2 (continued) - Chops

 

For dessert, the best course of any meal....DD had the cheesecake which she seemed to enjoy.

 

I had the warm chocolate cake, which was done well.  It was the perfect amount of chocolate.

 

DH and DS were really happy to see the Red Velvet Cake on the menu, which they said was really good.

 

We still all walked out pretty full.  The restaurant too was packed, so it's a popular one, even with all the choices on Symphony.

[ZoeyVictoria]

18 minutes ago, LuCruise said:

Day 2 (continued) - Chops

 

For our main meals, this is where we were most disappointed.  It's not that the food was bad, but it was amazing on Mariner, and the same items weren't seasoned and/or cooked quite as well.  Again, they were good, but not OMG, amazing as on Mariner.

 

 

We also ate at Chops on this cruise and completely agree with your opinion.  On the Brilliance five weeks earlier, the food was fantastic.  On the Symphony it was good, but somewhat bland.  My SO, who normally eats anything, refused to eat the mushroom soup.  The soup and the mac and cheese, in particular, were barely similar to the versions on the Brilliance.  I would try it again, but at lunch rather than dinner.

[South Shore 41]

12 hours ago, LuCruise said:

You're getting close to your cruise!  The ocean views look wonderful! 

 

As for noise on the Boardwalk rooms...yes, we did hear sortuv muffled sounds at night, even with the balcony door shut.  But it didn't stop us from sleeping since after a full day of activity and sun, we were tired.  If you end up booking one, I just suggest that you bring ear plugs.  That's what I did and once I put them in, I heard nothing.  We have a Central Park (inside) booked for a future cruise, I do wonder if I'll like it as much.  I like the fact that you can see the water on the Boardwalk balcony, even if its in the distance.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Thanks!! The view does look great.  I usually wear earplugs - hubby snores - LOUD. I guess he'll give the Boardwalk noise a run for its money.  😂

[LuCruise]

46 minutes ago, South Shore 41 said:

Thanks!! The view does look great.  I usually wear earplugs - hubby snores - LOUD. I guess he'll give the Boardwalk noise a run for its money.  😂

Ditto...and the reason for bringing the ear plugs in the first place .  I wear them at home too. 😁 

[LuCruise]

Day 2 (continued) - Sea Day

 

After dinner I think we just walked around for a bit and then returned to our stateroom to find this cute guy waiting for us

 

We had an early morning the next day with our Roatan tour.  The family we were going with noticed that the cruise compass listed us arriving 1hr later than originally planned (I guess because of the time change) so we adjusted our meet up time accordingly.

 

DD and I watched a bit of HIRO from our balcony before bed (picture already posted in the night time shot).

 

[LuCruise]

Day 3 - Roatan

 

Our first port day was in Roatan.  We were looking forward to the day as we had pre-arranged a tour with another family with Cleves Adventures and Tours.  They got really good reviews on trip advisor and we liked how you can personalize the day.  I believe it's a husband and wife that own the tour and our guide for the day was the wife.  She gave us instructions of where to meet.

 

As we walked off the ship, it was lively with people around.

 

Our first stop was at the top of a hill which gave lovely views.  Our guide was super friendly and warm, and told us all about the culture and history.  It was all very interesting.

 

Then off to see the Sloths, Monkeys and more.  We all agreed that when we got home, we wanted to adopt a sloth.  Our daughter keeps asking for a dog, and sloths probably don't need walking like dogs do...just hugs...

 

I forget what this is called but think the guide said that it's in the raccoon family

 

For another part, they let you in a cage with the monkeys and let them crawl all over you. Our kids were braver than DH and I, but at least it let us grab some pictures.  The monkeys were really funny and they were inspecting us for bugs and dirt (vs the other way around). 

 

And there were some parrots and other birds that we got to hold on our arm (or head as in my daughter's case).  I think of all the animals, these were the most aggressive and the guide would warn us about them of what not to do.

 

 

After seeing the animals, we headed to a chocolate factory.  They talked of how they made the chocolate (quite interesting), had samples that were yummy, and then DH purchased a few bars to take home.

 

Our last stop was Bananarama at West Bay Beach.  It was such a beautiful beach...such clear blue water and the sand was nice and soft (no rocks or shells).  Kids swam and snorkeled.  You could also go out on the boats for more sophisticated snorkeling. 

 

 

Wonderful day and highly recommend the tour.

[knon24]

I'm loving this! Thanks for sharing. I would LOVE to hold a sloth. Going to have to book a cruise just for it, I think. 😉

[LuCruise]

Day 4 (continued) - Back on Ship

 

Our tour took us to the end of the day and we arrived back on the ship in time to change and get to our table in the MDR.  

 

Picture taken as we were heading back...

 

After dinner we had reservations to see 1977, the ice show.  It was really well done.  Not only were the skating and costumes great, but they did these really cool effects with the ice that make it animated and alive.  Royal really takes their creativity to the max.  Also, I won't spoil it for those that haven't seen it, but there are really cool technology effects used near the beginning.  Well worth going.

 

 

After the show, DS was going to catch "Sliding Under the Stars" on the Abyss (i.e. the slide at night), and DD and I were thinking of catching Hairspray again.  DD and I stopped into Hairspray and almost sat down to watch it , but she said she wanted to see all of it or none of it, as it would give her nightmares otherwise (not sure why as it's not scary but can't question the logic of a 9 year old).  And since the next morning we had an early start for Costa Maya, we decided to skip it.  As we returned to the stateroom we found out that DS was feeling queasy from the ship rocking and had thrown up (but got relief and was fine after that).  Time to call it a night.

 

 

[LuCruise]

Day 4 - Costa Maya

 

The Aqua Adventure Park in Costa Maya looked like a fun day for our kids so we booked the "excursion" through Royal (back when they had Black Friday deals).  You can sign up for just the waterpark, just the zipline, or both, or park and beach.  The waterpark looked quite extensive and large so we signed up for the waterpark only.

 

They have a bus that takes you to the park, which is about a 2 minute drive.  Nice and close.  Once there, you can rent a locker to store your belongings and then start the fun.  There are some slides that are huge (and crazy) and then normal slides.  The place also has a great lazy river.  I'd say it's quite relaxing as they have animal noises and it's peaceful...except that there are areas where you will go under a waterfall...so guess that part isn't relaxing.  But it's fun.  The park also has a few different pools.  They are a bit sandy, but quite pretty otherwise.  It's nice as well as some of the ziplines are around the waterpark so you will see people zipping by. 

 

For food, I was warned that it was expensive and not even that good, so we had a big breakfast before we left and just brought a few snacks (aka cereal from the Solarium buffet).

 

Picture of the big slides.  DS enjoyed them (although he said that he didn't realize that the green one on the right had a huge drop....until he did was on it and did the free fall).  DH said some were rough though and he got banged up.  He wasn't a fan.

 

 

The tube waterslides

 

"Normal" sized slides with a big bucket that drops lots of water on you if you time it incorrectly

 

One of the pools

 

 

The excursion is listed as 3 hours, but you can return on the shuttle at any time (but before the ship leaves of course).  It was a fun day.  I think in the end we spent around 3.5-4 hours before returning.

 

And a nice photo of the ship upon our return

[LuCruise]

1 hour ago, knon24 said:

I'm loving this! Thanks for sharing. I would LOVE to hold a sloth. Going to have to book a cruise just for it, I think. 😉

 

Thank you.  I highly recommend Roatan...the sloths themselves are worth the port stop. 

[LuCruise]

Day 4 - Back on Ship

 

We'd had enough slides and swimming so we returned back on the ship by early afternoon. After our "lunch" of froot loops and bagel scraps we were hungry and so stopped at the Windjammer for a snack.  (Hey, at least the American cereal has nutrients, unlike the Canadian version) .  We caught the end of the lunch buffet, but went for the nice selection of desserts.  Nothing better than to sugar up before dinner. 

 

We walked along the Promenade for a bit.  Usually it's quite busy but guess many were still in port.

 

And then DH decided to try the Bionic Bar. 

You can make your own drink or select from suggested drinks.  Your drink goes in the queue and so you can see when your drink is coming up. 

 

Then you can watch Mr Robot make it for you.  Here is is pouring DH's drink...

 

It's pretty cool technology.  Our kids got a kick out of it (and got a non-alcoholic drink later in the week)

Edited March 22, 2019 by LuCruise

[LuCruise]

Day 4 - Nice Surprise

 

DH bought his drink from Bioinic Bar and then we noticed this on the counter.

 

It's a pretty good deal between the two of us.  And it can be shared among friends or other family as it's just a punch card (vs attached to your sea pass).  So we figured we'd purchase it. We don't drink enough for the drink package (esp when with our kids) so this was a good opportunity.