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Symphony or Harmony?

pattibacon
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pattibacon

pattibacon

Posted
Posted

Im planning to book the 4-BR suite in ‘24 for our 50th anniversary. Grandsons will be 10 and 13.  I’ve been comparing both ships to a degree.  Know they’re similar but seems Symphony improved on some things.  Any big difference I should look for?  Either better than the other?    

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Ashland

Ashland

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Missusdubbya said:

Symphony has a pool in the solarium

Which the two grandsons won't be able to use.

OP should choose the better itinerary instead of which of these very similar ships they should sail.

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LilBlackDress

LilBlackDress

Posted
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Things I would look at since the ships are very similar
Home Port Miami vs Port Canaveral ~ transportation

Hairspray vs Grease

If the specialty restaurants matter to you, they have some the same and some different

I believe Symphony departs on Saturday and Harmony departs on Sunday

Are either of them 8 nights vs 7 nights (I always prefer longer, even 1 night is better) 

 

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ksp819

ksp819

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I have been on Harmony 4 times and almost every time it was because it was less expensive and Port Canaveral is much closer to me than Miami.  We’ve had all ages with us and they loved it every time!  We have chosen Symphony for next summer but the only reason is because we are tired of seeing the same shows over and over, lol!  For the kids, playmakers might be a nice addition on Symphony but they would only care about the games which they can get in the arcade on Harmony.  Bottom line is, no matter. What you choose you will all have a fantastic time!  

 

Oh, in my opinion if you are going to spend the money on the 4bedroom suite, I would consider getting a deck 8 2 bedroom aqua theater suite and then a couple rooms near by.  It’s the best seat in the house for the aqua shows and no crowds to deal with!  We had a party of 12 that lived on that deck every night!  

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RFerrington

RFerrington

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Posted
1 hour ago, ksp819 said:

Oh, in my opinion if you are going to spend the money on the 4bedroom suite, I would consider getting a deck 8 2 bedroom aqua theater suite and then a couple rooms near by.  It’s the best seat in the house for the aqua shows and no crowds to deal with!  We had a party of 12 that lived on that deck every night!  

Just keep in mind that those that are not in a Star Class Suite will not be eligible for any of the SC amenities, including the services of the Genie.  I've known this situation to cause considerable complications and disappointments.

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cruisegirl1

cruisegirl1

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Posted

In my opinion, Symphony entertainment is far superior to Harmony . The production show (I think it is called) “flight”  on Symphony and the ice show on symphony are both amazing and should  “wow”  your grandsons. The production show “Columbus the musical”  on Harmony  is rather silly. 
 

Otherwise, the ships are basically the same. I would probably look at which port has the easiest transportation for your travel needs and then perhaps consider the itinerary. For kids, all the islands are basically the same.  
 

enjoy 

m

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cruisegirl1

cruisegirl1

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, matj2000 said:

What did Symphony improve on??

In my opinion, entertainment. The shows are simply amazing. More creative than any other RCCL ship.   
 

how about dancing drones for the ice show  and a song/dance that appears to defy gravity during the production show. 
 

m

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LuCruise

LuCruise

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Posted (edited)

Symphony has LaserQuest which your grandsons may enjoy.  It also has musical stairs and other neat interactive things around the ship that are fun to spot.  We also quite enjoyed El Loco Fresh for lunch, the free (grab and go) Mexican place.  And yes, as above, the ice show is pretty amazing with the drones.

Edited by LuCruise
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ksp819

ksp819

Posted
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1 hour ago, RFerrington said:

Just keep in mind that those that are not in a Star Class Suite will not be eligible for any of the SC amenities, including the services of the Genie.  I've known this situation to cause considerable complications and disappointments.

That is true.  I guess it depends on the Genie.  In our case we had no problems but we also didn’t ask for much other than seating for shows.  We have had a Genie a couple of times and the experiences were completely different so I could see someone having problems with it depending on the Genie.

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topnole

topnole

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Posted
3 hours ago, ksp819 said:

I have been on Harmony 4 times and almost every time it was because it was less expensive and Port Canaveral is much closer to me than Miami.  We’ve had all ages with us and they loved it every time!  We have chosen Symphony for next summer but the only reason is because we are tired of seeing the same shows over and over, lol!  For the kids, playmakers might be a nice addition on Symphony but they would only care about the games which they can get in the arcade on Harmony.  Bottom line is, no matter. What you choose you will all have a fantastic time!  

 

Oh, in my opinion if you are going to spend the money on the 4bedroom suite, I would consider getting a deck 8 2 bedroom aqua theater suite and then a couple rooms near by.  It’s the best seat in the house for the aqua shows and no crowds to deal with!  We had a party of 12 that lived on that deck every night!  

If the 4 bedroom suite is star class (which I assume it is) you won’t need to worry about seating or crowds for any shows.  You will have the best seats reserved for you by the Genie.  

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topnole

topnole

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Posted

Besides ports, a big deciding factor could be price.  Assuming you will have more than just 4 in the cabin or you wouldn’t need a 4br suite, the price difference could be significant.  Assume 6-8 in that suite, you could easily have thousands in price difference.  Quite frankly, if you save a bundle on one vs the other, that could be the decision maker.  Both ships will have plenty to keep all of you and the kids happy 24/7.  And I do mean plenty.  At 10 and 13, there is a good chance they will spend all their free time on the flowrider or the water slides regardless of all the many other activities on each ship.  I’ve been on Harmony and it is great.  But I love Oasis and Allure just as much even though Harmony is much newer.  So personally, I’d pick based on ports (including departure) and price.  

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smokeybandit

smokeybandit

Posted
Posted

My generic advice is that if you don't know what ship, then the ship shouldn't be part of your decision making. Just go for price or ports.

 

Once you're on a few ships, then you'll find what you like and don't like, and the ship question will answer itself for future cruises.

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Merion_Mom

Merion_Mom

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, pattibacon said:

Love your answers. A lot to think about and look at. I have a little over a year to make up my mind. A lot of things may change by then but thanks for your info.  Look forward to reading more from people. 

 

1 hour ago, sandebeach said:

Considering how quickly the 4-bedroom Villa suite gets booked, you may need to work with a TA to seen when and if it is available on either ship. 

 

Absolutely.  Don't wait.  This suite is rarely available, and if it is, GRAB it.

 

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