Symphony Of The Seas

The 2018-built Symphony of the Seas cruise ship is the second of four identical Oasis Plus-class Royal Caribbean liners (currently the world's largest passenger liners), with sisterships Harmony OTS (2016), Wonder OTS (2022), and Utopia OTS (2024). Royal Caribbean's Symphony exceeds in size the original Oasis-class vessels Oasis OTS and Allure OTS and has a building cost of USD 1.35 billion (2016 shiporder rates).

The vessel (IMO number 9744001) is currently Bahamas-flagged (MMSI 311000660) and registered in Nassau.

Symphony OTS is the 13th vessel delivered to Royal Caribbean by the French shipbuilding company Chantiers de l'Atlantique (St Nazaire, France), as well as the RCI fleet's 25th liner.

History - construction and ownership

Royal Caribbean International (RCI) is a US passenger shipping company, trademarked travel brand, and subsidiary owned by Royal Caribbean Group (RCG/shipowner). RCI was established in 1968 and currently has over one-fifth of the worldwide cruise market. RCI also has RCG's largest fleet by both vessel count and GT tonnage (ship sizes and capacities).

All RCI liners have names ending with "of the Seas".

The 6400-passenger ship Symphony OTS comprises 7 neighborhoods - Royal Promenade, Central Park, Boardwalk, Entertainment Zone, Sports Zone, Youth Center complex, and Wellness complex. Symphony is currently the world's largest passenger ship by GT tonnage (228,100 tons), which is 1000+ GT-tons larger than sistership Harmony OTS. She also has 28 more staterooms, the new-for-RCI "Family Suite" (a duplex apartment on 2 decks), and a redesigned Boardwalk area.

Compared to the other Oasis-class sisterships, Harmony and Symphony are heavier (by over 1700 tons), 3 meters wider, and able to accommodate 100 more passengers. Symphony is nearly 330 ft (101 m) longer than RMS Titanic and 165 ft (50 m) longer than the Eiffel Tower (Paris City). The liner has several promenades, two FlowRiders, two rock-climbing walls, an ice-skating rink, and the world's largest theater at sea. "The Ultimate Abyss" waterslide descends 10 decks from over 150 ft (46 m) above sea level.

A total of 24 elevators (12x forward + 12x aft) provide access all the way to deck 16, while decks 17 and 18 are accessed by 6 lifts. Two escalators (1x forward + 1x aft) interconnect decks 2-3.

The next YouTube video shows the most prominent features and the shipbuilding process of the Oasis 3 class - the world's largest cruise liners ever built.

Symphony OTS features a multi-deck waterslide area that was first introduced on Harmony OTS. She is also the second Oasis-class liner with robot bartenders serving drinks (Bionic Bar) - a concept first introduced in 2014 on Quantum of the Seas. Symphony has larger cabins than Allure and Oasis (in some categories) and windowless interior cabins (Virtual Balconies) offering real-time views, first introduced in 2014 on Navigator of the Seas.

Symphony's suite passengers benefit from exclusive new areas including a Suite Lounge, the private restaurant Coastal Kitchen, and a full-service Suite Sun Zone. New restaurants include the Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine eatery, which first debuted on Quantum. Also added to Symphony is the new Mexican restaurant El Loco Fresh.

Decks and Cabins

Symphony Of The Seas staterooms (2759 total, in 38 categories) include 190 Suites, 1316 Balcony, 176 Oceanview, 502 Inside, as well as 477 Boardwalk-Central Park Balcony, 78 Boardwalk-Central Park Interior, and 18 Promenade View cabins. Most cabins are sized 150-180 ft2 / 14-17 m2. Most cabin balconies are sized 55 ft2 / 5 m2. The largest is the Royal Loft Suite (1530 ft2 / 142 m2 plus an 850 ft2 / 79 m2 terrace with Jacuzzi). Wheelchair-accessible cabins total 46.

The ship has 17 decks, of which 16 are passenger-accessible and 11 have cabins.

The Ultimate Family Suite is a unique RCI loft suite featuring a slide (from the kids' bedroom down to the living room), a floor-to-ceiling LEGO wall, hidden nooks for relaxing, and an air-hockey table. A 3D movie-theater-style TV room is fitted with a popcorn machine and a library of video games. The 210 ft2 wraparound balcony has a bumper pool table, kids' climbers, and a full-size whirlpool. Currently the largest Family Suite at sea, it accommodates up to 8 passengers.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Symphony OTS's 3-tiered dining room is designed as three separate restaurants situated on different decks - American Icon Grill (Deck 3), The Grand (Deck 4), and The Chic (Deck 5). Symphony also includes some Quantum-class restaurants, such as Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine and Coastal Kitchen. The ship's Bionic Bar is famous for its dancing robot bartenders. Its location is on the Royal Promenade. The Izumi Restaurant features an a la carte hibachi, teppanyaki, and sushi menu. A total of 25 onboard dining options (14 complimentary, including room service) are available.

Follows the complete list of Symphony of the Seas restaurants and food bars.

• American Icon Grill (a la carte restaurant offering open-seating breakfast, lunch, and the "Brasserie 30" menu, with two assigned dinner seatings and a Private Dining area)
• The Grande Restaurant (serves themed breakfasts and dinners, with two fixed seatings and "My Time Dining")
• Chic (features an expansive dinner menu, with two seatings and the My Time Dining program)
• Johnny Rockets (128-seat fast-food restaurant, complimentary)
• Windjammer Marketplace buffet restaurant (offers Early Breakfast at 6:30 am, Breakfast from 7-11:30 am, Lunch from 11:30 am-3:30 pm, and Dinner from 6:30-9 pm)
• Jamie's Italian Restaurant (menu, deck 8) is a 132-seat specialty trattoria restaurant (surcharge USD 30 pp for dinner, USD 20 pp for lunch/sea days only) operated via a partnership with British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver
• El Loco Fresh restaurant (offers fresh-made Mexican favorites; it is located in the Sports Zone and replaces Mini Bites on Harmony OTS)
• Hooked Seafood is a specialty restaurant (in the Solarium) offering fresh seafood and a raw bar.
• Sugar Beach Candy and Ice Cream (replaces the retail outlets on the Johnny Rockets side of the ship's Boardwalk)
• Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade (located in the Boardwalk neighborhood, spanning the entire length of the area; Playmakers takes the place of Sabor and Starbucks on Harmony of the Seas; Starbucks opens on the Royal Promenade and is available during the European season only)
• Chops Grille (steakhouse/seafood)
• Sorrento's (Italian restaurant)
• Izumi (Asian/Japanese restaurant)
• Solarium Bistro (healthy dining)
• Coastal Kitchen (for Grand Suites and above passengers, plus Pinnacle members)
• WipeOut Cafe (fast-food bar)
• Boardwalk Dog House (complimentary)
• Park Cafe (deli bar, casual dining)
• Mini Bites casual eatery

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

The new Symphony of the Seas is a blend of Oasis-class deck layout and Quantum-class innovations. Brand-new additions include the first-ever Royal Caribbean waterslides created by ADE (Aquatic Design and Engineering), a climbing play area for kids, Suite Sun Zone, Starbucks coffee bar, a classic video games arcade located in the Boardwalk neighborhood, and 15 Studio cabins designed for solo travelers.

Among the new technologies on Symphony OTS are the RFID wristbands, or "WOWbands" - an optional replacement for RCI's SeaPass cards, allowing passengers to make purchases onboard and access their cabins. Typically for RCI, the wristbands are offered complimentary to all passengers.

When arriving in port, passengers can use their mobile phones to check in and board the cruise ship via just a security checkpoint between the ship and the curb. The new process leverages a combination of barcodes, beacons, and facial recognition to make boarding faster. Guests check in via the brand's new mobile app.

On December 31, 2017, RCI officially confirmed that the Symphony cruise ship would not offer the DreamWorks Experience (themed programming in partnership with the Walt Disney Company). This entertainment program is aimed at families and offers movie-themed DreamWorks activities on select RCI ships. The list of special activities includes DreamWorks characters ("meet and greet", photo ops), Character Breakfast (in main dining rooms), and 3D DreamWorks movie screenings (in the Theater Lounge). Themed games are provided by the Adventure Ocean youth program.

A new Adventure Ocean Theater show (named Away We Go!) was also announced for Symphony OTS. It is a black-light puppet show for kids ages 3-11. An additional part of the onboard kids' programming is the YouTube show "Muffalo Potato," teaching kids to draw anything using just letters and numbers. Also new and exclusive to Symphony OTS is the Broadway musical show "Hairspray" - originally played on Oasis OTS and replaced in 2014 by "Cats." Hairspray is an original Broadway production / musical comedy themed around humor and commentary on early 1960s race relations.

Additional amenities include complimentary 24-hour room service, supervised youth programs Voyagers (ages 9 to 11), Explorers (ages 6 to 8), Aquanauts (ages 3 to 5), Royal Babies and Tots (from 6 months to 3 years), Internet/WiFi access, and laundry.

One of Symphony OTS's unique features is the "piano stairs" that lead up to Windjammer Marketplace (Deck 15 to Deck 16). The staircase plays musical notes, and each stair briefly lights up when stepped on. Another special feature is the two secluded alcoves with lounge chairs (open-air, positioned on each side of the jogging track on Deck 5) where passengers can relax and enjoy the sea views.

Follows the complete list of Symphony of the Seas lounges, clubs, and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• Royal Theater (capacity 1401 seats) offers 3D movies, aerial acrobatic performances, and Broadway-style productions like Hairspray, the Tony Award-winning Broadway hit, and Flight, a one-of-a-kind show taking guests through the history and future of flying and the evolution of air travel, ending with a homage to the famous Wright Brothers)
• Studio B Lounge (indoor ice-skating rink; also serves as a venue for ice shows, cooking demos, and game parties; 1977 is a spectacular adventure on ice using ice-surface video projection technology on a brand-new level, pushing the limits of what is technologically possible; Laser Tag is a state-of-the-art special-effects arena where players battle over the fate of the galaxy's last planet)
• AquaTheatre (2-deck, 600-seat venue with a deep pool; HiRo is a new show combining cutting-edge technology, aerial acrobatic stunts, and future-forward choreography)
• Entertainment Place nightclub; "The Attic" Comedy Club; Crown Lounge (fka Diamond Club Lounge & Bar for past guests only); Jazz on 4 Bar & Club (aka Golden Room/now functions as a non-smoking Casino Room with 40x slot machines, 1x blackjack table, 1x 3-card poker table); On Air Club (karaoke bar); Boleros Latin Bar and Lounge; Boot and Bonnet Pub; Rising Tide Bar (moving cocktail bar); Bionic Bar; Schooner Bar (piano bar); Starbucks Bar; Sabor Taqueria and Tequila Bar; Vintages (wine bar); Trellis Bar; Rising Tide Bar; Dazzles (2-deck music and dancing lounge); Suite Sun Deck, Bar and Lounge; Sky Bar
• Escape Room: Puzzle Break experience, where teams race against the clock and work toward escaping the submarine-themed room before their time runs out.
• Art Gallery; Focus Photo Gallery and Shop
• Boardwalk neighborhood (with games and attractions)
• Carousel (with handcrafted wooden figures)
• Casino Royale; Card Room
• Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center; 9 outdoor Jacuzzis (2 cantilevered); 4 swimming pools
• Royal Promenade Boutiques (perfumes, jewelry, duty-free alcohol, general store, logo/souvenirs)
• Solarium lounge (includes Solarium Cafe, pool bar, and adults-only pool area); Solarium Bar
• Video Games Arcade; Explorers, Aquanauts, Adventure Science Lab; The Living Room and Night Club teen areas; Fuel Teen Disco; Royal Babies and Tots Nursery; Adventure Ocean kids lounge area; Kids' Avenue; Workshop (family venue); H2O Zone family and kids area
• Sports Court (basketball, volleyball, soccer; tennis tables); FlowRiders (surf simulators); Zip Line (82 ft/25 m); Jogging Track; Rock-climbing Walls; Symphony Dunes Mini Golf
• The ship has a total of 19 pools.

Central Park is an outdoor relaxation zone within the ship's interior, with 20,700+ live plants. Central Park's huge garden features multi-deck-high metal columns and green walls covered in vines and ferns, several pathways, recorded sounds of various species (birds, insects, animals), and live seasonal plants (flowers, shrubs, trees). Signage boards provide detailed information on all Central Park trees and plants.

(NEW) Unique shipboard features

RCI Symphony has some unique features not currently available on the other Oasis-class ships. These brand-new Royal Caribbean venues were revealed in October 2017, during the vessel's construction, and include:

• "Ultimate Family Suite" is a new cabin type (8-passenger, 2-bedroom loft suite sized 125 m2 / 1350 ft2) featuring an exclusive in-cabin slide from the kids' bedroom (upper level) down to the living room (lower level), floor-to-ceiling LEGO wall, air-hockey table, 2 hanging egg swing chairs, separate TV room (3D movies, popcorn machine, media library, video gaming consoles with games), and large wraparound balcony (sized 20 m2 / 210 ft2, fitted with bumper pool table, small climbing wall, and full-size whirlpool).
• "Hooked Seafood" - a New England-style seafood specialty restaurant for lunch and dinner. It is located in the Solarium complex (forward on Pool Deck 15) and offers fresh seafood, as well as a raw bar where freshly shucked oysters can be ordered.
• "El Loco Fresh" is a Mexican restaurant (capacity over 100 seats) offering fresh-made favorites. It is located in the Sports Zone (Pool Deck 15), replacing "Mini Bites" (food bar on Harmony OTS). El Loco Fresh offers Mexican fare with fresh-made mole sauce and salsa verde, plus made-to-order burritos and tacos.
• "Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade" has 30 large-sized TVs for watching live sporting events, as well as a video games section fitted with arcade machines. The sports bar/arcade is located on Deck 6 (Boardwalk). It spans the neighborhood's entire length and takes the place of Sabor and Starbucks (on Harmony OTS). Starbucks was relocated to Deck 5 (Royal Promenade), but this specialty coffee bar is not available on European cruise itineraries. The Playmakers Sports Bar menu offers fast-food classics like chicken wings, burgers, popcorn shrimp, sliders, and sundaes.
• "Sugar Beach Candy and Ice Cream" is a premium shop for sweet treats located on Deck 6 (Boardwalk). The shop has colorful walls packed with candies, premium ice cream, and a huge variety of toppings, and also offers family-friendly activities and workshops. Sugar Beach replaced "Johnny Rockets" (fast-food bar).
• "Battle for Planet Z" (Laser Tag experience) is available at the "Studio B" complex (Deck 3) and offers glow-in-the-dark laser tag gaming with top-notch special effects.
• "Escape Room" (submarine-themed, located on Boardwalk Deck 6) provides a puzzle-breaking team gaming experience.

On Deck 15 are installed three 24-hour self-service vending machines (by Pharmabox Franchise). They allow the purchase of select merchandise, including the Tech Shop (electronics, gadgets, batteries, headphones, walkie-talkies, Nintendo 3DS gaming consoles), Splash Store (sunscreens, skincare products, swim accessories), and Health Essentials Store (toiletries, medicines).

The list of new show productions exclusive to Symphony cruise ship includes:

• "1977" (in the Studio B / ice-rink theater) - themed on time travel and dimension-jumping, with Panasonic-developed video projection technology
• "Flight - Dare to Dream" (in the Royal Theater) - themed on the history of flying, featuring 3D video and automation technologies
• "Hairspray" (in the Royal Theater) - themed on the Broadway musical
• "HiRo" (in the Aqua Theater) - themed on heroic combat, with high-flying acrobatics, diving, and extreme-sport stunts.

Itineraries

Symphony of the Seas spends her inaugural summer season exploring the awe-inspiring destinations of the Mediterranean, calling at ports in Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Provence, Livorno/Florence-Pisa, Civitavecchia/Rome, and Naples. Then she arrives in Miami in early November to start 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries on November 17 from the state-of-the-art Terminal A, dubbed "Crown of Miami".

Symphony is Royal Caribbean's fourth Oasis-class liner, with sisterships Harmony, Wonder, Oasis, and Allure. These are currently the world's largest passenger liners ever constructed. RCCL planned the ship's cost per berth to be lower compared to Allure and Oasis. Like her sisterships, Symphony OTS has telescoping funnels to allow her to sail under bridges. Unlike the original smaller Oasis-class ships, Symphony has no Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine (specialty restaurant) or 150 Central Park (dinner-only specialty restaurant), while the adult-only Solarium complex has a swimming pool and 2 additional whirlpools.

The following aerial photo shows an Oasis-class vessel as seen from above.

The vessel was ordered on May 9, 2014. The steel-cutting ceremony (shipyard/hull number B34) took place on February 3, 2015, at STX France shipyard (Saint-Nazaire, France). The keel-laying ceremony was held on October 2, 2016, officially marking the start of the vessel's construction. During the ceremony, a 32 x 154-ft (10 x 47 m), 1000-ton keel block was lifted by a huge crane and placed into the shipyard's building dock. Newly minted coins were placed under the keel and remained there until the end of the vessel's construction. After the vessel was near completion, the coins were retrieved and presented to the Captain and crew to be placed onboard.

On June 9, 2017, the vessel was floated out from drydock at the STX shipyard. The float-out marked the end of exterior work on the vessel's hull and superstructure. The official delivery to RCI was on March 23, 2018. The ceremony was attended by Michael Bayley (RCI's President and CEO), Richard Fain (RCCL's CEO and Chairman), and Laurent Castaing (STX's General Manager).

Symphony OTS is the world's first cruise liner christened by an entire family - PenaVega. The "godfamily" is Carlos and Alexa PenaVega (American actress and singer), along with their son Ocean (17 months old at the time). The naming ceremony was held on November 15, 2018, in PortMiami.

The vessel's powerplant consists of 4x Wartsila marine diesel engines (model 12V46F, 12-cylinder, total power output 57.6 MV) plus 2x Wartsila 16V46F (16-cylinder, total output 38.4 MV). The propulsion system is diesel-electric, consisting of 3x ABB Azipods (360-degree azimuthing thrusters) with a combined power output of 20 MW.

The ship's first drydock was a month-long project (May 20 through June 2021) at Navantia Shipyard in Cadiz Spain. The drydocking was for routine maintenance work (usually done to cruise ships every 5 years) to keep her properly maintained. Symphony OTS's 2021 drydock included mainly technical work (propellers, fin stabilizers, bottom valves, hull painting) and classification inspection.

The next RCI official YouTube video shows Oasis-Plus ships' fun statistics and best features.

Symphony OTS refurbishments review

The ship entered drydock in 2023 (March 22 through April 13) for routine maintenance work conducted at Navantia shipyard in Cadiz Spain.

The drydocking project included public-area and hotel refreshes, as well as some technical upgrades, minor steel work, underwater hull cleaning, and painting. The "Jazz on 4" club was converted into a non-smoking Casino Room.

RCCL 50th birthday cruise 2019

On October 1, 2018, RCI announced that the company's 50th birthday cruise (themed "50 Years Bold Birthday Cruise") would be held on Symphony of the Seas, departing roundtrip from Miami on November 2, 2019. The 7-day Eastern Caribbean itinerary featured unique programming, special events, and surprise guest performers.

Ship Facts

All Royal Caribbean Oasis-class ships are the world's first cruise vessels with a DNV Green Passport. This is a key element for the Clean Ship Design certificate. The certificate is not compulsory, but it demonstrates the environmental commitment of the operator, Royal Caribbean International. Another interesting feature is that the hulls have a special non-toxic coating that minimizes friction and saves fuel.

Below is a list of fun facts about the RCI Symphony cruise ship - the world's largest ever built:

• Ultimate Abyss slide is 150 ft (45.70 m) above sea level, featuring 31 sections, two 360-degree circles, a 27-degree slide incline, a 28 m (92 ft) serpentine-like drop, 13.14 seconds average sliding time (top to bottom), around 300 small LED lights, and graffiti artwork.
• Aquatheater has two diving boards installed 10 m (33 ft) above its swimming pool.
• The ship was constructed from 500,000 individual pieces (27 times the number of pieces used for the Eiffel Tower's construction).
• The ship's art collection has more works than the Louvre Museum (in Paris) has paintings. The onboard art is worth over USD 6.5 million.
• The ship has a total of 23 "water areas" (swimming pools, large outdoor jacuzzis, waterslides, 2x FlowRiders).
• The ship has 20 restaurants and offers over 300 individual menu options. Eight specialty restaurants offer over 200 different dishes daily. Total restaurant seating is 4908 seats.
• The onboard bar menus have a total of 127 specialty cocktails, in addition to all the classics.
• Each day, 110,000 ice cubes are made.
• Each day, 480,000 gallons (1.87 million liters) of fresh water are consumed.
• Daily food consumption statistics show chicken (9,730 lbs / 4.4 tons), eggs (10,000), beef (15,000 lbs / 6.8 tons), ice cream (700 lbs / 320 kg), baking potatoes (20,000 lbs / 9.1 tons), flour (12,600 lbs / 5.7 tons), salmon (2500 lbs / 1.1 tons), french fries (5000 lbs / 2.3 tons), bacon (5300 lbs / 2.4 tons), limes (800 lbs / 360 kg), pineapple (4000 lbs / 1.8 tons), oranges (5000 lbs / 2.3 tons), lemons (1000 lbs / 450 kg), cherries (40 jars), and olives (20 jars).
• The ship's food-and-beverage staff totals 1056, including 249 culinary staff, 184 beverage staff, and 91 kitchen stewards.
• The ship weighs more than 17,000 African elephants. Note: Male elephants weigh between 10,360 and 13,330 lbs (4.7-6 tons).
• Around 2350 tons of water are needed to fill all 23 of the ship's water facilities (swimming pools, jacuzzis, 2 FlowRiders, waterslides, and the aqua park Splashaway Bay).

In September 2018, RCCL trademarked the Oasis-class ships' smokestack area (located top-deck midship). The design features a crown-shaped bottom section with 2 slanted funnels above. In October 2018, the ship's oblong-shaped stern was trademarked. The design features AquaTheater Suites (with balconies), Ultimate Abyss (2 cascading waterslides), and RCCL's logo.

Inaugural Cruise 2018 itineraries

The ship's homeport in the USA is Miami Florida (starting regular roundtrip itineraries on November 10, 2018).

The ship's "Inaugural Cruise" was scheduled for April 22, 2018 (7 nights / 8 days Western Mediterranean itinerary roundtrip from Barcelona). Prices started from USD 800 pp (double occupancy rates). The next table shows the maiden voyage's ports of call and port times.

As the cruise liner was launched earlier (3 weeks ahead of schedule), 3 additional itineraries were added:

• (pre-inaugural) March 31, 2018 - 5-day Barcelona to Naples and Rome
• (inaugural) April 7, 2018 - 7-day and (post-inaugural) April 14, 2018 - 7-day, both visiting the call ports Palma de Mallorca, Marseille, Livorno, Rome-Civitavecchia, and Naples.

The ship's first Transatlantic crossing (repositioning cruise) was scheduled for October 28, 2018 (12 nights / 13 days one-way from Barcelona to Miami). Prices started from USD 950 pp.

The ship's "Caribbean inaugural cruise" was scheduled for November 10, 2018 (4 nights / 5 days Western Caribbean / Mexico from Miami). Prices started from USD 850 pp.

The ship's maiden call at RCCL's private island destination, Labadee Haiti, was scheduled for December 2, 2018 (7 nights / 8 days, roundtrip Eastern Caribbean). Prices started from USD 800 pp.

Godspeed!