Symphony OTS Live! - Transatlantic Oct. 28, 2018 "Coming to America"

[jonj]

Thank you so much for the review, thoroughly enjoyed it. The other terminal, I believe, is for Disney cruise line.

[twangster]

Cruise Summary

 

Symphony is a fantastic ship.  The evolutional changes and differences compared to her sisters including Harmony have been well thought out and executed.  The Solarium is outstanding and my favorite of all in this class.  The changing colors of the art in the Solarium day and especially at night is pretty great.

Playmakers is a hit and from my deck 8 boardwalk balcony very nearly on top of it I never heard any noise from Playmakers.  

 

The main shows such as Hairspray, 1977, Flight and HiRO were also fantastic.  Flight was very well done and I look forward to experiencing it again on the 50th birthday cruise.  The enhanced projection technology even in HiRO was noticed.  I appreciated the artistic nature of HiRO more and the symbolism of equality and unity.  

 

The crew were all top notch and I can't recall a single poor crew interaction.  Like all Oasis class the crew can be very busy at times but they always had a smile on their face.

 

I was pleasantly surprised how well the O3b Voom held up across the Atlantic.  There are times when poor weather or satellite switch-over can impact even the best satellite technology so it's not the same as internet on land but it never really let me down.

 

This was my first transatlantic but it won't be my last.  The days flew by and before I knew it I had to think about packing.  

 

Next cruise - Serenade of the Seas from which I am writing this post.  Ten days in the Eastern Caribbean.

 

I hope you have enjoyed following me on this journey and I thank you for viewing.

 

[Trainer]

Thanks for the journey.  I will be on Symphony in about five weeks and, if anything, you have heightened my anticipation.  Your pictures were excellent.  I will be watching for your future travels.

 

[Norwich Cruiser]

Thank you for taking both the time and trouble to write such a detailed review I absolutely loved reading it.

 

[dreamer976]

Thank you so much for your LIVE FROM posting. 

 

I, my sister and a dear friend cruised along with you on this sailing. Your photos are beautiful and I thank you for sharing them with us. They capture the beautiful, yet technologically sophisticated vibe of Symphony and I’ll be sure to refer to them often when I feel the need to be taken back to the wonderful 13 days aboard. 

 

Ellen

[fielddreamer]

On 11/6/2018 at 3:01 PM, twangster said:

 

My pictures don't nearly do it justice.   There is so much going on, you need to see it live and experience it.   Royal Caribbean has really evolved their entertainment on Symphony.   

Is the " Bistro" open for breakfast every day or just embarkation day ? Also is the food in the Bistro the same at lunch as dinner or a little different!  Thanks !

[FLACRUISER99]

Take good care of Seranade as I will be boarding when you return to Port Everglades.

[Nanatravel]

Thank you so much for your live review and posting such amazing photos.  I'll be joining you on the 50th Anniversary cruise in November.  But will get to try Oasis class in February.  Can't wait.  Thanks again.

 

[maggieq]

We were on this cruise as well. Entertainment was the highlight - Hiro, Hairspray and the ice show in that order. Gary Williams was also very good.  Happy that the weather  improved greatly by day 4. 

 

The new terminal is beautiful. However, those who would be looking for a taxi after the cruise, give yourself some additional time.  There was a backup due to shuttles/busses and personal car pick ups that haulted the taxis from getting through timely.   The lady working the taxi area blamed it on RCCL. Luckily, we left earlier than needed but I would have been mad had we been in a rush for an early flight.  

 

 

[Pratique]

1 hour ago, maggieq said:

We were on this cruise as well. Entertainment was the highlight - Hiro, Hairspray and the ice show in that order. Gary Williams was also very good.  Happy that the weather  improved greatly by day 4. 

 

The new terminal is beautiful. However, those who would be looking for a taxi after the cruise, give yourself some additional time.  There was a backup due to shuttles/busses and personal car pick ups that haulted the taxis from getting through timely.   The lady working the taxi area blamed it on RCCL. Luckily, we left earlier than needed but I would have been mad had we been in a rush for an early flight.  

 

 

I took the bus transfer to the airport and the bus drivers were also blaming Royal for the chaos. I hate being treated like cattle but in this case I think they need to corral the passengers so there isn’t a mad crush. Truth be told most of the delay was in handling all of the baggage. The driver had no help loading the bus.

 

Otherrwise the cruise was one of my best and Symphony is my new favorite ship.

[Lvscruzn]

Was wondering if there is a pic among those that have sailed Symphony of the muster station locations? Looking for G04.

Twangster thanks again for the fantastic live from!  Great pictures.

[twangster]

9 minutes ago, Lvscruzn said:

Was wondering if there is a pic among those that have sailed Symphony of the muster station locations? Looking for G04.

Twangster thanks again for the fantastic live from!  Great pictures.

 

No Problem!  G04 was my muster.  Aqua Theater port side.  

[Lvscruzn]

4 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

No Problem!  G04 was my muster.  Aqua Theater port side.  

  Small world! thanks!

 

[twangster]

3 hours ago, fielddreamer said:

Is the " Bistro" open for breakfast every day or just embarkation day ? Also is the food in the Bistro the same at lunch as dinner or a little different!  Thanks !

 

Bistro is open on all days but typically an hour after the WJ opens for breakfast.  Lunch, like breakfast is very WJ-like.  Dinner is a unique menu that is distinctly different from the WJ.  Dinner requires reservations but no charge.  Off peak they can accommodate some walk ins.

[twangster]

55 minutes ago, Pratique said:

I took the bus transfer to the airport and the bus drivers were also blaming Royal for the chaos. I hate being treated like cattle but in this case I think they need to corral the passengers so there isn’t a mad crush. Truth be told most of the delay was in handling all of the baggage. The driver had no help loading the bus.

 

That interesting.  Royal has outsourced the transfers.  Many transfer employees used to be RCI employees years ago before they outsourced and many employees went to work for the transfer company.

 

When I took an RCI airport transfer on Empress in July out of Miami no Royal employees were involved with the transfer, it was all done by the transfer company, including loading luggage in the belly of the bus.  

 

My sense was that the new flow of the terminal is hampered by road construction.  They were scraping up old asphalt getting ready to re-pave it soon.  While the terminal building is done, the roads are not and that is on the Port of Miami, not RCCL.  It seemed to me that with it all being so new, bus and taxi drivers didn't understand the flow and traffic patterns.  Buses were parking in the wrong areas and blocking other buses from arriving.  Most terminal workers are not RCCL employees, they are a 3rd party company that checks you in and a different company handles luggage.  

 

I think it's new to everyone and they are figuring it out in these early days.  

Edited November 11, 2018 by twangster

[John&LaLa]

5 hours ago, twangster said:

Cruise Summary

 

Symphony is a fantastic ship.  The evolutional changes and differences compared to her sisters including Harmony have been well thought out and executed.  The Solarium is outstanding and my favorite of all in this class.  The changing colors of the art in the Solarium day and especially at night is pretty great.

Playmakers is a hit and from my deck 8 boardwalk balcony very nearly on top of it I never heard any noise from Playmakers.  

 

The main shows such as Hairspray, 1977, Flight and HiRO were also fantastic.  Flight was very well done and I look forward to experiencing it again on the 50th birthday cruise.  The enhanced projection technology even in HiRO was noticed.  I appreciated the artistic nature of HiRO more and the symbolism of equality and unity.  

 

The crew were all top notch and I can't recall a single poor crew interaction.  Like all Oasis class the crew can be very busy at times but they always had a smile on their face.

 

I was pleasantly surprised how well the O3b Voom held up across the Atlantic.  There are times when poor weather or satellite switch-over can impact even the best satellite technology so it's not the same as internet on land but it never really let me down.

 

This was my first transatlantic but it won't be my last.  The days flew by and before I knew it I had to think about packing.  

 

Next cruise - Serenade of the Seas from which I am writing this post.  Ten days in the Eastern Caribbean.

 

I hope you have enjoyed following me on this journey and I thank you for viewing.

 

 

So, any more thoughts on the challenges or pluses of using the new CC for a Live review?

[twangster]

48 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

So, any more thoughts on the challenges or pluses of using the new CC for a Live review?

 

For my style of writing (and being photo intensive) the new Invision Community based forum works better.  I'm familiar with it from a different forum that also uses Invision so it is very easy and comfortable for me.  

[A&L_Ont]

Twangster thank you for bringing us along on this great adventure. So many great pics, but the wings from Playmakers stop me cold.  Playmakers might just be my first stop that I make in Symphony in March. 

 

Thanks again. 

[prekteacher]

Fantastic!!!   What an amazing and thorough review and trip report.   I am really impressed with your pictures.   The ship looks amazing.   Symphony will be on my 2020 list as we are going on Allure and trying Anthem for the first time next year.

Thank you for your time and for taking the time to answer everyone’s questions.

Bravo and continued safe travels,

Barbara

[Sunseeker20]

Are you on serenade now? Will you be posting photos? I love following your live posts!

[twangster]

8 hours ago, Sunseeker20 said:

Are you on serenade now? Will you be posting photos? I love following your live posts!

 

I am on Serenade now but I'm taking a break unless something news worthy occurs.  

[Sunseeker20]

3 hours ago, twangster said:

 

I am on Serenade now but I'm taking a break unless something news worthy occurs.  

 

No! Haha. I will be on Serenade next fall and I'm so curious!

[joand452]

Thank you so much for the wonderful cruise!  We’ll probably book a cruise on Symphony for 2020. I’d try for next fall, but we’re going to Disney World instead. While people complain about the cost of cruising, it’s significantly less than WDW! Which is how we decided to try Celebrity in a few weeks. The original plan was WDW, but... 2019 is a trip to celebrate my husband’s retirement, and search out an area in FL we might like to move to. 

 

Enjoy your cruise on Serenade!

[PhoenixCruiser]

12 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

Twangster thank you for bringing us along on this great adventure. So many great pics, but the wings from Playmakers stop me cold.  Playmakers might just be my first stop that I make in Symphony in March. 

 

Thanks again. 

 

Same here!  Our cruise leaves three weeks from yesterday and we will be spending a lot of time in Playmakers, especially during the football games.

 

Thanks again Twangster

Edited November 11, 2018 by PhoenixCruiser

[Suzcruz57]

You so deserve a break. I say put your laptop in the safe and relax and enjoy!🍷🛳👙🐬