Symphony Review 4/13-4/20/19

[mickeygirl78]

I was lucky enough to go on the Symphony of the Seas 4/13-4/20/19.  This trip consistent of me, my parents, my sister, brother in law, nephew and niece. 

 

PreCruise

My mom and I flew from Maine to Fort Lauderdale (Southwest) on Friday 4/12.  The rest of the family left Thursday 4/11 and drove down to Miami.  We all met up a the Intercontinental Miami hotel Friday afternoon.  The hotel was beautiful.  We could see some cruise ships and it was a short walk to Bayside.  That night we went to Bayside and did a little shopping and ate at Bubba Gumps. 

 

Day 1

Saturday morning we took 2 taxis to the port around 11am.  Porters were available at the taxi drop off location to get our luggage.  We then proceeded inside.  Lines were long (we didn't get the text about extra sanitation and to come later until we were already on our way).  Luckily my parents are Emerald and Royal let all of us check in with them in that line.  It took about 20 minutes to check in and go through security and then we were on the ship!  Since we had been on the Oasis, we felt very at home on Symphony, knowing where most everything was.  Since my sister loves the Windjammer, we decided to go right there before the crowds got too busy.  I was impressed with the hand washing stations they have at most dining locations and the purrell stations.  Food was good, lots of variety.  After that we wanted to explore.  We checked out the pool deck, solarium & bistro and then we heard the announcement that rooms were ready (around 1pm).  We had rooms 10325, 10327 and 10329 - all boardwalk balconies.  Our set sail passes were waiting by our doors.  I really like the way the rooms are laid out versus Oasis.  The closets are much easier to access and it felt like more storage.  Several of our bags were already in the hall, so we grabbed those and started unpacking.  Then it was time to really explore before muster drill time.  The muster drill was the same silly video they've been using for awhile, ours was in the aquatheater.  One thing to keep in mind - about 90% of the aquatheater was in the sun, so if this is your muster station, be prepared.  We had My Time Dining so we decided to go to the main dining room around 6pm.  We were seated right away.  Our servers, Ivan and Svetlana, were so amazing that on the way out we asked if we could make reservations with them for the rest of the cruise.  We had reservations for the ice show after dinner.  I had heard about the drones, but it was so neat to see.  The show's story line is a little cheesy but the skating was amazing.  I highly recommend this show.

 

Day 2

We were at sea today.  We all slept in, all that travel was catching up with us.  Then we went to the Windjammer for breakfast.  After that we headed to the pool.  We found a few chairs in the shade by the hot tubs (very busy with kids running in and out of them) but through the day we were able to move as others left.  While there were pool chair hogs, we were always able to find something.  This was also formal night.  Our wait staff had mentioned the day before that tonight was formal night and asked for no shorts in the dining room.  We all did dress up but I was surprised to see many still in shorts and extremely casual.  Lots of photographers in the promenade but lines were long.  That night we had Hiro reservations, after dinner though we didn't have enough time to change and make it before standby was let in, so we decided to watch it on our balconies.  Our rooms were the last three closest to the aquatheater, so we had a pretty good view. 

 

Day 3

Another at sea day.  We went to Johnny Rockets for breakfast today.  Our server was hilarious.  He did jokes, magic tricks and even danced.  Food was good and a fun way to start the morning.  We went to the pools again today.  We saw Hairspray at night.   The cast was great, it was a fun show.

 

Day 4

We were at St. Kitts today.  Four of us had an excursion booked for zip lining.  We had to be at the specified location at 9:30 so we were in line waiting for the ship to let us off.  The staff are very helpful at pointing you in the right direction.  After we signed waivers and waited in line for all the others they brought us to vans to drive to the place.  Once there, we were suited up with harnesses & helmets and did a small test run before being loaded up in a big truck and driven to the top of the mountain.  From there we went down four separate lines.  I am terrified of heights but decided I needed to do this - an it was awesome.  I never got scared, felt very secure.  After zip lining we had about a half hour wait for our vans to pick us back up, then they returned us to the ship.  We met up with the rest of our party and got a quick bite to eat on the ship then went shopping in the plaza by the port.  After a full day on the island, we were not in the mood for the dining room so we just did the Windjammer for dinner.  They have a stir fry section at the back that is really good.  You pick your vegetables, then they cook it and add the meat you choose (beef, chicken or pork) and either rice or noodles.  We went to the red carpet show that night, it was Bohemian Rhapsody. 

Day 5

Today was St. Thomas.  We did not book an excursion through the ship.  After breakfast in the windjammer, we took a taxi and went to Megan's Bay.  It was $10pp each way for the taxi and $5 to get in.  The beach is beautiful.  They have restrooms, a bar, food.  We brought our own floats and a small pump to inflate them.  We stayed a few hours until we all felt a little crispy.  Then we took the taxi back and did a little shopping at that port.   There was another ship in port (at the other port then us - Norwegian).  We did a late lunch at Johnny Rockets.  Lunch was good.  They tell you they just bring fries and onion rings, but we were able to also get bacon cheese fries too.  The meal came with our boardwalk room.  We were so full we didn't make it to dinner but late night we had some wings at Playmakers.  Their wings were really good, the minor league were hot.  Before wings though we had the Escape Room booked.  Five in our group did that and we were grouped with four other people.  We failed - we were really close to solving it but ran out of time.  The Royal Caribbean employee stays in room with you and they were a little annoying (telling us to not help others - focus on what we were doing, constantly yelling to think).  I think we would have solved it if she weren't there.  It was a lot of fun though and we thought it was worth the money.

 

Day 6

Last at sea day.  Today my niece and I had the sushi making class.  It was at 10:30am in Izumi.  The class was a lot of fun, they provided great instruction and went around to make sure you were doing it right.  After we got to eat what we made.  The class was $30 each.  We couldn't eat everything we made, but still found it worth it for the experience.  We did dinner in the main dining room again.  As always, it was fabulous.  I was impressed every time we ate in the MDR (which was 5 of the 7 nights) with both the service and food.  After dinner a few did the stand up comedy show, a few explored and I took my nephew to see Aquaman playing in the Aquatheather. 

 

Day 7

Our last day.  :(  We were in Nassau today.  After breakfast in the Windjammer, we went on deck to watch us pull into Nassau.  Because we were here for such a short time, we decided not do an excursion.  We got off and walked around the shops.  There were 5 ships in port so it was extremely busy.  We hit the pools when we got back and there was hardly anyone there.  No lines for the slides (which the kids loved).  We snacked at all our favorite spots during the day.  There was Harry Potter trivia in the Schooner Bar, that was a lot of fun.  I'm a huge Harry Potter fan and there were two questions I was even stumped on.  We made sure to go to the dining room tonight to say goodbye to our wait staff. 

 

Day 8

Disembarkation day.  The group that drove walked their luggage off the ship and took a taxi to the airport to get their rental car and start the trek home.  My mom and I booked the hop off hop on excursion.  We brought our luggage to deck 4 studio B and got our tags/instructions.  Then we were sent off to get to the bus.  Those who did not bring their luggage, had to claim it in the luggage section and bring it to the bus.  We checked our bags in at the bus and then got on the double decker tour bus.  We had a 4:30pm flight in FLL so we planned for the 1pm shuttle.  We did the 1 1/2 hour tour (we didn't hop off anywhere) and then got off at Bayside when it ended.  We did lunch at the Hard Rock then claimed our luggage and got on the bus to the airport.  We got to FLL around 1:45.  The excursion was fun and made better use of the day then just sitting at the airport.  It cost $59 each, which seemed reasonable since it included our shuttle to the airport.

 

I'm sure I'm leaving things out, we did lots on board.  We did buy wow bands - you could use them to check out towels, for show reservations, to get in your room.  We had the soda plan and still needed cards or mugs to get soda.  You need your card to get on / off the ship (which they do tell you when you buy the band).  We bought the picture package.  I was emailed the link three days after the cruise ended.  I liked our rooms a lot, the view was great, we could see both the ocean and boardwalk.  It was very loud in the room when Hiro was going on.  The staff on this ship were some of the very best we've encountered.  I'm sad that it's already over.  I'll try to upload some pictures when I can.

 

[BixBebe]

Thanks for the review. We’ll be on board in a few days for the same itinerary. Glad to hear you had a great time!

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review!

[katiel53]

Thanks for the review.  We stayed in 12325 on Allure and were able to see things that were happening in the Aqua Theatre from our cabin as well.

 

We are going to St Thomas and St Kitts on our Allure cruise this summer.  No one in my family, other than me,  has been to St Thomas or St Kitts, so they are looking forward to those new ports.

[mickeygirl78]

On 4/24/2019 at 1:11 PM, mickeygirl78 said:

 

 

Pics of my room, the view and sushi from the class.

[mickeygirl78]

Windjammer @ lunch     

[mickeygirl78]

Magen’s Bay - St Thomas

[Cel_cruise]

Thanks for sharing and for the info/pictures from your room!

We were on this same cruise and I was trying to convince my kids that they could live in a boardwalk balcony - but my daughter - who is 8! - is concerned it won’t be quiet enough for her. I believe this is nonsense but she has a strong opinion! Besides during shows - how was the noise? Did you hear the Abyss sound? Was it hot or was there some moving air up there?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mickeygirl78]

1 hour ago, Cel_cruise said:

Thanks for sharing and for the info/pictures from your room!

We were on this same cruise and I was trying to convince my kids that they could live in a boardwalk balcony - but my daughter - who is 8! - is concerned it won’t be quiet enough for her. I believe this is nonsense but she has a strong opinion! Besides during shows - how was the noise? Did you hear the Abyss sound? Was it hot or was there some moving air up there?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

With the door closed, I heard no normal boardwalk, abyss noise. The only time I could hear anything was during Hiro. 

[mickeygirl78]

[exercisemama]

On 4/24/2019 at 1:11 PM, mickeygirl78 said:

I was lucky enough to go on the Symphony of the Seas 4/13-4/20/19.  This trip consistent of me, my parents, my sister, brother in law, nephew and niece. 

 

PreCruise

My mom and I flew from Maine to Fort Lauderdale (Southwest) on Friday 4/12.  The rest of the family left Thursday 4/11 and drove down to Miami.  We all met up a the Intercontinental Miami hotel Friday afternoon.  The hotel was beautiful.  We could see some cruise ships and it was a short walk to Bayside.  That night we went to Bayside and did a little shopping and ate at Bubba Gumps. 

 

Day 1

Saturday morning we took 2 taxis to the port around 11am.  Porters were available at the taxi drop off location to get our luggage.  We then proceeded inside.  Lines were long (we didn't get the text about extra sanitation and to come later until we were already on our way).  Luckily my parents are Emerald and Royal let all of us check in with them in that line.  It took about 20 minutes to check in and go through security and then we were on the ship!  Since we had been on the Oasis, we felt very at home on Symphony, knowing where most everything was.  Since my sister loves the Windjammer, we decided to go right there before the crowds got too busy.  I was impressed with the hand washing stations they have at most dining locations and the purrell stations.  Food was good, lots of variety.  After that we wanted to explore.  We checked out the pool deck, solarium & bistro and then we heard the announcement that rooms were ready (around 1pm).  We had rooms 10325, 10327 and 10329 - all boardwalk balconies.  Our set sail passes were waiting by our doors.  I really like the way the rooms are laid out versus Oasis.  The closets are much easier to access and it felt like more storage.  Several of our bags were already in the hall, so we grabbed those and started unpacking.  Then it was time to really explore before muster drill time.  The muster drill was the same silly video they've been using for awhile, ours was in the aquatheater.  One thing to keep in mind - about 90% of the aquatheater was in the sun, so if this is your muster station, be prepared.  We had My Time Dining so we decided to go to the main dining room around 6pm.  We were seated right away.  Our servers, Ivan and Svetlana, were so amazing that on the way out we asked if we could make reservations with them for the rest of the cruise.  We had reservations for the ice show after dinner.  I had heard about the drones, but it was so neat to see.  The show's story line is a little cheesy but the skating was amazing.  I highly recommend this show.

 

Day 2

We were at sea today.  We all slept in, all that travel was catching up with us.  Then we went to the Windjammer for breakfast.  After that we headed to the pool.  We found a few chairs in the shade by the hot tubs (very busy with kids running in and out of them) but through the day we were able to move as others left.  While there were pool chair hogs, we were always able to find something.  This was also formal night.  Our wait staff had mentioned the day before that tonight was formal night and asked for no shorts in the dining room.  We all did dress up but I was surprised to see many still in shorts and extremely casual.  Lots of photographers in the promenade but lines were long.  That night we had Hiro reservations, after dinner though we didn't have enough time to change and make it before standby was let in, so we decided to watch it on our balconies.  Our rooms were the last three closest to the aquatheater, so we had a pretty good view. 

 

Day 3

Another at sea day.  We went to Johnny Rockets for breakfast today.  Our server was hilarious.  He did jokes, magic tricks and even danced.  Food was good and a fun way to start the morning.  We went to the pools again today.  We saw Hairspray at night.   The cast was great, it was a fun show.

 

Day 4

We were at St. Kitts today.  Four of us had an excursion booked for zip lining.  We had to be at the specified location at 9:30 so we were in line waiting for the ship to let us off.  The staff are very helpful at pointing you in the right direction.  After we signed waivers and waited in line for all the others they brought us to vans to drive to the place.  Once there, we were suited up with harnesses & helmets and did a small test run before being loaded up in a big truck and driven to the top of the mountain.  From there we went down four separate lines.  I am terrified of heights but decided I needed to do this - an it was awesome.  I never got scared, felt very secure.  After zip lining we had about a half hour wait for our vans to pick us back up, then they returned us to the ship.  We met up with the rest of our party and got a quick bite to eat on the ship then went shopping in the plaza by the port.  After a full day on the island, we were not in the mood for the dining room so we just did the Windjammer for dinner.  They have a stir fry section at the back that is really good.  You pick your vegetables, then they cook it and add the meat you choose (beef, chicken or pork) and either rice or noodles.  We went to the red carpet show that night, it was Bohemian Rhapsody. 

Day 5

Today was St. Thomas.  We did not book an excursion through the ship.  After breakfast in the windjammer, we took a taxi and went to Megan's Bay.  It was $10pp each way for the taxi and $5 to get in.  The beach is beautiful.  They have restrooms, a bar, food.  We brought our own floats and a small pump to inflate them.  We stayed a few hours until we all felt a little crispy.  Then we took the taxi back and did a little shopping at that port.   There was another ship in port (at the other port then us - Norwegian).  We did a late lunch at Johnny Rockets.  Lunch was good.  They tell you they just bring fries and onion rings, but we were able to also get bacon cheese fries too.  The meal came with our boardwalk room.  We were so full we didn't make it to dinner but late night we had some wings at Playmakers.  Their wings were really good, the minor league were hot.  Before wings though we had the Escape Room booked.  Five in our group did that and we were grouped with four other people.  We failed - we were really close to solving it but ran out of time.  The Royal Caribbean employee stays in room with you and they were a little annoying (telling us to not help others - focus on what we were doing, constantly yelling to think).  I think we would have solved it if she weren't there.  It was a lot of fun though and we thought it was worth the money.

 

Day 6

Last at sea day.  Today my niece and I had the sushi making class.  It was at 10:30am in Izumi.  The class was a lot of fun, they provided great instruction and went around to make sure you were doing it right.  After we got to eat what we made.  The class was $30 each.  We couldn't eat everything we made, but still found it worth it for the experience.  We did dinner in the main dining room again.  As always, it was fabulous.  I was impressed every time we ate in the MDR (which was 5 of the 7 nights) with both the service and food.  After dinner a few did the stand up comedy show, a few explored and I took my nephew to see Aquaman playing in the Aquatheather. 

 

Day 7

Our last day.  😞 We were in Nassau today.  After breakfast in the Windjammer, we went on deck to watch us pull into Nassau.  Because we were here for such a short time, we decided not do an excursion.  We got off and walked around the shops.  There were 5 ships in port so it was extremely busy.  We hit the pools when we got back and there was hardly anyone there.  No lines for the slides (which the kids loved).  We snacked at all our favorite spots during the day.  There was Harry Potter trivia in the Schooner Bar, that was a lot of fun.  I'm a huge Harry Potter fan and there were two questions I was even stumped on.  We made sure to go to the dining room tonight to say goodbye to our wait staff. 

 

Day 8

Disembarkation day.  The group that drove walked their luggage off the ship and took a taxi to the airport to get their rental car and start the trek home.  My mom and I booked the hop off hop on excursion.  We brought our luggage to deck 4 studio B and got our tags/instructions.  Then we were sent off to get to the bus.  Those who did not bring their luggage, had to claim it in the luggage section and bring it to the bus.  We checked our bags in at the bus and then got on the double decker tour bus.  We had a 4:30pm flight in FLL so we planned for the 1pm shuttle.  We did the 1 1/2 hour tour (we didn't hop off anywhere) and then got off at Bayside when it ended.  We did lunch at the Hard Rock then claimed our luggage and got on the bus to the airport.  We got to FLL around 1:45.  The excursion was fun and made better use of the day then just sitting at the airport.  It cost $59 each, which seemed reasonable since it included our shuttle to the airport.

 

I'm sure I'm leaving things out, we did lots on board.  We did buy wow bands - you could use them to check out towels, for show reservations, to get in your room.  We had the soda plan and still needed cards or mugs to get soda.  You need your card to get on / off the ship (which they do tell you when you buy the band).  We bought the picture package.  I was emailed the link three days after the cruise ended.  I liked our rooms a lot, the view was great, we could see both the ocean and boardwalk.  It was very loud in the room when Hiro was going on.  The staff on this ship were some of the very best we've encountered.  I'm sad that it's already over.  I'll try to upload some pictures when I can.

 

We are on the symphony in July and also flying out of FLL. Our flight is at 5:15.  Did you book this excursion through the cruise?  I’m not sure what you mean by the 1 PM shuttle. Where did you get the shuttle and are there different choices later in the day?  What did you do with your luggage before you got the shuttle?

[mickeygirl78]

1 hour ago, exercisemama said:

We are on the symphony in July and also flying out of FLL. Our flight is at 5:15.  Did you book this excursion through the cruise?  I’m not sure what you mean by the 1 PM shuttle. Where did you get the shuttle and are there different choices later in the day?  What did you do with your luggage before you got the shuttle?

Yes we booked it through the cruise. When you leave the ship you check in your luggage and pick what time you’ll take the shuttle. The hop on bus is a double decker bus you get on. It has a route (you can google the company to see the route) and you can get on/off at stops. We did not hop off. The last stop is Bayside marketplace. That is where you get your luggage and shuttle. We picked the 1pm. We went to the stop (they had showed us where when we got off) claimed our luggage and then got on the shuttle - which was a big bus. 

 

I hope that helps! For $59 each we thought it was worth it to see Miami and then get lunch without dragging our luggage and getting back to FLL.

[exercisemama]

2 hours ago, mickeygirl78 said:

Yes we booked it through the cruise. When you leave the ship you check in your luggage and pick what time you’ll take the shuttle. The hop on bus is a double decker bus you get on. It has a route (you can google the company to see the route) and you can get on/off at stops. We did not hop off. The last stop is Bayside marketplace. That is where you get your luggage and shuttle. We picked the 1pm. We went to the stop (they had showed us where when we got off) claimed our luggage and then got on the shuttle - which was a big bus. 

 

I hope that helps! For $59 each we thought it was worth it to see Miami and then get lunch without dragging our luggage and getting back to FLL.

Thank you for explaining it! So do they keep your luggage locked up the whole time? I’m trying to decide what we’re going to do for a 5:15 flight. I wish we were booked on an earlier flight, but I was nervous about 11:20 from FLL. That does give us an option, or I was thinking of a hotel for the day.

[mickeygirl78]

12 hours ago, exercisemama said:

Thank you for explaining it! So do they keep your luggage locked up the whole time? I’m trying to decide what we’re going to do for a 5:15 flight. I wish we were booked on an earlier flight, but I was nervous about 11:20 from FLL. That does give us an option, or I was thinking of a hotel for the day.

Yes they had it locked up and then before each shuttle (1pm, then I think 3pm and 4pm) they bring out the luggage for that shuttle. You give an agent your claim tags and they get your luggage. They won’t give you luggage without your claim tag.

[exercisemama]

1 hour ago, mickeygirl78 said:

Yes they had it locked up and then before each shuttle (1pm, then I think 3pm and 4pm) they bring out the luggage for that shuttle. You give an agent your claim tags and they get your luggage. They won’t give you luggage without your claim tag.

Thanks!!

[gatour]

Was the photograph from the sushi making class a result of two people's efforts or one person's?

[mickeygirl78]

30 minutes ago, gatour said:

Was the photograph from the sushi making class a result of two people's efforts or one person's?

Each person makes one full plate - the one above is just one persons. It was shrimp tempura roll, spicy tuna roll, crab cone and 2 shrimp nagari.

[37645]

54 minutes ago, mickeygirl78 said:

Each person makes one full plate - the one above is just one persons. It was shrimp tempura roll, spicy tuna roll, crab cone and 2 shrimp nagari.

 

We’re you able to make the sushi that you wanted or did you have to make those? I’m interested in doing this but I am traveling with a vegetarian so she can’t eat anything with fish in it but she loves sushi and makes it at home. Thanks. 

[mickeygirl78]

1 hour ago, 37645 said:

 

We’re you able to make the sushi that you wanted or did you have to make those? I’m interested in doing this but I am traveling with a vegetarian so she can’t eat anything with fish in it but she loves sushi and makes it at home. Thanks. 

No, they had everything laid out and told us what to make. Although if you contact them ahead maybe they could do something different?

[RILIPAUL]

Enjoyed your review and the pictures.   Thanks for taking the time to share it with us.  We sail in June, cant wait!