A medley of thoughts on Symphony

[EuroDate20]

DH and I just got off Symphony of the Seas today.  She is a gorgeous ship and we were very pleased with services from our stateroom attendant and dining staff.  We were also happy with the food in the main dining room, but food is always subjective.   A few thoughts....

 

Originally,  we booked a Guaranteed Oceanview Balcony, Category X.  We were assigned a 2D on Deck 10 about 2 weeks after we booked.  The cabin turned out to be a connecting cabin.  We tried changing to another cabin within the same category,  but to no avail.   During our vacation,  the neighboring occupants would allow their door to slam, and they would talk loudly late at night.  The noise just seemed louder with a connecting cabin.   Our stateroom attendant was excellent.  He brought extra Kleenex, towels, and bathrobes as we requested.  The cabin was kept spotless.

 

There didn't seem to be as much closet space compared to other Oasis class ships, but drawer space was more than adequate.  They stopped furnishing the cabin with the small coffee table, which always seemed to just get in the way.  The end tables next to the bed are awfully narrow.  Another nice touch is the nightlight in the bathroom.    No more bringing on flameless candles to illuminate the dark.

 

More to follow.....

 

[EuroDate20]

Continued:

 

We had Chops + 1 as BOGO Dining had us scheduled for Day 1 Dining at 9 p.m., which is much too late.  I know many people have had success with changing their reservations once on the ship, but I didn't want to risk having our vacation start on a sour note if we couldn't change to an earlier time.   We ate at Hooked on Day 2, and Chops on Day 5 (both formal nights).

 

Hooked was nice, in my opinion.   I had a fisherman's platter which was fried jumbo shrimp, cod, scallops, clam strips, and calamari.   My husband's entree was Surf and Turf.  He said the filet mignon was tough.  Though he enjoyed two servings of oysters on the half shell as appetizers.   The Boston Creme Pie was excellent,  nice and light!  

 

We usually dine at Chop's each cruise.  The colossal chilled prawns are always good.  For the past two cruises, we've had issues with the doneness of the meats.  Last year, our lamb was too done to the point of being blackened.  This time, my husband's steak was too rare for medium doneness.  You'd think that a specialty steak restaurant would get it right.  Service, however,  was excellent. 

 

Having been on each Oasis class ship, I would say that 1977 is the most impressive ice show at sea.  The drones are a fantastic start to the show.  The show was packed!  Our dining partners were equally impressed.   This is a show not to be missed!

 

To be continued....

[OneWord]

Waiting.

[EuroDate20]

Continued:

 

Park Cafe was our go-to for lunches.  On Symphony,  the dining venue is about twice the size for seating, compared to the other Oasis class ships.  And the sandwich choices were more plentiful. 

 

The bean counters must have been pleased with the amount of spending on the ship.  Compared to other cruises, they didn't offer the 10 drink punch cards, and I didn't see any aggressive selling of their dining packages.  Sometimes, I like to treat myself to a spa treatment within a reasonable price point.   I know well that spa treatments available in my local area are of better quality and value.  Yet, there were only a few discounted spa specials advertised in the Cruise Compass.

 

Lastly, we had to do self debarkation to make a 10:50 flight out of Miami International.  We lined up at 6 a.m. with 50 people ahead of us.  They didn't start allowing passengers off the ship until 7 a.m.  The process was quick after it began.  No more filling out custom forms.  We were out, took a taxi to the airport,  checked in our bags, and in line for the TSA screening in an hour.   

 

All in all, it was one of the better cruise vacations we've had, and I do consider myself a discerning traveler.

 

I'd be happy to answer any questions about Symphony.