RCL Symphony of the seas anybody been on here?

[dx052]

I have been looking at this ship and I have been quite impressed as maybe a one of alternative to a Celebrity cruise in the future, I have been on most of the S Class ships and I have spent enough time to know what Celebrity is all about & I understand that no cruise line is perfect. I am curious to know what the MDR & Buffet food is like compared to the X? is the speciality dining package good? and whats the space like on sea days if you want to relax around the pool? We like the cliental on Celebrity a lot but I can be wanting for a bit more things to do in the evening as we don't always go to the shows, we generally hang out at the Martini bar then were done really for the night. I notice things like a drinks package & grats are added on top of the cruise price on RCL! were on the X we normally have them as a perk. Will I earn my points as a captains club member going on RCL as well? lastly will I notice the amount of kids and families on board even if we go out of holiday time?

[TeeRick]

13 minutes ago, dx052 said:

I have been looking at this ship and I have been quite impressed as maybe a one of alternative to a Celebrity cruise in the future, I have been on most of the S Class ships and I have spent enough time to know what Celebrity is all about & I understand that no cruise line is perfect. I am curious to know what the MDR & Buffet food is like compared to the X? is the speciality dining package good? and whats the space like on sea days if you want to relax around the pool? We like the cliental on Celebrity a lot but I can be wanting for a bit more things to do in the evening as we don't always go to the shows, we generally hang out at the Martini bar then were done really for the night. I notice things like a drinks package & grats are added on top of the cruise price on RCL! were on the X we normally have them as a perk. Will I earn my points as a captains club member going on RCL as well? lastly will I notice the amount of kids and families on board even if we go out of holiday time?

It seems that you are really asking about Celebrity vs RCCL in your comments or are you asking specifically about Symphony?  My guess is that relatively few on these boards have sailed Symphony yet which was launched a little over a year ago.  I recently sailed Harmony which is the same class (Oasis) ship and had a wonderful cruise.  This class is a behemoth in the cruise industry and holds about double the passengers of Celebrity's S-Class ships.  And many kids and activities. Is that what you are looking for?

[Turtles06]

You will not earn Captain’s Club points when you are on RCI, but you will be treated on the RCI cruise at their Crown and Anchor equivalent level of your CC status. 

 

We haven’t sailed on Oasis class but we have sailed on Anthem. RCI’s mega ships are amusement parks at sea, which is good or bad depending on what you are looking for. 

[dx052]

1 hour ago, TeeRick said:

are you asking specifically about Symphony?  My guess is that relatively few on these boards have sailed Symphony yet which was launched a little over a year ago. 

Yes I am, maybe I should ask on the RCL board who have more likely been on Celebrity as well! I forgot do they still have a formal night on RCL?

Edited June 7, 2019 by dx052

[cruisingnewtoit]

SOTS looks beautiful. I am tempted to sail.on her because of the entertainment & restaurant options. I don't like a lot of kids so not sure.

[39august]

We have sailed Harmony and Allure, Symphony's sister ships. We do not like those huge carnival at sea ships. Forget relaxing at the pool. It's a mad house. Crowds everywhere. Children everywhere. Yes, the entertainment is varied and plentiful. But you have to pre-reserve seats for shows or stand in lines to get in after all with reservations have been admitted.  And hope you can get a seat. We are Pinnacle on RCI, so have done many cruises. RCI caters to families. We prefer an adult atmosphere and more upscale surroundings. After our first X cruise, we knew our preferred line was now Celebrity.

[dx052]

I have to admit I am not crazy about large ships but as someone said above I am also attracted to the entertainment and restaurant options. 

[SoCA6ft5]

Just a few thoughts. Expect a totally different experience. We've been on the Oasis and recently the Symphony. Both of these ships excel in entertainment. Yes, you need to reserve in advance and show up early to get the best seats, but the variety and quality of the shows is among the best out there. On the Symphony, we opted for the Ultimate Dining Package, so we ate at specialty restaurants each night, our favorite being Wonderland. For a ship this size, both embarkation and debarkation went relatively quickly. The only real feeling of "over-crowded" was during the $10 sale in the promenade, which was quite a madhouse.  Other than that, folks tend to distribute themselves throughout the ship so most areas don't seem all that crowded.. On the down side, wait times for the lifts often could be lengthy.

[scottygirl]

I was on the Symphony last fall in the Mediterranean.  Gorgeous ship!  The balcony staterooms are a great size and the storage is good.  Since we were on her in the fall there weren't a lot of children.  We especially liked the Central Park area.  We thought the food was good.  Had one meal in Chops and thought it was decent.  We were with a large group and service was good.  We loved the Solarium Bistro for breakfast and dinner.  

[kim826]

We did a family reunion cruise on the Symphony in March.  Previously I have been on the Allure and Oasis.  I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of food on the Symphony.  No complaints about anything.  There will be a lot of kids but we didn't experience any issues because of that.  The down side is the Symphony was quite a bit more expensive than our upcoming Equinox cruise.

[PhoenixCruiser]

The Symphony is a gorgeous ship with restaurants and activities for everyone. Be sure you know where you are going because she is huge.

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[Jesseslola]

It is also our first time with Celebrity Edge for 11 this Aug. days and quite worried about the entertainment, being used to the Oasis class ships. Our favourite among the Oasis ships is Symphony and we are looking forward to April 2020 for our Symphony cruise. We find that any new Oasis release is almost the same as the old one except for new additional games. Food is always good. We love the Oriental stir fries with huge shrimps.

 

We have been to the iteneraries many times so we go for the ship. As long as you book everything in advance you will have an amazing trip.

 

We also look forward to the updated Bahamas island(forgot the name).

 

I will let you know the food difference when we come back from our trip.

 

 I suggest you try even once, even for just the entertainment and experience the ship.