Royal Caribbean on Friday morning, March 23, took delivery of the new world's largest cruise ship, 228,081 GT Symphony of the Seas from the STX France shipyard that has been building the ship for more than 3 years.
11 decks high and 1,188 ft long, Symphony of the Seas is slightly larger than the current size leader in cruising, Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas, and 2 other Royal Caribbean liners that make up the Oasis Class of ships.
Symphony of the Seas is more than 1,000 tons larger than Harmony and offers a number of new features for guests. Among differences, the vessel has more staterooms than her sibling including a 2-deck-high, first-of-its-kind family suite featuring a slide between floors. Symphony also has a new laser tag attraction, new for the line seafood restaurant and revamped Boardwalk amusement area.
Today, March 24, Symphony of the Seas departs STX France shipyard for Barcelona, where her first voyage with passengers is scheduled on March 31. The ship will spend her first few months in the Mediterranean sailing from Barcelona prior to moving to Miami FL to operate voyages to the Caribbean.