Symphony Of The Seas

The 2018-built Symphony of the Seas cruise ship is the is the second of all four identical Oasis Plus-class Royal Caribbean liners (currently world’s largest passenger liners), with sisterships Harmony OTS (2016), Wonder OTS (2022) and Utopia OTS (2024). The Royal Caribbean Symphony ship exceeds in size the original Oasis-class vessels Oasis OTS and Allure OTS and has building cost of USD 1,35 billion (2016 shiporder rates).

The vessel (IMO number 9744001) is currently Bahamas-flagged (MMSI 311000660) and registered in Nassau.

Symphony OTS is the 13th vessel delivered to Royal Caribbean by the French shipbuilding company Chantiers de l'Atlantique (St Nazaire, France), as well as RCI fleet's 25th liner.

History - construction and ownership

Royal Caribbean International (RCI) is a US passenger shipping company, trademarked travel brand and subsidiary owned by Royal Caribbean Group (RCG/shipowner). RCI was established in 1968 and currently has over 1/5 of the worldwide cruise market. RCI also has RCG's largest fleet by both vessel number and GT tonnage (ship sizes and capacities).

All RCI liners have names ending with "of the Seas".

The 6400-passenger ship Symphony OTS comprises 7 neighborhoods - Royal Promenade, Central Park, Boardwalk, Entertainment Zone, Sports Zone, Youth Center complex, Wellness complex. Symphony is currently the world's largest passenger ship by GT tonnage (228,100 tons), which is 1000+ GT-tons larger than the sistership Harmony OTS. It also has 28 more staterooms, new for RCI "Family Suite" (duplex apartment on 2 decks), redesigned Boardwalk area.

In comparison to the other Oasis-Class sisterships, Harmony and Symphony are heavier (by over 1700 tons), 3 meters wider, able to accommodate 100 more passengers. Symphony is nearly 330 ft (101 m) longer than RMS Titanic and 165 ft (50 m) longer than Eiffel Tower (Paris City). The liner has several promenades, two FlowRiders, two rock-climbing walls, ice-skating rink, world's largest theatre at sea. "The Ultimate Abyss" waterslide swings down 10 decks, at over 150 ft (46 m) above sea level.

A total of 24 elevators (12x forward + 12x aft) provide access all the way to deck 16, while decks 17 and 18 are accessed by 6 lifts. Two escalators (1x forward + 1x aft) interconnect decks 2-3.

The next YouTube video shows the most prominent features and the shipbuilding process of Oasis 3 class - the world's ever largest cruise liners.

Symphony OTS features a multi-deck waterslide area that was introduced first on Harmony OTS. It is also the second Oasis-class liner with robot bartenders serving drinks (Bionic Bar) - a concept first introduced in 2014 on Quantum of the Seas. Symphony has bigger cabins than Allure and Oasis (in some categories) and windowless interior cabins (Virtual Balconies) offering real-time views (first introduced in 2014 on Navigator of the Seas).

Symphony's Suite passengers benefit from exclusive new areas including a suite lounge, a private restaurant called Coastal Kitchen and a full-service Suite Sun Zone. New restaurants include the Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine eatery which first debuted on Quantum. Also added to Symphony is the new Mexican restaurant El Loco Fresh.

Decks and Cabins

Symphony Of The Seas staterooms (2759 total, in 38 categories) 190 Suites, 1316 Balcony, 176 Oceanview, 502 Inside, also 477 Boardwalk-Central Park Balcony, 78 Boardwalk-Central Park Interior, 18 Promenade View. Most cabins are sized 150-180 ft2 / 14-17 m2. Most cabin balconies are sized 55 ft2 / 5 m2. The largest is the Royal Loft Suite (1530 ft2 / 142 m2 plus 850 ft2 / 79 m2 terrace with Jacuzzi). Wheelchair-accessible cabins are 46.

The boat has 17 decks, of which 16 are passenger-accessible and 11 with cabins.

The Ultimate Family Suite is unique for RCI loft suite featuring a slide (from the kid's bedroom down to the living room), floor-ceiling LEGO wall, hidden nooks for a chilling, air-hockey table. A 3D movie theatre-style TV room is fitted with a popcorn machine and a library of video games. The 210 ft2 wraparound balcony has a bumper pool table, kids climbers and a full-size whirlpool. Currently the largest Family Suite at sea accommodates up to 8 passengers.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Symphony OTS's 3-tiered dining room is designed as three separate restaurants situated on different decks - American Icon Grill (Deck 3), The Grand (Deck 4) and The Chic (Deck 5). Symphony also includes some Quantum restaurants, such as Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine, Coastal Kitchen. Ship's Bionic Bar is famous for its dancing robot bartenders. Its location is on the Royal Promenade. The Izumi Restaurant features a la carte hibachi, teppanyaki and sushi menu. A total of 25 onboard dining options (14 complimentary, including room-service) are available to choose from.

Follows the complete list of Symphony of the Seas restaurants and food bars.

• American Icon Grill (a la carte restaurant which offers open seating breakfast, lunch, "Brasserie 30" menu; with two assigned dinner seatings and Private Dining area.)
• The Grande Restaurant (serves themed breakfasts and dinners / two fixed seatings and "My Time Dining")
• Chic (features an expansive menu of dinner options; two seatings and My Time Dining program)
• Johnny Rockets (128-seat fast food restaurant, complimentary)
• Windjammer Marketplace buffet restaurant (offers Early Breakfast at 6:30 am, Breakfast between 7-11:30 am, Lunch 11.30-3:30 pm and Dinner 6.30-9 pm)
• Jamie's Italian Restaurant (menu, deck 8) is a 132-seat specialty trattoria restaurant (at surcharge USD 30 pp dinner, USD 20 pp for lunch/sea days only) via a partnership with British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver,
• El Loco Fresh restaurant (offers fresh-made Mexican favorites. It is located in the Sports Zone and replaces Mini Bites (on Harmony OTS)
• Hooked Seafood is a specialty restaurant (in the Solarium) offering fresh seafood and a raw bar.
• Sugar Beach Candy and Ice Cream (replaces the retail outlets on Johnny Rockets side of the ship's Boardwalk)
• Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade (located on Boardwalk neighbourhood it spans the entire length of Boardwalk neighbourhood. Playmakers take the place of where Sabor and Starbucks are on Harmony of the Seas. Starbucks opens on the Royal Promenade, available during European season only)
• Chops Grille (steakhouse/seafood)
• Sorrento's (Italian restaurant)
• Izumi (Asian/Japanese restaurant)
• Solarium Bistro (healthy dining)
• Coastal Kitchen (Grand Suites and above passengers, Pinnacle members)
• WipeOut Cafe (fast food bar)
• Boardwalk Dog House (complimentary)
• Park Cafe (deli bar, casual-dining)
• Mini Bites casual eatery.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

The new Symphony of the Seas ship is a novelty mixture of Oasis-class deck layout and Quantum-class innovations. The brand-new additions include the first-ever Royal Caribbean waterslides created by ADE (Aquatic Design and Engineering); climbing play area for kids; Suite Sun Zone; Starbucks coffee bar and classic video games arcade located in the Boardwalk neighborhood; 15 Studio cabins designed for solo travelers.

Among the new technologies on Symphony OTS are the RFID wristbands or "WOWbands" - an optional choice to replace the RCI's SeaPass cards, allowing passengers to do purchases onboard and to access their cabins. Typically for RCI, the wristbands are offered complimentary to all passengers.

When arriving in the port, passengers can use their mobile phones to check-in and board the cruise ship via just a security checkpoint between the ship and the curb. The new process leverages a combination of bar codes, beacons and facial recognition, to make boarding fast. Guests check-in via the new mobile app of the brand.

On Dec 31, 2017, RCI officially confirmed that the Symphony cruise ship will not offer the DreamWorks Experience (themed programming in partnership with the Walt Disney Company). This entertainment program is aimed at families and offers movies-themed DreamWorks activities on select RCI ships. The list of special activities includes DreamWorks characters ("meet and greet", photo ops), Character Breakfast (in main dining rooms), 3D DreamWorks movie screenings (in the Theater Lounge). Themed games are provided by the Adventure Ocean youth program.

A new Adventure Ocean Theater show (named Away We Go!) was also announced for Symphony OTS. It is a black light puppet show for kids ages 3-11. An additional part of the onboard kids' programming is the YouTube show "Muffalo Potato," teaching kids to draw anything using just letters and numbers. Also new and Symphony OTS exclusive is the Broadway musical show "Hairspray" - originally played on Oasis OTS (in 2014 replaced by "Cats"). Hairspray is an original Broadway production / musical comedy themed on humour and commentaries on the early-1960's race relations.

Additional amenities include complimentary 24-hour Room-Service, Supervised Youth program Voyagers (from 9 to 11 years), Explorers (6 to 8 yr), Aquanauts (3-5yr), Royal babies and tots (from 6 months to 3 years), Internet/WiFi Access, Laundry.

One of Symphony OTS' unique features are the "piano stairs" that lead up to Windjammer Marketplace (Deck 15 to Deck 16). The staircase plays musical notes and each stair briefly lights up when stepping on it. Another special feature are the two secluded alcoves with lounge chairs (open-air, positioned on each side of the jogging track on Deck 5) where passengers can relax and enjoy the seaview.

Follows the complete list of Symphony of the Seas lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

• Royal Theater (capacity 1401 seats) offers 3D movies, aerial acrobatic performances and Broadway-style productions like Hairspray, Tony Award-winning Broadway hit, and Flight, one-of-a-kind show taking guests through the history and future of flying and the evolution of air travel which ends with a homage to the famous Wright Brothers)
• Studio B Lounge (indoor ice-skating rink; also serves as a spot for ice shows, cooking demos, game parties; 1977 is a spectacular adventure on ice taking ice-surface video projection technology to a brand new level, pushing the limits of what's possible technologically; Laser Tag is a state-of-the-art and special effects ultimate laser tag arena to battle over the fate of the galaxy's last planet)
• AquaTheatre (2-deck, 600-seat, with a deep pool; HiRo is a new show combining cutting-edge technology, aerial acrobatic stunts and future-forward choreography.
• Entertainment Place nightclub; "The Attic" Comedy Club; Crown Lounge (fka Diamond Club Lounge & Bar for past guests only); Jazz on 4 Bar & Club (aka Golden Room/now functions as a non-smoking Casino Room with 40x slot machines, 1x blackjack table, 1x 3-card poker table); On Air Club (karaoke bar); Boleros Latin Bar and Lounge; Boot and Bonnet Pub; Rising Tide Bar (moving cocktail bar); Bionic Bar; Schooner Bar (piano bar); Starbucks Bar; Sabor Taqueria and Tequila Bar; Vintages (wine bar); Trellis Bar; Rising Tide Bar; Dazzles (2-deck music and dancing lounge); Suite Sun Deck, Bar and Lounge; Sky Bar
• Escape Room: Puzzle Break experience, where teams race against the clock and work toward escaping the submarine-themed room before their time runs out.
• Art Gallery; Focus Photo Gallery and Shop
• Boardwalk neighborhood (with games and attractions)
• Carousel (with handcrafted wooden figures)
• Casino Royale; Card Room
• Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center; 9 outdoor Jacuzzis (2 cantilevered); 4 swimming pools
• Royal Promenade Boutiques (perfumes, jewelry, duty-free alcohol, general store, logo/souvenirs)
• Solarium lounge (includes Solarium Cafe, pool bar and adults-only pool area); Solarium Bar
• Video Games Arcade; Explorers, Aquanatus, Adventure Science Lab; The Living Room and Night Club teen areas; Fuel Teen Disco; Royal Babies and Tots Nursery; Adventure Ocean kids lounge area; Kids' Avenue; Workshop (family venue); H2O Zone family and kids area
• Sports Court (basketball, volleyball, soccer; tennis tables); FlowRiders (surf simulators); Zip Line (82 ft/25 m); Jogging Track; Rock-climbing Walls; Symphony Dunes Mini Golf.
• The ship has a total of 19 pools.

Central Park is an outdoor relaxation zone (within the ship's interior) with 20700+ live plants. Central Park's huge garden features multi-deck-high metal columns and green walls (covered in vines and ferns), several pathways, recordings of various species (birds, insects, animals) played, live seasonal plants (flowers, shrubs, trees). Signage boards provide detailed info on all Central Park's trees and plants.

(NEW) Unique shipboard features

RCI Symphony has some unique features not currently available on the other Oasis-class ships. These brand-new for Royal Caribbean venues were revealed in October 2017 (during the vessel's construction) and include:

• "Ultimate Family Suite" is a new cabin type (8-passenger, 2-bedroom loft suite sized 125 m2 / 1350 ft2) featuring exclusive / in-cabin slide from the kids bedroom (upper level) down to the living room (lower level), floor-ceiling LEGO wall, air-hockey table, 2 hanging egg swing chairs, separate TV room (3D movies, popcorn machine, media library, video gaming consoles with games), large wraparound balcony (sized 20 m2 / 210 ft2, fitted with bumper pool table, small climbing wall, full-size whirlpool).
• "Hooked Seafood" - New England-style seafood specialty restaurant for lunch and dinner. It is located in the Solarium complex (forward on Pool Deck 15) and offers fresh seafood and also has a raw bar where raw shucked oysters can be ordered.
• "El Loco Fresh" is a Mexican restaurant (capacity over 100 seats) offering fresh-made favourites. It is located in Sports Zone (Pool Deck 15) replacing "Mini Bites" (food bar on Harmony OTS). El Loco Fresh offers Mexican fare with fresh-made mole sauce and salsa verde, made-to-order burritos and tacos.
• "Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade" has 30 large-sized TVs for watching live sporting events, as well as a video games section fitted with arcade machines. The sports bar/arcade is located on Deck 6 (Boardwalk). It spans the neighbourhood's entire length and takes the place of Sabor and Starbucks (on Harmony OTS). Starbucks was relocated on Deck 5 (Royal Promenade), but this specialty coffee bar is not available on European cruise itineraries. Playmakers Sports Bar menu offers fast-food classics like chicken wings, burgers, popcorn shrimp, sliders, sundaes.
• "Sugar Beach Candy and Ice Cream" is a premium shop for sweet treats located on Deck 6 (Boardwalk). The shop has colorful walls packed with candies, premium ice-cream, a huge variety of toppings and also offers family-friendly activities and workshops. Sugar Beach replaced "Johnny Rockets" (fast-food bar).
• "Battle for Planet Z" / Laser Tag experience) is available at "Studio B" complex (Deck 3) and offers glow-in-the-dark laser tag gaming with top-notch special effects.
• "Escape Room" (submarine-themed, located on Boardwalk Deck 6) provides puzzle breaking the team gaming experience.

On Deck 15 are installed three 24-hour, self-service vending machines (by Pharmabox Franchise). They allow purchasing of select merchandise, including Tech Shop (electronics, gadgets, batteries, headphones, walkie-talkies, Nintendo 3DS gaming consoles), Splash Store (sunscreens, skincare products, swim accessories) and Health Essentials Store (toiletries, medicines).

The list of new (Symphony cruise ship only) show productions includes:

• "1977 "(in the Studio B / ice-rink theatre) - themed on time traveling and dimension-jumping, with Panasonic-developed video projection technology
• "Flight - Dare to Dream" (in the Royal Theater) - themed on the history of flying, featuring 3D video and automation technologies
• "Hairspray" (in the Royal Theater) - themed on the Broadway musical
• "HiRo" (in the Aqua Theater) - themed on heroes combat fighting, with high-flying acrobatics, diving and extreme-sport stunts.

Itineraries

Symphony of the Seas spends her inaugural summer season exploring the awe-inspiring destinations of the Mediterranean calling on ports in Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Provence, Livorno/Florence-Pisa, Civitavecchia/Rome and Naples. Then, she arrives in Miami in early November to start 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries on November 17 from the state-of-the-art Terminal A, dubbed "Crown of Miami".

Symphony is Royal Caribbean's 4th Oasis-class liner, with sisterships Harmony, Wonder, Oasis and Allure. These are currently the world's biggest passenger liners ever constructed. RCCL planned ship's cost per berth to be lower compared to Allure and Oasis. Like the sisterships, Symphony OTS has telescoping funnels to be able to sail under bridges. Unlike the original/smaller Oasis-class ships, Symphony has no Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine (specialty restaurant) and 150 Central Park (dinner-only specialty restaurant), while the adult-only Solarium complex has a swimming pool and 2 additional whirlpools.

The following aerial photo shows an Oasis-class vessel (as looked from above).

The vessel was ordered in 2014 (May 9). The steel-cutting ceremony (shipyard/hull number B34) was on February 3, 2015, held at STX France shipyard (Saint-Nazaire, France). On October 2, 2016, was the keel-laying ceremony, with which officially started the vessel's construction. During the ceremony, a 32 x 154-ft (10 x 47 m), 1000-ton keel block was lifted by a huge crane and placed into the shipyard's building dock. Newly minted coins were put under the keel and stayed there until the end of the vessel's construction. After the new vessel was near to completion, the coins were retrieved and presented to the Captain and crew to be placed on the ship.

On June 9, 2017, the vessel was floated out from drydock at the STX shipyard. The float-out marked the end of exterior works on the vessel's hull and superstructure.The official delivery to RCI was on March 23, 2018. The ceremony was attended by Michael Bayley (RCI's President and CEO), Richard Fain (RCCL's CEO and Chairman) and Laurent Castaing (STX's General Manager).

Symphony OTS is the world's first cruise liner christened by a whole family - PenaVega. The "good family" is Carlos and Alexa PenaVega (American actress and singer), along with their son Ocean (17-month-old at the time). The naming ceremony was on November 15, 2018, held in PortMiami.

The vessel's powerplant consists of 4x Wartsila marine diesel engines (model 12V46F, 12-cylinder, total power output 57,6 MV) plus 2x Wartsila 16V46F (16-cylinder, total output 38,4 MV). The propulsion system is diesel-electric, consisting of 3x ABB Azipods (360-degree azimuthing thrusters) with combined power output 20 MW.

The ship's first drydock was a month-long project (May 20 thru June 2021) at Navantia Shipyard in Cadiz Spain. The drydocking was for routine maintenance works (done to cruise ships usually every 5 years) to keep them properly maintained. Symphony OTS's 2021 drydock included mainly technical works (propellers, fin stabilizers, bottom valves, hull painting) and classification inspection.

Next RCI official YouTube video shows Oasis-Plus ships' fun statistics and best features.

Symphony OTS refurbishments review

The ship entered drydock in 2023 (March 22 thru April 13) for routine maintenance works conducted at Navantia shipyard in Cadiz Spain.

The drydocking project included public areas and hotel refreshes, as well as some technical upgrades, minor steel works, underwater hull cleaning and painting. The "Jazz on 4" club was converted into a smoking-free Casino Room.

RCCL 50th birthday cruise 2019

On October 1, 2018, RCI announced that the company's 50th birthday cruise (themed "50 Years Bold Birthday Cruise") will be held on Symphony of the Seas leaving roundtrip from Miami (November 2, 2019). The 7-day Eastern Caribbean itinerary will feature unique programming, special events and surprise guest performers.

Ship Facts

All Royal Caribbean Oasis-class ships are the world's first cruise vessels with a DNV Green Passport. This is a key element for the Clean Ship Design certificate. The certificate is not compulsory, but it shows the environmental commitment of the operator line Royal Caribbean International. Another interesting feature is that the hulls have a special non-toxic covering that minimizes friction and saves fuel.

Follows a list of fun facts about the RCI Symphony cruise ship - world's largest ever built:

• Ultimate Abyss slide is at 150 ft (45,70 m) above sea level, featuring 31 sections, two 360-degree circles, 27-degree slide incline, a 28 m (92 ft) serpentine-like drop, 13,14 seconds average sliding time (top to bottom), around 300 small LED lights and graffiti artworks.
• Aquatheater has two diving boards installed 10 m (33 ft) above its swimming pool.
• The ship was constructed out of 500,000 individual pieces (27 times the pieces used for the Eiffel Tower's construction).
• The ship's art collection has more works than the Louvre museum (in Paris) has paintings. The onboard art's worth is over USD 6,5 million.
• The ship has a total of 23 "water areas" (swimming pools, large-size outdoor jacuzzies, waterslides, 2x flowriders).
• The ship has 20 restaurants and offers over 300 individual menu options. Eight speciality restaurants offer over 200 different dishes daily. Total restaurant seating is 4908 seats.
• The onboard bars menus have a total of 127 specialty cocktails, in addition to all the classics.
• Each day are made 110,000 ice cubes.
• Each day are consumed 480,000 gallons (1,87 million liters) of fresh water.
• Daily food consumption statistics show chicken (9,730 lbs / 4,4 tons), eggs (10,000), beef (15,000 lbs / 6,8 tons), ice cream (700 lbs / 320 kg), baking potatoes (20,000 lbs / 9,1 tons), flour (12,600 lbs / 5,7 tons), salmon (2500 lbs / 1,1 tons), french fries (5000 lbs / 2,3 tons), bacon (5300 lbs / 2,4 tons), limes (800 lbs / 360 kg), pineapple (4000 lbs / 1,8 tons), oranges (5000 lbs / 2,3 tons), lemons (1000 lbs / 450 kg), cherries (40 jars), olives (20 jars).
• The ship's food and drinks dedicated staff are 1056 in total, including 249 (culinary), 184 (beverage), 91 (kitchen stewards).
• The ship weighs more than 17,000 African elephants. Note: Male elephants weigh between 10,360 - 13,330 lbs (4,7 - 6 tons).
• Around 2350 tons of water is needed to be filled all the ship's 23 water facilities (swimming pools, jacuzzis, 2 FlowRiders, waterslides, the aqua park Splashaway Bay).

In September 2018, RCCL trademarked the Oasis-Class ships smokestack area (located top-deck midship). The design features a crown-shaped bottom section with 2 slanted funnels above. In October 2018 was trademarked ship's oblong-shaped stern. The design features AquaTheater Suites (with balconies), Ultimate Abyss (2 cascading waterslides) and RCCL's logo.

Inaugural Cruise 2018 itineraries

The homeport of the ship in the USA is Miami Florida (starting regular roundtrip itineraries on November 10, 2018.

The ship's "Inaugural Cruise" was scheduled for April 22, 2018 (7 nights / 8 days Western Mediterranean itinerary round-trip from Barcelona). Prices started from USD 800 pp (double occupancy rates). The next table shows the maiden voyage's ports of call and port times.

As the cruise liner was launched earlier (3 weeks ahead of schedule), 3 additional itineraries were added:

• (pre-inaugural) March 31, 2018 - 5-day Barcelona to Naples and Rome
• (inaugural) April 7, 2018 - 7-day and (post-inaugural) April 14, 2018 - 7-day both visiting as call ports Palma De Mallorca, Marseille, Livorno, Rome-Civitavecchia and Naples.

The ship's first Transatlantic crossing (repositioning cruise) was scheduled for October 28, 2018 (12 nights / 13 days one-way Barcelona to Miami). Prices started from USD 950 pp.

The ship's "Caribbean inaugural cruise" was scheduled for November 10, 2018 (4 nights / 5 days Western Caribbean / Mexico from Miami). Prices started from USD 850 pp.

The ship's maiden call at RCCL's private island destination Labadee Haiti was scheduled for December 2, 2018 (7 nights / 8 days, round-trip Eastern Caribbean). Prices started from USD 800 pp.

Godspeed!