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It’s official: Royal Caribbean (cruise.center/royalcaribbean) has, once again, introduced the world’s largest cruise ship.
The 228,000-gross ton Symphony of the Seas, which is 362 metres end-to-end and spans over 16 decks in height, set out on her maiden cruise from Barcelona on April 7 on a week-long jaunt through the warm waters of the Mediterranean. Capable of carrying up to a maximum of 6,680 guests, she is the largest cruise ship in the world by tonnage and passenger capacity.
The fourth Oasis-class ship to debut following the introduction of Oasis of the Seas back in 2009, Symphony of the Seas isn’t a mere copy of her sisters. Indeed, Royal Caribbean has set out to build a ship that wows guests at every turn, even going so far as to declare Symphony of the Seas, “The World’s Most Instagrammable Ship.”
Whether you think that’s a good thing — and whether Symphony of the Seas is right for you — is largely up to your personal preferences. To be sure, a ship carrying nearly 7,000 passengers and a crew of 2,200 isn’t for everyone.
What Royal Caribbean has always excelled at, however, is pushing the envelope on what is possible on an ocean-going ship. The company has been doing this since its earliest days, with innovations like soaring atriums, observation lounges that wrapped around the ship’s funnel (remember the Viking Crown Lounge?), and outdoor diversions like rock climbing walls, flowrider surfing simulators, and even an indoor skating rink.
It’s easy to dismiss some of Royal Caribbean’s innovations as gimmicky. On a cruise aboard Mariner of the Seas years ago, I swore I wouldn’t go skating on the indoor skating rink. I hated the idea of it — who ice-skates at sea?! — until I tried it. Then it was a ton of fun.
Symphony of the Seas boasts plenty of these diversions. It’s got the Ultimate Abyss, the tallest slide at sea, cantilevering out over the stern.
A nine-deck-high zip line whisks guests from one side of the vessel to the other. The AquaTheatre hosts amazing acrobatic performances, outdoors, at the stern of the ship. And a 1,346-square foot Ultimate Family Suite even includes an indoor slide, an air hockey table, and a wall made entirely of Lego.
The ship is completely superlative, from its plethora of dining experiences and onboard bars and lounges, to its sumptuous spa and theatre venues that boast hugely original shows laden with Hollywood-quality production values. Aboard Symphony of the Seas, guests can “float” within a detailed replica of the International Space Station as part of the new Flight: Dare to Dream production show in the 1,401seat Royal Theatre. Astronaut Clayton C. Anderson, who spent 167 days in space, consulted with Royal Caribbean on the production.
“Symphony of the Seas is the latest example of how our people work to push the envelope of innovation with each new ship,” said Richard D. Fain, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. chairman and chief executive.
“The Oasis Class has been a trendsetting design, but the team has evolved the design to build on that success to provide even more incredible family adventures.”
The idea that the ship is the destination is the operating ethos around Symphony of the Seas. The great itineraries Royal Caribbean has designed around her inaugural season are just the icing on the cake. In the Western Mediterranean, she’ll sail popular itineraries out of Barcelona, most of which are seven days in duration and call on ports that include Palma de Mallorca, Spain; Provence (Marseilles), France; Florence/Pisa (La Spezia), Italy; Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy; and Capri (Naples), Italy.
Come fall, Symphony of the Seas crosses the Atlantic Ocean on a 12-night journey from Barcelona to Miami that departs on Oct. 28. From there, she’ll begin her winter schedule of voyages to the Caribbean and the Bahamas. Her week-long Western Caribbean itineraries call on ports in Honduras, Mexico and the Bahamas, while her Eastern Caribbean sailings include stops in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Basseterre, St. Kitts, depending on the exact itinerary.
Don’t let her immense size fool you: this is the ship that stands to out-entertain any other vacation on Earth.
Happy cruising!