On the Symphony of the Seas now! Any questions? Requests?

nancy drew

DIS Veteran
Joined
Apr 12, 2005
I am currently on the Symphony of the Seas, and LOVING it! I can share more about our experience once we return home :-)() but in the meantime I thought I would ask if anyone has any questions, or requests for photos of/information about things on board? Happy to share my thoughts and help anyone who is seeking information!
 
Our trip is April 13 and I cannot wait and it is Eastern (which I think yours is as well?).

Some questions...
- is there live music at the pool? If so, what pool :)

- have you stayed onboard during any port days? How are the crowds?

- how has the chair hog situation been? Can we get a lounger by the pool in the morning or so we need to sleep outside?
 
Enjoy! We just got off her last week and what an amazing ship! Shows are top notch. Activities are a blast. The whole decor is incredible. What kind of stateroom are you in? We tried Boardwalk for the first time and loved it. What is your itinerary?
Have you found all the interactive art work?
 


Our trip is April 13 and I cannot wait and it is Eastern (which I think yours is as well?).

Some questions...
- is there live music at the pool? If so, what pool :)

- have you stayed onboard during any port days? How are the crowds?

- how has the chair hog situation been? Can we get a lounger by the pool in the morning or so we need to sleep outside?

Yes, we are on the Eastern itinerary, with stops in St. Kitts, St. Thomas, and Nassau.

Yes, there is live music. All 4 pools are in the same area, so you can hear the music at any pool or above on Deck 16. It isn't constant, but when the band is there, you can hear them.

We haven't stayed on board during port days. Overall the crowds seem to be spread out fairly well. The pool deck is usually crowded but the rest of the areas are pretty much OK.

Chair hogs are in full force, and they have learned not to leave just a towel on the chair. So you'll find a towel and a flipflop, or a towel with those towel clips, or a towel and a bag. Super annoying. We have been able to find chairs eventually, but it has been tough. It has also been really windy on Deck 16 and even down on 15.

You will have SO much fun!!

Let us know if you find any hidey-holes on board for lounging in peace.

I wish! The only spot that is quiet is my balcony. And there hasn't been much sun out there since we are on the port side.

Enjoy! We just got off her last week and what an amazing ship! Shows are top notch. Activities are a blast. The whole decor is incredible. What kind of stateroom are you in? We tried Boardwalk for the first time and loved it. What is your itinerary?
Have you found all the interactive art work?

We are on an Eastern itinerary, with stops in St. Kitts, St. Thomas, and Nassau. We are in a balcony stateroom, almost all the way aft. So far this has been GREAT as there haven't been any issues with kids running up and down the hallway, since there are no kids in the last 2 rooms past us and anyone who was running would have to stop by the time they reach our door or they would hit the door at the end of the hall. It is a long walk, especially from the front of the ship, but it is worthwhile for the peace and quiet.

I will do a review with pictures when we get back! It has been a great cruise and I can't wait for our next sailing!
 


DW and I just had a HAL MS Nieuw Statendam Western and spoke to next door cabin people while in Cozumel with Harmony next to us. They had done Harmony and Symphony with both mentioning that they felt Symphony was superior. We did Oasis Western last November in a Crown Loft and it was great (1st Oasis was an Eastern cruise) and thinking about a Symphony. We have 2 MSC Seaside Yacht Club cruises scheduled so another comparison, but not really.
 
DW and I just had a HAL MS Nieuw Statendam Western and spoke to next door cabin people while in Cozumel with Harmony next to us. They had done Harmony and Symphony with both mentioning that they felt Symphony was superior. We did Oasis Western last November in a Crown Loft and it was great (1st Oasis was an Eastern cruise) and thinking about a Symphony. We have 2 MSC Seaside Yacht Club cruises scheduled so another comparison, but not really.

We just got off Symphony and have Harmony booked for 2021. Hopefully we won't be disappointed going "backwards". The price was just a better on Harmony and we like to try different ships if they work out. Overall they should be similar with Harmony not having Laser Tag (which my son loves). And not sure about Harmony but the art work around and the decor is spectacular on Symphony. It's so fun to explore.
 
DW and I just had a HAL MS Nieuw Statendam Western and spoke to next door cabin people while in Cozumel with Harmony next to us. They had done Harmony and Symphony with both mentioning that they felt Symphony was superior. We did Oasis Western last November in a Crown Loft and it was great (1st Oasis was an Eastern cruise) and thinking about a Symphony. We have 2 MSC Seaside Yacht Club cruises scheduled so another comparison, but not really.


We just got off Symphony and have Harmony booked for 2021. Hopefully we won't be disappointed going "backwards". The price was just a better on Harmony and we like to try different ships if they work out. Overall they should be similar with Harmony not having Laser Tag (which my son loves). And not sure about Harmony but the art work around and the decor is spectacular on Symphony. It's so fun to explore.

Symphony is ranked #1 here, with Harmony at #2, so I think you'll have a great time!
 
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Do you need reservations for shows? Did you book any packages (beverage package, dining package, etc.) and, if not, are you missing it, if so, has it enhanced your experience? Thanks!
 
You should make reservations for the big shows, both in the theater and in the aqua theater. You get to enter before general seating. I made mine before the cruise, in the cruise planner.
Denise
 
Do you need reservations for shows? Did you book any packages (beverage package, dining package, etc.) and, if not, are you missing it, if so, has it enhanced your experience? Thanks!

You do need reservations for shows. We had The Key and only took advantage of their seating twice (because we were late other times) but they were scanning Sea Pass cards for shows and turning people away (making them wait in a standby line) if they didn't have reservations.

We had beverage packages; I had the Deluxe and my kids had Refreshment. Kids were able to get any mocktail, soda, etc. I was able to get pretty much whatever I wanted, but I don't have expensive taste.

We did not do specialty dining, aside from Chops for lunch on embarkation day. The food was amazing, but lunch took 90 minutes. It was really annoying. DD has food allergies, so for us it was important to have a dedicated serving team who were aware of her allergies. She is only allergic to tree nuts and coconut, so it was fairly easy to avoid, but there were nuts in the bread and many desserts. The menus for the specialty restaurants did not appeal to us at all, either, so the thought of paying extra for a filet or tenderloin was silly when we could get those for "free" in the MDR. Food was good, IMO.
 
You do need reservations for shows. We had The Key and only took advantage of their seating twice (because we were late other times) but they were scanning Sea Pass cards for shows and turning people away (making them wait in a standby line) if they didn't have reservations.

We had beverage packages; I had the Deluxe and my kids had Refreshment. Kids were able to get any mocktail, soda, etc. I was able to get pretty much whatever I wanted, but I don't have expensive taste.

We did not do specialty dining, aside from Chops for lunch on embarkation day. The food was amazing, but lunch took 90 minutes. It was really annoying. DD has food allergies, so for us it was important to have a dedicated serving team who were aware of her allergies. She is only allergic to tree nuts and coconut, so it was fairly easy to avoid, but there were nuts in the bread and many desserts. The menus for the specialty restaurants did not appeal to us at all, either, so the thought of paying extra for a filet or tenderloin was silly when we could get those for "free" in the MDR. Food was good, IMO.

Thank you for the information!! :)
 

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