Exciting Symphony of the Seas Cruise Vacation

by PJ Grant
(McDonough, GA)

My family was blessed to enjoy an exciting Symphony of the Seas vacation in February 2024. What a beautiful ship! What a wonderful vacation!

Symphony of the Seas currently sails out of Ft. Lauderdale, and we were on its 6-night itinerary to Labadee, Haiti; Falmouth, Jamaica; and Nassau, Bahamas.

I will begin by saying that checking in at Terminal 18 at Port Everglades (Ft. Lauderdale Cruise Port), was a breeze. We were assigned a given time and when we showed up it took less than fifteen minutes to be processed and sent on our way to the ship. I really appreciated that!

We entered the ship on Deck 5, the Royal Promenade. I immediately knew that this would be a place to spend a lot of time while on board. The Royal Promenade is only one of the cool places to be on Symphony of the Seas. From places to eat - Promenade Cafe (sandwiches and sweets) and Sorrento's (pizzeria); to places to enjoy entertainment - Boleros and On Air Club; to places to shop retail and book your next cruise; the Royal Promenade never failed to deliver.

Yet, there's so much more than the Royal Promenade. Picture:

Central Park - A green area onboard Symphony of the Seas with real plants, seats to hang out and places to eat.

The Boardwalk - A real life carousel, an aqua-theater with skillful divers offering breathtaking aerobics, and more places to eat. Eateries include a complimentary hotdog joint and Johnny Rockets, which costs extra.

Other Fun Things - Something for all ages to try: ziplining, the longest dry slide at sea (The Great Abyss), a trio of waterslides called the Perfect Storm, rock climbing, laser tag, Splashaway Bay (water park for younger children) and mini golf. It really is difficult not to find something to do on Symphony of the Seas.

In addition to all the exciting amenities onboard the ship, there were organized events led by the crew. The evenings came alive with fabulous production shows in the Royal Theater and music and dance in different venues around the ship.

What about the food? As with all cruise ships, we had choices between complimentary and specialty dining. Complimentary dining offerings on Symphony of the Seas include:

Main Dining Room
Windjammer Marketplace (aka the buffet)
Park Cafe
El Loco Fresh (Mexican fare)
Solarium Bistro
Boardwalk Dog House
Sorrento’s Pizza

Specialty dining offerings on Symphony of the Seas include:

150 Central Park (seasonable menu)
Chef's Table (intimate, multi course meal with wine)
Chops Grille (American steakhouse)
Jamie's Italian
Hooked Seafood
Izumi
Playmakers
The Mason Jar
Wonderland

Is your mouth watering from all the food options? Overall, we chose to eat at the complimentary joints. There were plenty of food options, largely suitable to our taste. We were even graced on the second formal night with lobster on the menu.

Our exciting Symphony of the Seas cruise vacation would not have been complete without some welcoming ports of call. We stopped at three: Labadee served us well with a fun day at the beach and a delicious barbecue lunch ashore. In Falmouth, Jamaica, we spent time with a group of natives (part of Petes Travel Center's Cruise Mission series). In Nassau, we walked to Junkanoo Beach and then shopped in the Nassau Straw Market.

The weather was superb in all three ports of call and we made the most of our time ashore.

I really enjoyed this cruise! Some of best times were sliding down the Great Abyss, watching a beautifully rendered show at the AquaTheater, spending time strolling and eating along the Royal Promenade and relaxing in a great look-out spot in rear of Deck 5. You must follow the jogging track to find it.

Kudos to Royal Caribbean for building a beautiful ship, with much to do. From an exciting Symphony of the Seas cruise vacation, I look forward to the next cruise getaway on another of these big ships.