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Editorial Cruise Ship Wiki's take on Symphony of the Seas
Symphony of the Seas is the fourth Oasis-class ship, delivered in 2018, carrying 5,518 passengers at double occupancy and closer to 6,680 when every berth is filled. The decision that explains her is restraint. Royal Caribbean did not redraw the platform after Allure and Harmony. It worked through the snag list. Harmony had gone to sea without a Solarium pool and Symphony got one. The Boardwalk gained Playmakers Sports Bar, Hooked Seafood and Sugar Beach. The suite decks gained the Ultimate Family Suite. She sails the Caribbean from Florida in winter and has run summer Bahamas seasons from the New York area.
What she does well is scale without confusion. The seven neighbourhoods still read clearly after a day. Central Park is the best of them, a properly planted space that stays calm at midday, with 150 Central Park and Chops Grille opening off it. Wonderland and Jamie's Italian handle the novelty end, El Loco Fresh and the Windjammer the included end, and Coastal Kitchen looks after suite guests. The AquaTheater remains the strongest venue of its kind at sea. Studio B, the Royal Theatre, the Ultimate Abyss and laser tag fill a week without repeating themselves.
The criticism is consistent. Cruise Critic's editors rate her 4.5 out of 5 while flagging how much sits behind an extra charge. The Points Guy treats crowding and noise as the defining constraint of the ship, alongside hard-to-get show reservations and persistent photography sales. Member reviews mention worn furnishings and a casino that is crowded and poorly ventilated for smoke.
She suits families, first-time cruisers and anyone who wants the ship to be the destination. She does not suit travellers who want quiet, unhurried sea days or a serious itinerary. The ship is the point, and if that does not appeal, nothing on board will fix it.
This is where cabin choice earns its keep. We rate 2,798 cabins on Symphony for quiet and convenience, and the spread between best and worst is unusually wide. The interior-facing balconies are the first decision. Central Park view cabins are shaded and calm but look straight across at the cabins opposite, so the curtain tends to stay shut. Boardwalk view cabins on deck 7 sit above Playmakers, which is the loudest corner of Symphony's Boardwalk after dark and has no equivalent on the earlier sisters. Deck 6 cabins over the Royal Theatre take the evening show. Deck 14 cabins sit under the pool deck and take the morning. AquaTheater suites buy the best view aboard at a real cost in quiet. Cabins beside the forward and midship lift banks score high on convenience and low on quiet, which is a genuine trade on a hull this long.
Browse the deck plan and check the scores cabin by cabin before you book.
Sources
This is Cruise Ship Wiki's own editorial summary of published reviews and reference sources. It is not a guest review and does not describe a stay aboard. Member reviews appear separately below.
Photo: Darthvadrouw, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Symphony of the Seas is the fourth ship of Royal Caribbean's Oasis class, built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire in France and delivered in 2018 at a cost of roughly US$1.35 billion. On entering service she claimed the title of the world's largest cruise ship, a distinction she held from 2018 until Wonder of the Seas surpassed her in 2022. At about 228,081 gross tons and 361 metres long across eighteen decks, she carries more than 5,500 guests at double occupancy and over 6,600 at maximum, served by roughly 2,200 crew.
Built on the mature Oasis template, she features the signature seven neighborhoods, including the live-planted Central Park and the carnival-themed Boardwalk with its hand-carved carousel. Her attractions include a full ice-skating rink, the ten-story Ultimate Abyss dry slide, the three-slide Perfect Storm waterpark, dual FlowRider surf simulators, twin rock-climbing walls, a zip-line, and a 1,400-seat main theater. She also debuted the Ultimate Family Suite, a two-story accommodation with an in-cabin slide and its own cinema, aimed at the top of the family market.
Symphony of the Seas marked a milestone in Royal Caribbean's christening traditions: at her 2018 naming she was blessed not by a single godmother but by the PenaVega family, actors Alexa and Carlos PenaVega and their son, whom the line designated its first-ever 'Godfamily.' Her maiden voyage sailed from Barcelona in the spring of 2018 before she crossed to her Florida base.
Registered in Nassau, Bahamas, and homeported in Galveston, Texas, Symphony of the Seas sails Caribbean itineraries and remains in active service, a flagship-caliber vessel that for four years reigned as the largest passenger ship afloat.
Getting around - smart elevators: Royal Caribbean has been rolling out destination-dispatch "smart elevators" across its largest ships, including the Oasis class. Where fitted, guests select their deck at a console outside the elevators and are directed to a specific lettered car (A, B, C, and so on) rather than pressing a button inside the car; the system groups riders by destination to reduce waiting time.
Cabins by Deck
All 2,798 staterooms on Symphony of the Seas, listed deck by deck with cabin numbers, categories and sizes.
Three things only CruiseShipWiki does
Onboard Highlights
Signature attractions, dining, bars and entertainment aboard Symphony of the Seas.
Top attractions
- Battle for Planet Z
A glow-in-the-dark laser tag faceoff where two teams compete for control of the last planet. - FlowRider
A 40-foot-long surf simulator with 30,000 gallons of rushing water for surfing experience. - The Perfect Storm
A triple threat waterslide experience featuring the Typhoon, Cyclone, and Supercell slides descending three stories. - Ultimate Abyss
The tallest slide at sea offering thrilling plunge entertainment. - Zip Line
A nine-deck zip line experience over the Boardwalk offering aerial ship views.
Specialty dining
- Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine
Master chefs serve creative dishes and cocktails designed to whisk guests into a fantastical dining experience. - Hooked Seafood
A New England-style seafood restaurant featuring just-shucked oysters, crab cakes, and raw bar favorites.
Bars and lounges
- Bionic Bar
Two robotic bartenders take orders in binary and craft specialty cocktails or custom recipes. - Schooner Bar
A lively late-night spot featuring live musical performances and piano sing-alongs nightly.
Entertainment
- Hairspray
A Broadway musical production featuring Tracy Turnblad's story with live orchestra accompaniment.
Where She Sails
Ports of call on Symphony of the Seas itineraries, with a signature highlight at each.
Specifications
| Status | In service |
|---|---|
| Entered service | 2018 |
| Cruise line | Royal Caribbean International |
| Class | Oasis class |
| Gross tonnage | 228,081 GT |
| Guests (double occupancy) | 5,518 |
| Guests (maximum) | 6,680 |
| Crew | 2,394 |
| Est. annual guests | ≈ 290,000 / year (estimated) |
| Length | 362 m (1,188 ft) |
| Beam | 47 m (154 ft) moulded · 64 m (210 ft) extreme |
| Draught | 9.3 m (31 ft) |
| Decks | 18 |
| Staterooms | 2,798 |
| Shipyard | Chantiers de l'Atlantique (Saint-Nazaire, France) |
| Build cost | ≈ US$1.35 billion |
| Christened by | The PenaVega family, Royal Caribbean's first Godfamily |
| Flag | Bahamas |
| Port of registry | Nassau, Bahamas |
| IMO number | 9744001 |
| Call sign | C6DF6 |
| Home port | Galveston, Texas |
| Region | Caribbean |
About the Oasis class
The "neighborhood" megaships - among the largest passenger vessels ever built - featuring Central Park and the Boardwalk.
Ownership & loyalty
Part of Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL).
Sister brands: Celebrity Cruises, Silversea Cruises, TUI Cruises, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.
Loyalty status match - members keep an equivalent tier across the group's brands:
- Crown & Anchor Society (Royal Caribbean International) ↔ Captain's Club (Celebrity Cruises)
One-for-one tier status match across Royal Caribbean Group brands: Gold <-> Classic, Platinum/Emerald <-> Select, Diamond <-> Elite, Diamond Plus <-> Elite Plus, Pinnacle Club <-> Zenith. - Crown & Anchor Society (Royal Caribbean International) ↔ Venetian Society (Silversea Cruises)
One-for-one status match with Silversea Venetian Society: Gold <-> 1 day, Platinum/Emerald <-> 100 days, Diamond <-> 250 days, Diamond Plus <-> 350 days, Pinnacle Club <-> 500 days.
References
Descriptions on Cruise Ship Wiki are original write-ups paraphrased from public sources; facts are compiled from the references below and cross-checked. How we source our information.
- Photograph by Darthvadrouw (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons - Primary ship photograph