Royal Caribbean’s new Symphony of the Seas is officially the world’s biggest ship
Royal Caribbean International (RCI), also known by its former name Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, is a cruise line brand founded in 1968 in Norway and organised as a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. since 1997. Based in Miami, Florida, United States, it is one of the largest cruise lines in the world. In 2018, Royal Caribbean International controlled 19.2% of the worldwide cruise market by passengers and 14.0% by revenue. It also operates many of the world’s largest ships; as of May 2018, the line operates twenty-five ships, including the four largest ships in the world, and has six additional ships on order.
With passenger capacity of 6,680, the 16 decks are packed with breathtaking entertainment, 19 restaurants, more than 25 bars and 19 pools, as well as headline-grabbers like a nine-deck slide, glow-in-the-dark laser tag and the Ultimate Family Suite, a duplex playground with a slide, a private cinema and air hockey table, costing thousands of dollars a week and already sold out for the year.
Brand-new features include Hooked, a bright and cheery seafood restaurant serving fresh fish sourced from ports along the way; Playmakers, a noisy and often packed sports bar on the Boardwalk; and Sugar Beach, a decadent candy and gourmet ice cream shop. A puzzle break room and the laser tag are fun for all ages, while the shows are just spectacular. We were blown away by 1977, the ice show, which uses incredible technology to fly swarms of drones like tiny fireflies and create 3D images on the ice as the skaters glide around.
For all the razzle-dazzle, there’s a quieter, more upscale side to the ship, too. Smart speciality restaurants like 150 Central Park and the fantastical Wonderland, where amazing molecular cuisine matches the quirky décor, are among the finest at sea. There’s a gorgeous spa and a tranquil, two-deck solarium with a glass-walled pool, while the suites have their own private deck and a serene, light-filled restaurant, Coastal Kitchen. The multimillion dollar art collection is spectacular, not least a staircase painted with piano keys that plays music as you run up and down.
It will surprise new-to-cruise millennials and it will thrill lovers of full-on entertainment.
