I Spent Seven Nights On Symphony Of The Seas - It Was A Very Rocky And Very Fun Second Cruise Experience
Docked In Nassau
In September 2023, I went on a cruise for the first time on Oasis of The Seas. It was a surreal experience to step on a cruise ship that I have been fascinated by ever since I was a child. My family ultimately booked an Alaskan cruise while on Oasis of the Seas, but we had to cut our losses and cancel the cruise due to finances. I did not think I would be cruising again for a while because Symphony of the Seas prices were astronomical. But towards the end of August, I found a great deal on the Halloween sailing and booked it immediately.
This cruise was very eventful. As it was during Halloween, I was curious about how the activities would differ and if there would even be many children onboard due to school.
Here is my experience spending seven nights on Symphony of the Seas, cruising through extremely rocky seas, witnessing the safety features of a large vessel activate in a false emergency, connecting with the ocean, and unfortunately eating disappointing food. It may sound like I had a bad time, but I didn't. I thought these experiences, though one would consider them disappointing, were very eye-opening and educational. I was sad to leave on disembarkation day. I don’t regret anything about this cruise.
Symphony of the seas
Royal Caribbean
Built in 2018, Symphony Of The Seas was the world’s largest cruise ship until Wonder Of The Seas launched in 2022. She measures 1,184 feet long and has a gross tonnage of 228,081. Standing 18 decks high, she has a capacity of 5,518 passengers at double occupancy, a maximum capacity of 6,680, and a 2,200-person crew. There are 22 restaurants, four pools, and 2,759 staterooms.
A Relaxing embarkation
Nice views of the Aft of Symphony and the NYC skyline from the parking garage at Cape Liberty
Embarkation was super relaxed and smooth. During my first cruise, Oasis Of The Seas was two hours late getting to the port, which made for a very hectic embarkation. During my sailing, the ship was pretty full, so thousands of people disembarked and embarked simultaneously.
We cruised out of Cape Liberty Cruise Port, and our check-in time was noon. I thought that we were only able to park in the parking garage ($220 for the voyage, by the way) because we were early, but I now think it was because the ship was not sailing at capacity, and this was clear at sail away.
Cape Liberty has a parking garage and a parking lot. When I sailed on Oasis, the entire garage and parking lot were filled. This year, the garage was not filled, and there were only 20 to 30 cars in the parking lot.
We were able to board the ship at noon, and I had a reservation for Jamie’s Italian at 1 p.m. More on that later.
our room(s)
Forgot to take a photo of the room (pretends to be shocked) so here is a screenshot from an unedited Pro Res Log clip
I loved our room. It was more modern than our room on Oasis, had more outlets and USB ports, and was also brighter. Oasis staterooms are nice but a tad dated, and the lighting is very yellow.
I was cruising with family, and we booked two guaranteed inside staterooms to keep costs low. Royal Caribbean chose the location of our rooms, and many people advised people to steer clear of this option, but it is the most economical. We were located on Deck 11 Forward under the bridge, so it was not that noisy, unlike our Deck 12 stateroom under Adventure Ocean on Oasis Of The Seas.
My parents had a virtual balcony
Connecting stateroom door
We managed to get connecting staterooms! By default, the door is locked, and you must ask your stateroom attendant to unlock the door. I don't know if I am yapping, but I think the walls were thinner because it was a connecting stateroom. For example, when I went to Disney World, we had a connecting room at Pop Century Resort, and no one was in the other room until the final 48 hours of our trip, and we heard muffled speaking and their shower. On Symphony, I could hear my parents muffled speaking and toilet flushing on the other side, and they said they could hear me and my brother. Which is not a problem for me, but I can see it as a problem for other families.
After this cruise, though, I don’t know if I can do another inside stateroom because I got seasick during this voyage. More on that later
The Evian Water Package
We prepurchased the Evian 24-bottle Water Package for both rooms. It was just enough water for the four of us, and we only had to buy bottles of water on the last night (I know we are some dry people). Enter coast here/. We had 24 or two cases of 12 1L bottles. One case was unpacked and sitting on the dresser when we entered our room, and the other was unopened and neatly tucked away under the desk.
I sailed on Oasis September 2023 and purchased the drink packaghge during a black Friday sale back in November 2022 and got a great deal on it. it was about $139 for the refreshment package and with the way I was drinking smoothies and shierly temples I broke even. Wuith this cruise to keep the costs down since it was super last minute we opted to pay as we go with tout drinks as the refreshment package was $195 there was no way I would break even with my current drinking habits and I would rather put that money towrdds the internet package I needed.
Food On Board
Sigh. So, this was my least favorite part of the cruise. On Oasis, the food was FANTASTIC. I was looking forward to eating everything I had on Oasis, but to my disappointment, the food was not good on Symphony. I have a theory as to why that was, though.
Main Dining Room - Complimentary
Ceasar Salad, Spaghetti Bolognese, Main Lobster Tail, Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
On Disembarkation day, I overheard a woman say she took the same cruise back in May, and she noticed that this time around, the food quality went down significantly, among other things. I think this was because this was the final sailing out of NJ for the year. After our sailing, Symphony sailed to Miami without passengers to relocate during winter. Odsyessy is taking her place in NJ for the winter as she is a cold-weather vessel, and Symphony was not made for cold weather.
Lasagna
I don't know how this can impact the food quality, but I think it did. It felt like they were clearing out the freezers because most of my food did not taste fresh. Ironically, El Loco Fresh was one of the most disappointing meals I ate on Oasis but one of the best on Symphony.
If you are going on Symphony soon, remember this is just my experience. You could encounter better quality food than I did. I feel like it was just a one-off thing due to it being the final cruise from NJ for the year. Read my Symphony Of The Seas - Best and Worst Dishes In The Main Dining Room post for photos of everything I ate there.
Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream
We had late dining for this cruise at 7:30 p.m., and I preferred it much more than the first seating at 5 p.m. I did not feel rushed to return to the ship in time for dinner while on Cococay, and I could eat a late breakfast and lunch since dinner wasn’t until 7:30 p.m. But the only thing I did not like about it was that if you have late dining, you can only go to the late shows, which can be an issue if you are not a night owl.
I am an early bird, so I struggled to stay awake to go to the Ice show and ultimately ended up missing it. However, I was determined to see Hiro and took a little nap after dinner because the show started at 10:30 p.m.!
Jamie’s Italian - Upcharge
Tagliatelle Bolognese
Rocket Salad feat. Arugula my arch nemesis
Once we embarked, I had a 1 p.m. reservation for lunch at Jamie’s Italian. Located in the Central Park neighborhood, Jamie's Italian by Jamie Oliver is a sit-down Tuscan-inspired specialty restaurant crafted by one of Britain’s most famous chefs. Seasonal ingredients meet authentic recipes in family-style dishes that range from homemade pasta and classic Italian entrees to contemporary creations infused with rustic influences.
When I booked it pre-cruise, the cost was $25 per person before gratuity. You can order as much as you want off the menu with that cover charge. I go more in-depth about my experience in my A Relaxing Embarkation Day - My Experience At Jamie’s Italian post.
The food was good, and I believe the value is worth it if you order multiple appetizers, entrees, and desserts. I would even consider paying the high price for dinner because I enjoyed it so much.
I’d rank the bolognese up there with what I had at the Colosseo in London and La Nuova Piazzetta in Rome.
Playmakers - upcharge
Royal Caribbean
I didn’t enjoy Playmakers as much as I did on Oasis, and I believe it is due to a dip in food quality.
I only went here three times and photographed the first time.
Playmakers Classic Burger
The first time I went, I ordered the Playmaker Classic Burger with Playmaker Fries and a tower of onion rings. The onion rings and fries were superb, and it was hard to mess up onion rings and fries, in my opinion, but the burger tasted low quality. Burgers should be greasy and juicy but still have some flavor. This burger lacked flavor and was extremely greasy. I didn’t finish it, and it felt like it took hours to digest; it was just sitting on my stomach.
Crispy Onion Ring Tower - Better than RedRobins
The second time I got wings and fries, I barely ate them because enormous chicken wings freaked me out for some reason (texture thing, I guess), and they were also not very good. The wings were smaller on Oasis.
The third time I went, I ordered a basket of fries and a Shirley Temple and was very happy.
Playmakers was always crowded during this voyage because we had Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, Thursday Night Football, College Football, and the World Series happening. It was a fun place to hang out and watch the game with others.
Johnny Rockets breakfast - complimentary
Veggie Lovers Breakfast Scrambler
Buttermilk Pancakes
On Oasis-Class ships, Johnny Rockets is an up-charge for lunch and dinner but is complimentary for breakfast. If you want to see what I ate for lunch here, check out my Oasis post, which includes photos of their delicious burgers. On Symphony, I did not get a chance to eat there for lunch or dinner but did take advantage of the complimentary breakfast.
The breakfast was OK and should be complimentary because I don’t see why anyone should pay for it. Read my An Oasis-Class Ship Perk Few Know About - My Experience Eating At Johnny Rockets For Breakfast for more information and photos of the menu and other food options.
Park Cafe - complimentary
Pesto, Chicken Sausage, Egg and Cheese
Made to order salad and a turkey sandwich
Park Cafe is a complimentary eatery in Central Park on deck 8. It serves breakfast sandwiches, lunch sandwiches, wraps, grab-and-go fruit and snacks, and made-to-order salads throughout the day.
I ate here three times but only photographed the first two times as the last time was on disembarkation day, which was very stressful. The first time I went, I got a breakfast sandwich before heading to the gym for the first and last time during the cruise. I had a pesto, chicken sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich, which was good; I wish I had another one.
I got a sandwich and a made-to-order salad the second time I went. It was not good.
On disembarkation day, I had a ham, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich, which was too reminiscent of McDonald's for my liking, and a delicious toasted cinnamon raisin bagel.
Snack Shack on Cococay - complimentary
Snack Shack Menu
Chicken Sandwich & Mozzarella Sticks
Disclaimer: I ate at the CocoCay buffet but didn’t take a photo. The food was fantastic. I had half a cheesesteak, Cesar salad, a burger, and other stuff I don’t remember 😅
The Snack Shack on CocoCay is known for its chicken sandwich and mozzarella sticks, and when you put them together, it makes a secret menu item; in all honesty, it’s just too messy like that, and you are better off having them separate.
The chicken sandwich is the best chicken sandwich I have ever had. Miles is better than Chick-fil-A, and the Mozzarella Sticks are to die for. If you are a regular reader here on Cinematic Excursions, you may know that I am lactose intolerant, but I don't take my lactose intolerance seriously.
I had another serving of Mozzarella sticks later in the day and had to restrain myself from having a third serving.
Round Two: Pray for my stomach
The juice was good, too. I tried all three of them as they were complementary. They were not sweet, which is perfect if you are not a fan of sweet drinks or have to watch your sugar intake for health reasons. It is very refreshing, ideal for a day at the beach.
They had Lemon Lime, Strawberry Kiwi, and Tropical Mango. Tropical Mango was my favorite.
Boardwalk Dog House - Complimentary
Boardwalk Dog House is a complimentary hot dog and sausage stand reminiscent of the hot dog stands you would find on beach boardwalks on land. I don’t eat pork hot dogs in the US, ( It sounds very pretentious, but once you find out what they be putting in the food over here, you wouldn’t blame me for waiting until I was in Iceland to have a hot dog for the first time in five years) so I had the chicken apple sausage dog twice and it was decent.
I sat in the Aquatheater to eat. They were rehearsing for Hiro and you are allowed to sit and watch them which was cool.
El Loco Fresh - Complimentary
Royal Caribbean
El Loco Fresh was the worst meal I had while on Oasis Of The Seas. I was underseasoned and just, overall, not good at all. For something so hyped, I was very disappointed in the food.
Now why was El Loco Fresh the best food I had while on Symphony Of The Seas?
DIY Chicken Tacos
I foolishly went here on the last full day of the cruise. I loaded up a taco and nachos with chicken, cheese, guac, pico, onion, and more, and it was DELICIOUS.
I wish I ate here more.
Solarium Bistro - Complimentary
Royal Caribbean
I only went to the solarium for breakfast, and each time I did, I loved it. There were so many choices and in a less chaotic setting. I believe the options were the same as the Windjammer, but the Windjammer can be overstimulating. Since the solarium was closer to my room, getting food and bringing it back to my room to eat if it was crowded was easier.
The things I would do to have this omelet and chicken sausage again…
In my opinion, this is the best place to eat breakfast on the ship. My favorites were the made-to-order omelets ( especially that egg white omelet, dear God) and the chicken sausage.
ACTIVITES AND ENTERTAINMENT
From nightly parties to Broadway shows, ice skating, rock climbing, and ziplining, there is so much to do on Symphony Of The Seas that it’s hard to fit it all into seven days. I didn't do it all, but here are my thoughts on the activities and entertainment I participated in on board.
HALLOWEEN
In all seriousness, this was the BEST Halloween ever.
We were docked in Nassau on Halloween, and it was cool to see some areas of the port decorated for the day. They decorated the entire Promondae for the occasion and had many themed daily activities for children and adults.
You were encouraged to dress up, and some people dressed up during the day, but at night, it seemed everyone wore a costume. The attire for the main dining room was Halloween, which was cool. And you can tell who the cosplayers were iykyk.
Royal Promenade decorated for Halloween
That night, an all-ages Halloween party was scheduled to start on the promenade around 10:45 pm, and then an 18+ costume contest and after-party would be held in Studio B. Well, plans had to change….
I arrived at the Promenade around 10:30 pm to get a spot near the Photo Studio to watch the party as I did for the 70’s party a night or two before. At this time, the Promenade was very crowded but smoky because of fog machines or dry ice; I never got a confirmation on which one it was.
As I was weaving in and out of the crowds by Sorrentos, I saw flashing lights and then the faint sound of a fire alarm. I thought it was a part of the show because the Stranger Things music they were playing was so loud I could barely hear the alarm, so for a moment, I disregarded it. That was until the fire screen started to come down.
It was anticlimactic. It came down slowly, and then I felt a mist on my head and realized the sprinklers were going off. I turned around and returned to the area near Starbucks to watch the chaos unfold.
The sprinklers downpour on the other side of this screen, and the carpets were wet for the rest of the cruise and smelled terrible, but what do you expect when a couple of gallons of water is dumped onto it?
Water from the sprinklers flowing into Sorrentos
Some people online are so pissed about this incident and say it ruined their cruise etc, but I thought the entire ordeal was fascinating. If anything, it showed how amazing and hardworking the crew, especially the cruise directors, were.
Halloween in Studio B
The party was then moved into Studio B, and essentially, the 18+ party was canceled as they were not checking sea passes, and it was just a fun all-ages costume party and Halloween party. They made the best of a unique situation, but the vibes were still fun, and everyone had a good time. I had a lot of fun people-watching.
The fire screen was gone by morning, but Sorrentos never closed. They were still serving people even though they closed the dining spaces. It was like Sorrentos To-Go.
Royal I just gave you an idea.
Ultimate Abyss
Royal Caribbean
This is the flagship dry slide on almost every Oasis Class ship and the tallest slide at sea. I went on the slide twice, and now that I think about it, it was not a good idea because it made me dizzy, but it was so much fun. I don’t do waterslides, so this and the zipline felt like a true attraction at sea.
ZipLine
Royal Caribbean
I love rollercoasters, but I have a fear of heights. It makes just as much sense as loving to cruise, yet I have a fear of deep water. So, I tried to treat the Zipline as a rollercoaster, and it didn’t work. It scared the piss out of me. Good for people that like this sort of thing, I needed 30 minutes to calm down from the experience.
Trivia
I love trivia. I am an uninteresting, socially awkward introvert, so trivia is where I shine, and there were so many trivia sessions on board. It made me so happy. The prizes had gone down in quality, though. I won champagne at a trivia session on Oasis and Symphony, and the trivia prizes consisted of pens and pins.
Hiro
Royal Caribbean
This is the best show I have seen on a Royal Caribbean ship. I have a particular interest in Japanese culture and martial arts, so this was a highly anticipated show for me, and it did not disappoint. I saw it twice. I love the costumes, the makeup, the choreography, and the majority of the music selection. I didn’t care for Aqua 80 on Oasis because I couldn’t relate to it, but I loved Hiro, so I think your enjoyment of the various Oasis Class Aqua shows depends on your interests and maybe even your age as I am a 90s and early 2000’s kid.
Ports
Port Canaveral Orlando
I wanted to book the Royal Caribbean Disney shuttle excursion, but I forgot, and it sold out. (which is the same thing that happened when I went on Oasis)
I decided to leave the ship to eat lunch and walk down to Rusty's Seafood and Oyster Bar. I'm so serious when I tell you this was the best seafood I have ever had. I was FEENING for some fried flounder and fried shrimp, and they had a combo on the menu. I inhaled this. It was soooooooo good.
Perfect Day at CocoCay
This time, I got off the ship super early, found a nice spot on the beach, hung out there the entire day, and even got in the water for a bit. At the end of October, the weather was warm but not hot, but it was super windy and had periods of rain.
I didn’t think we could dock because the winds were so strong. We were docked with Liberty of the Seas, and the winds were so intense she had to wait for us to dock so we could block her from the winds and allow her to dock.
Even though it rained, I had a Perfect Day At Coco Cay. It was a better experience than the first time I went since I got off the ship early, the island was not crowded, and I went to the Snack Shack twice and to the buffet once.
Pro Tip: Since there were random downpours and high wind gusts, things got chaotic, and they did not keep track of the amount of towels you checked out. When getting back on the ship, they were expediting the security process and were telling everyone to just put all the towels in a pile to go through the x-ray machine, and from there, we grabbed as many as we thought we had returned them. We left some on the Island when we were in a rush to go, and they did not charge us for them.
Nassau Bahamas
I got off to look around and planned to go to Señor Frog's, but I wanted to do the Zipline and Ultimate Abyss while the ship was practically empty. I still wish I went to Señor Frog's tbh.
MOTION SICKNESS
It happened. I got motion sick, and it was BAD.
We were experiencing rough water, and the captain said that 20-foot waves were hitting us at one point. Even though Symphony is a big girl, she was being tossed around by the sea. This went on for most of the cruise. It was cool at first, but one morning, it had my stomach churning, and I felt like that for most of the day because I made the mistake of not going outside.
I did not know that staying in my inside cabin was one of the worst things I could have done in this situation.
After finishing a Harry Potter movie and watching a couple of episodes of Disclaimer* I went up to the Lido deck to get some fresh air and look at the horizon, and my motion sickness was instantly cured. I was so upset with myself. I wasted all that time in my room when the solution was to go outside, breathe, and look at the horizon and the direction the ship was moving to reorient myself.
I don’t think I can cruise in Inside cabins anymore.
I TRIED NEXT CRUISE AGAIN
Next Cruise on Oasis Of The Seas - Royal Caribbean
Read this post if you want to know my frustrations with Next Cruise: I Spent Seven Days On Oasis Of The Seas - Here Is My Experience Cruising For The First Time.
But I tried them again and the first time I went the person was rushing and was not of much help and told me that the price of the cruise I wanted to book was higher than what I saw it on the website for and gave me no information as to why so I just left.
I returned the next day as they opened. I was the first person there and had the friendliest crew member help me. I wish I had written his name down. He was so lovely and helped me with the cost breakdown. Later that day, I even saw him at the Next Crusie presentation of Star Of The Seas.
My initial experience with the next cruise on Oasis Of The Seas was not good because I was ignorant of booking a cruise while on a cruise ship. As someone who typically books everything themselves last minute, I am unaware of the disclaimers and restrictions of booking like this.
Internet
On Symphony, I tried the tip experienced cruisers give: get the internet package for one person but increase the devices for that person instead of getting it for each person in your travel party. Let me explain.
On Oasis, I purchased the Voom Internet Package, and so did my father. On Symphony, I purchased the Voom Internet Package for three devices: one for me, one for my brother, and one for my father. My mother didn’t want it, so we saved some money doing it this way, as the more devices you add, the cheaper it is per device.
The only issue I had with this was it would kick one of us off the Wi-Fi whenever I logged in on my laptop, even if I turned it off on my phone.
There was no official way to log out (that I know of), so when I wanted to watch an episode of Disclaimer* on my laptop, I would turn it off on my phone. Still, I wasn’t officially logged out, so when I logged in on my computer, it registered it as a new device and kicked off either my brother or father.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Beautiful Sunset
Even though the food was disappointing, I had a fantastic time on Symphony Of The Seas.
This was a cruise ship I had admired for years and dreamed of the day I could sail on her. The vibes of the cruise were unlike anything I had experienced. Everyone was excited to be on vacation, but we were also doing something unique: celebrating Halloween in the middle of the ocean, even though that didn’t go according to plan.
I want to try a different cruise line and a smaller ship next.
Hi! I’m Andrea, the creator of Cinematic Excursions.
I am a video editor, photographer, travel and events vlogger, and blogger who likes to write movie analyses and yap about fandom. I also have a useless film degree.
I have been creating videos since 2018. In 2023, I started Cinematic Excursions to share my unfiltered experiences traveling, cruising, going on excursions, and using city cards that are supposed to save money.
I also use my platform to document my experience attending events like New York Comic-Con, MCM Comic-Con London, and the Food Network New York City Wine and Food Festival, advising others and covering news from these events.
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