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The Adventures of a Twin Mom

Motherhood and Travel Blog

November 18, 2018

Symphony of the Seas

We recently had the honor of cruising on Royal Caribbean’s new ship, Symphony of the Seas.  This first post is going to be all about the ship- what it offers and things we did. My next post will be about cruising with toddlers.

A HUGE thank you to Royal Caribbean for sponsoring our trip! We had the time of our lives and we owe it all to you!

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I’ve received a ton of questions and I’m going to try my best to cover everything in this post and the next post but if I miss something, feel free to message me. 🙂

All About the Ship

Believe me when I say, Royal Caribbean outdid themselves. They literally thought of everything for this ship!  I only have good things to say. It’s a dream ship and the ultimate family vacation!

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After being a frequent cruiser, I was worried about doing too much walking (it’s the biggest ship in the world) from one place to another but they did a great job of making sure everything was centrally located and getting from one place to another was a breeze.

Symphony of the Seas is organized into seven unique neighborhoods:Boardwalk, Pool and Sports Zone, Central Park, Royal Promenade, Entertainment Place, Youth Zone and the Vitality Spa and Fitness.

Boardwalk- this was one of my favorite neighborhoods because there was so much to look at! They have a hand carved carousel in the center, two 43-foot rock climbing walls, Sugar Beach- an ice-cream and candy store, Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade, and the amazing outdoor venue- the Aqua Theatre. Also, here you can watch people zip line from the top of the ship and come out of the 10-story slide- Ultimate Abyss! This is such a fun area and one that I took the most pictures.

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Pool and Sports Zone- this is where you can find five different pools, the main entrance to the Ultimate Abyss, the slide that is ten stories above sea level that takes you to the Boardwalk in 13 seconds, the Perfect Storm (trio of waterslides), the zip line thats nine stories high, and Splashaway Bay- a water area for kids and toddlers, the adults only Solarium, as well as the surf simulators, miniature golf, and a large Sports Court offering several different sports

poolIMG_4083That’s me up there! 🙂20181113-17074720181113-17102820181113-171251IMG_3816IMG_3887IMG_3885IMG_3884

Central Park- this makes you feel like you’re in NYC and not on a ship, it’s beautiful! This open-air area has beautiful plants with several restaurants, shops, and entertainment.

20181113-165637-2centralpark220181113-170241centralpark20181113-165808-2centralIMG_4153IMG_4155

Royal Promenade– the heart of the ship.  It’s where you first step foot on board and it’s the center of all: parades, eateries, shops, and bars.IMG_3807IMG_3822IMG_3823IMG_4098

Entertainment Place- This is where a lot of your entertainment is from glow-in-the-dark laser tag battle to a full-scale ice skating rink, comedy shows, to the Royal Theater where you can watch the Broadway musical Hairspray and several other shows. IMG_4109

Youth Zone- This is the main hub for kids; the facility is phenomenal.  The programs they offer are incredible.  I’ll talk more about the kid’s program, Adventure Oceans later in the post and in my next blog post.IMG_4116IMG_4129IMG_4141

Vitality Spa and Fitness– This is where you can go to relax and get pampered or even workout by yourself or in group classes.low_1522185841_sots-s-0216

Food I’m a foodie and can be very opinionated about food… I can’t even tell you how many times I said to my husband, “This is quality food, not the normal cruise food!”. Everything we tried wasn’t just good, it was delicious and presented beautifully! This ship has 23, YES 23 specialty and complimentary dining options. From Mexican to seafood to a hibachi grill to Italian to a buffet of everything you could possibly imagine, they have it!low_1522184627_sots-r-1192IMG_4092IMG_4096IMG_4031IMG_3980IMG_3981IMG_3890IMG_3863IMG_3864IMG_3881IMG_3853IMG_3833IMG_3835

They even have a Bionic Bar with two robotic bartenders! It was really fun to watch.IMG_3825

Judd and I had the privilege of taking a behind the scenes food tour to see how they feed 8,000+ people every day.  I was just amazed at the systems they have in place and how much food they make every single day.IMG_4047IMG_4003IMG_3998

Something random that I really liked about this cruise is they asked everyone to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer prior to entering dining areas.  Being a germaphobe, I LOVED this.IMG_3862IMG_3883

Entertainment Trust me when I say it, YOU WILL NEVER GET BORED ON THIS SHIP! There is so much to see and so much to do! They have everything from zip lining across the ship, to swimming at the pool, seeing the Broadway show- Hairspray, shopping, relaxing at the Vitality Spa, surf simulators, riding the carousal, gambling in the casino, laser tag, mini golf, the tallest slide at sea (10 stories), waterslides, watching the high-flying aqua show- Hiro, and so much more!IMG_4090IMG_3963IMG_3896IMG_390920181113-171234-220181113-164312

Staterooms

This cruise ship offers a large variety of rooms. Every room I saw was decorated beautifully and felt very new and clean.  From balcony staterooms that overlook the iconic Boardwalk neighborhood to The Ultimate Family Suite, they have it all.  I received several questions about room sizes, cruise lines will only let you book staterooms that will hold the number of people in your party.  While staterooms can sometimes be smaller than a hotel room, they are designed to have plenty of places to store your things and allow you to move around the room comfortably). The pictures below are from the Ultimate Family Suite, a 2 story suite with a slide and a separate master suite.low_1522147599_Unknownlow_1522146664_sots-s-1715low_1522146622_sots-s-1712

Adventure Ocean Programs (Kids Program) I plan to share more about traveling with kids and the kids program in my next post but wanted to give a general overview of this amazing program.  It’s for ages 3-17.  The program is “tailored to entertain, educate and inspire the youngest of adventurers with science, arts and crafts, theater, sports and parades that make imaginations run wild.”

It is organized by age groups: Royal Babies (ages 6-18 months), Royal Tots (ages 18-36 months), Aquanauts (ages 3-5); Explorers (ages 6 to 8), Voyagers (ages 9 to 11), and Tweens and Teens program (ages 12-17). Each age group had their own area plus some additional rooms for arts, science, etc. I will be posting a lot more about this program on my next post.IMG_4060.jpg

Excursions/Cruise Ports

We didn’t do any excursions this trip, we just walked around Nassau. IMG_3976

However, I did look at what they offered and they have tons of excursions for everyone. One really cool thing that they are opening in May 2019 is “A Perfect Day” in CocoCay in the Bahamas. This is their private island that just went through a $200 million transformation.  For years they have asked cruisers what “their perfect day would be.”  They designed this island based off of those answers.  It will have the tallest waterslide in North America, the largest freshwater pool in the Caribbean, and so much more.  I can’t wait to check this place out in the future!

Cococay2CocoKay

Motion Sickness

Several readers asked about motion sickness on cruises. I do get seasick very easily so I always make sure I’m stocked on Dramamine and Seabands prior to leaving on a cruise. As long as I take the medicine daily I am always fine. I will say on this ship, I never once felt the ship move!

Overall Experience

I had the pleasure of meeting the CEO of Royal Caribbean while I was on the cruise and he said the goal is to make their cruises fun for multigenerational families and the company does a great job of this! They have entertainment, features, and food for everyone of all ages.  If you can’t tell, we had the best time and we will definitely be back for another cruise in the future. You blew us away, Royal Caribbean! You were the ultimate family vacation for us and we will definitely be back!20181113-163910

Interested in Booking? I haven’t announced this yet but I am now certified to plan trips for families! I’d love to help you plan your next trip. Email me at BriannaLovesTraveling@gmail.com.

21 Comments

Comments

  1. Melissa Chapman

    August 16, 2019 at 3:37 pm

    That is truly an amazing ship a city and playground all in one. I am sure you never got bored and there was so much to explore. I can not wait to hear how the toddlers were getting along.

    Reply
    • Brianna

      August 17, 2019 at 6:15 pm

      It was a dream cruise for sure!!! They got along great!

      Reply
  2. Amber Myers

    August 16, 2019 at 8:30 pm

    How fun! I’ve always wanted to go on a cruise. One day, I hope. Your pictures are fabulous.

    Reply
    • Brianna

      August 17, 2019 at 6:13 pm

      cruising is such a wonderful experience! You will love it!

      Reply
  3. Rena

    August 16, 2019 at 10:25 pm

    After 28 years a I think I finally have my husband talked into going on a cruise. Now I just have to talk him into taking our twins grandkids.

    Reply
    • Rena

      August 17, 2019 at 12:02 pm

      You have the cutest family! My daughter also had infertility problems and that’s how we got our 2 amazing gifts. I thank for God for them every day.

      Reply
  4. cait

    August 16, 2019 at 11:41 pm

    oh my gosh this is amazing! Def something id love to take my family and kids o! what a great time and i love all your pictures!

    Reply
  5. Theresa

    August 17, 2019 at 12:09 am

    I have never been on a cruise, but now I am dying to go on Symphony of the Seas. It looks like they have everything one needs to be thoroughly entertained for the whole trip. So much fun for the whole family!

    Reply
  6. Ice Cream n Sticky Fingers

    August 17, 2019 at 3:09 am

    This ship looks amazing. I’ve been on one cruise so far and would love to go on one again. It is on my bucket list and I’m hoping to be able to take my kids with me. They didn’t get to go with me when I went the first time. There was always so much stuff to do on the ship and I never was bored.

    Reply
  7. Wendy Polisi

    August 17, 2019 at 3:16 am

    Now that is how you take a vacation. Disney cruises are the only way to do it anymore.

    Reply
  8. Terri Steffes

    August 17, 2019 at 10:27 am

    Wow! I would love to have a cruiseline sponsor one of my travels! How did you do that? LOL, I am headed to Spain in two weeks, so I should focus on one trip at a time!

    Reply
  9. Ashley

    August 17, 2019 at 11:09 am

    My friend went on this ship and said it was huge. Your pictures show me she wasn’t lying. Looks like you had fun!

    Reply
  10. Lynndee

    August 17, 2019 at 12:32 pm

    Looks like you all had a blast and that ship looks fabulous. I’ve never been on a cruise. I would love to, though. One day…with my boys. 🙂

    Reply
  11. Brandy

    August 17, 2019 at 3:02 pm

    I had no idea that you could do so much on a cruise, this looks like a fabulous way to spend some quality time with the family all the while experiencing new things. I love that you shared all of your photos and experiences, I honestly want to go on a cruise now that you’ve made it look so exciting and fun for all ages.

    Reply
    • Brianna

      August 17, 2019 at 6:17 pm

      Amazing, right? You will love it!!

      Reply
  12. Emilu

    August 17, 2019 at 9:00 pm

    I am hoping our next family vacation is on a cruise. It looks so nice and luxurious.

    Reply
  13. Melanie

    August 18, 2019 at 5:22 am

    Oh my gosh! There is SO much to do aboard! It looks like the perfect option for my family. The kids will be on the rock walk the whole time!

    Reply
  14. Donald Corlett

    September 3, 2019 at 11:01 pm

    Hi, I believe your web site may be having browser compatibility problems. Whenever I take a look at your website in Safari, it looks fine but when opening in I.E., it has some overlapping issues. I merely wanted to give you a quick heads up! Aside from that, fantastic blog!

    Reply
  15. Kasinohai

    March 16, 2020 at 6:53 am

    this is why i prefer reading on experienced bloggers. i can get personalised and not commercialised info. thanks for sharing this. very helpful

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Cruising with Toddlers- Symphony of the Seas | The Adventures of a Twin Mom says:
    November 20, 2018 at 8:03 am

    […] is Part 2 of our cruise on Symphony of the Seas by Royal Caribbean.  You can find Part 1- all about Symphony of the Seas here.  This post is about cruising with […]

    Reply
  2. 2018 in Review | The Adventures of a Twin Mom says:
    December 31, 2018 at 11:58 am

    […] took a vacation on the biggest cruise ship in the world! You can read about that here. Thanks again to Royal Caribbean for this amazing […]

    Reply

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Hi! I'm Brianna! I'm a wife, mom of twin toddlers, a blogger, and a world traveler. Welcome to a small piece of our perfect chaos!

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This is 4! We celebrated Camden and Ella’s birth This is 4! We celebrated Camden and Ella’s birthday last week with a FOURever Sweet/Candy Land themed party. Sharing all the details on today’s blog post (link in profile).
Happy 4th Birthday, Camden and Ella!! These past 4 Happy 4th Birthday, Camden and Ella!! These past 4 years have flown by.  I’m so proud of the little humans you are becoming! We love you across the ocean and back!
Water-bugs just like their mama! 👩‍👧‍👦Going through our photos from our trip to @greatwolflodge. I miss it already! #GreatWolfLodge #Hosted #PawPledge
Is there anything cuter than a baby wolf? Yep, twi Is there anything cuter than a baby wolf? Yep, twin baby wolves! 🐺🐺 We had the best couple of days at @GreatWolfLodge! Camden asked if we could move here. #iwish I’ll work on a blog post when I get home with more trip details. #hosted  #GreatWolfLodge #PawPledge
Splashing the day away with my favorites! We’re Splashing the day away with my favorites! We’re having the best time at @GreatWolfLodge! We come here every winter to escape the winter blues for a few days. You can follow along in my stories. #hosted  #GreatWolfLodge #PawPledge
Don't let this picture fool you, renovation with y Don't let this picture fool you, renovation with young kids is no joke! However,  @sharkcleaning has made it so much easier to keep up with the dust and chaos. #SponsoredByShark The new Shark® Wandvac™ System does it all...this powerful vacuum can go from a stick vacuum to extended lightweight wand-to-hand vacuum! Plus, it has an awesome docking station, it doesn’t need to be hidden in a closet. Visit SharkClean.com to purchase the new Shark® Wandvac™ System.

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Twinning Tuesday with my best girl! The adorable a Twinning Tuesday with my best girl! The adorable and comfortable outfits we're wearing are from @moodytigerofficial You can use: Mom15 to get an extra 15% off!  #moodytiger #moodytigeractivewear #kidsactivewear  #moodytigerleggings
Mermaid hair don't care. 🧜🏼‍♀️💁🏻 Mermaid hair don't care. 🧜🏼‍♀️💁🏻‍♀️ I am loving my new beach waves that I get from using @bondiboost Wave Wand.  I'm hair challenged and it's 3x large barrels are SO easy to create these beach waves and their Heat Protect Spray helps reduce future damage from heat.  Head to my stories to see how this works! I promise, if I can do this to my hair then you can! #BoostYourRoots #BondiBoost
They picked out their outfits and are quite proud. They picked out their outfits and are quite proud. 🥰

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This is 4! We celebrated Camden and Ella’s birth This is 4! We celebrated Camden and Ella’s birthday last week with a FOURever Sweet/Candy Land themed party. Sharing all the details on today’s blog post (link in profile).
Happy 4th Birthday, Camden and Ella!! These past 4 Happy 4th Birthday, Camden and Ella!! These past 4 years have flown by.  I’m so proud of the little humans you are becoming! We love you across the ocean and back!
Water-bugs just like their mama! 👩‍👧‍👦Going through our photos from our trip to @greatwolflodge. I miss it already! #GreatWolfLodge #Hosted #PawPledge
Is there anything cuter than a baby wolf? Yep, twi Is there anything cuter than a baby wolf? Yep, twin baby wolves! 🐺🐺 We had the best couple of days at @GreatWolfLodge! Camden asked if we could move here. #iwish I’ll work on a blog post when I get home with more trip details. #hosted  #GreatWolfLodge #PawPledge
Splashing the day away with my favorites! We’re Splashing the day away with my favorites! We’re having the best time at @GreatWolfLodge! We come here every winter to escape the winter blues for a few days. You can follow along in my stories. #hosted  #GreatWolfLodge #PawPledge
Don't let this picture fool you, renovation with y Don't let this picture fool you, renovation with young kids is no joke! However,  @sharkcleaning has made it so much easier to keep up with the dust and chaos. #SponsoredByShark The new Shark® Wandvac™ System does it all...this powerful vacuum can go from a stick vacuum to extended lightweight wand-to-hand vacuum! Plus, it has an awesome docking station, it doesn’t need to be hidden in a closet. Visit SharkClean.com to purchase the new Shark® Wandvac™ System.

 #SharkWandVac #SharkCordlesssVacuum
Twinning Tuesday with my best girl! The adorable a Twinning Tuesday with my best girl! The adorable and comfortable outfits we're wearing are from @moodytigerofficial You can use: Mom15 to get an extra 15% off!  #moodytiger #moodytigeractivewear #kidsactivewear  #moodytigerleggings
Mermaid hair don't care. 🧜🏼‍♀️💁🏻 Mermaid hair don't care. 🧜🏼‍♀️💁🏻‍♀️ I am loving my new beach waves that I get from using @bondiboost Wave Wand.  I'm hair challenged and it's 3x large barrels are SO easy to create these beach waves and their Heat Protect Spray helps reduce future damage from heat.  Head to my stories to see how this works! I promise, if I can do this to my hair then you can! #BoostYourRoots #BondiBoost

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