Leaderboard

The U.S. Coast Guard performs routine and periodic inspections of all ships. When a ship arrives from outside of the region or in the event of new ship arriving those inspections are more thorough. Inspections today had begun. The crew was also exercising a fire drill throughout the morning witnessed by the USCG inspectors. My destination today was very close, Grills restaurant where local Florida members of the RCPeriscopers.live group were meeting those of us from Symphony. Located right behind Terminal 1 it's a great location to get pictures of the ship as well. With many guests already off the ship I took advantage of taking more photos with fewer people around. Our cruise director had been making periodic announcements including frequently that port officials had requested they hold guests to avoid over crowding the terminal. At 11 am I headed down to join the queue waiting to debark. Once inside the terminal I eventually reached a point where they separated Canadian and American guests into their own queue for Customs and Border Patrol officials. Just before noon I was outside the terminal on my way next door to Grills. They had life boats down exercising them. All life boats are lowered and operated on a periodic basis. They were also touching up the paint getting ready for the grand debut in Miami. Who knew there was a 'Baby' Symphony of the Seas? A great time was had meeting other members of the RCPeriscopers.live group all of which were extremely jealous that they weren't guests on board Symphony. It's always great to meet people and put internet usernames to faces. After several rounds and some food it was time to get back on board.

Day 12 - Port Canaveral Sail Away Our sail away was the highlight of the local news. The largest cruise ship in the world coming to America was a big deal. With a water cannon salute we pulled away from the pier with news helicopters flying overhead and a blast of the ship's whistle. A lot of people came out to see us off. We slowly made our way back into the Atlantic for our final night on board this wonderful ship. Looking back at Port Canaveral we had a beautiful sunset tonight to send us on our way to Miami.

Day 12 - continued... Everyone on the ship was required to meet Customs and Border Patrol on this day. They had to get the ship to 'zero count' meaning all guests had to be off before any guest was allowed back onboard. With over 2,200 crew they had to be cleared by CBP as well which for them began at 4am as soon as we arrived. The crew were cleared early and first so that they could go in waves and get back to the ship to prepare our breakfast and do all the other things that the crew does. TV displays around the ship indicated when we were expected to debark. Guests with excursions were to meet in the theater closer to the start of the process. Since my muster was G4 I had a couple of hours so I headed to the Solarium Bistro for a buffet breakfast. The Bistro is much like the Windjammer for breakfast, self service with open seating. There is an egg station where cooked to order eggs are prepared as you wait. With the two story floor to ceiling windows the Solarium Bistro is a great alternative to the Windjammer for a buffet type meal. That second story seating area is part of the Hooked specialty dining venue.

After breakfast I went down to deck 5 to have a look at the new terminal. There is another new terminal that has just started construction. If I recall this is for another cruise line. That's Mariner of the Seas back down at terminal G. She was using this new terminal for almost two weeks, testing it out and getting it ready for Symphony. There were a number of loyal guests transferring from Symphony to Mariner as well as Serenade today. Royal Caribbean very generously offered a free transfer for us and that was greatly appreciated. We were instructed to had down to Studio B at 9:15am as our meeting place. Luggage tag #75 were distributed to us (the last of the luggage tag zones). I placed my bag outside of my cabin the night before as instructed. Can you figure out what the mess is on the floor of Studio B? It's the inflatable laser tag from the night before. There were over 110 guests transferring to Mariner and Serenade today. Mariner guest count was in the mid 80s and Serenade guest count around 30. Sometime around 10:15am were led out to be scanned off the ship and down the gangway into the terminal. We didn't get the full terminal experience but it certainly looked great and had that new building smell to it. No customs processing here. I found my bag and exited the terminal. The pick up and drop off area is under cover of the building and it was pretty busy. There was a little confusion at this point with respect to where we were to find our shuttle bus. I found some fellow luggage tag 75 people and discovered they were also transferring to Serenade so we hung out as a group on the assumption there would be safety in numbers. Eventually a Mariner bus was called and not long after another motor coach pulled up for Serenade. Safely on board our bus we settled in for the short ride up to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. The transfer could have been a little better organized but it was free and greatly appreciated so I'm not complaining. I checked Uber and Lyft and both were in the $45 range. Loyalty does pay. I don't think this is normally offered as a free service so if you are planning a side-to-side cruise I wouldn't count on this. One last look at Symphony as we drove away in our bus. Sometime around noon I was onboard Serenade using terminal 18 in Port Everglades. My 'office' here on Serenade as I finish with these last few posts.

Day 13 - Miami and Debarking Since I was up late with friends I slept as we arrived into Miami. Our progress: Cruise total, 4,701 nautical miles. Still dark I ventured up to deck 16 to see what I could see. True to his word, Captain Rob had delivered us to Miami. A first look at the now complete new Crown of Miami terminal building. Since I was up here already I zipped into the Windjammer for a final breakfast.

Hey Goodsmith. Here's an actual photo of the Twangster at formal night in the MDR last week!

Day 12 - Evening Our last night on board. Sigh... Our progress so far: With 4,551 nautical miles behind us we hug the coast just far enough out to be outside the territorial boundary. Dinner tonight would be in Playmakers. Since it's Thursday, football was on. I had wanted to see what their wings are like so for $8 I ordered the hot wings. They are pretty good and it's a great place to hang out and watch the game. Shortly after I ate they announced a hot wing challenge. The winner got this super sized beer dispenser delivered to their table. Perfect for when the doctor or wife says you can have only one beer. While I'm back here I thought I take a few more pictures. I'm not normally one to take pictures in a bathroom, but I wanted to show you some of the bathroom art: Back in Playmakers for a last night of Jenga with friends. Not bad on a moving ship doing 20 knots. Ugh. What a horrible thing to see.

Since I was up here and it was dark outside I thought I'd share another new feature that can be found on Symphony of the Seas. Electronic vending machines. I tried taking some photos mid-cruise but the glare from the outside light coming through the windows made picture taking pretty hard. While the machines are disabled when in port due to taxation and other retail regulations at any given port, these machines are generally available 24 hours a day when not in port. That makes them a great alternative from the retail shops on board if you need something after hours. I know what you are thinking. What kind of ungodly money do they charge in these vending machines? Actually they are pretty reasonable. I looked at an Over-The-Counter medication that was one of the more expensive items at $17.25. The same item for the same size was $17.01 on Amazon (U.S.). This is not Costco or Walmart of the Seas so I wouldn't expect prices to compete with land prices on everything but they didn't appear to be very different compared to drug store prices for a few items I looked at. The electronics do appear to have a higher premium compared to Amazon but realistically it's not fair to compare prices coming off a European transatlantic cruise to pricing at Amazon. Few retail stores in America are the same price as Amazon. Are these going to be the cheapest prices for any item? Not likely but the machines were very popular on this sailing any time I dropped by to try to take some pictures. When you consider there is no additional tax collected as there would be (or should be) on land it's not that bad. There is also a free charging station where you can securely store your device using a PIN you create.

@Lovetocruise2002

So the couple my parents were traveling with on the Symphony transatlantic had a bit of an issue. The gentleman left his underwear in a stack at home and forgot to pack it. They checked every venue on the ship and could not locate any boxers or underwear. This guy had to wash them every night of a 12 night voyage! The Symphony has just about everything you can think about EXCEPT underwear. Moral of the story is check and double check your bag before leaving the country on a 12 night cruise.

I was searching for you in the Grills among other periscopers videos but couldn't find you. You must have taken extreme precautions there ?

Day 12 - Land Ho! "Far, We've been traveling far..." Neil Diamond, "America" Sometime around 3am I ventured to the port bridge wing to capture our arrival in Port Canaveral and to North America. Several people would join me, the bridge wings were very popular. We did a quick turn in the mid-port turning basin and backed into the slip for Terminal 1 that Oasis of the Seas uses as her home. Captain Rob expertly brought us in and we gently made contact with the pier. With that we had arrived. Our progress... For the first time on this voyage we were pointing due East. With our arrival complete I went back to bed. I wasn't expected to meet Customs and Border Patrol until late morning so sleep seemed like a good idea.

Cruise Summary Symphony is a fantastic ship. The evolutional changes and differences compared to her sisters including Harmony have been well thought out and executed. The Solarium is outstanding and my favorite of all in this class. The changing colors of the art in the Solarium day and especially at night is pretty great. Playmakers is a hit and from my deck 8 boardwalk balcony very nearly on top of it I never heard any noise from Playmakers. The main shows such as Hairspray, 1977, Flight and HiRO were also fantastic. Flight was very well done and I look forward to experiencing it again on the 50th birthday cruise. The enhanced projection technology even in HiRO was noticed. I appreciated the artistic nature of HiRO more and the symbolism of equality and unity. The crew were all top notch and I can't recall a single poor crew interaction. Like all Oasis class the crew can be very busy at times but they always had a smile on their face. I was pleasantly surprised how well the O3b Voom held up across the Atlantic. There are times when poor weather or satellite switch-over can impact even the best satellite technology so it's not the same as internet on land but it never really let me down. This was my first transatlantic but it won't be my last. The days flew by and before I knew it I had to think about packing. Next cruise - Serenade of the Seas from which I am writing this post. Ten days in the Eastern Caribbean. I hope you have enjoyed following me on this journey and I thank you for viewing.

I have been in both 1718 and 1720 (although we didn't stay in 1720....just visited). 1720 definitely seems a little bigger and the balcony is DEFINITELY bigger but it also faces aft and your view is of the basketball court and the putt-putt golf. Sabrina, you are right. Both of these suites are really just bigger Crown Loft Suite but that's fine with me. In 1720, the balcony is 90 degrees to the bedroom and living area while 1718 the balcony simply extends directly in front of the bedroom and living area but I prefer the ocean view to the view off the aft. Trust me, the balcony on 1718 is plenty big ! There is a nice, big table and chairs out there and plenty of room for dining on the balcony and lounge chairs and tables.

I am new to the blog but I wanted to provide some info on the ‘Crazy Ivans’ where the ship turned south and then west again. We were on the same cruise and during a bridge tour we asked why the ship moved like that. The officer said that because the wind from from the east at about 23 knots and the ship was moving about 21 knots they turn the ship like that to use the incinerator. If not the ship would have ash rain down on the ship. When the incineration is finished they would head back to the set course. There was also a turn for the Suite helideck party on Tuesday. Bobby said that Captain Rob slowed and turned the ship so the Helipad would be more comfortable. That said, it was probably the nicest Oasis class Helipad weather experience.

Sadly, sitting in the Venice airport now, full on in post-cruise depression. A few random thoughts as they are fresh in my head: -Rhapsody is an older ship, but we loved her. The crew made all the difference. -The Kids’ Club was amazing! Two of the days, our girls opted to stay on the ship rather than go into port. The staff genuinely cared for the girls and made it a great time for them. -Ports ranked: 1) Athens 2) Argostoli 3) Kotor 4) Corfu 5) Mykonos -Elvis, the cruise director was hilarious and so high energy. I think my favorite moment was the 70s Party when he dressed like the sailor from the Village People. -Chops was definitely worth the extra (booked on board and scored a 25% discount) -I won a raffle at the Roam the Rhapsody presentation and walked away with a soda package- boom! I’ll give a break down of the trip when I get home and download my pics.

I plan to continue the timeline and post more to this thread but the last few days have been quite hectic. More to come... soon.

On Harmony last week and Captain Gus told us the difference between a ship and a boat... “A ship has a captain. A boat has a frustrated husband”.

What happens if I book a cruise from the US website even though I live in Australia? The US and Australian websites always have different deals - right now after currency conversion from USD to AUD I can book the same cruise for around $1200 cheaper as the Kids sale free offer + OBC applies on the US website but the Aussie site just gives me BOGOHO and no OBC. Do Royal care which site I book from? or will they hunt me down later ?

I think that is what sold me, I would rather look out at the ocean, then the mini golf course.

Thank you @Neaxan for sharing your first RC cruise with us and letting us live the experience with you. You were also very lucky meeting @twangster ? Choosing Symphony for your first RC cruise is a smart choice so you could see the best and most of what Royal Caribbean offers.

He's a man of mystery!

Thank you so much @Neaxan for taking the time to blog this trip. It was such a good read for the past two weeks. I think my favourite parts was the stair art. Loved seeing those featured.

There are a few things to consider: 1) Policies and fees for cancellation, repricing, changing cruise date/ship, etc differ from country to country. 2) Gratuities are not included in US prices and will be an extra daily charge on board (unless you choose to pre-pay them). Gratuities are typically built into the base cost of the cruise on international sites. 3) I've heard inconsistent information regarding whether you need to have a local address to book using a different countries site. One way around this is using a local travel agent to handle the booking. So make sure you understand all the fine print before you proceed. I know it can be done but it's not quite so easy to compare prices as it might seem.

I am not @twangster, but I have 11 booked with three more by year end. Birthday gifts for husband and I.

I have four cruises booked on Navigator. Woohoo!!!!

Thanks for blogging, it was fun to read

We opted for Anthem on 7/13. While I would like to do the GC, daddy is splurging for kids and grandkids and the extra 4 days put it out of my price range.

Oh my word...this is so funny I found this post searching for “Almond Milk” I have been travelling solo for 5 years on land, now I am literally looking at this exact cruise or a European one in 2019! I am going on my 3rd RCCL cruise with my family in December. Thanks for all the information ?

Glad you posted this, I am allergic to milk, soy milk and coconut milk. I can only drink almond. For my own health, I think I am going to bring my own.

You have me beat. I have 7 ? hopefully 2 more by end of the year with new itinerary releases, a GC for 2020 and another Star class....

Following.

Yeah, she has quite the personality. Forever she was the only girl in her class, so she can be quite the tomboy. And I couldn’t help but laugh when I got that text. I thought it was too funny not to share. She’s as ready as mom and dad are for the cruise.

No Pressure. Lol. Thank you. I feel like a new person. This is from our family pictures, separated by one year. Should have about another 50 lbs to go... Also, you know it's time for vacation when you get a text from school saying "Your daughter has been tormenting one of the boys at school today, and decided to pull her pants down and shake her butt and him." SMH.....

Here's a link to the full review (with tons of photos) that I wrote after doing this on Freedom last April: I did it solo, even though I was traveling with my family, and it was a fantastic time. @ellcee was traveling solo on Anthem at the same time as my wife and I were, and she also had a great experience. She didn't do a full review, but this short-yet-perfect summary also gives you an idea of the experience as a solo traveler: As for whether it's "worth it" if you don't drink, I would still wholeheartedly say yes. The food alone is worth the price of admission, and you combine that with the great experience of the chef coming out and explaining all the courses, the people (well, barring something like what @Broons77 had to go through with a couple of passengers who were too far into their drink packages...), and the camaraderie, and it's really something you just have to experience at least once. Doing it for a birthday sounds like a great idea to me!

A boat is something you get into when the ship is going down. The Symphony is a SHIP.

Yea I am interested in this too. I am going on Symphony too just a month after you. So I’m interested in any deals as well. I’ve heard that maybe Black Friday. But curious if it should already be purchased now and then canceled and repurchased later if the price drops. So any tips would be appreciated. Thanks. ?

I blame you @Matt and those Insiders. Horrible influence. And now Hubby has the YOLO mentality too, but not towards cruises...suits instead. It think @CruiseLifeRick has something to do with that! I can only dream to cruise like @twangster! And I feel like you in 2019. I literally maxed out all available days off.

No worries for us mere mortals there. Only PiT, Pinnacles and Suites were in the danger zone, at least for our show. No central seats for the low status crowd - couldn't quite contain my schadenfreude when royalty got wet without sitting in the splash zone ?

Where's the whirling dervish ? LOL

I booked a cruise with basically no perks for the spring of 2020, was satisfied with the price and didn't think anything of, then earlier this year the first BOGO60 comes out and I have MEI check the price and I got $1600 dollar discount. So yes I agree that if I buy on one discounted offer it probably will not make much of a difference, but when booking with no discounts, it mattered.

I think it really depends what your original booking conditions were. For example...I have gotten back a significant amount when I booked without KSF, and then re-priced with the offer. Recently (beginning of October), I re-priced the Anthem GC and got back $1100 (for 4) because I originally booked it with BOGO50 and now it is BOGO60. If it's instant savings offers those are a dime a dozen, so you won't see much kick back there. Or with my Harmony cruise that I repriced already for KSF back in the spring, I am not going to see anything now with a new KSF offer. So it really depends what your original booking was.

Managed to get a few shots in. Didn't have a whole lot of time to take pictures on my tour and have a very hard time not being in the moment - so I forget to take pictures most of the time. The first is The Port Royal Golf Club. The middle is up top from the road looking down Horseshoe Bay.The last two are Horseshoe Bay. As you can tell I need more practice with the camera.

I also will post some pics I took from my new Nikon. For now just a few iPhone shots

By FlowBro Ty - Day One Port Miami - This Is On A Three Night Bahamas Voyage On The Mariner Of The Seas To Coco Cay And Nassau Bahamas. On This Cruise I Will Be Staying In A Interior Cabin. So With That Said Lets Start This Blog. At Seven I Left My House And Is On The Road To Breakfast. At McDonald's I Got A Egg And Chesse On A Bagel. It Was Pretty Good. After Mc Donald's We Started To Drive The Four Hour Drive. After Just Ten Minutes In The Car We Ran In To Bad Traffic. Really Bad Traffic. At One We Got To The Port And Check In. There Was No Line And Here Are Some Photos Of The Skyline. At Four Thirty We Went To Muster It Was So Long And Hot.Then After Muster We Stared To Sail Away From Doge Island. Love The Sail Away From Doge Island. After The Sail Away I Hit The Flowrider. For Dinner We Had Diner On Deck Three. It Was Pretty Good And The Wait Staff Was Amazing. After Dinner I Went To Play Laser Tag At Studio B. It Was So Fun And Cool. I Hope All Ship Get It. After That I Went To Bed, It Was A Long Day . Tomorrow Will Be A Fun Day At Coco Cay.

Thanks For Reading. I'm Glad You Had A Great Cruise

Nassau Day Three 7:30 Time To Get Up. 8:00 We Arrived In Nassau We Were Joined By The Harmony Of The Seas And One Other Ship. 9:00 To 11:00 I Hit The Flowrider And Met Up With A Fellow Flowborders.com User And Flowrider Geek And Royal Cribbean Fan There Was No Line And We Rode Back To Back And Had A Blast. 11:00 I Went On The Water Side 12+ Times 12:00 Went To The Mini Golf. They Did A Great Job 1:00 When The Heat Gets You Go To The Windjammer. Had A Great Meal And Made A Great Timelapse

More Of Day Two On The Mariner 11:00 to 11:45 I Hit The Water Slides. They Were Awesome. I Liked The Blue One That Went Off The Ship After I Looked At Great Surrip Cay 12:00 to 3:00 I Went In The Pool And Had Ice Cream Lots Of It. 3:00 to 5:30 I Got Back On The Flowrider And Had A Blast. I Was One Of The Best On The Flowrider. 6:00 Dinner On Deck Three. 8:00 Skypad VR Trampoline. I Had A blast and met some great kids. I did the candy choice for VR. 9:00 to 10:30 I Did Night Flowrider Session. It Was A Blast. 11:30 time for bed

Day Two Coco Cay 7:30 Time To Get Up 8:00 Windjammer. They Did A great job Redoing It 8:45 Time To Get In Line. Flowrider Open At Nine Had To Be First In Line 9:00 to 11:00 Flowrider. There Was Two People In Line