cruisestuff

Day 1 photos:

Hello everyone! I am so sorry that I have not uploaded on this blog recently. The cruise was so packed with activities and we were kind of overwhelmed (in a good way) After the cruise was finished I was very busy. From now on I will try to upload in chunks. Overall I was very pleased with Royal Caribbean and would definitely sail with them again.
Thank you so much for understanding!

Sorry I am so late, we are having a blast!

Embarkation- To start, checkin at Port Miami was a breeze. We arrived a little after 10 am because the roads were  closed. There was very traffic and our hotel (Kimpton Epic) was surprisingly close to the port. With the  app to checkin, it was very quick. We heard from our Uber driver that the car line is much longer around noon. 

Day 1- We controversially decided to eat at the Windjammer for lunch. The food was ok, but we were disappointed with the selection. afterwards we explored the ship and later went to Izumi. The Hibachi was a very fun experience, but we weren’t thrilled by the food. After that,we watched Hiro. We found really a really nice place to watch the aqua theater, up on deck 7 near the entrance to the rock climbing wall. (We didn’t sit there, but we might if we watch Hiro again. We didn’t stay up for the balloon drop, because we didn’t have such a good night sleep.

Day two and photos are coming soon, I am so tired right now!

Day of Boarding
Hello! Writing this from our hotel room at the Kimpton Epic. We arrived at the hotel at around 9 pm last night. We had a wonderful dinner at the sushi restaurant Zuma. Right now we are packing up. We skipped breakfast, and we wanted to arrive at the port at 10 am, but there is a race near our hotel so the roads are closed for a while. Next update will probably be when we get to our room on the ship. Sooo excited!!

We have a great view from our hotel except the crane! I will try to get photos soon. 

I am new to blogging so please feel free to ask questions or give suggestions!

Thank you for bringing that up! We are traveling with another family, and we decided that we would dine at specialty restaurants because we have not been on Symphony before. These were the restaurants we want to go to:

• Wonderland
• Jamie's
• Chops Grill
• Izumi Hibachi
• 150 Central Park 

For us, it made sense to buy the Dining Package because most of our cruise we would dine at specialty restaurants, and we wanted to have the full dining experience. We may not go on Symphony again, so we wanted to try out all the restaurants!  

Sorry I am so late! Been very busy lately. @SnickerTail I have not changed any excursions, other than the one in Cozumel which was cancelled by Royal Caribbean. We do not have a beverage package because we are not heavy drinkers, and we mostly drink water and wine, sometimes cocktails. No RoyalUp offer, which is fine with me. The Crown Loft seems like an awesome room! 

Also, we recently stayed in the Kimpton Epic (not for a cruise). It was amazing!!! We had the 1-bedroom waterview suite which was newly renovated (like all the rooms). The views were incredible, you could see boats passing through the canal and the drawbridge going up. The room was amazing, with a modern and cozy feel. The staff were super nice and upgraded us for free from the junior suite! Finally the Japanese restaurant downstairs, Zuma, had great food and had luxury yachts docked outside. The lobby was impressive, with fancy cars displayed outside. Sorry this sounds like an advertisement, that's how much I enjoyed it!!

These photos aren't mine, I don't know how to upload my photos onto computer

This is my first blog, so I'm completely open to suggestions, tips, requests, and questions.

The Sailing:

Feb. 29, 2020 - Symphony of the Seas - Western Caribbean & Perfect Day - 7 nights

Pre-Cruise Stay:

Fly to Miami 1 day before. Stay in Kimpton EPIC hotel, which is newly renovated. We plan to take an Uber/Lyft to the Terminal and arrive there at 10:00 AM.

https://www.epichotel.com/renovation/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Brand-Hotel Name_EXT&utm_term=kimpton epic miami&adpos={adpos}&creative=374937215719&device=c&matchtype=e&network=g&gclid=Cj0KCQiAiNnuBRD3ARIsAM8KmlszTemJmHwA0k6GpJvERc3ssH6xnCvyig28ZUmyS3lmrwpFrHMf4JoaAhgsEALw_wcB

Cruise Purchases:

Unlimited Dining Package - All-Access Ship Tour - VOOM (included in Sky-Class)

Itinerary:

Day 1 - Miami

Day 2 - Cruising

Day 3 - Roatan, Honduras - No excursions

Day 4 - Costa Maya, Mexico - Chacchoben Mayan Ruins

Day 5 - Cozumel, Mexico - A Journey Through Mexico's Past & Present (cancelled by RC)

Day 6 - Cruising

Day 7 - Cococay - Thrill Waterpark Cabana - Up, Up, And Away Helium Balloon

Day 8 - Miami

Cabin:

Crown Loft Suite (1720) Sky Class

Please let me know if I forgot anything, and feel free to ask questions. 

1 hour ago, Jaime said:

Buenas a todos os paso nuevas fotos del oasis

Un saludo

 

https://www.lavozdigital.es/cadiz-provincia/cadiz/lvdi-primeras-imagenes-reparacion-crucero-303245692168-20191029115854_galeria_amp.html

Translation: Good morning, I have new photos of the oasis

Greetings

I am sailing on Symphony of the Seas in February, and I am thinking about buying the Unlimited Dining Package. Has anyone bought the package and had issues with finding reservations around 6:00-6:30? These are the ideal times for our group, as we plan to catch the 8:30 shows. Also, does it include Izumi Hibachi? 

Thank you! 

@jticarruthers My airport has direct flights to Orlando and Miami. Navigator is slightly cheaper but it would not affect my choice.

Hello! I am thinking of booking a 3-night cruise on Mariner or Navigator. They both go to CocoCay and Nassau. Should I go on Navigator or Mariner?

Thank you!

I think a Shake Shack would be very nice on Oasis Class instead of Johnny Rocket's.

Symphony OTS Western Caribbean and Perfect Day. I'm already on the list but I changed my name and it is no longer "Cruisely"

Thank you!
 

Hello! 

I am on your same sailing and my Cruise Planner is currently locked.  Last time I saw the Cruise Planner (a few days ago) there was no entertainment and 2 options for dining so I think  you are good to go.

I myself have done a superman-style zipline (not in Labadee), and I would recommend superman-style because it was more comfortable than the sitting ones.

20 hours ago, ScottL said:

Thanks in advance.

Happy to help!

We must ban @Screwed by Royal Caribbean !!!! There is no room for negativity in these forums!!!

Instead of complaining on a fan site, you could politely ask for help.

Does anyone know if the walls in the Crown Loft Suite on Symphony are magnetic?

Thanks

Hello!  I’ve heard a lot of people talking about the 4-night cruises on Navigator and Mariner that have 2 stops at Cococay.  Does anybody have dates for these special itineraries?  I might be interesting in booking them....

Thanks

You should take a look at http://cruisemapper.com. I love Cruise Mapper because it shows you schedules for every port and ship, deck plans, rooms, ship tracker, and general info about each ship.

Looks like Harmony is the only ship docked in CocoCay!

I just found a quiz that tests your knowledge of RCI's fleet.

If you tried the quiz, please reply your results below......it took me a couple times to get 100%!

@melski94 Thanks for clarifying!

Symphony of the Seas Feb. 29, 2020!

Here's my opinion:

I think it is completely unreasonable to blame RCI for this incident. Also, I really don't understand how the grandfather couldn't differentiate an open window to a closed one.

1. The windows are tinted; therefore it should be easy to see the open window

2. The breeze coming from the window

If the toddler fell out of the window, the grandfather must have let go of her. Even if the window was closed, she could fall from the railing on the floor if he let go of her.

"Anello said he took his granddaughter over to the windows because she loved banging on the glass at her brother's ice hockey games in Indiana"

Personally, I think this is a hasty excuse because in the picture she is facing towards the window, but on the cruise ship she had to have been facing away from the (open) window if the grandfather set her on the railing.

Kimberly Wiegand on TODAY: "We have a lot of questions, primarily, why is there an open window in the kids' play area 11 stories off the ground?"

Reporter: "Do you blame anyone? Do you blame the cruise company?"

Kimberly Wiegand: "Obviously we blame them. There are a million things that could have been done to make that safer. My mom was asking, why on earth is there an open window, you know, on the 11th floor, without a screen or anything? Their response was, we need ventilation. Well to that I would say get a fan." RCI has a bunch of fans...right here on royalcaribbeanblog.com!  

I apologize if you disagree with my ideas, but I just want to share my thoughts with this great community.

Hello! Has anyone been to CocoCay and found out the minimum weight? On the Cruise Planner it says the minimum weight is 75 pounds but here: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2018/06/05/royal-caribbean-officially-opens-perfect-day-island-experiences-bookings it says the minimum weight is 50 pounds. Also, is this loosely enforced or do they put everyone on a scale? Thanks!

12 hours ago, cbnsoul said:

The prices for the Chill Island and Oasis Lagoon cabanas were ~$499 just before Memorial Day then we’re both sold out for our Thanksgiving Cruise on Harmony.  Now the Chill Island is back at $1299 and I check every day to see if it will drop.  I was on the fence about booking it at the lower price but won’t pay anywhere near what they’re asking. I’m hoping Coco beach club will open a bit early and we will just pay to access that (without a cabana).

I’m confused though because my cruise is on Feb. 29 2020, and I don’t think it would be sold out so early.