Royal Caribbean took delivery yesterday of Symphony of the Seas and celebrate the occasion with a special event at STX France in Saint-Nazair, France.

Michael Bayley, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, Richard Fain, Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., and Laurent Castaing, General Manager of STX France, led the traditional flag-changing ceremony, which symbolizes the ship’s official delivery from the ship builder to Royal Caribbean. The maritime ritual was followed by a celebration of the industry’s best, the crew whose hard work and meticulous collaboration came together to create the world’s largest cruise ship.

Symphony of the Seas is the 25th ship in Royal Caribbean's fleet, and is listed at 228,081 gross registered tons, measures 238 feet tall and spans 1,188 feet long. She will welcome 5,518 guests at double occupancy in 2,759 staterooms, including 28 additional balcony rooms that overlook the ocean or signature Boardwalk neighborhood. 

“Symphony of the Seas is the latest example of how our people work to push the envelope of innovation with each new ship,” said Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Chairman and CEO Richard D. Fain. “The Oasis Class has been a trend-setting design, but the team has evolved the design to build on that success to provide even more incredible family adventures. We’re thankful to have a partner in STX France that is every bit as ambitious as we are about building technologically advanced ships.”

“It is a proud and exhilarating moment to welcome a new member to the family. Thanks to our stellar crew and partners at STX France, we now are ready to embark on this new boundless adventure that comes to life on Symphony of the Seas,” said Michael Bayley, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. “Symphony will take family vacationing to an all new level with energy and options never before found in one place. This ship is the perfect blend of our greatest hits we know guests love and a lineup of vibrant, new restaurants, activities and unparalleled entertainment – all purposefully designed around vacationers’ preferences.”

Symphony of the Seas will welcome her first guests on Saturday, March 31 for a one-time-only, 5-night preview sailing, calling on Naples and Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy.

The ship’s maiden 7-night Mediterranean voyage departs Saturday, April 7 from Barcelona, Spain, where the crescendo of thrills will be brought to life by the 2,200 international crew members who proudly represent 77 countries around the world. Symphony of the Seas will homeport in Barcelona for the summer, visiting Palma de Mallorca, Spain; Provence, France; and Florence/Pisa, Rome and Naples, Italy. Beginning Nov. 10, Miami, FL. will become the ship’s year-round homeport, making Symphony of the Seas the first new Oasis Class ship to sail from the cruise capital of the world using Royal Caribbean’s new state-of-the-art Terminal A.

Royal Caribbean has big plans for the world's largest cruise ship, Symphony of the Seas, especially when it comes to offering more for families to do than on any of its ships since.

Families on Symphony of the Seas can try a glow-in-the-dark laser tag adventure, take the plunge down the tallest slide at sea, or soak up some sun after getting drenched on the ship’s epic waterslides and surf simulators.

The highlights for families on Symphony of the Seas include:

The Ultimate Family Suite

The new Ultimate Family Suite is two stories of thrills on every level. This one-of-a-kind stateroom has some "swoon-worthy" features, whimsical color schemes and a whole lot of awesome.

The 1,346-square-foot interactive space is designed for both the young and young at heart, providing a space for families to come together during their cruise vacation, while also offering enough room and amenities to relax during that special “me time.”

Family Friendly Menus

Eating on Symphony of the Seas will be a pleasure, as the ship offers a little bit of everything onboard to ensure even the pickiest eaters can find something to enjoy. Symphony will make it easy for families to taste the ultimate kid’s menus at sea across more than 20 restaurants found on board, four of which are new concepts for the cruise line.

• Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade is where families cheer on their home team playing on any of more than 30 big-screen TVs, while they munch on American classics like wings, popcorn shrimp, sliders, burgers and picture-perfect sundaes. After finding inspiration in celebrating a win, it is game on at the arcade with Ms. Pac-Man, Star Wars Battle Pod, Ice Skee-ball and a lineup of other popular arcade games.
• El Loco Fresh is perfect for the family on the go with a fiesta of flavors, from made-from-scratch mole sauce and tangy salsa verde to the made-to-order tacos and burritos. This crazy delicious Mexican fare is fresh and fast for those looking to fuel up for their next onboard adventure.
• Hooked Seafood is the ultimate catch for families looking for fresh seafood. Those angling for a real taste of New England-inspired classics can enjoy lobster and crab claws, or take their pick of local fish and just-shucked oysters at the ice-cold raw bar.
• Sugar Beach candy and ice cream shop is the ultimate spot for that sweet tooth. Adults and kids alike can take their pick from a family’s favorite confections and ice creams, alongside a few sugarcoated surprises. The sweetest place on the high seas also features family-friendly DIY activities for aspirational culinary artists.

Things to do

Royal Caribbean has added new high-tech, high-energy original productions that will captivate children and grownups alike.

• Battle for Planet Z has family, friends and foes go head to head for control of the last planet in the galaxy in this new glow-in-the-dark laser tag experience, complete with state-of-the-art technology and special effects.
• Puzzle Break: Escape the Rubicon challenges teams to race against the clock as they learn to work together toward one common goal – to escape the submarine-themed room before time runs out.

Fun for all ages

Symphony of the Seas will also offer plenty of family favorites onboard, such as

• Ultimate Abyss – the tallest slide at sea
• The Perfect Storm trio of waterslides
• Two FlowRider surf simulators
• Splashaway Bay, a vibrant waterscape for kids and toddlers
• Skating in a real-ice rink at Studio B
• Mini-golf course
• A nine-deck-high zip line
• Two rock-climbing walls that stand 43 feet high
• Full-size basketball court
• Table tennis
• 19 pools across 1,188 feet

Symphony of the Seas will also offer complimentary programming for kids, in the form of the Adventure Ocean youth program.  Guests ages 3 to 17 years old can participate in entertaining and educational experiences and activities infused with innovative fun and excitement. Highlights include:

• Aquanauts (ages 3-5 years) serves up cool experiments and the chance to become Certified Jr. Adventure Scientists.
• Explorers (ages 6-8 years) includes fun events and adventures, such as themed parties.
• Voyagers (ages 9-11 years) offers a range of activities that puts the "cool" back into learning.

Babies and toddlers also have their own array of options to consider.

• Royal Babies (ages 6-18 months) offers the tiniest guests and their parents interactive classes filled with enriching activities developed by early childhood experts.
• Royal Tots (ages 18-36 months) provides 45-minute interactive playground sessions filled with age-appropriate activities and toys.

Tweens & Teens Program (ages 12-17 years) allows older kids the freedom to come and go from their dedicated spaces on board, while checking out games, sports and parties with others their age.

Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, Symphony of the Seas, is set to redefine the family vacation. From the jaw-dropping Ultimate Family Suite and a glow-in-the-dark laser tag experience to a trio of waterslides, there’s adventure at every corner for all ages on board the world’s largest cruise ship.

Royal Caribbean has released a new update to its smart phone app, which primarily adds support for use on Symphony of the Seas.

Version 1.6.0 of the Royal Caribbean app was released to fix bugs, improve performance and also be compatible with Symphony of the Seas.

According to the app description page on iTunes Store, version 1.6 lets guests

• Learn about the hundreds of activities, movies, and shows available onboard, and use category filters to sort them to their preferences
• Explore off-ship adventures to make the most of our port stops
• Peruse complete restaurant, bar, and lounge options onboard
• Plan a day of indulgence with our array of spa offerings
• Use deck plan illustrations to navigate the ship

The app is available on the iTunes App Store and Google Play Store.

Symphony of the Seas is days away from completion; here's an inside look at her final phase of construction. The world's largest and most innovative cruise ship is coming to life with a combination of new first-at-sea experiences and signature Royal Caribbean favorites that will excite and inspire guests of all ages. From the Ultimate Abyss -- the tallest slide at sea, to new dining concepts and original aerial, ice and aqua entertainment, the whole family is in for a cruise vacation experience unlike any other.

Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas wrapped up her second set of sea trials, meaning she is one step closer to being ready to enter service.

Symphony conducted her second set of sea trials, which ran between March 3 and March 4, 2018. Ouest France reports Symphony of the Seas returned to STX Franch shipyards in Saint-Nazaire after about 24 hours of being at sea and is now ready for delivery to Royal Caribbean on March 23rd.

During these sea trials, the tests aimed to finalize the performance of the ship.

Between now and the delivery date, finishing work will be done onboard the ship.

STX France shipyard has scheduled Symphony of the Seas for a 24 hour set of sea trials, which will depart on March 3rd and return 24 hours later.

Ouest France reports the second set of sea trials will take place between Saturday March 3rd and Sunday March 4th. 

The purpose of this set of sea trials is to mainly test the propulsion system tests that, "were not quite satisfactory during the previous campaign."

Symphony of the Seas completed her first set of sea trials earlier this month, where more than 80 tests were performed onboard.

Delivery of Symphony of the Seas is scheduled to take place on Friday, March 23rd.

Symphony of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's newest Oasis-class ship, under construction at the STX shipyard in France. The ship is scheduled to be delivered in March 2018.

Watch a hyperlapse tour of the world’s largest ship, Symphony of the Seas under construction at STX Shipyard in France. The ship is scheduled to be delivered in March 2018.

If you are anything like me, you look for any excuse to watch Royal Caribbean cruise videos as a means of taking a virtual escape.

We stumbled upon a new video posted by AT Drones of Symphony of the Seas, which shows the ship at STX France.