Live - Symphony of the Seas Simulation Cruise August 1

[Ocean Boy]

Looking forward to this. Have fun! What time is sail-a-way?

[Host Anne]

The ap says Gangway Up at 4:30!

 

Heading out in a little over an hour.  Checked the webcam.  She was in port last night so we are ready to go!

 

🙂

 

Thanks for following along, everyone!

[Sailawaybarb]

We will be on the Symphony for the first time October 2nd.  So excited to try the last Oasis ship that we haven't been on.  Take good care of her all of you that are on it before us. 

 

[hollon]

Can't wait to hear more - "following" 🙂  We don't cruise until June, 2022, as the saying goes"If it's God's Will", I always give Him Credit.      Let us know all the details expecially the entertainment pls. 

[LuCruise]

SO exciting.  Have a great cruise!  Symphony is an amazing ship!

[LadyShiva]

14 hours ago, Host Anne said:

In Miami safe and sound.  Staying at the Hyatt Regency Downtown on points.  Walked to a great Italian restaurant for dinner - Fratelli Milano - about two blocks away.  Settled in for the evening and will be ready to head to the port for our 11:00 AM boarding time.  Hoping all goes smoothly!

 

Thanks for following along!

How was the Hyatt Regency?  Thank you for the restaurant recommendation  and for helping to work out the kinks on this test run... we have our Symphony cruise in about 70 days! 

[Ozark_Kid]

1 hour ago, Sailawaybarb said:

We will be on the Symphony for the first time October 2nd.  So excited to try the last Oasis ship that we haven't been on.  Take good care of her all of you that are on it before us. 

 

We will be joining you 10/2.  We are excited to be on it for the first time. I am already trying to figure out if I want a whole steamed lobster or a lobster roll when I go to Hooks!

[Sailawaybarb]

It is our first time also!  Have been  on all the other Oasis class ships.

[Kalousdi]

Will be on Symphony soon and excited to follow along!

Edited August 1, 2021 by Kalousdi

[Host Anne]

4 hours ago, LadyShiva said:

How was the Hyatt Regency?  Thank you for the restaurant recommendation  and for helping to work out the kinks on this test run... we have our Symphony cruise in about 70 days! 

 

The Hyatt was great!  Easy and pleasant check in. Nice king room on the fifth floor.  A bit of a wait for elevators and guest were very conscientious not to overcrowd them but that was minor.  We'd definitely stay here again before a cruise.

 

[Host Anne]

THE CRUISE BEGINS!

 

Cruising has been a passion of mine since the early 1990s.  I can’t quite tell you why.  Part of it is that I LOVE being on the ocean; part of it is the wonderful people we’ve met from all around the world; part of it is the lifelong friends we’ve made through cruising.  To be able to sail onboard Symphony of the Seas for its simulation cruise brings that passion and excitement back.  My only wish is that all of your could be with us.

 

The drive to Miami was uneventful.  Easy check into the Hyatt Regency Downtown.  Used points and had a nice king room on the 5^th floor.  Walked two blocks to Fratelli Milano for dinner.  Excellent food and service. We’d definitely go back.  Called it an early night and anxious to see Symphony in the morning.

 

Port Arrival & Check In

Our check in time was 11:00 AM (pre-assigned when we did our on-line check in on Thursday).  We left the hotel about 10:10.  We knew it wasn’t far to the port but you never know what Miami traffic would be like, even on a Sunday morning.  Fortunately, we were at the port and parked by 10:20.  There was no traffic heading to the ships at all. There were four other ships in port as well, but none of the terminals had traffic. 

 

By 10:25, we were outside the terminal building (it’s beautiful….hadn’t been here before) and there were already about 20 others milling around.  There were so que lines set up and there were benches along the wall for seating.  About 10:40 the called for the 11:00 AM check-in guests to line up.  Then they placed the 11:30 guests in a separate line.  There were about 25 – 30 people in line behind us and 6 in front of us.

 

 

Within minutes those with the 11:00 AM check-in were allowed inside the terminal.  There were 8 stations set up just inside the door and they checked your boarding pass, passport and vaccination card.  It took about two minutes.  We were handed purple wrist band that indicated we were vaccinated.  We were then instructed to head upstairs where we sat for about five minutes before being directed to another “check in” spot.  This person again checked our boarding pass, passport and vaccination card.  She directed us over to security where we ran our luggage through security scanners (another two minutes perhaps).  Then it was onto the ship! 

 

 

We stepped on board Symphony before our 11:00 AM check in time! Amazing!

 

All staff gave us jubilant welcome back greetings.  It was soooo good to see them again and it was clear they were certainly happy to see us. There’s nothing like stepping back on board a ship. 

 

 

Health Check

We had to complete an on-line health questionnaire once we were within 24 hours of sailing and the staff member who first checked us in said he had to ask the questions again even thought we completed it online, just as a precaution. It was quick and easy.  Other than that, there was not any other health checks for us.  Testing was not required because it was a cruise of less than 5 days (Michael Bayley posted this online today as well).  So getting on board was quite simple and easy.

 

Masking

Knowing when and where to put a mask on was easy.  There are signs noting where they are needed. There are also signs noting where vaccinated guests only could go.  Pretty much, if you are outside, it’s a “mask-free” area.  Once you step in side, you are asked to “mask up.”  It’s really a pretty simply thing to follow and it is well marked.  Masks are not required for vaccinated guests when in a venue or event that is designated for vaccinated guests only.  They are also not required at a Perfect Day at CocoCay unless you are seated in a crowded area.

 

Vaccinated versus Non-Vaccinated Guests

The Cruise Compass is very specific on who can go where and when.  Most of the smaller entertainment venues like the Schooner Bar, the Copper & Kettle Pub, and Jazz on 4 only allow vaccinated guests.  There are show times in the smaller venues like Studio B and The Attic that limit performances to vaccinated guests while other performances are open to everyone.  Nearly all shows are available to all guests at some time during the cruise.  In the main theater, deck 4 is reserved for vaccinated guests while deck 5 is reserved for everyone who wants to sit there.  The adult comedy show and the HiRO water show are the only shows listed for vaccinated guests only.  I imagine all of this will vary on regular 7-night cruises.  There is no designation between vaccinated and unvaccinated guests on the pool deck, the Royal promenade, in larger venues like Dazzles.

 

You’ll find hand washing stations in many places throughout the ship and hand sanitizer stations in even more places.

 

Getting Situated

We had two things we wanted to do before heading to our cabin – check on a cabana at Perfect Day at CocoCay and a dinner reservation at Chops.  We decided to dine in the main dining room one evening and Chops.  Since we were sailing by ourselves, we couldn’t justify the costs of the cabanas at the Coco Beach Club.  The crew member at the shore excursions desk said I could make the reservations on my Royal ap but apparently mine isn’t working at all.  My husband’s is and he was able to secure a cabana at Chill lsland (much less expensive).  We also made a dinner reservation at Chops but neither of these is showing in my ap.  I’ll have to get that checked out.

 

We did a complete walk-around the ship.  We’ve sailed Oasis several time but had never been on Symphony.  Lots of great things and it was very noticeable that every crew member enthusiastically greeted us and welcomed us back on board.

 

Cabin

Our cabin is a lovely Cat 1C on deck 14 mid-ship.  The balcony is deeper than your average balcony and the room has a great couch next to the king size bed I like the two tall closets on either side of the bed better than one large closet in the room.  There is a nice desk and plenty of drawer space (especially for a two-night cruise 😊).  The bathroom is adequate and I really like the rectangular sink.  Much better than the shallow round sinks where watch constantly splashes.  The two balcony chairs also come with a footstool and a small table to coffee or drinks.  All in all, a great cabin.

 

 

 

 

Dining

Jamie’s Italian – When we noticed Jamie’s was opened for lunch, we immediately made a reservation for today.  I eat a lot of Italian food and I have to say this was some of the best food I’ve had in an Italian restaurant.  I was surprised that a specialty restaurant on a ship could serve food this good for lunch!  We’ve always had great meals at Chops but Jamie’s was top notch. The garlic rolls were delicious….a yeast roll with butter, garlic and rosemary that truly melted in your mouth.  My husband had the carbonara and while it said the pasta was penne, it was really more of a ziti.  Made from scratch and fantastic!!!  Better than similar dishes we’ve had on land.  I had lasagna and while it was very good, the carbonara beat it hands down.  Great first meal and I’d highly recommend dining here.

 

 

 

  

 

 

Only Downside Thus Far

The only negative I found so far was the band on the pool deck was playing SO loud that there was no way anyone could have stayed out there.  Plus, the music was blasted on all the speakers on this deck except for the Solarium.  It was by far the loudest I’ve ever heard a pool band.  It wasn’t possible to even try to talk to each other walking across the deck.  We’ll see what it’s like the rest of the trip.

 

Heading Up to Sail Away

I’ll be back with more later….

 

 

[sandebeach]

Loving your review!!!!! Have a great sail-away!

[RFerrington]

Very surprised that the Aqua Theater show is vaxxed only.  That makes NO sense.

[dandi799]

Just now, RFerrington said:

Very surprised that the Aqua Theater show is vaxxed only.  That makes NO sense.

That surprised me as well. Perhaps it's just because this is a test cruise, and there will be more availability on a 7 night sailing.

[John&LaLa]

16 minutes ago, RFerrington said:

Very surprised that the Aqua Theater show is vaxxed only.  That makes NO sense.

 It was that way on Allure, but they just ran through a rehearsal..

 

I'd guess the unvaxxed could watch from deck 7 balconies 

[Host Anne]

1 hour ago, RFerrington said:

Very surprised that the Aqua Theater show is vaxxed only.  That makes NO sense.

They only have one show scheduled for the Aqua Theater on this two-night cruise and it says it's a "Preview" so I'm guessing it's more of a rehearsal as well. With 95% of the guests vaccinated, I don't think they'd have room for others.  In fact, they probably won't have room for all who would like to go.  I'm guessing regular cruises will be much different and there will be more Aqua shows throughout a regular seven-day cruise!

[BeancounterUSA]

Do you have any idea about how many total passengers for this test cruise, and have you been assigned a "role"?

 

[Host Anne]

Trivia

Went to the first trivia on Symphony since she stopped sailing last year.  It was in Dazzles at the back of deck 8.  Tami from Brazil was the crew member running the trivia.  She was awesome….happy and funny!  Exactly what you want after a lengthy delay in cruising.  We arrived two minutes late and there was only one other team there.  Two more teams arrived before we began.

 

Turns out we won, and we were honored to be awarded the VERY FIRST, highly sought after Royal Caribbean key chain prize for winning the first trivia session on Symphony now that she’s back.  It was a lot of fun and we all laughed.  Reminded us that we truly have missed cruising.

 

SAILAWAY

We were supposed to sail at 4:30 but it’s almost 6:00 PM and we are still tied to the dock.  No idea what’s going on except the captain did say at 4:00 PM that there were still 90 people who hadn’t completed their safety drill yet.  He said we couldn’t leave until they did!

 

So folks, Royal has made the Safety drill SUPER easy.  But you have to do it!  You can start it on the ap or on the TV in your room and then you simply walk to your muster station where they scan your seapass and your done.  Couldn’t have been easier. 

 

Looks like the fork lift drivers are just heading to remove our ropes from the pier.  It’s been very strange that there has been little no activity along the pier today.  I think the ship was provisioned yesterday and everyone walked their luggage onboard.  I didn’t even see a porter now that I think of it! 

 

Can’t wait to hit the open seas!

 

Sorry for any typos….not stopping to proof….

[Host Anne]

6 minutes ago, BeancounterUSA said:

Do you have any idea about how many total passengers for this test cruise, and have you been assigned a "role"?

 

 

I was told around 900 passengers and we have not been assigned any role

[flyguyjake]

3 minutes ago, Host Anne said:

 

I was told around 900 passengers and we have not been assigned any role

Could you please ask if Royal Genie Sunil is onboard?

[joand452]

Just watched you sail away! 

 

Know you'll have a great time (we were supposed to be on Symphony in May 2020 :()  

[Host Anne]

14 minutes ago, joand452 said:

Just watched you sail away! 

 

Know you'll have a great time (we were supposed to be on Symphony in May 2020 :()  

I was waving.....  hope you get to sail her again soon!

[Host Anne]

36 minutes ago, flyguyjake said:

Could you please ask if Royal Genie Sunil is onboard?

sure

[bourbon52]

2 hours ago, Host Anne said:

THE CRUISE BEGINS!

 

Cruising has been a passion of mine since the early 1990s.  I can’t quite tell you why.  Part of it is that I LOVE being on the ocean; part of it is the wonderful people we’ve met from all around the world; part of it is the lifelong friends we’ve made through cruising.  To be able to sail onboard Symphony of the Seas for its simulation cruise brings that passion and excitement back.  My only wish is that all of your could be with us.

 

The drive to Miami was uneventful.  Easy check into the Hyatt Regency Downtown.  Used points and had a nice king room on the 5^th floor.  Walked two blocks to Fratelli Milano for dinner.  Excellent food and service. We’d definitely go back.  Called it an early night and anxious to see Symphony in the morning.

 

Port Arrival & Check In

Our check in time was 11:00 AM (pre-assigned when we did our on-line check in on Thursday).  We left the hotel about 10:10.  We knew it wasn’t far to the port but you never know what Miami traffic would be like, even on a Sunday morning.  Fortunately, we were at the port and parked by 10:20.  There was no traffic heading to the ships at all. There were four other ships in port as well, but none of the terminals had traffic. 

 

By 10:25, we were outside the terminal building (it’s beautiful….hadn’t been here before) and there were already about 20 others milling around.  There were so que lines set up and there were benches along the wall for seating.  About 10:40 the called for the 11:00 AM check-in guests to line up.  Then they placed the 11:30 guests in a separate line.  There were about 25 – 30 people in line behind us and 6 in front of us.

 

 

Within minutes those with the 11:00 AM check-in were allowed inside the terminal.  There were 8 stations set up just inside the door and they checked your boarding pass, passport and vaccination card.  It took about two minutes.  We were handed purple wrist band that indicated we were vaccinated.  We were then instructed to head upstairs where we sat for about five minutes before being directed to another “check in” spot.  This person again checked our boarding pass, passport and vaccination card.  She directed us over to security where we ran our luggage through security scanners (another two minutes perhaps).  Then it was onto the ship! 

 

 

We stepped on board Symphony before our 11:00 AM check in time! Amazing!

 

All staff gave us jubilant welcome back greetings.  It was soooo good to see them again and it was clear they were certainly happy to see us. There’s nothing like stepping back on board a ship. 

 

 

Health Check

We had to complete an on-line health questionnaire once we were within 24 hours of sailing and the staff member who first checked us in said he had to ask the questions again even thought we completed it online, just as a precaution. It was quick and easy.  Other than that, there was not any other health checks for us.  Testing was not required because it was a cruise of less than 5 days (Michael Bayley posted this online today as well).  So getting on board was quite simple and easy.

 

Masking

Knowing when and where to put a mask on was easy.  There are signs noting where they are needed. There are also signs noting where vaccinated guests only could go.  Pretty much, if you are outside, it’s a “mask-free” area.  Once you step in side, you are asked to “mask up.”  It’s really a pretty simply thing to follow and it is well marked.  Masks are not required for vaccinated guests when in a venue or event that is designated for vaccinated guests only.  They are also not required at a Perfect Day at CocoCay unless you are seated in a crowded area.

 

Vaccinated versus Non-Vaccinated Guests

The Cruise Compass is very specific on who can go where and when.  Most of the smaller entertainment venues like the Schooner Bar, the Copper & Kettle Pub, and Jazz on 4 only allow vaccinated guests.  There are show times in the smaller venues like Studio B and The Attic that limit performances to vaccinated guests while other performances are open to everyone.  Nearly all shows are available to all guests at some time during the cruise.  In the main theater, deck 4 is reserved for vaccinated guests while deck 5 is reserved for everyone who wants to sit there.  The adult comedy show and the HiRO water show are the only shows listed for vaccinated guests only.  I imagine all of this will vary on regular 7-night cruises.  There is no designation between vaccinated and unvaccinated guests on the pool deck, the Royal promenade, in larger venues like Dazzles.

 

You’ll find hand washing stations in many places throughout the ship and hand sanitizer stations in even more places.

 

Getting Situated

We had two things we wanted to do before heading to our cabin – check on a cabana at Perfect Day at CocoCay and a dinner reservation at Chops.  We decided to dine in the main dining room one evening and Chops.  Since we were sailing by ourselves, we couldn’t justify the costs of the cabanas at the Coco Beach Club.  The crew member at the shore excursions desk said I could make the reservations on my Royal ap but apparently mine isn’t working at all.  My husband’s is and he was able to secure a cabana at Chill lsland (much less expensive).  We also made a dinner reservation at Chops but neither of these is showing in my ap.  I’ll have to get that checked out.

 

We did a complete walk-around the ship.  We’ve sailed Oasis several time but had never been on Symphony.  Lots of great things and it was very noticeable that every crew member enthusiastically greeted us and welcomed us back on board.

 

Cabin

Our cabin is a lovely Cat 1C on deck 14 mid-ship.  The balcony is deeper than your average balcony and the room has a great couch next to the king size bed I like the two tall closets on either side of the bed better than one large closet in the room.  There is a nice desk and plenty of drawer space (especially for a two-night cruise 😊).  The bathroom is adequate and I really like the rectangular sink.  Much better than the shallow round sinks where watch constantly splashes.  The two balcony chairs also come with a footstool and a small table to coffee or drinks.  All in all, a great cabin.

 

 

 

 

Dining

Jamie’s Italian – When we noticed Jamie’s was opened for lunch, we immediately made a reservation for today.  I eat a lot of Italian food and I have to say this was some of the best food I’ve had in an Italian restaurant.  I was surprised that a specialty restaurant on a ship could serve food this good for lunch!  We’ve always had great meals at Chops but Jamie’s was top notch. The garlic rolls were delicious….a yeast roll with butter, garlic and rosemary that truly melted in your mouth.  My husband had the carbonara and while it said the pasta was penne, it was really more of a ziti.  Made from scratch and fantastic!!!  Better than similar dishes we’ve had on land.  I had lasagna and while it was very good, the carbonara beat it hands down.  Great first meal and I’d highly recommend dining here.

 

 

 

  

 

 

Only Downside Thus Far

The only negative I found so far was the band on the pool deck was playing SO loud that there was no way anyone could have stayed out there.  Plus, the music was blasted on all the speakers on this deck except for the Solarium.  It was by far the loudest I’ve ever heard a pool band.  It wasn’t possible to even try to talk to each other walking across the deck.  We’ll see what it’s like the rest of the trip.

 

Heading Up to Sail Away

I’ll be back with more later….

 

 

This is awesome. Thank you, but because it's a short cruise, is there a show Hairspray?

[suizas]

Any idea on how full the next few sailings will be? I’m on August 29th. Thank you and enjoy your cruise! Watched you sail off!