Not so Live Review, Symphony of the Seas Sep 17-24

[Stealthdog]

Ranking of the Specialty Restaurants:

 

1) Central 150

2) Jaime's Italian

3) Chops Grille

4) Hooked Seafood

5) Wonderland

Note rated - Izumi

 

Some thoughts on other dining options:

 

Playmakers - ala carte cost if you don't have the UDP.  We loved playmakers and went twice.  Had the hot wings, jalapeño poppers, and the nachos.  They were all great.  Located on the boardwalk, Playmakers is a nice place to go after a show.  Playmakers (and the casino) are also the places to go if you want to watch sports.  They had about a dozen TVs and showed alot of college football and NFL games.  Also saw some baseball, soccer, and rugby on the TVs over the course of the week.  If you are looking for a game, they will probably show it at Playmakers.  For those who have sailed NCL, the food in Playmakers is very similar to O'Sheehan's Pub.  

 

Johnny Rockets - We went for breakfast one morning (its complimentary).  It was nice to have a quiet table, where you can sit down and order off menu.  The service was quick.  I don't think most people knew Johnny Rockets was open for breakfast.  We did not try the later meals (which would have been included with the UDP).

 

Solarium Bistro - We tried to go there one morning for breakfast, and it was a mess.  I didn't realize it was buffet style, and it looks like we are back to the old habits of cruising - people coughing into their hands and then handling the serving utensils, others not covering their nose/mouth when they sneeze.  The reason we didn't go to Windjammers is because of poor hygiene people display on cruise ships....I was disappointed that the Bistro is essentially an extension of Windjammers, and we are back to customers self-serving at the buffets.  After seeing the coughing and sneezing, we left and went to the Park Cafe instead.  

 

Main Dining Room - We only went there for one breakfast, so not sure how the lunch and dinner experience is.  There are three different levels of the dining room - the compass and app will tell you which floor is open for which meal.  For the breakfast we did go to, the service was slow and food was average.  It took us over an hour to be seated, have our orders taken, and have the food delivered.  All we ordered were omelets, so I'm guessing the kitchen was overwhelmed.  Two other things we noticed was the breakfast hours start later than what we remember on other ships/cruise lines.  There was also no one walking around with pastry plates - we had to ask the server for pastries.  I don't know if that is typical for Royal Caribbean.  

 

El Loco Fresh - we never tried it.  Just not enough time.

 

Dog House - we stopped by there a couple of times when we were in the Boardwalk.  They have four different types of dogs - ranging from traditional hotdogs to bratwursts.  Nothing special, but it was nice to get something quick like that.

 

Sorrento's - the best pizza on the seas.  We only went once, but one thing Royal Caribbean does better than other cruise lines is the pizza.   It seemed they had about 4-5 different types of pizza they give by the slice and then a section with additional toppings you can get to add to your slices.

 

Park Cafe - our savoir from the MDR and Windjammers/Solarium.  We only went for breakfasts, but they served lunch food too.  They had fresh pastries, breakfast sandwiches, bagels with 3 different cream cheeses, and fresh coffee.  The lines were never long and we never had a problem finding seating.  It was a great option for people looking for a quick meal.

 

Cafe Promenade - big tip for cruises - you can ask the crew for a to-go coffee cup and pour yourself a coffee at the self-serve station. 

 

 

[Stealthdog]

I'll compete a review of the shows and entertainment of the ship over the next couple of days.  Attached is the full show schedule.  This is what we went to that will be included in the reviews:

 

Day 1 - Hairspray (Musical)

Day 2 - Loyalty Event & Comedians

Day 3 - 1977 (Ice Skating)

Day 4 - Hiro (Water Show)

Day 5 - Jennifer Singer (Singer)

Day 6 - Flight Dare to Dream (Production Show)

Day 7 - ISkate2.0

 

We did not do the Laser Tag or Free Iceskate Time

 

[Stealthdog]

Entertainment Day 1 - Hairspray

 

Outside of Disney, Hairspray was probably the best production I have seen on a cruise ship.  It was really well done.  I've seen a lot of off Broadway in DC at the Kennedy Center, London's West End, and Madrid, and this was definitely a step down from those, but I didn't expect something this good on the ship.  The cast's singers and dancers were all good and the set was well done. 

 

The only critique I have is really not one of the show, but just a general comment - it is an hour and a half long.  Normal entertainment on a cruise ship runs from 30-50 minutes, so Hairspray is going to take a lot of your time.  When you factor in getting early to get seats and the time to leave a full theater, you will want to block off at least two hours.  There is also no intermission, and I started fidgeting about 60 minutes into the show because I was getting uncomfortable sitting in those chairs that long.  

 

But, seeing Hairspray is worth your time.

[Stealthdog]

Entertainment Day 2 - Loyalty Party

 

I love that Royal Caribbean does these events.  On the Symphony, the loyalty event is held in the aqua theater and we got a sneak peak of the tightrope performer and the synchronized swimmers from Hiro.  The cruise director on the ship is also fantastic - probably the best cruise director I've seen on all my sailings.  

 

Its also nice to see the cruise line recognize the people (customers) who have invested so much in the line.  The senior staff all take time to be present and thank the loyal customers, which is a very nice gesture.  We will never get that far because we sail on too many lines, and we actually get our Crown & Anchor status from our higher Celebrity Captain's Club status.  It was great to see so many people passionate about cruising again (post COVID).

[Sea Dog]

On 9/27/2022 at 12:37 AM, Stealthdog said:

150 Central Park.  Dinner Day 2 & Day 4.  

 

Hands down the best restaurant on the Symphony of the Seas.  

 

We ate both nights in 150 Central inside.  Their seating inside is really weird, but we had bucket seats (pictured below the first night).  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ou favorite too. Funny I sat in a hose exact same chairs and thought the same exact thing. While I lov d he look of them you sit way to low. On our. Second visit the other chairs were better.

 

 

On 9/27/2022 at 2:48 PM, Stealthdog said:

Ranking of the Specialty Restaurants:

 

1) Central 150

2) Jaime's Italian

3) Chops Grille

4) Hooked Seafood

5) Wonderland

Note rated - Izumi

 

 

Mine was

1) CP150

2) Chops -had a fantastic steak there

3) Jamie’s- could have tied for number 2

4) Izumi 

5) Wonderland 

6) Hooked- should have gotten the whole lobster with with Captain’s Platter. Lobster Mac-n-cheese was very disappointing.

 

Never got to El Loco Fresh either.

 

Great review. I’m still working on mine in real time as a “as if.”

[karl_nj]

3 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

 

 

Never got to El Loco Fresh either.

 

 

 

I love El Loco Fresh; enjoyed it on Symphony in '19 and was thrilled to find it on Oasis in '21 and Wonder in '22.  But I've never had UDP so I was mostly eating at the free places.  So check it out next time you don't have the UDP.

 

Wonder has the best El Loco Fresh as they added a great bar nearby too.

 

I also love the onion rings at Playmakers; again I'm paying a la carte prices, but my wife and I usually share an order and feel it's worth the price.  Goes well with some of the nice IPAs they usually have available.

 

[Sea Dog]

14 hours ago, karl_nj said:

I also love the onion rings at Playmakers; again I'm paying a la carte prices, but my wife and I usually share an order and feel it's worth the price.

 

Onion rings were great and we did share too. The Campfire Brownie was to die for.

[Stealthdog]

4 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

 

Onion rings were great and we did share too. The Campfire Brownie was to die for.

 

We didn't get either of them.....but, I was overruled yesterday and we are doing the UDP on the Odyssey in December after my partner saw some reviews on the MDR on here.  🤣 This December, we will probably do Playmakers more because of the fewer amount of restaurants.

[Sea Dog]

Just now, Stealthdog said:

 

We didn't get either of them.....but, I was overruled yesterday and we are doing the UDP on the Odyssey in December after my partner saw some reviews on the MDR on here.  🤣 This December, we will probably do Playmakers more because of the fewer amount of restaurants.

 

That's the problem if you even want to call it a problem is that there are so many choicse on Symphony. I know some who go to dinner at two different places and have snacks at one restaurant before dinner at another. I was so stuffed just at dinner I couldn't eat another bite. I don't know how some people can do it. Must be a tapeworm or something. 😉

[Stealthdog]

Entertainment Day 2 - Comedians Simeon Kirkiles and Paul Ogata.

 

Hands down the best comedian act we have seen on a ship.  To often comedians play safe so they don't offend anyone, or their jokes are suited only for a specific generation.  Both comedians were absolutely hilarious, and neither were PC.  We've seen several acts in Vegas (Tosh, Schumer, etc) and these two were just as good.  Its held in the attic which was nice (other cruise ships have their acts in the theater).  Word of warning - don't sit up near the stage unless you want the focus of the comedy to be on you.  😂

[Stealthdog]

Entertainment Day 3 & 7 (Ice Skating).

 

General recommendation on entertainment - if you are stuck with a choice between the ice skating shows and Hiro, or production, go with the ice skating or Hiro.  If you can see all, no problem.  The reason I recommend this is productions are on every ship on every cruise line.  Seeing world class athletes performing in person is an experience you don't normally get.  To me, the two ice skating shows and Hiro were the best entertainment on board.

 

What the skaters are doing is so difficult - performing on ice in a much smaller rink than normal, with up to a dozen other people on the ice at the same time, on a ship that is moving is incredible.  I have a hard enough time staying on my feet, with no one near, on a skating rink on land.  

 

 1977:  A thrilling adventure on ice.  I'll admit up front, I did not understand the story line and had no clue what was happening, other than a jewel thief stealing jewels.  A narrator set the scene up front, but probably should have continued narrating through the performance.  I didn't even know time travelling was involved, who was doing it, when it was over, or what time period they were even in.  That didn't really matter though - the show was so entertaining with all the drones, spins, jumps, costume changes, and group choreography that a story probably wasn't even needed anyways.  Well worth the time to see this one.

 

iSkate 2.0 was also great.  It was shorter than the other one, but also worth the time to see.  Both are held in the Studio B.  Reservations were required for 1977, which can be done through the Royal App.  Reservations are not required for iSkate 2.0 - its first come, first serve.  It is a little cold in Studio B, so if you get cold easily, you may want to consider wearing pants and a long sleave shirt.

Edited September 29, 2022 by Stealthdog

[Stealthdog]

Entertainment Day 4 - Hiro.

 

Like the Ice Skating shows, this is a must see.  Set in the outdoor Aqua Theater there is just so much going on - tightrope walkers, divers, swimmers, its hard to even catch everything.   Like the skating, I can't even imagine how hard it is to dive into a tiny pool, on a ship that is moving, from a platform that looked to be about 30 feet high.  Fantastic show and performance by the entertainments.  Word of warning - don't sit up front unless you want to get wet!

 

 

 

[Stealthdog]

Entertainment - Day 5 - Jennifer Singer (vocalist)

 

Trying to finish up the review today.

 

Day 5 we saw Jennifer Singer.  She performs in Las Vegas and across cruise lines.  She is very talented.  Its always hard to judge a signer when they only perform cover songs because you automatically judge them to the original singer.  Some of the genres she sings, she is much better at - has a Celine Dione tone.  If she is a performer on your cruise, check her out - it is well worth the 45-50 minutes.  

Edited October 3, 2022 by Stealthdog

[Stealthdog]

Entertainment - Day 6 - Flight Dare to Dream (Production Show)

 

This will also probably be an unpopular review, but this show was kind of a miss to me.  It was the same production cast that performed Hairspray, and their performance in Hairspray was significantly better.  Several of the musical pieces just seemed off without harmony, which probably makes sense if they prepare more for their headline show.  The production itself was just weird to me - I didn't understand the story, didn't understand most of the characters, and felt bad for international guests because they probably had no idea what was going on.  

 

The concept of the production was a chronicle of "the evolution of humanity's endless fascination with flying."  But, it is in reverse chronological order, ending with space exploration, which is normally analogous to sailing exploration, not airflight.  If it was in chronological order from oldest to newest, it may have made more sense.  None of the scenes were related to others, so it was really just a set of about 8-10 independent scenes.  When some of cast referred to each other by name, I really didn't know who they were supposed to be - sometimes it made sense because they appeared to be playing the role of a famous aviator, but others it was just generic names that made me wonder if I should know who they were.  The songs used were also all over the place, with no theme.  It was just a mishmash of contemporary and older songs.  The set was nice and they did some fun things with it.  

 

Hairspray I would probably give a 9 or 10.  Flight is probably more of a 4 or 5 to me.  

[Stealthdog]

The last portion of the review will be the ports of calls and excursions followed by some general notes that weren't covered yet.

 

We booked all of our excursions thru the Shore Excursion Group.  When we looked at the Royal excursions, many were sold out.  We have done private tours before and have been to all of these ports, so we felt comfortable doing private tours for this sailing.  The main differences between a cruise line's excursions and private excursions:

 

- If you are late coming back to the ship from a cruise line excursion, the ship will always wait for you.  If you are late getting back to the ship past all aboard time and are on a private excursion or just doing your own thing, the ship may leave.

- Private excursions are usually cheaper, more intimate, and have fewer people than cruise line excursions.  But, you normally have to leave the port area to find your private excursion, while cruise line excursions organize you immediately after you leave the ship (or even onboard the ship).

 

Day 3 - Costa Maya, Mexico - Chacchoben Extreme Tour

Day 4 - Roatan, Honduras - Monkeys, Sloths, and Iguanas

Day 5 - Cozumel, Mexico - Snorkle El Cielo and Colombia Reef with Playa Mia

Day 7 - Perfect Day at Coco Cay - No tour

Edited October 3, 2022 by Stealthdog

[ARandomTraveler]

Wow, thank you so much for such a thorough and well written review with so many details! This must have taken you forever, much appreciated!!

[Stealthdog]

13 hours ago, ARandomTraveler said:

Wow, thank you so much for such a thorough and well written review with so many details! This must have taken you forever, much appreciated!!

 

Thanks - hope it was useful!  I usually do live updates while on board, but we weren't sure we would have the internet package and there were only 2 sea days.  It did make it much easier doing it off a laptop versus a phone.  I like to read other people's reviews before I go on a ship, so it is nice to return the favor.

 

Between mine, BennyBrun's and SeaDog's reviews, I think we explored every corner of the Symphony, with some opposing points of views.  

[Stealthdog]

 

Day 3 - Costa Maya, Mexico - Chacchoben Extreme Tour.

 

In Costa Maya we did a tour that included the Chacchoben ruins and the 7 Color Lagoon.  Shore Excursion Group contracted the local company The Native Choice for the excursion.  The meeting point was near the fake pyramid once you leave the secured port area, but it was really easy to find.  We got to the meet up point early and were able to get on the first 9 pax van - there were a total of 2 vans, and the second one was always about 45 minutes behind us (they must have had to wait for some late customers).  Everyone on this tour was from the Symphony - it was the only ship in port.

 

The first stop was Chacchoben.  I have only been to Chichen Itza, so was not really sure what to expect.  It was actually a pleasant surprise.  Three of the pyramids are in different states of repair and was interesting to see up close.  Our local tour guide told us there are countless other buildings that have not be excavated yet, and they are the "hilly" areas in the otherwise flatland area.  Knowing that, Chacchoben was probably a fairly large Mayan city and you can imagine the size when you see the overgrown mounds.

 

The second stop was the 7 Color Lagoon.  We were brought to a local resort, where we had free access to cayaks, stand up paddleboards, floatable devices.  We (the two vans) were the only customers there, so we did not have to compete with others.  At the resort, lunch was included with chicken and pork tacos and three different types of sauces, and complimentary drinks.  We had about one hour of free time at the 7 Color Lagoon and spent some time on water.  The lagoon was a little disappointing because we didn't see the various colors in the water that gave it its name....maybe because it was partly overcast.  Chacchoben was the highlight of the excursion.

 

The Native Choice group did a very good job at taking us around and giving us information on both the ruins and the lagoon.  We definitely recommend this group to anyone looking for a private tour in Costa Maya.  

 

Back at the ship, we went up to Deck 14 to watch for pier runners.  Note in the pictures below, it is a very, very long pier and you don't want to have to run all the way to the ship.  We were rewarded for our patience with the Captain honking the ship's horn and watched about 15-20 runners sprint down the pier to the ship.  A few were dressed only in bikinis and it was impressive seeing them make that run.

[Stealthdog]

Day 4 - Roatan, Honduras - Monkeys, Sloths, and Iguanas

 

This was the tour I was most looking forward to.

 

Shore Excursion Group contracted the Roatan Shore Excursion Tour group, by Creg for the excursion.  We walked the obligatory gauntlet of taxi drivers, excursion vendors, and hustlers waiting outside the gate to our designated, and were about 45 minutes early.  We were given a personal driver, which was awesome because we didn't have to be shuttled around in a larger tour group.  

 

The first stop was Arch's Iguana and Marine Park.  Our driver passed us off to one of the park employees who walked us through the small park.  In total there appeared to be several dozen very large iguanas that roamed free around the area.  They apparently sleep up in the trees at night and come down to the group during the day to soak up the sun and feed.  We (and by we, I mean me because my partner wanted nothing to do with the iguanas) were able to pat the iguanas....who knew that was even a thing?  The park guide also explained the mound that is used by the iguanas to bury their eggs, which was very interesting - you can see the holes burrowed into the mound.  The younger iguanas are raised in an enclosure until they are big enough to fend for themselves (a couple of years).  

 

After the iguanas, we were brought to the Daniel Johnson Monkey & Sloth Hangout, which was the highlight of the excursion.  In addition to about 7-8 sloths, there were also monkeys, parrots, macaws, and agouti.  Like the iguanas, I was the only one who wanted to hold the sloths.  It was awesome - he just wraps his arms around your shoulders and holds you!  Interesting fact - Sloths go the bathroom once a week.  The employees have the one sloth available for the customers, while the rest hang out in the various trees in the area.  After the sloth, we had opportunities to engage with spider monkeys and parrots, which we gladly accepted.  On our way out we discovered that the Hangout is moving their location to a larger area and should be complete with the move shortly into the new year.  The iguanas and the animals at the sloth hangout all looked well cared for.

 

Because we still had some time left, the driver brought us to the Roatan Chocolate Factory.  This add on was ok, but I wouldn't make it the focus point of an excursion.  We received a brief introduction to the local chocolate, had some tastings, and were able to buy some overpriced chocolate (which we happily did).  

 

Like the previous excursion we also recommend the Roatan Shore Excursion Tour (Creg) group - we had a private car and driver who willing to take us wherever we wanted, for about 2/3rd the cost of the cruise tours.

 

After the excursion we opened up the bottle of champagne our Travel Agent had for our room and sat on the balcony to watch for pier runners.  The distance of the pier at Roatan is much shorter than Costa Maya.  Eventually a small white van pulled up, and a family jumped out and ran towards the ship.  

Edited October 4, 2022 by Stealthdog

[Stealthdog]

Day 5 - Cozumel, Mexico - Snorkle El Cielo and Colombia Reef with Playa Mia

 

I'm not sure the exact name Short Excursions Group used for this tour - our instructions were only to look for someone in a Playa Mia uniform outside the port gate.  There was a total of three ships in port, so we were expecting the port to be hectic.  At our meetup up location, we were collected with a couple from the Carnival ship and brought to the docks where the catamarans were located.  We waited about 45 minutes at the docks before boarding with about 50 other people (mostly locals).

 

We experienced a boat ride through a thunderstorm, which cleared by the time we reached our first Snorkel stop.  The water was very clear, but there were only about 2 or 3 types of fish and the reef that could be seen.  We found the snorkeling at Cozumel to be not as good as Bonnaire or Bahamas.  

 

The second snorkel stop was interesting - we were able to snorkel an area that has huge starfish.  The third stop was less a snorkel and more an experience as stingrays swam around a sandbar we were dropped at.  Watching these huge rays swim past was an experience.  In total we saw about 6 or 7 stingrays.  

 

After the snorkel time, we were brought to Playa Mia, but did not have the time to stay.  We tried the complimentary buffet (which was not that good) and went to the entrance area where cars wait to bring cruisers back to their ships.  Fortunately, we had about 30 minutes to spare before all aboard time and did not have to run the pier.

 

We would not recommend this excursion to people stopping at Cozumel.  We felt it was poorly advertised because we didn't have time to spend at Playa Mia, and unlike most private tours we were not in a small group.  We have been to Cozumel several times and were going to stay on the ship, but decided to try something different.  The starfish and stingrays were great, but the organization of the tour was very poor.  

Edited October 4, 2022 by Stealthdog

[Stealthdog]

Day 7 - Perfect Day at Coco Cay - No tour

 

I love Coco Cay.  I would go on a cruise ship that only stops at Coco Cay for 3 days if they offered it.  We got a late start to the day and left the ship around 10am.  Once on the island, we walked to South Beach, where there were tons of beach chairs and umbrellas available.  South Beach is the area furthest away from the pier, so it is also usually the least crowded of the beaches.  

 

We stayed at South Beach, enjoying the water and the activities (ping pong, cornhole, basketball) and tried the funnel cake (two thumbs up).  We moved to Oasis Lagoon, but it seemed like every person from both ships was trying to squeeze into the pool at the same time....so we moved on to lunch.  After lunch, we spent the rest of the afternoon back at South Beach before heading back to the ship.

 

Coco Cay is the best private island we have been to, and we give huge kudos to Royal for doing such a good job with the island.  The beaches are all spaced out, the food is pretty good, and there are a variety of activities to do (or not do) that don't cost anything.  Maybe next time we will check out the water park or balloon.  

[ecslady]

19 minutes ago, Stealthdog said:

I love Coco Cay.  I would go on a cruise ship that only stops at Coco Cay for 3 days if they offered it.  We got a late start to the day and left the ship around 10am.  Once on the island, we walked to South Beach, where there were tons of beach chairs and umbrellas available.  South Beach is the area furthest away from the pier, so it is also usually the least crowded of the beaches. 

 

 

 I think a lot of us would go on a cruise if it stopped in Coco Cay for 3 days. 

 

Thanks for your review. Enjoying it.

[Stealthdog]

Other random thoughts and pics that weren't used elsewhere.

 

There was a very large international crowd and at times the ship had a party ship feel to it.  I was expecting a lot of children on board (there weren't), but was more bothered by some of the loud, drunk adults.  We saw several customers in the Solarium complain to staff because other customers were bringing private radios in and blasting music.  

 

The casino was ok.  It wasn't as smoked-filled as other casinos I have been to.  They don't let you completely backup odds in craps, so you are essentially just handing your money over to the casino if you play that table game.  The bar area was nice - several TVs around that showed various sporting events.  

 

The gym was nice, the thermal suite not so much.  The gym had a lot of cardio options, but a little limited in space for machine and free weights.  The thermal suite only had a sauna and steam room, both internal to the ship with no windows.  It was also coed.  

 

The men's bathrooms on the ship had some fun designs (I made sure no one was in bathrooms when I took the pictures):

 

 

At Roatan, we were greeted (at about 7AM ship time) by some entertainment on the docks to welcome us to port.  Looking around the Muppet windows that are the balconies, I saw some groggy, confused faces looking off their balconies.  It was a nice touch by the port.

 

 

 

On the last day, the cruise director had a nice tribute (including singing) for the military, police and fire, and first responders.  I just retired from the Army in January, so these little things really mean a lot and there were probably about 150-200 people for it.  There was not a no-host social for veterans that I have seen on other ships.  

 

 

 

We had our share of animal towels, courtesy of Muhammed our room steward.  Well done Muhammed for keeping us entertained.  

 

 

[Jimbo]

@Stealthdog I think you mentioned earlier you sat outside in Central Park at Jamie's and the temperature was fine with you. You said something like  they somehow have it temperature controlled.

 

Is that something new? never was that comfortable before when we have been on ships with Central Parks? for eating outside?

[TheHawk1]

On 9/28/2022 at 7:14 PM, karl_nj said:

Wonder has the best El Loco Fresh as they added a great bar nearby too.

The seating area of El Loco Fresh on Wonder has been expanded from what's available on Symphony,  which is great for having lunch.  It is one of the better self-serve restaurants on board.  The bar right beside it, Cantina Fresca, has the best frozen margaritas.  Too bad this isn't available on Symphony.