Symphony of the Seas Review
Rating by category
Additional details
I should mention that I've only been on one other cruise: P&O Britannia
You might want strap in, this is gonna be a long one.
Check In - We checked in online and provided photos prior to arriving at Barcelona from Gatwick so it was relatively smooth in terms of boarding the ship. No complaints there really.
Cabin Review
Ocean View Balcony
The first thing we noticed when we entered the rooms (balcony rooms) was that my brother and I were given a double bed despite requesting 2 single beds. This, however was quickly rectified.
Something that struck me as odd was that there was no kettle for tea or coffee - a slight disappointment as this is something that even budget hotels offer - we pegged it down to it being an American thing and after some research it seems like it is. It's a shame though as it would have been nice to have the option to make our own tea or coffee in the morning or whenever we were relaxing in the room.
Be warned that the bathroom, while a good size, does not come with shower gel, only a bar of soap at the sink and a 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner, which again seemed odd. If you're going to provide one, why not provide the other? The shower is a good size and overall, it's a nice bathroom.
The rest of the room was fine - very spacious balcony and seating area although the sofa was mainly used as a suitcase holder. The safe, however, was about the size of a matchbox. You can get some small items like a watch and your passports in there but if you brought a laptop or any larger items, forget it.
The TV entertainment was a slight disappointment with no free films, instead charging extortionate prices to rent films, unlike Britannia.
Being at the front of the ship, on deck 11, there was no noise from the above or below decks, unlike if you were below the gym or near any of the music venues such as the aqua theatre/ boardwalk near the back.
Port Reviews
Barcelona
We stayed here most of the day after getting off the ship at the end of the cruise. We took the arranged shuttle bus to the airport, dropped our luggage off in the storage facility and took the train back into the city. We mainly walked around the main tourist sights but as it was Sunday, none of the markets were open which was a shame.
La Spezia (Cinque Terre)
Portovenere and Monterosso al mare were our destinations. These beautiful coastal towns are filled with colour and quirky little shops. There are plenty of stores selling pesto, bread, olives and pasta so if you want to stock up on italian foods, these places are a good spot. I have to say I tried Spaghetti Ala Scarpara in Monterosso for the first time which is a dish local to these areas and it was the best tomato sauce I've had. Simple, yet astonishingly satisfying. We didn't have too much time after the meal to look around, however, it tends to be more of the same kind of streets, so whilst there aren't too many sights to see in town, it is nice to just walk around. Be warned, however, tourist season will see these towns absolutely packed.