Symphony of the Seas Review
What an amazing cruise from start to finish
Rating by category
Additional details
What a fantastic cruise, this was our 1st cruise with Royal Caribbean but 3rd cruise after previously going on Disney's Dream and P&O's Britannia. Disney was great, but I think for our children (age 10 & 13) this one had the most to offer for the price we paid.
Embarkation in Barcelona was flawless and we were on the ship within 20 mins of arriving at the port. We were able of get straight onto the ship, despite it still being fairly early and the cabins not yet being ready (this was approx 1pm), so advised to head to the Windjammer for lunch. Did this and explored the ship for a short time before being advised around 2.30pm that the cabins were now ready :-)
We had an inside cabin on floor 7, which was fine for us as we were hardly ever in the room... just for showers and sleeping. It was kept clean and tidy throughout and even came back a few nights to towel animals. Daytime there was plenty of room and our 4 suitcases fitted perfectly under the bed. However in the evenings when the kids beds were made, it was a side step to get past them to the bathroom.
Cabin Review
Interior
Inside cabin on deck 7. Sorry can't remember the number, but it was near the elevator. It did the job fine and was kept clean at all times, out room steward was very nice and even showed our children how to make towel animals. There wasn't a great deal of space to get past the kids bed in the evening to get to the toilet, but other than that it suited us perfectly for all the time we were in it.
Port Reviews
Barcelona
Gorgeous port, so much to see and do. We took the hop on hop off bus to see the main sites. Did Sagrada Familia, be sure to book your slot in advance of your trip or you may end up disappointed.
Palma de Mallorca (Majorca)
Just got a taxi to the town centre (approx 20 euros) and wandered around by ourselves.
Marseille
Beautiful port, we didn't take an excursion or the expensive transfer into the port. Instead we followed the green path for about 10 mins and got the free shuttle into the port instead. From there we just walked around and made it down to the Marina, which I would recommend. Plenty places to eat in the area and some gift shops too, my daughter was delighted to find a Sephora nearby and I made sure I brought some presents of Marseille Soap home, the area is reknowned for it's lovely soap.
La Spezia (Cinque Terre)
Walked off the ship and into the centre of town (approx 25 mins) where we bought a family train ticket to Cinque Terre. There you can visit all five town on the rail line. We just did 4 which was enough, missing out the one in the middle as we were told there was a lot of steps to climb and we didn't want to rush visiting the other towns. We started at the furest away and made our way back. All were very pretty, but think my favourite was the first one, Monterosso, there after a walk along the beach, we turned back on ourselves and walked through a tunnel visiting some lovely shops in the old town. I think the train ticket in total for the 4 of us, was only around 50 euros... a bargin compared to many of the tours on offer. Plus we were able to spend as long or as little in each of the town, rather than being herded along as part of a larger group.
Rome (Civitavecchia)
Lovely city, We took the shuttle bus to the pick up/drop off point then caught a bus to the train station. Bought tickets to Rome, less then 50 euros return for the 4 of us. Had a guide book, so just walked around Rome by ourselves to see the main sights. We had been before, so missed out the Vatican this time round. But if time is short then I would recommend either the open top bus or a tour,
Valencia
Lovely port to walk around. Worth getting off the ship to have a look at the architecture alone, especially around the science centre. Also visited the church of the Holy Grail, again beautiful and worth a visit. We just got a taxi from the port.