Tag Archives: Symphony of the Seas

Why Symphony of the Seas is the Ultimate Family Ship

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Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas
PHOTO: Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas (Photo courtesy of Royal Caribbean)

Royal Caribbean International’s Symphony of the Seas edges out Harmony of the Seas as the world’s largest cruise ship, and it’s packed with even more experiences to entice families and millennials.

Symphony measures 228,081 gross tons, compared to Harmony’s 226,963 gross tons. It can carry up to 6,680 passengers.

Most of them are travelling as families, and a sizable percentage will be millennials, according to Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International. He said a Gallup Poll ranked Royal Caribbean as the No. 1 cruise line for millennials.

Since millennials crave experiences, the bigger the ship, the more activities and variety it can offer, Bayley said. Plus, Royal Caribbean puts a lot of energy into its marketing, with a heavy focus on digital advertising and action-packed videos in online communications.

The Ultimate Family Suite

Spread across 1,346 square feet on two levels, this one-of-a-kind (for now) suite was designed to please all ages. Extensive market research uncovered the most desired elements of a dream home at sea for kids, teens and parents, and bundled them into one fabulous space.

The Ultimate Family Suite is outfitted with a bright orange in-room slide, a cinema with an 85-inch HD TV and a popcorn machine, a floor-to-ceiling LEGO wall and other fun, whimsical features. The 212-square-foot balcony has table tennis, a climbing structure and full-sized whirlpool.

The suite sleeps eight, has three bathrooms and seven televisions.

Laura Hodges, vice president of guest experience for Royal Caribbean, said an important selling point for parents is that the suite is so cool teens will want to hang out with them. “It creates family bonding in an unforced way,” she said.

Pricing for the suite is based on demand/seasonality and averages $45,000 to $80,000 per week, including the services of a Royal Genie, a butler of sorts who strives to make all wishes come true.

A Better Boardwalk

On other Oasis-class ships, the Boardwalk appeals mainly to children, with its carousel, Johnny Rockets burger joint and hot dog stand. Aboard Symphony, this neighbourhood has “come alive,” according to Vicki Freed, senior vice president-sales, trade support and service. “It was a kids’ zone. We wanted to expand it into a whole family zone,” she said.

So now there’s also the family-friendly Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade, with 31 big-screen TVs, arcade games and bar food like burgers and fries to go with the craft beers and cocktails. And, just across the way, the new Sugar Beach sells ice cream and candy.

More Casual Dining Choices

Besides Playmakers, Symphony has two other new casual dining spots. The seafood restaurant Hooked is found in the upper level of the Solarium. Hooked serves fare like lobster rolls, crab claws, oysters shucked to order and the signature “Messy Fish Sandwich.”

For fast food Mexican style in the Pool and Sports Zone, El Loco Fresh offers tacos, quesadillas, nachos and burritos at a counter with serve-yourself salsas and toppings.

Fabulous Shows

In the Royal Theater, Broadway hit “Hairspray” is having a return run for Royal Caribbean, along with the new “Flight: Dare to Dream,” that starts with a flight to Mars and goes back to the Wright Brothers, with a 22-foot aeroplane that actually flies in the show.

Studio B’s spectacular new “1977” ice skating extravaganza starts in a dazzling way: with 48 drones buzzing in a choreographed routine. It continues with incredible projections on a high-definition screen under the ice, snow falling and Olympics-caliber skaters.

The AquaTheater’s new show “AquaNation” features daring stunts like high-divers and tightrope walking.

Adventure Ocean Youth Programming

Symphony has Royal Caribbean’s youth program and dedicated spaces for ages 3 to 17 in four distinct age groups, plus Royal Babies (ages 6-18 months) and Royal Tots (18-36 months).

Thrills and Chill

New on Symphony, the Studio B ice rink converts into a glow-in-the-dark laser challenge, “Battle for Planet Z.” Plus, the ship reprises Royal Caribbean action thrills like The Ultimate Abyss slide that plunges nearly 100 feet, The Perfect Storm trio of water slides, a pair of FlowRiders for surfing, a zip line over the Boardwalk and two rock-climbing walls. There’s an escape room challenge, too.

Younger kids can have fun with the spray jets and dump bucket at Splashaway Bay.

There are also places to chill, like the quiet, adults-only Solarium with its dipping pool and the family-friendly mini-golf course.

The race to build the world’s biggest cruise ship is over

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Image result for symphony of the seas

Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas
Can we call it now?
The race to build the biggest cruise ship ever is over, I think.
And the winner is Royal Caribbean International.
Will anyone ever build a cruise ship bigger than Royal’s Oasis-class ships, the fourth of which was delivered last week? It might happen, but the evidence suggests that it won’t. The reason why I think not is that many cruise companies, including Royal itself, have had a chance to design something bigger since the Oasis of the Seas first took to the oceans in 2009.
No one has.
Of the 36 cruise ships over 120,000 gross tons delivered since 2009, none are bigger than the 228,081-ton Symphony of the Seas, which is on its way from the shipyard in France to Barcelona, Spain, where it will begin seven-day cruises on April 7.
Of the 43 cruise ships over 120,000 gross tons on order or about to be delivered, none are bigger than the Symphony.
Those orders include ships for nearly every major cruise operator besides Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., including Carnival Corp., Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Walt Disney Co., MSC Cruises and Genting Hong Kong.
Image result for msc seaside
MSC Seaside.
Each had an opportunity to design the new biggest cruise ship in the world. The closest will be Dream Cruises, which is building a pair of 204,000 gross ton Global class ships for delivery in 2020 and 2021.
Royal Caribbean also has had two chances to top itself but has designed the smaller Quantum class at 168,666 gross tons and the upcoming Icon class at 200,000 gross tons. Royal is still cranking out Oasis-class ships the next is due in 2021. So perhaps when it is finished with that class, it will design something bigger.
For decades, the biggest cruise ship in the world was the 70,327 gross ton Queen Elizabeth 2, which reigned for 21 years from 1967 to 1988 when the 73,192 gross ton Sovereign of the Seas de-throned it.
Image result for rms queen elizabeth 2
RMS Queen Elizabeth 2nd
Thereafter, in the 20 years from 1988 to 2009, a series of newbuilds followed that each topped the last in size. Now there has been a nine-year lull. To match the QE2’s longevity as No. 1, the Symphony of the Seas would have to be the biggest until 2039.
Maybe that won’t happen. There’s always economies of scale to be reaped by building bigger, although the evidence seems to suggest that beyond 5,500 passengers, operators reach a point of diminishing returns.
But for now, long live the Symphony of the Seas.

Collective Planning Puzzle

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Ovation of the Seas will split her deployment between Australia and Alaska

This year will be a big year for Royal Caribbean Cruises with Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises introducing new ships. The new ships in turn are the primary drivers generating itinerary changes throughout the fleets, according to Chris Allen, vice president, deployment and itinerary planning, Royal Caribbean Cruises.

Celebrity will be introducing the new Celebrity Edge this fall, sailing seven-day cruises from Port Everglades for the winter season, and Royal Caribbean will introduce the Symphony of the Seas with a summer Mediterranean season.

Royal Caribbean and Celebrity have already announced a large percentage of their deployment over the next two years and by March or April are expecting to have most if not all of their itineraries open for sale through April 2020.

“One big story is the variety of Oasis-class homeports and ports of call,” Allen said. The Symphony enters service this spring and will sail seven-day cruises from Barcelona and Civitavecchia, before moving to Miami for year-round alternating seven-day Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises.

In 2019, when the Oasis goes to the Mediterranean for the summer, the Harmony will move from Port Everglades to Port Canaveral. In addition, the Allure; which is in Miami for the 2018-2019 winter, goes back to Port Everglades; and the Oasis goes to Miami in the fall.

Another headliner for 2019 will be the Ovation going to Alaska from Australia via Hawaii to Vancouver before homeporting in Seattle, where she is replacing the Explorer of the Seas.

“Sailing alongside the Radiance, hardware-wise I think we will have the most interesting ships in Alaska,” Allen noted. “It will also be the first time we have two Quantum-class ships in North America with the Anthem of the Seas on the East Coast.”

While the cruise fleet is growing, many ports are expanding too and new ports have come online, according to Allen, who said it was important to partner with destinations to develop them for the long term, making sure the brands have great destinations to call at.

“We develop itineraries for each brand reflecting their strategic vision; the itineraries must fit what the brands represent and must appeal to the sourcing markets,” he explained.

“We look at guest feedback, the attractiveness of destinations, trends, what is popular, what is not, marketability, and then balance that vs. the cost side, fuel and port costs.

“The beauty of our industry is that compared to hotels, we can move ships and maximize the appeal of the ships and their profitability.

“This formula works and has not changed at the macro level although the input is constantly changing, such as fuel costs and regulations.”

He said that itinerary planning is a big puzzle that the company is always trying to optimize. “We have a small team here that works very hard. The deployments we have are some of the most important decisions we make as a company, it impacts everything we do – it is imperative that we get things right.  We have some very smart and dedicated people on our team, but we rely on the collective knowledge and partnering across the company, with the brands, but also all the other areas and with all the destinations, tour operators, ports and governments around the world.  It really takes a collective effort to put the puzzle together.”