- Saturday 21 April 2018
Lorraine and Jackie were invited to Barcelona to attend the launch of the largest cruise ship in the world, Royal Caribbean's incredible new Symphony Of The Seas. Read about their experience here:
"I was extremely excited and privileged to be invited to the launch of the largest cruise ship in the world, Symphony of the Seas, along with over 3,500 travel industry colleagues from every corner of the globe.
The sight of this super liner as you approach the dock in Barcelona port is breathtaking. After a speedy check-in and embarkation at the port, we headed straight to the Windjammer buffet restaurant with its huge array of hot and cold food for a sumptuous lunch.
So here are some facts about Symphony of the Seas; it has 18 decks and is 1,188 ft in length. It can take up to 6,800 guests and has a crew of 2,175.
There are seven neighbourhoods on board, with 20 restaurants offering over 300 menu options. The main hub of the ship is the Royal Promenade, with its bionic bar, English pub, pizza and coffee shops and an array of entertainment and shopping outlets. It's also home to the Rising Tide bar, which moves decks as you drink your favourite cocktail.
The 1950s-themed Boardwalk is another great outdoor outdoor area. Here you'll find a carousel, sweet shop and Sports Bar, plus it's also where the Aqua Theatre is. We attended the most amazing live show here, with divers and synchronised swimmers.
Central Park was one of my favourite outdoor areas, with a luscious collection of over 12,000 trees and plants and lovely places to sit out and eat, including Jamie's Italian. Sitting here, you forget that you are actually on a cruise ship.
For the thrillseekers (which I admit I am not!) there are the Perfect Storm waterslides and the Abyss- the largest slide at sea. There is also a zip line, Flowrider wave surf machine and plenty of other sports and activities for all ages. For me it was sipping a cocktail by the pool and listening to the Caribbean band play Bob Marley songs- all in the name of research of course!
The entertainment on board is where Royal Caribbean are true leaders in the cruise market. We saw the hit Broadway musical Hairspray on our second day on board and we also got to see the amazing ice skating show. While on board we also had a go in the Karaoke Bar, spent a few minutes in the silent disco, hit the night club which was rocking, lost a small few dollars in the Casino and wizzed through the beautiful Spa area.
Two days was definitely not enough to take in everything that this ship has to offer, but it gave us a real feel of what's included in your cruise fare. Royal Caribbean are certainly not the cheapest cruise line out there and don't claim nor want to be. But what you get is far beyond a full-board holiday. It is an experience, one that you will never forget.
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