By the Caribbean Journal staff
Royal Caribbean has officially taken delivery of what is now the world’s largest cruise ship: Symphony of the Seas.
The 25th ship in Royal Caribbean’s fleet, the ship measures 238 feet tall, 1,188 feet long and 228,081 gross tons, with capacity for 5,518 guests at double occupancy in a total of 2,759 staterooms (along with another 28 balcony rooms).
“Symphony of the Seas is the latest example of how our people work to push the envelope of innovation with each new ship,” said Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Chairman and CEO Richard D. Fain. “The Oasis Class has been a trend-setting design, but the team has evolved the design to build on that success to provide even more incredible family adventures. We’re thankful to have a partner in STX France that is every bit as ambitious as we are about building technologically advanced ships.”
The ship will have seven of the company’s signature “neighborhoods,” along with features ranging from the tallest waterslide on a cruise ship to its own boardwalk.
That’s along with a new addition to Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class: the “Ultimate Family Suite,” a two-level, 1,346-square-foot suire with amenities like an in-room slide, a private cinema and even a LEGO wall and a 212-square-foot balcony.
Other amenities range from a 40-foot-long FlowRider surf simulator to a full-fledged ice skating rink.
The Ultimate Abyss is a 10-story slide that’s the largest on any cruise ship today.
Symphony of the Seas is beginning its life in Europe before heading to PortMiiami in November to homeport at the line’s new Terminal A. It will be the centerpiece of a new terminal that first broke ground last year and will be what the company is calling the most innovative cruise facility in the United States.
A rendering of the new Terminal A at PortMiami.
Symphony of the Seas will operate seven-night eastern and Western Caribbean cruises that will include the company’s transformed Perfect Day destination in the Bahamas.