--- Advertisement ---
facebook share
twitter share
pinterest share
flipboard share

Follow


Tales of the 99% on Symphony of the Seas: At Sea & Port Days

Tales of the 99% on Symphony of the Seas: At Sea & Port Days


avatar   Stacy
Trip Date 12/18/2021
Posted On 02/17/2022 10:39:15

Destinations | Cruises | Cruising | Cruise | Ports | Florida | Miami | Royal Caribbean | Symphony of the Seas | Dining | Entertainment | Eastern Caribbean | Philipsburg | Sint Maarten | Charlotte-Amalie | US Virgin Islands | USVI | Perfect Day at CocoCay | Bahamas | Cruise Compass | Loyalty Benefits



If you watch the news, you've probably heard at least one story about cruises being cancelled, ports being closed or an "outbreak" among cruise ship passengers. But, did you get the whole story or a sensationalized "made for television ratings" version?

Along with just over 6,000 passengers and crew members, we sailed on Symphony of the Seas from December 11 - 18, 2021. This Royal Caribbean ship departed from Miami, Florida and sailed to destinations in the Eastern Caribbean. In addition to three sea days and one Perfect Day at CocoCay (Bahamas), the ship docked for one day each at Philipsburg, St. Maarten and Charlotte-Amalie, USVI.

If you aren't sure whether cruising during the current environment is right for you, this article will help answer your questions. Along with photos from our week on board the ship (dining, entertainment and more) plus our days on the three islands, we'll share the positives and negatives that any cruiser should be prepared for during these rather unusual times.


Where in the World is CocoCay?

Where in the World is CocoCay?

If you haven't already, make sure to read part one of this two part series (Tales of the 99% on Symphony of the Seas: Getting Ready). Part 1 is filled with answers to many questions about recent changes to cruise cancellation policies as well as current health and safety standards. We explore passenger requirements including vaccination, testing and when everyone must be "masked up". In addition to our experience with a cabin upgrade bid, we give you an overview of changes to both checking in for cruises as well as boarding cruise ships. Before wrapping up the first part of the series, we let you know what to expect before the ship actually sails away from the port.

--- Advertisement ---


Staterooms and Cabin Stewards

Although cleaning protocols have been updated, the look and feel of our stateroom was just like in the good ole' days. Myra, our cabin attendant, was extremely friendly and left towel animals to greet us upon returning to our cabin each evening.


Towel Animals Courtesy of Myra, our Cabin Attendant

Towel Animals Courtesy of Myra, our Cabin Attendant

The one obvious difference was the small bottle of hand sanitizer and two masks which were awaiting our arrival to our cabin!


Hand Sanitizer and Face Masks for Two!

Hand Sanitizer and Face Masks for Two!

Exploring Symphony of the Seas

Being the largest ship in the world at the time of our sailing, it stands to reason that there was a lot to see. During our seven days aboard, our goal was to explore all of the public areas. In our effort to counteract some of the calories that we took in while cruising, we walked the stairs as much as possible just as we did prior to the pandemic. This helped us to avoid one of the more crowded spaces on the ship (the elevators), and allowed us to see some places (and some art) that we might have otherwise missed.


Musical Stairs Leading to Windjammer Cafe

Musical Stairs Leading to Windjammer Cafe

Just a Sample of Art onboard Symphony of the Seas

Just a Sample of Art onboard Symphony of the Seas

One thing that we noticed as we explored was that, in general, we did not have to put much effort into avoiding crowds. There were plenty of times when the Royal Promenade, the Boardwalk and Central Park were nearly empty. At the times that we walked past the mini golf course, the zip line or the fitness center, we did not see crowds. The day that we decided to walk laps, we almost had the entire track to ourselves!


Symphony of the Seas' Boardwalk

Symphony of the Seas' Boardwalk

Mini Golf on Symphony of the Seas

Mini Golf on Symphony of the Seas

No matter where we were, there was almost always one or more crew members cleaning. During all of our previous cruises, we witnessed cleaning around the ships, but the number of crew members who were spraying, washing, scrubbing, vacuuming, etc. was definitely amplified.

--- Advertisement ---


In addition to elevators, the most crowded venues on the ship during our sailing were probably the the hot tubs in the adults-only solarium and the Flowriders. While they were rarely empty, the two larger whirlpools just outside of the solarium nearly always had seating available that still allowed for maintaining recommended social distancing.

Lines for the Perfect Storm Water Slides and the Ultimate Abyss Slide varied in length depending on the day and time. We chose a time when there were very few passengers waiting to slide from deck 16 all of the way down to deck 6!


Would You Dare to Slide 10 Stories on The Ultimate Abyss?

Would You Dare to Slide 10 Stories on The Ultimate Abyss?

The one place that we avoided during our entire sailing was the casino. It wasn't necessarily crowded, but even as we approached the venue, the heavy concentration of smoke was almost unbearable!

Bars and Restaurants

We found drinking and dining at the bars and restaurants onboard the cruise ship to be similar to drinking or dining on land. Depending on where in the world a guest hails from, the most obvious differences were designed to reduce the spread of disease as well as to allow for contact tracing:
  • All crew members wore masks at all times;


    Bartenders Masked Up and Still Having Fun!

    Bartenders Masked Up and Still Having Fun!

  • Masks were required when entering and exiting all indoor venues. Once seated with food and/or drinks, masks were no longer required;
  • A crew member was stationed at entrances to bars and restaurants reserved for vaccinated guests. Only after seeing "#TheROYALComeback" wristband (which confirmed vaccination status) was a guest permitted to enter;
  • In all indoor (and some outdoor) dining venues, guests were required to check-in with their sea pass card when entering a restaurant;
  • In the Windjammer Cafe (buffet), it was requested that guests check out upon exiting for contact tracing purposes;
  • Upon entering the Windjammer Cafe, guests were required to wash hands with soap and water at the sinks located near the entry;


    Washy Washy in the Windjammer Cafe

    Washy Washy in the Windjammer Cafe

  • All other drinking and dining establishments had hand sanitizer available, however it was typically left to the guest whether or not to use it;
  • Rather than self-service, food in buffet restaurants was plated by the ship staff;
  • Unless otherwise requested, passengers were seated at a table with the number of chairs matching their party size - sharing tables were not promoted or offered;
  • In order to help with social distancing, select tables in the Windjammer Cafe had table top signage indicating that they were not available for use; and
  • Although online menus (available by scanning a QR code) were encouraged, paper menus were also available in restaurants where food was delivered by the wait staff.

--- Advertisement ---


Entertainment

After sailing together on a total of 36 cruises, we've had a lot of exposure to cruise ship entertainment. One thing that we have noticed is that the bigger ships tend to have larger entertainment budgets. It stood to reason that, since Symphony of the Seas is the largest currently sailing cruise ship, it must have a big budget.

Showtime

It had been over two years since our last cruise, and we were looking forward to ending each of our evenings with showtime. Fortunately, even during a pandemic, the show must go on! The shows during our week long sailing were some of the best, if not THE BEST, cruise ship shows that we've seen to date.

With at least two performances of each show, there was either a designated seating area or an entire performance limited to vaccinated guests only. During seating prior to the start of each show, regular announcements were made reminding guests seated in "non-vaccinated sections or venues" that face masks must be worn during the entire performance and to leave at least one vacant chair between parties.

Symphony of the Seas has four venues (Royal Theater, Aquatheater, Studio B and The Attic) requiring show reservations. In addition to comedy shows and movies, the following shows were performed during our sailing:

  • "1977: A Thrilling Adventure on Ice" - a mission to catch a London jewel thief performed on the ice rink;
  • "Flight ... Dare to Dream" - a production show looking at both the future and history of flying;


    Flight ... Dare to Dream

    Flight ... Dare to Dream

  • "Hairspray! The Broadway Musical" - a 90 minute performance telling the story of a high school student's dream of becoming a television star;


    Hairspray! The Broadway Musical

    Hairspray! The Broadway Musical

  • "HiRO" - aerial and water stunts performed by extreme-sport athletes in the Aquatheater;


    High Divers and More in HiRO

    High Divers and More in HiRO

  • "iSkate 2.0" - 35 minutes showcasing the skaters' favorite music and moves; and
  • "reVoiced" - an a capella quintet using their voices to both sing and provide the background musical tunes.

--- Advertisement ---


Activities and Events

Just as pre-pandemic, the daily Cruise Compass had a schedule of the activities and events all around the ship. Daily fitness classes, games, karaoke, live music, art auctions and spa seminars were all offered during our sailing. Presumably because of social distancing, one event that was noticeably absent was the Quest Adult Game Show that has been customary on the final night of Royal Caribbean sailings.


A Towel Animal Guards our Cruise Compass

A Towel Animal Guards our Cruise Compass

Cruise Compass Day 1: Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4
Cruise Compass Day 2: Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4
Cruise Compass Day 3: Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4
Cruise Compass Day 4: Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4
Cruise Compass Day 5: Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4
Cruise Compass Day 6: Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4
Cruise Compass Day 7: Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4

--- Advertisement ---


Crown and Anchor Society Loyalty Benefits

This was our tenth sailing with Royal Caribbean and our first after having met the requirements for Diamond status. Upon entering our cabin for the first time, we found printed information on what to expect regarding our benefits:
"To adhere to our new healthy sail protocols, some of your benefits have been temporarily suspended, such as the exclusive top tier event, chef's choice gift/amenity and entertainment tours."

Prior to the pandemic, Diamond, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle Club loyalty members were invited to an evening happy hour in the Diamond Lounge. While the lounge was still open during our sailing, capacity was limited to allow for social distancing. Eligible guests were welcome in the lounge on a first-come, first-served basis.

As the reduced capacity may have prohibited some passengers from enjoying free happy hour drinks, all passengers with Diamond and above status instead received beverage vouchers automatically loaded on to their sea pass card each day of their sailing. Since having status is new to us, we can't compare the benefit change to the former happy hour benefit. We did, however, really enjoy the ability to order up to four drinks each day whenever and wherever we wanted.


Pre-Show Mudslides - What a Treat!

Pre-Show Mudslides - What a Treat!

Rather than being limited to free drinks during happy hour in the lounge, we had so many more additional options. We could sip drinks while poolside, in the theater, with a meal, at a bar, on CocoCay ... the possibilities were endless. And, if we preferred, we could choose to redeem our vouchers during the three hour happy hour in the lounge! This is one change that we personally hope does not revert back!

--- Advertisement ---


Ports of Call

In most cases, cruisers still have a choice of joining shore excursions organized through the cruise line or exploring a port on their own. With three ports of call during our seven day sailing, we did a combination of both:

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten

Having previously had a port day in Philipsburg, St. Maarten we knew that we could easily get around on our own. The ship was expected to be cleared at about 9:00 AM, so we planned to have a leisurely breakfast before disembarking. We made our way to the gangway just after 10:00 AM and avoided the crowds of people on ship excursions and those wanting to be the first to step foot on the island.

After taking a few photos in the port area, we took the long way to get to the beach. By strolling first through downtown Philipsburg, we passed retail stores, the St. Joseph building and the courthouse. Walking past The Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit, we reminisced about our visit the last time we spent a port day on the island.


Downtown St. Maarten's Old Street

Downtown St. Maarten's Old Street

Once we hit Great Bay Beach, we laid out our towels on the sandy shores and headed for the water. Although it felt a little cool as we first entered, even in December, the water was quite refreshing!


Beach Break at Great Bay Beach

Beach Break at Great Bay Beach

We knew that we couldn't leave St. Maarten without sipping on a guavaberry colada. After lounging on our towels until our swimsuits had partially dried, we walked to the Guavaberry Emporium where we enjoyed our drink.


Guavaberry Colada at the Guavaberry Emporium

Guavaberry Colada at the Guavaberry Emporium

We spent a total of about 4 hours on the island (port area, downtown and beach) and never once encountered a crowd. It's definitely easier to socially distance when you are exploring on your own!

--- Advertisement ---


Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, USVI

Working toward our goal of visiting each of the 63 national parks in the United States, we knew that we wanted to spend our port day at Virgin Islands National Park. We reserved the St. John Trunk Bay Beach & Snorkel Tour on July 23, but unfortunately it was cancelled in late October for "operational reasons". Although it was a little more expensive ($92.99 vs. $74.99 per person), we were able to find the St. John Half Day Champagne Cat Sail Beach and Snorkel Tour that would get us to the national park.

The meeting point for the excursion was dependent on whether or not everyone in your party was vaccinated. After a short port side wait, vaccinated guests were escorted to open air buses that provided transportation to the marina. Masks were required while in the port area as well as while riding the bus. The port staff was not shy when it came to telling people that they needed to mask up!


Even Port Performers Were Masked Up!

Even Port Performers Were Masked Up!

From the time that we departed the port until we returned, the excursion was about four hours long. Being on a ship sponsored excursion definitely made it harder to socially distance from others. Although the staff aboard the catamaran wore masks throughout the entire excursion, masks were not required for passengers. There was limited opportunity to social distance as we sailed to and from St. John due to the number of passengers and the size of the vessel.

Once we arrived to St. John, we had the option of snorkeling, beach time or relaxing on the catamaran. In addition to a short stroll along the beach, we spent most of our time snorkeling. The highlight of our time in the water was watching the sea turtles swim and surface. Champagne, punch and snacks were served by the staff as we traveled back to the port area.


Green Sea Turtle Surfacing in Salomon Bay, USVI

Green Sea Turtle Surfacing in Salomon Bay, USVI

Perfect Day at CoCoCay

Due to an overnight onboard emergency, we arrived into the Bahamas nearly two hours later than scheduled. By waiting until the the gangway mob had subsided, we again avoided the biggest of crowds. Rather than riding a shuttle along the pier, we snapped photos as we walked the short distance to the island.


Perfect Day at CocoCay

Perfect Day at CocoCay

The ability to easily social distance while on CocoCay really depended on how you wanted to spend your time. Lounge chairs on the island were plentiful, so all it took was finding a spot that made you happy. Between Chill Island, Harbor Beach, South Beach, the Oasis Lagoon Pool and Breezy Bay at Chill Island, there were plenty of options where you could enjoy space between you and your nearest neighbor lounger.


Relaxing on Chill Island

Relaxing on Chill Island

South Beach at Perfect Day at CocoCay

South Beach at Perfect Day at CocoCay

Those choosing to eat at a complimentary grill or snack shack during peak hours may have found it more difficult to maintain a six foot distance from others when lines were longer. Although we did not purchase tickets for the adventure slides at Thrill Waterpark, I can imagine that it may have also been more crowded earlier in the day.


Daredevil's Peak

Daredevil's Peak

The good news is that the island is quite spread out. With most ships not currently sailing at full capacity, a little personal flexibility should help each passenger find one or more options to make them comfortable.

--- Advertisement ---


Disembarking and Post-Cruise Testing

Having sailed on as many as 7 cruises in a calendar year, the past 2+ years without a single cruise had us looking forward to our getaway more than usual. We knew that life aboard a ship would be different from our previous experiences due to the pandemic, but nonetheless, we were ready. Although face masks are not my favorite accessory, I counted on spending much of our time outdoors where they generally were not required.

During our seven days aboard Symphony of the Seas, we tried to be careful while still enjoying our vacation. We washed our hands, sanitized, wore face masks and attempted to social distance just as we do most places. We never felt that we put ourselves in any more danger than in our every day life - eating out in any restaurant, shopping for groceries or other necessities or flying in an airplane.

On the final night of our cruise, the Captain announced that there was a small population onboard with confirmed cases of Covid-19. All affected passengers (less than 0.7% of the total onboard population) were either asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic. An email that we received shortly after disembarking recommended that all passengers be tested once again for Covid-19 during the 3 - 5 day time period after disembarking.

Within a day of our return, we began hearing both local and national news stories about our sailing. The picture that was painted by the media felt quite different than our experience onboard. Each and every time that I read or heard mention of the cruise in the news, I got the impression that far more people aboard had tested positive for Covid-19 than in a similar population on land. I guess this sensationalism must help with ratings?

By the way, as suggested, we were tested and confirmed that the virus was not detected in either of our specimens.

--- Advertisement ---


Southern Caribbean Ports

Not sure where you want to cruise or what cruise line you should choose? Check out our article, "Ultimate Caribbean Cruise aboard Celebrity Reflection (Round-trip from Ft. Lauderdale)". You'll be able to read about our experience cruising to Grand Cayman, the ABC Islands and Cartagena, Colombia aboard the slightly higher end Celebrity Cruises.

All Time Favorite Cruise

What has been your all time favorite cruise itinerary and what cruise line were you sailing?



Tales of the 99% on Symphony of the Seas: At Sea & Port Days







--- Advertisement ---


--- Advertisement ---

Booking.com





Related Wordy Explorers Original Posts:

Please take a moment and look at our original travel blog content.



Other Recent Posts  



Comments    



Passport Stamp Creator
--- Advertisement ---


--- Advertisement ---