If you thought Royal Caribbean Cruises couldn’t get any cooler, you were wrong. The world’s largest cruise ship, called Symphony of the Seas, will make its US debut on Thursday.
Departing from Florida’s Port Canaveral, the ship holds 6,680 passengers and has been making waves on trips through the Mediterranean since first setting sail in April. It will now find a home at Royal Caribbean’s new terminal at the Port of Miami. “Port Canaveral is proud of its partnership with Royal Caribbean,” Port Canaveral CEO John Murray said. “While Symphony of the Seas is home-ported in Miami, our cruise partner trusts the capabilities of this port. We are ready to support the arrival of the world’s largest and most sophisticated cruise ship in the industry.”
While docked at Port Canaveral, Symphony will be inspected by the United States Coast Guard and is scheduled to clear customs. Passengers that remain onboard will have to get off the ship while it is certified but will be allowed to get back on board later that day.
Adding to Royal’s 25 other ships, Symphony is made for vacationers who enjoy big fun like mini, on deck water parks and live entertainment. The ship takes after Royal Caribbean’s 2-year-old ship Harmony of the Seas, who was the previous size leader in cruising but Symphony beats its sibling by more than 1,000 tons. It also has more cabins than Harmony and carries more passengers at double occupancy. Symphony and the Harmony are the latest, biggest vessels in Royal Caribbean’s “Oasis Class” series. Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas debuted in 2009 and 2010.
One major standout on the Symphony is the Ultimate Family Suite. The massive two-level, 1,346-square-foot suite features an in-room slide, private cinema, floor-to-ceiling LEGO wall and a 212-square-foot balcony outfitted with table tennis and a full-size whirlpool, leaving no excuse to leave the room. Other features on the ship include seven different onboard neighborhoods, the tallest slide at sea with the Ultimate Abyss and a glow-in-the-dark laser tag game.
Just tell us where to sign up.
