World’s largest cruise ship with over-the-top features sets sail from Barcelona

Symphony of the Seas is the largest – and most audacious – cruise ship in the world and it just sailed from Barcelona on its inaugural voyage in the Mediterranean.

As you can tell by the video, this cruise ship is not just a chip off the old block. Onboard features include laser tag, zip lines, Broadway shows, adventure productions, water slides, rides, ice skating, wall climbing, a bionic bar and more.

It took Royal Caribbean three years to build the Symphony of the Seas and it’s well worth it. At almost a quarter of mile long, the ship is already famous for breaking records. Aside from being the largest, it also has the tallest waterslide at sea, the ocean’s fastest internet, and more artwork than the Louvre has paintings!

“It makes a huge first impression”

“The most surprising and memorable thing for me was that first sight of the ship – seeing how big and immense it is,” said Balwin Yeung, Royal Caribbean’s director of sales and marketing. “You can actually see it the moment you almost step out of the airport in Barcelona since the port is just 10 to 15 minutes away. It makes a huge first impression.”

The Symphony of the Seas can carry up to 6,680 guests including 2,200 crew members. It stretches 1,188 feet long and features 22 dining options, 24 pools and 2,750 cabins. Oh, and every room offers virtual views, deliver floor-to-ceiling displays, making every room ‘a room with a view’. Another first in the cruising sector.

Yeung further added: “Eight out of 10 of the largest ships in the world were built by Royal Caribbean, but this one really pushes the envelope.”

The Ultimate Family Suite is two storeys of awesomeness with an in-suite slide, an air hockey table, and a table tennis on the balcony. It’s the most ‘over-the-top’ suite with its unusually fun amenities.

Regarding the vastness of the ship, Yeung said: “There are 18 decks on the ship. It’s like a building, right? There are 24 elevators and seven neighbourhoods. Each neighbourhood has its own personality, so it tends to naturally segregate the crowds.”

The Symphony of the Seas will be sailing in the Mediterranean with voyages from Palma de Mallorca in Spain to Florence, Pisa, Naples and Rome. The ultimate luxury cruise will take you to established tourist destinations and will set you back at a price range of around US$400 to $2,000.

So, is it worthy of its price range? I absolutely think so. You’ll never run out of things to do aboard the Symphony of the Seas. Just check out this video showing 15 of the coolest things to do on the ship:

In the fall of 2018, the Symphony of the Seas will pull its anchors and relocate to a home base in Miami, Florida.