Royal Caribbean Has The Ultimate Family Ship

Royal Caribbean International’s Symphony of the Seas edges out Harmony of the Seas as the world’s largest cruise ship, and it’s packed with even more experiences to entice adventure-seeking families.

New on Symphony, the Studio B ice rink converts into a glow-in-the-dark laser challenge, Battle for Planet Z. The ship reprises action thrills like The Ultimate Abyss slide that plunges nearly 100 feet, The Perfect Storm trio of water slides, a pair of FlowRiders for surfing, a zipline over the Boardwalk and two rock-climbing walls. There’s an escape room challenge, too.

Symphony measures 228,081 gross tons compared to Harmony’s 226,963 gross tons, and can carry up to 6,680 passengers. Most of them travel as families, and many are Millennials, said Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley, adding that a Gallup Poll ranked Royal Caribbean as the number-one cruise line for Millennials.

Following its inaugural summer in the Mediterranean, Symphony of the Seas will begin operating year-round from Royal Caribbean’s futuristic new Terminal A at PortMiami.

Fanciest and Most Common Accommodations: On the exclusive Deck 17 for suite guests, just one door has a red carpet: No. 1733, the Ultimate Family Suite. It spans 1,346 square feet on two levels, with a slide, a cinema with an 85-inch HD TV, a LEGO wall and a 212-square-foot balcony that has table tennis, a climbing maze, and a whirlpool.

The suite sleeps eight. Pricing depends on demand and usually runs $45,000 to $80,000 a week.

“This is a fantastic space for teens,” which is the toughest group to please, said Laura Hodges, vice president, guest experience for Royal Caribbean. The suite “creates family bonding in an unforced way,” which is a key selling point for agents targeting upscale families, she added.

The most common accommodations are Category 6D balcony staterooms at 232 square feet, including the balcony.

What’s for Dinner? The main venues are a grand three-story dining room (fixed first and second seating or flexible My Time Dining) and the Windjammer Cafe. Coastal Kitchen is exclusive to suite guests.

The ship features three new casual spots: Playmakers Sports Bar Arcade on the Boardwalk is a family-style place for beers on tap, sliders, and sundaes (à la carte pricing). Hooked Seafood, in the reconfigured Solarium, offers lobster rolls, crab claws, oysters shucked to order and a “Messy Fish Sandwich” (à la carte pricing). El Loco Fresh in the Pool and Sports Zone serves nachos, burritos, and tacos at no charge.

Royal Caribbean standards include Chops Grille (steaks, seafood), Izumi Hibachi Sushi, Wonderland (imaginative cuisine), 150 Central Park (gourmet fare by Miami chef Michael Schwartz) and Jamie’s Italian (rustic, family-style dishes). These have à la carte or prix fixe pricing.

Plus, there are healthy snacks in the Vitality Cafe, Johnny Rockets (burgers), the Boardwalk Dog House (hot dogs), Park Cafe (grab-and-go salads and wraps), Sorrento’s (pizza) and Solarium Bistro.

Best Entertainment: Symphony brought back the Broadway hit “Hairspray” and debuted an original production, “Flight,” which starts in space and goes back to the Wright Brothers—with a 22-foot airplane that “flies” in the Royal Theater.

Studio B’s new “1977” ice show is a crowd-pleaser, with 48 drones buzzing in a choreographed routine, Olympics-caliber skaters, snow and incredible projections on a screen beneath the ice.

AquaTheater shows dazzle with daring high dives, acrobatics and tightrope walking.

Favorite Excursion: Royal Caribbean is creating Perfect Day at CocoCay, a Bahamas private-island experience, which is debuting in stages. Mark Tamis, senior vice president of hotel operations, is in charge of Perfect Day and recommends the new Thrill Water Park half-day pass, packaged with the zipline and its splashdown finale.

“This starts at $89 and is a great way to experience the thrills of Perfect Day Island while getting a bird’s-eye view of all that CocoCay has to offer,” he said. “If guests are looking to chill, we recommend the Coco Beach Club, with entry starting at $59 and including a lunch at the grill featuring lobster, fresh seafood, and great grilled meats.”

Those who really want to splurge can book an overwater cabana at Coco Beach Club, starting at $749 for a group of eight, including the Coco Beach Club entry.

Who Goes on This Ship? Travelers with an “adventure-seeker” mindset—and that includes families, couples, first-time cruisers and Millennials.

Insider Booking Tip: “Focus on entertainment,” advised Royal Caribbean’s Vicki Freed, senior vice president-sales and trade support service. Royal Caribbean is the only line that offers four “stages”—the Royal Theater, ice, aerial and water. Plus, there are karaoke, jazz and comedy clubs, Latin dancing in Boleros, Playmakers Sports Bar Arcade, parades, a carousel and more.

Key Selling Points: Action and entertainment for the whole family include wows like The Ultimate Abyss, AquaTheater, FlowRiders, ice rink and the zipline.

Agent Assistance: The website cruisingpower.com offers promotions, news, training (a course is devoted to Symphony of the Seas) and sales tools. The proprietary agent online booking engine (bookespresso.com) is optimized for mobile devices and facilitates individual and group bookings. Agents can also sign up for Vicki’s Tips from Vicki Freed at loyaltoyoualways.com/vicki/.