Symphony of the Seas measures in length and has a gross tonnage of 228,081 across 18 decks. She is able to accommodate 5,518 passengers at double occupancy up to a maximum capacity of 6,680 passengers, as well as a 2,200-person crew. There are 16 decks for guest use, 22 restaurants, 4 pools and 2,759 cabins. Facilities include a children's water park, a full-size basketball court, ice-skating rink, a zip line that is 10 decks high, a Broadway-style theater with seating capacity of 1,401 passengers, an outdoor aquatic theater with Olympic-height platforms, and two rock-climbing walls. There is also a park containing over 20,000 tropical plants. One of the cocktail bars onboard includes electronic ordering via tablet and drink preparation by two robot bartenders that can prepare up to two drinks per minute. Symphony of the Seas is designed to be a zero-landfill ship with all waste recycled, processed through water-purification systems, incinerated, or sent to a waste-to-energy facility. Among the Oasis class ships, Symphony of the Seas uses 25% less fuel due to the implementation of a new system that releases tiny air bubbles under the hull to enable the vessel to glide more smoothly through the water. The air layer also reduces excitation from the propellers, which cuts noise and vibration levels in the aft part of the ship.
Construction and career
On 29 October 2015 the vessel's keel was laid by the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. Symphony of the Seasfloated out on 9 June 2017. Actors Alexa Vega, Carlos Pena Jr. and their 23-month-old son Ocean were chosen as the "Godfamily" of the ship, marking the first time in the industry that a family was a ship sponsor. The christening ceremony took place in Miami in November 2018. From 15 to 18 February 2018 the cruise ship underwent sea trials and was formally turned over to Royal Caribbean International on 23 March. On 24 March the ship left Saint-Nazaire for Málaga under the command of Rob Hempstead, arriving on 27 March, and arrived at the vessel's first homeport of Barcelona, Spain on 29 March. On 31 March 2018Symphony of the Seas offered her first passenger cruise and began her maiden voyage on 7 April for a week-long trip through the Mediterranean. During her first season Symphony of the Seas continued to sail on seven-night Western Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona. She repositioned on 28 October and arrived on 9 November at her new home port at the Royal Caribbean terminal at PortMiami in Florida, United States to provide cruises of the Caribbean. On 11 January 2019, while Symphony of the Seas was docked in Nassau, Bahamas, a passenger jumped overboard from the 11th deck and survived. The passenger and his friends were detained, expelled, and turned over to Nassau law enforcement. They were not charged, but were required to return home at their own expense. In August 2019, an Australian passenger died after going overboard during a seven-day cruise of the Caribbean. His body was recovered shortly afterwards by the ship's officials. During the COVID-19 pandemic on cruise ships, Royal Caribbean has suspended all service across most of its fleet, including Symphony of the Seas, until 15 September 2020. A 27-year old crew member from the housekeeping department was medically evacuated on 30 March 2020, and subsequently died from COVID-19 on 12 April 2020 in South Florida. The family later sued Royal Caribbean for wrongful death.
