Royal Caribbean builds largest cruise ship in the world
MIAMI – Royal Caribbean has announced that their next cruise ship, Symphony of the Seas, will be the largest cruise ship ever built and will sail from the cruise capital of the world, Port Miami. She will be joined in Miami with sister ship Allure of the Seas in late 2018. Symphony of the Seas will be the fourth Oasis class ship from Royal Caribbean and come in at 230,000 gross tons, be 215.5 feet wide, 1,188 feet long, and have a cruising speed of 22 knots. The ship will hold up to 6,314 guests in 2,775 staterooms and have 15 dining options.
On December 5 of next year, the $1.35 billion juggernaut will make its inaugural call on the port of St. Maarten as part of a 7-night round trip through the Eastern Caribbean. Prices for that trip start at $1,100.
Royal Caribbean broke ground last week on the new Port Miami Terminal A, which will herald the arrival of what will be the world’s largest cruise ship and the global cruise line’s newest addition, Symphony of the Seas. She and Oasis-class sister ship Allure of the Seas, each with a bold and unexpected lineup of thrilling experiences that have revolutionized the cruise industry, will unite in November 2018 to offer island-hopping adventures through the Caribbean from the Magic City and add Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis to other marquee Oasis-class ports of call.
Symphony’s inaugural year of Europe and Caribbean itineraries will be available to book already now through travel agents and on RoyalCaribbean.com.
The 26th ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet, Symphony of the Seas, will be delivered in April 2018 and spend her inaugural summer season exploring the awe-inspiring destinations of the Mediterranean calling on ports in Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Spain; Provence, France; Florence/Pisa, Rome and Naples, Italy.
She will then arrive to Miami in early November to begin seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries on Saturday, November 17 from the state-of-the-art Terminal A, dubbed the ‘Crown of Miami.’ Symphony of the Seas will claim the title of the world’s largest – and most adventure filled – cruise ship, offering 28 more staterooms than her newest sister ship Harmony of the Seas and encompassing 230,000 gross registered tons.
Touting new features and amenities for guests, she also will boast all the groundbreaking innovations and thrilling experiences that have garnered world-wide recognition for Harmony of the Seas. Among the award-winning and acclaimed favorites are the distinct seven-neighborhood concept, imaginative and sophisticated dining, Bionic Bar robot bartenders powered by Makr Shakr, Broadway-caliber entertainment, the iconic waterfront AquaTheater, the Perfect Storm trio of waterslides, and Ultimate Abyss – the tallest slide at sea.
The ‘Crown of Miami,’ a 170,000-square-foot terminal, scheduled for completion for the arrival of Symphony and Allure, will be the most innovative cruise facility in the U.S. with an expected $500 million in revenue and the addition of 4,000 jobs to Miami-Dade County. It is anticipated that Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. will generate at least 1.8 million passenger moves at Port Miami, representing 30 percent of the port’s projected passenger traffic.
Photo caption: The Symphony of the Seas, the largest cruise ship ever built, will make its inaugural call at the port of St. Maarten on December 5 of next year. Photo www.cruisemapper.com
