After three years of construction, the world's largest cruise ship just set sail from Barcelona, Spain, on its inaugural voyage to destinations around the Mediterranean. But the ship's record-breaking size isn't its only claim to fame. The Symphony of the Seas is home to the tallest waterslide at sea, the ocean's fastest Internet and more works of art than the Louvre has paintings.
"The most surprising and memorable thing for me was that first sight of the ship -- seeing how big and immense it is," Balwin Yeung, Royal Caribbean's director of sales and marketing in Hong Kong, tells CNN Travel.
"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."
As the world's largest cruise liner by volume, Symphony of the Seas stretches 1,188 feet long and is filled with 22 restaurants, 24 pools, and 2,759 cabins.
At capacity, the ship can host about 6,680 guests -- plus 2,200-some crew members for a total of nearly 9,000 people.
"Eight out of 10 of the largest ships in the world were built by Royal Caribbean, but this one really pushes the envelope," says Yeung.
"At the same time, you don't really feel crowded because there are 18 decks on the ship. It's like a building, right? There are 24 elevators and seven neighborhoods. Each neighborhood has its own personality, so it tends to naturally segregate the crowds."
"Neighborhoods" such as the adults-only Solarium lounge or leafy Central Park aim to provide a refuge, whereas a dedicated Splashaway Bay water park is packed with families.
"Central Park is really peaceful, with more than 20,000 tropical plants and an alfresco wine bar," says Yeung.
"Others will like the Boardwalk, which is much more outdoorsy and fun for families with a carousel."
For daily dopamine hits, the new cruise ship provides an ambitious lineup of performances and thrills.
Peppered around the vast deck, there's a glow-in-the-dark laser tag, an "Escape the Rubicon" puzzle in a custom-built escape room, rock climbing wall, surf simulators and a nine-deck-high zip line.
But the jewel in the crown is the spiraling "Ultimate Abyss" slide -- the tallest on any cruise ship to date, at 150 feet above sea level.
Featuring a 10-story drop, the serpentine slide winds toward the deck below at a steep 27-degree incline, which takes about 13.14 seconds from top to bottom to descend.
Also on board, dance and music enthusiasts can settle in to watch boundary-pushing acrobatics and high dives at the AquaTheatre or head to the Royal Theatre to experience an upbeat rendition of "Hairspray."
"Actually my favorite part of the experience was the shows," says Yeung. "It's beautiful to see the outdoor dives at the back of the ship, with all the lighting and the music and professional acrobatics."
As the world's largest cruise liner by volume, Symphony of the Seas stretches 1,188 feet long and is filled with 22 restaurants, 24 pools, and 2,759 cabins.
At capacity, the ship can host about 6,680 guests plus 2,200-some crew members for a total of nearly 9,000 people.
"Eight out of 10 of the largest ships in the world were built by Royal Caribbean, but this one really pushes the envelope," says Yeung.
"At the same time, you don't really feel crowded because there are 18 decks on the ship. It's like a building, right? There are 24 elevators and seven neighborhoods. Each neighborhood has its own personality, so it tends to naturally segregate the crowds."
"Neighborhoods" such as the adults-only Solarium lounge or leafy Central Park aim to provide a refuge, whereas a dedicated Splashaway Bay water park is packed with families.
"Central Park is really peaceful, with more than 20,000 tropical plants and an alfresco wine bar," says Yeung. source CNN.
"Others will like the Boardwalk, which is much more outdoorsy and fun for families with a carousel."
If you are thinking of Titanic with the thought of biggest cruise ship so am I, but the ship is safe so no reason to panic except of course there is an iceberg somewhere which is unlikely
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