miami cruise port symphony of the seas

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Symphony Of The Seas

Cruise line Royal Caribbean

• Miami (Florida)
• New York (NYC Manhattan-Brooklyn)
• Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades, Florida)

Symphony Of The Seas current position

Symphony Of The Seas current location is at North West Atlantic Ocean (coordinates 26.08680 N / -80.11973 W) cruising en route to US BAY. The AIS position was reported 53 seconds ago.

Current itinerary of Symphony Of The Seas

Symphony Of The Seas current cruise is 3 days, round-trip Bahamas Perfect Day Cruise . The itinerary starts on 10 May, 2024 and ends on 13 May, 2024 .

Specifications of Symphony Of The Seas

•   Itineraries
•   Review
•   Wiki

Symphony Of The Seas Itineraries

Symphony of the seas review, review of symphony of the seas.

The 2018-built Symphony of the Seas cruise ship is the is the second of all four identical Oasis Plus-class Royal Caribbean liners ( currently world’s largest passenger liners ), with sisterships Harmony OTS (2016), Wonder OTS (2022) and Utopia OTS (2024). The Royal Caribbean Symphony ship exceeds in size the original Oasis-class vessels Oasis OTS and Allure OTS and has building cost of USD 1,35 billion (2016 shiporder rates).

The vessel (IMO number 9744001) is currently Bahamas- flagged (MMSI 311000660) and registered in Nassau .

Symphony OTS is the 13th vessel delivered to Royal Caribbean by the French shipbuilding company Chantiers de l'Atlantique (St Nazaire, France) , as well as RCI fleet's 25th liner.

History - construction and ownership

Royal Caribbean International (RCI) is a US passenger shipping company, trademarked travel brand and subsidiary owned by Royal Caribbean Group (RCG/shipowner). RCI was established in 1968 and currently has over 1/5 of the worldwide cruise market. RCI also has RCG's largest fleet by both vessel number and GT tonnage (ship sizes and capacities).

All RCI liners have names ending with "of the Seas".

The 6400-passenger ship Symphony OTS comprises 7 neighborhoods - Royal Promenade, Central Park, Boardwalk, Entertainment Zone, Sports Zone, Youth Center complex, Wellness complex. Symphony is currently the world's largest passenger ship by GT tonnage (228,100 tons), which is 1000+ GT-tons larger than the sistership Harmony OTS . It also has 28 more staterooms, new for RCI "Family Suite" (duplex apartment on 2 decks), redesigned Boardwalk area.

In comparison to the other Oasis-Class sisterships, Harmony and Symphony are heavier (by over 1700 tons), 3 meters wider, able to accommodate 100 more passengers. Symphony is nearly 330 ft (101 m) longer than RMS Titanic and 165 ft (50 m) longer than Eiffel Tower ( Paris City ). The liner has several promenades, two FlowRiders, two rock-climbing walls, ice-skating rink, world's largest theatre at sea. "The Ultimate Abyss" waterslide swings down 10 decks, at over 150 ft (46 m) above sea level.

A total of 24 elevators (12x forward + 12x aft) provide access all the way to deck 16, while decks 17 and 18 are accessed by 6 lifts. Two escalators (1x forward + 1x aft) interconnect decks 2-3.

The next YouTube video shows the most prominent features and the shipbuilding process of Oasis 3 class - the world's ever largest cruise liners.

Symphony OTS features a multi-deck waterslide area that was introduced first on Harmony OTS. It is also the second Oasis-class liner with robot bartenders serving drinks (Bionic Bar) - a concept first introduced in 2014 on Quantum of the Seas . Symphony has bigger cabins than Allure and Oasis (in some categories) and windowless interior cabins (Virtual Balconies) offering real-time views (first introduced in 2014 on Navigator of the Seas ).

Symphony's Suite passengers benefit from exclusive new areas including a suite lounge, a private restaurant called Coastal Kitchen and a full-service Suite Sun Zone. New restaurants include the Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine eatery which first debuted on Quantum. Also added to Symphony is the new Mexican restaurant El Loco Fresh.

Decks and Cabins

Symphony Of The Seas staterooms (2759 total, in 38 categories) 190 Suites, 1316 Balcony, 176 Oceanview, 502 Inside, also 477 Boardwalk-Central Park Balcony, 78 Boardwalk-Central Park Interior, 18 Promenade View. Most cabins are sized 150-180 ft2 / 14-17 m2. Most cabin balconies are sized 55 ft2 / 5 m2. The largest is the Royal Loft Suite (1530 ft2 / 142 m2 plus 850 ft2 / 79 m2 terrace with Jacuzzi). Wheelchair-accessible cabins are 46.

The boat has 17 decks , of which 16 are passenger-accessible and 11 with cabins.

The Ultimate Family Suite is unique for RCI loft suite featuring a slide (from the kid's bedroom down to the living room), floor-ceiling LEGO wall, hidden nooks for a chilling, air-hockey table. A 3D movie theatre-style TV room is fitted with a popcorn machine and a library of video games. The 210 ft2 wraparound balcony has a bumper pool table, kids climbers and a full-size whirlpool. Currently the largest Family Suite at sea accommodates up to 8 passengers.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Symphony OTS's 3-tiered dining room is designed as three separate restaurants situated on different decks - American Icon Grill (Deck 3), The Grand (Deck 4) and The Chic (Deck 5). Symphony also includes some Quantum restaurants, such as Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine, Coastal Kitchen. Ship's Bionic Bar is famous for its dancing robot bartenders. Its location is on the Royal Promenade. The Izumi Restaurant features a la carte hibachi, teppanyaki and sushi menu. A total of 25 onboard dining options (14 complimentary, including room-service) are available to choose from.

Follows the complete list of Symphony of the Seas restaurants and food bars.

• American Icon Grill (a la carte restaurant which offers open seating breakfast, lunch, "Brasserie 30" menu; with two assigned dinner seatings and Private Dining area.)
• The Grande Restaurant (serves themed breakfasts and dinners / two fixed seatings and "My Time Dining")
• Chic (features an expansive menu of dinner options; two seatings and My Time Dining program)
• Johnny Rockets (128-seat fast food restaurant, complimentary)
• Windjammer Marketplace buffet restaurant (offers Early Breakfast at 6:30 am, Breakfast between 7-11:30 am, Lunch 11.30-3:30 pm and Dinner 6.30-9 pm)
• Jamie's Italian Restaurant ( menu , deck 8) is a 132-seat specialty trattoria restaurant (at surcharge USD 30 pp dinner, USD 20 pp for lunch/sea days only) via a partnership with British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver,
• El Loco Fresh restaurant (offers fresh-made Mexican favorites. It is located in the Sports Zone and replaces Mini Bites (on Harmony OTS)
• Hooked Seafood is a specialty restaurant (in the Solarium) offering fresh seafood and a raw bar.
• Sugar Beach Candy and Ice Cream (replaces the retail outlets on Johnny Rockets side of the ship's Boardwalk)
• Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade (located on Boardwalk neighbourhood it spans the entire length of Boardwalk neighbourhood. Playmakers take the place of where Sabor and Starbucks are on Harmony of the Seas. Starbucks opens on the Royal Promenade, available during European season only)
• Chops Grille (steakhouse/seafood)
• Sorrento's (Italian restaurant)
• Izumi (Asian/Japanese restaurant)
• Solarium Bistro (healthy dining)
• Coastal Kitchen (Grand Suites and above passengers, Pinnacle members)
• WipeOut Cafe (fast food bar)
• Boardwalk Dog House (complimentary)
• Park Cafe (deli bar, casual-dining)
• Mini Bites casual eatery.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

The new Symphony of the Seas ship is a novelty mixture of Oasis-class deck layout and Quantum-class innovations. The brand-new additions include the first-ever Royal Caribbean waterslides created by ADE (Aquatic Design and Engineering); climbing play area for kids; Suite Sun Zone; Starbucks coffee bar and classic video games arcade located in the Boardwalk neighborhood; 15 Studio cabins designed for solo travelers.

Among the new technologies on Symphony OTS are the RFID wristbands or "WOWbands" - an optional choice to replace the RCI's SeaPass cards, allowing passengers to do purchases onboard and to access their cabins. Typically for RCI, the wristbands are offered complimentary to all passengers.

When arriving in the port, passengers can use their mobile phones to check-in and board the cruise ship via just a security checkpoint between the ship and the curb. The new process leverages a combination of bar codes, beacons and facial recognition, to make boarding fast. Guests check-in via the new mobile app of the brand.

On Dec 31, 2017, RCI officially confirmed that the Symphony cruise ship will not offer the DreamWorks Experience (themed programming in partnership with the Walt Disney Company). This entertainment program is aimed at families and offers movies-themed DreamWorks activities on select RCI ships. The list of special activities includes DreamWorks characters ("meet and greet", photo ops), Character Breakfast (in main dining rooms), 3D DreamWorks movie screenings (in the Theater Lounge). Themed games are provided by the Adventure Ocean youth program.

A new Adventure Ocean Theater show (named Away We Go!) was also announced for Symphony OTS. It is a black light puppet show for kids ages 3-11. An additional part of the onboard kids' programming is the YouTube show "Muffalo Potato," teaching kids to draw anything using just letters and numbers. Also new and Symphony OTS exclusive is the Broadway musical show "Hairspray" - originally played on Oasis OTS (in 2014 replaced by "Cats"). Hairspray is an original Broadway production / musical comedy themed on humour and commentaries on the early-1960's race relations.

Additional amenities include complimentary 24-hour Room-Service, Supervised Youth program Voyagers (from 9 to 11 years), Explorers (6 to 8 yr), Aquanauts (3-5yr), Royal babies and tots (from 6 months to 3 years), Internet/WiFi Access, Laundry.

One of Symphony OTS' unique features are the "piano stairs" that lead up to Windjammer Marketplace (Deck 15 to Deck 16 ). The staircase plays musical notes and each stair briefly lights up when stepping on it. Another special feature are the two secluded alcoves with lounge chairs (open-air, positioned on each side of the jogging track on Deck 5 ) where passengers can relax and enjoy the seaview.

Follows the complete list of Symphony of the Seas lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

• Royal Theater (capacity 1401 seats) offers 3D movies, aerial acrobatic performances and Broadway-style productions like Hairspray, Tony Award-winning Broadway hit, and Flight, one-of-a-kind show taking guests through the history and future of flying and the evolution of air travel which ends with a homage to the famous Wright Brothers)
• Studio B Lounge (indoor ice-skating rink; also serves as a spot for ice shows, cooking demos, game parties; 1977 is a spectacular adventure on ice taking ice-surface video projection technology to a brand new level, pushing the limits of what's possible technologically; Laser Tag is a state-of-the-art and special effects ultimate laser tag arena to battle over the fate of the galaxy's last planet)
• AquaTheatre (2-deck, 600-seat, with a deep pool; HiRo is a new show combining cutting-edge technology, aerial acrobatic stunts and future-forward choreography.
• Entertainment Place nightclub; "The Attic" Comedy Club; Crown Lounge (fka Diamond Club Lounge & Bar for past guests only); Jazz on 4 Bar & Club (aka Golden Room/now functions as a non-smoking Casino Room with 40x slot machines, 1x blackjack table, 1x 3-card poker table); On Air Club (karaoke bar); Boleros Latin Bar and Lounge; Boot and Bonnet Pub; Rising Tide Bar (moving cocktail bar); Bionic Bar; Schooner Bar (piano bar); Starbucks Bar; Sabor Taqueria and Tequila Bar; Vintages (wine bar); Trellis Bar; Rising Tide Bar; Dazzles (2-deck music and dancing lounge); Suite Sun Deck, Bar and Lounge; Sky Bar
• Escape Room: Puzzle Break experience, where teams race against the clock and work toward escaping the submarine-themed room before their time runs out.
• Art Gallery; Focus Photo Gallery and Shop
• Boardwalk neighborhood (with games and attractions)
• Carousel (with handcrafted wooden figures)
• Casino Royale; Card Room
• Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center; 9 outdoor Jacuzzis (2 cantilevered); 4 swimming pools
• Royal Promenade Boutiques (perfumes, jewelry, duty-free alcohol, general store, logo/souvenirs)
• Solarium lounge (includes Solarium Cafe, pool bar and adults-only pool area); Solarium Bar
• Video Games Arcade; Explorers, Aquanatus, Adventure Science Lab; The Living Room and Night Club teen areas; Fuel Teen Disco; Royal Babies and Tots Nursery; Adventure Ocean kids lounge area; Kids' Avenue; Workshop (family venue); H2O Zone family and kids area
• Sports Court (basketball, volleyball, soccer; tennis tables); FlowRiders (surf simulators); Zip Line (82 ft/25 m); Jogging Track; Rock-climbing Walls; Symphony Dunes Mini Golf.
• The ship has a total of 19 pools.

Central Park is an outdoor relaxation zone (within the ship's interior) with 20700+ live plants. Central Park's huge garden features multi-deck-high metal columns and green walls (covered in vines and ferns), several pathways, recordings of various species (birds, insects, animals) played, live seasonal plants (flowers, shrubs, trees). Signage boards provide detailed info on all Central Park's trees and plants.

(NEW) Unique shipboard features

RCI Symphony has some unique features not currently available on the other Oasis-class ships. These brand-new for Royal Caribbean venues were revealed in October 2017 (during the vessel's construction) and include:

• "Ultimate Family Suite" is a new cabin type (8-passenger, 2-bedroom loft suite sized 125 m2 / 1350 ft2) featuring exclusive / in-cabin slide from the kids bedroom (upper level) down to the living room (lower level), floor-ceiling LEGO wall, air-hockey table, 2 hanging egg swing chairs, separate TV room (3D movies, popcorn machine, media library, video gaming consoles with games), large wraparound balcony (sized 20 m2 / 210 ft2, fitted with bumper pool table, small climbing wall, full-size whirlpool).
• "Hooked Seafood" - New England-style seafood specialty restaurant for lunch and dinner. It is located in the Solarium complex (forward on Pool Deck 15) and offers fresh seafood and also has a raw bar where raw shucked oysters can be ordered.
• "El Loco Fresh" is a Mexican restaurant (capacity over 100 seats) offering fresh-made favourites. It is located in Sports Zone (Pool Deck 15) replacing "Mini Bites" (food bar on Harmony OTS). El Loco Fresh offers Mexican fare with fresh-made mole sauce and salsa verde, made-to-order burritos and tacos.
• "Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade" has 30 large-sized TVs for watching live sporting events, as well as a video games section fitted with arcade machines. The sports bar/arcade is located on Deck 6 (Boardwalk). It spans the neighbourhood's entire length and takes the place of Sabor and Starbucks (on Harmony OTS). Starbucks was relocated on Deck 5 (Royal Promenade), but this specialty coffee bar is not available on European cruise itineraries. Playmakers Sports Bar menu offers fast-food classics like chicken wings, burgers, popcorn shrimp, sliders, sundaes.
• "Sugar Beach Candy and Ice Cream" is a premium shop for sweet treats located on Deck 6 (Boardwalk). The shop has colorful walls packed with candies, premium ice-cream, a huge variety of toppings and also offers family-friendly activities and workshops. Sugar Beach replaced "Johnny Rockets" (fast-food bar).
• "Battle for Planet Z" / Laser Tag experience) is available at "Studio B" complex (Deck 3) and offers glow-in-the-dark laser tag gaming with top-notch special effects.
• "Escape Room" (submarine-themed, located on Boardwalk Deck 6) provides puzzle breaking the team gaming experience.

On Deck 15 are installed three 24-hour, self-service vending machines (by Pharmabox Franchise). They allow purchasing of select merchandise, including Tech Shop (electronics, gadgets, batteries, headphones, walkie-talkies, Nintendo 3DS gaming consoles), Splash Store (sunscreens, skincare products, swim accessories) and Health Essentials Store (toiletries, medicines).

The list of new (Symphony cruise ship only) show productions includes:

• "1977 "(in the Studio B / ice-rink theatre) - themed on time traveling and dimension-jumping, with Panasonic-developed video projection technology
• "Flight - Dare to Dream" (in the Royal Theater) - themed on the history of flying, featuring 3D video and automation technologies
• "Hairspray" (in the Royal Theater) - themed on the Broadway musical
• "HiRo" (in the Aqua Theater) - themed on heroes combat fighting, with high-flying acrobatics, diving and extreme-sport stunts.

Itineraries

Symphony of the Seas spends her inaugural summer season exploring the awe-inspiring destinations of the Mediterranean calling on ports in Barcelona , Palma de Mallorca , Provence, Livorno/Florence-Pisa , Civitavecchia/Rome and Naples . Then, she arrives in Miami in early November to start 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries on November 17 from the state-of-the-art Terminal A, dubbed "Crown of Miami".

Symphony Of The Seas - user reviews and comments

Photos of symphony of the seas.

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Symphony Of The Seas Wiki

Symphony is Royal Caribbean's 4th Oasis-class liner, with sisterships Harmony , Wonder , Oasis and Allure . These are currently the world's biggest passenger liners ever constructed. RCCL planned ship's cost per berth to be lower compared to Allure and Oasis. Like the sisterships, Symphony OTS has telescoping funnels to be able to sail under bridges. Unlike the original/smaller Oasis-class ships, Symphony has no Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine (specialty restaurant) and 150 Central Park (dinner-only specialty restaurant), while the adult-only Solarium complex has a swimming pool and 2 additional whirlpools.

The following aerial photo shows an Oasis-class vessel (as looked from above).

The vessel was ordered in 2014 (May 9). The steel-cutting ceremony (shipyard/hull number B34) was on February 3, 2015, held at STX France shipyard (Saint-Nazaire, France) . On October 2, 2016, was the keel-laying ceremony, with which officially started the vessel's construction. During the ceremony, a 32 x 154-ft (10 x 47 m), 1000-ton keel block was lifted by a huge crane and placed into the shipyard's building dock. Newly minted coins were put under the keel and stayed there until the end of the vessel's construction. After the new vessel was near to completion, the coins were retrieved and presented to the Captain and crew to be placed on the ship.

On June 9, 2017, the vessel was floated out from drydock at the STX shipyard. The float-out marked the end of exterior works on the vessel's hull and superstructure.The official delivery to RCI was on March 23, 2018. The ceremony was attended by Michael Bayley (RCI's President and CEO), Richard Fain (RCCL's CEO and Chairman) and Laurent Castaing (STX's General Manager).

Symphony OTS is the world's first cruise liner christened by a whole family - PenaVega. The "good family" is Carlos and Alexa PenaVega (American actress and singer), along with their son Ocean (17-month-old at the time). The naming ceremony was on November 15, 2018, held in PortMiami .

The vessel's powerplant consists of 4x Wartsila marine diesel engines (model 12V46F, 12-cylinder, total power output 57,6 MV) plus 2x Wartsila 16V46F (16-cylinder, total output 38,4 MV). The propulsion system is diesel-electric, consisting of 3x ABB Azipods (360-degree azimuthing thrusters) with combined power output 20 MW.

The ship's first drydock was a month-long project (May 20 thru June 2021) at Navantia Shipyard in Cadiz Spain . The drydocking was for routine maintenance works (done to cruise ships usually every 5 years) to keep them properly maintained. Symphony OTS's 2021 drydock included mainly technical works (propellers, fin stabilizers, bottom valves, hull painting) and classification inspection.

Next RCI official YouTube video shows Oasis-Plus ships' fun statistics and best features.

Symphony OTS refurbishments review

The ship entered drydock in 2023 (March 22 thru April 13) for routine maintenance works conducted at Navantia shipyard in Cadiz Spain .

The drydocking project included public areas and hotel refreshes, as well as some technical upgrades, minor steel works, underwater hull cleaning and painting. The "Jazz on 4" club was converted into a smoking-free Casino Room.

RCCL 50th birthday cruise 2019

On October 1, 2018, RCI announced that the company's 50th birthday cruise (themed "50 Years Bold Birthday Cruise") will be held on Symphony of the Seas leaving roundtrip from Miami (November 2, 2019). The 7-day Eastern Caribbean itinerary will feature unique programming, special events and surprise guest performers.

All Royal Caribbean Oasis-class ships are the world's first cruise vessels with a DNV Green Passport. This is a key element for the Clean Ship Design certificate. The certificate is not compulsory, but it shows the environmental commitment of the operator line Royal Caribbean International. Another interesting feature is that the hulls have a special non-toxic covering that minimizes friction and saves fuel.

Follows a list of fun facts about the RCI Symphony cruise ship - world's largest ever built:

• Ultimate Abyss slide is at 150 ft (45,70 m) above sea level, featuring 31 sections, two 360-degree circles, 27-degree slide incline, a 28 m (92 ft) serpentine-like drop, 13,14 seconds average sliding time (top to bottom), around 300 small LED lights and graffiti artworks.
• Aquatheater has two diving boards installed 10 m (33 ft) above its swimming pool.
• The ship was constructed out of 500,000 individual pieces (27 times the pieces used for the Eiffel Tower's construction).
• The ship's art collection has more works than the Louvre museum (in Paris) has paintings. The onboard art's worth is over USD 6,5 million.
• The ship has a total of 23 "water areas" (swimming pools, large-size outdoor jacuzzies, waterslides, 2x flowriders).
• The ship has 20 restaurants and offers over 300 individual menu options. Eight speciality restaurants offer over 200 different dishes daily. Total restaurant seating is 4908 seats.
• The onboard bars menus have a total of 127 specialty cocktails, in addition to all the classics.
• Each day are made 110,000 ice cubes.
• Each day are consumed 480,000 gallons (1,87 million liters) of fresh water.
• Daily food consumption statistics show chicken (9,730 lbs / 4,4 tons), eggs (10,000), beef (15,000 lbs / 6,8 tons), ice cream (700 lbs / 320 kg), baking potatoes (20,000 lbs / 9,1 tons), flour (12,600 lbs / 5,7 tons), salmon (2500 lbs / 1,1 tons), french fries (5000 lbs / 2,3 tons), bacon (5300 lbs / 2,4 tons), limes (800 lbs / 360 kg), pineapple (4000 lbs / 1,8 tons), oranges (5000 lbs / 2,3 tons), lemons (1000 lbs / 450 kg), cherries (40 jars), olives (20 jars).
• The ship's food and drinks dedicated staff are 1056 in total, including 249 (culinary), 184 (beverage), 91 (kitchen stewards).
• The ship weighs more than 17,000 African elephants. Note: Male elephants weigh between 10,360 - 13,330 lbs (4,7 - 6 tons).
• Around 2350 tons of water is needed to be filled all the ship's 23 water facilities (swimming pools, jacuzzis, 2 FlowRiders, waterslides, the aqua park Splashaway Bay).

In September 2018, RCCL trademarked the Oasis-Class ships smokestack area (located top-deck midship). The design features a crown-shaped bottom section with 2 slanted funnels above. In October 2018 was trademarked ship's oblong-shaped stern. The design features AquaTheater Suites (with balconies), Ultimate Abyss (2 cascading waterslides) and RCCL's logo.

Inaugural Cruise 2018 itineraries

The homeport of the ship in the USA is Miami Florida (starting regular roundtrip itineraries on November 10, 2018.

The ship's "Inaugural Cruise" was scheduled for April 22, 2018 (7 nights / 8 days Western Mediterranean itinerary round-trip from Barcelona ). Prices started from USD 800 pp (double occupancy rates). The next table shows the maiden voyage's ports of call and port times.

As the cruise liner was launched earlier (3 weeks ahead of schedule), 3 additional itineraries were added:

• (pre-inaugural) March 31, 2018 - 5-day Barcelona to Naples and Rome
• (inaugural) April 7, 2018 - 7-day and (post-inaugural) April 14, 2018 - 7-day both visiting as call ports Palma De Mallorca, Marseille, Livorno, Rome-Civitavecchia and Naples.

The ship's first Transatlantic crossing (repositioning cruise) was scheduled for October 28, 2018 (12 nights / 13 days one-way Barcelona to Miami). Prices started from USD 950 pp.

The ship's "Caribbean inaugural cruise" was scheduled for November 10, 2018 (4 nights / 5 days Western Caribbean / Mexico from Miami). Prices started from USD 850 pp.

The ship's maiden call at RCCL's private island destination Labadee Haiti was scheduled for December 2, 2018 (7 nights / 8 days, round-trip Eastern Caribbean). Prices started from USD 800 pp.

Symphony of the Seas Welcomes Cruise Passengers Back in Miami

• August 14, 2021

The world’s largest cruise ship is welcoming the passengers back today. Sailing from Miami, the Symphony of the Seas is relaunching service for Royal Caribbean International with a seven-night cruise to the Western Caribbean.

On its first cruise in 17 months, the Royal Caribbean International ship is visiting four ports in three different countries. After leaving Miami, the vessel is set to visit Cozumel and Costa Maya, in Mexico, before arriving in Honduras, with a call in Roátan.

A stop in Perfect Day at CocoCay concludes the itinerary, which also features two days at sea. A popular port of call, the private destination is located in the Bahamas and features unique attractions, including North America’s tallest waterslides.

The destination will be a regular stop for the 2018-built vessel during the year. Through December, the ship is set to sail alternating Western and Eastern Caribbean cruises from Miami.

An enlarged and improved version of the original Oasis-class ships, the Symphony of the Seas is currently the biggest cruise vessel in the world. With capacity of over 5,400 passengers, the vessel has several distinctive features, including the ten-deck drop Ultimate Abyss slide.

Other highlights are the AquaTheater – an open-air, fountain-filled show lounge – and the Central Park – a park at sea, with real plants and its own set of shops and restaurants.

With its first cruise about to be underway, the Symphony is the tenth Royal Caribbean International vessel in service.

It also became the second of four ships to resume operations for the company this week .

On August 13, the Ovation of the Seas welcomed the passengers back, kicking off a shortened Alaska season.

On Sunday, both the Harmony of the Seas and the Independence of the Seas are marking their service restarts. While the former is set to sail from Barcelona for a Mediterranean cruise, the latter is departing Galveston on a Western Caribbean itinerary.

The Oasis of the Seas is reentering service next, with its first cruise departing Cape Liberty.

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7 Night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day

Royal Caribbean International is known for ships with a wow factor. From ice skating rinks to zip lines, if you can think of it, you can find it on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Explore the islands or get up close and personal with some intriguing wildlife when you cruise to the Eastern Caribbean.

In Miami, you’ll enjoy a small taste of the tropical weather many of you will experience during your cruise, and you’ll see why Miami is one of the most popular places to live in America.

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7 Night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day sailing on the Symphony Of The Seas

Departure dates: jan 2025 - apr 2025.

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*** All itineraries are subject to change without notice. Please confirm your itinerary on the Review page before purchasing your cruise.

Rates & offers are subject to select dates & categories, cruise only, per person, based on double occupancy, in US Dollars & include NCCF. Government taxes & fees are additional and vary based on sailing. All government taxes and fees may change without notice -- please confirm at time of booking. All rates & offers are capacity controlled, are subject to availability & confirmation, & may change without notice. Additional restrictions may apply. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed -- please confirm details at time of booking. Stateroom photos are for sample purposes only -- actual design and layout may vary.

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The Best Cheap Hotels near the Miami Cruise Port

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Miami’s cruise port is the largest in the world and the second most important economic engine in Miami-Dade County.  It is recognized as the Cruise Capital of the World and the Gateway of the Americas for cargo transportation .

The Miami cruise port has several modern terminals designed to facilitate the embarkation and disembarkation of passengers.  Some of the terminals are exclusive to certain cruise companies, such as Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC Cruises or Virgin Voyages .  The port also has an underwater tunnel connecting Dodge Island to MacArthur Highway, reducing traffic in downtown Miami .

The cruise port of Miami receives more than 5 million passengers a year and serves more than 20 companies and 60 different ships.  Some of the world’s largest and newest ships call at or homeport in Miami, such as Symphony of the Seas, Norwegian Bliss or MSC Meraviglia .

If you want to know more about the cruise port of Miami, here is an article with titles, subtitles, lists and frequently asked questions in bold:

Miami Cruise Port: Everything You Need to Know

What is the cruise port of miami.

The Cruise Port of Miami is the largest in the world and the second most important economic engine of Miami-Dade County. It is recognized as the Cruise Capital of the World and the Gateway of the Americas for cargo transportation.

The port is located on Biscayne Bay on Dodge Island, near downtown Miami. The port has several modern terminals designed to facilitate the embarkation and disembarkation of passengers. Some of the terminals are exclusive to certain cruise companies, such as Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC Cruises or Virgin Voyages. The port also has an underwater tunnel connecting Dodge Island to MacArthur Highway, reducing traffic in downtown Miami.

The port receives more than 5 million passengers a year and serves more than 20 companies and 60 different ships. Some of the world’s largest and newest ships call at or homeport in Miami, such as Symphony of the Seas, Norwegian Bliss or MSC Meraviglia.

How to get to the Cruise Port of Miami?

There are several options to get to the Miami Cruise Port from Miami International Airport (MIA) or from other points in the city. Some of the most common are:

• Taxi: It is the fastest and most comfortable option, but also the most expensive. The approximate price from the airport to the port is $25 to $30 each way, depending on traffic and distance. The estimated time is 15 to 20 minutes.
• Shuttle: It is a cheaper option than the taxi, but less flexible. It is a shared service that picks up and drops off passengers at different points of the airport and the port. The approximate price is 15 to 20 dollars per person and way. The estimated time is 30 to 45 minutes.
• Uber or Lyft: They are mobile applications that allow you to request a private vehicle with a driver. They are an alternative to the taxi that is usually cheaper and easier to use. The approximate price from the airport to the port is 15 to 20 dollars each way. The estimated time is similar to that of the taxi.
• Public transport: It is the cheapest option, but also the slowest and most complicated. It involves taking a bus or train from the airport to downtown Miami and then another bus to the port. The approximate price is 5 to 10 dollars per person and way. The estimated time is one hour or more.

Which terminal corresponds to me according to my cruise?

The Cruise Port of Miami has 10 different terminals, numbered A through J. Each terminal is assigned to one or more cruise companies and their respective ships. It is important to know which terminal corresponds to you according to your cruise to get to the right place and avoid delays or confusion.

Here is a list of terminals and the companies that use them:

Terminal A: Royal Caribbean

Terminal b: norwegian cruise line, terminal c: disney cruise line, terminal d: carnival cruise line, terminal e: carnival cruise line, terminal f: msc cruises, terminal g: bahamas paradise cruise line, terminal h: azamara club cruises, celebrity cruises, oceania cruises, regent seven seas cruises, terminal j: crystal cruises, silversea cruises, viking ocean cruises, terminal v: virgin voyages.

To confirm your exact terminal, we recommend checking your travel documentation or contacting your cruise company before your departure.

What documents do I need to board my cruise?

The documents you need to board your cruise depend on your nationality and the itinerary of your trip. In general, the following is required:

• Passport valid for at least 6 months after the date of return.
• Visa or electronic permit (if required) for the countries you visit during the cruise.
• Printed or electronic boarding pass sent to you by your cruise company.
• Completed health form requested by your cruise company.

It is important that you review the specific requirements for your case in advance and that you bring all the original and proper documents. Otherwise, you may have trouble boarding or entering any country.

What services are there in the port terminals?

The terminals of the Cruise Port of Miami are equipped with various services to facilitate and enhance the passenger experience. Some of the most common services are:

• Waiting area with seating
• Information screens
• Check-in and baggage drop-off counters
• Security control and customs
• Access walkways to the ship
• Shuttle service between terminals and car parks
• ATMs and currency exchange
• Shops and vending machines
• Bathrooms and water fountains

Each terminal may have additional or specific services depending on the company that manages it. For example, some terminals may offer lounges, luggage storage, medical service or children’s areas.

What time do I have to arrive at the port to board?

The time you have to arrive at the port to embark depends on the schedule set by your cruise company. In general, it is recommended to arrive at least 3 hours before the departure of the boat to have enough time to carry out all the necessary procedures.

However, some companies may assign you a specific time or time slot to show up at the port. This is done to avoid crowding and improve passenger flow. In that case, you must respect the indicated time and not arrive too early or too late.

To confirm your exact or approximate time of arrival at the port, we recommend checking your travel documentation or contacting your cruise company before your departure.

What can I do if I have free time before or after the cruise?

If you have free time before or after the cruise, you can take the opportunity to get to know Miami and its surroundings. Miami is a vibrant and multicultural city that offers many options for all tastes and interests. Some of the things you can do are:

• Visit the historic and cultural center of Miami, where you will find museums, theaters, galleries and emblematic buildings such as the Freedom Tower or the Gesu Church.
• Enjoy the sun and the beach in Miami Beach, a tourist area famous for its festive atmosphere, art deco hotels and nightlife. You can also stroll along Ocean Drive or Lincoln Road Mall, two of the most popular and lively streets in the area.
• Explore the Little Havana neighborhood, the heart of the Cuban community in Miami. Here you can taste the typical gastronomy and music of Cuba, visit the Cuban Museum or the Cuban Memorial, or play dominoes in the Máximo Gómez Park.
• Get to know the neighborhood of Wynwood, the center of urban and alternative art in Miami. Here you can admire the murals and graffiti that decorate the walls of the Wynwood Walls or the Wynwood Art District, as well as visit the galleries and workshops of local artists.
• Discover the neighborhood of Coconut Grove, one of the oldest and greenest in Miami. Here you can enjoy nature in the Vizcaya Park or the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, or relax on the terraces and cafes of the CocoWalk.
• Venture into the Everglades, a national park that is home to one of the most unique and diverse ecosystems in the world. Here you can observe the native fauna and flora, such as alligators, flamingos or mangroves, taking an airboat tour or on foot along the enabled trails.

Frequently Asked Questions about Miami Cruise Port

Can i leave my car at the port during my cruise.

Yes. The Cruise Port of Miami has several guarded and covered car parks for passengers who want to leave their car during their cruise. The price is $22 per day and is paid when you leave the parking lot. It is advisable to reserve your place in advance on the port’s website.

What sanitary measures are in place at the port due to the COVID-19 pandemic?

The Cruise Port of Miami follows the recommendations and protocols established by health authorities and cruise companies to ensure the safety and health of passengers and staff. Some of the measures are:

• Mandatory use of a mask in the port facilities
• Temperature control and rapid antigen test at port entrance
• Social distancing and capacity limitation in common areas
• Frequent disinfection and use of hydroalcoholic gel
• Natural or filtered ventilation at terminals
• Staggered, contactless boarding

These measures may vary according to the evolution of the health situation and the rules in force. We recommend that you check the updated information on the port’s website or with your cruise company before your departure.

What can I do if I lose or have something stolen at the port?

If you lose or have something stolen at the port, you should go to the nearest customer service center or police station to report the incident. You can also call +1 305 347 4800 to contact the port’s lost and found service. If the lost or stolen item is of value or contains personal information, we advise you to report it to the competent authorities.

What can I do if I have a problem with my cruise?

If you have a problem with your cruise, such as a cancellation, itinerary change, onboard incident or subsequent claim, you should contact your cruise company directly to resolve it. The Cruise Port of Miami is not responsible for the services provided by cruise companies nor can it intervene in their decisions.

What can I do if I need special assistance at the port?

If you need special assistance in port due to a disability or medical condition, you must request it in advance from your cruise company and the Cruise Port of Miami. Some of the services offered are:

• Adapted access and ramps in terminals and car parks
• Wheelchairs and electric scooters available on request
• Adapted shuttle service between terminals and car parks
• Qualified staff and appropriate signage for the hearing or visually impaired

To request special assistance at the port, you can call +1 305 347 4800 or send an email to [email protected] .

The Cruise Port of Miami is the largest in the world and the second most important economic engine of Miami-Dade County. It is the Cruise Capital of the World and the Gateway of the Americas for cargo transportation.

The port has several modern terminals designed to facilitate the embarkation and disembarkation of passengers. The port receives more than 5 million passengers a year and serves more than 20 companies and 60 different ships. Some of the world’s largest and newest ships call at or homeport in Miami.

To get to the port, there are several options from the airport or from other points in the city, such as taxi, shuttle, Uber or Lyft or public transport. To board the cruise, documents such as passport, visa or electronic permit, boarding pass and sanitary form are required. The port offers various services such as free Wi-Fi, waiting area, security and customs control, access walkways to the ship, shuttle service between terminals and car parks, ATMs and currency exchange, shops and vending machines or toilets and water fountains.

If you have free time before or after the cruise, you can take the opportunity to get to know Miami and its surroundings. Miami is a vibrant and multicultural city that offers many options for all tastes and interests. You can visit the historical and cultural center of Miami, enjoy the sun and the beach in Miami Beach, Explore the neighborhood of Little Havana, Get to know the neighborhood from Wynwood, Discover the neighborhood from Coconut Grove, or venture into the Everglades.

We hope this article has been useful and informative to prepare your trip to the Port of Cruises of Miami. If you have any questions or suggestions, Do not hesitate to contact us or leave us a comment. Good trip! 🚢

The best things to do in Miami on a cruise

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7-day Symphony of the Seas cruise from Miami

Recharge your batteries on a 7-day relaxing vacation in paradise on the Symphony of the Seas, a luxury sailing cruise from Miami offered by Royal Caribbean. Whether you're looking for a romantic holiday in the Bahamas or a peaceful cruise in the Caribbean, the Symphony of the Seas can take you there. Your 7-day cruise with Symphony of the Seas will take you past breathtaking landscapes and stunning islands. Discover the best 7-day cruise vacations with the Symphony of the Seas cruise ship from Port Miami.

Find and plan your next 7-day Symphony of the Seas cruise out of Miami

7-day Western Caribbean from Miami, Fl

Symphony of the seas, royal caribbean.

Date: November 24, 2024

Ports of Call: Miami, CocoCay, Nassau, Falmouth, Labadee, Miami; View Itinerary

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Symphony of the Seas

As the fourth ship to join the Oasis Class, the Symphony of the Seas offers a large variety of activities, amenities and entertainment. Conquer the rock wall, catch a wave on the FlowRider, a 40-foot long surf simulator, or fly down a zip line that soars 9 decks in the air over the ship. Guests looking for a more relaxed time can visit the full-service Vitality Spa, take a yoga class at the Fitness Center, or soak up some sun at the Beach Pool. Some of the accommodations on board feature a Central Park or Boardwalk View Balcony, which provides a comfortable neighborhood feeling for guests with excitement just beyond the door. Central Park boasts a New York City feel for the ultimate uptown experience, while the Boardwalk provides hours of amusement from carousel rides to confectionary treats and more. After a day in port, unwind with a drink at the Rising Tide Bar on the Royal Promenade before heading over to catch a show in the Royal Theater or Aqua Theater. A trip to the Bionic Bar will treat guests to the experience of robot bartenders serving favorite libations. There is a variety of specialty restaurants available as well, such as Johnny Rockets ’50s-style diner, Giovanni’s Table, Izumi, and Jamie’s Italian. Symphony of the Seas also offers the complimentary Adventure Ocean® Youth Program, Royal Babies® and Royal Tots® program, teen lounge areas and disco, and the Splashaway Bay kids’ water park.

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What Is Included in the Symphony of the Seas?

Embark on an unforgettable journey aboard Symphony of the Seas. Learn about inclusions, activities, dining, and entertainment options for an amazing experience.

Book Symphony Of The Seas Cruise

Take a luxurious cruise on Symphony of the Seas for the ultimate experience. This Royal Caribbean masterpiece ship departs from locations like Miami and Fort Lauderdale and whisks travelers away to enchanting places like the Bahamas and the Eastern Caribbean. Symphony of the Seas can accommodate up to 5,000 passengers and a crew of 2,200 . It provides an extensive list of facilities and entertainment for travelers of all ages. There are plenty of things for everyone on board, from exhilarating activities like the Ultimate Abyss slide to fine dining at specialty restaurants like Hooked. Well-planned deck layouts make navigating on the ship easy.

Let's look at all the things included in the Symphony of the Seas cruise to ensure an exciting, relaxing, and memorable cruise.

Amenities Included in the Symphony of the Seas

To provide its guests with a luxurious and entertaining retreat, Symphony of the Seas was meticulously designed by Royal Caribbean . It offers plenty of things, including fine dining , exciting excursions, top-notch entertainment , and leisurely time. Here's a list of things included in your Symphony of the Seas cruise fare which you can try for free onboard:

• Gourmet dining: Enjoy delectable meals at the Boardwalk Dog House, Sorrento's Pizza, El Loco Fresh, Park Cafe, Windjammer Marketplace buffet, and Solarium Bistro, in addition to the three main dining rooms.
• Entertainment: Engage in performances in the main theater, selected shows across various venues, and other everyday events. 
• Recreational activities: Get access to roller coasters, the Ultimate Abyss thrill slide, mini-golf, FlowRider surf simulators , fitness center, and Splashaway Bay.
• Family fun: From 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., enjoy laser tag games and Adventure Ocean kids' programming for children aged 6 months to 17 years.
• Gratuities: If you paid for your cruise in Australian and New Zealand currencies, gratuities are covered.

Exclusions (Additional fees may apply)

• Specialty dining: There is an extra charge for specialty restaurants like Hooked, Playmakers, etc.
• Beverages: Alcoholic beverages, specialty coffees, and drinks other than tea, coffee, water, and some juices are not included.
• Room service breakfast: A fee applies for continental room service breakfast.
• Spa services: The spa and salon services and treatments are not included.
• Internet access: Packages including internet and Wi-Fi can be purchased.
• Shore excursions: Activities that take place outside of the ship are not covered.
• Extra services: Certain onboard activities, fitness programs, and services, including arcade games, Scuba certification courses, and personal training sessions, incur additional costs.

Famous Deck Activities on Symphony of the Seas

Despite its enormous size, Symphony of the Seas has a well-thought-out deck plan that makes passenger navigation simple. Royal Caribbean considered guests' feedback when building Symphony and prioritized the passenger experience. They also resolved every problem and made necessary adjustments to ensure smooth transitions throughout the ship.

• Royal Theater shows: Enjoy captivating performances in the onboard theater.
• FlowRider surf simulator: Ride the waves or try boogie boarding.
• Zipline: Experience an exhilarating ride with panoramic views.
• Rock climbing: Challenge yourself on the ship's climbing walls.
• Mini golf: Have fun on the colorful mini-golf course.
• Adventure Ocean: The kids' program offers a variety of activities where you can take your kids.
• Table tennis: Enjoy a game of ping pong with friends.
• Splashaway Bay water park: Family-friendly water park with slides and splash pools.
• Casino Royale tour: Try your luck at the onboard casino.
• Dining: Explore various dining options and culinary delights.

Activities Offered for All Types of Passengers

For children (ages 3-12).

• Adventure Ocean Kids programs: Take part in supervised arts and crafts activities, scavenger hunts, and themed parties.
• Splashaway Bay water park: Enjoy this interactive water park with cannons, slides, and fountains.
• Puzzle break: In this entertaining family adventure, solve puzzles and riddles with a submarine theme to escape the room.
• Adventure Science Lab: Take part in practical science activities and discover the mysteries of the cosmos.
• Adventure Ocean Theatre: Take in performances and events catered to younger audiences. 

For teens (Ages 13-17)

• Teen disco: Enjoy the latest musical hits while dancing the night away with friends at the exclusive teen disco.
• FlowRider surf simulator: Get an adrenaline boost by boogie boarding or testing your surfing prowess on the FlowRider.
• Escape room: In the onboard escape room, collaborate to find answers to riddles and solve mysteries.
• Sports court: Play pick-up games of football, volleyball, or rings with friends on the sports court.
• Video arcade: Challenge friends to classic arcade games or try your hand at modern favorites in the onboard arcade.

For adults (Ages 18+)

• Casino Royale games: Try your luck at the onboard casino, which offers a range of table games and slot machines.
• Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade excursion: Savor pub-style fare and beverages while watching sporting events on large-screen TVs.
• Bionic bar: Choose from distinctive drinks or watch robotic bartenders craft unique cocktails.
• Spa and Salon services: To enjoy utmost relaxation, treat yourself with revitalizing spa treatments, massages, and salon services.
• Specialty dining: Treat your palate and indulge in fine dining experiences at places such as Playmakers and Hooked.

Related:   What Is Special about Symphony of the Seas ?

Sail on Symphony of the Seas , where every moment promises thrills, extravagance, and experiences that will never be had anywhere else. This amazing cruise offers everything and more, whether you're looking for adventure, leisure, or family fun. With top-notch entertainment, fine dining, and exhilarating activities, Symphony of the Seas is your gateway for an incredibly remarkable maritime trip. All set to embark on an unforgettable journey? To book your ideal trip on Symphony of the Seas and have the best cruising experience, go to CruiseBooking.com.

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4 Night Western Caribbean Cruise

Your ship symphony of the seas.

THE NEW SOUND OF WONDER

Escape the Rubicon

Splashaway Bay℠

The Perfect Storm℠

Ultimate Abyss℠

The new sound of savor.

150 Central Park

Bionic Bar ®

Jamie's Italian by Jamie Oliver

THE NEW SOUND OF AWE

Day 1: Miami, Florida

Called Culture

Blank Canvas

Local Cuisine

Day 2: Cruising

Typhoon℠ and Cyclone℠

Laser Tag: Battle for Planet Z℠

Day 3: cozumel, mexico, popular shore excursions, amazing experiences coming soon..

Temple Trekking

Dive Into Adventure

Natural Thrills

Day 4: Cruising

Chops Grille℠

Izumi Hibachi & Sushi

Hooked Seafood℠

Coastal Kitchen

Day 5: miami, florida.

Symphony of the Seas - December 22, 2024

Click For Interactive Map

December 22, 2024

December 22 - 29, 2024

Symphony of the Seas

Royal Caribbean

7 Night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day Holiday

from Miami, Florida

The December 22, 2024 cruise on the Symphony of the Seas departs from Miami, Florida. On this 7 Night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day Holiday sailing, the ship will visit a total of 4 different cruise port destinations, including its departure port. The Symphony of the Seas sets sail on a Sunday (December 22, 2024) and returns on a Sunday (December 29, 2024).

Cruise Price by Cabin Type

The price of the December 22, 2024 cruise on the Symphony of the Seas ranges from $1,199 for an inside cabin to $3,574 for a suite.

This is a 7 night cruise and price per night is noted below for each cabin type. An inside cabin will cost $171 per night, an ocean view cabin will cost $181 per night, a balcony cabin will cost $214 per night, and a suite will cost $510 per night.

$171 / night

$181 / night

$214 / night

$510 / night

The Symphony of the Seas was built in 2018 and is amoung Royal Caribbean's 27 ships in it's fleet. The Symphony of the Seas is included in the cruise line's Oasis Class. In the cruise ship stats below you'll find the Symphony of the Seas vs all other Royal Caribbean ships.

All Itineraries

Explore all that Miami has to offer, from the magnificent Port of Miami, to the world famous Everglades and Biscayne National Parks, historic Coconut Grove, and trendy South Beach. Other attractions include the Miami Seaquarium , Miami MetroZoo, and sports teams the Dolphins, Heat and Marlins. No wonder so many celebrities, such as Gloria Estefan, Madonna and Ricky Martin, call Miami home.

Explore all that Miami has to offer, from the magnificent Port of Miami, to the world famous Everglades and Biscayne National Parks, historic Coconut Grove, and trendy South Beach. Other attractions...

Perfect Day At Coco Cay

Take advantage of the many on board activites during your day at sea. Explore the Symphony of the Seas Deck Maps and make sure to view our list of Ship Venues and Features. You'll have more than enough to fill your day!

The fortress of El Morro guards the harbor against long-gone Sir Francis Drake and his British privateers. The colorful streets of Old San Juan retain the Latin flavor of its seafaring past, when this was the heart of the Spanish Main. Sample the fiery rum made here, or indulge in an icy treat made from fresh tropical fruit and enjoy the Caribbean atmosphere.

The fortress of El Morro guards the harbor against long-gone Sir Francis Drake and his British privateers. The colorful streets of Old San Juan retain the Latin flavor of its seafaring past, when this...

Philipsburg

An island under two flags, St. Martin/St. Maarten is French and Dutch. Philipsburg is on the Dutch side and famous for its duty-free emporia and casinos. A short drive will bring you to Marigot, a charming French Colonial outpost featuring shops filled with French fashions and imported Gallic goodies, as well as beautiful beaches.

An island under two flags, St. Martin/St. Maarten is French and Dutch. Philipsburg is on the Dutch side and famous for its duty-free emporia and casinos. A short drive will bring you to Marigot, a...

Cruise Terminal C - Port of Miami

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1537-2299 N Cruise Blvd

Miami, FL 33132

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One of the batter terminals, staff was helpful got on boat in about 15 min a good walk from entrance however

The world's busiest cruise port, now with the world's largest ship (RCL's Icon of the Seas) docked in one of it's terminals. PortMiami is big enough to have a numbering system for it's terminals, each usually associated with a major cruise line. We had sailed once before from Miami on Norwegian out of Terminal B (plus that's what their website tells you and nothing in our pre-cruise documentation told us the specific terminal), so took a Lyft (about $20) from South Beach to get to our boat, the Norwegian Joy. Traffic was llght, so we came relatively early (around 9:45am) on a Thursday, and Terminal B was bustling with traffic. People were still disembarking and trying to get transportation to leave. We got dropped off, and then tried to bag check our luggage with a nearby porter. That's when he realized we were at the wrong terminal, and advised that we needed to go to Terminal C (usually a MSC port, but used today since the Norwegian Gem was docked at B). You are not meant to go between terminals on foot, but we were able to walk through traffic to arrive (it would have been very difficult with heavy luggage). It took asking questions to workers to know where to go to 1) drop off your tagged luggage and 2) get in line to enter the ship. I don't remember Terminal B as being complicated, but that could just be me. There is someone who is checking to make sure you are supposed to get on the Joy, and also checked that we had passports ready. We then needed to go through security (similar to an airport with x-ray machine and metal detectors). We then got into the regular line to wait for next available agent to check our passports and give us our ID cards (which is also used as room key). That whole process took about 20 minutes, and we were then directed to a series of waiting rooms. We were early, so were given Boarding Group 1. The front of the waiting area didn't have much empty seating, so we chose to sit further back. At this time, it wasn't too crowded. Soon after, the intercom (which is hard to hear when folks around are talking) let us know that we wouldn't be able to board until 12:30 or so, we bunkered down for 2 1/2 hours. When boarding time came, people began to line up near the front. The folks who are staying in the first class part of the boat (the Haven) were able to line up and board through a dedicated tunnel. That took a while, but it made sense. The next group were for the folks who had status with Norwegian (Sapphire and above)...they had to go through the normal entrance. It ended up being the herd of people trying all to move forward, taking up every available space, but also letting folks with wheelchairs and walkers to go through as well. It was really messy, and I heard more than one person muttering that there needed to be a better way. That being said, the employees tried their best to maintain order, and they strictly enforced the boarding zone by number once you got to the front. Everything else went pretty quickly, and we were able to find a place to settle in while our room was made ready. Considering how many people were involved, things turned out OK, but I can't help but wonder if there is a better way to organize people. Most people just want to understand what the rules are, and will completely adhere to it, as long as it is being followed (and enforced) by everyone.

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Great experience getting on board, awesome staff and very helpful! We love our cruises on Carnival

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Royal Caribbean expands Haiti trip suspension — and adds new replacement stops

A s gang violence continues in Haiti, Royal Caribbean has extended the suspension of its port calls to a private day resort it operates in the island nation’s northern tip.

Fourteen sailings that were scheduled to stop at Labadee will be rerouted through the end of April, the cruise line said Monday.

“The safety and security of our guests, crew, and communities we visit are our top priority,” Royal Caribbean said in a prepared statement. “Our Global Security and Intel Team is closely monitoring the evolving situation in Haiti, and in an abundance of caution, we are temporarily making adjustments to sailings visiting Labadee. We will continue to monitor and reassess calls as needed, and will communicate updates with guests directly.”

International news reports state that violence and killings continue in and around the nation’s capital, Port-au-Prince. Flights into and out of the city’s airport remain suspended, and gangs have overrun the nation’s main port, hindering entry of food and medicine.

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Royal Caribbean has been leasing the 260-acre Labadee attraction, built on a peninsula accessible only to the cruise line’s guests and employees, since the 1980s. It is located 130 miles north of Port-au-Prince and has remained unscathed during other periods of unrest.

The suspension will affect itineraries of three ships: Oasis of the Seas and Independence of the Seas, traveling from Port Miami, and Symphony of the Seas, leaving from Port Everglades.

Alternative destinations that were not announced during the first week of reroutings in mid-March include George Town, Grand Cayman; Bimini, Bahamas; and Philipsburg, St. Maarten.

Labadee stops on some sailings will be replaced by an extra day at sea or a stop at one of Royal Caribbean’s other private resorts, Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Here are the affected sailing dates and alternative port calls:

Symphony of the Seas:

March 23 sailing — Replaced with Falmouth, Jamaica, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

March 31 sailing — Replaced with Perfect Day at CocoCay on Day 2 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Scheduled stop at Falmouth, Jamaica, will now be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

April 6 and April 20 sailings — Replaced with Falmouth, Jamaica, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

April 14 sailing — Replaced with Perfect Day at CocoCay on Day 5, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Stop in Falmouth, Jamaica is now on Day 3.

April 28 sailing — Replaced with a day at sea. Stop in Falmouth, Jamaica will now be from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Independence of the Seas:

April 4 and April 18 sailings — Replaced with stop at Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

April 8 sailing — Replaced with George Town, Grand Cayman, from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. New call time for stop in Nassau, Bahamas, is 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

April 22 sailing — Replaced with Bimini, Bahamas, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nassau, Bahamas is now on Day 4 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Perfect Day at CocoCay has been added to the itinerary on Day 5, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Oasis of the Seas:

March 24 sailing — Replaced with Falmouth, Jamaica, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Perfect Day at CocoCay will now stop from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

March 31 sailing — Replaced with an extra day at Perfect Day at CocoCay on Day 4 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Stop in Falmouth, Jamaica will now run from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

April 7 sailing — Replaced with Philipsburg, St. Maarten on Day 4, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

April 14 sailing — Replaced with a day at sea. New call time in Perfect Day at CocoCay will be 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Stop in Falmouth, Jamaica, will now be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071, on Twitter @ronhurtibise or by email at [email protected] .

©2024 South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Visit sun-sentinel.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Icon of the seas: the best dining, amenities and more on royal caribbean's new ship.

This family-friendly megaship features plenty of activities, entertainment and restaurants.

Icon of the Seas

Courtesy of Royal Caribbean International

Key Takeaways

• Icon of the Seas is the largest cruise ship in the world, with 18 passenger-accessible decks, eight different neighborhoods and 2,805 staterooms.
• Think of Icon of the Seas as an all-in-one adventure vacation contained on a ship. Young families and energetic travelers will enjoy it most.
• Itineraries originate from Miami , sail to destinations around the Caribbean and include a stop at Royal Caribbean's private island , Perfect Day at CocoCay.

If you have any degree of interest in traveling or cruising, chances are you've heard the buzz around Icon of the Seas. Another record-breaking ship by Royal Caribbean International , Icon of the Seas debuted on Jan. 27, 2024, as the largest cruise ship in the world. It is epic in every sense, featuring 18 cruiser-accessible decks and stretching 1,196 feet from bow to stern.

With greatest-of-all-time soccer player Lionel Messi as the ship's godfather, the Icon of the Seas is truly iconic. Messi brought the entire Inter Miami team along for the opening ceremony and the big reveal of the team's new Royal Caribbean-sponsored jerseys. I was fortunate enough to attend this star-studded ceremony as part of the press preview sailing in the days leading up to the ship's grand debut to the public. It was everything I thought it would be and more, and nobody could have been more appropriate than Messi to send this ship on her maiden voyage.

Boarding a ship of this size can seem overwhelming, but not when you understand the layout. Icon of the Seas is broken up into eight distinct neighborhoods: AquaDome, Central Park, Thrill Island, Chill Island, Royal Promenade, The Hideaway, Suite Neighborhood and Surfside, a neighborhood built for young families looking for nonstop fun and kid-approved eats and treats.

In addition to these public areas, there are 2,805 staterooms spread across 12 decks. Icon of the Seas' capacity maxes out at 7,600 passengers and 2,350 crew members, but with the plethora of public spaces and variety of things to do and see, you can choose your own adventure without encountering more crowds than you want to.

Find your perfect cruise

Skye Sherman

Icon of the Seas itinerary

During its inaugural 2024-2025 cruising season, Icon of the Seas offers seven-night eastern or western Caribbean adventures from Miami, stopping at a variety of tropical destinations. All sailings include a stop at Royal Caribbean's award-winning private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, in the Bahamas . Other destinations include Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis ; Roatan, Honduras; and Cozumel, Mexico .

During the 2025-2026 cruising season, new destinations will include Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic ; San Juan, Puerto Rico ; Labadee, Haiti; Costa Maya, Mexico; and Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas (part of the U.S. Virgin Islands ). All sailings will originate from Miami.

No matter your Icon of the Seas itinerary, you'll visit beautiful places – but you can expect to feel torn about spending any time off the ship, because it's just that jampacked with things to do.

Who should sail on Icon of the Seas?

Icon of the Seas appeals not so much to a demographic as to a psychographic; you're going to need to be someone who likes to live life in all caps. Royal Caribbean set out to create "the world's best vacation" contained on a ship, so Icon of the Seas is for anyone who would enjoy the combination of a beach trip, a resort stay, a water park adventure and island-hopping.

Fun-loving travelers and families with kids of varying ages will do best on this ship; it feels a little bit like Disney World with over-the-top everything and a truly massive sprawl. Older travelers who prefer a more quiet, refined experience may want to opt for a less kid-friendly ship. Still, even couples without children will find plenty of fun adult-friendly things to do and romantic places to tuck in.

The Royal Promenade can be quite loud and buzzy, but simply relocating to another onboard neighborhood can completely shift the vibe. Also, keep in mind that the ship really is huge, and walking from end to end can be a hike, so those with limited mobility or endurance might want to look into a smaller ship.

Icon of the Seas prices are high in its opening season, but cruisers with big dreams and small budgets can expect rates to drop by the time the next ship in the series debuts.

The stateroom

With a ship this overstimulating, it's imperative that your stateroom is a haven. Luckily, Icon of the Seas offers peaceful rooms, many of which feature ocean or Central Park neighborhood views. Cruise ship accommodations are stereotypically compact – even cramped – but the floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows in Icon of the Seas' cabins (with the exception of the windowless interior rooms) lend an airy, open feel. The cabin layouts are also optimized to provide the maximum amount of storage, floor space and comfort.

Stateroom decor is mildly nautical- and tropical-themed, with calming hues that mimic the scenery outside your window (think blues, beiges and whites). High-tech elements include smart TVs, LED mirrors and the ability to control many aspects of your room from an app.

My husband and I stayed in an Ocean View Large Balcony Stateroom, a 204-square-foot refuge from the hustle and bustle of the ship (the balcony adds another 65 to 70 square feet). This room type can sleep up to four people with a sofa bed for one or two; the room also features twin beds that convert to a king bed for couples.

My husband is 6 feet, 3 inches tall, and we were comfortable in our room, even though our quarters included a large bed, a bathroom, a sofa and a desk. We loved sitting on our private balcony and watching the deep blues of the Atlantic Ocean flow by.

If money is no object, the Ultimate Family Townhouse – an over-the-top eight-guest, three-story pad with a private whirlpool on the balcony, three bathrooms, a slide that connects the second and main levels, an in-suite cinema, a dining room and a kitchenette – looks epic. But keep in mind, it costs nearly $100,000 for the week.

The Sunset Corner Suites (about one-fifth of the cost of the Ultimate Family Townhouse, but still expensive) are also pretty sweet, with a wraparound balcony and a bed facing the sea.

Luckily, not all rooms break the bank; with four main stateroom categories (suite, balcony, ocean view and inside) and 28 subcategories, there's something for everyone.

Best amenities on Icon of the Seas

It's almost impossible to run out of things to do aboard Icon of the Seas.

For thrill-seekers, the largest water park at sea – Category 6 – features the Frightening Bolt (the tallest waterslide on a ship) and the Pressure Drop (the first open freefall waterslide on a cruise vessel).

If you've tired of the seven swimming pools, six waterslides, laser tag, mini-golf, rock climbing wall, escape room, sports courts, outdoor decks, theater, spa and all-day programming, simply take a stroll down the Royal Promenade for Las Vegas -style people-watching. The Royal Promenade has 15 restaurants, bars and lounges, as well as a Starbucks that seems to have a line no matter what time you go. The neighborhood feels a bit like a shopping mall … if a shopping mall had floor-to-ceiling ocean views made possible by the world's largest kinetic art sculpture.

The Pearl, a feat of engineering, is one of the most unique aspects of the ship's design. This art piece is actually a load-bearing structure supporting three decks, but it looks and feels like an interactive art experience designed solely for the enjoyment of guests. The multisensory immersive structure has 3,000 kinetic panels and moody ever-changing lighting. It is one of the first things guests will see when they walk on board, as it stretches from the Royal Promenade up to Central Park.

My husband and I spent most of our time at the FlowRider surf simulator – his favorite amenity – but we made sure to leave time for Taylor Swift trivia at Spotlight Karaoke and the superhuman stunts of the Aqua Theater show, a must on any Icon of the Seas voyage. The ship even has a massive ice arena called Absolute Zero for ice skating (the 20-minute sessions are complimentary) and impressive shows.

We also loved lounging in The Overlook Bar & Pods, an area at the very front of the ship (behind the AquaDome) that features two levels of floor-to-ceiling wraparound windows. It felt airy and open, which can't be said about many cruise ship interiors.

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Best dining venues on Icon of the Seas

There are more dining options aboard Icon of the Seas than you can fit in on a seven-night cruise – but you can give it the old college try. Thirteen of the dining venues are complimentary, while 14 are specialty restaurants (which cost extra; fees vary). There are also 18 bars and lounges.

The best meal we experienced on the ship was at the Chops Grille specialty eatery. When we spotted Royal Caribbean CEO Jason Liberty and a group of bigwigs at a table next to us, we knew we were in the right place. We loved sitting outside and enjoying the breezes of Central Park while we chowed down, but you can eat indoors for an elegant steakhouse experience and a view of the open kitchen and butcher's display, which shows off specialty cuts like high-grade wagyu and bone-in tomahawks.

While I'd never turn down a swanky steak dinner, grabbing quick poolside bites at El Loco Fresh and indulging in some food hall-style grazing at AquaDome Market were equally enjoyable. We also had no complaints eating several meals at Windjammer, the classic complimentary cruise ship buffet.

Even though we don't have children, we stopped into Surfside Bites for a very kid-friendly meal, complete with soft serve ice cream cones from Sprinkles (because no cruise is complete without soft serve). We didn't try anything from the open-air, lemonade stand-inspired Lemon Post bar, but its menu of cocktails and mocktails looked delicious.

And since you're on vacation, be sure to check out the milkshake bar Desserted, where the sugary creations are as photo-worthy as they are decadent. They're worth the upcharge.

Best excursions on Icon of the Seas

Depending on what's on your Icon of the Seas itinerary, you may be able to book activities like snorkeling, scuba diving, tropical jungle adventures, visits to Mayan ruins, volcano hikes, rainforest zip lining, relaxing beach days or cultural immersion tours.

Note that Royal Caribbean features the same options on many of its other Caribbean cruises; none of the excursions on offer are exclusive to Icon of the Seas.

Because our press preview sailing only visited Perfect Day at CocoCay, we did not experience any of the shore excursions. Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas was plenty of fun, even though we didn't plan anything in advance.

If we had made plans, we would have liked to check out the Up, Up and Away tethered hot air balloon, which wasn't running that day, and the overwater cabanas at Coco Beach Club, which were all booked. Thrill Waterpark (which features the tallest waterslide in North America), Oasis Lagoon (the largest freshwater pool in the Caribbean) and the adults-only Hideaway Beach are other highlights of Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Overall impressions of Icon of the Seas

Royal Caribbean seems to be focused on superlatives. It has the biggest, best, tallest, largest and most of everything – especially when it comes to Icon of the Seas. If you like jampacked, adventurous vacations that squeeze a lot of adventure and relaxation into one memorable week, Icon of the Seas is probably for you.

While I love seeing Royal Caribbean push the limits of what cruises can be, the ship may almost be too big for some. It's an all-out Vegas-esque vessel that feels more like a floating city; you will probably forget (more than once) that you're not on dry land.

That's not necessarily a bad thing – if Icon of the Seas looks fun to you, it probably will be – but my husband and I tend to gravitate more toward authentic, immersive, on-the-ground cultural experiences when we travel. While Icon of the Seas is a lot of things, it's not that. We had a fantastic time and have already started planning a future Royal Caribbean cruise with a group of friends and family, but we also sympathize with the anticruisers of the world. Vacationing does not a traveler make.

Still, the shows are entertaining, the service is attentive, the music is jamming, and the architecture and design are incredibly impressive. I have no real complaints and suspect that most cruisers will have the time of their lives on Icon of the Seas – exactly as the minds at Royal Caribbean envisioned when they dreamed up this iconic ship.

Why Trust U.S. News Travel

Skye Sherman has been cruising since childhood, when her parents took her on her first cruise through the Caribbean. She has sailed various ocean cruise lines, gone off the grid for a six-day riverboat expedition deep into the Amazon River and even planned a European river cruise with 48 of her closest family and friends. She's a fourth-generation Floridian and hopes to visit every country in the world during her lifetime. She covers travel and lifestyle topics for major publications including U.S. News & World Report.

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With Arms Wide Open

How did creed, the most hated band of the 1990s, become so beloved—and even cool i sailed the seas with thousands of fellow lunatics to find out..

It’s high noon on a blazing April day, which is the ideal time to be sitting in an Irish pub aboard a cruise ship the size of a small asteroid. The bar is called O’Sheehan’s—yes, pronounced “oceans”—and it’s located deep within the belly of the boat, just above the teppanyaki joint, the sake bar, and the lustrous duty-free shops. This consciousness-altering diorama of infinite seas and cloying Guinness-themed paraphernalia is where I meet Colleen Sullivan, a 46-year-old woman with a beehive of curly red hair and arms encased by plastic wristbands. She wants to tell me how Creed changed her life.

A few moments earlier, Sullivan dropped one of those wristbands on my table—an invitation to talk. It’s lime-green and emblazoned with pink lettering that reads “Rock the Boat With Creed.” I slip it past my hand and sidle up to her booth. Sullivan uses one nuclear-yellow-painted fingernail to hook back the wristbands on her right arm. Underneath is the pinched autograph of Scott Stapp, the band’s mercurial lead singer, enshrined in tattoo ink. This, it seems, is not her first rodeo.

We are both here for “Summer of ’99,” a weekendlong cruise and concert festival for which Creed—as in the Christian-lite rock band that sold more than 28 million albums in the U.S. alone and yet may be the most widely disdained group in modern times—is reuniting for the first time in 12 years. Roughly 2,400 other Creed fans are along for the round-trip ride from Miami to the Bahamas, and the rest of the bill is occupied by the dregs of turn-of-the-millennium alt-rock stardom. Buckcherry is here. So are Vertical Horizon, Fuel, and 3 Doors Down, the latter of whom hasn’t released an album since 2016.

To celebrate, Sixthman, the booking agency responsible for this and many other cruises, has thoroughly Creed-ified every element of the ship. The band’s logo is printed on the napkins and scripted across the blackjack felt. The TV screens at the bar are tuned to a near-constant loop of Creed’s performance at Woodstock ’99. The onboard library has been converted to a merch store selling Creed hoodies and shot glasses. The stock music piped into the corridors has been swapped out for Hinder’s “Lips of an Angel,” Lit’s “My Own Worst Enemy,” and 3 Doors Down’s “Kryptonite.” When I turn on the closed-circuit television in my cabin, a channel called New Movies plays Scream 3 and Can’t Hardly Wait . And four elevator doors in the boat’s central plaza are plastered with the words “Can You Take Me Higher or Lower?” Sixthman pulled similar stunts with 311’s “ Caribbean Cruise ,” Train’s “ Sail Across the Sun ” cruise, and Kid Rock’s notoriously debauched “ Chillin’ the Most ” cruise—the Kid Rock cruise also took place on the vessel I’m on, the Norwegian Pearl . The idea is to teleport a captive audience back into the dirtbags they once embodied and to a simpler time, when Scott Stapp controlled the universe.

Sullivan tells me that her relationship with Creed overlaps with her sobriety story. She first became a fan of the band in the late 1990s, when “Higher” and “With Arms Wide Open” were soaring up the Billboard charts. Then, Sullivan started using, and her appreciation for the divine proportions of those songs faded in service of more corporeal needs. Years later, after Creed broke up and Sullivan got clean, she returned to the music and discovered a dogma of her own: Maybe she had been put on earth to love Stapp—and Creed—harder, and with more urgency, than anyone else in the world.

“He helped me grow with those old Creed songs,” she tells me. “When I saw Scott for the first time live, he had just gotten clean too. I’d go to the shows and there would be tears streaming down my face.” Her left arm contains another Stapp tattoo, with the words “His Love Was Thunder in the Sky” scrawled up to her elbow, surrounded by a constellation of quarter notes. It’s a lyric taken from a 2013 Stapp solo song called “Jesus Was a Rockstar.” The singer Sharpie’d it onto her body himself.

“Summer of ’99” is Creed’s second attempt to reunite, after it disbanded in both 2004 and 2012 amid clashing egos and substance issues. The band couldn’t have picked a better time to get back together. If you haven’t noticed, we’re in the midst of an extremely unlikely Creed renaissance, redeeming the most reviled—and, perhaps more damningly, most uncool —band in the world. For much of the past 20 years, hating Creed has been a natural extension of being a music fan: In 2013 Rolling Stone readers voted the group “the worst band of the 1990s,” beating out a murderers’ row of Hootie and the Blowfish, Nickelback, and Hanson. Entertainment Weekly, reviewing Human Clay , the band’s bestselling album and one of the highest-selling albums of all time, bemoaned the record’s “lunkheaded kegger rock” and “quasi-spiritual lyrics that have all the resonance of a self-help manual.” Meanwhile, Robert Christgau, the self-appointed dean of American rock critics, wrote Creed off as “God-fearing grunge babies,” comparing the group unfavorably with Limp Bizkit.

The disrespect was reflected more sharply by Stapp’s own contemporaries. In the early 2000s, Dexter Holland, the frontman of the Offspring, played shows wearing a T-shirt that read “Even Jesus Hates Creed.” After leaked images of a sex tape filmed in 1999 featuring Stapp and Kid Rock and a room full of groupies made it onto the internet, Kid Rock retorted by saying that his fans didn’t care about the pornography but were appalled that he was hanging out with someone like Stapp. The comedian David Cross, who embodies the archetype of the exact sort of coastal hipsters who became the band’s loudest hecklers, dedicated swaths of his stand-up material to bird-dogging the singer. (One choice punchline: “That guy hangs out outside a junior high school girls locker room and writes down poetry he overhears.”) Then, in 2002, after a disastrous show in Chicago at which a belligerently drunk Stapp forgot the words to his songs and stumbled off the stage for 10 minutes, four attendees unsuccessfully sued the band for $2 million. Holland’s shirt didn’t go far enough—at the group’s lowest, even Creed fans hated Creed.

All this acrimony plunged Stapp into several episodes of psychic distress. His dependence on alcohol and painkillers was well documented during the band’s initial brush with success, but after Creed’s short-lived reconciliation, Stapp spiraled into a truly cavernous nadir. In 2014 the singer started posting unsettling videos to Facebook, asserting that he had been victimized by a cascading financial scam and was living in a Holiday Inn. That same year, TMZ released 911 calls made by Stapp’s wife Jaclyn claiming that he had printed out reams of CIA documents and was threatening to kill Barack Obama. But these days, Stapp—who announced a bipolar diagnosis in 2015—appears to be on much firmer ground, and the band has reportedly patched up some of those long-gestating interpersonal wounds.

But with time comes wisdom, and in 2024 neither the critical slander nor the troubling reports about Stapp’s mental state are anywhere to be found. It is a truth universally acknowledged that Creed is good, a shift that, as Stapp told Esquire , “just started happening” around 2021. The new paradigm likely solidified the next year, when Creed’s mythically patriotic post-9/11 halftime show, played on Thanksgiving in 2001, began to accrue latter-day meme status. The set was ridiculous and immaculately lip-synced by Stapp and company. Yoked, shirtless angels spin through the air, and cheerleaders pump out pompom routines synchronized with “My Sacrifice,” all while the live broadcast is interspersed with grim footage from ground zero. It’s garishly, unapologetically American, issued just before the unsavory decline of the Bush administration clicked into place. Today both of those relics—Creed and the unified national optimism—are worth getting wistful about. “This is where we peaked as a nation,” wrote football commentator Mike Golic Jr., linking to the video.

Creed nostalgia has only proliferated further since the resurrection of that halftime show. The band’s guitarist, Mark Tremonti, told the hard-rock site Blabbermouth that he’d recently noticed athletes bumping Creed as their “ go-to battle music ,” and in November, an entire stadium of Texas Rangers fans belted out “Higher” to commemorate their team’s World Series victory . Earlier this year, a viral remix of “ One Last Breath ” even began pulsing through some of the hottest parties in New York. The band has clearly crossed some sort of inscrutable cultural Rubicon and thrown reality into flux—up is down, black is white, and, due to a sublime confluence of biting irony and prostrating sincerity, Creed fucking rocks .

All this means that the inaugural edition of the “Summer of ’99” cruise is buoyed by very high stakes. It has been 12 long years since Creed last played a show, and the cruise is intended to be the dry run for a mammoth comeback tour that is scheduled for 60 dates, through summer and autumn, in basketball arenas and hockey stadiums across North America. The only remaining question is whether the band can keep it together. I’m there in a commemorative Creed Super Bowl halftime T-shirt to find out.

Several flights of stairs above O’Sheehan’s, the day before I meet Sullivan, I find Sean Patrick, a giddily beer-buzzed 34-year-old from Nashville who is standing in awe of a Coachella-sized stage that looks downright sinister on the pool deck. Creed is playing two shows this weekend, and the first is set for the very minute the boat leaves port and escapes Miami for the horizon. This means that everyone who purchased a ticket to “Summer of ’99”—which ranges from $895 for a windowless hovel to $6,381 for a stateroom with a balcony—has ascended to the top of the ship, preparing for Creed’s rebirth in a wash of Coors Light tallboys.

As of two days ago, Patrick was unaware he would be attending this cruise. Everything changed when a friend, who was on the waitlist, received a call from Norwegian Cruise Line informing him that a cabin with his name on it had miraculously become available. Patrick was suddenly presented with the opportunity to spend a tremendous amount of cash, on very short notice, to witness this reunion amid the die-hards.

Unlike Sullivan, Patrick doesn’t possess one of those highly intimate histories with the band, flecked with tales of trauma and perseverance. Still, he fell in love with Creed—even if it was only by accident.

“I think it started as a joke. The songs were good, but there was definitely a feeling of, like, Yeah, Creed! ” he tells me. “But then, next thing you know, you find yourself in your car, alone, deciding to put on Creed.”

The majority of the passengers on the Pearl have never been burdened with Patrick’s hesitance. Their relationship with Creed is genuine and free—cleansed of even the faintest whiff of irony—and, unlike Patrick, they tend to be in their late 40s and early 50s. The woman standing ankle-deep in the wading pool with a Stewie Griffin tattoo on her shin unambiguously loves Creed, and the same is probably true of whoever was lounging on a deck chair with a book, written by Fox News pundit Jesse Watters, titled Get It Together: Troubling Tales From the Liberal Fringe . Two brothers from Kentucky who work in steel mills, but not the same steel mill, tell me that loving Creed is practically a family tradition: Their eldest brother, not present on the boat, initially showed them the band’s records. Tina Smith, a 48-year-old home-care aide from Texas, crowned with a black tennis visor adorned with golden letters spelling out the name of her favorite band, loves Creed so much that she embarked on this trip all by herself. “This is my first cruise and my first vacation,” she says, proudly. (Smith is already planning her next vacation. It will coincide with another Creed show.)

Passengers I encounter that are a generation younger are clearly acquainted more with Creed the meme than Creed the band. These are the people who vibe with statements like “Born too late to own property, born just in time to be a crusader in the ‘Creed Isn’t Bad’ fight”—especially when they’re arranged as deep-fried blocks of text superimposed over the face of Keanu Reeves as Neo. If the establishment brokers of culture once settled on the position that Creed sucks, then it has been met with a youth-led insurgency that seems dead-set on shifting the consensus—if for no other reason than to savor the nectar of pure, uncut taboo.

Many members of this insurgency are aboard the Pearl , and they’re caked in emblems of internet miscellany that scream out to anyone in the know. Consider the young man, traveling with his father, who is draped in a T-shirt bearing the Creed logo below a beatific image of Nicolas Cage circa Con Air , or the many fans who wander around the innards of the Pearl in matching Scott Stapp–branded Dallas Cowboys jerseys, a reference to that halftime show. In fact, the best representatives of sardonic Creed-fandom colonists might be the youngest collection of friends that I’ve met on board. They are all in their 20s, most of them work in Boston’s medicine and science sectors, and each is dressed in a custom-ordered tropical button-down dotted with the angelic face of Scott Stapp in places where you’d expect to find coconuts and banana bunches. A week before “Summer of ’99” was announced, the four of them made a pact, via group text, that if Creed were ever to reunite, they would make it out to see the band play, no matter the cost. Their fate was sealed.

“I hated Creed. I thought they were terrible,” says Mike Hobey, who, at 28, is the oldest of the posse and therefore the one who possesses the clearest recollection of Creed’s long, strange journey toward absolution. “But then I started listening to them ironically. And I was like, Oh, shit, I like them now .”

His point is indicative of a strange tension in this new age of Creed: If “the worst band of the 1990s” is suddenly good, does that mean all music is good now? Is nothing tacky? Have the digitized music discovery apparatuses—the melting-pot TikTok algorithm, the self-replicating profusion of Spotify playlists—blurred the boundaries of good and bad taste? Am I, like Hobey, incapable of being a hater anymore?

This is what I found myself thinking about when Creed took the stage, right as the Miami skies began to mellow into a late-afternoon smolder, and put on what was, without a doubt, one of the best rock shows I’ve ever seen. The scalloped penthouses of Miami’s gleaming hotel district passed overhead as the Pearl ’s rudder kicked into gear, and Scott Stapp—looking jacked and gorgeous, chain on neck and chain on belt, flexing toward God in a tight black shirt—launched into “Are You Ready?,” the first song of the afternoon, his baritone sounding, somehow, exactly like it did in 1999. “Who would’ve thought, after our last show in 2012, our next show would be 12 years later, on a boat?” Stapp said. He is risen, indeed.

I later hear from Creed’s PR agent that Tremonti, the guitarist, was more anxious than he was excited to get this first show in the books. I also gather, from Stapp’s representative, that photographers are mandated to shoot the lead singer during only the first two songs of the set, before he begins to “glisten” (her word) with sweat. But if nerves were fraying, Creed conquered them with ease. The members of the band were enveloped by an audience that had paid a lot of money to see them, and in that atmosphere, they could do no wrong. They blitzed through a variety of album cuts before arriving at the brawny triptych of “Higher,” “One Last Breath,” and “With Arms Wide Open,” pausing briefly to wish Tremonti, who was turning 50, a happy birthday. (Stapp wiped away tears afterward, a genuinely touching moment, considering that during their first breakup, Tremonti had compared his years collaborating with Stapp—who was then in the throes of addiction— with surviving Vietnam .) Given Creed’s historic proximity to the Kid Rock brand of red-state overindulgence, I half expected the concert to detonate with violent pits and acrobatic beer stunts, but nothing remotely close to mayhem occurred. This crowd was downright polite—chaste, even—as if it had been stunned by the grandeur of Creed.

“He tried to dance pogo ,” says a disappointed German woman, basking in the pool after the show, gesturing toward her husband. Both of them explain to me that pogoing is the German word for “moshing” and that, even more astonishingly, Creed is huge in their native hamlet, just outside Düsseldorf.

“It’s a reunion after 12 years!” says her husband. “Everyone should be dancing pogo .”

Nothing about Creed’s music has changed in the past decade, which is to say that many of the quirks that people like Hobey once used to mock the band for were on brilliant display during its first show back. But the truth is that little of the smug hatred for the group has ever had much to do with the music itself. Creed’s first record, 1997’s My Own Prison , was nearly identical to the down-tuned angst of Soundgarden or Alice in Chains, drawn well inside the lines of alt-rock radio. (It earned a tasteful 4/5 rating from the longtime consumer guide AllMusic.)

The problems arose only after the band started writing the celestial hooks of Human Clay , solidifying its superstar association with other groups chasing the same crunchy highs with machine-learning efficiency: Nickelback, Staind, Shinedown, and so on. Post-grunge was the term music journalists eventually bestowed on this generation, and in retrospect, that was the kiss of death. Creed was suddenly positioned as the inheritor of the legacy of Kurt Cobain, the godfather of grunge, who bristled at all associations with the mainstream music industry and hired the notoriously bellicose Steve Albini to make Nirvana’s third album as sour and uncommercial as possible. Stapp, meanwhile, has long called Bono—he of the flowing locks, billionaire best friends , and residencies in extravagant Las Vegas monoliths —his “ rock god .” Creed’s sole aspiration was to become the biggest rock band in the world, and for a few years there, the group actually pulled it off. Cobain’s grave got a little colder.

Post-grunge steamrolled the rock business, reducing its sonic palette to an all-consuming minor-chord dirge. Nickelback’s “How You Remind Me” went quadruple platinum in 2001, eventually sparking a furious period of retaliation from the underground. (You could make the argument that the rise of the Strokes or the White Stripes or the indie-rock boom writ large is directly tied to the vise grip Creed once held on the genre.) Before long, music aesthetes adopted a new term, rather than post-grunge , to refer to the Creed phenotype: butt rock . In fact, by the late-2000s, the hatred of Creed had been so canonized that when Slate published a rebuttal —in which critic Jonah Weiner asserted that the band was “seriously underrated”—the essay was considered so “ridiculous” and contrarian as to single-handedly inspire the viral and enduring #slatepitches hashtag, instantly prompting parodies such as “ Star Wars I, II, & III, better than Star Wars IV, V, & VI .”

But, frankly, when I revisit Weiner’s piece, many of his arguments sound remarkably cogent to modern orthodoxies. “Creed seemed to irritate people precisely because its music was so unabashedly calibrated towards pleasure: Every surging riff, skyscraping chorus, and cathartic chord progression telegraphed the band’s intention to rock us, wow us, move us,” he writes. Yes, these easy gratifications might have been unpardonable sins in the summer of 1999, capping off a decade obsessively preoccupied with anxiety about all things commercial and phony. But now even LCD Soundsystem—once the standard-bearer of a certain kind of countercultural fashionability—is booking residencies sponsored by American Express. We have all become hedonists and proud sellouts, and with Creed back in vogue, it seems as if the band’s monumental intemperance has become a feature rather than a bug.

That does not mean Stapp no longer takes himself, or his art, seriously. The singer’s earnestness—some might say humorlessness—has always been a cornerstone of Creed’s brand, and there are millions of fans who will continue to meet him at his word. They brandish personal biographies that intersect with Creed’s records; they finds lines about places with “golden streets” “where blind men see” more inspiring than corny, and many of them are etched with the tattoos to prove it. But in the band’s contemporary afterlife, when all its old context evaporates, Stapp has also attracted a community eager to treat Creed like the party band it never aspired to be—the group of licentious pleasure seekers Weiner wrote about. They’re all here, sprinkled throughout the boat, ready to drink a couple of Coronas and shred their lungs to “My Sacrifice.”

After wrapping up the first night of the cruise, Creed, along with the rest of the bands on the bill, was scheduled to administer a few glad-handing sessions on the weekend itinerary. On Saturday, Tremonti chaperoned a low-key painting session while the Pearl floated into the Bahamas at a dock already crammed with other day-trippers. (Our boat was parked next to a Disney cruise, and when we disembarked, in direct earshot of all the young families, the PA blasted Puddle of Mudd’s “She Fucking Hates Me.”) Tremonti keeps busy: The previous evening, he had judged a karaoke tournament—on the main stage—alongside 3 Doors Down lead singer Brad Arnold. Toward the end of the competition, Tremonti grabbed the microphone for a rousing cover of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way,” which I’d like to think served as a tribute to Creed’s own tenaciousness.

Stapp, on the other hand, is slated for exactly one appointment mingling with the masses: He’ll be shooting hoops with some of the more athletically oriented Creed adherents on a helipad that doubles as a basketball court near the rear of the boat. Stapp is, by far, the most famous person on board, evidenced by the security detail that stands guard on the concrete. So I take my seat on the bleachers and watch him casually drain 10 free throws in a row in mesh shorts under the piercing Atlantic sun with the distinct tang of contractually obligated restraint. Afterward, Stapp slips back into the mysterious alcoves of the ship, while an awed buzz of fans—hoping for a selfie, an autograph, or a split second of euphoric surrender—tail him until they are sealed off for good. It is the one and only time I see him cameoing anywhere but the stage, drawing a stark contrast to the other musicians on board, who flit between the casinos, restaurants, and watering holes in the guts of the Pearl .

This makes some sort of cosmic sense. Stapp, to both his detriment and credit, has never embraced the flippancy that so many other people wanted to impose on Creed. “Sometimes I wish we weren’t so damn serious,” he said in a memorable Spin cover story from 2000, at the height of his mystique. “My agenda from the beginning was to write music that had meaning and was from the heart. You can’t force the hand of the muse.” If you’ll excuse the ostentation of the sentiment, you can maybe understand how someone like Stapp might not be able to feel like himself when he’s orchestrating photo-ops around a free-throw line with that same young man dressed in his Nic Cage–themed parody Creed shirt. He seems to find nothing trivial about Creed’s music. The threat of irrelevance shall never tame him. You cannot force the hand of the muse.

Unfortunately, Stapp’s remoteness is also why Kelly Risch, a 58-year-old from Wisconsin with streaks of ringed, white-blond hair and glam-metal eye shadow, is currently fighting back tears in the Atrium, the ship’s lobby and central bar. Risch is sipping mimosas with her sister Shannon Crass, and, like so many of the others I have spoken to on this cruise, they each have matching Creed tattoos memorializing a personal catastrophe. Twenty years ago, Risch suffered a massive blood clot in her leg and almost died. Crass printed out the lyrics to the latter-day Creed ballad “Don’t Stop Dancing”—a song about finding dignity in the chaos of life—and pinned them in Crass’ intensive care unit during her recovery. Today the chorus is painted on their wrists, right above Scott Stapp’s initials.

The sisters were two of the first 500 customers to buy tickets to “Summer of ’99,” which guaranteed them a photo with the band at its cabin. This is why Risch is crying. The photo shoot came with strict rules, all of which she respected: no Sharpies, no hugs, and no cellphones. She’d hoped for a moment, though—after spending $5,000 and traveling all the way from the upper Midwest, after clinging to life with the help of Creed, and after waiting 12 long years to have the band back—to thank the singer for his comfort. But Stapp, even indoors, was wearing dark, face-obscuring sunglasses. She didn’t even get to make eye contact.

“He’s so great with the crowd. He’s so engaging onstage,” says Crass. “I think that’s why this is disappointing.”

The two sisters are determined to make the most of the rest of their vacation. The Pearl will be pulling into Miami tomorrow at 7 a.m., and there are plenty more mimosas left to drink. I tell them I’m going to speak with Stapp, and the rest of Creed, in an hour. Do they have anything they’d like me to ask?

“Tell him not to wear sunglasses during the photos,” they say.

Creed is finishing up the meet-and-greet obligations in a chilly rococo ballroom, paneled—somewhat inexplicably—with portraits of Russian royalty. The band members have been at this all morning, after a late night finishing off the second performance of their two comeback sets. A molasses churn of Creed fans, all sea-weathered and scalded with maroon sunburns, weaves through a bulwark of chairs and tables toward the pinned black curtains at the rear.

Creed has this down to an art. The band is capable of generating a photo every 30 seconds, and afterward, the fans exit back down the aisle, with beaming smiles, their brush with stardom consummated. Stapp chugs a bottle of Fiji water and holds out his hand for a fist bump after the last of those passengers disappear. A crucifix dangles above his navel, and an American flag is stitched to his T-shirt. He’s still wearing those sunglasses.

I am given just 15 minutes to ask questions, in a makeshift interview setup against the portside windows, under the watchful surveillance of the entire Creed apparatus—both PR reps, a few scurrying Sixthman operators, the photographer, and so on. I ask what their day-to-day life is like aboard the “Summer of ’99,” in this highly concentrated environment of super fans, with no obvious escape routes. Stapp says that he has spent most of the time on the cruise “resting and exercising,” while Brian Marshall, the band’s bassist, told me he executes his privilege of being one of the band’s secondary members by frequenting the sauna and steam room. Throughout the weekend, Marshall is hardly recognized.

Scott Phillips, Creed’s drummer, confirms my suspicions about the cruise’s demographics. The ticket data reveals that a good number of the passengers aboard are under 35 years old. I’m curious to know how the band members are adjusting to this new paradigm shift, and if they wish to settle common ground between the post-ironic millennials and the much more zealous Gen Xers, who bear Creed insignias on their calves and forearms.

“People are drawn to our music for different reasons,” Stapp says. “That’s probably why you have the guys you were talking about, who want to chill and drink light beer and scream ‘Creed rocks!’ and the others, who have a much deeper, emotional impact.”

“And maybe, at some point, with the light-beer guys, it does connect with them,” Phillips adds. Stapp agrees.

But, really, the reason I’m here is because I want to ask Stapp a question I’ve been curious about for the entirety of Creed’s career. The band’s bizarre odyssey, from its warm reception among youth groups across America to the bloodthirsty backlash that met its success to this current psychedelic revival, has all orbited around a single lasting question: Why is Scott Stapp so serious? Could he ever mellow out? Does he want to? Surely now is the time. If Stapp allocated some levity for himself, then so many of the bad things people have said about him would be easier to process. Who knows? Maybe he’d have an easier time getting his arms around the current state of Creed, a group that is now, without a doubt, simultaneously the coolest and lamest band in the world. Why must he make being in Creed so difficult?

“It’s just who I am,” he says. “It’s what inspires me. It’s where I come from. And it’s tough, because you have to live it. That’s the conundrum of it all. That’s the double-edged sword. If I started writing [lighter material], there would be a dramatic shift in my existence.”

There’s a break in the conversation, then Stapp asks me to identify the name of the new Taylor Swift album. The songwriter’s 11 th record has dropped like a nuclear bomb while we’ve all been out to sea, but data restrictions mean that nobody on board can access Spotify or any other streaming service. The Norwegian Pearl serves as a butt-rock pocket dimension: The biggest story in pop music simply can’t penetrate our airtight seal of Hinder, Staind, and so much Creed. “It’s called The Tortured Poets Department ,” I reply. Outside of my fiancée, he is the only person on the entire cruise I will speak to about Taylor Swift.

“That’s what I feel,” he says, without a shred of artifice. “I connect with that title.”

Later that evening, I climb to the top of the Pearl for a final round of karaoke, where fans keep the spirit of 1999 alive for a few more hours. The bar is more hectic than it’s been all trip—everyone is willing to risk a hangover now that Monday is all that looms on the horizon. The host asks a guest if they intended to sing “Torn” by Creed or “Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia. “I assume Creed, but Natalie would be a fun surprise.”

The playlist is more diverse than I expected. We are treated to both Jay-Z’s “Big Pimpin’ ” and Shania Twain’s “Any Man of Mine.” Brandon Smith, one of the very few people of color aboard the cruise, crushes Maroon 5’s “She Will Be Loved.” A lanky kid from St. Louis unleashes a Slipknot death-growl into the microphone. A queer couple quietly slow-dances on the otherwise empty dance floor. And a 16-year-old, teeth tightened by braces, orders his last Sprite of the night. “Rockers are the most awesome people!” shouts one transcendently inebriated guest over the clamor of his Rolling Stones cover. “Creed is awesome!” On this one thing, at least, we can all agree.