The world’s biggest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s new Symphony of the Seas, made her worldwide debut on Tuesday at the port of Malaga in Spain. At 362-meters (1,188 feet) and 228,081 gross registered tons, Symphony of the Seas overtakes her sister ship, Harmony of the Seas, as the world’s largest cruise ship by a little over 1,000 tonnes (Harmony of the Seas comes in at 226,963 GRT). A view of the world’s largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean Cruises’ Symphony of the Seas, during its presentation ceremony at a port in Malaga, Spain, March 27, 2018. REUTERS/Jon Nazca. Symphony of the Seas was delivered last Friday, 23 March 2018, during a ceremony at shipbuilder STX France’s shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France.
The cruise ship will set sail on her maiden voyage on April 7 for her inaugural summer season in the Mediterranean, calling on ports in:
- Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca, Spain
- Provence, France; and Florence/Pisa
- Rome and Naples, Italy.
Beginning in November, she will head to Miami, Florida where she sail from her year-round homeport at Royal Caribbean’s new state-of-the-art cruise terminal at PortMiami. With a cruising speed of 22 knots, Symphony of the Seas spans a massive 18 decks, including 16 guest decks, and has the capacity for 6,680 total guests (5,500 at double occupancy) in 2,759 staterooms, plus up to 2,200 crew members.