Comparing different cabin categories can be time-consuming when planning a cruise as most ships offer a variety of different stateroom types as well as several options within each category. To help you make the right selection for your next trip, we have put together this Symphony of the Seas Balcony Cabin review from our most recent cruise.
Symphony of the Seas Balcony Cabin Review
We booked our cruise on Symphony of the Seas over a year in advance. This gave us the ability to select almost any stateroom we wanted within our budget. While we have settled for the more economical rooms in the past, we have been booking balcony staterooms more recently.
Given the early booking, we were able to score a great deal on a mid-ship balcony room on deck 11. Our stateroom was 11210 on the port side of the ship. According to the Royal Caribbean cabin categorization, this room was D2, or a mid-ship balcony room with a large balcony sleeping up to 4 adults.
The location was aft of the mid-ship elevators and conveniently only a few decks below the pool on Deck 15, as well as a few decks above the popular Central Park (Deck 8). For us, this was was an ideal location.
Inside the Symphony of the Seas Balcony Cabin
The Royal Caribbean website claims the square footage of this room is 187 square feet. Upon entering the room, we did notice that it felt bigger than some of our more recent balcony rooms on other cruise lines.
While the setup tends to vary, this cabin had the sofa and desk located at the front of the room.
Heading towards the bed, there was adequate space to maneuver between the furniture. However, the sliding glass door for the balcony was a bit close to the bed. There was also a small nightstand on both sides of the bed.
The two closets offered plenty of his and her space and were in an ideal location. This made storing and accessing our items a breeze throughout the cruise. Yes, we do completely unpack during our vacation.
The small dresser near the desk offered additional storage space which we used for electronics and other accessories.
We also utilized our magnetic hooks for hanging bags over the sofa to free up some extra space, and we always store our empty luggage under the bed.
The Small Things Make All the Difference
While the decor was clean and modern, it was pretty typical for a newer ship. There were a few small upgrades though like additional power outlets. The Symphony of the Seas balcony rooms have USB ports along with outlets near the desk, and there is a power outlet located near the bed making it convenient to charge a cell phone overnight.
Of course, there is also the typical mini-fridge which was empty to allow for storage of beverages and a television which was located directly across from the bed.
There wasn’t anything special about the bathroom. It was a pretty standard layout. It did offer adequate storage shelves near the sink and a bar in the shower which the Princess reports is ideal for shaving.
Finally, the balcony was definitely larger than expected allowing enough room to comfortably use the chairs and small ottomans. My only regret is that we did not use the balcony enough during our trip!
Recap of Symphony of the Seas Balcony Cabin
Overall, our balcony cabin on Symphony of the Seas had an ideal layout which made it easy to maneuver. We appreciated the double closet and abundance of storage throughout the room. The real payoff was not only the extra space but the large balcony.
Having more power outlets and desk space was also perfect for our technology needs. Traveling with two laptops, a kindle, multiple cameras, phones, and accessories, this set-up allowed us to be organized and always charged and ready to go during the trip.
Comments
Have you stayed in a balcony cabin on Symphony of the Seas? What is your preferred stateroom category when you cruise? Drop us an anchor below to share your cabin review with fellow cruisers.
7 comments
Larry Hochstetler
We loved the grand suite on the Symphony. We were close to an elevator bank where we could get right up to the suite lounge. The food served in the lounge was better than any other RCI suite lounge. We had dinner most evenings in Coastal Kitchen. Again great food in a quiet atmosphere.
The suite was very roomy, storage space galore, large balcony, loved it, worth the extra dollars.
We did find that at peak times getting an elevator could be an issue, especially one that was not already full
Larry Hochstetler
We will be in a grand suite in October and I will provide a review.
Judy
How were the beds? We have found in our recent RC cruises the beds have been very hard. We are cruising on the symphony in a couple months and considering being a mattress topper
Sandra D's Adventures
Thanks for all of the great information! Just curious if the cabin doors are magnetic? We have some friends celebrating a 35th wedding anniversary and I wanted to get them some small personalized magnets to put on their door.
Scuba Steve
Deck number 8 is our first choice on the Oasis class ships. We’ve cruised on the Harmony, Allure and Symphony (2X) and deck 8 is ideal. A quick walk to Central Park, Park Cafe ( quiet breakfast & minimal crowds ) and the Trellis bar for a quiet night cap. You can always find the crowd, but can you escape it when you want?
There is limited foot traffic in the hallway since there are a very minimal number of inside staterooms. The elevator situation is hectic on disembarkation day so carrying off you luggage is made easy from this deck. All down hill!,.
Lori
That room does look more roomier!
DB
Hi Lori, the room definitely felt roomier. Thanks for the comment.