Royal Caribbean International just reached a major milestone with its newest oasis class cruise ship in construction. "Symphony of the Seas," the company and the world's largest cruise ship — once it is fully constructed — finally entered the water for the first time and floated out of the STX dry dock in St. Nazaire, France.
The luxury liner has been in construction for more than a year and, now that it is floating perfectly outside, construction and design of its interiors will finally begin.
When construction is finally complete, Symphony of the Seas will weigh in at 230,000 tons and surpass the capacity of Royal Caribbean's current largest fleet member, Harmony of the Seas. This is because Symphony will have more cabins and added features than its sister ships.
Royal Caribbean plans to debut the new ship by April 2018, when it will also begin its maiden voyage sailing around Europe in the same month.
Royal Caribbean International uploaded a video of Symphony of the Seas' first float on June 9. Watch the dramatic video below.
What Makes 'Symphony Of The Seas' Different From Other Cruise Ships?
For starters, Royal Caribbean already claims the title of "Best New Ship of 2018" even before Symphony of the Seas' maiden voyage, but it's most likely because they have big plans for the cruise liner that are hard to top.
Symphony of the Seas offers true viewing luxury in every room with its balconies and virtual balconies. That is, even patrons in rooms that have no balconies will get a nice floor-to-ceiling view of what's outside the ship in real time through flat screen televisions that line up the walls.
Symphony also boasts more neighborhoods that people of all ages would enjoy. The people aboard would find just about any type of entertainment from Broadway shows for art-inclined to onboard ice skating and surfing for the sports enthusiasts. There is also the tallest slide at sea which will test vocal chords as challengers take a 10-storey plunge.
Shops, restaurants, bars, and spas also line up other neighborhoods, as well as a "Central Park" that will be lined up with at least 12,000 plants and trees.
Where To Find Symphony Of The Seas
Royal Caribbean's booking page already offers several Spring 2018 Mediterranean cruises aboard Symphony of the Seas. The earliest schedule, as of writing, is a 7-night western Mediterranean cruise which leaves the Port of Barcelona in Spain on April 21, 2018. Royal Caribbean cruise ships usually dock at D'Adossat Terminal.
It will then leave from Miami on Nov. 9, 2018, to begin its Caribbean cruise.
