Having been on several cruises with Royal Caribbean a number of years ago, we were looking forward to another this year and this time on the Symphony of the Seas - one of their mega ships.Unfortunately this ship fell well short of the standard we previously experienced which had been 5 star but this was definitely a 4 star ship.The fixtures, fittings and food were ok but not great. The beverage packages were extortionate and if there were 2 in a stateroom, you had to take two packages - total around £800. We decided not to take this option and as a family of 5 we spent only slightly more than one person’s beverage package would have cost.An annoying extra is gratuities which are 16 dollars per day, per person - a hefty daily bill.I seem to recall on previous cruises, an option to pay these in advance at a reduced rate but didn’t see this option when booking this cruise.On the plus side, the facilities for children are excellent as was the entertainment but sadly, I doubt whether we will be going on another RC cruise.
