Royal Caribbean Cruise Line has announced the name of its newest ship, Symphony of the Seas, the fourth in the Oasis class and the 26th in its fleet. The ship will be inaugurated in April 2018 and will be based in Barcelona for its inaugural season. From there, it will sail weekly 7-night Mediterranean cruises, visiting major European ports and stopping in Palma, Marseille, Florence/Pisa, Rome, and Naples.
The Symphony of the Seas, currently under construction at the STX France shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, will offer many of the innovations that have made the company famous. These include its seven unique neighborhoods, creative cuisine, the Bionic Bar staffed by robot bartenders, authentic Broadway-style shows, the Ultimate Abyss (the tallest slide at sea), and the three slides that make up The Perfect Storm.
In November 2018, after its inaugural season sailing the Mediterranean, the Symphony of the Seas will relocate to the new Terminal A at the Port of Miami, nicknamed the “Crown of Miami” for its shape, from where it will offer 7-night cruises in the Eastern and Western Caribbean. The new 15,000-square-meter terminal will be one of the most innovative in the U.S. and will create 4,000 jobs, in addition to generating $500 million in revenue. It is estimated that around 1.8 million Royal Caribbean passengers will pass through it, representing 30% of the port's total traffic.
