Symphony of the Seas vs Icon of the Seas

The Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas was built in 2018. It's 6 years older than the Icon of the Seas, which was built in 2024. Icon of the Seas is the first in a whole new class of ships by Royal Caribbean that's designed to provide the "ultimate family vacation." It is currently the largest cruise ship in the world.

Comparison Overview

• Ship Size
• Number of Passengers
• Food and Restaurants
• Bars and Drinks
• Pools and Hot Tubs
• Ship Features and Activities
• Cruise Costs
• Onboard Costs

Ship Size

The Symphony of the Seas is considered an extra large size ship. Coming in at 1,188 feet long and 216 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.3 football fields, as wide as 4.1 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 16-story building. Compared to the Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas, the Symphony of the Seas is 9% smaller in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas holds about the same number of passengers as the Icon of the Seas based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Symphony of the Seas has less space per person compared to the Icon of the Seas.

Both the Symphony of the Seas and Icon of the Seas use a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.

Food and Restaurants

Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.

The Symphony of the Seas has 28 different dining options like Playmakers, Cafe Promenade, and Dog House. Of those options, 14 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 14 options have an additional fee.

The Icon of the Seas has 1 more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Sorrento's Pizza, Celebration Table, and El Loco Fresh. 14 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 15 have an additional fee.

The Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas has about the same number of dining options as the Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas.

Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.

Restaurants on Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas & Icon of the Seas

Bars and Drinks

The Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas has 6 fewer bars than the Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas.

In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship. Most Royal Caribbean ships also have Coke Freestyle machines where you can make 100 different flavor combinations.

You can check out recent the bar menus for the Symphony of the Seas and the Icon of the Seas below.

Pools and Hot Tubs

Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The problem is that with thousands of people on a ship, there's not always room. If you want to spend all day for 7 days in a pool, a cruise isn't for you. You would have a much better bet choosing a resort with a huge pool complex. That being said, a quick dip in the pool can be nice on a hot day.

The Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas has a total of 4 pools and 10 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 1 of the pools and 2 of the hot tubs are adults only.

Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas has more pools than the Symphony of the Seas and fewer hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Icon of the Seas. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.

Cruise Coloring and Activity Books for Kids
Get your kids ready for their cruise or keep them entertained while on board with our custom made coloring and activity books. These are the Royal Caribbean editions with places like Studio B and Sorrento's featured.

Cruise Ship Coloring Book for Kids 3-5 - Royal Caribbean Edition

Let's Get Cruising Activity Book for Kids 6-8 - Royal Caribbean Edition

Ship Features and Activities

Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. You might up paying more while on board the Symphony of the Seas. Only 78% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Icon of the Seas, 80% of the activities are included at no additional cost.

Cruise Costs

Royal Caribbean is a mainstream cruise line. Mainstream cruise lines cater to a variety of guests, hoping to provide something for everyone. These typically cost about $100 - $350 per person per day.

Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas will likely be cheaper than on Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas.

Onboard Costs

Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.

Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.

The table below will help you understand what you might spend onboard a Royal Caribbean ship.

Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing, which means the pricing for many things will vary per sailing. The daily gratuities and tip are consistent across the fleet, but the pricing for the drink package, internet, and excursions will change. The only way to know your price is to consult the Royal Caribbean cruise planner once you're booked.

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