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Symphony of the Seas vs Odyssey of the Seas
The Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas was built in 2018. It's 3 years older than the Odyssey of the Seas, which was built in 2021.
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 Odyssey of the Seas, the Symphony of the Seas is 35% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas holds 32% more passengers than the Odyssey of the Seas based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you compare the total tonnage of the ship to the number of passengers, or what we call the "Space Ratio," the Symphony of the Seas has more space per person compared to the Odyssey of the Seas. This means that you might have a bit more space to yourself on the ship, although there still could be some crowded areas like buffets, pools, etc.
The Symphony of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Odyssey of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Oasis | Quantum-Ultra |
| Gross Tonnage | 228,081 | 169,000 |
| Length | 1,188 | 1,138 |
| Beam/Width | 216 | 135 |
| Passenger Decks | 16 | 14 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,518 | 4,180 |
| Crew | 2,200 | 1,550 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.5 | 2.7 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 41 | 40 |
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 twenty-one different dining options like Vintages Wine Bar, El Loco Fresh, and Sorrento's Pizza. Of those options, fourteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other fourteen options have an additional fee.
The Odyssey of the Seas has seven fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Izumi, Two70 Cafe, and El Loco Fresh. eleven of these restaurants are complementary and the other ten have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Symphony of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 50% more dining options than the Odyssey of the Seas.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Symphony of the Seas might be a better choice then the Odyssey of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
Restaurants on Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas & Odyssey of the Seas
| Restaurant | Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas |
Royal Caribbean Odyssey of the Seas |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Included | |||
| Cafe Promenade | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Dog House | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| El Loco Fresh | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Park Cafe | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Solarium Bistro | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Sorrento's Pizza | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Two70 Cafe | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Vitality Cafe | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Windjammer | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| A la carte | |||
| Playmakers | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Starbucks | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Sugar Beach | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Vintages Wine Bar | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Flat fee | |||
| 150 Central Park | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Chops Grille | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Giovanni's Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Hooked Seafood | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Izumi | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Izumi Hibachi & Sushi | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Jamie's Italian | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Johnny Rockets | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Teppanyaki | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Wonderland | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Exclusive (open to select guests only) | |||
| Coastal Kitchen | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas has 9 more bars than the Royal Caribbean Odyssey of the Seas.
| Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Odyssey of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Bionic Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Boleros | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dazzles | ✓ | ✗ |
| English Pub | ✓ | ✓ |
| Giovanni's Wine Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mast Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Music Hall | ✗ | ✓ |
| On Air Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Playmakers | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pool Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Rising Tide Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sand Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Schooner Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Solarium Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Suite Lounge* | ✓ | ✓ |
| Suite Sun Deck Bar* | ✓ | ✗ |
| The Attic | ✓ | ✗ |
| The Lime & Coconut | ✗ | ✓ |
| Trellis Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Vintages | ✓ | ✗ |
| Wipeout Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Wonderland | ✓ | ✗ |
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 Odyssey 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 Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas has a total of 4 pools and 10 hot tubs.
The Royal Caribbean Odyssey of the Seas has the same number of pools as the Symphony of the Seas and fewer hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Odyssey 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.
Worried about lots of kids onboard? Visit The Solarium, an adult-only area for guests 18 and older only. Both the Symphony of the Seas and the Odyssey of the Seas have wading adult-only pools in The Solarium. Symphony of the Seas’ adult-only area is is open to the elements with some wind breakers, while Odyssey of the Seas’ is fully enclosed and climate controlled. They’re both located in the front of the ship.
| Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Odyssey of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 4 | 4 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 10 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 8 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 | 0 |
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. On the Symphony of the Seas, 78% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Odyssey of the Seas, only 75% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Odyssey of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Aquatheater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bionic Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bumper Cars | ✗ | ✓ |
| Carousel | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Escape Room | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ice Skating | ✓ | ✗ |
| Indoor Sky Diving | ✗ | ✓ |
| Laser Tag | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| North Star | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thrill Slide | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✗ |
| Zip Line | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
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 Odyssey 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 | |
|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.50 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.25 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $77 - $118 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $19 to $30 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | |
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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