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The term "foodie" is tossed around a lot, and I never thought of myself as one unless it means someone who likes to eat a lot of good food then heck yea I am a "foodie." Do I know the science of food, recipes, and what ingredients are in a dish just by tasting it? Of course not, but put a spread in front of me that looks like I am going to be in a food coma in under an hour and I am going to tell the world about it. As a born and raised New Englander, I have dined in some pretty fantastic restaurants in Boston Massachusetts, New York City, Portland Maine, and Providence Rhode Island all of which are very well known to have some of the best food in the country so my expectations are always very high regardless of where I am. Being an avid cruiser since 2000, I have experienced the complementary food being incredible to horrible, and back to incredible so there is some fluctuation in the complimentary dining. Where I have only experienced absolutely fantastic food and service consistently? The specialty dining experiences offered. It is not a secret that specialty dining is becoming very popular amongst the cruise lines and the more time goes on, the more options we have. That being said, sailing aboard the world's largest cruise ship gives you plenty of specialty dining options. Let's take an overall look at the specialty dining currently offered onboard Symphony of the Seas. Specialty dining onboard Symphony: Hooked Seafood, Playmakers Sports bar & Arcade, Izumi, Johnny Rockets, Wonderland, 150 Central Park, Chops Grille, Jamie's Italian, and Coastal Kitchen (for Suite Guest only). Unfortunately, I was not able to get to every restaurant but picked the ones I was most curious about, Jamie's Italian, Wonderland, and Playmakers! Jamie's Italian: From British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver comes Jamie's Italian. Found on multiple Royal Caribbean ships across the fleet and coming to more, Jamie's Italian caught my attention on numerous Royal Caribbean Ships, but I was finally able to enjoy this venue onboard the beautiful Symphony of the Seas. Located amongst 12,000 live plans in Central Park on deck eight, Jamie's is tucked away directly across from Park Cafe, so dining alfresco is limited but available. I was lucky enough to have the chef bring out some of the best dishes, because why not ask the guy in charge. Located amongst 12,000 live plans in Central Park on deck eight, Jamie's is tucked away directly across from Park Cafe, so dining alfresco is limited but available. I was lucky enough to have the chef bring out some of the best dishes, because why not ask the guy in charge. We started with the "Classic Meat Plank," and the "Crispy Squid." The plank came with Fennel salami, pistachio mortadella, San Daniele prosciutto & schiacciata piccante with mini buffalo mozzarella, pecorino & chilli jam, pickles, olives. & rainbow slaw. The mini buffalo mozzarella, being my favorite type of cheese, was the first thing on my fork and the flavor of the topping of an Italian fig brought a sweetness that made me realize buffalo mozzarella can be even better than it already is. The crispy squid (calamari) was fried to perfection and had a light crunch to it paired with a garlicky mayo dipping sauce. Next, the Bruschettas, one "Tomato," and one "Avocado and Crab." The tomato bruschetta with roasted cherry tomatoes, whipped ricotta cheese, basil, and olive oil was the perfect amount of a sweet creamy crunch that just drove my taste buds to a level I never thought possible. The avocado and fresh crab bruschetta with apples, yogurt, and chili was the perfect blend of the sweetness from the crab, the thickness of the avocado and crunchiness from the apples but surprisingly not spicy even with the chili. Now onto pasta and lucky for me the chef must have known that I am a seafood lover because he chose the "Prawn Linguine." The linguini with garlicky prawns, fennel tomatoes, chili and topped with peppery arugula dressed with olive oil. Without question one of the best pasta dishes, I have ever had the pleasure to enjoy with the perfect blend of garlic, sweet tomato sauce, and pepper. The main course, "Lamb Chops Scottadito." Now I am not typically a lamb fan but my mind has been changed. These artisan, free-range lamb chops are cooked to a perfect medium-rare that just melts in your mouth paired with agrodolce peppers and balsamic basil pesto, that is enough to make anyone into a fan of lamb! Now, last and best, "Jamie's Dessert Plank." Yes, a dessert plank because why have just one when you can have a plank. This amazing plank comes with four different amazing homemade desserts, an "Epic Chocolate Brownie," "Raspberry Pavlova," "Amalfi Lemon Meringue Cheesecake," and "Tiramisu." The brownie is made with 70% dark chocolate and topped with caramelized amaretto popcorn and chocolate syrup. Next, the Raspberry Pavlova, a raspberry meringue cookie topped with honeycomb and raspberry syrup, proved to me that I need to have pavlovas in my life daily. The Amalfi Lemon Meringue Cheesecake was the biggest explosion of flavors I have ever experience from a dessert, and I teared up a little after tasting this. Finally, Tiramisu but this is not just any tiramisu, this is a Jamie Oliver tiramisu, so let's take ladyfingers throw them away and then replace them with sponge cake and then realize everything you know about Italian desserts should be changed! Jamie's Italian is open daily for lunch ($25.00) and dinner ($34.99), lunch and price can vary per cruise. If this specialty experience is not on your list of restaurants to try on your cruise well click here to add it to your calendar on cruise planner, you'll thank me later! Jamie's is currently available onboard Symphony, Harmony, Navigator, Mariner, Quantum, Anthem, Ovation, and coming soon to Spectrum Stayed Tuned for parts two and three of "Specialty Dining onboard Symphony" next up, Playmakers! Check out Symphony of the Seas on our Member Portal!

I know we have been gone for a second but we are back and starting off with a blog that is bound to answer your questions! Symphony of the Seas VS Harmony of the Seas! The largest passenger ships in the world, Symphony of the Seas (2018) and Harmony of the Seas (2016), just so happen to be sister ships operated by Royal Caribbean International. "They can't be that different" is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of sister ships, right? I am here to tell you that YES they can be that different! Some differences are noticeable and some not so much, but I notice the smallest details, so I am here to help you choose the best ship for your cruise experience! Let's start with the big picture and the fast facts of these queens of the ocean! Symphony GRT: 228,081 Length: 1,188 Feet Width: 215.5 Feet Capacity(Max): 8,880 Harmony GRT: 226,963 Length: 1,188 Feet Width: 215.5 feet Capacity (Max): 8,887 As you can see from the fast facts above these ships, seem practically identical except the Symphony being about 1,100 tons larger giving her the title of largest in the world! The differences are in the details! The most noticeable differences: Completely reimagined Solarium and Boardwalk onboard Symphony. Solarium: Symphony boasts a completely reinvented solarium that is unrecognizable from her Oasis class sisters. On Harmony of the Seas, we saw an additional floor added to the solarium on deck 14 which expanded the adults only area to three decks but no pool at all :(. Forget everything you know about the solarium and discover the sprawling two-story adults only area with a pool, multiple whirlpools, a waterfall fountain, larger bar with complementary Solarium Bistro, and new specialty restaurant Hooked Seafood with floor to ceiling windows boasting panoramic views. Not to worry Royal Caribbean brought back the glass ceiling on the solarium, so no more looking at ripped plastic as we do on Harmony! One major thing to note is, you cannot access the solarium from deck 16! Boardwalk: One of my favorite places on board any ship, the Boardwalk. Introduced in 2009 onboard Oasis of the Seas, the Boardwalk is designed after the famous Atlantic City Boardwalk and features a carousel, shops, restaurants, and to top it off the Aqua Theater. Fast forward nearly ten years the Boardwalk has been reimagined! Onboard Symphony, Starbucks and the logo store have been moved back to the promenade and "Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade" spans the entire port side of the Boardwalk with "Sugar Beach" taking the place of "Sundials" and "Design District" on the starboard side. The place to be on the boardwalk on Symphony? Definitely Playmakers! El Loco Fresh: Taking the place of Mini Bites, El Loco Fresh is located on deck 15 starboard aft before getting to the pool and sports deck! Here you will find Tacos, Burritos, Nachos, and a salsa bar! This is an excellent place for a quick bite in between Flowrider sessions. With ample seating which stretches around to overlook the boardwalk, you might just find your secret spot to watch the Aqua Show! Hooked Seafood: Royal Caribbean's newest restaurant addition, Hooked Seafood takes your taste buds to New England and it's glorious seafood! It is no secret that New England has incredible seafood and has been a major player in the fishing community for hundreds of years. It's time to enjoy the best seafood in the best place possible, the middle of the ocean! Semi Noticeable Differences: Windjammer: Arguably the busiest venue onboard any Royal Caribbean ship, the Windjammer, has some subtle changes to accommodate large quantities of guests. Larger hand wash stations are offered at both entrances making it much quicker getting you to the food faster! The only other noticeable change in this venue was the removal of the bar making room for significant additional seating, but not to worry there are plenty of bars on the way, so if you need a drink you will find one! Park Cafe The best place to go to avoid the craziness of the Windjammer, Park Cafe is located in Central Park on deck eight. Park Cafe onboard Symphony has about 25% more seating than Harmony, making it far easier to enjoy breakfast or lunch and of course, al fresco dining is offered! Unboxed: Located on Deck 15 aft, just under the Windjammer, Unboxed has taken the place of the small silly store that is barely open onboard the Harmony, Oasis, and Allure. Here you will find Vending machines where you can buy anything from baby diapers, band-aids, and sunblock to Ray Ban Sunglasses and iPads. Yes, this is closed while in Port. Starbucks: Making its way back to the promenade, Starbucks has a chic new look located at the far forward of the Promenade. Offering a full menu and the ability to use your Starbucks card to pay but not to redeem points. The Logo Store: My favorite store on the ship, the Logo Store, has a new home next to Cafe Promenade in the circular space which currently houses "Kate Spade" onboard Harmony. The store is small so get your ship model at the beginning of the week and avoid the crowds. Overall, Symphony brings back design elements we missed onboard Harmony and brings an entirely new concept to some areas. I can say from experience the Symphony handles crowds much better, merely the flow of guests was much better than I experienced onboard Harmony. Both Symphony and Harmony are incredible ships, rivaled by no other but Symphony gives us a look into future Royal Caribbean ships and proves how fast Royal Caribbean responds and adapts to guests wants and suggestions! Please comment any questions you have, share this with all the future Symphony cruises and lastly follow our Instagram because this Saturday, February 9 we are back onboard Symphony! Learn More about Symphony of the seas and so much more by clicking to visit Cruise Ship Crayz