The Royal Caribbean Top Tier event was on this morning and we love getting to feel special and celebrate our cruising milestone… Especially this voyage as this was our maiden voyage of being a Diamond Crown and Anchor member. TIP- Diamond level of Crown and Anchor means you have 80 cruise points. Typically you get 1 point per cruise night but you can earn DOUBLE points by staying in a suite and during special rare “Double Points” booking sales. During the COVID shutdown as cruising was trying to re-boot, Royal Caribbean offered up to 4x points per night and 8x points per suite booking. This is how so many people become Pinnacle and beyond. We have seen people with 4K+ Cruise points. That is a lot of nights at sea.
I loved the Symphony High Seas Orchestra!
This is my new retirement plan... Play my saxophone on a cruise ship! 
We have FINALLY made it to Diamond! 
These seemed like smaller than expected numbers for a summer cruise!
But we are proud to be in the 343 Diamond members !
The Captain came and gave us a great speech about the vessel and thanked us for sailing on Royal Caribbean! 
We spoke to this guy a lot in the Diamond lounge and he cruised dozens of times in the Covid shut-down reboot to accumulate all these points. He cruises 2x/ month but initially it was with the 4x points (then 8x in a suite) bonus! 
He certainly is a hoot!
After the Top Tier event, Luke and I went to the Solarium hot-tubs and Natalie went to the gym. Chris opted for a nap since we lost an hour of sleep. Luke and I really enjoyed these candelabra hot-tubs but there were lots of kids and unfortunately, my teacher voice came out a few times. Sorry… Not sorry! I really wish more parents would actually… parent their kids!
The picture perfect Central Park on a sea day! 
Our initial 20 minutes or so was very peaceful and not at all crowded! We all met in the Royal Promenade for the Anchors Aweigh Parade. This is such a neat event Royal Caribbean has on their Oasis Class ships. Natalie was able to get lots of signatures here as well. TIP- Look for this event on sea days aboard Oasis Class ships! The kids will LOVE IT!
The "Cheddar Bay" biscuits were delicious! 
Clam Chowder
Chris, Natalie & Luke- 5.0+
The kids just went to Boston this summer with my parents and say it rivaled the local chowder in Boston! Well done, Royal Caribbean! 
Oysters Rockefeller
Kellie- 5.0
The kids were not a huge fan but would order again! 
Oysters on the Half Shell (The kids had never tried)
Kellie- 4.5
Fish and Chips
Natalie- 4.0
Atlantic Salmon
Luke- 4.5
(This kid could eat his weight in salmon- and he is on a growth spurt) 
Steak and Lobster
Chris- 4.5 and Kellie- 5.0
Lobster Roll -5.0 by all
The waiter brought this over to us as I was debating on this- no extra charge!
Lobster Mac and Cheese Side
4.5 by all
(needed more lobster, though) 
Coconut Cream Pie
Chris & Kellie-4.5
This could rival some Baptist church old ladies... just sayin'! 
Chocolate Brownie
Luke 4.0
Apple Pie
Chris- 4.5+ 
I love getting to have these special meals with my kids!
I am trying to cherish EVERY MOMENT! 
Family Selfie #1 of the day! 
This was a WINNER... Cannot wait to get back on Symphony and try it again!
After lunch the kids went back to the hot-tub and Chris and I went to the Schooner Bar for afternoon trivia and live music. We love the Schooner Bar but this location on Deck 6 and the lack of good live music had us missing the Mariner of the Seas.
Our sailing was at 132% capacity. I am not even really sure how Royal does this all the time but we could definitely feel all 6,888 passengers on this day. There were people and KIDS everywhere. It was a summer cruise and it was summer cruise "vibing". That didn’t bother us and for the most part this was the only day we felt the crowds but it made for a very anxious day with so many people EVERYWHERE! One of my only complaints for the Symphony is the lack of lounge chairs in the shade. After looking for 30 minutes I finally found a handful outside of Hooked Seafood on Deck 16 forward. The outside Promenade of the Mariner and Independence class is probably my favorite area of any cruise ship!
A good sunset on a cruise is all I need to change my mindset! We all met up at On Air for a Generation Showdown gameshow and we loved it. We were too shy and didn’t play but we should have! Be sure to look for this one on the Cruise Compass as it is really fun to watch!
As the crowds died down for dinner, we opted to go to the Pub to play cards and we had a blast teaching the kids Blackjack and Spades. Then the Crown Lounge was calling our name for Happy Hour drinks and appetizers. The appetizers were not as good as the previous night but we did love the Italian vibes that matched the upcoming MDR menu.
Casual Night vibes! 
This girl is a SENIOR... Where has the time gone?
All of my heart... in one picture!
They are growing up TOO fast!
The Taste of Italy MDR Menu
Arancini Balls
Luke- 4.5, Kellie- 4.0 and Chris- 3.5
Caesar Salad
Luke-5.0 and Kellie- 4.5
Lasagna
Luke- 3.5
(He said it seemed a little dry)
Mushroom Risotto
Chris- 4.0 and Kellie- 4.5
Tiramisu
Chris, Natalie & Kellie- 4.0
Hazelnut Cake
Luke- 3.5 and Natalie- 4.5
After dinner we enjoyed live music at Boleros while the kids played ping-pong and then we all enjoyed the 70s Disco Inferno on the Royal Promenade. Even the kids were dancing and singing along- despite not wanting to do it at first!
It was a great day spent aboard the Symphony of the Seas but we were ready for Nassau and the kid’s first visit to the Bahamas.
Did you miss a day? Check them out: Day #1- Click HERE Day #2- Click HERE
Up Next- Swimming with the Pigs in Nassau.
God is Good... ALL THE TIME!
Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- March 2019
The Norwegian Breakaway- November 2018
Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- 2018
Carnival Legend- ALASKA- 2016
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