---
title: "World’s Largest Cruise Ship Takes to Sea for the First Time"
description: "Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas will be 230,000 tons of fun when it debuts next year."
date: "2017-06-09"
modified: "2017-06-09"
authors:
  - name: "Kyle Cheromcha"
    job_title: "Editor-in-Chief"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/kyle-cheromcha"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/11370/worlds-largest-cruise-ship-takes-to-sea-for-the-first-time"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "cruise ships"
  - "Debut"
  - "royal caribbean"
  - "symphony of the seas"
---

# World’s Largest Cruise Ship Takes to Sea for the First Time

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2017/06/low_1497021346_b34-037-09-06-2017-9.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Cue [the Foreigner](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tl-kOcnn1U>)—fresh off launching the *previous* largest cruise ship in the world last year, Royal Caribbean [just floated its newest mega ship *Symphony of the Seas*](<https://www.royalcaribbeanpresscenter.com/press-release/1322/royal-caribbeans-symphony-of-the-seas-completes-next-phase-of-construction-as-she-was-floated-out-of-dry-dock/>) out of dry-dock in France on Friday for the first time, marking the (very short) maiden voyage of the 1,188-foot, 230,000-ton vessel and upcoming record-holder.

When it officially sets sail in 2018, the *Symphony of the Seas* will spend its first summer visiting several Mediterranean ports of call before coming back across the pond for a winter of Caribbean cruises. But there's a lot of work to be done between now and then—it may be sea-worthy, but it's basically a shell at this point.

![message-editor%2F1497041633290-low\_1497016801\_m-b34-036-07-06-2017-7.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1497041633290-low_1497016801_m-b34-036-07-06-2017-7.jpg>)
**Royal Caribbean**

[When the interior](<https://www.royalcaribbean.com/symphony-of-the-seas/content/uploads/2017/03/SY_DeckPlanMarch7.pdf>) and its 2,803 staterooms are completed, all 5,497 guests will be able to enjoy a smorgasbord of amenities beyond the usual [cruise fare](<https://www.twz.com/4253/people-are-freaking-out-over-this-maritime-patrol-jets-low-pass-near-a-cruise-ship>), from a 10-deck slide to an entire water park to a "Bionic Bar" with robot bartenders ([but no go-kart track, sadly](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/9416/norwegian-cruise-lines-put-a-ferrari-race-track-on-a-new-cruise-ship>)). Like its sister ships, the *Symphony* is so large it's been divided into seven different "neighborhoods," fitting for a ship whose headcount outnumbers that of most small towns in America. There's also a new "adventure" teased on the website, with more details to come.

The *Symphony* and its fellow Oasis-class ships are true leviathans, about 30 percent bigger than the next-largest competitor ships, but Royal Caribbean will have to move quickly if they want to retain their title. MSC Cruises just announced their plans for their own world-beater, promising to carry more passengers than any other ship when it launches in 2022.

## Author
Overseeing an expert staff of writers and editors from his lair in Los Angeles, Kyle shapes The Drive’s singular approach to covering the automotive industry and car culture. He’s been with the site as a writer since 2017, taking over as editor in 2019. On a daily basis, Kyle is responsible for directing The Drive's editorial news and car review content strategies, setting special coverage priorities, managing complex reporting projects, and ensuring what you read on the page meets our high internal standards for quality and trustworthiness. He is also the executive producer of The Drive's YouTube channel, which was relaunched in February 2024 to great acclaim and has accumulated over 14M new views in its first year back on the scene. He hosts a biweekly series on the channel where he breaks down fascinating and complicated stories from the automotive world.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/kylecheromcha.bsky.social>)  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/kylecheromcha>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-cheromcha-1550248a/>)