Symphony of the Seas

As the world’s largest cruise ship (twice as high as the Washington Monument), Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas certainly has room to pack in the superlatives, including the world’s tallest at-sea slide (the 10-story Ultimate Abyss) and the largest at-sea spa and fitness center. Designing those elements so they could be enjoyed by the 6,680 passengers on board—without creating crowds—was no small feat. Royal Caribbean built on lessons learned from its other megaships, like carving out distinct “neighborhoods”—like the Boardwalk, with its full-size, hand-painted carousel—and putting Central Park, the bigger-than-a-football-field open-air garden, smack in the center of the ship. It creates the illusion of being surrounded by fauna, even when guests are hundreds of miles from the nearest sliver of land. —Kate Rockwood