My wife and I had our first ever cruise on Ovation's debut from Southampton. So inspired we decided to go for the big one.
Check in - easy.
Room - large balcony on deck 12 - all you could ask for
Large in all respects. Big bed, big settee, lots of storage space, spacious bathroom, roomy balcony.
Something not immediately obvious about Symphony, and presumably the other ships in its class, is that they are open air ships. The Boardwalk and Central Park are open to the elements, so look out for rain. The comparison to Ovation, which has a large enclosed space at its heart, took a while to dawn on us.