Symphony of the Seas Dining Guide: What’s Included, What’s Worth It & Best Restaurants

What Restaurants Are Included?

One of the best parts about cruising is how much food is already included—and on Symphony, there are plenty of solid options. These are the included options that we enjoyed on our last sailing.

Lunch (Included)

• Windjammer
• El Loco Fresh

Don’t miss El Loco Fresh—we kept going back for the chicken quesadillas and loading them up with their amazing toppings bar.

Our Favorite Dining Spots

Best Breakfast: Johnny Rockets

Fast service, great food, and way less crowded than other options.

Pro tip: Don’t miss the BELT sandwich (it’s that good).

Runner-Up: Main Dining Room (Breakfast)

Great food and a more relaxed experience—just plan for a slower pace.

Windjammer

Huge selection and an awesome omelet station… but it can get BUSY.

Best Lunch: El Loco Fresh

We’re still thinking about those chicken quesadillas.

Quick, easy, and consistently good.

Dinner: Main Dining Room (MDR)

We ate here most nights—and it did not disappoint.

• Great variety
• Consistent quality
• Amazing service
• Order as many dishes as you’d like!

The relationships we built with the waitstaff ended up being one of our favorite parts of the trip. Our kids still talk about them.

Specialty Dining: Is It Worth It?

Short answer: sometimes.

Izumi Sushi (MUST DO)

This was hands down the best meal of the entire trip.

We have come to love sushi over the past couple of years. Izumi had a great variety of sushi options and even had a nice kid’s menu. We all left stuffed.

When cruising, we always splurge on Izumi, and it never disappoints.

Wonderland

• Fun, unique experience
• Beautiful presentation
• Service was exceptional
• Apps were hit or miss
• Main courses were solid

Verdict: Try it once, but probably not again.

Our Take on Specialty Dining

We’ve tried several specialty restaurants across cruises (150 Central Park and Mason Jar), and honestly, the included food is already really good.

We recommend:

• Only booking specialty dining when it’s on sale
• Choosing one or two standout options (like Izumi)
• Using it strategically on nights when MDR menus don’t excite you

Dining with Kids (Even Picky Eaters)

We’ve got some picky eaters, and they had no problem finding something they liked at every meal.

That’s one thing Royal Caribbean does really well: Variety.

From simple options to more adventurous dishes, there’s something for everyone.

Our Dining Strategy (What Worked for Us)

We chose early dining (5:00 PM) in the MDR, and it worked really well for our family.

What We Loved:

• Same table every night
• Same waitstaff
• Faster routine for kids
• Made it easy to catch early shows

The Trade-Off:

• Sometimes felt rushed to get ready
• Missed some late afternoon activities

We’ve thought about switching to more flexible options like Windjammer for dinner, but honestly, the service and experience in the MDR keeps us coming back.

Dining Tips You Need to Know

Check the MDR Menu in the App

This is HUGE.

We found a couple nights where the menu didn’t excite us, so we booked specialty dining instead.

Go to Johnny Rockets for Breakfast

• Faster
• Less crowded
• Great food

Plan Specialty Dining Around the MDR Menu

Don’t just randomly book it—be strategic.

Final Thoughts: Our Complete Dining Guide – Is the Food on Symphony of the Seas Good?

Absolutely.

Symphony of the Seas delivers a great dining experience whether you spend extra or not.

You can easily enjoy amazing meals using only the included options.
But adding one or two specialty meals (especially Izumi) can elevate your trip.

Bottom Line

• Included dining = very good
• Specialty dining = nice bonus, not required
• Izumi = don’t skip

Planning your cruise? Check out our full Symphony of the Seas review and tips to make the most of your trip.