Royal Caribbean Soft recently launched a new hyperlink program on board select vessels. After reading some mixed reviews, I decided to see what sailing activities were like with Symphony of the Seas.
Hyperlink targets guests between the ages of 18 and 25, a gap between the Fuel teen club, which is limited to guests between the ages of 12 and 17, and other general adult activities where drinking is more common intended to fill the
I’m only 23, so I’m within the age range for this program, so I participated in at least one hyperlink activity each day during the cruise to see what I thought.
I wanted to check out the activity and share my opinion on how well it worked.
First impression
The first night there were two hyperlink activities. A social gathering near the Solarium Bar and a private his table event in the attic.
It was my first time traveling alone, so I was looking forward to the opportunity to meet other guests of my age.
When I arrived, a Hyperlink “promoter” in a suit and tie greeted me and shook my hand. Small speakers playing some of today’s hits provided good background noise, and at the final event everyone entered a raffle to win a “free cruise or a keychain, maybe a keychain.”
About 10 people were already present, so they all restated their names and where they were from. This kept happening throughout the event as others arrived.
However, when we introduced ourselves, we mentioned our age, but noticed it was not confirmed by the promoter. You should have been able to join without any problems.
Most of the guests at the social event were under the age of 21, and those over the age of 21, especially those who were looking forward to continuing the gathering in the attic, arrived with drinks in hand and didn’t stay long. bottom.
I met a nice guy from Colorado who became my buddy for the week. In fact, we’ve already kept in touch since the cruise!
Many people, myself included, stayed in the solarium instead of heading to the club event. It was nice to get to know everyone instead of heading to a venue where conversation was minimal.
Other held events
There was at least one hyperlink event per day throughout the week, all occurring after 10:30 PM.
trivia
The second night’s activity was an on-air international beer trivia. It was supposed to start at 11:30pm. However, it didn’t start until near 11:45 and the same promoter was the organizer of the event.
The room was full, but again no age was checked. The parents of a friend I made the night before also stopped by.
Moreover, everyone participated in groups. I think it would have been difficult to find a team to play with if I went solo. I didn’t have real time to talk to others.
I didn’t find the theme suitable for guests aged 18-20. I’m 23 and I’m not a beer drinker. In fact, I avoid it at all costs.
Personally, I think it should have been more universal, like music or movie trivia.
The event ended at 12:05 am, so it lasted a total of 20 minutes. I am amazed at how well my new friends and I got along. I got 8 out of 12 questions correct, but many (if not most) were just guesses.
“Flat” games
The next night’s events took place in an alcove at the front of the ship off the running track on Deck 5.
I believe both Cup Pong and Flip Cup were supposed to be played, but the event was so popular that there was barely enough time for everyone to play Cup Pong.
The same friend and the friend I made accompanied me to all the Hyperlink events for the rest of the week. Everyone arrived in pairs or groups.
At this point, I noticed a recurring theme. Age is not checked. Promoters assigned teams without even asking their ages.
The energy of this event was high. Loud music was playing. People were screaming. And some had a few drinks before coming.
So far, the event appeared to be aimed at passengers aged 21-25 instead of 18-25. The event was not appropriate for the ship to advertise its passengers under the age of 21.
karaoke
This cruise made me realize how much fun it is to see people singing karaoke. Prior to this trip, I usually skipped karaoke events as they were often very crowded and difficult to find a seat without arriving in advance.
I was looking forward to Hyperlink Karaoke Night because I thought it would be a smaller, more ‘exclusive’ event!
Turns out they fused it with “adult” karaoke. However, age was not checked at all. The only difference was that the same Hyperlink promoter of his was the host.
The hyperlink was never mentioned, and before every song, the promoter said, “This is for you, for me, [and] For everyone! ”
That being said, I really enjoyed myself! The promoter’s energy kept the event alive and it was clear he was having fun.
He often danced sideways and at one point he even threw a tissue across the stage!
70’s club night
As with the previous night, the event at Studio B’s “RED” nightclub has been merged into an all-encompassing event. Technically, though, it was just a “meetup” scheduled to last 30 minutes. If he had been there, he would have been buried in a sea of people on the dance floor.
About 15 minutes before the start, there was already a reasonable line. Since this was in a nightclub, all Seapasses were scanned, so all he was over 18 years old.
It was so crowded it was nearly impossible to find anyone who had participated in other Hyperlink activities.
There was a bar at the beginning of the dance floor, and almost all the participants visited there or brought another drink.
game night
Game night had a lot of potential! It was supposed to be held in a 14-deck card room, but there were only a few people there when I arrived. The promoter was nowhere to be found.
A good age group also appeared. Two 23 year olds, two 19 year olds and one 18 year old me and my friend were there ready to play a card game.
The event would have been successful with some compulsion, such as setting up multiple game stations that were ready when people arrived.
In fact, most people left within 10-15 minutes.
farewell event
The last activity was another meetup with a DJ, but this one at Dazzles.
The overall age of the attendees was younger than the RED nightclub event, probably because it was 12:00 am and everyone had to disembark in about nine hours.
It was similar to the last club experience, right down to the fact that no promoter could be found, even though there was supposedly a raffle.
Well, this could have actually happened, but it was our last night and it was early in the morning, so we didn’t stay longer than 15 minutes.
Final Thoughts on Hyperlinks
A hyperlink program is a great idea, but it lacks execution.
None of these activities seemed to bridge the gap between 18 and 20 years old. Rather, it only encouraged drinking behavior (beer trivia, cup pongs, nightclub events, etc.).
Additionally, if the event targets a specific age group, I believe there should be some form of validation and that all activities advertised in hyperlinks should be staffed.
Perhaps Royal Caribbean should only focus on 18-20 year olds.
Not that I’m a sports fan, but I do know that exclusive sporting events were widely popular, but they weren’t offered in my sailing.
All events offered were late at night. Sports can be a way to provide entertainment during the day as well. I found myself struggling to stay awake every night and would have liked some events during the day.
Also, I think we should have more opportunities for social interaction and meeting new people throughout the week.
As I said before, I’m a big fan of the hyperlink idea. Royal He hopes Caribbean will continue to improve using guest feedback.