Review: Serenade of the Seas

[Terre]

Sorry this is long, but I try to add everything I think people want to know. Just skip over the parts you don't care about.

 

 

Serenade of the Seas Review

May 30, 2010—June 6, 2010

The Crew:

Captain: Karin Stahre-Janson (first female cruise ship captain in the world!)

Cruise Director: Siemon Baker

Hotel Director: Adriana Tibaudo

Chief Engineer: Marco Marzocchi

Food & Beverage Manager: Markus Juen

Our Cruising Experience: 20th overall, 3rd with RCI

The Ship: After boarding, we ate lunch, and then explored the ship and she is really beautiful. With so much glass around the ship and the glass elevators, you can always see the ocean/outside and that was so nice. The elevators are not located near the stairs and at first we thought there were no stairs and then we found them around the corner. The décor is beautiful and not too overly done.

Our Cabin: We were in 9078 with one of the larger balconies; approximately 120 sq. feet. It is located right at the entrance to the hallway beside the library. It is the most sound proof cabin we've ever had…we heard no noise from the cabin beside us, nor from outside in the hallway. While the singing and music from the band in the Centrum lobby was very loud and we could hear it very easily while sitting in the library chairs, we could hear nothing once inside the cabin.

The balcony had a lounge chair, two regular chairs and a small table. There was actually room for another lounger easily. We enjoyed the balcony, but with the ship's design, you won't get a lot of sun.

The bathroom was VERY small and the shower was just too small so after the first night I went to the spa to shower. One of the comedians even gave a tip in his act to "put three bars of soap in the dish because if you drop one, you ain't picking it up!" Very true!

We didn't have hot water in the shower (another reason I went to the spa) until mid-week after I asked our cabin steward if there was trick to getting hot water. I'd learned from past cruises that you have to turn the knob all the way around, but it just didn’t work on this shower. After trying it himself, he called maintenance and when we came back from dinner we had hot water.

The "living room" had one wall with the closets (they were smaller than what we're used to on other ships), and the vanity area with shelves that the safe and the TV. It had a loveseat with a small table. There are some curtains that you can pull to close off the bed from the part of the room with the TV. The bed and pillows were very comfortable. We had preordered the foam (egg crate) mattress and feather pillows and they were already on the bed. We had also ordered a fan from Special Needs before the cruise but it was not there. We called Guest Services about it and they weren't sure they could get us one. The cabin temp was close to 78 degrees and we talked to our Cabin Steward about that. He said he had a friend who had a fan that he was not using and he would talk to him. When we came back from dinner, we had a big fan…and a note from Special Needs, so we're not sure who came up with the fan, but Sean got the extra tip for it.

Sean, our cabin steward was great. He kept the cabin clean, but did forget towels most days. Actually, I'm not sure if he was in charge of the bathroom or not because one time I came in while he was cleaning and there was another guy cleaning the bathroom. I had told Sean the first day that I wanted an extra towel and I got it, but after the first day we usually only had one towel. I had to undo my towel animals for another towel! Thank goodness I showered in the spa!

Food: We really wanted the My Time Dining, but it was already full when we booked in November. The second seating at 8:45 was too late for us so we opted for the first seating at 6:00. We checked out our table assignment on the first day and it was a table for six right at the entrance to the dining room and we wanted to be more in the middle. The maitre d' changed our table for us and the new table was right in the middle of the dining room and was a table for 8 – perfect! Our tablemates were all around the same age and all were very enjoyable. We all got along very well and enjoyed our dinners together.

Our waiter, Luke, and assistant waiter, Rosando, were great. Service was outstanding and they made sure we had everything we needed or wanted and more!

We found the food at the Windjammer to be very good. They have a pasta station, a hot station with a carving station, Asian station, hamburgers & hot dogs station, fruit and salad station, bread station, and of course desserts. The only issue we had with the Windjammer is that it closed early so it was not open after 10:00 p.m.

Food in the dining room was very good and actually better than we'd expected. I had the chicken marsala, tilapia, prime rib, lobster tail, cheese tortellini, and a steak,  all were excellent. I stuck pretty much with Caesar salad, I had the apple soup, onion soup, roasted garlic soup and all were very good. I don't like the desserts very much and ate either ice cream or sherbet, but I did try the soufflé one night and didn't like it. We had the shrimp cocktail two nights, but it is not one of the everyday items like on other cruise lines.

We did eat at the Sea View Café for some late night snacks and it has sandwiches, hot dog, chips & dip. It's okay when the Windjammer is closed, but don't expect a meal.

We did not eat at Portofino's or Chops, but those at our table who did enjoyed it. One couple went to the mystery dinner at Portofino's and loved that…said it was well worth what they paid.

Entertainment: The first night was Jeff Jena, a comedian. We missed it because I'd been up since 4:00 that morning and was exhausted and had to go to bed. He was back for the last night though and we caught him then. He was pretty funny.

The second night was Greg Bonham. He played a trumpet and sang. Very good.

The third night was the production show with the RC Singers & Dancers. It was titled "Stage to Screen". It was Broadway plays that became movies. It was pretty good.

The fourth night was John Ferrentino, a comedian and magician. We'd seen him on other ships and he was very funny. We really enjoyed his show.

Fifth night was Jonathan Clark, a comedian and vocal impressionist. Again, hilarious and we thoroughly enjoyed his show.

The sixth night was another production show by the singers and dancers entitled "Vibe*Ology". It was like every other ships' shows…music through the ages thing. Pretty good, just nothing new or different from other ships.

Day One—San Juan: We left Charlotte early Sunday morning and arrived in San Juan around 11:20, grabbed our luggage, got a taxi, checked in, and were on board having lunch by 12:30. That was record time for us, not just in SJU, but for any cruise. Embarkation was a breeze; we were on the ship in no time. The only disappointment (and we'd read this) was that the cabins weren't ready until 1:00. We did actually put our luggage in the cabin before heading off to the buffet.

We've been to SJU several times so we stayed on board and just explored the ship in the afternoon.

Day Two—Sea Day: On day two we laid around the pool and enjoyed the sunshine. We had our RCI Meet & Mingle at 5:00 p.m. so we got to meet other people from our roll call. It was a nice party with some hors d'oeu vres and some drinks. They gave a small gift to each person who came and also gave out door prizes. The cruise director was present, which we appreciated.

Day Three--Willemstad, Curacao: When we got to Curacao, it was cloudy and we were a little nervous because we had booked the See & Sea Island Tour through the ship. The first part of the tour was by bus and we toured around the island. It is very pretty, but much like other islands we've been to. The architecture is beautiful because of the Dutch influence.

The second part of the tour was by a small boat. Once we got out to sea, we all went below for our sea part. There were windows you could look out into the bottom of the ocean. If it had been sunny, we could have seen some beautiful fish – at least that was the plan. We saw nothing but some under ocean plants. It was very hot down below and the movement was making me a little sick so I went back up. My husband came with me as he was too hot also. When we came up, we could see the thick black clouds heading our way. The boat had no covering and when the rains hit, they were torrential. Everyone who was up on top got absolutely drenched. The captain had a very hard time trying to dock the boat because the winds were so strong. We made it back to the ship and put our clothes out on the balcony to dry.

Day Four—Oranjestad, Aruba: We had booked Jolly Pirates for Aruba. The weather was hot and sunny. Some other couples from our roll call had booked this excursion too, so we all met up and went together. We really enjoyed this. We went to three places to snorkel, had lunch, and all you could drink for the day. Although there a lot of alcohol was consumed, there was not much pizzazz to the drinks if you know what I mean. The water was a little rough at the shipwreck, which made snorkeling a little difficult. After lunch people swung from the rope out into the water. This was fun to watch. Some were very good at it, some not so good…

Day Five—Sea Day: This day, we just hung out around the pool, caught some rays, ate, slept.

Day Six—Roseau, Dominica: Here we had booked a private whale watching tour and were really looking forward to it. We booked on recommendations from other Cruise Critic members who'd booked this particular excursion, but we didn't see any whales. Lots and lots of dolphins, but no whales. After sitting on the bow of the boat for 30-45 minutes, I needed to get out of the sun and went below under the cover and took a nap for the rest of the excursion. A couple of girls who worked on the ship got sea sick and spent the rest of the time below sleeping.

Day 7—St. Thomas: Beautiful day! We've been to St. Thomas many times so we stayed on the ship. It was very quiet and peaceful with most everyone gone. I booked the last day spa special which was a mini facial, neck and shoulder massage, scalp massage, hand and foot massage and hair conditioning. It was wonderful! They were not pushy about selling the products. My therapist simply wrote out the products she used, gave me a "prescription" and asked if I wanted to take anything home with me. I said no, and that was it.

Disembarkation: Just like the embarkation, the quickest and easiest we've ever had. We had a 12:45 flight and booked this flight because you just never know when you'll get to the airport in SJU and usually the lines are so long it takes forever. This flight time put us in group 2 getting off the ship. We were to meet in the Safari Club at 8:15. Everyone in the club left at 8:15. As we came off the elevator, I saw our luggage right away, we got in the customs line which was short and the agent never even looked at our passports, just took our customs form and passed us through—a first for SJU! We immediately got a taxi, got to the airport, checked in and was at our gate by 9:30. We had a long wait, but no hassles. Maybe because it was a Sunday to Sunday itinerary, I don't know, but both getting there and leaving was the quickest and easiest of any cruise we've taken.

Overall, this was a great cruise with great service, good food, good entertainment, great ports of call.

[BroncosFan2010]

Wonderful review! Thanks so much for taking the time to write it! This itinerary is the 2nd week of my B2B, and I am glad there are 2 sea days (normally I HATE sea days), because I am sure I will be ready for some rest and relaxation! Sounds like you had a great time.

[patseacruiser]

Loved your review and the pictures especially! Thanks for taking the time to do it.

[JenAndDan]

Thanks for the review!!!

[danp]

Thanks for a great review,we will be doing a B2B in January.Do you know if the captain will still be aboard?By any chance did you hear who the Conceirge was.

[DramaBB82]

I was on this cruise and in fact, took the Jolly Pirates tour as well. I was the daughter in the group that was super late *sigh* Sorry about that.....Aruba was, hands down, the best day.

[mrtc]

Thank you for the great review we will be sailing on Aug 8 2010

can not wait

[BroncosFan2010]

Terre, When you did the ship-wreck snorkel on Aruba, was it the Antilla? What can you tell me about this wreck, as I am super excited to be snorkeling it when I am there in August.

[Terre]

Thanks for a great review,we will be doing a B2B in January.Do you know if the captain will still be aboard?By any chance did you hear who the Conceirge was.

Sorry, I don't now the answer to either question.

 

Terre, When you did the ship-wreck snorkel on Aruba, was it the Antilla? What can you tell me about this wreck, as I am super excited to be snorkeling it when I am there in August.

I'm not sure, I will check with DH and get back to you. Antilla sounds right, though. I did not do any snorkeling, just stayed on board, so my husband will have to answer your question.

[CruiserTK]

Loved your review and the pictures especially!

 

I don't see any photos or any link to photos. Am I missing something?

[JerseyGem]

Terre- Thanks for the review- we leave in just over one month, and you've upped our excitement level. Do you remember if the luggage valet service was offered? This would be the service where you pay to have your bags delivered to the airport (and checked in for you). I had read somewhere that the service was temporarily discontinued and wonder if it's been reinstated yet. Thanks!

[Terre]

I don't see any photos or any link to photos. Am I missing something?

They are in another thread. Here's the link:

 

I do not have all of them in Webshots yet; hope to get that completed today.

 

Terre- Thanks for the review- we leave in just over one month, and you've upped our excitement level. Do you remember if the luggage valet service was offered? This would be the service where you pay to have your bags delivered to the airport (and checked in for you). I had read somewhere that the service was temporarily discontinued and wonder if it's been reinstated yet. Thanks!

It was available during our cruise as some of our tablemates were asking us about how it worked; they had chosen to do it.

[BroncosFan2010]

I'm not sure, I will check with DH and get back to you. Antilla sounds right, though. I did not do any snorkeling, just stayed on board, so my husband will have to answer your question.

 

That would be great if he would be so kind as to answer.

[LBumb]

great job thanks for posting.

[hollon]

I've only done the western caribbean and I'm going to do the eastern in 2012. Are the southern caribbean much nicer, I'm looking into the interinary's right now, but don't know which to choose - I guess my question is are they much nicer than the typical western/eastern? is there an iteniary that you wish you would have choosen differently Thanks :)

[Terre]

That would be great if he would be so kind as to answer.

It was the Antilla. The waters were very rough there and he says that it would have been better had they not been so rough. He thinks it would be a better scuba diving site than a snorkel site. Hope this helps. BTW, I believe it is listed on Jolly Pirates' website. They list everywhere they take you. They had two boats the day we went.

[BroncosFan2010]

It was the Antilla. The waters were very rough there and he says that it would have been better had they not been so rough. He thinks it would be a better scuba diving site than a snorkel site. Hope this helps. BTW, I believe it is listed on Jolly Pirates' website. They list everywhere they take you. They had two boats the day we went.

 

Thanks so much! We are doing the RCCL Excursion: Swing, Sail, and Snorkel, which takes us to three sites, including the Antilla. I have been wanting to do this wreck for a while. Hopefully, it won't be as rough the day we are there.

[Terre]

That's the one we did; you will enjoy it, but don't expect the drinks to have much in them. Even the new bottles we saw them open up didn't do anything for me and it doesn't take much for me to get a buzz! I felt nothing from the drinks.

 

Okay, everyone, here's the completed album...warning, there are around 200 pictures. I know, I know...I have a hard time deciding which ones to leave out!

 

[mrchips14]

When the ship leaves San juan, does it go east or west around the island before turning south?

 

Thanks

[digital_curator]

Great review! How much was your spa special?

[Terre]

Mr. Chips, you are asking someone who is very directional challenged a tough question! I don't know. Our first port was Curacao, then Aruba, Dominica and then St. Thomas, so I guess we went south and came back up.

 

Digital Curator, the last day special was $99.

[BroncosFan2010]

Your pictures are great! You could have left them all in, and I would have enjoyed looking at every single one!

[Terre]

Your pictures are great! You could have left them all in, and I would have enjoyed looking at every single one!

Thanks!:D

[lindalo5032]

 

Our Cabin: We were in 9078 with one of the larger balconies;

 

We had also ordered a fan from Special Needs before the cruise but it was not there. We called Guest Services about it and they weren't sure they could get us one. The cabin temp was close to 78 degrees and we talked to our Cabin Steward about that. He said he had a friend who had a fan that he was not using and he would talk to him. When we came back from dinner, we had a big fan…and a note from Special Needs, so we're not sure who came up with the fan,

 

We have cabin 9078 for the Sept. 12th sailing. You've got me worried about the room temp. How do you order a fan from "Special Needs"? Can anyone order from them? I would consider changing cabins because of the A/C issue, but am afraid another cabin have the same A/C problems.:confused:

[DramaBB82]

We have cabin 9078 for the Sept. 12th sailing. You've got me worried about the room temp. How do you order a fan from "Special Needs"? Can anyone order from them? I would consider changing cabins because of the A/C issue, but am afraid another cabin have the same A/C problems.:confused:

 

I was in 9050 and everything was fine. Plus, Terre said they fixed it.