Serenade Southern Caribbean review- June 6th to June 13th

[nunk]

This is a start to a review I am working on.

I thought I would need to post in sections because I have to start unpacking and think about doing some laundry!

I will try to finish it all before the end of today or tomorrow.

 

 

Who: We were a family of 8 (ages- 69, 68, 47, 43, 39, 15, 12 and 6). We were also traveling with another family of 4 (ages- 42, 40, 12 and 6).

What: Serenade Southern Caribbean cruise

Where: Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua, St Maarten and St Croix

When: Sun., June 6, 2010 to Sun., June 13, 2010

Why: to have the best vacation possible!

 

Arrival/sail away day-

We took a non-stop red-eye flight from LAX to SJU. We arrived around 9 am and took a taxi to the pier. As many have stated, taxi fares are regulated so the fares are $19 up to 5 people and 5 bags. Each additional person is $3 and bags are $1 each. The ride was approx. 15 minutes and uneventful. We were at the pier and on board with the first group of people. We were eating in the Windjammer by noon and in our rooms by 1:00.

 

We walked around the ship a bit and were happy to see the Serenade was just as beautiful as it was when we took her last year at this time to Alaska!

 

Although our group booked with different agencies, we were supposed to have our reservations linked so we could have a table together. We had chosen second seating to allow enough time to get relaxed and ready after the long port days. Unfortunately, we were put at 2 tables of 6 next to each other instead. We knew this wouldn’t work since we had 5 children traveling with us and knew there would be no way to split the party equally. We thought we would switch to My Time Dining, but had no such luck in the change. Since we were a large party, there was no room. MTD was pretty much “booked solid” and could only accommodate changes for very small parties- like 2 not 12! My advice would be to book MTD early if this is your desire so you are not disappointed once on board. A trip back to a head waiter and they put the tables together with a tabletop (a piece of wood that didn’t quite cover both tables but still worked for us). Problem solved. :)

*I will cover food in a later section!

 

It was odd to have the muster drill so late, but obviously they need to do it right before sail away. I had to stop getting ready for dinner so we could go up down to our station. The event was quick and painless and since dinner was 8:45 instead of 8:30 there was no problem being on time.

 

There was live music in the Centrum until 10:00 and the casino was open for business so there were activities to start the cruise off in a fun filled way!

[BroncosFan2010]

Can't wait to read more.

[i'llbesea-ingyou]

Me too! But I understand about that pesky laundry! :D

[DonnaK]

Please tell all!!! This is currently #1 on our list of possibilities for our next cruise.

[JenAndDan]

The laundry can wait!!!!

 

Just kidding:) I am anxiously awaiting the continuation of your review!

[mookitty]

I'm dying to hear more too! We will be on her in August! Woohoo! It's also nice to hear that someone survived that red-eye direct flight out of LAX. I am feeling pretty nervous about it. For some reason, I have recently become afraid to fly and this one is a long one. :( But that's a whole other thread!

 

Can't wait to hear more about the Serenade and her ports!

[ahawco]

Great start so far!!

[Puffinater]

Thanks for the review. How long was the red eye and what airline? Thanks.

[chachi]

I am looking forward to the rest of your review. I am going on a southern cruise this summer visiting some of the same ports. Can't wait to hear about them.

[swtygrl]

Great start! Left me wanting to ask lots of questions.

Did you have to take your life jacket to muster?

Was there a sail-away party?

[nunk]

Thanks for the interest! I know I went crazy trying to read everything and anything about our trip before leaving so I will try to give everyone something new to know! Here's a few answers and then I will post Day 1 in a few....

 

 

I'm dying to hear more too! We will be on her in August! Woohoo! It's also nice to hear that someone survived that red-eye direct flight out of LAX. I am feeling pretty nervous about it. For some reason, I have recently become afraid to fly and this one is a long one. :( But that's a whole other thread!

 

Can't wait to hear more about the Serenade and her ports!

I'm actually very very fearful of flying. Unfortunately, my family loves to travel so I've been learning to fight my fears one flight at a time!:eek:

 

Thanks for the review. How long was the red eye and what airline? Thanks.

We flew on American at 11:45pm and arrived in San Juan at 9:15am. I won't sugarcoat this flight- it was brutal. We had lousy flight attendants and it's near impossible (at least for me) to sleep in those airline seats. Thankfully by the time we arrived I was so excited for the cruise that I got a burst of energy that lasted until after dinner!

Great start! Left me wanting to ask lots of questions.

Did you have to take your life jacket to muster?

Was there a sail-away party?

No lifejackets! YEAH! As for a party, they did have music playing but I can't say if there was any more activity than that because I was at second seating for dinner so I was in the dining room when we officially sailed away.

[JCafaro]

As for a party, they did have music playing but I can't say if there was any more activity than that because I was at second seating for dinner so I was in the dining room when we officially sailed away.

 

Do you know what time they left San Juan? Since you said second seating was at 8:45 the first night, did they leave port at 8:30?

 

We have second seating, and I'm just wondering if we would have time to watch the ship pull out of port before dinner, or if we would have to be eating while we left San Juan.

[nunk]

more review of our cruise:

 

 

Our deck 9 Aft cabin-

I have only ever stayed in an aft cabin. I can’t even imagine staying in anything else. Call me an aft snob if you will, but I am addicted to aft cabins and I’m not afraid to admit it. In my opinion there is nothing better than being able to see both sides and the back of where we are going/where we have been. We had 2 chaise lounges, 2 chairs and a small table on our balcony. Our kids were booked in a side balcony a few doors down so they could have a bunk bed as well as the two twins. The room sizes were as expected, providing ample amounts of storage and living space. Our room attendant was a wonderful man named Dexter. Dexter was not only extremely efficient but he was very friendly and always asking if we needed anything.

 

On a side note, my parents were booked in the JS on deck 10. It’s a very coveted cabin and after seeing it, I can see why! It was very large with an amazing wrap around balcony and a walk-in (yes you read correctly) closet. Although it is directly below the Windjammer, my parents had no issues with noise. In fact, many nights they slept with the door opened so my mom could listen to the ocean.

 

Day 1 (at sea)-

Drink of the day- Carib Breezer

I don’t know about you all but I struggle between wanting to “relax” and sleep and do a lot of nothing and wanting to “rise and shine” early to make sure I can fit every thing possible in our trip. On this particular day, waking up was harder than expected because we were fighting a 3 hour time difference and lack of sleep the previous night because of our red-eye flight. By the time we rolled out of bed (10 ish?) the sun was starting to shine on our aft cabin deck and I was anxious to do some tanning!

 

After sunning a while on deck we grabbed a snack in the Windjammer and checked out the pool area. The majority of the chairs in the sun were taken at all times, however, because it was hot and sunny, people came and went giving opportunity to enjoy one of the lounges at different times. The music poolside was a Calypso playing band named Heat Wave. They were very enjoyable and could be heard continuously over the course of this cruise at varied times.

 

Being the only sea day, this was by far the busiest of days with activities every hour. There were various events like: table tennis tournament, backstage tour, slot/blackjack tournaments, belly flop contest, art auction, bingo, etc. etc. etc.

 

This was also the day of the first of two formal nights at dinner and the Captain’s Welcome Aboard Reception. It was a champagne reception and allowed time for a photo opportunity with Captain Karin Stahre-Janson (history’s first female Captain on a major cruise ship).

 

The headliner show was Jonathan Clark – comedy and vocal impressions. I personally did not attend this (or any headliner show) but those in my party reported the show as entertaining and worth the watch.

 

As much as I’d like to tell what else we did after dinner, I can’t recall! I know we were scheduled for an early excursion in the a.m., so perhaps we turned in early that night? Not sure, but whatever it was, we had a great day/night.

[JerseyGem]

I'm loving your reviews- keep them coming! We leave in less than one month!

 

One quick question: have they restarted the luggage valet program yet? (This is the extra cost program that takes your luggage to the airport for you, checks it in, etc). Also, did you have time to kill in SJ before your flight home? If so, what did you do? (Yes, I know I'm interfering with your orderly, chronological review- but when you get to your last day, could you comment on this? )

 

Thanks again- keep posting between loads of laundry!

[KITKAT0229]

Thanks for the letting us know what the drink of the day was :-)

[BroncosFan2010]

I can tell I am going to LOVE this review! Thanks so much for posting a very detailed day-by-day review.

[nunk]

I'm loving your reviews- keep them coming! We leave in less than one month!

 

One quick question: have they restarted the luggage valet program yet? (This is the extra cost program that takes your luggage to the airport for you, checks it in, etc). Also, did you have time to kill in SJ before your flight home? If so, what did you do? (Yes, I know I'm interfering with your orderly, chronological review- but when you get to your last day, could you comment on this? )

 

Thanks again- keep posting between loads of laundry!

I'm glad you're enjoying the review! Not sure about the valet program since we stayed an extra night in San Juan once we were off the ship. Sorry!

 

Thanks for the letting us know what the drink of the day was :-)

Your welcome!

 

I can tell I am going to LOVE this review! Thanks so much for posting a very detailed day-by-day review.

I will try to get it finished today!

[MAZANDSTEVE]

Enjoying the review. Thanks.:)

[nunk]

Day 2 (Barbados) -

Drink of the day- sorry couldn’t find it in my compass!

We were excited to be in a place known for swimming with the turtles. After searching the port boards and several inquiries, I decided on and booked Jason with Shasa tours for a catamaran excursion.

 

We were to meet Jason’s wife, Tess, in the port by 9:30 so we could join Jason for a 5 hour lunch tour. After a quick call for coffee to room service and a very small bite to eat from the Windjammer, we headed off the ship and towards the dock. The weather was very iffy- the clouds were hovering- but we were excited as we walked off the ship and past several guys playing steel drums. Yes, we were on an island and it felt great!

 

Tess was waiting for us just as stated. She set us into a taxi driven by a charming man named Tony. We drove for approx. 20 minutes thru parts of Barbados- some developed and some not. Tony provided interesting tidbits about the area, making the drive go quickly.

 

Jason greeted us and helped assist us since my sister is in a wheelchair. In fact, the amount of help he provided to make sure she was able to get the full experience of the trip was amazing. Since she has limited mobility we were unsure if she would even get off the catamaran when we reached the turtles, but he seemed determined for her to fulfill one of her “bucket list” items. Jason was very informative and tried to made conversation with all of us. We sailed away until we reached the turtles, stayed there a bit and then set off to a reef area where we snorkeled more. We were supposed to have lunch and visit a beach area, but because of the *forecasted rain we had to cut our tour time short. Our price was adjusted accordingly and we were on our way back to the ship around 1:30ish. There are a few shopping spots at the pier and although we looked, we didn’t buy any items.

 

The production in the Tropical Theatre that night was “Stage to Screen”, a salute to Broadway shows that made their way from Broadway to the Silver screen. It was a pre-dinner show for the second seating and those in our party that attended said it was nothing to brag about.

 

We attended the Welcome Back Crown and Anchor cocktail party before dinner. The Safari Club was pretty full as we were treated to drinks and the usual announcements from the C and A loyalty ambassador. There was the obligatory thank you for choosing Royal again and explanation about the "new" credits for onboard booking. After the party we headed to dinner in the dining room and spent some time in the casino. We were off to bed by midnight since we needed to be up and out early again the next day.

 

*it never did end up raining!

[kellyco]

How did the kids like this ship? I understand from these boards that this ship generally has few kids on it as compared to other bigger ships. We will be taking this trip next Easter week and our kids will be 6 & 9. Thanks in advance.

[laur954]

My husband and I are going on the exact cruise on Sunday. I am a first time cruiser, so I can't thank you enough for the detailed reviews! Look forward to hearing the rest.

[nunk]

How did the kids like this ship? I understand from these boards that this ship generally has few kids on it as compared to other bigger ships. We will be taking this trip next Easter week and our kids will be 6 & 9. Thanks in advance.

Our kids have been on the Serenade twice and loved it both times. Last year to Alaska there were only 75 kids on board and yet the kids had plenty to do and lots of extra attention because of the small number of children. This time there were about 350 kids of various ages and my kids still had a great time. The Adventure Ocean program is wonderful (or so my kids say)! I would imagine there will be more kids during your time next year. Let me know if I can answer any specific questions for you.

 

My husband and I are going on the exact cruise on Sunday. I am a first time cruiser, so I can't thank you enough for the detailed reviews! Look forward to hearing the rest.

A first time cruise- how exciting! :D

I'm trying to write as much as I can remember and I will include a lot of misc. details at the end to cover anything I remember along the way. Let me know if there is anything in particular you want to know.

[BroncosFan2010]

Day 2 (Barbados) -

Drink of the day- sorry couldn’t find it in my compass!

We were excited to be in a place known for swimming with the turtles. After searching the port boards and several inquiries, I decided on and booked Jason with Shasa tours for a catamaran excursion.

 

We were to meet Jason’s wife, Tess, in the port by 9:30 so we could join Jason for a 5 hour lunch tour. After a quick call for coffee to room service and a very small bite to eat from the Windjammer, we headed off the ship and towards the dock. The weather was very iffy- the clouds were hovering- but we were excited as we walked off the ship and past several guys playing steel drums. Yes, we were on an island and it felt great!

 

Tess was waiting for us just as stated. She set us into a taxi driven by a charming man named Tony. We drove for approx. 20 minutes thru parts of Barbados- some developed and some not. Tony provided interesting tidbits about the area, making the drive go quickly.

 

Jason greeted us and helped assist us since my sister is in a wheelchair. In fact, the amount of help he provided to make sure she was able to get the full experience of the trip was amazing. Since she has limited mobility we were unsure if she would even get off the catamaran when we reached the turtles, but he seemed determined for her to fulfill one of her “bucket list” items. Jason was very informative and tried to made conversation with all of us. We sailed away until we reached the turtles, stayed there a bit and then set off to a reef area where we snorkeled more. We were supposed to have lunch and visit a beach area, but because of the *forecasted rain we had to cut our tour time short. Our price was adjusted accordingly and we were on our way back to the ship around 1:30ish. There are a few shopping spots at the pier and although we looked, we didn’t buy any items.

 

The production in the Tropical Theatre that night was “Stage to Screen”, a salute to Broadway shows that made their way from Broadway to the Silver screen. It was a pre-dinner show for the second seating and those in our party that attended said it was nothing to brag about.

 

We attended the Welcome Back Crown and Anchor cocktail party before dinner. The Safari Club was pretty full as we were treated to drinks and the usual announcements from the C and A loyalty ambassador. There was the obligatory thank you for choosing Royal again and explanation about the "new" credits for onboard booking. After the party we headed to dinner in the dining room and spent some time in the casino. We were off to bed by midnight since we needed to be up and out early again the next day.

 

*it never did end up raining!

 

We are booked to do this same tour with Tess and Jason. I hope we get to do the full 5 hours! Pretty much everyone on our roll-call is doing this! I am glad to hear you had a great time despite cutting it short.

[nunk]

We are booked to do this same tour with Tess and Jason. I hope we get to do the full 5 hours! Pretty much everyone on our roll-call is doing this! I am glad to hear you had a great time despite cutting it short.

 

We really enjoyed this tour! Jason was very personable and helpful. Watch out for those turtles- my dad and sister both got bit while Jason was feeding them! :eek:

 

How many of you are going? I thought he takes a max of 12 people?

[kellyco]

Our kids have been on the Serenade twice and loved it both times. Last year to Alaska there were only 75 kids on board and yet the kids had plenty to do and lots of extra attention because of the small number of children. This time there were about 350 kids of various ages and my kids still had a great time. The Adventure Ocean program is wonderful (or so my kids say)! I would imagine there will be more kids during your time next year. Let me know if I can answer any specific questions for you.

 

 

Thanks very much for your response. My kids are actually veteran cruisers and are looking forward to a new class of ship. When we were on the Adventure last year there weren't many kids on board and my son loved the attention he got from the AO staff. Like I said, I was concerned that Serenade wasn't so "kid friendly" after reading some comments on this board.

 

Looking forward to the rest of your review. Thanks for sharing.