Review of Serenade of the Seas, June 20-27 (Very Long!)

[sldcruiser]

We're a family of four, Mom & Dad in our late forties with daughters ages 21 and 18. This cruise was a celebration of my daughter's high school graduation and recognition of the fact that the "family vacation" will soon be a thing of the past - at least with just the four of us. We've been on lots of cruises throughout the years, but had only been on RCCL once before, and that was 17 years ago. We loved it and will definitely cruise RCCL again!

 

We flew into San Juan a day early, nonstop from Dulles (Washington DC). The flight was on time and uneventful, just the way I like it! Unfortunately, the weather left a lot to be desired. It was overcast and rainy, which was a shame since I'd booked The Hotel Intercontinental on the beach. We arrived at the hotel around noon (very quick cab ride from the airport - $10 plus $1 each bag) and fully expected to have to store our luggage until our room was ready. The hotel must not have been very crowded because our room was ready when we got there. This made it much easier to change into our bathing suits, cross our fingers that the rain would hold off, and head out to the pool. There was a light drizzle and the pool chairs were wet so we opted to go to the hotel restaurant at the pool and have some lunch. I think the food was good, but nothing special since I don't even remember what we ate! Even though the weather wasn't nice, the pool and grounds were gorgeous. We stayed outside until the rain became more than just a drizzle, then decided we'd go inside, watch the World Cup and relax before dinner. I'd made reservations at Barrachina based on recommendations from these boards and we weren't disappointed. My 18 year old was thrilled because she could order a pina colada (which was delicious!) but I opted for the homemade sangria, which was also very good. I tried a "mofongo" for the first time, the girls both ordered fajitas, and my husband got the grouper. None of us were disappointed. We were seated at a table right in front of the stage for the flamenco show. This was a fun way to start our vacation and we all really liked the restaurant and the dancers. It inspired some silly dancing by us in the privacy of our hotel room later on. Rain or no rain, I could tell that this was going to be a good trip!

 

 

[sldcruiser]

DAY 1:

 

We slept in and spent a little more time at the hotel pool the next morning before showering and heading to the ship. We arrived at the port around 1:00 and it was the easiest check in I've ever done! I'd heard about porters accosting people in San Juan, but not at the Pan Am pier that day! In fact, just the opposite! We weren't really sure what we were supposed to do with our luggage until I asked. There was one line for people with luggage that needed to be checked, and a much shorter line for people with carryons or no luggage at all. The lines moved quickly and when we got to the building to get our sea passes, there was no line at all. We walked right up to the counter, then straight onto the ship. That has NEVER happened to us before. We are not VIPs (yet!) We were happy that our rooms were ready since we had carryon baggage that we wanted to drop off before heading to the Windjammer for lunch. We were booked in rooms 7600 & 7602 on the "hump" - again due to tips from these boards. The rooms were nicely decorated and a decent size. The bathrooms were small, but that's to be expected in regular rooms on a ship. Our balconies had 2 chairs and a small table. The hump room was nice because there was no obstruction underneath or around the balcony. It was also very convenient to the stairs, which was our only exercise the entire cruise! We tried not to use the elevators much for this reason, but the glass elevators on the outside are worth riding at least once just for the view.

 

There was quite a selection in the Windjammer for lunch. I immediately looked for the "honey stung chicken" because I'd read so much about it. Honestly, it was good, but I'm not sure why it's so many people's favorite. I thought it tasted like a normal fried chicken cutlet. Oh well...to each their own! The hot foods varied each day and there were a lot to choose from. There were also burgers, hot dogs, pizza, pasta, sandwiches and a salad bar each day. The desserts were different everyday, but the soft serve ice cream was always available which made us happy! The main dining room was only open for lunch on our one sea day. I was hoping to make it there, but we'd been out by the pool and didn't want to change out of our bathing suits to eat. But I digress...back to the first day.

 

After lunch we explored the ship and played some mini golf. There were only a few other people playing so we thought it would be a good time to give it a try. We never did get to the rock climbing wall since that was only open certain hours and we never seemed to make it there. We had my time dining so, after mini golf, my husband and I went to look for the dining room. We ran into a "tasting" of some of the menu items from Portofinos and Chops taking place in Chops Grille. We weren't hungry since we'd just eaten lunch, but couldn't help sampling the pasta and crab cakes. I didn't see this listed on the Cruise Compass so there were only a few people there. Guess we were in the right place at the right time! The samples were great (but we never did make it to either specialty restaurant for dinner). We then found where we were supposed to go for my time dining and arranged with the maitre'd to have a standing reservation at 6:30 each night. We wanted 7:00 but he told us if we came earlier, we could pick a table for 4 by the window and they would hold it for us each night. We thought that sounded good since we like to get to know our waiters and it worked out well the rest of the cruise. After getting this arranged, we went back to our room where our luggage was waiting for us, then headed up to the pool to relax and have a drink. The sun poked through a few times just to tease us, but it wasn't raining so that was good. Before we knew it, it was time to get ready for dinner and yes, eat again! We met our waiter, Fernando, who took good care of us and made sure we didn't go hungry for a week!

 

After dinner we went to the muster drill (no lifejackets needed) and then up to the deck for sailaway. Unfortunately, it was raining so we stayed undercover listening to the band and watching San Juan disappear. We went to the comedy show at 10:30. Joe Yannetty was the comedian and he was ok. We also got to see the cruise director, Simeon, for the first time. He was pretty entertaining throughout the cruise. After the show, we listened to some music in the Centrum, then just headed to our balcony to enjoy the sound of the ocean - one of my favorite things about cruising!

 

[sldcruiser]

Cabin 7600

Our great waiter, Fernando, using pepper shaker as microphone

[sldcruiser]

DAY 2:

This was a sea day, our only one. The weather report all week called for scattered showers but our sea day was fairly sunny. We went up to the pool around 10:00 or so. There were still plenty of chairs, but we wanted 4 together so we went up to deck 12 and found chairs along the side of the ship. This was fine except we were alongside the outdoor track and they had a "walk" for Make a Wish Foundation going on and there were a lot of people using the track at that time. Once that was over and the crowd thinned, it wasn't bad. Maybe I just felt a little guilty lazing in the sun while other people were getting exercise (for a good cause, no less!) We stayed in the sun most of the day, with some time out for lunch at the Windjammer. At 3:00 my husband and I went to the wine tasting ($14.99 pp). I think this lasted about an hour. We tried 3 whites and 3 reds and were given some information about tastings and the particular wines we were trying. I can't say I left knowing any more about wine than when I went in, but I always enjoy these because I like trying new wines. Later on, we all got dressed up for formal night , had pictures taken and had dinnner in the MDR, but we didn't really do much afterwards. I think we just relaxed on our balcony and enjoyed a quiet evening.

[janabm81]

More more!!! On a scale from 1 to 10 how did you like the ship?:confused: We're thinking of sailing next June but were a little spoiled on Adventure last year, just wondering if it comparable.:)

[sldcruiser]

DAY 3 - BARBADOS:

 

Once again, the forecast was calling for scattered showers but it ended up being sunny all day. We had a catamaran excursion booked with Calabaza. We were supposed to meet at 9:30 right outside the terminal. We got out there a little early and the taxi was there waiting for us. It turns out that we were the only ones on the catamaran that day because another group had cancelled worrying that it might rain. They were probably kicking themselves afterwards because the day ended up being gorgeous - sunny with just enough wind to keep it from being too hot. Needless to say, we had a great day! There were 3 crew members, including Gina, who was the person I was in contact with beforehand and who prepared a feast for us. We started out with the most delicious banana bread I've ever had, then she brought out appetizers (fish fritters with a spicy sauce, then 3 different kinds of bruschetta). We couldn't even eat all that, then she served a huge lunch of flying fish, beef stew and several different salads. Dessert was brownies. This was in addition to an unlimited number of drinks. We stuck to soda, beer and rum punches. In addition to eating and drinking, we snorkeled. There were 2 stops, one to see the sea turtles and another to see a "shipwreck" and coral reef. I'm not a real good snorkeler so I skipped the second stop, but I did get in the water to see the sea turtles and I'm glad I did. My husband and daughter went to the reef and said it was great. The remainder of the time we just sat in the netting and enjoyed the ride. I'd highly recommend Calabaza. We loved the crew and they didn't cut any corners just because it was only the 4 of us. We felt very spoiled!

 

We got back to the ship around 3:15 and didn't do much until dinner. After dinner we went to the show, "Stage to Screen". This was a typical cruise show with Broadway and movie songs. It was ok, but nothing I'd hate to have missed. After the show we went to the Safari Lounge to watch the end of karaoke. That was far more entertaining! I have mixed emotions about karaoke because i feel bad for people who get up there and actually think they can sing when they can't. Most of the people we saw this time were well aware of the fact that they couldn't sing and just really hammed it up. It was very funny!

 

 

 

 

 

[sldcruiser]

More more!!! On a scale from 1 to 10 how did you like the ship? We're thinking of sailing next June but were a little spoiled on Adventure last year, just wondering if it comparable.:)

 

 

We loved this ship! It wasn't too big so it was easy to find our way around. There was plenty to do, even without the skating rink etc. We've sailed Princess and Carnival as well and have found things we like and dislike about each ship. We LOVED Royal Caribbean though. The ship was clean and the staff was very friendly. I haven't been on any of RCCLs bigger ships so I can't really compare them. I'd probably like those too!

[gotolv]

We had originally booked these rooms but decided to move up one floor because there might be noise from the deck below. We would really like to be closer to the water. Can you tell me if these rooms were quiet or should we stay on the eighth floor.

 

Thanks.

[JenAndDan]

I'm really enjoying your review...can't wait for the rest! So far, sounds like you guys had a wonderful trip!!!

[sldcruiser]

We had originally booked these rooms but decided to move up one floor because there might be noise from the deck below. We would really like to be closer to the water. Can you tell me if these rooms were quiet or should we stay on the eighth floor.

 

Thanks.

 

There was some noise at night when there was music in the Centrum. It never went real late and with the door closed, it was muffled and it didn't bother us. I'm not sure if it makes a difference being a floor higher because the music was coming from the 4th floor - it's just very open. I think you'll be ok with either room unless you go to bed before 11:00. I think most of the late night music goes on in the Vortex, which we never made it to!

[gotolv]

Thanks for the information. I'm really enjoying your review and the pictures.

[sldcruiser]

DAY 4 - ST. LUCIA:

 

Today they called for scattered showers and they were right! It was raining as we pulled into port. I had arranged the zipline tour and beach with Frank's Taxi. We were to meet him at 8:30. The rain had turned to a light drizzle by then so we decided we'd try to get the zipline tour in and forego the beach. Frank was there waiting for us and took us for about a 20 minute ride to the ziplines. It started pouring again while we were on our way. Frank was very personable and we enjoyed the ride. It wasn't raining quite as hard when we got there, but it was still coming down. Again, it was just the 4 of us. I thought other groups would get there later. We had a short instruction session, then they got us in our harnesses and helmets. At this point we found out that the ship's tour had been cancelled because of the rain and we were the only ones there that morning. We had 2 guides and the place to ourselves! We got a little wet but the rain was never a problem, probably because the trees provided a good canopy! I have to say, I'm afraid of heights and was very nervous about doing this. Do not be afraid if you're thinking this might be a problem for you! I felt very safe (even though my heart was racing throughout) and it was one of the most fun things I've ever done! There was a lot of walking and stairs between each landing though so if you have trouble getting around, I wouldn't recommend it. I had a couple runs where I held onto the line too tightly and didn't quite make it to the ramp. Other than being embarrassing, it wasn't a problem pulling myself to the ramp until the guide could grab ahold of me and reel me in. There were 11 runs. I probably got the hang of it around the 10th one. I gave my family a good laugh (none of them had any problems) but that's ok because I had such a good time!

 

It was overcast but not raining in the afternoon so we ventured to the shopping area right at the port. My husband bought a t-shirt and we had 2 for $3 Piton beers. They weren't very good, in my opinion, but were cold and the price was right. It was a pretty uneventful afternoon. There were a couple shows we wanted to see that night, the first being the "Action Comedy of Rick Novell". Because of the weather, the ship's movement was stronger that night and he did a lot of juggling and unicycle riding. He was pretty funny and I was impressed that he could pull it off with the motion of the ship. The second show I always like to see is the Love & Marriage game. They basically ask the same questions on every cruise but it's always different depending on the couples involved. We really liked the couple who were married 50 years. The deck party and Caribbean pool buffet were that night too. The lines were long at the buffet and none of us were hungry so I didn't really see what they offered. We were pretty tired at that point so we stayed on deck just a short while and called it a night.

 

 

[sldcruiser]

3 days to go....will finish those tomorrow! Can't spend any more time at this computer! :)

[apkpcruisers]

I am loving your review, I just love that you stuck with your tours with no regard for the weather. Thanks for the great details, looking forward to my trip on Serenade in Jan '11.

[April-in-NC]

This is the interary we are looking at for next June and so far your excursions are the ones we are looking at! I'm really excited about the zip lining!

[SeaTeach]

Thanks for the wonderful review. Revving for more!!

[chef_christoph]

Thanks for taking the time to write what you have so far! I love Serenade and the Southern Caribbean and always enjoy reading reviews.

 

I love that you have such a great attitude and don't let the weather get in your way of having a great time!

 

I can't wait to read more!

[V n C]

So cool. My DW and I go to Barbados at least every other year, and Gina, Danny, Cali and the Calabaza trips are always the highlight. We went for two weeks this last February and cruised with them 3 times.

[Host Faith]

We're a family of four, Mom & Dad in our late forties with daughters ages 21 and 18. This cruise was a celebration of my daughter's high school graduation and recognition of the fact that the "family vacation" will soon be a thing of the past - at least with just the four of us. We've been on lots of cruises throughout the years, but had only been on RCCL once before, and that was 17 years ago. We loved it and will definitely cruise RCCL again!

 

We flew into San Juan a day early, nonstop from Dulles (Washington DC). The flight was on time and uneventful, just the way I like it! Unfortunately, the weather left a lot to be desired. It was overcast and rainy, which was a shame since I'd booked The Hotel Intercontinental on the beach. We arrived at the hotel around noon (very quick cab ride from the airport - $10 plus $1 each bag) and fully expected to have to store our luggage until our room was ready. The hotel must not have been very crowded because our room was ready when we got there. This made it much easier to change into our bathing suits, cross our fingers that the rain would hold off, and head out to the pool. There was a light drizzle and the pool chairs were wet so we opted to go to the hotel restaurant at the pool and have some lunch. I think the food was good, but nothing special since I don't even remember what we ate! Even though the weather wasn't nice, the pool and grounds were gorgeous. We stayed outside until the rain became more than just a drizzle, then decided we'd go inside, watch the World Cup and relax before dinner. I'd made reservations at Barrachina based on recommendations from these boards and we weren't disappointed. My 18 year old was thrilled because she could order a pina colada (which was delicious!) but I opted for the homemade sangria, which was also very good. I tried a "mofongo" for the first time, the girls both ordered fajitas, and my husband got the grouper. None of us were disappointed. We were seated at a table right in front of the stage for the flamenco show. This was a fun way to start our vacation and we all really liked the restaurant and the dancers. It inspired some silly dancing by us in the privacy of our hotel room later on. Rain or no rain, I could tell that this was going to be a good trip!

 

 

 

Love your review so far. So happy you enjoyed Barrachina, we can't wait to go back there next month! Hope we can get the great seats you got :D!

 

Keep it coming! :)

[ahawco]

I am just LOVING your review!!!!! It is just the right balance to make for a very enjoyable read :). I am doing this itinerary on the Serenade in 23 days and I can't wait!!! Reading your review makes it even more exciting as so far it sounds like the trip has been amazing!! I have made a reservation for my husband and I at Barrachinas as well for our night in San Juan so I am glad that you enjoyed it there! Just a question...when the dancing starts can you see it from any table at the restaurant or do you have to be in a specific location?

 

My DH and I are doing the snorkel with sea turtles catamaran with Silvermoon so I hope our day is as enjoyable as your day with Calabaza!

 

Keep up the great work...I can't wait to read more :)

[PattyG12]

Can't wait for more. We have cabin 7600 booked for 2 cruises. The Aruba/Curacao itinerary this October and the Barbados/St. Lucia itinerary next October. Glad to hear it's not too noisy. I didn't see any obstruction on the balcony ... was it a clear view?

[sldcruiser]

I am just LOVING your review!!!!! It is just the right balance to make for a very enjoyable read :). I am doing this itinerary on the Serenade in 23 days and I can't wait!!! Reading your review makes it even more exciting as so far it sounds like the trip has been amazing!! I have made a reservation for my husband and I at Barrachinas as well for our night in San Juan so I am glad that you enjoyed it there! Just a question...when the dancing starts can you see it from any table at the restaurant or do you have to be in a specific location?

 

My DH and I are doing the snorkel with sea turtles catamaran with Silvermoon so I hope our day is as enjoyable as your day with Calabaza!

 

Keep up the great work...I can't wait to read more :)

 

There is a separate room for the show but there are a lot of tables in there. I'd made reservations online, but not for the show. We got there around 7:30 and they asked if we'd be interested in seeing it (it started at 8:00). I think there was a $20 minimum order but no cover charge. Since we knew we'd have no trouble meeting that, we agreed. We were the first ones seated in there so we had seats right in the front, but people quickly filled in. The restaurant itself is really pretty with an open courtyard, but the show just made it a more festive atmosphere.

 

As for Silvermoon, we saw their catamaran and it looked very similar to ours. We'd looked at that one too. I don't think you can go wrong either way. Have a great time!

[sldcruiser]

Can't wait for more. We have cabin 7600 booked for 2 cruises. The Aruba/Curacao itinerary this October and the Barbados/St. Lucia itinerary next October. Glad to hear it's not too noisy. I didn't see any obstruction on the balcony ... was it a clear view?

 

Great view! I think most of the non-hump cabins had lifeboats underneath them so you couldn't look straight down to the water (forgive me if I'm wrong about this). From this room, you could see up, down and all around! The location was also very convenient. I'd book this room again.

[BroncosFan2010]

Thanks so much for posting a great review. This is the 1st week of my B2B in August, and I have been to all these stops before, except St. Croix. I am very interested to hear about that port of call when you get to it.

[sldcruiser]

DAY 5 - ANTIGUA:

 

We woke up to more overcast skies in Antigua. We'd planned to take a taxi to Valley Church Beach but were hesitant because it looked like it would start raining. We had a leisurely breakfast, discussed the situation, and decided to go anyway. As soon as we got off the ship, there was a taxi stand with posted fares. We were introduced to our driver who called himself "Joseph Coat of Many Colors" and he was quite a character. He showed us some points of interest and asked us funny riddles on the way to the beach. We arranged a time to be picked up and we paid him when he returned us to the ship. It was $16 pp round trip. We told him we'd tell people to look him up when they got to Antigua. He was a lot of fun!

 

As for Valley Church Beach, we were all very glad we decided to go. It wasn't real sunny but it never rained. The beach wasn't crowded and it was so pretty! I think we paid $5 for each beach chair, which seemed pretty standard throughout our beach stops. When we first got there, we were approached to buy jewelry, have our hair braided and get massages. They were not pushy though and only asked once. There was a little bar on the beach and we got some drinks there. I think they served food too but we didn't order any. I don't remember what the drinks cost, but I think they were reasonably priced. We stayed from about 11:30 to 2:30 and left just as the clouds were starting to look threatening..

 

After dinner we went to the Majority Rules gameshow. This is where they ask a question and everyone writes their answers down on a piece of paper and runs them up to the person in charge. If yours is the most popular answer, you get a point (or something like that). One question was "who do you think is the most beautiful woman?" and my daughter ran up with the answer "Pamela Anderson". She was joking so, believe it or not, we didn't get any points! After that, we decided we were only amusing ourselves so we stopped officially playing the game and entertained only each other with our clever answers. We will not be taking our comedy act on the road! :)

 

That night's headliner show was "The Two and Only Jay Johnson". He's the ventriloquist from the sitcom "Soap" (think WAY back!) It started out well, but I think he eventually ran out of material. Good or bad, I always like going to the headliner shows though. On most cruises, we've had to get there early to get a seat. That wasn't the case on this cruise. Either they have more seating, or people were just not as interested in seeing these shows.

 

We went back to our room to, once again, enjoy the tranquility of our balcony when we heard some music coming from the Centrum. (This was the only night it was loud enough to capture my attention). Turns out they were having a 70's dance party and the dance floor was packed! The cruise director and staff were dressed in 70's attire and the Village People even made an appearance. It was very lively and fun and we weren't the only ones enjoying it from several decks up. I wish I had pictures to share. I think there were many people reliving their glory days from the disco era! I tried to control myself since we were not officially on the dance floor, but it was hard not to get into the spirit of the party! My only regret is that we didn't go up to the Vortex afterwards. From what I heard, the party continued there until the wee hours of the morning!