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

[ahawco]

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!

 

Great thanks so much for the info sldcruiser :) That is helpful to know about the restaurant. I also made my reservations online as well so I guess when we get there we can decide where we would like to sit!

 

I am looking forward to our day with Silvermoon...can't wait!!

[ahawco]

Great to know you had a great time at Valley Church Beach! We are planning on going there as well. Sounds like I will be having a very similar vacation to yours :D

 

Can you rent umbrellas at Valley Church Beach as well?

[sldcruiser]

Great to know you had a great time at Valley Church Beach! We are planning on going there as well. Sounds like I will be having a very similar vacation to yours :D

 

Can you rent umbrellas at Valley Church Beach as well?

 

We didn't need umbrellas because it was overcast, but I'm sure you can rent them too. Pretty much all of the beaches offered them with the chairs. I just don't remember the price since we never needed them.

[sldcruiser]

DAY 6 - ST. MAARTEN:

 

The sun was out this morning! We had no real plans for the day so we took the water taxi ($6 pp for unlimited trips or $4 one way) into town to spend a little time at the beach right there. As soon as we stepped off the boat, people were swarming around us trying to sell us whatever they had to offer. As we walked down the beach, we were offered beach chairs and umbrellas for all sorts of different prices. We were sort of wandering, trying to figure out what we wanted to do, when someone offered us 4 chairs and 2 umbrellas for $15. Sold! The beach near the water taxi is very convenient if you just want to sit in the sun, jet ski, or jump on the trampoline. Be aware that the people walking the beach selling things are very persistent though. I bought a beach bag for $5, not because I needed one, but because it was inexpensive and I thought why not? I was approached by at least 2 other women selling the same bags, plus numerous others selling beads, t-shirts, and hair braiding. We were the only ship in port at all of our stops so it's definitely the off season and the islanders have to work hard to make a living! They weren't trying to "hard sell" us on anything, just kept coming back over and over. We were at the beach most of the morning, but we wanted to do some shopping too. We headed back to the ship for lunch and to change out of our bathing suits, then got back on the water taxi to go back into town.

 

Our timing was good because it started drizzling mid afternoon. I was glad we did the beach in the morning. We walked down Front Street and went into a lot of stores, but didn't end up buying much other than small souvenirs. I kept telling my husband that if he felt the urge to go into one of the many jewelry stores and buy me a trinket, he should feel free, but apparently that urge never struck him. Oh well... We did get some samples at the Guavaberry shop and ended up sharing a guavaberry colada. That's almost as good as jewels, right? ;)

 

This was our second formal night so we got dressed up and had some more pictures taken. It was lobster night in the MDR, which I always like. Unfortunately, the lobster was about 3 bites worth. Fernando must have sensed my longing for more because he brought another tail without me having to ask. I know it's not the best lobster in the world, but it still beats a hamburger in my book! I drenched it in butter and enjoyed the decadence!

 

The show tonight was "Vibeology". I liked most of the songs, but the show itself could have been a lot better. Again, it was typical cruise entertainment. Just don't expect Broadway and you won't be disappointed! After the show, the girls went off to do their own thing and my husband and I headed to the Safari Lounge for The Quest. This was our first time experiencing it and I know not to say too much to spoil it for anyone else. All I will say is that Simeon, our cruise director, said there are certain things he doesn't like about his job, but Quest is NOT one of them! He looked like he was having a good time, as were all the participants! It was fun just to watch. Maybe next time we'll join a team. Depends on how much we've had to drink beforehand!

 

 

 

[sldcruiser]

DAY 7 - ST. CROIX:

 

This was the only stop on this cruise that we'd never been to before so I wasn't sure what to expect. Fortunately, it was sunny again that morning. I'd made reservations for the Gecko ATV tour but that wasn't until 2:15. From the ship, we saw a small beach right near the port so we decided to walk over there. I don't know what it was called and the only reason we went there was because it was so convenient. In hindsight, I think I would have taken a short taxi ride to a different beach. This was really just a stretch of sand. They had adirondack chairs to sit in for $5 each. There were a lot of gnats swarming at this beach. Fortunately, they weren't biting - just annoying us. I don't know if this is typical of the beaches in St. Croix or if there was something at this particular one that attracted them.

 

Once again, the clouds rolled in around noon so we walked around the shopping area right by the pier, then headed back to the ship for lunch. We didn't do any extensive shopping, but St. Croix was where we made the most purchases. There were vendors and jewelry crafters on the street and they had some beautiful things. The girls bought some inexpensive earrings and necklaces which made them very happy. The people here were very nice and not at all pushy.

 

It was raining pretty steadily while we ate lunch and I was a little worried about our ATV tour. No need to worry, by 2:15 the sun was shining again and it was hot. Our meeting place was right down the street. We'd arranged to have 2 ATVs for the 4 of us. There was another couple there too so our group consisted of 3 ATVs and our guide, who led us on his ATV. This was my oldest daughter's favorite excursion. She and I shared an ATV and she drove most of the way. She was giggling and screaming "Wahoooo" the entire time! We stopped a few times at some historical sites and to look at the view from the top of the mountain, but all that paled in comparison to the ride itself! We were on paved roads for only a short while, then drove up a mountain, through mud puddles, over rough terrain, and back down through the rain forest. It was so much fun! As the passenger, I had a nice cushiony back to my seat so I avoided whiplash as my daughter enjoyed going over as many bumps as she could! My husband and youngest daughter were behind us having just as much fun! I was very sad to see it come to an end!

 

The last night of the cruise is always my least favorite. The week always goes by so fast and it seems we just unpacked when it's time to pack up again. We had to say good-bye to Fernando as he served us one last delicious meal. There are no 4 course dinners served at home, that's for sure! We went to the last headliner show, which was Joe Yannetty, the comedian from our first night. I enjoyed his act more this time, maybe because I was savoring everything about the cruise. Tomorrow we would be back to cracking jokes to each other - and we are not that funny.

 

We spent the rest of the evening enjoying the ocean and our balcony. We were the first group getting off the ship at 8:05 the next morning so we went to bed fairly early. All good things must come to an end, or so they say.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sldcruiser]

DEBARKATION AND SAN JUAN AIRPORT:

Debarkation was simple. We went to our assigned spot, which was the Safari Club, and we got off the ship pretty much when they said we would. We found our luggage with no problem, got a cab and headed to the airport. Our flight was scheduled to leave shortly after noon. Again, I'd read horror stories about the San Juan airport, immigration inspection, long lines for everything - and they were fairly accurate. If you're better at navigating lines than we are (and trust me, most people are better at this than us!), you'd probably have no problem figuring it all out. There was a separate line for people who had boarding passes and just needed to check luggage vs. those who needed to check in. We went to the kiosk to get our boarding passes, but then got in the wrong line to check our luggage. After being there for a few minutes, we realized our mistake and moved to the other one. That one was long but moved quickly. The security line was also very long. Even with our mistakes and the long lines, we were at our gate 2 hours after leaving the ship and were plenty early for our noon flight. I probably wouldn't book a flight earlier than 11:00 though just to be safe.

[sldcruiser]

SOME FINAL THOUGHTS:

Summer is hurricane season in the Caribbean. Know that if you book a cruise in the summertime, the weather may not be perfect. I would have preferred sunnier weather. The good news is that it never rained for an entire day and the sun was usually out for at least part of the day. Somehow we all managed to come home looking like we'd been to the beach - even with overcast skies or rain for the majority of our trip. Don't let the weather spoil your fun!

Use the Cruise Critic boards to find reputable companies and book your excursions yourself. It is usually much cheaper and much less crowded. The tour operators are used to cruisers and know you have to get back to the ship on time. We've never had a problem with that. I'm so glad we did this for St. Lucia, in particular, since we would have missed out on ziplining if we'd booked with the cruise line. Our catamaran experience was also so much better than the one we did several years ago through Princess for almost the same price.

Serenade of the Seas is a beautiful ship with an outstanding crew. The quality of the food and entertainment are subjective so everyone will have a different opinion. I thought the food was really good and my increased waistline can prove it! Our stateroom attendant was practically invisible, yet somehow our room was always clean and we had towel animals about every other night. We finally got a chance to talk to him one day later in the week when we saw him in the hall. He was very nice and said this was his last week on Serenade - he was moving to Radiance of the Seas. Those attendants really work hard and deserve a good tip. I told my girls not to be "ugly Americans" and to pick their clothes up off the floor everyday. They actually kept their room pretty neat all week. I wish this philosophy would carry over to their own rooms at home.

I don't know how people can ever get sick of cruising or going to the Caribbean. Whether you enjoy beaches, adventure, or exploring the islands, there is something for everyone! If you're reading this because you have an upcoming cruise on Serenade, I'm jealous! Have a great time! And this ends my advertisement for Serenade of the Seas and the Southern Caribbean...

[LBumb]

thanks for sharing your cruise adventure, i really enjoyed reading about it.

[LABCHICK]

Thanks for the great review. This itin. will be the second week of our B2B next fall. We have been to most of the islands but I still like reading the review and see it thru someone else eyes. Thanks again.

 

Judi :)

[oldmancurtis]

sid cruiser, have asked each cruiser that puts up a review. did you use the luggage valet or was the paper work to use ever delivered to you? we have used it twiceand it is great and worth the $20.

[sldcruiser]

sid cruiser, have asked each cruiser that puts up a review. did you use the luggage valet or was the paper work to use ever delivered to you? we have used it twiceand it is great and worth the $20.

 

We didn't use the luggage valet and I don't recall getting any information about it. I think I read somewhere on these boards that it had been discontinued, at least on this ship. Not sure if that's true or not. Sorry I can't be of more help with this question.

[takevtr1]

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 :)

 

Boy are we going to have fun starting Aug. 1.:)

[ahawco]

Boy are we going to have fun starting Aug. 1.:)

 

Oh YES we are :)))

[ahawco]

What a great ending to a great review!!! I have to admit I am a little worried about the weather so I hope it turns out to be more sunny than not..crossing fingers here :) No matter what though it sounds like a fantastic vacation even with some clouds and rain :). Thanks again for sharing with us :)

[boaterette]

Thank you for the review. I love cruising through others eyes.

[BroncosFan2010]

Thank you so much! Your review was a joy to read.

[Lynne95]

You have written the perfect report, congrats! Very informative, with your shared impressions, with a few photos thrown in to boot.

 

Thanks so much for sharing, and I'm going to look into that cruise next year now. I loved this class of ship, and I think my husband would like these ports.

 

Again, thanks for sharing!

[JenAndDan]

Great review!!! I can't wait to go. We are doing the Gecko tour too. I couldn't tell from the pics - was there a place to keep your bags or if you brought a backpack, could you keep it on your back? We are doing the full day tour with them and will need our towels and such for the beach afterwards.

[bachsbabygirl]

Loved the review!:D

[sldcruiser]

Great review!!! I can't wait to go. We are doing the Gecko tour too. I couldn't tell from the pics - was there a place to keep your bags or if you brought a backpack, could you keep it on your back? We are doing the full day tour with them and will need our towels and such for the beach afterwards.

 

My husband took a backpack with all our stuff and just wore it on his back - no problem. They also bring you by van from the office near the port to a parking lot where the ATVs are. There's a beach right across the street from the parking lot so that's probably the beach they talk about on their tours. If that's the case, you could probably just leave your stuff in their van until you got back.

[DramaBB82]

It sounds like you hit all the highlights of the Serenade.......Almost. The only thing I can say is it's a shame you neglected to go to the Vortex at night because let me tell you, Vortex dance parties were the most fun I had the entire week! :D

[sldcruiser]

It sounds like you hit all the highlights of the Serenade.......Almost. The only thing I can say is it's a shame you neglected to go to the Vortex at night because let me tell you, Vortex dance parties were the most fun I had the entire week! :D

 

I know! And I love to dance! If I had to do it all over again, I would nap during the day so I could stay awake past midnight! Guess I'll just have to book another cruise and get it right this time! ;)