Help me decide between AOS and Serenade

[amio111]

Both leave from San Juan with similar itineraries at little price difference. I have been on Navigator so I know what Adventure is like. I know Serenade is smaller. No ice rink, no mini golf, no Royal Promenade. Serenade has more specialty restaurants but no Johnny Rockets. Any little things that might help me choose?

[cruiseguy1016]

Both leave from San Juan with similar itineraries at little price difference. I have been on Navigator so I know what Adventure is like. I know Serenade is smaller. No ice rink, no mini golf, no Royal Promenade. Serenade has more specialty restaurants but no Johnny Rockets. Any little things that might help me choose?

 

Serenade is smaller but it has LOTS of glass. There will be views of the water from just about everywhere on the ship.

[amio111]

LOVE glass! Thanks!

[bplazo]

We have done both. If you have children then I would choose AOS otherwise I would choose the Serenade.

[JCafaro]

Both leave from San Juan with similar itineraries at little price difference. I have been on Navigator so I know what Adventure is like. I know Serenade is smaller. No ice rink, no mini golf, no Royal Promenade. Serenade has more specialty restaurants but no Johnny Rockets. Any little things that might help me choose?

 

Serenade has mini golf... and the sea view cafe which is much better than Johnny Rockets, and free. With that said, there is no royal promenade which is a different feel overall. I loved Serenade, but enjoyed freedom more... mostly because Freedom felt newer.

 

I know people downplay the TV issue, but having old TVs really makes the cabin feel old and outdated, just like a hotel would feel that way. I haven't been on Adventure, but I would assume that since it is newer that it would have a more current feel to the ship overall.

[textbookcase]

Serenade is beautiful. We've done both and decided that if the kids were with us, we'd rather do Adventure. But if it's just H and I, we prefer Serenade. We'll be back on her in February.

[amio111]

Taking our 18 yr old son for his HS graduation.

[NordicPrince]

The odds are you will be spending or should be spending the major portion of your day out on the islands exploring. By the time you get back to the

ship you'll be getting a late snack in the Windjammer or getting ready for first dinner seating. Then you'll be going to the shows and then son can go up to do his thing in the disco.

 

Then you do it again the next day.

 

This is a cruise for the destinations not the ship as the destination.

 

IMHO Serenade has more space per passenger than AOS and has an extremely friendly and helpful crew which I can't see how any other ship could match.

[shipshoppers]

We sailed the Serenade to Hawaii a couple of years ago (RCCL doesn't do this anymore, it's a shame). She was a really nice ship with a great crew. Radiance class, so she's smaller than Voyager or Freedom class without as many frills but loved the cruise!:)

[nbsjcruiser]

I am trying to decide the same thing. We have done both classes of ships and like both. Now it is down to the stops. Which stop would you prefer Antigua or Dominica. I could use all the help I could get as we have not been to these stops. We will be booking today.

[cw2go]

I have done both in the Caribbean and prefer AOS we missed the Royal Promenade on Seranade and the pools areas on AOS seem to have more space on the sea day. These are port intensive I agree but with Seranade on the one sea day there was nothing to do other than pool time and no space to do it. It was a very crowded!!! :eek: Finding a chair??? Well... good luck!!! :D On AOS we had more to experience, ex. Basketball court activities and Ice skating show.

 

You will love the southern route, our favorite. Just hate the flights,

Have a blast no matter what you decide,

Patty

[MIcruiser99]

I am trying to decide the same thing. We have done both classes of ships and like both. Now it is down to the stops. Which stop would you prefer Antigua or Dominica. I could use all the help I could get as we have not been to these stops. We will be booking today.

 

We have been to Antigua but not Dominica. On Antigua, we did Eli's Eco tour which we enjoyed but as far as the rest of the island, there really didn't seem like there was much there. If you like beach time, there are many to choose from.

 

We have been researching Dominica on the port of calls. We are torn between a whale watching tour and river tubing tour. We talked with another couple who had just left a cruise and loved Dominica.

 

I think it all depends on what you are interested in so research into what each island offers is important. Have you checked out the port of calls section yet?

[vickiw0318]

Dominica is wonderful. Can't wait to go back in February. I've been on the Serenade twice this year and it's a wonderful ship. We are going on the Adventure this February solely because of its Sunday sail date. (We won't have to take off an extra travel day.)

 

P.S. The Serenade does have a basketball court too.

[cb at sea]

If you want an adult solarium where you can sun, go Voyager class. If you want an enclosed solarium, go Radiance class.

[jackinav]

I've sailed on both ships from San Juan (my favourite departure port!) and hands-down I'd pick Serenade. Both trips were great but on SOS you KNOW you're on the ocean because there's so much glass that it's hard to find an area where you can't see water. The ship also seemed a lot less crowded than AOS (both cruises were late November/early December).

That being said, the food was the same quality as was the service and trips. I'd just pick a Radiance-class ship every time for the stunning views and less- crowded feeling. It depends on your taste, but you'll have a great time on either ship. Enjoy San Juan too!

[NordicPrince]

I am trying to decide the same thing. We have done both classes of ships and like both. Now it is down to the stops. Which stop would you prefer Antigua or Dominica. I could use all the help I could get as we have not been to these stops. We will be booking today.

 

Our fellow CC poster Bill from Wisconsin has put up a series of videos of his 2010 B2B on Serenade which stopped at both islands.

 

The link to the first part is:

 

 

You can find the other 4 parts from there.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Bill had done the same for his 2009 trip and the videos helped us to make a decision to take a similar B2B on Serenade, a decision

which DW and I will never regret and always remember.

 

Good luck and Happy Cruising!!

[amio111]

OMG those videos were soooo nice!:)

[tobecool]

If I were you, I would choose Serenade even though I never tried it before. I like waht people talk about more glass on her and beautiful view from the cafe. And I also prefer to try things new.

I had the so-so experience on Adventure even with our teen girl, she doesn't like Adventure either, kinda old to us. If you like the ice rank, promenade, mini golf..., then you'd better sail with freedom class.