AOS vs SOS Class Ships for S. Caribbean - Opinions wanted

[hazeleyez3]

My husband and I are looking at a S. Caribbean cruise. The AOS and the SOS have the exact itinerary, leave from San Juan, and are very close in price.

 

We already know we'd like the layout and Promenade of the AOS so I was curious...other than size and views, what makes the Radiance Class a favorite?

[cb at sea]

I prefer the Voyager class, simply because of the Solarium. I like to be able to utilize the adult pool, but on Radiance class, the retractable roof is seldom, if ever, opened, meaning no tanning!

However, I do like the outdoor WJ seating on Radiance class....I think more ships should have "al fresco" dining!

So, Radiance class isn't my favorite...but it is nice!

[The Big Booper]

We prefer the Radiance class Serenade over the AOS. The covered Solarium is better on super hot days then the open AOS solarium. And the ship is very classy and not as crowded as the AOS. We have done both. RCI seems to have more difficulty is selling out the AOS then the SOS.

[CRUSINGFAMILY]

We are lovers of the Serenade, the layout is amazing, it seems you never have to walk too far to any venue, staff is amazing, love the solarium, sun coming through the glass and airconditioned so its not too hot.

 

You get to know the staff better on the smaller ship, faster getting on and off, the entertainment is great too.

 

Don't get me wrong, we love the big ships too, but we find the smaller ships more down to earth I guess, and Serenade is our favorite.

 

The problem with the southern itinerary is that it is very busy, we enjoy our sea days and with that trip their is not much relaxing time. We are looking at Explorer or Enchantment or Mercury because you get two or three sea days at each end of the cruise and save the flight price. They have some amazing deals in January and February on those ships. 12 days for 499 WOW.

 

Just my thoughts

 

Brian J

[Host Faith]

My husband and I have sailed both ships. I prefer the Serenade, while he enjoyed the Adventure (by a very small margin).

 

I enjoyed the Serenade because I felt so much more connected to the sea. With all the glass and elegant decor, I felt like we had a much more elegant experience on that ship. I also liked the outdoor dining area of the Windjammer. I thought I would miss the open-air Solarium like they have on the AOS, however we found ourselves in the jacuzzi so much that it wasn't really missed. I was also happy to enjoy both Chops and Portofino on the Serenade. The Adventure only has Portofino. I also felt much more pampered on the Serenade. The service on that ship is top-notch!

 

My husband likes the Adventure because of the Royal Promenade. He likes to people-watch, and the Promenade gives you a great place to do that. Johnny Rockets is not available on the Serenade, however the Seaview Cafe is great. Both ships are very enjoyable, and honestly, each ship wins out in out from our different perspectives by a very slight margin.

 

Whichever ship you choose, remember you will have a pretty port-intensive itinerary. Factor in the times you expect to be on the ship throughout your week, get a good idea of the venues you want to enjoy on the ship, and choose according to your preferences. Happy Sailing!

[The Big Booper]

I left this out of my other post. Since the Serenade is faster, on the way back to San Juan the Captain will sometimes approach Monserrat and pivot the ship in a 360 so that we can see the damage done by the volcano eruption a decade ago. We also have had the 360 pivot leaving St Lucia in order to appreciate the Pitons.

 

The AOS didn't do this when we took it.

[The Flying Pirate]

We prefer the Radiance class Serenade over the AOS. The covered Solarium is better on super hot days then the open AOS solarium. And the ship is very classy and not as crowded as the AOS. We have done both. RCI seems to have more difficulty is selling out the AOS then the SOS.

 

 

We also like the Radiance class ships for those reasons and also because they are the only ships in the fleet that have the Thermal Suite, which is wonderful.

[sweet angel]

Have been on Serenade and Explorer/Navigator/Liberty (but not Adventure).

 

Thought Serenade was nice, but we REALLY missed having the Promenade. Nowhere for free coffee on Serenade, except Windjammer. No late night pizza or cookies (at least that we found). If we hadn't been with a group of people, we would've been really bored on Serenade.

 

Oh, and having The Quest in the small lounge on Serenade was REALLY lame.

 

Serenade was a gorgeous ship, but we prefer having the Promenade, and are sailing on Adventure in December.

[nikita606]

Have not been on the SOS, but our family loved the AOS on a southern caribbean trip 3 years ago. Just a small thing, but I loved the aquarium theme on AOS. To me it is much nicer than the theming on mariner or liberty.

[paulap70]

Have been on Serenade and Explorer/Navigator/Liberty (but not Adventure).

 

Thought Serenade was nice, but we REALLY missed having the Promenade. Nowhere for free coffee on Serenade, except Windjammer. No late night pizza or cookies (at least that we found). If we hadn't been with a group of people, we would've been really bored on Serenade.

 

Oh, and having The Quest in the small lounge on Serenade was REALLY lame.

 

Serenade was a gorgeous ship, but we prefer having the Promenade, and are sailing on Adventure in December.

 

I agree 100% with your comments! We cruised on Serenade one year ago and while it was a beautiful ship, it seemed to "close up" after 10 PM. There's no Ben and Jerry's and as you mentioned, no place to get late night pizza or cookies (or for us, ice cream). It was just the two of us and although we're not really late night people, this ship seemed to be geared more towards an older crowd. We both decided that we like the promenade and in the future, we will stick to ships offering the promenade.

[vickiw0318]

Just checked my Compasses to verify the hours. The Serenade has snacks available in the Seaview Cafe from 9:30 to 1:30 a.m. and in the Solarium Cafe from midnight to 5:00 a.m.

[Debde]

Been on both and what you loose with one you gain with the other. All depends on what you prefer.

 

Did miss the Promenade when on Serenade.

but

The ocean views from just about everywhere and easy access to everything on Serenade was great.

 

You'll love either one I'm thinking.;)