Navigator vrs. Serenade

[mjtripper]

How does the Navigator measure up to the Serenade?

 

I am thinking of booking the Navigator sailing the caribbean in Feb.2012.

I was on the Serenade last Feb and it was a great cruise. The itinerary and crew were great.

I have not been on a voyager class ship and wondering how this compares to the Serenade.If you have been on the Navigator can you post your pro/cons

I like the itinerary but unsure about the ship.

I am trying to determine if this will be a good choice.

[DramaBB82]

I've liked all the cruises I've ever been on with RCCL, but I definitely have ones that I've liked more than others. In fact, it's interesting to me that you are asking for a comparison between Serenade and the Nav, as those two ships are at either extreme of my cruise experiences so far. Amazingly enough, I actually posted a thread just today that talks a bit about the comparison between the two of them: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1425459

I hope it helps!

[kruzerci]

I'd take the Navigator any day over the Serenade. Navigator is one of our favorite ships. It has been a few years since we sailed on her, but it is the perfect size and has great itineraries this year.

 

The Radiance class ships have a very strong fanbase for some reason, but it seems that people either love them or don't care for them. I didn't care for Radiance class. The Navigator will have the promenade, more dining choices, larger everything, nicer gym, far superior pool deck.

 

IMO you can't go wrong with the Navigator. If she fit our schedule this year, I would sail on her again in a heartbeat.

[cb at sea]

I 2nd that....Voyager class beats Radiance class any day, imo....except for the outside seating at WJ on Radiance class....

I LOVE the adult open-air Solarium on Voyager class ships!

[DramaBB82]

I 2nd that....Voyager class beats Radiance class any day, imo....except for the outside seating at WJ on Radiance class....

I LOVE the adult open-air Solarium on Voyager class ships!

 

I somehow remember the Solarium being open air on the Serenade too....? It's just that they could in fact close it as well, for bad weather....

[dfishner]

I am a strong NOS fan, I just love the size of the ship, love the promenade, the ice skating shows and the layout of the ship is so easy to get around.. We tend to hang out around the promenade quite, for us it is the perfect size cruise ship. The main differences are that on the Radiance class ship you are much more in touch with the ocean and with the Voyager and beyond it seems to be much more inward. It depends upon what you like. We do like both ships but we favor the NOS more. There is just so much more to do on the NOS

[debshomespun]

I also enjoy the Navigator more than the Radiance class ships (Serenade). The Navigator has the Royal Promenade with a couple parades, also the Cafe Promenade that has excellent cookies and snack sandwiches. They also have the ice skating rink that offers one of the greatest shows on the high seas (IMHO). As someone else stated, the Serenade

has the outdoor seating at the back of the ship which is really great!

 

Both size ships offer great cruises. You should try out the Navigator (We have been on her twice now!) and decide for yourself, but I don't think you will have made a bad choice!

[daveky]

Just came off of the Serenade last month and had a great time. Service, food, staff all great. I took my fiance' on this ship (she's been on the Freedom and Liberty) to experience a smaller ship. She had a really good time but felt she liked the bigger ships because there was more to do in the long run. Have sailed Voyager/Freedom class ships 15 times and when I do the southern route again I'll probably do the Adventure. I'm glad though I did the Serenade, it's good to change from time to time.

 

Dave

[cw2go]

Been there done both...GO NOS!!!!!

Smiles,

Patty

[LookingForward2]

awe man! my last cruise was on Navigator - next one on Serenade....

Navigator was my favorite so far (even over Adventure), so I'm keeping an open mind and realizing that Serenade is a different class.

I had free flights though and wanted to use them for the farthest (most expensive) route I could, plus we love the southern caribbean ports.

[daveky]

awe man! my last cruise was on Navigator - next one on Serenade....

Navigator was my favorite so far (even over Adventure), so I'm keeping an open mind and realizing that Serenade is a different class.

I had free flights though and wanted to use them for the farthest (most expensive) route I could, plus we love the southern caribbean ports.

 

I had a fantastic time on the Serenade last month. So glad I sailed her. Great service, entertainment, and really enjoyed the intimacy of being on a smaller ship. The CD and staff was full of energy as you have read on recent Serenade reviews. Each class of ship has their own personality as I'm sure I will find out on my first cruise on the Oasis later this year.

 

Dave

[Sequim88]

Been researching this a lot too (why I read this thread) given our only experience with RCI has been Brilliance and Serenade and next cruise is Mariner. But one things noted elsewher by many for Radiance calls is the water views. The Promenade (so I am told) is very inward focused - many of the features are ship focused rather than sea focused. Buit we'll see how we feel about this (eventually almost a year from now :().

[coast2coast]

Although we haven't been on the Freedom class yet, the Voyager class is definitely my favorite, even over the Allure. It's a great size... not too big, not too small, and has TONS of things to do!

Having said that, we've been on the Serenade twice, once to Alaska, and once to the Caribbean. Enjoyed both cruises a lot, but I think I missed the Royal Promenade a bit...

We're "downsizing" for our next cruise. We were just on the Allure in January, and we're going back on the Enchantment next January for the second time!

I think you will really enjoy the Navigator. I took DH on his first cruise on the Explorer (same class), and he has been hooked ever since. For some reason he thought he'd be bored on a ship for 7 days...:rolleyes: