Nordic Empress & Viking Serenade RCCL?

[the_journeyman]

My first ever cruise was on the Nordic Empress. I was AMAZED by that boat. The waterfall and sculpture in the Centrum were beautiful. The 2-store dining room was beautiful and had awesome views with it's floor to ceiling windows. It actually made the dining room a let down on the Sovereign when sailed it a few years later.

 

Viking Serenade was a smaller but beautiful boat (around 20,000 tons IIRC) but supposedly made up for its size in elegance. I think it did Alaska sailings. Does anybody have any pictures of the interior they would be willing to share?

 

Both were RCCL boats.

 

JM

[maureencruiser]

My first cruise was also the empress! I think it was 1991.

Here she was just a few weeks ago in Helsinki!

[bahrain_not_dubai!]

The Nordic Empress, which was eventually renamed Empress of the Seas is now sailing as Empress for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd's Pullmantur brand, catering mainly for the Spanish and Brazilian markets, so while she has left the Royal Caribbean International brand, she has never left RCCL ownership. It is worthy to note that the Nordic Empress was the last RCCL ship not to have been built with a 'of the Seas' name.

 

The Viking Serenade, originally the cold-weather ferry Scandinavia, is currently sailing for Thomson Cruises under the Island Cruises banner as the Island Escape. Thomson is a huge British travel company, part of the TUI European travel empire.

 

You will probably come across some photographs of her interior here http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Island%20Escape