Serenade of the Seas January 3, 2015 **FAMILY EDITION ~ PHOTO REVIEW**

[lemonade-sails]

Hey friend, glad to be reading about your trip!! I was thinking of you & your family while you were gone & hoping the trip went well. :) I'm enjoying following along! Blessings!

 

 

Hi!!!! I've been meaning to write you back. I'll get in touch with you soon. Trying to get this report done is taking a lot of time. The trip went great and we're so glad we were able to do it!

[Beach Ball]

Thanks for a great review. I was one of five kids and vacations were quite an experience. Your children look like they are having a great time and its nice to read "the little things" that make them happy (extra cheesecake, hot chocolate, mini golf). You helped make them make special memories. I can't wait to read how they enjoyed Jamaica.

[imjoyful2]

Hi!!!! I've been meaning to write you back. I'll get in touch with you soon. Trying to get this report done is taking a lot of time. The trip went great and we're so glad we were able to do it!

 

Take your time as I know it takes awhile to get back into the swing of things at home. ;) And you are ahead of me in posting as I am STILL working on my trip on my blog. So many photos to go through make it take so long. :D I'm up to day 9 out of 15. :p

[lemonade-sails]

Thanks for a great review. I was one of five kids and vacations were quite an experience. Your children look like they are having a great time and its nice to read "the little things" that make them happy (extra cheesecake, hot chocolate, mini golf). You helped make them make special memories. I can't wait to read how they enjoyed Jamaica.

 

Thank you for this! You're right about the little things. We were walking down the hall and my 3 year old stuck his hand unexpectedly into mine. I told him that was the best part of the trip. So each time he would hold mine or DH's hand he would whisper "This is the best part." He also still talks about the jello :D

 

Jamaica coming up next . . .

[FunX5]

I'm loving your review!

[lemonade-sails]

I'm loving your review!

 

Thanks! Day 4 coming up . . .:)

[NightOne]

I'm loving your review!

 

I was too ... right up until the point where we learned we were not getting the Lasagna recipe. :(:(:(

[lemonade-sails]

DAY 4 JAMAICA

 

Today started off very early. For some reason I wake up very early on vacation. I showered and dressed while everyone slept.

 

I checked the ship channel and we were heading toward Falmouth.

 

 

The alarm went off at 6:45 and we made the required calls to the other cabins to wake up the crew and plan a meeting for breakfast in the Windjammer.

 

As usual we met on deck 8 at the centrum area.

 

 

 

 

We were scheduled to arrive at 9 but we ended up pulling into Falmouth at 8am instead. I was so glad we had gotten up early to watch our arrival.

 

 

 

 

 

We finished breakfast and headed down to deck 2 as soon as we were given the all clear.

 

Everyone had their sea pass cards and we made it off without a hitch.

 

 

[lemonade-sails]

Day 4 ~~ Continued

 

We did some shopping for souvenirs in the shops and market right at the port.

 

 

 

 

 

We bought some bracelets, a bag and some t-shirts while there.

 

The kids enjoyed shopping and bargaining with the merchants there.

 

They danced to some of the music in the plaza.

 

On the way out we bought some carved turtles and a sting ray.

 

 

 

 

 

 

While we were shopping we noticed that Oasis had arrived. She’s a big’un. We decided to hightail it out of there before the masses descended.

 

We headed back on board.

 

There was a crew drill going on so we had to wait a second to get back to our cabins.

 

Our wooden souvenirs:

 

 

 

 

 

While there DH and the three oldest packed a backpack for their excursion.

 

They had booked the Chukka Zipline Canopy at Rosehall. They were scheduled to meet in the back of the port area for their 12:30 tour at 12:15.

 

At about 12 DH and the kids headed off and I took the rest of the kids for a bean bag toss tournament.

 

We were the only ones who showed up - but that’s okay as I didn’t worry about the baby running off with the bean bags.

 

 

 

The kids had fun.

 

 

 

 

And . . . wait for it . . .

 

they all won keychains! Lol!

 

 

Up Next: How we spent the rest of our afternoon on board.

 

 

[lemonade-sails]

I was too ... right up until the point where we learned we were not getting the Lasagna recipe. :(:(:(

 

Awww, come on! I'll give you a good coffee cake recipe . . .

[lemonade-sails]

Day 4 ~~ Continued

 

This afternoon the kids were really looking forward to hitting up the kids pool. So after the bean bag toss we headed back to the cabin to change into our swimwear and get set up for the pool.

 

Keep in mind that there were still 5 kids with me. So this was a bit of an involved process.

 

Then there was the sunscreen.

 

Wait a minute, I also had to blow up the baby tub. Whew! That took a little while.

 

We threw everything into the stroller and headed out. We got all the way up there and realized that we forgot our towels - so back down to the towel station to get some and then back to the pool. :)

 

Don’t worry, we’ll get there eventually.

 

 

The kids pool area on Serenade is pretty nice. There is a tiny slide and then it’s mostly a shallow area with a circular deeper part. Very technical I know. Then there is the big slide. We found the open times on the big slide to be hit or miss. This day it didn’t open until 3:30 - but since we still hadn’t had lunch, I knew we wouldn’t make it that long.

 

 

The boys were having a blast.

 

 

And what of the baby?

 

 

I used two pool towels and the lounge chairs to create a little shady area for her next to me. I filled up her pool with an inch or two of water carried from the pool with a bucket we brought from home.

 

She had a lot of fun for a little while throwing out the plastic dinosaurs I had given her. After awhile she got out and found it even funner to dump her brother’s shoes into her tub.

 

 

 

[lemonade-sails]

Day 4 ~~ Continued

 

I forgot to mention earlier that on our way to the pool we came upon the aerial show practice in the centrum so we stopped to watch that.

 

 

We made sure to make a note of that as we wanted to see the actual show.

 

Back to swimming . . .

 

We were the only ones at the pool at this time on a port day. Right before we left another family came but otherwise it was very quiet and nice.

 

The baby took a nap in my arms while the boys splashed and played.

 

One thing I will mention about the kids pool is that from a parent’s position on the lounger, it’s somewhat difficult to keep an eye on the kids.

 

 

The picture above was taken with my camera held up above me while I was sitting. So, you really need to be paying attention and counting heads. I wish that the pool was set into the deck instead of onto the deck. It would make supervising easier.

 

When the baby woke up and the boys had shriveled toes, we dried off packed up and headed down to the Windjammer for an easy lunch.

 

We ran into the grandparents on the way so they came along with us.

 

 

 

After our late lunch we headed back to the rooms to have a nap.

 

We may or may not have had a stroller incident on the way out. A stroller incident is where your son is pushing the stroller (filled with gear as you're carrying the baby in arms) and doesn't compensate for the bump on the floor in the doorway and the backpack and inflatable tub go flying. This is then followed by a nice fellow passenger trying to assist you to throw all of the gear back onto the stroller. Next you straighten your swim cover up and hold your head high as you flip-flop out of the buffet.

 

Yup. No dull moments here. :D

 

It was 2:30pm by the time I got the kids down for a nap.

 

DH and the big kids were on a 4.5 hour excursion that left at 12:30.

 

All aboard time was 5:00pm.

 

This could be a problem.

 

Edited January 15, 2015 by lemonade-sails

[imjoyful2]

Oh goodness I can relate in so many ways. Though I have to say I am thankful on the Explorer the kiddie pool, kiddie slide and all that jazz is in a shaded area with a life guard. While we still had to go with Olivia down the slide & pool, I did not have to worry about putting sunblock on her or Ava who used the blow up pool in a shaded spot. I feel for you mama!!!

[NightOne]

Awww, come on! I'll give you a good coffee cake recipe . . .

 

How about a good slow cooker recipe then? :)

[lemonade-sails]

Day 4 ~~ Continued

 

After about a 1.5 hour nap everyone was up and ready to go. We were anxious to have DH and the big kids back. I wasn’t too nervous as they were on a ship-sponsored excursion, but we were missing them and eager to hear about their adventure.

 

We headed out to the towel exchange with our wet towels and picked up 7 clean dry ones. We also grabbed some chips from the Park Cafe. We stopped by the cabin on deck 8 to drop off the towels and headed down to deck 5 portside to watch for DH.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally we saw them.

 

 

It was about 4:30 when they showed up. We were glad to see them. We met them on deck 8 in the stairwell.

 

They enjoyed their trip and thought the bus ride was scarier than the ziplining. It was a highlight of the whole week for the older kids.

 

 

We headed back to the room where they shared some of their photos.

 

They didn’t get many pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They cleaned up a little bit and then we went back down to deck 5 for sail away from Jamaica.

 

 

Up Next: Sail away

 

 

[lemonade-sails]

Day 4 ~~ Continued

 

The ship left a bit late as there was a large group missing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We enjoyed the sunset and waving to the people on Oasis.

 

After sail away we headed back to the cabin to get cleaned up for dinner. I sent DH’s jeans out to the laundry with our room steward as they were covered in bug spray after his excursion.

 

As I picked up the room before we left to eat, I carefully squirreled away the beach towels we had picked up earlier. I knew they wanted us to check towels out in the morning on the way out but I didn’t want to have our sea passes scanned for towels or wait in a towel line.

 

When we were all ready we headed to the Schooner Bar to let the baby run around before being in a high chair for dinner.

 

We headed to the dining room at 7:15 and walked right back to our table which was waiting for us. We enjoyed having the same table every night.

 

I believe tonight’s menu was shiitake (?) as my notes say that I had the Arancini and the Rack of Lamb.

 

 

 

Our waiters brought out extra rack of lamb for the table.

 

I also had the warm melting cake for dessert.

 

They brought out some sherbet and a cookie for the baby.

 

 

 

She loved it.

 

We didn't stay for after dinner coffee as the baby was getting restless.

 

We returned to the room for a little while and then hit the centrum area so that we would have a good spot for the aerial show at 10pm.

 

We enjoyed the show and met some very friendly people.

 

We tried to make it to the 10:30 headliner show, but the little kids were too tired so I took them back to the room.

 

We headed to bed without any concrete plans for our next day in Grand Cayman with four other ships, Oh my!

 

 

[lovethesun1960]

We will be on the serenade next month, so thanks for the lovely review. You are a good brave mom. I love cruises but never took my kids until they were 14 and 21 year old ladies. They kind of hated it so I never bothered again.

[lemonade-sails]

We will be on the serenade next month, so thanks for the lovely review. You are a good brave mom. I love cruises but never took my kids until they were 14 and 21 year old ladies. They kind of hated it so I never bothered again.

 

Thanks for commenting! I think you will like Serenade, she's beautiful!

 

My kids loved cruising. Not sure if that's a good thing or not ;)

[LeeLee@12]

I am enjoying your detailed review. My husband and I are taking our 3 kids on Serenade of the Seas in March. The kids are so excited for their first cruise. I love the details to help me know what to expect with the kids. Looking forward to the rest.

[lemonade-sails]

How about a good slow cooker recipe then? :)

 

I don't really have any slow cooker recipes :o

[lemonade-sails]

I am enjoying your detailed review. My husband and I are taking our 3 kids on Serenade of the Seas in March. The kids are so excited for their first cruise. I love the details to help me know what to expect with the kids. Looking forward to the rest.

 

Thanks for following along. You'll have a great time and I hope they will love it like mine did. I'll try and get day 5 up soon. :)

[lemonade-sails]

DAY 5 ~~ GRAND CAYMAN

 

Today we slept in. It was about 8:15am when we got up. While we weren’t in a hurry, as we didn’t have an excursion booked, I was a bit nervous about crowding with the number of ships arriving today.

 

Why didn’t we book an excursion? Because a simple trip to the beach would have been $500+ dollars for our party to hit 7 mile beach. We figured we could do this on our own for a lot less.

 

I called the kids’ cabin and played “Backyard Beach” from Phineas and Ferb. Just to get them in the mood. We got dressed into our swimsuits and cover ups and headed upstairs to the Windjammer for breakfast.

 

 

The back outside area of the WJ was essentially empty. It was a great breakfast.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We headed down to the tenders and were off the ship at 10am with no line - although we had to wait awhile for the tender to fill.

 

The ride over was pretty rocky and I was glad we were able to make our stop at Grand Cayman.

 

Once on dry land we stopped for a picture with Captain Jack.

 

We got a few photos taken but didn’t end up purchasing any. It was fun to look at them though and to have the opportunity to buy them if we wanted to.

 

We made our way through the port area with plans to head for the bus stop in order to save a bit of money on transportation. There were several taxi drivers offering rides to 7 mile beach but we declined, mentioning we were headed for the bus station.

 

One driver offered to take our group of 12 for $3 each US. Since this was what were expecting to pay for the bus, we accepted his offer and loaded ourselves into his van.

 

 

We asked him to drive us to Public Beach. I wanted a place with facilities and shade. When we arrived I gave him ($3 x 12) + $4 for cutting us a deal. So $40 to the beach. By this time it was about 10:45am. We told our driver Carlos that we wanted to be picked up at 1pm as the last tender returning to the ship was leaving at 3:15. He told us he would return for us.

 

[Jiminy1955]

Day 1 ~~ BOARDING DAY

 

We woke up early this morning. The alarm went off early in anticipation of our first day of vacation. With everyone showered and/or dressed we ate a quick breakfast. I believe it was a combination of oatmeal and scrambled eggs. Perfect for clearing out the fridge.

 

We had loaded our van the night before and generally prepared the house for our absence but I was still surprised when we hit the road earlier than expected. After a quick stop for coffee and a couple of checks on the birth certificates we were on our way.

 

Several months prior to the cruise I had contacted the Port of New Orleans to make sure our 15 passenger van was not considered over sized for the Whale Lot. For our first cruise we parked in the Fulton Garage and had a very good experience. However, our van does not easily fit into parking garages so our plan was to park right in the open lot at the port. This would prove to be the low light of our trip.

 

 

We had no trouble getting to the port area and soon we were driving past the Erato terminal and on to the Julia Street terminal.

 

 

We were directed to take a left onto Julia street where there were luggage handlers and carts waiting. We parked there temporarily and unloaded our bags and tipped the gentleman. They had no problem taking our cases of bottled water.

 

After unloading we had to turn right onto Convention Center Boulevard past the Whale Lot to Poydras Street. There was an entrance to the lot off of Convention Center Blvd, but they were not allowing cruise passengers to enter there. We took a right on Poydras, and around the levy wall, doubling back to the port and turning right onto Julia Street and an immediate right onto a service road of sorts leading to the parking lot entrance.

 

I had a hard time picturing this as we were preparing for our trip. I made a map to illustrate for those of you who are planners, like me, who want to have a clear idea of what to expect.

 

 

In the map above the blue star is where we offloaded our luggage and the green star is the Julia Street Terminal where you check in for Royal Caribbean.

 

After turning onto the service road we ended up in a line and waited for an hour for the lot to open at 10 am.

 

 

Each of the attempts to get information, by us and the other people in the vehicles ahead of us, were met with vague excuses and no actual information. We were told they were still waiting for the lot to clear, although there were plenty of spaces. All the while, people were entering from Convention Center Blvd and parking to go to the Riverwalk mall.

 

When asked when the lot would open, we were told they didn't know and they could not open the lot for us. When I asked what time the lot has opened for cruise passengers on Saturdays in the past, I was told there was no set time and we would be okay. When I told them we had several people who wanted to use the restroom I was told to take them upstairs into the mall. So, basically zero info, zero help. Not sure how hard it would be to tell us all we could expect a 10 am opening. We would have left home later had we known we would not be allowed to park.

 

When the gate finally opened we watched one of the girls working the booth picking her teeth with her fingers. It was this same girl who took our credit card for payment. We were so grossed out we didn't pay much attention to what they were handing us back. But I did sanitize my card after it was returned.

 

As we drove into the lot we were directed to the far right - right by the whale mural. This may be of interest to some as it's pretty much the opposite of where you need to head for the terminal. So there was a bit of walking involved.

 

We decided not to drop anyone off at the terminal and stayed together as a group instead. This turned out to be a good decision as I wouldn't have wanted to stand around inside for an hour with the kids waiting for DH to park.

 

We unloaded our carry on bags and gathered up our group to head for the terminal.

 

 

There was basically no line once we got into the building. Because we are gold members we had priority check in and were allowed to go ahead of the few people in the general boarding line. They let us all check in together. With our large group they pulled us aside to check birth certificates and the grandparents passports. The grandparents had failed to print their set sail pass, but this was not as an issue.

 

We headed straight to the security line and were ushered right through. No line. I had to fold up the stroller to send it through the machine and hold the baby away from my body as I went through. No issues there. Then onto the check in desk where we used our own pens to fill out out the health questionnaire and have our sea pass cards issued. Because of the number of us it took a little while, but again, there was no line at this point.

 

A quick stop at at the bathroom and then we found seats in the waiting area. It was starting to fill up. I sent a couple of photos to the other set of grandparents to let them know we had made it through check in.

 

We looked over the information we received at check in.

 

 

 

 

Up Next: We're On!!

 

 

 

 

Loving your review! We are on this same itinerary the end of February. I can't even imagine taking that many kids!! We are a group of thirteen adults.

 

Love, love, love that you are posting compasses & that they are legible!!

[lemonade-sails]

Day 5 ~~ Continued

 

We made our way to the water. The grandparents rented a chair for $5 but declined a $10 umbrella. We skipped the chair and umbrella altogether as I knew the kids would not be sitting in a lounger and I could see a nice shady area to the left.

 

We headed for the shade and set up camp.

 

 

 

There were some large inflatables in the water just in front of us. I would guess that you must pay money to use them - there was a tent set up on the beach perhaps where you would do this. We did not bother as the kids were having plenty of fun in the sand and waves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The beach was crowded, but not too bad. Every half hour I would call the kids back to reapply sunscreen. Time goes so fast and before you know it - you’re burnt - which can ruin the rest of your vacation. I did not want this to happen. I took the baby into the ocean for a little bit but mostly she stayed in the shade with me.

 

 

We had some bottled water in our back pack which I used to rinse the sand of her little hands a few times.

 

 

We brought along two dollar-store buckets and a couple of little shovel sets from home. They didn’t take up much room as I packed things inside the buckets. The kids loved having them.

 

 

 

At a quarter to one we started packing up our gear. I had brought along my cell phone - a very old “smart” phone to take pictures at the beach so that I could leave my DSLR on the ship. In the hurry to pack, I threw the phone in with the wet swim shoes - DOH! We gathered up at the bathroom building where there were several outdoor showers and did the best we could to rinse off the sand.

 

We headed toward the parking lot, stopping in the shade of a large tree looking for our ride. Several taxis were there offering rides back to the ship. The public buses were also running there. We said we were waiting for Carlos and told one driver the deal he had offered. She offered the same $3 US pp deal and gave us the baby for free. We waited 5 more minutes for Carlos but he never came so we took the new driver’s offer and headed for her taxi.

 

She had us line up at the door and actually took a small broom out and brushed off the kids’ feet and legs. This took a long time. I can understand her desire to keep her taxi nice, but it did take a while.

 

 

 

There were seatbelts in every seat of this taxi which was nice.

 

 

 

 

We had a nice, slightly scary, drive back to the port. We were dropped off across the street and down a little ways, in front of the Smoothie King, though which surprised me. We had to walk down and then cross that main road in front of the port.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It wasn’t far, but I just wasn’t expecting it. Not a big deal.

 

I dropped one of the buckets into the garbage can as it had developed a crack and we headed through the port gates to do some shopping.

 

[teachergal29]

Enjoying your review of the Seranade. We did this itinerary last April and loved the Serenade so much that we booked it again to do a repositioning this April, NOLA to Boston.. Love all your pictures and amazed at how well you vacation with all the kids. All seem to be having the time of your lives..:)