Serenade of the Seas - SHIP OF ‘NO’

[Desert Cruizers]

We will be on the Serenade in October for the first time, so will see how we like her. Last year, we sailed on the Radiance which was our 2nd time and did 3 cruises from Sydney back to Vancouver. Each ship is different so a lot depends on the crew.

[WonderousBlue]

following

[PolarisKale]

We will probably cruise again, but are unsure on which cruise line or ship.

Not to say we did not have a good time with the company we had, we just had a better time on Norwegian.

Any suggestions??

 

Very interesting. We absolutely love RCI - far more than NCL. There are definite differences in what we expect and why we cruise, though. For the group you were traveling with, my suggestions would have been:

1. Disney

2. Carnival

3. RCI's Quantum Class

4. RCI's Oasis Class

5. RCI's Freedom Class

 

I personally wouldn't recommend going lower than Freedom or sailing Holland America for your needs. Most cruise lines know their target market for their various ships and tailor everything around them. For those markets, they're phenomenal.

[SelectSys]

Just got off of the Serenade yesterday. I certainly did not find it to be a "ship of no." I really felt that the staff really tried to make the experience a good one for all. For sure Serenade is not a "mega ship" and it doesn't pretend to be one. However, it does afford one a nice cruising experience for adults without a price tag that breaks the bank. In my book, the Serenade was a "ship of yes."

[handbellplayer]

Just got off of the Serenade yesterday. I certainly did not find it to be a "ship of no." I really felt that the staff really tried to make the experience a good one for all. For sure Serenade is not a "mega ship" and it doesn't pretend to be one. However, it does afford one a nice cruising experience for adults without a price tag that breaks the bank. In my book, the Serenade was a "ship of yes."

 

We were on the 11-day Serenade cruise before you and I completely agree - some of the best crew we've ever experienced. Love the Serenade!

[PolarisKale]

I totally agree with SelectSys. We really enjoyed the cruise and found everyone to be very accommodating. We'll definitely be back.

[Deptacon]

Honestly, I can't take any complaint seriously anymore. First world problems.....

 

The way we all act nowadays and how we complain about such stupid, small petty stuff.... I just can't take it seriously. From the rants on cruise critics to the entitled punks at Missouri U....its like Modern American is one big ball of WHHHAAAAAA

 

No, they don't serve food in the pub. its not that kind of pub. its not a restaurant like on NCL. Does the menu have food?

 

This ranks up there with the lady I heard at CoCo Cay once ask a Royal rep on the island, completely serious, why Royal didn't remove all the jelly fish from the water before the ship arrived.......

[Trekker954]

Just an FYI, there is a shop in the Centrum area of the Serenade that sells all sorts of sundries, including hair conditioner. Guest services does not sell things like that there, and you did say you were willing to pay for it. Also both Key West and Nassau have pharmacies within walking distance that sells conditioner.

[susancruzs]

Wow! I'm sailing on the Serenade next Fall, just got off the Vision this Fall (26 days) and I don't get the complaints so I'll have to see for myself.

 

I don't agree with don't sail anything other than a certain class, as my Vision cruise was the best crew I've ever encountered in 33 years of cruising (26 cruises)! Absolutely awesome cruise.

 

I've never had a bad cruise, but some are better and more memorable than others. I rarely have any reason to complain as I'm a big picture person, glass half full plus there are thousands of people involved, not just me.

[Desert Cruizers]

We recently got off the Serenade our of Quebec to FLL, Nov 2nd and had a wonderful cruise. weather was colder then the rest we had been on but saw lovely countryside and ports and service very good. Only real complaint was our daughters sofa bed. We had to ask our room steward for an extra mattress. The bed actually was lower at the one end and we thought someone forgot to put legs at that end, looked strange.:D She was able to sleep much better after the added mattress.

[Langley Cruisers]

Yeah, just a note to anyone who might read this and be sad or upset, OP posted this 8 months ago and has not been back since. We, and many others, have sailed beautiful Serenade since then and love her to bits. Some things are just not worth getting upset over. It's all good. :)

.

[Thetrail]

Were these discounts in response to your "NO list" of complaints? IMHO, nothing there makes me feel you were entitled to any type of compensation whatsoever.

Some folks aren't happy unless they bitch and moan. Then they're still miserable. And as far as compensation????? Please for what??? Feel bad for any of the crew that had to tolerate such nonsense.....:rolleyes::rolleyes:

[momphoto]

We were on the Serenade last month and loved it!! Crew was wonderful, food amazing! Our cabin attendant Doris was super sweet! My only complaint would be the chair hogs, which I think is a problem that just has no solution?

[Clarea]

We were on the Serenade last month and loved it!! Crew was wonderful, food amazing! Our cabin attendant Doris was super sweet! My only complaint would be the chair hogs, which I think is a problem that just has no solution?

The problem will persist as long as the ship won't enforce the rules.

[Moltar]

Totally agree with your review in regards to food. ITS A JOKE. The options on port days or past 11pm are pitiful and embarassing. One little spot for after 11pm for like 3 or 4 options and room service. Dont even get me goig on Port Days. The food was great in the restaurants, loved every meal. Problem is the options on port days and after 11pm.

Edited December 8, 2015 by Moltar

[CanadaRob]

The first thing I do every cruise is track down a pool attendant, preferably one I have a prior relationship with. I'll tip them up front and let them know I would like some lounger monitoring that cruise.

 

Never once have I had an issue getting a lounge chair reasonably close to where I want it. Every day I walk to the pool, that attendant will approach me when he sees me and asks how many I need. Then he will scope out a section for half an hour and remove the towel and belongings if no one is using it.

 

Also, when I leave my lounger, I always leave a little card (I printed and laminated it and it's kinda heavy) that I write in dry erase on that says "went to the bathroom, back by 11:15am" or whatever is 15-20 minutes from when I leave. Also never had my stuff moved because if I am done with a chair, I relinquish it.

 

On the Liberty in 2013 (or was it 2014?) I had a party of 8 where the dad (?) got up at 5am and went to the deck and put all their stuff down. They'd show up around 11:30am, use the chairs for an hour, and then go away for the rest of the day with their junk left behind. On day 3 "my" pool attendant removed all their junk and they came back at 4pm yelling and screaming at everyone. It was comical.

 

This is a useful suggestion actually thanks! The time spent humming and hawing and walking around looking at row upon row of 'saved' seats can be quite frustrating. By talking to my attendant and being reasonable in assessing chair hogs takes the onus off of me and the angst my wife gets from me moving other peoples 'stuff' that is used to save sections of chairs.

[cruisegirl1]

DADA - I'll give you my chair for $200!!!!! Nice of you to generously tip staff but, $200 for a pool chair on a 3/4 night cruise?

 

enjoy

M

[cruisegirl1]

So nice of you to recognize staff in such a generous way. Enjoy your next cruise.

 

M

Edited December 9, 2015 by cruisegirl1

[Cabansail]

WoW!

 

When I went to use the pool all the chairs were free. Nothing left of them. Nobody in the pool. We had it all to ourselves. No need to bother a Pool Attendant.

 

 

Mind you we like to have a midnight swim and kept away from the pools during the day.

[mek]

Interesting. I never really gave it much thought, as I'm not a big fan of eggs benedict, but it doesn't seem like a dish that would lend itself well to a made-to-order egg station. But I suppose it would be doable.

 

It's not. I love Eggs Benedict, but the only lines that do it well in the buffet are HAL and Celebrity where they make each one fresh. (Don't recall what they did on NCL.)

[wvufan]

Here's a telling remark by the OP"

 

"They [their kids and friends]ended up playing hide and seek late at night until security told them to stop running around. Some of the older people were complaining".

 

Apparently, the OP didn't see anything wrong with their kids being such terrors that security had to intervene We were on the Serenade for 21 nights a few months ago and are booked again next year. Don't think I will miss the OP and their group's little darlings.

 

Happy Sails to You

 

OOOEEE Baby :D:D Bob and Phyl

[Langley Cruisers]

Aww man, this negative (old) thread resurfaces.... :(:(:(

Edited May 8, 2016 by Langley Cruisers

[Truluv]

I am very intererested in comparison reviews, so thank you to OP. I have a deposit on Serenade in 2017, which I'm considering switching to a European cruise. I'm also considering trying Carnival again to see what's changed, or maybe going back to Celebrity now that I'm older. A few coworkers are encouraging me to give Holland a chance.

 

I have been on 2 NCL cruises so far, and some of your assessments matched my own experience. NCL had a higher energy. I didn't care for those ships' design as much though. On Breakaway, they did a lot of activities like game shows in the atrium instead of in the show lounge. The result was jammed up passenger flow, insufficient seating and noise went through the ship. I was on the Sun in Alaska during some bad weather days, and the ship felt overcrowded when it wasn't possible to be outside on the decks. (Also - the placement of the basketball court meant that noise from it carried to the decks.) Both ships felt noisy and crowded, but festive. I can see why kids would like them more than Serenade, but I bet kids would like Oasis, Allure or a Voyager class ship even more than NCL's ships. NCL's food was very good and the buffets definitely had a more interesting selection than RCL.

 

I have concluded I have to cruise on every ship on every cruise line to figure out which one is going to be best for me. Actually, I should cruise with every cruise line multiple times, since the ships I liked when traveling with a young family or when traveling with kids in their teens and then 20s are not going to be the ships that I want as a retiree traveling solo. Hmmmm. Better book another cruise as soon as possible. Lots of ships, too little time.