Serenade is on the move

[Tree_skier]

And back safely parked in Seattle, 8 days before her first revenue cruise.

 

[Tree_skier]

Looks like she's going for a little walk about.

 

[Ferry_Watcher]

1 hour ago, Tree_skier said:

Looks like she's going for a little walk about.

 

Looks like the Ovation OTS just passed Oregon and is just off the WA state coast.  I think my marine app says it arrives in Seattle Thursday July 15th.

[Tree_skier]

Captain has been spending to much time in the crew bar again...

 

[Tree_skier]

A quick shout out to @Hoopster95.  You are a bit of an expert on these Alaskan trips.  What do you think the likelihood is that Serenade will do the BC inside passage?

Edited July 14, 2021 by Tree_skier

[Hoopster95]

9 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

A quick shout out to @Hoopster95.  You are a bit of an expert on these Alaskan trips.  What do you think the likelihood is that Serenade will do the BC inside passage?

 

Well.... Had you and I put money down a couple of months ago that Serenade would actually be in Seattle today, especially via her Panama Canal passage, you'd be a lot richer!!  

 

My bet today on the BC inside passage is zero chance. There was a thread a couple of weeks ago that @chengkp75posted some great education regarding some of the laws of coastal waters ("the right of innocent passage") so Serenade "could" go through legally... but will she? Who knows really?

Even the smaller Princess and HAL ships out of Seattle head out to sea... only the ships out of Vancouver do the BC inside passage.

 

By the way, I wish the CC search tool did not change with the last CC massive "upgrade" 😡 I posted some good stuff that I can't find now about the inside passage a year ago... I did a whale watching tour out of Campbell River (Vancouver Island)  and we sailed much of the channel that the cruise ships go through. There's a specific part of the voyage that enters and goes through the Seymour Narrows... super dangerous currents and there's also aerial electrical lines spanning the passage.

I had posted photos. At the time I couldn't even believe that a Radiance Class ship can get under those wires.

 

Anyways, this was also the reason that Capt. Hendrik mentioned on Ovation that Q Class can't do the BC inside passage either

 

[Hoopster95]

35 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

 BC inside passage

 

I found the photos...

Note as we get closer to the shortest span between the islands you can see the towers on one side in the first photo...

 

 

 

As we get closer and go under, the photos aren't the greatest however you can see the buoys (is that what they're called?) attached to the wires so that they are visible to approaching vessel traffic. They're not that high in my opinion, But I guess they're high enough for the cruise ships (Radiance and smaller?) to get under

 

 

 

 

Edited July 14, 2021 by Hoopster95

[Travel R]

On 7/14/2021 at 2:43 PM, Hoopster95 said:

As we get closer and go under, the photos aren't the greatest however you can see the buoys (is that what they're called?) attached to the wires so that they are visible to approaching vessel traffic. They're not that high in my opinion, But I guess they're high enough for the cruise ships (Radiance and smaller?) to get under

FYI - They are called visibility marker balls (or marker balls) - they are not for sea-faring vessels, but for low-flying aircraft so that they avoid the wires. [And thanks for all the info on Alaska - first time next year, on the Serenade.]

Edited July 15, 2021 by Travel R

[Tree_skier]

Well one las update before she takes on paying passengers tomorrow.  I wish I was on tomorrows cruise but that just wasn't possible. I have to wait until Aug 23.

 

Looks like she is sitting a pier 91 with one of her girlfriends Nieuw Amsterdam. Serenade will be first out though so we win 🙂 

 

Edited July 18, 2021 by Tree_skier

[Baowen]

Interesting information about the electrical wires!  
This is the Serenade yesterday next to the Majestic Princess (who subsequently moved out into the harbor )

 

[sunset seekers]

Does anyone know if there is a live webcam to watch sail away today?

[Blizzard54]

The Space Needle can shows that it is down for maintenance.

The only one I found should show it as it leave the port.

It currently shows the NCL ship in the middle of the picture.

When the Serenade leaves the pier it should come into view from the left and pass in front of this view.

  Puget Sound, Seattle, Washington Camera - Port of Seattle, Washington Webcams | CRUISIN

 

 

I believe it does not sail until 7pm

 

Edit:  It looks like the link will not copy over. 

Edited July 19, 2021 by Blizzard54

[ONECRUISER]

On 7/18/2021 at 10:55 AM, Tree_skier said:

Well one las update before she takes on paying passengers tomorrow.  I wish I was on tomorrows cruise but that just wasn't possible. I have to wait until Aug 23.

 

Looks like she is sitting a pier 91 with one of her girlfriends Nieuw Amsterdam. Serenade will be first out though so we win 🙂 

 

Agree, was to be on Brilliance middle of B4B right now but that was canceled last Fall. Still supposed be on Serenade Panama Canal next year, looking forward to it and hoping Covid will be but a Memory

[Tree_skier]

And she’s off

 

 

[Sunshine3601]

Beautiful!  I hope someone onboard does a live review.  She is one of our favorite ships.  

We were supposed to do alaska sailing end of June.  

[Tree_skier]

On 7/14/2021 at 11:27 AM, Hoopster95 said:

 

Well.... Had you and I put money down a couple of months ago that Serenade would actually be in Seattle today, especially via her Panama Canal passage, you'd be a lot richer!!  

 

My bet today on the BC inside passage is zero chance. There was a thread a couple of weeks ago that @chengkp75posted some great education regarding some of the laws of coastal waters ("the right of innocent passage") so Serenade "could" go through legally... but will she? Who knows really?

Even the smaller Princess and HAL ships out of Seattle head out to sea... only the ships out of Vancouver do the BC inside passage.

 

By the way, I wish the CC search tool did not change with the last CC massive "upgrade" 😡 I posted some good stuff that I can't find now about the inside passage a year ago... I did a whale watching tour out of Campbell River (Vancouver Island)  and we sailed much of the channel that the cruise ships go through. There's a specific part of the voyage that enters and goes through the Seymour Narrows... super dangerous currents and there's also aerial electrical lines spanning the passage.

I had posted photos. At the time I couldn't even believe that a Radiance Class ship can get under those wires.

 

Anyways, this was also the reason that Capt. Hendrik mentioned on Ovation that Q Class can't do the BC inside passage either

 

Looks like we have our answer.  🙂

 

 

I sure wish we had somebody on board that could answer some questions!  

[Sunshine3601]

1 hour ago, Tree_skier said:

Looks like we have our answer.  🙂

 

 

I sure wish we had somebody on board that could answer some questions!  

Not a peep from anyone on board the Serenade yet.   Maybe wifi issues or just enjoying life on the Serenade 🙂

[Cruise Critic Chris]

Just wanted to note that Cruise Critic has a writer onboard Serenade. He will be filing stories during the week; this is his article from yesterday: https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/6310/

 

If anyone has Twitter, his name is Aaron Saunders and his handle is @deckchairblog. 

[Biker19]

19 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

Looks like we have our answer. 

She didn't even take the "other" Inside Passage.

[Travel R]

1 hour ago, Biker19 said:

She didn't even take the "other" Inside Passage.

 

Yeah, I know, stupid question, but I am still fairly new to research on Alaskan: What is meant by "Other Inside Passage"? Does it refer to sailing to the west of Vancouver island vs. it's eastern side?

 

Thanks,

 

Travel R

[Jimbo]

So the first stop is Sitka at 4pm? that's a weird time to port???

Edited July 21, 2021 by Jimbo

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, Travel R said:

 

Yeah, I know, stupid question, but I am still fairly new to research on Alaskan: What is meant by "Other Inside Passage"? Does it refer to sailing to the west of Vancouver island vs. it's eastern 

Inside of the next set of islands north of Vancouver Island.

[suzyluvs2cruise]

Gene Sloan.....Travel writer is onboard. His article is below. 

 

I’m on the first big cruise ship to sail to Alaska in nearly 2 years. It’s so empty, it feels like my own private yacht

[Jimbo]

Here is a video of Boarding of Serenade of the Seas, 1st sailing a couple days ago.

The newscaster says the ship is at 50% full.........not sure that is correct or not.

 

[Tree_skier]

1 minute ago, Jimbo said:

Here is a video of Boarding of Serenade of the Seas, 1st sailing a couple days ago.

The newscaster says the ship is at 50% full.........not sure that is correct or not.

 

According to the travel writer quoted in the previous post the ship has 630 passengers which is 25%.  He quotes an unnamed Royal executive in the article.