More Serenade Questions

[HelenaCruiser2012]

Hi all, hope you can answer a few questions about Serenade (Alaska cruise in September) -

 

• On embarkation day, are the Windjammer and Park Cafe the only lunch options for non-suite people (we have spacious balcony on deck 9)? 
• The Royal Caribbean app lists Windjammer as closing at 3:00 pm every day, isn't it open for dinner too?
• Is Room Service the only late-night option for a snack?  I remember the Cafe Promenade being open 24/7 on Mariner, was a great place to grab a cookie or a slice of pizza at any hour (and I remember how good the Range Coconut cookies were!)
• Speaking of pizza and cookies, where can we get these on Serenade?  Does Park Cafe only have sandwiches and salads or do they have pizza and sweets too?
• In Chops & Giovannis, can you order extra sides?  I'm sure you can't (and we wouldn't want to!) order extra main courses, but not sure about sides and desserts.
• How's the coffee in Cafe Latte-tudes?
• We purchased the DBP, so unless we want something special like Johnnie Walker Blue, it seems like we can go to any bar, and in the specialty restaurants, and order any alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink we'd like?  Our last 2 cruises were on Norwegian and this was one of the perks that I think everyone had although the price of the cruise was higher to make up for it.
• Are the cabin walls magnetic?  They were on Norwegian Breakaway and we brought magnetic hooks for DH to hang his baseball caps on the wall, was pretty convenient.
• I haven't seen much info on entertainment on Serenade, can we make reservations ahead of time or is that something we do on the ship?

 

As always, thanks for any information!

 

[soremekun]

16 minutes ago, HelenaCruiser2012 said:

Are the cabin walls magnetic?

 

Made me think of this for some reason .

 

[firefly333]

Pizza is in the cafe but like warm, not like fresh from the oven hot imo.

 

WJ reopens at 6 pm for dinner. 

 

Coffee prices vary, small or tall and what you order. The danishes and fruit etc and cookies are free. On grandeur it said the used Starbucks beans. Good or bad up to you. 

 

[volk904]

Just got off the Serenade Sunday. I may have some answers.  
 

On embarking day we ate at the Park Cafe. I thought the WJ was open to 3:30 most days but maybe it was 3. WJ opens for dinner at 6pm

 

Ship has good pizza but only at WJ  for lunch and probably dinner.  It was hot right out of the oven.  Really just like Sorentos on the bigger ships.  I never saw it at the park cafe.  

The Park Café has salads, Fruits, . RB sandwiches and other heated but sandwich’s Etc. They have a decent egg McMuffin at breakfast if you are in a hurry.  
 

Giovanis gave us whatever sides we wanted.  Chops on other ships did as well.  My wife got coffee the Latte several times and it was decent. If we had the drink package she would have gone every day.  
 

Walls are magnetic.  Funny we brought our big magnet hooks but used them for jackets instead of drying swim stuff.  

 

Unlike the bigger ships no reservations were needed for any entertainment but you have fewer options.  
 

We really enjoyed the outdoor and partial outdoor eating area at the back of the Windjammer. First Royal ship we have been on that had it.  

 

 

Edited June 9, 2022 by volk904

[RedIguana]

On 6/8/2022 at 12:17 PM, HelenaCruiser2012 said:

The Royal Caribbean app lists Windjammer as closing at 3:00 pm every day, isn't it open for dinner too?

Take anything the app says with a few heaping teaspoons full of salt until you are actually on the ship....then the accuracy improves.

[John&LaLa]

12 hours ago, volk904 said:

Ship has good pizza but only at WJ  for lunch and probably dinner.  It was hot right out of the oven.  Really just like Sorentos on the bigger ships.  I never saw it at the park cafe.  

 

In my experience the pizza isnt available in PC until late at night

[NavyCruiser]

Great post.

Great info so far.

A few more questions:

So how was embarkation at Vancouver port/Canada place?  Quick & efficient if we have all our docs ready?

How's basic wifi onboard?  Good enough for video/audio for proctored covid test, or need the higher wifi pkg?

Any indication RCCL or ship Captain may require masks indoors/ onboard soon?  Since our group will be onboard in 10 days...

Thanks,

[Travel R]

@volk904 - How close were you able to get to the Hubbard Glacier (earlier sailings had reported no closer than 7 miles).

 

Thanks.

[Sunshine3601]

On 6/9/2022 at 1:58 PM, NavyCruiser said:

Great post.

Great info so far.

A few more questions:

So how was embarkation at Vancouver port/Canada place?  Quick & efficient if we have all our docs ready?

How's basic wifi onboard?  Good enough for video/audio for proctored covid test, or need the higher wifi pkg?

Any indication RCCL or ship Captain may require masks indoors/ onboard soon?  Since our group will be onboard in 10 days...

Thanks,

If you plan on doing proctored test onboard I highly suggest the surf and stream since you need to have video connection for at least 15 minutes.    

If wifi is not good in your cabin then try the library area or the computer/business center if private and quiet enough for you to test. 

No word of any ship requiring masks for passengers.    Optional for all passengers.    

Pizza is served at Parks Cafe for late nights.   Not sure what time they start to serve maybe 9 or 10 pm ??

[Sunshine3601]

On 6/9/2022 at 1:58 PM, NavyCruiser said:

How's basic wifi onboard?  Good enough for video/audio for proctored covid test, or need the higher wifi pkg?

,

You may not have to do that test onboard

https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/10/politics/us-to-end-pre-departure-testing-requirement/index.html

[ladysail2]

Yes, the WJ is open for dinner. On some ships it closes down for 1-2 hours after lunch to get ready for dinner. Sometimes one side closes down and the other doesn’t…sometimes they have a Small Bites -tea time sort of set up starting at 4 or so.  It just depends on ship/WJ manager…or someone’s decision….you’ll find out once you’re on the ship.  

[volk904]

On 6/9/2022 at 1:58 PM, NavyCruiser said:

Great post.

Great info so far.

A few more questions:

So how was embarkation at Vancouver port/Canada place?  Quick & efficient if we have all our docs ready?

How's basic wifi onboard?  Good enough for video/audio for proctored covid test, or need the higher wifi pkg?

Any indication RCCL or ship Captain may require masks indoors/ onboard soon?  Since our group will be onboard in 10 days...

Thanks,

We got extremely close to the Hubbard Glacier. Cruise director said it was the closest they had been.  It was incredible.  

 

Embarkation at Canada Place was by far the worst we have experienced. It is about a 4 step process where they keep moving your around the location  and up and down two levels of the building.  Bad flow in my opinion. Took about a hour to make it though.  We have had back up lines before but never all the moving around movement.  You have screening, security, customs etc but they are all spread out and on different levels.   For us it was even worse because our hotel shuttle let everyone off at the street level and told  us to take the elevator down.  Bad mistake.  My wife was very turned off my it.  
 

WiFi was not great.  Pretty slow and does not work at all in some areas when you get close to the mountains. They block the Sat. Connection. My brother did manage to do the proctored covid test but you won’t need that now.  
 

No indication of required masks but there was Covid on the ship.  My wife started feeling bad as soon as we got home and tested positive.  My brother was doing back to back and started having cold symptoms late day 2 of cruise 2 and did a home test and tested positive.  He turned himself in and has spent the last 4 days in a quarantine cabin.   They have treated him really well but he has to move to a hotel to complete his 10 day Canada quarantine tomorrow when they return to port.  Between Royal and his travel insurance it won’t cost him anything.  I am not sure I would do a back to back out of Vancouver right now. 

 

Edited June 11, 2022 by volk904