World "shakedown" cruise on Serenade starting next week (Semi-Live Review)

[ILCTCRUISER]

9 minutes ago, orville99 said:

You can still look down from the catwalk😱

Also recall that this was the area that housed all of the rigging equipment to fly acrobats when they did Centrum shows.

[island lady]

2 hours ago, orville99 said:

Too bad Brevard county nixed a station in Cocoa. That would have been ideal for you.

 

We are still hoping they may add it.  My sister lives in Vero Beach, and has heard they may put a station near there.  

 

I am just guessing here...but all the companies that make a lot of money doing shuttle service for pax and luggage from the airport to PC...would howl loudly should the train stop near the port.  Then it would just be short taxi ride to the ship here.  

 

The ideal spot would be Cocoa.  There used to be a train station there...turned restaurant.  Lots of area along state Hwy US 1 to put one in.  Would help with all the traffic on 528, and less of a carbon footprint as well I should think.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 20, 2023 by island lady

[island lady]

32 minutes ago, orville99 said:

Had a nice conversation with Captain Nilsen on the way to this morning’s Captain’s Corner (he was walking by our cabin on deck 9 to get from the bridge to the other end of the ship, and was in a very chatty mood so we talked all the way about the WC), and he will be doing both the first and last quarters of the WC. 

 

Thanks...looks like we will see him a lot then.  🙂 

[island lady]

6 minutes ago, ILCTCRUISER said:

Also recall that this was the area that housed all of the rigging equipment to fly acrobats when they did Centrum shows.

 

Yes, indeed it was.  They were great shows.  Apparently the liability and the accidents became too much for them...or at least that is what one of the officers told me years ago.  Not sure if that was the case, but that was what he believed.  

[orville99]

2 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Thanks...looks like we will see him a lot then.  🙂 

He is a fascinating person. When he is off the ship on vacation, he spends all of his time on his own boat in Norway.

[island lady]

1 minute ago, orville99 said:

He is a fascinating person. When he is off the ship on vacation, he spends all of his time on his own boat in Norway.

 

I remember meeting him some years ago, but can't remember which ship.  Brain not what it used to be.  😉 

[lovesthebeach2]

13 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

We are still hoping they may add it.  My sister lives in Vero Beach, and has heard they may put a station near there.  

 

I am just guessing here...but all the companies that make a lot of money doing shuttle service for pax and luggage from the airport to PC...would howl loudly should the train stop near the port.  Then it would just be short taxi ride to the ship here.  

 

The ideal spot would be Cocoa.  There used to be a train station there...turned restaurant.  Lots of area along state Hwy US 1 to put one in.  Would help with all the traffic on 528, and less of a carbon footprint as well I should think.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would love to see both Cocoa AND Vero Beach.  We own Disney vacation and the have a beautiful resort there that we use all the time. We drive and it’s only 2 hours but would be great to have the option of a comfortable train ride down. I love Vero Beach!

[orville99]

18 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

I would love to see both Cocoa AND Vero Beach.  We own Disney vacation and the have a beautiful resort there that we use all the time. We drive and it’s only 2 hours but would be great to have the option of a comfortable train ride down. I love Vero Beach!

Last time we were at the Disney resort in Vero was just after Charlie, Francis and Jean came through. And could not believe the amount of devastation up and down the beach.

[RFerrington]

31 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Yes, indeed it was.  They were great shows.  Apparently the liability and the accidents became too much for them...or at least that is what one of the officers told me years ago.  Not sure if that was the case, but that was what he believed.  

We had heard that they were having trouble getting riggers to outfit the aerialists.  

[orville99]

Maritime update.

Just passing Isla de Cedros and Isla de Natividad, and have a NCL ship going by heading in the other direction. Beautiful day, but a bit windy and a bit nippy for old Florida bones.

 

[island lady]

5 minutes ago, orville99 said:

Last time we were at the Disney resort in Vero was just after Charlie, Francis and Jean came through. And could not believe the amount of devastation up and down the beach.

 

My sister's place was one of them.  Poor sis...it was the year after her big sister convinced her to move down here to Florida from Michigan.  

 

But she loves it here.  😉 

[ILCTCRUISER]

20 minutes ago, RFerrington said:

We had heard that they were having trouble getting riggers to outfit the aerialists.  

Probably both matters.  @island lady, there is the liability,  And part of the liability has to do with what @RFerringtonmentions:  need for certified riggers.  No rigger, no show as I’ll hazard a guess that insurance coverage would stipulate the need for a professional rigger.

Edited November 20, 2023 by ILCTCRUISER

[island lady]

2 minutes ago, ILCTCRUISER said:

Probably both matters.  @island lady, there is the liability,  And part of the liability has to do with what @orville99 mentions:  need for certified riggers.  No rigget, no show as I’ll hazard a guess that insurance coverage would stipulate the need for a professional rigger.

 

Totally agree.   Just not the same in this modern world.  Sigh....

 

 

[heatherb1958]

@orville99,  😆   you haven't mentioned the flood in the casino, water pouring through the ceiling , I have seen the video on a pinnacle social group. I jokingly  said it was the pesky new washing machines not plumbed in correctly in the white space above on decks 7 and 8 and lo and behold you post a diagram of where I was talking about 😆 🤣... 

The  casino was closed for 2 hours for repairs..

[orville99]

10 minutes ago, heatherb1958 said:

@orville99,  😆   you haven't mentioned the flood in the casino, water pouring through the ceiling , I have seen the video on a pinnacle social group. I jokingly  said it was the pesky new washing machines not plumbed in correctly in the white space above on decks 7 and 8 and lo and behold you post a diagram of where I was talking about 😆 🤣... 

The  casino was closed for 2 hours for repairs..

DW told me not to…Let’s just say I had a clue where to look after last night….

Edited November 20, 2023 by orville99

[heatherb1958]

13 minutes ago, orville99 said:

DW told me not to…Let’s just say I had a clue where to look after last night….

 

I have friends onboard so nothing is secret 😆  plus the activities manager is my friend's daughter ... 

Edited November 20, 2023 by heatherb1958

[StanleyandGus]

On 11/18/2023 at 8:42 PM, orville99 said:

Quick update, and my apologies to all the WC cruisers if this grates a bit, but we are 12 days into a 15 day cruise and Chops has already run out of some of its side dishes, has dug down into the freezer for whatever proteins are left, and apparently has lost the ability to cook. Giovanni’s is even less prepared. Last night they served my wife an old cow shank and called it veal. Totally inedible - made stew meat look tender. Quite honestly, the only disappointing meals we have had in the past 12 days have been in the specialty restaurants. Just went online and cancelled our dining package for the return voyage next week.

 

I sincerely hope they figure it out before the WC group gets on board for 8 months.

 

I really can’t explain it, but we just had dinner at Chops, and it was fine- they had mushrooms and asparagus. My husband said his NY strip was good (he’s not really a foodie, having spent 42 years in the Canadian army!). My shrimp was fine, although I think serving  it with mashed potatoes is inexplicable.

 

I’m sorry you had a couple of miserable dinners. There must be some logistical reason, but I have no idea what it is!

[Coralc]

5 minutes ago, StanleyandGus said:

I really can’t explain it, but we just had dinner at Chops, and it was fine- they had mushrooms and asparagus. My husband said his NY strip was good (he’s not really a foodie, having spent 42 years in the Canadian army!). My shrimp was fine, although I think serving  it with mashed potatoes is inexplicable.

 

I’m sorry you had a couple of miserable dinners. There must be some logistical reason, but I have no idea what it is!

I think it is a restocking issue. They seem to have these items in cold storage, but someone has to coordinate signing it out and getting it to where it needs to be. Someone was complaining about mint for mojitos on another cruise. It was onboard, but someone has to go and find it, get it checked out of inventory, and get it to where it belongs. It was available a day or two later. 

[Badatz2]

14 hours ago, ILCTCRUISER said:

Probably both matters.  @island lady, there is the liability,  And part of the liability has to do with what @RFerringtonmentions:  need for certified riggers.  No rigger, no show as I’ll hazard a guess that insurance coverage would stipulate the need for a professional rigger.

I agree with the above theories but when I was my second trip on the Serenade there were no performances and I asked why.  I was told that there were too many cancellations because of ship movement and it caused too much trouble regarding scheduling.  I am glad that I got to see it.

[heatherb1958]

26 minutes ago, Badatz2 said:

I agree with the above theories but when I was my second trip on the Serenade there were no performances and I asked why.  I was told that there were too many cancellations because of ship movement and it caused too much trouble regarding scheduling.  I am glad that I got to see it.

 

As mentioned earlier , we were told years ago it was securing the riggers that was the issue, RCI just couldn't get them. Was it coincidence that MSC brought out ships with Cirque de soleil shows ?, they still continue on the ships that had the show installed, seen them all . MSC are known to pay the money to get what they want. 

We were lucky to see the ones on both Brilliance and Serenade but they were over in a flash and to be honest once seen was enough. Think I prefer the ship put back to the way it was .

[ILCTCRUISER]

3 hours ago, Badatz2 said:

I agree with the above theories but when I was my second trip on the Serenade there were no performances and I asked why.  I was told that there were too many cancellations because of ship movement and it caused too much trouble regarding scheduling.  I am glad that I got to see it.

Aha!  Yes, another reason why RCL may have scrapped the acrobatic events.  The same happens with the aqua and ice shows.  However, with  those it’s probably easier to reschedule since they take place in a dedicated venue.

[Biker19]

3 hours ago, heatherb1958 said:

As mentioned earlier , we were told years ago it was securing the riggers that was the issue, RCI just couldn't get them

One could maybe buy that argument for Q class ships right after the COVID restart, but 5+ years ago when they could get them for Q class they couldn't get them for V and R class ships? Pretty sure like most decisions, that was about $, not rigger availability.

[cruiselvr04]

10 hours ago, Coralc said:

I think it is a restocking issue. They seem to have these items in cold storage, but someone has to coordinate signing it out and getting it to where it needs to be. Someone was complaining about mint for mojitos on another cruise. It was onboard, but someone has to go and find it, get it checked out of inventory, and get it to where it belongs. It was available a day or two later. 

It was that way in Latitudes too.  We like non fat milk in our hot cocoa.  We were six days at sea.  They ran out.  Then two days later they had it and we had not been to a port.  So it was on board, just not right there.  It seems like poor planning or they could call someone to get it but it doesn’t  to work that way. 

[kernow]

It's cruise day for us😁. Arrived in LA yesterday afternoon and just waking up at the Westin LAX.

See you all onboard later, hope boarding is not too delayed.

[heatherb1958]

4 minutes ago, kernow said:

It's cruise day for us😁. Arrived in LA yesterday afternoon and just waking up at the Westin LAX.

See you all onboard later, hope boarding is not too delayed.

 

Have a wonderful time J & M .xx