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

[orville99]

29 minutes ago, ONECRUISER said:

Did lot so far what I've seen. For cost taking it out service for Month, lot of $$$$$$$ lost. They have had couple dozen Contractors on there for at least 2 Months. Replaced all Mattresses, linen, pillows, Cooler/Fridges, rewired Internet and extra plugs in cabins. Installed self serve Laundry. Have to remember even when Ship does usual Marne Side Dry Dock most upkeep is done while Ship is back in Service. 2 Ships I was on AFTER their Dry Dock for 6 weeks they were repainting everything white, removing-sanding-staining all the Railings on open decks and Balcony Cabins. That was weird though, on my B2B's one week my balcony railing is gone, next its back on. After one Dry Dock they'd replace all the balcony Chairs on one Deck, do next Deck following turn around day. After one of Serenades DD they did same with Mattresses, each week replaced bunch old with new. These new mattresses they replaced are lot thicker then ones they use to have

I call em as I see em. The new plugs are useless unless you are using a 220V device, Mattress replacement is an ongoing process across the fleet, the new towels are dated as being manufactured in March 2023, and DWs robe has holes in it. The only things of note are the new fridges (too small to store anything but a few beers), and the internet. The first time they tested the new laundry, they flooded the casino, so I guess that was a success.

 

As for the ship itself, it is in the same physical condition today as it was when we were on it in February.

[Jimbo]

1 hour ago, orville99 said:

This is our 100th RCL cruise, and while the Radiance class is still our favorite class of ship, for $200K+ a world cruiser would expect them to at least take the ship out of service long enough to give them time to bring Serenade back (as far as possible) to the pristine condition she was in when she did her maiden voyage. They chose not to do that, and IMHO they are trying to do whatever they can cosmetically on the fly to make the ship look presentable while spending as little as possible in the process.

 

For us, this has been a great cruise, even with all the disruptions, but that is because of the itinerary, the crew, the food, and a fun bunch of passengers, not because the ship was remotely ready for any of us.

Seems they are just setting themselves up for failure, I feel sorry for all those that spent thousands and thousands of dollars for a ship in the current condition.

 

Pretty good bet Royal's World Cruises in the Future is most likely all ready a one and done. 

 

Just hope they at least  are able to complete the whole voyage. Also  heard some of the ports that were listed have all ready been canceled.

Edited November 30, 2023 by Jimbo

[Sunshine3601]

4 hours ago, kernow said:

Just back onboard, really liked Cartagena but it is very, very hot.

I have mixed feelings about the excursion, booked it earlier in the year after reading a @twangsterreview. From that review and the description it was supposed to end with a boat trip that brings you back to the ship. The length was supposed to be 4 hours 45. 

We met up in Safari lounge at 8.45 am, went on a bus to the old town and had a guided walk around, the guide was excellent. They then took us to an emerald shop where we stayed for far to long IMO then we had 30 minutes free time (advertised as 1 hour). One of the guides did walk us personally back to Hard Rock Cafe as DH wanted to get a T shirt however there was not really time for people to get food or drink or do very much.

They then walked us to meet the boat which cruised around the harbour for a while (very nice) and we were all expecting it to take us back to the ship. It sailed out to the ship for photos but then turned back into town! We then had to get off and catch a bus back in all the traffic with no explanation. The bus dropped us at the port gates around 3pm, by the time we'd walked back to the ship through the port area shops we got back on the ship around 3.30 only to find out Windjammer had just closed. Not great planning by RCL.

 

We did like the old town though and if we come again would just get a cab there on our own now we know where to go.

We did this same tour and found the peddlers selling their goods as we walked with tour group soo annoying.   We're they still doing this?

When we had free time, I think 1 hr, we found a great cafe and bought several packages of coffee home with us.   

So sad I'm not able to buy online from cafe and have shipped home.

[island lady]

16 hours ago, orville99 said:

The people I feel for are the ones who booked the full WC expecting it to be a world class experience on a pristine ship. Hope they don’t want to look out any of the windows on deck 11 to see what they paid for, because half of them are permanently cloudy, and all of them have permanent streaks on them.

 

These don’t come off even after they washed all the windows😱

 

 

True...but somehow we will survive.  😉   We are so used to sailing on the older ships, that our expectations are not up there in the clouds.   I just think it was awful of RCI to do that disruptive work while you are all trying to enjoy your cruise.   

 

Still looking forward to our WC on the "tramp steamer".  😄 😄 

[island lady]

14 hours ago, orville99 said:

I call em as I see em. The new plugs are useless unless you are using a 220V device, Mattress replacement is an ongoing process across the fleet, the new towels are dated as being manufactured in March 2023, and DWs robe has holes in it. The only things of note are the new fridges (too small to store anything but a few beers), and the internet. The first time they tested the new laundry, they flooded the casino, so I guess that was a success.

 

As for the ship itself, it is in the same physical condition today as it was when we were on it in February.

 

Not to mention the self service laundry is just for full WC cruisers.  😞  I am on half of the WC...wonder if they will let me use them half of the time.  😄 😄 

[island lady]

11 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

We did this same tour and found the peddlers selling their goods as we walked with tour group soo annoying.   We're they still doing this?

When we had free time, I think 1 hr, we found a great cafe and bought several packages of coffee home with us.   

So sad I'm not able to buy online from cafe and have shipped home.

 

They were doing that when we visited as well years ago.  Very push and annoying.   We found a neat trick to avoid them....we ended up hanging back from the group, while still keeping them in sight.  The peddlers did not pay attention to us then.  

[orville99]

57 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

True...but somehow we will survive.  😉   We are so used to sailing on the older ships, that our expectations are not up there in the clouds.   I just think it was awful of RCI to do that disruptive work while you are all trying to enjoy your cruise.   

 

Still looking forward to our WC on the "tramp steamer".  😄 😄 

If RCL had someone in Miami that understood all the nuances of logistics instead of just provisioning and routine replacement cycle logistics, things could have been much different. 
 

A ship in motion only has a fixed amount of space to store stuff, and once that space is filled nothing more can be loaded until the space is emptied. Load all of the space with mattresses and you have to wait to load all the refrigerators, etc. And, while all of that space is consumed with storage none of the promised upgrades to the space can be completed.

 

A ship that is berthed at a dock with ready access to the necessary logistics supply chain has unlimited space for goods to flow both on and off the ship. 
 

RCL missed an opportunity to do it right IMHO because they had no experience asking the right questions.

 

As an aside, they are finally getting around to painting over all the rust on our balcony today.

Edited December 1, 2023 by orville99

[gumshoe958]

5 minutes ago, orville99 said:

If RCL had someone in Miami that understood all the nuances of logistics instead of just provisioning and routine replacement cycle logistics, things could have been much different. 
 

A ship in motion only has a fixed amount of space to store stuff, and once that space is filled nothing more can be loaded until the space is emptied. Load all of the space with mattresses and you have to wait to load all the refrigerators, etc. And, while all of that space is consumed with storage none of the promised upgrades to the space can be completed.

 

A ship that is berthed at a dock with ready access to the necessary logistics supply chain has unlimited space for goods to flow both on and off the ship. 
 

RCL missed an opportunity to do it right IMHO because they had no experience asking the right questions.

 

As an aside, they are finally getting around to painting over all the rust on our balcony today.

You’re assuming they care.

 

When the WC was announced, Richard Fain was still at the helm. I’d be prepared to bet Jason Liberty wouldn’t have done it, isn’t fully behind it and would rather it isn’t happening, but is stuck with it.

[island lady]

38 minutes ago, orville99 said:

If RCL had someone in Miami that understood all the nuances of logistics instead of just provisioning and routine replacement cycle logistics, things could have been much different. 
 

A ship in motion only has a fixed amount of space to store stuff, and once that space is filled nothing more can be loaded until the space is emptied. Load all of the space with mattresses and you have to wait to load all the refrigerators, etc. And, while all of that space is consumed with storage none of the promised upgrades to the space can be completed.

 

A ship that is berthed at a dock with ready access to the necessary logistics supply chain has unlimited space for goods to flow both on and off the ship. 
 

RCL missed an opportunity to do it right IMHO because they had no experience asking the right questions.

 

As an aside, they are finally getting around to painting over all the rust on our balcony today.

 

Totally agree!  🙂 

[orville99]

Balcony when we boarded three weeks ago:

 

 

And finally this morning:

 

 

Edited December 1, 2023 by orville99

[BillB48]

On 11/29/2023 at 12:07 PM, orville99 said:

The Culabra cut is certainly lush for a country in the midst of a drought:

 

I think your observation of the lushness of the jungle is probably about the same as most residents in Panama.  I believe it stems from the use of the word "drought".  To many of use that word conjures up desert scenes that have not seen a drop of rain for many moons.  The truth is what has been missing are real heavy reservoir recharging rains that normally occur over the upper reaches of the Chagres River watershed where the annual rainfall can exceed 120". Depending on whose estimates you want to use the real heavy rains are shy anywhere from 25% to 40% of normal.  Even 40% of the 120" still leaves a lot of water to keep canopy and the country side fairly green.

 

The blame for this shortfall of rain is a very strong El Nińo.  In a strong El Nińo period, the heaviest rain systems that normally fall over the Chagres River watershed are pushed a little farther south only to expend  their rain in the Pacific Ocean.

 

The level of Gatun Lake the day you transited was just a little under 82' (81.7' actual), the Canal likes to have the lake close to 7' higher at this time of year.  The 81.7' is approximately the level of the Gatun Lake at the end of the Dry Season in May.  Here it is December and the Dry Season officially starts on Dec. 21.  I am sure the Panama Canal Authority is hoping for a very wet end to the Rainy Season.  We shall see.

 

Ample water reserves have been on the Canal's mind for a long time.  The first study I was aware of to expand the water storage capacity dates back to 1970s.  After the turnover of the Canal to Panama in 1999, the Panama Canal Authority completed another study in 2003 concerning additional storage capacity.  However like so many other entities the only thing that is ever agreed upon is the need for additional studies!

 

Thanks for the pictures of one of my favorite places.

[kernow]

13 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

We did this same tour and found the peddlers selling their goods as we walked with tour group soo annoying.   We're they still doing this?

When we had free time, I think 1 hr, we found a great cafe and bought several packages of coffee home with us.   

So sad I'm not able to buy online from cafe and have shipped home.

Yes, there were still loads of people trying to sell things. They are annoying but we just ignore them, unfortunately some people were buying/ giving them money which I think only encourages them all the more.

[island lady]

42 minutes ago, orville99 said:

Balcony when we boarded three weeks ago:

 

 

And finally this morning:

 

 

 

Ah...nice shade of liquid makeup foundation.   😄 

[little britain]

There is a phrase “ when you put 💄 lipstick on a pig 🐷… it’s still a …”

 

When are they coming back to bleach wash the door surround @orville99 ?

Edited December 1, 2023 by little britain

[orville99]

2 minutes ago, little britain said:

There is a phrase “ when you put 💄 lipstick on a pig 🐷… it’s still a …”

 

When are they coming back to bleach wash the door surround @orville99 ?

What day does the twelfth of never fall on?

[ONECRUISER]

52 minutes ago, orville99 said:

Balcony when we boarded three weeks ago:

 

 

And finally this morning:

 

 

Almost every year Radiance Class Ship's after coming back from Europe would do Canada Cruises from Boston then Repo to Florida. I'd do B4B Oct/Nov/Dec and in Nov after it got to Florida Royal would then do all Annual Maintenance inc making Ship white Painting over all the Rust. An "Earl Scheib" Job

[heatherb1958]

@kernow, aw that is a shame about your tour and I bet not cheap as RCI excursions aren't!. Cartagena old walled city is a gem of a place to explore on your own , an easy taxi ride from the port. I went with Sheenagh and Joan though our ride out in a shared mini bus was a bit of a nightmare start. 

There were guys in lime green tshirts in the city  who would approach you asking if you wanted guided tours and one said he could show us where the sloths were in the park. They work for tips and he delivered. Our taxi ride back was cheap in 2018 .

[island lady]

28 minutes ago, little britain said:

There is a phrase “ when you put 💄 lipstick on a pig 🐷… it’s still a …”

 

When are they coming back to bleach wash the door surround @orville99 ?

 

Thinking of bringing on my own bottle of bleach.  😄 😄 

[kernow]

31 minutes ago, little britain said:

There is a phrase “ when you put 💄 lipstick on a pig 🐷… it’s still a …”

 

When are they coming back to bleach wash the door surround @orville99 ?

Ours is not so rusty but walls certainly need a good clean.

[island lady]

4 minutes ago, kernow said:

Ours is not so rusty but walls certainly need a good clean.

 

Ahhh...so bringing on the bleach not a bad idea.  😉 😄  If only I could...and couple that with a long handled scrub brush.  🤢

[doghog]

38 minutes ago, ONECRUISER said:

Painting over all the Rust. An "Earl Scheib" Job

Job security. 

[kernow]

23 minutes ago, heatherb1958 said:

@kernow, aw that is a shame about your tour and I bet not cheap as RCI excursions aren't!. Cartagena old walled city is a gem of a place to explore on your own , an easy taxi ride from the port. I went with Sheenagh and Joan though our ride out in a shared mini bus was a bit of a nightmare start. 

There were guys in lime green tshirts in the city  who would approach you asking if you wanted guided tours and one said he could show us where the sloths were in the park. They work for tips and he delivered. Our taxi ride back was cheap in 2018 .

Last night we went to the excursion desk, didn't exactly complain but said excursion was not as advertised. They offered us a 15 % refund which was fine with us. Just been back to the cabin and had a message on the phone saying they have given a full refund. Did not think it warranted that but happy to accept😄.

 

Booked the excursion on the planner months ago, think it cost around £32 pp which I thought was reasonable.

[orville99]

1 hour ago, ONECRUISER said:

Almost every year Radiance Class Ship's after coming back from Europe would do Canada Cruises from Boston then Repo to Florida. I'd do B4B Oct/Nov/Dec and in Nov after it got to Florida Royal would then do all Annual Maintenance inc making Ship white Painting over all the Rust. An "Earl Scheib" Job

Maybe, but yesterday while we were in Cartagena, they were blowtorching all the rust and scale off of the superstructure on deck 5 port side. A bit more aggressive than their typical dust and cover paint jobs.

[orville99]

1 hour ago, kernow said:

Ours is not so rusty but walls certainly need a good clean.

Do you have sheers on your curtain rods or just the blackout curtains?

[orville99]

Earl Scheib paint job at its finest. The worker who came in to cover up the rust also painted two of the balcony glass wall supports that were rusted, but ignored the area 6 inches to the right where the paint was chipped away. True craftsmanship…

Edited December 1, 2023 by orville99