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

[Saab4444]

17 minutes ago, ONECRUISER said:

Was a Site I had bookmarked(but lost) that listed when each Ships had last Dry Dock, as she hit 20 this yr couldn't have been too long ago for Serenade. But as said previous most Maint on the Ship is done while she is in service not the usual really short Marine Side Dry Docks these Ships do. 

Last dry dock was Autumn 2022.

Edited December 2, 2023 by Saab4444

[ONECRUISER]

3 hours ago, little britain said:

Flipping 'eck... that is not a good look! 

 

But as any 2nd hand car salesman would say, It'll buff out! 

Little Bondo and some Duck Tape and good as New!

[ONECRUISER]

2 minutes ago, Saab4444 said:

Last dry dock was Autumn 2022.

Thanks, was on Serenade in Sept/Oct 2022 inc Panama Canal and Sept 2023 inc the Repo. She was little roughed up after going threw the Canal and they Painted all lower sections near water soon as we got to Florida

[heatherb1958]

I find those photos of Serenade quite shocking but not surprising , we were on Brilliance one time and she looked exactly like that , felt ashamed to say we  were on the ship ! 

All other lines we have been on with ships just as old as Serenade were in much better condition .

Edited December 2, 2023 by heatherb1958

[mandaleigh]

On 11/2/2023 at 8:45 PM, cruiselvr04 said:

I don’t think you plug a cpap machine into a euro plug without a converter. An adaptor won’t do it.  I could be wrong but I don’t think an cpap will automatically switch currents.  You could use an adaptor with a hair dryer that had 120/240 dual though without a converter.  And of course usb is universal.  Something for the world cruisers to look into.

Respiratory Therapist here-  all you need is an adaptor.  The machine will switch on their own.

[Jimbo]

Out of all the Radiance Class ships is Serenade the one in the worst condition? makes you wonder how Royal went about selecting which ship to be used for the WC.?

 

Jewel (September 2023) wasn't anything as bad as some of the pictures I have seen on this thread

Edited December 3, 2023 by Jimbo

[orville99]

10 hours ago, Jimbo said:

Out of all the Radiance Class ships is Serenade the one in the worst condition? makes you wonder how Royal went about selecting which ship to be used for the WC.?

 

Jewel (September 2023) wasn't anything as bad as some of the pictures I have seen on this thread

My best guess is that they chose Serenade because Captain Stig is the only captain in the fleet that is Arctic rated, and it is his ship

[orville99]

Coming into Cozumel this morning. We will be docked with Explorer of the Seas, and the Viking Sky is docked downtown. 

[island lady]

31 minutes ago, orville99 said:

Coming into Cozumel this morning. We will be docked with Explorer of the Seas, and the Viking Sky is docked downtown. 

 

I actually hope Serenade is docked downtown in couple of weeks.  Love walking around there, and only experienced docking there just once.   Though we have taken a taxi there from the international pier n the past.  

 

Panchos is both downtown (the original) and the 2nd one next door at the Carnival Pier.  Mmmmm...yums!  

[Saab4444]

1 hour ago, orville99 said:

My best guess is that they chose Serenade because Captain Stig is the only captain in the fleet that is Arctic rated, and it is his ship

This license would be required for Spitsbergen region only and the World cruise does not go there. He was Captain on Jewel and Brilliance as well for many years but indeed Serenade is his ship. Hence he might still initiate a paint job somehow to present his ship better in all those ports around the World…

Edited December 3, 2023 by Saab4444

[orville99]

1 hour ago, Saab4444 said:

This license would be required for Spitsbergen region only and the World cruise does not go there. He was Captain on Jewel and Brilliance as well for many years but indeed Serenade is his ship. Hence he might still initiate a paint job somehow to present his ship better in all those ports around the World…

The WC goes around the tip of South America (Antarctic waters) and in his own words when I spoke directly with him on his way to the Captain’s Corner on our westbound transit two weeks ago, he is doing the first and last legs of the WC because he is the only Arctic certified captain in the fleet.

[Russ Lomas]

On 11/30/2023 at 6:00 PM, cruisin from florida said:

We leave on Tuesday for a 4 night. Hoping for comfy beds. It will be interesting to see what final touches they work on next week. 

Speaking of dry docks, we're doing the two TAs on Adventure next fall, with a dry dock in-between. I hope the drydock disruptions (before and after) will be interesting, but not in the curse sense if the word.

Do you know when the drydock is scheduled for the Adventure?  Just curious because we have it booked for December 2024 and was wondering if it was before or after that date.  My guess is after 😔

[cruisin from florida]

4 minutes ago, Russ Lomas said:

Do you know when the drydock is scheduled for the Adventure?  Just curious because we have it booked for December 2024 and was wondering if it was before or after that date.  My guess is after 😔

No, before.... Arrives in Lisbon on 11/6, departs Barcelona 11/24. We're on both sailings soI may do a before and after thread. 😁

[Russ Lomas]

5 minutes ago, cruisin from florida said:

No, before.... Arrives in Lisbon on 11/6, departs Barcelona 11/24. We're on both sailings soI may do a before and after thread. 😁

Thanks.  I just looked that up.  Looks like just a 2 1/2 week span, she is out of commission.  Nothing major likely will be done in that time.  Hopefully, she will be refreshed a little then and ensure the engines are in good shape for our December 27, 2024 cruise on her.  I know they have to take dry dock space where they can find it and when they can get it, but looking at the price of those 2 transatlantic crossings in consecutive sailings, you figure that they would have kept the ship in Europe for a while after heading across the pond, before returning right back to Florida.

[cruisin from florida]

7 minutes ago, Russ Lomas said:

 I know they have to take dry dock space where they can find it and when they can get it, but looking at the price of those 2 transatlantic crossings in consecutive sailings, you figure that they would have kept the ship in Europe for a while after heading across the pond, before returning right back to Florida.

I know, right? We got our junior suites for a song. 

[orville99]

A few random thoughts about food on board:

Overall, the food has been excellent throughout both voyages (a very few hit or miss nights in the WJ, MDR, and specialty restaurants).

 

Overall, we found the WJ much more consistent and better quality than the MDR, and abandoned the MDR for the entire second leg.

 

We both noticed a change in prep and process on this second leg from what we experienced on the same menu days on the first leg.

 

Those of you who had the opportunity to sail in the six months post restart will remember the menu items were plated in ramekins and portioned, and served by the staff. At the start of our westbound leg, everything in the WJ was presented in the typical mass quantity steam trays or hot plates.

 

By the second week, some items that formerly were in steam trays (like scalloped potatoes) started to be presented both plated and portioned.

 

On this leg, many of the items (including some of the fish, beef, and chicken mains) started being portioned as well. DW commented that it appeared they were testing how they could provide the full menu while better managing waste and actually improving the quality of what was being served.

 

We actually like this approach, as it has (so far) resulted in better quality, hotter food, and more ability to try new dishes without overloading a plate.

 

The only downside is that the staff behind the counters usually end up having to put the ramekins on our plates because they are too hot to handle and there aren’t the correct serving tools available ((like tongs that actually grip anything).

[Saab4444]

19 minutes ago, orville99 said:

The WC goes around the tip of South America (Antarctic waters) and in his own words when I spoke directly with him on his way to the Captain’s Corner on our westbound transit two weeks ago, he is doing the first and last legs of the WC because he is the only Arctic certified captain in the fleet.

Just because you mentioned the Arctic and not Antarctic. However, a special training is required for sailing the Polar regions but this also includes e.g. parts of Alaska, Iceland and Norway and many officers have done this. I believe only for Spitsbergen (and the North Pole) region an additional license is needed.

[island lady]

I would think going through the Beagle channel and the Magellan straits would have to be challenging.  This will be our first time cruising through there.  

 

Bucky has been there as land based in the past for working down there years ago.  But never on a boat/ship heading through.   

[orville99]

1 hour ago, Saab4444 said:

Just because you mentioned the Arctic and not Antarctic. However, a special training is required for sailing the Polar regions but this also includes e.g. parts of Alaska, Iceland and Norway and many officers have done this. I believe only for Spitsbergen (and the North Pole) region an additional license is needed.

Irrelevant to the question being asked, which was why this ship was chosen. IMHO, it was chosen because he is the captain, and he knows how to sail safely in the waters the ship will be traversing. 

[island lady]

6 minutes ago, orville99 said:

Irrelevant to the question being asked, which was why this ship was chosen. IMHO, it was chosen because he is the captain, and he knows how to sail safely in the waters the ship will be traversing. 

 

And I am most thankful for that!  Thanks my friend...that is most reassuring.  🙂 

[orville99]

2 hours ago, Saab4444 said:

parts of Alaska, Iceland and Norway and many officers have done this

True, but how many of them have ever had to dynamite their ship’s way out after being trapped in the ice for several days.

Edited December 3, 2023 by orville99

[island lady]

4 minutes ago, orville99 said:

True, but how many of them have ever had to dynamite their ship’s way out after being trapped in the ice for several days.

 

Wow...glacier ice all around for our happy hour drinks!  😄 

 

Funny thing though, as when we do the Alaska Radiance B2Bs...they actually do collect a chunk of ice during our visit to Hubbard Glacier to offer for drinks.  They drag it around on a cart after collecting a chunk.  So funny!   

[orville99]

24 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Wow...glacier ice all around for our happy hour drinks!  😄 

 

Funny thing though, as when we do the Alaska Radiance B2Bs...they actually do collect a chunk of ice during our visit to Hubbard Glacier to offer for drinks.  They drag it around on a cart after collecting a chunk.  So funny!   

On our one Princess cruise to Alaska, we watched them lower a lifeboat, wrangle a small iceberg, and then hoist it up on deck and place it in the outdoor pool for everyone to see before one of the chefs came out and carved part of it into an eagle sculpture. The pieces left over went into drinks all around.

 

The pictures the captain showed at the Captain’s Corner of him and a few of his crew out on the ice auguring the holes in the ice so they could plant the charges to free the ship were (to say the least) quite fascinating.

[island lady]

1 minute ago, orville99 said:

On our one Princess cruise to Alaska, we watched them lower a lifeboat, wrangle a small iceberg, and then hoist it up on deck and place it in the outdoor pool for everyone to see before one of the chefs came out and carved part of it into an eagle sculpture. The pieces left over went into drinks all around.

 

The pictures the captain showed at the Captain’s Corner of him and a few of his crew out on the ice auguring the holes in the ice so they could plant the charges to free the ship were (to say the least) quite fascinating.

 

Love it.  Those Alaska cruises are so fun!  That is how they collected the chunk of ice on Radiance also.  And I think you are right...they did a carving as well on Radiance.  🙂 

 

Been several years now since we did that route...looking forward to it again in 2025.  🙂 

 

Wow...must have been really wild watching them auguring the holes for the charges!  

[kernow]

22 hours ago, Jimbo said:

Have you had any conversation  with the crew about the upcoming WC? Are they looking forward to it? Are alot of the present crew getting off the ship in Miami,so does that mean alot of new crew will be starting on the WC.

 

What is the general vibe around the ship?

Lots of the crew seem to be changing. Our cabin steward is going home from Miami with us. We went to the production show last night and they announced that this was the last time this cast would perform 'Vibeology', new cast coming on for the world cruise. Also the CD is changing, this morning we were waiting for Trivia in Scooner bar and we saw Joff walking by. He told us he boarded in LA and is getting ready to take over for the world cruise.

 

Our MDR waiters are both staying on and looking forward to the world cruise.