My OPINION of RCCL Serenade of the Seas 10/30 - 11/6

[Sunny Bunny]

I regularly visited this board prior to my Southern Caribbean cruise on the Serenade of the Seas 10/30 – 11/06. My emotions rolled up and down as I watched positive posts followed by negative posts followed by ambivalent posts. I have rated the following sections on a scale of 1 – 10 and have made as many realistic comparisons as I can to help you gain a clear perspective as to what to expect on board. Footnote: I am typically a high-end traveler. My husband and I are 28 year old DINKS. We have cruised on one other occasion on Celebrity and were satisfied. The following are simply my opinions, my intention is not to demean anyone’s likes or dislikes but to simply give my perspective – no lynching please! While I did not expect a stay at the Four Seasons and meals prepared to the standards of the French Laundry, there are some basic expectations that I had that were not met and I feel they are worth sharing. I hope you find some of the valuable and if not, just keep on scrolling! ;)

 

 

Cuisine (Rating - 5): The food in ALL VENUES (Windjammer, Seaview Café, Reflections Dining Room - including Chops and Portifino’s) in my opinion is mediocre at best. If an average dinner out to you involves casual chains like Boston Market, Wendy’s or Arby’s you will most likely classify the cuisine on board as excellent, maybe even gourmet. If your idea of a great night out to dinner is Outback Steakhouse, Chili’s, Friday’s or Olive Garden you will probably consider the food Good to Excellent. For those of us whose call food and wine their passion and don’t flinch at traveling to visit restaurants such as Olives (Todd English), French Laundry (Thomas Keller), Mesa Grill (Bobby Flay) – you will be sorely disappointed. Prime example – Royal Caribbean uses “universal” wine glasses. Therefore we drank a variety of different wines throughout the cruise out of a white wine glass. Ahhh! We brought a couple bottles of wine on board, as the wine list is extremely limited. Upon requesting our bottle be decanted, I received a look as if I had three eyes – enough said! When a Server requests a temperature on your meat, save yourself the trouble and just order it Medium Well – that is most likely what you are going to receive regardless of what you order. Please don’t take this as snobbery – those who share my passion, can definitely relate. Staff in Chops and Portifino’s were a ever so slightly more geared to wine enthusiasts, but again lacked the polish and skill of your average upscale restaurant. Every meal we received was lukewarm, NEVER HOT. Rolls/bread was served each evening for dinner and each evening they were cold, hard or stale. Why bother? Stale bread served with wrapped pats of butter is just absurd to me. Menu selections were odd, for appetizers one evening there was a choice of Watermelon Soup, Chicken Noodle Soup, Spring Rolls and Citrus Salad followed by a Main Course selections that included a Thanksgiving-like Turkey Dinner or NY Strip. Weird combination of selections in my opinion! Words of encouragement - For those of you who prefer quantity to quality you are in for a treat. There is no shortage of food at anytime and you will definitely NOT go hungry. Items overall are hit and miss. If I had to choose a few highlights I would say – Oatmeal Raisin and Ranger Cookies, made-to-order Omelets, Smoked Citrus Salmon and soft serve ice cream. Oh, and word to the wise – if the buffet environment turns you off, stay far, far, far away from the Windjammer. Plates overflowing with foods that should not share the same plate or for that matter the same restaurant abound! Who ever thought pairing Bratwursts, Paella, Greek Salad and Corn Fritters and Eclairs on one buffet line is a pretty adventurous eater. Now, I know there are those of you who enjoy this as it gives you an opportunity to try many different things. But when it comes down to it, you get to try a multitude of items prepared in an average fashion, at best. Oh, one more important note – if you want a table for two you HAVE to fight for it. Make sure you not only make the request but follow up on it NUMEROUS times prior to your departure. If you get on the ship and find you have been assigned table mates go directly to the Dining Room Manager and politely demand your requested accommodations. They will figure out a way to accommodate you. It is a challenge for them but not impossibility as they would like you to think.

 

 

Environment/Activities (Rating - 6): I can’t speak authoritatively about the shows, as we only briefly stopped in to a couple and none of the acts really struck an interest. We did however visit the Vortex Dance Club nightly only to find an AWESOME DJ and very few (if any) people on the dance floor. While this was a bit disappointing, my husband and I danced anyway and had a great time. I am not into all of the poolside contests but I inadvertently did catch a few and found myself chuckling a bit. :p The pool side band, piano lounge band, Safari Club band and Centrum musicians were all great. My personal opinion (yet again) – if the type of shows offered at minimal cost on the Vegas strip appeal to you, you are going to LOVE the environment/activities on this Ship. If you prefer the higher end shows like Cirque de Soliel “O” or Elton John/Celine Dion in Caesar’s Palace, you probably won’t be wowed. Many of the activities and humor are geared towards those on a permanent cruise buzz – if you know what I mean! So, if you spend your cruise vacation on a permanent buzz – you will be thoroughly entertained!

 

 

Service/Cleanliness (Rating - 9): Overall service was beyond compare. Our cabin was cleaned in the blink of an eye and not a carpet fiber appeared out of place. Serenade of the Seas is a BEAUTIFUL new ship and you will NOT be disappointed. Again here are my comparisons. If you frequent Holiday Inns, Hampton Inns or Days Inn when traveling you will feel like you are in a Grand Palace – nothing will disappoint you. If you are more apt to lean towards Hyatt or Marriott you will be thrilled with the common areas and thoroughly satisfied with the accommodations. If you’re a Ritz Carlton or Four Seasons regular you will LOVE the beauty of the ship as it is classy and refined but you will most likely turn your nose down at the bed in the stateroom and the couch/furniture in the room. But, I am confident in the big picture you will be highly satisfied with the overall provisions throughout the ship. Pools are salt water and get TOTALLY funky (filmy, hairy and cloudy) by 3:00 PM – on our day at sea it was gross by Noon. I opted to rinse in the shower when the heat got to me as opposed to dunking in the pool.

 

Fellow Passengers (you didn’t actually think I was going to rate them, did you?): In word mixed bag. Appeared to be a mix on 25 – 55 year olds. A few a bit younger and a few a bit older. I estimate that there were 75 children maximum on board due to the time of the year. It appeared to me that many guests were your everyday friendly buffet enthusiasts. But on the flip side, some passengers simply turned my stomach. I watched one woman pocket nearly 10 mini boxes of cereal. I watched another individual clear out the selection of hot tea bags and hot chocolate on the service station. :eek: Others left trash behind as if they expected a housekeeper to follow them around. A few felt the need to be heard and not just seen. So, while these examples were the minority, the behavior displayed (in limited doses) was extremely disturbing and worth mentioning. For those who are extremely particular, these types of incidents will be a total turn off but rest assured 75% of the passengers are relaxed, polite and cordial individuals trying to have the same good time that you are.

 

Excursions (Rating – 8): All scheduled through RCCL. In St. Thomas we did the St. John Beach Tour. In St. Marteen our excursion was cancelled due to weather so we hired a driver to take us on a tour of the island that was great. On Antigua we did the Antigua Island & Historical Tour followed by a visit to beautiful Bikini Beach. On Barbados we did the Barbados Natural Wonders and on St. Lucia we we did the land and sea tour – it was THE BEST!!!

 

In a nutshell – This was a GREAT itinerary. Only one day at Sea and MANY beautiful Islands to see. While I found the food/dining experience to be thoroughly disappointing and the entertainment was not 100% my cup of tea my trip was wonderful due to the company held with my husband.While I have decided that I do prefer Celebrity as they are more focused on Dining, they were only really a couple notches above RCCL in the area of dining. I found guests on Celebrity to be a bit more low key with a bit more of a refined aura. (note, I said AURA, not that they are actually more refined than a RCCL passneger!) So, that being said, I did not come expecting 5 Star cuisine but rather to reconnect with my husband after many months of disconnect from work and the stresses of life. To that end, my expectations were met. If you share a similar goal you will go home refreshed and satisfied.

[Sea Island Lady]

All I can say is WOW and you don't know your foods as well as you thought!

If I had to choose a few highlights I would say – Oatmeal Raisin and Ranger Cookies, made-to-order Omelets, Smoked Citrus Salmon and soft serve ice cream.

There is no soft serve ice cream. That over iced yogurt was the biggest disappointment we found on the Serenade. ;) Really missed the real thing, but the yogurt was refreshing after a long, hot day.

[Sunny Bunny]

Thanks for identifying my typo - I did realize it was an iced yogurt concoction. I actually really liked it is wasn't as heavy as regular ice cream that sometimes turns in your stomach while you are sitting in the hot sun. Unfortunately for those of you who prefer real ice cream you have fallen victim to a method of cost reduction. Free flowing real ice cream is approximately 40% more expensive than the icy yougurt stuff! Also, no toppings like Celebrity. Seems kind of trivial in the scheme of things but some people have to have their sprinkles!

[TahoeBob]

I really don't know where to start after reading a bunch of crud like this, so I will just pick and choose

 

I watched one woman pocket nearly 10 mini boxes of cereal. I watched another individual clear out the selection of hot tea bags and hot chocolate on the service station. :eek: Others left trash behind as if they expected a housekeeper to follow them around. A few felt the need to be heard and not just seen. So, while these examples were the minority, the behavior displayed (in limited doses) was extremely disturbing and worth mentioning. For those who are extremely particular, these types of incidents will be a total turn off but rest assured 75% of the passengers are relaxed, polite and cordial individuals trying to have the same good time that you are.

.

 

why is it not ok to take extra food and be a slob but it is ok to be a jerk and act like you are better than others, then let others know that you are better

 

 

Who ever thought pairing Bratwursts, Paella, Greek Salad and Corn Fritters and Eclairs on one buffet line is a pretty adventurous eater. Now, I know there are those of you who enjoy this as it gives you an opportunity to try many different things. But when it comes down to it, you get to try a multitude of items prepared in an average fashion, at best.

 

This Ms. sunny bunny is a load of hog wash, what gives you the right to think if one does not eat like you that it is wrong.

 

Your whole review strikes me as that "we as dinks are better than you", when you state that “we had to drink all our wine out of white wine glass” just a little over the top don’t you think. I just happen to run that one by a wine snob friend of mine (also a wine instructor at a college) and even he said they need to get a grip on it.

 

Just one more thing when you use terms like

 

“Many of the activities and humor are geared towards those on a permanent cruise buzz – if you know what I mean!”

 

No I really don’t know what you mean--- why don’t you explane it to us who don’t know all the slang you do.

 

You strike me as somewhat stuckup, who would never be invited to my house for a BBQ where we eat burgers, dogs, and corn on the cob off a paper plate, and drink beer out of the can.

 

I won’t beat around the bush like you do, all I have left to say is

Pull your head out and look at the real world

[judy46]

Sunny Bunny you really dissapointed me with your review of the Serenade. My husband and I found this ship and cruise one of the best vacations we have taken. In fact we will be going again in the next few weeks. I'm not really sure where you read the negative reviews, because I have not seen any. We love great food and service and think we got both on the Serenade for the price you pay. I think that your comments are very demeaning to compare where people go out to eat, to the food on the Serenade. Didn't you ever learn" that if you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all"! I would suggest that your next cruise should be on the QM2 since you act like you can afford better. I see that you are checking out this tread I am not trying to put you down for your thoughts, but making a point that so many people have and will enjoy this cruise!! Your review is not accurate for most people.

[nvbabe]

Just thought I'd add my thoughts. We were on Sernade Oct. 18th- Oct. 30th. We found the food in Chops and Portofino to be very good. My steak was cooked a perfect med-rare. My brother in law also brought on board wine to have every night, some of it very expensive, and was treated with nothing but respect in the dining room, Chops and Portofino. In fact we weren't even charged corkage once! And were brought special red wine glasses on one occasion. We were told the dining room no longer has a wine master, which is too bad, and the asst. waiters are left to handle wine. Ours was very capable of handling our wine and we left little bits in the bottles for the waiters to taste, to help expose them to good wine.

 

The food in the dining room for the most part we felt was very good. I don't think it was as good as ten years ago, but we still found most things to be quite good. (and we're not Arby, Boston Market people).

[Sylia]

Sunny Bunny,

 

I would like to think that your weren't intending to set yourself up as flamebait here, but unfortunately, the tone of your post comes across as such. My s.o. and I are also dual income - no kids, but just because we're in that position we do not feel it entitles us to come across as some kind of parvenues.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed your cruise on Celebrity, but you're not comparing apples to apples here cherie. These lines cater to two very different socio-economic demographics, and failure to acknowledge this fact is severely biasing your view of the world. Given your purported credentials, I would have expected you to have an appreciation of the magnitude of the task involved to feed 2500 people (+ crew) on a daily basis - a larger number of mouths to feed than your average Celebrity cruise.

 

My first cruise was on an Eagle Class Ship (3100 pax) - Voyager actually - and overall I found the food to be quite excellent, certainly far from your portrayal of RCCL food as mediocre slop. Quite frankly, I have found many "haute cuisine" restaurants to be less than spectacular and some real gems in places where you would not bother to put your Prada shoed foot. For example, I really enjoyed the Sea Palace...it's a restaurant in Amsterdam...ever been there? On the other hand, another little restaurant with a 'reputation' that I visited...I think it was called Maxime's...it was in Paris as I recall...was overrated in my own opinion. I actually prefered to dine in a little place upstairs in a building across from the Gare du Nord called Cafe Europa....you have been to Paris, oui? Naturellement vous parlez d'autres langues, ou peut etre pas - pardonnez moi, mais je peut pas trouver les propres accents pour poster en propre Francais. One of the best meals I ever had was in a Gasthaus in a little village in the Moselle valley - hardly hip, happening, edgy, or trendy, and certainly not high end, just a well prepared example of regional cuisine.

 

If you're so horrified about unorthodox pairings, than how on earth can you ever bring yourself to eat at 'fusion' restaurants? I prefer to let my own palate govern my tastes rather than whatever the celebrity chef du jour in Bon Apetit or Gourmet decides is the new hot taste.

[koolcruiser43]

Sunny Bunny,

 

I would like to think that your weren't intending to set yourself up as flamebait here, but unfortunately, the tone of your post comes across as such. My s.o. and I are also dual income - no kids, but just because we're in that position we do not feel it entitles us to come across as some kind of parvenues.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed your cruise on Celebrity, but you're not comparing apples to apples here cherie. These lines cater to two very different socio-economic demographics, and failure to acknowledge this fact is severely biasing your view of the world. Given your purported credentials, I would have expected you to have an appreciation of the magnitude of the task involved to feed 2500 people (+ crew) on a daily basis - a larger number of mouths to feed than your average Celebrity cruise.

 

My first cruise was on an Eagle Class Ship (3100 pax) - Voyager actually - and overall I found the food to be quite excellent, certainly far from your portrayal of RCCL food as mediocre slop. Quite frankly, I have found many "haute cuisine" restaurants to be less than spectacular and some real gems in places where you would not bother to put your Prada shoed foot. For example, I really enjoyed the Sea Palace...it's a restaurant in Amsterdam...ever been there? On the other hand, another little restaurant with a 'reputation' that I visited...I think it was called Maxime's...it was in Paris as I recall...was overrated in my own opinion. I actually prefered to dine in a little place upstairs in a building across from the Gare du Nord called Cafe Europa....you have been to Paris, oui? Naturellement vous parlez d'autres langues, ou peut etre pas - pardonnez moi, mais je peut pas trouver les propres accents pour poster en propre Francais. One of the best meals I ever had was in a Gasthaus in a little village in the Moselle valley - hardly hip, happening, edgy, or trendy, and certainly not high end, just a well prepared example of regional cuisine.

 

If you're so horrified about unorthodox pairings, than how on earth can you ever bring yourself to eat at 'fusion' restaurants? I prefer to let my own palate govern my tastes rather than whatever the celebrity chef du jour in Bon Apetit or Gourmet decides is the new hot taste.

Sunny Bunny,

 

I also thought the food and service on Celebrity was much better than RCI. BUT I felt like we were at the nursing home. Mostly 70 80 year olds who chewed with their mouths open while spitting food across the dinner table at night. We are in our 40's and much prefer the energetic atmosphere of RCI and people who know how to eat with their mouths shut. I don't understand why such a sophisticate upscale worldly person as yourself would write such a critical review. Seems like you should have known what to expect before you cruised. Why were you expecting 5 star gourmet french food?

 

The so called "odd menu selections" were that evenings dinning theme of Foods from Different Nations. On our last 2 RCI cruises we had such a wonderful time with our tablemates that the food was secondary. I suggest on your next voyage whether it be on a 5 star resort or not you try to lighten up and enjoy and appreciate your surroundings more. Try talking to the people around you instead of judging them.

[TERRY223]

Thank You Sunny Bunny, for taking the time, and spending the energy, to write such a well thought-out review of what, for you, was most important about your cruise:) . I am, sorry to see you now - crucified, in this thread, for your opinion:( . I apologize, for the lack of restraint, on the part of some of my fellow RCCI enthusiasts. As one who can appreciate, the refinements associated with " high-end" travel and dining, may I respecfully suggest that you consider Crystal Symphony, or one of the higher-end cruise lines for your next vacation. I am sure, you would not be dissapointed by the cuisine, or the level of dining sevice found there. Was glad to hear that you, and your husband were able to "reconnect" and spend some quality time together, so all was not lost:D . HAPPY CRUISING & MAY GOD BLESS.

[kc320]

Well I think I understand now why the OP did not continue to participate in the roll Call thread on the M&M board. We were obviously below her social status!

 

Sorry but someone with such "high class" needs to be on one of the really high end lines like Seaborn or Cunard, which I believe is still operating on the class system.

[Sea Island Lady]

I also agree that Celebrity wins hands down for service and food. We even liked the "older" crowd, but there were plenty of youngsters cruising as well. In fact, our next cruise is with Celebrity! However, we also enjoy all our other cruises.

 

I don't think I would enjoy Crystal because of the size of the ship. We prefer a newer and larger ship with all the activities.

 

One comment on the wine glasses... While I do enjoy a great Merlot out of a wider glass, we did not mind having our wine out of a white wine glass.

What did bother me was the practice of serving wine at the wine tasting seminar. We were served several different wines in the same glass! Some of the wines were not to my liking, so if I wanted to try the others, I had to down the wine currently in my one and only glass...not to mention having the residue from one wine to the other. YUCK! :eek:

 

We can be Boston Market and Arby's people sometimes. We can also be 5* restaurant people, and I would have to say that the food on RCCL fell between the two. Not ALL outstanding, but not too bad either. Beats anything that I can cook and I never went hungry! :) We enjoyed the Serenade very much.

 

Sunny Bunny - How did you think the accomodations compared to the Celebrity ships? What type stateroom did you have? We stay in the Junior Suites on RCCL and wanted to know how they compare to the Sky Suites? On our other Celebrity cruise, we stayed in a Cat. 1, but it happened to be a handicapped and it was very comparible to the JS on RCCL.

[Catnip]

SunnyBunny,

We are DINKS too, and I enjoyed your review. But, I had a feeling you were going to get blasted by die-hard RCCL fans that don't like any negative comments about RCCL. I have been on RCCL at least 15 times, if not more, and I can see how they (as well as other mass-market ships) have changed over the last 10-15 years. They are catering to a different clientele now and more people are cruising than could afford to 15 years ago. (Most) people these days want as cheap of a cruise as they can get, so I guess that forces the mass-market lines to do away with some of their services and serve less expensive foods.

My husband is a wine enthusiast and stopped nightly at the champagne bar (it was on one of the RCCL ships a few years ago, but I forget which one). He said he could get excellent wines/champagnes by the glass, and served it in the correct glass!

So, keep on visiting these boards and don't let a few cranky people get you down. I don't!!! :rolleyes:

[cmason]

In defense of the OP, I believe her observations are spot-on.

 

In fact, RCCL is NOT in any way trying to be the French Laundry of cruise dining, nor the Cirque du Soleil of cruise entertainment. So to expect such, regardless of your preferences and taste, simply suggests that you chose the wrong cruise line. At the end of your post, you suggest that the dining and entertainment were not your reason for the cruise anyway, so I do not really understand why you should post the obvious, but in the end, I believe you are absolutely correct in most of your observations.

 

If you explore the RCI corporate publications, you will note that RCCL is being positioned to compete not with other cruise lines, but with other vacation options. RCCL is being positioned, and indeed converted into a Resort destination. This compares not with Four Seasons but with Marriott and Hyatt resort destinations. Again, your comparisons with these establishments confirm that RCCL is providing the correct level of offering to compete with these class of destination, is doing a good job, and perhaps exceeding expectations in a few areas. I find this encouraging, as I am about to leave on an RCCL vacation.

 

Celebrity on the other hand is not at all being positioned in that manner, and therefore offers a different experience. I believe that as it is transformed, it will begin to appeal to younger travelers looking for a more upscale experience, and the "retirement home" feel will deminish. Of course, it may be that you are really in the market for the true luxury cruise, such as Seabourne or Crystal offers, though I am sure you are aware of those lines as well.

 

As for the passengers, I don't think the cruise lines are to blame, other than bringing the price of their offerings inline with other destinations, that by the way, do not feature any better mannered or refined customers. They do offer typically larger area, and freedom to travel beyond the resort grounds, so that you do not have to experience the "personality" of these guest at such close quarters and at such frequency as you do on a ship. Those lines priced in comparison with resorts such as Four Season, JW Marriott or Ritz-Carlton typically have a more refined guest, much in the same way I expect Crystal or Seabourne do. Of course, money does not equal manners, so there are exceptions.

 

In the end, I again say you are correct, but perhaps misguided in the need to compare your experience to that which it is not trying to be compared to. You bought a Honda vacation, and no matter how hard you may wish, it will never be a Rolls-Royce holiday.

[1corona4u]

Can someone explain to me why the food is always the core issue on these reviews? WHY???:confused: I am not going on a cruise for the food, I am going to be sailing, seeing, and socializing, not STUFFING my face! Its' sustenance, that's all, nothing more! I'm sure all of the food is palatable. You could feed me hamburgers and hot dogs for the entire trip and I would be ok with that. I think some people look for things to complain about on these cruises.

 

 

I too found the review to be very skewed from a snobby perspective, albeit her/his right to define their experience. I say if you are "all that", then cruise on Seabourn or Silver Seas, but at least try not to demean others when reviewing. I know you said you weren't trying to demean anyone, but you did with several of your remarks. You know, sometimes it's all in the delivery, you could have chosen your words more carefully, and had a better response.

[bUU]

While ignoring your negative vibe, I do thank you for your review. Your calibration exercise at the start of your review of the cuisine was EXCELLENT. It really helps crystalize the issue for folks. Folks surely do have different sensibilities. I can wax poetically about the difference between Kripalu yoga instructor and a "Gold's Gym certified" yoga instructor, while some folks attending yoga classes aboard a cruise probably wouldn't know the difference or care. Ensuring that your preferences match those of the person who wrote a review you're reading is critical for gauging the value of the review for you. For reviewers with different sensibilities, we can extract at least the objective information out of the review, ignoring the subjective.

 

By the same token, aboard Majesty of the Seas, we didn't have many of the experiences you reported: Beef was cooked to order. Our steak was medium while our tablemates' was definitely medium-well, as requested. Everything that was supposed to be hot was hot. By the same token, baked goods were, indeed, not freshly-baked. Selections were indeed varied, evidently to appeal to a vast array of different tastes and preferences, rather than just a narrow interpretation of a specific cuisine design.

 

I was glad to hear your reports of superior service and cleanliness. I wasn't really as impressed with same on our Majesty of the Seas cruise. The cabin was clean, mostly, most of the time, but perhaps it was just too small for the steward to do a really good job. Not sure. We had to ask for the beds to be made-up into couches during the day, whereas I would have thought that, even that that is more work, that would be the norm for such a small cabin. It'll be much less of an issue on Serenade, given how much larger our cabin will be, but it is still good to hear of your high regard.

[bUU]

Sylia: I think you're actually slightly off-the-mark, saying that RCI and Celebrity cater to different "socio-economic demographics." While that may or may not be true, I think what is more relevant to the point you were making is that RCI and Celebrity are catering to people who value different aspects of a cruise differently, regardless of their socio-economic status. The prices of the cruises aren't all that different, IMHO, but what is different is where the two cruise lines focus their investments: RCI towards innovative activities; Celebrity towards cuisine and traditional service.

 

cmason: That's a very interesting observation you made, about RCI being positioned against other vacation options (Walt Disney World and Las Vegas, most likely) rather than traditional cruise lines (which is Celebrity's milieu after all). I have never thought about it in those terms, but that's right on-target, and indeed what attracted us, not only to RCI, but to cruising in-general -- specifically the fact that a cruise line was positioning itself to attract us -- folks who have been annual guests at these most popular vacation destinations.

 

1corona4u: We also don't live to eat, but rather try to eat to live, and we feel it is a healthier perspective overall, rather than just applicable to vacationing. Doing, experiencing, seeing and being together is our aim and purpose, regardless of what we do on vacation, and cmason's point (above) really meshes well with that: We would never have done a traditional cruise 10-20 years ago, even if they were affordable back then (which they were not). Now, they're both affordable and attractive to us, perhaps for precisely the same reason that the SunnyBunny's RCI cruise was NOT attractive to her.

[queenL]

We were on the Serenade for 12 days (Hawaii) in May. We thoroughly enjoyed our cruise and have no regrets. I have sailed on nearly all the mainstream lines and next month will embark on my 9th cruise. I wouldn't hesistate to recommend this ship or the RCL line to others. I do agree with some of the things that Sunny Bunny said though. Celebrity does offer a slightly more refined cruising experience. That said, I research carefully before I book a cruise and generally know what to expect. With all the information available, there is really no excuse not to. When I sail RCL I'm not looking for a 5 star dining experience. RCL isn't Celebrity and they don't try to be. Personally, I believe that each line has its unique strengths and those are to be celebrated. There are advantages on RCL that Celebrity can't match either. When I want memorable meals and laid back elegance I choose Celebrity. When I'm in the mood to dance on the tables, shake it loose and have some fun, I choose Carnival. If I want to ice skate in the middle of the Carribean RCL can't be beat. Great experiences can be found on all!

[queenL]

"Sylia: I think you're actually slightly off-the-mark, saying that RCI and Celebrity cater to different "socio-economic demographics." While that may or may not be true, I think what is more relevant to the point you were making is that RCI and Celebrity are catering to people who value different aspects of a cruise differently, regardless of their socio-economic status. The prices of the cruises aren't all that different, IMHO, but what is different is where the two cruise lines focus their investments: RCI towards innovative activities; Celebrity towards cuisine and traditional service. "

 

Bicker you are right on the money with this! Both of these lines target the same class: middle class. The lines that target the upperclass; Crystal, Seaburn, Radisson, Cunard etc. It's all about what your preferences are!

[Tatka]

Sunny Bunny,

 

I also had this feeling you're going to be criticized for your review.

 

My first (and last at this moment) cruise on RCI was right after we sailed on X Century and I agree on many points specially about food (and buffets!!!) , I also agree that otherwise service on the ship was excellent :) and Splendour (another RCI ship) was beautiful beautiful ship and featured some things I'd loved to see on X.

 

I also wrote similar review, but probably worded it differently, so RCI fans wouldn't feel as I was trying to make them feel inferior. (And why should I?...cruise fare is very close on both lines;) )

 

But...It's your review and your honest opinion and I am glad you posted it. It will definitely help people who are looking for little bit more refined experience to book the right line.

 

Some people here just have to learn to accept different opinions and not to take everything they read on public message boards personally.

 

JMHO

 

And... we aren't DINKs. ;) We are 32 and 33 years olds DI + 13 years old kid, who wasn't with us on our Med cruise on Splendour.

[tumper]

Sunny Bunny -

 

Thank you for posting your review and opinions. You just knew you were going to be flamed, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion - and this can be refreshing.

 

We are dinks also who were on the same cruise, and had a great time... however, fine dining is not our top priority. We felt that the Serenade's Windjammer was the best of the six that we have experienced so far. The ship was top-notch! Clean and beautiful ! The crew was friendly and accomodating. The captain was wonderful - taking us slowly past the Pitons and Montserrat.

Sure, some of our fellow passengers are real sloths, but that is true on every cruise as it is in everyday life. We choose to overlook that, and focus on the ship, the sea, the sun, and the islands. That is why we cruise. We also made some new friends last week - so that was a bonus. To those of you new to cruising, these reviews can be enlightening, but dont base your decisions on them entirely. What seems important to one reviewer, is not to another. One reviewer may have had some real jerks as tablemates, while another made new friends. It is so very subjective... peace and happy sailing to all...

Afterall, being on a cruise, is much better than being at work! :)

[dznymom]

This is exactly why it is so important to research before you cruise. I always do my homework so that I do not set unreasonable expectations. I have thoroughly enjoyed every cruise I have been on, and I expect I always will.

[TahoeBob]

SunnyBunny,

We are DINKS too, #######

So, keep on visiting these boards and don't let a few cranky people get you down. I don't!!! :rolleyes:

How dare you call me cranky, Its just when some thinks they are better than others gets me upset.

 

people who just need to put people down well I think you get the picture......

 

People who demand to be treated FIRST CLASS, WELL FIRST CLASS IS NOT A PLACE ON A SHIP IT STARTS ON HOW YOU TREAT OTHERS.

 

B.P.

[bUU]

Precisely right. I mentioned this in another thread this morning: It seemed to me that aboard ship the folks most concerned about class were those who were in most need of it.

[ABoatNerd]

Dear CC members:

 

I would state that likely any cruise is better than no cruise.

 

This is another example of a patron not being correctly matched with a cruise line.

 

It seems that Sunny Bunny did not pick the cruise product to meet her desire for high end food and service. RCL can not deliver the product she wishes, so she can purchase it elsewhere. Frankly, many of the posters were rude in flaming her opinion - she was simply stating her review from her expectations. The posters could have simply said that generally RCL does not provide this type of food service protocol and level of cuisine.

 

Frankly, I am with Sunny Bunny (a MINK (multiple incomes, no kids) and I desire a very correct, high end food and service experience with quiet class and decorum whether on a ship or resort. I used to patronize Celebrity, but they lost their way (hoping they return to their upper mass market lineage) and now I patronize Crystal or Oceania.

 

I monitor the RCL board as I have friends with children who enjoy this line and I transmit important info to them.

 

So, Sunny Bunny, move your business to to cruise lines which deliver your type of product.

 

CMason, I thank you for your analysis of RCL, very interesting that they are trying to be a water version of a Club Med family.

 

There is alot of movement in the cruise lines to BETTER position themselves with patrons and ensure everyone knows the type of product they offer. If they are successful, then there will be less mismatches.

 

A good cruising to all

ABoatNerd

[TahoeBob]

 

Frankly, I am with Sunny Bunny (a MINK (multiple incomes, no kids) and I desire a very correct, high end food and service experience with quiet class and decorum whether on a ship or resort. I used to patronize Celebrity, but they lost their way (hoping they return to their upper mass market lineage) and now I patronize Crystal or Oceania.

ABoatNerd

Nothing wrong with high end, great service, or even being a dink, the problem is with Sunny Bunny, the tone of her first post was a putdown of others and there lifestyles. When someone tells me that have to demand one type of service, that goes from high class to no class. Like I said in a early post

 

First class is not a place on the ship, it starts with how you treat others.

 

Just because someone can afford the best, and demand the best they can still be a low class person, and when someone like Sunny Bunny posts what she did ----- well that is low class