Soliciting Serenade Feedback

Hello all,

My family has cruised on Oasis, then Freedom. Working our way backwards from top to bottom I guess :rolleyes:

I've got my eye on an 11 day on Serenade of The Seas.

Just looking for some feedback on the major differences I would notice on Serenade, probably in comparison to Freedom, as Oasis is in a class of its own.

Thanks in advance.

There is no Royal Promenade on Serenade. The major gathering place is the Centrum. Serenade does not have a Flowrider, but she does have a kiddie pool with slides.

Don't miss the outside Windjammer seating aft of the buffet.

Not as many entertainment venues as on the Oasis class ships. However, the ships crew is great and entertainment on board was excellent when we were on the Christmas/New Years cruise in December.

The major difference you will see, is no Royal Promenade and you don't have to reserve show times. We have sailed the Radiance of the seas 4 times, Serenade twice, and Brilliance once ( all Radiance Class )The outside area back of the WJ is a favorite place for us to have lunch. Another favorite of everyone who loves the Radiance Class, is all the glass and views from the Centum Area, Schooner Bar and other public areas. It can get congested after the shows but empties quickly. If you wish to sit in the lower section for the shows then Deck 5 through the shops & photo area otherwise Deck 6 for the side seating sections.

Hello all,

 

My family has cruised on Oasis, then Freedom. Working our way backwards from top to bottom I guess :rolleyes:

 

I've got my eye on an 11 day on Serenade of The Seas.

Just looking for some feedback on the major differences I would notice on Serenade, probably in comparison to Freedom, as Oasis is in a class of its own.

 

Thanks in advance.

Beautiful ship. Enjoy the longer 10/11 nite cruises. Not as much to do like on bigger ships. Quiet like I like it.

Just looking for some feedback on the major differences I would notice on Serenade, probably in comparison to Freedom, as Oasis is in a class of its own.

Lots of glass and sea views.

Hello all,

 

My family has cruised on Oasis, then Freedom. Working our way backwards from top to bottom I guess :rolleyes:

 

I've got my eye on an 11 day on Serenade of The Seas.

Just looking for some feedback on the major differences I would notice on Serenade, probably in comparison to Freedom, as Oasis is in a class of its own.

 

Thanks in advance.

11 day Serenade was one of the best cruises we have taken. Enjoy.... Quit worrying about comparisons and issues before you go.

11 day Serenade was one of the best cruises we have taken. Enjoy.... Quit worrying about comparisons and issues before you go.

Ditto to this...and we've been on every class except Quantum. LOVED our 11-day S. Caribbean!

We're on the 11 night in 3 weeks after doing the 10 night last year. I love this class of ships and was on Brilliance last month. There's enough activities to allow you to be extremely involved or you can just relax and enjoy all the scenery and the beauty of the ship

We were on the 11-night itinerary in early January 2017 on Serenade that does all 6 ports in a row, with two sea days before and after the port stops. It was a delightful cruise, and we were very pleased with Serenade in many ways, this having our first time on that class of ship. With two days at sea at the outset to get relaxed, six days of ports, and then two more sea days to recover from all the ports in a row, we certainly were not bored. As mentioned above, the outside seating for the WJ is a nice feature, as are the self-leveling pool tables in the Safari Club on deck 6. We found the service to be good, and the food in the MDR overall was better than what we had on Vision in January 2016. The WJ has a better setup on Serenade than on Vision as well, and the food there was good (if not always great).

Seaview Cafe is one of our favorite casual dining venues on Radiance class... seems better on Serenade than Jewel. Serenade was our first, and will always hold special memories.

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We did the 11 night over Thanksgiving. The ports are much better, we did a lot of snorkeling and loved all the windows. After sailing the Anthem, we felt like we were sailing in a shopping mall. were the Serenade was a real cruise ship. Loved the Anthem, just a different cruising experience with a real Schooner bar.

Read my review Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas Review by Ocean Dancer

Seaview Cafe is one of our favorite casual dining venues on Radiance class... seems better on Serenade than Jewel. Serenade was our first, and will always hold special memories.

Unfortunately, Seaview Cafe is gone from all Radiance class ships now. That space has been turned into an extra cost restaurant.

Unfortunately, Seaview Cafe is gone from all Radiance class ships now. That space has been turned into an extra cost restaurant.

Thanks ASK BOB

I was wondering how I missed the Seaview?? Was scratching my head for sure.

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Have been sailing Voyager, Freedom and Oasis class for a few years now. Sailed the Serenade last year, just for a change.

Had mixed feelings. Really missed the promenade area. Ship seemed very crowded. Lots of bottlenecks of people. Also, many evening events/shows were held in the centrum. Again, very crowded and impossible to get a seat.

Casino was very smokey and smoke drifted to other areas. Could have just been a cruise with lots of smokers, but it was really bad.

On the positive side, food was excellent. Ate in the MDR a lot, even for breakfast and lunch. Staff and service throughout the ship were excellent.

I have noticed that on Radiance class ships. Biggest bottleneck is having to walk through the elevator lobby, especially on deck 11. Those glass elevators with the outside view are very nice, but that feature has made the ship asymmetrical and the centrum smaller than the centrum on Vision class ships.

Sailed on SOS a few weeks ago. Serenade was our first cruise and then we cruised Freedom and Adventure and decided to go back to Serenade because of the ports of call. We are a couple in our late 40s and found that the age of the cruiser on the Serenade was much older (65+) and many told us that was because it was a smaller ship (can't get lost). We Loved the ports of call, enjoyed the ship and met great people. We found the food on some nights to be better in the Windjammer than the MDR. Food is one of those very subjective things so take my comments with a grain of salt :) Found that MDR average time for dining was 1.5 hours doing the My Time Dining at 7pm.

We found that the shows, music, trivia catered to an older group of cruisers. As many have mentioned the shopping area was very cramped as they had tables set up outside of each store and in the middle of the walkway. Centrium very crowded, not many seats and most were camped there for the evening, which is a positive that the entertainment was geared to the age of the cruiser (unfortunately just not our age).

The 70s night was a lot of fun in the Centrium but needed to get there early to get a seat or piece of the railing to be able to see. We did smell the smoke from the casino when in the Centrium area for the 70s nights.

The casino and theatre is much smaller than the Freedom and Adventure - if that's somewhere you might visit :)

No Coke machines which we knew ahead of time and found that we missed them :(

Don't get me wrong we had a wonderful cruise but we did notice how much smaller the ship was compared to the others. We would sail SOS again for the ports but would choose Adventure or Freedom for the ships.

You are trying to compare two different species. I have sailed all classes except for the Quantum, many times. The Seranade is a particular favorite. She is beautiful and I have never felt crowded or had to wait for anything.

I must say that I like this class when going to scenic itineraries, like New England or the Baltics. Because it is a small ship, you really feel that you are close with the surroundings.

I enjoy them all , and will say that each class has its good features and negatives. However, the positives ALWAYS outweigh any negatives! I never regret being on any of them!

It really depends on what you are looking for.

Are you looking for a classic ship to relax upon, and meet people and spend your days in a low key manner? Or are you looking for the excitement of a big ship with bells and whistles that keep you going from one activity to another all day long? Both are reasons to cruise.

It MAY depend on your age. The young families may want lots of activities.

An older couple may want a quieter space.

Then again, age is a matter of thought. Everyone is different in their approach to life.

And trust me, getting lost on a big ship has never worried me. ( with any luck, soccercrazy , you may one day reach 65+ and I hope you don't get lost onboard.)

I think you should do as I do, chose your ships for the ports and times available.

Whatever ship you are on, look for its positives and you will find them!