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Serenade of the Seas Review - 3/11/06


wrp96

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Will post in parts.

 

March 11, 2006 – 7-night Southern Caribbean on Serenade of the Seas

Ports: St. Thomas, St. Martin, Antigua, St. Lucia, Barbados

Players: Me, late 20s, 6th Royal Caribbean Cruise, Best Friend, 30, 3rd Royal Caribbean Cruise

Ship: The Serenade is a beautiful ship with all that glass. One of my tablemates described the décor as Italian, which I sort of agree with, i.e. dark woods, dark colored fabrics, but still very beautiful. Love the cows on Deck 13.

We had stateroom 1602 a Junior Suite on the back of the ship. Huge room, with a great walk-in closet and probably one of the biggest balconies on the entire ship. The balcony held two lounge chairs, two regular chairs, one chair with foot stool, and a table and easily could have held even more. We did have one problem with the room as about the 2nd or 3rd night a leak developed and they were unable to fix it. We ended up having a blower in our room for most of the week. We did receive several bottles of wine for our inconvenience (hey, it lowered our bar bill). They said the leak was one that could not easily be fixed, so I got the impression that it was one that involved basically taking apart the room and/or the rooms around it.

The staff onboard this ship is wonderful. They were always smiling and ready with a good day. The issues we had were quickly addressed, even if they couldn’t be fixed. The staff was very responsive and tried to go out of their way to make this cruise absolutely amazing.

When we got onboard the ship I went and checked our dining room table, and was excited to find out it was a table for 8 in the middle of the room, we wanted a big table so we could meet new people. We got a call shortly before dinner from the Maitre’d asking if we could move as they had accidentally split up a large group. We laughed though when he offered us a nice, romantic table for 2 by the window (we’re two females). He quickly found us another table for 8 with great tablemates – Joe, Helen, Anne, and Frank from New Jersey and Bob and Gail from Maryland.

We didn’t go to many of the shows, except for the production shows which we loved. The singers and dancers were amazing. We liked most of the entertainment throughout the ship. The CD, Kirk Detweiler, was very fun. Oh, and we won the Quest!! And thereafter were known throughout the ship.

Schooner Bar is probably my favorite bar on the ship, with all the dark woods and comfortable chairs. But we spent more time in the Vortex lounge dancing the night away. Lots of fun, although the revolving bar gets sort of confusing after several drinks.

We did eat at Portofino's one night, Tuesday night which was supposed to be Caribbean night but ended up being Italian night. The food was absolutely amazing and the service phenomenal. We had our waiter, our assistant waiter, the manager, and other waiters helping us. The desserts were to die for.

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San Juan: Stayed at the Sheraton Old San Juan both pre and post cruise. If you can, ask for a King Size bed and not two doubles. All their rooms with two beds are on the backside of the hotel, directly over Senor Frogs. We took a recommendation from the Bellhops and ate dinner both nights at a place called Café de Puerto Rico. Absolutely wonderful food, with huge portions and great drinks. As a reference if you go up the stairs behind the Sheraton, go to the right past the Starbucks. The café is just across from a little square and has a few tables out front with green umbrellas and is in the line of site of San Cristobal.

Loved walking around Old San Juan. Beautiful history, especially with the forts. On the Saturday after we got off the ship we walked to El Morro, which was a very hot walk, but was worth it. On the field in front of El Morro were hundreds of people flying kites. It was beautiful. There are also tons of shops in Old San Juan.

Transportation: We had cruise ship transfers from the airport to the hotel, the hotel to the pier, the pier to the hotel, and back to the airport. We highly recommend the airport to hotel and hotel to airport transfers as they were right on time, but don’t bother with the hotel to pier transfers. We had to check out of the hotel by 11am but the front desk told us we wouldn’t be picked up until 1 maybe 2pm and that they couldn’t give us a specific time so we just had to wait. We took a cab to the pier instead leaving our bags to be brought over to the ship, for $15, and were about the 3rd group to check in when they started check in at 11:30. We were actually the 2nd people on the ship. Same problem returning. We had to wait for over an hour before our bus was filled and even then there was confusion. You are better off taking a taxi to and from the hotel to the pier.

The airport is not the greatest in the world. Coming in it seemed like we waited forever for our bags (although not as long as I waited at MIA 3 weeks before). Going you first have to send your bags through the USDA checkpoint – don’t forget this as you can’t do anything else until you’ve gone through this. Then you have to wait in absurdly long lines to check in. Then again for security. Once we got to the gate our flight was overbooked so I volunteered to take the next flight. There is only one restaurant/bar in the whole terminal so it isn’t the greatest place to wait. Definitely give yourself extra time to get through this airport. If you are flying American and coming directly from the ship I highly recommend taking part in the luggage valet program on the ship so you can avoid the check in lines at the airport and go straight to your gate. USAir offers check in at the pier but not onboard the ship.

St. Thomas: St. John’s and Trunk Bay

Only one other ship in port with us, the Golden Princess. Since I had been to St. Thomas before, we took a Taxi to Red Hook (~$10 per person) and took the ferry over to St. John’s ($5 per person). We then took a taxi to Trunk Bay, $6 per person each way if I remember correctly. Definitely can see why this is considered one of the top beaches in the world. The view is spectacular, the water is clear blue. We got one set of snorkel gear and one chair to share which cost $12 but required a $50 deposit I believe so bring your credit card if you want to rent equipment at Trunk Bay. The snorkeling was great as there is a marked trail to follow under the water, with lots of different colors of fish, coral, and sea weed.

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St. Martin: Shopping and Downtown Beach

Only one other ship in port with us, from a cruise line I didn’t recognize. Slept in so decided just to wander around downtown and shop. Lots of little nooks and crannies to search in. We had fun just going in and out of the shops. The water taxi was $5 per person but was unlimited. We also stuck our feet in the water at the downtown beach, which had soft sand but the water was murky with a lot of seaweed.

Antigua: Castaway Beach

4 ships in port today: us, P&O Oceana, Aida, and another smaller one, the size of Seabourn or Seadream. Took a taxi to Castaway Beach. The roads on the island aren’t the greatest and it isn’t the cleanest of the islands, but it is still a beautiful island. We laughed at the guy on the mule waiting to pull out into traffic. Castaway Beach was nice, and wasn’t crowded at all. We rented a waverunner for a while, plus chairs and an umbrella and spent several hours there. At first we were bothered by people, but a firm no thank you had them leaving us alone after that. We ate at the restaurant there and have to say that the food was great. Best friend said the hamburger was one of the best she’d ever tasted. Prices were around $7 to $8 for food, but you got a huge amount – the sandwich, plus a salad, and an order of fries.

St. Lucia: 3 ships in port, us P&O Oceana and Aida. Did a tour with Cosol. $40 per person for an all day tour and worth every penny. He has vans that hold about 10 people maximum but he tries to have about half that in each van. He keeps his vans together so even if Cosol isn’t your driver you are still getting the same experience. St. Lucia is lush and beautiful. Even though it is poorer than Antigua the island was cleaner and the roads were better than Antigua. Cosol took us first to the Drive in Volcano at Soufriere. Due to the winding roads it took a while, but he made several stops along the way for picture taking and shopping. He also stopped at a banana plantation along the way and showed us how they grow the bananas, including showing us the inside of a flower, plus he got us bananas to eat. The drive in volcano was interesting as you can actually see the mud bubbling up. He then took us to the waterfalls and botanical gardens, stopping along the way to get us some cookies (yum!). The waterfall was small and cold but was beautiful and the flowers in the garden were amazing. Cosol then got us some fishcakes and Johnny cakes with banana ketchup and hot sauce, which were wonderful as well. He also provided us with sodas, beers, water, rum punch. We then set off on our way to Marigot Bay, with Cosol stopping along the way to get each of us huge loaves of homemade bread. After Marigot Bay, Cosol gave us the option of stopping at the rum distillery or at a beach, but we were all tired so we decided to go back to the ship.

Barbados: Silver Moon I

4 ships in port today: us, P&O’s Oceana, a Fred Olsen lines ship, and the Freewind. Booked the Silver Moon I several months ago due to the wonderful reviews from Cruise Critic and have to say they were spot on. You are met at the pier and driven by bus to the catamaran. Before stepping on board, you take off your shoes and then you have free run of the cat. Captain Ben and Tony were great crew, very friendly and knowledgable. We swam with the sea turtles, snorkled at a ship wreck, were provided a wonderful lunch, all the drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) that we could want and basically relaxed for a wonderful day – all 10 of us. This cruise was worth the money and more.

Conclusion: Was this the perfect cruise – no, but every problem was handled quickly and efficiently and we still managed to have a great time. Looking forward to my next Royal Caribbean cruise vacation.

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It would be a hard decision but I think I would take the Brilliance, partly because of the longer itinerary but partly because the decor seemed lighter on the Brilliance. Still had a great time and both and if somebody offered me the chance to sail on either I would take them up on it in a flash.

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Wrona,

I think we are going to love the Brilliance. Do you by any chance still have your compasses? I'd like to know which nights are the Caribbean night and Italian night. We'd like to go to Chops and Portofino those nights. Thanks again.

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My Review of the Serenade cruise 3/11/06.

I don’t cruise for the food so there are really no in depth reviews of the menus- we have found that we can always find something we like to eat! I have to say that my favorite dessert was the Grand Mariner Soufflé and I did eat a lot of shrimp and fish, everything was delicious. Our waiter Sephi was fantastic, and brought each couple an “extra” dessert to try each evening.

 

We ate breakfast at the Windjammer and did try the main dining room for lunch on the last day. I would highly recommend eating lunch in the main dining room at least one day, as it was really great. I took pictures of the Midnight Buffet but didn’t try any of the food because we had late seating. I was awed, it was one of the most elaborate buffets I have seen in my 3 cruises- way to pretty to eat any of the items!

 

The only show we saw was LaRaf. It was a great magic and illusion show and for you gals- it is worth it to see Raf and his abs!!!!! I vowed to go home and work my weights some more to get my own abs better toned!

 

Our room attendant was efficient and unobtrusive. Our balcony room in the middle of the “bump” had a terrific view. The staff around the Serenade were friendly and ready to please. I tried all drinks of the day and they were great and I now have more glasses to add to my collection and use for our future sail-a-way party! Try the CoCo Locos the glass is really neat. Also, the Spa specials were plentiful on this ITN, probably because there was only one sea day. I did the 20-20-20 and really enjoyed my hour at the spa.

 

The only negative we saw was the lack of service in the Windjammer in relation to our previous cruise, and I sure wish they would not keep the rooms so cold, especially the lounges. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr – be sure to take a collection of wraps and sweaters.

Now for the ITN-

Arrived in San Juan on the 10th and stayed at the Coral Princess Inn in the Condado. We were pleasantly surprised to find that we were upgraded to one of the suites on the top floor. Too bad we were too tired to really enjoy it!

Day 1- Saturday- Left the hotel about 10:30 and took a taxi to the pier. We did not realize how close the pier was to the Condado. In spite of this there were a few others waiting ahead of us to board, however once luggage was checked they headed off to Old San Juan and we became the first in line to board the Serenade. RCCL opened the doors about 11:30 and we were on! We parked ourselves in the Schooner Bar till we could get to our rooms at 1:00; then off to the Windjammer for the welcome aboard lunch. Our luggage arrived at 3:00 just as we were taking off for our CC Meet and Greet by the Pool Bar so we were late to the bar, but we did meet up with Susannah and Tom and enjoyed a drink and conversation. We had late seating dinner in the sunken main part of the dining room. At first we were sad not to have a window but our tablemates (who were terrific) more than made up for the lack of view. Our table was right next to the Captain’s table, but he was only in attendance one evening when the President of RC was aboard.

Day 2- Casual/Caribbean Night. St. Thomas- Also the day of our vow renewal. We relaxed on the ship and then took a cab into town to catch the ferry to St. John. We took the 45 min. ferry over – nice views of the island/s but I would not do this again. The ferry is very smelly (diesel fuel) so we sat up above and were very windblown by the time we reached St. John. In St. John we ate lunch and shopped in the small unique shops by the ferry dock. I got some great items. Our wedding planner- Stacey from Ceremonies of St. John picked us up and took us to a secluded area on Hawksnest Beach where Rev. Emanuel preformed the renewal. I have to say that we both were so touched by the service and it was definitely a highlight for us. Hawksnest is just gorgeous. We were driven back to Cruz Bay and took the 3:00 ferry back to Red Hook and a wild taxi trip back to the ship while our driver sang gospel tunes And drove VERY FAST! Back to the ship and sail-a-way and then we enjoyed a fabulous dinner ending a perfect day.

Day 3- Formal Night- St. Martin- No excursion booked – this was labeled a “go with the flow” day! We always order in juice, tea and coffee via room service to enjoy while we got ready. (This is a ritual for us each day on the cruise.) We took the water taxi over to Phillipsburg. This is $5.00 and they give you a wristband so you can go back and forth all day long. It is a bargain! We shopped in the Am- and I have to say I have NEVER seen so many shops in one area, or so much jewelry. I did purchase some items at Ballerina Jewelry and was very pleased. We also purchased many unique items as gifts to take home, and strolled along the sidewalks and beach front, and then stopped to try the “Guava berry Man Punch” at one of the beach bars. It really had some ZIP to it! Then back to the ship via the water taxi, ate lunch on the ship and took water taxi back to rent chairs on Great Bay Beach. I highly recommend this- you get 2 nice cushioned chairs and umbrella for $10.00 and for $5.00 more a bucket with beers. We spent the afternoon enjoying the beach, bay, and view of the Serenade from our loungers! This was the first formal night. Hint- I would avoid the camera guy by the lighted stairs – he is inflexible!

Day 4- Antigua Casual/Caribbean Night. – No excursion booked, so we got off the ship to the music of the steel band- now we knew we were in the Caribbean! We checked out the taxi tours offered right on the pier, and went up the street to look around, but turned around and decided to go ahead and do a taxi tour in the AM. We boarded the ship and got our swimsuits and beach stuff and went back to catch our tour. We saw Falmouth Harbor, Clarence House, Nelson’s Dockyard, English Harbor and Shirley Heights and stopped at Darkwood Beach. This is a beautiful beach with waves washing in shells by the hundreds. Be warned there is really no development but a single place to rent a chair and grab a drink. Great beach, great photo ops - It was a great day!

Day 5 – Smart casual Night - St. Lucia- We woke up to overcast skies but not problem as we had booked a tour with Cosol. I have to say that his tour is awesome and he sure knows the island and the people. We saw EVERYTHING! Tried many local food items, fish cakes with hot sauce/banana catsup, Johnny cakes, bananas right from the plantation, local cookies and bread, with rum punch, pop and Piton beer along the way. My DH recommends the Piton beer! We were amazed at the roads, mountains, bubbling mud, villages, and the view of the Pitons. We would have also gone to a beach but our group of 4 was too tired and opted to go back to the ship. My favorite sites were the small villages we passed through on our way along the coast. We left the dock early evening so the Captain could do the famous turn around show between the two Pitons. There are no words to describe this experience! This was now our BEST DAY!

Day 6- Formal Night - Barbados – We awoke to sunny skies and looked forward to our RC excursion, 4x4 Jeep Tour and Paradise Beach. This was a great tour as you see much of the island, interior as well as coast. We saw a sugar can plant, sugar cane fields, farm fields, Bathsheba, clay mountains, homes of the locals, the famous Sandy Lane Resort, and finally Paradise Beach. This beach was lovely and we enjoyed our time lounging on the sand. We were back to the ship pier in time for shopping at the dock area and lunch. I enjoyed some time by the pool (more drinks of the day) after lunch. This was the second formal night and I believe lobster night.

Day 7 – Sea Day. We relaxed most of the day on our balcony and the pool deck, enjoying the magnificent views of the small islands we passed. Montseratt is awesome as well as St. Kitts, Nevis and Saba. Maybe St. Kitts will be on a future cruise stop??? I enjoyed the cooking demo in the Centrum. We ate lunch in the dining room and enjoyed it immensely.

Embarkation went as well as can be expected.

We were very sad to see our cruise end, and would take this very same ITN again as there is much to see and do on all the islands. We are planning ahead to 2008! We stayed at the Mariott Stellaris Resort and spent the aafternoon in Old San Juan, and left San Juan on Sunday.Hope you enjoyed my reflections!

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  • 2 weeks later...
I finally got through my pictures and have some posted to a shutterfly website.

 

If you are interested- there are many of this ship, the ports, and the midnight buffet. :D

Enjoy. I hope this link works!

 

http://www.jlfcruise06.dell.shutterfly.com/action/

 

Thanks so much for sharing. With my docs arriving today, your pictures made me wildly excited. I loved how you chronicled Cosol's tour...can't wait for that. Congratulation on renewing your vows...what a lovely way to do so.

Kathy

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