Let me Serenade You - the 12/11-18 Review with Too Many Pictures

[brianabrad]

So excited to see more pictures!

[Darkwolfe]

Scary part is you guys landed in almost the same place we kept getting in the WJ and you stayed in the same hotel in very close to the same spot.

 

Great pictures!

[bionicman97]

Great Pictures!

[soccercrazy]

Fantastic review!! DH and I board on Jan 7th for DH first cruise, my second but first with RCL. I can't wait and seeing all your photos and reviews makes me even more excited.

[subtchr]

As I mentioned, the biking was mostly downhill, with a couple little challenging sections and quite a bit of gravelly/rocky sections of road. Just tough enough to keep our attention and make us feel as if we were getting some exercise! A few photos along the way:

 

 

Not sure how this will work, but (hopefully) this is a link to a short video:

 

 

 

 

 

The "sag wagon", which Sue drove behind us to carry our gear (and pick up any stragglers, if needed - no wusses in our group!):

 

[subtchr]

Last stretch:

 

 

Our view of the promised land (Honeymoon Beach):

 

 

The Cannondale bikes we used:

 

 

beautiful beach:

 

 

 

[subtchr]

It was a gorgeous day, and it was even fun when a small rainshower passed through when we were already out swimming:

 

 

another short video link:

 

 

 

Besides running the tour company, Sue is an artist who creates and sells prints of her sketches and t-shirts that she designs. It was nice to buy a shirt that wasn't like every other mass-produced t-shirt, and Sue is happy to sign and date it:

 

 

By the way, there is a restaurant/snack bar at the beach, but we wanted to have lunch back on board. We were provided all the water we wanted, including a bottle in a rack on the bike, refilled whenever needed.

 

After about an hour and a half to swim, we packed up to head back to the dock to return to the ship.

 

Here are a couple photos of the Water Island "downtown", as Sue described it, down at the dock. Post office boxes, book exchange, and general community bulletin board. What a cool place to live!

 

 

[subtchr]

Paul, who captained the pontoon boat taking us back to the ship (Sue stayed on Water Island) was great. Funny, with plenty of stories about the islands. And as tends to happen, we who had taken the tour had "bonded" over our shared experience, so it was a fun ride back to the Serenade.

 

A few pics along the way:

 

 

 

 

The yacht Martha Ann was anchored in the bay. You, too, can rent this baby for a mere 600,000 Euros. Per week. Plus expenses.

 

 

 

[tright]

I love your picture review!! We did our Alaska cruise on the Sereande and love her:)

[Darkwolfe]

It's fun to see a picture my 2 favorite ships both in it. :D

[subtchr]

We were back to the dock about 1:30 or so. We thought about stopping to do some shopping, but we are just not big shoppers, on cruises or otherwise.

 

Heading back to Serenade:

 

 

 

We got cleaned up a bit, then headed to our favorite spot at the back of the WJ for lunch. A few pics of Enchantment's aft balconies from there:

 

 

 

 

[subtchr]

We spent the afternoon relaxing on the ship. If I recall, napping was involved.

 

For me, of course, there was also time to play photog...

 

The cool little side eating (and ping-pong-playing) area between the WJ and pool deck:

 

 

 

 

A seaplane on takeoff:

 

 

 

[subtchr]

More views from the ship:

 

 

 

 

 

Not your average dock:

 

 

These folks were returning from Honeymoon Beach, the same spot where we were. The wedding looked beautiful, and the group were definitely enjoying themselves. I am pretty sure I can pick out the guy who had "indulged" so much he strolled right into the ladies' restroom when several of us were trying to use it!

 

[Toasty Destinations]

Love seeing your pictures on Serenade as we fly out of Dayton to sail on Serenade on January 15th! It'll be our second cruise on Serenade of the Seas, and we can't wait to return! Beautiful pictures - thanks for sharing. Makes me all the more excited for our trip!!

[subtchr]

 

 

 

 

 

[apkpcruisers]

Great pictures! Some unique shots that I have not seen before. Please keep posting!:)

[subtchr]

I almost forgot until I was looking through the pics, but I visited the steam room (in the ladies' locker room near the spa) this afternoon. A lovely space, and it felt wonderful.

 

As others have mentioned, there are plenty of towels in the locker rooms, if you don't want to worry about pool towels. There are also nice, big showers if you grow tired of trying to shave your legs in a "tube":

 

 

 

 

 

 

[subtchr]

I enjoy the quirky stairway art:

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the biggest drawback of a cabin in the far aft...the LOOOONNNGGG walk down the hallway:

 

[subtchr]

And sunset. No other words required.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[subtchr]

 

 

 

 

 

[Aoumd]

Spectacular review and photos!

 

Makes me want to try one of RCCL's "smaller" ships (well, compared to the two I've been on, Oasis and Navigator!)

[Namocsid]

Great review so far and some absolutely "postcard" worthy pictures. Looking forward to the rest!

[MaskedTurtle]

I am really enjoying all these photos. I also like taking tons of photos and reliving the cruise. I'm glad that you posted them. Personal photos are sooooo much better than stock photos on Royal Caribbean's website

[cliffday]

Were back on Serenade for B2B begining Mar 12, great ship, thanks for the pics to remember the look of this ship.

 

The Radiance class ships are our favorite.

[subtchr]

No pics from Sunday evening, but it was formal night in the MDR, and we got to meet our table mates, two very nice couples about our age. One was even from Cincinnati, about 45 minutes from where we live.

 

For those who are wondering, there was quite a mix of attire in the MDR for formal night, from tuxes and gowns to khakis and tropical shirts. So my advice is to dress somewhere within that spectrum and you will be fine! I don't remember seeing any shorts for dinner on formal night, but I definitely noticed quite a few on other nights. To each his own...

 

Headliner entertainment this night was an Elvis impersonator. Now, before you jump to conclusions (as we were tempted to do), he was actually very entertaining. In a good way. Lots of crowd interaction, and a very good singer.

 

On to St Croix!

 

Another day, another beautiful morning, another breakfast in the warm Caribbean air:

 

 

 

With a port-intensive itinerary, we knew we wanted a couple of relaxing days so that we didn't feel as if we needed a vacation after our vacation! So our original plan for today was to just walk to the beach nearby. When we talked with the helpful local guides at the end of the dock, we were told that beach had sustained some damage in recent heavy rains, so it was closed. As often happens in these cases, we just tried to be flexible and had a GREAT day because of it!

 

We purchased $6 round trip shuttle tickets for each of us at the table on the dock and hopped in a van to head the short distance to Sandcastle Resort. Once there we paid $20 for two beach chairs and an umbrella, and they gave us each wristbands.

 

It was absolutely lovely. We were among the first there (due to our inability to sleep in, even when we try...), and it was like our own little slice of paradise.

 

The evidence:

 

First, the view of the closed beach from the ship:

 

 

the dock:

 

 

 

And Sandcastle: