Serenade of the Seas Photo Review- Take Two: Aruba Route

[LABCHICK]

Hi Chrystal

 

Really loving your review and pics. Did you know that the Billiance is replacing the Serenade? There are a group of us doing a B2B on her next Nov. We are boarding in Bayonne and our turn around day is in San Juan. Come join us. Would love to have you join us. I wish our DD and family would be with us . Wes and my SIL could watch the Eagles together. I think my SIL is in a state of depression with the outcome of the last few weeks.

 

Judi :)

[isabela]

Hi, still enjoying your review. Two questions, How old looks Serenade, it shows or not the age? The second, What about the Latin Music. Any?? Thanks and will be here every day reading your point of view. Blessings

[Host Faith]

Hi Chrystal

 

Really loving your review and pics. Did you know that the Billiance is replacing the Serenade? There are a group of us doing a B2B on her next Nov. We are boarding in Bayonne and our turn around day is in San Juan. Come join us. Would love to have you join us. I wish our DD and family would be with us . Wes and my SIL could watch the Eagles together. I think my SIL is in a state of depression with the outcome of the last few weeks.

 

Judi :)

 

Hi Judi! I didn't realize the Brilliance was replacing the Serenade. That's such great news! Thank you so much for the invite, we'll check that cruise out. It looks like there's a new port, in Guadeloupe? It would be awesome to see a new island. And the fact that it departs from NJ in November is great. We'll see where we are in a few months and keep that cruise in mind. You're so kind, thank you again!

 

Yeah I told my husband what Handsome58 said about the Eagles this weekend and he said, "They probably are going to lose!" LOL! Maybe booking another cruise will cheer him up a bit ;)

[Host Faith]

Hi, still enjoying your review. Two questions, How old looks Serenade, it shows or not the age? The second, What about the Latin Music. Any?? Thanks and will be here every day reading your point of view. Blessings

 

Hi Isabela! I think the Serenade was built in 2003? My husband and I were commenting on how well-maintained the ship is. Every few hours or so, we would see the crew cleaning, or re-painting things on the ship. They really take great pains to keep her looking great.

 

There's lots of Latin music. I think they played live Latin music most evenings in the centrum of the ship, and they had a couple nights of Latin music in the dance club (Vortex).

 

I'm still working on the rest of the review. Right now I'm working on a paper for grad school. It's my last semester, can't wait to be finished!

 

I should start writing some more late Sunday or starting on Monday. I'll keep checking back to see if anyone has questions, so fire away! Thank you for reading :)

[allentownahoy]

The Brilliance will be sailing from NJ? Just one time or all season?

[Host Faith]

The Brilliance will be sailing from NJ? Just one time or all season?

 

Just once in November 2012 :). I saw it when doing a "dummy" booking on the RCCL website.

[MsSadie]

I'm loving your review & your pics! I'm looking forward to our cruise next fall! :)

[Host Faith]

I'm loving your review & your pics! I'm looking forward to our cruise next fall! :)

 

Thank you so much! We had fun on the Adventure, enjoy your cruise! :D

[Az's Cruising Nana]

I am so throughly enjoying your review of my favorite ship. We also stayed at the Condado area in March and enjoyed being able to walk just down the street to eat. Thanks for allowing me to relive our cruise thru your wonderful review.

 

Sue

[Host Faith]

I am so throughly enjoying your review of my favorite ship. We also stayed at the Condado area in March and enjoyed being able to walk just down the street to eat. Thanks for allowing me to relive our cruise thru your wonderful review.

 

Sue

 

Thank you Sue! I love reading the longer reviews here on CC, makes me feel like I take several vacations a year lol. Where did you stay in Condado?

[Az's Cruising Nana]

Thank you Sue! I love reading the longer reviews here on CC, makes me feel like I take several vacations a year lol. Where did you stay in Condado?

 

We stayed at the Le Consulate. Definately not the same caliber as yours....it was not bad though. It was just one street over from your hotel. I would stay there again very centrally located , clean and resonable. We sailed the Summit this time as our booking on Serenade was cancelled due to a charter. We still had a good time and loved Celebrity also.

 

Sue

[dsvd79]

Chrystal!

 

It is me Dan from your banking days! I didn't know you were a cruise nut like me! I am loving your review!

[Sonicked]

Thank you so much for posting all these pictures! It's so lovely to see some great photos of the ship. I'm looking forward to sailing on Rhapsody in November, so it was nice to see some photos from a relatively similar ship :)

[Mariketa]

Such a great review! I am going to send it to all of my friends and family who are sailing with us next month! Are you going to post more? I'd love a glimpse of the Compass's if you have pictures. If not, that's okay too, no pressure. Thanks for the review!!

[Host Faith]

We stayed at the Le Consulate. Definately not the same caliber as yours....it was not bad though. It was just one street over from your hotel. I would stay there again very centrally located ' date=' clean and resonable. We sailed the Summit this time as our booking on Serenade was cancelled due to a charter. We still had a good time and loved Celebrity also.

 

Sue[/quote']

 

Nice! We're curious about Celebrity, so I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it.

[Host Faith]

Chrystal!

 

It is me Dan from your banking days! I didn't know you were a cruise nut like me! I am loving your review!

 

Dan!!!!!!!! How are you? OMG, such a small world! Yes, I'm hooked on cruising too. It's so great to see you, I hope all is well :)

[Host Faith]

Thank you so much for posting all these pictures! It's so lovely to see some great photos of the ship. I'm looking forward to sailing on Rhapsody in November, so it was nice to see some photos from a relatively similar ship :)

 

I'm so glad you're enjoying the photos! Enjoy your cruise on the Rhapsody:)!

[Host Faith]

Such a great review! I am going to send it to all of my friends and family who are sailing with us next month! Are you going to post more? I'd love a glimpse of the Compass's if you have pictures. If not, that's okay too, no pressure. Thanks for the review!!

 

Thank you Mariketa! You're so lucky to be sailing her so soon. I really love the Serenade. I'll be posting more this coming week. I just checked in on this thread today since I'm doing some grad school work...I'll likely be up until midnight :o.

 

I have the Compasses, all except for the last night. It's going to take me some time to scan them but I'll post them as soon as I can.

[Mariketa]

Thank you so much for posting all these pictures! It's so lovely to see some great photos of the ship. I'm looking forward to sailing on Rhapsody in November, so it was nice to see some photos from a relatively similar ship :)

 

I've been on the Rhapsody twice, I loved it, such a great ship! Have fun!

[girl993]

Hi Host Faith! Loved all the photos you posted, my DH and I are cruising on the Serenade in January and this got me even more excited! Just wondering, what kind of coupons where in that C&A booklet? Thanks :-)

 

P.s.

 

We are from NJ too!

[hancogran]

Another terrific review! I enjoyed your last review so much and was so happy to see another one. :) We're sailing Serenade in January and I'm even more excited now that I've looked at your pictures and read the review so far. Thanks so much for posting. :)

[bigque]

Hey Faith! Glad to see you enjoying the Serenade again! You guys really like that Southern Route!... I aint mad at ya! Well after doing Serenade last year, we have decided on the Western Route on the Freedom next! MAybe one of these days we will run into you and Wes, it would be a blast I'm sure.... even though he is an Eagles fan............Go Panthers! Oh and your review last year is what gave me the inspiration to do my review!

Edited October 18, 2011 by bigque

[Host Faith]

Hi Everyone! So sorry it's taken me so long to post again. How dare life get in the way of me writing on Cruise Critic! :p:rolleyes: LOL

 

Here I go....posting about our first port- St. Thomas!

[Host Faith]

The next morning, we woke up during our docking alongside Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had our breakfast brought to our room. We do this every morning during our cruise because of the convenience and quiet. Who doesn't enjoy breakfast in bed?

 

 

 

 

 

We had some extra onboard credit, so we decided to book one of the ship’s tours to St. John. We really wanted to see Trunk Bay. I read on Cruise Critic that it might be an easier way to get to St. John for the first time. At least we wouldn’t have to coordinate taking a taxi and taking the ferry on our own. Because we wanted to use OBC, I waited until we were on the ship to book our tour. I actually booked this on the embarkation day, when I was taking pics of the ship. This was the first excursion we've ever booked through the ship, and we had a good experience overall. Here’s a pic of our tickets:

 

 

 

 

 

The first thing we noticed upon exiting the ship was the HEAT. It was soooo hot! Wesley’s initial reaction to the heat, lol:

 

 

 

[Host Faith]

Hi Host Faith! Loved all the photos you posted, my DH and I are cruising on the Serenade in January and this got me even more excited! Just wondering, what kind of coupons where in that C&A booklet? Thanks :-)

 

P.s.

 

We are from NJ too!

 

Hi Jennifer! It's great to see a NJ neighbor here :).

 

CC user Cruisinfever created a really great thread listing the current coupons in the C&A Booklet: Current C&A On-Board Ultimate Value Coupons for C&A Members