Dec. 2-14: New Orleans Vacation and Serenade Cruise Review

[stones902]

Thank you for the review! Leaving this Saturday on Serenade :D.

 

 

 

Hopefully you'll get on the ship soon in your review as I'm curious about what time you got to the port and how the crowds were there and in Windjammer if you attempted it on boarding day.

 

 

One thing I enjoy about Radiance Class ships - large Windjammer so seating isn't that big of a deal on the first day.

 

I read a post on another thread that the shampoo / body wash dispensers may have been removed from the showers. Can anyone confirm if this is accurate and if so have they been replaced with bar soap or individually packaged shampoos?

 

 

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[JTBCruiser]

DW and I are going on the cruise to celebrate our 40th and to *relax*, so this sounds like our kind of cruise....

 

I know this will be your first cruise and in the process of celebrating your 40th anniversary but I guarantee you will enjoy it. We sailed on her sister ship, Jewel last Feb and absolutely loved it. This was part of the reason we picked the Serenade because of the similarities of the ship but wanted to try the Western Caribbean. Since we are on the same sailing, we will see you on the ship.

[PaulInPGH]

DW and I are going on the cruise to celebrate our 40th and to *relax*, so this sounds like our kind of cruise....

 

You will love it, I have no doubt.

 

Cheers.

[PaulInPGH]

Thank you so much for this wonderful review! We are set to sail on Serenade at the end of January so your review is especially timely. We cruised on Jewel which I believe is the same class as Serenade so we are expecting very much the same vibe but with hopefully less children than our June 2013 cruise on the Jewel. Our only other cruise was on Carnival which was absolutely hideous for those of us wanting a relaxing vacation.

 

We are coming in one night early and leaving a day after the cruise returns so we plan on doing a little bit of sightseeing in NOLA so I really enjoyed your pre-cruise writings. We had already planned on several trips to Cafe DuMonde but the Acme Oyster House sounds like it needs to go on the agenda as well. Do you remember the name of the place near Lafitte's where you had the po-boys?

 

Looking forward to your next installments!

 

You will definitely have a relaxing time. Worlds apart from Carnival, at least from what I've read about it.

 

The po'boy place is called NOLA Po'boys, right on Bourbon.

 

Definitely do Acme. We're doing a New Orleans themed new years here tomorrow and we're going to try our hand at making their grilled oysters. Yes, even in the 23 degree weather.

 

Cheers.

[PaulInPGH]

One thing I enjoy about Radiance Class ships - large Windjammer so seating isn't that big of a deal on the first day.

 

I read a post on another thread that the shampoo / body wash dispensers may have been removed from the showers. Can anyone confirm if this is accurate and if so have they been replaced with bar soap or individually packaged shampoos?

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Sorry, but don't know the answer to this. We brought our own bar of soap and shampoo and I didn't really examine the provided options.

 

Cheers.

[PaulInPGH]

Cruise Day 1: Getting to Know the Ship

 

Sitting in the courtyard of our hotel on Saturday morning, we marveled at the fact that we had already had an amazing vacation…and there was still a seven day cruise ahead of us. I highly recommend the two vacations in one experience.

 

Excited to get going, we were out of our hotel by 10:00 and on our way to the port. We got to the port by about 10:15 and, after dropping off our bags, headed through security and check in. It took about 30 minutes to get through the check in process and then all we had to do was wait to board.

 

We watched as all the suite guests and C&A high-rollers boarded, starting at about 11:00. Instead of boarding with Gold, we decided to wait and board with MIL and FIL. We made our way on to the ship at about 11:20 and heard that sweet, sweet ding sound I’d been looking forward to for months.

 

There was a large knot of people clustered just inside the entrance as we boarded. Upon entering, we were insistently told to stop and wait in line to make dinner reservations, even though we were signed up for My Time Dining. There was a lot of confusion, as people were being told they had to make reservations, even though I knew reservations were not necessary for MTD. It turned out that they were trying to communicate that the MDR would only be taking reservations for that night’s dinner until 3:00, but the message was not very clear.

 

Having no desire to stand on a long line to make a reservation, we fought our way through the crowd and proceeded to the elevators to take us up to the WJ for lunch. This being our first time on a Radiance class ship, we marveled at the amazing views provided by the glass elevators.

 

We got to the WJ around 11:45 and easily found a table. Compared to Indy, the WJ on Serenade felt less crowded and more open, making it easier to navigate. We never had trouble finding a table there all week.

 

We enjoyed a leisurely lunch while we waited for our staterooms to be ready. My wife enjoyed a plate befitting an adult, with various salad and meat dishes, while I kicked off the cruise with the lunch of a ten-year-old: burgers and pizza.

[PaulInPGH]

We first stopped at MIL and FIL’s cabin on deck four. It was a Large OV room. Everything was clean and MIL and FIL were very happy. I should note that we felt that the bathroom and shower felt a bit tighter than the one we had on Indy last year, but that could have just been my memory playing tricks on me.

 

We walked down two decks to get to our cabin, number 2022. This was a Large OV stateroom as well, though ours was an accessible stateroom. When we booked the cruise, I had initially intended to bring my Seeing Eye dog with me. Knowing how much space he can take up, I requested an accessible room. When I found a dog-sitter, I had my TA contact RCI to see if we needed to switch cabins, but we were able to stay in the accessible room, even minus the dog.

 

The room was definitely spacious, along the lines of 100 more square feet than the standard OV cabin. We definitely enjoyed having the extra space and the much larger shower, though it had a curtain rather than a door. The window on deck two was significantly smaller than the window in MIL and FIL's cabin on four, and it was significantly smaller than our window on deck two on Indy.

 

It was while we were getting settled in our cabin when we first heard what would become the theme song of our cruise. The TV was left on and a truly delightful song about washing your hands was playing on a continuous loop. I have no idea if this is standard on all RCI ships, but we definitely missed it on our cruise last year. It was a very catchy tune and my wife and I can’t get it out of our heads to this day. A sampling of the lyrics:

 

Wash your hands and make your mother proud,

Then you can join the popular crowd,

Wash your hands like fifty times a day,

Oh yeah, hey hey,

Wash your hands.

 

Good advice for us all.

[BillOh]

We got to the WJ around 11:45 and easily found a table. Compared to Indy, the WJ on Serenade felt less crowded and more open, making it easier to navigate. We never had trouble finding a table there all week.

 

.

 

While the Radiance class is many people's favorite, I do think the Windjammer on this class is my favorite. I suspect, but not real proof the number of seats/ passenger onboard is the best ration in this class. I too rarely had trouble finding a seat on my two trips on Jewel.

[lemonade-sails]

 

We watched as all the suite guests and C&A high-rollers boarded, starting at about 11:00. Instead of boarding with Gold, we decided to wait and board with MIL and FIL. We made our way on to the ship at about 11:20 and heard that sweet, sweet ding sound I’d been looking forward to for months.

 

 

Can you explain this? We're you able to take your MIL and FIL through check in with you though? We have some in our group who are new to Royal but we were told we could check in together, I was hoping we could board together too.

 

Thanks for the heads up about the line for reservations and the state of the Windjammer. It helps my planning a lot!!

[PaulInPGH]

Can you explain this? We're you able to take your MIL and FIL through check in with you though? We have some in our group who are new to Royal but we were told we could check in together, I was hoping we could board together too.

 

Thanks for the heads up about the line for reservations and the state of the Windjammer. It helps my planning a lot!!

 

Glad I could be of help.

 

It's my understanding that you can check in together, though we did not. We met up after check in and sat together until their boarding number was called.

 

Cheers.

[Raxter54]

Excited to get going, we were out of our hotel by 10:00 and on our way to the port. We got to the port by about 10:15 and, after dropping off our bags, headed through security and check in. It took about 30 minutes to get through the check in process and then all we had to do was wait to board.

 

We watched as all the suite guests and C&A high-rollers boarded, starting at about 11:00. Instead of boarding with Gold, we decided to wait and board with MIL and FIL. We made our way on to the ship at about 11:20 and heard that sweet, sweet ding sound I’d been looking forward to for months.

 

Thank you for that information. I've been wondering when we should arrive at the ship for boarding. Now I have a pretty good idea.:D

[bearette]

Glad I could be of help.

 

It's my understanding that you can check in together, though we did not. We met up after check in and sat together until their boarding number was called.

 

Cheers.

 

If you want to check in together just all go up to the same check in person. It may take longer as they are processing both rooms, but you can keep everyone together this way. My family usually has three rooms so we just all go to an available check in person and meet up in the lounge area before you board. This has worked in New Orleans and any other port. If you are diamond etc... you can board quicker so the only reason you couldn't board together is if you wanted to board right away and the others in your party don't qualify. Just stay with your party and go with their boarding time. Otherwise you're given a boarding number based on your arriving time.

 

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[stones902]

Can you explain this? We're you able to take your MIL and FIL through check in with you though? We have some in our group who are new to Royal but we were told we could check in together, I was hoping we could board together too.

 

 

 

Thanks for the heads up about the line for reservations and the state of the Windjammer. It helps my planning a lot!!

 

 

The last time we sailed out of NOLA our group (which consisted of my FIL, my wife and I) were all allowed to sit with higher C&A and suite passengers and among the first to board. My wife and I are D+ but my FIL is a Platinum.

 

I also recall the confusing dinner check in as soon as you boarded the ship. We also made the mistake of getting into that line when we didn't have to.

 

NOLA does it differently than any other port we have sailed from for some reason.

 

 

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[PaulInPGH]

With the wash your hands song firmly implanted in our heads, we set off to explore the ship. We walked up deck-by-deck from our cabin on deck two, stopping along the way at the floor of the centrum on deck four, the shopping area (which was closed) on deck five, the Schooner Bar and the Safari Club on deck six, and the pool/solarium areas on deck 11.

 

Since our feet were still aching from our time in New Orleans, we decided to have a quick rest in the cabin before the muster drill at 3:30. Muster went very smoothly and we were soon in line at the R Bar, waiting to buy our first beverage of the trip to enjoy during sail away.

 

We were a little taken aback when we picked up the drink menu for the first time, as many of our favorite drinks from our cruise on Indy were nowhere to be found. What’s more, all the prices seemed to be missing, which was inconvenient, to say the least. There’ve been other threads on this topic on CC so I’ll try not to get sidetracked, but needless to say we were unhappy with the menu changes.

 

We settled on frozen mojitos and we took them out to the wraparound promenade on deck 5. Following a tip I read right here on Cruise Critic, we walked all the way to the front of the ship and enjoyed sail away from the helipad, complete with beautiful evening views of New Orleans along the mighty Mississippi.

[PaulInPGH]

On our last cruise, we enjoyed our first drink at the Viking Crown Lounge and we wanted to relive that experience on this trip. We got a seat near the windows and watched as night fell over the river.

 

One thing I will mention was the lack of table service in the Viking Crown and elsewhere on the ship. No one came to take our drink order, even though we sat there for a good 30 minutes. I don’t mind walking to the bar, but this was quite a contrast from the very fast and frequent drink service we received everywhere on Indy last year. Not really a problem, just something to keep in mind depending on what you’re used to or might be expecting.

 

Quite hungry, we walked down to dinner at the WJ, which started at 6:00 each evening. I had a nice hefty helping of prime rib from the carving station, which was very enjoyable. I also discovered the most delicious cheesy rolls that I’d somehow missed on our last cruise. I made up for that on this trip though, eating at least 4 per night.

[Raxter54]

On our last cruise, we enjoyed our first drink at the Viking Crown Lounge and we wanted to relive that experience on this trip. We got a seat near the windows and watched as night fell over the river.

 

Nice to see the Serenade still *has* a Viking Crown Lounge. Is this open to all passengers? I've heard that parts of it are reserved for Diamond/Pinnacle/Suite cruisers. DW and I would like to go there to relax and want to be sure we won't be turned away.

[Clarea]

Nice to see the Serenade still *has* a Viking Crown Lounge. Is this open to all passengers? I've heard that parts of it are reserved for Diamond/Pinnacle/Suite cruisers. DW and I would like to go there to relax and want to be sure we won't be turned away.

There's a large section of Viking Crown that is normally open to all guests. However, depending on the number of Diamond and above cruisers, they may use more of the Viking Crown as an overflow lounge.

[PaulInPGH]

There's a large section of Viking Crown that is normally open to all guests. However, depending on the number of Diamond and above cruisers, they may use more of the Viking Crown as an overflow lounge.

 

On our cruise there was always plenty of empty seats in the Viking Crown. I'm sure you'll be able to enjoy it on your upcoming cruise.

[PaulInPGH]

After dinner we decided to head down to the welcome show in the Tropical Theater. The Cruise Director was John Blair and he was underwhelming, at best. He came off a bit disingenuous and gameshow hostish, which was a good thing only when he was hosting the love and marriage show later in the cruise. The music was great and the comedian, Chas Burnett, was excellent. This was in marked contrast to the comedian we saw on Indy, who was possibly the most unfunny person I have ever heard.

 

After the show we headed back up to deck eleven for two-for-one margaritas at Rita’s Cantina. The special was offered every night of the cruise starting at 8:00 and it was one of the best bargains on the ship. I rediscovered my love for the wild bury margarita, many times over.

 

In addition to his comedy routine, Chas Burnett also played guitar. We took a walk down to the Schooner Bar to enjoy another drink and we listened to his first set. MIL and FIL then headed off to bed, but we wanted to stay up just a little longer. We took a short walk over to the Safari Club to listen to Latin Vibes, a very enjoyable four-piece Latin band. We had one last drink while we enjoyed the music and then we trekked back to our cabin, and bed.

 

Up next: our first day at sea.

[Raxter54]

Thanks, Paul and Bob, for the info on the VCL. Look forward to spending some relaxing hours there....

[AHarbison]

Thanks for the review! Leaving in Feb on this ship to celebrate my 30th and DH 40th! Very excited about the two-for-one at Rita's Cantina as we are both huge margarita fans!!!

 

 

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[PaulInPGH]

Thanks for the review! Leaving in Feb on this ship to celebrate my 30th and DH 40th! Very excited about the two-for-one at Rita's Cantina as we are both huge margarita fans!!!

 

 

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I'm sure you will have an excellent time!

 

Cheers.

[PaulInPGH]

Cruise Day 2: Finally, a Day of Doing Nothing

 

One of the nice things about this cruise was the consecutive sea days before the port stops. This gave us time to do very little and physically recover from our long days of walking the streets of New Orleans.

 

We had a nice late start, rolling out of bed around 9:30. We headed up to the WJ for breakfast where, following another tip I read on CC, I went to the omelet station and asked for some made-to-order scrambled eggs with cheese. These were much better than the eggs that get set out as part of the buffet and it became a regular part of my breakfast routine throughout the cruise.

 

One thing we loved about the WJ on this ship was the outdoor seating. You get to it by walking to the back and exiting out the left side (opposite the Rita’s). We breakfasted outside several mornings and we were usually able to find a table, even at busy times.

 

Our first activity after breakfast was the Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle. I’m sorry to say that we didn’t find this to be that fun. We arrived and were given nametags and then shown to two seats at a table with a couple other folks. While we definitely enjoyed talking to the other people sitting next to us (who we had actually already met in New Orleans), there was little actual opportunity for mingling. The Activities Director (the CD’s wife) gave out a couple RCI-related small gifts, then kind of gave an overview of what activities were coming up on the cruise, and then the M&M was over. Most people left pretty quickly, making the whole thing feel kind of pointless. We did chat with a great couple on our way out, I just wish the event would have left more opportunity for, you know, meeting people.

[PaulInPGH]

Having dressed in our swim attire before the M&M, we headed over to the pool deck for our first dip. It was a great day to swim, with temps in the upper 70s and plenty of sun. We stuck to the Solarium pool this first go around as it was pretty empty.

 

One thing that struck me right away was how much saltier the pools were compared to the ones on Indy. I have no idea how much this varies from ship to ship on RCI, but at least between these two ships the difference was considerable. Still, the water felt great and we ended up swimming almost every day on this cruise.

 

Having scored a couple choice loungers, we decided to dry off with a drink and a book. As we reclined under clear blue skies, sipping frozen drinks and listening to the Caribbean duo play, I thought, "man, it doesn’t get much better than this."

[h20skibum]

The outdoor seating at the WJ is one of the things we love about the Radiance Class.

 

Your experience with the M&M is probably pretty typical. We have found that if your Role Call plans a slot pull or pub crawl/poker run, that you have a lot more fun than RCCL's structured meet. If you have the opportunity to do these on future cruises, do them. I organized both on our last cruise, and they are not that difficult to set up.

 

Enjoying your review.