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

[curcurt]

[quote name='PaulInPGH'][IMG]https://fbcdn-photos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-0/10857753_10102003306230164_4508023548251712343_n.jpg?efg=eyJpIjoiYiJ9&oh=c4d90d464a039fd9e5c35491f223fa2c&oe=55397A93&__gda__=1430244997_d02cf5c1d7017596a36ec48068a3d972[/IMG][/QUOTE]

I agree with the goose possibility.

[Raxter54]

[quote name='PaulInPGH']Honestly, the lack of additional food choice like you mentioned was one of my biggest complaints about this ship. Not only during the break between 4:30-6:00, but after the WJ closed at 8:30, which seemed a bit early to me. I have no point of comparison for other lines, so can't speak to that, but we did enjoy more options on the larger Freedom Class ship we sailed last year.

Cheers.[/quote]

I can see the WJ closing 4:30 - 6:00 so they can set up for supper. Closing at 8:30 seems a little early, since second seating in the MDR isn't til around 8:00. I've read that the Parke Cafe is open til 1:00 AM, so there are food options available, including room service.

[Coralc]

[quote name='Raxter54']I can see the WJ closing 4:30 - 6:00 so they can set up for supper. Closing at 8:30 seems a little early, since second seating in the MDR isn't til around 8:00. I've read that the Parke Cafe is open til 1:00 AM, so there are food options available, including room service.[/QUOTE]

Park Café only has hot dogs, hamburgers and some nights pizza for after 8:30dining. We found that they taste a little better if you ask them to microwave for 30 seconds or so. :) And that was the other problem, room service never answered the phone. Edited January 4, 2015 by Coralc

[PaulInPGH]

[quote name='Coralc']Park Café only has hot dogs, hamburgers and some nights pizza for after 8:30dining. We found that they taste a little better if you ask them to microwave for 30 seconds or so. :) And that was the other problem, room service never answered the phone.[/QUOTE]

Unfortunately, at least on our sailing, Park Café didn't have either burgers or pizza, at least not that we saw. There were hotdogs and fixings for make-your-own nachos, but that was about it.

We were able to get someone to answer the phone when calling room service, the only downside was the hour wait before getting your food.

[Raxter54]

[quote]Unfortunately, at least on our sailing, Park Café didn't have either burgers or pizza, at least not that we saw. There were hotdogs and fixings for make-your-own nachos, but that was about it.[/quote]

Mmmmm, nachos.....

[Coralc]

That's right! There were nachos too. I just didn't have any. :)

[stripe]

[quote name='stones902']No I don't think there is a kitchen near the pub. It used to be the sports bar.


Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app[/QUOTE]

That's a shame. We were recently on the Libery OTS and they served fish 'n chips each day in their pub for a quick lunch. No kitchen there, they used chafing dishes.

[bmc alabama]

[quote name='Raxter54']Just curious - since you never saw a show, how would you know that DCL excels?

And I guess I should be glad this isn't the first cruise after a TA :)[/QUOTE]


I have been to almost all DCL shows and found them fantastic. As for RCCL, I couldn't tell you one way or the other as nothing really appealed to us.

I think this would be an advantage of the Freedom/Oasis class...


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[PaulInPGH]

Cruise Day 3: Relaxation Destination

We managed to get out of bed a little earlier than the previous day, getting to breakfast by about 9:00. After having our fill of eggs and waffles, we headed up to the arcade for another cruise tradition: my wife beating me unmercifully at air hockey. We needed a twelve-year-old to show us how to turn the table on, but we soon got it up and running and I proceeded to lose spectacularly.

We really lucked out with the weather on this cruise. With the exception of our last day at sea, the days were sunny and warm. We decided to take advantage of this by doing some more swimming.

Since we swam in the Solarium the day before, we started off in the main pool. Even on a sea day, at 11:00 in the morning, with sunny skies, the pool was very quiet. The water was cold, but it felt good in the hot sun.

We spent a fun few hours switching between pools, sipping drinks on loungers, and generally loving life.

[PaulInPGH]

Eventually, feeling a little sunned-out, we headed inside to shower and change. We then headed up to the WJ, but not for food. We grabbed a drink at Rita’s and headed to the WJ’s outdoor seating area. Plenty of tables were available and we spent a very comfortable hour or so reading and watching the wake of the ship trail off in the distance. This was my favorite place on the ship and we returned to enjoy it often.

[PaulInPGH]

The only picture I took on this trip, from the outdoor seating behind the WJ on deck 11.

[IMG]https://fbcdn-photos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-0/10868238_10102003306409804_2304041378372711772_n.jpg?efg=eyJpIjoiYiJ9&oh=447893127093c32d26d23b47a293d7cf&oe=552F1276&__gda__=1429015392_8144f8d4c8ab3ed48a6e3465f4b61cae[/IMG]

[critterchick]

[quote name='Raxter54']Fish and chips? I love fish and chips! Is there anywhere else to get that on the Serenade? You'd think the British pub on the ship would serve it....[/QUOTE]

There were fish & chips (potatoes) in the Windjammer at least one day during the cruise. I don't miss the Seaview Cafe's fish & chips - they were more often fish sticks than the real deal (the ones in the WJ were real).

Paul, thanks for your review! I was on the ship solo for the 12/6 cruise and really enjoyed having such a lazy experience, although I did make sure to get my 10k steps in daily.

Radiance class is my favorite, and Serenade has nosed out Jewel for the top position mainly because Jewel hasn't been renovated yet. My only complaint was how smoky the casino is now that it's the only indoor smoking venue. There wasn't a non-smoking night as we've often seen on the first formal night, which was a bit of a disappointment. Otherwise she is a fabulous ship.

[Raxter54]

[quote name='critterchick'] My only complaint was how smoky the casino is now that it's the only indoor smoking venue. There wasn't a non-smoking night as we've often seen on the first formal night, which was a bit of a disappointment. Otherwise she is a fabulous ship.[/quote]

But - they have a non-smoking section, don't they? :rolleyes: As far as I'm concerned, there's no such thing unless there is a physical partition between the two areas....

[PaulInPGH]

That night at dinner I discovered something delicious that I somehow missed on Indy last year. In the back of the WJ there’s a station where they do made-to-order grilled meats. Most nights were small steaks or chicken breasts, but I saw several pork options throughout the cruise. After this discovery, I pretty much gave up on the rest of the WJ for repeated, very yummy trips to the meat grilling station (along with a healthy portion of those amazing cheesy rolls).

Still aglow following my meaty discovery, we popped over to Rita’s to pick up a couple margaritas to take to the evening show. For some odd reason, the night was packed with activities at the theater. First, the musical revue Vibology, followed by the Love and Marriage Show, and lastly a comedy show by Chas Burnett. I don’t know why so much entertainment was stacked one after another all on one night, but if you wanted to enjoy all three shows, as we did, you were in the theater from 8:30 until about 11:30.

The musical revue was standard RCI entertainment, featuring a selection of songs from the 60s through the 80s. Some of the songs were repeats from the show the night before, but it was still overall an enjoyable show.

The Love and Marriage Show was very funny. Weirdly, they kept score throughout the game, but no prize was given to the winning couple at the end.

We stuck around for the comedy show which, while not as funny as his bit during the welcome show, was still enjoyable.

After a quick stop at Park Café for a hotdog and some nachos, we decided to rest up before our first port stop the following day and headed off to sleep.

Up next: a tour of the Good Hope Estate and a delicious lunch.

[Raxter54]

[quote]Up next: a tour of the Good Hope Estate and a delicious lunch[/quote]

We have this tour booked for our upcoming cruise. Looking forward to your experience on this tour....

[stones902]

[quote name='PaulInPGH']That night at dinner I discovered something delicious that I somehow missed on Indy last year. In the back of the WJ there’s a station where they do made-to-order grilled meats. Most nights were small steaks or chicken breasts, but I saw several pork options throughout the cruise. After this discovery, I pretty much gave up on the rest of the WJ for repeated, very yummy trips to the meat grilling station (along with a healthy portion of those amazing cheesy rolls).



Still aglow following my meaty discovery, we popped over to Rita’s to pick up a couple margaritas to take to the evening show. For some odd reason, the night was packed with activities at the theater. First, the musical revue Vibology, followed by the Love and Marriage Show, and lastly a comedy show by Chas Burnett. I don’t know why so much entertainment was stacked one after another all on one night, but if you wanted to enjoy all three shows, as we did, you were in the theater from 8:30 until about 11:30.



The musical revue was standard RCI entertainment, featuring a selection of songs from the 60s through the 80s. Some of the songs were repeats from the show the night before, but it was still overall an enjoyable show.



The Love and Marriage Show was very funny. Weirdly, they kept score throughout the game, but no prize was given to the winning couple at the end.



We stuck around for the comedy show which, while not as funny as his bit during the welcome show, was still enjoyable.



After a quick stop at Park Café for a hotdog and some nachos, we decided to rest up before our first port stop the following day and headed off to sleep.



Up next: a tour of the Good Hope Estate and a delicious lunch.[/QUOTE]


This is a stretch but since you are a fan of the margaritas do you recall what tequilas they offer on board? In the past it's only been Patron products. Hopefully with the opening of a Cantina I hoped they might have a few more offerings.


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[PaulInPGH]

[quote name='stones902']This is a stretch but since you are a fan of the margaritas do you recall what tequilas they offer on board? In the past it's only been Patron products. Hopefully with the opening of a Cantina I hoped they might have a few more offerings.


Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app[/QUOTE]

I'm sorry, but I only recall the Patron. I didn't try searching out any top-shelf options, trying to go easy on the wallet.

[PaulInPGH]

Cruise Day 4: Falmouth, Jamaica

Since our excursion wasn’t scheduled to leave until 10:15, we were once again able to sleep in (which, apart from the food, may have been my favorite part about vacation).

If you visit the Jamaica forums here on CC, you’ll notice a lot of anti-Jamaica sentiment. I won’t try to convince those who have had bad experiences there, but I will say that both my wife and I love Jamaica. It was our favorite port on our cruise last year and we were very much looking forward to returning on this trip.

We got off the ship at about 9:30 and we walked around the shopping area, scoping out what we might purchase on our way back to the ship later in the day. Because we were some of the first people browsing in the little market, we experienced a slightly stronger sales pitch from some of the venders. This didn’t bother me—my wife and I both have pretty decent sales resistance—but if you don’t like the hard sale, I suggest going later in the day when more people are around and venders have less time to focus in on one person.

After composing a mental list of things to buy later, we boarded the shuttle for our tour of the Good Hope Estate. The ride to the estate took about half an hour, twisting and turning up some hilly and quite bumpy roads. Along the way, the tour guide told us a bit about the town and surrounding area and gave us a lesson in Jamaican Patois. We eventually made it to the estate and boarded another shuttle that took us up to the Great House.

[mcsgabby]

We are thinking of booking this tour on our cruise at the end of the month. Can't wait to see what you thought of it. We aren't big into the adventurous stuff so we were having a hard time finding an excursion on Jamaica. Please tell me it was a good excursion, please, please, please. :D

Gabby

[kruzinkel]

[quote name='PaulInPGH'][IMG]https://fbcdn-photos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-0/10857753_10102003306230164_4508023548251712343_n.jpg?efg=eyJpIjoiYiJ9&oh=c4d90d464a039fd9e5c35491f223fa2c&oe=55397A93&__gda__=1430244997_d02cf5c1d7017596a36ec48068a3d972[/IMG][/QUOTE]



it's a seal!

[PaulInPGH]

The views from the Great House, situated 600 feet above sea level, were spectacular—so says my wife. It’s definitely quiet, away from all the people zip-lining and river tubing nearby.

The house itself was quite interesting, especially the original flooring, still intact from when the house was built in the 1790s. My favorite part though was the “Counting House,” a structure behind the main house where the owner, following the custom of the time, would go to count his money. I now want a counting house, or at least a counting room. Interestingly, the Counting House was used during the filming of the movie “How Stella Got Her Groove Back.”

After about an hour, we took the shuttle back down to the entry area. We were told the next shuttle back to the ship would be leaving in about 45 minutes, so we decided to grab a quick bite at their restaurant. We split a helping of jerk chicken and jerk pork and it was delicious. Overall, we had a very enjoyable time touring the Great House and dining on their jerk offerings.

[PaulInPGH]

We hopped back on the shuttle bus and endured some awful jokes by the bus driver as we made our way back to the ship. Being schooled on “ya mon” and “irie” gets old the third or fourth time around.

Shopping was in full swing by the time we got back. We were in port with Oasis, so the market area and small stores were swamped. We made our way around the shops, picking up some rum cakes, jerk seasonings, blue mountain coffee, and a small tote bag to help carry all our goodies back home.

Sadly, when we got home and tried our coffee it tasted really weird. The grounds were an odd red color and the best I can describe the taste of the coffee is tree-like. We bought this exact coffee last year and it was great, so I have no idea what went wrong with this batch. I’m curious if anyone else has experienced something similar with their Jamaican coffee.

Before getting back on the ship we stopped and ate a couple Jamaican meat patties. These are very tasty meaty treats, wrapped in savory dough. There’s a stand that sells them right in the port shopping area and I would highly recommend eating at least one the next time you visit Falmouth.

[PaulInPGH]

Pictures from the Good Hope Estate coming soon...

[Raxter54]

[quote]That night at dinner I discovered something delicious that I somehow missed on Indy last year. In the back of the WJ there’s a station where they do made-to-order grilled meats. Most nights were small steaks or chicken breasts, but I saw several pork options throughout the cruise. After this discovery, I pretty much gave up on the rest of the WJ for repeated, very yummy trips to the meat grilling station (along with a healthy portion of those amazing cheesy rolls).[/quote]

Where is this grill station at in the WJ? I MUST GO THERE!!!!

[PaulInPGH]

[quote name='Raxter54']Where is this grill station at in the WJ? I MUST GO THERE!!!![/QUOTE]

It's at the back, in the center. You'll notice people standing in line waiting for their grilled yummies.