Serenade March 7th -- My Opinion and Lots of Pictures!

[Cindy]

Coco Cay:

 

We shared a cabana with a Cruise Critic friend from the ship, and it was perfect for us. Neither Jim nor I are big beach people, especially if it’s crowded, so I was perfectly content to have a lovely shaded couch to lay on and only emerge to take pictures or eat! I thought it was a good choice for us since the Majesty was there too and the island did seem extremely crowded to me.

 

 

 

This is Majesty, not Serenade, but I love this shot.

 

 

 

[Cindy]

Conclusions –

 

We would go on the Serenade again in a heartbeat! While she doesn’t have some of the bells and whistles of the newer and bigger ships, she’s beautiful, and for our tastes this was a great cruise.

 

 

 

 

If someone needs to be entertained instead of finding the ocean itself entertaining, or likes to be active 24/7, the Serenade might not be a great choice.

 

 

 

 

Much has changed in the cruise industry in the 15 years since we took our first cruise, and in many ways the product in 2015 is unrecognizable next to the product we experienced in 2000, or even as recently as 2010. Some things are gone never to return and some now cost extra, but that’s not all bad. There are more choices than ever, and a person can really personalize things to their tastes. There's one thing that will never change, though, and fortunately for me that's the thing I'll never tire of...the beauty of the sea and the incredible ships we're fortunate enough to sail on.

 

 

[A&L_Ont]

Cindy,

 

Great review and amazing pictures. Sad to hear about your slip and fall, however it looks like it didn't stop you from having fun.

 

We have sailed Radiance and Serenade many years ago and enjoyed both ships greatly. It might be time for us to rediscover them again.

 

Andrew

[cricketts]

There's one thing that will never change, though, and fortunately for me that's the thing I'll never tire of...the beauty of the sea and the incredible ships we're fortunate enough to sail on.

 

Fantastic review... beautiful pictures... and very well said :D

Edited April 1, 2015 by cricketts

[TLex]

Fantastic review... beautiful pictures... and very well said :D

 

Well, after nearly four weeks, it's about time we saw some reviews of this cruise!

 

:D :D

 

Great photos, Cindy. Think anyone would want pictures from the Royal Suite? :p

 

(Except you, Andrew....after the RLS, 1556 really doesn't compare! :D)

 

VR,

 

T Lex

[angelicmel]

Great review and great pictures Cindy. You are very talented.

[cricketts]

Well, after nearly four weeks, it's about time we saw some reviews of this cruise!

 

 

 

:D :D

 

 

 

Great photos, Cindy. Think anyone would want pictures from the Royal Suite? :p

 

 

 

(Except you, Andrew....after the RLS, 1556 really doesn't compare! :D)

 

 

 

VR,

 

 

 

T Lex

 

 

Here's one [emoji3]

[Cindy]

Well, after nearly four weeks, it's about time we saw some reviews of this cruise!

 

:D :D

 

Great photos, Cindy. Think anyone would want pictures from the Royal Suite? :p

 

(Except you, Andrew....after the RLS, 1556 really doesn't compare! :D)

 

VR,

 

T Lex

 

Kellie put some great ones on her blog.

[Hotel CA]

Really great job both in the review and your pictures Cindy-- many thanks --we are planning a 10 day in Nov on Serenade and have been waffling whether to cancel and switch to some other ship/line (there are some great deals out there--sadly as yet not on Royal) but your review really hit the mark for us --thank you for such an informative and insightful review

[patreke]

Great pictures. I love the Serenade, we did the Med on her last year. Beautiful views of the sea from a number of places on the ship.

[BonTexasNY]

Cindy, I never tire looking at your pictures. Sorry about your fall but it seems like it didn't stop you from having a great cruise. I'm just sorry you canceled out on my Liberty cruise. I would have LOVED reading about it and seeing those great pictures once it was over.

 

Last time I was in Key West was approx. 8 years ago and that's how long I've been salivating for another slice of frozen choco dipped key lime pie.

 

Happy sails to you wherever you cruise.

[NightOne]

First, loved all the pictures and the review. I would certainly do different things in New Orleans than you do and definitely have different views on things on the ship as well. That is why we all have different experiences and opinions of a cruise. :)

 

A couple of comments though:

 

The elevators were an issue the entire trip. We were on Deck 10 and ordinarily would have just walked up to 13, but I had the annoying issue of a bad ankle and had great difficulty walking up or down the stairs. Often, completely empty elevators would whiz by, but even worse were the people who thought catching an elevator was a sporting event. They would hit the close button before others could get on, and then laugh as the door shut in someone's face. Seriously. What kind of a jerk does that? I’m not talking about kids playing, I’m talking about totally rude and inconsiderate adults. Shame on them. Only slightly less annoying were the people who would arrive at the elevator lobby and dart onto the first one that came, despite the fact there were people who had been waiting. Sheesh…I was just stunned at the number of self-centered, inconsiderate people I encountered in an elevator lobby. I guess they were taking a vacation from manners.

I think a lot of people don't take elevators on a regular basis. The bigger issue I found was that people didn't want to let more people on the elevator when there was plenty of room. They figure 4 or 5 people is full when 8 or 9 is more warranted especially during busy times.

Finally, and to me this is the biggie and the one that Royal Caribbean needs to address is the smoke. The smoke from the casino wasn’t just bad in the casino, it was bad in the Centrum on all the decks above the casino.:( It drifted down the cabin hallways…I could smell it when I opened my cabin door. I’m not a militant anti-smoking person, but I thought it was awful, and I hated smelling smoke in all the public areas. Whether or not people notice it seems to vary widely from sailing to sailing, so I'm sure we must have had a large number of smokers on board.

 

I realize this is your experience on this but it seems very very hard to believe based on the fact that I have been there too. :) I would be inclined to call Mythbusters and have them do a show to see if this is even possible (smoke down the hallway 4 decks above and forward).

 

I'm a former smoker so I am pretty keen to the smell of smoke these days and I was in the casino on many a night. I didn't even see big plumes of smoke when 4 people were smoking at the end of the bar in there. This is probably because of they recycle the air in there several times and hour. I had read here before I went how smoky the casino was supposed to be and in my experience that was not the case. (not even close)

 

In any event, sounds like it was a great cruise for you.

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

[Aquahound]

Cindy - That was an excellent, well balanced review. And, your pictures are amazing. You have a really good eye. :)

[Cindy]

I realize this is your experience on this but it seems very very hard to believe based on the fact that I have been there too. :) I would be inclined to call Mythbusters and have them do a show to see if this is even possible (smoke down the hallway 4 decks above and forward).

 

 

This is a first. I've written a lot of reviews and answered a lot of questions over the years, but I believe this is the first time anyone has questioned my impressions, genuineness or honesty.:( I write reviews of MY experiences -- not fiction pieces.

 

I thought it was smoky during the week I was on the ship. To say you find it hard to believe makes me question the time and effort I put into trying to help others by sharing my cruise experiences.:confused:

[Cindy]

Thanks to everyone for your kind comments about my pictures. I get a lot of pleasure out of taking them and using them to help tell a story.

[Ocean Boy]

I, also, really enjoyed this thread. It has been a long time since we have been on Serenade or in New Orleans and your pictures brought back some great memories. Thanks.

[ellie1145]

This is a first. I've written a lot of reviews and answered a lot of questions over the years, but I believe this is the first time anyone has questioned my impressions, genuineness or honesty.:( I write reviews of MY experiences -- not fiction pieces.

 

I thought it was smoky during the week I was on the ship. To say you find it hard to believe makes me question the time and effort I put into trying to help others by sharing my cruise experiences.:confused:

 

Oh please, please don't question the time and effort you have put into this wonderful review just because of one really odd comment. I am so enjoying your writing and your fabulous photos - you truly have a gift for the unusual. Please dont stop, too many people are enjoying this thread and I am sure we all appreciate the time and trouble you have gone to.

 

As for the smoking, I can concur with you that smoke drifts a long way, after all, according to a recent government infirmation campaign here in the UK, 80% of the smoke people exhale is invisible so I am sure you are correct in your observations on this particular cruise. It may differ from cruise to cruise, according to the number of heavy smokers in the casino, and you, unfortunately, were unlucky. But to question your honesty is simpy apalling and uncalled for.

 

So I look forward to the next installment, and please be assured, your contribution is much appreciated.

[Aquahound]

Thanks to everyone for your kind comments about my pictures. I get a lot of pleasure out of taking them and using them to help tell a story.

 

You're one of my favorite people on these boards, and now you're one of my favorite CC picture contributors. :D Not to sound selfish....but I really loved the ones you took in my town. :)

[NightOne]

This is a first. I've written a lot of reviews and answered a lot of questions over the years, but I believe this is the first time anyone has questioned my impressions, genuineness or honesty.:( I write reviews of MY experiences -- not fiction pieces.

 

I thought it was smoky during the week I was on the ship. To say you find it hard to believe makes me question the time and effort I put into trying to help others by sharing my cruise experiences.:confused:

 

I am not trying to question your honesty. I believe you when you say that you smelled smoke on your deck.

 

I just find it hard to believe the source is the casino. (4 decks down and aft) Again, maybe something for the Mythbusters guys to figure out.

 

I thought about this some I think maybe someone was smoking in a cabin very near you or somewhere in the vicinity and that is why you smelled smoke on deck 10 forward hallway. :)

[Bamagirl_gina]

Everyone's sense of smell is different and some are very keen while others aren't. Perfect example - DH and myself. He smells the smallest little thing (which has been good on occasion such as an smell of electrical burning). I, on the other hand, could be put in a commercial with those Febreeze people, put in a room with all that garbage (and no Febreeze) and still may not smell all the rot! Ok-so that may be stretching it a little, but the point being it's all relative to the person and their sense of smell. Same goes for hearing. You can ask two people sharing the same cabin about the noise level and may get two totally different answers. Ok, stepping off my soapbox now.

 

On a brighter note, your review and pictures were awesome! We will be leaving Saturday on Serenade for the second time and all your posts/pics just helped in hyping up the trip for us! Thanks!

[Ocean Boy]

We had a VERY busy Friday. We started with a self-guided walking tour of the Garden District, including Lafayette Cemetery. What a fascinating place!

 

 

Funny thing about that place, when we visited there every picture I took in the cemetery didn't come out. No problems with any of my other pictures only those.

[Bailey & Sophie]

Funny thing about that place, when we visited there every picture I took in the cemetery didn't come out. No problems with any of my other pictures only those.

Now that's just creepy.

[Ocean Boy]

Now that's just creepy.

 

No kidding. Between the witches and the voodoo in that city....:eek:

[jjdc]

Cindy,

 

Thanks for taking the time to post your review and share your fantastic photos. I am now looking even more forward to my upcoming cruise. Was the brunch in Chops something for suite guests only or was it something that you can book for a charge?

[Cindy]

Funny thing about that place, when we visited there every picture I took in the cemetery didn't come out. No problems with any of my other pictures only those.

 

Too funny, and more than a little creepy.:eek: When we were walking around there was an old, dirty plastic vase laying on the ground next to one of the graves. I didn't like the way it looks in my picture, so I moved it. My husband immediately told me I shouldn't have done it because I had disturbed the spirits and they would punish me. I thought he was joking, and I'm pretty sure I rolled my eyes at him.:rolleyes: Seven hours later I was sprawled in the middle of Bourbon Street with a twisted ankle and a cut on my knee!:eek:

 

 

Cindy,

 

Thanks for taking the time to post your review and share your fantastic photos. I am now looking even more forward to my upcoming cruise. Was the brunch in Chops something for suite guests only or was it something that you can book for a charge?

 

It was open to everybody for a $25 fee. They told us about it when we went to Chops for dinner.