Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Review of Serenade 7 Night Baltic & Russian Cruise, 29 MAY through 5 JUN 2016

aviator1945
 Share

Recommended Posts

aviator1945

aviator1945

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Well... at least for me... but I do have Google Chrome ;)

 

Thank you for the information! Looking forward to hearing about your travels! DH & I board Serenade in December.

 

Looking forward to hearing about the ship. What you liked/didn't like.

 

Where is your room? How is it?

 

Any dish/dining venue that you really enjoyed?

 

Thanks for the information!!! Have a great time!

Gabrielle

 

Thanks Gabrielle,

 

I'll be offering a summary at the end of our cruise!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Clarea

Clarea

Posted
Posted
Links worked great with FireFox... Only suggestion is to add a 2-3 word description of the contents of the link just before the link.

Works for me too, and I agree with the suggestion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
aviator1945

aviator1945

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Links worked great with FireFox... Only suggestion is to add a 2-3 word description of the contents of the link just before the link.

 

Thanks! Good idea.

 

Chef's Table Menu

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGQ2dZUUNweVFZYVk

 

Chops Grille Desserts

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGdHNIaWpSTzJpY2c

 

Chops Grille Menu

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGQjdQUEdobjFtRE0

 

C&A Diamond Benefits

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGaHBsOFdmRmxGaTA

 

Diamond Drinks List

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGbE45LW44Vm5Hb1k

 

Giovanni's Menu

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGQlBWNXZfem0tTVU

 

Giovanni's Wine List

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGWnhYQ0hHOFBESDQ

 

Izumi Menu

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGSEQxVDc5UUVvRDQ

 

Officers &Staff

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGSEdQNWlBNXJnOUU

 

Useful Info

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGU3VwVlZ2M0RxUDg

 

Day 1

 

Cruise Compass

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGRHVXTm51Rm9ZVTQ

 

MDR Menu

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGTEhQZFBRS0JtZDQ

 

Day 2

 

Cruise Compass

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGc3ZoX0VYck1mZ3c

 

MDR Desserts

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGeGxhNWM4MWJyYVU

 

MDR Menu

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGN1BKemh3cmQ0Zjg

 

Day 3

 

Cruise Compass

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGNTg0ZUl4RFhVR0E

 

- END -

Link to comment
Share on other sites
aviator1945

aviator1945

Posted
  • Author
Posted

DAY 3: STOCKHOLM

 

Woke up bright and early again around 4.30 am. DW and one of her friends went up to Deck 11 to enjoy the morning tranquility in the jacuzzi, while I tried to get a 3G/4G land-based signal. Wasn't long until I was successful, as we were entering the waterway through the Stockholm archipelago. And as we got closer to our destination, signal strength gradually increased.

 

At 7 am it was time for breakfast with lots of people queuing up in the WJ, seeking to be off the ship as early as possible after our arrival at the dock. It was a busy day for tourism in Stockholm, with over seven thousand people arriving on at least three different ships. Our Serenade, with the Celebrity Eclipse not far behind, docked at the "Frihamnen", which is also where some of the car ferries to Estonia, Finland and Russia have their terminals. Another cruise ship, the Norwegian Star, docked closer to the downtown area, in walking distance from the Royal Palace. I suspect that the reason for RCI's somewhat remote docking is that they at times temporarily homeport their cruise ships in Stockholm, and then they need access to appropriate facilities for checkin and baggage handling, which are less available in the more central locations. In any case, those of Serenade's guests that didn't care to avail themselves of excursions but instead preferred to explore the city on their own had to walk some distance to a city bus, which cost SEK 36 pp (around USD 5) in each direction.

 

In light of my having been in Stockholm more times than I'm able to recall, and my reduced mobility, as well as that I love being on cruise ships, I decided to remain onboard during this port call. So DW and friends went downtown on their own, utilizing the aforementioned city bus service. Many other cruise guests had decided to do likewise; I'm glad that I didn't have to stand in the half-hour long line to buy bus tickets.

 

DW and friends went to the Royal Palace and watched the Changing of the Guard, saw the Grand Cathedral (Storkyrkan; Stockholm's equivalent to Westminster Abbey) and strolled around the main central shopping area. Eventually they returned to the ship by city bus.

 

In his announcement prior to guests disembarking in Stockholm, Captain Tor had given the wrong all aboard time, 5:30 pm rather than the posted time, which was 4:30 pm. A few minutes later he corrected himself and announced 4:30 pm. I was waiting to see what might happen by sailing time. The ship actually sailed a few minutes after five, so I assume that no guests were left behind.

 

It was a beautiful sailaway from Stockholm through the archipelago, with the added benefit of around four hours of 3G/4G mostly uninterrupted internet service during the initial part of the voyage.

 

Our dinner was in the MDR, as usual. It was Italian night, so I started with Minestrone, followed by Chicken Marsala as the main course. Did double desserts, with the international cheese plate followed by two scoops of pistachio ice cream. (Soon I'll be asking for three scoops.....)

 

Entertainmentwise, it was the Battle of the Sexes, won by the ladies, as usual. Later we went to the theatre, where we saw a performance of VIBE*OLOGY, a high energy show performed by the RC Singers, Dancers and Orchestra with songs from the 1960's and onwards. A good performance and lots of enthusiasm from the audience.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
crispiva

crispiva

Posted
Posted

Thanks for sharing. I will be in Serenade in 10 days also in Deck 3. Would you mind to post pictures from your stateroom including bathroom? Also would you know what the standard amenities are like Shampoo etc? Thank you and enjoy your trip

Link to comment
Share on other sites
aviator1945

aviator1945

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Thanks for sharing. I will be in Serenade in 10 days also in Deck 3. Would you mind to post pictures from your stateroom including bathroom? Also would you know what the standard amenities are like Shampoo etc? Thank you and enjoy your trip

 

Here are a few links to bathroom photos. Interior and Oceanview cabin bathrooms are all identical.

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGRll5OUtxU1lXYkk

Don't let the background mirrors confuse you!

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGZVI5d2FCUkJlMHc

Shower stall in its closed state. Note that it's a sliding plexiglass door. No flimsy plastic curtains like on some of the older ships. As for shower space, I'm 6'3", 250 lbs, and I have plenty of room. Would have to be seriously obese not to fit in.

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGMGN0TFhINDBNcWM

Flooring is good. I have never had a problem slipping on the tiles.

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGSUp0SnRYTEFmSW8

Wash basin. Note the bar of soap, standard issue.

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGVUJlcm4tNUwzUHM

Toilet is of the vacuum suction type. Must be closed prior to flushing. As for towels, each guest is provided with a large, a medium and a face towel. Guest decides when it's time to change by placing towel on bathroom floor.

 

As for amenities, soap bars are issued as above. In the shower stalls are dispensers with liquid soap, that I would hesitate to call shower gel, much less shampoo or conditioner. As for additional amenities, from recent CC posts I understand that RCI may have introduced a less generous policy with regard to shampoo, conditioner and body lotion in non-suite cabins. Nevertheless, as C&A Diamond members we have nicely asked for, and been given, these three perks. If you have sensitive hair or skin, it might not be a bad idea to bring your own amenities from home. Platinum level members and above are provided with bathrobes, on request. Finally, as Diamond members we were provided with a small bottle of water and a bag of biscuits.

 

Hope this helps!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
aviator1945

aviator1945

Posted
  • Author
Posted

New Uploads:

 

Cruise Compass Pre-Boarding Edition

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGQ1ZlX1JaRkFrXzQ

 

Shore Excursions

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGN3IyTWJfUC1hUjQ

 

Day 4 Daily Offers

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGNjM5aTE1RElIZFE

 

Day 4 MDR Menu

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGQzVVZ2FoTjhXSlk

 

Day 4 MDR Desserts

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGbWNBN3RROWpNaVU

 

Day 5 Cruise Compass

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGdEFvVkVrb21fQWc

 

St. Petersburg Info

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGQkZCbnpJQlVnV1k

 

St. Petersburg Destination Guide

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGaDBsVkd2Zk9BT2s

 

 

- END -

Link to comment
Share on other sites
aviator1945

aviator1945

Posted
  • Author
Posted

DAY 4: TALLINN

 

Woke up at a more reasonable hour than the day before and had breakfast in WJ at 7 am. Not as busy as it was the day before when we were approaching Stockholm. But then again, Tallinn doesn't really have much of an archipelago, so there was less reason to be up and about to watch the scenery at an early hour.

 

Again, I remained on the ship while DW and friends were exploring Tallinn, both the old medieval part for its many historic buildings and churches and the modern part, mainly for its shopping. During the 1990s I had visited the city several times on aviation business and had always been very well taken care of by my hosts, so I had seen most of the sights there, in particular the old part of the city, which is well worth the effort to see for first timers.

 

Lots of tourists in Tallinn, with three large ships doing Baltic cruises: our Serenade, the AIDAdiva and the Zuiderdam. All three would later be continuing to St. Petersburg, almost as in formation!

 

From two hours prior to arrival and two hours subsequent to departure I managed to maintain a decent internet connection by 3G/4G, roaming from an ISP named Elisa, at a total cost of around nine US dollars for 200 MB at the EU rate, and although not as fast as in Stockholm, it was certainly faster than ship's wifi.

 

Dinner in the MDR as usual, starting with Caesar Salad, followed by Manhattan Strip Steak, ending with a double dessert of warm chocolate cake plus a couple of scoops of coffee ice cream.

 

After dinner we attended the C&A Top Tier Event. We were told that there were some 762 members on board this cruise, a rather low number I would have thought. And there was no Pinnacle member on this sailing; the most "senior" Diamond Plus member had a little over five hundred cruise points. First time I have been on a cruise with no Pinnacle member onboard. Captain Tor introduced the new Staff Captain, I unfortunately missed his name. The previous Staff Captain had been promoted to Captain on a different ship; it was not announced which one.

 

As for entertainment, an Irish trio, the Celtic Tenors, gave us an excellent performance in the theatre. Their specialties were Irish folk songs and Italian opera, quite a mix, but oh so beautifully sung. My favorite was Oh Danny Boy. The RC Orchestra also deserves good mention: not having seen the music until three hours before the first performance and with only an hour's rehearsal, they accompanied the tenors as if they had done so many times before. The RC Orchestras, on all the ships, are really highly talented musicians.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
aviator1945

aviator1945

Posted
  • Author
Posted

New Uploads:

 

Day 5 MDR Menu

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGVllyekd4VUxhNTQ

 

Day 5 MDR Desserts

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGMGlxRnM5Yk85Q28

 

Day 6 Cruise Compass

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGY1RMMUluN2FjUHc

 

Helsinki Destination Guide

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGeWpGWk5KNkZvSFE

 

NextCruise Flyer

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGMTBtY1BVUXgyZ28

Link to comment
Share on other sites
NickAndysMom

NickAndysMom

Posted
Posted

Thank you so much for your posts. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the detail you are providing! We will be on a similar 7-night cruise on Serenade in July, but ours is round-trip Stockholm. You've really given us a great preview of what to expect. Now I'm even more excited for our cruise! (And I didn't think that was possible.)

 

If you have time, would you be able to post a photograph of the MDR Wine list? I'm particularly interested in the wines by the glass, as we will have the Premium beverage package, and I'm curious to see which ones might be available to us with dinner.

 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise, and thanks again!

 

Beverly

Link to comment
Share on other sites
aviator1945

aviator1945

Posted
  • Author
Posted

DAY 5: ST. PETERSBURG

 

More or less everybody was an early bird in St. Petersburg, with the WJ opening already at 6 am and the first RCI shore excursions meeting in the theatre at 7 am. The procedure for going ashore was rather cumbersome, owing to immigration requirements. You needed to be in at least one of the following categories: being of a nationality that doesn't require a visa to enter the Russian Federation (very few, if any, guests fulfilled this requirement), OR having procured a visa prior to departure from country of residence (often an expensive and lengthy process), OR having a shore excursion ticket, either through RCI or an authorized independent tour operator, in the latter case documentation from such an operator would need to be presented to the immigration agent. (I recall from a previous cruise that the CD had offered a prize to anyone who managed to elicit a smile from immigration; there was no winner.....)

 

I decided to be among the few people who remained on board for the day, mainly due to having reduced mobility, which might be a challenge, considering the lack of accessibility in some places. DW and friends went on an all-day bus tour that included Peterhof Palace and surroundings, the Hermitage (said to be the largest art museum in the world) and the city of St. Petersburg, with a lunch meal and some shopping time included. The tour was organized by RCI; wouldn't have wanted to miss the ship without a visa at the end of the day! DW took some nice photos during the day; once we're home next week I'll post links to a few of them, on this thread.

 

The same three cruise ships that had been in Tallinn the day before were now in St. Petersburg; at least one of them was doing an overnight stop. All three spent much of the day bunkering, i.e. taking on fuel from a floating mobile gas station. The Serenade's bunker ship parked right next to our cabin. Prior to commencement of refuelling operations, an announcement from the bridge prohibiting any and all outdoor smoking was made in several different languages. Nevertheless, I avoided spending any unnecessary time in the cabin during most of the day.

 

More or less exactly at 5.45 pm, our designated MTD meal time, DW and friends showed up again, after a very rewarding day in St. Petersburg. Of course we could have dined later if necessary, but we prefer sticking to the same table and server staff as much as possible. For traditional diners, open dining was implemented between 6 and 9 pm at this port call, i.e. there was no fixed early or late sitting, everyone could show up as they wished.

 

The ship departed St. Petersburg just after 7 pm, heading for Helsinki. During the day I had decided to bite the financial bullet and go for internet roaming, with an ISP named MTS RUS. Cost was roughly 25 US dollars for 500 MB over the course of seven days, which was the lowest amount possible; no EU rates here! Performance was roughly equal to that in Stockholm a couple of days earlier. More expensive than ship's wifi would have been, but at least it was working well.

 

There was only one Headliner Showtime this evening, at 8 pm, featuring Duo Bolshakov, performing their acrobatic stunts. Later, at 9.15 pm, it was time for the Love and Marriage Show, an all-time favorite. I can't recall any RCI cruise that hasn't featured this show.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Cruising-Snowbird

Cruising-Snowbird

Posted
Posted

This cruise is on our 'Bucket List' and if all goes well, we will be on it in 2018... :D

 

My question is about currency. In all the city info booklets you posted, they list the Local Currency. We are used to the Caribbean cruises where at every port stop, US dollars are accepted with no hassle.

 

Do we need to stock up on the local currencies that are listed in the brochures?

OR when shopping or dining in the ports...

Are US dollars accepted?

Are Euros accepted in all the ports?

Is a VISA credit card accepted?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
aviator1945

aviator1945

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Thank you so much for your posts. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the detail you are providing! We will be on a similar 7-night cruise on Serenade in July, but ours is round-trip Stockholm. You've really given us a great preview of what to expect. Now I'm even more excited for our cruise! (And I didn't think that was possible.)

 

If you have time, would you be able to post a photograph of the MDR Wine list? I'm particularly interested in the wines by the glass, as we will have the Premium beverage package, and I'm curious to see which ones might be available to us with dinner.

 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise, and thanks again!

 

Beverly

 

Note the fine print at the bottom of each page!

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGbUV5cXUyQmlrY2M

Link to comment
Share on other sites
balanceok

balanceok

Posted
Posted

Wow! I'm so grateful for all your hard work to put this review together.

 

We will be on this cruise leaving from Copenhagen on Aug 14 and I've learned so much from your review.

 

Can't thank you enough!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
aviator1945

aviator1945

Posted
  • Author
Posted

New Uploads

 

Day 6 MDR Menu

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGUHc5NmNHVDJHYjg

 

Day 6 MDR Desserts

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGTnZyRkw2ZURteTA

 

Day 7 MDR Menu

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGc0ViUC0xSjMyNEU

 

Day 7 MDR Desserts

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGRjZrYlJkMjJCUjQ

 

Day 7 Cruise Compass

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGTnFQV3pRUHJTQjg

 

Copenhagen Destination Guide

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByO8508n_ivGNlc3dnhiSUhXaTA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • Hurricane Zone 2024
      • Cruise Insurance Q&A w/ Steve Dasseos of Tripinsurancestore.com June 2024
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...