Three Day Serenade - Escape From The Deep Freeze

[h20skibum]

The day 1 Cruise Compass was in our cabin. This is what they plan for this short itinerary.

 

 

 

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[h20skibum]

Here is our officers and staff aboard this cruise, and the Useful Information.

 

 

 

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[h20skibum]

We had an OV cabin on deck 4 near midship. We kept trying to find our balcony, but couldn’t get thru the big round window. They had this big hideous net hanging in front of our window before we left port.

 

 

And there was a portion of the trim in the bath that was peeling paint.

 

 

I was ready to go to guest services and demand my cruise fare back and ask for a suite on the Harmony to compensate for these visual atrocities. Then I remembered this was a free cruise, so they would probably just offer me twice my cruise fare back.

 

 

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[FionaMG]

I was ready to go to guest services and demand my cruise fare back and ask for a suite on the Harmony to compensate for these visual atrocities. Then I remembered this was a free cruise, so they would probably just offer me twice my cruise fare back.

 

:'):'):') So funny.

 

We are not long back from the 11-day cruise on Serenade, just last month, so I am enjoying your adventure.

[njkruzer]

We sail her on a 16 nt in August. Dh's favorite class of ships. Enjoying your review.

[h20skibum]

Thanks for following FionaMG and njkruzer. It is good to get feedback that at least someone is reading.

 

The muster drill was held on deck 5. It must have been a really rough week for the crew dealing with the New Year’s Cruise crowd. The Assembly Station 10 Guy was lost and stood by Station 12. Hey, close enough. Maybe the high winds we had blew him there and he couldn’t make it to 10.

 

 

 

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[h20skibum]

This is the first cruise on Royal where we have tried their My Time Dining.

 

 

We have always used the main dining option, but tried my time on our Hawaii cruise with Princess last April and really enjoyed it. On that cruise, we always used the “without reservations” line and were seated with a different group every night. We enjoyed meeting new people that way.

 

If you use the reservation line, you are typically placed at a two top, but they are about 2 inches away from the next two top, so it is a very unusual layout.

 

 

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[peach section]

Just found your review. Great reading with a cup of coffee. Love your writing style, and sense of humor !

[Beachlover1989]

 

After dropping our daughter and her family at the airport, we drove to the port. Although there were only two ships in port, traffic was really backed up. I would hate to see what it was like if there were 7 or 8 ships in port. We had the Celebrity Reflection at terminal 18, and the Serenade was sailing from terminal 26.

 

 

We left the airport area at 11:30, went through port security, dropped our bag at the curb at terminal 26 and parked at the garage there. At 1:00, we were still waiting in this line to get to Royal’s check-in counter.QUOTE]

 

 

I'm enjoying your entertaining review as well! Can you tell me where you got the terminal information? Thank you!

 

 

 

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[Biker19]

If you use the reservation line, you are typically placed at a two top, but they are about 2 inches away from the next two top, so it is a very unusual layout.

Most ships are that way (in terms two top placement) - not really unusual.

[accio_7]

Following!

 

I love your writing and sense of humour, can't wait to read more of your great work :)

[sharktums]

Nice report and writing style!

[h20skibum]

Just found your review. Great reading with a cup of coffee. Love your writing style, and sense of humor !

 

 

 

Thanks. It doesn’t take long until it gets moved down to page 2 or 3, depending on how soon I get back to posting.

 

 

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[h20skibum]

 

I'm enjoying your entertaining review as well! Can you tell me where you got the terminal information? Thank you!

 

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There is a Port Everglades app in the App Store. It lists all the ship and terminal information. However, terminals are not assigned more than 30 days out.

 

 

 

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[h20skibum]

Most ships are that way (in terms two top placement) - not really unusual.

 

 

 

Good to know. Although we already have times reserved for My Time on our March Allure cruise, we may use to no reservations line to share tables. That’s what they were asking this cruise, but since this one was so short, we didn’t try that.

 

 

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[suesnake2002]

Nice room. You could actually walk on either side of bed

 

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[Beachlover1989]

There is a Port Everglades app in the App Store. It lists all the ship and terminal information. However, terminals are not assigned more than 30 days out.

 

 

 

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Fantastic! Thank you!

 

 

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[BecciBoo]

Just some random photos from Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. I typically don’t post photos of the kids with their faces showing. They will probably be on social media enough as they get older.

 

One 5YO grandson meets the Ocean for the first time. ( Don’t ask how he managed to have his footprints going backwards)

 

 

2YO granddaughter surveys her big sandbox

 

 

Second 5YO grandson meets the Atlantic.

 

 

 

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Absolutely precious! You're a natural with a camera!:hearteyes:

[h20skibum]

Absolutely precious! You're a natural with a camera!:hearteyes:

 

 

 

Thank you. I think the first picture is my favorite. There is just something about him looking down at the surf on his feet. Of course, I have many nice ones with their faces that I can not share.

 

Accio_7 and sharktums - thanks for the kind words.

 

Suesnake2002 - the room was not very cramped. This may have been the same room, or close to it, that we booked the first time we were on the Serenade. We have moved up to balconies since then.

 

 

 

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[h20skibum]

So back to the report now.

 

We stopped off at the dining room to check out the menu for the evening. There was an old couple standing in front of the menu, and they spent at least 10 minutes studying it. (Yeah, I know. Who you calling old. You are old, dude). I guess it is all relative. Anyone older than me, or who looks older, is old. My almost 90 YO mother is the same way when she says “Look at that old man”.

 

So we finally get our chance to see the menu, and it has lamb shank on it. We both decide that is what we will have tonight.

 

 

Doesn’t the lamb shank look remarkably like prime rib? They forgot to change the menu outside the dining room from the previous night. I feel sorry for the old couple. They would have a whole new menu to study.

 

The prime rib was excellent. Cooked just the way I like it.

 

However, the Crème brûlée left something to be desired. It was so tiny, and it was ice cold.

 

 

Not nearly as nice as the last one we had on a cruise.

 

 

 

 

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[h20skibum]

After dinner, we stopped at the casino to loose our $40 we brought. I guess it was only $39.25, but I didn’t redeem this voucher. Maybe someone will print it out and use it as seed money before it expires.

 

 

Sometimes I think it may be easier to just hand them the cash when we walk in the door. It would go just about as quickly.

 

 

 

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[h20skibum]

I needed something to drown my sorrows of being $40 lighter. We headed to the Crown and Castle Pub. This is the only bar on Royal Caribbean ships where you can get a Grolsch.

 

 

So I ask the bartender for a Grolsch, and he says “Sorry, we are out of Grolsch.”

 

“What do you mean you are out of Grolsch? We just left port.”

 

“Yeah, the people on the last cruise drank it all. Come back tomorrow, we should pick some up in Key West.”

 

Great. So I am starting to think they are just trying to use up the leftovers from the last cruise before the next, longer one starts. A 3 day on this ship is pretty rare, so maybe we don’t rate the good stuff they give the 10 or 11 day cruisers.

 

I just hoped they really would restock in Key West.

 

 

 

 

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[h20skibum]

Settling for a Blue Moon, we headed off to the Welcome Aboard show.

 

 

 

And then some time in the Schooner Bar after.

 

 

 

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[loeb]

I really enjoy your reviews and pictures. I especially enjoyed your report on the Hawaii cruise. Since we live in Southern California and have been to Hawaii many times, we were not that interested in taking a cruise to Hawaii. However, after reading your review, we are now thinking about taking a cruise to Hawaii.

[h20skibum]

I really enjoy your reviews and pictures. I especially enjoyed your report on the Hawaii cruise. Since we live in Southern California and have been to Hawaii many times, we were not that interested in taking a cruise to Hawaii. However, after reading your review, we are now thinking about taking a cruise to Hawaii.

 

 

 

Thank you. The Hawaii cruise was only about 10 months ago, but like all cruises, it seems much longer. I guess my review was pretty popular over on the Princess boards, and Gimer was referencing it on all the Hawaii roll calls this year. It came alive again in the last couple of days.

 

If you like sea days, there are plenty of them on that cruise, although a few were cold and bumpy. Many people assume that a cruise to Hawaii will be all warm temperatures, but the first couple and last couple days are cooler. Glad you enjoyed that review. Now I have to get busy and finish up this small review.

 

 

 

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