World "shakedown" cruise on Serenade starting next week (Semi-Live Review)

[Hogladyrider]

Amazing thanks for doing this!

[ONECRUISER]

10 hours ago, cruiselvr04 said:

Just went through the locks last month on Radiance.  Glad your day is clearing.  We found it interesting that the area around the locks and lake didn’t seem dry yet it’s a drought.  The levels were not visibly low.  I’m looking forward to doing it again someday.  

Sept 2023- "Insufficient rainfall continues to negatively impact the Gatun Lake, which feeds the canal, lowering its water level to 24.2 meters (79.7 feet), versus 26.6 meters (87.41 feet) for the month of September in recent years"

[perfect match]

@orville99, thank you very much for all of the great pictures from your transit today! You certainly did have a busy day. Hope your Chops dinner was good. 

[kernow]

Thanks for all the great pics, looking forward to doing it with you in real life in a couple of weeks time!

[orville99]

Back to discovering today.

They are delivering new pillows to all of the cabins this week. Got ours on Sunday. Way too firm for this old neck.

 

Internet is still humming along - 450 miles from the equator off the pacific coast of Panama on a cloudy morning:

 

[lovesthebeach2]

Thanks for all the pictures!! The views from the height of the ship are way better than we got from that teeny tiny ferry boat we were on in February!

[orville99]

Something new, just in time for the WC:

 

We got access to a streaming service from RCL this morning (although there were no instructions on how to use it and the Internet desk didn’t have any instructions either.

 

royal-flix.com A free on board movie streaming service (about 50 movies).as long as you have an internet package

 

Only works on mobile devices and can’t cast to the stateroom TV however.

 

[Jimbo]

30 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

Thanks for all the pictures!! The views from the height of the ship are way better than we got from that teeny tiny ferry boat we were on in February!

If you ever get a chance of doing the full  transit from west to east. After going through the last lock when you are dumped into the Atlantic Ocean. The place to be is on the extreme aft facing the wake which ever deck you can get on which ever ship you are on.

 

The level of the water behind you is higher then the ship, it's a amazing sight we will never forget.

@orville99 You will want to be back there for sure on your return trip back through the last lock in a couple weeks.

Edited November 14, 2023 by Jimbo

[lovesthebeach2]

4 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

If you ever get a chance of doing the full  transit from west to east. After going through the last lock when you are dumped into the Atlantic Ocean. The place to be is on the extreme aft facing the wake which ever deck you can get on which ever ship you are on.

 

The level of the water behind you is higher then the ship, it's a amazing sight we will never forget.

@orville99 You will want to be back there for sure on your return trip back through the last lock in a couple weeks.

That sounds cool! Did you take any pictures of that to share?

We’re watching for a canal cruise for 2025, full up in 2024….

[Jimbo]

1 minute ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

That sounds cool! Did you take any pictures of that to share?

We’re watching for a canal cruise for 2025, full up in 2024….

Have to check and get back to later. Kind of hate to spoil it though for people who have not seen it before.

Edited November 14, 2023 by Jimbo

[Oceansaway17]

16 hours ago, orville99 said:

My pleasure, now off to Chops and then crashing into bed - it has been a loooong day😇

I am surprised Johnlala is not on board?

In fact I have not seen his name on boards recently.

[orville99]

32 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

If you ever get a chance of doing the full  transit from west to east. After going through the last lock when you are dumped into the Atlantic Ocean. The place to be is on the extreme aft facing the wake which ever deck you can get on which ever ship you are on.

 

The level of the water behind you is higher then the ship, it's a amazing sight we will never forget.

@orville99 You will want to be back there for sure on your return trip back through the last lock in a couple weeks.

We will try to get pictures on our return leg, We are there again on 11/29, thanks for the heads up😇

Edited November 14, 2023 by orville99

[orville99]

1 hour ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

Thanks for all the pictures!! The views from the height of the ship are way better than we got from that teeny tiny ferry boat we were on in February!

LOL, when we were down all the way in a lock on this ship, we were at the same eye level as we were on the ferry when we entered a lock to go down.😱

[StanleyandGus]

@orville99 You must be somewhere around us! Your pictures are almost identical to mine, except slightly better! 
 

I have a mobile device, and I haven’t figured out how to stream the movies either.

 

And I must say the food has been very good, and served at the correct temperature, if anyone was wondering.

[orville99]

1 hour ago, StanleyandGus said:

I have a mobile device, and I haven’t figured out how to stream the movies either.

Once you connect to the ship’s WiFi, go into your browser and enter royal-flix.com info the search bar. It should bring up the website.

 

We wandered all over the ship yesterday taking pictures, but our cabin is towards the front of the ship so we took a lot from our balcony as well.

Edited November 14, 2023 by orville99

[island lady]

2 hours ago, Oceansaway17 said:

I am surprised Johnlala is not on board?

In fact I have not seen his name on boards recently.

 

They (and we) are on the WC next month.  We are all cruising the LONG way around from Miami to LA.  Orville is taking the shortcuts.  😄  

[orville99]

1 hour ago, island lady said:

 

They (and we) are on the WC next month.  We are all cruising the LONG way around from Miami to LA.  Orville is taking the shortcuts.  😄  

I’m too old and that way around is too cold for these old bones😇

[island lady]

47 minutes ago, orville99 said:

I’m too old and that way around is too cold for these old bones😇

 

Hey...we resemble that remark!!  😄   These old bones will have to spend some time ducking back into the cabin for a nice warming beverage when we tour Antarctica and the passage.  🥶

[Oceansaway17]

2 hours ago, island lady said:

 

They (and we) are on the WC next month.  We are all cruising the LONG way around from Miami to LA.  Orville is taking the shortcuts.  😄  

ok because I have not seen him post on cc for a long time.  glad he is alive then.

[orville99]

Sea day today and did absolutely nothing😇 but relax. One nice thing about this route is that we are hugging the coastline so we have been within eyesight of Panama and now Costa Rica all day.

 

Edited November 14, 2023 by orville99

[orville99]

The agenda for tomorrow:

 

Edited November 14, 2023 by orville99

[Jimbo]

8 hours ago, orville99 said:

We will try to get pictures on our return leg, We are there again on 11/29, thanks for the heads up😇

Please do get some pictures on your return, can't seem to be able to find any of mine when we did the Panama Canal back in 2004.

Edited November 15, 2023 by Jimbo

[orville99]

7 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Please do get some pictures on your return, can't seem to be able to fine any of mine when we did the Panama Canal back in 2004.

Will do…

[cruisin from florida]

On 11/10/2023 at 4:02 PM, ONECRUISER said:

Was on B4B in Sept onboard was 25 Contractors doing work. They'd get off and back on with us for Zero count on turn around days. This area along with Conference Room was packed full inc new Coolers and the new thicker Mattresses that they were replacing each wk. Were also doing new wiring along all Passenger decks. Nice see area emptied out

We're on her for a short cruise in Decatur. Definitely hoping that the mattresses will be improved a bit for the WC, and that we'll reap the benefits.

[cruisin from florida]

32 minutes ago, cruisin from florida said:

We're on her for a short cruise in Decatur. Definitely hoping that the mattresses will be improved a bit for the WC, and that we'll reap the benefits.

In December. What happened to the edit function?😳