Viking Serenade/Stardancer

[AberAlex]

I read a thread on here about the Viking Serenade and it got me thinking about my first cruise on Carnival's Holiday. In 1995 my Grandma took me on my first cruise and I had a choice between two ships on the same itenerary: Carnival's Holiday or RCCL's Viking Serenade. We wound up going on the Holiday but on our trip the Viking Serenade sailed in tandem with us so I got to spend quite a bit of time with both ships for those four days. I've aways wondered what it was like on the Viking Serenade. If you have any pictures or stories to share they'd be greatly appreciated! Thanks! :D

 

Postcard scan courtesy of: simplonpc.co.uk and Rogerio Gouveia

[grounded]

I sailed on the Viking Serenade in 1995, with my college room mate during spring break. I can’t seem to find the pictures we took, but I have a few scattered memories- if that’s what you’re looking for.

As an initial matter, we chose the Viking Serenade because a few of the “party girls” from one of the sororities that we used to hang out with had made reservations for the same trip. We had to book through a travel agent, and I remember receiving tons of paperwork in the mail shortly before we left. I also remember looking at the brochure when we were picking our cruise and being amazed by the pictures of the centrum in the Majesty of the Seas- and thinking it would be amazing to be able to afford to sail on such an extravagant ship. Which is ironic, since every one now refers to the Majesty as an “old” “small” ship.

This also reminds me that the brochures used to have published rates that were very high (and included airfare) in the back. When we went to the travel agent, I remember being amazed with what a good deal he got us, since it was so much cheaper than the published fare. I’m wondering now if cruising was as relatively inexpensive then as it is now, and I just didn’t realize it, since I couldn’t look up the fares on the internet.

In planning this cruise, one of our considerations was that my roommate was till only 20 years old. At the time, as I recall, Royal Caribbean allowed passengers who were between the ages of 18 and 21 to purchase and consume beer and wine on board.

We had an outside room, but I don’t think we found out where it was going to be until we got onto the ship. I remember that the beds were set up as couches during the day and were made up as beds at night. We were able to bring a big, gallon jug of “Kentucky’s Finest” brand whiskey on board, without question. It came in a plastic jug and we picked it up at a Von’s supermarket on the drive down to San Pedro.

The cruise was a four day Ensenada, Catalina, day-at-sea. I remember spending the day at sea sprawled out, spread eagle on the floor of the cabin, wishing there was a way to make all the motion stop. We had finished off the Kentucky’s finest the night before. It was anything but fine.

There seemed to be a lot of karaoke on board. I also stumbled my way through the Macarena for the first time, under the guidance of an equally drunk girl I had met on the ship. The highlight of the cruise was that my roommate had “relations” with a woman more than ten years his senior in the women’s bathroom outside the lounge. To say this was a party cruise was an understatement.

Even though it was only a four day cruise, I remember that there was a sommelier in the dining room who came around to every table and offered tastings of the wines that should be paired with the dinners. We kept him near our table for a good portion of the dinner, and made sure he got a big tip at the end of the week. I remember thinking the food was exceptional

One of my strongest memories, however, was the disembarkation process, which is magnified in this post 9/11 era. I remember watching the disembarkation instructions on the television in our room. The entire presentation was done by the cruise director, who reminded us that drug dogs would be inspecting all of our luggage. He quipped “If the dog stops near your bag, you better pray that he lifts his leg…”

I have no doubt that there were a lot more memories from that trip. I just don’t remember them. I do get the sense, however, that it is one of the best vacations I ever took, and that it sealed, in my mind, that a cruise is the ultimate vacation…