This was our ninth cruise. We were very pleased with the itinerary of this cruise. It was our first time to the Mediterranean so we feel we experienced a wonderful sampling of Barcelona, France, Italy and Croatia. It's a very active cruise starting from day two since the day/days at sea are farther along the itinerary. We would suggest this cruise for anyone going for the first time to the Mediterranean.

As for the ship experience, we had a balcony cabin on the 9th deck. We found the ship to be comfortable however our cabin was on the tired and worn side. Entertainment was "ok" but nothing as special as the larger Royal Caribbean ships. Food was enjoyable and good but not memorable. It would have been nice if they had more selections for this long of a cruise but the menu began to repeat itself...The Serenade of the Sea was like an average floating hotel. It served our purpose well as this cruise was more about the adventures in each port than it was the experience of the ship.

For ship excursions we were happy with booking private excursions at each port rather than using Royal Caribbean. It was far less expensive and we had a day custom made for us and 3 other couples. Additionally, the price on this cruise was excellent...All in all Read more