My husband and I just returned from a wonderful week on the Serenade. This was her first cruise since coming out of dry dock. I will try to give a balanced detailed review pointing out the positive and some minor issues as I feel this is most helpful to others. Pre Cruise: We flew to San Juan on Friday, the day before the sailing. We stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott which is located quite near the airport. It was a very nice hotel with great facilities however it was too close to the airport and you could hear the planes flying in and out of San Juan all night. It would be fine for a night, maybe two but I wouldn't recommend it as a destination. On Saturday we arrived at the port at 11:45 AM. Although the documents state you cannot board until 2 PM we knew from reading cruise critic that this is not the case. Also since we were the first cruise since the ship returning to service there were no passengers getting off so things went very quickly. We were on the ship within 15 minutes and having our first drink in the schooner bar by 12:15. The ship is in beautiful shape and you could see all the new carpeting they had just installed in the common areas. Our last cruise was on the Navigator where most things are located off the Promenade so initially I had a difficult time finding my way around. There are two pools one outdoor and the Solarium (adult only). There were never any children in the adult pool and it was beautifully decorated and peaceful. On the first day there were the sounds of birds chirping being piped in. This got old very fast and fortunately I didn't hear the fake birds for the rest of the cruise. Tranquil music was played instead. Our favorite bar was the Schooner. The bartender, Jose was great at doing bar tricks. We had a drink in the centrum/lobby bar a couple of times but that area was often crowded. We tried the Pitt Stop Sports Bar however they allow smoking in there so we only went there once. We did not go to the nightclub so I can't comment on that. The shops on the ship were for the most part only open at night as we were in ports six out of seven days. Typical shopping nothing unique. They did have a nice sale on the last full day of the cruise (a sea day) which we took advantage of to buy a few things. The Tropical Theatre was okay but not as attractive as the theatre on Navigator. The ship has a movie theatre however we were way too busy to think about sitting in a movie theatre. Ports of Call: This is a very port intensive cruise so we were busy every day. St. Thomas: We went on the tram up to Paradise Point and later in the day went to Coral World and Megan's Bay Beach. The ship was in St. Thomas on a Sunday so when we got to the top with the tram it was quiet with virtually no activity. It did offer great views which was great for picture taking. I think the tram would be more fun if your hours in port allow you to go up there at night. Coral world was okay but small. Megan's Bay was a nice beach but not nearly as nice as Trunk Bay on St. John. St. Martin: My husband went deep sea fishing so I took the water taxi to do a little shopping. The water taxi is a great idea and only $5 for as many trips back and forth as you like. It only makes two stops, the second stop is better for shopping. You can also find locals to take you on tours of the island from the main shopping area. The prices were quite reasonable. Antigua: We took a ship tour which stopped frequently for photo opts. We went to the Dockyard (historical) and Shirley Heights. Okay tour but this was probably our least favorite island. Probably would have been better off taking advantage of one the islands beaches. St. Lucia: Far and away our favorite port of call. This island is beautiful! Although the roads are VERY curvy and steep, they are well paved and in excellent condition. We took advantage of Cosol's tour which was everything that has been described by other reviewers. You see so many island highlights for only $50 each. Cosol is very outgoing and committed to making sure his guests have a great time. The day we were in St. Lucia he had seven vans full of guests, all from Serenade as we were the only ship in port. On days when there are multiple ships in port, he can have as many as 14 + vans going. One warning on this tour, wear your bathing suit if you can as there is no good place to change. There are many opportunities to eat and at two stops drinks are provided. Cosol was more then generous with the alcohol drinks and encouraged everyone to partake. In case you haven't read other reviews on this tour, you will go to a banana plantation, a waterfall, a volcano, stops for food, and a beach located at a resort. The beach is located between the pitons. Barbados: Another great island, only St. Lucia was nicer. We took the Best of Barbados tour which went to a working rum factory, a plantation house and a mahogany wood carving shop. We met the artist who owned the shop who demonstrated how he creates his designs. This was a better stop they I had thought it would be. Entertainment: This was an area of disappointment. Royal Caribbean really seems to be skimping on the shows. We had three separate comedians on this cruise which is a bit much of the same thing. We also had Johnny Thunder formally of the Drifters. The poor guy who was probably good in this time is now 75 years old. I couldn't help but feel bad that he has to work at his age. There was only one production show by the singers and dancers which was very good. I found out during a backstage tour on the last day of the cruise that normally there are two big production shows during this cruise but because the ship was just coming out of dry dock the performers only had time to get one ready. It apparently takes 4 days to get a new show ready. One night the only "show" was the love and marriage game show. This was very funny however the ship should have had that as an extra not as the only show. Food: This is a very subjective area. Overall the food was good, not great. I have food allergies and my waiter, Corwin was always able to ensure that I had alternatives if I couldn't eat something. The dining room staff on Serenade was recently voted the best on all of Royal Caribbean's 22 ships. They were excellent. We ate breakfast in the wind jammer daily and lunch there most days. We ate at the Sea View cafe one day and it was good, be patient though it takes forever to get your food. Last Day: I have never had such an easy time disembarking then I did on this ship. It ran very well and efficiently. My only complaint was that we took the cruse lines transportation to the airport and our luggage was taken on another truck rather then the bus we went on. This meant we had to stand around for a very long time outside at the airport waiting first for the truck to arrive and then for them to unload it. The bus which we rode in was very old and not a nice motor coach like ones the cruise line provided when we left from ports in Florida. Overall comments: This is a beautiful ship with great ports of call. My only significant complaint would be the entertainment. There were also no hand sanitizers in the bathrooms which would be simple enough to add. There was definitely an odor on this ship on lower decks after about the third or fourth day. We had a cabin on the eighth deck so the odor was not an issue for us. I would also not use the cruise line for my air arrangements again. We went from Providence (Rhode Island) to Philadelphia and from there to San Juan. When we arrived in Philly we were already hearing last boarding call for our flight to San Juan. We literally had to run to catch the plane. To make matters worse the flight left from the opposite side of the airport then where we arrived. I needed water when I finally made it to the plane. Other highlights, great service from our stateroom attendant, Alan. I swear if I needed anything all I had to do was go out in the hallway and he was always there. I may have forgotten some things but I think this is a good overall review of this cruise. I would highly recommend both the ship and this route.