Serenade of the Seas Review

Service was excellent

Review for Europe Cruise on Serenade of the Seas
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Erin Dreamer
10+ Cruises • Age 70s

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Sail Date: Jul 2015

Perhaps we lucked out, but I found the staff to be excellent on this cruise - everyone from our waiter and assistant waiter in the dining room (who went over and above) to those who served in the Windjammer or who were cleaning rugs on the ship. As for countries visited - because there were too few excursions that did not require much walking, I arranged private tours in both Tallinn, Estonia, and in Riga, Latvia. They were both excellent! We were disappointed we had to walk so far from the ship to get to taxis or busses in Estonia. Apparently only a few taxis that are somehow associated with the ship are allowed to come close to where people get off the ship. St. Petersburg was the highlight for most people, but we had been on a river cruise and had actually seen all of the buildings that were offered for excursions on this tour so Estonia, Latvia, and Warnemunde, Germany, turned out to be our favorites. In Germany, many people went to Berlin, but a 13-hour excursions (over 3 hours drive each way) didn't seem attractive, nor did getting up super early seem attractive. We took the Molly train excursion and enjoyed the leisure trip, the very interesting information the tour guide pointed out along the way, and the visit to the Doberan Minster. I understand we were the first large ship to dock in Fredericia, Denmark. (When we left there was a band playing to see us off). There is hardly anything to do in this port. The excursions were also a bit expensive. We went into town with two other couples and enjoyed a Danish and coffee. The area was a shopping area similar to any shopping areas in the U.S. There was no tourist shopping nor were there tourist sites within easy walking distance. I am not sure why the ship stops at this port. The entertainment was mixed, but I realize they try to satisfy many tastes. The four male singers were outstanding, and the Russian folklore group was outstanding. The other shows were average to poor. As for food, we thought the food in the dining room was very good and sometimes excellent. My main complaint in the Windjammer is the greasy bacon. They could certainly take the time to absorb the dripping fat before they put it out for eating. I would also prefer a station where they toast bread or English muffins when you stop by rather than having them all pre-cooked and cold. My biggest complaint, other than not offering enough excursions without LOTS of walking, was the high price for WiFi - a service that was POOR at best. It was slow, and sometimes I could not connect, yet I still had to pay the full price. Rather than nickel and dime us for this service, it should be offered free. Another complaint has to do with busses dropping us off at the airport. There were three terminals, and instead of dropping us off BETWEEN terminal two and three (Everyone was using one of the two), they dropped us off at terminal two and left us to walk a VERY long distance to terminal three. Overall, the trip was a very good one, but I must admit that I prefer RC's Celebrity cruises.

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