Serenade of the Seas Review

4.5 / 5.0
1,675 reviews

Serenade of the Seas... a great week!

Review for the Eastern Caribbean Cruise on Serenade of the Seas
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GAtravelbuggies
First Time Cruiser • Age 20s

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Sail Date: Jan 2009

We are a group of four who booked on Serenade of the Seas for a winter vacation. Flew from Atlanta to San Juan; we were glad to have chosen an early flight to get on board the ship early! We purchased transfers from airport to ship; however, there were plenty of taxis and next time we will likely just use a taxi instead. Embarkation was an easy process; minimally crowded and we were able to board the ship quickly after arriving at the pier. We found the ship to be absolutely beautiful. Lots of glass and great views. Also found all public areas to be clean and in good shape. We had an oceanview stateroom, which was small but large enough for two people, especially after we slid our suitcases under the bed. Shower was a little small, but reasonable. Of note, we were on Deck 2, and did notice foul smells in the hallway at times, but no where else. Our room had a porthole window; not large, but big enough to allow us a view out in the mornings and at night. Onboard the ship, we enjoyed breakfast in the Windjammer every morning. Lots of selection. The guys especially enjoyed the omelet station. We often came back to Windjammer for late lunch, but enjoyed getting a "snack" at Seaview on Deck 13 after returning from port each day. They have great French fries! It was a nice spot to sit while pulling out of port for a relaxing, late lunch. Dinner each night in the dining room was wonderful! We had two excellent waiters: Ugur and Cornell, who took care of our every need. They remembered who wanted lemons in the water, and even who liked which desserts! The menu varied nightly, but we never failed to find something we liked. We found there to be a good selection of foods offered as well. Guys ordered two entrEes several nights. Lobster night was great; they brought seconds by request after we had finished the first serving. We never left hungry! We so enjoyed the dining room that we canceled the reservation we had made at Chops, and never regretted not going. As a group used to all-inclusives, there were a few things we were disappointed about: the coke card is not worth the money. If anything, share one card per couple. Also, adding gratuities was something we are not accustomed to. Would be nice to have that included in the price of the cruise, even if it meant paying a bit more upfront. Adding 15% gratuity to every drink purchased adds up quickly! It was hard not to feel "nickel and dimed" at times. Also, we found the "outside" entertainment a little lacking, but we enjoyed all the games, and the Cruise Director was great! Would go again... thoroughly enjoyed the cruise. A quick run-down of each day: St Thomas—looked in the shops at port, then walked down by Wendy's and caught the local shuttle into town. Only $1 per person...a great deal! Worth the walk, as taxis are not cheap and its not far to town. The shuttle is open air and had locals onboard. We shopped downtown, found a place with frozen drinks and sat outside. Caught the $1 shuttle back to the ship; they took us all the way to the port. St Martin-Rented a car (was cheaper for the 4 of us than getting a taxi). Tip—you can bargain with the rental companies. It's just outside of the pier. Had a blast riding around the island and exploring. We stopped at Orient Beach and rented chairs at the Mexicano Beach Club—7.00 apiece for chair, umbrella, and drink. It's a beautiful beach! Just be careful not to walk too far down or you'll wind up in the nudist section. Antigua—not our favorite day. We stayed downtown, but found the locals very aggressive and returned to the ship for an early lunch and time by the pool. Had a massage that afternoon in the spa as part of an in-port special advertised when we boarded the ship. Massage was great, but we did not appreciate the attempts to sell us products at the end. St Lucia—took everyone's advice and booked a tour with Cosol. We had a blast! The hot bread and cheese lunch was amazing. Covered a good bit of the island, really enjoyed the water taxi ride to beach between the pitons. Great snorkeling and a beautiful beach. Overall, a great day with Cosol. If you are prone to motion sickness, would encourage you to take medicine—the roads are very windy, and ride back to the ship is long. Barbados—Walked down to the Boatyard. Rented chairs, umbrella, drink for $15 per person. A really fun day! They play lots of games, plenty of chances to win free drinks, etc. Good music, beautiful beach. Water toys out in the ocean. A very relaxing day. In the afternoons, they give free rides back to the ship. Day at Sea—slept late. By the time we got out, all chairs by the pool were claimed. We found chairs by the rock-climbing wall, enjoyed using the kiddie pool to cool off! This was a wonderful week... we were all sad to see it end!

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