Serenade of the Seas Review
Rating by category
Additional details
BACKGROUND: DW and I decided to take another RC cruise after completing a Canada/New England cruise on Brilliance OTS in September of ’15. We are Platinum on Princess, Norwegian & Carnival but are currently “checking out” some of the Radiance class RC ships that have 9-12 day itineraries.
FORT LAUDERDALE: We flew into FLL 2 days early and stayed at the Fort Lauderdale Airport/Cruise port Best Western. The complimentary shuttle showed up about 10 minutes after we called the hotel and we were at the hotel within minutes. The staff was friendly, the check in was a breeze and we set up a shuttle run to the pier for 11:30 AM two days later ($8 p/p via All Stars shuttle). We settled in (comfy beds, good TV selection & microwave + fridge) and I went next door to the strip mall for food and we relaxed for the night. Luckily , the strip mall has a Winn Dixie, Big Lots, Dunkin Donuts, liquor store and a few other food places so you don’t have to walk far. The next morning we ate a great breakfast at the hotel and relaxed at the pool for most of the day. On cruise day, we had another great breakfast, checked out and took the shuttle to the pier. Hotel + staff = A+
EMBARKATION: By the time we got to the ship (around Noon), the lines had dissipated somewhat and we were directed to line for Gold level C&A members. The actual check in at the counter was no problem. The cabins were not ready so we waited in the Deck 7 Internet Café with our carry-on bags. When the cabins were ready, we dropped off our bags and had lunch at the WJ buffet. Embarkation was not enjoyable but it could have been worse. Embarkation = C
Cabin Review
Superior Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony
The balcony cabin was a good size. The bed was relatively comfortable and the TV was large enough BUT the choice of channels was pretty meager to the level of being abysmal. Perhaps the idea is to force you into buying the expensive internet packages and streaming your own entertainment. As usual the closet doors open toward the bathroom door so you have to maneuver around to get stuff out. The bathroom was quite small although the shower was set up like a vertical tanning booth which kept water from splashing on the floor. The shower had good water pressure but was small even for a “medium” sized person like me – almost to the point of claustrophobia. The actual toilet area was small – but adequate. We had no noise or cigarette smoke problems and there was no heavy foot traffic because we were in the furthest aft cabin group. Our room steward Leo was superb.
Port Reviews
St. Maarten
Snorkel excursion was cancelled due to low interest so we just went ashore to walk for a while and have a beer.