This was our third cruise on RCI and our first on Serenade of the Seas. Everything wasn't perfect, but I didn't expect it to be. All in all a very nice ship and the staff clearly went out of their way to tend to our every need. That was a big plus.

Checking in was as smooth as silk. Took a cab from the San Juan airport; cost $25 with 3 bags and took about half hour to get to the Pan American dock. Since we've cruised with RCI before, we were Gold status and had a separate line that really started thing off right (only 1 guy ahead of us). The regular line wasn't too long, but had about 20 people waiting. Lots of paperwork that should be filled out BEFORE you get there cause trying to do it there at the last minute really holds things up.

Our room was 1006, a deluxe oceanview balcony (E1)located on the 10th floor. The room was a bit small and my hubby and I bumped into each other quite a bit. Small bathroom too but that's to be expected. If you've never been on a cruise ship, be prepared for the loudest flushing toilets EVER! Small balcony, but the privacy and access to fresh air was priceless. The room location was all the way forward and Windjammer, the main casual dining room on the 11th floor, was at the back of the ship. Lots of walking but since we were only one floor below it, we never had to wait for the elevator. Also, this location means it's really quiet most of the time; no one walking past your room at all hours of the night. We were just below the spa but some nights we heard a couple of loud bangs just above us, like weights being dropped. Annoying but only for a second or two. Read more