This is my first cruise, and obviously my first review, so please bear with me (and my spelling). One thing that I refuse to do in this review is complain. I have already read way 'too many' reviews by others with many complaints concerning just about any aspect of their cruise. I really don't understand how anyone can complain about such a wonderful experience. I am writing this from the standpoint of having "no pre-conceived notions" other than the various 'cruise Reviews' my wife and I did read prior to our trip.
Having no prior cruising experience, we picked the Southern Caribbean with the idea that one's best bet of not getting sea sick is to start your cruise in the middle of the Caribbean Ocean. This turned out to be a good choice since we spent seven days sailing in water that was about as calm as your bathtub. We traveled from Philadelphia to San Juan the day prior to our cruise without a hitch. We stayed one night at the El Conventa Hotel in Old San Juan. What a fantastic experience! We had read several reviews of this hotel - some good and several bad. The room rate was about $340 per night, and it was worth every penny of it (We would not normally ever consider spending this much money on a hotel, but we are glad we did). The hotel is in the heart of Old San Juan and you can easily walk to shops, two forts, wonderful restaurants, etc. We strolled through quaint, narrow brick streets both the day of our arrival and the morning of our cruise. We found a wonderful 'open' air market where 'locals' were selling hand-made articles native to Puerto Rico. The people of San Juan were friendly and not pushy about selling their products. The Hotel El Conventa offers a very nice complimentary wine and cheese sorta 'happy hour' from about 4 PM till 5:30 PM each day. You get to kick back and relax on this nice open-air, second floor terrace that over-looks a lush green park smack in the middle of Old San Juan! The hotel has several restaurants on the ground floor. However, we decided to try one of several local restaurants that were less than a city block from the hotel. The restauarant we chose was called the 'El Buren Cucina'. We had noticed several people from the hotel plus several 'locals' going to this place so we had a feeling it just might be good. Was it ever! A cozy, nicely decorated, authenic restaurant of Puerto Rico with exceptional food. When we returned to the El Conventa that evening, our bed was turned down, the lights were already dimmed and our room stereo was playing very soft, caribbean music. Our second floor wooden patio doors were opened to a moon lit, brick lined street with planters filled with flowers every few feet - quite a romantic setting. If we had NOT even gone on our cruise, our experiences in Old San Juan were worth the trip. Any negative thoughts that I might have had about Puerto Rico were melted away by the warmth of their hospitality.
On to the cruise! We boarded the ship within five minutes of our arrival at the port (12 noon). Once on board, the first thing Royal Caribbean did was hand us both a cool Bahama Mama. Now is that a good start or what? We were immediately awe-struck by the beauty of the Seranade of the Seas. Much has been written about the details of this ship so I do not intend to elaborate. Besides...no words can duplicate your own experience so I recommend that you check it out - you WON'T be disappointed. We visited our cabin - eighth deck balcony, port side and slightly aft of the middle of the ship. It turned out to be a near perfect location. My wife and I like to walk so our cabin location was perfectly positioned to take the steps (or, if you prefer, the elevator) a few decks up or down to quickly reach any major area of the ship. One note of recommendation. If you choose to spring for a balcony on this ship, we suggest either the eighth or nine deck that way you will have a clear view of the ocean. On deck seven, there is a roof that sticts out just below (it covers the life boats) which somewhat blocks your view when standing on the balcony. Also, the tenth deck is closer to the pools and other active areas and may at times be noisy. Our first meal on the Seranade was lunch in the Windjammer Cafe which had many food (and dessert) stations with a wonderful selection and variety of food. During the course of our cruise we ate every breakfast and several lunches at the Windjammer and enjoyed it very much. Contrary to other reviews, we found the food in the main dining room to be quite good. We ate there on five nights including both formal nights. We also ate at both Portofino's Italian Restaurant and at Chop's Grill and thought that they were both excellant and worth the added $20 per person. The Seaview Cafe way up on the 12th deck was a good place for late evening sandwiches and the pizza available at the adults pool was actually very good. All in all, the food on the Seranade was good by any standards; however, even better were the people who served it. One of the best things about the cruise was meeting the servers, bartenders, cabin stewards, cooks, etc., on the ship. They came from many different countries and ethnic backgrounds. They were almost always very friendly and helpful and they worked very hard to make your cruise experience the best it could possibly be. The most lasting memory that we have of the cruise is the wonderful folks we met that work on the ship. Needless to say the ship board entertainment was also excellant. We attended every evening show and six out of seven were very good with only one show (a magic act) being so-so. The various bands that played in different areas throughout the ship were entertaining. They played (of course) caribbean music, jazz, hip-hop, country western, big band, some 50's - 60's, modern top 40's, etc. What more could you ask for? The first day at the dock (we did not leave port until 10 PM) and the last full day at sea (our only 'Sea Day') were full of activities from early morning until late at night. We assume that the days in port were just as full of activities; however, we spent most of the port days on various shore excursions. There was always something going on to please just about everyone including pool activities, bingo, fitness center classes, spa sessions, children activities, music, dancing, etc., etc. And then there's the bars! They have something like 13 or 14 bars including a wonderful piano bar, a champain bar, a late night disco, a lobby bar, a cigar bar and 'other' bars (Note: Royal Caribbean does a great job by having many non-smoking areas including all restaurants, half the pool area, etc.). Trust me - you won't run out of great bars and clubs to visit again and again.