Chose this cruise to have a Christmas vacation trip with minimal planning. Would not go again at Christmas time. Huge crowds at airports on 12/21, less so on 1/2. Many, many children on the ship. Teenagers took over the Vortex lounge on Deck 13 near the end of the trip, ruining the nice auiet spot we’d found. Kids’ behavior in the Windjammer buffet dining room pushy and non-hygienic. Actually saw one child take a drink out of a glass of tea, and then put it back on the tray for someone else to take. I was able to get that rectified, but what else did that child do?

Serenade of the Seas is showing its age. We had an interior cabin but surmise much is the same in other rooms. We had exactly 2 electrical outlets, neither near the bed. We also had cable modem hookups. Gee, I wonder how long ago they were last used. The bathroom shows wear-and-tear from 13+ years without a major refurbishment. In November 2017, the ship was worked on for a week, but it appears that may have been mostly carpet.

The crew is lovely and most are eager to help. We befriended several of them and had long talks about family, life on the ship, etc. Read more