We boarded the Serenade of the Seas (myself and 2 friends) on Friday, 3/15, for a 10 day Caribbean cruise! Embarkation was incredibly easy! By the time we arrived at the port it was 1pm and there was no line at all. Our cabins were ready when we got there and our cruise pass cards were in our cabins. My friends had one balcony cabin, 8530, and I had 8532. Unfortunately, the balcony separator could not be removed on this ship, but it worked out ok. The cabins had a little bit of wear, but overall, they were clean with plenty of storage. The only negatives were the number of outlets (only 2), and the bed quality (really, really horrible). My friends had no complaints. I felt like I was sleeping on top of springs. My cabin attendant put a comforter under the bottom sheet and it helped, but the mattress should have been replaced. My room attendant, Irod, was a really nice guy who always had a kind word and a smile.

Serenade has so many places where you can go and read or sit and relax! I love the center atrium because you always know what’s going on from any deck. It’s a nice gathering area. The ship is easy to navigate and never felt crowded. There’s a nice area with chairs and tables outside of the Windjammer that was a great place to sit and grab a snack after an excursion. Overall, it’s a very pretty, well-designed ship and I would easily sail on her again.

The food was okay. Some meals were great (panko crusted salmon, lobster) and some meals were just eh. The menu repeated a lot in the main dining room, but there was always something for everyone. If not an entrée, then certainly a couple appetizers. We had My Time dining, but made a reservation for 5:30 each night. And each night we had the same table and the same waiter. I guess we did a modified, traditional eating plan! Our waiter, Julio, and assistant waiter, Wuh, were excellent. The windjammer was a typical buffet. Just pick your favorites and move on. I think the museli is enough of a reason to cruise!! I read a few comments from past cruisers who felt the staff looked bored and uninterested. I have to agree with them. Those that provided great service were the minority in the Windjammer and main dining room. We tried lunch a few times on sea days in the main dining room. Not only were the servers not interested in serving us, they were rude and unpleasant. Not all, but most. Read more