This was the WORST vacation experience of my life, by far. Let me preface that all the service providers on the ship were exemplary but honestly had their hands tied by the lack of management support. Any negative statement presented here is not aimed at the service staff.

To set the stage. This was a bucket list trip for my father, turning 82 on the ship. MONTHS of planning went into this with headaches and road bumps EVERY step of the way. My father is physically challenged with a compromised heart and lungs. I went out of my way to accommodate his needs, including contacting the ship about shore excursions that would be accessible to him either to walk very short distances or to use the motorized scooter rented for him. Months before the trip, the excursions were constantly canceled, causing extensive research and re-research to ensure our party of 6 had a good time. I even took the initiative to contact excursion companies to confirm he would be accommodated with his scooter for a whale-watching excursion.

Once we set sail, we realized that the ship was not fully staffed. Most of the bars remained closed for the duration of the trip. Tables were constantly dirty, with the existing staff doing their best to keep up with demand. We purchased the all-inclusive drink package for all six of us and spent excessive time in line waiting for refills due to the understaffing. On previous cruises, the Coke Freestyle was available for refills. Unfortunately, that machine was not available on the Serenade. Had it been, that would have gone a long way in improving the experience. My point is that if the ship were not fully staffed, the entire cruise should not have occurred. The cost for a cruise is entirely too high for customers to have to bus their tables and wait excessively in lines. Read more