A good get away - if you're older...

Serenade of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Southern

Cruiser404

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 47

Overall rating:

4 out of 5

Verified Review

10 Night Southern Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)

Sail date: February 26, 2016

Ship: Serenade of the Seas

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: 4537

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 8 years ago

Review summary

The Serenade of the Seas was nice, would recommend this cruise ship for "older" cruisers. Also, it is not the top of the line in the RC fleet. The ships staff and on/off boarding processes were one of our better experiences. Our ports of call were: Tortola, St Kitts, Martinique, Antigua, St Marten. We were disappointed in Tortola, Martinique & Antigua. Tortola's shopping area just opened the week before we arrived and very few stores were open. In Martinique, there was little shopping, language barriers, and an uncertainty of exactly where things were. We were also told it was a long walk back to ship and we should take a taxi. We over heard another passenger say "follow the blue sidewalk to get you back to the ship" - that was good advise. The walk was less than 10 - 15 minutes. Again, in Antigua there was little shopping close to the ports. Our experiences in St Kitts and St Marten were much better and would enjoy going back to these ports. In St Marten, we went scuba diving and would recommend Octopus Diving for a fantastic experience (we are not certified and were given great instructions prior to our two dives). It was the highlight of our trip and look forward to scuba diving again.

We do plan on cruising again soon. No matter the age of people on the ship, your cruise is what you make it. We introduced ourselves, mingled and met some wonderful people from all over the world/country, participated in events and made the cruise interesting and enjoyable. The much needed time away was great and again look forward to our next cruise.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Windjammer served same food everyday - no variety. It seem to close just as folks were getting back from their shore excursions. Dinner selection wasn't bad. Solarium also served same thing everyday. Would have liked to have had more of a variety.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

There didn't appear to be as much pool side activities as in past cruise experiences. Not sure if this was because of age of cruisers. Would suggest that the zumba and aerobics be held in the gym/workout room. This would allow more room around the pool.

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Service and Staff

1 out of 5

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Our room attendant - Carolyn was FANTASTIC!!! Room was always clean, fresh and turned down in the evening. GREAT service. Thank you Carolyn!!

Ship tip

Would highly recommend purchasing the drink card package - you don't have to mess with signing and keeping receipts. Review excursion options prior to setting sail, do some investigating on your own. Most events held at the R-Bar (4th floor) - get there early, very little seating.

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