Great overall service, but don't get hungry late!

Serenade of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

Cruises: 2-3 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 46

Overall rating:

4 out of 5
Verified Review
Serenade of the Seas

7 Night Western Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)

Sail date: March 14, 2015

Ship: Serenade of the Seas

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 7172

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 9 years ago

Review summary

Our stateroom attendant (Ernesto) was the best we've ever had.  Good variety of music. Team at Schooner Bar was excellent.  A nice, moderate-sized ship. Great ports of call.  Don't miss swimming with the dolphins at Chankanaab Marine Park in Cozumel.  Excellent dinners in Reflections Dining Room, but waited 10 - 40 minutes to get seated at appointed time.  Dinner buffet (Windjammer) stops too early (8:30 p.m.)  Although the small Park Cafe in Solarium serves until 2:00 a.m., its menu is limited.  Windjammer buffet offered vast selections, however they were the same items for breakfast, lunch, and dinner day after day.  Lousy elevators - slow every day, and five of us got stuck between floors for 15 minutes on day three.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5
Great food and menus in Reflections dining room, but slow to get seated. Windjammer Cafe (buffet) had vast selections, but most items stayed the same for breakfast, lunch, and dinner day after day. Buffet closes too early (8;30 p.m.)

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Entertainment

3 out of 5
Don't miss Tropical Duo!

Children's Programs

3 out of 5

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
Stateroom attendant Ernesto Cruz was fabulous. Team at Schooner Bar (Ramon, Jelena, Mehmet, Joncil) was excellent.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
Nice, moderate size. Old (launched 2003) but still clean and functional, but not spectacular like newest vessels.

Ship tip

While the Ultimate Beverage package is expensive at $55/day/pp, if you like to drink, including fresh-squeezed OJ, champagne, and lattes, it is a good deal compared to the high per drink prices.

Ports of call

New Orleans, Louisiana

5 out of 5
Hampton Inn on Carondelet St. was excellent. Close to French Quarter.

Falmouth, Jamaica

5 out of 5
The large tourist shop area near the ship is clean and safe, with good security. The shops "outside the gates" are not as safe, and a bit creepy.

George Town, Grand Cayman

5 out of 5

Cozumel, Mexico

5 out of 5
Chankanaab Maring Park is only a $12 US taxi ride from port. Large and clean. Be sure to swim with the dolphins - one of the most memorable experiences of our lives.
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2 Comments

WeCruiseToo    9 years ago

We’re sailing Serenade of the Seas to Northern Europe in a few weeks so we’re keeping an eye on the reviews.  The ship and crew sound good; thanks for sharing!

glomarrone    9 years ago

Oh my, getting stuck in an elevator on your cruise is not good.  Sorry to re4ad that you had to go through that. 

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