A great ship for seeing Alaska

Serenade of the Seas Cruise Review

Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Reviews: 3
Helpful Votes: 21

Overall rating:

4 out of 5
Serenade of the Seas

7 Night Alaska (Vancouver Roundtrip)

Sail date: July 03, 2022

Ship: Serenade of the Seas

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: 4045

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 2 years ago

Review summary

The ports and good service made this cruise. An older ship, but good layout for seeing Alaska. Nice indoor adult pool.

Embarkation

2 out of 5
Vancouver port is a mess. 3 ships leaving at once and they don’t honor embarkation time slots. Better to arrive by 11 or after 2:00.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5
MDR 4 stars and buffet 3 stars. I love the vegan menu in MDR, even though I’m not vegan. You have to ask for it. Buffet was lackluster, especially desserts, which look great but taste poor. The only good item is the made to order omelets. NCL has a much better buffet.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5
Nothing of interest for a middle age couple. Only 3 hot tubs, two of which allow kids. Adults-only pool was covered and well heated.

Entertainment

1 out of 5
The absolute worst. And I’ve been on Carnival! A juggler, a super lame comedian, and 3 shows by the cast staff. Very weak. The games were all done on a piece of paper, no audience interaction. Love & Marriage game not even funny.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
Well done. Always at your service. Above and beyond.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5
Lots of great panoramic lounges. Windows weren’t clean at all.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Perfect location for everything! Right between the forward and aft elevators. Lots of things to do nearby, but no noise. Super close to dining room and main show. One floor below shops, but no noise. Large and spacious compared to NCL interior room.

Ship tip

Check the itinerary carefully. We didn’t t realize Skagway would be cut short to visit Haines the same day. We ended up with 3 sea days, which were boring with limited activities.

Ports of call

Cruise Tracy Arm Fjord, Alaska

5 out of 5
Gorgeous scenery. This is not a port. Go up to the observation lounge and enjoy seals, icebergs and waterfalls. They may have to turn around before the glacier due to ice. Hubbard glacier is much more dramatic.

Juneau, Alaska

5 out of 5
Go to the Red Dog Saloon. Great entertainment all day. Take a taxi to Glacier Gardens and the tour is $28 for a better view than Mt. Roberts Tramway and gorgeous and unique botanical garden. Then on to Mendenhall Glacier for a quick and easy walk to Nugget Falls. Don’t miss the video. Best port for shopping!

Sitka, Alaska

4 out of 5
Take the $10 bus by the library to the Raptor Center and Fortress of the Bear. Walk to the totem pole park. Limited shipping and a church to see. The Russian dance show is not worth the $15.

Haines, Alaska

1 out of 5
Nothing at all to do. Get an excursion for sure. The motorized wildlife canoe ride was peaceful and scenic, but we saw no wildlife except eagles.

Vancouver (Canada Place), British Columbia

4 out of 5
Lynn Canyon Suspension bridge was a fun place to hike for free. Nothing to do at Stanley Park, and Granville is just restaurants. GasTown has great souvenirs.

Skagway, Alaska

5 out of 5
Rent a car and drive the Yukon Highway to Emerald Lake. Visit Tutshi sled dog camp and Yukon Suspension Bridge on the way back.

Cruise Inside Passage, Alaska

5 out of 5
This is not a port, but a smooth water narrow passage with lane on both sides. Very scenic and lots of whales and orcas.

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
Self assist was quick and easy. No passport stop at all. Able to leave luggage at port for the day for a small fee and visit Flyover Canada attraction and Gastown. Easy Skytrain to airport.
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6 Comments

GSpringer    2 years ago

Thanks for sharing

GabeNSteph    2 years ago

Thanks for sharing

javawoody    2 years ago

Thanks for the review

Gwbigdog    2 years ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise

WhippetMum    2 years ago

Stanley Park is awesome for running. Very safe and friendly.

AuntPinkie    2 years ago

Appreciate your feedback. Sorry many things were not to your expectations. But glad some were good.

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