Nice Get-A-Way

Item: Serenade of the Seas
Rating: 4
Author: VRS44

Serenade of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

VRS44

Contributor Level: Deck Hand

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 12

Overall rating:

4 out of 5

Verified Review

4 Night Western Caribbean (Tampa Roundtrip)

Sail date: July 06, 2023

Ship: Serenade of the Seas

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 8022

Traveled as: Large Group

Reviewed: 9 months ago

Review summary

Overall, I had a great visit. I was relaxed, felt comfortable, and felt safe. I never felt "lost" or not informed. I have travel via other cruise lines and, for the price, this was a nice, affordable get-a-way.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Quicker than I expected. Smooth transitions between stations. Really appreciated the curbside luggage pick-up! Thank you for that!

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

The food choices were okay; I appreciated the various cultural options. The feedback I have is regarding pre-made salads and soft drinks. Each time we visited the main dining rooms, the salad was warm and wilted and the salad dressing watered down because I believe a large number of them were made in advance. At the very least, put the dressing on per order or pre-stage the salad dressing separately. Same goes for the tea. I'm certain I saw at least 30 pre-made beverages where the ice had begun to melt - which affects the quality of the drink. I understand this is a time saver, but I'd rather wait a few extra minutes for a decent beverage.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

Fitness center was great! I used it just about everyday. If possible to open it earlier, I saw a few of us "early risers" who would have been there before the scheduled opening time of 6AM. Maybe key only entry from 9PM-6AM then resume your normal business hours. Swimming pool options were subpar. I believe one pool with the slide was closed?? Far too many people for the small primary pool to not ensure all pools are open and available for customer use. Yes, the adult only pool was an option - but not if you have children in your party. Loved the Belly Flop Competition and the Silent Party. Game shows were fun options as well.

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Enjoyed the shows and the variety of music.

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

Our room attendant was great. Nothing stood out but our room was clean everyday. Thank you for that! Our waiter was nice and provided the options and chef recommendations. She even provided recommendations for my daughter who is pescetarian (which I don't think she knew what that was until I said no chicken, no beef, seafood/vegetarian options only). Main dining drink server was pleasant but did not have a good understanding of the drink menu unfortunately.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

Common areas were clean. I would recommend more frequent checks of sanitizing stations. Many times they were empty.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5

I was comfortable and the cabin felt clean. Feedback -the furniture is clearly worn and outdated. Also, with so many digital devices, having only two outlets was a challenge. It's time to update the staterooms!