Great experience!

Smooth and seamless! Definitely pay for the valet. It was not expensive and worth every penny to pull right in front of the terminal and get our vacation started. We were traveling with my 3 year old and my 86 year old grandmother and this made embarkation super easy. We also paid extra for the Key and my husband and I thought it was definitely worth it for a few reasons but being able to board early, drop off our luggage, and have a private lunch away from the crowds swarming the buffet was just a lovely way to start the day!

I thought the food was great. We live in Tampa so we’re fortunate to have a diverse and robust food scene. I anticipated some level of disappointment in the food but every meal I had was great. Some items were better than others but nothing was disappointing. I’m not really one for buffets—land or sea—but I was actually surprised by the variety of options and quality. Everything was fresh and tasty and the ethnic dishes were rather authentic. My husband and I have become mostly pescatarian and we didn’t feel limited whatsoever. I have always been a fan of the MDR and would eat every meal there if I could but my husband talked me into Izumi one night to celebrate our anniversary. The sushi was delightful (lobster roll was outstanding) and the service was a step above. However given that we have access to a great food scene back home I would probably skip this next time and not feel like I’m missing much. We brought our 2 bottles of wine onboard (yes RCI allows each adult to bring on a bottle of wine at no charge) and enjoyed those at dinner and on our balcony. I found the mixed drinks to be just okay but this is due to the sheer volume—sugary, processed, premixed stuff will never taste as good as fresh squeezed juice but the wine selection was good and basic drinks like a martini were on par. My husband likes craft beer and found Stone IPA at the pub and terrapin IPA at the solarium and sky bars for $5. All the bartenders were friendly and attentive

We enjoyed keeping up with our workout routines and found the gym to be well appointed and clean. We traveled with our three year old so the kids pool was the main attraction for us. Unlike other, larger ships, Serenade lacked a splash pad but this tiny pool and wading area were sufficient for a 3yo. The reviews are true in that the water slide seems slow because under 47” and the child must be accompanied by an adult. However, if done correctly (child on lap not in between legs as incorrectly portrayed on the rules/instruction board and you must lean forward) you will fly down. We stayed onboard at Cozumel and had the kids pool all to ourselves for nearly 2 hours. My little one must have gone down 20 or so times in a row with no line. It was magical.

We were only able to catch the broadway show and it was okay. It was a mashup of some of the biggest broadway songs but it felt like a disjointed greatest hits set list. However, the production value was definitely on point and the performers were outstanding. The pub musician, classical guitarist, and pianist were all fantastic. All the performers, and the staff in general, worked hard to keep everyone entertained.

The kids club was also fantastic. I had no expectations of the kids club and was pleasantly surprised when my little one consistently asked to go. She enjoyed the activities and the staff was pleasant, energetic, and fun.

All the staff were attentive and worked hard to make sure everyone was having a good time. Our MDR waiter was a little overwhelmed with the larger parties around us but the head waiter went above and beyond to make sure we were tended to. Our room steward was great with our little one making towel animals and turning down a mini bed from the sofa (similar size to her toddler bed at home) to make it cozy for her and leave us plenty of room to navigate our cabin for the nightly/early am trip to the bathroom! Everyone from the bartenders to the guest services to the waiters—even the maintenance staff—were all friendly and engaging.

The ship was very clean and well-maintained, particularly for its age. I thought the ship had a good flow and appreciated most of the layout. We loved that the kids pool was separate from the main pool area—keep the kids out on deck and away from disturbing the other passengers! However I definitely wish it was bigger or had more water features to it. Seemed like they ran plenty of plumbing during the last refresh and missed a big opportunity to throw in a few jets or sprinklers. A couple of sun sails would be nice too because there’s no shade. As stated above, the kids pool was small but sufficient for my 3yo. Probably best suited for 5 and under . We went to Izumi for dinner one night which was tucked just behind the kids pool. The placement seemed like an after thought and isolated to get to. Otherwise, we enjoyed the ship tremendously. In addition to cruising with my little one my parents and 86 yo grandmother joined us and I liked that it was easy for us to find each other in the common areas.

Serenade is an older shop so aesthetically it’s to be expected that it’s a bit dated however the room was noisy! Apart from the noise of other passengers—mostly slamming doors—features of the room itself we’re noisy too. The drawers in the vanity were loud and made a scrapping sound like the wheels of the track needed to be oiled, the closet door creaked something awful when opened and the left side didn’t open all the way. The bathroom was a little musty and the floor squished like water was trapped in between the linoleum and sub floor. However the room was very clean overall and our room attendant kept us well stocked. The balcony was amazing—we even saw dolphins swimming alongside the ship!! I thought the bed was a little firm for my liking and could have requested a pillow to to help but my husband thought. It was fine.

So easy. Once again, the Key and valet proved their value. With the Key, the private breakfast and priority departure allowed us to eat calmly away from the hustle and bustle in the buffet and disembark easily before the crowds. The food at the breakfast was outstanding and our server, Alvin, attended us at Izumi a few nights before and made a tailored breakfast for my little one off the menu. After eating we disembarked, grabbed our luggage and again our vehicle was brought right to us. We live in Tampa so we were home by 9am. Seamless and easy experience.