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Overall a nice vacation cruise by
Mark B. from Atlanta, GA Sailing date: Dec 2011Pros: Food was good to very good; great itinerary, except for Grenada; good service Cons: Central area in the ship is small and crowded, especially with photographers; no dress code enforcement; long lines at the omelet station Nice cruise. I chose it for the itinerary. I have sailed numerous times on Celebrity, Princess, and NCL. I rank this in the Princess and NCL category. Since this was the week before most kids are out of school, our cruisemates are primarily from Puerto Rico, so lots of Spanish spoken here. Ship QualityNicely refurbished, older ship. Kept in very good shape. Clean and well maintained. Good fitness area. Dining/FoodBuffet for breakfast and lunch was average and some items were good. Very long lines at the omelet station. Afternoon snacks were ok. Seaview cafe was nice. Dinner was generally above average and some nights excellent. Stateroom QualityA little smaller than the newer ships, but comfortable. Ship Staff QualityHard working, customer-oriented. Just don't ask for a separate table at breakfast in the dining room; they couldn't figure that one out. Entertainment & ActivitiesGenerally good quality, but we didn't care for the Three Tenors.  0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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  Family Launched on First Cruise by
Cheryl S from Wyoming, MN Sailing date: Mar 2010Pros: Top Quality Service! Cons: The Cost of the extras....drinks, driving cost to & from port destinations, etc. Loved the ship, plenty of activities for all....we took our 16, 17 & 20 year old daughters & they had a great time....they did not participate in any teen activities though. Ship QualityMy husband noted the peeling paint on the pool....wished the pool would have been larger....but the cleanliness was impressive & decor lovely. Dining/FoodBuffet food was average, but served dinner dining was excellent! Stateroom QualityWe stayed in the cheapest indoor cabins & they were immaculate & fine! Plenty of storage! Tiny bathrooms, but laid out really well. 2 of us get motion sickness easily & had no trouble using daytime dramamine. Ship Staff QualityExcellent service at every turn. Entertainment & ActivitiesLots of fun things to do! We mini golfed, rock wall climbed, took scrapbooking class....checked out library books, surfed the internet, and more! 2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Beautiful Ship by
Indus J from Boston, MA Sailing date: Dec 2011Pros: Shows, activities, children's programs Cons: Vegetatian food options are limited and not good Great ship and crew with mixed service. Staff dependent on tips is excellent while staff which is not is indifferent at best. We met very courteous staff on one end to nearly dismissive on the other with most the staff being nice.
Food is a meat lover's paradise and a vegetarian's bane. Vegans should stay away completely. Drinks are a rip off with cocktails between $7-$11 with tips, which adds up fast. Water package is expensive as well but we were able to take our own 2 cases of water on board.
Cruise director, Ricky, is great and they offer mostly great shows at night.
Kids program - Aquanauts and Ocean Adventure were truly remarkable and very competent and friendly staff.
Ship has great facilities. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodNon-Vegetarian Stateroom Quality
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Great cruise! by
Danny P.R. from Ponce, P.R. Sailing date: May 2011Pros: The service and the food and of course...the solarium! Cons: >60 y/o oriented cruise, pushy people at port of call First of all it is a beautiful ship with beautiful and plenty of places to walk around the ship..from your stateroom to the solarium that is like an indoor pool..so quiet and relaxing. There were so many places to walk around. The food in the Dining Room was B+ class as well as the service but to be honest the food at the Windjammer was even better. I'd give an A+ on that. The one thing I didn't like was the table sitting at the dining room so I preferred to eat for an additional fee to eat at one fo their restaurants called Portofino and Chopps Grill...The experience in these 2 rest were superb!...Loved it! Quality was absolutely great. The ship had different areas to sit and have a drink. For me was the Schooner bar or the safari club with different activities throughout the day. I also found that the ship was more oriented towards older population, mostly >65y/o activities. The tours on the islands and the port of call with duty free shopping turns out to be the same in every island. I'm from the caribbean so I dont recommend people from the caribbean to take this ship cause you'll be bored. Overall, would I do it again?...definitely yes! but I'll choose Alaska or Mexico area next time. Ship Quality
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St. John's, AntiguaThe best beach overall was in Antigua definitely..If you have a chance get the beach extravaganza tour...you'll love the clear water beach and the lunch!!!!Rum punch included!...except not enough umbrellas so take tons of sunblock
Bridgetown, Barbadosgreat beaches..
Basseterre, St. Kitts
Castries, St. LuciaNice weather, great beaches.
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.As I said above..more people were talking about St. Marteen but I found more accesible St. Thomas...
Don't Miss: The shopping Philipsburg, St. MaartenEverybody was taking about St. Marteen..but to be honest...I wasn't impress at all. First..too many pushy people trying to sell you the same as in the other islands. You'll find the same stuff even more expensive. We had lunch in one of the restaurants and for 3 clubs sandwich(they were ham,cheese and egg..not club) were more than $70 w/o tips...We bought an excursion online adn ended up paying
$84 for each person for the butterflies tour and the lady in the store admitted that the entrance for the butterflies farm was $12..so they charged you >$70 for a 10 min ride to the french side..unbelievable...I'd recommend to buy EVERY EXCURSION DIRECTLY IN THE SHIP!!!DO NOT BUY IT ONLINE!
6 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Great ship and great ports by
Nat F from NY, NY Sailing date: Apr 2011Pros: The design of the ship was really nice and the service was great Cons: Skip the desserts I have been on many ships in the past and I found the layout of this one to be so streamlined and intuitive. This was an all around good trip. The food was good, the service was good, the ports were good. I would definitly go on this same ship again. Ship QualityThe layout was great, the ship was very clean, the decor was classic and not cheesy. Dining/FoodEverything was amazing except for the deserts and those weren't terrible as well just not as good as some other ships Stateroom QualityThe pullout bed was a bit hard and of course the bathroom was tiny. The sink could use some better drainage. The balcony was a nice size and comfortable to sit and read or watch as we pulled into port. Ship Staff QualityThe waiters in the dining room were excellent. Everyone was very friendly. Entertainment & Activities
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Bridgetown, BarbadosGreat beaches are close to the port and lots of fun activities available right on the beach.
Roseau, DominicaBeautiful natural lush wildlife. We went to the Twin Falls and swam in the waterfalls. As long as you don't mind cold water it's amazing. Mero beach is a black sand beach with crystal clear smooth water.
Basseterre, St. KittsThe beaches here are not that great and the taxi guys at the port will try to convince you to go to one place over another to get kickbacks from the beach bars. Don't bother here.
Philipsburg, St. MaartenAlways excellent duty free shopping here and very convienent beaches.
Tortola, British Virgin IslandsMy friend visited the Baths and Virgin Gorda and she said they were amazing. We went to Brewers Bay and it was so nice and less crowded than Cane Garden bay. Keep an eye out for the passing cows and bulls on the roads!
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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A great Cruise by
A Traveler from BG, Ohio Sailing date: Feb 2011Pros: over all cleanliness, friendlyness of the staff, Cons: off site staff/ knowledge lacking to explain or recommend We have been on several Cruise lines, and we picked Royal Caribbean because
we expected it to be a bit nicer than the less expensive cruises and it attracts an
older crowd...not young partyiers etc...and the guests on this cruise were exactly that
very polite, easy to cruise with...and mature. The ship was older, but we felt well maintained and updated, we are not interested in RC's HUGE ships with 5000 people We were taking our 3 married daughters
and we wanted a special time...It was a dream for me as the Mom/ Grandma to have
just our adult family for nice dinners, wonderful off site excursions, clean entertainment
etc...and almost all our expectations were met....The ship is older Ship Quality
Dining/Foodpasteries were poor...dry and like store bought...not baked... Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff QualityEXCEPT the off site staff, the guest service staff was great but the lack of knowledge or
service mentality was lacking with Off site...almost seemed like an inconvenience and
impatient to have you make a decision and get out of line!! Entertainment & ActivitiesComedian Jeffrey Jena and Cruise director were terrific..Sprectrum?Motown tribute wonderful too....the El Gaucho was pretty weak...
kept waiting for him to move to next part of act and that was it! He tried to be funny and
no one really laughed...felt sorry for him....
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Bridgetown, BarbadosWe did our own thing again, hired a TAXI and then to the beach to swim and interact with
the SEA TURTLES...wonderful!!
The men scuba dove with an ORBITZ excursion and had a great dive!
Don't Miss: Turtles...as they are fed so guaranteed to show up!! Roseau, Dominicaour FAVORITE because of the diversity....Hired a TAXI on our own after our bad experience
with RC excursion day before....we toured the island briefly on way to the TRAFALGAR Fall
We hiked the rocks down to the base of the falls,jumped in the water and then hot springs and then ALSO hit the Champayne Beach with WONDERFUL snorkeling!!
Don't Miss: Trafalgar Falls if you can hike to really experience it and not just look at it! Basseterre, St. KittsDON"T pick the Kayak and Snorkel off site with RC...because it is really only a
good kayak excursion...over priced and POOR snorkeling...didn't do as explained to us..
no reef etc...
Philipsburg, St. Maartenloved just walking to the gorgeous beach NICE that it was a walking distance from ship
not requiring any transportation to get a taste of the island.Loved being the only ship in the
port too!
Tortola, British Virgin IslandsVIRGIN GORDA and the BATHS a must...did it on our own with a ferry and taxi...
Don't Miss: same above...skip ROADTOWN...just a city 6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Great cruise experience by
O.G. from Newark, NJ Sailing date: Aug 2010Pros: Food was awesome, variety of pools (one pool+jaccuzzi was 24 hrs), staff was great Cons: The stop at Dominica, the evening shows catered to an older crowd, the fitness room closed early (around 10pm, but was more like 9:45pm), the prices for pictures were extremely high This was the second time cruising (first time was with carnival) and the first time for my girlfriend. I would definitely never cruise with carnival after experiencing Royal Caribbean! The ship was very well maintained. No matter where you walked it was spotless! The hand sanitizers were always full. Our room was always cleaned for us twice a day. The staff was amazing. The included food selection was really good..even had the ability for special requests! The ship had a very good layout. Plenty of pools and daytime activities. Night activities could be added, but they still have a decent selection. The billiards room and game room were fun at night when me and the girlfriend wanted something to do on the ship at night. The mini-golf was pretty cool too. We used the jogging track a lot because the fitness room closed a bit early (around 10pm). Overall, it was a pretty good experience. We will definitely cruise with Royal Caribbean again soon! Ship Quality
Dining/FoodDining was a very pleasurable experience. The staff was very attentive. I'm allergic to seafood, and my girlfriend is a very picky eater, and yet they always made sure we were happy with what we were eating. Stateroom QualityOur stateroom attendant was very informative and always kept our room clean. However, the room was a bit smaller than expected and a bit uncomfortable, but we were rarely in the room so that didn't matter much. I guess you get what you pay for, right? We stayed in an interior room, and it was towards the front of the cruise ship (lots of movement because of the ship rocking). You get used to the ship movement after the first day. Ship Staff QualityCan't stress enough how friendly the staff was. All the staff was dressed professionally and handled all matters as such as well. They seem like they sincerely loved their job. Most staff remember your names very quickly, too! Entertainment & ActivitiesThe best thing (for us) were the two comedy shows. However, it was the same comedian both times with very similar jokes. The game show nights were cool too, but they only did that twice. The rest of the shows were a little dull, considering they were catered to a much older crowd. 7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Fantastic vacation! by
Sofia D. from New York, NY Sailing date: Dec 2010Pros: the ports, the crew, the drinks, the entertainment Cons: the cruise director Mercedes, bi-linguag delivery of every speech, too much a/c in most places I am myself a captain's daughter so I know a thing or two about ships, and have traveled quite a bit. This is my second time on Royal Caribbean and first time on the Serenade and I was very excited about ship. The itinerary included Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Croix, and Antigua. The weather was so perfect that I couldn't have asked for a better time to visit the islands.
I went with a couple of friends and we enjoyed ourselves tremendously - we went to all shows in the theater and were pleasantly surprised at the quality of the performers. Coming from NYC, I know what to expect from B'way and these dancers and singers were every bit as talented and gave all they had to the performance. All the music was great too, from the piano bar guy to the Calypso band by the pool. The was only one awful awful entertainer and that was the cruise director Mercedes Lafuente. If she is on the next ship I go, I will cancel. Her English was at times offensive and it was clear that she preferred to speak to the Spanish audience more than to us. She could no deliver a single joke properly, nor did she make us feel welcome. Her assistant Rob (the scottish guy) should have been the director - super funny and entertaining guy! But again this is just my opinion!
The ports were great. St. CROIX: we took the Buck Island snorkeling tour and it was the best experience of the trip for me. Amazing crew, very careful and helpful with people who are beginners and accommodating for those who are not. The spot itself is a must see!! I cannot recommend it enough!
ANTIGUA(port of St. John) - I had a bad experience with the Canopy Tour, but the island is really cool. The crew on the Canopy Tour were rude and unhelpful so I will just skip this.
ST.LUCIA: This had one of the best beaches I have ever visited - Reduit (Rnaway) Beach. You can take a cab from the port north towards the beach and it is about 15min ride. The water, the view, the sand top quality. The only con was that in the afternoon there were too many motorboats and water sports that would land any which way they wanted that at one point they were literally by my head. It does not have a designated area for these things and it is rather dangerous. But that was in the afternoon, in the morning was amazing.
Mor on the ship - the food was very good. I just went to the Windjammer since I am not the social dining type. I was very happy with the abundant fresh fruit and vegetables they had. Also excellent deserts :)
The staterooms were in excellent condition and the attendants were as always helpful, polite and courteous.
I would recommend and go to it again! (As long as there is no Mercedes!) Ship Quality
Dining/Foodexcellent choices and quality! Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & ActivitiesI did the belly dancing, caribbean line dance and hip-hop. All of it was fantastic!
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St. John's, AntiguaI would stay away from the Canopy Tour...not worth the money
Castries, St. LuciaIf possible try the Bike Tour
Don't Miss: Runaway Beach! Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S.V.I.Buck Island Tour is a MUST!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Really great Cruise by
Lisa G from Crystal Lake, IL Sailing date: Nov 2010Pros: Excellent Service by all the staff Cons: nickel and dimed to death and food in main dining room was just average Beautifully laid out ship with room for everybody. we brought our 7 year old son who fell in love with cruising. A balcony room was definately the place to be as we saw dolphins playing in the ships wake on several occasions. The ship is very well organized, from the embarking and disembarking at the various ports to the many activities throught the ship. After being at many all inclusives, paying for every drink is hard to get over since they were so overpriced, but I understand that is the way of cruises. Our son spent every waking moment at the rock climbing wall and enjoyed every moment of it. The only part of the cruise that we were all disappointed with was the food in the main dining room. It was very average and compared to any other all-inclusive that we have been to, although the service was exceptional. Ship Quality
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Stateroom QualityThe extra bed for the 3rd person, in our case, our son, drops down from the ceiling. It is out of the way and is a great place for the bed. The sofa in the room is showing its age and needs to be replaced. Ship Staff Quality
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Children's ProgramsWe have been to Club Med many times and their childrens program is better than Royal Caribbean's. 2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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A wonderful week! by
Ruth V. from Aguadilla, PR Sailing date: May 2010Pros: I was pamper all week by the waiters and Stateroom Attendants. Cons: Not enough sugar-free desserts. We were impressed by the attractive layout of the ship. The decoration was elegant through out the ship. We could find cozy areas to relax when desired. The friendliness of the staff was more than I expected. Ship QualityThe cleanliness and decor of the ship impressed us all. Dining/FoodWe were pamper all week by the waiters. The food is delicious! Stateroom QualityThe stateroom was bigger than expected. We felt like home. The beds... I slept like a baby during the whole week. Ship Staff QualityI was extremely satisfied with the willingness to help of the staff everywhere in the ship. Entertainment & Activities
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Oranjestad, ArubaDon't Miss: The beach Roseau, DominicaDon't Miss: Papa and Mama Falls Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.Don't Miss: Snorkeling, scuba diving, submarine Curacao
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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