tradewind2424

Hi Catherine;

 

We just got off the Liberty of the Seas barely 6 days ago.

Just got back to Montreal, Canada and we are still jet lagged.

 

We are traveling with a teenage daughter and she did not want to get off the ship.

So as soon as I got back, I started looking into our next summer cruise. Yes, it has to be an European cruise since we fell in love with Europe.

 

Did you like the Serenade ? I think the Vision is in the same class.

Was there a lot of teenagers? If yes, DD will be happy.

 

I just called my travel agent to let her know that I want to book this cruise but she has not called back yet.

 

I can't wait for your review. We just visited Villefranche, Florence, Rome and Capri less than a week ago and we are looking forward to see Venice, Ravenna and Kotor for the first time.

I did some research on what to do in Ravenna and I can't find much. We usually do our own tour, not with the ship.

Is there anything you think I shouldn't miss in Ravenna and Kotor?

What did you do in Venice?

 

Sorry to ask so many questions. I like to start the excitement of the trip by planning things and reading up on what we are going to visit.

 

Have a nice evening.

 

Stefanny

 

PS: I forgot to tell you that we were planning to fly to Londond a few days before the cruise, maybe 3-4 days, then fly to Barcelona and get on the ship.

So actually, I have to plan for 2 trips (London and cruise) at the same time.

Any suggestion on what to do, where to stay in London?

Hi Stefanny,

My family was also on this cruise, we traveled with our teenage daughter (18). I just stumbled on this review so I have only ready the first few posts and wanted to give you a response about the teenagers! This was our 2nd cruise on the Serenade of the Seas. Our daughter was 16 on our previous cruise in 2012. There were not as many teenagers on this cruise as there were on the 2012 cruise and I think the major difference was the time of the year that you travel. The 2012 cruise was in July and there were many more families at that time. My daughter had the trip of a lifetime and met so many friends from all over the world. She was 16 at the time and was able to participate in the teen club. This teen club was divided by ages ( she was in the 15-17 age group) and they have their own special "club" area on the ship. There is a separate teen itinerary sent to the cabin each night along with the "adult" cruise compass. The curfew is 1 AM for anyone under 18. They had so much fun playing games, dancing and just hanging out on the ship. They were not required to stay in the teen club. This 2nd cruise left 06/04/2014 and there were significantly less families traveling with teenagers. I presume that most schools were still in session. However, there were about 20 or so of them and they all found each other by the 5th day. Our DD, being 18, was no longer eligible for the teen club. Her age group all seemed to gather in the Vortex around 11 PM and they danced the night away.......We were told on the ship that there were significantly more children/teenagers scheduled for the next cruise following our return. So here are my recommendations regarding teenagers:

#1. Consider your departure month in regards to families and when they are in or out of school

#2. Make sure that your teenager goes to the teen club, especially the first night. It is a great way to meet other teens on the ship

#3. I thought 1 AM was way too late for a curfew, however, after a few nights of her safe return to our cabin, I learned to just let it go.......I just asked that she be ready to go for the next days tour!

#4. As Irish Cath stated, this is a trip of a lifetime, so sign up for this cruise. We liked it so much the first time that we went again 2 years later to enjoy the alternate itinerary! It is a great way to spend some quality time together as a family.

Hope this is helpful!

Susan

Hi Everyone,

I just want to point out that I did receive a response from Alain of Dream Tours. The reason I could not get through in September was due to a problem with the email system with their website. I sent Dream Tours a direct email and by-passed the website. I receive a very quick response from Alain. I have found Dream Tours to be very responsive and in fact have received multiple emails from Alain about customizing our itinerary and confirming my reservation for next June 2014.

I toured with this company last year. Fred was our driver and we had a fabulous day. Overall, they have also received good reviews on Trip Advisor.

Thanks Karen,

I thought it was quite odd that they had not responded. The owner was very concerned and glad to be notified. He is going to find out what is wrong with his website connection. I hope he hasn't lost too many customers. They are a really good company and I was so looking forward to touring with them again.

My persistence certainly paid off. Ha Ha

Susan

Success!

Apparently, their website is not working and messages and requests for tours are not going through. I by-passed the website and sent a direct email and got a return message within a few hours!

Yay!

Yes, I did check the spam box. This happened last year with a tour company in Barcelona and come to find out, they had been "hacked" and no messages from the US were getting through. I was finally able to connect with them via Trip Advisor. Very odd. Perhaps I will try a different email address. I have no problem receiving messages from the tour companies in Italy.........

TXS!

Hi Mumsy,

I have been thinking the same thing except there are current reviews on Trip Advisor. I think I am going to find another tour company.

TXS!

Is anyone else having trouble getting a response from Dream Tours? I have sent them three messages via their website over the past month without a single response. I toured with them last July 2012 and would like to set up another tour for June 2014.

Bob,

Thank you so much for your great review, pictures and taking the time to answer so many questions!

We will be taking our first Mediterranean cruise in July on Serenade of the Seas and we have not been on a cruise in over 20 years.

Could you please let me know what the dress attire was for formal night(s)?

Should my husband bring the traditional tux or is a a suit now more appropriate? Are ladies wearing full length dresses or cocktail dresses? It has been about 20 years since I have been on a cruise and at that time, formal night was tux and long dress......

(I hope this is the correct forum to ask this question!)

Thank you!