lovethesun1960

I am travelling with my visually impaired 78 yo parents next Feb. We have cruised before, but this is our first suite. I managed to grab 11330 (formerly the secret balcony) at a pretty good discount, so I decided to go for it since mom wanted a big trip. I just have a few questions so that I am prepared. I have to do all the reading and if I just know in advance it makes me look double smart to my parents. :)

Check in-I know there are special suite lines, but does it matter how early we show up? And once we get on the ship, is the suite lounge and the coastal kitchen immediately available? The viking lounge was always a fave for me, I am pretty thrilled that it is our new place to go.

I have read that the coastal kitchen has the formal night menu, and nice khakis and a shirt with closed toe shoes will work for dad? We don't bring really fancy clothes with us ever, so we just never bother with the mdr on formal nights.

I know they serve beer, wine, and soft drinks during the day, is it ok to take those to the outside suite sun deck? I know it is a little iffy to take them to your room. Am I going to need to tip daily at that bar-we are not big drinkers, but I expect dad to have a few beers a day and I love my fizzy mineral water. I just want to be prepared, so that he doesn't have to fumble for money.

I have read a lot of reviews, but no one ever mentions using the perk of luggage valet-they do have that service on Allure in the Caribbean, right?

I don't know if we will often order room service, but what do you tip for that for 3 people? And are the menus on the tv or written.

Has anyone seen whether they upgraded the deck furniture yet on the new suites at the back?

Finally, everyone talks about the roast beef sandwiches that are so amazing in the park cafe, but someone also mentioned a good Italian lunch for the first day, I think on the promenade? I can't find it now.

Thanks in advance for any help. I have to read every menu, every sign, every tshirt and every price tag for them. It helps to know lots of other things in advance so I don't have to worry about it.

Joel Osteen or slots? Wow, that is an easy choice for me and I hate gambling.

Can you take drinks back to your room from the suite lounge?

I would like to know that too. We are on the allure in a grand suite on 11. I am happy to drink water all day but I talked my parents in to this wild ride and I would like to know if they can bring beers and maybe a glass of wine back to the room to sit on our giant balcony (suite 11330) and enjoy the views.

There's absolutely NO waste involved if they actually eat what they take - or are you some kind of food police that monitors how much people eat?

Wow. No I am not the food police. I was just trying to explain what someone else was saying about getting big bowls and possibly maybe not eating it all. So sorry.

I've never been to St Kitt's, but you will probably be very disappointed in Labadee. If you have been to Coco Cay or one of the other cruiseline's private island, that is what Labadee is. You could never spend 10 days there, they won't let you, so you won't find your new island destination at Labadee. St Kitt's is the one for you.

We won't have a child with us but I be travelling with just my 78 yo parents who both have sight problems, in Feb 2016. I think we will be taking along some walkie talkies and I will be tagging them with their suite number so people can point them in the right direction. I plan on spending most of the time on the balcony of grand suite 11330 or at the solarium and they can wander the ship at will.

Didn't even cross my mind someone could have a problem with people using bowls! :D That's just silly. Can't speak for everyone, but I've paid for my cruise and you can be sure I'll be using bowls if I want to instead of wafer cups which I'd just throw in a bin (now that's a waste of food!). Unless RCCL would ban using bowl for some reason, obviously. Besides, it's not like I have to fill the whole bowl, I take the same amount of ice cream regardless.

I think they were implying that some people got big bowls and filled them over the top, like pigs and then took them back to their chairs that they hogged all day long with a towel holding their place. Some people just go nuts on a cruise and don't think about waste. If you are are not that person, then they are not talking about you.

My parents and I have that suite for 2/14/16. Our first suite and first wraparound balcony. I am really excited to do this cruise!

Last Feb on the Serenade, they had all kinds of imaginative looking things that tasted like sugar covered nothing, so I mostly avoided them in favor of the fruit soups and the fresh fruit-I miss the pineapple that I ate at every meal (we mostly eat in the windjammer due to the length of dinner and the dreaded dress code). On the last night they had Key lime pie and it was dreamy.

Does a similar tour happen in reverse on cruise start day?

No, sorry it does not, but that is a nice idea.

I am wavering back and forth on the tour. My husband likes to go straight to the airport after walking off the plane having used luggage valet. We have $300 obc from RCCL and our travel agent, so I think I am going to force him to take the tour so we don't have to sit in the airport from about 10am to the 2:30 flight.

I don't understand why this is such a big deal. I don't need internet because I'm on vacation. All that this is going to lead to is a bunch of teenagers walking around like zombies with their faces down on their devices. :D

I know you are kidding, so don't take this as an attack.

As long as they don't run into me and are quiet, I am good with that.

I like to be able to contact family and do business without telling the world that I am on vacation and my house is empty.

Solarium, Viking Crown Lounge, whatever coffee shop is around and our balcony is where we spend the most time besides meals.

This time I am going to actually try to make it to yoga classes and trivia nights. The ocean rocks me to sleep and I sleep late and am tired early, but I will do better. I have to.

The hustle and bustle of the WJ on embarkation day is a spectacle to behold & We love it three! :cool:

I like it a lot too and my parents are flat crazy about the WJ, but my husband, who says this is his last cruise (he thinks that the next terrorist attack will be on an unarmed cruise ship-thanks for the thought, honey), hates the first day wildness. I am going to try to snag some of the strawberry melon drink and take it back to eat at the park cafe and we will sit around the solarium to wait for our cabins or whatever idea he comes up with.

We will be in New Orleans the day before and are staying at the Embassy Suites, so they will feed us a lovely large breakfast and we will then stop at Cafe du Monde for one more round of beignets and cafe au lait, so we will not be starving.

Then we will wander on down to the ship. I wonder if we can give our bags to the porters and then leave to go to Cafe Du Monde, as it would be more convenient?

I supposed they won't want me to bring on a muffaletta? Does the Serenade have any food that is a nod to the lovely port?

Haven't seen that for 10 months! Hoping their is something similar on Celebrity for our first cruise with them in March:)

We were on the Silhouette last year and it was very similar. Plus they had cakes, cookies and even pies that were no charge. I forget the name of the cafe, but they were across from the ice cream shop. They shared the tables and there was table service plus counter service. It got incredibly hectic in the mornings and around any meal time and people are not shy about shoving right in front of you to get their soy latte before you, so just stay calm.

Here are some ideas for specialty coffees and teas:

 

And if I have the royal replenish pkg, I can order anything off that board? :D

Yes and Fort Zachary Taylor is a good choice. It is less than a mile and when you get ready for a return just call 305-296-6666 Five Sixes Taxi.

 

You can get the beer and snacks there as well.

 

Mike:)

Thanks. I will put that number in my phone right now. I am getting so excited!

KW isn't really known for it's beaches...they are pretty sorry, compared to other places!

Anything will be better than MO in February.:)

I need to know 1st if there are coffeemakers in the cabins, I am travelling with 3 people who need their plain black coffee immediately upon waking.

Also where are the free coffee locations (no Starbucks or anything like that wanted, my husband lives on firehouse coffee all day) where I can get him a top up during the day. When we were on the Silhouette last year, there was a coffee maker right down the hall and it was open early and most of the day. Is there anything like that on the Serenade. We are on 9 at the front left. Thanks!

I have not been to Key West since 1979! I will be with my husband and my sight impaired 77 year old parents and I would just like to provide them with a quiet beach with some beers and maybe some snacks. I like the look of Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. It appears to be within walking distance. We can all manage a mile, but if there is a possibility of a taxi-especially on the return, I would like that. Any recommendations on that taxi? And where is the closest Key Lime pie to the ship?

I have not been to Paradise Island since 1978! Wow, what a long time and I am sure the changes will be stunning. When we were there, you took a taxi across the bridge from Nassau and you paid to get on to one of the most beautiful beaches in the world (what did I know, I was an 18 year old who had never seen the ocean before). I am very much afraid that that beach is no longer available, having been swallowed up by Atlantis or something. If that is not true, can someone tell me if that is still the best way to get there.

Or if it is not true, just tell me a simple way to get to a beach with concessions for a few hours in Nassau. I will be with my husband and my sight impaired 77 year old parents. I would just like to provide them with a quiet beach with some beers and maybe some native snacks.

We will be on the serenade next month, so thanks for the lovely review. You are a good brave mom. I love cruises but never took my kids until they were 14 and 21 year old ladies. They kind of hated it so I never bothered again.

My final payment was due on our cabins today, so I doublechecked for a black Friday sale and sure enough they were giving $100 pp OBC and we still kept our 25% or so retired military discount. I am glad I asked, because they would have taken our payment without checking because they are so busy, even though they had to know about the sale-they are a cruise agency. You have to do a lot of the legwork yourself-don't leave it to the TA.

I will keep watching since we are on the lowest category of balcony cabins, maybe we will get an upgrade.

Curious what the OP decided!

We booked the Serenade on Feb. 21-the Nassau, Key West and Coco Cay itinerary. My parents are crazy about New Orleans and my husband and I have visited there many times and enjoyed it. Since I keep hearing rumors that RCCL is going to quit New Orleans and since everyone assures me the Serenade is wonderful, I chose it. The itinerary might be a little lame, but I have not been to Key West since 1979 or to Nassau since 1978-I spent my 18th birthday there. They are both places I have always wanted to go back to, so I am very excited. Coco Cay is, well, Coco Cay. Living in Missouri, any sunny day at the beach is a gift from God, right?

I just got off the phone with my travel agency and the military rate went down, so we are getting $93 more off a person for the same cabin. Cool!

Serenade has gotten her revitalization and should be in great shape! :)

Thanks, great to hear. I am closer to deciding. Everyone leaves it all to me! Will book tomorrow.

Like the price?

I do, it is an amazing $850 or so plus a 100 per cabin obc and I have discover points to use for each cabin getting the lowest balcony rooms for about $730 each person (including port taxes). I am just trying to make sure it is still good quality and no one has any complaints. BTW I originally said it was Majesty that had the smelly drinks section, it was Monarch.

I priced Oasis, Allure and Reflection-my 2nd choices and Oasis and Allure were out of sight for interior balconies which is like an inside as far as I am concerned-sorry to interior balcony fans. Reflection is 1099 and we would get a credit on Choice air plus the $120 off per cabin from Discover, so with the port taxes, they would be close in price. Since we won't be getting much from the gold status, I would like to do Reflection. However, I promised them a departure from New Orleans and a day or 2 there. I think I will go with Serenade and hope the Discover travel agency gives us a nice upgrade like last year. Sorry for the ramble, just kinda thinking out loud.