My (late) Serenade Review-August 29, 2010

[Cauri]

I just wanted to thank you for writing such a detailed review of your cruise! I'm going on my first cruise this Nov on Explorer of the Seas, and I loved reading about all of your experiences and seeing all of your pictures! It definitely gave me a better idea of what to expect! And I'm definitely going to look into Creole Cruises in Antigua! Thanks again! =)

[Host Faith]

I just wanted to thank you for writing such a detailed review of your cruise! I'm going on my first cruise this Nov on Explorer of the Seas, and I loved reading about all of your experiences and seeing all of your pictures! It definitely gave me a better idea of what to expect! And I'm definitely going to look into Creole Cruises in Antigua! Thanks again! =)

 

Thank you so much Cauri! I'm glad to know the review was helpful. If you go with Creole please tell Glenn and Katja I said hello. I can't wait to go with them again someday. Enjoy your cruise, and watch out, cruising can be addictive! :)

[Worn out mailman]

Oh, and congrats on your 'promotion' to CC Host. :) How did that happen?

[Pickels]

It’s been a few weeks since our cruise on my new favorite ship! I know most of you can relate to coming home from vacation and painfully trying to ease back into your daily routine. We cured our post-cruise sadness by planning two more cruises next year, LOL! I know this is late, however I hope this review is helpful to everyone considering or planning to sail on the Serenade.

 

About us: We were a group of 6- Me (Chrystal), my husband Wesley, our married friends Crystal and Osh, my Mother Lillie, and my best friend Janelle. We are all in our 20’s and 30’s, and my Mom is 67 (doesn’t she look fabulous? J). My husband and I sailed with NCL (to Bermuda) for our honeymoon 4 years ago, and also on the Adventure of the Seas last October on the same route. This was everyone else’s first cruise.

 

Friday, August 27: The Serenade sailed on Sunday, August 29th, so we decided to spend two nights in San Juan pre-cruise. We live in NJ, so we took a 9:50 AM flight, from PHL to San Juan. We had a limo service pick us up from our home and take us to the airport. Our limo service (John’s First Class Limos) was great. The driver arrived about 20 minutes early. Hiring a driver saved us lots of $$ and time. Here’s a photo of us in front of the limo. Not bad for 7 in the morning! DH and I are to the far right:

 

 

I love Philadelphia airport first thing in the morning. There are no crowds, it’s always a smooth boarding in the morning. Went through security with no problems. For some reason there were about 4 rows of children with no adults supervising them on the flight…and the children were pretty rowdy….some were climbing over the seats, running up and down the aisles, crying, and screaming. It didn’t seem like they were unaccompanied minors (they didn’t have the US Airways armbands on to identify them as such), but their chaperones were either in first class or near the front of the plane (we were over the wings of the plane)- or completely ignoring them lol. Note to people who travel with several children in tow...PLEASE sit with your children, and please correct them when they are not behaving in public. We could not relax on our 3 hour flight. My Mom and Crystal got to the point where they actually corrected the children when they ran up and down the aisles and climbed over the seats. flight attendants would give them warning glances which were ignored. Crystal and Osh were planning to sleep a bit on the plane, but that wasn’t going to happen!

 

We landed in SJU around 1:30 PM, about 20 minutes early. I like this airport since it’s smaller and very simply laid out. We went right to the baggage claim and had our bags within 15 minutes. Right outside the baggage claim there’s a taxi stand. We walked right up to the stand and let them know how many passengers we had, where we wanted to go, and how many pieces of luggage we had with us. They showed us our price on a sheet of paper we got to keep with us. Here’s a pic of the taxi pricing schedule (hope you can read it):

 

 

We were headed to the Caribe Hilton (Zone 4), so our price was $19+ $1 for each piece of luggage. Not bad at all split among 6 people. I love the taxi service in San Juan since all 6 of us could fit in the van with ALL our luggage. Four of us had 25’ suitcases, and two of us had 29’ cases. Of course, each lady had a carryon, and my husband had a laptop. Miraculously, everyone and everything fit comfortably.

I would say we arrived at the Caribe Hilton within 40 minutes of touching down in San Juan. We got this hotel via Priceline at a rate of $90 per night, per room (3 hotel rooms). I was so excited at this price since hotels in San Juan can run an average of $250 per night! Upon my successful bid, I emailed the hotel manager and requested 3 ocean view rooms in the Hhonors tower, with balconies. I’m a Hilton Hhonors member, and had no problem with them confirming that they would honor my request.

 

I love the open-air lobby of the hotel. It made me feel like we were finally able to start enjoying our tropical vacation. There was a water station that had large pitchers of water with melon. Photos of the open-air lobby and heading to the Hhonors Tower:

 

 

greate pictures and a great review, thanks; loved ALL the pictures; we're doing Serenade to PR next March, can't wait.

[Host Faith]

Oh, and congrats on your 'promotion' to CC Host. :) How did that happen?

 

Haha! Thanks mailman. I'm surprised and excited myself. Can't even begin to explain how it happened, I'm just so happy to be part of the team now. :)

[Host Faith]

greate pictures and a great review, thanks; loved ALL the pictures; we're doing Serenade to PR next March, can't wait.

 

Thank you so much Pickels! Enjoy your cruise, we just love the Serenade. :)

[Sunray712]

Hi guys, what a wonderful review. I am cruising on the Serenade in 2 weeks. You all look familiar to me and may have been on a cruise that i was on previously. i was very nervous about flying to SJ and cruising. this is #3 for me this year. I wondered how early you can board knowing that the ship leaves at 8:30PM. You answered alot of my questions and put my mind at ease....so thank you so much. I love your pictures. My stateroom is on the 9th deck too:) I was on the Allure in June and took my grands on the Monarch before they ended their summer break. I'm a Diamond Plus Crown and Anchor member and have sailed 4 times on Carnival. but my hubby and I are RCCL cruisers. I will check your past cruises and we may have been on the same ships together. Take care and God Bless:)

[Host Faith]

Hi guys, what a wonderful review. I am cruising on the Serenade in 2 weeks. You all look familiar to me and may have been on a cruise that i was on previously. i was very nervous about flying to SJ and cruising. this is #3 for me this year. I wondered how early you can board knowing that the ship leaves at 8:30PM. You answered alot of my questions and put my mind at ease....so thank you so much. I love your pictures. My stateroom is on the 9th deck too:) I was on the Allure in June and took my grands on the Monarch before they ended their summer break. I'm a Diamond Plus Crown and Anchor member and have sailed 4 times on Carnival. but my hubby and I are RCCL cruisers. I will check your past cruises and we may have been on the same ships together. Take care and God Bless:)

 

Hello Sunray! Thank you so much, I'm happy the review was helpful to you. We're actually sailing the Serenade in 3 weeks, and will be on deck 9 again as well. It's such a small world. I wouldn't be surprised if we did see one another on a past sailing. Perhaps we'll see one another on a future cruise. We love Royal Caribbean. All God's best to you, and enjoy your cruise! :)

[4everafter]

Hey! I had written you about not claiming my bags at the airport... I did it, I left them out there and they picked them up and called me to tell me they had them, I was like ok, I'm waiting for my party and they said fine. RISKY !!! lol but I'm so glad I wasn't waiting for everyone in baggage claim.

 

Anyways, guess what? We are currently waiting to see if we will get back on time, I already changed my flight bc it doesn't look like it. What an amazing ship this is !!! wonderful service and crew, not what I was expecting!

[Host Faith]

Hey! I had written you about not claiming my bags at the airport... I did it' date=' I left them out there and they picked them up and called me to tell me they had them, I was like ok, I'm waiting for my party and they said fine. RISKY !!! lol but I'm so glad I wasn't waiting for everyone in baggage claim.

 

Anyways, guess what? We are currently waiting to see if we will get back on time, I already changed my flight bc it doesn't look like it. What an amazing ship this is !!! wonderful service and crew, not what I was expecting![/quote']

 

Hi Marcia!!! Thanks for the update regarding the luggage situation, I'm happy to hear that it worked out for you at SJU. :)

 

What happened on your sailing? Were there weather related issues? I pray all is well, and I'm glad you were able to change your flight. So happy you're enjoying the Serenade. It's beautiful, and the service and crew are fabulous. She's my favorite ship so far!

[roscoegirl]

Hi Crystal...I must say I normally lose interest halfway thru most of the reviews here on CC which go day-by-day...I usually just read the reviews written as a summary or the 'overall' thoughts. Your review however, has had me locked to my laptop for the last hour!:) I can echo everyone else's praise that this is truly the best, most informative, enjoyable and inspiring trip report I've ever read. I loved all the pics and your writing style keeps the reader totally engaged. Great job and a huge thank you for all the ideas for wonderful excursions!:):)

[4everafter]

Hi Marcia!!! Thanks for the update regarding the luggage situation, I'm happy to hear that it worked out for you at SJU. :)

 

What happened on your sailing? Were there weather related issues? I pray all is well, and I'm glad you were able to change your flight. So happy you're enjoying the Serenade. It's beautiful, and the service and crew are fabulous. She's my favorite ship so far!

 

All is well now, thank goodness, San Juan closed the port because of tropical storm Maria - the whole ship was a wait and see - I switched my flight to Monday and got a room for Sunday (most everyone on ship did) then it reopened and we all changed back late this afternoon. Wonderful Ship !!

[Host Faith]

Hi Crystal...I must say I normally lose interest halfway thru most of the reviews here on CC which go day-by-day...I usually just read the reviews written as a summary or the 'overall' thoughts. Your review however, has had me locked to my laptop for the last hour!:) I can echo everyone else's praise that this is truly the best, most informative, enjoyable and inspiring trip report I've ever read. I loved all the pics and your writing style keeps the reader totally engaged. Great job and a huge thank you for all the ideas for wonderful excursions!:):)

 

Wow! Thank you so much! Your comments are so encouraging!!! You and the rest of CC have been so nice, I can't wait to write another review. Happy sailing!!

 

All is well now' date=' thank goodness, San Juan closed the port because of tropical storm Maria - the whole ship was a wait and see - I switched my flight to Monday and got a room for Sunday (most everyone on ship did) then it reopened and we all changed back late this afternoon. Wonderful Ship !![/quote']

 

I'm glad all is well. Enjoy your extra night in San Juan!

[Host Faith]

I'm back on the Serenade today and she's as beautiful as ever! I won't be on here much this week, but I'll post another review when we return home. I'm sitting in the Solarium right now, it's just a perfect day in San Juan. Tomorrow in St. Thomas, we are headed to Trunk Bay in St. John. Doing tours in St. Kitts and Aruba, and a self guided walking tour in Curacao. Can't wait to share my thougts and photos with you all. Happy sailing!

~Chrystal

[lalacruizin]

Have an awesome time, but I know you will. Wish I was there.. Maybe next year.

[Host Faith]

Hi All! I'm back and started my review. Seems like it's taking forever to finish but I'm over halfway through the vacay. Happy reading: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1500108

[boxermom73]

Hey Chrystal! After reading your reviews I noticed how organized you are. So I was wondering do you have a packing list? and how do you pick shoes ect..? Any info would be helpful. Thanks:)

[Host Faith]

Hey Chrystal! After reading your reviews I noticed how organized you are. So I was wondering do you have a packing list? and how do you pick shoes ect..? Any info would be helpful. Thanks:)

 

Ironically....I don't really have a packing list, LOL!

 

I guess for any cruise, I try and write down the different days we'll be spending on vacation, and map out my outfits that way. So it's not a formal list, but I do have a formula that seems to work for me. I normally wear a pair of jeans or black pants if we're flying instead of packing them, which saves space. I think Wes and I are going to continue dressing for just one formal night so that saves space too. Other than that, the clothing I'll pack includes (for a week long vacay):

 

2-3 pair of neutral colored shorts

5 shirts that can go with the shorts

2 sparkly dress tops for evening

1 cocktail dress for formal night

2-3 sundresses for evening

3 casual dresses/coverups

2 pair dressy, strappy sandals (1 black, another metallic)

2 sets flip flops

1 pair casual walking shoes

2 pair leggings and 2 t-shirts (for working out)

1 pair sneakers

at least 3 bathing suits

1 pashmina/wrap

1 cardigan

 

I have a lot of tops that can go with any of of the shorts or pants. I find that packing dresses is much easier than packing pants outfits for evening. They're one piece. I roll everything up pretty tightly to maximize space.

 

Some little things that I always bring with me for the cabin are:

 

Bath and Body Works Scentportables (air fresheners)

Bath and Body Works moisturizing hand soap

A box of Tazo Tea

Lysol wipes

My Kindle Fire (books, video, alarm clock)

Hair Dryer

 

That's about it for me! My husband's list is even shorter :)

[boxermom73]

Thanks so much! Im trying to take less shoes but so far its hard to narrow down:(

[Sunray712]

Hi Crystal,

we had a wonderful time on the Serenade and SJ is a beautiful place. I was so nervous at first. We stayed in SJ 2 days after our cruise and drove my some of the same places that you and your family visited. Thank you again for your wonderful reviews and pics. I love to see our people cruise. You will love the Allure. It is so, so large. Take you time and visit all 7 neighborhoods. Our state room balcony faced Central Park and the water shows are the bomb. Take care and enjoy.

[Host Faith]

Hi Crystal,

we had a wonderful time on the Serenade and SJ is a beautiful place. I was so nervous at first. We stayed in SJ 2 days after our cruise and drove my some of the same places that you and your family visited. Thank you again for your wonderful reviews and pics. I love to see our people cruise. You will love the Allure. It is so, so large. Take you time and visit all 7 neighborhoods. Our state room balcony faced Central Park and the water shows are the bomb. Take care and enjoy.

 

Hi Sunray712! I'm so happy to hear you loved the Serenade. It's one of my favorite ships, I think it will always be. San Juan is a beautiful place, I agree.

 

We're really looking forward to the Allure, thank you for the advice. I think I'm looking forward to Central Park the most. I know your view from the balcony had to be incredible! I'll be sure to try and see all 7 neighborhoods. I can't believe I missed the flowriders on the Liberty. All those photos and not one of the flowrider :eek:. Learned that lesson, so now I'm taking lots of notes on the ship so I don't miss the things I really want to see.

 

Happy cruising to you! :)

[cruiseclues]

Great Review...Outstanding Photos...are you a professional photographer...or possibly a painter...your photos have characteristics of some painters and photographers. :)

[Host Faith]

Great Review...Outstanding Photos...are you a professional photographer...or possibly a painter...your photos have characteristics of some painters and photographers. :)

 

Thank you, Buil! I'm not a photographer, but I was thinking of taking some classes so I can at least make a hobby out of it. I really enjoy taking pictures. We'll see. :)

[bronxgirl09]

Please let post information on Independence of the Sea. I'm going in April 2017

[Host Faith]

Please let post information on Independence of the Sea. I'm going in April 2017

 

Hi there! Thanks for reaching out. I haven't sailed Independence, but I have sailed the sister ship, Liberty of the Seas, a few times. Click here for my review.

 

Happy cruising!

~Chrystal