Serenade of the Seas New Years Cruise Review out of New Orleans for the OCD Planner!!

[5 in OK]

[5 in OK]

[cruiselife4me]

Great review, sounds like you had an awesome vacation!

Mary

[5 in OK]

There were some specific things we wanted to be sure to touch on - so I made a quick list below:

 

1. Study your map of Coco Cay and decide where you want to hang on for the day before you get there. It is so much larger than we thought and we wondered around for a bit trying to find what we wanted.

2. Memorize the location of the large venue items on the ship before you go – it will save you some time when you arrive on the boat like:

a. Windjammer (buffet) deck 11 aft

b. Tropical Theater (all large shows) Decks 5 & 6 forward

c. Reflections Dining room Deck 4 for early and late seating, Deck 5 for My Time Dining

d. Casino – Deck 5 forward – we avoided it due to the smoke!

e. Guest Services - Deck 4 in the Centrum

3. The seating behind the Windjammer was our favorite! It is outdoors (covered but the sides are open) and on the very back of the ship! However, the doors for breakfast would open at different times each day. Some days it was 7:30 a.m. – others 8:00 a.m.

4. We never saw one person eating at Rita's Canteen (it cost additional money to eat there) – so if your group is looking for a quiet place to meet, play cards, eat together the tables there were always open!

5. You can avoid the smoky Casino and still walk to the theater by entering the theater on the 4th floor.

6. Which side of the ship is best for a balcony? Well – we found for this itinerary the right side of the ship (facing forward) is best. We were on the left side and were not facing any port of call when we docked.

7. It is super easy to go cash only on the cruise – they do not require any funds upfront. Just tell them upon check-in at the pier (even if you’ve registered your credit card) and you are good to go. We had $200 onboard credit so we just headed down on day 6 and checked our balance, $13.86 – we were pretty excited!

8. Remember, you only have about 5 hours in Key West. You might consider not going an excursion there to give you more time to explore this adorable little town and make your way out to the southern-most place in the US and take a pic!

9. Coco Cay is a cash only stop – remember to take cash with you to Coco Cay!

10. Atlantis is a credit card only place – remember to take your credit card with you as it is a very long way back to the ship!

11. Plan your My Time Dining reservations at home (if you chose MTD) – consider your excursions, shows and boarding times when making your plans. AND, if you get half way through the week and need to change – they are extremely flexible! You can always just walk up and be seated but I am a planner so we had reservations for each night.

12. For breakfast the OJ dispenser in the open air seating behind the Windjammer has really, really cold OJ – the ones inside are poured and standing for a while so they aren’t chilled.

13. We grabbed little boxes of cereal at breakfast to take with us into our ports. It was nice to have a snack when we couldn’t find or get to food for a while.

14. Café du Monde in New Orleans is worth the trouble to get there and the wait! Absolutely the best fried dessert I have ever had – and there is a difference – go for the real thing!

15. Remember, you can always move chairs to deck 12 from other decks. Just be sure not to place your chair in the track.

16. Towels are not checked out to you on the Serenade. We always had a couple of extra towels on our balcony to dry things off in the morning.

17. Take a hammock – they fit on the side balconies perfectly! Swaying in the sunshine with the waves is just about perfection for me!

18. Don’t over pack. If you get something on one of the two pair of slacks you packed you can have them cleaned for only $4.50!

19. We saw some cook clips that hold the beach towels on the chairs in the wind – we wish we had brought some. They were over-sized plastic neon clips in the shape of flip flops. Another easy way to make sure your seat gets saved when you run to eat.

20. They don’t have Dr. Pepper on the ship – so we didn’t do the drink package but we did go to Walgreens in New Orleans (they are everywhere) and got a 6 pack of DP. I carried it with me to lunch on sea days.

21. Wait to buy from the ship stores – they have these $10.00 tables at 6:30 each night and they put new stuff out each evening. Be sure to get there around 6:30 though – some of the stuff goes pretty fast. Also, they do the 2 for $20 t-shirt sale on the final sea day down by the pool.

22. Don’t take too much to carry in to the port stops – our bags got really heavy after a day of walking! Try to stick to one back pack and take turns carrying it – you will be much happier!!

23. Arrive at the pier around 10:30 a.m. – they let you on the ship around 11:00 a.m. It’s a fun way to beat the crowds and explore the ship and take pix! The Windjammer opens around 11:30 then you are off again to explore before your cabins are ready (around 1:00 p.m.).

24. We left small treats (suckers (I’m a Tootsie Roll Pop fan and took a bag with us), Hershey or Snicker bite size bars, York Peppermint etc…) for our room steward each evening. She seemed to appreciate that so much! The candy on the ship is about $1.75 for a Hershey bar – I’m guessing they don’t get chocolate too often.

25. You can get as many appetizers, main courses and desserts as your heart desires! For real - I had two appetizers each evening - they are happy to bring you whatever you like!

26. Have a few dollar bills in your pocket when you head to the pier to check-in. It seems to get a bit nutty when you are turning in your luggage at the curb and reaching in to get tip money is just easier if it's all ready.

27. Even though there is a sign that Royal Caribbean does not allow saving of seats on the decks by the pool they do not enforce it. So, unless you want to move chairs from deck 11 to 12 (totally okay just a bit cumbersome) be sure to get out to the decks by 8:00 a.m. and throw your towel, some flip flops and book onto a couple of chairs. This is where those adorable flip flop giant clips we saw would come in handy - I am going to order those so I can have them next cruise. They totally keep your towel from blowing in the wind.

28. Finally, relax, have fun and remember this is your vacation. You don't have to do all of the activities in the Cruise Compass, however, be sure to join in on some of the fun - you'll really enjoy yourself!

[stones902]

I appreciate your review but I am a bit puzzled by #9 - Cash only on Coco Cay. Although the straw market area is indeed cash only as are activities like banana boat rides, I believe you use your seapass for bars & mat or snorkel gear rentals.

 

Probably best to bring some cash depending on what you plan to do but being a RCI proprietary stop many things are still paid by seapass.

[5 in OK]

I appreciate your review but I am a bit puzzled by #9 - Cash only on Coco Cay. Although the straw market area is indeed cash only as are activities like banana boat rides, I believe you use your seapass for bars & mat or snorkel gear rentals.

 

Probably best to bring some cash depending on what you plan to do but being a RCI proprietary stop many things are still paid by seapass.

 

 

You may be right - they just kept telling us you would need cash to purchase items on Coco Cay - they may have been talking about the Straw Market. :)

[Italy52]

We had to use our sea pass for renting float mats, pedal boat and of course, our soft drinks.

[constantcruiser]

Our group of 7 was also on this cruise, and I concur with most of the OP's observations so I'll just mention a few things we experienced that were different.

 

Our balcony cabin was also on Deck 8, right outside the Centrum, and we weren't disturbed by the music at all. Thankfully someone closed the water-tight doors going into the hallway from the Centrum most evenings, and that made a distinct difference in the noise level. But it really wasn't a problem for us, even on New Year's Eve when the party got very loud.

 

We also ate dinner nearly every night in the MDR, and like the OP our wait team was outstanding. In fact, our Assistant Waiter Andreea from Romania was the best we've had in 41 cruises. We tipped and rated her accordingly.

 

Since it was a holiday cruise, we were fully prepared for lots of kids and teens and probably some obnoxious adults. But for the most part, passengers were courteous and well-behaved. Unfortunately as usual, staff chose to turn a blind eye to those who weren't. That included a baby in the Solarium pool, chair hogs, and a yappy little dog in a stroller.

 

Our experiences in port were slightly different than the OP's, but probably only because we'd visited each of them several times and knew what we wanted to do and what to avoid (like Atlantis on New Year's Eve with 5 ships in port!). In Nassau we went to a chocolate-making demonstration at the Greycliff Hotel and then toured the new Heritage Museum across the street. Both activities were quiet and subdued--just the atmosphere we were looking for after being swept along Bay Street by hordes of shoppers.

 

Our teenage grandsons loved CocoCay, their first visit to a private island. One got stung by a jellyfish early in the day, but staff at the First Aid Station had him treated and back to the action in minutes. I hadn't been to CocoCay in years and was surprised that it didn't feel crowded with two ships there.

 

Because there were only about 100 Diamond members and fewer than 50 D+ aboard, I expected the repeat passenger parties to feel very special. That was hardly the case. In fact the welcome-back party and top tier event were nearly identical--introductions of officers and sales pitches for the new ships. We had access to the Concierge and Diamond Clubs and found both to be very inviting with lovely views and attentive service.

 

Anytime you have that many people in one place for 7 days, problems are going to arise. It's how the organization deals with those problems that makes the difference. DH & I sent several items to the laundry mid-week, and when our clothes were returned to us, I discovered we had someone else's t-shirt and one of mine was missing. I immediately took the "extra" shirt to Guest Services and reported mine as MIA. The guest services agent asked me to fill out a form and describe my missing shirt in detail. It was black and sleeveless--nothing unique--but they even asked for the brand and size. He looked over the form, said someone would search for my shirt and let me know when they found it. Over the next two days I inquired at Guest Services a couple of times and also mentioned it to our Cabin Steward. No response from anyone. Finally on the last day I went to Guest Services one more time--still no shirt. When I asked about compensation, I was told they could reimburse me for the missing item IF I produced an original sales receipt showing the date of purchase and the price!! Really, doesn't everyone bring receipts for every item they pack? Needless to say, I was not a happy cruiser but just chalked it up to bad luck. However, within minutes of returning to my cabin the Chief Housekeeper called to apologize and ask if the $20 they had credited to my Seapass account would cover the cost of the t-shirt! Heck yeah. Way to step up to the plate, Royal Caribbean!

 

I'm sorry to see Royal Caribbean leave New Orleans in the spring. The city is a great draw, and they have embarkation and debarkation down to a fine science. We didn't use express departure, didn't take advantage of priority debarkation for D+...and yet we were still off the ship, through customs and out of the terminal within 15 minutes! Sure Liberty is coming to Texas, but Galveston can barely handle Navigator so I'm not looking forward to a bigger ship and larger crowds there. Bye, Serenade, you're a beauty and we'll miss you...

[Raxter54]

20. They don’t have Dr. Pepper on the ship – so we didn’t do the drink package but we did go to Walgreens in New Orleans (they are everywhere) and got a 6 pack of DP. I carried it with me to lunch on sea days.

 

I found this out - AFTER buying the drink package for DW, who is an avid Dr Pepper/Mr Pibb drinker. Was able to get the drink package cancelled and refunded. Will probably buy a 12-pack and hopefully be able to smuggle it on board :D

Edited January 9, 2015 by Raxter54

[PathfinderEss]

Really enjoying your review and great photo's.

[5 in OK]

I found this out - AFTER buying the drink package for DW, who is an avid Dr Pepper/Mr Pibb drinker. Was able to get the drink package cancelled and refunded. Will probably buy a 12-pack and hopefully be able to smuggle it on board :D

 

 

I'm glad you were able to cancel!! You shouldn't have any trouble getting them onboard. We consolidated our stuff in to the two large suit cases (once we got to New Orleans) and then put the DP, Sprite and a 12 pack of bottle water in the smallest suitcases. It made it through just fine. :)

[5 in OK]

Our experiences in port were slightly different than the OP's, but probably only because we'd visited each of them several times and knew what we wanted to do and what to avoid (like Atlantis on New Year's Eve with 5 ships in port!). In Nassau we went to a chocolate-making demonstration at the Greycliff Hotel and then toured the new Heritage Museum across the street. Both activities were quiet and subdued--just the atmosphere we were looking for after being swept along Bay Street by hordes of shoppers.

 

This is AWESOME advice! I wish I had researched how many ships would be in port (average about 1,000 people per ship head to Atlantis)!! I would have definitely changed my excursion! Quiet and subdued would definitely not describe Atlantis that day!

[rbrski]

Our experiences in port were slightly different than the OP's, but probably only because we'd visited each of them several times and knew what we wanted to do and what to avoid (like Atlantis on New Year's Eve with 5 ships in port!). In Nassau we went to a chocolate-making demonstration at the Greycliff Hotel and then toured the new Heritage Museum across the street. Both activities were quiet and subdued--just the atmosphere we were looking for after being swept along Bay Street by hordes of shoppers.

 

This is AWESOME advice! I wish I had researched how many ships would be in port (average about 1,000 people per ship head to Atlantis)!! I would have definitely changed my excursion! Quiet and subdued would definitely not describe Atlantis that day!

 

Thanks for the great informative post on the Serenade!!!

 

We bit the bullet and switch our traditional Thanksgiving Day cruise(Allure) to a 12 night Christmas/New Year cruise out of FLL. We can not WAIT!!!!

Edited January 17, 2015 by rbrski

[one9marine]

great idea! how do you hang it? where did you get it?

[stones902]

Our daughter has one of those. You can hang the hammock from anything solid (the poles supporting the partition in that example) by simply wrapping the nylon straps that support each end of the hammock. They are also adjustable

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[rbrski]

Good Morning All,

 

Question 5 in OK,

 

I am getting mixed information from the C & A desk in regards to our stateroom 9522. They are saying a couple of things that has me scratching my head!

 

1-They are saying it was a Cat D1 before moving it to E1,so does that mean it still has the square footage as the D1 or did they chop some off? lol

 

2-They have also indicated the sofa bed can accommodate four as ones similar on the Freedom and Oasis class. I was able to find some pics and it looks like a twin sofa bed .

 

Any help on this matter is truly appreciated.

 

Rich

[Clarea]

Good Morning All,

 

Question 5 in OK,

 

I am getting mixed information from the C & A desk in regards to our stateroom 9522. They are saying a couple of things that has me scratching my head!

 

1-They are saying it was a Cat D1 before moving it to E1,so does that mean it still has the square footage as the D1 or did they chop some off? lol

 

2-They have also indicated the sofa bed can accommodate four as ones similar on the Freedom and Oasis class. I was able to find some pics and it looks like a twin sofa bed .

 

Any help on this matter is truly appreciated.

 

Rich

I would not want to put two adults in the sofa bed. Maybe two small children.

[rbrski]

I would not want to put two adults in the sofa bed. Maybe two small children.

 

Trust me I know, our cabin has the upper berth for my daughter(11) and my son(14) was going to take the sofa. I would like to find out if the sofa is like the ones on the Oasis and Freedom class ships where they open like a trundle bed. The bottom part slides forward and the back slide down and lies flat next to the bottom. The sofa pictures I have found online show the three cushion one as well as one that looks like a single.

[AmR87]

My DH and I were on this cruise too! It was so much fun and we constantly talk about how we want to go again.

 

We also did the New Orleans tour after we got off the ship. I wonder if we had crossed paths during the cruise!

 

Great review!!