Hitchhiker’s guide to cruising - Serenade Live

[Tree_skier]

RELAX

 

The Vogons, or Covid, have not destroyed the earth

 

For those that get the reference we are kindred spirits and you already know the answer to life, the universe and everything is 42.  For those that do not, carry on reading you’ll catch up soon enough.

 

Greetings and welcome to my second live review. I am neither a gifted author like @RCCL Fan a gifted photographer like @twangster or an experienced live reviewer like @John&LaLa but, for those that are interested, I’d like to bring you along on my return to cruising that begins next Monday.  After a few lengthy and wordy preamble posts I expect that this review will consist mostly of pictures. The pictures will be taken with my iPhone 12 Pro with, maybe, a few GoPro’s thrown in as well. I’ll try to answer any and all questions but if I miss something don’t hesitate to ask again.

 

When I board Serenade of the Seas it will have been 626 days since I stepped off of Adventure of the Seas.  The anticipation of our next cruise has been building for so very long.  Along with all of the other challenges we have all faced, all of the cancelled cruises have been such bitter disappointments. The anticipation of our return building with each passing day. Finally we are going to get to experience what so many of us who post here on Cruise Critic love so much.

 

Cruise Critic has been such a great blessing to me over the last year and a half.  So many of you have provided me with a much needed distraction.  Your pictures of home renovations, your legal and epidemiological expertise, your staycations and pet pictures have added to my life in an unexpected way. I  feel like I have a whole network of friends I just haven’t met yet.  Thank you for all that you have done. I would tag you all in but I’m afraid of missing a name.  You all know who you are.

 

More this afternoon...

 

 

[Sea Dog]

I love the title Dave. Awesome start to a great review that I look forward to. Have a great time and cheers to you for doing this.

[puppycanducruise]

Don't forget your towel.😉

[JBSteelerfan]

Looking forward to it!  I am so ready to go back to Alaska....guess we will just have to enjoy it through you!  Have a reindeer sausage or 2 for us!!

[JessyCruises]

So long and thanks for all the fish…

[ONECRUISER]

Thank you, love to hear about her. Completed 200 Nites on Serenade, with 59 more Booked in next year and 635nites since left the Ship last...

[Tree_skier]

Well of course there is an error my introductory post and it is too late to correct it.  😞 

 

I was mixing my 80's pop culture references with Frankie's "Relax" and Douglas Adam's HGTTG... It should have started with

 

DON'T PANIC

 

But I digress...

 

This trip will be just DW and I.  The cruise will preceded by a few days at Lake Siskiyou, near Mt. Shasta, CA in our 5th Wheel.  DW loves to Kayak. Getting DW to agree to this cruise was predicated on me squeezing that time at the lake into my schedule as well the cruise.  DW enjoys cruises but hasn’t become the addict that I have.  Taking extra time to spend at the lake isn’t too much of a chore or sacrifice on my part though LOL.

 

We’ll park the fiver at a friend’s place in Seattle who will watch our cat while we are away. Basil the wonder kitty could not be designated as emotional support animal so he must stay ashore.

 

 

Serenade to Alaska was our first ship and cruise way back in 2007.  It’ll be good to get back on her. Our last few cruises have been Freedom  and Voyageur class so being back on Serenade will be a bit different I’m sure but a change of scenery will be nice and any ship will be great.  Also, with the reduced capacity I’m expecting the ship to feel massive.

A first for us will be our cabin.  This will be the first time we have ever been in a suite.  Typically we book balcony cabins, preferably aft cabins when available, but this time I splurged and booked the suite.  The cruising restart needed some sort of acknowledgement or honor bestowed upon it. This is my way of placing the ribbon of honor upon this significant cruise.

 

When these new Alaska cruises were first released I had no intention of booking but just started casually looking. I had booked and paid for a week up at the lake and it was nonrefundable. I considered cancelling the week at the lake but knew that DW would thrash me if I even asked.  My schedule was jammed until Thanksgiving when we are scheduled to fly to Hawaii. I couldn’t see a way to make it happen no matter how much I wanted to go.

 

Then the next day I got a call in regards to my work and the week after the lake was cancelled and everything began to fall into place.  I emailed my brilliant TA for pricing on a balcony and a suite. He got back to me in minutes… I consulted with DW and she knew I was going to pout like a 5 year old if she didn’t go along with my new, brilliant idea, so in the end I got my way.  I selected the suite, this is a celebration after all.  No sense sparing any expense.

 

We selected the OV Panoramic suite.  Normally I would always want a balcony but for Alaska at the tail end of August I’m not sure how much use it would get.  This suite is massive in comparison to our typical balcony cabin as well as compared to JS or GS.  I think the extra space will more than make up for the lack of balcony.  This fellow does quite a humorous cabin review of cabin 1054

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOe2UQj8j1E

 

We're at the lake now.  It's a little windy for DW's Kayaking but it is still glorious up here. It is 75°, the air is clear unlike most of central and northern CA and I'm sitting in a camp chair dreaming that next week for lunch I will be eating a kummelweck sandwich at Park Cafe.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 17, 2021 by Tree_skier

[Sunshine3601]

This is exciting.   I, too, love your thread title.    I am really looking forward and I will be following your journey every step of the way.    Serenade was the last ship I sailed on in Feb. 2020.    Love her, one of our favorites.    Safe Travels to you and your Wife.    

[Tree_skier]

6 hours ago, puppycanducruise said:

Don't forget your towel.😉

Towel packed and Babel fish inserted into the ear 🙂 

[Tree_skier]

6 hours ago, JBSteelerfan said:

Looking forward to it!  I am so ready to go back to Alaska....guess we will just have to enjoy it through you!  Have a reindeer sausage or 2 for us!!

Where do you get them?

[Tree_skier]

Update:  DW braved the wind and got out in the lake. 
 

Life is good

[sandebeach]

Enjoying reading your review and your pictures are great!

[Mrs.Dukes]

Can’t wait to hear about your trip! Thinking about booking our first Alaska. Cruise. Looking forward to seeing your pictures!

[A&L_Ont]

3 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

This is exciting.   I, too, love your thread title.    I am really looking forward and I will be following your journey every step of the way.    Serenade was the last ship I sailed on in Feb. 2020.    Love her, one of our favorites.    Safe Travels to you and your Wife.    

A great title for sure. 
 

9 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

So many of you have provided me with a much needed distraction.  Your pictures of home renovations, your legal and epidemiological expertise, your staycations and pet pictures have added to my life in an unexpected way.

The line above in bold was the line that sold me for the Alaskan adventure. Love the humour. That, and the Frankie goes to Hollywood reference.

Edited August 18, 2021 by A&L_Ont

[Ocean Boy]

I haven't been aboard Serenade in quite some time. We did a very port intensive southern Caribbean sailing out of San Juan on her. I'm looking forward to this!

[Sea Dog]

3 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

I think the extra space will more than make up for the lack of balcony.

That cabin is HUGE! I watched the video and wow so much space. What are you going to do with the extra bedroom? 

[Tree_skier]

12 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

I haven't been aboard Serenade in quite some time. We did a very port intensive southern Caribbean sailing out of San Juan on her. I'm looking forward to this!

I have a Southern Caribbean itinerary booked for Odyssey in Feb 22.  I'm really looking forward to that.  Never done a southern before.

[Tree_skier]

4 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

That cabin is HUGE! I watched the video and wow so much space. What are you going to do with the extra bedroom? 

Lol probably nothing, I guess if DW gets mad at me at least I won't have to sleep on the couch.  

[Sea Dog]

Just now, Tree_skier said:

Lol probably nothing, I guess if DW gets mad at me at least I won't have to sleep on the couch.  

I would totally go there because both my wife and I snore. She can sleep through anything. I on the other hand am I light sleeper. Congrats on picking that cabin Dave you got a winner.

[Tree_skier]

We have purchased the DBP for me and the RP for DW, there is no specialty dining planned at this point but you never know that might change.  As far as excursions are concerned, I have one booked.  It is a Whale watching and Glacier tour in Juneau.  The other days we’ll just get off the ship and see what is on offer.  I wanted to do a sea plane thing but DW is afraid of heights and with the recent tragedy for passengers on NCL that won’t change anytime soon.  She can do ok on commercial jets but those little planes scare the fire out her.  We’ll see how things unfold.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h28kbIi7314

[FromSea2ShiningSea]

@Tree_skier Thank YOU for providing us with a much needed distraction with this Alaska cruise.

 

Our first cruise was on Radiance to Alaska in 2004.  Love that class ship.   Adventure OTS Oct. 2019 was our last cruise before the lockdown.  

 

Have fun!  Too bad it doesn't have Flowrider.  

[Tree_skier]

1 minute ago, Sea Dog said:

I would totally go there because both my wife and I snore. She can sleep through anything. I on the other hand am I light sleeper. Congrats on picking that cabin Dave you got a winner.

I used to snore but last year was diagnosed with sleep apnea and got myself a CPAP machine.  According DW the snoring has stopped.  I look like Darth Vader when I sleep but that is a small price to pay.

[Tree_skier]

 

3 minutes ago, FromSea2ShiningSea said:

 

 

Have fun!  Too bad it doesn't have Flowrider.  

Thank you, I will definitely have fun.  It is probably for the best that there is no Flowrider.  My knee, which I messed up in March skiing, then exacerbated at the end of April is still giving me trouble.  If got on that little board it would almost guarantee that the progress I have made would be undone.  

[crzndeb]

1 hour ago, Tree_skier said:

We have purchased the DBP for me and the RP for DW, there is no specialty dining planned at this point but you never know that might change.  As far as excursions are concerned, I have one booked.  It is a Whale watching and Glacier tour in Juneau.  The other days we’ll just get off the ship and see what is on offer.  I wanted to do a sea plane thing but DW is afraid of heights and with the recent tragedy for passengers on NCL that won’t change anytime soon.  She can do ok on commercial jets but those little planes scare the fire out her.  We’ll see how things unfold.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h28kbIi7314

I think the recent tragedy was passengers from HAL. I don’t blame her. Lost a friend many years ago on a helicopter excursion in Hawaii, and won’t do any helicopter or plane sightseeing tours.

 

 

[Tree_skier]

23 minutes ago, crzndeb said:

I think the recent tragedy was passengers from HAL. I don’t blame her. Lost a friend many years ago on a helicopter excursion in Hawaii, and won’t do any helicopter or plane sightseeing tours.

 

 

You are right... It was HAL.  Either way., I'm just going to get off the ship and see what is available.  I know that that is a really hap hazard way to do things but nothing really jumped out at me on the cruise  planner.