World "shakedown" cruise on Serenade starting next week (Semi-Live Review)

[Saab4444]

6 hours ago, rae8836 said:

For those who might be interested, this is the reading/library area added to 12 as of 18 Nov:

 

 

          RAE

 

And they have one book available! 

[island lady]

16 hours ago, orville99 said:

We had a friend drive us down day of for this leg, and we are taking Brightline back on the 5th.

 

I hope to try out the Brightline soon.  Saw it ripping by the other day when we were in Vero Beach.  Wow...fast!

 

Though with having to hire shuttle service to take us to the airport to catch the train, then getting a taxi to the port...it's pretty much the same as just flying down.  But still want to try it for kicks.  😉 

[island lady]

13 hours ago, rae8836 said:

For those who might be interested, this is the reading/library area added to 12 as of 18 Nov:

 

 

          RAE

 

 

Oh wow...that was where the LA was...though not sure if it was Serenade or one of the sisters.  

[lovesthebeach2]

16 hours ago, orville99 said:

We had a friend drive us down day of for this leg, and we are taking Brightline back on the 5th.

I wanted to let you know (because we had discussed it once), that when we got off in FLL from the Odyssey TA, we just hopped in a cab to the Amtrak station ( a quick 10 min ride ) and got on the 8:30 train to Winter Haven, then a quick Uber home. The whole trip including cab, train and Uber was about $125.

Brightline  is new and beautiful, but when we booked the Amtrak, it wasn’t up and running yet and we decided to keep the Amtrak reservation. The travel time was the same for both, around 3 hours. Luggage was free on the train. Since we live south of OIA, it was much less hassle and quicker for us to get home from the train in Winter Haven.

 

For future cruises, Im curious to hear how you make out, I know you live fairly close to us and I’m interested in how you’re getting home from the airport and how it was getting out in Terminal C which I hear is a long walk.

[island lady]

6 hours ago, Saab4444 said:

And they have one book available! 

 

Well, that makes one happy chair hog for a stage prop.   😄 

[lovesthebeach2]

2 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Oh wow...that was where the LA was...though not sure if it was Serenade or one of the sisters.  

Not a big area, but it’s a small ship.  
Wasn’t there glass on the floor that you could look down? Wonder what happened to that or is it in the wooden circle thing?

[island lady]

15 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

Not a big area, but it’s a small ship.  
Wasn’t there glass on the floor that you could look down? Wonder what happened to that or is it in the wooden circle thing?

 

Yes, I remember looking down through the port hole style glass window...view of the Centrum all the way down.  Eerie...but pretty cool.  

 

I know some Radiance sisters have the LA near the pool tables on six...but can't remember which ones were which, though obviously Serenade is one of them now. 

 

 I know Jewel still has the LA on that "floating circle" up there.  But can't remember if Serenade still had it up there until now?   

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 20, 2023 by island lady

[Saab4444]

25 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Yes, I remember looking down through the port hole style glass window...view of the Centrum all the way down.  Eerie...but pretty cool.  

 

I know some Radiance sisters have the LA near the pool tables on six...but can't remember which ones were which, though obviously Serenade is one of them now. 

 

 I know Jewel still has the LA on that "floating circle" up there.  But can't remember if Serenade still had it up there until now?   

 

 

 

 

 

Radiance and Jewel still have the LA area on deck 12, on Brilliance and Serenade it had been changed to a non-accessible storrage area for the former arial shows (or how they called it) in the Centrum so it was a wasted space in the past years. To open it up is a very good move! The partial glass buttom is still there on all four ships.

Edited November 20, 2023 by Saab4444

[sjb317]

48 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

I wanted to let you know (because we had discussed it once), that when we got off in FLL from the Odyssey TA, we just hopped in a cab to the Amtrak station ( a quick 10 min ride ) and got on the 8:30 train to Winter Haven, then a quick Uber home. The whole trip including cab, train and Uber was about $125.

Brightline  is new and beautiful, but when we booked the Amtrak, it wasn’t up and running yet and we decided to keep the Amtrak reservation. The travel time was the same for both, around 3 hours. Luggage was free on the train. Since we live south of OIA, it was much less hassle and quicker for us to get home from the train in Winter Haven.

 

For future cruises, Im curious to hear how you make out, I know you live fairly close to us and I’m interested in how you’re getting home from the airport and how it was getting out in Terminal C which I hear is a long walk.

I love terminal C!  Lots of room to get through security so you don’t feel jammed in with hundreds of people.  Everything is bright, clean, and spacious.  Gate area was nice. The walk isn’t bad, they do have shuttles for people who don’t want to walk. 
 

We have flown in to C several times and flew out for the recent Odyssey TA. I would much rather be at C than A or B😂.

 

Sherri🙂

[island lady]

3 minutes ago, sjb317 said:

I love terminal C!  Lots of room to get through security so you don’t feel jammed in with hundreds of people.  Everything is bright, clean, and spacious.  Gate area was nice. The walk isn’t bad, they do have shuttles for people who don’t want to walk. 
 

We have flown in to C several times and flew out for the recent Odyssey TA. I would much rather be at C than A or B😂.

 

Sherri🙂

 

We as well.  Indeed that new terminal is beautiful and so modern.  I love the moving pictures in some of the gates.  🙂  

[lovesthebeach2]

9 minutes ago, sjb317 said:

I love terminal C!  Lots of room to get through security so you don’t feel jammed in with hundreds of people.  Everything is bright, clean, and spacious.  Gate area was nice. The walk isn’t bad, they do have shuttles for people who don’t want to walk. 
 

We have flown in to C several times and flew out for the recent Odyssey TA. I would much rather be at C than A or B😂.

 

Sherri🙂

 

5 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

We as well.  Indeed that new terminal is beautiful and so modern.  I love the moving pictures in some of the gates.  🙂  

Thanks! So far none of our flights have been from C but will in the future I’m sure. 

[orville99]

1 hour ago, island lady said:

 

I hope to try out the Brightline soon.  Saw it ripping by the other day when we were in Vero Beach.  Wow...fast!

 

Though with having to hire shuttle service to take us to the airport to catch the train, then getting a taxi to the port...it's pretty much the same as just flying down.  But still want to try it for kicks.  😉 

 

1 hour ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

I wanted to let you know (because we had discussed it once), that when we got off in FLL from the Odyssey TA, we just hopped in a cab to the Amtrak station ( a quick 10 min ride ) and got on the 8:30 train to Winter Haven, then a quick Uber home. The whole trip including cab, train and Uber was about $125.

Brightline  is new and beautiful, but when we booked the Amtrak, it wasn’t up and running yet and we decided to keep the Amtrak reservation. The travel time was the same for both, around 3 hours. Luggage was free on the train. Since we live south of OIA, it was much less hassle and quicker for us to get home from the train in Winter Haven.

 

For future cruises, Im curious to hear how you make out, I know you live fairly close to us and I’m interested in how you’re getting home from the airport and how it was getting out in Terminal C which I hear is a long walk.

Will let you know how it turns out, but couldn’t be more happy with what we booked on Brightline:

Uber XL from port to train station;

3 checked bags

Uber XL from train station to our front door

 

All in for the two of us:

Train = $118 (they were having a black Friday sale $20 off per ticket)

Bags = $75 ($25/bag)

Uber XL = $75 ($20 from the port - $50 from MCO)

~$268 total

Edited November 20, 2023 by orville99

[island lady]

26 minutes ago, orville99 said:

 

Will let you know how it turns out, but couldn’t be more happy with what we booked on Brightline:

Uber XL from port to train station;

3 checked bags

Uber XL from train station to our front door

 

All in for the two of us:

Train = $118 (they were having a black Friday sale $20 off per ticket)

Bags = $75 ($25/bag)

Uber XL = $75 ($20 from the port - $50 from MCO)

~$268 total

 

Nice!  🙂   Yes, please let us know how it worked out for you.  Do want to try the train someday.  

 

We are quite a bit further from MCO than you are, so we need to use a shuttle service....lady that does that as a retirement supplement that lives in our community.  She is very reliable.  

 

I could actually get first class on Delta checking 4 bags included in fare, versus paying for coach and paying for each bag separately.   😮

[lovesthebeach2]

41 minutes ago, orville99 said:

 

Will let you know how it turns out, but couldn’t be more happy with what we booked on Brightline:

Uber XL from port to train station;

3 checked bags

Uber XL from train station to our front door

 

All in for the two of us:

Train = $118 (they were having a black Friday sale $20 off per ticket)

Bags = $75 ($25/bag)

Uber XL = $75 ($20 from the port - $50 from MCO)

~$268 total

That’s not bad!  Let me know, the ride would definitely be better!!

[Jimbo]

2 hours ago, island lady said:

 

I hope to try out the Brightline soon.  Saw it ripping by the other day when we were in Vero Beach.  Wow...fast!

 

Though with having to hire shuttle service to take us to the airport to catch the train, then getting a taxi to the port...it's pretty much the same as just flying down.  But still want to try it for kicks.  😉 

You don't have to worry about weight restrictions of bags like on a plane.

[orville99]

1 hour ago, island lady said:

We are quite a bit further from MCO than you are, so we need to use a shuttle service

Too bad Brevard county nixed a station in Cocoa. That would have been ideal for you.

[orville99]

3 hours ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

Not a big area, but it’s a small ship.  
Wasn’t there glass on the floor that you could look down? Wonder what happened to that or is it in the wooden circle thing?

The glass portal in the floor is directly under the center of the new bookcase, and the catwalk from the centrum elevator lobby is still there.

Edited November 20, 2023 by orville99

[lovesthebeach2]

22 minutes ago, orville99 said:

The glass portal in the floor is directly under the center of the new bookcase, and the catwalk from the centrum elevator lobby is still there.

That’s what I thought .  I may be too short to look down now though 😆

[orville99]

Found the laundry rooms (at least the ones on deck 7 and 8): Keycard access readers have been installed, and have a red security card in them for now.

People on board this week will know how we were able to find them😱

 

Deck 7:

 

Deck 8:

Edited November 20, 2023 by orville99

[orville99]

On 11/18/2023 at 12:53 PM, Saab4444 said:

Is Captain Stig Nilsen already on board?

 

Had a nice conversation with Captain Nilsen on the way to this morning’s Captain’s Corner (he was walking by our cabin on deck 9 to get from the bridge to the other end of the ship, and was in a very chatty mood so we talked all the way about the WC), and he will be doing both the first and last quarters of the WC. 

Edited November 20, 2023 by orville99

[lovesthebeach2]

7 minutes ago, orville99 said:

Had a nice conversation with Captain Nielsen on the way to this morning’s Captain’s Corner (he was walking by our cabin on deck 9 to get from the bridge to the other end of the ship, and was in a very chatty mood so we talked all the way about the WC), and he will be doing both the first and last quarters of the WC. 

Did he say who will be in the middle?  That’s when I’ll be onboard

[Saab4444]

4 minutes ago, orville99 said:

Had a nice conversation with Captain Nielsen on the way to this morning’s Captain’s Corner (he walking by our cabin on deck 9 to get from then bridge to the other end of the ship, and was in a very chatty mood so we talked all the way about the WC), and he will be doing both the first and last quarters of the WC. 

Thanks for this info, that is great! It is indeed a very long assignment for him, 4 months now and then 3 months again. We first travelled with him on Serenade back in 2004 when the ship was new and now hopefully again next year in August. 

[Saab4444]

4 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

Did he say who will be in the middle?  That’s when I’ll be onboard

Trust Captain Kjell Nordmo, all in Norwegian hands!

[orville99]

3 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

Did he say who will be in the middle?  That’s when I’ll be onboard

Sorry, I didn’t have time to ask him that (he was running a bit late). If I have a chance, I will ask that question on our return voyage next week.

[orville99]

1 hour ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

That’s what I thought .  I may be too short to look down now though 😆

You can still look down from the catwalk😱