Serenade Review - Sep 22-Oct 5 Repositioning Cruise (Vancouver – Alaska – San Diego)

[mach4]

This cruise was rather unique in that it was literally the last cruise ship out of Alaska for the 2007 season. The published itinerary was Vancouver, Sitka, Hubbard Glacier, Icy Strait Point, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, Seattle, San Francisco and San Diego.

 

As we live in San Diego, this was the perfect opportunity to do a 13 day Alaska cruise with only one flight leg. With air travel being the hassle it is today, this was a very welcome feature to the cruise.

 

First some background and context for this review. This was our second cruise this year to Alaska, with the previous one being on the Holland America Zaandam. Other recent cruises included the MSC Sinfonia in the Mediterranean, HAL Oosterdam to the Mexican Riviera, HAL Ryndam to the Mexican Riveria and Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas from Anchorage to Vancouver. Other cruises have included Dawn Princess to Alaska and the HAL Noordam to the Caribbean.

 

The Story – Weather was the story of the cruise. In fact it was the story of the previous cruise as well. We ran into rough weather right from the start. There was a storm brewing in the Gulf of Alaska that was virtually identical to what the ship experienced the previous cruise. Captain Stig got on the PA system and informed us of the realities. He decided to stay in the protected waters rather than go to Sitka and substitute Wrangell for Sitka and Tracy Arm for Hubbard Glacier. He drove home the point with the story of the previous cruise. Coming out of Juneau they encountered 128 knot winds and 30 foot seas and had to hold position for a couple of hours. Half the crew were sick as were most passengers. Two windows were blown out and it was just a nasty night. He stated that it was the worst weather that the ship had seen.

 

Hearing this, we were all very glad to have the opportunity to visit Wrangell and Tracy Arm. We encountered part of the storm as we needed to leave the protected waters to dump gray water tanks. It was a rough night, but nothing like what was experienced the previous week. We lost only one window that was broken when a piece of overhead sheetmetal came loose and smashed the window.

 

The weather sure is changeable in Alaska. Coming into Ketchikan the captain reported that they were going to “try” to make it but is was going to be touch and go. As it turned out the winds were only 30 knots and rainy. Since they were along the centerline of the ship, they were tolerable. We all had a wet and windy stop in Ketchikan.

 

Our departure from Frisco was delayed by almost an hour because a crew member did not return from shore. The reasons were unknown but Immigration would not release the ship until an investigation was done.

 

Embarkation/Debarkation – The best we have seen. Ballantyne pier, while not as scenic as Canada Place, is far more efficient. We stayed overnight at a hotel near the airport and from pickup by cab at the hotel to onboard in our stateroom, was less than an hour. There was no waiting for a spot to drop off, no waiting for customs, no waiting for registration and no waiting to get our stateroom. Luggage arrived within about an hour. Debarkation, however, was another matter altogether. It was pretty much organized chaos. Even though we were local, it took a good two hours to be able to depart the ship. A comparison to HAL is appropriate at this point. On HAL you are able to stay in your stateroom until your luggage color and number is called – on RC you must be out of your room and into the public areas by 8:00 am.

 

The Ship – We found this ship to be superb. It is a relatively new ship having been commissioned in 2003, and the overall design was wonderful. We especially enjoyed the wide open atrium, the elegant appointments and the overall layout. That having been said there were a couple of things that were disappointing. The library is a joke. Selection, positioning, size and layout are clearly behind other ships we have been on. For example HAL ships have grouped library, music listening, card room, internet cafe and coffee bar in a NY Times themed group. The library was always quiet, selection excellent, design beautiful and well thought out while on RC it was a clear disappointment. Elevators are often in short supply. Unlike other ships that have three banks of elevators, the Serenade had only two. In the Centrum, these were unusually small and were very spread out, so getting into an elevator before the door closed took a bit of planning and monitoring. From a design standpoint however the Centrum elevators were dramatic and downright fun to ride. The dining room was two levels, very nicely appointed and although at the rear of the ship, were absolutely quiet and vibration free. Significantly better than other ships we have been on recently. The Serenade is one of a handful of ships that have gyro stabilized pool tables. These are engineering marvels, that maintain a completely level playing surface. While the ship is rocking and rolling the balls stay absolutely stationary on the surface, and when struck roll absolutely true. Fun to watch. We didn’t use the gym or spa, so I can’t comment on that, other than to say that their position at the front of the ship afforded great views forward. On the 13th deck, the Serenade had a very dramatic night club and a small lounge that doubled as a Cigar bar in the late evening. A significant design defect on the Serenade is the Windjammer. The seating is altogether inadequate. Probably under optimum conditions in the Caribbean, it is fine, but for Alaska with the cool, rainy weather, the open seating on the rear of the ship was almost unusable. The semi protected area forward was often accessible only by going out of the Windjammer.

 

Activities – One of the major disappointments on this cruse was the team trivia. We are avid trivia players, but found the predominance of the questions pop culture related. We prefer a more rounded approach which is the norm on other ships. After the second session, we quit going. RC maintains contracts with Park West to conduct art auctions. At least they didn’t use the Centrum for most of their auctions on this cruise, but took over the entire Hollywood Odyssey on the 13th deck for their events. I guess if you like high-pressure, overpriced, loud, obnoxious events, this would be fine, but a majority of passengers found this overbearing…myself included. The photo crew was quite professional on this cruise and a lot less pushy and in-your-face. The cooking demonstrations and other staff presentations were very well attended and well done.

 

The Entertainment – Overall the “permanent” ship’s entertainment was better than we have seen on other cruises. On the otherhand, the theater shows were definitely a step down. The selection was pretty bland. There was a piano player who was talented but obnoxious, constantly asking for applause and flaunting his “accomplishments” and an impressionist that had to continually identify who he was impersonating so the audience could “get it”. A couple of variety shows were interesting, but bland. The Serenade Orchestra was amazingly talented and did a great job with each of the talent they backed up. The highlight of the cruise was a woman violin player who was amazingly talented, funny and versatile. This seems to be consistent with what other reviewers have reported on their RC cruises – that fewer resources are being put into quality entertainment.

 

The Cruise Director – On this cruise we had Carly B. who did a fantastic job. She was professional, entertaining, high energy and very professional. Compared to some other recent cruise directors who were obnoxious, egotistical, flamboyant and only marginally competent, she did an excellent job.

 

The Itinerary – The itinerary as designed was excellent. The schedule of the ship meant that we were literally the only ship in any port, and there was no tendering involved (except those ports where berths were not present), so we only needed to launch the tenders in Icy Strait Point (Hoonah). As mentioned above the published itinerary was changed due to weather substituting Tracy Arm for Hubbard Glacier and Wrangell for Sitka.

 

 

A highlight of the trip was the stop in Frisco. Sailing in under the Golden Gate Bridge was thrilling. While there was plenty of clearance going under, it felt like the mast might hit the roadbed. We docked right next to Pier 39 and very close to Fisherman’s Wharf. It was a beautiful day which made things extra special.

 

The Passengers – The passengers on this cruise were a bit older than you might expect on Royal Caribbean due primarily to the timing and length of the cruise. As a late September cruise there were almost no children on board. A couple of exceptions included some Aussies that were on school vacation and a very small number of pre-school kids. A significant number of San Diegans were on the cruise due to the unique opportunity to do a long cruise with only one flight leg. There were also a significant number of Germans on board who made there presence known by a steady stream of announcements in German and by, what we have come to know as a stereotypical German attitude and set of behaviors - specifically butting in line, ignoring rules, being obnoxious and egotistical. Like most stereotypes,they tend to fit a majority and there are notable exceptions…

 

 

The Food – Before I get into a critique of the food, let me say that the food was excellent. There was plenty and the quality was good. That having been said, a couple of observations: first the food was not as good as on Holland America. I recall in HAL cruises, always faced with a dilemma of having to choose between two competing dinner choices. On this cruise, I found it difficult to find something that was truly appealing. What I ordered ended up being good, but it was not compelling. It seemed as if the chef was trying to dream up unique and different flavor combinations in an effort to be creative and sensational. What ended up was a kind of pseudo-gourmet mish-mash of entrees that left us with the sense of “what was he thinking?” Another observation was that the dishes seldom came out as described. We were often left guessing – what is that? Obviously taste and preference are in the eye of the beholder and your experience may be completely different – such is the beauty of cruising and the benefit of choice in the marketplace.

 

The Staff – The staff were generally attentive, professional and helpful without being overbearing. That having been said, we felt that by comparison the staff of HAL was across the board, better trained and more genuinely concerned with providing personal and attentive service. I think that part of that is the sense of community that is maintained. The major tenet of RC seems to be diversity, while the major tenet of HAL seems to be quality service. Dining staff and hotel staff on HAL are predominantly Indonesian while on RC, there were staff representing 55 different countries. So I think that the major differentiating attribute was the consistency. HAL was uniformly excellent, while RC service aligned more along a continuum from average/indifferent to truly attentive and excellent. Compared to MSC – well there is no comparison. All American cruise lines are a cut above.

 

The Captain – Obviously the quality of a cruise starts at the top. Captain Stig did a fantastic job of managing some difficult weather and making excellent decisions based on passenger safety and comfort.

 

Cabins – We generally play the “upgrade game”, booking an inside guarantee cabin and hoping for an outside or balcony upgrade. This cruise ended up completely sold out, so we played the game and “lost”. However, we were completely happy with our inside. Most of the cabin time is sleeping anyway, so we did not miss the outside significantly. The cabin was appointed nicely, maintained well and functioned appropriately. Very typical for contemporary cruise ships.

 

Shore Excursions – This being our 4th Alaska cruise and the second of this season, we opted to not take any formal shore excursions. Inclement weather ended up canceling some tours and there were some that were unavailable due to being so late in the season. Those people we talked with enjoyed their excursions. The only consistent comment was the price - they are expensive and a significant part of the RC revenue structure.

 

Conclusion - It would be impossible to cover all aspects of a cruise, but hopefully this will provide some valuable information based on one persons impressions and experience. Everything is a compromise. The ship was better than most, but had some significant shortcomings. The staff was excellent, but a bit behind the staff of other competitive cruise lines. The itinerary was excellent and overall just a wonderful cruise… one which we would take again in a moment.

 

Suggestions – While US-style 110 outlets are provided in all staterooms, The Serenade uses 220v power throughout the ship using a European style recessed two round plug type of outlet . This means that if you desire to use your laptop computer in any public space, you are limited to battery power. Virtually all computer power “bricks” use 100-220 power so you may want to consider bringing an international adapter for your laptop. (Warning: be sure to check the label on your equipment to ensure that it is compatible with 220 power, or you will burn it up)

 

Internet access on board is very expensive. If possible avoid using the service when others are likely to use it to avoid unduly slow access. Another suggestion is to seek out free or low cost access while in port. On this trip we found access in most Alaska ports for $6 a day through Alaska Power and Telephone, the Juneau library has free wireless access when they are open and Seaport has services in Seattle and some Alaskan ports for $6 an hour. We even were able to access a hotel hotspot ashore for free in San Fran.

 

 

Previous reviews:

 

Zaandam

Sinfonia

[Janice M]

Thanks for the excellent review. We did this cruise 2 years ago on the Vision ending up in LA tho. We did encounter a storm and had to miss Skagway. Captain George opted for Hoonah instead and it was very nice. We actually liked the storm and rough seas.

 

Jan

[GMoney]

Thanks for your review; it's an excellent itinerary I'd love to do sometime. I agree with your comparisons to HAL. That library on Noordam is the best!