Just back from the Serenade: Quick review

[doninla]

Took the red-eye from LAX on Friday night, Dec. 6 for the non-stop to San Juan. Flight was right on time. Going through San Juan airport and getting to the ship was a breeze. They have a taxi stand right outside the terminal and the fee is regulated. I think it was $27.00 for the 4 of us with 6 luggage bags. We arrived in San Juan at 9:45am and in line at the ship before 10:30. We were able to board around 11:20. Ship was beautiful. Very clean. Our room was ready by 1 but luggage didn't arrive until 3:30( be sure to take swimwear in your carry on). Meals on the ship were much better than expected. The main dining room dinners were just ok but the meals at Chops and Portofino were both excellent. My steak at Chops was as good as any restaurant I have been to. Entertainment on the ship was, well, fair at best. We only went to 2 shows and walked out on one of them. Spent most of our time after dinner in the casino. Played craps every night. Despite the poor odds at the table (much worse than Vegas) we managed to win a little. The dealers at the craps table were fantastic. Very friendly. The casino on a whole was surprisingly quiet. For the ports of call, we tried to go to beaches that were somewhat secluded. We went to Secret Harbour in St. Thomas and Anse Marcel in St. Martin. Both were wonderful. Anse Marcel was our favorite. Hugh beach was only a handful of people. There are 2 resorts there with nice on the beach restaurants. Hint for St. Thomas. You are there on Sunday and the downtown shops close by 1:00. We took a cab to Long Bay beach on Antigua. Nice beach, again with few tourists, but not as nice as the first 2. Cabs to these beaches were about $60-80 for the 4 of us, round trip. The driver will stay right there and take you back to town. On St. Lucia we took our only tour, Cosul. Everything about the tour as been explained at length on these borads. Let me just say that this tour should not be missed. On Barbados, we beached it again, this time to Mullins Bay. Great beach for snorkling and some surfing too. Time to get back to work. If anyone has any questions about the Serenade or ports of call, I can be reached at: mauiboyatroadrunnerdotcom. Overall the cruise exceeded our expictations. I would do this trip again in a heartbeat.

[Pomperaugrr]

Thanks for the review. The Serenade is a great ship with an excellent crew. We were on the Serenade last January and will be back on board in 33 days. :)

 

Quick question: Were ther chair or umbrella rentals at the beaches you mentioned in St. Thomas or St. Martin? We're taking our daughters with us. How was the surf at the beaches you mentioned? We've been to Long Bay and Mullins bay before. Both are nice.

 

Eric

[doninla]

Eric, At Secret Harbor, we used the lounges and an umbrella and we're not charged. At Anse Marcel in St. Martin, we used the lounges and umbrella. They were going to charge us but didn't. We bought a few drinks at the bar and tipped them well so they decided to let us rent them for free. On the other beaches we were charged about $6.00 for the lounges (with nice cushions) and 5 for the umbrella. Word of caution: If dope smoking affends you, you might want to stay clear of Long Bay.

 

The big expense is the cab fare to the beaches. With 4 people, plan on spending from $60-80 for a round trip. At least the driver will probably stay with you for the return.

 

The surf was very calm at all the beaches. At Mullins, you could rent a surf board as there were waves that were breaking a long way out. Have a great trip.

 

Don

[Motorman23]

..... We only went to 2 shows and walked out on one of them. Spent most of our time after dinner in the casino. Played craps every night. Despite the poor odds at the table (much worse than Vegas) we managed to win a little. The dealers at the craps table were fantastic. Very friendly. The casino on a whole was surprisingly quiet.....

 

We were on the Nov 8th Southern Caribbean trip and I also noticed how quiet the casino was. Not sure if it is because of the recession or what but easy to find spots at the tables and many times some tables were closed. I am a regular there and never saw it this quiet ever. I agree that the ports are also slow. Most of the merchants said things are way down and they are more then willing to bargain. We took the ferry to the downtown part of St Martin and then walked towards the left (away from the main shopping area) and found even better prices for linens, jewelry, and booze.

 

Mike

[doninla]

Mike,

The dealers said that this month was really slow in the casino. I think the economy does have something to do with it, but in reality, going to a casino is no big deal anymore. Fifteen years ago, if you wanted to gamble you went to either Vegas or Atlantic City. Now, all you have to do in many places is drive an hour to reach some type of casino. Also, I think people realize that your odds on the ship are not the same as in Vegas. We had only 5 or 6 people at the most at the craps table everynight........but we did make the most noise. What made it really fun was the enthusiasm and friendliness of the people working the table. They were great.