AOS or SOS?

[newcruiser30]

Hi,

We have previously only sailed on 1 cruise - on the Freedom, which I'm told was 'starting at the top'. We had a fantastic cruise and loved the ship. Now my husband and I are considering a Nov or Dec. cruise to the Southern Caribbean with RCI. Can anyone compare/contrast the Adventure vs. the Serenade ships for me? Do either of these have promenade view rooms (what we had on FOS)? Give me your opinions on these ships, if you've sailed them!

 

Thank you!

[SingingPixie]

Adventure is very similar to Freedom, except on a slightly smaller scale. Most people that like one class like the other. It does offer Promanade-view rooms. These ships offer lots of variety of active things to do, so they're especially enjoyed by families and younger adults.

 

Serenade is slightly smaller (when comparing all three giant classes of ships, of course) and can be a bit less "busy" feeling than Adventure or Freedom. There is no promenade. These ships have tons of glass from which to admire your surroundings. This class is a favorite of adults who are looking for relaxing getaway, but there will definitely be noticeably fewer active activity options.

 

That said, they are still both RCL ships, and you can certainly find relaxing places on Adventure just like you can find active things to do on Serenade. It's just a matter of which one is more emphasized on each ship.

 

If I were cruising with just my boyfriend, I'd probably pick Serenade. We like to be active in port, but can relax on the ship and wouldn't necessarily miss things like the ice rink. If my brother were coming along (like he is on our upcoming family cruise on Independence), who isn't really into the whole "staring out at the sea" thing, I'd pick Adventure. If you want the closest experience to Freedom, or if a promenade-view room is important to you, pick Adventure. If you're looking for a less "busy" feeling get-away, pick Serenade. You really can't go wrong as far as I'm concerned.

[kkpcruiser]

Hi,

We have previously only sailed on 1 cruise - on the Freedom, which I'm told was 'starting at the top'. We had a fantastic cruise and loved the ship. Now my husband and I are considering a Nov or Dec. cruise to the Southern Caribbean with RCI. Can anyone compare/contrast the Adventure vs. the Serenade ships for me? Do either of these have promenade view rooms (what we had on FOS)? Give me your opinions on these ships, if you've sailed them!

 

Thank you!

 

Been on both out of San Juan. We did the AOS on the Aruba route and the Serenade on the Antigua route. I know the AOS has promenade rooms but I don;t think the serenade does. I haven't been on a Freedom class yet ( next month!!), but i would say the Adventure would be closer to that experience.

 

Personally LOVED the Serenade and i thought i would have trouble going to a smaller ship. Some of the features like the outdoor dining area out the Windjammer were just perfect. That being said, we didn't travel both on the same itinerary and i LOVED the Serenade's stops of Antigua, Barbados, St Lucia, St Thomas, St Maarten at the time. I notice the serenade has a new itinerary including Tortola...To me that would make this choice even better!

 

Are you traveling with kids? I thought the Serenade seemed to have less families on it. We traveled both times with teens and their friends. They all had a great time meeting and making new friends.

 

Happy to answer any other questions of the comparison.

[kkpcruiser]

. These ships have tons of glass from which to admire your surroundings. This class is a favorite of adults who are looking for relaxing getaway, but there will definitely be noticeably fewer active activity options.

 

 

I forgot about the glass!! Serenade is a beautiful ship and the glass does intensify the cruising experience in the best way!

[yogimax]

I'd go with Adventure, a Voyager Class ship with the Royal Promenade and ice shows.

[msakmom]

My DH and I were on the Serenade last March and enjoyed it completely. There was enough activities for us (if we wanted) and plenty of time to relax too. We absolutely loved it. It's a gorgeous ship.

 

This coming March we are cruising on the Adventure. We liked it's itinerary and wanted to try another class of RCL. This will be my 4th cruise with RCL and I have never been disappointed yet. I think you will enjoy either one. It will just depend on what you're looking for.

[newcruiser30]

These replies are exactly what I was looking for! Thank you so much!! We don't have kids yet, so it would just be my husband and I, and we do prefer the relaxing get-away on board over the active things on board. (We enjoyed watching the Flowrider, but never used it - or the ice rink).

 

The reason I asked about the promenade view rooms is because we like the fact that they seemed so big and open. Not clausterphobic at all. Do interior rooms on the Serenade feel like a prison?

[msakmom]

I just spoke with a RCL consultant on Sunday when I booked my room on the Adventure. She said that she had just been in a promenade room the week prior and really couldn't tell any difference in room size from that one and a regular interior.

 

I have always stayed in interiors for several reasons....

1. The price

2. I like sleeping near the center of the ship

3. I've always slept well in an interior room.

 

We've never had a problem with roominess (is that a word :) ) in our Serenade interior. I guess it depends on how picky you are. My DH and I have always been comfortable in our room. We store our empty suitcases under the bed and have plenty of room. Hope this helps.