Serenade of the Seas
Royal Caribbean International®
Overall Rating
Based on 63 reviews
Submit your review Cruise reviews reflect the opinions of travel editors and cruisers/ readers and may not represent those of our company.
Serenade of the Seas
September
Pros: Excellent food, great cruise director, super 70's night, good shore excursion
Cons: 65 age limit on several shore excursions very disappointing
Recommended: Yes
Enjoyable time on a lovely cruise ship. Good dining staff and food was excellent. The cruise director was one of the best we have every had on a RCI cruise.
New England Cruise
October
Pros: Waitstaff, housekeeping staff and everyone else friendly and courtious
Cons: Excursions were not long enough to allow for shopping
Recommended: Yes
The ship was clean and everyone we encountered was very friendly and a lot of fun. I appreciated that they were concious on making sure everyone was using hand sanitizer and loved the enthusiasm of those trying to make it fun.
"happy, happy, washy, washy!" LOVED IT!
Our waitstaff Julia and Agnes were great and Nancy, who cleaned our stateroom was awesome and I loved the towel animals!
It was a bummer we had to skip Bar Harbor, but totally understand and appreciate that the captain made the right decision.
Our first cruise
August
Pros: Cleanliness friendliness Of entire staff
Cons: Is crowded swimming pool and then
Recommended: Yes
A wonderful experience for our first time cruising So much more than we expected can't wait to do it again And the entertainment was fantastic
Serenade of the Seas 4 Night Western Caribbean
August
Pros: Staff gets to know you very well
Cons: Elevators were small
Recommended: No
I was a nice small ship the last time it was updated was in 2012 it is a Radiance-class and holds just under 2500 people but I did enjoy it the Specialty dining was better cause the rooms were smaller and you get a more personal touch.
The ship did not fell cramped and the atrium is in the middle of the ship and at 10 pm they close the hallway doors to keep the sound from coming to the rooms which that different from the larger ships.
Another neat feature of this ship was it was short enough to fit under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa,Fl it was a very cool site to see the ship just fit under the bridge.
Overall I give this ship a thumbs UP.
Short cruise
July
Pros: Wonderful staff
Cons: Older ship
Recommended: Yes
Short cruise on an older ship, cabins are small but comfortable. Bathrooms are ultra small with a shower that feels like a coffin. Staff was excellent and friendly. Food was good but not up to the old standard.
Western Caribbean Cruise
June
Pros: Good family time
Cons: Expensive drinks, didn’t know about swimming restrictions for babies.
Recommended: Yes
First family cruise for our family of 13. Lots of activities. Very good dinners
Great staff and nice getaway
April
Pros: evening dining great food and staff, clean and accommodating
Cons: could have more entertainment, only had comedy once early evening.
Recommended: Yes
Overall we had an amazing trip with our family. My parents turned 80 and my dad is end stage leukemia so it was bitter sweet. It was perfect for he could rest when needed and still able to sit through dinner or rest in the solarium. No rush just relax. Thank you for making this time perfect for our family. It was the first time in 45 years that all three of the siblings and spouses have all been together with our parents for a lengthy time. A time we will never forget.
Panama Canal
October
Pros: Ship very clean
Cons: Missed our first port because of winds
Recommended: Yes
Ports were great - as well as excursions. Missed Cabo because of winds and Huatulco because of tides but others were excellent. Ship was not full so not crowded.
Layout needs a little work
June
Pros: Impeccable service, great food, oceanview cabin relatively quite spacious, great singers/dancers and shows
Cons: Casino has no doors, which lets smoke into the atrium (all decks); smoke also gets into the Windjammer buffet from smoking area on deck 11.
Recommended: Yes
Serenade is showing its age in terms of room function, but is clean and well-kept. While we were on board, the hotel chief won second best in the fleet! Service and entertainment were excellent, and the food was as good as always on RCI. It doesn't have as many bells and whistles as the newer, bigger ships, but I like that it's not quite so huge.
Great service!
December
Pros: Friendly service and spacious rooms
Cons: Some evidence of wear and dated decor
Recommended: Yes
The ship itself was beautifully decorated for the holidays and the staff was equally cheery. It was a great itinerary and there was always something to do. The Solarium was great as was the Spa (which I tried for the first time). The only detraction is that there is evidence of wear and age in places but it was overall a clean ship with excellent service and I loved the specialty restaurants.
Almost Cozumel
November
Pros: Under 50% occupancy
Cons: Under 50% occupancy
Recommended: Yes
We didn’t make it to Cozumel because they had a COVID breakout. We were diverted to Costa Maya, which was a bit of a tourist trap. It would have been nice to have been informed of that because I didn’t realize it was changed until I received my daily schedule of events. Still, I’m glad the ship management was keeping us safe. It was nice to have fewer people on the ship, but to cut the cruise company’s costs they cut a few favorites. Only one show at 9:30 each night. The buffet Windjammer was closed for dinner and the Captain’s party was eliminated. The lobster dinner (usually on the final night) was offered for $29.95 instead of a free choice of entree. Still, it was nice to be on a ship, but the masks were a hassle. All in all, I would do it again.
Dining rooms
September
Pros: Best service by Wajdi and his assistant Dewa . They were the best at making us feel like a king and queen.
Cons: None
Recommended: Yes
Our stateroom attend William was amazing. He was spot on with everything.
Great cruise
August
Pros: Safe, awesome crew, great food, wonderful entertainment
Cons: None
Recommended: Yes
Appreciate the helpful crew, cabin steward, beverage server, RC perks, delicious food,
Entertainment and the excellent Covid-19 measures. We were so taken care of and you could feel the happiness of the crew being back to work.
Unimpressive Cruise
August
Pros: Beautiful Scenery
Cons: Uninspired Food when hot.
Recommended: No
We were so disappointed with this cruise to Alaska this past week.
The food was mediocre at best as was the service in the dining room.e.g.
had to request lemon to accompany a fish dish.breakfast room service
was an extra $7.95 if an egg was included.
Coffee was weak, tasted watered down. No amenities in the room, no robes, no hair conditioner.no water, Ice upon request.
10 Night Southern Caribbean Cruise
January
Pros: Great entertainment, dining, State Room
Cons: Unable to use pool, could not visit one island
Recommended: Yes
We were very pleased with the amenities on the ship. Unfortunately the seas were very rough the first three days so the pool had big waves which made it very difficult to enter. Also, because of the rough seas, we were unable to visit one of the islands, St. Johns of Antigua. We realize that the weather was not the fault of Royal Caribbean and the Captain was keeping the passengers safe by not bringing the ship into St. Johns, Antigua.
One suggestion we have is to give the passengers more detailed maps and information about each island for planning purposes.
Great Cruise...activities onboard lacking
August
Pros: Great ship...wonderful buffet
Cons: Lacking in onboard activities
Recommended: Yes
We sailed Serenade of the Seas last year on the Baltic cruise and found it to be fabulous! We couldn’t wait to cruise the same ship again this year for Norway. Though the ship is still great we found the activities (or lack thereof) this year to be a little disappointing. Last year there were back to back Trivia for hours in the Schooner Bar. This year we felt like there were only 3 trivia sessions per day. We even overheard comments from crew members saying how the activities crew had not planned anything for our week. Had we not sailed it the year before we probably wouldn’t have even noticed. But even at night there was nothing going on. Especially our last two nights on ship we were sure something would be going on and at 9pm after our dinner we walked to the centrum and not even music was happening. The final night one of our apps said that there was an 80s dance night supposed to happen in the safari club and again nothing. We booked a cruise for next summer and sure hope the activities team can amp it up a bit. We didn’t see our Cruise Director at all until like the 4th day as well as our activities director and honestly really only saw them at the flag ceremony and then once more on our departure. The saving grace to our activities crew was June! He was awesome!
Ship getting dated
July
Pros: Immaculate hospitality of the Royal Caribbean family
Cons: The ship appears dated
Recommended: Yes
We were fortunate to have sailed in Voyager of the Seas for two of our earlier vacations - Mediterranean Ex Barcelona & Asia - Ex Singapore. If we compare the two equipments, Serenade of the Seas comes nowhere near even as it is supposed to be newer...we find it difficult to believe.
The quality of fixtures in the Bathroom/Stateroom is totally dated, The main auditorium is a huge disappointment...appears something 1970ish. Would have, perhaps, loved it as much if had not done three other earlier cruises with Royal Caribbean and two with Celebrity.
There was, however, nothing lacking comfort wise as far as overall experience is concerned.
First Cruise
March
Pros: service, food, excursions
Cons: internet fee
Recommended: Yes
Our first cruise was fantastic!! Everyone was fantastic, from our room attendant to our wait staff. We even had the best table in the place, in front of the staircase where the dining room shows were geared around.
The food on Serenade was incredible. Had the opportunity to try many dishes I have never had before; escargot, calamari, lamb.... so yummy!!!
The excursions were awesome; KonTiki Party Boat in St Thomas, Segway Tour in St John, and Safari Zip Lining on St Kitts...
The only thing we feel could change is the cost of the internet.
Great Cruise Ship!
October
Pros: Staff and food were amazing!
Cons:
Recommended: Yes
Everything ran so smoothly (except for different instructions from several staff members on immigration and Bar Harbor tender day - that was a little confusing). The entire staff was so friendly and accommodating. We loved it! Thank you so much!!
Excellent
October
Pros: Everything
Cons: Nono
Recommended: Yes
Great ship and best food and service ever
Beautiful Cruise
May
Pros: Beautiful ship and itinerary
Cons: Average dining room and food
Recommended: Yes
Ship beautiful as was cabin. Crew great. Itinerary of Norway magnificent. Dining room and food average compared to previous Royal Carribean cruises.
RCCL Serenade Of the Seas
December
Pros: Small to medium sized RCCL ship that alows for more detailed attention, ambiance, less crowding and overall more relaxing experience.
Cons: Not as many things to do on board compared to the mega ships.
Recommended: Yes
We have sailed on the Serenade six times and have always enjoyed our cruise.
Maine-ly Canada
September
Pros: Nice ship, great service, interesting itinerary
Cons: 1 shore excursion did not deliver what was advertised
Recommended: Yes
Dining room food was very good. We enjoyed the ports and three of the shore excursions. One shore excursion did not deliver what was promised, although Guest Relations did attempt to compensate us with what was within their control. Acadia National Park is a jewel and Bar Harbor was a great complement to it. St. John was fairly concentrated and easy to get to with a lot of history and interesting things to see and do. Halifax was a bit larger, but had some areas reachable by foot that were interesting. We especially enjoyed out bus trip to the Citadel, where we learned a lot about the Canadian military and Canadian military history.
Average ship
December
Pros: Fantastic crew. Very accommodating. Ports of call were excellent.
Cons: Elevator doors close too fast so you have to race to get on. Pool lounge chairs too low. No snack bars or coffee shops open at night.
Recommended: No
I prefer the Freedom of the Seas in comparison to Serenade.
very good
December
Pros: very good
Cons: destinations
Recommended: Yes
no comments
Love to cruise
November
Pros: Loved the ship,staff and ports.
Cons: Day one and last day.
Recommended: Yes
Didn't care for not being able to go to my cabin until after 1 o clock. Didn't like having my carry on with me for two hours. Didn't care for last day being last trough customs. I know some one has to be last, but will have to remember not to go through customs on a holiday.
The food was just okay. I have had better on RCL.
A very informative Trip.
October
Pros: Great to live the History.
Cons: St John's, New Brunswick was a wasted day.
Recommended: Yes
A great cruise experience. Very interesting to learn more about this history of this area of the country. A week of so late to see the red in the fall foliage, but that cannot be predicted.
Serenade of the Seas
October
Pros: Food, entertainment & activities
Cons: Long wait for drinks at bars
Recommended: Yes
I had a great time on the Serenade of the Seas! The ship was clean, the staff was friendly and there was always something to do. The food onboard was good (the sit down restaurants and buffets). We wish the casino didn't steal all of our money!
Norway Cruise from Copenhagen
August
Pros: Great room, friendly waiters, good shows
Cons: Food was so so, no quiet place to talk or platy cards in the evening,
Recommended: Yes
One fjord had spectacular views, but the others were somewhat disappointing. While on the balcony you could hear rooms 3 or 4 away talking.
extraordinary trip and accommodations
August
Pros: shows and service
Cons:
Recommended: Yes
SAS lost our luggage temporarily but it did arrive 12 hours before the cruise departed from Copenhagen
Excellent cruise for the $$.
May
Pros: Countries visited; tour guides & the ship & crew; great Captain & Just Phil
Cons: Nothing major.
Recommended: Yes
Wonderful ship; great crew; food was good especially in the dining room; windjammer not bad either; cabin adequate; nothing particularly negative that I /we can think of. Looking forward to another cruise in the future.
Armin & Barbara
NOT MUCH TO DO FOR THIS LONG TRIP AT SEA.
April
Pros: ALL THE STAFF WAS GREAT
Cons: WHEN I HAD MY INJURY FROM THEIR FRIDGE, NO ONE EVERY CALLED ME TO SEE HOW I WAS. I WAS IN MEDICAL EVERY DAY FOR TREATMENT MY LEG IS STILL NOT HEELED. THE PANEL FROM THE FRIDGE FELL ON ME ANS CUT MY LEG VERY DEEP.MEDICAL STAFF WAS JUST GREAT TO ME, AND THATS IT. I WILL BE WRITING THE SHIPS MANAGEMENT.
Recommended: Yes
Relaxing
April
Pros: Clean and friendly staff
Cons: Main events too close to dinner time
Recommended: Yes
Not enough main events that was not at the dinner times- Centrum was small but the ship was beautiful and the islands very interesting! Wish we had beaches like those back home! They should upgrade the beds.
Kudos Serenade of the Seas
March
Pros: Perfect size ship for me; the food was superb. I ate my breakfasts (except for 1) in the dining room - which I prefer. The staff including the dining room (fantastic) as well as entertainment, casino, and room attendant all performed extremely well. Kudos! Chef's Table was a fantastic experience . Boarding in Ft Lauderdale is the most efficient I've ever experienced.
Cons: Smoking in the casino was horrible. Air purifiers should remedy this. Viewing special performances in the Centuran was difficult. Too many people squeezed into small area - with very obstructed view. At the Mystery Dinner, food was terrific but performance was too trivial.
Recommended: Yes
I really enjoyed this cruise. 2 days at sea at beginning and end was terrific.
Food was excellent. Good job Royal Caribbean!! Boarding in Florida was the most efficient I've ever experienced.
Great Vacation
March
Pros: Great food and lots of fun
Cons: Drinks were a little expensive
Recommended: No
My wife and I enjoyed the cruise very much. We think the entertainment was good but very standard and not memorable.
The Bar drinks were a little higher than we expected. Most venues charge about 7 or 8 dollars per drink and you tip what you think the service was worth, however we understand that the guests are constantly moving from bar to bar and it would be a problem paying cash for each drink. The Beverage Pack is a quick and easy way to go as you don't have to sign each time. May be the tip charge could be at a reduced rate for Beverage Pack customers.
2/26/16-3/7/16
February
Pros: Entertainment was super; Staff wonderful; The band, PULSE, awesome!
Cons: Elevator near our room turned out to be for STAFF ONLY!
Recommended: Yes
Next time we will be be sure the elevator near our room is actually for guests.
Serenade of the Sea review
February
Pros: food was excellent; staff friendly and fun
Cons: Older crowd - no night life
Recommended: Yes
If you're looking for relaxation this is the ship. The food was excellent; staff was friendly and fun; all the shows were very good. Our only complaint was that the crowd was an older crowd (we are late 50's early 60's). There was no nightlife at all. Disco was empty at 11 pm. Alot of activities were done in the Centrum where you had to stand and sometimes look down for one of the higher floors. Crowd & Anchor note said we didnt have to do anything to get our rewards they were on our card only to find out we had to tell the bar tender that we got a freebie...that was a little misleading.
Exceeds expectations
February
Pros: Very accommodating,plenty of things to do if wanted, food out of this world, clean friendly ship. Been on 3 different cruise lines and Royal Caribbean is the best.
Cons: The only problem I had was on sea days people saved chairs and hard to find any empty ones on the decks. Need better enforcement of the chair problem.
Recommended: Yes
Shopping on the ship was always something to look forward to every day. Royal Caribbean cruise lines went out of their way to make you feel special.
NICE SHIP
January
Pros: EASY TO GET AROUND, NICE MEN'S AND LADIES LOCKER AREA
Cons: FOOD SELECTION, NOT ENOUGHT CHAIRS AROUND THE POOL AREA
Recommended: Yes
PORTS WERE GOOD, CHOPS GRILL VERY GOOD, NICE STAFF
Balcony room
December
Pros: Loved the anytime dining and enjoyed the shows.
Cons: It was a waste to book a balcony room as we could not see down because of a ledge that ran below our room. Because of this we were unable to view the docking procedures as well as the dock below.
Recommended: Yes
Could not view any dockings as well as water below. We could only see straight out.
Serenade of the seas
December
Pros: Good service. Good ports headliners
Cons: Smokey casino. Singer/dancer shows. Activities. Food
Recommended: No
Prefer larger ship with more activities
Great cruise
December
Pros: Great crew and shows
Cons:
Recommended: Yes
Shore excursions on Monique poor
Marcy Bikofsky
December
Pros: LOve that the ship is small. Food was great. Even inside room was large enough for us. Everyone on the ship worked so hard and did a great job.
Cons: Smoke in the casino
Recommended: Yes
great
Trip on Serenade of the Seas
December
Pros: The wait staff in the
Cons: see comments below
Recommended: Yes
This cruise had a training program on board and several of the crew were so inexperienced that several people complained about the lack of service or inefficiency of the staff taking care of their needs. We should have been informed of this situation before we boarded.....what we could have done,,,I don't know. But when you vacation, you are in a "take care of me mode" and that lacked on this ship.....otherwise, I had a great time with my friends.
10 Day Cruise on Serenade of the Seas
December
Pros: Our waiter and assistant waiter were excellent.
Cons: Some nights there was only 1 show- which was at the time of our dinner. 1 night there was no show.
Recommended: Yes
I found the food and service to be wonderful. Lots of things to do .Everything ran efficiently.
We missed some of the shows on the nights when there was only 1 show- because it conflicted with our dinner time. I would like them to have 2 shows every night. On one of the nights they had no show.
When we got off of the ship on the final day, the lines were very long. It took over 35 minutes to go through. When I got off, in the luggage area, I couldn't find a porter to help with the luggage.
Heven
December
Pros: Everything
Cons: Nonr
Recommended: Yes
Great cruise would have liked a little more late night entertainment
Caribbean Cruise
December
Pros: Ship lovely, excellent food, service and entertainment
Cons: Casino unbearable due to heavy smoking. It should be banned for the health of passengers
Recommended: Yes
Everything in general was wonderful. but major negative was the smoke filled casino which we found disgusting and uncomfortable
Southern Caribbean
November
Pros: Service, Food and activities were excellent
Cons: Some of the excursions were lacking
Recommended: Yes
EL tours in Aruba was disappointing. Guide arrived half hour late. Then his information wasn't correct.
Scenic Souffriere of St Lucia tour was long and the lunch was cheese bread. Very disappointing.
Newark to Quebec fall foliage tour
October
Pros: From Newark starting Oct 6 was good timing for the fall colors.Our room, an outside room on a lower level without balcony was roomy, more than we had on other cruise ships.
Cons: On-board services were pricey. It is stingy to charge for Cokes.
Recommended: Yes
Lots of good stops on the tour. Entertainment was good. Food good. The captain steered around the Statue of Liberty just to give us a close look- nice.
The timing of the cruise was great for the foliage and weather this year.
Great Cruise
September
Pros: Outstanding Service, Beautiful Ship, Great Port Destinations, Good Food
Cons: limits on bringing our own wine on board, buffet food was good but the same every day, too much up-selling on the ship, no laundry room
Recommended: Yes
Thank you for a wonderful vacation! The staff was so helpful and personable.
New England Member's cruise
September
Pros: Top notch crew, excellent entertainment, Member's format that made the trip
Cons: Very average food, lack of tree changes due to warm weather, two tendered ports
Recommended: Yes
Cruises like this justify the effort and cost necessary to achieve "diamond" level to qualify. They had a very active schedule of events especially for "diamond and above".
8 day Norwegian cruise
August
Pros: Beautiful ship. Large staterooms. Friendly staff. Good entertainment and food.
Cons: Always asking you to buy something. Seems like things are costing more.
Recommended: Yes
This is a fantastic trip. A must do for cruisers. Norway is a beautiful country and the Fjords are breathtaking. We selected 3 great shore excursions. We enjoyed the entertainment. Good shows.
Baltic cruise
May
Pros: Food was wonderful and the onboard crew were very helpful
Cons:
Recommended: No
I loved the cruise, the music, the casino, the bingo games (won $200) of course I love it, I really can't remember anything about the cruise I didin't enjoy thoroughly.
Loving and enjoying my kids????
May
Pros: Everything is pre paid and ready to enjoy
Cons:
Recommended: Yes
I would love to make another cruise with Royal Caribbean ????????
Trans Atlantic Adventure.
April
Pros: Great staff, Very clean ship well taken care of, great entertainment in the different venues on the ship, Nice size ship
Cons: Really none
Recommended: Yes
We enjoyed this trip more than any we have taken. Ship, crew, officers, and Guest staff were outstanding. Guest officers assisted me on several business contracts that had to be scanned,signed and emailed back to my attorney while I was on the trip. They could not have been more helpful..
Outstanding trip!
Great experience
May
Pros: Our first long cruise and it was great
Cons: None
Recommended: Yes
Very nice ship with many things to do and great service
A Taste of Europe
April
Pros: The ship is delightful, and service top notch! The ports were truly enriching-makes one want more...
Cons: having to change staterooms for the second half of the cruise. The Fjords of Norway was actually a back-to-back cruise
Recommended: Yes
I didn't like the dining room-too noisy and very crowded. (We had a table of 10 right at the door to the kitchen).
The dining staff at the informal eating area were gracious and very attentive! The food was average...
Great crew
April
Pros: The crew on this particular ship is the best. Friendly and genuinely seem to enjoy their jobs
Cons: The price of the wifi is an issue on all the ships and the smoking in the casino which travels throughout the ship
Recommended: Yes
Three guys from the crew in their overalls played in the centrum, one guy on drums, one on bass, one on guitar. Absolutely fantastic!
Spring break trip
March
Pros: New Orleans is handy from Searcy Arkansas
Cons: None
Recommended: Yes
First trip on Royal Caribbean very nice, quieter group, less spring break partying. The ship was very clean and the staff was top notch.
March 2015 cruise
March
Pros:
Cons:
Recommended: Yes
Enjoyable trip, except for all the spring break children, teens and college kids. Would rather spend more time in Key West than in Nassau.
Staff and food were very good.
Serenade of the Seas Cruise Review
January
Pros: Food, entertainment
Cons: Bathroom exhaust fan in Stateroom 3539 does not operate.
Recommended: Yes
Everything else EXCELLENT
Review of Serenade of the Seas Cruise
April
Pros: Very friendly and helpful crew. Well laid out ship and very pretty.
Cons: Only thing was the dishes from room service were left in hallway overnight and into morning.
Recommended: Yes
Trip was great. We had great excursions and some of the best crew we have seen on a cruise.Very friendly and helpful.
Loved it!
March
Pros: Good food, beautiful ship and friendly personnel.
Cons: Errors on our my time dining and customer service wasn't very personable. Rather rude actually.
Recommended: Yes
The stateroom and all the amenities were just wonderful! Our servers at dinner and our stateroom attendant were just wonderful! They really made our trip special!
Serenade of the Seas | Cruises