Supplement to Travel Trade
December 2003

Serenade of the Seas:

Bright Addition to the RCI Fleet

By Marilyn Green

Like her sister ships, Royal Caribbean International’s third Radiance class vessel, the 2,501-passenger Serenade of the Seas, has been outfitted with acres of glass. This opens up the ship dramatically to light and to the expanse of the sea, blurring the boundaries between interior and exterior space.

The 10-story glass atrium is a light magnet by day, a romantic spot for dancing and drinks in the evening. Eight of the decks are spanned by “Bow,” a sculpture of stainless steel, aluminum and wire with colored lights appearing and disappearing in patterns that seem both playful and hypnotic.

The “Bow” is only one of the features of the ship’s $5.3 million art collection which includes textiles, bronze sculpture and stained glass, along with drawings and prints. The art is themed.

For instance, the main deck has a flower theme, with images in all sorts of media. Some corridors can be quickly identified by their color themes, with a number of interesting smaller paintings, collages, drawings and prints. The work is sometimes charming and comic, like the bronze sculpture of an oversized swimmer ready to jump into the main pool, and the wonderful golf course sculpture of a substantial woman walking her dog, backed by a huge mural of golf links.

Reflections, the main dining room, has more than 27 oil and acrylic paintings by American artist Frank Troia, but there’s more than visual art to intrigue diners. Reflections is bi-level, with a soothing waterfall encouraging passengers to relax over the very good food.

Each cruise has one midnight buffet. The two private dining rooms, Illusions and Mirage, are expected to draw heavily for corporate groups, weddings and reunions.

For an informal dining experience, the Windjammer Restaurant on Deck 12 is a good choice for breakfast or lunch. Broken up into multiple stations, everything from smoked fish to tofu makes for heaping dishes, while beverage service comes around to the tables.

The Solarium Café, one of the loveliest areas on the ship, offers hummus and veggie wraps as well as pizza and chocolate confections. Because it is glass enclosed, many passengers on our cruise thought the area was private and passed it by. Their soups, burger, samdwiches and finger food, including fish and chips, are particularly welcome late at night.

Guests who tried the specialty restaurants, the steakhouse Chops and the Italian Portofino, found the $20 per person fee nominal. Portofino, with low lighting and continental ambiance, seemed to be the popular choice for the most romantic dining venue.

Equally romantic were the pampering Couples treatments in the spa, with full body massage, hot stones or aromatherapy and Rasul treatment, a mud ritual with steam and showers, for two. The Zone philosophy was explored by nutritional counselors and a full menu of skin care, anti-aging and relaxing treatments was heavily booked by the time the ship left the pier.

Guests enjoyed the more active sports RCI is famous for: basketball, volleyball and soccer, a rock climbing wall, a 9-hole miniature golf course, golf simulator and jogging track. The fitness center is beautifully equipped, with elliptical steppers, recumbent bikes, weight machines and free weights. Classes include a sunrise stretch, aerobics and a small fee for yoga, spinning and personal trainers, most at $10 per class.

The pools see heavy use, and disabled guests can make use of pool lifts. The indoor-outdoor spa solarium is a serene getaway in the midst of the action, with a Balinese flavor. Big elephant heads anchor the Solarium pool, while a bronze tiger watches over the pool area. Two whirlpools are uncrowded retreats. The area is open 24 hours.

For those who prefer to get their exercise on the dance floor, Vortex on Deck 13 is the center of the action, with a revolving bar to add to the fun.

Production shows in the main theater are varied and well received, with themes ranging from historic to stage and screen. Part of the tropical theme that runs through the ship, the stage curtain is decorated with multiple levels of a jungle with foliage from the ground to the highest level. The entrance and corridors are a theatrical experience in themselves, taking the audience through a rainforest with green glass panels infused with sculpted butterflies and insects.

Among the more intimate spaces, the Safari Club complex rooms look like a traditional British men’s club, a very pleasant place for a game of pool or cards or a lingering drink. Hollywood Odyssey on Deck 13 is a cigar/jazz club and disco with very good live music late at night.

The Casino Royale seemed to draw a fairly constant stream of players, but was never so crowded that there was a wait for games.

For those who wanted to be in contact with home or work, the Internet stations were clustered in several areas, in addition to the one off the main lobby on Deck 4, including the coffee bar. Mercifully, Fuel, the dedicated teen facility, has its own stations, very heavily used.

Younger children from age 3 have scheduled supervised activities in Adventure Ocean, with younger children meeting 9-12 a.m; 2-5 p.m. and 7-10 p.m. on sea days. The 12-14 age group activities are scattered during the day then start up again from 10 p.m. until 1:30 a.m. Older teens’ programs run until 3 a.m., with Fuel serving as their private nightclub.

Serenade of the Sea’s library is small but well stocked, and the ship has an elegant 12-person boardroom. The cinema is very attractive and comfortable, accommodating about 50 people at a time.

Standard staterooms are compact and well decorated, with soft rich colors and ample storage. Some agents remarked that they would advise clients to spend a little more per person for a more spacious room and balcony, more extensive bathroom amenities and tubs as well as showers.

Family suites also are expected to sell very well. They come in two configurations: two bedrooms or a large room with bed and sofa and an adjoining small bedroom. These can accommodate six people and agents considered them a very good buy. The highest end suites are enormous, with features including pianos.

Serenade of the Seas sails 7-night cruises roundtrip San Juan every Saturday from Nov. 8- April 17. Calls include St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Antigua, St. Lucia and Barbados. On April 24 the first trans-Canal sailing embarks, 14 nights from San Juan to San Diego. A May 8, 11-night cruise from Ensenada to Honolulu and a May 19, 11-night Honolulu to Vancouver cruise follows. The ship departs Sundays from May 30-Sept. 19 roundtrip out of Vancouver to Hubbard Glacier, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan and Misty Fjords.