December 30, 2023–The Calm Before Rio

Today was the second of two sea days as we make our way south down the coast of Brazil, with our big New Year’s Eve visit to Rio de Janeiro now just a day away. Not much of interest to report since we left Recife, so I thought this might be a good time to show you the public venues of our home away from home for nine months.

The Serenade of the Seas is one of Royal Caribbean’s older and smaller ships, entering service in 2003 and weighing 90,000 tons. By comparison, the world’s largest cruise ship, also operated by Royal Caribbean, is the Icon of the Seas, which weighs in at a hefty 248,000 tons. Icon takes the title from the Wonder of the Seas, yet another Royal Caribbean ship, which weighs “only” 236,000 tons. While those larger ships can carry as many as 7000 passengers, Serenade usually sails with around 2000 guests. We have even fewer than that on this sailing, because many of the double occupancy staterooms have been booked by solo cruisers.

Serenade may not have the glitzy amenities of the newer, larger ships, which sport everything from ice skating rinks to bumper cars to even roller coasters, but it’s a beautiful ship with plenty of room, plenty to do, and much smaller crowds. So, without further ado, let me show you around the Serenade of the Seas.

The obligatory pool deck. It has a couple hot tubs and bars on both levels. If the weather’s good you can be sure this will be a popular venue. A lot of organized activities take place here too.

The gym is huge, is well maintained, and has top notch equipment. I like the exercise bikes.

Pickleball, anyone? Depending on the time of day this is also a basketball court.

This is the Crown Lounge, reserved for Royal Caribbean cruisers who have attained diamond or higher status in their loyalty program. I spend quite a bit of time here, both because it’s a quiet place to read and because it has a wonderful coffee machine that grinds the beans while you watch and can make you anything from a latte to a cappuccino to an americano.I suppose it can also make a plain regular or decaf coffee, but I haven’t tried. 😀

The Vortex nightclub is next to the Crown Lounge. It’s pretty quiet during the day, but really comes alive at night.

The Solarium is the indoor, adults only pool area. Just out of the photo are a bar and a snack bar. This is another great place to swim, lounge, read, or take a nap.

I absolutely adore the library, which was added to the ship just for this cruise. There’s a nook in the upper right corner of the photo with a loveseat and chair where I like to hang out and read.

Neat little arcade. You likely won’t find me here, but it’s popular with the kids.

The climbing wall is a staple on Royal Caribbean ships.

The miniature golf course wraps around the back of the ship on the top deck. The views of the ocean are spectacular from up here. I haven’t had a good round yet, but hey, it’s a nine month cruise. I have plenty of time.

Like I said, there are plenty of places to catch up on your reading.

The main theater, where there are nightly performances. There’s a large balcony where Michele and I like to sit.

The main, two level dining room. It’s very nice and the food is good, though Michele and I usually prefer the more casual buffet.

The Windjammer buffet generally has a wide variety of delicious options. It’s also casual and doesn’t require a reservation. There’s lots of seating, though almost all of it is to the left or right of the photo.

Ping pong, anyone? Just off the main area of the pool deck, the table gets a lot of use.

Entrance to the spa. I haven’t used it yet, but they offer a lot of attractive services. I’ve booked haircuts every seven weeks for the length of the cruise.

The eleven story Centrum, in the heart of the ship, is a popular venue where there’s often music playing. Dance classes are also held here, and the bar is popular.

The Schooner Bar is another staple of Royal Caribbean ships, and they all look pretty much alike. The seating is really comfortable, and this is where you’ll often find trivia contests being held.

Cafe Latte-tudes serves Starbucks coffee and other popular Starbucks concoctions like frappucinos.

If you don’t mind regular, non-Starbucks coffee, you can get it at no extra charge 24 hours a day.

The Safari Lounge is used for enrichment lectures, shopping talks, and the like. It’s a warm, cozy place to curl up with a book if nothing’s going on there. You just have to check the schedule of activities.

These pool tables are self leveling, and they stay steady and level no matter how much the ship rocks.