SERENADE OF THE SEAS
June 28, 2022 | Sitka, Alaska
Serenade of the Seas (Royal Caribbean International) is seen in Sitka, Alaska, on June 28, 2022. The Radiance-class ship was photographed during Day 5 of our Alaska cruise aboard Queen Elizabeth, when both ships visited Sitka amid the mountains and islands of Southeast Alaska.
Serenade of the Seas is seen in Sitka, Alaska, on June 28, 2022, while operating in Southeast Alaska. We photographed the Royal Caribbean International ship during Day 5 of our own Alaska cruise aboard Queen Elizabeth, when both vessels were visiting Sitka.
Built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, Serenade of the Seas entered service for Royal Caribbean in 2003 as the third member of the Radiance class. The class was designed with unusually extensive glass throughout its public spaces, creating strong visual connections between the interior of the ship and the surrounding sea and landscape.
That design is particularly well suited to destinations such as Alaska. At approximately 90,090 gross tons and 962 feet long, Serenade of the Seas is substantially smaller than Royal Caribbean's later generations of resort-style ships, giving her proportions that remain well suited to scenic itineraries and destination-focused cruising.
Information List
Name: Serenade of the Seas
Operator: Royal Caribbean International
Class: Radiance class
Builder: Meyer Werft, Papenburg, Germany
Entered Service: 2003
Maiden Voyage: August 25, 2003
Gross Tonnage: 90,090 GT
Length: 962 feet / 293 meters
Width: 131 feet / 39 meters
Draft: 27 feet / 8 meters
Guest Decks: 12
Double-Occupancy Capacity: 2,143 guests
Staterooms: 1,073
Crew: Approximately 827
Godmother: Whoopi Goldberg
Gallery Date: June 28, 2022
Gallery Location: Sitka, Alaska
History and Features
Radiance-Class Development:
Serenade of the Seas was built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, and entered Royal Caribbean service in 2003.
She is the third member of the four-ship Radiance class.
Her sister ships are Radiance of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas and Jewel of the Seas.
The class occupies an interesting position between Royal Caribbean's earlier ships and the much larger Voyager-class vessels introduced around the same period.
Rather than concentrating primarily on size, the Radiance-class design places particular emphasis on views of the sea and surrounding destinations.
Glass and Ocean Views:
Extensive glass is one of the most recognizable characteristics of Serenade of the Seas and her sister ships.
Large windows throughout public areas allow passengers to remain visually connected with the surrounding scenery.
Glass elevators facing outward provide additional views from within the ship.
The arrangement is particularly effective on scenic itineraries such as Alaska, where mountains, islands and coastal landscapes remain a major part of the experience while underway.
These features helped give the Radiance class a distinctive identity within the Royal Caribbean fleet.
Onboard Features:
Serenade of the Seas includes a rock-climbing wall and mini-golf course among her outdoor recreation facilities.
The ship also includes a sports court, pools, whirlpools and a fitness center.
An adults-oriented Solarium provides a covered pool area suited to itineraries where weather may be cooler.
Dining venues include the main dining room, Windjammer, Chops Grille, Giovanni's Table and Izumi.
Entertainment and gathering spaces include the Tropical Theater, Safari Club, Schooner Bar and Viking Crown Lounge.
Alaska Service:
Alaska has been particularly well suited to the Radiance-class design because of the ships' extensive viewing areas.
Vancouver has served as an important embarkation point for Royal Caribbean Alaska itineraries.
Voyages through Southeast Alaska combine narrow waterways, mountain scenery and port calls that place a greater emphasis on the destination than many warm-weather itineraries.
Sitka is one of the ports regularly included on Alaska cruise schedules and occupies a distinctive setting on the western side of Baranof Island.
June 28, 2022 – Sitka:
These photographs show Serenade of the Seas in Sitka on June 28, 2022.
The ship's relatively low, balanced profile contrasts with the increasingly tall superstructures of newer generations of Royal Caribbean vessels.
Sitka's surrounding mountains, forested islands and protected waters provide a setting particularly suited to the glass-focused Radiance-class design.
The photographs also document two very different passenger ships visiting the same Alaska destination: Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas and Cunard's Queen Elizabeth.
Our Queen Elizabeth Alaska Cruise – Day 5:
June 28, 2022 was Day 5 of our Alaska cruise aboard Queen Elizabeth.
We had visited Icy Strait Point the previous day before continuing through Southeast Alaska to Sitka.
Serenade of the Seas was also in Sitka during our visit, allowing us to photograph the Royal Caribbean ship while traveling aboard Queen Elizabeth.
Our voyage continued south toward Ketchikan following the Sitka call.
The encounter connects this gallery directly with the larger Ocean Liner Photography series documenting our 2022 Queen Elizabeth Alaska voyage.
Two Different Approaches to Ship Design:
The Sitka encounter also provides an interesting comparison between Serenade of the Seas and Queen Elizabeth.
Serenade of the Seas reflects Royal Caribbean's early twenty-first-century Radiance-class approach, emphasizing glass, outward views and contemporary cruising.
Queen Elizabeth draws much of her visual identity from Cunard's traditional ocean-liner heritage.
Although built for different operators and with different design philosophies, both ships are particularly well suited to scenic cruising in destinations such as Alaska.
Seeing the two vessels in Sitka placed these different approaches to passenger-ship design within the same dramatic setting.
Continued Service:
More than two decades after entering service, Serenade of the Seas remains part of the Royal Caribbean fleet.
Her moderate size compared with newer Royal Caribbean ships allows her to operate a broad range of itineraries.
The Radiance-class emphasis on views and connection with the surrounding environment continues to distinguish the ship from many larger resort-oriented vessels.
Royal Caribbean has continued to maintain and update the ship throughout her career.
Legacy:
Serenade of the Seas represents a distinctive period in Royal Caribbean's development at the beginning of the twenty-first century.
Her Radiance-class design combines many of the amenities associated with modern cruising with an unusually strong emphasis on the surrounding sea and landscape.
Those characteristics have made the ship particularly appropriate for scenic destinations such as Alaska.
The June 28, 2022 Sitka gallery documents Serenade of the Seas in that environment while also preserving an encounter from Day 5 of our Alaska voyage aboard Queen Elizabeth.
OLP Social: Both ships visited Sitka during Day 5 of our Alaska cruise aboard Queen Elizabeth. The Radiance-class design, with extensive glass and outward-facing public spaces, is especially well suited to the scenery of Southeast Alaska.
