Serenade of the Seas

Serenade of the Seas is the third ship of Royal Caribbean International's Radiance class, built by Meyer Werft at Papenburg, Germany, and entering service in 2003 at a cost of roughly US$350 million. A refined, glass-clad vessel of around 90,000 gross tons and 294 metres, carrying some 2,100 guests, she embodies the class's design intent of turning passengers outward toward the ocean through panoramic windows, exterior sea-view elevators, and light-filled lounges, all driven by comparatively clean gas-turbine propulsion.

Serenade's most remarkable chapter came in 2023 and 2024, when she was chosen to operate Royal Caribbean's Ultimate World Cruise, an epic nine-month circumnavigation billed as the longest itinerary the line had ever offered. Spanning more than 270 nights and calling at over 60 countries across all seven continents' surrounding waters, the voyage drew enormous public attention and even a devoted following on social media, cementing the ship's reputation as a capable long-distance explorer whose intimate scale and expansive views suited months at sea.

The ship was christened by the acclaimed actress and comedian Whoopi Goldberg, an Academy Award and multiple Emmy winner whose selection lent the ceremony a note of star wattage. Serenade of the Seas is registered at Nassau in the Bahamas and carries the call sign C6FV8.

Beyond her world-cruise fame, Serenade has been a versatile deployment ship, sailing Alaska seasons from Vancouver, Pacific and Caribbean itineraries, and voyages from ports such as San Diego, California. In recent seasons she has continued to alternate between Caribbean sailings and Pacific-region deployments. Still in active service, Serenade of the Seas stands out among Royal Caribbean's mid-size ships as a proven globe-girdling vessel, equally at home on a week in the Caribbean or a months-long circuit of the world.