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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Simon Lack
Email: simonlack@home.com
Age: 36
Occupation: Banker
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Enchantment
SailingDate: 8/1/99
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: 8564, C
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 80
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 09 Aug 1999
Time: 12:46:16
Remote Name: proxy1-external.avnl1.nj.home.com
Remote User:
Comments
Things began on a very positive note several days before we left.
Our travel agent called to tell us that Royal
Caribbean had overbooked the cruise, and would be downgrade from
our booked 'B' category cabin to a 'C'
category, in exchange for 50% of our money back. After some
thought we decided to stay with the larger cabin,
upon which they offered us a 100% refund if we'd switch. We took
that offer, and the 'C' category cabin turned out
fine. In addition, we had a wonderful cruise in part because we
kept thinking about the cost!
Embarkation was relatively straightforward (we had arrived in
Miami a day earlier to see a friend). It was no worse
than checking in for a flight. Our cabin was very nice. It was
well designed, and although we were four (my wife
and our 11-year old daughter and 9-year old son) we only really
used it for changing and sleeping. We had a
balcony too, which I'' read other cruisers comment on favorably.
We really enjoyed the balcony, and often sat out
there while I was waiting for everyone to get ready for dinner. I
think we'll always try for a balcony on future
cruises.
The ship overall is very impressive, just as it's described with
lots of glass windows everywhere. Of the three
cruises we've been on this was definitely our favorite and the
ship was certainly a big factor in that. Sometimes the
pools were crowded but it didn't bother our children. While on
that topic, the Voyager of the Seas which launches
in November sounds just too big for our taste. It's twice as big
as the already very large Enchantment of the Seas,
and boasts things like a triple floor dining room and an ice rink
(who really needs that at sea?). But the biggest
drawback to me is the 3,100 passengers on board. It's too big to
visit Grand Cayman at all, which was our favorite
port, and wherever the ship goes you know you'll be in a crowd of
fellow tourists. I don't think the extra facilities
can be worth the extra crowds.
The staff in the dining room were top-rate. Very attentive, and
always making sure that our children were taken
care of. You really couldn't ask for better service. We were
travelling with a friend and her 8 year old son, so had
a table for the six of us. The consensus on the food was fair to
good. If you allow for the fact that they have 2,400
passengers (and this cruise was fully booked) then the standard
was very high. However, it's not the same as
eating in a small restaurant on land, and so your opinion of the
food depends on whether you allow for the large
number of meals they're preparing. I rated it good myself, and
you can always try multiple appetizers or desserts
(or even entrees) to find what you like. I don't remember
anything that we didn't like. And of course the waiters
liven things up by doing a couple of quick shows through the
dining room on certain nights.
The entertainment was generally all high quality, and better than
our two previous cruises. The comedians were
very funny; the dancers were good; there was a ventriloquist with
a duck that we all loved, and we enjoyed every
show we saw (which was all but one). The illusionist was very
good, but I think we're becoming a bit jaded with
magic shows since Fox started showing how the tricks are actually
performed. Ken Rush the cruise director was
very visible and ran things professionally with humor. He ran a
version of the Not-So-Newly-Wed show, which was
just hilarious. I haven't seen anything so funny in ages. And
'Show me the money' Richie ran Bingo daily,
managing to extract far more bingo money out of this family than
we have spent in our lifetimes. He was also great
entertainment. The Kids program was so-so. They didn't promote it
directly to the kids as much as they might, with
the result that I had to convince our children to participate. As
it turned out, our three were busy enough with the
pool, ping pong and video arcade, but we were all (children
included) less informed about the Kids program than
most other activities on the ship.
As far as the itinerary, Key West was fine. We took a glass
bottomed boat tour which was fun. Cozumel was
terrific, and we wished we could have stayed there longer. The
people were all so friendly. My wife and daughter
went horse riding through the jungle which they enjoyed very
much, while the rest of us went snorkeling. I
understand the shopping was also good. In Jamaica we all went up
Dunn's River Falls, which is a climb up a rocky
waterfall. Bring water shoes for this, or the ship will happily
sell you a pair for $20. We all made it safely, helped by
the guides. There were a couple of anxious moments because it is
sometimes slippery. My son nearly
disappeared back down to the bottom except I caught him in time!
Some people picked up a few scrapes and
bruises, but it was wet and fun. That's all we did in Jamaica,
although the women went shopping and didn't like it
much. We've all read about how pushy the locals can be, and they
didn't feel all that comfortable. Since we've
climbed the falls we'll be unlikely to go back to Jamaica for a
while. Grand Cayman was really wonderful. I took my
son on a snorkeling trip early in the morning which, while it was
only in the harbor turned out to have some
spectacular fish with one stop at a shipwreck and another at
coral reef. Later we saw the stingrays. That's quite an
experience, standing on a sandbar in waist-deep water seven miles
out, while these incredibly tame stingrays swim
all around. The females can be five feet across and they push
themselves right up against you. There was plenty
of squealing, but nobody got stung or otherwise hurt (you can get
your fingers hurt when feeding them if you're
not careful). It's also possible to see the stingrays from a
glass bottomed boat, and if you don't like them touching
you it's probably the way to go (my daughter would have preferred
that).
We disembarked without much trouble, and other than leaving some
nice gifts on the airport bus by mistake
(which we're losing hope of recovering) getting on and off turned
out to be better than reported in the past. We
had a good time, and will cruise with Royal Caribbean again.
Name: Cindy Jansen
Email: cjansen40@aol.com
Age: 40
Occupation: 6th grade teacher
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Enchantment
SailingDate: 6-20-99
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: N2607
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 70
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 100
CruiseStaff:
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety:
DeckService: 98
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 100
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 98
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 100
CruiseActivities:
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 100
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 97
EmbarkDisembark: 75
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization:
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 09 Aug 1999
Time: 21:25:16
Remote Name: spider-pa063.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:
Comments
This cruise was ment to be a cruise of a life time. It exceeded
all of our expectations. I traveled with 8 women and
two 18 year old boys. This was ment to be a celebration of
turning 40 for three of us. I must tell you we were
treated like queens. Our trip was wonderful.
To start with the air/sea plan worked great for us. We arrived at
the ship around 3 pm. Embarkment went very
smoothly. The first time cruisers were impressed with how smooth
it went.
Our first great experience was dinner. We had a wonderful waiter
named Renalto and our bus boy was Car. They
were excellent.(The nine of us women were at one table with the
boys at a different one on the other level.) We
had the best seat in the house on the upper level overlooking the
lower level. Seated with us was a gentleman
named Alan. He is from England and was a joy to get to know. We
alll becam fast friends. Service at every meal
was excellent. The food was also good. At times we would order
extra and share it to get a taste of something
different.
Day One: Key West was an interesting town. We went in on our own
and met up with a friends brother. I would
suggest just walking around the town and enjoying the sights you
are interested. We split up here and went in
many different directions. All were pleased with this stop.
Day Two: Mexico. I had been on the Tulum tour on a previous trip.
This is an excellent tour. This time five of the
ladies opted to go into Cozumel. This was an excerience. Do not
buy your jewerly here. Wait until Jamaica, we
found better prices there. We spent most of our time and Carlos
and Charlies. We had a blast. We were going to
go snorkeling but ran out of time and energy. After our wonderful
time here the boys decided to tour with us. They
spent a lot of time with us after they decided we did know how to
have fun. They made the trip fun.(One of the
boys was my oldest son who received this trip as a graduation
gift.) We will always have wonderful memories of
this trip.
Day Three: A very relaxing day on ship. Layed around the pool and
took in the sights. Excellent drinks and
service.
Day Four: Jamaica was much better the second time. WE hired a
taxi for nine of us to tour the island. LeRoy was
excellent. He made the trip much more enjoyable than my first
one. WE did Dunns River Falls. WOW!! It is a must.
Also did a little shopping at the Taj Mahal. LeRoy set us up to
parasail. A wonderful experience. We had the boys
with us and they thought it was cool. He also took us to get
authentic Jamaican food. Interesting.
Day Five: Grand Cayman. Here we booked our own tour to snorkle
with the stingrays. It was a much smaller group
than the ship tour. This was an awesome experience. I would
strongly suggest it to all even non-swimmers. Rum
cakes from here are also excellent. It is hard to find a good
buy. I thought things were more expensive here than
any place else.
Day Six: At sea. A relaxing way to end the trip.
We spent a great deal of time at the piano bar with Steve the
piano man and at the disco. Both we fun. They
(RCCL) need to do a better job carding kids. Too many drunk
teenagers running around.
Our cabin was nice. Collette was wonderful. Our room was always
spotless. Every night we would find our pajamas
in a fun shape on our bed. We always found time to take an
afternoon nap so we could stay up at night.
We went to every show after dinner. We enjoyed them all. It is
worth you time. Talent show was cool. We heard
lots about the newlywed game. I wish we had seen it.
This was such a wonderful time. We are planning the next one for
the year 2001. It will be on RCCL. Our servers
made this a trip of a life time. I would suggest it to all.
Name: Skylar Weitzel
Email: Whitesky20@AOL.com
Age: 20
Occupation: student
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Enchantment
SailingDate: 07/04/99
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: 7568/D
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 96
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff: 98
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 96
Casino: 88
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 97
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace:
Stabilization: 97
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 12 Aug 1999
Time: 13:51:25
Remote Name: spider-tf034.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:
Comments
My wife and I sailed on the Enchantment of the Seas on July 4th
out of Miami. We stayed the previous night at the
Hyatt Regency in Miami, as our travel agent had arranged for us
to stay there. Nice hotel, close to the port of Miami,
and the RCI staff was there the next morning to speed up check-in
times. It was nice to get to the port and walk
through security and board quickly instead of having to check-in
at the pier. This is vacation, who wants to wait in
line?
Day One: preparing to sail
Embarkation was relatively smooth and hassle-free. Bus dropped us
off at the pier, and we waited for a few minutes
before checking through security then walked up the gangway and
onto the boat. Total amount of time spent after
getting off the bus before being on the ship, maybe 10 minutes.
We were onboard by 1:00 PM.
After the ceremonial embarkation picture we walked up the gangway
and were onboard. A few steps ahead was the
Centrum, I had heard so much about and it was indeed stunning.
Glass, brass, and two glass elevators...perfect. We
went to the check-in table set up on the commodore deck, deck 7,
where we received our room cards and our
cruisecards. We first went to our room to check it out and to
drop-off our carry on bags. The room was wonderful. I
had called ahead and ordered the honeymoon package to be in our
room when we arrived. Streamers and ribbons
decorated the room, as did the dozen roses, and the bottle of Dom
Perignon included with our Crowning Touches
package. Great way to start a vacation.
After viewing our room we decided to explore the ship as our
luggage would not be arriving for a few hours at least
and we wanted to familiarize ourselves with our home for the next
week. The boat was gorgeous. Everything about
the ship far exceeded our expectations. The layout of the ship
superb, and my wife and I saw nothing that we didn't
like. After walking around a while, we both agreed that we were
starting to get hungry, and believe me there's no
better a place to be hungry than on a cruise ship. The food is
great, it's everywhere, and best of all it's FREE!! We
decided to take lunch at the Windjammer Cafe for the bon voyage
lunch buffet. It was wonderful, contrary to other
reviews that I read, the food in the Windjammer was always fresh,
and there seemed to be a variety for everyone to
enjoy.
At 4:30 all quests were required to attend the lifeboat drill.
Worst part of cruise no contest. All passengers have to
report to their muster station on deck 5, upon arrival they lined
us up in tight rows, about 15 guests deep. Very
cramped between all other guests. All they really did was get us
to gather together and call off cabin numbers to
make sure everyone is there. EVERYONE MUST go to the muster
drill; they won’t let the others leave until all report.
So save that drink until the ship leaves port and go to the
lifeboat drill! After the drill we went to the purser’s desk
to
drop off our shore excursion requests, all were filled for the
time we requested, so we advise to get your shore
excursionrequests in early.
For dinner Sunday we ate in the My Fair Lady. The theme was
American Night, which was appropriate since it was
the 4th of July. We both had the prime rib, superb. After dinner
we caught the after-dinner show in the Orpheum
Theater, very nice theater. I was very impressed with the layout
of the theater for there was not a bad seat in the
house. Just for simplicity sake, I will tell you that we ate in
the Dining Room every night, and we never once left
dinner thinking it could have been any better. So I will spare
you with what we ate every night, but just know that the
food in the Dining Room is not to be missed. Oh and who could
forget the after dinner shot of the night, from the
French kiss to the Italian Stallion the after dinner shots were
always very good and it’s fun to try new drinks, at least I
thought so. Hey we got 14 Royal Caribbean shooters to remember
our trip by as well.
Each night after dinner we took in the entertainment for the
evening, which was very good, with few exceptions. The
illusionists left a little to be desired however. If you only go
to one show, be sure and catch the Not-So-Newlywed
Game with cruise director, Ken Rush, it is absolutely hilarious.
After the show we usually went to the casino and tried
our luck at Blackjack and I tried a little Roulette. Roulette was
not so good to me, but the blackjack tables provided
us with hours of nighttime enjoyment. If you go to the casino,
please say hello to Emma (she was our blackjack
dealer, she works the other tables too) and say hi to Lyndon, he
serves from the casino bar, both of them were
wonderful. Maybe they were really working against us by getting
us toasted then taking our money, but it was a blast
all the same.
Day Two: Key West
We did the Old Town Trolley tour of Key West, and for the most
part it was a good tour. It took about an hour and a
half, and we were able to see all the interesting things in Key
West, without having to walk around the island to see
them. After the trolley concluded we went around on foot just for
some light shopping. Well when you’re on vacation
there’s no such thing as light shopping, the only kind of
shopping we did was, if we saw it and we liked it we bought it.
We went to the Hard Rock in Key West and got our T-shirt and shot
glass. The shot glass was free with presentation
of our cruise card. We also stopped at the Smile Mon shirt store.
The man working there was extremely obnoxious
and the shirts he sold us ended up being too much. Lesson learned
the hard way, and a tip, DON’T GO TO SMILE
MON SHIRTS. A stop at the Conch Tour Train Gift Shop for some Key
Lime juice, a few more magnets, and that
picture of my wife and I in front of the tourist cutout
(you’ll see what I’m talking about) we were on our way
back to the
ship. Overall visit to Key West: fair, nice island at least it
looks nice from the boat, but nothing really impressed me
too much.
Day Three: Cozumel
Cozumel was our favorite stop hands down. We opted to just take a
cab once we got off the ship instead of an
organized excursion. We went to the Hard Rock and got our
T-shirts, then walked around the stores looking for good
buys. Not a lot caught our eye, so we went to Carlos and
Charlie’s for a drink. Two things, nobody goes to Carlos
and Charlie’s for just one drink, and second everyone should
go to Carlos and Charlie’s. I had read reviews saying
that it was a great bar, but it was fantastic. Good music, great
atmosphere, and yes the Corona’s taste better when
they are consumed in Mexico. The waiters and waitresses went
around the tables with shots of Sex on the Beach,
when a shot was requested they blow a whistle and then proceed to
pour the shot down your throat. Very fun and
hey we even got to keep the shot glasses, now who could pass that
up? After C &C’s we went around for some more
shopping. My wife found an onyx chessboard that she has wanted
forever, very cool chessboard, cost $16. Great
value, great shopping everywhere in Cozumel. When we got home and
started unpacking all the little trinkets,
magnets, keychains and shot glasses, we were somewhat surprised
when we found something we didn’t remember
buying. We would unwrap it, look at it curiously, look at each
other and say, 'We must have bought that after Carlos
and Charlie’s.' On the way back to the ship we stopped and
took pictures with us posing on a horse. Complete with
sombrero and poncho, we looked just like Poncho Villa, well at
least we thought we looked good. Overall visit to
Cozumel: fantastic, C & C’s is not to be missed, and the
island itself was very nice and the vendors didn’t seem to
bother us much. A++++ for Cozumel.
Day Four: at sea
A welcomed day or rest and relaxation. We opted to get full body
massages in the salon. As part of our Crowning
Touches package we received full massages for two, very nice.
After the massage at ten we went back to our room
to relax before lunch in the Solarium. We ended up having lunch
in the Solarium almost everyday. The food is very
fresh, burgers, hotdogs, and pizza, oh and they have the best
french fries. After lunch we took in a nap and watched
some TV before we got ready for dinner. Being a full day at sea
the casino was open all day so we went and made a
contribution before dinner this night as well.
Day Five: Jamaica ‘mon
When you first look off the boat at port in Jamaica, don’t
be alarmed at the sight. RCI uses the industrial port to
debark and it is right in front of a sugar refinery. Rusted metal
and a very foul stench meet you when you get off the
boat, but don’t worry it gets better. We got a cab and went
to the Taj-Mahal shopping center. A couple hundred
bucks later and many t-shirts in our shopping bag, we headed back
to the boat to get ready for our real excursion.
We took the Sundancer Cruise to Dunn’s River Falls
excursion. It was very enjoyable. The rum punch drinks they
served on the boat were very strong, I think they used the recipe
rum, rum, rum and a splash of watered down
punch. I opted for a Red Stripe beer, it’s brewed and
bottled in Jamaica and it is quite good. The falls themselves
were beautiful. Didn’t rent shoes to climb so we just walked
up the stairs next to the falls. Took many great pictures
and had a good time. Tip; find another tourist to take pictures
for you if need be. The natives or the River guides will
take your picture for you, but only for a fee, and it just might
be them taking your camera, so be wise. Overall: nice,
Jamaica is great is you don’t mind being bothered to buy
trinkets, go para-sailing, go scuba diving, anything to
contribute to the economy of the island. I was offered to buy pot
three times, so if that kind of thing makes you
uncomfortable then I suggest taking a organized excursion, for
shopping anyway. Everyone in Jamaica knows that
tourists have money and the natives like to sell ganja.
That’s just the culture of the people, and part of the
history of
Jamaica.
Day Six: Grand Cayman
Grand Cayman has the cleanest blue ocean you will ever see. The
snorkeling is unmatched and the scuba diving
along the Cayman Reef is unparalleled. I went on the Stingray Bay
snorkeling tour my first trip to Cayman and it was
a real experience. To be able to swim with stingrays is
unforgettable. This trip with my wife, we did the Cayman
Highlights and Turtle Farm excursion. Like Key West we drove
around the island as saw all the sights to see without
having to walk around or arrange our own transportation. The
Turtle farm was my wife’s favorite part. We were able
to pet the turtles, and then we went into the gift shop where
they had everything from Turtle Farm postcards, to the
diner where they served Turtle burgers, Turtle dogs, Turtle soup,
we decided to wait and eat rum cake at Captain
Rackham’s Rum Cake store. Very moist cake and the rum taste
is very well hidden. We bought a few cakes to take
back home and have been enjoying them for the past few nights.
After some more shopping we went back to the
boat to rest and take showers before dinner that night. Overall:
Grand Cayman is the most beautiful port on the
western itinerary. Blue water, bluer than I’ve ever seen
anyway. Good shopping and the island is very pretty all
around.
Day Seven: at sea
Every vacation has its ending so this was expected by all, but
not at all welcomed. Oh well, it has to end sometime,
sadly. This day was spent like our first day at sea, a massage
around noon and then lunch in the Windjammer. A trip
to the casino and then dinner, followed by another trip to the
casino to try and make some money to pay for all the
stuff we bought over the last seven days. Well that didn’t
happen, but we had a great time anyway.
Sunday morning we went and had breakfast in the dining room to
say goodbye to our table companions for the week
and to dine like the rich and famous for just one more meal.
Overall my wife and I thoroughly loved our cruise. We would go
again in a heartbeat, the first heartbeat after we pay
off this cruise of course. The boat was terrific, as was the
entire staff. Barbara our cabin attendant who cleaned our
room, and turned down our bed each night deserves a round of
applause. She was great. Every night when we
returned from dinner she had arranged our towels in the shape of
animal on the bed, or she would use the lingerie
that my wife had hung on the bathroom door and arrange something
on the bed. It was nice to come back to the
room and see that she had made it special for us. Our dining room
staff was absolutely unbeatable. Rex was our
assistant waiter and he was very helpful in making sure we had
water, drinks, bread, etc. Serena was our waitress
and she was also superb. Every night she would give us her
suggestions as well as what to avoid, and described
them all with such passion that I wanted to try every entrée.
I had read a lot of reviews saying that the ship vibrated so bad
that the waiters couldn't even fill their water glasses
past half full, well I'll just say that the vibration was very
slight and only when arriving at port or leaving in the
evening. I do however have one gripe about the cruise itself.
Royal Caribbean needs to have irons in the room, no
question about it. The only option for wrinkled clothes is let
their laundry service press it, which is the full cost of
having it laundered. We went to the gift shop and purchased a can
of Wrinkle-Free, and it worked surprisingly well.
However if they put irons in the room they would have no way of
making money off of it. In case you didn’t know RCI
is in the cruise business to make money. They take pictures of
you when you arrive on the ship and they take
pictures when you get off the boat at port, they take pictures at
dinner and they take pictures before dinner, they
take pictures everywhere and they have them available for
purchase. Do you have to buy them? No. Do you even
have to have them taken? No. It’s all part of cruising. The
luxury that is involved with cruising also must have it’s
down sides, fortunately the trip is what you make it and my wife
and I made it the vacation of a lifetime, and so can
you.
I hope this helps, if I didn’t answer your questions please
e-mail me at Whitesky20@AOL.com Happy sailing.
Name: Jacki & Tim Dooley
Email: Tjdooley99@aol.com
Age: 35 & 34
Occupation: Administrative Assistant & Electrician
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Enchantment
SailingDate: August 1-8, 1999
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: 7027 Category K
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 99
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 99
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 91
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon: 99
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 99
LoungeService: 99
TenderService: 99
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 92
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 92
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 97
Casino: 97
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 80
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 93
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 12 Aug 1999
Time: 14:53:38
Remote Name: 146.243.109.99
Remote User:
Comments
We arrived at the port and you get shuffled into what looks like
an endless line to check in. My advice here is, if you
have the opportunity to stay at an RCCI recommended hotel the
night before, do so. You can check in at the hotel
and avoid this mess. We waited in line for about an hour to get
on the ship.
When you walk on the ship you will be impressed. The Centrum area
is beautiful, glass and lights from the 4th deck
to the 10th deck. From here you will be directed to the elevators
to go to your respective floors. When you get off the
elevator there will be two attendants to give you your keys to
your cabin. From here, just drop your stuff off and head
to the Windjammer for the luncheon buffet. I found the food at
the Windjammer to be fine. You have to keep in mind
that this is a buffet and it is as good as buffet food can get.
Breakfast at the Windjammer is the same everyday; they
always have two kinds of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, French
toast or pancakes, grits, cereal, omelets, fresh
fruit and breads. You can get eggs to order here and toast if you
go to the bar at the back center of the dining area.
We did not notice this until halfway through the cruise.
After you refuel, it is a good time to explore or get ready for
your lifeboat drill (depending on what time you arrive on
ship). We were lucky, we received our luggage right away and used
this time to unpack. We had a category K
interior stateroom on the 7th deck. Some of you may feel a room
with a port hole or veranda is a must, but we hardly
ever spent any time in our room and found the extra money spent
on the exterior rooms would have been wasted.
The room was small, but large enough for the two of us. There is
plenty of storage, drawer and closet space. After
the lifeboat drill, get yourself a cocktail and get ready to sail
out of Miami!
Make sure you fill out the shore excursion request form in your
cabin as soon as possible so you can get the
excursions you are interested in. You put the form in a box by
the shore excursion desk and receive your tickets in
your room the very first night. Each day you will receive a
newsletter called the Compass. This will tell you the dress
for dinner each evening, activities on the ship, tours in ports,
what time each restaurant/bar is open until.
The My Fair Lady Dining room is beautiful. We were on the lower
level in a small room right off the entrance. At first I
wasn’t too pleased, but after hearing the noise from the
main dining area, we realized it was actually pleasant. Our
waiter was Joe Fernandes from India and his assistant, Aldrin,
was from India also. Joe was an excellent waiter. He
took very good care of our table. It was so nice to have someone
take your lobster tail out of the shell for you or cut
the duck off the bone for you! If you get Joe, you will not be
disappointed. His personality matched his service. He
was very enjoyable and entertaining. A few nights your waitstaff
will sing and dance for you so bring your cameras!
Aldrin, the assistant waiter was very nice and entertaining too,
some of you might be lucky enough to have him as
your waiter, as he was promoted to waiter at the end of our
cruise.
The food in the main dining room was very good. I can say no one
at our table was ever disappointed in any meal we
ate. Each night had a theme and you are offered a choice of
either a pasta, seafood, red meat, chicken or
vegetarian dish. The meals are just enough, not too small or too
much. Some nights at our table we would all order a
different dessert and pass them around the table so we could try
everything. We were lucky, our tablemates were
very nice.
Next would be what to do at night. There are 9 different bars on
board. Each with their own special ambiences. The
Schooner bar had an excellent piano player and was a great place
to relax and sit back and enjoy the music. The
Carousel lounge was where the house band, Private Stock, played.
Here you could dance or just sit back and relax
in the comfortable, tiered seating. I can’t tell you about
the Fascinating Rhythm Lounge, as there was never anything
going on at night here. This is where they held the art auctions
every day. The Champagne Terrace had a wonderful
trio play here and the atmosphere was relaxing. You could sit
here and look all the way up the Centrum area, which
is beautiful. There were also bars located by the two pools, the
Casino and the Orpheum Theater. The last is the
Viking Crown Lounge. They play disco music at night but during
the day it is quiet and beautiful place to take in the
views. Just beware, the drinking age is 18 on the ship and the 18
year olds do drink a lot and act like any other 18
year old would when drinking.
The Orpheum Theater is where you see all your headliner shows.
The shows would include the comedians, the
jugglers, the singers and Wave Revue dancers and singers. We
enjoyed all the entertainment. Each night was
something different. Make sure you don’t miss seeing the
Not-So-Newlywed Game. This was very funny! Other
activities aboard the ship are the toga party, horse racing (lots
of fun), dance lessons, shipshape spa, art auctions,
shuffleboard, ping pong, putting greens and of course there is
Bingo Richie! He is the assistant cruise director and
he is very funny! Ken Rush was the cruise director and he does an
excellent job at it. He captures your attention and
gets involved with many of the activities himself. There is so
much to do that you can’t do everything.
The pool areas are nice. We spent most of our time at the
Solarium pool as this is where the little kids didn’t hang
out. Getting chairs on the deck areas was never a problem. There
are plenty to go around. The only days that were
tough were the at sea days. There were chairs but you would have
to look for them. The best area is on the 10th
deck, not many people running around and there was always a good
breeze. Ports of Call: Key West, Florida – This
was a fun little town. There is plenty to keep you busy during
the time you are here. We went to Margaritaville,
Sloppy Joe’s and did some shopping. Everything is on Duvall
Street. There is a Trolley and Conch Train Tour to take
you around town. You definitely could use more time here then
they give you. We docked right at the pier. We did
not have to tender in here. There were shuttles from the pier to
downtown and back so you don’t have to worry
about the walk.
Cozumel, Mexico – The water here is crystal clear turquoise
blue. You can see right to the bottom. Here we rented a
scooter and headed to Chankanaub Park (not on the ship’s
tour list). This is the best place for inexperienced
snorkelers to go. Here there is plenty of snorkeling area, a
beach with beach chairs, showers, lockers and a nature
garden to wander through. This area is well worth the $7.00 they
charge to get in. Of course make sure you save
time for downtown Cozumel. The shopping here is cheap. Mexican
Blankets for $4.00! Here we docked right at the
pier.
Ochos Rios, Jamaica – Here we were lucky and got to dock at
the nice pier. I was told by someone at the shore
excursion desk that they usually dock at the James Bond Pier
which an industrial pier with fencing around. There was
a big tanker docked there when we arrived. I don’t know why
they don’t dock at the nice pier all the time. It is right
near a public beach, which you can use for $1.50. We went to the
beach and then downtown for some shopping.
Everyone wants to braid your hair. If you want some bargains,
don’t go the shopping plazas. Head to the crafters
markets where you can barter and as long as you say no and keep
walking, no one will bother you.
Georgetown, Grand Cayman – This island was beautiful. Very
expensive though! Here you have to tender off the
ship to the dock, a very short ride. Here we took the Atlantis
Submarine tour. This takes you to the bottom of the sea
where you see such beautiful amazing sights. From here we took a
cab to Seven-Mile Beach. You can just walk on
the beach plop yourself anywhere as long as you do not try to use
the hotel chairs. This is the softest beach sand
you have ever felt. We did some snorkeling here also.
We would definitely sail with Royal Caribbean again. We are even
thinking of sailing the Enchantment on the Eastern
Caribbean route next time. You would never know there were 2,400
passengers and 700 crewmembers aboard.
Everything is so smoothly run and planned that you don’t
notice. As for the vibration, it depends where you are. The
lower decks felt it more than the upper decks. It wasn’t
annoying at all. As for you honeymooners, we felt for us, it
was the ultimate honeymoon. They even have a special honeymooners
party where you get free champagne served
with chocolate covered strawberries! Walks on the upper decks at
night are very romantic! We made sure we did this
every night (especially to walk off dinner too)! You can’t
miss with a honeymoon cruise.
Overall our impression of the Enchantment of the Seas is
beautiful. The service, the atmosphere and the little extras
made the cruise very enjoyable. This was the best vacation I have
ever taken. The staff and crew made the vacation
an enjoyable experience. The only negatives to the cruise was the
lack of supervision of children by their parents in
the pool area. I am amazed there wasn't a single accident with
the kids jumping from the jacuzzi's to the pool. RCCL
should have attendants enforce the no kids in the jacuzzi rule.
Otherwise I would highly recommend the Enchantment
of the Seas to anyone who is interested in taking a cruise.
Name: Janet Barnett
Email: jbarnett@rocknmotion.com
Age: 37
Occupation: photgrapher
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Enchantment
SailingDate: 8/29/99
Itinerary: Western Carribiean
Cabin: 7634
FoodDiningRoom: 87
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 70
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 70
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland: 0
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors: 85
BeautySalonStaff: 95
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess: 0
ExerciseFacilities: 80
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 85
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram: 0
MedicalFacilities: 0
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 75
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 07 Sep 1999
Time: 19:18:03
Remote Name: 209.85.173.13
Remote User:
Comments
My husband and I just returned home from our cruise of the
Western Carribean on the Enchantment, and we are
raving to all of our friends about it!
This was our 3rd cruise with RCCL, and it was the best so far. We
stayed a couple of days in Miami prior to the cruise,
without booking that part with RCCL. If you can, stay in South
Beach-a super way to start a very induglgent week!
Embarkation was fine, no real complaints-just a bit long. Thank
goodness we were early-we were able to wait indoors
with much needed air-conditioning! We had a great room with a
balcony (now a 'must have' for us), and we were
constantly amazed at how much space there is on this ship-huge
areas at certain times of the day were totally
unoccupied. The Schooner Bar is very quiet, and Deck 5 for
walking is empty!
The dining room service was excellent. Our waiter, Peter, and
assitant Janouz, were absolutly the best, and had to put
up with certain members of our table being very late for first
seating-I mean up to one hour late. They gave them the
same great service that they gave to the folks who were on time,
even though it really throws off the dining room
schedule when people are late (don't do it-it's very rude!).
We were very pleased with everthing on this trip. The best things
about being on RCCL are the super service and
friendly people who work on board. They really make this line a
joy to be on.
In case you think I'm a stock-holder in RCCL, I do have a one
real complaint that I hope RCCL listens to, because it
bugged the hell out of me. There seemed at times to be no way to
get something simple to drink, like an iced tea or
fountain drink, without going to the bar and paying for it. The
Windjammer Cafe closed too often and too early during
the day. You know, when you take a shore excursion, and come back
a bit late in the afternoon, and want something
to eat or drink, there was only the Solarium Cafe available. And
they have no fountain drinks at the Solaruim at all-its
all bar service. Really a drag.
Name: Debbie Thurmond
Email: thurmonds@mindspring.com
Age: 40
Occupation: housewife
NumberOfCruises: 0
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Enchantment
SailingDate: 10/10/99
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: 2058/I
FoodDiningRoom: 92
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 99
CabinAmenities: 99
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 89
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 89
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 95
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 89
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 89
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: 95
EntertainmentPoolside: 89
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 100
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 89
ShopsOnBoard: 89
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 20 Oct 1999
Time: 08:44:45
Remote Name: user-38ld0du.dialup.mindspring.com
Remote User:
Comments
This being my husband's and my first cruise, we were really
excited. We went with an open mind on what to expect
and were extremely pleased with the whole experience. Embarkation
went really smooth and fast. We were on board
in less than an hour and went directly to our cabin. We hooked up
with the five other couples that came along and
began exploring the ship. This was the first cruise for all of
us. After exploring we went directly to the Schooner
Lounge and had a couple of drinks. The service was great and
Bishop our server remebered all of our names for
the rest of the cruise. Nice touch! Noel our cabin steward was
outstanding. He greeted us at our cabin by our name
the first day! What ever we needed, Noel was there to give it to
us. Every night the sheets were pulled down and the
pillows arranged in different ways.
The cabin was always clean. It's amazing how they can sneak in
and out so
quickly. Noel even was able to locate accessories to use for our
togas on toga night. Cruising with ten other people
we realized that sitting all together for dinner would be
difficult. Luckily we had two tables right next to one another.
We asked Ramon our waiter if it would be possible to put the two
tables together. He didn't even blink an eye! It was
great having everyone eat at the same table. Ramon was the
greatest. His service was impeccable. He became part
of our gang. He got to know every one of us by name and always
greeted and stoped to talk to us whenever we saw
him on the ship. Going to dinner each night became one of the
highlights of the trip! Our first stop on the trip was
Key West. Since I was just there this past summer with my kids,
my husband and I didn't take any of the excursions
offered. But we stilled had a good time walking and shopping
around town. Second stop was in Cozumel. We did the
Reef Club excursion. This was very relaxing sitting on the beach
soaking up some sun. Also did some shopping.
Found great deals, especially on jewelry.
Our stop in Ocho Rios was very disappointing! We chose an
excursion on
a party boat that took us to Dunn River Falls. The boat was 45
minutes late picking us up. The climb up the falls
was great but then we had to wait almost an hour for the return
trip to the ship. This left little time for shopping. Very
dissappointed with the shopping in Jamaica. People to pushy and
follwed you around the whole store. Would not
recommend this excursion. The stop that the whole group was
looking forward to was Grand Cayman, but hurricane
Irene put a stop to that! We ended up going to Nassau instead.
Nice stop. Went to Atlantis Resort. Beautiful place.
Shopping was good also. The two days at sea were relaxing and
fun. There was always some kind of activity
planned. My husband and I like to gamble, so our friends knew
they could always find us in the casino. The dealers
were very friendly and got to knows us well by the end of the
cruise. Also had a massage the first day at sea. Highly
recommend the massage! The shows were good. the best was the
Not-So-Newly Wed Game. So funny! Don't miss
it. I was a little concerned that being on a cruise with 1950
people I would feel crowded. I never felt that way. There
was enough space aboard the ship for everyone to spread out,
whether it be in the Library, in the lounges, or
walking around the deck. The one nice day we had at sea the pool
area was crowded but still had no problem
finding a lounge chair. My first cruise experience was
wounderful. The Enchanment of the Seas is a beautiful ship
and I highly reccommed it. My husband and I will definitly take
another cruise with Royal Caribbean!
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