rccl-enchantment17

Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Brian Strand
Email: bjstrand@excite.com
Age: 42
Occupation: sales
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Enchantment
SailingDate: July 2, 2000
Itinerary: Western Carib.
Cabin: 7605
FoodDiningRoom: 82
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: 75
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 75
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 80
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 93
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 98
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 91
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 05 Nov 2000
Time: 14:53:10
Remote Name: minneapolis-ip-11-31.dynamic.ziplink.net
Remote User:

Comments

My wife and I sailed on RCCL to the Western Caribbean on the Enchantment of the Seas. We’ve gone
on one previous cruise with RCCL, that being two years ago on their sister ship Grandeur of the Seas.
That trip was over Thanksgiving with our two daughters. While both trips were enjoyable, this trip was
better in many ways. The ships are built identically but their Masters and crew make the difference
and the Enchantment was the better of the two. Captain Thore Thorolvsen made sure his crew
cleaned and maintained the ship’s public areas better than on the Grandeur. He also was more
personable and outgoing, getting on the speakers at mid-day and going on and on about activities
available to us. One time that was really appreciated was when he spotted three or four whales off to
the side of our course and alerted all to take a look. He stated that he hadn’t seen whales in that area
during this season for 10 years or more. The rest of the crew was just as accommodating and helpful.
Our room stewardess, Praneet, kept things neat and attended to special requests nicely. She was
never in our way and the room was always made up when we returned to it. Our waiter, Ajay, was very
attentive at the dinners we attended, almost over the top. When we had a special 40th birthday at our
table and a 25th anniversary, both he and the headwaiter made special arrangements for cakes and
gifts. Our assistant waiter could’ve kept up better with his duties but he seemed new and ill-at-ease,
speaking little English so possibly in time he get it together.

We took an inside cabin on deck 7, just at mid-ship. It was as small as we expected but there was
plenty of room for our clothes and belongings. The beds were together and very comfortable with no
notice of the seam between them, as I expected. The bathroom was tiny. Be sure to bring a nightlight
of some kind to light your way since there is NO light of any kind when the lights are off. The last
cruise we had booked an outside lower stateroom but the line bumped us up to a balconied suite on
deck 8 for our family of four. There was more than twice as much room and the balcony. While it
would’ve been nice to have that again, we chose to save the $1000 and use it elsewhere. There were
no irritating vibrations or noises. The food was about the same as last time meaning if some was going
to cook me dinner all the time, I could learn to like it. I do not put a high value on gourmet food and I
wasn’t disappointed. I was well prepared and presented nicely but it was made for the masses. No zing
or WOW factor, just a nice selection each night in the dining. The buffet for breakfast and lunch was a
little more limited and not as much to my liking. Same things each day (leftovers), but easier to get in
and out of than the dining room for those meals. The Solarium pizza, hot dogs, and burgers were
pretty good for snacking. We took room service coffee and rolls each morning at seven and they were
delivered on time and hot each day.

Day one: Arrival The trip itself was wonderful. We booked a year in advance so we had plenty of time
to prepare and anticipate everything. We made our own flight arrangements, which went off without a
hitch getting to Ft. Lauderdale, where the Enchantment is now docked. We took advantage of the day
prior program through RCCL and stayed at the airport Sheraton. It was great, relaxing and unhurried.
Our bags were picked up in the evening to show up in our stateroom the following day, fairly early I
might add. Check-in at the hotel the next morning was a 15 minute wait in line and then we were free.
Sunday brunch and a morning swim is a much better way to start a vacation rather than rushing on
planes at 6am to make connections. We were bussed to the port and walked right on the boat around
noon. It was well worth the extra $150 considering all the value that we received from the hotel,
transport, early check-in and baggage handling.

Once on the ship we ate and made arrangements for shore excursions. We learned on our last time
trip if these didn’t get in right away for some popular side trips, we didn’t go when or where we wanted.
We did get all our excursions so be sure to plan these out ahead of time, fill out the order sheet and
get it turned in at the desk ASAP when you arrive. We didn’t have any exploring to do since we knew
the layout of the ship from our previous cruise but we loved looking at the familiar sights. The Centrum
was still stunning, with a crystal structure suspended from the top. I spent more time in the Viking
Crown Lounge than last trip and I wish I had been up there even more. The views are the best and it is
relaxing to kick back there after a hot, hard day of sunning for the happy hour drinks and munchies.
We also made time to visit the Schooner Lounge and our waiter there also was our main man on the
deck days so he remembered us and our preferences and did a good job of keeping us from getting
parched.

Day two: Key West. We went backwater kayaking early and saw some wildlife, rays and jellyfish, but
overall just good to be out splashing around. To and from the dock they pointed out landmarks and
destinations to get to later. We returned to the ship late morning and had a late lunch at Margaretville.
Good burgers but slow service and very expensive prices. Look in, grab a menu but eat (and drink)
somewhere else. All the rest we saw was the normal vacation spot trinket sellers. We were not there to
buy so I will not choose to go back there again. We might have seen more but for the time spent
eating and the fact the ship left at 3pm for the next port of call.

Day three: Cozumel Weather was partly cloudy and on and off rain showers but we didn’t mind. We
hopped the Fiesta Party boat and off we went to a nice beach for swimming and relaxing. We started
to mingle with others on deck and took over the bar when the crew went below due to the rain. We
figured that we had a head start on getting wet and just enjoyed the weather. Some powerboat
activities were available but mainly we just swam, sunned and drank the rum punch. On the way back
we saw from the back side some very threatening weather east out to sea. It looked like a waterspout
had started to form. Being from the Midwest we were not too concerned about any weather closer than
a few miles away. We were seated next to a couple from the Netherlands and they don’t see active
weather like that. They were more than a little concerned but we assured them that we were not in
harms way. Of course it may have been the rum talking. Main dining that night was celebrating the
Fourth of July and had some special American details.

Day four: At sea Finally, a day of rest. We rise early normally and it was no different on the trip. This
day and the last day at sea it is to our advantage. The deck space is small for a ship this size and one
does have to get early seats for optimal sunning. We had breakfast and staked out our spots by 9am
and there were many choice chairs left. We stayed there most of the day with the normal food and
activity breaks. We saw very few reserved chairs that went empty for the whole day. People are either
more considerate and use what they mark or others were not putting up with reserved chairs and
taking them if they saw them unused. Either way I heard no complaints from fellow guests about lack of
chairs. The usual poolside activities went on, men’s legs and bellyflop contests and the horse racing,
which turned out to be more exciting than I originally thought it would be. People were really cheering
along with the racers. Maybe they had more riding on the outcome than I did.

Day five: Grand Cayman Island We were up early to get on the second excursion to Stingray City, a
shallow, sandy swell just inside the island’s northern bay. It is shallow enough in some places to be
waist deep but it was more fun to get a little deeper and actually have them swim with you. I was able
to lead them around with the food in my hand after I got used to the sucking action of the feeding. The
water was crystal clear and being early in the day the stingrays were very active and numerous. After
returning to the ship we explored a little near the piers, not really shopping for any specific items, just
walking around. We had lunch ashore and don’t be surprised by the cost. On board they tell you that
the GC dollar is linked to the British pound so $1 GC is about $1.25 US. That means our lunch for two
and 4 beers ran $60 with tip.

Day six: Ocho Rios We took the Sundancer Cruise to Dunn’s Falls and did the walk. For being a
subtropical island in the middle of summer the water was COLD! We did some handholding up the way
but let go later and climbed along. There was time for one climb and then back to the bottom for a
short wait and the cruise back. If you want to spend some time there on your own to explore grab a
cab on your own. Once back to the ship, we took a small bus to the shopping areas. A broker or
hawker arranged the trip with the van driver for us and whomever else he could fit in. Then he
arranged to meet us at a certain time and location to bring us back to the ship. I was a little worried I
had been taken but he arrived and we made it back again all right. Ocho Rios is nothing special and if
you have seen the small touristy Mexican shopping areas, that is what this town looked like.

Day seven: At sea Same as before. Don’t sleep late if you want a chair by the pool.

Day eight: Debarkation Not too bad compared to some horror stories you may have read. We were in
an early group because of a noon flight out. There was some confusion with the number/ color system
and people ended up on the wrong sides of barriers where they were just in the way. We made it
through the throngs when our number was called, turned in our Customs declarations and off we went.
We found our luggage surprisingly easily. It helps when the bags are marked and are full size and
bright red. We walked out of the terminal wondering about transport to the airport but a van driver
caught our eye, waved us in and for $5 each off we went. He dropped us at out terminal where the
skycaps checked our luggage and us. From the time we walked off the ship to the time we were done
checking in for our flight was exactly 25 minutes and cost only $20. Fast and cheap.

Overview: All the nightly entertainment I saw was average. I thought the shows and entertainers on the
previous cruise were a little better. I again did not see and do all the things that I intended to. I did
hear the poolside band a lot. As I write this review on the mainland the song ‘Who let the dogs out’ is
hitting some kind of peak of popularity. I don’t know the background of it but that was the signature
song of our band, Mega 4, back in July. We visited the casino more than last trip and my wife mad one
special day. After winning $100 at bingo we proceeded to add to that at several of the games. Actually
she did the adding. I was as unlucky as ever. I was surprised how entertaining and profitable roulette
is, if you don’t bet on every number every time. One complaint many writers in this forum include is the
drink prices on the ship. My wife drank bottled water and that is expensive compared to land. She also
drank Heineken beers and at a cost of about $3.50 including tip they were cheaper than drinking here
at home. I stuck with a summertime favorite, Long Island Iced Teas. Again for about $5.70 with tip and
made full strength (I watched) this was a much better deal than I am used too on land. Stay away from
the fru-fru drinks except for the one souvenir you may want. It is too bad that RCCL has gone to
plastic glasses for these. We plan to cruise again, and as many times that we can afford it. While I
certainly would sail RCCL again, I do want to try Celebrity or some other premium line to compare.

Name: Jeff and Danica Massey
Email: Massey4@aristotle.net
Age: 32 and 31
Occupation: Vice President of Commercial Construction Co.
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Enchantment
SailingDate: September 10 - September 17
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: 2029
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 60
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 60
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 20
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 10
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 10
BeautySalonStaff: 80
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 80
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 0
MedicalFacilities: 95
ShipCleanliness: 85
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 20
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 60
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 06 Nov 2000
Time: 21:03:46
Remote Name: cache.aristotle.net
Remote User:

Comments

We will never cruise with Royal Caribbean again. We are discouraging anyone from using their cruise
line. Let me explain our nightmare. My husband and I had a wonderful cruise after our first child was
born with Royal Caribbean. After our second child was six months old we began planning our second
cruise. We asked my husband's parents to go with us as well as his brother and wife. They had never
been on a cruise and we wanted them to relax with us. We all booked a seven-night cruise with Royal
Caribbean on Enchantment of the Sea September 10-17, 2000. We met everyone in the Ft.
Lauderdale airport. My husband and I went to get some medicine out of my luggage and tag our
luggage with Enchantment of the Sea. After we got my medicine and tagged our luggage we put our
luggage back on the carosel and got on the shuttle with everyone. We never saw my luggage again!
By 10:00 p.m. we informed the purser that only my husband's two pieces of luggage had come to our
cabin and mine never made it. We filled out paper work and I was given a t-shirt, razor, and toothbrush
the rest of the night.

The next morning they told me it may have gotten on another ship. They told me
to go to Key West and pick out a bathing suit. As we sailed away from Key West I realized I would not
be getting my luggage for the cruise. They gave me $150 to buy make-up and clothes for a seven
night cruise! This was all they compensated us. I had nothing. All I had was what I wore onto the ship,
a bathing suit, and $150 of ship clothes. They did nothing else to try and compensate us for our
cruise. The nightmare was to get worse when I got home and tried dealing with the Risk Management
Department of Royal Caribbean. They tried to tell me I may have seen someone else's luggage and it
was the airlines fault. This was after I talked with them and sent them a letter explaining how I got
medicine out of my luggage and then tagged it with Enchantment of the Sea. They then did not return
phone calls and have yet to return many phone calls from my travel agent. After several phone calls
and three letters the last of which I wrote our lawyer would sue if they did not send the $300
reimbursement. Yes, that's all! $300 is all you are given if you do not have cruise insurance. We did
have cruise insurance and the maximum is $1500 from Berkley Insurance, Royal Caribbean's
insurance carrier. We did receive the $1500 quickly from them. My lossses were well over $6000. We
are hoping our own personal insurance carrier will be sueing Royal Caribbean in our behalf or we will
be sueing Royal Caribbean ourselves due to the way this entire horrendous experience was handled
by Royal Caribbean. I have since talked to others and Princess Cruise line sounds wonderful when
they have accidently lost a passenger's luggage. They truly care about their passengers and their
satisfication. Instead of Royal Caribbean being apologetic and trying to resolve this matter quickly they
have been unhelpful and anything but apologetic.

Name: Patricia Kramer
Email: Pkramer123@aol.com
Age: 28
Occupation: RN
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Enchantment
SailingDate: 10-29-00
Itinerary: St Maarten, St Thomas, Nassau
Cabin: 8554
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 99
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 83
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 80
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 85
EmbarkDisembark: 80
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 94
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 11 Nov 2000
Time: 10:54:25
Remote Name: spider-tk083.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:

Comments

This was our honeymoon cruise so we decided to book a cabin with a balcony. We actually got upgraded
to a category C, which was great. But I will start with embarkation, we left out of Ft Lauderdale and it was
a mess. They handed us a number, but never stated why we needed it, so we got in line. Well, you didn't
need to wait in line because they just called in order of the number. Since we had been waiting in this line
for no reason we were somewhat discouraged, so we snuck in with a different number. It was a mess. But
we were excited so we didn't let it bother us. Once on board we finally made it to our room and marveled
over the space of the cabin and we even had a bathtub, which was great because of the extra space.
The cabin decor looked slighlty used and looked like new upholestry is needed. We just shut our eyes to
the stains on the carpet and marveled at the wonderful balcony with 2 lounge chairs, 2 sitting chairs and
a small table. Although we weren't suppose to, we usually left the door open and listened to the waves at
night. It was great having a balcony!! We got our luggage in no time, we had tipped at the port, so maybe
that helped, but we unpacked and the ship set sail. There was no fanfare and we hardly knew that we
were moving. We had the late seating at a table of 10 with other honeymooners. It was a great time. Our
waiter was fun and the food was great. The bar waiter was slightly pushy with the afterdinner drinks,
which was rather annoying, I didn't want one but he put it in front of us and charged us even though I had
said no. Otherwise the food was great and the staff was accomadating. St. Maarten we took the Golden
Eagle shore excurision, it was fun, the snorkeling was not good, but they gave away a lot of alcohol. The
island itself was a little rundown. St. Thomas was beautiful and we took shore excursion to St John's
Trunk Bay. That was gorgeous. We really liked St Thomas and St John the best. Nassau was our last
island. We decided to venture on our own to Paradise Island and Atlantis. If you do this don't take the
water taxi. It took forever for them to leave the dock and they were really pushy and rude. Also, Atlantis is
great, but a beer on the beach is $5.50 and a Coke is $2.50. A total ripoff. But the casino pays off a lot
better than on the ship. We had a good time, and we will cruise again with Royal Carribean. The ship is
large but it definately needs to be redecorated for the carpet looks old and worn. I think we will try one of
the new ships. The windjammer cafe leaves something to be desired but overall the food was good, the
staff on the ship was great.

Name: Dennis Sullivan
Email: djs8@is9.nyu.edu
Age: 53
Occupation: Technical Services Manager
NumberOfCruises: 11
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Enchantment
SailingDate: 10/29/2000
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Cabin: 2566/Cat. I
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 75
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 14 Nov 2000
Time: 15:16:58
Remote Name: sullivan.bookc.nyu.edu
Remote User:

Comments

This was our 11th cruise with 8 being on RCI. Due to college expenses for our 2 boys, it has been 10
years since our last cruise and we were curious on what changes had taken place both on food and
service.

First let me say that we got, what I consider, a great price for our B deck outside cabin. It was almost half
of what we paid 10 years ago so we were wary of where RCI was going to cut corners.

First, we drove to Port Everglades so transportation was not an issue. Parking at Port Everglades is no
problem and the cost was $10. per day.

Embarkation was painfull. We entered into the building and were given plastic cards with the number 3 on
them. The auditorium size building had rows of fold-up chairs and in the front was a RCI representative
with a bull horn trying to tell people what paperwork they needed and where to go when their number was
called. Needless to say, you could not understand her and there was a lot of passenger confusion.
Finally, when your number was called, you entered another room where you stood in line until an agent
became available. Finally you were allowed to board the ship, and what a ship.

The Enchantment is a beautiful ship with more glass than we had every seen on any other ship.

We immediately went to our room and we were pleasantly surprised with the size of the cabin and the
storage space. We brought a lot of clothes and there was plenty of room for everything. The safe was a
nice touch. The bathroom was small, especially the shower area, but there was still plenty of storage
space for your bathroom needs. Our cabin steward, Joseph was fabulous. It's as if you blinked your eyes
and the room was cleaned with fresh towels. He got extra in his envelope. There was 6 cans of soda on
the dressing table for $1.50 each and a bottle of water which, I believe was $2.75. We left them alone.

We then went to the Windjammer Cafe and had a very nice lunch. I read reviews that said the food was
not great but the buffet had a nice selection and we thoroughly enjoyed lunch.

We had a very nice table for 8 for dinner. My wife's sister and husband where with us and we were seated
with a newly wed couple and a couple from Scotland. Our waiter, Ernest and his assistant Vinnie were just
great. They memorized our names and our drink preferences immediately. The food ranged from good to
excellent but I still thought it was not as good as the food on the Soverign. We were also disappointed
that RCI had gone to open seating for breakfast and lunch. On our previous cruises, we enjoyed being
pampered at all 3 meals by the same waiter and busboy. I didn't feel we got the same service for
breakfast and lunch when we ate in the dinning room because we always had different waiters.

On a few mornings we ate in the Windjammer Cafe but my wife and her sister did not like the scrambled
eggs. The rest of the buffet breakfast was great and if you are in a hurry, it is the only way to go. Also,
when you are in port, the Windjammer is the only way to have lunch so that you can spend as much time
seeing the port as possible.

I also read in previous reviews that passengers were having trouble finding lounge chairs when we were
at sea. This was not the case on this cruise. We never had problems finding chairs.

Entertainment ran from outstanding to ok. The RCI singers and dancers were great and put on 2
fabulous shows. There were 2 comedians, Dave Heenan and Gary Mule Deer, yes that is his name, that
were very good. There was also an acrobatic family, juggler and singer that were so-so.

Our cruise director, Paul Rutter, was ok but nothing to talk about. Except for the nightly shows, we never
saw him. I understand he was around for some of the pool games which we did not attend.

The Viking Crown Lounge is a disco at night and we went one night because we like the music and like to
dance but it was too loud and really was for the younger croud. That's what we missed. On the Soverign,
you could enjoy the Viking Crown Lounge at night because there was a separate disco and there was
also an additional lounge for ballroom dancing.

There was always a 3 piece combo playing in the Centrum but nobody ever used the 2 areas for dancing.

We have been to all of the ports that the Enchantment stopped at, so we really knew where we wanted to
go and what to see. Mostly we spent time in town shopping although I did take the tram to the top at St.
Thomas and took some great pictures of the harbor. The tram ride is only a 5 minute walk from the ship
and costs $12. but the view is worth it.

On departing the ship, we were given different colored luggage tags based on the type of transportation
we were using. Since we drove and had no airline restrictions, we were the last color to be called for
debarking. We found our luggage immediately and Port Everglades provides shuttle service to the
parking lot where I got my car. So getting off the ship was not a problem.

All in all, we had a great time. We did find prices on drinks and photographs high and the food not as
fancy as previous cruises on RCI but you could not beat the value for your money. By the way, my wife
won $248. on the slots.

Name: Maria & James Posman
Email: daphca@securenet.net
Age: mid 30's
Occupation: Director of Operations
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Enchantment
SailingDate: Nov.5, 2000
Itinerary: Western
Cabin: 7100 / D
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 98
CabinComfort: 99
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 99
CabinAmenities: 99
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 99
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 100
FoodVariety: 99
DeckService: 99
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 98
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 94
EntertainmentLounges: 99
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 99
EntertShowLounge: 99
OverallPortsofCall: 99
BeautySalon: 94
EntertainmentPoolside: 97
CruiseActivities: 98
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 97
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 98
DeckSpace: 99
Stabilization: 98
ShopsOnBoard: 99
SpaceRatio: 99
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 16 Nov 2000
Time: 08:55:24
Remote Name: gateway.habitations3d.qc.ca
Remote User:

Comments

CRUISE REVIEW RCI ENCHANTMENT OF THE SEAS NOVEMBER 5, 2000 WESTERN ITINERARY

We were 3 couples on this cruise, all in our mid to late 30's. (Maria and James, 3rd cruise and 2nd on
RCI; Lorraine and Patrick, 1st cruise; and Lise and Bob, 1st cruise). We are from Montreal, Ottawa and
Vancouver. Given that this was my third cruise, everybody allowed me to plan all details - talk about
pressure! I convinced everybody to book last July 1999 when prices were still low. We all booked CAT H
mid-ships and last April we were all upgraded to a CAT D mid-ships. The Balcony is definitely beautiful
but as others have said, it will now be hard to settle for anything less. We booked the cruise only and
arranged our own airfare. I always do this for 2 main reasons. I like to fly in the day before to avoid any
problems. I know if you buy the cruiseline's air they must get you to the ship. However, their airfare is
usually more expensive. The second reason, and most important, has to do with baggage. By flying in
yourself, you physically have to pick up your baggage from the carousel. With the cruiseline's air, your
bags are taken off the plane and immediately placed on a truck taking all baggage to the ship. The
problem with this is you never know if your bags have actually arrived until it is too late and your ship has
left port. My way, you give yourself the extra day of breathing room and should your bags get lost, you
have that extra time for the airline to find them and get them to you.

PRE-CRUISE

I have read many reviews and postings on RTC about Port Everglades arear hotels. The general
consensus was Amerisuites but unfortunately, I waited too long to book. I did get 3 rooms at the Holiday
Inn Express on the 17th street causeway right around the corner from Pier 18. No complaints. Rooms
were clean and the Complimentary breakfast was good. Price was also good. We got the CAA (AAA
equivalent) for $85. The Vancouver couple flew into Ft.Lauderdale and the hotel had a complimentary
shuttle which picked them up. The other 2 couples flew in via Miami. I booked these flights months ago
and given our arrival time of 10:15 pm, was debating for quite some time if we should head up to
Lauderdale that evening or the following morning. I spoke to various shuttle companies and the cost to
shuttle us up would have been US $70. We opted to rent a station wagon (need the space for all that
baggage of 2 couples) from Hertz. Once again, we got a CAA rate of US $38, which was 1/2 the cost of
the shuttle. Having the car also allowed us to drive around the Ft.Lauderdale strip Sunday morning and
head over to Publix and Eckerd to pick up some softdrinks, water and waterproof cameras. Get those
cameras before you board as the ship charges more. We headed over to the ship at 11:30am Sunday,
dropped off all the baggage, and then I brought the car back to Hertz which was only 3 mins. away. Hertz
also has a complimentary shuttle back to the ship. The entire process took maybe 15 mins. In all, we
saved at least 1/2 the cost renting the car as opposed to paying for a shuttle!

EMBARKATION

My wife and I sailed the Grandeur 2 yrs.ago out of Miami and new how beneficial it was to arrive at the
port early in order to beat the rush of the airline arrivals. Miami was smooth and took about 15 mins. in
all. Unfortunately, the process at Lauderdale needs some work. We walked in the terminal doors at about
11:55am and were given numbers...ours was #2. Were told to take a seat and fill out additional
documents they handed to us. As for the documents we received weeks in advance, we had already had
these completed. They called our number about 20mins. later and we were brought into another room
(about 150 people in all). We sat in other seats while cruise staff came around to make sure all our
documents were filled out. We were able to see the next check-in area through some doors. This is where
you pass through the radar detectors then go to the checkin counters. There was nobody in there yet
they did not allow us in until all 150 people had their papers checked. This resulted in 150 flooding in at
the same time. They should have allowed people in as their documents were verified. Nevertheless, we
made it to check-in. We gave our documents in and they immediately validated our Supercharge card.
This was a big advantage over the Grandeur which validated your card only once boarded. Once we
cleared this area, we were cleared to board. Just before getting on the ship...........PHOTO's. Another line.
I do not mind the photo's but they should separate the waiting line from those getting the photo's done.
We were 6 in our group. The picture was great apart from the 2 other heads right behind us and
therefore in the picture. Needless to say, we opted not to buy the picture. All in all, from walking into the
terminal until walking on board, approximately 45mins. Double that of the Grandeur 2 yrs ago. I would
hate to see the line when all the cruise/air passengers arrived.

STATEROOM

As I stated earlier, we were upgraded to CAT D mid-ships. The 3 couples were side by side on Deck
7....7096, 7098, 7100 - port side. We noticed a foul smell on our deck which turned out to be the regular
"in port smell". I remember this from the Grandeur. Once we left port, it was gone. The stateroom was
very nice. There were a few stains on the carpeting but apart from this, excellent. I brought along some
extra hangers but left them in my suitcase as there were plenty. Beds were very comfortable. Bathroom
was small but very functional and well laid out. Air conditioning worked extremely well. Television had very
good selection of Channels. Drawer space was abundant and we never needed the 3 drawers in the
closet. We had our softdrinks and water with us and immediately loaded the fridge. The fridge did not
seem to cool down anything. We asked our room steward to look at it. He said the fridge was working and
it would take time as they were very low energy output. By the next morning, everything was nice and
cold. I had told our group to tip the people taking our baggage at checkin. I am always afraid that if they
are not tipped, they will put your bags on the last crate going on the ship. Sure enough, our bags were
outside our stateroom by 2:30 pm. So, the moral of this is TIP THE BAGGAGE HANDLER. Once we
dropped off our hand baggage, we headed up to the Windjammer Cafe for lunch, buffet style. Here, the 3
couples would finalize our shore excursions. I told everybody to go over it the week before. We had all
picked our excursions over lunch, filled out the form and dropped it in the drop-off box by 4:00pm. Since it
works on a first come first serve basis, do not delay! Our shore excursion tickets were printed up and
delivered to our stateroom that night after supper. We all got what we wanted. The rest of the afternoon
was used to tour the ship. At 4:30pm, mandatory lifeboat drill. This took about 20 mins. in all. Then, back
up to deck 10 for the departing party at 5:30pm. It still amazes me how these 74,000 ton vessels can
back out, stop, spin around 120 degrees on a dime, then pull out. All without the help of tugboats!

FOOD

There have been many comments posted and here are mine. No complaints! We had dinner every night
in the main dining room. Appetizers contained at least 5 choices, then there was salad (only 1 offered)
and then 5 main courses to choose from. Desserts also had various choices. Each night the menu
changed based on what "theme" it was that evening so you had a different menu each night. Theme's
included Italian, French, Caribbean, International and Captain's Gala. We did try 2 breakfast's in the main
dining room but I must say I did prefer Windjammer. I cannot comment on lunch as I ate either in
Windjammer or Solarium. As has been written, Windjammer is buffet style. If you are happy with the
standard breakfast's like eggs, omelets, sausage, bacon, pancakes and french toast, cereal, fruits, fish,
hashbrowns, grits, hot cereal, fish and coldcuts, yogurt, danishes, croissants....go to the Windjammer.
Only go to the dining room for items not offered in Windjammer. Here is my explanation. When I ordered
these same items in the dining room and when it finally made it to me, they were lukewarm at best. In the
main diningroom, you would have to wait for it to be cooked, then properly placed on a plate, then
covered, then left on a tray until all orders filled, then delivered to the table, then served. In Windjammer,
by the time I selected my food and sat down at the table, my food was still hot. For this reason, I suggest
you stay in Windjammer. Also to note, you get to sleep in later. Overall, selection was very good. As for
dinner, there were some evenings I could not decide between 2 items, either in the appetizer or main
course section, so my waiter brought both. Do not feel shy about doing this. There were many people
sampling more than 1 item. For example, there was 1 evening I had both Scampi and Filet Mignon.
Nothing like a well prepared Surf n' Turf! Also to note, bring your VCR cameras to dinner. Waiters put on
various shows. For the Western Itinerary, formal nights are Monday and Friday and semi-formal is
Wednesday. A final suggestion I have for dinner is to purchase the Wine and Dine program. This is
where you commit to buying 7 bottles of wine in advance. Price is US $125 including tip. Whatever you do
not finish will be corked and served the following evening. You must however keep an eye on the Wine
Steward. OUrs was always refilling our glasses even though we still had our glass half full. They were
clearly trying to empty the bottle so they it could not be corked for another evening. Leave some room for
the SHOOTERS which are served with dessert. Delicious and what names they come up with...Beam me
up Scotty, Slippery Nipple, Brain Hemorrage, French Kiss and Italian Stalion - just to name a few. The big
midnight buffet where you take pictures only for the first hour is Friday. Finally, I often visited the Solarium
Café for a little snack around 5:30 pm as we were late seating for dinner. Loved their hotdogs and
cheeseburgers, not to mention those great fries. As for the pizza, mediocre.

ENTERTAINMENT

Overall, whatever we saw we enjoyed. Unfortunately, as well as you may try to plan your evening, you
cannot see everything. But, what we did see I will rate on a scale of 1 - 10, with 1 being WASTE OF TIME
and 10 being MUST SEE.

Main Productions shows (Mon. & Thurs.): Sweet Dreams and Flashback....Both a 10. Welcome Aboard
Show (Sun) with comedian Bruce Gold....9 Celebrity Showtime (Tues.) with comedian Gary Mule
Deer....8, and acrobatic family The Ashtons....7. Enchantment Spectacular (Wed) with Magic and Grand
Illusionists LaRaf....8 Flashback Revue (Thur. in addition to main show): Jeff the comedic juggler...8
Headliner Show Time (Fri): Singer Greg Bonham....we missed this as we wanted to see the Gala Buffet.
Late Night Comedy (Fri) Midnight Show: Bruce Gold....7, his opening act was funnier. Not So Newly Wed
Game (Thurs): Not to be missed - a definite...10. Cruise Director asked wife what her husbands favourite
condiment was. She answered pepper. When husband came out, he answered...Trojans! Everybody was
on the floor. Enchantment Farewell Show (Sat): Cruisestaff....9

Many Many more things to see and do which we saw in the recap video they try to sell you. All looked
great. These include: western night, 70's disco, bellyflop contest, best legs (men) contest, ice carvings,
art auctions, and so on and so on. Many in our group participated daily in the shipshape centre for
aerobic workouts. They all said it was great! Attention Bingo lovers...the Snowball Jackpot was won at US
$8700.

Finally, the Cruise Director was Paul Rutter. I give him a strong 9 along with his entire staff

PORTS AND EXCURSIONS

Since there are many items here, I will comment only on those excursions members of our group went on
and again rate them on a 1 (bad) to 10(great) basis.

Key West - cute town. We all did the Old Town Trolley and Conch Train Tour. Rating...9. Interesting and
left time for shopping.

Cozumel - crazy cab drivers. Some did the Snorkeling Adventure, Rating....6 and others did the Tropical
Safari Jeep Tour, Rating....5. My strongest recommendation, if you are a snorkeler and beach lover, is to
go to Chaankanaab Park. This is state owned and therefore cannot be offered as an excursion. Beautiful,
safe and clean. Rent equipment there for US $5. Entrance Fee of US $10 per person and cab fare is US
$8 total each way, based on 4 in a cab. Every possible amenity is offered there.

Grand Cayman - EXPENSIVE! Some did the Stingray City Swim and Snorkel, Rating....10+ and others did
the Grand Cayman Snorkeling, Rating....9. The remainder of the day either shopping at pier or making
your own way to 7 mile beach. Be prepared to pay tax and hotel entrance fee to access beach.

Jamaica - No Problem Mon! Some did the Dunn's Rivers Mountain Bike Tour, Rating....8, and others did
the Ocean Kayak and Dunn's River Falls, Rating....9. Both tours ended or started with climbing the falls.
NOTE: be prepared to pay more than what is listed on the excursion form. Be prepared to tip your
excursion host as well as the guide who takes you up the falls. At the falls, there was somebody who
videotaped our group then edited everything with music. He said the cost was US $30 for 25 min. tape
and it would be delivered to our ship. I was hesitant, but did it. He gave me a receipt and sure enough,
the tape was waiting for me at the Pursers Desk at 3:30 pm. Quite enjoyable to watch.

Jamaica Suggestions: for those of you interested in a quiet beach day, there is something separate you
can do. My sister, who was on the Voyager the same week, spent her Jamaica day at the SANDALS
Dunn's River Falls couples only resort. They charged US $50 per person and it included
everything....food, all drinks and booze, beach toys, water- skiing, scuba (with certification
presented)...everything. She loved it! Just hop in a cab and it is about a 10 min. drive. Call SANDALS
before leaving and give them the names in your party and the date you will be there and they will have
everything waiting for you. Remember, couples only and no kids. One last item on Jamaica is cabs. Take
ONLY THOSE cabs with red plates and white numbering as these are government licensed and do not
pay in advance for round trip. All fares are controlled and posted at the pier.

ON BOARD SHOPPING

All alcohol purchased will have 15% tip added automatically. For those interested in T-Shirts, wait until
last day. They put everything out and all on sale.

Now for photo's. In all, we had 20 photo's taken of just my wife and I. These are taken at various times
during the week and are developed and put up for display within hours. On our first cruise 5 yrs. ago, we
started buying them as they were posted. Big Mistake!!!!! The trick here is to go look at them as they are
posted. At the end of the week, put them all side by side then make your purchase decisions. They are
quite expensive so be careful.. We purchased 3 small and 2 large pics. Price was US $70.

I also used the internet café. We set up a Yahoo e-mail address before we left so we were able to send
and receive e-mail. There is also a webcam on these PC's that take a pic of you and then superimpose it
on one of 3 cyber postcards. You type in a note then e-mail it off. Cost for the cyber postcard is US $4.95
plus air-time. All air-time (log-in time) is charged at US $0.50 per minute.

As for the day you return, all non-US citizens must clear immigration at about 6:45am. After this, you head
off to breakfast in either the main dining room or in Windjammer. Following breakfast, you must insure
you room is cleared out for 8:30am at the latest. As for your main baggage, these you have to leave
outside your stateroom by midnight Saturday. By the time your eating breakfast, all baggage is already in
the terminal. Coloured tags worked quite well. Here is a suggestion of something to do while you wait for
your colour to be called for disembarkation. Head up to the 8th deck starboard (right) side and check-out
all the suites, family suites (8518) as well as the Royal Suite (8500). If the guests have left, which they
should have by this time, they are in the process of being cleaned and all doors will be open. Go have a
peak!

Well, we are now back and the 2 other couples we went with are sold on cruising. Funny thing though, I
threw my used towels on my bathroom floor Monday morning and they are still there!

As all past cruisers know, there is only one way to help get over the post-cruise blues....plan our next
one!

My hats off to RCI for a week we all enjoyed!

If anybody has any other questions, feel free to e-mail me.

James

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