rccl-enchantment19

Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Ted Spiegel
Email: tspiegel@bellsouth.net
Age: 52
Occupation: Attorney
NumberOfCruises: 8
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Enchantment
SailingDate: 12/17/00
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: 8528/C
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 75
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 99
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities:
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities: 95
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 28 Dec 2000
Time: 15:44:12
Remote Name: host-209-214-170-209.sdf.bellsouth.net
Remote User:

Comments

Our family plus one sailed on the RCCL Enchantment of the Seas western Caribbean itinerary December 17,
2000 through December 24, 2000. Scheduled were Key West, FL, Cozumel, Mexico, Georgetown, Grand
Cayman, Ocho Rios, Jamaica and two days at sea.

Our journey began on day in which Atlanta had its airport closed due to an ice storm. I have learned an
important lesson. Any cruise which I take in the future will have me arriving at the port city at least one day
prior to sailing. Two cruises in a row have had less than relaxing travel and connections. This cruise was the
first in which I have purchased an air/seas package. I only purchased it because the cruise lines buy up every
single morning seat to Miami and Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday and Sunday. What is left is literally nothing so
you are at the mercy of the air/sea plan plus the $35.00 per person surcharge for changes or designating
your own flights. We did the latter and chose flights from RCCL’s pre-purchased inventory. (Translation –
flights which had us arriving in Ft. Lauderdale at noon with a minimum of layover on the airline of our choice.)
Due to the ice storm we arrived in Atlanta two hours late and missed our Ft. Lauderdale connection. Not to
worry – Delta rebooked us on flights that would arrive in Ft. Lauderdale at 8:00 p.m. The ship sailed at 5:00
p.m. Sorry nothing available to Ft. Lauderdale or Miami before that. How nice of them to inform us at 10:15
a.m. Fortunately we got on a noon flight to West Palm Beach and we arrived there without luggage at 2:00
p.m. Delta provided us with a limousine to transfer us to the Ft. Lauderdale airport. (46 miles) A quick search
for our luggage at baggage services told us that either the baggage was taken directly to the ship or we would
be out of luck. We got back in our limousine, this time at my expense, and headed for the pier. Five minutes
later we were in front of the ship.

Embarkation – We arrived at 4:10 p.m. for a 5:00 p.m. sailing. Embarkation was a breeze. The four of us were
the only people left in the terminal. Documents were checked, passports exhibited, credit card imprinted and
cruise cards issued in just three minutes. It was time to board the ship. We were so late that the duty free
shops had closed and the kiosk for the embarkation photos had been disassembled. No photo but we were on
the ship and directed to our cabins. I really missed the Celebrity procedure of escorting you to your cabin. We
took the elevator up to deck eight and found our cabins, a C class suite and a K class interior double directly
across the hall.

Cabins -- The C category suite was just as advertised. The room was large for a ship but still only 245 sq. ft.
Storage space was ample for a seven day cruise. The bathroom was spacious. Across the hall the two 20
year old boys had to make do with 180 sq. ft., no windows, no balcony, and no refrigerator. Nevertheless it
was theirs so there was no complaints except an occasional “get out of here” when a visit from either mom or
dad was unwelcome. Our cabin steward was excellent. He kept both rooms spotless. Every night our pillows
were arranged in different formations. I do not understand why RCI furnishes this class of room with two beds
which must be put together rather than one. A single bed would be more comfortable.

Food – This was my third cruise on RCCL having previously cruised on the Monarch of the Seas and the
Majesty of the Seas. On the previous two cruises I rated the dining room fare at three stars. Previous reviews
had announced some slippage but apparently RCI has heard the rumbles. The ship has a new executive chef
(less than six months) and the dining room food was excellent. It was not quite to the level of Celebrity but just
a slight notch below and better than my previous Royal Caribbean cruises. You should have no complaints.
The Windjammer which serves casual breakfast and lunch buffets is only fair, much smaller for seating than I
expected and has far less selections that the Millennium which I sailed in September. RCCL does serve soft
drinks with meals without resorting to bar service which is nice because their iced tea was terrible. Hot dogs,
hamburgers and pizza are served at the Solarium. There is also a soft ice cream bar but I never located it.

Entertainment – The usual RCCL fare. Two production shows by the ship’s singers and dancers were fair.
The group tries hard but the productions never quite hit their mark. They were entertaining but not a reason
to book this cruise. The Platters entertained. Only one is an original but the replacements perform the old
standards as well as any recording. This was a thoroughly enjoyable evening. A magical group performed but
I missed that show. The Diamonds were scheduled to perform but unable to embark due to weather.

Ports – Key West is neat if you have never been to the Florida keys before. We have been to all the ports on
previous occasions. At Key West the Truman Little White House is worth a tour. None of the shore excursions
mentioned it so we skipped Key West excursions and did it ourselves. Cozumel was a beach break. If you
have never done it before than I suggest the ruins at Tulum. After that the weather changed. Grand Cayman
was closed to us due to high seas. We wound up with a day at sea during cloudy and rainy weather. Because
the ship has a solarium, it was still possible to sit poolside. The last port was Ocho Rios. One again we
climbed Dunn’s River Falls. It is a must but probably the only thing worth doing in Ocho Rios. Leaving through
the market is a trip because you are accosted by every merchant with a booth and a few who would peddle
drugs.

Debarkation – Royal Caribbean handles this very well and the port at Ft Lauderdale is well suited. We had no
trouble finding our luggage. Plane tickets and boarding passes were distributed on board ship. Baggage tags
were given in a sealed envelope. The envelope and you luggage were given over at a truck which was
terminal side and you boarded a bus for either Ft. Lauderdale or Miami airports.

After our first meal on the Enchantment we returned to our cabins to find our luggage on board. That was a
surprise and it eliminated the worry that others had having to sail without baggage. I have learned that
arriving at the late hours as long as you are there on time is a lot less of a hassle than trying to board at 1:00
p.m. with everybody else. In spite of the weather this cruise was enjoyable and Royal Caribbean was up to the
task. The Enchantment also sails the eastern Caribbean on alternate weeks. Either itinerary is worth a shot. I
much prefer this size vessel to the 140,000 ton class.

Name: Mark Vespucci
Email: miamimark85@hotmail.com
Age: 15
Occupation: Student
NumberOfCruises: 9
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Enchantment
SailingDate: March 5th, 2000
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Cabin: 8504- A
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 88
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 95
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 94
TenderService: 92
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 93
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 100
CruiseActivities: 96
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs: 93
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 91
ShopsOnBoard: 98
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 96
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 02 Jan 2001
Time: 21:22:18
Remote Name: webspeed1.ica.net
Remote User:

Comments

My family sailed on the March 5th, 2000 sailing of the Enchantment of the Seas. We booked the cruise about
1-½ months before the sailing date. Our group consisted of my Parents, my two brothers (ages 6 and 11), my
aunt, uncle, their two children (ages 2 and 4), me (age 15) and my grandmother and great aunt. Yes, I am
only 15, but cruises are my passion and I knew more about them then our travel agent! I had been on 9
cruises before this cruise. We all had an excellent time, although there were a few minor discrepancies we
encountered along the way, which I will share later on in the review. We chose the Eastern Caribbean
itinerary, although we had been to St. Thomas, no one had been to the private island of CocoCay and only
my aunt and uncle had been to St. Maarten. This was our first experience on Royal Caribbean, we had
previously only traveled on Carnival (4 times, on the Inspiration, Carnival Destiny twice, Paradise), NCL (twice,
once on the Norway and once on the Norwegian Sky), Princess (Dawn Princess), Crystal (Crystal Symphony)
and Celebrity (Mercury). Our previous favorite cruise line was Carnival, as they are a very fun cruise line.
Norwegian is also a nice cruise line however their freestyle cruising on the Norwegian Sky wrecked our
vacation. It was horrible. Any cruiser must sail on the Norway just once. She is a true ship. Just make sure that
you stay on a higher deck as the lower decks have mould problems (it’s understandable on a 30-year-old
ship). We stayed in a Junior Suite on Sky deck and we were fine. We found Princess to be a very snobby
cruise line, both passengers and crew. My family refers to Princess as the favorite cruise line for 'rich people
wannabes'. Sorry but we got that impression from them! Any kid on that ship was stared at in the dining room
like we had two heads! And we are extremely well behaved children! I can only imagine what they were saying
behind our backs. And the ship (Dawn Princess) wasn’t as impressive as the other ones we’ve been on.
Crystal was the ultimate cruise line. A Crystal cruise is a one in a lifetime experience because they’re too
expensive to go more then once! Even though they are a really upscale line, we, as kids, felt really
comfortable on the ship! The staff was really friendly and accommodating, and we even had an almost-private
kids club, as there was only two other kids on board. Celebrity was also a really nice cruise line. We were
going to book on the Galaxy for the same week instead of the Enchantment but my parents couldn’t get a
direct flight to San Juan for the date of the cruise. I’m really glad that we went on the Enchantment!

We took our airfare from Toronto through Royal Caribbean. Even though we had to fly into Ft. Lauderdale,
and bus into Miami, the trip down was perfect! This was worth the extra cost. We left Toronto before the sun
rose Sunday morning, so we arrived at the pier quite early. We were one of the first people in the lineup to get
on the ship! It took us about 15mins to check in, get our picture taken, board the ship, get our 'cruisecards'
and enter our cabin. In other words, it was extremely organized. We then ate lunch up in the Windjammer, and
by the time we had finished lunch more then half of our suitcases were already outside our cabin! We decided
to relax for the rest of the day, and lay around by the pool. At around 4:30pm, we had a lifeboat drill. Of
course, being experienced cruisers, we had no problem with this, although my grandmother and great aunt,
who were on their 2nd cruise, were a little bit confused and while taking a nap, were awoken by alarms and a
strange cabin steward pounding on the door. They arrived at the lifeboat deck disheveled, with their life
jackets on backwards. It was quite funny. We had early seating in the extremely beautiful My Fair Lady Dining
Room. The food was wonderful. I don’t like Duck a l’orange, escargot or Quail all that much so I was glad to
see that they had optional plain American food at the bottom of the menu every night (Attention: Carnival).
Our Waiter’s name was Wallop ('Wally'), and I can’t remember our Busboy’s name. They were EXCELLENT!
Wally always would bring my uncle and I seconds (we are notorious for being large eaters) even when we
didn’t ask him. He said he always knew the look on our faces when we were still hungry. Our busboy was
AMAZING! Whenever we ordered a drink, he would bring it to us immediately, and whenever it was almost
finished, a new one would be sitting on my table. I didn’t even see him put it there!

Our cabin steward’s name was Winston. He was extremely accommodating, and he kept our cabin spotless.
This wasn’t an easy job as we had 5 people staying in it. We had adjoining suites 8504 and 8506. My parents
stayed in the Owner’s suite (Cat. A) #8504 and stuck us in the other suite (Cat. B) #8506. Our double cabin
was HUGE! They had many features, and I LOVED having a balcony. It was even better having an adjoining
suite because our balcony was more then twice the size of the one next door. My grandmother and great aunt
stayed in the Royal Suite down the hall #8500. It was nice (they had a grand piano) but most of it’s features
never got used (my grandmother can’t play the piano), and for the price you pay, and the little amount of time
that you are in your cabin it really isn’t worth it. I think that a category D on deck 7 would have been adequate.
My aunt and her family stayed in the Royal Family Suite (Cat. AA) #8584. Her balcony was again huge,
because she was at the back of the ship. However, she complained of vibration, most probably because of the
engines. When you pay $5000 per person for a cabin you don’t expect something like that to happen.

The shows in the Orpheum Theatre were wonderful. I think everyone in our family enjoyed them, although not
being much of a Beatles fan, I skipped the Beatles impersonator show and instead went to the teen club for
spa night. Speaking of the club, the teen club on Royal Caribbean was EXTREMELY well run and fun, as we
had our own room and the late night disco was scheduled for after the show. On Carnival, the teen programs
were 'weak', and all the exciting activities were scheduled during the show, and the club closed at like
10:30pm. On RCCL, the teen club was open until we felt like leaving, and I found myself not getting home until
at least 2am most nights. However, the younger children’s programming wasn’t as good as Carnival. So if you
have children under 12, I think Carnival would be the best bet. But for me, this was the most fun cruise I had
been on.

The ship’s Windjammer café was the only displeasure that we felt on the ship. It closed too early in the
morning, as we are NOT early risers and some days all that we could get for breakfast was a yogurt because
it had closed for 'cleaning'. Also, my father could not get an omelet some mornings, and this upset him. We
ended up going back to the room and ordering from the room service. My mother could not get a simple, plain
egg ANY morning in the Windjammer. She brought this our creepy head waiter’s attention, and from then on
he hung around our table, trying to cut our meat (it was more like trying to hit on the ladies) and trying to
befriend my mother. It was kind of freaky, as he always asked if he could borrow either my Rasta hat I bought
in St. Thomas or the shoes I wore to dinner the night before. I’m sorry, I don’t lend my shoes out to strange
headwaiters. Our waiter was very nervous around him, like we were going to complain about his service.

We had a medical emergency and the ship had to make a detour to San Juan (I love that island!) to unload
two men, both heart attack victims. This is when the viewfinder of our video camera broke, and I was the only
one willing use it. Let’s just say we have A LOT of video of the medical emergency/ ships in San Juan harbour.
I would have rather stopped in San Juan then in St. Maarten.

St. Maarten was our first actual port. Trust me, it’s not as wonderful as everyone says. I did not have a great
time there, as it was very dirty and the streets are very narrow; I almost got hit by a car twice. People who
went to the French side said that it was nice, I would have preferred to go shopping there then to have gone
to the beach but my uncle wasn’t going to spend money on a taxi, and my father didn’t want to go on his own.
My mother was upset about not being able to go to Gucci but it was ok. I ended up going back to the ship
early as I was extremely bored. The ship was deserted and I had the pool area AND SNACK BAR (yum yum)
all to myself. The beautiful Solarium was empty and I could actually get a seat in there! If I could do it again, I’d
skip St. Maarten and stay on the ship for the entire day.

Our second port was St. Thomas. Our family has been 'St.Thomas-ized' as we have been there a million times
on cruises (or so it feels), so we pretty much have the island memorized. We decided to skip the rather
expensive downtown shopping (there were times when St. Thomas used to be one of the best-priced ports in
the Caribbean, the Tommy Hilfiger store in St. Thomas is like double the price of the stores back home) and
went to Magen’s Bay beach. This beach is both beautiful and calm. The people on the island are so nice!

Our Last port was CocoCay, the RCCL private island. This was our first trip to the Bahamas, and we loved it.
We were all treated like kings and queens for the day. The buffets here had really good food and we had
endless miles of beach to play and frolic on. TRY THE COCO LOCOS WITHOUT RUM! I am obsessed with
those! I had like 4. They are kind of expensive, so after you get the first one in the bottle, get the rest in the
glass.

The Gala Midnight buffet was beautiful. They have it set up in the dining room, and there are endless
amounts of food and sculptures. If you are not a sweet lover, just go to take pictures. It’s worth staying up
late!

The last day on the ship was really depressing. No one wanted to leave! Disembarkation was very organized.
We were stationed in the theatre until our colour was called. They played CNN news broadcasts and the
ship’s video diary of the week. When orange was called, we got up and left the ship. It was not hard to find a
porter, and we had him take our luggage, and load it on the bus to Ft. Lauderdale airport. The bus back was
one of those mini-buses. It was really tiny and my seat was broken, so it had no back. This is not a very good
situation, as we were driving on busy roads and spent half an hour on a highway. It was definitely not safe.
Our flight back to Toronto was full of turbulence and the plane soaring up and down due to air pockets. I
SURVIVED! ~*heehee*~

This cruise was wonderful, and I would really go back again. Actually, we have booked a 10-day cruise on the
Vision of the Seas in March 2001 (booked in Royal Family Suite #8520), and we are going on the Voyager of
the Seas (booked in Grand Ocean View Suite #9694) for my 16th birthday in August 2001. I think RCCL has
replaced Carnival for our family’s favorite cruise line!

Anyone who has any questions OR that can tell me a little about the Vision or Voyager of the Seas or the
Cabins/Categories that we are staying in on those ships could you please e-mail me at
miamimark85@hotmail.com

Name: Carol and Jeffrey Ellis
Email: Tarell@aol.com
Age: mid 40's
Occupation: housewife/attorney
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Enchantment
SailingDate: December 10, 2000
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Cabin: 8542, 8546--C suites
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 50
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 70
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 75
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness:
EmbarkDisembark: 75
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace:
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 22 Jan 2001
Time: 20:01:10
Remote Name: spider-wj023.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:

Comments

We are a family of 5, 2 adults and 3 children (a boy 18, and 2 girls 15 and 10) who took our 3rd cruise. Our
previous cruises were on Rhapsody and Celebrity's Mercury. We choose this cruise because we all needed
time to relax and be together before the holidays. I cannot comment on the air/sea package since we
arranged our own transportation from Los Angeles arriving on Saturday. Even though the weather here is
generally wonderful I don't like leaving too much to chance or being too tired to enjoy our first day on the
boat. Embarkation was difficult. There was a storm and getting the luggage unloaded took forever. Once we
got inside the first room it was chaos. The people who worked there went from group to group without any real
order. But most people kept their cool and we got onboard within 2 hours. Incidentally, there is no special
check-in for Crown and Anchor Club members. (Not that our travel agent had informed them when he made
our reservations Note: Even with your ID number it won't make any difference to show a Crown and Anchor
card once onboard...the discounts etc. won't happen). Our cabins, we let our teenagers have their own room,
were 2 C suites, with balconies. We were surprised how worn the sofas were--the cushions sunk into the body
of the sofa, so they weren't very comfortable. But the balcony is so worth the extra expense. Our room
steward, Reynato, was wonderful. He had both rooms and we tend to be....disorganized. He began to put our
daughter's left out clothes up high on the bookcase so that she would have to search for her clothes and
shoes. My teenagers probably were more of a challenge. My son carried with him some scripts for work, in
addition to all their clothes, but somehow he managed to keep both rooms presentable. Through our travel
agent we had requested that our table in the dining room be a table for 5 by a window. This was a change
from last year when we had travelled with another family. Our feeling was simply that, although we love our
children and kids in general...Maybe I don't want to commit to eating with someone else's toddlers for a week.
Well, our travel agent screwed up. We had a table in the middle of the room with a family with a 5 year old.
Tragedy? No. We did not request a change because our waiter, Sophie, and her assistant, Christian, were
amazing. My son had the ability to order 2 appetizers, 3 entrees, and 2 or 3 desserts, and Sophie always got
it right. (And no, he didn't gain any weight--life isn't fair). Last year on Celebrity we had such trouble getting
drinks. Christian always was there. He even understood when I asked for milk, after our youngest had had 3
cokes. One evening when our youngest fell asleep at the table Christian brought a tablecloth and sweetly
wrapped it her to keep her warm--the dining room is very cold by the way. Bring a sweater. Antonio, our
maitre'd, was fabulous. He was always there, making sure that everything was going well. In fact, Antonio,
Christian, and Sophie would always check on us wherever we were dining--and one time Sophie even took
over when our waiter was too busy in the morning to bring coffee. George, our sommelier, was also great. He
conducted the wine tasting, which was really a fun experience.

As for the food: Background on our family: We
live in Los Angeles. Spago's is 4 blocks from our house and we eat there, as well as other world class
restaurants. Our children eat there too. Is the dining room food like Spago's or Cafe Four Oaks? No, of
course not--it can't be when you're serving thousands of people. Is it good? Absolutely. Very good.
Absolutely. Excellent: Yes....The Windjammer is something yet again. We ate there twice, once for the
Welcome Aboard, and one morning when we slept in....skip it. The fruit and pastries were ok, the bacon and
the rest was either greasy or cold. We didn't go on any shore excursions. But, we found the excursion desk to
be very helpful. We were going to rent a car in St. Maartin. They discouraged us by telling us the truth that it
would be cheaper (it was)and easier (definitely, the roads are not great) to go by taxi to the French side. And
when we were going to buy tickets for Atlantis, at $56 a person to sit on their beach, actually a small piece of
it, and walk on their grounds, the person in charge said that we could, in fact, take a taxi to Paradise Island
and go to a public beach--or a private beach if you're not blatent that you are from a cruise ship. My children
didn't go the the Kids programs. Believe it or not, they like hanging out together. They tend to get along, when
we are on vacation.

As for the ports. On St. Maartin we went to the French side where we had lunch. We had
planned to go to the beach as well but tendering was a nightmare. We went for our tickets at 8:30, over 3
hours later we got on a tender. They had only one tender going. It was a bit of a disappointment. In St.
Thomas the girls shopped, the boys played Mahagony Run. They brought their own clubs. The consensus
was that the course badly was in need of upkeep. As I mentioned, in Nassau, we went to Paradise Island
where we sat on the beach for 3 hours. It was wonderful. Yes, the hair braiders want your business but just
say no and you'll be fine. We did a bit a shopping and then went back to the boat. It was a wonderful day. All
in all, we had a wonderful time. Frankly, although Celebrity has a better reputation...we have had a better
time, better service, and yes, comparable food on RCI.

Name: Wendy Wade
Email: wades@jet2.net
Age: 40
Occupation: homemaker
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Enchantment
SailingDate: Dec. 17, 2000
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: 2045M
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 88
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 89
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 89
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 85
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService:
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 88
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 92
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 18 Feb 2001
Time: 00:00:50
Remote Name: dyn-239.87.jet2.net
Remote User:

Comments

First, I would like to mention that this web site was extremely valuable to me in searching out
information about the Enchantment and other ships. I spent many hours reading reviews in the months
before our cruise and I am very thankful for those who took the time to write about their experiences.
Therefore, I wanted to share my experience with others who are considering a cruise on the
Enchantment of the Seas.

The only disappointment we had on our cruise was the weather and I'll get to that later!

As we started our vacation with a one week stay on the gulf coast of Florida before going on our
cruise, we booked our own air arrangements from Detroit to Ft. Myers and then return air from Ft.
Lauderdale back to Detroit. We choose to fly Spirit Airlines, a charter company and had no problems
going down to Florida, however, we were delayed approximately 5 hours returning home on Christmas
Eve day. Because of bad weather in the Chicago area the day before, flights were obviously backed
up, causing our delay to Detroit. However, Spirit was very good at keeping passengers informed during
our wait in the Ft. Lauderdale airport, gave us lunch vouchers, a credit towards our next flight with
them, and a definite guarantee we would get to Detroit that day. My previous experience with an
AIR/SEA program with Norwegian Cruises was not a favourable one as the AIR portion was nearly
double what we paid for the charter, plus we did not have a direct flight home but instead a very long
day with our plane not leaving Miami until 5:00 pm. and after changing planes in Atlanta we finally
arrived in Detroit at 11:00 pm. My recommendation is to make your own air arrangements but make
sure you fly down the day before. In most cases you can get a cheaper fare and a direct flight with
more accommodating flight times than the cruise company can offer.

Anyway, back to Ft.Myers where this vacation started. We were very pleased to be offered
complimentary shuttle bus service (motor coach) from a convenient location in Ft. Myers, to Port
Everglades on the morning of our cruise. This service was FREE from Royal Caribbean and was
arranged when we booked our cruise. This is a great perk for Florida residents or other vacationers to
the Florida region. Our bus driver was on time and very polite. After a short stop in Naples to pick up
more passengers, we were on our way to Ft. Lauderdale. Incidentally, the bus was also carrying
passengers who were travelling on a Princess Cruise which was leaving from the same port as the
Enchantment.

We arrived at Port Everglades very early, approximately 10:30 am. There were still many passengers
who had just disembarked, crowding the sidewalks as they waited for buses and cabs to the airports.

The embarkation process was extremely smooth, quick, and staff very proficient. We boarded the ship
by 11:00 am. From the moment we boarded the Enchantment we were in awe of her beauty. The
Centrum was absolutely magnificent. The ship was beautifully decorated for Christmas although being
from the North it is hard to get into the Christmas spirit when the weather is warm and sunny and
you're wearing shorts. Anyway, our initial impression was extremely positive and it was further
reinforced as we continued to tour the ship.

We didn't expect our cabin to be ready but to our surprise our cabin steward, Oscar, had just finished
preparing the cabin. He introduced himself and made sure we knew to call on him if we needed
anything. We were in cabin #2045 on the lowest deck for passenger cabins. We find it much quieter
and we feel the least amount of motion, even when the sea gets rough, as it did during our cruise. Our
inside cabin was well appointed, clean, had more than enough storage. I am VERY picky about
cleanliness, and the entire cabin including the bathroom, was spotless. Our two children, ages 11 and
9 used the upper bunks of our quad cabin while my husband and I had the lower twin beds. We could
have pushed our beds together to make a queen bed but were a little bit concerned about the kids
getting down from their bunks safely in the night so we kept them apart for the trip. No big deal! We
always had plenty of fresh towels and toiletries, ice in the bucket and clean glasses. Our bedding was
always pulled back in the evening with a chocolate on each pillow. My kids really looked forward to this
each night. I think this small gesture is a nice touch. We had absolutely no complaints about our cabin
or our cabin steward. We originally wanted an outside cabin but unfortunately there were none left on
Deck 2 or 3 at the time we booked, approximately 8 months in advance. We were seldom in the cabin
except to change clothes and sleep so the inside cabin was okay for us. The Enchantment was filled to
capacity on the week we cruised.

Once we inspected our cabin we dropped our carry-ons and set off to explore the ship. The Solarium
pool area was beautiful with its generous seating area around the pool, two hot tubs, and cafe.
Children under 12 are not permitted to use this pool as it is designated for adults who do not wish to
be splashed or jumped on by boisterous, playful children. However, I did see a few children using the
facilities and ignoring the rules. The family pool was on the Pool Deck as well but at the other end of
the ship. Children were welcome to swim and play at this pool. There were also 2 hot tubs beside this
pool. There did seem to be a bit of a problem with not enough deck chairs however many were empty
but people had left their belongings or towels on the chairs for long periods of time, expecting to have
them whenever they decided to come back to the pool. However, if I found chairs that seemed
deserted with only Royal Caribbean towels left on them, I assumed people were too lazy to put the
towels in the 'Used Towel Bin' when they were done, so I simply got rid of the towels and used the
chairs. I think deck staff should assume the same, and pick up the towels, allowing the chairs to be free
for those wanting to use them. The Calypso music around the pool was very entertaining and definitely
puts you in the 'cruising the Caribbean' mood.

Yes! We did have a life boat drill. No big deal! We've done this before and had expected it. Even
though it was hot with the sun shining and the life vests on, I heard no complaints from the other
passengers, not even the children, as we waited patiently for passengers who choose to ignore the
MANDATORY drill. Really, people should realize this is for their benefit and safety in the event of an
emergency!

The upper decks were crowded as we set sail under the sunset from Port Everglades. Music was
playing and passengers were enjoying drinks as we all waved 'Bon Voyage' to the poor souls on the
pier below us. We were excited to be on our way.

We had already checked out the Children's Program and had enrolled our own children. They were
both in the Voyagers Group, ages 9-12. As the week progressed our children participated daily in
many events. There were always fun activities. Our children made many new friends and this program
allowed them time to be with kids their own ages as well as time with Mom & Dad. We had early seating
for dinner and the children were always anxious to get off to Voyagers immediately after dessert, until
approximately 10:00 pm. This was wonderful as my husband and I could take in the 9:00 pm. shows
and then pick the children up afterwards. The staff supervising the children's programs were excellent
and I had no worries leaving my children in their care.

Our dining experience on board the Enchantment was great! We choose to have all breakfasts and
most lunches in the Windjammer Cafe mainly because our children were always anxious to eat and get
going for the day. While I had read some complaints about the food in the Windjammer, we certainly
found the food selection, presentation and taste to be very good. We never had a problem finding a
table in this beautiful, circular, glassed enclosed dining area. If you choose to, you could take your
meal outside to the covered patio near the pool. The Windjammer also opened in the afternoon
around 4:00 for snacks, desserts, ice-cream, sandwiches,fruit, etc. for about an hour. We only had
one dinner in the Windjammer. It was good but we preferred to have dinner in the main dining room.
My Fair Lady dining room was magnificent in many respects. Staff were very professional, always
eager to please, and tending to your every want and need. It was extremely important to them that you
were totally satisfied with your entire dining experience. Our waiter 'Chetty' from India, was the best. He
was great with our children. Pop was not an additional charge in the dining room as it had been on our
previous cruise with Norwegian Cruise Line. If your children are big pop drinkers you might consider an
unlimited 'Coke Card' at $20.00/person for the entire cruise instead of paying $1.50 per pop each
time. Every meal we had in My Fair Lady was excellent, including the prime rib, filet mignon, lobster tail,
and halibut. You were always welcome to extra portions or more than one entree, dessert, etc. from
the menu. The desserts were excellent. Ours was an excellent dining experience. Keep it up Royal
Caribbean and we'll be back.

We did not use Room Service and therefore I cannot comment on the service or food. Our children
enjoyed the Solarium Cafe where they could get hot dogs, burgers, pizza, and fries during several
different hours of the day, but not 24 hours a day. We only attended one midnight buffet. It was
displayed in the ship's galley and the food was good. The Gala Buffet was in My Fair Lady dining
room. The display was absolutely beautiful. We took pictures at 11:30 and then headed to bed
because we were neither hungry nor willing to wait until 12:30 am. to eat part of this masterpiece.

Entertainment in the theater(which by the way was also beautiful) was very good with the exception of
the 'Platters' who were excellent. Waiters were always available to get you drinks but were not pushy.
BEWARE! Unless you want to cart home several souvenir glasses, save yourself a couple of bucks
and ask for your drinks in a regular cocktail glass. We quickly caught on to that added expense. Drinks
seemed a bit pricey unless they were the 'Drink of the Day'. We are not big drinkers, usually only a
drink or two during the shows. Gratuities are already included in the drink prices.

SHORE EXCURSIONS/PORTS OF CALL: I cannot stress enough that you should book your shore
excursions ASAP! Some excursions are very popular and sell out quickly, such as the SWIM/SNORKEL
with the stingrays at Stingray City in Grand Cayman and Climbing the Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica.
We booked our shore excursions within 2 hours of getting on board the ship. Some passengers prefer
to hire cabs or make their own arrangements for tours on the islands. My advice is that if you are not
an experienced traveller or are someone who wants a hassle-free experience, book your excursions
with the cruise line and let them worry about the rest. You will pay a little more but it was worth it. We
had already decided on our shore excursions before we left home, by reviewing the Shore Excursions
Booklet with descriptions and prices which Royal Caribbean sent along with our tickets.

KEY WEST(Monday) was a quaint little island. We took a glass bottom boat tour to the only living coral
reef in the continental USA. It was a great educational experience for our family. A MUST is the Key
Lime Shoppe while in Key West. It features frozen chocolate-dipped Key Lime Pie on a stick. It was
absolutely delicious! Don't miss this scrumptious dessert. You won't find it anywhere else. We walked
the cobblestone streets, stopping occasionally to look for souvenirs, and then headed back to the ship
for a late lunch. We departed Key West at 3:00 pm.

PLAYA DEL CARMEN/COZUMEL(Tuesday). When we arrived in Cozumel it was sunny, warm, and
beautiful. Since our children are fascinated with the ocean and sealife we choose an
oceanview/semi-sub tour which was excellent. After our tour, since we were close to the pier, we
decided to have lunch on the ship and then head out for some serious shopping. The weather had
changed considerably after lunch. It was cloudy, windy, and cooler. We took a taxi ($5.00 each way)
along the coast to the main shopping area and spent a couple hours there. We later decided to try the
vendors across the street from the pier as we were returning to the ship. We got our best bargains
from these people. I love onyx and we purchased several pieces at a great price. DON'T FORGET TO
BARGAIN. DO NOT PAY THE TICKET PRICE. You will always get them to come down on their prices,
even if you have to start walking away from their shop. They'll chase after you and offer you a bargain.
Next time I visit Cozumel I would like to check out the beaches or take a land tour. I will definitely buy
more onyx pieces. The vendors, especially in town were a little pushy but if you said 'No' and kept
walking they would leave you alone. I cannot comment on the fact that silver is supposed to be a great
buy in Mexico because we didn't shop for any.

WEDNESDAY was our scheduled day at sea. It was nice to sleep in and even though it was windy and
not as warm as I would have liked, it was a nice day to relax by the pool.

GRAND CAYMAN(Thursday) was our biggest disappointment. We had looked forward to seeing this
island the most. Unfortunately, because of bad weather and high seas, we were not able to tender in to
this port. Our ship was not alone as 2 Carnival ships were also turned away. The Port Authority in
Grand Cayman made the decision to close the port for safety reasons so it was in no way the fault of
Royal Caribbean. There were many disappointed passengers on the Enchantment that day. We had
bought shore excursion tickets to swim and snorkel with the stingrays at Stingray City. I am sure this
would have been a very unique experience and a highlight of our cruise vacation. I was just as
disappointed as my children. Royal Caribbean refunded all shore excursion tickets and tried their best
to lift the spirits of the passengers by planning extra activities that day and offering free drinks for a
specified time in the lounges, etc. As we sadly left the Cayman waters and headed for our next port,
Jamaica, we all tried to make the best of the situation. Later that day the weather had cleared and
many passengers questioned whether we could go back to Grand Cayman but this was not possible.

OCHO RIOS JAMAICA(Friday) was our final port of call. When we arrived approximately 9:00 am. it was
cloudy with light rain and very humid. We couldn't believe our bad luck with the weather this week. We
could only hope it would clear for our climb of the Dunn's River Falls. Our prayers had been answered.
By the time we boarded the bus for our tour the clouds had broken, rain had stopped, and the sun was
peaking through a few remaining clouds. Our bus took us on a short tour of Ocho Rios which did not
impress us, before heading to the falls. We thoroughly enjoyed this experience. Aqua Socks are a
MUST! The rocks in the falls can be slippery. Bring an UNDERWATER CAMERA unless you want
expensive camera equipment ruined. You, your clothes, and all your carried belongings will be soaked
on this tour! Lockers are available for use before the climb. For those who do not wish to climb the falls
there is a viewing area from where they can watch others do the climbing. When you finish climbing the
falls you will pass through a market of vendors as you exit the grounds. They can be pushy and if you
stop at one others will insist you stop at their stands. We knew this ahead of time, thanks to Cruise
Opinion reviews, and were grateful for the advice to say 'No thank-you', not stop at any vendors, and
just keep walking to the exit. We had no problems at all when we followed this plan. We were taken to
two shopping areas, Soni's Plaza and Taj Mahal before ending our tour. The stores were very pricey
and shop-keepers were not too willing to bargain. My advice is to make the majority of your purchases
in Cozumel as things are much cheaper and better quality. With the exception of the Dunn's River
Falls, we were not very impressed with Ocho Rios and probably won't visit this port again.

SATURDAY, our last day, a day at sea -- cloudy and rainy for most of the day. There was lots to do on
the ship so we made the best of it. We were certainly happy we had excellent weather in Florida the
week before our cruise otherwise I think I would have cried. I guess we expected the perfect weather
we had in March 2000 when we cruised the Eastern Caribbean. Our last night was a time for packing
(you must leave all colour tagged luggage, except carry-ons, outside your cabin before you go to bed
so it can be taken down, arranged by coloured tags, and prepared for disembarkation in the morning)
and saying good-bye. This is the evening to fill your gratuity envelopes and extend your thanks to staff
who have provided you with excellent service while on your cruise. These people who tended to our
needs all week, worked extremely hard, especially in the dining room, to make sure we had such a
wonderful experience that we will cruise with Royal Caribbean again. Please don't cheap out on the
gratuities if you were truly pleased with the service. These people work long hours for little pay and few
hours off duty to ensure the passengers are served with excellence on their vacation. Show your
appreciation in the gratuity envelope by following the recommended tipping guidelines suggested by
Royal Caribbean.

A FEW FINAL NOTES: Lots of photos are taken throughout the cruise. We tried to keep all of ours
together in the Photo Gallery and waited until the last day to choose the ones we wanted to purchase.
The boutiques on the ship had some good buys. Watch for specials on different days. We bought Rum
Cake on the ship for $12.00 that was $26.00 in a store in Jamaica and post cards that were 50 cents
on the ship selling for $1.00 to $1.50 in Jamaica. Royal Caribbean boasts you won't find lower prices
for items sold on the ship in the ports and I am inclined to believe them, at least on the purchases we
made.

DISEMBARKATION: This was quick and well organized. We waited in the theater with everyone else for
our colour to be called (coloured tags are placed on your luggage corresponding with flight times -
earliest flights disembark first). We had an 11:40 am. flight out of Ft. Launderdale airport and were off
the ship by 9:30 am. We had no problem finding our luggage. It was raining again but we managed to
get a taxi quickly and took a 10 minute ride ($10.00 fare) to the airport. We were in the check-in line by
10:15 am. That's what I call a quick disembarkation.

Our cruise experience with Royal Caribbean on the Enchantment of the Seas was fantastic. This cruise
line was highly recommended to us by family and friends and we couldn't have made a better choice.
Every aspect of our dealings with this company were handled in a first rate fashion, from our original
booking to our complimentary shuttle bus from Ft. Myers, to the kind, polite, and professional staff on
board the ship. I would definitely recommend Royal Caribbean and the Enchantment of the Seas
without any hesitation. Living in Canada with an exchange rate of 50 cents or higher on each US dollar
is the only thing preventing our family from taking cruises more often. However, I will be on the look-out
for specials like the one we had this time, so we can cruise again in the near future. Cruising is truly a
great way to travel and cruising with Royal Caribbean is the greatest!
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