rccl-enchantment7

Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Ray & Anne Schneider
Email: akrsch@aol.com
Age: 48 & 35
Occupation: Admin. Asst. & Lawyer
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Enchantment
SailingDate: August 30, 1998
Itinerary: Western Carribean
FoodDiningRoom: 94
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 87
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 82
EntertainmentLounges: 88
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 92
OverallPortsofCall: 87
BeautySalon: 82
EntertainmentPoolside: 88
CruiseActivities: 92
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram: 92
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 97
EmbarkDisembark: 80
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 82
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 92
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 21 Dec 1998
Time: 23:06:59
Remote Name: 152.163.213.84
Remote User:

Comments

This was our second RCCL cruise; we were concerned that our 'grades' above would reflect too negatively. However, being the
'veterans' that we are, we were a bit more critical. Nonetheless, we were thrilled with our vacation and with RCCL's brilliant repeat
performance. As for specific comments: Dining Room: We initially received a poor table assignment at the 6:00 p.m. seating - a
table for 8 was assigned to us and one honeymoon couple - next to the kitchen door. Considering we had requested the later
seating and found the table location very noisy, we inquired as to a reassignment. Our inquiry made its way to the head waiter
and we were promptly moved to an excellent, lively table in the center of the dining room. (Hopefully our former tablemates
followed suit as we suggested - the table next to the kitchen door might work for a noisy family but not for a half-filled table as
ours was!) Perhaps in further accommodation we were invited to dine with the Captain one evening - which was a delight. Cabins:
We knew from past experience that an inside cabin was adequate - one has plenty of access to views of the ocean, and you get
better value. We were again amazed at how well designed the cabins were - everything fit! It would be nice if RCCL would provide
hairdryers as that is practically the standard in U.S. hotels. An ironing board/iron is probably asking too much! Our cabin
steward, Patrick, performed the expected tasks adequately. On the subject of cabins, we do wonder how the young couple
ended up getting the 3 six-foot wooden giraffes home that they bought in Ochos Rios and kept on their balcony for the rest of the
cruise! Entertainment: We found the cruise staff extremely enthusiastic - they really seem to enjoy their jobs! Unfortunately we
thought the cruise director a bit too 'much' on how terrific RCCL was... every night he went on and on and on till we found
ourselves groaning. It was really aimed at first-time cruisers. We went all out for the Toga Party - hey when else can you wear a
sheet and look like a perfect idiot for fun! Excursions: Unfortunately Tropical Storm Earl churned up the water enough to render it
impossible to tender for the excursion to the Mayan ruins. The most unfortunate part of that was the failure of the ship's crew to
determine the futility of the effort until long after the debarkation was to occur - which guaranteed we had fewer choices for
alternative excursions as some 200 of us walked hurriedly to the excursion desk to see what other options remained. That
incident was handled remarkable poorly - since it can't be infrequent, I expected a far quicker resolution to the problem. Such
experienced sailors should have realized before the scheduled debarkation that tendering would not be safe. I was suspicious
that they were more concerned with appeasing the excursion company. Additionally, while I'm sure this is true of all cruise lines,
we thought (as we did on our first cruise) the excursions were over-priced for what service was actually provided. Nevertheless,
we were pleased with the quality of the service - climbing the Dunn River Falls is not something one could do in the U.S. without
signing every imaginable waiver! Ray went parasailing on his own (while I considered the cost of probating his estate) and found
that non-RCCL arranged activity satisfactory. Miscellaneous: My wish is that RCCL provided complimentary soft drinks and other
non-alcholic drinks at the pool bar and other 'bars' - it is obvious from the continuous presence of waiters that alcholic drinks are
a great source of revenue. This cruise was our 5th anniversary - our honeymoon was on the Nordic Empress 4-night cruise to the
Bahamas. We're looking forward to our 10th anniversary - and an even longer excursion!

Name: Craig & Corrine Burgi
Email: burgi@jps.net
Age: 45
Occupation: VP Sales
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Enchantment
SailingDate: Dec. 20, 1998
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 97
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 92
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 98
FoodVariety: 98
DeckService: 98
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 98
CasinoStaff: 98
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 98
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 89
GoodForSeniors: 98
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 88
WheelchairAccess: 100
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 98
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: 100
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 100
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 98
DeckSpace: 97
Stabilization: 98
ShopsOnBoard: 100
SpaceRatio: 98
OverallCruiseValue: 97
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 01 Jan 1999
Time: 13:41:52
Remote Name: 209.142.48.59
Remote User:

Comments

Took Christmas / Holiday Cruise week of Dec. 20th. While I heard and read of many complaints regarding embarking and
disembarking, I found it to go relatively smooth. Overall impression...I liked Royal Caribbean as much as Princess, maybe more,
and it was better than NCL.

On Western Caribbean itinerary I was a little disappointed. Key West…not much time in the port. The kayak excursion was fun
with my wife and two teenage boys, but that's all we had time for. At Cozumel we went snorkeling. We had to do the beach
snorkeling instead of the more advanced snorkeling "adventure" from the boat. I found this beach snorkeling to not be that
great….I give it a "C" grade at best, not worth the time nor expense. It was rather interesting to me that the advanced snorkeling,
from the boat. was sold out, considering that we were one of the first people to board the ship and first to be in line at the
excursion desk to book our entire weeks excursions. The stingray city excursion was well worth it. Dunn's River Falls was worth
doing. Jamaica is like Oahu…it's a nice place to go once….that's enough…don't care if I every go back to Jamaica again. We
had wished we had spent more time at the little street vendors at Dunn's river falls, as there isn't much in the two shopping
centers at Ocho Rios.

Dining: The My Fair Lady dining room service, food, etc. was great. Great waiter…Mustafa. The head waiters actually work and
do something on RCCL unlike other cruise lines I've been on. The Windjammer café mediocre at best….convenient and quick,
but not the best food.

Shows: The Wave Review singers/dancers and the magician were pretty good. The comedian and juggler were mediocre as well.

Our teenagers had a great time…their first cruise. What made it enjoyable is that they quickly made friends the first day.

Cabins: If you book an outside cabin, be aware that the windows or small-practically non-existent or unusable. You'd be better off
to save the money and select an inside cabin. To make it worthwhile, upgrade a deck or preferably two decks.

Name: Diane & Sid Jacobson
Email: shindoni@AOL.com
Age: 43 and 60
Occupation: artist and CPA
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Enchantment
SailingDate: 1-17-99
Itinerary: western caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 98
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 89
FoodLidoDeck: 60
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 75
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 100
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 89
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 70
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 85
EmbarkDisembark: 50
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 75
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 31 Jan 1999
Time: 14:27:25
Remote Name: 205.188.198.28
Remote User:

Comments

The Enchantment is a beautiful ship with an amazing amount of glass in the common areas. This is a wonderful
feature for those days at sea when you don't want to be out in the heat. It is ever so pleasant to relax in a
comfortable chair with a cool drink in your hand and watch the rolling waves, other ships or boats, or sometimes
even an island.

In January, 1998 we cruised on the Dawn Princess in the same category cabin, stateroom with balcony, so we had
a good standard for comparison. Princess and Royal Carribbean are in the same price range and are very much
alike. We preferred RCI's Enchantment over the Dawn Princess for the following reasons:

The crew of the Enchantment was generally more friendly. The Dawn crew was fine, just more reserved.

The passengers on the Enchantment were slightly younger and definitely livlier.

The entertainment on the Enchantment was much better. The cruise director, who acts as MC, the comedians, the
magician and the juggler were all outstanding. The song and dance productions on the Dawn were more lavish, but
that was not nearly enough to tilt the balance.

As previously mentioned, the walls of glass on the Enchantment were wonderful. The light pouring into the ship
brightened spirits.

Most important to us was the difference in staterooms. For the same category, same price, the Enchantment
stateroom was much larger and much better designed. Storage was better thought out. Instead of a chair in the
cabin like on the Dawn Princess, the Enchantment provided us with a sofa. This gave us a place to put things down
other than the bed, as well as allowing us to sit together and watch TV. And, the difference in the bathrooms was
major. First of all, if you sat on the toilet on the Dawn Princess, your knees would be bumping the door! There was
adequete room in our bathroom on the Enchantment. Also, the shower and medicine cabinet were better on the
Enchantment. There was even room to towel yourself off without banging your elbows on the bulkheads like we did
on the Dawn Princess! The difference in personal space was the most important thing in favor of the Enchantment
for us.

Of course, Enchantment did have some negatives compared to the Dawn Princess, such as:

The food. Food on the Dawn Princess was better. The hot dogs and hamburgers on the 'Lido Deck' (called the
solarium)on the Enchantment had no taste at all. Breakfast on the Enchantment became extremely boring. It was
the exact same menu every day and we did not feel that it offered sufficient choices. The eggs benedict on the Dawn
Princess were to die for. On the Enchantment they were just dead, usually hard- boiled. Dinners on the Dawn
Princess were superior. If you are on a food trip, the Enchantment might not be the better choice.

The engine noise. We had been told that the faulty engine, one of four, had been fixed. I don't think so. While the
constant engine noise and vibration and the more than occasional shudder did not really interfere with our
enjoyment of the cruise, one would think that these problems would have cured by now. I suspect that this is why
the Enchantment has to leave Key West at 1:30 instead of 3:00 as it says in the brochure and why it was always the
last cruise ship into a port and therefore the last one out.

My wife, being a professional artist, paid a great deal of attention to the art displayed by both ships, and even I was
struck by the difference. The art on the Dawn is magnificent, while on the Enhantment it is barely tolerable. The
difference in quality is very noticeable.

Maintenance on the Dawn was first-rate. I noticed rust here and there on the Enchantment. While that will not
change one's cruise experience, it does cause me to wonder about the cleanliness of what I can't see.

The air/sea programs are unsatisfactory on both cruise lines, and I suppose on all cruise lines. They are going to
book you on the cheapest route they can get. For instance, Princess flew us from San Juan to Newark to eventually
get us to Norfolk, Virginia. RCI flew us to Ohio from Virginia to get us to Ft. Lauderdale (and then bussed us to
Miami because that was cheaper than flying us directly to Miami via Charlotte or Atlanta, which would have been a
lot more pleasant for us). I doubt that we will ever use an air/sea package again. We can get a more convenient
flying arrangement at the same price on the net.

Our worst experience from the Enchantment cruise was disembarkation. You are given color coded baggage tags
according to the time of your air arrangements. When you disembark the ship you are supposed to go to that color
area, get your bags, and go. We had three bags. Two of them were in the correct color coded area, only about a
hundred feet apart. Understand that there are a thousand people pushing their way through one foot wide aisles
sorting through several thousand bags. It is not a pleasant experience. To top it off, our third bag had been dumped
in the wrong color-coded section, so it took forever to find. Even though we were entitled to free transportation to the
airport, since we had to get to Ft. Lauderdale instead of to the Miami airport thanks to that wonderful air/sea
package, and since the misplaced bags took so long to round up, we had to spend $70 on a taxi so that we would
not miss our plane. Note: supposedly RCI says that they are not to blame for such a horrid baggage situation in
Miami, that their people are not involved. To RCI - how is it that neither Cunard nor Princess has these problems?

As to the ports of call:

Key West would be great if the ship did not have to leave early. That is a real shame. It seemed like a fun place. We
only had time to go in a few shops and meet some friends who winter in the Keys for lunch.

At Cozumel we went on our own to Chankanaab National Park to snorkel. The taxis right at the International Pier
take you there for $7 for all passengers. However, admission to the park is $7 per person. There are lockers
available way down the beach, at the far end from the entrance. The snorkeling is great, right off the beach, with
perhaps half a dozen different stone steps right into the water where the fish are waiting for you. It was like being
inside a giant aquarium. Not being on a tour, you can spend all the time you want, eat and/or drink at the two
restaurants right on the beach, or whatever.

We wanted no part of Jamaica. Recently two different busloads of German tourists were stopped and robbed. We
took the ship's San San yacht tour right from the pier to Dunn's River Falls to avoid any problems. Climbing the falls
is a fun, unique experience and everyone who can should do it once. You go up led by a guide in a line holding
hands, which is important because sometimes the rocks are slippery and sometimes you have to make a long
step and need the support. Wear sneakers or water shoes! Some guy in our group wore plastic-soled shoes,
slipped, and was headed for disaster. Fortunately a friend of ours who played two years of semi-pro football as a
defensive tackle was holding the guy's hand and he did not let go. He was able to hold the fellow despite the
rushing water until he could get back up. Some other bad news was that one of the men on the tour went into a
restroom at the falls and was approached by a local who wanted to sell him dope. After the Falls, our boat took us to
a place to snorkel. The current was very strong and my wife and I did not see much of anything. Some of the people
who were strong swimmers who swam a good ways against the current said that they saw some good stuff.

Grand Cayman is the best. It is clean. It is English-speaking. It has full-employment. We had read in these reviews
that it was less expensive to sign up on the pier for a snorkel trip than to take what the ship offered, so we tried that.
Well, we found that this was satisfactory, but only $6 per person cheaper. If I had known that I would have probably
signed up for the ship tour. However, if you want to go to Stigray City (a must, a once-in-a-lifetime experience) and
the ship tour is full, do not despair and don't let them convince you to take your second choice. Go to the pier and
look for people holding up 'Stingray City' signs. They will take you. Caution: While the stingrays supposedly will not
hurt you unless you don't listen and you do something very foolish, they are large and intimidating. They are also
very strong. Even though you are standing in only a few feet of water, between the wave action and the bump from a
stingray checking you out, looking for food, you can get knocked off your feet. There are at least half a dozen boats
there at the sandbar and over a hundred people in the water, so there will be a lot of squealing going on. Get in
there anyway! It is an experience you will always remember. After swimming with the stingrays our boat took us to a
great snorkeling spot. My wife said it had the best fish, the best coral and the best underwater plant life she had
ever seen. I missed it, having broken my snorkel mask getting smacked between the boat and the ladder 'rescuing'
a little girl who panicked because they were a few stingrays at the snorkel site, which she did not realize until she
was in the water. It took a while because the people coming down the ladder would not stop to let the little girl go
back up. Idiots! She did not get into the water at Stingray City. By the time I gave up on trying to fix my personal mask
and realized that the boat still had a few available, the captain gave the re-board signal. Well, I hope to spend a
week at Grand Cayman sometime, so I expect to do plenty of snorkeling there. We did not have much time to shop,
and while we found no great bargains, the stores were neat and clean and interesting. One must - the Tortuga Rum
Cake. It comes in original and chocolate. We had the chocolate. You can buy it in large containers on the ship, but
they also sell it in 'sample' containers on the island. This is something really great to take home as little momentos
for people. It is the best.

If your life is about food, Enchantment may not be the best ship for you. However, it is a fine ship with a great crew,
fun entertainment, and excellent cabins. Try it, you'll like it!

Name: Nicole Julian
Email: julia003@tc.umn.edu
Age: 27
Occupation: Research Assistant
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Enchantment
SailingDate: 1/31/99
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 100
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 100
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 98
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 100
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 98
TenderService: 99
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 99
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 99
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 99
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 93
EmbarkDisembark: 91
DiscoNightclubs: 98
DeckSpace: 92
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 99
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 99
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 09 Feb 1999
Time: 13:06:51
Remote Name: 160.94.198.230
Remote User:

Comments

Enchantment of the Seas, Royal Caribbean International, Jan.31- Feb. 7, 1999 Western Caribbean Cruise (Key
West, Cozumel, Jamaica, Grand Cayman)

THE CRUISERS:

My cousin Jeralyn (22), her friend Cassie (31), my friend Melinda (32), and myself (27). I have cruised one time
previously, on the Rhapsody of the Seas, and the others were first timers.

OUR CABIN:

We were in a quad cabin, category K (inside), on deck 8, right off the Centrum. I was in almost the same location
on the Rhapsody, and I think it is a great location to be. I was in a category M on the Rhapsody. Our cat. K was
slightly bigger, and also had a privacy curtain for the sleeping area which we didn’t have on the Rhapsody. We
had plenty of drawer and shelf space, as well as plenty of hangers for all our clothes. We promptly had the small
glass table and the chair removed from our cabin because we wanted more floor space. We were only in our
room for sleeping and changing, so it was adequate for our needs. No one complained about the shower or
bathroom being too small.

OUR CABIN STEWARD:

He did a good job. He didn’t do anything 'fancy' with our room, but he probably didn’t have time because we did
leave it quite messy most of the time. He was great at straightening things and he finally understood that we
needed a lot of towels and wash cloths. We told him just to 'double everything'. Well, after that, he even gave us
2 mints on our pillows! On sea days, we asked for plenty of ice for our blender and he gave us several buckets
full.

OUR DINING ROOM EXPERIENCE:

We had originally asked for a table of 8 or 10, but we were put at a table for 4. I wasn’t too happy about it at first,
because what I had enjoyed on the Rhapsody was meeting new people at dinner. The main problem at second
seating was that a group of 120 Panamanian girls and their chaperones were also at that seating, and they had
almost all of the larger tables. So we were told to come back after the first night’s dinner to see if anyone had
requested a move to a smaller table. We ended up staying at our table, however, because we loved our waiters
so much. And since we did not all know each other until we got to the airport for the cruise, we were able to have
more interesting conversations and get to know each other at dinner.

Our head waiter was Julian Jahoo from Essex England. He was excellent. He came to our table several times
each evening, and if we asked for something, he would get it for us. He was very entertaining and prepared
several desserts by our table throughout the week including Peach Flambée, Cherries Jubilee, and Baked
Alaska. He even filled in for our waiter one night because our waiter hurt his neck carrying one of those big trays
of plates and silverware. Our table was near the entrance, by a window.

Our waiter was Mertol from Turkey. He was also fabulous. He was very efficient and he always encouraged us to
try more than one entrée, appetizer, dessert, etc, even though that meant more work for him! We ended up
talking to him several nights after dinner and he was very nice and sweet. He has been working on Royal
Caribbean ships for 3 years.

Our assistant waiter was Istvan from Hungary. He was another sweety and did everything to please. The dining
room Coke machine was malfunctioning all week and our pop was flat several nights. So Istvan ran across the
Centrum to the Champagne Terrace Bar to get us a good glass of pop. We enjoyed talking to him too, and we
were sad to say good-bye at the end of the cruise.

The food in the My Fair Lady Dining Room was excellent. I think I liked everything I ordered. I had the best Prime
Rib and the best Filet Mignon. The lobster was very tasty, and much more tender than it was on the Rhapsody
last year. We all loved the pastas and the desserts were great. We never ordered just one! The bread was also
as good as I remembered it to be on the Rhapsody, different every night. Overall, the food was great, especially
in the dining room. We ate almost all of out meals there, including breakfast. The Swan Cream Puffs were served
at lunch on the final sea day of the cruise.

The midnight buffets looked good from what I saw. We usually ate too much at dinner to even think about eating
again at midnight. The Gala Buffet was beautiful as expected, but I didn’t eat anything. The desserts looked 'too
good to eat!'

CASUAL DINING:

As far as the Windjammer goes, it is fine for what it is, buffet eating, but the dining room is the way to go. We ate
in the Windjammer if we got up too late for breakfast, and one of the sea days for lunch because we were too
lazy to get get dressed. Eating in the Windjammer reminds me of college in the dorms, which isn’t necessarily
bad, but I enjoy the quality of the food in the Dining Room, as well as the sit down service.

We used the Solarium for snacking. The pizza was good, very cheesy which I like. The fries are great if they were
hot, but sometimes they weren’t. On the Rhapsody you had to order them and they always came out hot, but
here the were in a chaffing pan and they didn’t stay hot very long.

We ordered room service twice, once for ice and once for an afternoon snack. The cheesecake we ordered
wasn’t ready yet, so we just got extra fries, and I told them I wanted them hot! Well, the arrived very hot and
fresh, along with our sandwiches and a fruit plate. The service was quite fast.

ENTERTAINMENT and CRUISE STAFF:

We attended several of the shows and they were all quite good. I especially like the Lorador Brothers, an
acrobat/balancing act duo, Dan Bennett, a comedic juggler, and the magicians, LaRaf, who performed their trick
of the quickest exchange, for which they hold the Guinness Book of World Records for, and they did it right in the
middle of the audience seating. The Orpheum Theater is very nice, with plenty of seating and good views. The
Wave Review singers and dancers were pretty good, too. The show 'Sweet Dreams' was a little weird at times,
but the 'Flashback' show was a pretty good mix of music from the different decades. The headliners were Kelly
Monteith, a comedian who has a TV show in Britain and Tony Tillman.

In the Carousel Lounge, the band Johnny Danger performed every night. They did Rock and Roll, Country
Western, a tribute to the Beatles one night, and they played pool side for the Toga Countdown to the Millennium
party on Thursday. They handed out sheets earlier in the evening for people to use as Togas. It was a very fun
party, with 2 for 1 drinks on your first order if you gave them a brochure you got in your cabin the night before.

We went to the Viking Crown Lounge several nights for dancing. They usually had a shooter special, and the
more you ordered, it seemed the stronger they got! We also got 'paid' with free drink coupons to dance one
night because they had a filming crew up there filming the Enchantment of the Seas promotional video that week,
and they wanted a full dance floor. Angelo the DJ liked to play a lot of current dance songs. I like to dance to 80’s
music, so I went up to him to request it. He wouldn’t play all of the songs I requested, but he played most, and
some others that I hadn’t requested. The dance floor really filled up when he played the 80’s music. Most of the
people up there were 20 and 30-somethings.

Our cruise director was Kara Callahan from Philadelphia. She was pretty good. Her voice was a little annoying,
but other than that she did her job. She was the assistant cruise director until recently, and the captain even
forgot her name at the Welcome Aboard Cocktail Party reception, which was pretty funny. The captain was Per
Arne Kjønsø from Norway. He was very pleasant and quite funny when he made his announcements from the
bridge.

PORTS OF CALL:

Key West was a cute little town. We had to tender in, but the Mercury, Romantica, Veendam, and a Commodore
ship were all docked. We didn’t have much time there, so we just walked around town, went to the Hard Rock,
Sloppy Joe’s and Margaritaville. The tender back to the ship was pretty bouncy, lots of screeching!

In Cozumel, we went shopping first, bought some blankets and other souvenirs, then we went to Chankanaab
Park for snorkeling and sunbathing. Very nice. We went to Carlos and Charlie’s for Margaritas by the Yard
before we went back to the ship for out 8 pm sailing. They played the disco version of the Titanic theme song for
all the cruise passengers at Carlos and Charlie’s. The Enchantment seemed to have the most passengers in the
bar! The Mercury, Romantica, Paradise, and Tropicale were also in port with us.

In Jamaica, we took the Sundancer Cruise (overpriced) to the Falls in the morning, came back to the ship to
shower and have lunch, then we went into town to shop a little bit in the afternoon. It was a nice day. We saw
parasailing by the ship and it cost $45. I was tempted, but I had already done it in Negril before, so I decided to
pass. Maybe next time. The Inspiration and the Veendam were in port with us.

In Grand Cayman, we took Captain Crosby’s snorkeling trip out to Stingray City. It was a four hour trip. The
waves were a little high that day, so it was hard to swim, but we had about 6 or 7 stingrays around the boat,
including a baby one who was about a third the size. Very cute! We sailed back to the dock and Captain Crosby
sang and played the guitar. He even drove us back to the ship, which was nice. We then did a little shopping
before returning to the ship. I bought some perfume, which was $9.50 cheaper than at home. I priced several
perfumes before I left so I knew I was saving money! I also bought some Rum Cakes for presents.

MISCELLANEOUS:

Like I said before, there were all these girls from Panama on the ship celebrating their 'sweet 15'. They had all
been the Disney World the previous week. At dinner, they were very obnoxious. They never sat down for an
entire meal, and they always came in late. They wore jeans and skimpy tank tops to dinner, which was very
tacky. They needed more supervision. Our waiters luckily didn’t have to serve them. We saw them being quite
rude to their waiters and the people sitting nearby were very annoyed. Our waiter said the staff received many
complaints about them.

The weather for our cruise was absolutely fabulous. The staff said the last couple of Western trips hadn’t had
very good weather, so we were very fortunate. It was quite windy on the pool and sports decks, though.

We bought alcohol on the ship the first day, and had it in our cabin all week to consume. Bacardi is $7.99, José
Cuervo is $10.99, Absolut is $8.99. I brought my blender, so we made some awesome drinks with pineapple and
bananas from the Windjammer and pina colada mix from a store in Key West. We also made frozen margaritas.

Overall, this was a great cruise. The Enchantment wasn’t as pretty as the Rhapsody, in my opinion, but it was still
very nice. I was familiar with the layout since the Rhapsody is the same, so that made it easy to get around from
the start. On the Enchantment, they kept the Solarium roof open every day, and they didn’t when I was on the
Rhapsody, so that was nice. I didn’t talk to one person that didn’t have a great time on the cruise. They had a
future cruise consultant on board who was offering $100 in on board credit if you booked your next cruise on the
current cruise. The prices she was quoting for the same time next year were the early booking prices listed in the
brochure, or very close, with some specials on certain sailings. The 3rd and 4th person rates were about $74
cruise only. I will definitely sail Royal Caribbean again, although I hope they get some more interesting itineraries
when their new ships come out. The Voyager is the 'talk of the ship', by the captain especially. Everyone sounds
very excited about that ship. However, I wish the ports of call were better. I think I will do Eastern Caribbean next
so I can go to St. Thomas again.

All of the gals with me really enjoyed the cruise and thought it was a great time. They were especially impressed
by the size of the ship and how great the food and service was. They all said they would probably cruise Royal
Caribbean again, too.

I know I may have missed some areas of interest to you, so if you have any specific questions about the ship,
itinerary, or the daily activities in the Cruise Compass (I have a full set of copies from all the days) please e-mail
me at: julia003@tc.umn.edu

Nicole

Name: Rima & Ron Seal
Email: Rimavh@aol.com
Age: 34/52
Occupation: attorney/consultant
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Enchantment
SailingDate: 2-7-99
Itinerary: E. Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 65
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 75
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 80
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 80
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 18 Feb 1999
Time: 15:35:11
Remote Name: 205.188.199.24
Remote User:

Comments

We went with a group of friends and all staying in Cat. C suite cabins (outside with balcony)which was great even
though I wouldn't allow the airconditioning out of the room, it was GREAT to have it! Don't think we'll do without
again.

The shows (other than the one with Clint Holmes who was quite good) were mediocre at best - geared towards
an older or first time cruiser audience. If we weren't with a group of friends, we'd have been really disappointed.

The Piano Bar was great (a chap called Anselmo Boles?) who was great. We sat around him and sang away
loudly. It became our hangout most evening before and after dinner.

Dinners were wonderful. Lots of fun to dress up and the waiters/dinning room staff were excellent. If felt good to
send dinners back, ask for more, etc. just on a whim! They were gracious and very attentive.

Altogether, a lot of fun. The cruise staff, including excursion people were okay. Kara, the director, married to
Johnny Danger, a regular nightly entertainer were both okay, at best. Not even close to the type of entertainment
we had several years ago on the Sovereign.

The ship is a beaut. Beiges, pastel shades of burnt oranges and peach, etc. lots of glass. Many smaller intimate
areas. We had a full ship but it never felt crowed other than on the bottom deck around the pool. We preferred
the upper deck anyway. Solarium is nice to have and we enjoyed a late night cheeseburger there almost nightly
-- 3 pm after the disco.

You can always find things to whine about but it was really a wonderful cruise. Before leaving, we pooped into the
Royal Owner's Suite...OH MY GOD...my next cruise cabin!

Let us know if you have any questions. Have a wonderful cruise

Name: lloyd covault
Email: lloydc2@bluskynet.com
Age: 43
Occupation: finance manager
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Enchantment
SailingDate: 2-7-99
Itinerary: eastern caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 98
CabinAmenities: 92
FoodLidoDeck: 82
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 100
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram: 95
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 92
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 19 Feb 1999
Time: 00:20:26
Remote Name: 205.147.151.141
Remote User:

Comments

This was our second cruise but first in 12 years. The air-sea package got us to Miami Saturday afternoon and we
were quickly transported to the Airport Hilton which was an excellent hotel. Sunday morning representatives of
the cruise line were at the hotel for early check in which was both swift and orderly. We were then called to board
our bus to the cruise terminal to start our cruise. The air-sea package already had our checked luggage at the
ship so we did not have to deal with that problem. Once at the terminal we boarded after about a 15 minute
security check and went right on board and to our cabin that had two of three suitcases already there, with the
third showing up shortly thereafter. As smoothly as our trip from Phoenix to the ship went with a night stay over I
suggest the air-sea package if an organized hands off trip is desired. The first view of our cabin was exciting as it
was much nicer than our previous cruises cabin. We had an H level cabin #3506 which was the largest outside
cabin class with no veranda.

Two single beds with a small 2 drawer cabinet in between,a loveseat,t.v.,dressing
table,and a surprising large closet were all very clean and ready for us. The bathroom-shower was not overly
large but fit the bill quite nicely. We saw inside other cabins during the cruise and even the inside smaller cabins
were very adequate for two people. St.Martin was our first port of call and the french side of the island was
experiencing a labor strike against high taxes we were told. There was a threat of road closure so no passengers
were allowed to visit that part of the island. Unfortunatly we had planned our day for that side of the island and
had to alter our plans. We ended up shopping mostly, and found decent bargains, but a very crowded 1 or 2
street shopping area was too much to endure with St.Thomas shopping on tap for the next day. The arrival to
St.Thomas was timely but the customs check aboard ship was delayed by a few passengers who didnt report on
time so the whole ship full of passengers didnt get to leave until about 9:30,about 1 hour later than expected. We
immediately began shopping in Charlotte Amalie which is nice,clean and friendly city. The array of shops for
alcohol,jewelry,electronics and clothes is overwhelming. Good bargains were as advertised and the whole
experience was delightful. After shopping we paid a cab driver $40 for a two hour tour of the island. This was
money well spent as he was a good driver and guide who gave us a good overview of the island. We had a great
lunch of local food {conch,jerk spiced food,and good drink} at a restaurant downtown called Cousins. This is a
good bet for good local cuisine in a clean safe friendly restaurant.

Next up was Nassau which was not as nice as
St.Thomas as the shopping was tempered with aggressive street merchants constantly tugging at you. It rained
very hard that afternoon so our excursion to Paradise Island was cut short. Overall as is the case with cruising
there was not enough time in port to truly enjoy and relax especially with the customs delays and the tendering
operation at St.Martin. In our opinion only St.Thomas was enjoyable enough to want to return to. The heart and
soul of most cruising expectations is the on board meals. We sat at table #98 in the My Fair Lady dining room.
On the Enchantment even numbered tables are down stairs {level 4} with odd numbered tables upstairs on level
5. The dining room is gorgeous and comfortable with the dining staff very efficient and helpful. The food is good
but not outstanding. Trying to have 1000 meals ready all at the same time limits kitchen creativity but
presentation and service was great!

A very good and reasonable wine list is available with some truly fine wines
at very cheap prices considering the situation. I enjoy good wine and personally had a 1994 Beringer Howell
Mountain merlot that is about a $55 bottle in a store for only $75. Also a 1995 Opus One that is about a $70 in a
store was only $99 onboard. Considering restaurants are usually 2-3 times higher than store prices,these bottles
were a great bargain! All of the expected good service,entertaining waiters,and fun atmosphere was always
evident. The breakfasts and lunches served in the buffet style room at the front of the ship were plentiful and
comfortable but not much better than good. All of the bar locations, which are several, were always staffed with
friendly and helpful workers. Entertainment was mostly good with one being outstanding. Clint Holmes was the
star of the week. He was the singing voice in the {let it be Lowenbrau} commercials some years back and had a
hit in the 70s. He was truly a Vegas class entertainer that provided a high energy show. Wild and Hanes were the
funniest of all the acts during the week and were great at improvising on stage with the audience. The rest of the
acts were good but not overwhelming. The show lounge aboard is very large,two levels,and has very comfortable
seating. Many ships information seminars are held here and the comfort makes it all worth while. The casino
aboard is good sized but i was afraid of lines and waits to play but those never materialized. Only Friday night
was the casino overly busy which was very nice for comfortable gaming. During the week a blackjack tournament
and a couple slot tournaments are offered.

These were both fun and not expensive {$20}. The rest of the ship
board activities,some at poolside,bingo,art auctions seemed to be well received by most. Royal Caribbean has a
fine staff of people to organize these and they always seem to have something of interest scheduled for almost
everyone. Hopefully any of you traveling on Enchantment will have the following staff members on board. If you
do seek them out as they were the most outstanding people on the cruise. Our waiter Abdullah, from Turkey, is
warm,funny,and a fine waiter. He played professional basketball in Europe for 10 years and tells some great
stories. Our wine Sommelier Christopher, from India, was extremely knowlegeable about wine and provided resort
quality service. One of the more surprising areas of good service was in the casino. A wonderful young woman
from Hungary named Csilla Ali {pronounced cheela} was a pit boss that made trips for me to the casino very
enjoyable. This is not normally a position of high customer contact but Csilla always would acknowledge my
presence and would come over and see how my day was going.

This was not expected and set the tone for the
whole casino staff which is mostly interesting young people who deal cards in a relaxed and fun manner. I highly
suggest even non gamblers to experience the low stress friendly atmosphere the staff provides. We had without
a doubt the finest cabin steward on the ship. Eula Smith is a wonderful woman who was calling us by our first
names in the hall by the first night. Our room was always clean and ready to go after her numerous daily visits.
The best was at night after the show was over and we would return to go to sleep. Every night Eula would have a
different pillow design or towel shape on the bed which became something we looked forward to. A heart shape
one night,then a swan shape towel on which she sat my sunglasses so it was looking at us as we walked in. On
the final night she had put a pillow in one of my tee shirts i had setting on a chair,put a folded up towel as a head
with my sunglasses on the towel and one of my baseball hats on its head. When we walked in it looked like a
person in the bed and was hillarious. These touches made such a personal feel to her work instead of the cold
maid stereotype.

We asked lots of people if therir steward did things like that and no one elses did. Miss Eula
Smith is truly wonderful!! Finally Gina Wade was the most helpful person on board that week for Cindy and I.
Gina is from Seattle and is the shopping lecturer. She holds the meetings that tell you where to shop for the
Royal Caribbean gaurantee. It gaurantees the quality of what you you buy in port. If you have a problem with
jewelry or other items Royal Caribbean will replace them and send them to you. This is very reassuring since you
are shopping in places you may never return too and could have a setting fall off a ring three days later and be
stuck, but they handle all of that for you which is a great service. Back to Gina. Since she had scheduled talks in
various parts of the ship,and had desk hours published as well, so we always knew where to find her. We began
using her as our go to person for everything. She was so nice,always had the right answer, and never tired of
our questions. Shopping was her specialty but she also provided general port info. from her personal experince
which was a huge help. If you cruise Enchantment make a point to go to her seminars and stop by her desk on
deck 5 and say hello she is a real charmer!!

Overall we enjoyed our cruise a great deal. The star of the cruise as
is usually the case is the Enchantment herself. The food will be good, the service great,entertainment enjoyable,
but the ship is new and beautiful. You really feel like your at a nice resort hotel with all the nice wood and special
touches throughout the ship. You wont be dissappointed if you dont over expect on the food or entertainment
and just enjoy the ship and her staff. In closing the cruise director Kara Callaghan was only in her second week
as director and did a great job. You can tell her staff likes working with her and that extends to the guests as well.
Cruises are for relaxing and socializing, so plan one and look forward to nice days at see and lots of friendly
people and youll have a great time.

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