My 5-night review of the Enchantment

[c2hung]

My fiancée and I (late-20s) got a great deal on this cruise. This was my second RCI cruise - the first was on the Liberty of the Seas in January 2009. It was my fiancee’s first cruise.

Pre-Cruise

We flew from Toronto to Fort Lauderdale with a connection in Detroit, MI on NWA. Since I have traveled a lot for work, I was able to use my points to obtain us free flights. Otherwise, we would have departed from Buffalo, NY.

We stayed at the Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Hotel at Port Everglades on Southeast 17th street. The hotel does not provide shuttles from the airport so it was about a $15 cab ride. The check-in was very smooth. We arrived to a very elegant lobby and friendly staff who provided us with information about the area. Our hotel room was spacious and had Aveda shampoo products in the bathroom. There is a Walgreens across the street from the hotel, as well as a grocery store and liquor/beer store on just down the road. As a Marriott Rewards member, you have access to the Club Lounge for free drinks/appetizers. Unfortunately, it was closed that night so the front desk lady provided us with meal tickets to the hotel lounge and we ended up grabbing a quick diner on-site. My only complaint was the broken air conditioning in the building! The room did not get much cooler than 75° so it made it quite difficult to get a good night’s sleep.

Embarkation

On boarding day, it cost $12 to take a taxi from the hotel to Port Everglades. The ride from the hotel to the port was very quick, less than 10 minutes. The embarkation process was quick and simple. We arrived at the port at 10:50am and were asked to sit in the waiting lobby. We obtained our Sea Passes and at approximately 11:00am, the doors opened to board passengers.

The Windjammer did not open until 11:30am which gave us time to explore all of the cruise decks. My fiancée was quite impressed with the ship and we took a lot of pictures! We were eating lunch by noon.

Stateroom

We chose an ocean view in the middle of the ship, about 10 cabins in from the elevators (#3596). When we arrived, our cabin attendant, Duncan, introduced himself and told us about some of the room functions. He was helpful but we didn’t see much of him during the rest of the week. He always did a great job with our room and refilled our ice bucket for us. Our hallway was pretty quiet, which was perfect for taking an afternoon nap!! We took the stairs everyday to try and work off some of the extra food!

Food

Windjammer Café

For a buffet, the food was fine for quick meals. It always had the main essentials – one main area for hot food, two cold food stations for salad/fruits, and of course the dessert area. The staff was always working hard to make sure there was enough ice by the beverage area. We took advantage of Royal Caribbean’s Purell stations outside the food venues, but noticed that many passengers skipped this pre-meal ritual.

My Fair Lady Dining Room - Breakfast

We ate breakfast in the dining room every chance we could. I am in love with the pre-cut grapefruit and my fiancée was surprised that the waiters cut his melon slices into sections. We highly recommend the French toast, with a side of bacon. We were happy to meet new people at each meal.

My Fair Lady Dining Room - Lunch

Since we were usually out on excursions for the day, we rarely had the opportunity to eat lunch here. The salad bar is fantastic and I do love the ship’s Caesar salad. My fiancée ordered a Lamb Moroccan wrap and it was very tasty! The lunch menu always has a range of items so you would never be bored eating lunch in there everyday. The most delicious dessert we had was the baked apple pastry with vanilla ice cream.

Service was excellent during breakfast and lunch. The waiters were always ready to get you whatever you needed and if you requested to sit alone they would make sure to seat you at a smaller, private table.

My Fair Lady Dining Room - Dinner

For a 5-night cruise, there was only one formal night (the 2nd night). Our dinners were always fabulous. We were seated at a table for 10 but dined with only two other older couples from Florida and Montreal. We had great conversations about our excursions and future cruise plans.

Clinton, our waiter, was always friendly, enthusiastic and even performed table magic tricks for us. Our assistant waiter was always timely with bread and water.

There was a young lady who was celebrating her Quinceañera (15th birthday) and her three table of guests sat close to us. It seemed as though she was presented with a birthday cake and song every night. Dishes that stood out included the prime rib, halibut, and the appetizers (escargot, mushroom ravioli, vidallia onion tart). My fiancée even selected the curry one night, which was enjoyable. The desserts were well proportioned and our coffee always arrived on time. I thoroughly enjoyed the trio of sweets too!

Chop’s

We made reservations for Chop’s on night 3, after our day at Cozumel. I had made the reservation online a few weeks prior to embarkation and was not able to get my desired time. We accepted a 7:30pm reservation. When we go onboard, I asked a staff member if we could delay the dinner to 8:30pm since we had been invited to the C&A reception the same night. Our request was granted.

We ordered the crab cake for an appetizer and filet mignons (mini 7 oz for me and large 10 oz for my fiancée). The side dishes (asparagus, potatoes, bak choy) arrived in their own separate plates. The meal was delicious. For dessert, we chose to share a chocolate cake and it was massive!! The meal was definitely worth the $25 per person surcharge. Although the food quality wasn’t that much better than the dining room, I do believe people pay to have a nicer atmosphere for dinner. The mood was romantic and since there were only 2 other tables in the restaurant, it was a nice change from the usual chatter in the dining room.

Ports of Call

Key West, FL.

The island is adorable! We arrived at 6:30am, just in time for sunrise!! I had originally made reservations with ASAP bike rentals, which ended up being a mistake. The company was very responsive to my e-mails and we had arranged a meeting spot and time for our day at port. My fiancée and I waited 20 minutes on the cruise dock for our contact to arrive. Afterwards, we walked over to a Hyatt hotel, to call the company who apologized and said they were on their way. Twenty-five minutes later, we called again and they had still not left. Our contact could barely remember our communications from the previous week, so we cancelled our reservation. The polite lady at the Hyatt said they typically do not recommend this company and future cruisers should rent bikes with Eaton Bike Rentals instead.

We ended up walking around the island and down to the Southernmost Point (about 2.5 miles from the ship). There are lots of boutiques along Duval street, even though most of them don’t open until 9:00am. We stopped into a bar to grab a beer since it was 93° that day!!! We met a local gentleman who said that the homes on the island are in the millions! So much for our dream of a retirement home there.

There is a cute sandals place called Kino’s (http://www.kinosandals.com) on Fitzpatrick street, very close to the port. Their products are pretty comfortable and all sandals range between $12-$15. If you have time, it’s a neat place to drop into since they manufacture the sandals right at the store location.

We were disappointed that the Blonde Giraffe was sold out of Key Lime Pie on a stick. So we ended up getting one piece of key lime pie and it was amazing!! Probably the best I have ever had. It started to pour as we were walking back to the ship but the rain storm was somewhat refreshing. The ship departed the island at 2:00pm.

Cozumel, Mexico

Thanks to a cruise critic recommendation, we reserved two spots at a local beach club called Playa Uvas (http://www.playauvas.com). There was no fee to reserve spots ahead of time. The 7-minute ride cost $10 to take cab from the port to the beach. Be sure to have exact change for your driver, as they will not be able to break any large bills. You can get smaller bills at the guest relations desk on the ship.

I was very impressed with the staff and service. The $45 per person fee included a 2-man clear kayaking excursion, all you could drink, fajitas for lunch, and the admission fee. I loved this beach. It was quiet and nice to get away from the congestion of the Cozumel port. The kayaking excursion began about 30 minutes after we arrived. About 8 boats went out together and we saw a few fish. I was surprised the kayaks were so easy to navigate. Don’t forget sunscreen for your legs if you’re sitting in the front seat!! We regret not doing the snorkelling since the group saw a barracuda and a moray eel, among other things. The lunch was good, especially the home made salsa and the pina coladas were among the favourite drinks.

As we were packing up to head back to the ship, the rain came in. We didn’t go shopping in the Forum shops, just peaked into a few booths at the port, before returning to the ship. If you are looking for a quiet beach day, definitely take a look at the variety of packages offered by Playa Uvas. There’s also a discount for Cruise Critic members so be sure to take advantage of that.

Belize City, Belize

The port consists of several shops contained within a fenced off area. This is to prevent tourists from wandering off too far. RCI’s tendering process was quite odd for this port. The ship tenders quite far from the island. It’s a 15 minute ride on the tender and you can barely see the island from the ship. The other thing that was odd was RCI’s tendering ticket process. Prior to arrival in Belize, passengers had to obtain a tender ticket to leave the ship before 10:00am (we arrived at 8:00am). All RCI excursions had the priority so they were allowed to leave first. We obtained a ticket and were asked to wait in the public areas, since they would be announcing the tendering groups. It seemed like we had been waiting forever and we decided to just head down to deck 2, where we realized they were boarding the tenders in no particular order. We were 5 minutes late arriving at our meeting spot but luckily the tour group waited.

Many folks have recommended not roaming around Belize on your own and to reserve an excursion. I had been in contact with Mark from Coral Breeze Tours (http://www.coralbreezetours.com). He answered all of my questions and was very responsive to our concerns. We finally decided on the $60pp excursion, which included snorkelling in the world’s 2nd largest barrier reef, a beach stop at Bannister Island, and a manatee watch.

Coral Breeze Tours also operates with its partner, Hammerhead Water Sports. Our tour staff was knowledgeable and very well organized. Mr.Big, the main guide, told us about Belize and the itinerary for the day. It was about a 20 minute boat ride to Bannister Island, where we dropped off the non-snorkelers. We then headed to the coral reef. Mr.Big had us split into 4 smaller groups of 6-7 people each. A guide lead us around the reef, pointing out several things: a school of squid, blue tangs, tiger fish, and different types of coral. It was amazing!! Definitely the best snorkelling we had ever done. The water was very calm. One of our tour guides actually dove below to try and push a baby nurse shark out from the rock. He was successful and that was the best part of the tour!

After snorkelling, we spent 1-hour on Bannister Island. It was a large beach, with a bar and restaurant patio. Drinks were expensive ($10 each) but there were volleyball nets, a tug of war game, and lots of activities for children. Food is a bit pricey as well; I think it was $8 for a chicken burger and fries. We relaxed before boarding the boat for the manatee watch.

Our first stop along the mangroves, we saw 2 manatees. They came very close to the surface so we were able to get photos of them. I was surprised at how slow they moved. This spot was their playing area. We then headed to their sleeping area and saw several more manatees, as well as a barracuda. Our tour guides mentioned that they don’t feed manatees. This is to ensure the safety and preservation of the animals. If they get used to being fed, they may get too close to the boat, which could place them at harm. On our way back to the cruise ship, we also saw dolphins!!

We were back with a bit of time to walk around the shops but didn’t find much to purchase so we just headed back to the ship. I think Coral Breeze Tours and Hammerhead Sports did an excellent job of watching the time and making sure we all enjoyed ourselves. They put a lot of effort into making sure everyone could see the manatees. The only additional request I had was for the tour to include a lunch since it was a full day excursion.

Entertainment

We thought the “Welcome Aboard” show was OK, since the comedian performed as well. He also did an adults-only performance later in the week, which was definitely a must-see. I wouldn’t recommend the “Broadway” show, as we ended up leaving halfway through. There was also a song and dance performance from famous movies, which was alright. On the last night, there was a guest Illusionist who was also entertaining.

The Quest game show was great. I was surprised there was nobody injured and thought it was a bit more risqué than the one we saw on the Liberty. I couldn’t believe how big of a party the 70’s disco party was. The Centrum was packed and it was great to see the Captain and his staff, dancing with everyone.

Apparently, the most happening spot was the Viking Lounge on the most upper deck of the ship. It had dance music and different themes every night (rock, 80’s, etc).

Cruise Director - Rico Du Briel

Rico was an excellent director! He hosted all of the evening production shows, as well as various pool activities like the belly flop and hula hoop contests. Rico was energetic and very personable, taking pictures with several passengers. Not to mention, he was very easy on the eyes!!!

Activities

The trampoline was a key attraction but we didn’t have a chance to try it. On the last day, a Chef and his assistant demonstrated how the fruit animals were carved for the midnight buffet. Art auctions also seemed to be popular. The fitness equipment and machines in the gym were in good condition. There was barely anyone ever there, so it was nice and quiet.

Pool Deck

We loved the Solarium, the adults-only area. It was very busy on Sea Days and sometimes difficult to find a spot. The towel exchange process was great on the Enchantment (no scanning of the Sea Pass), just a quick record of your room number, even though the staff never checked for names at the end of the day. You may find a high amount of reserved towel seats on sea days, but RCI staff did their best to pick them up and open the chair for others.

Crown and Anchor Society

My C&A coupon books were already in my room on the 1st day! We used the $5 internet coupon, a $5 match-play Casino certificate, and the 25% off Seattle’s Best coffee coupon. I’m not sure if it’s standard on most RCI ships now, but we noticed that coffees during the day cost $2-$3 (even plain black coffee). That was odd since it was self serve on the Liberty back in January. My invite to the Welcome Back Gala came on the 2nd day. I was quite impressed with the plentiful amount of champagne being served, as well as h'or d'oeuvres. They had chocolate covered strawberries, mini spring rolls, cocktail shrimp, and much more!

Other Guests

We were very happy to be involved with the informal Cruise Critic gathering and received some wonderful items from Philadelphia! Everyone we met was fantastic and we enjoyed great conversations with our dinner mates each night.

End of the Cruise

We chose to do the self-debarkation and it couldn't have been easier. We had breakfast in the buffet around 6:45am, went back to our rooms, got the luggage and walked right off by 7:15am. The line-up at customs was super short, only 1 other couple in front of us. We then jumped on the shuttle bus back to FLL to pick up our Alama car rental for our shopping day at Sawgrass Mills. We stayed 1 night at the Residence Inn in Plantation and were upgraded to a suite! The staff was friendly and room was fine. In the morning, we were only 15 minutes from FLL.

Overall Impressions

My fiancée and I had a great time!! I think he is now addicted to cruising and I’m glad it was a great first experience.

It’s difficult to say which class of ship I enjoyed more. I found that I did miss the parades in the Promenade on the Liberty, and definitely noticed that the staff was a bit more reserved on the Enchantment. I enjoyed the smaller ship because the service was a lot quicker.

I would like to stay Loyal to Royal but will most likely start to consider other lines in the future.

[Samira0207]

Great review! I'm not even sailing on Enchanemnt...sailing on the Freedom of the Seas in November but love reading reviews on Royal caribbean to get a feel of what to expect on board!

[jtutak]

Great review I just got off the Enchantment myself.

[thera]

Thanks for the detailed review! I'm glad you had a good time. I'll be on the Enchantment at the end of the month. The Belize tendering ticket process is good to know - we also are booked with a private company.

[Beth_55]

Thanks for the great review. We are sailing Enchantment on Oct 31. I love reading the reviews and writing down little hints. Glad you had a good time ! I think we may try Nachi Cocum in Cozumel but not sure yet.

[yogimax]

Enchantment is one of our favorite ships. Thanks for a great review.

[MrsT51608]

Great review! my husband and I leave for Enchantment next week and we can't wait Thanks for the heads up on the broadway style show, I've noticed the past few cruises they haven't been so good.

[SAD]

My DH and I and another couple will be on the Enchantment in Nov and I was just wondering what time the gym opens in the morning as I like to get up and get my workout done and out of the way. Thank you in advance for any information.

That was a very nice and informative review.
Sheryl

[TuxedoMan]

Thank you for the review. DW and I were on Enchantment for our very 1st cruise in 1998...the ship was not as long then, since we were on it before they cut it in half and lengthened it. Glad to hear she is still a nice ship. We did 7 day.

[HeavySurf]

Great review! We loved Rico, the cruise director too. I admired his energy. I saw him one day actually running to get somewhere. He may be my new favorite cruise director.

Another thing we loved was the seventies disco on the last night. It was held at the Atrium area. I have not laughed so hard in a long time. Yes, I did miss Freedom and Voyager Class prominade parades, but this seventies disco show at the Atrium area is as good or better than most Prominade parades I have seen. The "Almost Village People" were so funny and so talented. The "Indian" crawled all over the very good natured woman seated beside me. I just laughed and laughed. She was very patient, as was her husband. I was super GLAD it was her because I would have been mortified. I'm such an old prude. The whole thing was great, great fun.

We had two wonderful waiters who were such good sports because Hubby told them he wanted to be out of the dining room in one hour. They did it! They would joke with us about it. We loved them and gave them the best tips we've ever given dining room waiters.

I really like the concierge lounge because it is cozy and the coffee machine is my fave, but we are no longer welcome in Enchantment's concierge lounge because we are three credits short of Diamond Plus. I give high praise to the concierge Diego Tripalde, the best, most personable concierge we have dealt with.

We really like Enchantment and are disappointed that its days are numbered for this particular cruise from Fort Lauderdale.