Enchantment Review - Nov 2nd - first timer's perspective

Is there a limit on number of drinks you can get per day?

No per day limit, however you can only get one drink at a time.

Disembarkation / Final Thoughts.

All good things... we had a noon flight out of Orlando to Chicago and were booked on the first shuttle out so were up just after 6. The WJ opens for breakfast at 6:30. We were there for 6:35 and sat in our usual spot in the Annex where we could see we were docked at Pt Canaveral. By 6:45 the WJ was rammed so if you want to avoid the lines, get there at 6:30.

If you choose to do self disembark you obviously have to carry your own luggage. If you want your luggage taken off and delivered to the pier you leave it out the night before. Passengers are grouped into numbers and assigned a time.

Self disembarkation passengers are first off. I think it was listed as a 7am or 7:15 waiting on deck 5 Orpheum ( every group has a waiting place). It was indicated we would disembark from Centrum at Deck 5. On our way up to Deck 5 the gangway was open at Deck 4 and we just scanned out and walked off. We were through Customs and at the shuttle by 7:15. After picking up at Disney we were on our way and at airport at 8:30. It worked fine for us but I think in future I would get a later flight in case of any unexpected delays with arrivals or road works etc.

Final Thoughts

So, our first ever cruise! As you probably gathered from the review we had a really good time. Below is a few snapshots on what was great, good and indifferent.

Ship & Crew

I really didn't see any wear and tear. The maintenance crew were working throughout the cruise - polishing, cleaning, scrubbing the deck, painting exterior surfaces. I thought overall Enchantment is a 'pretty' ship and I loved the fact that you could see the sea from most locations.

My interactions with the crew were excellent. We didn't meet any crew member who wasn't friendly or engaging and they all seemed to care. I think overall it's a great crew.

Entertainment

Because its a small ship, there's no broadway type show production. However, CD Mark does a good job of putting on more than enough events. There is trivia, bingo, karaoke, etc. I didn't attend the opening or closing show or Quest but the 70/80s night, Love and Marriage Show and the midnight sail away party were a lot of fun.

Rockport were excellent and the Enchantment orchestra were very good. What was missing for me was a guitar player singer (one man acoustic) as I didn't really rate the piano singer (although the other piano guy who didn't sing, just instrumental was very good). Overall though no complaints, plenty on offer and options to stay away and find quiet spots, the movies under the stars is a nice idea.

Bars / Drinks package

There are certainly enough bars on board to cater for the number of passengers. The Schooner bar is nice with great sea views, we loved R Bar in centrum and the Pool bar worked for us when getting a drink on deck. Overall the service at the bars was very good. One thing missing for me was a proper 'pub' , like those I understand they have on the bigger ships.

I outlined how the premium drinks package worked for us in one of my first posts. We would definitely get it again. The soft drink element of it also was good value for us as we used the machines and I got a coke in MDR with lunch. It didn't make us drink more alcohol that we would have and although a lot of people seem to have the package, I didn't see any 'messy' drunks.

Ports

Loved Coco Cay, not big on Nassau but very limited exposure to Nassau.

Food

Overall we were happy with the food. Of course this is subjective but the MDR offerings we had were of hotel restaurant quality- not superb , but very nice. The same wouldn't apply to desserts though, which overall for us were a bit bland.

The food in the WJ was fine, but the layout was problematic at times and it seemed very busy in terms of getting to the food stations. There was a very good selection though. We didn't try room service.

Chops, as my detailed drooling review shows, was nothing short of outstanding.

The Park cafe was an nice extra and the beef rolls are GOOD! It is also the spot for your post drink late night snack.

I would say however that because it's a small ship the choices during the day are quite limited and Park Cafe is not open all the time.

Will we cruise again / are we hooked?

We had a wonderful cruise and will definitely cruise again. We wont make it our only choice for vacations ( we like land based too) but we would plan to take cruises in the future. I would like to try a bigger ship which would have the pub and more dining options. Oasis is moving to Pt Canaveral and we can fly direct to Orlando from Dublin so that could be an option. There is also Freedom which has a nice 7 night taking in Coco Cay and St Thomas and St Martin (two places I want to visit). It will be late 2016 or maybe early 2017 before our next big vacation but part of the fun is dreaming and planning!

As for Enchantment, she'll always have a place in my heart and I would definitely recommend her for first timers, or life timers who can get to Pt Everglades easily for a nice, fun short cruise.

Thanks to those who read along and commented. Hopefully the review has helped a few people learn about the ship, Ive enjoyed re-living our trip! Happy to answer any more questions.

I'm guessing you meant Port Canaveral. Nice story, Happy Thanksgiving

I'm guessing you meant Port Canaveral. Nice story, Happy Thanksgiving

I did! Caught in time to edit, thanks. Happy Thanksgiving to all for tomorrow :)

This was a terrific review and it really put this first-timer's mind at ease. Thank you for sharing!!

This was a terrific review and it really put this first-timer's mind at ease. Thank you for sharing!!

Glad it was helpful, have a great cruise!

Thanks for the review. Heading out in December.

Great review doing this cruise in November thanks.

Great job on review. We really enjoyed it..

I can now (years later) upload a few photos!