Just off Enchantment 6/26-6/29 - Mini Review

We just got home from a lovely 3 day cruise on Enchantment. I just wanted to post a bit of a review. As a background, since I don't post much and my signature isn't filled out, I have previously sailed on Explorer, Radiance, Monarch and Freedom.

Embarkation:

The new cruise terminal at Port Canaveral is fantastic! The last time we were there was three years ago on Freedom and I love the improvements. With a small ship like Enchantment it seems very spacious but I'm sure it will feel a little more crowded next year when we sail on Oasis. We were on the ship by 10:30 am.

The Ship:

Enchantment is a beautiful ship in most public areas although some places are definitely beginning to show her age (Solarium, cabins, public restrooms). I'll comment specifically on the Solarium in that the entire space just needs a little more maintenance. There are fake plants everywhere that are in need of a good dusting as are the arches and other fixtures. Add to that the very tired looking lounge mats, and the entire space seems dated. It wouldn't take Royal very much time or effort to spruce it up. The bars and lounges are in great shape though and while you can certainly see the 90s style, it is still beautiful. It was my first time on a Vision class, although with the stretch, she feels very much like a Radiance class. I really like the promenade deck and the feeling of being on a ship (not a resort) and I think I will miss it a bit on Oasis. I know the bigger ships are a different experience and that is okay too! (Hey I loved Freedom!)

Cabin:

For the first time in 5 cruises we got an inside room and being that it was a short cruise without kids it was just fine for the two of us. I have previously sailed on the Monarch in an OV and the Enchantment cabins seemed so much more spacious and well laid out in comparison.

I must say though, that the cabin itself was in need of a major deep clean. The carpet was very worn and was imbedded with sand and debris. The bathroom smelled musty and slightly of sewage, the toilet was stained with black residue and there was black mould on the wall and fixtures in the shower. I know that some bleach and a little elbow grease would solve this problem. It must be hard for the crew to have two turnovers a week but I wish a little more effort was made to actually clean. Our room attendant was just okay. He did do some things we asked like getting an ice bucket for our wine and providing extra towels sometimes, but making a towel monkey out of a used wet dirty towel was gross and he didn't make up our room the first evening. A nice surprise was having our cabin decorated for my husband's birthday though!

I was willing to overlook these minor things it on such a short cruise but it really became disappointing on our last full day when we didn't have airconditioning for most of the afternoon/evening! It was very frustrating to come back from a hot day on Coco Cay to have your cabin completely steaming and humidity literally dripping off the mirrors. After several calls to maintence and guest services, we found out there was a ship wide problem with many cabins and public areas without a/c. Thankfully by bedtime it was rectified or I would have been miserable trying to sleep in a sauna.

Food:

I am a pretty picky person when it comes to food, but I generally like the MDR food and I am not thrilled with food in the Windjammer. This cruise was no different except that I think that the quality and selection in the Windjammer has gone down compared to previous years. We chose MTD and made reservations ahead of time and had the same capable servers each night. My favourite night was Italian - the entrees we chose were amazing! There was a large group of Indians on this cruise and it was nice to see them add quite a bit of Indian food to the menu and on the beach at Coco Cay too!

Ports:

Nassau - This is my third time there and I really don't find it too exciting so we just decided to walk to Junkanoo Beach. I wasn't expecting much but I really enjoyed the afternoon there! We rented chairs and an umbrella + 6 beers for $45. Later on, I was a little hungry and got an order of jerk chicken and conch fritters and they were delish. Very fun to people watch and listen to the music. There were four ships in port that day but the beach wasn't overly full.

Coco Cay - I love spending the day here so we got on one of the first tenders and headed over. The weather was hot and sunny when we arrived but about 20 minutes after we sat on our chairs, the thunder, lightening and rain started. We spent a while sitting under cover at the picnic area. My husband was talking to the bartender and he said he was surprised that they didn't cancel the day entirely. By lunch time the rain had stopped so we ate and by about 1pm the sun came out so we still had a good chunk of the day to enjoy the beach. We hung out closer to Barefoot Beach and there weren't very many people there at all.

Entertainment:

We went to the two comedy nights and the Love and Marriage game show. They were all fairly entertaining. We didn't bother with the production shows as the times conflicted with our dinning. The cruise director Tom was a funny guy, even if he does say 'Ya' way too often. The bands that we listened to at the pool and the Centrum were both excellent! The C&A welcome back event on day two was a smaller group and there were plenty of drinks to be had, even if it was 10:45am! Overall, there was plenty to keep us entertained on this cruise!

Disembarkation:

We had previously signed up for an excursion that included an airboat tour with a transfer back to the airport but it was cancelled as we were the only ones signed up for it. We ended up booking the transfer to the airport through Royal, choosing the latest timeslot to leave (9:00am) as we had a later flight and were in no rush. I think most people choose to self-carry and the majority of the ship was empty by the time they started calling numbers at 8:30. By 8:45 they said all numbers off. It was really nice to get down to the luggage area and have it be a ghost town.

Overall we really enjoyed this cruise and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we can fit in another short one before taking the kids on Oasis in December 2016!

Thanks for the review! We're sailing on Enchantment in less than two weeks, so this is helpful, timely perspective.

Did you spend any time at the R bar?? If so, how was the service and experience overall? I'm looking forward to some well made cocktails with music in the background!

Thanks for the review We have not cruised Royal in a good few years but are going in February on the Voyager

I do hope it is cleaner than you found as I would not tolerate a grossly dirty or smelly cabin:D

We were on this cruise as well. Our room was clean and our attendant was great (no a/c issues luckily!). A few folks in our group had different drink packages and overall the servers were easy to get to and helpful. They were even wandering on the pool deck as well.

We spent a good amount of time in the R Bar, as our rooms were on deck 4. I personally felt that one of the bartenders there was somewhat dismissive once he knew about the drink package. I may have misread him but he was the only one I felt this way about.

We were happy with the food and thought Windjammer had a nice selection and of course loved Park Cafe. Dining room meals were standard Royal Caribbean fare.

We had a group of 23 and this was our 6th 3 nighter out of PC on Royal in 7 years. We will miss Enchantment next summer!

Just wondering if you remember what time the shows were: comedian, etc.

Are there any magician shows on this cruise?

Just off the Enchantment - hated it -- first and maybe last cruise - cruise ship is a major need of some repairs -- disgusting!

FILTH!!! FILTH!!!

I'm not a cruise snob either --- gross gross gross! :)

Are there any magician shows on this cruise?

Unpredicable. Headliner acts are constantly changing.

Just off the Enchantment - hated it -- first and maybe last cruise - cruise ship is a major need of some repairs -- disgusting!

FILTH!!! FILTH!!!

I'm not a cruise snob either --- gross gross gross! :)

Can you be more specific?

Can you be more specific?

Okay well we arrived check in fine and speedy.

We went to our balcony cabin and walked in looked great.

Shower tiles broken and hair all over the place. Brown moldy shower curtain. Soaking wet.

Scuffs around the cabin. Don't mind that so much. That's from luggage etc.

Moldy and wetness on the shelves near the TV shelving.

INCHES OF DUST in the computer desk near the mirrors where the cabinets are.

BLACKMOLD behind the entry door on the latches and the carpet. Seemed wet too.

Steward was not that friendly.

He made be couch one day the others left it open and sheets messy.

If we wanted to sit we had to sit on the sheets or make the couch ourselves.

Asked him first night to remove alcohol. He said he couldn't (which is fine ) but would pass the info onto who could. Still there when we left and lots of brown dirt like chocolate on the fridge inside shelves.

Balcony door sticky and the tracking was all rotten (from wear being older I get)

Windjammer cafe had ceiling issues over our heads. Lots of build up dust in the ductwork.

I really feel that it was the stewards issue that cause my dislike.

Maybe he isn't the best one there is.

Maybe he slacked or is overhwelmed.

My friends had a junior suite, two of them, one fine and the other had soaking wet clothes one day and sewer issues another.

We also had air conditioning issues one day but was rectified fast and it happens.

Thanks for the review! We're sailing on Enchantment in less than two weeks, so this is helpful, timely perspective.

 

Did you spend any time at the R bar?? If so, how was the service and experience overall? I'm looking forward to some well made cocktails with music in the background!

Spend most of my drinking time at the R-Bar. The staff there is great.

Like most Centrum R-bars rude guests elbowing in can be annoying. I try to sit near the pillar on the port side end to stay out of their way.

I also go to the Viking Crown Bar during the disco and it can be crowded and hectic.

Spend most of my drinking time at the R-Bar. The staff there is great.

Like most Centrum R-bars rude guests elbowing in can be annoying. I try to sit near the pillar on the port side end to stay out of their way.

 

I also go to the Viking Crown Bar during the disco and it can be crowded and hectic.

I found that staff at all bars great, as well as the dining staff..

I think my steward was just in sleep mode :D

We are considering taking grandaughter on a short cruise on this ship, during the monthly time frame of this review. Can anyone verify the uncleanliness of a balcony cabin?

I can agree with you about the solarium. Aside from the addition of the Park Cafe (Which I love), there wasn't much done to the solarium in the last Refurb (Late 2012). (It still is a nice area especially when the weather isn't great).