Enchanted Isle out of New Orleans

Just wondering if anyone here ever sailed on the Isle and if so, what did you think of it. Also The cruise director was Dan Stapleton, was wondering if he ever went to work with another cruise line when Commodore declared bankruptcy. We really liked him and hope he still in the cruise industry.

She was our very first cruise. Even though she was small compared to the others she was big on customer service. The second day we were on our trip our waitress already knew names , cabin #s and what we drank. This very nice person just amazed me with her ability to know all this with 28 people in our group. This was about 7 yrs ago and her name was Cora.

IMHO the smaller ships are more customer friendly and more enjoyable to be on . You don't have that feeling of being in a rush or of being overcrowded.

5/16 Destiny/life is short/take a long cruise

I have been cruising 30 years (going on cruise number 74 and 75 in May).

I started on the Commodore cruise line on my very first cruise. Was on the Enchanted Isle almost 20 times; she was the last of the 5 ships. Had 48 cruises on that line on 5 different ships before they went bankrupt. The crew on that line was the very best; traveling alone that means a lot. I still miss them.

You're right; the small ships are more personable. I still sail on the smaller ships. If I could find some "old" ships, I'd be sailing on them.

Thanks for making me recall some really pleasant memories.

Judy

We loved it as well, just wanted to see what others thought. Not as fancy as the new ships, but we sailed 7 or 8 times and loved every one. We sailed on the Conquest one time and during the lifeboat drill, a former employee from the Isle spotted us and still remembered our names.The best service I have experienced in our 27 cruises. Thanks to all for your replies.

We also loved sailing on the Enchanted Isle, especially the service. We always had a waitress named Wendy. Her husband was the bar manager, Oliver. She too always knew what we drank as well as our cabin number. Many a Saturday we would spend at the Riverwalk and she would recognize us from the ship and would always ask when we'd be back. We have sailed with Dan Stapleton, but also the cruise director before him, Walter Elvy. Walter was the best cruise director we have ever had in all of our 30+ cruises. We often wonder whatever happened to Walter. The Enchanted Isle was docked close to our home while the company was in bankruptcy. It used to break our hearts to pass by and see it rusting away and would remember all the wonderful times and great people we met on the ship. There's alot to say about the smaller, older ships. What they lack in glitz they make up for in service.

Check out our pictures: http://community.webshots.com/user/natron24

Premier Royale 7/87

Sovereign of the Seas 11/90

Enchanted Seas 4/91

Ecstasy 11/91

Celebration 6/92

Crown Princess 11/92

Enchanted Seas 12/92

Tropicale 6/93

Crown Princess 11/93

Enchanted Seas 12/93

Celebration 6/94

Regal Princess 10/94

Enchanted Seas 12/94

Tropicale 4/95

Regal Princess 10/95

Enchanted Isle 5/96

Enchanted Isle 8/96

Crown Princess 10/96

Nieuw Amsterdam 4/97

Enchanted Isle 9/97

Celebration 10/97

Enchanted Isle 4/98

Norwegian Star 7/98

Celebration 11/98

Enchanted Isle 12/98

Norwegian Sea 5/99

Enchanted Isle 11/99

Enchanted Isle 5/00

Destiny 11/00

Inspiration 5/01

Celebrity Century 11/01

Explorer of the Seas 11/02

Carnival Conquest 5/03

Rhapsody of the Seas 11/03

Carnival Conquest 5/04

Navigator of the Seas 11/04

Ronath, We were in New Orleans for the Bassmaster Classic and took a riverboat ride. We felt the same way seeing her rusting away like that. How sad it looked. She brought back memories of sailing on the old Regency ships: the Sun, the Sea, and the Star. Good cruising.

"Nothing should be more highly prized than the value of each day"... 29 cruises & wishing for more...

The Enchanted Isle was our first cruise. - May of 1999. We went with my DH's parents and they loved it. My father in law passed away last March and we are so glad we had that time with them. I also would love to know where Dan is. Does anyone know? He is still my favorite after 2 Carnival cruises.

I did not cruise on the Isle but I did cruise on one of the other Commordore ships called the Caribe and the service was great. Like one of the other posters stated, one of the bar waiters knew my name, cabin number and my favorite drink after the first order and remembered it the entire week. That is one thing that I miss with today's cruising world. I had the same experience on the Seabreeze and Starward.

Sadly the Enchanted Isle is now being cut apart on the beaches of Alang. Here is a post from Maritime Matters on her. This ship had many names during her career and her last name was New Orleans.

NEW ORLEANS, originally the ARGENTINA, is 50% gone. Work has eliminated her foredecks and cutting of the superstructure underneath her radio mast has begun. Most of her stern is also gone, having been cut all the way forward to her uptakes, leaving her shaft tunnels exposed. In what seems to be a new patttern of dismantling, several large pieces have been gouged out of her sides.

Gordon

http://community.webshots.com/user/cruisingator

NCL Starward-86, Starship Atlantic-91, Caribe-92, Seabreeze-93, Fantasy-93, Norway-94, Celebration-94, Sensation-95, Imagination-96, Destiny-97, Celebration-98, Triumph-99, Victory-00, Majesty of the Seas-01, Fascination-01, Carnival Pride-02, Majesty of the Seas-02, Carnival Legend-02, Fantasy 7-03, Glory 9-03, Fantasy 11-03, Triumph 3/04.

Navigator of the Seas

We also loved sailing on the Enchanted Isle, especially the service. We always had a waitress named Wendy. Her husband was the bar manager, Oliver. She too always knew what we drank as well as our cabin number. Many a Saturday we would spend at the Riverwalk and she would recognize us from the ship and would always ask when we'd be back. We have sailed with Dan Stapleton, but also the cruise director before him, Walter Elvy. Walter was the best cruise director we have ever had in all of our 30+ cruises. We often wonder whatever happened to Walter. The Enchanted Isle was docked close to our home while the company was in bankruptcy. It used to break our hearts to pass by and see it rusting away and would remember all the wonderful times and great people we met on the ship. There's alot to say about the smaller, older ships. What they lack in glitz they make up for in service.

 

Check out our pictures: http://community.webshots.com/user/natron24

 

Premier Royale 7/87

Sovereign of the Seas 11/90

Enchanted Seas 4/91

Ecstasy 11/91

Celebration 6/92

Crown Princess 11/92

Enchanted Seas 12/92

Tropicale 6/93

Crown Princess 11/93

Enchanted Seas 12/93

Celebration 6/94

Regal Princess 10/94

Enchanted Seas 12/94

Tropicale 4/95

Regal Princess 10/95

Enchanted Isle 5/96

Enchanted Isle 8/96

Crown Princess 10/96

Nieuw Amsterdam 4/97

Enchanted Isle 9/97

Celebration 10/97

Enchanted Isle 4/98

Norwegian Star 7/98

Celebration 11/98

Enchanted Isle 12/98

Norwegian Sea 5/99

Enchanted Isle 11/99

Enchanted Isle 5/00

Destiny 11/00

Inspiration 5/01

Celebrity Century 11/01

Explorer of the Seas 11/02

Carnival Conquest 5/03

Rhapsody of the Seas 11/03

Carnival Conquest 5/04

Navigator of the Seas 11/04

 

 

Ronath,

Thank you for the very kind words. I am sorry I only stumbled onto this now after 10 years. I was trying to show my 7-year-old daughter what her dad used to do. I ended my cruising career on the R Three with Renaissance Cruises, a victim of 9/11. I now reside in Central Florida and am the Director of Client Services for a travel company. I hope you are well. I do miss the laughs, but not the time away from family. :-)

My first two cruises were on the Enchanted Isle and the Enchanted Seas. I remember Dan Stapleton as well. I have such fond memories of both ships and their staffs.

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DW and I also sailed on the Seas in '94 and the Isle in '98 ( or was it the other way around?) Any way we remenber what fun it was leaving New Orleans and watching the French Quarter fall to the stern, the trip down the River and docking next to a Carnival ship in Cozumel ( dang, that thing is big, we'll never go one one of those!)

In '98 we did splurge on the big "penthouse" stateroom that had the forward looking windows beneath the bridge. What great views.

On our '94 crusie we had a great time watch the line dancing class try to "trip" there way through a lesson while we were passing through tropical depression 10 between in the Gulf. The hull shape really added to the rock and roll.

I miss Commadore!

We sailed on the Enchanted Isle out of New Orleans in 98 for my in laws 50th anniversary. We had 20 family members from 7 to 74. My in laws had one of the forward penthouse suites and we had an oceanview. The bathroom was enormous with a toilet, bidet, and full tub in our oceanview. I remember walking the halls and seeing the slope of the deck down and back up again.

I remember each evening before dinner we would hear over the speaker system something about the first seating for the dining room was about to open and "Boooooooooooon Appetite!" Our kids said that for months afterwards!

My wife and I boarded Enchanted Isle in San Juan, Puerto Rico on December 12, 2000 to sail, of course, to New Orleans. It was our second cruise. We now have 34. Many of the passengers had boarded in New Orleans. It was a laid back trip, especially contrasted to our first cruise on Carnival's Elation.

I remember the music. There was a young black girl who sang her own arrangement of George Gershwin's Summertime from Porgy and Bess and she loved it when I said I realized that her version was not in Gershwin's original key, but that it sounded great. I also remember the steel drum two man band playing Christmas Carols softly on the back deck at night; and the guy billed as the World's Strongest Juggler, who juggled three bowling balls. And yes, I remember "Bon Appetit". We also had nice chats with the ship's doctor, who was a retired MD from New York who moved to Florida and liked to sail with his wife. We skipped Cozumel, our last scheduled stop with some excuse, but I think it was because Commodore had no money to pay the port charges, so it was a very quiet three days back up the Gulf to New Orleans; where it docked on December 23, 2000 and where Commodore filed for Bankruptcy the next day .