Enchantment Review 07/31/05 Canada/New England

Just back today from a wonderful cruise on the Enchantment of the Seas. Thought I would put together a quick review before getting back to work and too busy and also while everything is still fresh.

First, some background. This was our 17th cruise, 5th on RCL, first on Enchantment (although we were on the Grandeur which is VERY similar). We most generally book an inside cabin as we did this time. My wife is a teacher and I work for Homeland Security. Early (ok middle) 50's. We love dancing and spend part of every evening on the dance floor. Moving on............

Overall we had a great cruise. The things that my wife and I look for in a cruise were provided; lots of great music for dancing, the food was good (not great) the service overall was excellent, and as always we met many wonderful people.

We have done this itinerary before so we didn't look for much from the ports of call. We stayed on the ship at Martha's Vinyard and everyone we talked to said it was very hot and very crowded. Portland and Halifax we have done before; we got off for a walk at each and back on to enjoy the ship. In Bar Harbor we got off, took the free bus to a Lobster Hatchery and museum which was rather quaint, but we liked it. Back on the ship by 1:30. I can probably offer suggestions for things to do in these ports if any one needs it from past sailings, but this time our goal besides dancing was relaxing and that is what we did!

They also provided several lounge groups who were wonderful and played great music. The Evergreen Trio drew a crowd nightly in the Centrum, the Czech Mates provided a wide range of music for dancing, the Azucar's performed often in the Bolero which had a decent dance floor and the Dreamscapes were also very good. The main show orchestra also played a couple of Big Band gigs. There were a couple other venues also that we didn't get to see or hear.

I had read that there has been problems on this ship with children in the Solarium pool and Jacuzzi, but I can tell you I saw the pool attendent tell several children who attempted such that they were not allowed and never once did I see children in either, and we spent many hours in the Solarium. On the subject of children, we were told there was over 300 on board and never once did we see a problem with either a young child or a teenager. I met several who were wonderful and saw no problems.

As always the lounge chair fairies were out and about reserving chairs, but not to the extent we have seen before. At times the pool areas were very busy, but we always found a lounge chair and I think most people who wanted one were able to find one.

As far as the new section goes, since I was not on this ship before, it is difficult to compare. It has some new attractive design feaures, and I guess the bungii jumping thing and the climbing wall were added. I tried both for the first time and can now say been there done that. No big deal. One problem that the stretch has developed is that they have added staterooms, but facilities like the theater, and the Windjammer have not been increased in capacity and can get very busy. In fact early dining guests going to the theater had to get there early (about 30 minutes prior) to get a seat and I saw many late comers (arrived 5-10 minutes before showtime) turned away. This needs to be resolved, perhaps with tickets or something. Also the Windjammer could get very busy during peak times. This really didn't bother us because we have learned to work around peak times to avoid severe crowding.

On the subject of shows: I really didn't think the production shows were the best I've seen, although they had 4 very strong singers. The shows themselves (2) were OK but not great. A Magician that I thought was in training (not very good). They did however have three other mainline acts that I thought to be very good. A female vocalist/comedian (sorry I'm bad on names), the singer of the Happy Days theme song who had a great act, and a juggler/comedian who I also thought was very good.

We ate every dinner in the Dining Room, didn't try Chops, all breakfasts in the windjammer and split lunches between the windjammer and the dining room. This is going to sound contradictory but here goes! I felt we had an excellent waiter, but yet I felt the dining room service to be a little below the standard we have experienced in the past. Our waiter and assistant worked their butts off to give us good service, but we always seemed to be waiting (for dishes to be cleared, or water refills, or the next course to be served or what ever, and then when they came in a flourish to try and get things done we then felt rushed). I believe a couple of things could have been the cause. He had two table besides ours, one a 4 top and one a 10 top and both tables had people who were always late for dinner; most generally 6:30 when it was supposed to be at 6:00. The other is that he seemed to have more people to wait on then we have seen before. I can't be sure of this and perhaps someone else knows the average # a waiter would have at a seating. Anyway, I was a little annoyed at this but we still enjoyed the meals and I trully liked our waiter "Daniel" who was serving us at table 482; if anyone runs into him say Hi. The Head Waiter for our designated area stepped in alot to assist whatever needed to be done. This is a first and also noted this during lunchtime in the dining room.

We had a meet and mingle but very few showed up. This happens sometimes, I think some people are timid about the whole thing. The cruise line provided tea and lemonade and horderves. They also raffled off a couple of small prizes, I believe they were RCL computer Mice. The people who went were as usual very nice and we enjoyed bumping into them on the cruise.

We found Philadelphia very easy to cruise out of, parking was simple, drop your bags, park, catch the shuttle, sign in and get on board. We were there around 11:00, on board by 11:45. All rooms were cordoned off till 1:00. So we went to lunch walked around a bit and then to our room at 1:00. We did express debarkation, off by 7:40 and on the freeway headed home by 8:00.

I'm sure our experience was not matched by all. But I can say this was as good or better a cruise than any of our prior 16. As always I or Mrs. Boomboom will try an answer any questions. :)

Thanks for the review! I will be on the Enchantment 10/2. What inside cabin were you in? Do you have any pics of it? I am in one on deck 2 and would like to see how they look. Thanks!

Thanks for the review. Sounds like you had a great time. Wonder how they plan to resolved the overflow of passengers at the shows and Windjammer? We have late seating coming up and it sounds like that may be a little better. Welcome back to the "real" world!

How does the express debarkation work?

Thanks for the Review!

Thank you for your review boomboom51. We will be sailing on 8/21. Two weeks to go. We live about 10 miles S. of the dock and are happy we won't have to travel to far to get there.

Thanks for the great review! It's nice to relive my cruise vicariously through you.

I agree with you on the shows. The production shows were good, but not fabulous. I absolutely LOVED the Happy Days guy (Bobby Arvon). I'm in my 30s. I think he was probably brought onboard to appeal to a slightly different target market than me, but I thought he was the absolute best. The guy is quite a showman, isn't he?! I had to leave his show early as we had a reservation in Chops and I could barely tear myself away. He was just so entertaining.

I bought his CD -- $20 signed and he threw in a hug. It's quite good. He does a great Frank Sinatra medley. My favorite song is one that he did at the show and won a number of awards for--Later On. Did he perform that one on your cruise as well? He's a story teller with his songs.

I'm glad you had a great trip, despite the crowds.

Do you remember what the lunch offerings were in the dining room?

Is it the same meal every day?

And were they offering the "new" Brasserie 30 menu?

Cheers,

Express debarkation is the first off the ship. Yes, lunch is the same every day (try the pasta bar very good). The rest of menu slips my mind - although I do remember fried calamari.

Great Reveie! Thanks!

Express debarkation is the first off the ship. Yes, lunch is the same every day (try the pasta bar very good). The rest of menu slips my mind - although I do remember fried calamari.

but how does this work....doesn't everyone want to be the first off? How do you sign up for it and do they offer it to everyone?

Thanks for the review. Sounds like you had a great time. Wonder how they plan to resolved the overflow of passengers at the shows and Windjammer? We have late seating coming up and it sounds like that may be a little better. Welcome back to the "real" world!

For the most part, those of us eating late went to the early show. We had no difficulty securing seats.

Express debarkation is the first off the ship. Yes, lunch is the same every day (try the pasta bar very good). The rest of menu slips my mind - although I do remember fried calamari.

Very good Baby BAck Ribs.

but how does this work....doesn't everyone want to be the first off? How do you sign up for it and do they offer it to everyone?

Several days before debarkation, tthey leave a questionaire on your cabin. If you chack off early departure, they notify you if you have been accepted with a pass.You keep your luggage and walk off the ship about 7:45 or so.

Good review BoomBoom. Interesting to see a different perspective. To me the music in the various venues, while good, was background. For you it was an important part of the cruise.

Thank you for taking the time to post a great review. We will be on her 8/21 and looking forward to it. Can you let us know what type of weather you had? When I read the reviews of the hyjacked Voyager (bound for Bermuda) and the passenger said they encounted snow I did laugh. Please tell me that it is not so.

I wanted to write a great review but you did it for me, Boom Boom! I agree with everything you said. It was my seventh cruise and we soon learned that you had to get to the show at least a half-hour early for the nine o'clock show. I enjoyed Rich Ceisler the comediene and the aging blonde bombshell--she was great. I lost the activities paper with her name so I am asking if anyone remembers her name? I spent an hour on the internet trying to find out. My husband appreciated the fact that the menu was posted each day on the closed-circuit TV broadcast.

BoomBoom, I agree with everything you said! My husband enjoyed being able to see the menu posted on the TV in our room. I lost the activity paper with the name of one of the entertainers. She was an aging blonde bombshell who sang and told jokes. I really liked her and wanted to know her name?

The blonde entertainer wasn't by any chance Judy Kolba, was it? She is wonderful. We have seen her several times both on HAL and RCI, most recently on the Serenade in Alaska last month. We'll be onboard the Enchantment for the 8/21 sailing.

The blonde entertainer wasn't by any chance Judy Kolba, was it? She is wonderful. We have seen her several times both on HAL and RCI, most recently on the Serenade in Alaska last month. We'll be onboard the Enchantment for the 8/21 sailing.

That's her. We met her the following day in the Windjammer and spent a pleasant hour with her. Her show is not to be missed. She has a great voice and a quick sense of humour. Her ad libs with the crowd are hilareous.

BoomBoom, I agree with everything you said! My husband enjoyed being able to see the menu posted on the TV in our room. I lost the activity paper with the name of one of the entertainers. She was an aging blonde bombshell who sang and told jokes. I really liked her and wanted to know her name?

Carol

FIVE AND A HALF DAYS from this minute, I'll be on board the Enchantment!

Cruisers from the week before you guys said that they couldn't check their Sea Pass accounts on the TV, but you guys say that you could check the dinner menus. Did they by any chance add the account-checking feature, too?

 

Carol

 

FIVE AND A HALF DAYS from this minute, I'll be on board the Enchantment!

I couldn't check anything on our TV. The menu button on the remote just took you to on-screen adjustments such as color, sharpness, etc. We were in the stretch section, so our TV's were new and probably different.

Cruisers from the week before you guys said that they couldn't check their Sea Pass accounts on the TV, but you guys say that you could check the dinner menus. Did they by any chance add the account-checking feature, too?

 

On our 7/19 cruise they did have the menu on the TV but not the sea pass accounts

We were in 2633 - no pictures sorry - typical small inside room. I thought the shower was a little smaller than usual (how could this be?!) and also we usually marvel at the great water pressure - not here. We had heard trouble with toilets on prior cruise - none for us (trouble that is!)

I was told only 400 get express debarkation, I noticed much fewer than that got off while we were, but you might want to keep on top of this. They send a form to your room and you get to choose this option.

Well the golfing fairy just appeared so now this is Mrs. Boomboom 51 and I don't know what some of the other questions were so I am going to close this message and go back and see if WE didn't answer all your questions.

It looks like most of your questions were answered. I am just going to add a little bit.

The lunch menu was the same every day with a new daily special (appetizer, entree and dessert) and also you could choose to order from the pasta area which was in the dining room (many choices and very good).

Hopefully the entertainer that most of us could not remember her name doesn't read our comments. Judy Kolba was very good and I also agree with the additional comments on the gentlemen that sang Happy Days (can't remember his name - sorry the age thing).

As my husband stated we had a great time and wish we were still sailing. Only 4 months until we go again cruising - way too long.