Enchantment Review - finally! March 5th to 10th sailing!

[NYCchic]

My boyfriend and I were on Enchantment of the Seas from March 5th to 10th, 2005. The ports of call were Ocho Rios, Jamaica and George Town, Grand Cayman. We found these boards so helpful to us when planning our cruise. Thanks to everyone for all the great tips!

 

 

 

We flew into Ft. Lauderdale the morning of the 5th. We booked our own air thru Jet Blue, which was much cheaper than getting air thru RCCL. Our flight got into Ft. Lauderdale at around 10am. We took a cab to the pier for approx. US$10. We were very early – first ones there! We had to sit and wait quite some time to board the ship. Embarkation was a breeze and we were onboard by about 12:30pm. We packed in several carry on sized bags so we were able to carry our bags right onto the ship ourselves. This was great so that we did not have to wait for our luggage to arrive later that evening outside our room.

 

 

 

We enjoyed everything about this cruise. It was my second (first cruise was on Carnival back in ’98) and my boyfriend’s first. He definitely has the cruising bug and can’t stop talking about booking another one! I really liked RC – much better than Carnival. We thought the Enchantment was beautiful – easy to get around. Walking around deck 5 was my favorite! I’ve read some reviews saying the ship is showing her age but we didn’t feel that at all. She’s in great shape and they keep her so clean. I can only imagine how great she will look later this year after she’s stretched! We would definitely go on her again.

 

 

 

We had an outside stateroom on Deck 2. Room was a lot smaller than I thought it would be – pictures are deceiving! We managed though. Oscar our room attendant was great. I ordered Happy Birthday decorations for my boyfriend and they threw in a free cake too! That was a nice surprise. My biggest complaint about the room is the shower. Bathroom itself was fine. There was plenty of storage space in the mirror vanity. It’s the shower that I had a problem with. It was so small – like a semicircle. I don’t understand how a large person could ever shower in there! Ladies – don’t plan on shaving your legs in there! I went down to the locker room by the gym/spa when I had to shave my legs (sorry for the gory details). You would be half out of the shower if you bent down to shave! I’m glad I thought of the gym showers – they were much bigger. The only other thing was the shower curtain – very old and dirty! I was afraid to touch it. Hopefully they will put in new ones after the stretch – I’m sure they will.

 

 

 

We found the food in the dining room to be delicious – we had dinner there each night. Steak and lobster were our favorites, some really delicious soups and salads as well. Our waiter was was great. I think everyone ends up loving their wait staff. Our assistant waiter was even better! We sat with 2 other couples and we had a table by the window, which was really nice. I would definitely request that in the future. We were at the late seating.

 

 

 

I would have to say our only complaint about the Enchantment was that the food in the Windjammer was always cold! It was good quality and tasty – we both said it would have been great if it was actually hot! We had breakfast there every morning. The only hot items we could find were oatmeal and the made to order omelets. We only ate lunch in the Windjammer the first day. The 2 days we were at sea we ate at the Solarium – delicious pizza and french fries! The other days we ate in port.

 

 

 

The chair hogs were out in full effect on this cruise. First day at sea we went out around 10am and could not find a seat on the deck anywhere. We ended up lying on our towels for a bit. After 1 o’clock some seats started to open up. It was too hot to sit in the solarium on the days at sea b/c the roof was closed. It was only open when we were in port. On our last day at sea I decided if everyone else is going to hog chairs, we would too. We went out and put our towels down before breakfast. I put a magazine on top of the towel on one chair, and a shirt with the towel on the other chair. We were not at breakfast that long and when we got back to our chairs, someone had taken our towels! They left our magazine and shirt, just took the towels. I found this to be incredibly rude being that RC charges you money if you do not leave the pool towels in your room on the last day. Luckily I knew I could get some more in the gym locker room. This was a great tip for days in port. It was nice to have some extra towels with us!

 

 

 

We booked our own tours for both ports thanks to the advice we found on these boards! We used Orville Taylor in Ocho Rios - highly recommend him. We were his only 2 people on his tour that day so it was nice. He picked us up at the dock and took us to Dunns River Falls. We climbed the falls and then he took us to Mahogany Beach for a few hours. He came back for us and took us to a wonderful restaurant for lunch called BiBiBips. It was on a cliff overlooking the beach/ocean right on Main Street. You could actually see it from Mahogany Beach. Food was great – delicious jerk chicken. He then took us shopping on the way back to the pier although we didn’t buy anything. We found everyone to be very pushy in Jamaica. They don’t take “no thanks” too well. The island is beautiful though so it’s definitely worth going to. His cost is only US$15 per person for the entire day. This does not include the $10 entrance fee to Dunns River Falls though. You pay that to him right when he drops you off at the Falls. He already has tickets for you so you don’t have to wait in any lines. We were one of the first groups there though so it wasn’t too crowded which was nice.

 

Here is Orville's website:

 

http://www.geocities.com/orvilletay/

 

Email him and he will get back to you in a few days. He's great!

 

 

 

In Grand Cayman we booked with Soto's Tours for the snorkel and stingray city tour. I personally didn't do either - just went along for the boat ride. But my boyfriend loved it. The cost of this tour was either $30 or $35 per person. It's about 2.5 hours long. After that we went to the Hyatt on Seven Mile Beach. We had lunch there at Hemingway’s and relaxed on the beach. Lunch was very expensive but worth it. Really delicious lobster salad! They charge $35 to use their lounge chairs and pool but I think you also get a free drink or 2 with that. If we were going to be there for the day we would have definitely paid this. But we were only going to be there for an hour, so we just laid on our towels. They don’t mind you using their beach. We grabbed a cab for $3 each back to the pier. We did a little shopping before tendering back to the Enchantment. There's lots of shopping right in town by the pier. And we didn't have any problems tendering. We had more of a wait to get back on the ship in Jamaica than we did in Grand Cayman.

 

Here is Soto's website:

 

http://www.sotoscruises.com/

 

 

 

 

 

I had 2 spa treatments. The first day I had a reflexology treatment, which was wonderful! The room was so nice with huge windows to look out at the ocean. It was well worth the $99! Be careful though b/c the woman who did the treatment rang me up and she charged me about $30 more than it was listed for. She didn’t know it was only $99 so I had to go back and have the manager credit the money back to my seapass account. I didn’t plan on having any other treatments but on the last day at sea I heard the special of the day was a mini facial for just $35. I went and booked it right away. This was really nice too. Again though, the woman charged me the full price instead of the special price. The manager was not there at the time so I had to dispute this in the morning, which was the day we disembarked. It was annoying b/c there were long lines so it took a while. They did credit the money back to me though.

 

 

 

We didn’t go to all of the shows. We saw the Love and Marriage show which was hilarious but if you miss this it will be replayed on the TV in your room all week! We also went to Quest, which is not to be missed! We also saw the Battle of the Sexes game on the last night. This was very funny. We caught one of the shows before dinner one night in the Orpheum…it was from stage to screen songs – very cute. Oh and the jugglers on the last night were very good.

 

 

 

My boyfriend enjoyed the casino. He played in the slots tournament on our first day at sea and the blackjack tournament on the last day at sea. He had a lot of fun. He also played the big bingo game on the last day, which was interrupted by the 12 Cubans we rescued that day! That was certainly interesting. We also took a wine tasting class on the first day at sea. For $10 a person you got to try 8 different wines. They also served cheese and bread, which was good.

 

 

 

Disembarkation was also a breeze! We had a flight around noon and had white luggage tags so we were the first off the ship. I forget which deck you disembark from, but we just hung out there until they let the first group off. We carried our luggage off ourselves & were in a cab and to the airport by 9am! We were able to catch an earlier flight so we boarded immediately and were home in New York by the time our original flight was to leave Ft. Lauderdale.

 

 

 

We really enjoyed our vacation and would recommend the Enchantment of the Seas to anyone….singles, families, couples! It’s a great ship! Enjoy!:)

[MommyLynnie]

Thanks for that great review. My DD and I are sailing on her on Monday. Thanks for the towel tip - I had been wondering what to do about them, particularly for excursions. You also made me feel better about flying in the day of. We just cannot go the day before like everyone suggests and it has been quite a source of stress! I am so glad you enjoyed your cruise! I hope I do too. :D

[over the edge]

Chair hogs are frustrating. We too had our share of them on Voyager! Thanks for a super review!! :)

[Pam713]

Thanks for the great review. We are sailing on the Enchantment this November and I've been looking for all the information I can get! Can you tell me more about eating in the Solarium? This is the first I have heard of it. Also, my DD wants to know if you used room service and how much is a reasonable tip?

Last, were there a lot of vans and taxis at the airport and at the pier waiting?

Thanks so much!

[TNT]

I've talked to NYCchic several times by email since her return. We are leaving on April 2- She has been a wealth of information. I have booked Orville Taylor in Jamaica and Stingray City in Grand Cayman since corresponding with her. Keri, I'll let you know how our cruise turns out!

[JerseyGirl23]

Thanks! I bookmarked those 2 tours, we're thinking our next cruise will be on the Enchantment in December 2006.

[TheWog]

NYC - Great review. Glad you had a wonderful time. I knew you would. She is a beautiful ship and I wish I was back on her right now. Your Jamaica day sounded great. Glad you made it back and had a wonderful time.

[NYCchic]

Wog - Thank you for all your help before my cruise. Your tips were great. I wish I were back on her now too. It was so much fun. Do you have another cruise booked yet? Not me - I think I may have to wait until next year b/c I have too many other trips planned already for this year.

 

Twila - have a great time...you leave so soon! Definitely let me know how it went...I'm sure you'll all have so much fun!

 

Pam - the Solarium is the area where the adult only pool is. That was actually the only pool I ever swam in b/c the main pool was always so crowded. They have a snack bar in the Solarium that serves pizza which I thought was very good and I usually don't like pizza anywhere else but NY! They also have burgers and hot dogs and I think even chicken sandwhiches...and fries! I ate a big breakfast so was never too hungry for lunch in the Windjammer. But around 4 o'clock I always needed a little something to hold me over until dinner at 8:30 - so I went for the pizza!

I never used the room service so I can't comment on that. But I think just a few dollars would be a fair tip.

And yes - there were plenty of taxis at both the airport and the pier. You won't have a problem getting one! Have fun!

 

MommyLynnie - I am SO jealous you'll be on her this Monday! You'll have a great time - wish I could go with you. I was so happy when I found that secret stash of towels! Maybe it's no secret - maybe everyone knows that's where you can score a few extra towels. But I felt like it was my little secret. From the Solarium, go thru the door that leads to the spa and gym, the door says Ship Shape Spa above it I think. Then when you see the front desk for the spa, go to the right and the ladies locker room is in there. Just ask if you don't see it. Once inside you'll see the steam room and sauna and showers - just look for the wall of cubbies with fresh towels! You can take a few and no one will stop you!

I was worried about flying in the day of too but it really was no problem. That's why I scheduled such an early flight. We did sit around for a few hours waiting to get onboard but I felt better knowing I was there. And the weather in NY the week I left was snowy - so I was so nervous about getting there. But everything worked out fine. Have fun and report back to us what you thought of the trip!

[TheWog]

Wog - Thank you for all your help before my cruise. Your tips were great. I wish I were back on her now too. It was so much fun. Do you have another cruise booked yet? Not me - I think I may have to wait until next year b/c I have too many other trips planned already for this year.

 

You're welcome, I'm glad I could be of help. I'm with you. Nothing booked for now, but a quick trip to FLA in November.

 

We are thinking we (and the wallet) need a break from the big vacations (we just bought and moved into a new house). So Jan 2007 is when we have our eye on our next cruise. Our 8 year old really wants to do Disney again (western), but I want to try the Mariner, so we will see what happens.

 

Glad you had a great time and until the next cruise... have fun!

[lauren0309]

Nice review. We sailed on her in February and I miss it so much!!! Wish I was on another cruise already. Next year is Disneyworld and the year after that we're planning on trying Adventure of the Seas to see how that ship compares to the others we have been. Too long a wait though!!!

 

Majesty of the Seas 3/02

Monarch of the Seas 3/03

Serenade of the Seas 11/03

[puddleducky]

We sailed Enchantment May 2000 to Bermuda from NY. Had a great time.

 

Sailing on AOS in June, it seems like it is taking forever to get here. :)

[capecodmom]

Im so excited!!!! thank you for writing your review I am leaving on April 7 for my 40th with 28 girlfriends. Do people really hog all the chairs? can you just throw there towels off the chairs? I think it is very rude. where is a good meeting place for all of us? some of us have early dinner and some have late. We would like to meet up somewhere? I am in a jr suite 6150 off the back of the ship any info on this room? hows the balcony? I hope the bathroom is bigger there are 4 sharing. thanks for any info.:)

[capecodmom]

sorry the suite is 7650 not 6150:eek:

[Jerrudy]

NYCchic, Great review! What did you think of the room decorations?

[NYCchic]

Sorry to Capecod Mom for not answering your questions before you leave...I believe you set sail on the Enchantment today - 4/7. Hope you have a fabulous trip!

 

Jerrudy - the room decorations were really cute. Nice touch and the birthday boy loved them - he was really surprised to walk in and see them.

[TheWog]

Im so excited!!!! thank you for writing your review I am leaving on April 7 for my 40th with 28 girlfriends. Do people really hog all the chairs? can you just throw there towels off the chairs? I think it is very rude. where is a good meeting place for all of us? some of us have early dinner and some have late. We would like to meet up somewhere? I am in a jr suite 6150 off the back of the ship any info on this room? hows the balcony? I hope the bathroom is bigger there are 4 sharing. thanks for any info.:)

 

I think she left already too, but the Viking Crown lounge would be a great spot to meet.