Back from New England Enchantment

[sueinphilly]

Everything went well, we got off with the first group (white) and were in the car by 8:45am.

 

We don't use the spa, play bingo, swim.

 

The theatre is very nice, good site lines and great acoustics.

 

The couple of times I went into the Solarium, I didn't see any kids. Can't say they were never in there, but I didn't see them. And we didn't have the greatest pool weather on our sea days either. No rain, just not bake in the sun hot (which is fine with me).

 

I know food is a personal thing, but I gotta say that if you can't find something to eat that pleases you, you must be very picky. I didn't meet a dessert or meal that I didn't like (and the scale confirms that).

 

Here's one thing that I observed that I thought was strange. There is virtually ALWAYs piped in music playing at the pool, windjammer, centrum and every bar/lounge when there is no live band playing. The Solarium was the only exception, it was quiet there. I mean, when I am having coffee at 8 am, I don't want to hear music playing. The library is right off the Centrum and it was very boistrous there with one thing or another most of the time. Is piped in music really necessary? yes, I know you're going to say that I should get a balcony and sit there, but if you want to people watch you can only sit on the balcony for so long.

 

If you have any particular questions, feel free to ask

[DisneyGirl92]

Hi Sue - Welcome Home.

 

Lucky you getting off the ship that early - doubt if I will have that luck. I agree I do not mind piped in music in certain locations - but based on what you say it does seem to be too much. Even the Disney Cruise Line had some quiet areas.

 

Please tell me about the ports and your thoughts on the excursions. Also, any problems with the toilets.

 

Thanks

 

Jul

[paylady]

Sue:

 

Thanks for posting your comments. They are much appreciated. We will be on the 7 night out of Boston on 9/4. I assume you were on the 7 night out of Philadelphia but I'm sure the itinerary is close to identical.

 

Do you remember the formal nights? Were they Monday and Friday? I was planning on bringing two dresses for formal nights. One for early in the cruise, when the weight gain doesn't yet show, and a "fat" dress for the formal night that's later in the cruise.

 

Also, do you remember if they have Splenda on the ships yet. Last cruise, I brought our own.

 

Thanks!

[whale-watcher]

Thanks for the review -- only 6 more weeks for us...love your comments about the food, and about the piped music with your morning coffee!

[Dawn2200]

We had a great time! No splenda on board. I love that stuff and brought my own. The only problem is that is was not always easy to find unsweetened ice tea in the Windjammer or the bars. I finally found one dispenser in the Windjammer. It is available in the main dining room.

[sueinphilly]

No problem with toilets as far as I know.

 

Formal nights were Monday and Friday. Lobster was on Friday, but there was no fillet with it. They did have scallops on another menu item and I just had them add some to my lobster and shrimp entree, no problems. Yes, wear the skinny dress first, the sea air will shrink your clothes dontcha know :-)

 

We don't do ship excursions.

 

Martha's vineyard - Got a day pass for the bus, $6 each and went out to a nature center and walked around. Tendering back was long and HOT.

 

Portland. Walked around, went to Victoria Mansion and took their guided tour (we were done before the busload of cruise passengers on excursion got there) Spent some time and $$ in the LL bean Outlet center right in town.

 

Bar Harbor. Bought a day pass for Acadia park ($5 each) and rode the FREE bus around. Went to Sand Beach and took a 2 mile walk past Thunder Hole to Otter Point. Then just walked around town. Tendering was much better here. If you aren't taking a ship excursion, you need to be on the first tenders, because if you aren't off by 7:30 am, you could get stuck on the ship until all the people on excursions get off and that could be after 9am. We are early people.

 

Halifax. This was my 3rd time there, already did the Titanic museum and Public Gardens. This time we went to the Citadel and spent about 2 hours there. You could tag along with the guided tours or go off on your own. We went off on our own.

 

Our total expenses for Things To Do including transportation and entrance fees was $60. Ship excursions to do the SAME thing would have been much much more. You would get door to door transportation and some extra info from "tour guides", but we don't like being part of a herd Of course this didn't include shopping. We didn't eat in any of the ports.

[whale-watcher]

great excursion tips! Thanks!

[fgresko]

About what time did you get to the pier and what time did they let you board, thanks

[Wirenut624]

Halifax. This was my 3rd time there, already did the Titanic museum and Public Gardens. This time we went to the Citadel and spent about 2 hours there. You could tag along with the guided tours or go off on your own. We went off on our own.

 

Our total expenses for Things To Do including transportation and entrance fees was $60. Ship excursions to do the SAME thing would have been much much more. You would get door to door transportation and some extra info from "tour guides", but we don't like being part of a herd Of course this didn't include shopping. We didn't eat in any of the ports.

 

We were on the first post-stretch cruise and during our visit we went off on our own here also. It was our first time in Halifax and I knew that I wanted to see the Titanic exhibit. We took the harbourwalk over and there was only a dozen or so people in there at the time.

After we left there, we got to talking with a crossing guard who pointed us towards a place to eat. There some people at the next table over told us about some shops and stuff in the area.

It is a great place to visit, with some very friendly people.

I'm sure we will go back again and see more of the area

[sueinphilly]

we got to the pier around 11am but people were still getting off. We were the first group on board and we walked on at 12:20pm. Rooms were not available until 2pm. Hopefully it went smoother today for those getting off and getting on. Also, we didn't leave Philly until almost 8pm because of the delay in boarding.

[dennbr9]

We were one of the last off the ship today, about 10:30. No Problem as our flight was not till 2:00. It takes about 20 minutes to the airport. Have seen better disembarkations, but overall not a big problem.

 

We arrive at the pier in Philly about 12:30, were on the ship by 1:00, and our room was ready then so we could drop off bags, etc. Today, they had signs up saying the rooms would be ready by 1:00.

 

Never saw a toilet out of service, out cabin was very clean and everything worked fine. Attendant was great.

 

Hope they take notice of the complaints about the 1 hour wait for a tender in Martha's Vineyard, we got there at 2:30 and did not get on the tender until 3:40. They need to hire some independent transportation or use some of the other life boats. Problem was long distance to ship, traffic in the water, and a tender that had a small problem and was out of service for a bit.

 

Ship is in beautiful shape with mostly new carpets and a lot of new furniture in the lounges. Service was very good and the meals were good- still prefer the more imaginative meals on Celebrity. The night they did Lobster, there was also Prime Rib and most of the guys ordered both with no problem.

 

Try the Chowder at Gilbert's - right by the ship- in Portland. We did a Harbor tour in Portland, much cheaper than on the ship. You can book it about 10 minutes down the same main drag you get to as you come off the pier, signs are on the store fronts.

 

We hired a personal guide in Bar Harbor for $60.00 and hour. Bert was a local and used to drive the tour buses before switching. Got a history lesson, saw the sights, and learned all about Lobster fishing. Would be good to split cost with another couple.

 

They have a "duck" ride that is one hour long, and gives you a great overview of Halifax. They are called something Hoppers, $22.50 Canadian and you can find them by the Museum on the boardwalk.

 

FYI

Dennis:D

[DisneyGirl92]

Thanks for the info on the excursions. I have not booked - so I think I will do what you suggest. Thanks so much. :)

[holomuku]

Sue-

 

thanks for the info- both paylady and I are soaking it up!

 

Did the $5 pass and free shuttle work pretty well in Bar Harbor? Were you able to get maps and such to know what to look for? I'm not anxious to do a tour but kind of like to know what I'm looking for/at.....

 

and in MV- how did you know to look for the nature center? sounds intersting...can you share more?

 

thanks, welcome home and we appreciate your sharing info.

 

sally

[kenandlaura06]

Thanks for the review!

[Merion_Mom]

SUE!!!! Welcome home, and thanks for posting so fast.

 

Now, the questions:

 

The theatre - others have mentioned that it isn't big enough to accommodate everyone who wants to be there (the stretch added passenger capacity without adding to the capacity of the theatre.) What was your experience with this?

 

 

Would you please give some more details about the LLBean outlet in town? "Locals" who have posted on the Ports of Call board have pooh-poohed the outlet and said that if you don't go to the "real thing" in Freeport, it's not worth a visit. You seem to have found stuff to buy?

 

Thanks for the heads-up on getting off early in Bar Harbor. That's going to come in REAL handy in two weeks.

 

Sue, how does Philly "come off" as a port? Is this summer going to convince people that Philadelphia is a good place to cruise out of?

 

EVERYONE!! (who is reporting from this cruise)

 

Please tell us about your cabins.

 

Please talk about the way that people dressed, observing the dress code, formal night, etc.

 

Those of you who drove and parked: Please talk about that experience.

 

Others have "complained" about the long gangway to board the ship. Please comment.

 

Oh, about the music thing. I hate to say it, but I think that psychological studies are behind having music everywhere. No point in posting boring detail, but Shakespeare said it best, "Music soothes the savage breast."

 

Carol :D

[BJane]

Question about tendering in Martha's Vineyard - Was there a long wait to get back to the ship the entire day or was it just mid-afternoon as it neared time for the ship to sail? We are booked for a shore excursion that should end around noon. If there is apt to be along wait even then, we will have to cancel as I cannot stand for any length of time and don't want to try to take my walker on the tender.

[Merion_Mom]

Is it the kind of walker that folds? Royal personnel are VERY good about helping people on and off tenders, and I have seen HUGE strollers and even wheelchairs loaded onto a tender with relative ease.

 

Go and have fun. :)

[divawife]

Thanks for the review! I have a question about tendering in Martha's Vineyard and tendering in Bar Harbor. Does the Enchantment use the lifeboats to tender in either ports? Or do they use larger charter boats? Is it easy to get on and off these tender boats? Is there anyone there to help out if someone needs to get their balance? I heard the Bar Harbor tender is easier and quicker and larger? Thanks for your help!

[sueinphilly]

There is an info booth right there with all the maps and info you could ever need. The bus is free but they make you pay to get into the park. They actually wanted $20 (which would have been good for up to 7 days to drive into the park). I told them we were using the free bus and only for 1 day and she "let" me have the park pass for $5. None of the bus drivers checked anyone for this pass. We could have not bought it at all. If you want to see things on the bus, get off the ship on the first tender, things get real crowded on shore by 1-2pm. And some of the buses only run every 30 minutes or so.

 

In MV, the nature center was Felix something or other I think, we just read all we can on the websites and know where we want to go ahead of time.

 

 

Sue-

 

thanks for the info- both paylady and I are soaking it up!

 

Did the $5 pass and free shuttle work pretty well in Bar Harbor? Were you able to get maps and such to know what to look for? I'm not anxious to do a tour but kind of like to know what I'm looking for/at.....

 

and in MV- how did you know to look for the nature center? sounds intersting...can you share more?

 

thanks, welcome home and we appreciate your sharing info.

 

sally

[sueinphilly]

Theatre, we only went to 3 shows, no problems finding seats (we had late seating)

 

LL bean. I liked the outlet, sure they don't have everything that the Real store would have, but I'm the kind of person who only buys stuff when it's been steeply discounted. I got a pair of sweatpants, stretchy black pants (wore them on 2nd formal night), long sleeved shirt, t shirt and pair of shoes for $60 TOTAL. Yeah, baby.

 

Port of philly - I have only sailed out of philly and NY. The gangplank is LONG. The check in process wasn't so bad after they allowed it to actually begin. The view of the port is yucky, nothing pretty like Bar Harbor !

 

Music may soothe the beast, but Tom Petty singing Free Falling at 8am (very loudly) was irritating to me. I could tell that people were having to raise their voices to talk to each other. Subtle music is okay, but this was too in your face for me.

 

Off to work now, bwah, bwah!

 

SUE!!!! Welcome home, and thanks for posting so fast.

 

Now, the questions:

 

The theatre - others have mentioned that it isn't big enough to accommodate everyone who wants to be there (the stretch added passenger capacity without adding to the capacity of the theatre.) What was your experience with this?

 

 

Would you please give some more details about the LLBean outlet in town? "Locals" who have posted on the Ports of Call board have pooh-poohed the outlet and said that if you don't go to the "real thing" in Freeport, it's not worth a visit. You seem to have found stuff to buy?

 

Thanks for the heads-up on getting off early in Bar Harbor. That's going to come in REAL handy in two weeks.

 

Sue, how does Philly "come off" as a port? Is this summer going to convince people that Philadelphia is a good place to cruise out of?

 

EVERYONE!! (who is reporting from this cruise)

 

Please tell us about your cabins.

 

Please talk about the way that people dressed, observing the dress code, formal night, etc.

 

Those of you who drove and parked: Please talk about that experience.

 

Others have "complained" about the long gangway to board the ship. Please comment.

 

Oh, about the music thing. I hate to say it, but I think that psychological studies are behind having music everywhere. No point in posting boring detail, but Shakespeare said it best, "Music soothes the savage breast."

 

Carol :D

[Murphy]

Sue,

 

Thanks for posting all the great info! We are down to 8.5 weeks till we leave and although we have different posts, I've been soaking up the "stretch" info. Hope they get the music overload managed! Sometimes when we've been sitting around the pool about 10:30 and there isn't any music I think it's time to start, but anything before then would be intrusive!

 

Welcome back to reality and "work"! Good luck adjusting!

[rfische1]

SUE!!!! Welcome home, and thanks for posting so fast.

 

Now, the questions:

 

The theatre - others have mentioned that it isn't big enough to accommodate everyone who wants to be there (the stretch added passenger capacity without adding to the capacity of the theatre.) What was your experience with this?

 

 

Would you please give some more details about the LLBean outlet in town? "Locals" who have posted on the Ports of Call board have pooh-poohed the outlet and said that if you don't go to the "real thing" in Freeport, it's not worth a visit. You seem to have found stuff to buy?

 

Thanks for the heads-up on getting off early in Bar Harbor. That's going to come in REAL handy in two weeks.

 

Sue, how does Philly "come off" as a port? Is this summer going to convince people that Philadelphia is a good place to cruise out of?

 

In defense of us "locals" :D regarding Beans, I realize when you have a car at your disposal transportation is a bit easier and it is only a half hour drive. However, there is a big difference between the big store and the outlets in that the store is an attraction is an attraction in itself. There is also a LL Bean outlet store one block from the main store in Freeport.

[Merion_Mom]

Rich, you KNOW that I wasn't and would NEVER "diss" you!!!! I just needed to hear Sue's experience at the outlet store. (I am definitely NOT going up to Freeport, and wanted to know if it was worth my while to annoy my son {but delight my daughter} by seeking out the outlet store in town.)

 

:D :D

 

Carol

[DDnRD]

If anyone gets the chance on the Vineyard, make sure you go to Mad Martha's. This is by far the best ice cream you'll ever have.:D Keep your eyes open, you never know who'll you see!! Try to make it up to Gay Head, the sight is breathtaking. Having lived in MA for 38 years, we have made a trip or 2 to the island. Enjoy

[whale-watcher]

Where is Mad Martha's? we tender to Oak Bluffs, I think...