Review: A Somewhat Disenchanting Three Days on Enchantment Feb. 12-15

[jpm1973]

We decided to watch our sail away from our balcony so I can enjoy the “champagne” I had bought and we could finish unpacking. Sine we were on the port side of the ship our views for sail away weren’t all that exciting, but here are a few pictures anyway.

 

The view forward from our balcony:

 

 

And the view aft as we start moving:

 

 

One of our escorts:

 

 

Only birds on the beach today.

 

 

The pilot boat coming for a pick up...

 

 

...pickup complete!

 

 

 

[jpm1973]

Once we were well on our way and I had unpacked everything, we took another walk around to see some areas we hadn’t seen before and catch the sunset up on Deck 10.

 

Deck 5 - I love ships that have these lower promenade decks - great place to relax, read, or just watch and listen to the ship move through the water. So peaceful.

 

 

Leaving Port Canaveral in our wake.

 

 

While we loved the clear skies during the day, a few clouds would have made for an even prettier sunset.

 

 

And it's almost gone...

 

 

 

We had made 7:30 p.m. reservations in the dining room so we made our way back to our room to get changed and ready for dinner. On Enchantment My Time dining is on the upper level of the My Fair Lady dining room, located aft on Deck 5. We arrived a few minutes early and were seated immediately.

 

We’ve always chose my time or anytime dining on our cruises just because we’re never sure when we will want to eat and it’s nice to have the flexibility to go earlier or later depending on how your day evolves. On Oasis we only ate in the dining room on two of the three nights but ended up at the same table each time. It was the same on Enchantment, which I thought was great since it allowed our servers to get to know us and vice versa. Not sure if this is always how Royal handles My Time dining but I hope so. On Carnival it seems like they do try to seat you at the same table or at least in the same section to maintain consistency with your servers, but sometimes it doesn’t always work out.

 

Our waiters for this cruise were Dondon from the Philippines and Roshan from India. Dondon was very outgoing while Roshan was a bit quieter, but together they made a great team. Service was always quick and we were in and out in about an hour each night.

 

For tonight we had the Mojo menu, which was also the first night menu when we were on Oasis. While I really liked the pork chop on that cruise, I wanted to try some new things. Will is a bit pickier with his food, so he doesn’t usually stray too far from his norms. He opted for the Strawberry, Kiwi and Pineapple medley for his starter and the Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast for his main course. I chose the Eggplant and Artichoke Tart for my starter and the Horseradish-Crusted Salmon for my entree. We enjoyed everything we had.

 

When we got dessert menus we were excited to see the Blueberry-Peach Crumble again since we both fell in love with it on the Oasis. Best dessert by far. Will ordered that while I thought I’d try the Chocolate Sensation. The crumble stole the show again. While good, the Chocolate Sensation was a bit rich for us. Definitely couldn’t eat too much of that.

 

After dinner we tried our luck in the casino for a bit before heading to the Orpheum Theater for the 10 p.m. Love and Marriage show. I got lucky on one of my favorite machines, Alice and the Mad Tea Party, and more than doubled my money, and Will held his own for awhile on a different machine. He kept spinning while I tried out the craps table for a bit. Up and down I went, but ended up for the night once we headed to the show.

 

 

We’ve never watched the Love and Marriage show on any of our cruises but have always heard it can be pretty funny, depending on the couples chosen. The three we saw definitely had their moments! And Cruise Director Marc did a great job hosting. I’m not one to really pay too much attention to the CD and don’t feel like he or she makes or breaks a cruise, but Marc is definitely one of the better CDs I’ve sailed with.

 

After the show we decided to call it a night after a great first day on board.

 

Next up: Day 2 - Nassau

[jpm1973]

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

Thanks for reading!

[jpm1973]

Nice photos.

 

Thanks! Love taking lots of pictures...still prone to operator error so as long as I take a bunch I usually get at least a few decent ones.

[jpm1973]

Great pics!! I'll be boarding her again two weeks from tomorrow...one of our favorite ships :)

 

I'd gladly sail Enchantment again though I think Will would say otherwise. Hope you have a great cruise!

 

Thanks for writing this review. I miss Enchantment -- loved her when she was in Baltimore.

 

Happy to share...thanks for reading!

[jpm1973]

Thanks for sharing and for the pictures!

 

Thank you for your review.

 

Keith

 

My pleasure! Thanks for following along.

[jpm1973]

Thanks for the detailed report.

 

Great start on your review, thanks for taking the time to post!

 

Thanks for reading!

[jpm1973]

Enjoyed reading the personal stuff too. Getting ready for the cruise in my opinion is really a great part of the cruise experience, especially if you have animals!

 

I debated including all that but figured it was all part of the preparations. We've always been very fortunate when we go away that our animals behave and the pet sitter has no issues. This time was a bit of a new experience for us! Luckily it all worked out.

[jpm1973]

looking forward to the continuation....

The rest of Day 1 is posted and hope to get Day 2 started soon...if not later today then over the weekend. Thanks for reading!

 

You are doing a great job on the review. I've written 4 Enchantment reviews here on CC, and I know the work that goes into them. Looking forward to more!

 

Thanks, Michael! I read all your Enchantment reviews before we sailed and really appreciated all the great information you shared.

[jpm1973]

I'm sad there is apparently a disenchanting part still to come.

 

Looks awesome so far. I mean Enchantment isn't the newest, fanciest gal in the fleet, but we like well enough.

 

Nice photos. I've enjoyed our trips on her and, like Bob, will be sad to see her go. She's been great to us on those last minute weekend trips.

 

 

ETA: also `73 rocks

 

Like I said overall the trip was good, just one bad experience at the end sort of clouded the whole thing. I'd definitely sail Enchantment again but I think Will prefers to stick with the larger ships now.

 

Yes '73 rocks! :D

 

Just curious was it after final payment date or before?

 

It was after final payment date. Does Royal offer anything in those situations? I tried searching but it seemed like the only option would be an upgrade if the cost for the higher category was less than what we originally paid.

[mjkacmom]

Just a tip for future years, NYC area schools are off this week, and flights, especially to Orlando, are really high (we are a family of 7 that would love to head south for this cold vacation week, but are priced out). Nice review.

[jpm1973]

Just a tip for future years, NYC area schools are off this week, and flights, especially to Orlando, are really high (we are a family of 7 that would love to head south for this cold vacation week, but are priced out). Nice review.

 

At the time we booked we did not realize this, but a few days before we figured it out. Everything made sense about the higher costs then! And it explained why Disney was so incredibly packed the day we visited after the cruise. Thanks for reading!

[casinostreer]

This review is exactly what I need right now. We're going on the same cruise in a week. I'm usually an over planner with the deck plans, etc. however - work has kept me too busy. I love the photos and the review.

 

As you can see from my screen name - we really enjoy the casino. In fact, husband and my sister won cruise certificates on Freedom in October - which is what we used to book this trip. Glad to hear that your luck was pretty good. (Breaking even - or "up and down" is what we consider good luck.) Did you meet the casino host? How were the cocktail servers? We didn't see many on our last Freedom cruise - but in the past - they have been very attentive.

 

I too am worried that there is bad yet to come - but hopefully - in time you'll look back on this cruise with only fond memories. We sailed on Allure on our first cruise and did not like the size of the ship. Freedom (for us) was just right. We hope that Enchantment will not be TOO small. We don't often use the "bells and whistles" of the ship - too busy enjoying a relaxing couple of days off. (And this time without our 4 year old - who LOVED cruising on the Freedom.)

 

Looking forward to more pictures and the remainder of the review.

 

Thanks!

 

Michael

[John&LaLa]

We decided to watch our sail away from our balcony so I can enjoy the “champagne” I had bought and we could finish unpacking. Sine we were on the port side of the ship our views for sail away weren’t all that exciting, but here are a few pictures anyway.

 

Did you notice the sail from the submarine? You can see it from port side.

I seem to recall it is between the middle turning basin and the Trident basin

 

 

 

USS Nathanael Greene (SSBN-636)

[jpm1973]

This review is exactly what I need right now. We're going on the same cruise in a week. I'm usually an over planner with the deck plans, etc. however - work has kept me too busy. I love the photos and the review.

 

As you can see from my screen name - we really enjoy the casino. In fact, husband and my sister won cruise certificates on Freedom in October - which is what we used to book this trip. Glad to hear that your luck was pretty good. (Breaking even - or "up and down" is what we consider good luck.) Did you meet the casino host? How were the cocktail servers? We didn't see many on our last Freedom cruise - but in the past - they have been very attentive.

 

I too am worried that there is bad yet to come - but hopefully - in time you'll look back on this cruise with only fond memories. We sailed on Allure on our first cruise and did not like the size of the ship. Freedom (for us) was just right. We hope that Enchantment will not be TOO small. We don't often use the "bells and whistles" of the ship - too busy enjoying a relaxing couple of days off. (And this time without our 4 year old - who LOVED cruising on the Freedom.)

 

Looking forward to more pictures and the remainder of the review.

 

Thanks!

 

Michael

 

Thanks for following along! Hope to be finished well before you leave next week.

 

We did interact briefly with the casino host during the slot tournament but I don't remember her name - seemed very nice and personable. I saw lots of servers when I was at the craps table most nights, but it was pretty busy there and seemed a lot of people were drinking. Not sure how service was for slot players. And we agree that breaking even or at least being up and down long enough to have fun and play awhile is good luck. We actually ended up quite a bit this cruise, so we were thrilled.

 

We've been on ships of all sizes ranging from Carnival's smallest ships (Fantasy class) to the Oasis. Will loved the Oasis - I enjoyed it too but found I missed being able to see the water as much as you can on smaller ships. I never felt like Enchantment was too small and loved how open it felt. I'd like to try a Freedom-class ship sometime since I think it would be a great compromise for us - large enough for Will but still not so big that it seems like you're not even on the water.

[jpm1973]

Did you notice the sail from the submarine? You can see it from port side.

I seem to recall it is between the middle turning basin and the Trident basin

 

USS Nathanael Greene (SSBN-636)

 

Yes! I didn't get any pictures of it but I remember I commented to Will "Looks like that submarine ran aground."

[Ander026]

Great review of your cruise. I got off the day that you got on. I personally like the 4-day cruises because it adds a day at sea on the itinerary.

 

[philatiger]

We were on the same cruise. Interested to see what issue you encountered. We had a major issue on day 1 that required a chat with management regarding some of their staff needing diversity training and changing our steward. Awkward the whole time since we were getting the "look" from him when we passed him in the hallway.

 

We enjoyed the cruise, bar and dining room staff were excellent. Overall though we felt the staff was a little disengaged everywhere else. Not used to the senior staff not saying hello or nodding when they walked past you. Not sure if the feeling we got on the cruise was because it was a 3 day.

 

none of this impacted us from having a good time, but think we will avoid the shorter cruises. Oasis next year for us.

[casinostreer]

We were on the same cruise. Interested to see what issue you encountered. We had a major issue on day 1 that required a chat with management regarding some of their staff needing diversity training and changing our steward.

 

If you don't mind sharing with us, what was the issue? We've never encountered anything like that - but have often expected it. (Two guys with a daughter.) Sorry that it affected your cruise, but I'm glad you still had a great time.

[philatiger]

If you don't mind sharing with us, what was the issue? We've never encountered anything like that - but have often expected it. (Two guys with a daughter.) Sorry that it affected your cruise, but I'm glad you still had a great time.

 

We had requested the beds to be together like we always do. When we got to the cabin they were apart. Figured no big deal, when we see the steward we would ask for them to be put together. When he knocked on the door later to introduce himself I asked him to put the beds together. He gave me a weird look, pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket, and then said: But you are 2 men. I said yes, but that shouldn't matter. he then did a little head jerk and said huh,,, ok. It was very obvious by his responses that he had a problem with it. I'm pretty thick skinned, but this I felt needed to be addressed so no one else should have to deal with that type of response. Plus I really didn't want him in our cabin at this point.

 

Was very surprised that he would even question our request. I'm sure it is a request they get often. We just asked for a new steward and suggested they maybe revisit diversity training. This is the first time we have ever encountered this.

[FirstCruise2331]

Once we were well on our way and I had unpacked everything, we took another walk around to see some areas we hadn’t seen before and catch the sunset up on Deck 10.

 

Deck 5 - I love ships that have these lower promenade decks - great place to relax, read, or just watch and listen to the ship move through the water. So peaceful.

 

 

Leaving Port Canaveral in our wake.

 

 

While we loved the clear skies during the day, a few clouds would have made for an even prettier sunset.

 

 

And it's almost gone...

 

 

 

We had made 7:30 p.m. reservations in the dining room so we made our way back to our room to get changed and ready for dinner. On Enchantment My Time dining is on the upper level of the My Fair Lady dining room, located aft on Deck 5. We arrived a few minutes early and were seated immediately.

 

We’ve always chose my time or anytime dining on our cruises just because we’re never sure when we will want to eat and it’s nice to have the flexibility to go earlier or later depending on how your day evolves. On Oasis we only ate in the dining room on two of the three nights but ended up at the same table each time. It was the same on Enchantment, which I thought was great since it allowed our servers to get to know us and vice versa. Not sure if this is always how Royal handles My Time dining but I hope so. On Carnival it seems like they do try to seat you at the same table or at least in the same section to maintain consistency with your servers, but sometimes it doesn’t always work out.

 

Our waiters for this cruise were Dondon from the Philippines and Roshan from India. Dondon was very outgoing while Roshan was a bit quieter, but together they made a great team. Service was always quick and we were in and out in about an hour each night.

 

For tonight we had the Mojo menu, which was also the first night menu when we were on Oasis. While I really liked the pork chop on that cruise, I wanted to try some new things. Will is a bit pickier with his food, so he doesn’t usually stray too far from his norms. He opted for the Strawberry, Kiwi and Pineapple medley for his starter and the Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast for his main course. I chose the Eggplant and Artichoke Tart for my starter and the Horseradish-Crusted Salmon for my entree. We enjoyed everything we had.

 

When we got dessert menus we were excited to see the Blueberry-Peach Crumble again since we both fell in love with it on the Oasis. Best dessert by far. Will ordered that while I thought I’d try the Chocolate Sensation. The crumble stole the show again. While good, the Chocolate Sensation was a bit rich for us. Definitely couldn’t eat too much of that.

 

After dinner we tried our luck in the casino for a bit before heading to the Orpheum Theater for the 10 p.m. Love and Marriage show. I got lucky on one of my favorite machines, Alice and the Mad Tea Party, and more than doubled my money, and Will held his own for awhile on a different machine. He kept spinning while I tried out the craps table for a bit. Up and down I went, but ended up for the night once we headed to the show.

 

 

We’ve never watched the Love and Marriage show on any of our cruises but have always heard it can be pretty funny, depending on the couples chosen. The three we saw definitely had their moments! And Cruise Director Marc did a great job hosting. I’m not one to really pay too much attention to the CD and don’t feel like he or she makes or breaks a cruise, but Marc is definitely one of the better CDs I’ve sailed with.

 

After the show we decided to call it a night after a great first day on board.

 

Next up: Day 2 - Nassau

 

Enjoying your review,pictures taking me back to our cruise on Enchantment. Agree re. Promenade deck, especially aft - my favourite quiet spot for sitting and watching the water.

Edited February 19, 2016 by FirstCruise2331

[philatiger]

Enjoying your review,pictures taking me back to our cruise on Enchantment. Agree re. Promenade deck, especially aft - my favourite quiet spot for sitting and watching the water.

 

I enjoyed deck 5 too... my quiet spot for reading

[molly361]

Great review- Did I miss the disenchanted part? Everyone sounds good to me so far

[jpm1973]

Great review of your cruise. I got off the day that you got on. I personally like the 4-day cruises because it adds a day at sea on the itinerary.

 

 

Thanks for reading! Enjoyed your live report from your cruise leading up to ours. I would prefer at least 4 days as well...3 is just not long enough. By the time you settle in it's time to pack up and leave!

[jpm1973]

We had requested the beds to be together like we always do. When we got to the cabin they were apart. Figured no big deal, when we see the steward we would ask for them to be put together. When he knocked on the door later to introduce himself I asked him to put the beds together. He gave me a weird look, pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket, and then said: But you are 2 men. I said yes, but that shouldn't matter. he then did a little head jerk and said huh,,, ok. It was very obvious by his responses that he had a problem with it. I'm pretty thick skinned, but this I felt needed to be addressed so no one else should have to deal with that type of response. Plus I really didn't want him in our cabin at this point.

 

Was very surprised that he would even question our request. I'm sure it is a request they get often. We just asked for a new steward and suggested they maybe revisit diversity training. This is the first time we have ever encountered this.

 

Sorry you guys had to deal with this. We've never had that experience ourselves but have expected it at times. Glad you were able to enjoy the cruise anyway.

 

I can't say I felt the staff was disengaged overall, though we really only interacted much with our steward and waiters in the dining room.