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

[Clarea]

I am not sure what the options are after final payment.... I am sure someone with more experience can answer that for you

Anyone can upgrade at any time. However, after final payment date, no credit of any kind is given. The only exception is if the booking was made within 48 hours, then Royal's price guarantee comes into play.

Edited February 20, 2016 by clarea

[Cindy]

On all our past cruises together Will and I have stayed in suites of some sort. On Oasis we had one of the awesome aft suites overlooking the Aqua Theater. This would be Will’s first stay in a regular balcony so I was curious on how he’d find the space. He said while he much preferred our room on Oasis (who wouldn’t), the balcony room didn’t feel too cramped.

 

 

We had one of the 2 Bedroom Aqua Theater Suites on Oasis. It was a fantastic experience that we'll probably never be able to repeat, but I'm so glad we were able to do it! Our next cabin after that was a GS...it was puny in comparison!:rolleyes:

[Lionesss]

What a great review.

 

I am really enjoying reading it.

 

Well done.

 

Cannot wait for more.

 

Thanks.

[cruise love]

What a great review.

 

I am really enjoying reading it.

 

Well done.

 

Cannot wait for more.

 

Thanks.

 

Im waiting for the next installment

[jpm1973]

Thanks for your patience...unfortunately can't stay on vacation forever and had to work the past two nights. Off for two days so hope to finish up by Tuesday.

 

Day 2 - Nassau

We were in no hurry to get up today since we wouldn't be arriving in Nassau until noon. After sleeping pretty well all night I finally felt awake enough around 8 and got up to take a look outside. Looked like it was going to be a pretty nice one!

 

 

 

After a quick stop at Cafe Latte-tudes for fancy coffee for Will, we headed up to Deck 9 for breakfast at Windjammer. It was around 9 a.m. so it was definitely hopping. While there were lines for the hot food stations, the other areas weren't too bad and we had no trouble finding a table for two. After a quick breakfast we headed to the spa to see about appointments for later that day. They were having a "Top to Toe" special which included a full body exfoliation and massage over 75 minutes for $149. They were able to accommodate both of us at 4:30 that afternoon. While walking to the spa we realized that Park Cafe offers breakfast and was not at all crowded. There were cereals, yogurt and fruit as well as a nice selection of breakfast sandwiches available. We decided we'd try that on Sunday morning.

 

With our spa appointments booked we headed back to our room to change and then back up to Deck 10 for some loungers to enjoy the sun. We found a good spot toward the back on the port side not too far from the rock climbing wall.

 

Making our way to Nassau.

 

 

We lounged there for a couple hours until we were close to Nassau. I took a walk toward the front of the ship to capture a few photos of our arrival.

 

I spy land ahead!

 

 

 

 

With us in port today were the Disney Dream (which had left Port Canaveral right after us) and the AIDAvita. We were pulling in between them.

 

[jpm1973]

Since we had just been to Nassau in October on Oasis, we made no plans other than taking a walk over to Junkanoo beach to get some pictures. We weren't in a rush to get off the ship so we decided to try our abilities on the rock climbing wall. This was my first time and I have to say it was much harder than I expected. Or maybe I'm just out of shape. Nonetheless we both made it to the top successfully though somewhat slowly in my case. The staff member tried to get me to go back up the more difficult route a second time but I only made it about a third of the way - my sad arms weren't having any more of it.

 

At this point it was approaching 1 p.m. so we made our way back to the room to get changed and head out for our walk to Junkanoo. If you've not been it's a short 15-minute walk from the port. You head out of the port area to the right, jog left at Senor Frogs and then just follow the road until you see the beach on your right. While not a huge beach, there are several small bars that will rent you lounge chairs and umbrellas, most with some sort of accompanying drink special.

 

Before we get there, let’s see a few pictures from around the port.

 

 



 



 

 

Senor Frog's, on the way to Junkanoo.

 

 

We've arrived!

 

Edited February 21, 2016 by jpm1973

[jpm1973]

We arrived around 2 p.m. to find it quite busy. We wandered out on one of the concrete jetties so we could get a better view of the ships in port. After getting all the pictures we wanted, we headed to Seagull's bar so I could get a margarita and enjoy the beautiful day a bit before making our way back to the ship. Some pictures from Junkanoo:

 

 



 



 



 

 

I love this picture!

 

[OTownNick]

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

 

Hello. I'll be on your cruise Feb 26 and you will see me at the roulette table lol. Vivian is the host. There are a couple of really good bar servers. Corrine will definitely be onboard. Jessica may still be on vacation..both are really good, especially for a couple of bucks every other drink.

 

This will be my 16th time on this ship. I've never had a bad experience!

[LuCruise]

Thanks for the pictures. Enjoying your review. You hear mixed reviews of Junkanoo beach but it looks quite nice from your photos.

[casinostreer]

Hello. I'll be on your cruise Feb 26 and you will see me at the roulette table lol. Vivian is the host. There are a couple of really good bar servers. Corrine will definitely be onboard. Jessica may still be on vacation..both are really good, especially for a couple of bucks every other drink.

 

This will be my 16th time on this ship. I've never had a bad experience!

 

Awesome - thanks for the info. I think my sister (EllaDuChein) is thinking of taking your walking tour. (Am I right?)

 

Glad to hear that you like the ship enough for 16 cruises! We're really looking forward to it. First cruise with out any kids - whom we love dearly - but now we get to focus on relaxing! :)

 

Look for two bald guys in the casino!

[jpm1973]

Once back on board we headed up to Park Cafe for a little snack before our spa appointments. Will had a turkey panini and I opted for the build-your-own salad. And of course some cookies to finish it off.

 

We headed to the spa a bit before our 4:30 appointments and were seated in the relaxation area to fill out some short paperwork. Not even 5 minutes later my therapist Rupali came to get me and took me back to the treatment room. Overall it was a great massage. Sometimes I find therapists are reluctant to use much pressure but Rupali was a force to be reckoned with! At one point I had to tell her to ease up a bit. The 75 minutes flew by and before I knew it we were finished. For the most part I felt good, but had a slight headache from the way the head rest was pushing on my forehead.

 

We decided to just head back to our room and relax for awhile before our dinner reservations at 8 p.m. We mostly missed the sunset but did manage to get this picture of the AIDAvita heading out.

 

We got to the dining room around 7:45 p.m. and had no wait for our table. Tonight’s menu was Saffron, new to us since we ate at Sabor on our second night on board Oasis. Dondon and Roshan again provided us with great service, despite being quite busy with two large tables in addition to the two of us. To start Will had the oakwood smoked chicken, which was served with apples, grapes, walnuts and a chive-blue cheese dressing. I chose the lobster bisque to start. Will’s appetizer was quite good; the lobster bisque was fine, but definitely not the best I’ve had. For entrees Will went with the Angus sliders, which he had on Oasis, and I chose the beef tenderloin. No complaints here. Dessert tonight was strawberry cheesecake and lemon meringue pie, neither of which was really exciting to us. We didn’t leave much behind, though, so couldn’t have been all bad.

 

After dinner we were back to the casino where we found even much better luck than the night before. Will played the Alice in Wonderland slot machine that I had done well with while I played craps again. While I had more than doubled my money on that slot machine, Will walked away with six times what he invested. Craps was good to me tonight too, so while we were up we decided to head out and caught the evening show in the Orpheum Theater.

 

The headliner show tonight was Dan Bennett, a comedian/juggler. While not the funniest guy we’ve ever seen, he definitely had some outrageous juggling skills. I’m always amazed at how jugglers can keep things in the air without dropping everything, not surprising considering that hanging on to a cup of coffee is challenging for me.

 

After the show we made our way to the Spotlight Lounge to watch karaoke for a bit. We arrived just in time to hear someone tackle Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” - a ridiculously difficult song which she did excellent with. The next singer took on Adele, was a bit disappointed when her underage sister couldn’t join her on stage, and made it through about half the song before walking off saying it was too low for her. And then after someone in the crowd was given the microphone and continued singing what she didn’t want to, she called them disrespectful. Um, okay. On that note we decided to head up to deck 9 for an ice cream cone and a walk around before calling it a night.

 

We were able to catch our departure from Nassau from our balcony before heading to bed.

 

Next up: Day 3 - Coco Cay and the disenchanting part of our trip.

[maureencruiser]

Thanks for the review, I need to get back on the Enchantment. I have a question about one of your pictures. Why are all the chairs facing away from the stage?

 

[A&L_Ont]

Thanks for the review, I need to get back on the Enchantment. I have a question about one of your pictures. Why are all the chairs facing away from the stage?

 

Hello Maureen. I hope you are well. Yes, you need to get back on Enchantment, so I can read another of your great reviews just like this one by JPM. Speaking of reviews, check out the NCL main page, Yorkvillian is live this week on the Escape and it is classic like always.

 

Now back to JPM's wonderful review.:)

[Clarea]

Beautiful photos of Junkanoo, brings back many fond memories.:)

[poncho1973]

Thanks for the review, I need to get back on the Enchantment. I have a question about one of your pictures. Why are all the chairs facing away from the stage?

 

 

It's a bit of an optical illusion. Half of them are. During events or shows, those turn around. But when it's just a lounge, they are this direction, so your entire party can talk to each other.

[tlatrice]

Your pics at sea are sooooooo making me wish I was back out on the ocean! Love them!!!!

[cruisexlife]

Hello!

 

I'm glad to see that you started this review. I am interested in hearing about this Coco Cay tender disaster, as the time I was there, we missed our entire port stop.

 

You're off to a great start, great pics! :D

[bradpole]

Thank you for your review so far, looking forward to the rest!

[jpm1973]

Day 3 - Coco Cay

During last night’s show Cruise Director Marc mentioned that the wind forecast for today might cause us to miss our stop in Coco Cay. Considering everything I’ve read about this happening frequently, especially in the winter months, I can’t say I was too surprised. When we got up and checked outside I could see we were slowly approaching the island, and it didn’t look too bad outside.

 

 

We figured things must be moving ahead since we saw the tenders waiting for a bit and then they approached the ship.

 

 



 

 

Soon after they started loading supplies onto the first one. It wasn’t long until Cruise Director Marc was making an announcement that yes in fact we would be able to stop at Coco Cay and although the winds were making conditions “borderline”, the captain still felt it safe enough to anchor and run the tenders.

 

We weren’t in a big rush to get over there, so we took our time getting some coffee and breakfast up at Park Cafe. Will didn’t want to eat too much in case the tender rides were a bit rough so he just had a blueberry muffin while I chose a ham, egg and cheese sandwich. We killed some time wandering around the ship, taking in the views from deck 5 where at the back of the ship you could see over to Great Stirrup Cay, NCL’s private island. Norwegian Sky was supposed to be there today but not sure where they went. Perhaps they swapped their Nassau and GSC days.

 

 

We decided to get ready and head down to the tender line around 10. Will opted to put on a scopolamine patch to counteract any motion sickness from the tender, which in hindsight was an excellent idea. Tenders leave from Deck 1, and when we arrived the end of the line was on the stairs leading from Deck 3 to Deck 2. We moved a bit and made it down to Deck 2 itself before they made an announcement that they were holding the tenders temporarily so the crew could reposition the ship. We should have taken this as some sort of sign, but we held out. The tender line:

 

 

[jpm1973]

A little over an hour later they let us know they were restarting the tenders and we made it on the next one to leave. Water was definitely choppy, but didn't feel too bad. It was a beautiful day at least, with plenty of sunshine and blue sky with a few clouds here and there. Some shots from our ride over and arrival:

 

 

 

We passed the Cococutter 2 heading back to Enchantment.

 



 

 

We made it!

 

[jpm1973]

 

Once we made it to the island we took a walk to the far north side to get some pictures of Enchantment. The waves were definitely a bit rough crashing into the rocks here and the wind was pretty strong as well.

 

 

After getting some pictures here we followed the beaches around to the east side of the island then took a path to get us to the south side, where it was much calmer with very little wind to speak of. The water was crystal clear and calm - so beautiful! Some pictures as we made our way around the island.

 



 



 

 

[jpm1973]

Continuing our walk:

 

 



 



 



 



 

[jpm1973]

I was pretty excited that we had actually made it and was looking forward to just lounging in the sun a bit, eating lunch and maybe trying out the water. We found our spot just west of Coconut Willie’s bar on the south side of the island near they kayak area. I could get used to this view:

 

We spent some time lounging, and while it was warm and sunny I waded into the water a bit to cool off. It was chilly, but not overly cold and actually felt quite nice. I took these pictures from the water looking back on the beach and over to water park.

 

 



 



 



 

Edited February 23, 2016 by jpm1973

[jpm1973]

Once I had dried off a bit it was about 12:45 so I headed over to Blackbeard’s Grille the buffet lunch offered on the island. I didn’t check out everything but I saw burgers, hot dogs, chicken and ribs, as well as several different cold salads and mac and cheese. I just sampled a few of the salads and the mac and cheese and grabbed a couple cookies for us. Will didn’t want to eat anything in case the ride back was rougher but he did have some of the cookie. The salads I had were actually quite good.

 

After eating it was starting to cloud up so we decided to call our time on Coco Cay done and made our way back to the tender. We managed to see a couple locals on our walk back.

 

 

 

The tender waiting was maybe 2/3 full so we found seats up top and waited about 10 minutes or so until it filled up. It definitely felt more windy now and I figured that would mean a bit of a rocky ride back to the ship.

 

 

As we made our way toward Enchantment it was clear that the ship had moved quite a bit since we boarded our tender to the island. Then the bow was facing west and now it had done almost a complete 180. Not sure if that was all from the wind or just part of the crew’s efforts to reposition at times to make for calmer tender loading and offloading. The ride over was definitely more rough than in the morning but luckily Will’s patch was keeping his stomach settled.

 

 



 

[Eriksgarden]

Loving the review and photos. I wanted to go on Enchantment a few years back, but we did something else instead. Looking forward to it coming here in South Florida. We already were on Majesty, so it will be great having a 4-day itinerary here.