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Swimming Luggage, toppless sunbathers, and swollen appendages: An Enchantment Review

Clarksfan1

By Clarksfan1,
in Royal Caribbean International

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Clarksfan1

Clarksfan1

Posted
Posted

Ahhhhh just returned from my cruise on Enchantment. Lets just say it was by far the most interesting cruise I have been on yet! I'm going to take you on a little journey of my five night crusie aboard this wonderful ship. Let it begin.

 

Embarkment: Effortless, painless, everything it has been described as.

One quick note. It has been posted on here before, but there is no, and I repeat NO NEED to have transfers from the airport. Cabs are great and only run about 16 dollars.

 

The ship: I have been reading about her showing her age and let me say that those who saw signs of aging must have been looking for signs of aging. I did not see any major signs of wear and tear aboard the boat. The boat was in great shape and is worthy of all praise she may recieve.

 

Now here's a little story......Imagine it. Being on the boat walking around soaking it all in. You come back to your room PATIENTLY WAITING FOR YOUR BAGS TO COME (this took a while on the 8th floor) When you get a telephone call. Sir could you please come downstairs we have had a small problem with your luggage. You go into shock. What did I pack that will get me into trouble?????? Nothing. Whoo good thing I didn't pack that KEG of beer to save me money. So my wife and I go down to the pursers desk. The lady at the desk didn't speak or understand English very well so it was a little frustrating. Finally, the manager comes out and says We need you to come into the back please. Then I go back and there it is my bag. But wait it looks ok. It doesn't apper to have been damaged, when I hear the news.

 

"SIR I'M SORRY BE WE DROPPED YOUR BAG INTO THE OCEAN"

Did I just hear something, or did he just say they dropped my bag in the ocean?

 

"EXCUSE ME?"

 

"I'M SORRY BUT YOUR BAG FELL IN THE WATER"

Nope My hearing is just fine

 

 

Now my mind starts racing. Whats in the bag. Oh Crap Camcorder. Great this will be a wonderful sight. Open up my bag. AHHH my camcorder is in the other bag. Whew. But all my shorts, t-shirts, socks, underwear and my Harry Potter book are soaked. So he calls laudry. Tells him I am to have my clothes right away. The guy looks at him and says he cannot do that they will be done tomorrow. So the manager tells the laundry man first thing in the morning.

 

Well needless to say next morning no clothes. So I have to go to key west in my dirty clothes.

 

But lets continue.......

 

Key West.........I HATE KEY WEST. There therpy. I feel better. I have been there three times now and it's the same thing in the shops but I go and walk around none the less.

 

Come back to the ship.......Open my door. Oh baby I can't wait to shower and put on some clean clothes.

 

Tadaa......Where's my bag????

They must have put it in the closet. NOPE.

Under the bed???? Nope.

Breathe.....Breathe......Breathe

 

Then I open the room information book only to find out that you can have your clothes express cleaned for extra money and they come back in 8 hours or less. Now I would think anyone who had their bag dropped into the ocean would have their clothes sent straight to the front of the line.....Apparently not. Now I get a little aggitated. I go back downstairs. Find the Manager and politely express my displeasure over the situation. He too is not happy. Calls down stairs and tells them to get it done NOW! And deliver whatever is clean. Go upstairs. Two minutes later. Clean clothes. And I'll tell you what, I don't normally Iron my underwear. But it was kinda nice.

 

Thank goodness it's over.

 

Day two Cozumel:

The word of the day was Paradise beach. Or maybe that's words of the day. Anyway. We get a cab and arrive at PB. Walk up find an umbrella and relax. Lots of Seaweed. But I read that's because of the time of year. My wife and I go for a walk and what do we see......Topless sunbather. Now be being a man...I looked. My wife being curious....She looked. But there were people taking pictures, camcorder pictures. And she was proud of her....um.....friends, because she was loving ever minute of it.

Food prices a little high. But we had a great time.

My wife got bit on the hand in Cozumel. Swelled up like a balloon. Went to see the doctor but, I don't understand this. There are 2 doctors on board. And the offices are open from 8-10. And 2-4. Thats right a full time doctor works 2 hours a day. Unless you do a "room call" Thats a ton....Let me say that again.....A ton of money to do. So she walked around will a mongo hand for a day since there was no doctor.

 

Day Three Belize.

"AND I'M PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN, WHERE AT LEAST I KNOW I'M FREE. AND I WON'T FORGET THE MEN WHO DIED WHO GAVE THAT RIGHT TO ME. AND I'LL PROUDLY STAND UP NEXT TO YOU AND DEFEND HER STILL TO DAY. CAUSE THERE AINT NO DOUBT I LOVE THIS LAND....GOD BLESSS THE U.S.A."

 

Don't understand what I'm talking about? Take a trip to Belize. What a crap hole. And I didn't understand why they go there. But then I got an insider tip....ssshhhh don't tell. There's only one thing to really do in Belize. Take an excursion. And RCCL makes more money on excursions here than anywhere else. So there you go.

 

Last day...at sea

You know how it is. Hang out relax, get some rays

 

 

General remarks.

Food was OK. Not great but OK. Our waiter and assistant stunk. Only way to say it nicely. Head waiter was always filling up our water because the others couldn't get it. Our assistant would take drink orders, then forget to ge the drinks. When my wife's hand was swollen and we asked for Ice they forgot Twice. And they only had two tables. They may have been newer who knows?

 

If you are going on this trip go to the Schooner bar. Listen to the piano player. He was great. People were singing together outloud having a great time. He would even let people come up and sing.

 

They really push the drinks on the pool deck. Really push them.

 

If you buy beer, get a bucket much cheaper.

 

This ship was not very cool in some places. The theater was hot. Expecially upstairs. So sit down stairs. Don't know if they were trying to sell drinks or what.

 

There was a complete A-hole in the casino. I forget his name but he said to the gentleman next to me as he was playing craps. "you play like you have no idea what you are doing" The guy went off on him. And I overheard him say things to other people as well.

 

Well getting a cramp so I will go. Any questions please ask.

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Shaken_Bake

Shaken_Bake

Posted
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For someone whose trip started out on such a rotten note, you certainly have a good sense of humor about it! It is amazing RCCL couldn't have gotten your laundry done quicker; how much other passenger laundry could there have been on the first day?! And what kind of bite did your wife get on the hand, an insect bite? Allergic reactions can certainly turn serious quickly; it's amazing they don't have more access to medical help without resorting to "room service!"

 

Oh and I hope the poster who so objected to topless bathing on Coco Cay doesn't read this post about a topless bather in Cozumel... she might get the impression that there are exposed boobies at beaches ALL OVER THE WORLD!

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dougp26364

dougp26364

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At least they only dropped you bag in the ocean. They could have let it sink as I've heard other talk about that little slice of life.

 

You pack things in your bag like you camcorder? The expensive (and even not so expensive) electronics never leave my side. Either they are in the carry on or a camera case that works as my personal item for the airlines.

 

Your story just confirms one other thing I've learned. Always carry at least one set of clean cothes with you. Most things I don't mind but wearing dirty underwear and socks can tend to make me cranky. ;)

 

You're experience at PB was somewhat better than mine. A few years ago we were at Coco beach during Spring break. I thought there would be young girls everywhere in little of nothing but no one was there. It was somewhat disappointing until, off in the distance, I spotted her walking up the beach. A woman wearing what was obviously a very small bathing suit.

 

As she got closer I started to think, "Something ain't right with this picture." When she got close enough, I realized what it was, she was sagging where a woman ought not sag in such a small piece of clothing. That happens when you're around 70 years old. Then, good Lord, she turned around. She was wearing a THONG. It looked like two dried up Christmas hams with a string between them. I think God has a sense of humor if you know what I mean.

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Sea Island Lady

Sea Island Lady

Posted
Posted
toppless sunbathers, and swollen appendages
At the risk of sounding crude, I couldn't help but point out that I thought this post was going south! :D

 

Glad you got your luggage back and do hope that you got a little compensation for the trouble. As I posted on the lost luggage sight, this "luggage in the ocean" happens quite frequently.

 

I would also like to know what got your wife. Was it a jelly fish?

 

Sounds like you had fun even though you had some very different experiences. Perhaps you should try a different schedule on your next cruise and avoid Key West. :rolleyes:

 

Now, I am off to read that other thread about Cocoa Cay.

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hardingk

hardingk

Posted
Posted

Thanks for the great review!!! We leave on the Enchantment a week from tomorrow, sailing to Belize also. Sorry about your luggage, did they offer you anything at all in compenstation? Free drinks, bottle of wine?

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Clarksfan1

Clarksfan1

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Wife is fine. Swelling lasted 2 days and went away. Must have been a bug of some kind. Thanks for asking.

 

Did get a bottle of wine and $100 seapass credit. So it was kind of worth loosing the luggage for a day.

 

I would reccommend in Belize doing cavetubing if you can handle the hour rainforest walk. I would reccommend not using RCCL and using one of the independant companies (see belieze board) we had 2 caves and much more tubing than the RCCL crowd. They only had 1 cave. Not to mention ours cost $60 and RCCL was $90-95

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tmt9367

tmt9367

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Nice to hear a review that's not sugary sweet great and not completely awful! You made lemonade out of lemons. Bravo! I would have been jumping up & down about my luggage, but as you can see, nothing gets it done any faster. :( Not even being nice about it!

 

I will concur 100% with your opinion about RCCL food and service. Exactly what I experienced on the Mariner this past April.

 

S

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CAT GIRL

CAT GIRL

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Posted

Can you please tell me who the piano player was in the Schooner

Bar? BF and I had such a blast with Anselmo Boles we were hoping

to hear he is on the Enchantment since we'll be on her next month.

The last I picked up from these posts Anselmo was on the Vision

but I know they move around alot. If you remember his name,

please let me know who your piano player was.

 

Cat Girl

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Host Karen

Host Karen

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Glad your sense of humor allowed you to enjoy your vacation rather than let it be ruined.

 

Apparently, having luggage dropped in the water is more common than people think. Back in 2001 we sailed with my parents on the Dawn Princess out of San Juan and early in the morning of debarkation day, the couple in the cabin next door received a call from the front desk informing them that their luggage had been dropped in the water along with several other pieces. They obviously didn't have to worry about not having clean clothes, but any souvenirs they may have been carrying could have been ruined. Also, I wonder if the airline charged them extra for overweight luggage??

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AdrieneAGD

AdrieneAGD

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Yeah, it seems to me that we've been having more posts recently about luggage being dropped into the ocean, but maybe it's not as rare as I had originally thought.

 

Guess it's good that we're planning on packing anything expensive in carry-ons!

 

Here's hoping that ours stays high and dry in a couple of weeks!!

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TonyaJune

TonyaJune

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I really enjoyed your review, you are hilarious! :D I can't believe they dropped your suitcase in the ocean:eek: , but at least all turned out fine. The $100 credit and bottle a wine made it a little easier to deal with.

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4 cruisers

4 cruisers

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Great read this morning! What a great add campaign this would make for "Ziplock" bags!!! My luggage sits in our entry as I type and EVERYTHING is in ziplocks!!! I feel much more secure now!:p Actually our luggage went in the ocean in Venice 26 years ago! Maybe that's partly why I like the ziplock system?!:cool:

Another thought...it really is a good idea to make sure and tip the stevadors (help here, someone...I don't think that's quite the right term:confused: ).

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