Just Back from Enchantment - Western Caribbean - any questions?

[tyowb]

Just returned from 5-night Western Caribbean cruise on Enchantment of the

Seas. I'll be happy to answer any questions (and at the same time relive

this unbelievable experience).

[lauren0309]

We will be going on the Enchantment in February. My questions are:

 

1. How is the food?

2. Are they still showing the Beatles Show which I have heard so much about?

3. Is there Miniature golf?

4. Do they have a Caribbean nite where everyone dresses in Caribbean clothes?.

5. Are there safes in the rooms?

 

Lauren

[caribbeandiva]

Hi! Hope you had a great cruise.

 

I have a few questions for you as we sail the Enchantment in 2 weeks.

 

1. Which night is formal night?

2. How late do the activities run at night?

3. In general how was the service?

4.What deck were you on and how were the accomodations?

5. Which 5 day itinerary did you do? Belize or Jamaica? How was it?

 

It would be great if you could posta full review if/when you had the time..I love reading about other people's experiences! Anxiously awaiting your responses!

 

Caribbean Diva.:D

[BabySam99]

I too would love a trip report! I would also like to know which itenary<sp> Jamacia or Belize as I am sailing on her in November too. Thanks and welcome back! :)

 

 

Kim

[Cruisin' Patty]

Info on ports and excursions please.

[tyowb]

1. Food was very good. We ate dinner everynight in the main dining room

at the late (8:30 pm) seating and found it comparable to many of the

better restaurants that we would frequent in Connecticut. Each night

featured a different menu with a good assortment of appetizers, entrees,

and desserts. You will find some unique items (cold banana and rum soup;

mushroom risotto) which were all very good and worth trying. If you don't

like something, just tell the waiter (as my wife did once) and he will bring

something else. We even asked for two appetizers each on a couple of nights because we couldn't decide - there was no hesitation or problem.

I'm sure some gourmet diners would disagree with me, but we found the

entire dinner experience very enjoyable. We ate breakfast and lunch most

days in the Windjammer Cafe and found it more than acceptable. Food

was served buffet style, but it was always fresh and hot. There was

always and abundance of choices and we never left hungry or dissatisfied.

Pretty much anything you can imagine is available for breakfast, including

an omelet station. We did dine once in the formal restaurant for breakfast

and lunch, but found that we preferred the Windjammer. The food was

comparable and lunch also had a pasta bar, but we preferred the more

leisurely buffet. Never tried room service or the Solarium Grill, so I can't

comment on them.

 

2. The Beatlemaniacs were still performing on our September 27 cruise and

we found them very good. It was a small crowd in the theatre that night,

but they still performed great and got the audience involved.

 

3. Mini golf is sort of available on the very top deck. We only walked by

it, but there were about 9 rectangular holes (about 3' x 10'). We only saw

a couple of people using this, and it appeared they were practicing their

putting rather than playing mini golf.

 

4. There was a Caribbean night on the evening we left Cozumel. This

was announced the night be before at dinner, so you had the opportunity

to buy appropriate garb in Cozumel the next day, if you so chose. Other

than the wait staff, I saw only sporadic attempts to dress in Caribbean

cruise wear, most people just wore casual. The menu was interesting,

with several Caribbean dishes.

 

5. Our room, and I believe all on the ship, had a safe in the room. It is

accessed by using a card with a magnetic strip - the safe directions said

to use a credit card, but we found that using an old Hollywood Video

card worked just as well. We preferred doing this, since it was our

credit cards that we particularly wanted to lock up.

 

Let me know if anything further comes to mind.

[tyowb]

Hi! Hope you had a great cruise.

 

I have a few questions for you as we sail the Enchantment in 2 weeks.

 

1. Which night is formal night?

2. How late do the activities run at night?

3. In general how was the service?

4.What deck were you on and how were the accomodations?

5. Which 5 day itinerary did you do? Belize or Jamaica? How was it?

 

It would be great if you could posta full review if/when you had the time..I love reading about other people's experiences! Anxiously awaiting your responses!

 

Caribbean Diva.:D

Thanks for the welcome back - it really was wonderful.

 

1. We sailed on the 5 night Western Caribbean cruise to Key West, Cozumel, and

Belize and our formal night was the second night. The first night was casual, with

many passengers coming in their travel clothes, because their suitcases had not

arrived in their rooms by dinner time. Second night was formal, with almost everyone

dressed nicely. The third night was smart casual, and the last two nights casual.

 

2. If you have the early seating for dinner, your show is in after dinner, I believe

around 9 PM; if you have the late seating for dinner your show in before dinner at

7 PM. In general there was someplace to go to listen to live music until about

11:30 or midnight. The Viking Crown Lounge had a DJ and appeared to go on later,

the one night we went up there we stayed until 1 AM and things weren't yet

winding down. While at sea, the casino and its bar were open until the early hours

of the morning. We rarely made it past 1 AM, so I'm not sure when everything

quiets down.

 

3. Service was very good. This is subjective, and since we are usually the wait

staff for our 3 three children, any amount of attention given to us was appreciated.

(But, it really was good). Particularly in the dining room, our team of Ajay, Robert,

and Agnelo could not do enough to satisfy us or meet any requests. I know they

are working for their tips, but I never felt that they were doing it for that reason,

they genuinely wanted to ensure that we were satisfied. Our stateroom attendant

was quiet, but polite and friendly. She came and went like a ghost, slipping into our

room and leaving everything perfect. We didn't have any special requests of her,

but everything was certainly acceptable and her little touches each night were

very memorable. Everyone else on the ship was polite and attentive. The wait

staff in the Windjammer were less conversant and not as quick to check on us, but

they honestly didn't stop moving the entire time, as they tried to feed and clean up

after a couple of thousand people.

 

3. Our room was 7074 in deck 7, D1 category. We were four doors down from the

elevator and found it quiet and very smooth sailing. The room was a very good size

and more than adequate for our needs. There is plenty of storage space with drawers

and cabinets in every corner. The bathroom was more than acceptable with plenty

of room to move about and counter/cabinet space galore. We liked the balcony,

because it gave you plenty of light and that little extra space to move into. Several

nights we sat our there for 15 - 20 minutes just marveling at how fortunate we were

to be cruising.

 

5. As answered in #1.

 

Enjoy your cruise. I really hope to get a complete review posted this weekend.

These boards and accompanying reviews were invaluable in helping us prepare for

our first cruise. I'd like to pass on what we experienced to help others enjoy their

cruise as much as we did ours.

[caribbeandiva]

I waited all day to read your responses and you did not disappoint. Thank you for your well written review..I totally agree with you..these boards have been invaluable in helping me prepare for my first cruise also..I am super excited and am always glad to read such positive reviews about the Enchantment. You have added to my excitement. I will do the same upon my return.

 

Caribbean Diva.:D

[tyowb]

Info on ports and excursions please.

We stopped in Key West, Cozumel, and Belize. In general, in the past we go on

vacation and don't stop from dusk until dawn. On this trip, we purposely decided not

to make any plans and take each day as it came. We didn't want to come back

from the cruise so exhausted that we needed another vacation to rest up. However,

a couple of weeks before sailing, I booked the cave tubing in Belize - I had read so

much about it, that I felt it couldn't be missed. It really was fantastic being in the

rain forest and drifting down a river through underground caverns. Yes, there was

a 45 minute walk through the rain forest, but it was moderate; yes, you are in

Central America and it is hot, expecially if your bus has limited air conditioning; yes,

we would do it again in a heartbeat. We did book through the cruise line, as being

first time cruisers we wanted the security of knowing that the ship would be there

when we returned. I know, from these boards, that there are smaller outfitters out

there that will take you in smaller groups, but with two cruise ships in port the

river was full anyway. We drifted in and out of several other charter groups and all ended up at the same place.

 

We just shopped in Key West and Cozumel and found that to be a relaxing way to

spend the afternoon. One note regarding Cozumel - everyone we spoke with who

snorkeled thought that it was awesome. In particular, some friends took the dune

buggy/snorkeling excursion and loved it. Plenty of time to see the island and snorkel,

with lunch on the beach. If you want to snorkel, there was one excursion which

included a party boat; unless you are into drinking and want to limit your snorkeling

to 20 minutes (as reported by other cruisers) pass on this option.

[tyowb]

I waited all day to read your responses and you did not disappoint. Thank you for your well written review..I totally agree with you..these boards have been invaluable in helping me prepare for my first cruise also..I am super excited and am always glad to read such positive reviews about the Enchantment. You have added to my excitement. I will do the same upon my return.

 

Caribbean Diva.:D

You are quite welcome. I've enjoyed reliving each moment. You will love the

Enchantment - she is a beautiful ship and you will have trouble believing that you

are on a ship when you look up through the Centrum or sit in the theatre.

You may know this already, but the Enchantment is scheduled to go to dry dock

next Spring to be stretched. I believe that she will only be out of service for about

6 weeks before returning to sail out of New York. I'm already trying to convince

my wife to spend the money and book a cruise when she comes back.

 

P.S. If you have read anything about Matt Baker being the absolute best cruise

director on the seas - it was 100% true. Now, I don't have anything to compare

him to, being first time cruisers, but I can't imagine anyone doing a better job than

him. Funny, talented, energetic, and always happy and willing to chat. You will

love him.

[lauren0309]

Tyowb:

 

Thanks for your quick reply. I forwarded your information to our friends who will be cruising with us also. I love talking about cruises and helping people out with questions as you do too. It brings back pleasant memories!

 

Lauren

[betsycam71]

Thanks for all the wonderful details! We have less than 2 months left, and your description of everything makes me even more excited.

[Julma]

Well written cruise report. Thank you for the great info. We leave in 14 days!!!

[Chicagomom]

tyowb,

 

Could you tell me what time you docked in Fort Lauderdale and what was the earliest time people were allowed to leave the ship?

 

Only 3 weeks to go! This is our first cruise as well and we are VERY excited!

[tyowb]

tyowb,

 

Could you tell me what time you docked in Fort Lauderdale and what was the earliest time people were allowed to leave the ship?

 

Only 3 weeks to go! This is our first cruise as well and we are VERY excited!

We docked at exactly 7 AM. It was actually amazing to watch, as we had a balcony on the port side of the ship - the ship backed in alongside the pier. Customs and

immigrations representatives (for the crew) came on board and we started leaving the

ship just before 9 AM. Generally, they want you out of your room by 8 AM. We

went to breakfast just before 7:30 AM with our carry-ons, and then waited in the

Solarium to be called to disembark. I believe that everyone was off the ship by 10 AM. Have a great time.

[caribbeandiva]

Tyowb,

 

What was sailaway like? Did they do anything special? How was the muster drill?

 

Caribbean Diva.:D

[tyowb]

Tyowb,

 

What was sailaway like? Did they do anything special? How was the muster drill?

 

Caribbean Diva.:D

Hi,

 

The actual sail away was rather melodramatic, we just quietly slipped away from

the dock and moved out into the channel. Onboard there was a sail away party up

on the pool deck, with a Caribbean band. I remember many (20 - 25) years ago

wishing my grandparents bon voyage on one of their cruises; and it was much more

exciting, with streamers flying through the air and loved ones waving. That was

obviously in a different time and place, with cruising much less frequent than it is

now, and security measures much less an issue. Nevertheless, I was still thrilled to

be up there on the deck when we left.

 

Muster was actually not as bad as I had been led to believe. It was later in the

afternoon and the sun was on the other side of the ship, so heat was not a problem.

It took only a total of about 15 - 20 minutes to get to our muster station, put on

our lifejacket, and line up for attendance. I imagine that if you have a crowd that

doesn't take it seriously and others that don't show up, it could be more drawn out.

Actually, our first picture on board the ship is at our muster station, so bring your

camera to record the moment.

[TheWog]

Thanks for the info. We will be on her in January. Sounds like you had a great time. Are the pools saltwater. I have heard some say they are changing to filtered sea water to make it less salty. Just wondering.

[tyowb]

Thanks for the info. We will be on her in January. Sounds like you had a great time. Are the pools saltwater. I have heard some say they are changing to filtered sea water to make it less salty. Just wondering.

Yes, both pools on the top deck are salt water.

[Cruisin' Patty]

Thankyou for your wonderful review and answers to the questions.

[PH8]

We,also,were on this cruise.................first time on a Vision class and I thought it was wonderful..........

 

Just wanted to agree with the OP,Ajay in the dining room was better than top notch..............he is the BEST Head waiter we have ever had............he worked as hard as any waiter or asst. we have ever seen!!

 

Loved this ship and itinerary........:D

[canucks4]

TYOWB - thanks for the great info - we leave in two weeks as well and are very much looking forward to a cruise (without kids - oops did I say that out loud!!) :D

p.s. do I need to give my head a shake, or is TYOWB a secret code!!

[tyowb]

TYOWB - thanks for the great info - we leave in two weeks as well and are very much looking forward to a cruise (without kids - oops did I say that out loud!!) :D

p.s. do I need to give my head a shake, or is TYOWB a secret code!!

I spent much of the 6 months prior to booking this cruise doing research on these message boards to ensure that this celebration of "Twenty Years Of Wedded Bliss" was memorable. Everything paid off and we are looking forward to celebrating

many more anniversaries and many more cruises. Thanks to all, for all the positive feedback to my review and comments - I've enjoyed leaving them as much as you

have, hopefully, benefited and enjoyed reading them. Happy cruising to all.

[Merion_Mom]

I spent much of the 6 months prior to booking this cruise doing research on these message boards to ensure that this celebration of "Twenty Years Of Wedded Bliss" was memorable.

tyowb: That explanation of your name is just SO darned cute! I love it. I can hear how much enjoyment you experienced on your cruise in every reply you posted.

 

By the way, for anyone looking forward to sailing the stretched Enchantment next summer, it's not exactly "returning to sail out of New York." In the first two weeks of July, she will sail twice out of Bayonne. Then she will be sailing out of PHILADELPHIA!!!!! for the second half of July and all of August. Then, in September, she sails out of Boston. These are all New England/Canada itineraries.

 

Carol

[tyowb]

Hi Carol,

 

Thanks for your clarification on the future sailings for the newly stretched Enchantment. On our cruise we were given the general details, but not specifics.

I was afraid that if I looked into it too much that I would end up booking a cruise

before I got off the ship. I'm glad you mentioned Philly though. Our babysitters for

this last cruise are relatives that live in Paoli and who came to our home in Connecticut. Maybe next summer we can just drop the kids off there and jump on the ship. Oh to dream.