shipgeeks

We sailed on Enchantment five times in 2022-23. Service was excellent. Many of the crew we spoke to wanted to stay in Baltimore, but were kept on the ship for the Med. Of course, all our observations are based on the individual cabin stewards, MDR servers, etc. that we are served by. One poor one will certainly color our experience, so I'm glad you asked here. I agree with many of the above that some elements have changed, but not necessarily deteriorated. Cabin servicing is now once a day. Paper planners might need to be requested. We've never, ever, had a cabin that was anything other than spotless!

And it is quick and easy onboard. It just took us a minute or two, and we are people who never use ATMs, self-checkout, etc.

Exactly! I was also going to mention that many of the young women on our last cruise wore white sneakers with their dresses, and looked very cute. But if I did that it I think I would just look like a senior lady with foot issues.

Isn't Fort McHenry on the port side of the ship, once you are underway? We like to be midships and high enough to see everything!

The local HOHO bus includes Bay of Fundy on the circuit. The bus loads right at the cruise terminal. You can check their website to confirm that it will take you where you want to go.

I used to be able to comfortably walk to work - 3+ miles - in heels. On cruises I had no problem wearing heels all evening, every evening. Now I can't wear them at all, due to balance problems. I miss them, and have had to change much of my cruise wardrobe, while still wanting to dress up every evening, especially on the formal nights. My current solution is dressy (black suede) ballet flats, and either a long gown/dress, or a pants outfit such as a velvet pantsuit with a great shape, or sequined pants and a fab top. All of those outfits come nearly to the floor, so my shoes are not as evident.....but I know I still can't pull off that walk that only heels would give me. I guess I'm just glad I can still walk.

Driving in to the port property is easy and well-marked, as long as you are in the correct lane as you approach. Once you are in, you will be directed to baggage porters, then to parking kiosk (credit card only, $15 a day), then into a parking space. It's all outdoor parking, no garage. From there it's a short walk to the terminal doors.

Good machine on Vision last week, and no breakdown issues. I did see a couple of people start pushing buttons before reading the screen, but at least I didn't see anyone pounding it or otherwise maltreating it, as I did on Grandeur and Enchantment in the past.

Thank you, I stand corrected.

I can't say from my own experience, but the word a while back was that the pools are, indeed, deep all over. I gather the reasoning is to allow people to swim, not stand in the water for hours drinking. And I did see people swimming, unlike in some other cruiseline pools.

The visitors center is just a few blocks from the tender pier. If one is fit enough to do a bike tour, walking there should be no problem.

All three are walkable, and worthwhile doing so. If I had to do one excursion I would do the HOHO bus at St. John.

I moved from the US to Australia on a cargo ship back in 1969. I had to complete extensive paperwork in advance, as I was going as a migrant. The upside of the ship was that there was no apparent limit to what I could take (in my case, 18 pieces of baggage including several large steamer trunks). The downside was that I could not book for a certain date, but just get on a list in case of an available cabin. I did that, and was told I would be sailing in June. I quit my job, and drove to NYC to stay with cousins for a couple of days. The ship did not arrive until August, and after being called that morning, I had just a couple of hours to get there.

I'm exhausted just thinking about all the food and beverage variations we want RC to provide for us. Not only vegan, vegetarian, low salt, gluten free meals and more, plus sugar, brown sugar, and all the sweetener variations and brands (how many are there?), and now I'm learning how many types of milk/cream/creamer people want in their coffee, and how adamant we are about our preferences!

And my home machine says "skim milk only".

Or the balcony door of a nearby cabin. I understand this is the most frequent reason why AC shuts down: one's own balcony door not being locked tight, or likewise that of a neighboring cabin.

Lattes, cappuchinos, etc. are always made with skim milk, at least in Europe, and as per home coffee maker instructions. I would assume that's what is put into our machines for those coffees.

I've seen people - including guests of genuine Diamonds - maltreat the coffee machine quite harshly if they think it isn't brewing quickly enough. Please, people, follow instructions and be gentle. Some of us cherish our DL coffee.

What locks? Where are you?

Portland has so much to see and do within walking distance that there is no need to take a taxi or tour anywhere else. Some posts here from the past few months have lots of info.

Not being snide, just curious. I just can't figure out how anyone can tell which direction a ship is moving while in the cabin, apart from looking out the window. And what happens when the ship backs into the pier early in the morning? As an OV cabin person, my bed is sideways to the way the ship is moving. I sleep better on a ship than at home. In an inside cabin, I might never think about which way the bed is facing. How about sleeping in a moving motorhome? Or a sleeping compartment on a train? So many questions.....

When I sailed on a cargo ship from NYC to Australia, we had 30 days or so with no ports as we crossed the Pacific, so obviously no new food products brought onboard. Nevertheless, we had fresh fruit every day, milk, eggs, yogurt, and full meals (only two choices for dinner). I suspect they kept their own yogurt culture going, breads baked daily, and meats frozen. We never felt a lack of freshness or variety.

For future cruising considerations, I understand Royal Caribbean's new menus have vegan dishes daily, instead of vegetarian. There have been some negative comments re overuse of mushrooms, and the lack of cheese and eggs for protein, from vegetarians, but it might suit you well.

We always get home around 5pm, so we call for a pizza delivery, always an extra-large so we have three days of food in case we can't get to the store right away. While we wait for the delivery, we try to guess how many emails will be waiting for us, then log on and find out and start reading any important ones. Unpacking, and laundry, will be done when we feel like it.

I'm glad! And one more thing: If, when you are close to boarding, your booking says (as mine always does) "You must download the app now", just ignore it, move down the page, and there will be something like "If not using the app, click here". Don't let it bully you; there is always an option.