Enchantment of the Seas - Jamaica, Grand Cayman

[TheWog]

I have a long review that I have started. It is not completed yet, but I have promised some that I would put it up... so here it is.

 

We cruised on the Enchantment of the Seas leaving Fort Lauderdale January 22 and returning January 27. We stayed one night pre-cruise at the Hyatt Pier 66 hotel. We had a wonderful time and thought I would share my experiences.

 

 

 

Day One:

 

 

Day one was January 21st and we were flying out of Manchester, NH a day early. You know, just in case of snow, war, earthquake the usual reasons. Glad we did as two feet of snow arrived in our area beginning Saturday. We arrived at the airport about 90 mins early and checked in. We were flying USAIR on a codeshare flight with United. So actually using United equipment. We checked in and were walking through security when they told us we were chosen for random screening. So everyone got to know it. We had our little red folders and the guy yelling up front to make sure we didn’t try to make a break for it. I was thinking, I can handle this, but the family of 4 in front of us with the 3 y.o. boy and 5 y.o. girl, they may have been able to receive a pass. But oh well. We got through and the plane was delayed a little as they were waiting for it to warm up. They wouldn’t be serving coffee and if you had jackets, you may want to wear them (it was about 2 degrees below that morning). Of course we left ours in the car so they would be there when we got picked up and then again, why would we need jackets in Florida. Boarded, grabbed a blanket and we were fine.

 

 

Arrived to Dulles and had to wait again … for stairs. I’m thinking, what year are we in. We can’t just pull up like other planes. Well ours was a smaller 50 seat plane and we had to use stairs to get out. No big deal, just part of it. Ran over to the next gate and waited for the next flight. It was there and on time, only the stewardess’ decided to be late. Once again no biggie. I had the biggest hurdle complete and that was arriving to the connecting flight on time. Now I know I will get there, but I ramble on. All our bags even arrived on time with the flight, intact. You don’t hear this much lately, but our flights were fine. Good job USAIR/United.

 

 

Flight leaves and we have no issues. We actually arrive in FLL on time. We call our car service, BC’s Express, who is waiting nearby somewhere. We work out the details of picking up our friends and then come to get us since we arrived at different terminals. BC was where he said would be, when he said he would be there. Brian was our driver on all legs of our trip and did a fantastic job.

 

 

We arrived at the Hyatt Pier 66. Which I secured off Priceline for $95.00 for the night. Internet rate for our rooms for this date were $315.00. Not too bad. We arrived and they took our bags right away. David the bellhop from NJ, was smiling and a lot of fun. Gave us great info of the property (all 22 acres of it) and the surrounding area. We checked in and asked for the two double beds. We received it no problem and were brought right away to room 2250. It was large and had a balcony overlooking the pool and gardens. This was perfect. It was in the Lanai building and I didn’t see any problems with staying there. Maybe I don’t know what I was missing, but it was perfectly fine and comfortable and just for one night it more than served its purpose. We dropped our stuff, freshened up and headed out to the pool bar. We hung out there for a while and were disappointed it closes at 7:00. We decided to go up to the rotating rooftop lounge and watch the sunset. Great view, but that place moves faster than you would expect it to, not a problem just a comment. It supposedly rotates one full rotation every hour. We watched the sunset and enjoy some cocktails and ventured back to find a place to eat. We were told of the Pelican Grill which is part of the property, but the description, was one long walk. So we walked out and asked to be pointed in the right direction. When one of the bell hops said “I’ll drive you” and he hopped in a golf cart and whisked us away. We were there in no time. It was also fun. The grill was right on the intracoastal waterway. We sat next to a yacht for sale for a cool $7 million. Which we thought was pretty cool. The food was surprisingly excellent for a little grill on the water and we had an enjoyable time. There was also a guitar player/singer taking requests and going back and forth with the customers. We then asked to have the front desk called and the golf cart returned to pick us up. Not sure if people know this is available. We went back to the rooms and put on our suits and went out to the pools. We hung out in the hot tubs, went through the waterfall pools and just had a nice time. After this it was getting late and we had a big day tomorrow so we all went back to the room to retire.

 

 

Day two:

 

 

Check out was 12:00 noon so we had plenty of time. BC asked us if we could move our time up to 11:15 from 12:00 noon pickup and we said fine. We went to breakfast about 9:00 or so and ate in the restaurant in the hotel. It was about $15.00 (a little pricey) for the buffet, which included the omelet station. It was actually pretty good. Service was a little slow for coffee, juice etc. but not horrible.

 

 

We walked around a bit, hung out and got ready to check out. We called down and they came right away for our bags and we checked out about 11:00 or so. We waited at the entrance for our van to arrive which it did right on time. We did see lots of cabs parked in the parking lot and waiting to pick up hotel guests. So if you stay there and want to just use a taxi they are available right there.

 

 

We stopped at the Hess Express right across the street grabbed a couple small bottles of soda and made our way to the terminal. We were terminal 23. Brian took our passports and showed them at the gate and we sped away. If you are in a taxi you have to show your id individually and that seemed to delay some. We arrived at the terminal and dropped our luggage. We said good-bye to Brian and we were on our way to paradise. We made our way to the terminal doors. Had our documents and id ready and then had to wait for the ladies to make a stop. Hehehe oh well. We then walked into the terminal, went through document check, made our way to the counter, all with no stops. We proceeded up the stairs, had our picture taken of the seapass and then stopped for the boarding photo, still with no stops, and were on the ship before 12:00 noon. I was very impressed with the check-in and boarding procedures. I am not sure if it was timing or what, but we had no hassles at all. We did cheat and went up to see if we could get to our rooms, but the doors to the halls were closed, so we headed off to explore the ship. We grabbed our first drinks, my first Miami Vice and just enjoyed the ship. We were still full from breakfast so no need to hit the Windjammer. We walked around and found a nice quiet place on Deck 5 to hang out and watch the waterway. There was a lot of activity and plenty of boats going back and forth. We waited there for a short while and ventured up around 12:55 to find our rooms open and waiting for us. Sachin, our steward, was there with a smile to say hello. We asked for and he returned with some RCI robes for the week and filled our ice buckets and he was off to other places. Sachin did a great job all week. We weren’t high maintenance, but he always had a smile and made the towel animals and had our room ready whenever we left. We can’t ask for much more than that.

 

 

We dropped the bags and went off again to find more stuff. We just took some pictures roamed around and then returned to watch the activities down below from our balcony. There were lots of things going on. You could see crew members returning from going ashore, all the luggage being loaded. The booze cruise next to us returned with all the drunken passengers. It was a relaxing time. The Queen Mary 2 was docked directly across from us. We got ready for the Muster Drill and went out with our life jackets. Had roll call and heard some corny jokes from the Captain. Returned to our room and got ready for sail away when it came. We were not leaving. Everyone off…. no just kidding. There was a plane load of passengers (over 70 in all) coming from Atlanta and there were going to be late. We were going to wait for them. I heard they booked air through RCI and the Captain made the decision to wait. Which was nice and since we were on board it was no big deal. We hung out for a while, watched the other ships leave and people watched on the pool deck. What a fun time that was. What people will do when they think they are not being watched. hehehehehe. We had a window seat and watched the buses and vans pull up and as expected pulled away approximately 7:00 or so. The people in the condos on the way out must have these parties every week as they were flashing lights and yelling and using airhorns to give us our sendoff. It was neat.

 

 

We then decided to return to the cabin, get changed for dinner and go off to look around. We arrived at My Fair Lady at about 8:30 or so, right as the doors were opening. We were shown to table 83 on the second floor. We were the first to arrive at the table of 8 so we sat. Vivek from India and Clinton from India were our Server and Asst. Server respectively. Vivek was excellent. Clinton was a little reserved, but started to show some personality towards the end of the trip. Vivek was great and exceeded all expectations. He brought anything we wanted and extras of what we liked. We ate dinner and the food was fine. Dessert was also great. We sat with a very nice family from Ohio, Mom, Dad, Daughter and Husband. If they read this, hi Larry, Betty, Tracy and Adam. We had lots fun with them and were glad we had a table for 8. We went off to find the shows and casino. Made a deposit to the slots and found that I like roulette. Found the Viking Crown Lounge and it was 70’s night. We had a seat in the upper balcony part overlooking the dance floor next to the DJ booth and it was perfect. But that is the end of Day One of the cruise, day two of the trip.

[TheWog]

Day Three - At Sea:

 

 

Day three was fun. We slept a little late, visited the Windjammer for breakfast. Breakfast in the Windjammer was fine. Some will complain about lines or food, but it was fine. You are eating with 2400 or so of your closest friends, there are going to be lines. We the lines intolerable? No. I had to wait maybe, 4-5 minutes from the time I arrived at the station to receive my fresh cooked omelet. It was pretty good too. Had some waffles and French toast and I was ready to face the day. We found a nice spot on Deck 10 overlooking the pool. Don’t know if chair hogs were out in force or not. Didn’t check and didn’t care. We found our spot and it was covered in sunshine. So it was good for us. Servers come by with the drink of the day and to freshen up your spirits. No pressure, just here if you want us. We of course, made excellent use of their services. Read for a while, felt pink and headed off to find some lunch. What a day. We actually took our stuff with us and released our chairs. We ate some lunch, again, very satisfactory. Amazing? No, but edible and enjoyable. We returned to watch Parker, the new Cruise Director, host the Belly Flop Contest. Turns out our friends’ neighbors from two doors down were on the cruise and he was in the contest. Small world. That was fun to watch and burn an hour so off we were to other things. Exactly what, I can’t remember, but I think there were lots of lights and sounds and people with chips. Oh well. We also found Bingo in the Carousel lounge and Dan-O was a lot of fun with that. Not sure how big a secret it is, but if you see Dan-O around the ship ask him to see his balls. He’ll know what you mean. We had a nice relaxing day and went back to the room and caught the rest of the Philly game and the beginning of the Patriots game. It was fun to watch the games and not have commercials. You just had the commentators talking back and forth and you could watch the crew set up the clips they would run when they got back to live. Patriots won of course, but we had to miss most of the game because of our dinner time. But we knew they would win and that was all that counted. Plus we were on vacation and watching tv wasn’t the main focus. Our tablemates were big Steeler’s fans so that was fun to have the back and forth. Vivek kept us updated on the score any way he could and we found out they won. So the nightly shots were on the husband of our traveling companions – that and he hit a jackpot on one of the slot machines. The Booze man for our section was excellent. Don’t know his real name, but he was from Jamaica and they call him the Booze Man. He keeps you set up and brings you the shots just about dessert time. He knew what you wanted and kept it all straight. He did a great job. We even forgot our shot glasses one night and they were waiting for us the next night so we could keep them. Dinner was formal, so we were all dressed up and had our pictures taken. It was fun to do it.

 

 

Tonight was also Adult Karaoke night. That was a blast and if anyone onboard reads this will know who Van was. He was “Like a Virgin:” for sure. Paul was new from the UK and did a fine job with all his activities and was a lot of fun. After Karaoke we had to make another donation to the Casino and turned in. We had a big day in Jamaica tomorrow and wanted to be refreshed.

 

 

Day Four – Jamaica:

 

 

Jamaica Day! I was up and anticipating the day. This was going to be our busy day with plenty to do. I was up a little early and received the call that Room Service was on its way. We had omelets and pastries and coffee and juice and it wasn’t that bad. Eggs could have been better, but I am not a big complainer. It was there and I ate it. Slowly we started to get up and were to be there about 8:00 or so. It was coming up on 8:00 and the island is still a good ways away in the distance. So as I suspected we get the announcement. We are running a little late and will be in Jamaica by about 9:00 or so. Fine, gives us a little more time. I’m thinking Peat can see the ship isn’t there so he will wait for us. Jamaica arrives. You can already start to feel it will be warm. Sun is bright and shining strong. We dock and we are port side so we don’t get to face the island. Oh well. I’ll just demand my money back after the cruise is over….. I’m kidding. We get cleared to leave the ship. Chaos ensues. They try to get people with ship sponsored shore excursions off first. Then everyone else tries to go. We are told to go to deck 1. We take the elevator down. Get off and are directed right back up to deck 3. Get on the stairs and wait. Wait…. Wait a little more….. and some more….. some people have figured out something we didn’t and that’s go down the stairs that are roped off and empty for whatever the reason the crew decided. They get returned. Some people come from their rooms on Deck 2 and I thought a riot was going to break out as they joined the line on that deck. People yelling at them and shaming them and I think I may have even saw some Scarlet Letters hanging on their cabin doors. Oh well. All is good. We are in paradise. We slowly begin to move and then we are off. More pictures taken of us. We must be a great looking couple…. oh sorry everyone gets that. We follow the long dock that leads to land. We arrive and see Oneil Taylor holding our sign. He calls for Peat and Peat shows up within a couple minutes. We stand are talking and notice the long lines forming for other tours. Holy crazy. Glad we had Peat and our bus for just the four of us. We got specialized treatment. I learned of Peat on the Cruise Critic boards and booked with him in September. He gave us a tour of the island and many areas of interest. Showed us Ian Fleming’s house, sites for filming of James Bond movies, etc. He took us through local neighborhoods. Our first stop was Dunn’s River Falls. Oneil explained everything to us and brought us down to get a guide. We locked up our stuff and started off. We had to wait a couple minutes while a couple more people were added and then we were off. We found a rest room so why not use it. I think a tip was expected for watching you walk in the door, but I’m not sure. Anyway, we started down again and found ourselves on the beach. We gathered around, heard the instructions and began our climb. The water was chilly when you first got in, but got acclimated quickly. The climb started quickly, but then slowed down for photos and less agile climbers. Then crazy tour guide lady came flying through with her troupe of climbers and ran over a couple in our group. They were on a mission. We worked our way up and had the pictures taken at the photo stops and saw the sites they were showing. No writing on the rocks, apparently not everyone noticed that sign as there was some graffiti on some of the rocks. A lot of people stood and watched as we passed by. We went under a bridge that was very low, and tried a natural slide umbrella thing that was kind of fun. We continued to climb. Just be careful. A lot of spots you can’t see the bottom, lots of underwater rocks and lots of slippery places. It was great fun, but just be careful. We made the human chain about a quarter of the way up. That got old and it was easy to yourself once you got to other sections. Overall we had a great time climbing the falls and would recommend it to be a do it once in your life so you can say you have done it. Would I have to run right back, probably not. The guides expect their gratuities at the end of the climb and there was some pressure, but not as bad as I expected to purchase the video. On the way out you can buy the pictures taken, but the same ones and even better were taken by the ship’s photographer which we didn’t know at the time. At the photo place the lady “expects a little extra” for putting the picture up on the wall. We then proceeded to leave the area and I tried to go out the entrance, but the guard posted there wouldn’t let us. So we went out through the shop area and were met with many vendors selling their wares. It wasn’t horrible, but a polite no thank you wasn’t the answer for some. We were asked if we were afraid of them, why did we not want their stuff and if we responded with an answer it wasn’t the appropriate answer. So we just kept moving and got out with no problems. Peat and Oneill were waiting for us when we returned and took us off to our next destination. Peat was great and had a cooler of Red Stripe waiting so we got to taste the local flavor on the way. We went through the villages, learned about the local plant life and different trees and animals. We arrived at the White River for some tubing. Dwayne was our guide and he was a lot of fun. He told us stories and helped us all around. He even came running through the woods at one point and jumped in the water. There was an area about ½ way down with a rope swing you could use if you liked. We stayed for a bit, but didn’t get out of our tubes. We talked to some other passengers on our ship and continued on. The river was fun and the rapids were just right. We got a little wet and had a blast. We stopped at an area designated to stop and there was a hut with food and drinks and a stand to buy stuff at if you wanted. We chose to just relax on a bench near the water. After this stop we continued on and were at the end. We arrived at the end of the tour and there was a man standing at the bank of the river in his underwear washing his clothes and bathing. From there on out it was called the E-coli river. Peat was waiting at the bottom for us and we signed the book and climbed in the van. He took us over to Couples Ocho Rios Resort. We stayed here two years ago and wanted to show our friends the place. It was close by and it quite nice. We made some small purchases there and found Peat to take us on again. Some more Red Stripe and we all decided we were ready to return. He showed us how to get from Island Village to the pier and then dropped us right at the Island Village. We went in and browsed around. Made our way to Margaritaville where I had a Cheeseburger in Paradise and some frozen concoctions. They were pretty good, but not spectacular. Beach was nice and the vendors were kept at bay by armed security/police. We hung out there and ate and relaxed and enjoyed. There was a lot going on and people were having a good time. We saw our tablemates again for the second time that day. Gift shop was selling $80 sweatshirts, so we passed on those and went to browse the shops some more. Found some coffee, magnets, ornaments, the usual stuff and decided to return to the ship. Overall, we had a great day in Jamaica. It was everything we expected and we loved it. Peat and Oneil were great and I would recommend them to anyone. They treated us very well.

 

 

Tonight was Lobster night in the Dining Room. We were told there over 5,200 lobster tails served that evening and I helped with that count total. All the men at our table did, except Adam, the youngest, lagged a little behind. Dessert was good and I can’t remember what the activities were for that evening. I’m sure we ended up in the Carousel Lounge, but for what I am not sure. We made our usual donation to the Casino and late that night we found the Solarium Café. The chicken sandwich there was probably the worst piece of chicken I have ever eaten. Whatever they spiced it with just didn’t work. Pizza wasn’t bad though. So I got to fill up on that. Another great day in the books. Verandah is very nice for those moonlit chats. Tomorrow Grand Cayman Island.

[TheWog]

Day Five – Grand Cayman:

 

 

On this morning we had no intentions of being up early or getting off the ship as soon as possible. We awoke to the sounds of anchors and tenders being lowered – we were in the very front of the ship, cabins 7016 for us and 7018 for our friends. It wasn’t bad and we were glad to be up. Hung out on the verandah and watched the Captain cruise around assessing whether it was ok to tender and allow passengers ashore. After a while he made the decision and we were staying. So the announcement came and we were cleared to leave. We slowly woke up and made our way to the Windjammer for some breakfast. Same as before, but fine. Got a window seat today and looked out over the Carnival Legend and Norwegian Dawn I think as well as Georgetown. We finished and got ready to go ashore. We got on our tender after just a short wait and went ashore. Tendering was fine. It was a little hairy docking, but nothing we (or RCI) couldn’t handle. We arrived on shore and found a cab. We wanted to go to Hell and then to 7 Mile Beach. We found a guy who would do that for us and wait at Hell for $10.00 per person. So we were off. We made one stop to drop some others at the beach and then continued on our way. The island was hit hard. The buildings were still being repaired, houses were devastated, trees uprooted. The areas with more money were already rebuilding, hotels, wealthier homes, etc. The others were just making due with what they had. I wish I had seen the island prior to the hurricanes as I am sure it was beautiful. We made our way to Hell and it was as lonely spot with many tourists. We looked at the rocks, made some purchases, sent our cards and continued on our way. We arrived at the Courtyard Beach which is right next to Sea Grape beach. The beach was beautiful and warm. The water was a little cool and I say that with tongue in cheek. The water was said to be 81 degrees and we are used to summer ocean water temps of high 60s so it was very warm for us. There were nice waves and comfortable chairs. The guys at our beach were not renting jet skis because of the surf. So we walked down to Sea Grape and rented our jet ski for $65.00 for the ½ hour. We got out and had a blast. There was parasailing, snorkeling, kayaks, water skiing, everything there. Sea Grape had Calico Jacks, the Courtyard also had a café with food and drinks. After the jet skis we hung out for a bit and decided it was time to head back. Where we rented jet skis it was very windy. The woman had said prior to the Ivan across the street was all trees and acted as a barrier to cut down on the wind. But now it was gone so it was much more windy and cooler than before. We had spent a little over 2 hours or so and we had enough sun. It was pretty strong and we all got some color there. So we said good bye to 7 mile beach and returned to Georgetown. Taxis were lined up waiting to take people back. It was $4 per person back to town. We got back to town and strolled around. We found some shops. Stopped at Churchill’s Cigar shop and some other places. Talked with the Cockatoos and parrots and had a fun time. We found the Hard Rock Café to add to my collection of Hurricane glasses and t-shirts. Passed on the $9 ham sandwiches and headed back to catch the tender. We got back on board the ship a little after 3:00 and went to the Windjammer for the afternoon snack. It was ok. It was taco stuff for nachos and then ice cream. There was no chocolate sauce for our sundaes, that’s it I want my money back. Overall, it was good, just good. While in the Windjammer we watched NCL leave port, watched Carnival depart and it was just us and the Grandeur of the Seas left. The Grandeur must be a sister ship as she looked identical to the Enchantment. Our server told us this was only the second or third time they had been back since the hurricane. So we felt lucky. We went back to our rooms and watched as they loaded the lifeboats back up and pulled up the anchor and we set sail. Slowly watching the island disappear behind us as the sun was setting. It was another great day.

 

 

We arrived at dinner this evening to find no one else there. We waited a bit and no one showed. Literally no one. We were the only four who showed for dinner for our servers’ entire area. So we had their undivided attention for the whole evening. We did want to make Quest so we let them know and then enjoyed the night. Vivek took even more care of us than usual. He did magic tricks, told us of his life on the ship and his personal life, his child, wife, etc. He was a very nice man and excellent server. Tonight we got extra scampi just for us and served by our Head Waiter. It was nice, but a quiet night so he needed something to do. Tonight was my night to buy the round of shots, since Big Larry did it last night, so I guess I lucked out. The servers did their performance and we were off to The Quest.

 

 

The Quest – without saying too much….. YOU MUST GO!!!!!! What some people will do for a key chain!!! It was a riot and we participated and were surprised we didn’t place. I know we were first for some of the questions, but I guess not enough. After Quest we started to dance a little. When Dannie of the CD’s staff came up and gave my wife and I key chains. Thought that was nice. Went and sat down and the Parker came up and said all those who received key chains please come on the dance floor. We were part of a “twist” contest. First couple went and didn’t really do too well. We did it and got a lot of applause and were told later we were the best. Then the next couple went and they had to be in their 70s if not 80s and although they didn’t dance the greatest they brought the house down. They were crowned king and queen for the cruise. They got the crowns and we all got CD staff t-shirts for that. It was fun. We danced some more and then went back to patronize the Casino Royale and make more donations with minimal withdrawals. Its all about having fun.

 

 

Nice stroll on deck and back to the rooms. I know the Midnight Buffet fell in here somewhere, but I can’t exactly remember what night. It was fun to see and the best thing was the chocolate covered strawberries. I ate the three that I took and sampled some of the other offerings. Took some pictures too and enjoyed it. Lines weren’t that bad and it was pretty painless going through.

 

 

Day Six – At Sea:

 

 

This day was a sleepy day. We dragged our butts out of bed around 11:00 or so. Headed for the pool deck and decided we were hungry. Met up with our friends and grabbed a bite to eat. We then relaxed out by the pool on Deck 10 and enjoyed the sun. We had already gotten plenty of sun, so we broke early and caught the end of the horse races and then headed to afternoon bingo. They were hoping the Jackpot would be won so they could have the afternoon off, but to no avail. The trick with Bingo I learned is when you actually have Bingo to yell out the word. Get that one word out of your mouth and they will bring you money. The concept must have been lost on me as we were doing one of the middle rounds and it was a six pack game. You had to get 6 side by side and together without using the free space you were the winner. I had the top two holes punched for I, N and G. I had one each in the B and O. If you picture it in your mind you can see the middle three form a 6 pack. I didn’t see it and could only see that I need either the B or the O number to be called. As numbers kept getting called off, I eventually lost …. again … to the dance king and his wife. : ) They had Bingo, when we sat down and I was saying I needed just one number my friends asks me “what’s wrong with the 6 pack you got?” He pointed it out and I was the butt of the jokes for the rest of the trip. BINGO!!!!!!

 

 

Pot was $180.00 but at least we had fun.

 

 

After that we relaxed and hung out, packed our bags and got ready for dinner. Tried our luck with the Jackpot Bingo and didn’t win there either. $4,200 was shared by two men. Good for them. We attended the Farewell show and the juggler was actually pretty good and funny. Show itself was a little corny, but a nice way to spend an hour or so. We left there and visited the casino one last time. We then gathered our envelopes and headed to dinner. We enjoyed our last supper, so to say, and said our good byes. We had a lot of fun and reassured everyone we would meet again some day. Vivek was excellent and very deserving of the extra lump in his envelope. Clinton opened up and received the customary, with a little extra and Harry received the standard suggested amount. We headed off to put the bags outside our stateroom and the girls went to get our seat in the Carousel lounge for the final karaoke. This night was not nearly as good as the first night. People had a good time and Jim from Indy did a great job on the 80s arena rocker tribute. We had fun, called it a low key night and turned in shortly thereafter. A great trip was had by all.

[lauren0309]

Great review!. I was looking forward to reading itand watching for it everyday. One question, you mentioned about the tenders being lowered, I thought the tenders were separate boats coming in from the island. So do we go to Grand Cayman on Lifeboats?.

[TheWog]

Thank you for the kinds words.

 

Yes, they used the lifeboats right from the ship as tenders. They were the first two on each side, so 4 total. They were neat to be in and held a lot of people. They also had a place on the roof for people to sit.

[music]

Great review! I have been on the Enchantment twice and had the pleasure of having Vivik as our waiter both times! He is wonderful. Ajay, the head waiter was also great. We are booked again for July 05, after the stretch and can't wait! It seems to be so far away!!

[TheWog]

He really was great. He has a son now. 10 months old.

[dogger]

Leaving Milwaukee at 8:00am Saturday!!!!!!!!!!

 

Enchantment of the Seas also..........can't wait.

[TheWog]

Leaving Milwaukee at 8:00am Saturday!!!!!!!!!!

 

Enchantment of the Seas also..........can't wait.

 

Congratulations!!! You will have a great time!

[music]

The first time we met Vivik, he was going to get married to his wife. If I remember correctly, the marriage was arranged. The second time, they had just had the baby. I hope he will have a great vacation while they work on the ship but I hope to see him on my next sailing in July! He was so proud when he talked about his family. I wish them all the best.

[bostonlass]

Thanks so much for your review! I have a couple of questions that you may or may not be able to answer:

 

Do you recall if ice cream was served every afternoon in the Windjammer?

 

You mentioned having eggs via roomservice...was this on the regular roomservice menu or did you have to order it special?

 

How was the coffee?

 

At Margaritaville, was the overall atmosphere ok for kids to be there or was it a bit over the top?

 

Thanks again!! I cannot wait to be on that balcony!:D

[lauren0309]

The Wog:

 

I really believed you about the tenders until you mentioned about people sitting on the roof! That gave it away. (LOL)

[battchief1]

Great review Wog. I was on her on the Jan. 8 sailing of 05 and had a blast also. Just to Rub it in a little they played a game of Bingo for a free cruise. Oh by the way my wife and I won it...so I guess I will go back on the Enchanment when she comes out of dry dock. Really want to she her after she is refurbed and lengthened. Oh yeh out team won the quest too ........yeah. And your right some of the things we did .......but we did when RCI visor hats. And Lauren0309 he is being truthful about the tenders. They do use the first four life boats on the ship as tenders. They are especially designed to serve a dual purpose as both and they can (when being used as tenders) allow passengers to ride on top because they set up seats and put up railing. This is true I promise. Again Wog I so gald you had a great time .

[momesu]

Thanks for the great review. I just returned from a Eastern Caribbean cruise on Mariner of the Seas same week you were on Enchantment (I just got to stay on longer 7-day trip) While on Mariner we booked to sail Enchantment leaving Christmas Eve 2005. Same itinerary as you wrote about. I picked up some good ideas.

[jsemonik]

Glad you had a great time Wog. We were on the Enchantment on Jan 13 - and had a great time.

One nice touch...since we were renewing our vows we were greeted and allowed to board first with another couple who were getting hitched.:cool:

Pictures at the link in my signature if anyone is interested!

 

Jim

[TheWog]

Hi Lauren -

 

I'm serious about the tenders. They lowered them from right below our room. They had stairs inside and set up rails on the top as battchief said. It was pretty neat.

 

Music - Vivek was so proud and is very much looking forward to his vacations. He said he has a shorter one coming up then two months around the time of the drydock so he is excited. He gets to see video on email when in Cozumel so that is his favorite port.

 

bostonlass -

 

Although we didn't go every afternoon, I would think they keep everything the same. They had ice cream the two days we did make it up there.

 

The eggs were a selection right on the card you hang on the door. No extra writing necessary. The coffee wasn't too bad for me. My wife is more the coffee snob and it wasn't to her standards, but oh well. There was a Seattle's Best kiosk outside the photo area that seemed to do the trick.

When we were at Margaritaville the atmosphere wasn't too bad. There were children there using the water slide and sitting with parents. There was some sort of scavenger hunt that had been started when we arrived and that was more at the inside area than on the terrace where we were. I would have had no problem with my son there. There wasn't anything particularly offending. There was a lot of alcohol and the table shots were going on where a guy would come around and pour a shot down your throat if you wanted. No pressure to do it and we passed when he came by. Other than that nothing too crazy so you should be ok.

 

 

Congrats battchief that is so cool for you! Hope you have a great trip again.

 

I also wanted say that Blaire from the Facts of Life was on the ship and I am not sure if she was performing in the cruise after us or not, so if anyone on the Jan 27 sailing knows if she was just a passenger or performing please let us know. Thanks.

[BabySam99]

Paul sounds like you had a great time! I am so happy for you! What a fabulous review. It brought my memories back of the lovely Enchantment, I felt like I was on her again. I am happy all worked out for you...you are a lot like me...not too much bugs you 'cause heck your on vacation...right?! You need to post photos I would love to reminise. Did you have some cocktails for me? he he he...see ya on the boards pal!

 

:)

[TheWog]

I absolutely had some cocktails. Drink of the day one day was Bay Breeze. Very tasty. Miami Vice was also pretty good. So you were well represented. I have to wait for photos, as I don't have the digital. Sorry. It was a great time and I wish I was still there, but also glad to be back if that makes any sense.

[TheWog]

Day Seven - The Return

 

 

I woke up pretty early and watched us come into the channel and prepare to dock. It was still dark out and the sun was just starting to rise. You could see a bunch of planes approaching for landing and I was thinking about all the people getting ready to board today. We watched some of the action below and saw a lot of boats just circling around. We showered and packed the remaining items in our carry on. Sachin let us leave our bags in the room for breakfast. He said no problem. We went to the Windjammer, had some breakfast and returned for our bags. We were orange and were assigned to the Solarium to wait. So we headed up and found a spot to dump ourselves. We were delayed in being cleared because some people did not present themselves to immigration and did not answer the repeated pages for them either. So eventually our color was called and we left the ship. We were sad to leave, but glad we had just spent the time we had on her. We made our way through and found our bags very easily. We grabbed a porter and headed out the really, really short porter line to the curb. Our van was outside waiting for us and the porter brought us right over. BC’s Express did a fine job for each leg of our trip. They were courteous and ontime. Can’t ask for much more. He helped us with our bags and took us right to the airport. We dropped our friends off at Terminal 2 and we made our way to Terminal 3. No problems at all. We used curbside check-in and made our way to security in less than 5 minutes. We got to the airport a little after 10:00 for our 12:00 flight. So we got to hang out in the comfortable airport seats while waiting for our flight. It took off on time and we connected on time and landed on time, with our bags making it each way. We were picked up at the airport and our son was there to greet us. So it was a great day again. US Airways did a fine job. You don’t hear that often today, but they really did.

 

 

 

The Ship –

 

 

The Enchantment was built and put in service in 1997. You wouldn’t know it, unless you spent your cruise looking for examples. She is very classy and elegant. The atrium is great to look at and hang out in. My Fair Lady is a wonderful restaurant. The public areas are all clean and up to date. I am not sure what they have in plan for her as far as new furniture, etc. But it will only enhance her beauty further.

 

Parker the cruise director did an excellent job. I was hoping to see Matt Baker, but I understand he was on vacation. The entertainment was plentiful and very well done. Shows were good, performers were funny and games were fun to watch/participate in.

 

 

The Windjammer was acceptable and perfectly fine for what it was, a quick meal. The main dining room meals were very good. The lobster, the steak, everything was very good. Desserts were also delicious.

 

Service was excellent. Our servers were great and our cabin steward was a delight. He always had our room ready when we left and was not intrusive at all. We only have one Disney Cruise to compare this against and we initially thought the service on RCI was lacking. As the week progressed we decided it was a different type of service. RCI was not on you all the time to make sure you were having a good time. They were around and made sure you knew that in case you needed anything, but they were not always approaching you. We liked that as they let us have our own fun and enjoyment and if we needed anything we only had to ask. Once again, the service was excellent.

 

 

I hope you enjoyed my review and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I would recommend this cruise to anyone who wants to get away on a beautiful ship, with a great crew for a shorter period of time. The duration of this cruise was perfect for us, since we were leaving our son at home this time. He will come with us next time and we are considering booking on the Mariner of the Seas or another Disney Cruise exploring the Western Caribbean. Happy Sailing.

[msweezie99]

Thanks for a great review Wog!! I'm glad you had a good time. I'm starting to think room service for breakfast on port days might be a good thing. All four of us trying to get out of the room at the same time, and early, could be a disaster. How long did it take from the time your ordered, till you got your food? Is it still actually hot, by the time u get it??

 

You're scaring me about tendering in Grand Cayman, as you mentioned that not many ships have been. It sounds like all Royal Carribean ships have been tendering in, from what I've heard on these boards.

 

Thanks again for taking the time for your review!!

 

Nine more days till Fort Lauderdale, Twelve till Enchantment!!!

[NYCchic]

Hi Wog...

 

I've also been waiting for your review...it was worth the wait! Sounds like you had a fantastic cruise...I leave in less than a month now (3/5 to 3/10) and I can't wait! I leave 2 days after my birthday so it will be a great way to celebrate!:)

 

I have a weird question - I booked my own flights and am wondering when/how I tell RCI what time my flight home is. I've heard they get you off the ship according to your flight time going home. Mine is around noon also and I just want to make sure I'm there in enough time - although it sounds like you had plenty of time to kill. I'm just going to use cabs to get to and from the airport - I didn't set up a car service.

 

I've had Miami Vices in Mexico before and love them! Glad I can get them on the Enchantment too...did they have a drink called a Bushwhacker do you know? Those are great too.

 

Thanks again for the great review!

[Ray in NH]

Thanks for a great review Wog!! I'm glad you had a good time. I'm starting to think room service for breakfast on port days might be a good thing. All four of us trying to get out of the room at the same time, and early, could be a disaster. How long did it take from the time your ordered, till you got your food? Is it still actually hot, by the time u get it??

 

You're scaring me about tendering in Grand Cayman, as you mentioned that not many ships have been. It sounds like all Royal Carribean ships have been tendering in, from what I've heard on these boards.

 

Thanks again for taking the time for your review!!

 

Nine more days till Fort Lauderdale, Twelve till Enchantment!!!

 

 

Hi msweezie99,

 

All ships, no matter which cruise line (except some of the boutique yatch types) tender ashore in Grand Cayman. This is not due to the hurricane damage; this has been the situation for many years. The offshore area is just too shallow and encircled with reefs. The ride is usually not bad and only takes about 5 minutes.

[momesu]

You're scaring me about tendering in Grand Cayman, as you mentioned that not many ships have been. It sounds like all Royal Carribean ships have been tendering in, from what I've heard on these boards.

 

Don't worry about the tendering. That's how all the ships that go into Grand Caymen do it as they don't have a port with piers like other places in Caribbean do. The only tin=me it is a problem is if the seas are rough and if they are too rough unfortunatley they do have to cancel the stop there and take you somewhere else.

[TheWog]

Thanks for a great review Wog!! I'm glad you had a good time. I'm starting to think room service for breakfast on port days might be a good thing. All four of us trying to get out of the room at the same time, and early, could be a disaster. How long did it take from the time your ordered, till you got your food? Is it still actually hot, by the time u get it??

 

You're scaring me about tendering in Grand Cayman, as you mentioned that not many ships have been. It sounds like all Royal Carribean ships have been tendering in, from what I've heard on these boards.

 

Thanks again for taking the time for your review!!

 

Nine more days till Fort Lauderdale, Twelve till Enchantment!!!

 

You are welcome. We had a great time. It really was a lot of fun.

 

The room service was fine. You place your order on your card and leave it out the night before. You check a box with the time you want it delivered. Say 7:00 a.m. They will then call you when it is on its way down to you and will arrive about 5 mins later. The food was hot, but not piping hot. It was a fine meal to have quickly while getting ready. You can use it as a starter to grab a bite before you go to the buffet or restaurant if you want as well. WE did that on Disney with our son. To get him a little something before we had a real breakfast.

 

You shouldn't be worried about the tendering, as it is the only way to get ashore for cruise ships in GC. As said above there is no "dock" like in St. Thomas or St. Maarten for ships to dock at. All the ships stay off shore and tender in. Some of the ships were using much larger boats from the island. If there are less ships in port, you may get to use the larger tenders, but I am not certain how that will work.

 

Have a great cruise!!!!!

[TheWog]

Hi Wog...

 

I've also been waiting for your review...it was worth the wait! Sounds like you had a fantastic cruise...I leave in less than a month now (3/5 to 3/10) and I can't wait! I leave 2 days after my birthday so it will be a great way to celebrate!:)

 

I have a weird question - I booked my own flights and am wondering when/how I tell RCI what time my flight home is. I've heard they get you off the ship according to your flight time going home. Mine is around noon also and I just want to make sure I'm there in enough time - although it sounds like you had plenty of time to kill. I'm just going to use cabs to get to and from the airport - I didn't set up a car service.

 

I've had Miami Vices in Mexico before and love them! Glad I can get them on the Enchantment too...did they have a drink called a Bushwhacker do you know? Those are great too.

 

Thanks again for the great review!

 

Thanks for the kind words.

 

I booked my own air as well. You get a form to fill out toward the end of the cruise that asks you when your flight time is. Our flight was at noon so we checked the box 11:30 - 12:00 flight times and they gave us orange tags.

 

I saw plenty of cabs waiting around to pick people up so you shouldn't have a problem. Have a great trip and tell us all about it when you get back. You too msweezie99.

 

Don't remember seeing the Bushwacker, but that doesn't mean they can't make it. Seems like they can make anything. The bartenders at the pool deck were a lot of fun and made some great drinks.