If we liked Explorer, will we like Enchantment?

[happyiam]

....

 

 

Like yourself we have favoured the east coast ports due the ability to drive vs the very high expense of flying, hence why we are looking at Enchantment now.

 

 

Thanks Oshawapilot. This has really helped. Off topic but how long did the drive take you, and did you park at the port (don't know how damaged Sandy left it) ?

[Oshawapilot]

I've been on both and liked them. The one advantage to Enchantment, is that Baltimore has a much simpler facility than New Jersey. This makes the start and end of your cruise a bit more pleasant.

 

Thanks, I was curious about the port situation. I've heard Baltimore was better, and from what I've read the terminal is far superior to Bayonne.

 

Although I wouldn't let it be a deciding factor, Bayonne really is sloppy. Between rude longshoremen (the one who handled our bags was young, rude, and was puffing furiously on a cigarette and blowing smoke right as us as we were handing off bags), and then a snippy RCI parking lot lady who bitched at us for leaving our bags beside our shuttle bus briefly, the very start of our cruise was a bit bruised from the onset. Thankfully a really pleasant and personable RCI lady inside the terminal (I forget her name, unfortunately!) smoothed things over, and then actually helped us out even more when it became obvious that we had been given incorrect boarding sequence numbers.

 

Thanks Oshawapilot. This has really helped. Off topic but how long did the drive take you, and did you park at the port (don't know how damaged Sandy left it) ?

 

The drive took us about 9 hours in April, but about 12 hours this time - we were traveling with friends (2 Vehicles) and weren't exactly rushing, but between gas, meal, bathroom and then hitting a few significant traffic snags along the way, it was time consuming. We arrived a day early (of course) and stayed overnight - coming from the Toronto area it's not realistic any other way. Again, I'd expect Baltimore to be a shorter and more enjoyable trip as there's no NYC traffic to deal with. For us, the distance is almost identical from us to either Bayonne or Baltimore.

[CRUSINGFAMILY]

Good morning Mark

 

We were on the Explorer this past week with you and we also enjoyed this cruise. We sailed last year on Enchantment at this time and loved it. We are looking foreward to sailing on it again now that all the Oasis things have been added to the ship. I think you will find it easier to move around the public areas I love the solarium with the indoor factor so even if it is cool outside the air temp is such that you are not freezing getting in and out of the pool or hot tub. We are from the town next to you its too bad we didn't hook up on the ship last week.

Our son was with us and his girl friends which was fun for us the girls had not cruised before, our son is a Diamond member as he has sailed since he was 2yrs old LOL. They loved the Adventure Ocean program as well, the only time they struggled a bit was after they were 18 until 21 as there are not a lot for them to do at that age on the ship because they can't be involved in the kids program and they are not drinkers and can't drink on the ship unil they are 21. They like the gambling in the casino which maybe is not a great thing either LOL.

 

I think your family would love the Enchantment, the only real difference you will notice is the lack of the Promenade and the cafe, but there are many other options to replace that and in some ways easier access.

 

Happy sailing and Holiday season to everyone.

 

Brian J

[KeywestK]

Thanks, I was curious about the port situation. I've heard Baltimore was better, and from what I've read the terminal is far superior to Bayonne.

 

The Port of Baltimore is a very easy port to access if you are driving.. It's right at Exit 55, off of I-95, and the parking lot is just steps from the terminal. In Bayonne, after you check in to the terminal, you still have to take a shuttle bus to the ship. It wasn't a big deal, but it's just not as easily accessible as Baltimore's terminal.

[Cuizer2]

I've been on both and liked them. The one advantage to Enchantment, is that Baltimore has a much simpler facility than New Jersey. This makes the start and end of your cruise a bit more pleasant.

 

Wow, mention the Enchantment and all the former passengers start showing up. :) So, how is it going?

[island lady]

We have been on all the categories of Royal ships and liked them for different reasons. The Allure is huge but has a wonderful excess of venues BUT it's crew is extremely busy. On the flip side, the Monarch is small, very few venues, but the crew takes the time to interact you. The Explorer and Enchantment are in between...EX: great open spaces; EN: fantastic crew who will take a personal interest in you.

 

My advice is to give the Enchantment a try. It won't offer as many venues as the Explorer but it just came out of dry dock and from initial reports it is in beautiful shape.

 

Looking forward to it!! See you there, Gil and Gail!! :)

[Cigar King]

Wow, mention the Enchantment and all the former passengers start showing up. :) So, how is it going?

 

Outstanding. We just got off a wonderful cruise on the Explorer, where we were once again fortunate enough to hook up with some really delightful folks. Now we wait for February and March when we have Liberty and Vision to look forward to. How about you?

[Cuizer2]

Outstanding. We just got off a wonderful cruise on the Explorer, where we were once again fortunate enough to hook up with some really delightful folks. Now we wait for February and March when we have Liberty and Vision to look forward to. How about you?

 

January I'll be on the Carnival Splendor. March I'll be on the Navigator of the Seas. September I'll be on the Carnival Inspiration.

[Oshawapilot]

Ok, I think we'll be happy with Enchantment, at least from the adult perspective - I think the kids may find the lesser pace somewhat different vs Explorer, but I can't think of any one thing that they would necessarily REALLY miss with the exception of the Promenade Cafe (they liked having solo time there enjoying cookies and pizza), although it sounds like the new cafe in the Solarium will be a reasonable substitute.

 

With only 2 sea days on either day of 4 ports I don't think that we will find ourselves without entertainment.

 

On nice sunny/warm days how is the pool deck? It's clearly much smaller vs Explorer and it looks like it (and the pools/hot tubs) would get overwhelmed quickly - some in our party do enjoy just laying on deck somewhere relaxing, and others enjoy sitting in a hot tub at times without being squished shoulder to shoulder with others.

[Cigar King]

There is usually plenty of room. At least we never had an issue, as long as you don't want to sit right by the pool.

[Merion_Mom]

Just returned from 10 nights aboard EOS. Great trip, loved almost every minute of it short of the rough weather on our return, but it was certainly manageable if not rough at times. ;)

 

We are now eyeballing a March sailing on Enchantment, but I'll admit that's smaller size is a bit concerning to us. We went from Allure to Explorer and although it's certainly smaller, we found it more than accommodating, but going from Explorer to Enchantment seems like it might be a similar scenario all over again, perhaps without the positive outcome. ;)

 

We are a family of 4 - we enjoy the entertainment aboard, but also enjoy a quiet place to sit and relax sometimes without being crammed shoulder to shoulder with fellow passengers. Our two teenagers have REALLY enjoyed the teen programs aboard AOS and EOS, but also enjoy the amenities of the ships while on their own time.

 

Accordingly, opinions? Does everybody think we (adults, and kids separately) will enjoy Enchantment, or is there a risk we will find it too slow paced or (gasp!) boring because of it's smaller size and (presumably) less features vs the larger ships?

 

Thoughts? TIA!

 

I do. I'm on the Enchantment right now. She is different, that is certain. You will have to do more to amuse yourselves, but there is still enough to do to have a lovely vacation. There is a rock wall, a basketball court (half-court???), and a "jump zone": bungee trampoline jump. There is a splash zone for kiddies as well as the pools and hot tubs.

 

Solarium for adults. Ok, that's a joke. No one makes any attempt to keep anyone out. Now that the Park Cafe is in the solarium, it's every man (woman, child) for himself.

 

Explorer - 3 or 4 times. (getting old; not at my own computer)

Enchantment - this is my 3rd time. Still love her. Great crew.

 

But En OS will be more laid back than Ex OS.

[Oshawapilot]

At my stable this afternoon I bumped into a fellow rider who had sailed on Enchantment.

 

Her biggest gripe? Too many old people. :p

 

She indicated that Enchantment seems to be favoured by the senior/retired crowd...HEAVILLY favoured.

 

Now, it's not that I'm against that, but she seemed to be suggesting that we won't find anyone our own age group (mid-late 30's) should we want to socialize. I think she was probably in her mid 40's and she said that she was (with few exceptions) one of the youngest people on the ship, with the exception of the usual smattering of kids, and she said that even the kids were sparse/unseen.

 

Was this just an oddity? An AARP scheduled cruise or something? :D

[spookwife]

Thanks, appreciated. Keep the opinions/thoughts coming, everyone.

 

Oh, and the kids demand to know.. "Is there self-serve ice cream?" They absolutely loved the machine on the pool deck of Explorer. ;)

 

vanilla and strawberry.

[spookwife]

They did add more staterooms during this refurb but those staterooms will not be occupied until January so it is hard to say if things will be crowded.

 

actually they were occupied on the 22 Dec sailing. at least a couple were. the one cabin on the end just as you head towards the rest of the cabins was always blocking the aisle with a large stroller left outside the door.

[Coralc]

At my stable this afternoon I bumped into a fellow rider who had sailed on Enchantment.

 

Her biggest gripe? Too many old people. :p

 

She indicated that Enchantment seems to be favoured by the senior/retired crowd...HEAVILLY favoured.

 

Now, it's not that I'm against that, but she seemed to be suggesting that we won't find anyone our own age group (mid-late 30's) should we want to socialize. I think she was probably in her mid 40's and she said that she was (with few exceptions) one of the youngest people on the ship, with the exception of the usual smattering of kids, and she said that even the kids were sparse/unseen.

 

Was this just an oddity? An AARP scheduled cruise or something? :D

 

Longer cruises are like that.

[Cuizer2]

At my stable this afternoon I bumped into a fellow rider who had sailed on Enchantment.

 

Her biggest gripe? Too many old people. :p

 

She indicated that Enchantment seems to be favoured by the senior/retired crowd...HEAVILLY favoured.

 

Now, it's not that I'm against that, but she seemed to be suggesting that we won't find anyone our own age group (mid-late 30's) should we want to socialize. I think she was probably in her mid 40's and she said that she was (with few exceptions) one of the youngest people on the ship, with the exception of the usual smattering of kids, and she said that even the kids were sparse/unseen.

 

Was this just an oddity? An AARP scheduled cruise or something? :D

 

You can't generalize the passenger demographic based on one cruise. Yes, if you go on one of the twelve night itineraries during school time you will find an older demographic. On the other hand the nine night cruise during president's week was over run by children. Talk to one of those cruisers and you'll get a completely different take on the passenger demographic (and it will be just as wrong).

 

Disney, Carnival, NCL and Royal Caribbean attract active people and families. HAL and Celebrity will have a much higher average passenger age group than Disney, Carnival, NCL or Royal Caribbean.

 

I've been on eight Carnival cruises. Seven of them had at least 100 kids (some had several more). But one had maybe only half a dozen. Should I judge the Carnival demographic based on the one school time cruise that began on a Monday and ended one week later on a Tuesday?

[Oshawapilot]

For the record, and for anyone referencing this thread in the future, we booked March 9th (9 nights) aboard Enchantment.

 

I'll be sure to report back our thoughts on the "smaller ship" experience from our perspective after the cruise.

[4merlurker]

I have the same concerns you have regarding ExOS vs EnOS. We will be on EnOS right after you on the 18th - wish I could read your review before I board. Oh well, when we come back maybe we can compare notes LOL.;)

[Mykitteh]

How is the Solarium on Enchantment for tanning being that it's covered? Is there a nice quiet place to hide to tan?

[Cuizer2]

I have the same concerns you have regarding ExOS vs EnOS. We will be on EnOS right after you on the 18th - wish I could read your review before I board. Oh well, when we come back maybe we can compare notes LOL.;)

 

You can read mine. It is long and has lots of pictures. Here is a link ...

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1591335

[4merlurker]

Great review - Thank you!

[read52]

We have been on the Allure, the Explorer and Navigator, and the Enchantment. We live about 40 minutes from Baltimore port so we have been on the Enchantment, Granduer and Carnival Pride out of Baltimore.

It is an easy port with a great city to visit. Washington, DC is close. In fact I am only a few miles from the border so that is another thing to think about to visit. My friends are going to be on the March 9 sailing. You may see more "older" people because most of the schools in the area will be out the week before or after Easter (March 31).I like the larger ships but it is cheap and easy to go out of Baltimore. We were on the Enchantment last June and saw parts of the East Coast that we have never been to.

[Oshawapilot]

For the record, and for anyone referencing this thread in the future, we booked March 9th (9 nights) aboard Enchantment.

 

I'll be sure to report back our thoughts on the "smaller ship" experience from our perspective after the cruise.

 

Well, I said I'd come back to this thread, and here I am - fresh off the ship yesterday morning. :)

 

The review? Short and sweet - we loved Enchantment. I expected it to have a much more "small ship" feel then I found it actually had in the end, and although some of the bigger ship venues were missing, I honestly didn't miss much about them. Yes, some of the venues used for entertainment on Enchantment had better options on the bigger ships (the ice rink for The Quest, for example, vs the lounge) but all in all no complaints.

 

The staff was most excellent, only a few iffy ones in a few areas, but again nothing that I'd write home or complain about. Lots of wows and great sense of humor staff all in all. We spent countless hours in the Solarium and loved despite the parents who couldn't read the signs about their children (nobody under 16), but the staff was fairly diligent about keeping that in line and removing the kids outside of the hours they were allowed. Again, no complaints, I don't like being an old-grump, but I *DID* value the fact that the solarium was adults only most of the time and enforcement is necessary to keep it that way.

 

The "atmosphere" seemed different on Enchantment as well. I think the smaller ship had something to do with it, but we also lucked out and had a great mix of passengers (not many young partiers and more mature cruisers) which I think had a lot more to do with it. On a side note, we actually set an All-Time record on this cruise for most Canadians on board and they actually had a little party for us in the Spotlight Lounge on day 6 or 7 which was nice!

 

It's a shame that Enchantment is leaving Baltimore as we would sail aboard her again in a heartbeat - we are now looking seriously at her replacement (Grandeur) for a December 10 night...but that raises more questions since it has that much fewer yet amenities - mainly I'm thinking the lack of the second pool and 2 less hot tubs is going to make the ones it has even more packed, and we tend to be water-seekers so I'm wondering if we'll find it tough to get near a hot tub, or shoulder to shoulder in the pools....hard to say given the different demographic the ship will attract out of Baltimore vs it's current port.

 

Anyhow, anyone who has sailed any of the bigger ships...don't fear this class as I think you'd be pleasantly surprised - we were. :)

[Coralc]

I'm so glad you came back and told us how much you enjoyed it, Mark.

 

We disembarked Vision on March 8 and also had a wonderful cruise!.:D

[rednancy1]

I am very glad your family enjoyed the Enchantment. :)