Do you guys like Enchantment?

[kwazi07]

As you can see in my signature, I'm sailing on the Enchantment OTS in five months. Is this a nice ship? I understand that it is older (actually older than my first cruise, Carnival Paradise) but is it kept up well? How long are the waits for the rock climbing walls/trampolines? Also, how are crowds? We found the Paradise to be quite crowded? All in all, how is RCCL compared to CCL?

Thanks!

[Megan_Strick]

I would love all the info as well. I'm thinking of booking for a Sept. cruise. It will be my first with RC.

[ryano]

As you can see in my signature, I'm sailing on the Enchantment OTS in five months. Is this a nice ship? I understand that it is older (actually older than my first cruise, Carnival Paradise) but is it kept up well? How long are the waits for the rock climbing walls/trampolines? Also, how are crowds? We found the Paradise to be quite crowded? All in all, how is RCCL compared to CCL?

Thanks!

 

Compared to an old Fantasy class Carnival ship, Id say you will be blown away by Enchantment.

 

Enchantment is a few years older but went through a major refurb in 2005 when the stretch was done.

 

I dont think Paradise has been touched since they built the thing. :confused:

[nolesrule]

Enchantment is a good starter ship to get you hooked on Royal Caribbean. :D

[kwazi07]

Compared to an old Fantasy class Carnival ship, Id say you will be blown away by Enchantment.

 

Enchantment is a few years older but went through a major refurb in 2005 when the stretch was done.

 

I dont think Paradise has been touched since they built the thing. :confused:

 

Great! There were many signs of wear on Paradise. One of our family members wasn't really enthused with cruising after that cruise and hope that's fixed with this one. Do you have answers to any other of my questions?

[Clarea]

We spent 10 days on Enchantment last year and enjoyed the ship very much. Love the Solarium and Park Cafe as a breakfast alternative. The Windjammer (buffet) can get crowded at peak times, just like any other ship we've been on. However, the pool deck is huge, and that was a fun place to have the late night Nassau sailaway and BBQ.

[retiredgram]

We cruised on her while she was in Baltimore. She is the one that was cut in half and had 75 feet added. When they added the extra cabins, they did not increase the seating capacity in the theater or windjammer. Really hard to get a seat in the theater unless you get there early.

 

Can not tell you about rock wall or trampoline as we did not use them.

 

Am sorry she left as we did enjoy our cruises on her.

 

I can only compare her to the Carnival Pride. To us they are comparable in entertainment and food. Of course, we are early 70's in age and easy to please.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[ryano]

Do you have answers to any other of my questions?

 

I cant help you as I have not been on Enchantment yet. Im actually looking at her for my next cruise :) I can tell you that I would not hesitate to book this ship though.

 

MANY people here that have sailed both lines find RCI ships a lot less crowded than Carnival ships though.

 

Someone will be along shortly to answer any questions you may have. I say book it and enjoy yourself! :)

Edited March 4, 2014 by ryano

[kwazi07]

We spent 10 days on Enchantment last year and enjoyed the ship very much. Love the Solarium and Park Cafe as a breakfast alternative. The Windjammer (buffet) can get crowded at peak times, just like any other ship we've been on. However, the pool deck is huge, and that was a fun place to have the late night Nassau sailaway and BBQ.

 

That's great to hear. Are there any obvious signs of wear? On the Paradise, there were missing pool tiles, faded curtains, and cracked leather. We are pretty happy we are doing a comparison of Carnival to RCL, insisted of vice versa(if you know what I mean:D).

[kwazi07]

I cant help you as I have not been on Enchantment yet. Im actually looking at her for my next cruise :) I can tell you that I would not hesitate to book this ship though.

 

MANY people here that have sailed both lines find RCI ships a lot less crowded than Carnival ships though.

 

Someone will be along shortly to answer any questions you may have. I say book it and enjoy yourself! :)

 

Oh we are already booked. The only thing that I'm anxious about is seeing the Freedom in PC and then seeing the Enchantment and comparing the two.

[pjlee3333]

That's great to hear. Are there any obvious signs of wear? On the Paradise, there were missing pool tiles, faded curtains, and cracked leather. We are pretty happy we are doing a comparison of Carnival to RCL, insisted of vice versa(if you know what I mean:D).

 

I sailed on Enchantment on the first cruise out of drydock December, 2012. Ship looked great.

 

As was mentioned the windjammer and shows can get crowded, especially because of the stretch. My mom and I tend to eat at off peak hours (like 10:30 for breakfast) so crowds were starting to thin out when we got there.

 

Music in the centrum was fantastic.

[Clarea]

That's great to hear. Are there any obvious signs of wear? On the Paradise, there were missing pool tiles, faded curtains, and cracked leather. We are pretty happy we are doing a comparison of Carnival to RCL, insisted of vice versa(if you know what I mean:D).

There are signs of wear, but nothing I'd consider major. Bathrooms were mostly redone in the recent dry dock. I've always been impressed by the condition of Royal's ships, inside and out.

[num1crewsfam]

We sailed her out of Baltimore last Feb. There was never a wait for the rock wall or trampolines. On our sailing, there were only 7 people on board who were under the age of 18, so we were able to do both activities with no lines as often as they were open.

 

It was always difficult to find a seat in the Windjammer, no matter what time we tried. The only time we were able to get a seat easily was a port day where we decided to hang out on the ship all day. Same went for the theatre.

 

We loved our cruise and had a wonderful time. We are very much in the minority with our opinion, but we wouldn't sail her again as it was just to crowded for our liking.

[kwazi07]

Thanks everyone. I am super excited that we are trying Royal Caribbean. I heard from one of my friends that Carnival is Walmart and Royal is Target:p.

[Clarea]

Thanks everyone. I am super excited that we are trying Royal Caribbean. I heard from one of my friends that Carnival is Walmart and Royal is Target:p.

Please report back here after your cruise. I'd be curious about your impression of Encantment.

[jmrothermel]

The problem that I found with the Enchantment is that when they lengthened it and added the additional cabins and whatnot, they didn't add additional public space. The windjammer....the only way I can describe that is basically it's like seagulls circling and scoping out food/tables. Otherwise, she was well maintained and we did enjoy the cruise (how can you have a bad time when you're cruising?) but she wouldn't be my first choice to sail on again.

[renee1222]

I have sailed the Carnival Elation (similar to Paradise) as well as the Enchantment. You will not be disappointed! She has a much better design! I sailed Enchantment after first sailing Freedom of the Seas and honestly thought I might be disappointed because of the smaller size. I was not! They make very good use of the space and the pool deck and solarium seem to have more seating available than some of the larger ships. Enchantment is designed very well. I kept saying, "Wow, I didn't expect this to be so big on a smaller ship!"

 

I do agree that the theater and Windjammer might seem crowded at times. We always try to get to shows about 15 minutes early, so we did not have a problem, but those who came in right at show time had a harder time finding seats. While on the Enchantment in February, they actually had a Windjammer hostess seating passengers at tables, based on how many were in their party. This created a short wait at the entrance, but you were guaranteed a place to sit down once you got your food, so you weren't wandering aimlessly looking for a table while your food got cold.

 

The entertainment was super, far better than what I saw on Carnival. If Marc Walker is still the CD, he was fabulous!

 

As far as food goes (which is subjective), I was overall more impressed with Royal Caribbean, especially in the buffet. The salad bar is fresh with lots of choices. There are several different options, including international choices. I enjoyed the food in the MDR on both Carnival and Royal, but would give a slight edge to Royal (with the exception of the Warm Chocolate Melting Cake on Carnival). Park Cafe in the Solarium is wonderful. Try it for lunch or an afternoon snack. We never tried it for breakfast.

 

I did not try the climbing wall or trampoline on Enchantment (they were closed when I went by), but for the climbing wall on other ships I have not had to wait more than 10 or 15 minutes after getting suited up. The climbing wall on the Enchantment is ALL the way Aft, as in, there is no walkway around the outside of it. The base where the belayers stand is up against the railing. It seemed a little tight, pushed all the way at the back, without much space for taking pictures, but I never saw it actually in use. There are actually 3 or 4 trampolines, so if all of them are being used, I would not imagine the wait being too long.

 

I hope that helps answer some of your questions. We had a fabulous time on the Enchantment, and I hope y'all do to! We will be back on her in November and are looking forward to it.

[kwazi07]

Please report back here after your cruise. I'd be curious about your impression of Encantment.

 

I intend on posting a full TR because I love reading them. And, judging by DarthGrady's TR, Enchantment looks beautiful compared to paradise. So bright!!!

[kwazi07]

I have sailed the Carnival Elation (similar to Paradise) as well as the Enchantment. You will not be disappointed! She has a much better design! I sailed Enchantment after first sailing Freedom of the Seas and honestly thought I might be disappointed because of the smaller size. I was not! They make very good use of the space and the pool deck and solarium seem to have more seating available than some of the larger ships. Enchantment is designed very well. I kept saying, "Wow, I didn't expect this to be so big on a smaller ship!"

 

I do agree that the theater and Windjammer might seem crowded at times. We always try to get to shows about 15 minutes early, so we did not have a problem, but those who came in right at show time had a harder time finding seats. While on the Enchantment in February, they actually had a Windjammer hostess seating passengers at tables, based on how many were in their party. This created a short wait at the entrance, but you were guaranteed a place to sit down once you got your food, so you weren't wandering aimlessly looking for a table while your food got cold.

 

The entertainment was super, far better than what I saw on Carnival. If Marc Walker is still the CD, he was fabulous!

 

As far as food goes (which is subjective), I was overall more impressed with Royal Caribbean, especially in the buffet. The salad bar is fresh with lots of choices. There are several different options, including international choices. I enjoyed the food in the MDR on both Carnival and Royal, but would give a slight edge to Royal (with the exception of the Warm Chocolate Melting Cake on Carnival). Park Cafe in the Solarium is wonderful. Try it for lunch or an afternoon snack. We never tried it for breakfast.

 

I did not try the climbing wall or trampoline on Enchantment (they were closed when I went by), but for the climbing wall on other ships I have not had to wait more than 10 or 15 minutes after getting suited up. The climbing wall on the Enchantment is ALL the way Aft, as in, there is no walkway around the outside of it. The base where the belayers stand is up against the railing. It seemed a little tight, pushed all the way at the back, without much space for taking pictures, but I never saw it actually in use. There are actually 3 or 4 trampolines, so if all of them are being used, I would not imagine the wait being too long.

 

I hope that helps answer some of your questions. We had a fabulous time on the Enchantment, and I hope y'all do to! We will be back on her in November and are looking forward to it.

 

Thanks for all of the info. We are probably going to eat in the Park Cafe most of the the lunches. What does it offer besides salads and the beef sandwiches?

[Clarea]

Thanks for all of the info. We are probably going to eat in the Park Cafe most of the the lunches. What does it offer besides salads and the beef sandwiches?

Panini, wraps, other types of sandwiches such as egg salad, ham on crossaint, etc., fruit cups, desserts. I don't recall pizza available for lunch, I think pizza is for the evening snack time.

[kwazi07]

Panini, wraps, other types of sandwiches such as egg salad, ham on crossaint, etc., fruit cups, desserts. I don't recall pizza available for lunch, I think pizza is for the evening snack time.

 

Mmmmmm paninis... How much is the Ben and Jerry's ice cream, and can you get free pastries at Cafe Latte Tudes? Also, how much are the Lattes, and do they offer anything lake a frappechino? Also, where can you get a smoothie? Sorry for all the questions, I'm very curious!

[Nemomof3]

We were just on the Enchantment a few weeks ago and did not see lines for the rock wall or trampolines either but there were not many kids on our sailing either. We ate many meals in the Windjammer and while it was busy never had a problem finding a table once at breakfast they opened up a small room across the hall but when we went to get our food there were lots of empty tables. Same with the shows they seemed pretty full but we were never turned away. The only lines I saw were for elevators on the sea day. Enjoy your trip!

[LilLeebird]

We will be on this ship in two weeks for Spring Break. Can't wait and will give a full report on CC when we get back! We're a bit worried about the crowds in the Windjammer after reading some reviews. However if the Windjammer is packed, I'm sure it won't be a problem to find another option for a meal. ;)

[kwazi07]

Are the bungee trampolines always closed?

[renee1222]

Are the bungee trampolines always closed?

 

 

No, the open hours are listed each day on the cruise compass. I seem to remember they were usually open from 4pm-7pm on embarkation and port days. We were just usually busy, and it wasn't a priority for us. When we go in November, we will have our kids with us, so it will be a priority and we will make sure to go when it is open. I'm sure that it depends on weather conditions as well. I have been on one cruise where it was too windy for the rock climbing wall, so I'm sure the same applies to the trampoline.