Enchantment Review. Sept 21, 2015. 4-nights.

[Anita Latte]

Muster for just about everyone is on Deck 5.

 

Odd and even numbered stations are on opposite sides of the ship.

 

Muster was at 3:30 pm.

 

Bar service closes at 3:15 pm temporarily until the conclusion of the muster drill. If you have a drink in your hand, you will not be allowed to proceed to your muster station until you 1. finish your drink quickly (they are watching you with the equivalent of a toe tapping, arms crossed Mom) or 2. simply leave your drink on the tray provided specifically for collecting drinks.

 

Someone will ask you for your cabin number and verify that all parties in your stateroom are present.

 

Then you wait.

 

Wait until everyone is present and accounted for.

 

There was a very, very short life jacket demonstration.

 

Then there was a very, very short announcement by the Master and then the Cruise Director (CD).

 

It was a very speedy muster drill.

 

We were feeling a bit droopy. We'd been awake for...a LONG time...we'd left our house by 5:00 am...

 

Time for some serious couching out...lounging in the stateroom time.

 

That's where we hung out for sailaway.

 

My men don't seem to be too interested in all the hoopla that can accompany the sailaway...which is fine with me...so long as I can sit comfortably and see the sailing away...

 

Which I did from my super sweet window seat...

 

I think I ran up to the pool bar? It's pretty easy to hit the Oasis Bar which is on the side of the pool deck. If you tell the Bartenders that you will not stay poolside...they will let you take your glass bottled beer with you...otherwise, no glass poolside and they will pour it out into a plastic glass. Sam Adams back to the room...

 

And we were all set for sailaway...

 

There were my men:

 

 

Chillaxing to something on tv...

 

And I was busy looking at:

 

 

The cruise terminal is there to the left...and on the far right of the photo is a Disney Cruise Line ship.

 

I was perfectly comfy lounging on the window seat...

 

 

And somewhat fascinated with the gun power on the US Coast Guard boat:

 

 

It's like they were escorting us through the very small channel to the open sea. (Jacksonville...now there's a very long channel to get to open sea...OMG...this was nothing)

 

[Anita Latte]

Note the park in the distance:

 

 

There are people at the park...waving the at the ship as she leaves. Such a fun maritime tradition:

 

 

 

 

 

I couldn't quite see the Harbor Pilot leave the ship...which is sometimes quite terrifying to witness and think about doing yourself...but I could see the Pilot Boat:

 

 

And there we were...on our way and out to sea. Destination CocoCay...

 

OR...dinner?

 

We had some lounging and relaxing to do first...

 

We had My Time Dining...which meant that we could go whenever we wanted. Generally though...we tended to go early...there was always so many evening activities...we needed to eat earlier so we could try to do everything we wanted to do...

 

And one thing DS likes to do is eat...if you haven't picked up on that...

 

Sushi is served during dinner hours in the Windjammer...DS LOVES sushi...so we had to eat dinner early enough so that he could plan for his sushi snack later...

 

Yes. I'm totally serious.

[jayblue]

This is an awesome review! I cannot wait to read more!

[FirstCruise2331]

Loving your review, the detail is brilliant and very useful for me who is sailing EOS on Nov 2nd. As for planning your dinner time around having a late night sushi snack- why not?!

[hollon]

Thanks for writing a good review so far, it actually makes me want to go on this ship but was always afraid b/c of being smaller than the ones that I've been on., plus I like longer than 4 days, I actually love the Oasis class, etc., I'd appreciate it if you can send us pictures of the Enchantment.

[Andros]

Very much enjoying your review. I sailed Enchantment years ago and didn't have a great experience. Not due to the ship but personal issues. So being able to enjoy her again through your eyes is nice.

 

I would have to say if you enjoy being able to see the sea from all over you must sail on a Radiance class ship. We too have the bucket list of sailing each class. Taking our next step soon on Liberty OTS.

 

Looking forward to the continuation of the review.

[Anita Latte]

Thank you ALL for the feedback. :)

 

hollon...I do have more ship pictures and will be posting them.

 

I'm not sure if your concern about a smaller ship is related to how stable it would feel? Or is it related to a concern about the availability of activities on board? The thing to remember is that the older ships are the ships that caused so many people to fall in love with cruising. There's a balance between the ship and the ship's itinerary...the different ships are more or less appropriate for the different ports/number of ports/days of sailing...and the key is to just figure out which cruise is the best match for you. And that can vary...

 

I agree with preferring longer cruises, but my family doesn't always have the vacation time available for the longer ones. During the school year, the shorter cruises allow us to have the vacation and some transition time during the week long break. There can be a backlash for taking a break from life if there isn't that transition time...at least for us. The shorter cruises help us to have some balance in this phase of life.

 

But I can tell you...the TA I took was so much fun...I'm looking forward to taking a longer cruise again when life allows!

 

Andros...Aw. I'm glad you are enjoying my review. My parents have told me time and again that they think I will love the Radiance class. We once had a cruise booked on the Brilliance of the Seas but it was chartered. By naked people. Can you imagine? At least it was the last sailing before she went into dry dock! LOL! Although we understood that it was good naked cruising etiquette to always have a hand towel to sit on. :eek:

 

I don't try to force the issue with picking the different ships...our next cruise will be on Freedom! Very much looking forward to it...we're in the amazing stateroom 1864 (pretty sure) that is the super sized version of the panoramic room we just had. That one is pushing the envelope during spring break...8 nights! But it is the year of DH's and mine's 20th wedding anniversary...SO.

 

I think my men will really enjoy all that Freedom has to offer.

 

We'll get 'em all eventually. :)

[Anita Latte]

Luggage was trickling into the hallways...

 

There was one bag...

 

The carts were in the landings of the stairs...I saw another bag on one of the carts and grabbed it.

 

It was a little disconcerting to think about how all the bags were put on the same cart at the dock but now the bags had been separated...and they weren't arriving all at the same time...

 

Hmmm.

 

I knew that it could take a while for the luggage to arrive...and I've read the stories of luggage that somehow never arrived? I determined to track down the one lost bag...

 

And for some reason...it was sitting all by it's lonesome in the stairwell landing? :confused:

 

Generally, the first night of the cruise tends to be the most casual night in my experience. It's all related to luggage and the fact that some people don't get theirs before the first early seating...

 

Regardless...my men wear pants to the dining room. We like the Cubavera brand for cruisewear. Their linen and linen blend pants seem to be in the spirit of a tropical vacation...and generally they are very comfortable, even for my hot blooded men.

 

I think I mentioned that we had My Time Dining. I've had my time dining on every cruise except the first two. I like it. It is better on some ships than others...

 

For the Enchantment...for our sailing...the MTD was on Deck 5 of the MDR. Deck 5 is the Promenade Deck...it's the one lower deck were you can stroll outside on a Deck...so there is the possibility of people being out on deck to block the ocean view.

 

Everyone gets that I'm all about the ocean view, right?

 

But the beauty of Deck 5 is the floor to ceiling, wall to wall windows:

 

 

Deck 4 has port hole windows...large squares...but still...not the same as Deck 5.

 

We had the same service team for every meal. I did not request that...and on the third night...we ended up in a nearby table for a different service team...but because our servers were as bummed as we were...our team served us at that foreign table anyway. ;)

 

And so I made a reservation for the fourth and last night. Because a different couple who had made a reservation was at OUR table on night three. That was the only reservation we made...I made it on the way out of the dining room for the following night.

 

We never waited to be seated. We did tend to eat within the first hour of service. Service for MTD is between 5:30 and 9:00 pm.

 

We had excellent service. Shout out for Nozwelo and Fredy!! Nozwelo (she's a she) was the kind of server that peels your tiger shrimp for you...because she's got skills...and is one of those generally happy people that does what she does to the best of her ability. I won't project that she loves to be in service on her...but she had a great and positive attitude...and she always provided us with the information that she considered need to know regarding food service for the next day, etc.

 

Her recitation was a bit like that...a recitation of a memorized script. English is not her first language...you had to concentrate a bit to get in tune with her pronunciation...but she had good information.

 

Her take on the menus was also spot on. I'd say her opinions lined up with mine and so I valued her input.

 

I enjoyed dinner time though and she and her team were a bit part of that.

 

I won't talk about dinner in detail each night. And I'm sorry, I have no food porn. I've subjected my men to food reviews galore (especially in Disney) and so I do pick and choose when I focus on food. I let the pictures go for this trip...

 

But I have one of those memories...so I can talk about food a bit.

 

First...the order of menus:

 

Day 1: Mojo

Day 2: Saffron

Day 3: Pomodoro

Day 4: Pimento

 

Here's a link that shows 3 of 4 of these menus. In reality, the design is just slightly different...but the menu items are accurate. You'll have to google the Pomodoro menu to find it.

 

http://eatsleepcruise.com/cruise-reviews/enchantment-of-the-seas-review-february-2015/enchantment-of-the-seas-menu-2015/

 

These menus do not really change. I can tell you that each of these menus were on my Allure sailing earlier this year. So I have ordered from these menus before.

 

I could describe everything I ate...but that seems a bit self indulgent without photos...so here are some highlights...

 

If you like beef...anything that is "slow roasted" is EXCELLENT. IF you like your meat more rare than cooked. Generally, it is served two ways, medium rare and medium well. I ordered the beef off the Mojo menu and it was melt in your mouth wonderful. I'm normally a straight up medium kind of girl...but I did live in the midwest...and I have gradually come to appreciate the tenderness of the rarer temperature prep as time goes by. So I ordered the medium rare. It was the right choice for me.

 

DS ordered the beef off the lunch menu in the MDR on our one and only Sea Day...and yes, we ate in the dining room for lunch that day. He ordered the medium rare...but they brought him the medium well...I watched the way the meat cut and the way he had to chew it...and I know my Kansas born boy. I told him to wait and get what he ordered. The look of pleasure and heaven that lit up his face when he had a bite of the medium rare meat was proof positive that you really do want to eat the cooler temp...it is much better.

 

If you like beef, that is. And have midwest, rancher tendencies like we do...YMMV.

 

Every chilled soup was tasty...and most of them were like spoon feeding yourself a thin smoothie. Works if you are in the mood.

 

The one soup that was on the salty side was the French Onion...Nozwelo warned...but it wasn't badly over salted.

 

The tiger shrimp dinner is like an in between course. There are 4 rather medium-large sized shrimp...trust me...I've been to New Orleans and I lived in the Houston metro for over 6 years...I know BIG shrimp...these were NOT what I would call tiger size. The rice on the plate is a total throw away...not worth the calories. The veg is like token veg. It's a nice light dish...

 

OR...it's a great dish to also order when you decide to indulge in the lasagna the same night. ;) Just sayin'...

 

The menu is not obviously set up in the typical way...but it does have menu items in each category that appear every night (which you can see in the link). There is always a chef selection recommendation. Your server may steer you in that direction or a different one. Generally, they have good insight if they have been on contract for a while so ask them if you have questions.

 

Grandpa taught DS that you don't have to decide if you really don't want to...you can order more than one.

 

OMG.

 

Every night he had Escargots AND. He often ordered two entrees. Sometimes two desserts...

 

Ah. To have the metabolism of a 14 year old again...

 

Sigh.

 

Meanwhile...I have found the key to be to order what you want...eat what you want...and leave any guilt over not cleaning your plate at the door.

 

That said...I often left behind grains. I only used the bread basket once because it was absolutely NEEDED to grab the extra garlic butter from my venture into trying Escargots for myself. Yes indeedy...they were tender and not chewy...very lobster-esque in texture... That asiago bread roll is mighty tasty.

 

And if I wanted two of something...I did get it...hence my reference to the tiger shrimp AND lasagna, which was EXCELLENT btw...but WAY too rich to finish.

 

The one disappointment for me was the bread pudding...especially because I love it so much. Thank goodness DH and I decided to also split the Tiramisu...because that was outstanding.

 

The other disappointment...truth be told, was the chocolate souffle. I didn't expect there to be a big air pocket in the middle? What I had was good...but it seemed like there should have been more souffle in that souffle and less air bubble. Yummy espresso sauce though...

 

Oh. The lamb shank was so very good. YUM.

 

We did have bar service...hello...premium package!

 

I can honestly say that I usually had 3 glasses of wine with dinner. Yep. Call me a lush. I had one glass with each course. And it wasn't that dinner took so very long...it wasn't a rushed meal...and it wasn't slow. It just worked out that way.

 

This is actually a picture from the Boleros menu:

 

 

But this is a good representation of what is available by the glass for the dining room. There is a much bigger menu for the dining room...but part of that is because it is inflated with wines available by the bottle only.

 

I paid for the package...and therefore I was sticking to what was available for the package.

 

I can say too that the wine pours were a proper glass. Not an obnoxiously tall pour so that your red wine has no room to breathe. You have to tilt the glass decently to get a sip and you aren't scared to swirl it around and check out the legs of your wine...

 

So if I were actually paying by the glass...I might be more bummed with the pour...but as it was...I was a happy camper. My bar dude was prompt, visible, and remembered me and what I liked.

 

I like New Zealand wine.

 

One day, I started with the Kim Crawford...but ultimately, it was hitting too sweet for me. I hadn't tried the Spy Valley Pinot Noir before, but I really like the Matua Pinot (not available on the ship) from the same region...so I landed on the Spy Valley and it accompanied most of my meals.

 

I love to cook (hate to clean) and I consider myself an accomplished cook...I'm known for being a good cook in the midst of family and friends. Sometimes, it can be hard to eat restaurant food...especially if you think you could cook something better for yourself. That said, I enjoyed the MDR food.

 

I did try to order things that I would generally not cook for myself, generally because the ingredients would be too expensive (lamb) or because it isn't practical (prime rib)...or because the dish seemed very complicated with many components (smoked chicken appetizer). Using that as a guide line with my own tastes...I made good selections and enjoyed eating someone else's food on someone else's dishes.

 

And I LOVED getting up from that table to go pursue FUN after dinner...not the kitchen sink and the dishwasher.

[molly361]

Thanks for the great review. We were onboard the Enchantment 3 weeks ago for 4 days. I enjoy the 4/5 day cruises very much. We may start doing more of those instead of the longer ones.

[Anita Latte]

Thanks Molly! We have done three 4-5 night cruises now. Funny enough, one on each Royal, Celebrity, and Carnival. I find that they are really easy to plan...easy to pack for (and pack to go home)...and don't require too much work for prepping the house for being gone. The mindset is more that of a "getaway" rather than a big vacation...but that's just semantics...the shorter cruises can be such a wonderful vacation.

 

It's all a mindset. And I find the more I vacation, the better I get at it...I have an easier time hitting vacation mode at the start and transitioning back at the end. So it's a positive experience overall.

 

Practice does make perfect though...

 

If I lived closer to a port, I would definitely be taking more shorter cruises.

[vavasmom]

Great review. I fly in for three day cruises once or twice a year just to get away.

 

I also like the Spy Valley pinot. It was my favorite when they had the old wine and dine package.

[chip2mylou]

Your review is wonderful! We sail on Enchantment tomorrow, so this was very timely for me.

 

My question is about the shows - did you find them "family friendly" for your 14 year old? My kids are 13 and 11, so pretty close in age, and wondered how you'd rate the shows.

 

Thanks!

[KellyJean]

Honestly...IDK if there was ever roast beef in the Park Cafe.

 

FYI - we were on this same cruise. My daughter and I went to the Park Cafe one afternoon for a snack. They had a little roast beef left (they ended bringing out more) so I had to get a roast beef sandwich after I have read dozens of reviews of how delicious they were. BTW - those reviews were right! OMG that sandwich was soooo good. The chocolate chip cookies were good too.

 

I was disappointed that the Park Cafe wasn't open for lunch when we boarded but the Windjammer wasn't too badly packed when we went.

[KellyJean]

And somewhat fascinated with the gun power on the US Coast Guard boat:

 

I was fascinated by the MEN behind the guns! They can escort me around anytime! LOL

[Anita Latte]

Your review is wonderful! We sail on Enchantment tomorrow, so this was very timely for me.

 

My question is about the shows - did you find them "family friendly" for your 14 year old? My kids are 13 and 11, so pretty close in age, and wondered how you'd rate the shows.

 

Thanks!

 

Taking a hot minute to respond to this...

 

We did not see the comedian. He performed on two different nights...the second night he performed, the show was clearly billed for adults only. From past experience, I would believe that the Welcome Aboard comedy show would be kid friendly...but I can't vouch for that.

 

The Juggling show had nothing offensive. The production shows "Can't Stop the Rock" and "Stage to Screen" were both fine as well. No bare buns in any costumes...and by and large, the costumes were among the best that I've seen in terms of taste and fit. Some of them were skin tight and sort of sexy in that way...but nothing that was truly offensive.

 

I have seen the "Vegas Show Girl" costumes on board before...with the dental floss bottoms and exposed rears and why bother tops with so much cleavage exposed that I was uncomfortable with DS viewing...

 

Nothing was EVER close to that in all we experienced by the crew...

 

Now some of the passengers...let's just say that I almost appreciate stupid adults so that DS can get that negative lesson...learning what he DOESN'T want to be like. :rolleyes:

 

We also spent quite a bit of time in Trivia...and by and large that was clean.

 

The Love & Marriage Game Show was not billed as adults only...but common sense made me think a different activity would just be more fun for our family. So no knowledge of that one.

 

The Majority Rules Game Show was generally clean...there were a few times when people's answers could be a bit inappropriate but the staff was clearly sensitive to the audience members present and even made something of a production of recommending that one parent cover the ears of her obviously elementary school aged children for a couple responses.

 

Karaoke was clean. The song selection was clean. Some of the performers were a bit over the top and a bit, shall we say, deep in their cups? But generally, that was viewed through the eyes of watching some guy make a fool of himself and laughter rather than condemnation and upset for being inappropriate.

 

And of course, we never participated in anything that clearly said adults only.

 

Overall, I give the Enchantment high marks for family friendly. Very high.

 

DS had no interest in the Teen activities...so much so that he didn't even see what they were doing. He is pretty happy with the general activities on board and being with us. Yay.

 

One thing that happened around us that looked like fun for those interested was the Family Treasure Hunt on Day 4. It was "based" out of the Schooner Bar and appeared to be a massive scavenger hunt with each family being a team. If you like that sort of thing and have the energy to run...some of those kids were SERIOUS and were BOOKIN' out of there in their enthusiasm.

 

We had done the Harry Potter Trivia just prior to that activity and were feeling more loungy than run off over the shippy. :cool:

 

I hope you have a great vacation. If you have any other questions...feel free.

[Anita Latte]

KellyJean...I've had the roast beef on Allure. It IS wonderful...our schedule was such that we just didn't seem to be ready to eat when the Park Cafe was open for lunch.

 

Thanks vavasmom! I haven't done a 3-night cruise...there was one I saw that I thought went to Cozumel and back with one Sea Day. I would do that just to go to Nochi Cocum! I love that place!

[chellecruise12]

Thx for your review! I didn't know EOS had freestyle machines.. Was happy to hear that!!

Since I assume shrimp cocktail is still off the menu, did you ever ask for some at dinner anyways? Our last cruise it was brought out for us but we had to ask for it. Was hoping that was still the case..

[Anita Latte]

Thx for your review! I didn't know EOS had freestyle machines.. Was happy to hear that!!

Since I assume shrimp cocktail is still off the menu, did you ever ask for some at dinner anyways? Our last cruise it was brought out for us but we had to ask for it. Was hoping that was still the case..

 

What a funny thing...your post reminds me that I had read something about shrimp cocktail...

 

It was actually on the menu one night, but I was so used to seeing it on the menu every night on the Allure...and I generally avoid ordering the classic items, if possible...so I didn't ordered it that night.

 

I did see it in on other tables though and thought nothing of it because, again, was used to seeing it every night on my last Royal cruise.

 

SO. I would say that there is definitely a chance that it is still served if you ask...and definitely, for the 4 night cruise...it actually appears on the menu one night because I distinctly remember a decision making process regarding that menu item.

 

I will also take this opportunity to remember that there is some fine print on the menu regarding the Escargots...the fine print says that it may temporarily not be available due to shortage. Maybe even WORLDWIDE shortage...but I'm not positive about the inclusion of that all encompassing word.

Edited September 28, 2015 by Anita Latte

[Ander026]

Thanks for the review. The Enchantment is one of my favorite ships in the fleet. I have been on all the classes except Quantom. It is true that the older ships bring the cruising bug to new guests. My first RCCL cruise was on the Monarch and I was hooked.

[Miryam1234]

Thanks for the thorough review. Now we know what to expect in Feb 2016.

[jayblue]

Thank you for this review. My experience on Enchantment will be in just over a month. I am now really looking forward to it.

[Paulette3028]

I agree with preferring longer cruises, but my family doesn't always have the vacation time available for the longer ones. During the school year, the shorter cruises allow us to have the vacation and some transition time during the week long break. There can be a backlash for taking a break from life if there isn't that transition time...at least for us. The shorter cruises help us to have some balance in this phase of life..........

 

I don't try to force the issue with picking the different ships...our next cruise will be on Freedom! Very much looking forward to it...we're in the amazing stateroom 1864 (pretty sure) that is the super sized version of the panoramic room we just had. That one is pushing the envelope during spring break...8 nights! But it is the year of DH's and mine's 20th wedding anniversary...SO.

 

I think my men will really enjoy all that Freedom has to offer.

 

We'll get 'em all eventually. :)

 

We have cruised on many Royal ships and varying lengths. We cruise when we can, fitting it into our life's timeslots. I will say, we totally enjoyed our 8 day Independence cruise last February. It was the longest cruise we had been able to get away on, and that extra day on ship was great. We look forward to a TA when we have the time, probably after retirement. Indy which is the same class as Freedom has lots to do and isn't as big as the Oasis class....which we did enjoy when we sailed on Allure.

[Paulette3028]

I only crossed paths with him once...I don't recall his name. I THINK it was something along the lines of Marvelous Marvin? He was a youthful looking black man. He was thin and fit and about as tall as Marc Walker. He might have had facial hair...IDK if this info is helpful for you? Do you know of different Activities Managers?

 

 

There are lots of different Activity Managers and each one has their own personality and flair. Thank you for sharing with me the name of who was on board. I keep a running list of Activity Managers on Cruise Critic.

 

Marc Walker is one of the best CD's and very visible himself generally on board, doing more than just emceeing the evening activities or his Morning Show.

 

I hope they both added some flair, fun to your cruise.

[Anita Latte]

I'm so glad for all that are enjoying my little trip down memory lane here...the recap of our experience...

 

I did share the compasses and if you were able to take a peek, then you could see that there is a plethora of activity to fill your evening hours with entertainment.

 

After dinner, we participated in Name That TV Tune Trivia in Boleros.

 

I believe that Enchantment is the only Vision class ship with a Boleros. If you are unfamiliar, it is usually considered the Latin themed lounge. I've heard live Latin bands play there...DJ's playing recorded Latin tracks. There is a dance floor...a stage...and always lots of club like chairs and fewer couches in table centered conversation groupings.

 

On Enchantment, it is also the host for many trivia sessions (and many other activities that I did not attend, I'm sure).

 

If you have never attended a "Tune" Trivia session...they can be a lot of fun. FRUSTRATING. But usually very fun. Teams are limited to 6 members each...so if you are inclined, it can be a great way to meet people. (I had "trivia friends" on our Allure crossing that I usually formed a team with).

 

Someone from the activities staff hosts the event. They provide paper and pencils...and the source of your potential brain scrambling as you desperately seek down all memory lanes and chains and links to trigger the NAME of the tune...or the TV show...or the movie...from hearing what was as little as ONE NOTE to much longer excerpts.

 

You exchange papers at the end...there may or may not be a recap at the end...another team will grade your paper...and you will have a chance to see the efforts of someone else as well. Generally, it's very good fun if you like that sort of thing.

 

I have other photos of Boleros to share later, but in the interest of staying on track with my recap...I'll share what I look like (which I finally realized I haven't done):

 

 

You can catch just a glimpse of what how others are dressed in this photo as well...which is sometimes of interest to some...

 

Usually trivia is about a 30 minute activity.

 

It is surprising how the different venues that seem so close together can be their own space. One concern I had about Boleros was whether or not the smoke from the near by casino would waft over...it did not. Unless you were on a certain path of seating in Boleros, you weren't aware of any other area of ship...by sight, sound, or smell...when you were in Boleros.

 

We heeded over to the near-by Centrum to listen to the Production Staff and the Production Orchestra sing and play. They called it Jazz Cabaret.

 

The Centrum is pretty spectacular at night...and despite the very Vegas feel of the photos...it isn't a tacky glitz in person at all. It has more of the magical evening lit up quality that tasteful Christmas decoration can have...

 

 

 

OK. This may be very hard to see...there is a trippy kaleidoscope quality to these photos graphs...which exactly captures what it feels like to sit in the R-Bar and look UP in the Centrum btw...but IF you can find the rather greenhouse resembling slice of windows...and look at the two decks below those windows which you will know you have found if you are looking at wood paneled walls with framed pictures hanging on them gallery style...THOSE picture covered walls are the "sound wall" I named earlier in this thread.

 

The PV rooms (Deluxe Oceanview?) are located BEHIND those walls on Decks 7 and 8.

 

 

The dance floor was open...and there were a few couples that took advantage throughout the evening:

 

 

The Jazz Cabaret was about one hour...after which we headed to the Schooner Bar to check out "Piano Bar Entertainment with T.A. Williams"...who is this guy:

 

 

Now the Piano Bar on Carnival's Fascination is pretty much what DS and I did every night on our previous Fall Break cruise. What a FUN place that was...what a FUN player they had on board (sometimes a little risque...but no more so than many PG-13 movies...)...just a place you WANTED to be.

 

Have I mentioned that DS is a musician? He plays Euphonium in Symphonic Band, Baritone in the marching band, he CAN play Trombone (same mouthpiece)...he is a gifted Guitar player (he has three now)...he is a very talented singer (made All-State last year...a true bass since 7th grade)...and he is an accomplished composer (he won 2nd in the GYSO contest last summer). And he plans to study music in college...

 

We LOVE us some music.

 

We were impressed with the Production entertainment.

 

But MAN...we were disappointed in this particular Piano Entertainer.

 

I suppose it was helpful for us in the long run because that particular form of entertainment was relieved from the conflicting options that we tackled each night...

 

He could have suffered because of comparison to prior experience...he could play. He could sing. We just didn't care for what he was playing or singing...and the crowd was thin and not joining in on the singing...frankly, we didn't even want to...

 

We didn't stay long at the Schooner Bar.

 

We headed BACK to Boleros...because I wanted to see how the music was there...and if anyone was dancing...

 

Did I mention that I'm a Zumba instructor? Or rather, that I was an ACTIVE Zumba instructor prior to blowing out my ACL in February?

 

I LOVE me some dance-able Latin tunes!!

 

And when I recognized the music...I couldn't help myself...

 

GOOOOOOOOOOTTTAAAAAAAAAA Dance!!!!

 

Good times.

 

On other Royal cruises, there are usually some Latin ladies that dance the night away...with or without their men. I have had much fun with them in the past...but I didn't see them this night...or any other night. And no other ladies came out to join in...

 

So me and a bunch of couples were out on the floor doing some mean salsa and merengue and bachata...

 

Fun stuff.

 

I am happy to share that DH has asked me to teach him how to do some Latin dancing...

 

And let me just share with all the men out there...learn to DANCE! All the women just sigh and look longing at the couples that dance...and at the men that hold their ladies so carefully and lead them around the dance floor...be it in the Latin club or on the Jazz Cabaret floor.

 

I swear...I want to grab DS and some of his friends and MAKE them learn how to couple dance...and I think that they would thank me in the future when they go to weddings and cruises and other adult situations where they can show off their prowess on the dance floor and instantly win the admiration of just about every female present...

 

Because most women I observe are chair dancing...

 

I should have grabbed a couple myself and brought them out on the floor with me...

 

But honestly, I was a bit caught up in the fact that I was actually DANCING again...without my knee brace...and my leg was doing just fine. (I have pursued conservative treatment, so I live life without an ACL now...I have high hopes of being a "coper" and I've given myself the freedom of time to be one...and it felt like my hopes were manifest as I danced away to my heart's content...)

 

But the fatigue of the day did settle in...and even before the music was officially done for the night...we headed back to the stateroom for some much needed sleep.

[Anita Latte]

I do have a couple of bar menus.

 

Just about every lounge has the ability to produce generic or common cocktails...drinks of the day, etc. Most seem to offer the same wine by the glass though...and most seemed to offer the same beer selection...

 

There are some drinks that are only made in specific lounges. And that is why the menus can be interesting to know:

 

 

 

 

 

Celebrity has a "Zero Proof" page in their menus...and I was disappointed to not see one here. I know it's possible to order drinks in a "virgin" way...but it's sad to me that there was not some creativity offered for some non-alcoholic offerings.

 

When we were in Boleros for trivia...DH ordered one of the sipping Tequilas. DH likes whisky and having the opportunity to try out such tastes. We don't ever go to bars or lounges at home. I tried the Tequila and was surprised at the lack of burn. It really was pretty smooth. I'm not as into these drinks as DH, but he often offers a sip... I lack the language to adequately describe the taste though...

 

I had been drinking the aforementioned Spy Valley Pinot...and when I saw Sangria on the menu...I went for that.

 

YUCK.

 

I should have read the description! I should have known when a completely opaque yellow-orange drink in a wine glass was placed before me that this was NOT the Sangria that I was looking for.

 

Perhaps it wasn't so bad...but when you taste something expecting a certain kind of taste...and you get something different...

 

It's just wrong.

 

I said YAY for the drink package and didn't drink that drink...

 

And I don't recommend it either.