First time on Royal Caribbean

[Lottacruises]

What tips do you all have for me? We'll be on the Enchantment of the Seas.

Edited October 3, 2019 by Lottacruises

[Biker19]

Just now, Lottacruises said:

What tips do you all have for me?

Read CC threads.

[vacationlover_mn]

Read up on what is free, and what is not, on your ship.  For example, some cruise lines have free soda, a free burger joint, etc... RCI does not.

[Lottacruises]

9 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Read CC threads.

 

Yeah I have so I'm expecting a comment or two like yours.

[Lottacruises]

7 minutes ago, vacationlover_mn said:

Read up on what is free, and what is not, on your ship.  For example, some cruise lines have free soda, a free burger joint, etc... RCI does not.

 

We won't be getting a dining package or drink packages. Seems they have a deli and main dining room, and perhaps a couple other things that are included.

[Biker19]

38 minutes ago, Lottacruises said:

Yeah I have so I'm expecting a comment or two like yours.

You'll probably get a bit more feedback if you ask something a bit more specific - generic questions don't elicit much input.

 

CC, where you might get a dose of snark with every post.

[ladytaekwondo]

You can board anytime, but get to the cruise terminal early so you can get checked in and have lunch in the Windjammer (Usually opens around 11ish) before it gets too crowded.  Use the hand sanitizer provided.

Take a carry-on bag with swimsuits so you can get in the pool and hot tubs.

Your cabin will be available at 1:00 pm.

Luggage may arrive all at once or in spurts. Carry any meds in your carry-on.

The crews are fabulous! 

Ask for "savory bites" in the Main Dining Room in the bread offering...wonderful but not always available unless you ask for it.

Do one breakfast and at least one lunch in the Main Dining Room:  delicious!  You will get to sit with different people!

All alcohol has a 18% gratuity added.  Alcohol, soda, etc, and specialty dining restaurants have costs.  If they ask for your "SeaPass" card, it usually is not included in the standard cruise fare.  The SeaPass is your room key and required for leaving and boarding the ship.  They will hole punch it at customer service desk on board if you want to use a lanyard.  You will have your photo taken and it is linked to your SeaPass.

Don't miss the Love and Marriage game show and the "Quest".  What happens at the "Quest" stays at the "Quest"....participate if you can!!!

Free seasickness pills available at customer service and the medical deck:  works better than anything RX or over the counter according to my family.

Go to the meet and mingle!

Network and talk to cruisers and the crew.  The most information I received was actually from other cruisers, CC, and the waiters!

Have a great time!  These are only some basics I learned on CC before I went on my first cruise.  It is probably standard business for most cruise lines.

 

 

 

[Lottacruises]

24 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

You'll probably get a bit more feedback if you ask something a bit more specific - generic questions don't elicit much input.

 

CC, where you might get a dose of snark with every post.

 

Yes, that's why we love it here 🙂 I'm uncertain what to ask. 

 

If I get zero responses well just learn on our own. We have about 650 days at sea, so not new to cruising. I don't want to assume anything though...

[Lottacruises]

2 minutes ago, ladytaekwondo said:

You can board anytime, but get to the cruise terminal early so you can get checked in and have lunch in the Windjammer (Usually opens around 11ish) before it gets too crowded.  Use the hand sanitizer provided.

Take a carry-on bag with swimsuits so you can get in the pool and hot tubs.

Your cabin will be available at 1:00 pm.

Luggage may arrive all at once or in spurts. Carry any meds in your carry-on.

The crews are fabulous! 

Ask for "savory bites" in the Main Dining Room in the bread offering...wonderful but not always available unless you ask for it.

Do one breakfast and at least one lunch in the Main Dining Room:  delicious!  You will get to sit with different people!

All alcohol has a 18% gratuity added.  Alcohol, soda, etc, and specialty dining restaurants have costs.  If they ask for your "SeaPass" card, it usually is not included in the standard cruise fare.  The SeaPass is your room key and required for leaving and boarding the ship.  They will hole punch it at customer service desk on board if you want to use a lanyard.  You will have your photo taken and it is linked to your SeaPass.

Don't miss the Love and Marriage game show and the "Quest".  What happens at the "Quest" stays at the "Quest"....participate if you can!!!

Free seasickness pills available at customer service and the medical deck:  works better than anything RX or over the counter according to my family.

Go to the meet and mingle!

Network and talk to cruisers and the crew.  The most information I received was actually from other cruisers, CC, and the waiters!

Have a great time!  These are only some basics I learned on CC before I went on my first cruise.  It is probably standard business for most cruise lines.

 

 

 

 

Thanks! We love the quest but hardly see it any more. Thank you also for the other tips. 

We have the any time dining, do you or anyone have any experience regarding wait times?

[Biker19]

13 minutes ago, Lottacruises said:

 We have about 650 days at sea, so not new to cruising. I don't want to assume anything though...

You can review cruiseline comparison threads, and also, assuming you have a booking, limit your questions to the ship/itinerary you will sail.

[SuiteLady]

39 minutes ago, Lottacruises said:

 

Thanks! We love the quest but hardly see it any more. Thank you also for the other tips. 

We have the any time dining, do you or anyone have any experience regarding wait times?

I have never waited more than 5-10 minutes, and the longer wait was rare.  We always eat earlier (5:30), so this may be a factor......This has even been on the Oasis class ships (Harmony).

[SuiteLady]

I like to go to the Solarium for breakfasts and lunches....so much less busy!  They have a much smaller scale buffet than the WJ, however plenty to choose from and I find the WJ can be totally overwhelming with choices!  It makes a nice alternative to dealing with the craziness/ packed WJ!!  This is an included venue.....they do serve dinner, however make sure you check the specific ship you are on, because some are included and some are a charge FOR DINNER ONLY!!  What ship/ sailing are you going on?

[Clarea]

2 hours ago, Lottacruises said:

What tips do you all have for me? We'll be on the Enchantment of the Seas.

 

Recent "tell me everything I need to know" thread:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2689461-new-to-rci-what-should-i-know/?do=findComment&comment=58166560

[RedIguana]

1 hour ago, Lottacruises said:

Don't miss the Love and Marriage game show and the "Quest".  What happens at the "Quest" stays at the "Quest"....participate if you can!!!

I believe they have changed that statement. "What happens at the "Quest" stays at the "Quest"" has been modified to "What happens at the "Quest" stays on You Tube".

[garnetpalmetto]

1 hour ago, ladytaekwondo said:

You can board anytime, but get to the cruise terminal early so you can get checked in and have lunch in the Windjammer (Usually opens around 11ish) before it gets too crowded.  Use the hand sanitizer provided.

Take a carry-on bag with swimsuits so you can get in the pool and hot tubs.

Your cabin will be available at 1:00 pm.

Luggage may arrive all at once or in spurts. Carry any meds in your carry-on.

The crews are fabulous! 

Ask for "savory bites" in the Main Dining Room in the bread offering...wonderful but not always available unless you ask for it.

Do one breakfast and at least one lunch in the Main Dining Room:  delicious!  You will get to sit with different people!

All alcohol has a 18% gratuity added.  Alcohol, soda, etc, and specialty dining restaurants have costs.  If they ask for your "SeaPass" card, it usually is not included in the standard cruise fare.  The SeaPass is your room key and required for leaving and boarding the ship.  They will hole punch it at customer service desk on board if you want to use a lanyard.  You will have your photo taken and it is linked to your SeaPass.

Don't miss the Love and Marriage game show and the "Quest".  What happens at the "Quest" stays at the "Quest"....participate if you can!!!

Free seasickness pills available at customer service and the medical deck:  works better than anything RX or over the counter according to my family.

Go to the meet and mingle!

Network and talk to cruisers and the crew.  The most information I received was actually from other cruisers, CC, and the waiters!

Have a great time!  These are only some basics I learned on CC before I went on my first cruise.  It is probably standard business for most cruise lines.

 

 

 

 

I'd actually disagree with one suggestion @ladytaekwondo - rather than do lunch at Windjammer (which is Royal's buffet), do lunch at the Park Cafe in the Solarium instead. Much less crowded and you might get to try Royal's famed Beef on Weck sandwiches. There's not really a buffet per se at Park Cafe as someone else suggested - that's the Solarium Cafe on the Oasis class ships (Enchantment is a Vision class ship) but there will be sandwiches, pizzas, salads, etc. you can get there.

The breakdown of complementary versus pay venues on Enchantment is as follows:

Complementary

Main Dining Room

Windjammer

Park Cafe

Caffe Latte-tudes (food only)

Tariff-Added Venues

Chops Grille

Caffe Latte-tudes (specialty coffees and ice cream)

 

Enchantment is an older ship, not a ton of bells and whistles (no promenade, no flow rider, no Bionic Bar, no Broadway musicals, for instance) but it does have a unique feature - jump zone with bungee trampolines. In full disclosure, our cruise on her wasn't my favorite but that was about 2 years ago and things do change.

 

Depending on which stateroom you have (either an original stateroom or one added when she was lengthened in 2005 your bathroom will have either a shower curtain (original stateroom) or tube-style shower (new stateroom).

[Biker19]

2 minutes ago, garnetpalmetto said:

Enchantment is an older ship, not a ton of bells and whistles (no promenade, no flow rider, no Bionic Bar, no Broadway musicals, for instance) but it does have a unique feature - jump zone with bungee trampolines. 

Three other ships have Skypad.

[garnetpalmetto]

4 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Three other ships have Skypad.

 

Ah, but Enchantment's jump zone isn't a Skypad, which does make it unique 😉

 

Unlike the Skypads which have that little "ball" housing, in Enchantment's jump zone you're out in the open with a full view of the ship's surroundings.

 

Edited October 3, 2019 by garnetpalmetto

[Biker19]

Just now, garnetpalmetto said:

 

Ah, but Enchantment's jump zone isn't a Skypad 😉

Right, it's a Skypad without the globe surround and VR capability - basically, Skypad lite.

[garnetpalmetto]

3 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Right, it's a Skypad without the globe surround and VR capability - basically, Skypad lite.

 

That's certainly one way to see it. Others may prefer feeling completely out doors and the feeling of jumping high above the ship with a view of the water surrounding them, as opposed to playing a game on a VR headset. My point is that Enchantment's set up is unique in that it doesn't have the Skypad technology - that doesn't necessarily make it better or worse, just different.

[tillys mom]

This is very helpful! We are sailing for the first time on Explorer of the Seas next fall with a guarantee 4D. I hope you don’t mind me asking some questions too.

Can you bring sodas onboard?

Can you bring water onboard?

What reservations are people on the roll call talking about?

We have MTD. What does that mean?

Are gratuities assigned per day or do you just tip?

What else do you wish you had known before cruising RCI?

 

[Clarea]

You can bring soda and water onboard, but the rule is that you are limited to 12 containers per stateroom, each no larger than 500ml, carry-on only.

[tillys mom]

Could I carry on another 12 at a port we visit?

[Clarea]

1 minute ago, tillys mom said:

Could I carry on another 12 at a port we visit?

 

Against the rules, but your experience may vary.

[ladytaekwondo]

Sorry, we do not care for the Solarium food at the Park Buffet nor the fight to get a table.  Just our own dining preferences!  ENJOY your cruise!  It is what you make it!!!!!

[Lottacruises]

1 hour ago, Host Clarea said:

You can bring soda and water onboard, but the rule is that you are limited to 12 containers per stateroom, each no larger than 500ml, carry-on only.

 

12 per room or 12 per person? I think 12 is enough either way though.

 

We're doing a five day cruise, cozumel and somewhere else. We've been to both Progresso and Costa Maya, either one is fine.

 

Thank you all for your responses!