Enchantment

[riviera]

Anyone currently on and can give us 

updates? How are things?

[Merion_Mom]

 

[long4acruise]

My husband and I are onboard Enchantment now (Dec 31-Jan 8).

Boarding for us was great but we had the earliest 11am appt time and boarded using the appropriate Suites/ Pinnacles line.  There was a long line forming outside when we arrived at 10:45 but in sticking with its established guidance, RC did not allow earlier boarding outside of appt time. (We'd received multiple emails the days prior requesting we adhere to our scheduled appt times!)

 

Was told 1400 originally booked, but only 1018 onboard. 500+ Crown & Anchor members but don't recall each category, except 130+ Diamond+ and 13 Pinnacles.

Very friendly and helpful crew, no crowds. Windjammer food is just ok - did light lunch there yes'day and today, closed last night (NYE) for dinner. Dinner in Main DR was good, fast service and food was hot.  NYE colorful party hats, beads & noisemakers on each table.

 

Lots of NYE activities scheduled, but no balloon drop. Plenty of music in multiple venues and also  a few "quiet" areas.

Due to low capacity it appears there's only one rep in the Next Cruise office this week.

 

The Captain is Daniel Budzelewski from Poland and the CD is Bobby Broughton from Dallas.

Wifi is great. We'll arrive in Port Canaveral tomorrow morning.

 

We booked this ship for several personal reasons: 35 minute driving distance to the port; to use multiple FCC balances and to celebrate NYE with friends we usually have a house party with. This is our 1st NYE cruise. That said, probably prefer celebrating on the Oasis & Quantum classes, even if we had to pay more for certain special activities. And definitely prefer the cruise not starting on NYE!  Was surprised RC didn't schedule this sailing for Dec 30th as some of its sailings in the past have begun on a Thursday and Carnival departs from Baltimore on Sun-Sun.

 

Hopes this info helps!

Edited January 1, 2022 by long4acruise

[riviera]

1 hour ago, long4acruise said:

My husband and I are onboard Enchantment now (Dec 31-Jan 8).

Boarding for us was great but we had the earliest 11am appt time and boarded using the appropriate Suites/ Pinnacles line.  There was a long line forming outside when we arrived at 10:45 but in sticking with its established guidance, RC did not allow earlier boarding outside of appt time. (We'd received multiple emails the days prior requesting we adhere to our scheduled appt times!)

 

Was told 1400 originally booked, but only 1018 onboard. 500+ Crown & Anchor members but don't recall each category, except 130+ Diamond+ and 13 Pinnacles.

Very friendly and helpful crew, no crowds. Windjammer food is just ok - did light lunch there yes'day and today, closed last night (NYE) for dinner. Dinner in Main DR was good, fast service and food was hot.  NYE colorful party hats, beads & noisemakers on each table.

 

Lots of NYE activities scheduled, but no balloon drop. Plenty of music in multiple venues and also  a few "quiet" areas.

Due to low capacity it appears there's only one rep in the Next Cruise office this week.

 

The Captain is Daniel Budzelewski from Poland and the CD is Bobby Broughton from Dallas.

Wifi is great. We'll arrive in Port Canaveral tomorrow morning.

 

We booked this ship for several personal reasons: 35 minute driving distance to the port; to use multiple FCC balances and to celebrate NYE with friends we usually have a house party with. This is our 1st NYE cruise. That said, probably prefer celebrating on the Oasis & Quantum classes, even if we had to pay more for certain special activities. And definitely prefer the cruise not starting on NYE!  Was surprised RC didn't schedule this sailing for Dec 30th as some of its sailings in the past have begun on a Thursday and Carnival departs from Baltimore on Sun-Sun.

 

Hopes this info helps!

Very helpful. Thank you! Will windjammer be open for dinner from now on?  Have a great cruise 😁

[long4acruise]

24 minutes ago, riviera said:

Very helpful. Thank you! Will windjammer be open for dinner from now on?  Have a great cruise 😁

Windjammer is on the Compass for dinner tonight @ 6-9 pm. Perhaps it was just closed yes'day for NYE.

 

Also, I forgot to mention that Enchantment has can "spring" water versus the bottles.  Personally I do not like it - something about drinking water from a can and the "taste" isn't good and can't re-seal. I'd brought 12-pk of Deer Park water, so I save a bottle after use and pour the can water in it. Unsure if one also gets can water if purchased in the planner. Will try to find out. 

And the nerve of them charging me two of my [six] drink allowances for two cans of water!  I took care of that!

[shipgeeks]

Thank you for posting!  All very helpful -- and hopeful! -- re our February cruise on Enchantment.

Wishing you a continued good cruise.  Please pass along anything else you care to.

[LorraineP]

13 minutes ago, long4acruise said:

Windjammer is on the Compass for dinner tonight @ 6-9 pm. Perhaps it was just closed yes'day for NYE.

 

Also, I forgot to mention that Enchantment has can "spring" water versus the bottles.  Personally I do not like it - something about drinking water from a can and the "taste" isn't good and can't re-seal. I'd brought 12-pk of Deer Park water, so I save a bottle after use and pour the can water in it. Unsure if one also gets can water if purchased in the planner. Will try to find out. 

And the nerve of them charging me two of my [six] drink allowances for two cans of water!  I took care of that!

And the nerve of them charging me two of my [six] drink allowances for two cans of water!  I took care of that!

 

Did you go to guest services & they reinstated vouchers? They should at least give 4 cans for 1 voucher. I did pre-purchase 24 cans of water for our 1/20 cruise. 

[long4acruise]

2 hours ago, LorraineP said:

Did you go to guest services & they reinstated vouchers? They should at least give 4 cans for 1 voucher. I did pre-purchase 24 cans of water for our 1/20 cruise. 

Yes GS corrected it. I'm not much of a wine or spirits drinker but I do drink 64+ oz of water daily and a Sprite Zero occasionally. 

 

This is the first of our 8 sailings this year that we've had can water.  But, yes, should get more than one can for a drink voucher.

 

BTW: The Fresh Beat Band (from Indonesia) onboard is very entertaining and plays a nice genre of music!

[shipgeeks]

I think I remember Fresh Beat Band.  Good group.  Have you noticed if there is any music in Bolero's?

Back when Diamond drinks - 3 - were only available in Diamond Lounge, one bottle of water was definitely counted as one drink.  (We never availed ourselves of that, though; we love the tap water on the ship.)

Any further observations will be appreciated!

[Merion_Mom]

Everyone else on every other ship is reporting that ANY drink - including containers of water - "costs" you a voucher, unless you tell them not to use them.

 

If you want to drink 6 alcoholic drinks per day, it works out better to pay for your water and "spend" your vouchers on the $13~ish drinks.
 

 

[long4acruise]

To answer an earlier question: The Latin Dream Band is playing in Boleros, which is a vax'd only venue.

I've just heard them a little as I passed thru. Lots of dancing to their music.

Sports: All the big college and NFL 🏈 games have been on the TV - many on the big screen on the pool deck and all featured games are on in the casino and in the cabin.

 

A little surprised that on day 2, only a few (<6) Sprite Zero sodas are available on entire ship.

 

81° and sunny in Port Canaveral today.

 

Will try to answer other questions or concerns not previously addressed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BND]

On 1/1/2022 at 5:33 PM, long4acruise said:

Windjammer is on the Compass for dinner tonight @ 6-9 pm. Perhaps it was just closed yes'day for NYE.

 

Also, I forgot to mention that Enchantment has can "spring" water versus the bottles.  Personally I do not like it - something about drinking water from a can and the "taste" isn't good and can't re-seal. I'd brought 12-pk of Deer Park water, so I save a bottle after use and pour the can water in it. Unsure if one also gets can water if purchased in the planner. Will try to find out. 

And the nerve of them charging me two of my [six] drink allowances for two cans of water!  I took care of that!

Vouchers are for ANY drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) under $13.  Of course they charged you for the water.  Geez.

[long4acruise]

24 minutes ago, BND said:

Vouchers are for ANY drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) under $13.  Of course they charged you for the water.  Geez.

Excuse me!  Perhaps you misinterpreted, didn't read all related posts or whatever...   

 

Of course I expected to be charged for water and soda and always pay and tip accordingly.  When we were getting bottles of water, we'd usually get at least two bottles per voucher.  Similar, if one orders a drink in excess of  the $13 voucher value, you'd simply pay the excess amount over plus 18% gratuity on the full value.

 

Just completed six cruises in the last several months and received (not asked for) multiple bottles per voucher and on our Dec SY sailings, they even gave us a ltr bottle of Evian each time. This was our first experience with can water, inquired about the policy with Guest Services who agreed it s/b more than one can.  This is only the second revenue sailing for EN, so the wrinkles are being worked out.

 

End of story, I'm satisfied with RC's position and subscribe to the "There's no free ride in life thinking!"

 

 

[shipgeeks]

So happy to hear about Bolero's!

[bouy]

Hi I’m on board right now left on the 8th this is their first 12 day cruise . We have a little over 900 passengers on board . Embarkment was interesting. I had a set boarding time of 11 and got an email the evening before stating I needed to arrive 2 hours later . But evidently they didn’t pass that on to the pier staff cause when I arrived at 12:15 someone next to me said they had an 11 time slot and let us by pass the long line and no distancing there . Check in was a breeze up having lunch in the  solarium  By 12:45. Now they have the buffet all sectioned off with areas you can’t sit at for distancing  but they close at 3 they don’t serve dinner . Instead you have to go to the main dining room where there is no blocking of tables what so ever . You would think considering it takes you longer to eat dinner there would be some spacing .Not sure about the paying  restaurants. Same with the shows are they have the first row downstairs deck 5 which is for vaccinated people   blocked . Deck 6 area for everyone has more areas blocked but the place was packed last night and that was with 2 shows  tonight there’s only 1 so it will be packed . 

[RoyalC]

1 hour ago, bouy said:

Hi I’m on board right now left on the 8th this is their first 12 day cruise . We have a little over 900 passengers on board . Embarkment was interesting. I had a set boarding time of 11 and got an email the evening before stating I needed to arrive 2 hours later . But evidently they didn’t pass that on to the pier staff cause when I arrived at 12:15 someone next to me said they had an 11 time slot and let us by pass the long line and no distancing there . Check in was a breeze up having lunch in the  solarium  By 12:45. Now they have the buffet all sectioned off with areas you can’t sit at for distancing  but they close at 3 they don’t serve dinner . Instead you have to go to the main dining room where there is no blocking of tables what so ever . You would think considering it takes you longer to eat dinner there would be some spacing .Not sure about the paying  restaurants. Same with the shows are they have the first row downstairs deck 5 which is for vaccinated people   blocked . Deck 6 area for everyone has more areas blocked but the place was packed last night and that was with 2 shows  tonight there’s only 1 so it will be packed . 

Obviously upper mgmt hasn't learned anything. Anyone can run a business in easy times, but those that can't are exposed in tougher times. 

[SRF]

Most of the port people in Baltimore do not work for RCI.  They work for Cruise Maryland, who run the terminal.

[BND]

1 hour ago, SRF said:

Most of the port people in Baltimore do not work for RCI.  They work for Cruise Maryland, who run the terminal.

Pretty sure it's that way in most if not all ports.  The personnel just wear the cruise line "uniform" of the cruise they're working that day.  The cruise lines have contracts with each terminal/port and obviously they have guidelines for each line they have to follow.  The individuals who handle the luggage and forklifts are port employees and unionized and work the commercial piers also.  The inside staff are contractors.  

[TahitiDreaming]

2 hours ago, BND said:

Pretty sure it's that way in most if not all ports.  The personnel just wear the cruise line "uniform" of the cruise they're working that day.  The cruise lines have contracts with each terminal/port and obviously they have guidelines for each line they have to follow.  The individuals who handle the luggage and forklifts are port employees and unionized and work the commercial piers also.  The inside staff are contractors.  

This is not true of all cruise lines or in all ports. As a retiree, my dad went to work for Disney Cruise Lines at Port Canaveral, as "inside staff."  He was an employee of the Disney Company (and just recently got to do his second retirement after hitting 10 years with Disney.) 🙂

[Merion_Mom]

8 hours ago, bouy said:

Hi I’m on board right now left on the 8th this is their first 12 day cruise . We have a little over 900 passengers on board . Embarkment was interesting. I had a set boarding time of 11 and got an email the evening before stating I needed to arrive 2 hours later . But evidently they didn’t pass that on to the pier staff cause when I arrived at 12:15 someone next to me said they had an 11 time slot and let us by pass the long line and no distancing there . Check in was a breeze up having lunch in the  solarium  By 12:45. Now they have the buffet all sectioned off with areas you can’t sit at for distancing  but they close at 3 they don’t serve dinner . Instead you have to go to the main dining room where there is no blocking of tables what so ever . You would think considering it takes you longer to eat dinner there would be some spacing .Not sure about the paying  restaurants. Same with the shows are they have the first row downstairs deck 5 which is for vaccinated people   blocked . Deck 6 area for everyone has more areas blocked but the place was packed last night and that was with 2 shows  tonight there’s only 1 so it will be packed . 

 

There is only one - ONE - specialty restaurant on the Enchantment.  Chops.  That's it.

[bouy]

So last night there was a comedian two shows I went  to the 7:30 it was packed  good show though , they made the announcement about staying in your seats at the end of the show so they could get everyone out observing safe distancing so I left before the show got out . the next couple of nights there’s only one show at 9:30. Not going if it was that packed with two shows can’t imagine how it will be with just one. It’s my own personal choice trying to get back to some sense of normalcy during this crazy time . On a positive note I got a little bit of a sun burn out on deck today and it looks like we might be able to hit all of the ports we are supposed to 🙏🏻🤞😎

[Ott_CanuckSpouse]

Following.  Booked on March 5 twelve night.

[Another_Critic]

2 hours ago, bouy said:

... they made the announcement about staying in your seats at the end of the show so they could get everyone out observing safe distancing ...

The safe dismissal is a joke, at least on Oct. Oasis and two Dec. Anthem cruises.  Balcony dismissed, 10 seconds later sides and back dismissed, 10 seconds later front dismissed.  Same congestion at the exit, at the stairs, at the elevators, at the Esplanade (Anthem).

[SRF]

13 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

There is only one - ONE - specialty restaurant on the Enchantment.  Chops.  That's it.

 

Which is a bummer.  I was hoping they would had added at least one during the drydock.

 

Larger than Grandeur, but with less eating venues.

[Smhp]

47 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

Which is a bummer.  I was hoping they would had added at least one during the drydock.

 

Larger than Grandeur, but with less eating venues.

I know. I read an old article stating the next time Enchantment was refurbished they were going to put an Izumi where the diamond lounge was. I was so bummed when it didn't happen 😞.