Enchantment 2/13/06 Review

[CruisingCatherine]

I had a wonderful time on the Enchantment and wanted to give everyone a detailed review. I tend to write a whole lot so I am breaking my review into sections. If anyone has any questions feel free to ask away.

 

Day one: Embarkation

Due to our schedules we had to fly into Ft. Lauderdale the day of the cruise rather than the day before. This isn’t my favorite way to arrive. We arrived at the airport at 11:00 AM. Thank goodness, all of our bags made it and there were no flight delays. After collecting our baggage we went outside and immediately hailed a cab to the port. The cost of cab was $12-$15. It was only about a 10 minute ride to the port.

We did see people waiting for RCCL Transfer. I was surprised to see that these individuals had to gather their bags themselves and take them to a waiting bus. The transfer didn’t depart the airport until the bus was full. This could end up being quite a while. I would recommend the taxi.

We arrived at port by 11:15 AM. Check-in was simplified because we had already done our Sign and Sail form on-line. For those travelers who had not done this it took quite a while. At 11:30 AM we were on our way!! The Embarkation Photos created a very long line. At first the Ship Photographers would not allow those not wanting pictures to by pass line. After being corrected by senior staff members we were able to by-pass this line and head on-board. My advice, skip the photos and get on-board. Everyone looked tired and baggage laden in the photos.

Our first impression of the ship, BEAUTIFUL!!!! I have been on other ships but I found the public areas on this one to be very elegant and intimate. The refurbishment must have done wonders. Everything was spotlessly clean and organized. There is some wear and tear on the ship but you really have to look for it in order to find it.

The first thing we did was tour the ship. I have found that this is the best time to take pictures because so many of the areas are empty. We found our table in the dining room and to our surprise we had been given a table for two as we requested. Next we made our reservation for Chops. Then it was on to the Windjammer for lunch.

The Windjammer is not one of my favorite areas on board any of the ships. As expected it was very crowded and it was difficult to find a table. However, the lay out of the buffets allowed for good flow. The food was good and hot. We were pleased to find healthy things to ear included on the buffet.

At 1:30 PM we were allowed to go to our staterooms. We were disappointed to discover that our stateroom was not located in the new section. I had requested one of the new staterooms when I made the reservation. I can honestly say that I was not impressed with our room. The carpets were stained, the bathroom mirrors were damaged, and the bathroom drain was broken. The room was very clean and the linens were new. So I got over my disappointment very quickly. Our stateroom attendant managed to snag us two extra pillows and robes too!! By this time I didn’t even see the wear and tear in our room, my happiness blinded me to it.

Next review: The First Night!!

Here is a link to the photos of the ship. The title is Enchantmet of the Seas: http://community.webshots.com/user/kingdomwife

[bahouse3]

Please more!!!!

[CruisingCatherine]

bahouse3, your wish is my command.:)

 

The First Evening:

After unpacking, we headed up to the pool deck. The pool deck is so bright and cheerful. Even though it was very cold that afternoon, it was still a wonderful place to hang out and meet new people. We both got Amaretto Sours and found a deck chair to relax in. It was so fun to sit on the deck and watch everyone arrive.

Soon it was the dreaded Muster Drill. I have to say, as far as Muster Drills, this one wasn’t bad. Our station was delayed in being dismissed though because some people on our checklist had not arrived. We had to wait until they were located and checked off, then it was party time!!

We put our life vests back in our room and headed up to the pool deck for the sail away party. A reggae band called Heat Wave was playing, drinks were flowing, the conga line was growing, and everyone was happy. We were having such a good time we did not even realize that we had set sail. We stayed on deck till the music stopped and the casino opened.

The casino was fun. I found a Nickel slot machine “Texas Tea” that was a blast. I ended up playing on it for hours during the cruise. My H and I also tried our luck at the Quarter slots. I dind’t fare to well there. I lost my play money in no time. My H did better and was even ahead for a long time.

For late seating dinner that evening I had the Vidalia Onion Tart, Spinach Salad, and Stuffed Chx Breast. The Onion Tart is similar to a quiche and the Stuffed Chx had brie cheese and ham in it. Everything was wonderful!! My H had the Tuscan Tomato Soup, Spinach Salad, and Top Sirloin. Again everything tasted wonderful. He would recommend that you have this before going to Chops though. After Chops the steak would have been disappointing. Our waiter and our assistant waiter were fantastic. We never had to ask for anything. We ordered a wonderful bottle of wine to go with dinner sat back and enjoyed our dining experience for the next hour and a half.

After dinner we attended the Welcome Aboard Show. Matt, our Cruise Director, was professional but yet funny. We loved it when he announced, “You are officially on vacation!!” The RCCL Singers and Dancers performed a little bit and then we had a comedian, He was so funny my sides hurt from laughing. We couldn’t wait until the last night when he did his Adult Comedy Show.

After dinner we enjoyed some Classical music in the Centrum and then some Latin music in Boleros. Both performers were wonderful. We even took time to walk around the deck. I would recommend that everyone take time to enjoy this. The moon was full and reflecting off the ocean. So romantic.

We were so tired we had to go bed early. My H’s Tuxedo had arrived and was hanging in the closet. We were greeted by a towel swan and chocolate on our pillows. We hung out our room service breakfast request and passed out.

Next Review: Key West

 

I have added another album titled "Life On Board the Enchantment" to show you some more of the pictures of things happening onboard.

[dizneefreak28]

I love your review! Keep it coming! We don't cruise until June....but reading reviews makes me even more excited! :)

[natesfirewife]

We are going on the Cruise Critic Group Cruise aboard the Enchantment 12/18/06. It's a 5 night and we'll be back in time for Christmas! Did you get to try the trampolenes?

 

Misty

[phabric]

Enjoyed your review so far keep it coming. We will be on the Enchantment Dec 23. What did they have on the room service menu? The safe in the room, did you have to use a magnetic stripe card or a code. Did they leave any amenities in the bathroom ie; hand lotion, shampoo, conditioner.

[CruisingCatherine]

Day Two: Key West

We arrived in Key West at 7:00 AM. Pay attention to the time changes. I was so tired the night before I was reading the wrong Cruise Compass and reset my watch too early. This could have been a disaster. After finishing our breakfast in bed we were ready to tackle Key West.

We did not have anything scheduled until 10:30 AM so we decided to walk around Key West. It was unusually cold that day. In fact they had reached their all time low record the night before at 41 degrees. It was between 50-60 degrees. Key West is a very beautiful lush island with a lot of history and culture. It is also very clean and well maintained. The walk around Key West is very nice. The streets are well marked and Duval Street and the markets are within easy walking distance. We walked up and down Duval street and along the waterfront until it was time for our excursion. We passed many places to buy Trolley Tickets and wished we had not booked our excursion with RCCL.

On a funny note….there are chickens and roosters running around loose everywhere. All over the island. We just couldn’t believe what we were seeing. It was so funny when we saw a chicken crossing the rode….we had to take a picture. Later on I found out they let the chickens and roosters run wild for insect control. Apparently these birds enjoy eating palmetto bugs and scorpions.

One word to the wise, if you see something you want to buy, get it and don’t wait. There was jewelry I wanted to get my daughter, key lime pie from the Blond Giraffe, and a shirt my husband wanted. We had planned on going back to shop after our excursion. With the limited time in this port….going back just doesn’t work. We ended up getting similar items closer to the pier for more money and less quality. I even bought Key Lime pie from a little café……it was gross, too sweet, runny, and with nasty meringue on it. I should have gotten it from the Blond Giraffe when I had the chance.

We had booked a Trolley Tour of the island through RCCL. It was my understanding that you could get on or off the Trolley at any point. When the tickets arrived they said “Conch Train/Trolley Tour”. I knew that the train did not make stops so I was concerned. I spoke with the Explorations desk that told me I could choose which tour I wanted. This did not end up being the case. We were herded onto a Train Tour. The tour, although very cold, was nice. It told us a lot about the island, the architecture, and the history of the island. My only disappointment is we were not able to get on and off as we had hoped. I think that this would be an excellent tour for someone who is not interested in shopping or has limited mobility. In hindsight, I would have walked off the ship, gotten my own tickets for the trolley, and explored the island on my own.

I added another new album: Key West

 

Next Review: Formal Night

[CruisingCatherine]

Phabric:

 

I can only answer your questions based on my experience with an old room. The rooms in the new section may be different.

 

The safes in the room are activated by credit card. I have heard of people using used store gift cards (Walmart, Target) or expired and cancelled credit cards for this purpose. That way if thier card is stolen at port no harm is done.

 

The room service breakfast menu has several types of cereal, fresh fruits, breads, yougart, eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, omelettes, tea, milk, juice, coffee, and condiments. You can choose your delivery time. This was our morning wake up call.

 

The only ammenities in the bathroom is kleenex, toilet paper :rolleyes: (not sure if you would classify this as ammenity or neccesity), soap,and some shampoo in a pump in the shower.

 

 

natesfirewife:

 

Didn't try the trampolines this time. The rock wall wore me out before I got the chance.:D

[Kteacher]

I'm really enjoying your review :)

[Amymacc]

HI,

 

My family took this cruise 1/30. It is a fantastic ship. The in room safe actually opens with your sea pass card, not a credit card. We had the family oceanview room right up front, you could see the captain standing out on a little balcony from our window. Our room was added during the stretching. 444 square feet, baby!! We thought we were in heaven. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms and all for the price of a regular oceanview. We just had to invite a family friend along so we would have five in the room.

 

Amy:p

[Stormlover]

CC TELL US MORE ;) We go will be sailing on her March 13-18.:p Enjoying your review..

[phabric]

I am not sure if we are in the new section, we have cabins 2538 and 2558 oceanview.

 

After the cruise was there anything that you should have brought with you, I sometimes say, "I wish I had brought ----"

[Kteacher]

phabric- there was a thread a few weeks ago re determining where the new cabins are. From what I remember, if you look at deck plans and go straight down from where the bridges are on the pool deck, the new cabins are between the bridges.

[bld16]

Misty, Thanks for the tampoline question! I have been wondering the same thing. Can't seem to find any pics either. The kids are wondering. Of course so am I! Dec 18 is getting closer.

 

Brenda

[viper88]

What type of room did you stay in for the cruise?

[CruisingCatherine]

Sorry it has taken a while to post another review section. Our internet has been down all day. They ended up having to run a new cable to the house. AGGHHH:eek:

 

To answer a question. We had cabin 3088 a Superior Ocean View.

 

Next Review: Formal Night!!

After our excursion we headed back onboard. We hit the dining room for lunch. This was very nice. We enjoyed relaxing and meeting new people. We had Orange Chicken over Rice for lunch. Could you tell yet that we were watching our waistlines? Once our food settled we hit the Ship Shape Center for a good workout. It is so much easier to work out with beautiful ocean views. We were pulling out of port right as I started my workout.

After our workout we hit poolside again. One of our favorite things was listening to Heat Wave and having drinks on the Sun Deck!! While we were on the pool deck I decided to try the Rock Climbing Wall. One word of caution, if you are planning on tackling the Rock Wall….make sure your nails aren’t too long!! I had a harder time trying not to break my nails than I had climbing the wall. I made it all the way up!!! When I was finished I was a bag full of Jell-O though. My muscles were shaking from head to toe. I probably should have climbed before I worked out.

After relaxing we hit the casino again and did some shopping. For Valentine’s Day my H bought me a beautiful gold and diamond bracelet. For our Anniversary he bought me a beautiful gold and jade watch. Let me tell you…..Mama was happy!!! I played my favorite slot machine for a while and managed to make $2.00, yeah!

We retired to dress for dinner. My H looked great in his tux. His tux fit well, there were two shirts included, shoe size was correct, and all of it was in good repair. I was very pleased with the quality and efficiency of the tux rentals onboard. I would highly recommend them to others.

We headed to dinner a little early so that we could get formal pictures. They had a total of 4 different backgrounds set up for pictures. The lines for the Centrum Staircase and Full Moon pictures were long. The lines for the Titanic Staircase and Enchantment backgrounds had almost no line. We decided to get the Full Moon pictures before dinner and the Centrum Staircase pictures after dinner.

On the way to dinner my H bought me some roses from a flower cart set up outside. I thought that it was very sweet. It was spectacular to see all of the women dressed in their formals and all of the men in tuxes. On previous cruises it was split down the middle between dark suits for men and tuxes. On this one most of the men had on tuxes, very few suits. At the same time most of the women had VERY formal dresses on. Maybe it was because it was on Valentine’s Night?

I had Shrimp Cocktail, Escargots, and Orange Lime Salmon for dinner. My H enjoyed Shrimp Cocktail, Caesar Salad, and Filet of Beef. All of the food was delicious. My H did say that he had wished he had ordered the salmon. He thought it was better than the beef. Again, the bartender was helpful in selecting a nice bottle of wine to compliment our dinner.

After dinner we waited in line for our Centrum Staircase picture. While we were in the Centrum we finished our wine and listened to some wonderful dance music while we watched the couples dancing in their formal attire.

Tonight the RC Singers and Dancers put on a show titled “Stage to Screen.” This was small sections of Broadway plays performed for us. The show was nice. Our favorite part was the section based on “Chicago.” You could really tell that the dancers and singers really loved this musical and were really having a good time performing it.

Next we took a walk around the promenade deck under a full moon. We finished off the night making our rounds to all of the nightclubs. We again enjoyed Latin Music in Boleros. Our favorite hot spot this evening was the Viking Crown Disco. The DJ was playing all 80’s music! My H and I both graduated high school in the 80’s so we were in heaven. We listened and danced until we couldn’t stay awake any longer.

New Album: Formal Night

Next Review: Cozumel

[LLindaC]

Good review! I'm glad to hear that Matt's still CD there- I've cruised twice with him on this ship and once with his brother on the Mariner. Is "Double D" still an assistant? We're going back for the 3rd time this fall, we just love this ship and it's upbeat staff. Do they still have the Beatle's show?

[CruisingCatherine]

No Beatle show.:( And I hate to tell you this. Matt had actually returned to England earlier this year to do some theatre. RCCL called him to see if he could fill in for 6 weeks only. Our cruise was the first of those 6 weeks. I am not sure about Double D.

[CruisingCatherine]

Day Three: Morning Activities and Tendering

This morning we had a little more time, tendering wasn’t scheduled to start until 10:00 AM. We enjoyed a leisurely Windjammer Breakfast on the Sun Deck. It wasn’t very crowded at all. The variety for breakfast was really good. They even had someone making omelets to order. After breakfast we were off for a good workout. It was wonderful to be working out as we pulled into port and began the anchoring. It almost made my workout seem effortless.

We had heard that the lines for tendering could be long and we wanted as much time in Cozumel as possible so we hurried for tickets. They had announced they would begin passing out tickets at approximately 9:30 AM on deck 6 near the photo gallery. We were in line at about 9:10 AM. There was already a line forming. Within 20 minutes the line had grown until it wrapped all the way around the Centrum, down the stairs, and around the next floor. I was so glad we had listened to our fellow CCs. We ended up with Tender #2 tickets. Others had tender tickets all the way up to #8 and higher. If you had booked excursions through RCCL you did not have to get tender tickets and you got off before anyone else.

After getting our tickets we hurried to change and gather our things before our tender was called. Public announcements for Tenders were only being made in the lounges so we decided to wait for our tender to be called in the Centrum. Unfortunately, the tendering process does not have all of the kinks worked out yet. Apparently the local government will only allow the ships to use their own tender crafts. RCCL was not allowed to use lifeboats as I have seen in the past. There were 7 ships tendered in the various ports the day we were there and rough seas. We only had two tenders servicing us. We waited until 11:30 AM before our tender was called. I heard later that some waited until after 1:00 PM. Everyone onboard was very patient while waiting. I think everyone was just very understanding because of all of the destruction. The tender boat we were on was a little scary and the gangways were not very steady. There were no problems however.

Next Review: Cozumel

[CruisingCatherine]

Cozumel Excursions:

Luckily we tendered to the Downtown Pier. This made it really easy to walk along the waterfront and shop before our excursion. The people of Cozumel were very excited to see all of the cruise ship passengers there that day. Some of the store owners got a little pushy trying to get you into their shops but a polite “no, thank you” made them leave you alone.

We found a wonderful second story restaurant over looking the bay. We sat up there enjoying the antics of the waiters and watching the harbor activity. The waiters kept getting ladies to dance with them and were blowing whistles. It was a riot. We stayed until 1:00 PM and then headed to our excursion.

We had privately booked a “Discover Diving” excursion with B & B Divers. It was easy to find their Dive Shop. We met our Dive Master Cheto there. He spent about 30 minutes explaining all we needed to know about diving. After our classroom training we hopped in his van and headed to the marina. We climbed in his small boat and headed out. He provided us with all of our equipment and wetsuits for the dive. He had also asked another diver to join us. This diver went with my H. We were surprised to find we had to enter the water by flipping off the boat backwards into the water, just like you see on the movies. My H and I both flipped off as instructed and began our dive.

I was surprised that it was as difficult as I found it to be. I kept trying to breathe through my nose instinctively which caused me to panic because I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Cheto was very patient with me. He made me keep eye contact with him at all times as we began our descent. About the time I started to get comfortable with my breathing he inflated my vest and we surfaced. Apparently, we had gotten into some kind of whirlpool underwater that concerned him. We got back into the boat and he took us to another dive site. Again we flipped off the back of the boat. I again panicked a couple of times during our decent. I would just reach out and grab his arm and he would force eye contact and calm me down. My ears bothered me on the way down at times but they managed to equalize. Before I knew it this time, we were on the ocean floor. I didn’t see my H on the bottom with us though.

We began swimming toward the reef when all of a sudden a very swift current started moving us. Cheto grabbed a hold of my arm and didn’t let go the rest of the time we were down. The current got very bad. We were being pushed side ways and sand was whipping all around us. There were even a few times we had to grab onto a rock to slow us down. It was at these times the sand was moving so quickly you couldn’t see very much. Even with all of this going on I was really enjoying it. I saw all kinds of coral, fish, and other marine life. I had no idea that anything was wrong because I had never dived before. I thought it was always like that so I was relaxed and enjoying myself.

We surfaced and discovered we had another problem. Our boat was no where to be found and we were very far from where we had started the dive. Apparently the current had moved us so swiftly we were a mile or more from where we had stated. We ended up swimming towards the shore and climbing onto the rocks to wait. Cheto hailed another boat and told him to call ours. Soon after that our boat arrived.

I was disappointed to discover my H had not been able to dive. His ears would just not equalize. He tried four or five times to descend and every time his ears became so painful he would have to surface. We believe that this is because as a child my H had frequent ear infections, had tubes put in his ears, and at one point even blew an eardrum. I wouldn’t recommend for anyone with ear problems to dive.

On the way back to the Dive Shop is when I discovered what had happened. I never knew we were in any danger though. Cheto did a great job at keeping me calm during it all.

After diving we headed to Paradise Beach. We took a cab that cost about $15. Once we arrived our cab driver told us he would wait there until we were finished, no charge. I had been to the beach before and was sad to see that the main building had been destroyed but equally happy to see how far they had come in repairing everything in such a short time. Paradise Beach, as always, was the highlight of our trip. Because we arrived later in the day there were no crowds at all and everything was quiet. My H got to walk on the beach for the first time ever. This trip was his first look at the ocean. It was so fun to see him enjoying it so much. We enjoyed Long Island Ice Teas on the beach as well as their famous nachos. We spent a couple of hours lounging on the chairs watching the sun begin to set. Life doesn’t get any better than that. Our only disappointment was we didn’t have enough time there. As we left we were surprised that our cab driver had waited on us as promised.

We took the taxi back picked up a couple of souvenirs near the pier and headed back to the ship. Our tender back was very nice. Probably one of the nicest I have ever been on. It held 300 people and had chairs like you would see on a plane. They were selling snacks, souvenirs, jewelry, and t-shirts to those who were interested. I was even pleased that the gangplanks were steady this time.

New Album: Cozumel (I will post the pictures of our dive as soon as I can get them developed from our waterproof camera)

[CruisingCatherine]

***My personal view on hurricane damage***

As I had said earlier, I have been to Cozumel before Hurricane Wilma. Many people on CC have urged people to not even get off the ship because of the conditions. I have to respectfully disagree with every ounce of my being. It was sad to see a lot of the damage because Cozumel was so beautiful before but I was amazed at how much has been done already So much of the waterfront has been repaired, new trees have been planted, buildings are newly painted, and clean-up is going on everywhere. Away from the main tourist areas you do see more damage but I feel it is because they are concentrating their efforts where it will be most beneficial to tourists. I was amazed to see so many people working together so hard. Everywhere I looked people were working. They worked until the sun set. It amazed me to think that they were doing all of this without the benefit of our heavy machines and easy access to building materials. I truly believe that we could take a lesson from the survivors of hurricane Wilma in Cozumel. I look forward to returning to Cozumel in November to see it even more beautiful than the first day I ever saw it!! With all of the work they are doing, the new Cozumel will be better than ever….you can count on it!!

Next Review: Night 3

[NYHartChapp]

Thanks for the review. We're on the April 10 sailing and can't wait.

[whale-watcher]

Misty, Thanks for the tampoline question! I have been wondering the same thing. Can't seem to find any pics either. The kids are wondering. Of course so am I! Dec 18 is getting closer.

 

Brenda

We (including DS 6, DS 12, and DD14 as well as me 40+ )used the trampolines MANY times on our Canada/NE cruise, and LOVED them! We jumped, did flips -- you name it. I will try to "shrink" some pictures to post here.

Only warning is that you WILL feel it the next day if you do flip (at least if you are 40+) -- but that did not stop me from jumping again.

[cruisingjon]

Keep it coming!!!

[natesfirewife]

I can't wait to flip!! Were the trampolenes open all the time or just at certain hours?

 

Misty