Just off the Enchanted, what a week! (October 15-22nd)

[Esjung1]

Hi All, 

 

I'm just off the Enchanted princess (New England/Canada)  and spent many hours reading all of the great information on cruise critic prior to my trip so I thought I'd share in return.

 

Transportation from LGA to Brooklyn- used Carmel limo, very reasonable and if you download the APP you save an additional $6 each way.  I paid $36.50 + tip each way for 2 adults and 2 suitcases plus carry-on backpacks. 

 

Embarkation- Super fast, was on the ship within 20 minutes of arriving at the Brooklyn cruise terminal. We had boarding group A at 11AM and were 45 minutes late and walked right on the ship. (I was not platinum or Elite at the time). 

 

Lunch- We opted to hit GIGI's up immediately instead of going to our cabins, it was empty and had an amazing lunch there! I think it's kind of a secret on embarkation day!  Went to our cabins directly after and they were ready.  My sister and I both booked single inside cabins side by side.

 

Cabin- Riviera deck R233 and R227 directly next to one another.  The cabins were inside cabins and were very nice for solo travelers or couples.  I would consider them a little tight for 3 people in my opinion. Lots of storage room though! The only downside was we kept hearing toilets flushing and a banging noise and came to realize that there was a storage area right next to cabin R233 which wasn't clear on the deck plans. 

 

Food-  Was amazing in my opinion! We did not do any specialty restaurants and didn't feel the need to.  Every meal in the dining room was delicious!  All seafood and steaks were great! I thought the dessert in the dining room was the best (way better than the desserts you find in the IC or buffet area).  Also, we rotated dining rooms each night.  I strategically planned the AFT 6 dining room on the nights we were in port late and the mid ship dining rooms when we were moving so less motion. International Cafe was very nice and had lots of options (more than when I was on the Majestic last year).  Also, we had 5:30 dinner reservations each night and never had to wait. We were typically done around 6:45 and it seems like there were lines around then so if you don't want to wait I would eat earlier. 

 

Ports-  We did not book any tours except in Bar Harbor but that port was cancelled due to weather. Really enjoyed Newport, took the free city bus (67) around and did the Cliff Walk and then got lucky because there was a Seafood festival going on last week so was able to try some local eats. Boston- walked from the ship to Quincy Market, about 2 miles but very doable if you are used to walking that far. From there, had a great lobster melt at Quincy Market and walked the Freedom Trail with some stops along the way to get Cannoli's that were amazing! By late afternoon it started to rain so we hopped on the SL2 (Silverline bus) from the transportation center back to the Black Falcon cruise terminal.  It was $2.40 PP one-way.  Lots of really nice locals helped us figure out how to use the public transportation system so we didn't get soaked walking the 2 miles back to the ship.  Rerouted to Sydney, NS instead of Saint John last week- not much to say there except that the locals were super nice and we managed to spend 3 hours walking around down the boardwalk, going into shops, history museum, etc.  Halifax was awesome- do not miss the city gardens, the flowers were still blooming and so so pretty! From there, walk to the Citadel National Site and spend some time there and then back down to the boardwalk for the Maritime Museum and lots of good food choices along the boardwalk. We spent about 5 hours doing those 3 things and were exhausted 25,000 steps later.  All very inexpensive if you can walk and do it on your own without booking tours. Some great shopping right inside the Halifax cruise terminal so save that for last so you don't have to carry everything with you. 🙂

 

Entertainment on Ship- Loved all of the nightly shows in the Princess theater.  They are super popular so you have to arrive 20-30 minutes early.  If you come 15 minutes ahead you will find very random seats left or in the middle of the row.  Lots of trivia in Princess Live but not my thing so we only did that once or twice. 

 

Misc- My sister had the princess plus beverage package and is typically pretty picky about her wines.  She found plenty to choose from and enjoyed the recommendations the staff normally made.  She found the Rose to be the best and had a really good prosecco nightly too. 

 

Overall, the service was excellent, food was really good, staff seemed happy and in my opinion it was overall a really great week! I'm ready to plan my next trip! 

 

 

 

[MissP22]

Was there anything negative like crowds, long wait for DR?

What were the main shows?

[Esjung1]

16 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

Was there anything negative like crowds, long wait for DR?

What were the main shows?

The shows were packed every night so you had to get there early. We ate at 5:30 so always got right in, I saw others waiting inline at 6:45/7:00ish. 

 

Main shows were: Comedian Robbie Printz, Production Show 5 Skies, Production Show Spotlight Bar, Comedy Again (twice but different material), "Gals & Dolls" with Hannah Howie, vocalist from Scotland), and another production show on the last night called Rock Opera.  There was another female vocalist that we did not see and for some reason I did not bring that patter home! 

[c-boy]

39 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

Was there anything negative like crowds, long wait for DR?

What were the main shows?

😃 your alive !   😀

[Itchy&Scratchy]

wonderful review, thank you!

Can't wait to be on Enchanted in 3 weeks!

[wrongwaywatson]

We're on the same as Itchy & Scratchy and we can't wait, either!

[dog]

This Saturday for me!

[hpeabody]

3 hours ago, MissP22 said:

Was there anything negative like crowds, long wait for DR?

What were the main shows?

To answer your question.  I was on the week prior and I DID find it crowded with lines.  Coffee by the IC, elevators-specifically mid ship, disembarking at ports (tendering particularly) and WHOA! the lines waiting for tender back.  Signs of a very full ship.

[disneyochem]

I also was on the Enchanted the week before (October 8).  The only time I noticed the crowds was the return tendering (especially in  Newport!) and getting into the MDR on the first night (the Capri).

 

Don't take the elevator so can't comment on that aspect but even though it was a full ship, we were able to avoid most of the crowds.  We're early risers so the buffet and IC were generally not crowded.

 

To the OP, thanks for your review!  It brought back fond memories of our trip.  We loved our cruise on the Enchanted and are looking forward to sailing her again!

[Esjung1]

4 minutes ago, disneyochem said:

I also was on the Enchanted the week before (October 8).  The only time I noticed the crowds was the return tendering (especially in  Newport!) and getting into the MDR on the first night (the Capri).

 

Don't take the elevator so can't comment on that aspect but even though it was a full ship, we were able to avoid most of the crowds.  We're early risers so the buffet and IC were generally not crowded.

 

To the OP, thanks for your review!  It brought back fond memories of our trip.  We loved our cruise on the Enchanted and are looking forward to sailing her again!

You are correct, the tender line was long in Newport, however I thought we would be waiting forever and ALL of the passengers waiting in the line fit on the tender that was waiting so it was actually pretty quick! And I'm with you, we were at the buffet at like 6:30 AM which was very quite and not crowded so I enjoyed that! 

Edited October 24, 2022 by Esjung1

[1965]

Love this informative report. Love hearing good things about the Enchanted. She'll be our home for 26 days next Nov. 😊

[Esjung1]

1 hour ago, 1965 said:

Love this informative report. Love hearing good things about the Enchanted. She'll be our home for 26 days next Nov. 😊

You will love it! Lots of great spaces to sit and hang out too. We liked to play cards in the Vista lounge when it wasn't being used. So much more I could have mentioned but can't edit my post now. 

[barbpretz]

We were also on the Oct. 15th cruise and the ship didn't seem crowded to us at all.  We chose to eat in the Amalfi Dining Room because it was reputed to be less crowded and we found that to be the case.  We ate early and didn't have any lines at all.  For those who miss Traditional Dining, we asked for (and got) the same table and excellent wait staff every night  - far away from other people as we requested.  We mostly used the stairs, but when we wanted an elevator, the aft elevators were almost always empty.  The early show in the theater did fill up, so we just got there early and got the seats we wanted.  We were even able to always get seats in the Piazza and found that there was plenty of room for dancing!  We enjoyed the Medallion and found it handy for ordering drinks and snacks - although there usually were also plenty of bar staff circulating and taking orders.  Some of the popular game shows in Princess Live did get overly crowded and probably should have been held in the theater, but that was just a minor inconvenience for us.  For those people who are concerned about the wine selections, we looked at the menus at the various bars where they did list the vineyards and details.  We had the Plus package and always found wines we liked - but i admit that we are not all that sophisticated about wine.  All in all, we had a wonderful cruise and found the food, entertainment and staff to be excellent.  I wouldn't hesitate to do this same cruise again on the Enchanted.

[MissP22]

20 hours ago, c-boy said:

😃 your alive !   😀

A little tattered but still here. 

We only got our internet back 2 days ago. 

[paradiselivin1]

Thanks for the great review and info. We'll be on for 20 days in December and can't wait! What time were the production shows? TIA.

[CenTexan]

Thanks for info! We leave this Saturday.

 

What are the times for the main shows in the Theater? If we eat in MD at 7:20pm, will we be able to make the late show?

[uncleboo]

Do you have any menus, to share trying to figure out what bites to go to specialty  resturants

[Esjung1]

4 hours ago, paradiselivin1 said:

Thanks for the great review and info. We'll be on for 20 days in December and can't wait! What time were the production shows? TIA.

8PM and 10PM

[Fa-Li]

@Esjung1 and @barbpretz  THANK YOU so much for your positive comments!  We are on Enchanted in February, along with friends who we are introducing to cruising.  I had begun to despair with the bad experiences people were sharing.  I'm so hopeful that there were glitches when she first got back to the US and that it will be, literally and figuratively, smooth sailing going forward. You've bolstered that hope!

 

One more question - how was the internet service?

[Esjung1]

1 hour ago, Fa-Li said:

@Esjung1 and @barbpretz  THANK YOU so much for your positive comments!  We are on Enchanted in February, along with friends who we are introducing to cruising.  I had begun to despair with the bad experiences people were sharing.  I'm so hopeful that there were glitches when she first got back to the US and that it will be, literally and figuratively, smooth sailing going forward. You've bolstered that hope!

 

One more question - how was the internet service?

I had no problems throughout the ship and was switching between my personal and work phone during the week.  The only area it's really sketchy is at the front of the ship in the princess theatre, basically non-existent there but I didn't need it anyway.  I do think weather and location can definitely be factors though for each individual experience. 

[CenTexan]

8 hours ago, Esjung1 said:

8PM and 10PM

Thank you.

[bassmk]

I was on this cruise, too, and I agree with how fantastic it was! It was half a bummer to miss Bar Harbor and St. John, but I will never complain about an extra sea day. 

 

We loved the ship and this was the first cruise where, at the end, my husband and I both agreed we could go another full week before going home. (Normally, we are READY to be home by the end of a cruise.)

[Esjung1]

51 minutes ago, bassmk said:

I was on this cruise, too, and I agree with how fantastic it was! It was half a bummer to miss Bar Harbor and St. John, but I will never complain about an extra sea day. 

 

We loved the ship and this was the first cruise where, at the end, my husband and I both agreed we could go another full week before going home. (Normally, we are READY to be home by the end of a cruise.)

Same here, wish I was still on the ship! And I'm kind of jealous of the FB posts I see from the people that went to Bar Harbor yesterday, it looked like a cute little town! Oh well, now I need to plan an east coast driving trip up to Bar Harbor. 

[Asquare]

On 10/25/2022 at 9:55 AM, CenTexan said:

Thanks for info! We leave this Saturday.

 

What are the times for the main shows in the Theater? If we eat in MD at 7:20pm, will we be able to make the late show?

We went to dinner at 7:15 on this same cruise & had plenty of time to make the late show.

[TravlingGato]

On 10/24/2022 at 12:04 PM, Esjung1 said:

Hi All, 

 

I'm just off the Enchanted princess (New England/Canada)  and spent many hours reading all of the great information on cruise critic prior to my trip so I thought I'd share in return.

 

Transportation from LGA to Brooklyn- used Carmel limo, very reasonable and if you download the APP you save an additional $6 each way.  I paid $36.50 + tip each way for 2 adults and 2 suitcases plus carry-on backpacks. 

 

Embarkation- Super fast, was on the ship within 20 minutes of arriving at the Brooklyn cruise terminal. We had boarding group A at 11AM and were 45 minutes late and walked right on the ship. (I was not platinum or Elite at the time). 

 

Lunch- We opted to hit GIGI's up immediately instead of going to our cabins, it was empty and had an amazing lunch there! I think it's kind of a secret on embarkation day!  Went to our cabins directly after and they were ready.  My sister and I both booked single inside cabins side by side.

 

Cabin- Riviera deck R233 and R227 directly next to one another.  The cabins were inside cabins and were very nice for solo travelers or couples.  I would consider them a little tight for 3 people in my opinion. Lots of storage room though! The only downside was we kept hearing toilets flushing and a banging noise and came to realize that there was a storage area right next to cabin R233 which wasn't clear on the deck plans. 

 

Food-  Was amazing in my opinion! We did not do any specialty restaurants and didn't feel the need to.  Every meal in the dining room was delicious!  All seafood and steaks were great! I thought the dessert in the dining room was the best (way better than the desserts you find in the IC or buffet area).  Also, we rotated dining rooms each night.  I strategically planned the AFT 6 dining room on the nights we were in port late and the mid ship dining rooms when we were moving so less motion. International Cafe was very nice and had lots of options (more than when I was on the Majestic last year).  Also, we had 5:30 dinner reservations each night and never had to wait. We were typically done around 6:45 and it seems like there were lines around then so if you don't want to wait I would eat earlier. 

 

Ports-  We did not book any tours except in Bar Harbor but that port was cancelled due to weather. Really enjoyed Newport, took the free city bus (67) around and did the Cliff Walk and then got lucky because there was a Seafood festival going on last week so was able to try some local eats. Boston- walked from the ship to Quincy Market, about 2 miles but very doable if you are used to walking that far. From there, had a great lobster melt at Quincy Market and walked the Freedom Trail with some stops along the way to get Cannoli's that were amazing! By late afternoon it started to rain so we hopped on the SL2 (Silverline bus) from the transportation center back to the Black Falcon cruise terminal.  It was $2.40 PP one-way.  Lots of really nice locals helped us figure out how to use the public transportation system so we didn't get soaked walking the 2 miles back to the ship.  Rerouted to Sydney, NS instead of Saint John last week- not much to say there except that the locals were super nice and we managed to spend 3 hours walking around down the boardwalk, going into shops, history museum, etc.  Halifax was awesome- do not miss the city gardens, the flowers were still blooming and so so pretty! From there, walk to the Citadel National Site and spend some time there and then back down to the boardwalk for the Maritime Museum and lots of good food choices along the boardwalk. We spent about 5 hours doing those 3 things and were exhausted 25,000 steps later.  All very inexpensive if you can walk and do it on your own without booking tours. Some great shopping right inside the Halifax cruise terminal so save that for last so you don't have to carry everything with you. 🙂

 

Entertainment on Ship- Loved all of the nightly shows in the Princess theater.  They are super popular so you have to arrive 20-30 minutes early.  If you come 15 minutes ahead you will find very random seats left or in the middle of the row.  Lots of trivia in Princess Live but not my thing so we only did that once or twice. 

 

Misc- My sister had the princess plus beverage package and is typically pretty picky about her wines.  She found plenty to choose from and enjoyed the recommendations the staff normally made.  She found the Rose to be the best and had a really good prosecco nightly too. 

 

Overall, the service was excellent, food was really good, staff seemed happy and in my opinion it was overall a really great week! I'm ready to plan my next trip! 

 

 

Thanks for your info that fits our dining preferences. We hope that services on our December cruise is as positive as yours.