RC Enchantment of the Seas June 19, 2023 from Athens, Greece to Ravenna, Italy - REVIEW

[missync]

I know it's been almost a year but I finally have time to actually type this all out so I wanted to give everyone my review of the Royal Caribbean's Enchantment of the Seas Mediterranean cruise through the Greek isles!    

Before I start a little about me and my group...

• my first Mediterranean cruise but not my first overall in general or with RC (I've also cruised with Princess, Carnival, MSC, and Holland America)
• me: single female early 40's.  the rest of my group: bro and sis in law (early 50s), nephew (early 20s), mom (early 80s) *also none of them were first time cruisers
• we flew in from the US.  Mom and I stopped in London for a few days before flying into Athens.  Bro's family flew into Geneva and toured switzerland before going to Greece.  
• flights were a disaster and both groups were delayed so the time before was a bit off
• stayed in Athens for an extra 2 days to see the city prior to the cruise.
• took a train from Ravenna (not as close to Venice and it sounds fyi) to Rome for a few days at the end of the cruise. 
• No one in the family drinks so I can't really comment on drink packages or bars/drinks
• LOVE LOVE LOVE food.  my review will be very food focused lol
• we chose to only do MDR but I will have pictures of almost everything eaten including menus.
• And last but not least...I got very sick pretty much the second we got to Athens but I didn't miss anything off the ship...on however, I spent most of the evenings in bed.  If you'd like to know about medicines to buy in various places in the Greek Isles, I've got you.  Tested negative for Covid twice before anyone comes for me.  Pretty sure it was bronchitis but I didn't actually go to a doctor 🤔

 

Now on with the review!  

Day 1 Embarkation day

As I said previously, we flew in early to look around Athens.  I highly suggest that for multiple reasons but the biggest of which is that it's freakin Athens!!  We did a hop on hop off bus tour and it was great.  Weather wasn't so great at the beginning but it got a lot better as the day went on.  Plus if it's your first time cruising, I never recommend flying in day of.  Too many things can go wrong and the ship isn't going to wait for you.

 

Embarkation was pretty smooth.  I usually recommend getting to the port before your actual assigned time because most of the time you can get on early and start eating.  With this cruise (covid changed a lot of things), we didn't get there as early as planned but it was still a smooth process.  We waiting in the waiting room for only a short time and then we were on the ship.  We immediately went to the buffet for some food (see pictures).  No complaints overall.  We could already tell that the vibe was going to be different from Caribbean cruises but that's not a complaint.  just an observation

pictures are various sights around Athens and a few from embarkation

[missync]

Day 1 continued:

We chose early dining.  I feel that the late dining times are generally too late and you end up missing a lot of the things going on on the ship in the evenings.  just my opinion...

 Dinner was great!  again, we only do MDR.  if you don't know, you can order multiple apps, entrees, and/or desserts.  So my table frequently ordered almost everything on the menu and shared items because we just wanted to taste everything so when you see the pictures, don't be alarmed.  That wasn't all just me eating 😀

I'm going to try to go through the pictures in order but sorry if it's still confusing

spinach and artichoke dip: good but needed a little more salt or something though.  and a few more chips.

crab cake - DELICIOUS!  very crispy but tender inside.  great flavor.  marinara left a little to be desired though.  definitely would order again

ceasar salad - meh.  nothing exciting.  just felt like vegetables.  not worth it

pan roasted fish - good not great.  needed a little something spicewise.  potatoes were very good though. 

steak - I didn't try this one but my brother said it was very good.  he laughed at the tiny little potato because yes, it was as small as it looked on the plate. and the veggies were cooked perfectly.  

warm apple crumble - AMAZING!  this might be my favorite thing from the cruise.  don't miss this one. 

dark chocolate custard - ok but basically just pudding.  

peanut caramel bar- really good but basically a fancy rice crispy treat.  not knocking it though because I'd definitely order again. 

 

After dinner we went to the show, I honestly don't remember it because I was so hopped up on cold meds at this point.  but I also know I went to bed early.  TV channel selections left a lot to be desired which is not something I would typically notice but since I spent more time in my room than normal trying not to die, I learned that fun fact.  

[missync]

here are a few pictures from the deck and also the auditorium where the shows take place.  I forgot that I attempted to watch the movie on deck but started coughing uncontrollably and had to leave.  good times 🤣

[missync]

Day 2:

Started with breakfast in the MDR.  pretty solid overall but sadly they didn't vary it much from day to day. 

fresh fruit plate - can't go wrong here.  delicious

breakfast burrito (I added extra sides for more protein) - decent burrito but a little dry.  didn't order it again if that tells you anything

eggs benedict - good.  not my favorite thing anyways but my SIL is obsessed and she enjoyed it so much she ordered it every day.  she said that she wished there were some variations though.

omelet - not mine.  mom enjoyed it because she got to add whatever she wanted to it.  

[missync]

Day 2 cont. MYKONOS!!!

 

after breakfast we got off the ship and headed to Mykonos.  I LOVED it.  It looked so Greek!  I know that probably sounds stupid but it was what I was picturing when we planned this trip.  The only downside to getting off the ship early is that a lot of places weren't open yet.  The upside is that we got some amazing pictures without 1000 people in the background.  All of these pictures are unedited...

The donkey was super sweet.  You could only take pictures if you paid but it was only like 5 euros so we took pictures with her too.  

lunch was at a seaside cafe/restaurant.  Great little prosciutto sandwich and almond croissant.  

Then we took the ferry back to the ship.  I believe it was about $2 each way.  neat little view though.  Definitely don't wait until the last minute to get the ferry back.  it can get crowded later on and you don't want to miss the ship.  

[missync]

Day 2 cont:

vidalia onion start - good.  basically a quiche.  solid flavor though

chicken marsala - mom said it was really good.  that's pretty much all she said lol

spicy shrimp jalfrezi - great flavor!  not too spicy but wished there were a few more shrimp.  roti was flavorless though

cottage pie - good!  very flavorful and the potatoes had a slight little crunch to the top layer which I enjoyed.  

warm chocolate cake - very good.  very chocolately.  needed a little more ice cream because it was very rich.  waiter brought us extra (not pictured) because he knew 

baked alaska - good but nothing to write home about

strawberry shortcake - very good.  not sure I would call it that because it was more of just a strawberry cake but it was very light and fluffy!

banana cocoa custard - ok.  not sure what I was expecting exactly.  I liked it but it wasn't anything exciting. 

red velvet cake - good.  solid chocolate cake.  I think red velvet is extremely over-rated because it's just chocolate cake dyed red but it was tasty.  DON'T COME FOR ME PEOPLE!!!  I said what I said.  I know the red velvet mafia is probably putting a hit out on me as we speak.  

 

beautiful view sailing away from Mykonos. I'll talk about the shows all at the end of the review.  clearly my reviews are mostly about the food and the ports.  

[missync]

Day 3 Crete

breakfast in MDR again.  like I mentioned earlier...menu was the same daily.

parfait (with an extra side of bacon) - good with a nice crunch.  needed a little extra sweetness.  that's probably the American in me coming out. 

So this port is super misleading.  We had heard about old town but it was very confusing to find.  we wandered around the town near the port and then finally figured out we need to take a bus to old town.  

Old town (pictured) was AMAZING!!!  lot of little shops and restaurants.  you could walk out on the pier and look around.  but my mom and I found this little bench facing the water and just enjoyed the sunshine for awhile.  I was super peaceful and beautiful.  We ate are a local place near the water and it was great!  

Pictured is kofta/kafta (greek meat balls) with pita and it came with free ice cream.  

[missync]

forgot this picture...that's the view from the bench I mentioned.  but it's the pier you can walk out onto if you want.  

[missync]

Day 3 cont.

Arancini - very good!  nice and crispy.  very cheesy but in a good way.  the sauce was better on these ones.  

polenta fries - good.  nice little crisp on the outside but I wish it had been crispier.  the spread wasn't very spicy and honestly should have been hot instead of chilled

lasagna - good flavor but needed more salt.  sauce was meh

lamb kofta - excellent!  very flavorful and soft.  sauce was also delicious.  roti again was meh

pot pie - good but it was missing something.  the pastry was flaky and light but the flavor inside was just slightly off.  not bad just off

tiramisu - good but nothing exciting.  

crumbly oat and berry bar - good.  nice little crunch but needed to be more saucy.  overall really good though.  didn't taste the mint and I'm glad because I think that might have ruined it. 

italian chocolate and hazelnut cake - very good.  rich and moist.  very chocolately.  not as much hazelnut flavor but still really good.  probably needed some ice cream to cut down the sweetness a bit

lemon curd tartlet - very good!  very lemony with just the right amount of tartness.  crust needed to be more crumbly and lighter but the rest was great!

[missync]

Day 4 - Zakynthos

 

Apparently I didn't take a picture of my breakfast on this day which is unusual for me but oh well.  

Today we had an excursion.  We don't do a lot of those because they get expensive but also because I prefer to explore on my own and really see things.  We rented a private boat charter to go around the island and take us to a couple places.  Shipwreck beach was closed so the most famous spot in Zakynthos wasn't an option but we still saw some amazing sights and it was totally worth it.  boat picked us up right next to the pier and our driver was ready for us.  He was super sweet and had some drinks for us in a cooler.  His english was excellent so if that's something you were worried about, don't be.  The pictures don't really do the sights justice but It was incredible.  It was around 4 hours total and amazing. would highly recommend.  

He stopped at one point so we could get out and get in the water and explore one of the caves, which we did, see Picture 2.  The water was FREEZING!!!  We still did it but man was it cold.  You did get used to it after a few minutes though.  area was quite rocky so water shoes probably would have been helpful but oh well.  

 

after the boat ride we looked around town...went into another pharmacy (my 2nd of the trip thus far) and did some shopping.  the line to get back on the ship was quite long and it was very hot so be prepared for that.  We asked to get my mom on board early because of her age and they accommodated immediately so if you have issues, just ask them.  

[missync]

Day 3 cont:

the only towel animal we got...what is it>  we guessed penguin but honestly not sure.  he was cute though 

 

spring onion falafel - meh.  I LOVE falafel so I was excited about this but ended up being disappointed.  just not much flavor and not crispy. 

ricotta and spinach quiche - decent. thought this was an odd choice for dinner but it tasted ok.  nothing exciting though

salmon - very good.  nice little crunch on top.  not a fan of horseradish though. 

pretty sure I ordered more but no pics so it didn't happen 

creme brulee - good.  another thing I think is overrated but it was a solid creme brulee. 

panna cotta - good but basically just fancy pudding.  

hazelnut cake again - waiter brought extra ice cream...we loved him

[missync]

Day 4 Corfu

 

Another beautiful island.  we rented a car at the port and drove around.  if you can drive stick, you have a lot of options so we grabbed one and drove away!   

stopped for a little snack and the view was so nice and peaceful. 

lunch was at a little diner downtown.  they did NOT speak english so lots of pointing and google translate later, we had a great lunch!  I started feeling worse so I went back to the ship and my family continued on exploring but not before stopping at another pharmacy...I should probably have learned greek for this trip but thankfully they were all super sweet and spoke at least a little english .  after I got back on the ship, my family went to a beach of some sort...the one you can see in picture one but I don't remember the name.  

[missync]

Leek and potato soup - good flavor but it was just cream broth.  it needed some chunks.  cruise ship soups are always just smooth...not a fan but I keep trying them. 

goat cheese tart - good but not much goat cheese.  pastry was flaky though

fish and chips - very good.  wish the fish had been a little more crunchy but otherwise great!  mushy peas are a thing in the UK.  I don't mind them but these didn't really have much flavor

sticky toffee pudding - very good but very sweet.

trifle - good.  not too sweet but good flavor.  nothing like what Rachel made on friends (just dated myself there)

royal chocolate cake - very good, very sweet, and very chocolatey

chocolate mousse - good.  but again just fancy pudding.  

[missync]

Day 5 Montenegro 

 

This is the day I felt the worst so yes, I went to another pharmacy.  Just so it doesn't sound like I'm a drug addict.  all of the packaging is much smaller than in the US but I did try a few different meds during this week as well hoping one would work better than the others.  either way, I took as directed and went through most of it lol

but back to the trip.  I'm really bummed I felt so crappy here because I really enjoyed Montenegro.  It was very medieval looking and I loved that.  My mom and I stopped for a light lunch and shared a pizza at Scorpion.  Different that what you'd get in the US but tasted really good.  Lots of little shops to look at as well. overall a really neat place.  I just felt terrible.  so we headed back to the ship early but wandered through a little street market which was neat.  

 

**here's a tip I should have mentioned at the beginning of this review...if you're going to buy bottled water, get it at the ports but from local vendors not on the ship.  it's SOOOOOO much cheaper.  and our room had a little fridge so it stayed cold.  we were never questioned with bringing it back on the ship but only brought a few bottles at a time so I don't know what would have happened if you tried to bring a case. 

[missync]

butternut squash soup - very good but again, no chunks.  great flavor though. 

beef and Guinness pie - excellent.  really good flavor and light crispy pastry

beef tenderloin - good.  very tender and flavorful

apple cobbler - AMAZING!!!  you know how I feel about crumbles.  I feel the same way about cobblers.  MUST GET

cream puffs - AMAZING!  so light and fluffy and not too sweet.  loved

cookies - good.  honestly only got them because it said dark chocolate.  solid cookie but nothing exciting. 

[missync]

Day 6 - Sea Day

 

breakfast at the buffet but I didn't take a picture.  Lunch in MDR...

potato soup - very good.  a couple of little chunks but wish it had more because it was very tasty.  chorizo was a little spicy but there was so little of it

lamb pita - very good.  very flavorful. really enjoyed it 

key lime pie - very good.  nice and tart but not too tart.  and not too sweet.  very different from key lime pie in the states. 

chocolate cake - same as from dinner.  still delicious. 

coconut layer cake - DELICIOUS!!  so light and fluffy.  very coconutty but in a good way

 

[missync]

Day 6 cont

 

pan seared asparagus - very good.  nice and crunchy but not overly so.  

seafood cake - good.  similar to the crab cake but not quite as good.  very crunchy though which I liked

tapas medley - very good.  big hummus fan.  overall very fresh tasting.  wish it had had some veggies to dip in the hummus as well 

Turkey dinner - good.  not like mom makes though.  stuffing was mushy. 

peach trifle - good.  very creamy and smooth.  light and fluffy.  really enjoyed it

crema catalana - ok.  fancy creme brulee.  but good

chocolate cherry tart - good but the shell was too hard.  again, basically fancy pudding. (I do get that's what mousse is fyi 🤣)

brownie - good.  very chocolatey and rich but not too sweet

[missync]

Day 7 Debarkation 

 

Very smooth process.  We had to adjust our debarkation time like 3 times because the app kept screwing up and moving up and we had a train to catch but the front desk helped us and we had no issues. 

Definitely make sure you are checking the app to ensure everything is correct. We opted for the shuttle (charter bus) to take us to the train station.  that was a little annoying but easier than trying to figure out on our own.  there is a bit of a walk from where the shuttle drops you off to where you enter the train station.  Ravenna train station is very small so don't expect the larger stations with shops and restaurants and such.  There was a little snack bar and that was it.  We did have to wait for the train for awhile as well.  

[missync]

My overall thoughts on the cruise...please keep in mind these are MY opinions.  

 

• I enjoyed it but I probably would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't felt like crap the entire time.  No one's fault but it sucked honestly.  
• shows were very average.  I expected better from RC.  they need to work on their variation.  
• the finger puppet guy (I know I didn't mention him before), while impressive, should have been a 10 minute part of a larger variety show or something.  a solo show just for him was WAAAAAY too much and got very boring very quickly.  we saw a lot of people walk out (me included but that was mostly because I felt terrible).  he was very impressive though. 
• music at the shows was way too loud.  you could barely hear the singers over the back ground music. and all of it was just too loud in general
• food was solid.  obviously I ate enough but I think they could have improved some of the flavors pretty easily.  I did like that they did european themed nights though.  I thought that was pretty fun
• variations in the breakfast menu would have been easy and not expensive and would have made that a better overall experience
• VERY different experience than Alaskan or Caribbean cruises so please keep that in mind.  the vibe is different, the flow is different.  literally everything about it is different other than the ship itself and even some of that feels different.  
• ports were really amazing.  I know most of the people on these boards are American so please understand that these ports will be unlike everything you know in the US.  That's the whole point of a Mediterranean cruise.  I heard/saw so may people complaining about different things and I wanted to scream at them.  YOU AREN"T IN THE US...IT"S GOING TO BE DIFFERENT.  but I didn't.  So please go and enjoy that country for what it is.  

 

I honestly don't have that many complaints. I think cruises are what you make of them and if you choose to have fun, you will.  

I hope you all enjoyed my review!  I'm headed to Mexico from California in a few weeks so Happy Cruising everyone!!