Enchanted Princess 6/15/24 Sailing Review

[BamaVol]

Travelers were myself and my wife 70+/-, daughter and son-in-law 40’s, grandson 11 and granddaughter 8. My wife and I have now taken 8 cruises, the last 3 on Princess ships. First cruise for daughter’s family. The grandkids had never even been on a plane until this trip.

 

The trip began with some anxiety.  Son-in-law had booked a flight from Birmingham to Ft Lauderdale via Dallas on Southwest with a 10:00 am Friday departure. Two months before the date, Southwest canceled the flight and switched them to a 6:00 am departure.

 

The week prior to the cruise, Ft Lauderdale was inundated with rain, as much as 20 inches in 2 days. We arrived at the hotel Thursday afternoon after a 240 mile drive, half of it in the rain. The flooding was obvious and there were roads closed directly across from the hotel (Hampton Inn Airport South). Daughter’s Enchanted Princess FaceBook group was abuzz with concern. Some were rebooking flights into Orlando. But, everything worked out as planned. We took the hotel shuttle and met everyone at the airport. Grandkids’ first ever flights and they were excited and enjoyed every minute. The kids did fall asleep on the plane but who could blame them.

 

The shuttle back to the hotel was pure South Florida.  The shuttle driver took offense at a cabbie who tried to edge into his lane.  He was having none of it. He rolled down the window and started yelling. We cringed and waited for the gunfire. But it didn’t come and we got safely back to the hotel. Dinner was at Toojay’s Deli and we sat around outside watching iguanas and giant blue land crabs by the pool until dark.  It was hard to sleep with excitement.  Not to mention the two unchaperoned traveling teen basketball teams running and screaming through the hallways between 1 and 4 am.

 

Saturday: I was up early to move the car to an offsite lot for easy access when we returned. I took the ParknGo shuttle to the airport and the Hampton Inn shuttle back to the hotel. It took about an hour. At 11 we boarded the shuttle again (Mr Road Rage at the wheel) to the port. We were careful to count bags because Mr Road Rage had skipped a pier and was trying to drop off Celebrity bags at the Princess pier. The Celebrity passengers protested and there was a quick bag shuffle back onto the shuttle. A well-tipped porter kept an eye on things.

 

Check in was a breeze. We already had our medallions mailed to us and it was just a matter of showing passports. We had our picture taken on the ramp and then we were aboard. Lunch was in the buffet on deck 16. We dropped off carry-ons in our deck 12 cabins and found a spot on the Lido deck to watch the sail-away party. That involved a lively band, singers and dancers. Granddaughter danced right along with the pros.

 

Only 2 issues cropped up on arrival. First, my medallion was dead - wouldn’t open the cabin door. Second, 3 out of 4 bags arrived in our cabin. Mrs BV was missing a bag with shoes, jewelry, purses and an iPad. Guest Services replaced the medallion in about 3 minutes and showed Son-in-law and I how to configure our phones for on-board wifi. And when we got back to the cabin, the fourth bag had been delivered. Somewhere in all that, Daughter registered the kids at the kids club on deck 17. The middle club was for ages 8-12 and featured video games, TVs, air hockey, skee-ball and other diversions. It was open every night from 7-10 and the kids begged to be taken there each night.

 

WiFi was slow.  It took 45 minutes to send a 15 second video. Over the course of a week, it was never fast and several times texts failed to send. I was always able to read and send email.  But YouTube was not possible. We were able to use the app or the screens on the wall to find each other on the ship.

 

We sat in Good Spirits at Sea on Deck 5 for a pre-dinner drink.  It took 20 minutes for my beer to arrive. That would be a theme. The ship was at capacity.  The crew was not.  I tried a Rob Roy.  Yech!  But the Plus package allows up to 15 drinks a day so there is no issue with pouring one in a potted plant (or leaving on the table) and ordering something else. I never heard how many passengers were sailing on Enchanted but someone did tell us that there were 700 minors aboard out of 3,660 total. I don’t know if that is based on 2 per cabin or maximum. Walking the corridors, I saw screen after screen showing 3 or 4 passengers in a given cabin.

 

Our first dinner was served in the Amalfi dining room on deck 6. It was elegant and Grandson and I dressed in matching aloha shirts. Everyone’s food was delicious but service was slow.  Dinner took an hour and 50 minutes. We were given the same table each night, a six top by a window. Our waiter was Franklin from the Philippines. He was very friendly and helpful and called Granddaughter “Princess”. I met with a headwaiter whose name I never saw to plan my meals without dairy. We finished with enough time to get to the theater for the Spotlight Bar production show. It was 45 minutes of song and dance and there are some truly talented performers onboard. The kids were impressed.

 

After the show, we spent a little time watching Celtic Wave in O’Malley’s Pub. They were a couple who sang Irish folk songs accompanying themselves on guitar and fiddle. Granddaughter tried out the Irish jig.  She’s a natural!  We grabbed another drink and headed to the buffet for a late night snack before retiring. Our cabin was dark and freezing when we got there. None of us had trouble falling asleep.

 

Sunday: Father’s day.  SIL’s birthday.  Mrs BV was up early for a 7:30 tai chi class. We had breakfast at the 24/7 International Cafe then wife was off to Zumba at 9:00.  She still had energy at noon for line dancing. The kids were mostly interested in the pools, it being a sea day. The pool was crowded. Mostly with poorly supervised children. The piazza was crowded. Bars were crowded. It was difficult to order a drink at the outdoor bars, there were almost never bar servers anywhere. I did find one that afternoon at Good Spirits. He was quite the cheeky fellow, kept calling me his best customer.  I didn’t get his name and GS was usually too crowded for another visit. Everywhere SIL went all day, the video screens lit up with “Happy Birthday First_name Last_initial”. I thought there might be cake and singing, but that did not take place much to his relief.

 

The seas started getting choppy and it was fun to watch people attempt the corridors. When there were large crowds, they moved very much like a school of fish; first shifting to the right, then left en masse.

 

Day 2 and I have not yet met our cabin attendant. But he has been in to make beds, switch towels, open the curtains, check the toilet paper. Daughter and SIL’s steward was there as they arrived.  They are across the hall but have a different steward.

 

I did not keep good track of what others ordered for dinner, except SIL ordered a healthy meal every time. I started with pork tenderloin, had duck a l’orange the second night and scallops the third. We did not return to the main dining room until the final night. I had prime rib and it was spectacular. Wife ordered fish at every opportunity; mahi and salmon for sure. Grandson was experimenting with food. He loved the Fettuccine Alfredo, he tried scallops for the first time on night 3 and ordered lump crab risotto our final night.  He also ordered cold tropical fruit soup for an appetizer and finished it.  Menus seemed shorter than previous cruises, with fewer selections but no one went hungry. Granddaughter tried everything they had listed on the kids menu except salmon: chicken nuggets, burger, Mac and cheese. Truly though, I think the kids were happiest at the buffet. Granddaughter apparently could survive entirely on fresh fruit.  I didn’t touch dessert but I understand the creme brûlée was magnificent. Each night it was a little different from the night before.

 

Night time snack was usually a tuna croissant at the International Cafe or a plate of Chinese food from the buffet.  The egg rolls were wonderful. I would be in trouble at home if I had nightly access to fresh egg rolls.

 

The kids were at the Kids Club each night.  On night 2, they colored bucket hats.  Grandson won some sort of contest and got a single mini Croc as a prize. He hung it on his medallion lanyard.  Later, a mini sneaker appeared there as well. One night they came out of the club with cowboy hats and wanted posters.

 

There was entertainment all around the ship.  We saw contests featuring guests vs crew, duo violinists, a singer/guitarist, a piano player, several bands and several singers. There may have been 10 bars all together and each one featured entertainment at times throughout the day and night.

 

Monday: Day 3 was a bit rainy. And Mrs BV was a bit woozy. We ported in Cozumel. We did not have an excursion booked and the port consisted of mostly shops, bars and restaurants. We must have been asked 20 times if we wanted our hair braided. SIL and I would raise our hats and ask if they could work miracles. People were doing watermelon shots. Not us. I had thought we would eat lunch but none of the food smelled appealing and every beer available was familiar and sold in the US. When the kids got hot, we stopped at a cart selling Mexican popsicles. Granddaughter’s was strawberry. Grandson’s looked mango, but I’m not positive. We took pictures in various spots. There was a pool with turtles and a Mexico sign where an iguana lounged in the sun. We took pictures of various statues and pyramid replicas. We got back to the ship and Grandson asked if we had gotten our passports stamped. We did not but I assured him we would be back in Mexico in 3 days.

 

One of the most unusual observations in Cozumel was in a large gift shop. There were two large (life sized) metal statues on display.  They appeared to be donkeys. A couple from our ship purchased one.  It was interesting watching them struggle with it and we wondered how they would get it back to the ship. It looked like it weighed well over 100 pounds. According to SIL, they bargained the price down from $1,600 to $1,400. I can’t picture it a front yard or den. We speculated that they owned a restaurant. They made it back to the ship somehow. Because we saw them with it on disembarkation morning.  Several crew members were helping them.

 

Now is as good a time as any to mention the rubber ducks.  It is a cruising tradition to hide small rubber ducks on the ship for others to find. They come with a tag attached and you write you first name and state, the ships name and the date. I bought a package of a dozen on Amazon and we hid them throughout the ship.  At first the kids wanted to hide them well.  By the last day, we were leaving them in plain view. The kids found a few, but SIL was the champion duck finder. Most of them were about 2-3” in length. And they were all different. One was blue, one was brown, one had sunglasses. One had on a pink bikini. The most amazing one was no more than half an inch with a magnetic bottom. SIL found it in an overhead light fixture.

 

Tuesday: The event schedule that your Princess cabin attendant lays on your bed every night had a warning about our next port, Belize City.  Once the capital, it is still the largest city in Belize with 110,000 residents. The warning stated that unless you had an excursion booked, you should not leave the port.  Big city equals big city problems.  Specifically, Belize City has crime, gangs and drugs. That is unfortunate. It has a zoo I would like to have visited. I would have liked to see the city. But rather than expose ourselves to the risk, we chose to stay inside the walled confines of the port. The ship cannot come within 5 miles of the city. There is a reef that makes the water shallow and the ship anchors 6 miles away. It requires a tender boat ride to reach the port. The tender from the ship was small and wobbly, not good if you’ve been seasick the day before. The port is a dump. There’s no nice way to say it. It has the usual shops and bars and restaurants and a few nice surprises. One nice surprise was the little stand where cold coconuts are hacked open and served with a straw and a tiny umbrella.  The kids could not pass this up. Honestly, it wasn’t great. Kind of bland and not sweet like a can of coconut water. But it makes for a great picture. Daughter stayed aboard Enchanted.  After the kids coconuts experience, after passport stamps down a sketchy alley, and after Mrs BV bought a t-shirt, they were ready to return to the ship.  SIL and I stayed for a beer. It was called Beliken, the beer of Belize (est’d 1969).  It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary but tick that box on the bucket list - another foreign beer consumed at an outdoor Caribbean bar. By staying an extra hour, we got on the larger, swifter tender and almost beat wife and the grandkids back to the ship.

 

Dinner was at the buffet.  They had a different theme there each night. One night it was Mexican, then Chinese, German, I’m not sure what else.

 

At 7:00 we attended the second production show of the trip; 5 Skies.  It is a video game come to life.  The gamer, Player 1 has five levels to defeat.  The technology was impressive with a holographic screen in front where various effects were projected.  As well, the costumes and sets were imaginative and colorful.  The music was great and the dancing was acrobatic, which is a huge challenge on a ship that rocks back and forth.  We all enjoyed it tremendously, especially Grandson who was applauding long after everyone else.  Afterwards grandchildren hit the kids club and the adults visited Crooners and the Crowne Grill bar.

 

It has been our past practice on Princess cruises to find one bar and make it our home at night. It has to be at less than capacity, it has to have quiet music and it has to have convivial staff. We make friends with the bartenders and servers. We get to know them, they get to know us. Cheers at sea. As packed as this ship was, that became impossible. But we did spend more time at the Crowne Grill bar than any other venue. And that’s where the best mojitos were made.

 

Wednesday: I had booked an excursion for Roatan.  It is small island off the coast of Honduras. Similar in size to Cozumel - maybe 30 miles long by 5 miles wide.  Maybe 40 miles from the mainland and different.  Because in Honduras they speak Spanish. In Roatan they speak English. We got off the ship early to visit the port. The port was exceptionally bright and clean. We did a little shopping, took some pictures and got our passports stamped.

 

At 11:30 we gathered in the right place and followed our guide Wesley to the bus. It looked like there wouldn’t be sufficient seating, but there were jump seats that folded out to provide an uncomfortable 45 minute delivery to Gumbalimba Park.

 

We got a history and geography lesson on the way. And a cultural lesson as well as we traveled maybe 10 miles on the single two lane road that runs north and south through the island. We passed through the only town. Some of it was modern; a gas station, a supermarket, a few businesses. But much of it was pure third world with small filthy shops and homes with people living their lives and conducting business mostly outdoors. An occasional air conditioner was spotted. Pretty amazing considering the place was hotter than hell, only much more humid. On the way back to the port we passed a time/temperature display that showed 36 Celsius. That’s 97 Fahrenheit!

 

We hiked through the woods with our group, crossing a rope and wooden plank suspension bridge. There were black and green iguanas of various sizes in a huddle surrounding a pile of cabbage, their mid-day meal. Eventually we arrived at the main attraction. The park keeps macaws; huge red, blue and yellow parrots. They are unrestricted in any way. They fly from tree to tree and walk across the ground. And they are trained to perch on visitors’ arms. Really.  We have pictures. They also have a large troop of white face capuchin monkeys. They roam free but don’t stray far from where they are fed. Neither the monkeys nor the macaws are native to the island, but do thrive in the park. The monkeys are also trained with sunflower seeds to sit on the arms, shoulders and heads of visitors.  Again, we have pictures. Our final stop was the insectarium, a collection of gruesome large insects. Fortunately they are all deceased and behind glass.  Also the room is air conditioned. The ride back to port was as interesting as the ride to the park. We dropped off park employees at their homes on the way. It was pretty tight in the bus. They were some big folks.

 

Dinner was at the buffet.  After showers, of course. The kids went to their club and the adults played 80’s movie trivia. Daughter knew most of the answers. Our table scored 16/20.  The winners had 19 correct. We waiting in the Crowne Grill bar until it was time to pick up the kids.

Later my daughter realized she had missed the “friends” trivia. She insists that she could have scored 20/20.

 

At this point, the ship was really rocking.  It makes some people ill.  It makes me sleepy.

 

Thursday: The captain came on the PA system early in the morning to confirm what we had been suspecting.  We would be unable to dock at Costa Maya due to waves breaking over the pier. Other than the seas, the weather wasn’t awful. There was a hazy sun shining on the top decks.  Wife, grandson and I decided to take advantage of a feature that was available most, if not all days: board games.  One of the specialty dining rooms was open and a stack of board games was available. There was quite a variety, but our late arrival meant that the selection was limited. There was nothing for 3 players so we grabbed Backgammon, the cheapest version I have ever seen.  Retail value about $1.99.  We walked grandson through the game and he won the first round. By the third round he was making his own decisions (but losing). Hey, it’s as much luck as it is skill. We moved down to the International Cafe for sandwiches after we finished playing. The afternoon was spent by the pool broken up by a couple of mojitos at the Crowne Grill bar. The mojitos are about the same everywhere on the ship but CGB uses pilsener glasses and the drinks feel more special as a result.

 

Someone was getting cranky late in the afternoon so we opted to take the grandkids back to our cabin to watch a movie and order room service. There was a wide selection of movies and we chose Wonka. I used the app to order a couple sandwiches, a couple fruit plates and a few drinks. 90 minutes later, the app still showed our order being prepared. The kids had to leave to get ready for kids club.  We stayed and about 5-10 minutes after the app showed the order as delivered, there was a knock on the door. Most of the food was eaten but honestly, the sandwiches weren’t the best. I was taking the tray to the buffet when I was intercepted by one of the cabin attendants who offered to take it from there.

 

Not surprisingly, the production show was canceled. Cruise Director Jody, fresh from South Africa and serving her first week on Enchanted Princess informed us over the PA. Safety first. So, drinks followed by a late(ish) night snack from the buffet.  Sadly, no egg rolls.

 

Friday: The seas calmed down considerably for a planned sea day.  The sun cooperated and that meant more time spent around the very crowded pools. We hid the last of our ducks and SIL ruled by discovering many hidden in overhead lights by the elevators. We dressed up for dinner, even though the previous night was the official formal night. Daughter and I ordered prime rib and it was perfectly done, accompanied by a baked potato and vegetables. Mrs BV proclaimed the mahi mahi the best she’s ever tasted, probably because of the salsa topping it. One last night at the kids club and one last night at the Crowne Grill bar. Suitcases out in the hallway after dinner.

 

Saturday: Up at 5:00 am, sitting in the Santorini dining room by 7:00 with coffee and a hasty breakfast from the International Cafe. Brown and Gold luggage tags were called by 7:20 and we saw Daughter and family to their bus to Ft Lauderdale airport. We found the ParknGo bus easily enough and were off the lot and on our way home before 8:00. No weather, no traffic and we were pulling into the driveway before 11:30. It was not so easy the the others. Their first flight left an hour late but the second, already with a 5 hour layover in Houston was delayed an additional hour. They landed in Birmingham an hour late and took the shuttle to the remote lot where they discovered one of the car windows had been left open.  Fortunately a lot employee had draped plastic over the window to keep the rain out. No loss, no issue and an hour’s drive got them to bed around 1:00 am. Long day.

 

It was a wonderful vacation with family time, family meals, opportunities to see new places and try new things, a chance to play and talk with the grandchildren, shared experiences. And most of all memories for a lifetime.

 

Pluses:

The ship is relatively new and in great shape.

The crew works hard and is always smiling.

Facilities are adequate for a less than capacity crowd.

Food was well prepared. Allergies respected.

Couldn’t get enough of Celtic Wave.

The smoke-free casino is small, but truly smoke free.

Gumbalimba Park experience was awesome.

5 Skies was easily the best production show I’ve seen.

I don’t know what goes on in Kids Club, but the grandkids loved it.

 

Minuses:

Insufficient crew. Obvious in bars and dining rooms.

I miss Vines & Wheelhouse.

The design of the ship forces overuse of the Piazza.

Other venues are undersized.

I prefer a full promenade to a miniature jogging track.

I wonder if Belize should be dropped.

Slow WiFi.

I should have gotten the kids passports stamped in Cozumel.

There should be egg rolls every night.

 

This was a good experience but we will resume cruising by ourselves which means we are not restricted to school vacations.  We have sailed Sapphire and Caribbean and liked them better than Enchanted.  I bought 2 FCDs (via paper stuffed in the box) and we will consider a West Coast cruise next spring; Grand, Ruby or Discovery.

[canadarocks]

Thanks so much for the great review. Sounds like a wonderful family bonding experience! 

[muffydawg]

I miss the Wheelhouse Bar too however during our April voyage on Enchanted we took Happy Hour at either Crooners or the Crown Grill Bar. Always ordered cocktails directly from wait staff instead of the "app"--that seemed to expedite cocktail delivery time.

[BamaVol]

4 minutes ago, muffydawg said:

I miss the Wheelhouse Bar too however during our April voyage on Enchanted we took Happy Hour at either Crooners or the Crown Grill Bar. Always ordered cocktails directly from wait staff instead of the "app"--that seemed to expedite cocktail delivery time.

Rarely saw servers.  Occasionally there was one. If we weren’t sitting at the bar, I stood at the bar to order drinks. 
 

I do think an April cruise on Enchanted is a whole different experience than June. 

Edited Tuesday at 08:03 PM by BamaVol

[NWA395]

Thank you for the very informative review.   We are on the Enchanted in March 2025.

[STLCARDS82]

I also wanted to thank you for your great review...

Could I make a couple suggestions?

Next time in Cozumel, try Mr. Sanchos beach experience/or take your grandkids on the ferry to see Tulum..

 

In regard to passport stamps they have to be the official entry or exit stamps provided by immigration or any other stamps provided by that countries government... if they're just novelty stamps, they can actually void out your passport on return to the USA

 

 

Thanks for your Review!

[voljeep]

2 hours ago, BamaVol said:

and every beer available was familiar and sold in the US.

Cozumel - we like Pancho's Backyard at the port ... however, bring me a "local beer" - what's this?  Got a Dos Equis XX ...  I think that was a bogo at my local a couple of weeks before the cruise..

[BamaVol]

3 minutes ago, voljeep said:

Cozumel - we like Pancho's Backyard at the port ... however, bring me a "local beer" - what's this?  Got a Dos Equis XX ...  I think that was a bogo at my local a couple of weeks before the cruise..

I did get a can if Salva Vida on Roatán. It was just okay. I like trying new beers. I’ve drunk my share of Dos Equis. At every Mexican restaurant I’ve ever eaten at. Always XX Ambar . 

[BamaVol]

30 minutes ago, STLCARDS82 said:

I also wanted to thank you for your great review...

Could I make a couple suggestions?

Next time in Cozumel, try Mr. Sanchos beach experience/or take your grandkids on the ferry to see Tulum..

 

In regard to passport stamps they have to be the official entry or exit stamps provided by immigration or any other stamps provided by that countries government... if they're just novelty stamps, they can actually void out your passport on return to the USA

 

 

Thanks for your Review!

Interesting. The one from Roatán is definitely phony. Doesn’t mention Honduras. 

[MsSoCalCruiser]

Thank you for sharing. I really enjoyed your review. I’m glad to hear that they took good care of your dietary needs. Were you able to find sandwiches without cheese at the international cafe? 

[Lady Arwen]

35 minutes ago, voljeep said:

Cozumel - we like Pancho's Backyard at the port ... however, bring me a "local beer" - what's this?  Got a Dos Equis XX ...  I think that was a bogo at my local a couple of weeks before the cruise..

I love Pancho’s Backyard!  Last time there I had a strawberry Margarita the size of a bucket and skipped down the street in the rain to hail a cab.  It was fabulous!

[BamaVol]

29 minutes ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

Thank you for sharing. I really enjoyed your review. I’m glad to hear that they took good care of your dietary needs. Were you able to find sandwiches without cheese at the international cafe? 

Minor breakdown there. The tuna and egg salad are dairy free but the croissant isnt. I saw a breakfast sandwich with smoked salmon and thin sliced cucumber. I asked if it was dairy free and the guy said yes. I got it to my table and discovered cream cheese under the cucumber. I can tolerate the croissant but cream cheese is a hard no. I tend to stick to the fruit salad and sliced grapefruit there at breakfast time. 

[voljeep]

3 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

I love Pancho’s Backyard!  Last time there I had a strawberry Margarita the size of a bucket and skipped down the street in the rain to hail a cab.  It was fabulous!

my wife always gets the Mojito in that "fishbowl" glass - loves it, just sitting there out in the tables in the sand under the trees - definitely a happy place

[Lady Arwen]

37 minutes ago, voljeep said:

my wife always gets the Mojito in that "fishbowl" glass - loves it, just sitting there out in the tables in the sand under the trees - definitely a happy place

Yes!  I wish I was there right now.  We also ate something, but I forget what it was.  I’m sure it was delicious!

[MsSoCalCruiser]

21 minutes ago, BamaVol said:

Minor breakdown there. The tuna and egg salad are dairy free but the croissant isnt. I saw a breakfast sandwich with smoked salmon and thin sliced cucumber. I asked if it was dairy free and the guy said yes. I got it to my table and discovered cream cheese under the cucumber. I can tolerate the croissant but cream cheese is a hard no. I tend to stick to the fruit salad and sliced grapefruit there at breakfast time. 

I was really happy when I saw the avocado and egg toast until I was told that they spread a dairy product on the toast. If they have six sandwiches they either all have cheese on them or they are on a butter croissant. It would be great to have a ham, turkey, or roast beef sandwich on a regular roll or plain bread.
 

If you have time you may want to send a message to Princess on Instagram telling them of the above. I have been talking with them and I am hoping they will make a few changes so everyone onboard can enjoy items at the IC. Leaving the cheese off of one or two of the sandwiches will also save them money.  If anyone reading this feels like sending Princess a message regarding this, please do. 😊

 

[BamaVol]

30 minutes ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

I was really happy when I saw the avocado and egg toast until I was told that they spread a dairy product on the toast. If they have six sandwiches they either all have cheese on them or they are on a butter croissant. It would be great to have a ham, turkey, or roast beef sandwich on a regular roll or plain bread.
 

If you have time you may want to send a message to Princess on Instagram telling them of the above. I have been talking with them and I am hoping they will make a few changes so everyone onboard can enjoy items at the IC. Leaving the cheese off of one or two of the sandwiches will also save them money.  If anyone reading this feels like sending Princess a message regarding this, please do. 😊

 

There might have been one or two without dairy. The prosciutto on a roll I did not see cheese. That might have been the case with salami. The two unhealthiest sandwiches in the case though. 

[BamaVol]

One other observation my wife reminded me of. The crew shortage was reflected in a lower standard of cleanliness. I never saw anyone painting, polishing or washing the stairway handrails. And in the few instances where a server had to clean a table for us, they used a dirty napkin to smear the table instead of truly cleaning it. The ship may have looked clean but …..

[MsSoCalCruiser]

37 minutes ago, BamaVol said:

One other observation my wife reminded me of. The crew shortage was reflected in a lower standard of cleanliness. I never saw anyone painting, polishing or washing the stairway handrails. And in the few instances where a server had to clean a table for us, they used a dirty napkin to smear the table instead of truly cleaning it. The ship may have looked clean but …..

That’s not good. 

[startedwithamouse]

Sounds like a great trip!

[BamaVol]

[BamaVol]

25 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

Sounds like a great trip!

The smiles are proof. 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

18 hours ago, BamaVol said:

Mrs BV was missing a bag with jewelry, purses and an iPad.

Great review so far, but I wanted to comment that we never ever let any of those things out of our sight. Well, we never bring jewelry, but all the meds, 1 swimsuit/trunks and electronics are in our backpacks, and we carry them onboard ourselves. And my purse is attached to me.

18 hours ago, BamaVol said:

We dropped off carry-ons in our deck 12 cabins

what was in the carry-ons if all the important stuff was in the luggage?

Edited Wednesday at 12:58 PM by Itchy&Scratchy

[Itchy&Scratchy]

18 hours ago, BamaVol said:

There were two large (life sized) metal statues on display.  They appeared to be donkeys. A couple from our ship purchased one.  It was interesting watching them struggle with it and we wondered how they would get it back to the ship. It looked like it weighed well over 100 pounds. According to SIL, they bargained the price down from $1,600 to $1,400.

 

that's crazy!

 

[RNRcruisers]

Sounds like fun! We took our kids on a cruise when they were about that age and it was so fun showing them what we like about cruising. It is definitely a different experience than going as a couple. The crowded ship does not sound like fun though.

 

[Host CJSKIDS]

Loved the review and glad you had such a nice time.  The picture of you and your grandson in matching shirts is fantastic!