Enchantment of the Seas Reviews

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Enchantment of the Seas-8 day cruise Baltimore to Bermuda to Boston to Newport. Balcony cabin 7046. We have only cruised Carnival in the past so my comparisons are based on having only been on The Pride and The Legend. The Good: We really liked the look and decor of the ship. Having only been on Carnival ships we found the Enchantment nice and bright with a clean fresh feeling despite her age. The buffet in the Windjammer we found to be pretty good, better than we have seen on Carnival. We liked that there were waiters offering drink/wine service, a nice touch. Seating was tight at times but if you avoid peak times there was no problem finding a table. Pasta bar was very good, wanted to try the make your own pizza but never got around to it. We always seemed to find food we liked. Bar servers were excellent overall. Drinks were very strong and servers friendly. We tipped frequently so that might have been part of the reason but even when we did not tip extra we received good service. Cabin Steward Ricardo was excellent. Really impressed us as a genuinely nice guy. I asked for ice on the first day and he always had the ice bucket topped up and the room was always very clean. He passed along some noise concerns we had coming from some water pipes inside the cabin wall. We had complained to guest relations already but they didn't seem to act on the complaint. Excursion desk was very hepful and we booked 2 excursions through them. Very helpful and pleasant. Room service was excellent. Much better than Carnival. We enjoyed the steak sandwich which was great and the pizza and grilled sandwiches were tasty. Room service breakfasts were good, however the toast was inedible (very thin and stale), coffee was very good as well. Embarkation/Debarkation (we used self-debarkation) was perfect. We walked off the ship with our bags and didn't have a line-up at all. The Not-So-Good: Entertainment in our opinion was poor. Definitely seemed to be targeted at an older crowd (we are late 30s, mid-40s). If post 60's rock and roll or country music is your liking we certainly didn't find it most places. A DJ advertised as 70s, 80s and 90s music played Bill Hailey and the Comets, early Elvis music instead. I assume he was playing according to the crowd in attendance? Despite not being a big "dance club" fan we did enjoy ourselves in the Viking lounge. The music in the Viking was a bit young for me but still enjoyable. We all have different tastes but I found there wasn't enough variation at the venues. We watched a comedy-magician act on board and he was pretty good at times. Was worthwhile seeing but we typically enjoy comedy acts more than his. Solarium area had an unpleasant smell throughout the cruise towards the back (spa side). The Solarium grill burgers and pizza were horrible. Tender process at Newport was slow. We were warned it would be a slow process so we decided to purchase an early excursion to guarantee we would get priority tendering and it was a good decision. We heard others complain about very long wait times, being on an excursion we had no issues. Muster drill was concluded with the Captain rambling on giving weather updates and making jokes for 10 minutes while we all stood at our muster stations. In my opinion he should pick another time to give his speech and not during the drill The Ugly: The first night we had noise coming from our hallway-side wall. A few bangs followed by several seconds of vibrations, it sounded like water pipes rattling around. The first 2 nights it was noticeable but we had our balcony door open and the ocean noise allowed us to sleep. The noise got unbearable by night 3 and we complained to guest relations. The sent a couple of maintenance guys up and they said they would inform their manager. The noise continued and we again called guest relations later that evening. The sent a security guard up this time who suggested we get some earplugs. Day 4 we complained again about the noise and asked if there was anything they could do. We were told "it's structural" and that there was nothing they could do but they had passed the information onto their engineers. Too long of a story to tell but suffice it to say were told no other rooms were available, the next day we were told one other room was available (Wife found it claustrophobic and ship movement was noticeable) then told by the Guest Relations Manager that she would show my Wife a few available cabins. We ended up sleeping in an inside, accessible cabin down on deck 4 for a couple of nights. I know the noise was not in their control it was day 5 of the cruise before staff acted on our complaints. By ignoring us they only made the situation worse as we felt they didn't care. To illustrate the loudness and strength of the banging, the morning of Day5 the artwork in the hallway outside our room fell off the wall. Three times we overheard people walking in the hallway ask the cabin staff what the noise was. We were told later in the cruise that at least 2 other cabins had complained and that we would all be "compensated for it". Cabin announcements. Already not sleeping well because of the pipe noises we were dumbfounded by the number of times we received in-cabin announcements and phone calls. One morning we were awaken by an in-cabin announcement from the Captain alerting us that they would be doing emergency tests. That announcement was followed by random alarms that continued for the rest of the morning and into the afternoon. Not sure if it was an oversight but the Captains daily announcements/updates were piped into our cabins for the first 4 or 5 days of the cruise. They did stop being heard in the cabins late in the cruise, not sure if it was be design or if passengers complained. I am certain that I am not the only one who didn't appreciate the Captain's daily update/weather report piped into my cabin. The next day we received a phone call at 9am from guest relations asking if we received an immigration letter in our cabin the day earlier. I asked her if it was common practice to call passengers at 9am. She told me it was their policy to start calling at 9am, agreed to call later and hung up. The next morning we received a phone call at 930am from the dining room staff asking us why we had not eaten in the dining room yet. I informed her that we had eaten in the Windjammer and Chops Grille and that we would probably be at the dining room at some point. They called the next morning to inform us that it was lobster night. Why is the dining room calling passengers? When I am on a cruise I do not want the staff to telephone me unless it is necessary. Dining room staff calling your room? Staff calling at 9am? Not sure if this is a Royal practice or just this ship but I found it improper. Diningroom Maitre'd on the final night: We stood in line with the other guests with reservations waiting to check in with the Maitre'd and get our tables (MyTime dining). While we were all standing in line a few people would show up with tip envelopes in their hands and stand off to the side of the line-up. The Maitre'd immediately greeted the people with tip envelopes and seated them right away. The line-up of approximately 10 couples was ignored anytime he spotted a little white envelope. Despite us having reservations and pre-paid gratuities we waited while he blatantly ignored anyone without an envelope. We managed to enjoy ourselves but would never sail this ship again. The ship was lovely but we can't overlook the noise issue or the guest relations staff's reaction to the problem. If we sail RCL again it will be on Oasis class as I have heard some great things and don't want to judge RCL by this cruise alone.

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Cruised from Baltimore to Bermuda on RCCL. What a great time. Easy to and from the port. RCCL port personnel were super helpful, we were running late, and courteous. First time w/o balcony. Inside was close but commfy. Learned my way to the cabin by second day. Whee! Ship as very clean and appeared well maintained. As usual the crew personnel were eager to please, especially the people at the Customer Service Desk. What a set of real professionals they are. Some web sites said the casino on the ship could open in Bermuda after 2200. Not so. No casinos in Bermuda. Even on board. Gym was smaller than larger class ships but that was expected. However, it was adequate. Enchantment is a nice sized ship. It is due to complete modernization in DEC 2012. I'd say the strong suit that separates it form other cruises was the strength of the entertainment. The shows were great. A special presentation on the history of RCCL was most informative and very well received. Dining was very good. Have food allergies and staff went out of the way to accommodate these. Lucked out again on tablemates. We had a fun bunch at our table for eight.One couple older than me and two younger. Had a blast at each meal. RCCL website said one formal night, but we had two. OMG what to wear? Can't wear the same dress twice! Still had a great time. We'll sail with these guys again and soon I hope.

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I want to start by staying that we love cruising, and we are not hard to please people. Embarkation in Baltimore was a breeze, we only live 15 minutes from the port, so there was no stress of getting to the ship. Once you arrive, it was only 20 minutes to be on the ship. We were able to get right into our cabin which was a plus. The luggage was appearing at the cabins earlier than I have ever seen, except ours. We had boarded hours before friends of ours and they had already gotten theirs, so I was getting concerned. Now, the life boat drill has to be conducted before departing the port, which is nice, get it over with, plus you do not have to wear the life vests YEA! It was not until we were getting ready for dinner at 6pm that our cabin steward knocked on the door to tell me that they had confiscated our luggage and I had to go down to security to claim it myself. Seems that since the Concordia you are not allowed to take an iron with you. So I joined a line of people at security trying to claim their bags and get a claim check in order to get your iron back when you get back off the ship. This ship is in dire need of rehab. Carpets, walls, and a painting. This is the first ship I have seen that had rust in the pool on the walls. In the solarium pool there are lion heads that used to squirt water that do not work anymore, and when you look under the lip of the pool there is lots of rust. Also in the area around the main pool there was rust and peeling paint in the ceiling. Never have seen this before on any ships. The food in the dining room was a very large disappointment. Serving size was very small, the quality of the seafood was very disappointing. Shrimp cocktail was a joke! Shrimp so small that I would not even use them for shrimp salad. One night they had scallops and rossitto,what it was, was 1 scallop cut in half with a small scoop of rice. I know they ships have to cut down in order to stay competitive, but it looks like Royal Caribbean has done it in the dining room with the food. Now the food in the Windjammer was very good, breakfast had a very nice selection, and the omelets made to order were excellent. The one bright area of this ship was the staff. Everyone was very friendly, and went out of their way to be helpful. Even the officers would walk by and stop to talk to you and answer any questions. Also this was one of the few cruises that you could understand everyone when they were talking to you, some cruises I have never been to understand the cabin steward. This ship is scheduled to go into Dry Dock in December, but I feel bad for everyone who has to sail on this ship all summer in its present condition. If it was not for the excellent crew and their attitude we would not have had such a good time.

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Enchantment of the Seas May 11th Another wonderful Royal Caribbean cruise is underway with a four hour drive to the beautiful Cruise Maryland port of Baltimore. We arrived at the port about 10:30 to find no lines in the parking lot, so we left our checked bags with the porters at the luggage trams and proceeded to the parking queue. There we paid the $15 a night parking fee and were directed to the proper lot. After unloading The Boss' scooter and carry-on, I parked in the handicapped section and met her at the door to the terminal building where we were escorted to the health questionnaire station and on to check-in. We saw our friends waiting to board, and commenced our fun even before setting foot on the ship. Boarding was quite uneventful we were sent up the new ramp to Enchantment. Since you start the trek at the same level as deck one-half (about) and need to get to the level of deck 4 it is a walk up ramps. I swear they should have oxygen at some of the turns. We entered in the Centrum of Enchantment and the WOW factor hit us. For a smaller ship, we've been on Voyager, Freedom and Oasis class before, this was an amazing area with a prismatic sculpture that played with the light showing us mini-rainbows during the entire cruise. It also served as a venue for some fantastic live music. Our cabin was in this level but we couldn't get to it until 1:30 so we schlepped our carry-on up to the Windjammer in search of food. Evidently the Honey-stung Chicken was not in attendance for our cruise. Not to worry, there were many other selections to stave off our hunger. A little tour of the ship and it was time to check out our first Ocean view cabin. The only negative, and it is a bit of a nitpicker, is the exterior of our window could have been cleaner. Other than that super-minor deficiency, we loved the cabin. Our Cabin Steward, J.J., did a wonderful job seeing to our requests and keeping the cabin spotless too. Off to dinner in the My Fair Lady Dining room, My Time Dining section on deck 5. We had some logistical problems as there are 10 of us for dinner. The problem was fixed later in the cruise so I'm going to call it "No harm -- No foul". The waiters we had were both excellent and one I would even like to see as a Head Waiter soon, he is that good. One of the Assistant Waiters, Natalie Woods (yes that is her name) was the epitome of Royal Crown Service. Once they found out there were some serious savory bites addicts at the table, we had three plates of them right after we sat down. Glasses were never empty and Bento, our Head Waiter candidate, brought extra food for our approval. And In, our other waiter was also on breakfast and lunch duty in the Windjammer where we were greeted with "Exceeelllent Choice" whenever we met. Day 2 was our first sea day and found us at the Windjammer for our traditional breakfast meeting of the Executive Committee. Then on to the Unofficial Meet & Mingle in the Viking Crown Lounge. One of our roll call made really neat nametag for us, thanks Wallygator. After the M&M we adjourned to the Casino Royale for our slot-pull. Although we didn't "break the bank" we didn't "lose our shorts" either. We got to holler at the machine and cheer each other on. After the casino we did an informal lunch in the Main Dining Room. The Tutti Salad is not to be missed. This is like a salad bar on steroids. As you walk around the table you direct the chef to add items to your bowl, after you have added all the shrimp, turkey, lettuce, and other wonderful items your salad is chopped and dressed. Then plated and ready for you to devour with gusto. The phrase Yum-Yum is not enough. Then off for a few hands of cards and a dice game called LCR on the pool deck. Night #2 is the first, of two, formal nights on Enchantment's 6 night itinerary. A side note for those of us that love escargot, there is none, is seems the supplier is experiencing a shortage of these gastronomic delights and is unable to provide them for our pleasure. The culinary team of Royal Caribbean has come up with a substitute of Bay Scallops dine in the escargot style. Not bad, not escargot, but not bad. Tonight was the Captains reception in the Spotlight Lounge. We got to meet some of the officers on the way into the lounge, enjoyed a "bubbly beverage" and listened to Captain Anders impart some wisdom on us as well as introducing his staff. He did apologize for cutting his talk short as he wanted to get back to the bridge and look up Bermuda on MapQuest. We wrapped up our evening with our traditional "meeting" in the Cigar Bar section of the Viking Crown Lounge (VCL). Sunday saw our arrival in Beautiful Bermuda, and Mother's Day too. We sailed through the access channel to King's Wharf where we docked, nose-to-nose, with NCL Dawn. This process occurred about 3pm and many were off the ship at 3:30 for some quick shopping before dinner. I'm sure some of our fellow cruisers were in search of the elusive Rum Swizzle as well. We decided to do a little looking around before we returned for dinner. Nothing noteworthy happened after dinner other than an early bed to get ready for tomorrow. Monday morning I met our friends and two of us went over to the scooter shop, no we didn't get power wheelchairs, and picked up the deluxe scooters we had reserved online for our day of exploration. We drove all over the island visiting, and climbing, Gibbs lighthouse for an exquisite view. We also visited Horseshoe Beach and a few others to boot. We did a stopover in Flatts Village, how quaint, and the National Aquarium. This should not be missed. By this time we had to do an "Easy Rider" thing back to the Dockyard to meet our other friend for and adult beverage and tour of the Maritime Museum. These grounds overlook the harbor where we are docked and provided many photo opportunities for us. There are old gun emplacements and many other items of historical significance both inside, and outside of the Commissioner's residence. By this time we were dusty, tired and hungry so it was back to the ship for a shower and appetizers before dinner. Tonight was the "Welcome Back" party for those who have reached Gold and above status in the Crown & Anchor Society. Then we had more bubbly and kind words for the Captain and Loyalty Ambassador, as well as a bit if a sales pitch. Quest was Monday night but, for a few reasons, we didn't make it. Tuesday is a sad day, it's the day we leave Bermuda. We had a few errands to run before we shoved off at noon. We had to return the scooters and do some last minute shopping. We also had to leave a memento for a friend who would be docking on another ship later in the day. By the way, the memento did no harm to the beauty and ambiance of the island. After everyone was aboard we slowly left the dock and through the channel on our way back to Baltimore. I was honored to be included in the Bridge Tour that was conducted by one of the Second Officers on board. He seemed a bit nervous but calmed down as the tour went on. He took us out to the starboard bridge wing, which on this ship is open to the air. He told us that even though Enchantment was a conventional powered ship, shaft propellers rather than Azipods, she had the ability to stay in a geo-stationary position without having to drop anchor. This is done with a combination of the props and fore and aft side thrusters. A few pictures and on to the cards and fun of the day. Tonight was the second formal night and the celebrated Fisherman's platter with lobster. Our waiters, Bento and Natalie, did their usual excellent job anticipating and caring for our wants and needs. This was also the "Top Tier" event for Platinum and above C&A members. This consisted of some more short speeches by Capt. Anders and James the Loyalty Ambassador. One of the things they did mention was Enchantment being replaced in Baltimore by Grandeur of the Seas in 2013, Enchantment will go to Port Canaveral. Dancing and more champagne drinks were available for those who hung in. We opted to "do our own thing". Wednesday is our last day and our final day at sea. We took this time to do a whole bunch of nothing. We hung around the Solarium Pool and chatted, noshed and planned for more trips. Tonight we decided to visit the Windjammer for dinner. On the way, we stopped in the MDR to present our thanks and envelopes to our waiters. We will certainly miss them all. Dinner was phenomenal. All the food was prepared well and the selection was as broad as it was deep. We were sorry we waited to go there for dinner. Back to the cabin to pack and get ready for the morning. We wound up going to help rescue a friend who had a bit of a mishap but all is well and we got on with the task at hand. The day has arrived, the dreaded last day. Breakfast is in order and then collecting our belongings for debarkation. We went to the area for handicapped disembarkation and waited for our number to be called. We were escorted to deck 1, rather than brave the new ramp. We grabbed a porter and I got the car, scooter and luggage loaded and we were on our way back to Pittsburgh. 4 hours later, we arrived back in our living room and started the laundry. This was a fantastic trip to a fantastic island with some wonderful, wonderful friends to share it with. We can't wait for November and our trip on Freedom of the Seas and our January trip on the re-vitalized Enchantment of the Seas. Thanks for reading and keep cruising.

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My wife and I decided to go on the Enchantment of the Seas for our 13th Wedding Anniversary. It was a decision we will cherish for the rest of our lives. It was a 6night cruise to Bermuda, from Baltimore. MD. Boarding/Embarkation and disembarkation: This was the smoothest form of boarding or getting off any form of transportation we have ever experienced, far better than boarding an airplane or anything you might think of. It took exactly 15minumtes to get on the Ship, from getting off the limo to going through the check in process, luggage hand off, immigration, customs etc. area;, please note that we had done online check prior to going to the Port. That made it a lot easier. After the cruise, it took us only 18 minutes to get off the ship, pass through customs, immigration and unto our ride home. We were home in 1hour, exactly 1hour after leaving the ship, note that we live 15minutes away from the Baltimore port and we opted for self/early disembarkation which meant we had to carry our luggage off the ship without any form of assistance. If you require assistance, certainly, its available, it only takes a little longer that 18minutes that we spent. We had to go to work and by 9:30am, my wife and I were at our offices in DC. You could not even tell we had been on a 6night cruise. We were refreshed, revitalized and rejuvenated. It was great!!! Service on Board: Exemplary! That's the word for all the profound, exceptional and dedicated service we got on board, from the performers, housekeepers, chefs, bar, waiters, the captain, name it, they did it with glee, a sense of pride and joy in all they do and with high sense of decorum. We were treated like Royals; we were pampered and treated very well. Food and Beverage: Windjammer Marketplace, My Fair lady Dinning, Chops Grille all served very tasty food and drinks. The table attendants were great, polite, courteous and approachable. They helped in selection and were right 100% of times. There was a very wide array, i.e. choices of food and beverages choices, the windjammer could be jammed at times, getting a place to seat could sometimes take about than 2 minutes (that's a long time when you are hungry) but hardly longer than that. The salad bar was great, i.e. fruits and vegetable salad, desserts, etc. We were pampered! The quality of the desserts was spot-on, tasty, yummy and tantalizing. The Entrees, especially the steak at chops grille was juicy and sparklingly mouth pleasing. Alexander was the best waiter at Chops Grille. Ayehken Enhan from Turkey is however the best waiter on board the Enchantment, he will make your dinning pleasure the most pleasurable you've ever had, he engages you with enough side shows, complimentary comments, magical tricks, and flawless recommendation on food and wine selection. I have never seen a waiter enjoy his job like this guy, always happy, always smiling; you leave the dining room reluctantly. He was the main reason we went to My fair lady dining room every night. Programs, Events and shows: The performers were highly professional, the shows were highly entertaining and interesting, "Quest" was my favorite; the "adult late night comedy show" was splendid; the Broadway shows were highly captivating too. "Lightening Wave" music group is a must on the ship likewise, DJ Lucian and Elroy. We even had Church service on Sunday morning with hymns and full sermon. The "love and marriage game" was like the newlywed game, it was hilarious and exhilarating. Games, Sports and Fitness: My wife and I went to Gym at 6:30am every morning to burn the excess calories loaded the previous day, the gym was not crowded; they had enough line of equipments, towels, wipes, all that was needed. We saw people enjoying the rock climbing wall and the bungee trampoline, table tennis and many more of such. Even though we did not do the casino, there were many people there till late night, every night. I guess they were winning, why else would you stay on in a casino if losing money, I might be wrong on that. Generally, the ship appeared to be in great shape, it was highly functional, with the weather being great, sailing was peaceful, normal, smooth and on time. All the programs, activities and events started and ended at stipulated times, there were no challenges with seating at any show and the stateroom we were in was very functional. Leslie, our housekeeper, would be in our room to tidy it up 3 times each day, we felt it was too much to for her to do that, even 5star hotels will only do up your room once a day not 3times. I told my wife that if we had baby as a consequence of this cruise, we would name him or her Leslie. the housekeeper will be the one to blame because each time we came in the room and it was tidy; there was always that constant urge to get it rough, mess it up a little (if you know what I mean). Leslie, thanks, you did a great job. Our little room was always like a little heaven, immaculately clean and tidy. As far as I am concerned, the ship worked for us and we enjoyed everything about the cruise. Try the fresh orange juice at the Windjammer Marketplace on deck 9. It's $2.88 but worth every sip, i must have had about 13cups on that cruise. It's cheap, healthy and refreshing; it's served only with breakfast, not at lunch or dinner. I know people have different expectations and some will have contrary opinion, but most people on this particular cruise had a great time, we made many friends from different parts of America and different age groups; some have been married for longer than my wife and I have been living and some are high school students having fun. It was a good mix, few children and a wonderful crew. Alaska, here we come on the Enchantment of the Seas!!!

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