ksawyercruiser

Loving this review, makes me so excited to be on the ship in about 2 weeks! Hoping I have a great experience too, maybe I will post a review too :)

Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying the review!

You should definitely post a review. I'm convinced there are never enough. Everyone's cruise is different.

Happy Sailing!

Kim

Your mystery woman looks a lot like actress Elpidia Carrillo. She starred in the movie Predator.

I googled her, and you're right! It does look a lot like her. Maybe I should have asked for an autograph. That would have helped with the identification. :):)

The mushrooms. Sorry, we helped ourselves before taking this shot!

Delicious!

The cake we almost got mugged for. :)

So after a splendid day lounging by the pool, it was time to get ready for the Concierge Lounge and dinner at Chops. We had 7:30 reservations.

The kids got cleaned up first and then Tommy took Marissa to the Windjammer for dinner. When they got back, we brought Marissa to the kids club. Here we are, our third night, and this was Marissa’s first time in the club. We like her to go for at least an hour early on in the cruise to get a feel for it, but it just didn’t happen.

When we got to the club, the staff told us that the 9-11 year olds were in the Teen Club for a dance party. So we headed over.

When we got there, the kids were all doing the chicken dance. Marissa turned to us and gave us that “OMG” look that only she can give. Then she said, “You’ve got to be kidding.” She tends to like quieter activities and is a little shy. We assured her she would have fun, gave her a quick kiss (so as not to embarrass her) and dropped her off. Turns out we were right. , Marissa ended up having a good time.

Then it was off to the lounge to say hello to Reyno. Turned out, he wasn’t there. But we had a nice time anyway and enjoyed chatting with the other passengers.

Around 7:15, we left for Chops. When we were planning this cruise, I told Tom I really didn’t care if we ate at Chops or not. We had tried Chops on the Allure and had an okay time. The food was good – not great – and we had issues with the waiter trying to sell us a wine decanter, a cookbook, an expensive wine, a bottle of sparkling water … It took a lot of the fun out of it.

But Tom said he would like to give it a try. And boy, am I glad we did. It was a completely different experience.

As soon as we walked in the restaurant, I was surprised by its size. I was used to everything being bigger on the Allure but this was the exception. Chops was at least twice the size. And it was an absolutely beautiful space. I immediately felt like we were in for a treat.

The hostess was lovely, and she said that our MDR waiter Ivan had called ahead and asked them to take excellent care of us. Wow! Talk about wonderful customer service.

Ivan had told us that he had recently moved from Chops to the MDR. And he told us we were going to really enjoy dining there. But we didn’t know he was going to call ahead for us. It was a nice surprise and really set the tone for the evening.

The hostess led us to a beautiful window table. And that’s when I heard a very familiar voice at the next table. It was Reyno! No wonder he wasn’t at the Concierge Lounge. He was dining at Chops with a large group of about 10 … including the captain!

It was fun listening to their conversation. Tom and I don't normally eavesdrop but Reyno's voice carries. And his stories were incredibly entertaining.

Our server came over and introduced himself. We gave him our bottle of wine. (We still had both the bottles we had brought on board with us.) We asked if he would decant the wine for us, and he said he would be happy to. He did remind us of the $25 corking fee which we were aware of. And we had no problem with it.

He decanted our Peju Cabernet Franc. (If you like red wine, I highly recommend Peju. It’s from Napa and is a little difficult to find. But it’s absolutely scrumptious.)

While our server decanted the wine, he commented on the aroma. He said he was unfamiliar with Peju but that the wine had a wonderful aroma. He then asked about he winery and we had a nice conversation about our trips to Napa.

He seemed really curious about the wine. So we told him we would be happy for him to try the wine if he wanted to see what it tasted like. He started laughing and politely declined. He said it wouldn’t be wise with the captain at the next table. Oops!

Tom and I decided to start with the shrimp cocktail. I was determined to have a great shrimp cocktail while I was on this cruise! Then we ordered a beefsteak tomato and onion salad to share. For the main course, Tom selected the New York strip, and I decided to try the herb-crusted jumbo shrimp. For some reason, I just wasn’t in the mood for a steak.

For sides, we went with the roasted potatoes, mushrooms and asparagus.

The shrimp cocktail arrived, and it was perfect. A short while later, we had the tomato salad which was equally good.

While we were waiting for our entrée, our server came over and told us he was bringing us a sampling of the forest mushroom soup. He told us that we absolutely had to try it; it’s the captain’s favorite dish.

We were worried about being too full for our entrée, but we went along with it. And I’m glad we did. The soup was rich and delicious. Really, really good. It would be the perfect dish for a cold, wintery day. It’s the kind of soup that warms your whole body.

Our entrees arrived, and they were very good, as were the sides. I recommend the shrimp if you're looking for a lighter entrée. I was so happy I chose it. After soup, salad and appetizer, I was already getting full!

For dessert, we selected the flourless chocolate torte. And I requested that they wrap up a slice of red velvet cake for me to share with Marissa. It’s her favorite dessert.

Both times we’ve dined at Chops, the staff has been happy to wrap up a dessert for us to take back to our cabin.

A funny sidenote: While we were bringing the red velvet cake back to our cabin, we got a lot of comments from passengers. “Where did you get that?!” I thought we might get mugged in the elevator by this one girl who was absolutely drooling over the dessert!

So overall, Chops was amazing. We had such a great dinner. I’m glad we gave it another shot. Totally worth the $30 surcharge.

Our waiter was great. I wish I could remember his name. I did make a note of his stellar service on the comment card. But I can’t recall his name now. We tipped him an extra $20. He deserved it.

So then it was time for The Quest. Tom and I knew nothing about this event other than it was some sort of game show. But I kept reading how it was the “highlight of the trip” on the message boards, so I was determined to give it a try. And, as is almost always the case, the boards were right on. It was probably the most fun I’ve ever had on a cruise.

Again, kudos to the cruise director. He and his wife made every event so much fun. He promised that by the end of the cruise, we would feel like family. And he was right.

I’m going to try not to give too much away. But one very funny thing happened. They asked for a pair of pants, and Tom gave up his for the team. Then, we needed to dress one of our male team members as a female, and the team asked if I would lend them my blouse. I agreed but first asked Tom for his shirt so I could cover up.

Tom gave me his shirt and I quickly slipped it on before shimmying out of my shirt. I turned to thank Tom and that’s when I realized HE WAS NAKED IN HIS BOXERS. The game was moving so fast that Tom completely forgot that he hadn’t put his pants back on before giving me his shirt.

My husband is a pretty conservative CPA. So seeing him in his boxers in an auditorium full of people was pretty darn funny. I laughed about it for days. Of course, no one really gave him a second look because everyone else was scrambling to play the game.

So that’s all I’m going to say about The Quest. Except give it a try if you haven’t already.

And P.S. We won the gold!

UP NEXT: SEA DAY

Now THIS is a shrimp cocktail!!!

I want this salad NOW!

The roasted potatoes are so good.

I don't have the Compasses from our cruise, but here's a link to a thread by another CC member. You can access recent 4-night Enchantment Compasses here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1843635&highlight=enchantment+compass

And a big thanks to the person who posted these!

awsome review. I go july 5 on this cruise. First time on RCL and Enchantment

You leave tomorrow! :eek:

So excited for you. Have a great cruise!! :):D:)

Adding my 2 cents to Sport Fanatic's request. We are sailing on EN on October 28 for a 4 nighter and it would be great to have the menus. So please try to give us clues.

 

Thanks for posting your reviews and pictures. I'm really enjoying your review.

 

Glad you're enjoying the review! And I'm glad you'll be getting the menus. We were in Chops on Night 3 so I don't know what was on the menu in the MDR.

 

Enjoy your cruise!. :)

 

 

I think

 

 

 

According to the 4 day Enchantment compass - Dining menu is day 1- mojo, day 2- Saffron, Day 3- Pimiento Doesn't really say what day 4 is.

 

 

 

Hope that helps.

 

 

Mystery solved! Yay!! :D

Loving reading all about your cruise on the Enchantment! Great writing and you are really peaking my excitement about our cruise on her in August. We are in the Royal Family Suite, and we have never been in anything larger than a Junior Suite, so that will be great. Thanks for posting this review and I surely have been enjoying it!

Royal Family Suite? That sounds amazing. I'm not familiar with that suite type. Maybe that's one of the suites with doorbells? We saw those when we were exploring the ship.

Enjoy the concierge lounge! Reyno is such a doll. You're going to have a great cruise!!! :)

Thanks for the great review so far! I am eagerly anticipating more as I sail on her in EXACTLY two weeks from today and I, too, am like a little kid waiting for Christmas!

 

Haven't been on Enchantment since the first sailing after she was elongated and I am really torn about it. Going with two friends, one who has cruised with me before and the other her first cruise. Now having avoided the smaller ships in past years, I am a little torn about this, but we are in a GS (haven't had one since Navigator) and I find that makes me even more excited. We would have been on a "regular" 7 nighter but at the time when we booked one of my friend's mother was very ill and we weren't sure any of us would get to go. So we opted for the shorter cruise, bummer.

 

Thanks for the pictures as I wasn't sure how plush the GS actually was on this ship, but I am happy with that. Bummed about the Coke machines because I already bought the soda package only for that machine. Glad to know about the cabanas on Coco Cay. I didn't think they had them at all and hopefully the concierge will email us as well so that we can get one.

 

At Atlantis, I snagged a TA rate for one of the Royal Tower rooms so it's WAY less expensive for the three of us to do the water park and pools than if we did it with Royal. Again, I'm ecstatic about that.

 

Now I always thought that Park Café WAS open on embarkation day. Do you remember what time they open? Hoping to go there first once we get onboard but maybe we just can't. Bummer.

 

I'm hoping that the ship won't disappoint me since I've only been on the large ships lately and because this is one friend's first cruise, I hope we made the right decision. Keep the review coming! I cannot wait to hear more!!!! Soon, please!!!!!

Thanks for the nice comment!! I'm glad you're enjoying the review. :)

I think you'll really enjoy the Enchantment. I think it's a great choice ... particularly for a shorter cruise. The staff overall is incredibly friendly. And although I saw a bit of wear-and-tear on the outside of the ship, the interior looked new. There was plenty to keep us occupied for four days ... even with one sea day and our Nassau "Pool" Day.

Park Café was open on embarkation day. But I think it opened at noon. We were there at 11:30, and we wanted to eat before more passengers boarded. So we opted for the Windjammer.

Happy Cruising!

Kim

Happy 4th of July! Hope everyone is enjoying their holiday!!

So here we are in Nassau. Or as the Sawyer family likes to call it: Pool Day. Since we live in Florida, we’ve been to the Bahamas many times. So there’s nothing really new for us to do. But we LOVE spending the day on the ship when the majority of passengers are enjoying their excursions.

We started our day with room service breakfast, and then got ready for the pool. The crew was running safety drills so there were alarms sounding from time to time. This continued for most of the morning. It was a little jarring ... but hey, safety first!!

We headed down around 10 a.m., and the pool decks were pretty empty. Perfect!

Marissa and Tom hopped in one of the pools, while I lounged and read a magazine. But then I spotted that couple. You know, the one you run into over and over again on the cruise ship even though there are thousands of passengers on board? Yes, that couple.

So I wandered over to introduce myself. Turns out, I noticed them everywhere. But they didn’t recognize me at all. They are a very sweet older couple who also live in Florida. They told me that this was their 46th RCI cruise. I joked that they must love their Pinnnacle status. But they told me that they were nowhere near Pinnacle and probably would never achieve it. What??!!??

46 cruises and you’re nowhere near Pinnacle? Puts it in perspective how few passengers can achieve that status.

Anyway, I loved talking to them. They have been on almost every RCI ship, and they were completely entertaining telling me all their cruise tales and comparing the benefits of each ship.

They are on a fixed income so they watch the deals very closely. As soon as a “too-good-to-be-true” offer shows up, they book it regardless of where the cruise goes. They told me they rarely get off at any port and that the ships are their vacation destination. They were very sweet and knowledgeable about everything RCI.

For lunch, we grabbed a quick bite in the Windjammer. It was great to eat there without the crowds. We almost had the place to ourselves.

After lunch, Tom and I got a couple drinks of the day, ordering them from the Schooner Bar so we could get the real glasses. (I was still determined to complete my collection.) Then we transferred them to plastic before returning to the pool.

Marissa wanted to try out the trampoline park but it was closed most of the day. It opened at 4 p.m.

After lunch, the pool started to get a little more crowded as passengers made their way back onto the ship. Tom and I had fun chatting with folks in the hot tub. I’m convinced the hot tub is the best place to meet people on a cruise. There’s something about bubbling together that makes people feel social.

We really clicked with one couple. We were exchanging stories about our moody teens and how they sometimes act like it’s a huge imposition to go on a cruise with their family The other mom and I joked that they should have a “Meet and Mingle with Other Miserable Teenagers” activity in the Compass. And then maybe a corresponding support group for parents.

Although Tommy can be grumpy sometimes, he loves cruising more than any other type of family vacation. The only thing that really bothers him is no texting or Facebook. But I think it’s great for him to unplug for a week.

So that pretty much sums up our Nassau day. It was a perfect pool day.

NEXT UP: Chops, Casino and Quest

(Question for my readers: I really want to share a couple things that happened at Quest. Can I share or are we supposed to keep all details of Quest quiet for those who haven’t experienced?)

While we were in Nassau, the Enchantment crew conducted a safety drill. They lowered all the lifeboats and drove them around the port. The engine on this lifeboat wouldn't start. We saw the captain observing the drill, and it was evident he was HIGHLY displeased ... to put it mildly.

The Norwegian Gem and Sky. We were with the Gem at Port Canaveral, at the private islands and now in Nassau. But this was the last time we saw this ship. I think they were on a longer cruise. Marissa thought these ships were so beautiful. I think I prefer RCI's more classic look.

Marissa started out her day in Nassau by flicking Daddy in the nose.

So after we got back on the ship, we decided to hit the pool since we were already damp and in our swimsuits. The pool was semi-crowded. Not jam-packed but definitely busy.

Marissa was splashing in the pools, and Tom and I were going to head to one of the Jacuzzis. But first we wanted to get a beer. I volunteered and went to one of the bars. This is where I experienced the worst customer service of any cruise.

The poolside bartenders just didn’t care. They weren’t keeping track of who came when, and weren’t working the entire bar. Which was weird because the bar was only half full.

I ended up waiting over 20 minutes. I tried changing locations. I tried to (very politely) get their attention. But they just weren’t responding. It got to the point that other customer started pointing to me, and others who had been waiting, and saying things like, “they were here first. Please serve them first.” They honestly looked like they couldn’t care less.

I attribute this to two things: One, the soda machines weren’t working. So every kid had to go to the bar to get a refill. (Read: No extra tip.) Second: The all-you-can-drink patrons wanting refills (Read: No extra tip.) The bartenders were just going through the motions. The service was embarrassingly apathetic.

This wasn’t a one-time thing. I experienced this two more times before I finally realized I wasn’t going to get the kind o f service I expect from RCI at the pool bar. Then I started ordering drinks from the waiters.

I get it. Bartending is hard work. VERY hard work. But just ignoring people hoping they’ll go away isn’t customer service. I will say that, except for the poolside bartenders, I found the service on the Enchantment to be absolutely top-notch. Really friendly and really responsive. This was definitely the exception.

If you have a similar experience, and plan to be at the pool for a while, I recommend finding a poolside waiter, slipping him an extra $5 and asking him or her to stop by often. I did find the waiters to be much friendlier and service-oriented.

After an hour or so, we headed back to the cabin to get ready. I love late dinner seating. It gives you a chance to relax after a port day before you have to be at the MDR.

Once we were all clean and fresh, Marissa, Tom and I headed to the Concierge Lounge. Tommy stayed behind to take the last shower and get ready for dinner. We went up for an hour or so to chat with the delightful Reyno and nibbled on some appetizers. Then it was back to the cabin to collect Tommy and go get family portraits and take pictures with the captain!

One of the great advantages of a cruise is family portraits. At home, it’s so tough to get everyone dressed up and then travel to a photography place. It’s a hassle and no one has fun.

On a cruise, you’re already getting dressed up. Especially for formal night. Then you can take tons of pictures with the ship photographers. And you’re not obligated to buy anything! It really is a huge benefit to cruising.

So we got our picture taken with Captain Gustav Andersson, who was very nice and charming. And looked just like you would envision a ship captain to look. Then we got a bunch of portraits taken by the other ship photographers.

After that, it was time for the Captain’s champagne welcome reception where they introduce all the ship officers. This was the first time we’ve done this event, and it was a lot of fun. They had complimentary champagne for the adults and punch for the kids.

Then it was on to the MDR for dinner. I didn’t keep very good notes on what we ate. But I do know that Marissa had a cold banana rum soup that she loved. (It didn’t have any alcohol after preparation. I checked with the waiter.) And I had a unique chicken and grape chilled salad appetizer. Sounds a little weird but it was good. Tom and Tommy ordered beef tenderloin, Marissa had her roasted chicken breast. And I have no idea what I ordered. Oops.

Dress in the MDR on formal night was varied. A few men in tuxes. Most in suits. Afew less casual. But for the most part, everyone was dressed a step above a typical MDR night. I wore a cocktail dress. Tom wore a dark suit. Tommy wore a dark gray long-sleeved button down with black slacks and dress shoes. Marissa wore a dress and her big-girl silver high heels.

After dinner, Tommy again said he wanted to chill out in the room. I really wanted Marissa to go the kids’ club to get a feel for it but her stomach started bothering her. She ate three soft-serve ice cream cones by the pool, and I think all the yummy cruise food was getting to her. (For the record, I thought she had two. But she was playing mommy against daddy to get extras. Clever girl ... but she paid for it later!)

So we went up to the room to get the kids settled. After a while, Marissa’s tummy was feeling much better. She was watching TV, and Tommy was watching another movie on the iPad. So Tom and I changed our clothes and headed to the Schooner Bar to enjoy the musical stylings of Mr. Bernie Martini.

Our favorite bartender Noel was there, and he was happy to see us. Bernie Martini was awesome, and it was fun to watch Noel sing along and groove behind the bar. The crowd was much larger than the first night. Word was getting out on the ship about Bernie.

Suddenly, a very attractive woman entered the bar. She and her husband (?) were dressed to the nines. She sat down by the piano. Shortly thereafter, a group walked through the lounge and spotted the woman. They stopped and started asking for pictures with her. They were giddy and telling the woman how much they loved her, etc. They appeared to be big fans.

Because I’m the biggest dork on the planet, I decided I wanted MY picture with her. Tom was like, “Really Kim? You don’t even know who she is.” But I didn’t listen and jumped up to join the crowd for pictures. The woman was very nice and took a photo with me. I thanked her and walked back to my seat ... very pleased with myself for getting my picture with a celebrity ... who I didn't know. Suddenly that sounds a little odd. ;)

To this day, I have no idea who she is! So if anyone knows this lovely lady, please tell me. For all I know, the crowd was relatives who wanted a photo because it was formal night. But I don’t think so. They were so excited to see her.

Tom and I had fun the next day trying to decide who she might be. Our guesses ranged from Queen of Spain to a Latin soap opera star. Hmmmm … the plot thickens.

NEXT UP: NASSAU!

The beautiful mystery woman. Any idea who she might be?

Our welcome photo at Coco Cay.

I have a hard time not buying the photos ... especially of the kids.

Our photo with Captain Andersson. I had a very funny encounter with him on the last night. I can't wait to tell you about it!

This cute critter was waiting for us on Night #2!

"When we got there, Tommy and Marissa were both asleep on the couch bed. They usually stay as far apart from each other as possible so it was cute to see them sleeping next to each other. Kids are so darn adorable … when they’re asleep."

 

 

Enjoying your review AND your sense of humor very much! Thank you for all the details. We'll be going back to Coco Cay for the second time, which I'm excited about. Ours was the only ship at the island the first time and what's not to love about having your own island. :D

 

The formal picture of your family is adorable - it's a picture that you can't help but smile at!

Awww ... thank you so much! That's so great that you're going to Coco Cay. We can't wait to go back! :)

-Kim

Glad I found this review! We are going on Enchantment next Spring and I turned to my partner and said, "This person did Enchantment AND Disney World, too!" We are now doing Disney, too! Thanks for the push!

You should do Disney! It's very convenient to the port. Please let me know if you have any questions. We love Disney and go several times a year.

You just made your vacation even more magical! :)

Sitting back enjoying your review...and taking notes. Always best to be prepared than not. DD12 and I will be on this cruise 7/8. Much anticipation even though we are cruising alot lately. We will enjoy Disney a day before and a few days after since we are driving from Atlanta area and not flying. Cabana sounds like a great idea hmmmm.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for checking out the review and taking time to comment! You are going to have a great trip. It was so fun doing Disney and then a non-Disney cruise. It kept us from mouse overload. And we love Disney!! :)

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks!

Kim

Wow! Congrats on your new house! I find doing a review is a full time job (which means my regular work suffers terribly! Luckily I work for myself so my boss lets it slide;)) Not sure how you are managing this!:eek:

 

Thanks for mentioning the dinners...first night is Mojo- I'm trying to figure out which menus are offered which night to decide if and when we want to try one of the specialty restaurants. There were a couple of nights where we didn't care for what was in the menu, and I'd be happy to go elsewhere. If you can recall a couple of the meals each night, I can figure to out from my " menu" spreadsheet and I will post the whole cruise by menu, with all the offerings, at the end of your review for future cruisers if you want!

 

Clearly coco cay day will be formal, and wondering if they served lobster (Jasmine) - guess ill have to wait till the boxes are unpacked ;)

 

Thanks again!

Thank you for reading the review!! The second night, Marissa had a delicious banana rum soup. There really wasn't any rum in it after it was made. (I checked.) Maybe that helps? The only other note I have from that night is that I had a yummy chicken salad and grape appetizer. It was a salad with grilled chicken and grapes. Really good and recommended by our waiter. I didn't see lobster on the menu.

Sorry I didn't keep better track of the menus! I'll see if I can find out more.

Enjoying this review and can sense the excitement in your tone.........great job!

Thank you so much! I'm so glad you're enjoying. :)

-Kim

Life is rough for our 15 year old.

The first row of cabanas faces this rocky beach. The second row is behind the first. I'm not sure I'd like a cabana in the second row. You would be looking at ... other cabanas. Our cabana #2 was on the edge, so we actually faced the main beach. But we were not directly on the water. I think those were cabanas #3-#7.

The line to get back on the ship. Don't worry ... it goes quickly!

Welcome to Day 2!

First of all, thank you so much to everyone who took the time to comment. I tried to respond to everyone but if I missed someone, I apologize. I really do appreciate all the feedback.

So before we get to Coco Cay, a couple things I forgot about Day 1. First, we went to the welcome show on the first night. In between the Concierge Lounge and dinner.

The singers and dancers did a few numbers. But most of the show was the cruise director John Blair performing songs. (He did a rousing rendition of Sweet Caroline that really got the crowd going) and a preview of the cruise’s comedian. The comic was very funny, and Tommy even laughed out loud a few times.

I thought the show was fun ... and a nice way to kick-off the cruise. Again, Tom and I are very traditional cruisers. We like the shows. And they're a great family event.

The cruise director was excellent. This was probably the first cruise where I feel like I really got to know the CD. He and his wife Katrina – who I believe is the Activities Director -- were very personable and great at getting passengers involved. I saw them around the ship quite often. One of the benefits of a smaller ship!

It turns out this was their last cruise before moving to another RCI ship (the Voyager? I warned you about my memory.) They were very sentimental about it, having been on the Enchantment for three years.

The last thing I wanted to mention … when we got back to our cabin that first night, there was an invitation from the concierge to a private party on Coco Cay at 11:30 a.m. Very nice!

Okay – now that we’ve gotten those tidbits out of the way, let’s get to it!

We like to use room service as our wakeup call. There’s no better place on the ship to have breakfast than your own balcony. So at 8 a.m. breakfast arrived. Eggs, bacon, sausage and hashbrowns for the boys. Fruit and yogurt for the girls. And pastries for everyone. Plus juice and coffee.

If you order room service, put a few bucks on the nightstand the night before for a tip. Or risk fumbling around the room and tripping over stuff looking for cash. (Or maybe that’s just me?)

So around 9, we headed down to the gangway. The wait wasn’t bad at all. I wasn’t sure what to expect from tendering as this was our first time. But they had a few boats going back and forth – not just one like I envisioned. So we boarded pretty quickly.

It was a fast trip to the island. Maybe 10 minutes. I thought the boat ride was fun. It was nice being in the open air.

We exited and went to check in to the cabana. Someone pointed us in the right direction, and we walked up to a small counter. The gentleman manning the counter was very friendly. He checked our reservation slip and told us we had cabana #2. He explained where to get the snorkeling equipment (2 sets were included).

We got to the cabana, and it was lovely. We weren’t directly on the water … we were one cabana away. But since we were facing the beach, we had a great view. A fruit plate, 4 large waters, 2 floating mats and a chilled bottle of champagne were waiting for us. Heavenly!

We popped the champagne. I had actually filled up an empty water bottle with the leftover orange juice from breakfast and brought it with us to the island … in anticipation of a morning mimosa.

So after a big Cocoa Cay cheers, we walked around to explore. Marissa wanted a hair wrap so we went to the hair-braiding ladies. One gave Marissa a cute blue hair wrap and talked me into getting some braids. $65 for both.

The braids were really cute but started to hurt my scalp almost immediately. They’re just sooo tight. Keep that in mind if you have young daughters who want their hair braided. A hair wrap might be a better option. Or maybe I’m just a wimp.

After exploring, it was time for the concierge party. It was about a 10-minute walk from the cabana to the event, hosted on an outdoor, covered deck. They had all kinds of salads, bread, veggies, fruit and chocolate-covered strawberries. Plus soda, champagne and the famous Coco Locos!!

We ordered four locos, two virgin of course, and sat at one of the tables. Reyno, the concierge, stopped by to say hello. As did the cruise director. It was such a pleasant little event.

We had time for a quick swim before lunch. The main beach near the cabanas is very pretty. Marissa, Tom and I traded off using the beach mats and just splashed around. Tommy opted to walk around and explore a little more. Recently, my son has developed some sort of aversion to water. He used to be such a water baby. I think he’s concerned about his hair. Seriously.

Around 1 p.m., it was time for lunch. Cabana guests have a separate buffet. I think it’s the same stuff, just in closer proximity. The food was the standard BBQ fare … all very tasty.

The jerk chicken, in particular, was awesome! But I was surprised at how spicy it was. I love spicy. And jerk chicken is supposed to be very spicy. But a lot times, restaurants go sparingly on the spices for people who may not be familiar or tolerant.

After lunch, Tom and Marissa wanted to go snorkeling so they went to get the equipment. Tommy was whining about not wanting to get wet. But I was having none of it. I told him that if he loved his mother, he would float with her for 15 minutes. I don’t ask for much … heehee. You know, all that mom-speak.

It worked, and he and I had such a good time. He found a foam ball in the water and threw it at me. I threw it back and suddenly it was World War III. We were laughing like maniacs.

Tommy kept his word and stayed out with me for about 15 minutes before heading back to the cabana. Then I floated out to where Marissa and Tom were snorkeling. Although I was quite a ways from the beach, the water was still quite shallow.

I caught up with the snorkelers and let Marissa rest on the raft for a while. She was doing great snorkeling! She and Tom found a starfish and a lobster and were having fun watching them.

Unfortunately, the coral closest to the main beach is pretty torn up. Uninformed passengers standing on it or kicking it, most likely. So if you’re really into snorkeling, you might want to look at other options. The location was great for Marissa, however, and she was delighted to see a few little sea creatures.

After a while, I headed back to the cabana for a siesta. I probably dozed off for about an hour.

We decided to go back to the Enchantment around 3:30 p.m. There was a big line waiting for the tender boats. But again, it went very quickly. Within 30-40 minutes, we were back on the Enchantment and heading to the cabin.

We really lucked out on Coco Cay. It was overcast all day but never rained. A couple times, the sky got really dark and I thought, "here it comes." But it held off.

So was the cabana worth it? Yes, yes and yes. $200 ... or $50 for each of us. A pretty inexpensive excursion. Plus it included the bottled water, champagne, snorkeling gear and mats. I think it’s a bargain. I know they are very hard to book but if you can, I highly recommend. Ask for a waterfront cabana if they’re available.

Again, I know they’re tough to secure. Your best bet (if you’re not in a suite) is to go the excursion desk as soon as you board and ask to put your name on the waiting list. Another reason to get on board as early as possible!

We also had a cabana on Labadee on our Allure cruise. In that case, I booked online. I just think I got lucky as we were not in a suite. The cabanas are very similar on both islands. On Labadee, you had a personal attendant but no champagne. On Coco Cay, you got champagne but no attendant. Personally, I like the champagne.

I think Labadee is just a little bit prettier than Coco Cay. I like the hills and mountains. But Coco Cay is completely charming. And I would go back in an instant.

UP NEXT: FORMAL NIGHT

This was the bar reserved for cabana guests. Behind it, was the buffet and picnic tables.

\

That's the Norwegian Gem in the distance. The two ships left Port Canaveral together. And now we're at our private islands together. Would we also be in Nassau together? Hmmmmm ...

great job

THANK YOU!!! :D

Staying in a Grand Suite will spoil you :p I am enjoying reading your review since the smallest ship we have sailed on is Voyager class. I really do want to try a Vision or Radiance class but the big ships keep calling me :rolleyes:. You have a beautiful family.

I'm afraid you're right. A regular room would be fine for Tom and I. But with four of us in a room, the suite was sooooo nice. And I did love the Concierge Lounge.

I really loved the Enchantment. Very different than the Allure (obviously) but I loved feeling like I was on a ship rather than a Vegas hotel or high-end mall. That's not to say I won't sail the mega ships again! I just wouldn't sail on them without an ocean balcony room.

My sister is a Buckeye! She and my parents live in Columbus. O-H- ...

Thanks for reading the review! :)

-Kim

We moved 2 days after our first cruise on Enchantment so I understand the rush and crazy post cruise you are going thru!

It is craaaazy around here right now! When we booked this cruise back in January, we had no idea we were going to be moving. We close on the new house on Thursday!

Thanks for checking out the review! :)

Great review, we are sailing on her in September so looking forward to reading more, can't understand why the don't open the solarium roof more, especially in that climate as well, it's normally our favorite place to relax.

I think that's one of the big RCI mysteries. Why are the solarium roofs rarely opened? I don't get it. That and the soda machines never working. ;)

Thanks for your nice comment!

-Kim

So then it was off to the Muster. Our group was on Deck 5 on the jogging/walking track. It was the most solemn muster I’ve ever experienced. The crew was very serious and people were paying close attention. I’m sure the fire on the Grandeur was on everyone’s mind.

After the drill, we went back to our cabin. We decided to do sail away on our balcony. Me, Tom and Marissa waved to everyone in boats by the ship and at Fish Lips restaurant. Tommy was off on his own exploring, as usual. As we left the port, we saw a pod of dolphins. So cool!

After sail away, we got ready to go the Concierge Lounge. No way I wasn’t taking advantage of that perk! Being in the front of the ship, it was a long walk to the Viking Lounge, where the Concierge and Pinnacle lounges are located.

We started down the long hallway to the aft elevators. But when we got to the end of the hall, it was a dead end.

We did some backtracking and finally found the lounge. It’s pretty small with about 8 tables and a small food and drink station. We were greeted warmly by Reyno, the concierge. He had emailed us a few days before sailing to see if we were interested in a cabana on Coco Cay. We were VERY interested, so he booked it for us.

Reyno is a real character. He’s from the Netherlands and is very cordial and outgoing. I looked forward to seeing him each evening.

Tom and I each ordered a glass of cabernet from the waiter and Marissa opted for a Sprite. We then helped ourselves to appetizers and chocolate-covered strawberries. I noticed that there is absolutely no dress code in the lounge. Some people were in shorts, T-shirts and flip-flops. This is just an observation … no judgment.

I really looked forward to that quiet hour in the lounge every night on the cruise. It was a nice way to end the day before going to dinner. I never saw any children in the lounge, except for Marissa, the entire trip. We only used the lounge in the evening. We never peeked in during the day.

Then it was time for dinner in the My Fair Lady dining room! We found our table. It was set for 10 people. Tom and I are traditional cruisers. We like late seating and the largest possible table in order to meet people.

We met our tablemates. A mother and daughter celebrating high school graduation. They were from Florida. And a group of women travelling together from Athens, Georgia. This was a fun coincidence because Tom and I met in Athens (Go Dawgs!) many, many moons ago.

Our waiter was Ivan. A very friendly fellow from the Phillipines. He recommended the mojo pork that night. I followed his lead and ordered the pork. Tommy did, too. Tom opted for a steak and Marissa chose a roasted chicken breast.

For appetizers, I ordered a shrimp cocktail, Tom went for the escargot, Tommy got a Caesar salad and Marissa a fruit cup.

The appetizers arrived and YUCK. The shrimp cocktail was awful. Four or five small, warm, floppy shrimp with some lettuce and no cocktail sauce. Just really bad. About 10 minutes later, the assistant waiter came around with cocktail sauce. Wouldn’t it be easier to add it to the dish?

Tom was also disappointed in his choice. They substituted scallops for the escargot. This is understandable … and it even mentions on the menu that escargot is subject to availability. But it would have been nice if the waiter had told Tom beforehand. Tommy and Marissa both enjoyed their appetizers.

The shrimp cocktail was by far the worst appetizer I’ve ever had on a cruise. I made a mental note never to order it from the MDR again.

Entrees came, and they brought me the wrong dish. It was the prime rib, and it looked absolutely delicious. I told the server that I would be happy to eat the prime rib if it didn’t belong to someone else. The waiter asked me several times if I was sure. He would be happy to bring me the pork. But seriously, the prime rib looked really good so I told him it was fine.

The prime rib more than made up for the appetizer. It was as good as it looked. And Ivan ended up bringing me the mojo pork anyway -- which was super nice. I was full but Tommy devoured it. Aw … to have the metabolism of a teenager again.

Tom wasn’t thrilled with his steak but Marissa LOVED her roasted chicken breast. She ordered it every night. I had a couple bites, and it was juicy and delicious. It’s on the menu every night so it’s a good go-to if you’re not sure what to order.

For dessert, I again went with Ivan’s suggestion and had a warm blueberry-apple crumble with vanilla ice cream. I’m not a dessert person but I ate the entire thing. It was yummy.

So except for the appetizers, I thought dinner in the MDR on night one was very good. And as a bonus, I could tell Tommy was quite interested in the 18-year-old girl at our table. He was being extra charming, and it was cute to see him try to impress her.

We had planned to take Marissa to the kids’ club after dinner so Tom and I could have a nightcap. But Tommy said he wanted to watch movies in the room. So he volunteered to watch Marissa.

We took them back to the cabin and turned on cartoons for Marissa. We then let Tommy pick a $4.95 movie on the iPad. Cheapest babysitter ever!

The evening ended with Tom and I at the casino. I lost $40 on slots, and Tom was up about $20. So we decided to cut our losses and go to the Schooner Bar to see Noel.

When we arrived, Noel wasn’t there. But there was an absolutely amazing piano player: Bernie Martini. That’s most likely not his real name, but his voice is AMAZING. Very smooth and crooner-like. Reminded me of Michael Buble. And he’s very sweet and personable. He made a point to speak to every table during his breaks.

If he’s on your sailing, I highly recommend you stop by for a martini with Bernie Martini! He’s always happy to take requests. He sings all types of songs but I like his Rat Pack tunes the best.

At around midnight, we headed back to the cabin. When we got there, Tommy and Marissa were both asleep on the couch bed. They usually stay as far apart from each other as possible so it was cute to see them sleeping next to each other. Kids are so darn adorable … when they’re asleep.

That concludes day one! NEXT UP: COCO CAY!

Tom relaxing on the balcony for Sail Away.

Leaving Port Canaveral.

Bye bye, Florida! We're Bahamas-bound!

The insanely talented Bernie Martini.

Success! We actually tired-out the kids.

Subscribed. Was on the 4 day in early June. Freestyle machines were both Out of Order.

Thanks for subscribing! :)

I'm enjoying your review! Can't wait for the rest!

Why thank you very much! Glad you're enjoying so far! :)

-Kim

Great review so far.. Looking to hear about your time on Coco Cay

We had a great time on Coco Cay! Can't wait to tell you about it.

Thanks for checking out the review! :)

-Kim

Op mia?????

 

:)

Totally MIA. Sorry! This weekend just slipped by. We've spent the whole weekend furniture shopping and at Home Depot. We close on our new house next week. :eek:

I promise I will do better! :)

Looking forwarded to reading more - I think I will miss the promenade - me and DH would love to sit and have coffee and dessert and I could people watch!

You can grab some cookies and a gourmet coffee at the Seattle's Best coffee shop and enjoy some great people watching. The Enchantment is very different from the mega-ships but very charming in its own way.

Thanks for reading the review! :)

-Kim

thank you for the review.:):)

You're welcome! Thanks for checking out the review! :)

-Kim

Enjoyed your review.

 

Keith

Thank you very much! Glad you're enjoying! :D

Your are bringing back some memories...

 

We did not know about Park being in the back of the Solarium either. We did not locate it until the 2nd day!

 

Keep it coming!

Yeah. I really had it in my head that it would be like the Allure. We would have eaten there on embarkation day but it was closed. Every other time, it was just too toasty in the Solarium. I know the food is excellent so maybe next time!

Thank you for reading the review and taking time to comment! :)

Subscribed - I'm going on Labor Day! :D

You're going to have a great cruise! Thanks so much for subscribing! :)

Looking forward to reading more. We will be on her in September. I don't get the freestyle machines that keep breaking on the ships. We use them weekly after my son's gym class at the restaurant next door and they have never been broken in 3 years...

It was weird seeing "Out of Order" signs on the machines every time I passed them. Makes me wonder why they installed them in the first place. But hopefully they will get it figured out. Thanks for checking out the review! :)

One of the THREE closets!

The balcony was HUGE!

Our buddy Noel and our DOTD glasses! I have eight of them now. :)