"Live" Enchantment of the Seas, May 19-28

[spabsie]

rafinmd, your live report was awesome!!

 

thanks so much for taking us all along, I will be doing the exact same cruise this November so I was excited to read about your travels.

 

Is there any way to load or link the menus in a way that zooms in on them a bit more? I think I may be going blind, but I couldn't make out the menu items in those pics.

 

thanks!!

[rafinmd]

rafinmd, your live report was awesome!!

 

thanks so much for taking us all along, I will be doing the exact same cruise this November so I was excited to read about your travels.

 

Is there any way to load or link the menus in a way that zooms in on them a bit more? I think I may be going blind, but I couldn't make out the menu items in those pics.

 

thanks!!

 

I'm still trying to figure out the pitfalls of posting pictures. I can pull up the original pictures in photo veiwer and enlarge them without problems but tried downloading one of the thumbnails from Cruise Critic and doing the same thing and that turned out to be a blurry mess. If you want to send me an email at royaferguson at operamail dot com, I'll try sending you the originals. Please specify if you want the regular menu and/or vitality/desert.

 

I think I still owe feedback on the condition of the ship, kids programs, and overall impressions. I'll try to get to that soon.

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

Great Review. We will be sailing on the Enchament this July! If you could get some pictures of the ship I would really appreciate that, and also comment on the Kids clubs! Thanks! :D

 

Dare I say this? I think the best thing I can say is that while there were a number of kids on board I saw very little of them. Not that I object to kids, but that would suggest that they were bored with their activities. I probably don't want to be around bored kids, and it certainly wouldn't be good for them either. I did sit next to a man with a probably 6-year old girl on one of the tenders. The dad said his daughter loved Adventure Ocean and it was hard to get her to leave.

 

I scanned copies of the the weekly teen newsletter and one daily program for the 3-11 program. I think they are too big to put as an attachment on cruise critic but if you email me at royaferguson at operamail dot com I'll send you the one(s) you want. I'm also attaching a couple of photos from the ship.

 

Roy

[spabsie]

emailed, thanks! :D

[rotty2]

Hi Roy,

I also just emailed a request for the regular menu for each night. I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

[jerseygirl3]

We were onboard Enchantment last month (9 nighter out of Baltimore) and thought it was great. Glad you're having a good cruise!

[smalltimecruiser100]

Did anyone have a problem with noise(in 8th deck statrooms) from pool deck lounge chairs being moved around during cleaning the 9th deck overnight?

[Welovetokruze]

The deck chairs are stacked in the early evening and set out about 8 AM the next day. This has been the routine on all of our cruises on RCI. We have had deck 8 staterooms on all 6 cruises and didn't hear much noise at all from above us..

Glenn :cool:

[spabsie]

The OP was kind enough to forward over the pics, so I typed up everything I could from them and barring a couple of nights of desserts and the appetizers for each night, here is an almost complete menu thanks to the OP!

 

 

Day One:

Vidalia Onion Tart

Spinach Salad with tomatoes, mushroom, and toasted sunflower seeds

 

Pan Fried Pork Medallions

Truffled Wild Mushroom Linguine Alfredo

Slow Roasted Prime Rib

Grilled Mediterranean Quesadilla

Pan Seared Golden Sea Bass

Aloo Gobi Methi

 

Chocolate Cherry Cake

SF Chocolate Pot de Crème

 

Day Two:

Escargot Bourguignon

 

Filet of Beef

Shrimp Ravioli

Grilled Seafood Brochette

Roasted Duck

Sautéed Seasonal Mushrooms

Potato Curry

 

Bittersweet Chocolate Soufflé

 

Day Three:

Chilled Cherry Bisque

 

Mustard Crusted Roast Beef

Singapore Noodles

Sole Meuniere

Yukon Gold Potato Pie

Roasted Chicken

Masala Dal

 

Pecan Butterscotch Tart

Chocolate Bread Pudding

Traditional English Trifle

Low fat Roasted Peaches

Sugar Free Pineapple Upside down Cake

 

Day Four:

Onion Soup

Moroccan Spiced Chicken Salad

 

Shrimp and Mahi Mahi Tempura

NY Strip Steak

Tomato Basil Mozzarella Calzone

Paneer Makhani

Roasted Turkey

Potato Gnocchi with Ham and Peas

 

Chocolate Brownie Sandwich

SF Key Lime Pie

Key Lime Pie

Banana and Crunchy Nut Parfait

Low fat Apple Cake

 

Day Five:

Crab Cake

Roasted Butternut Squash and White Bean Salad

 

Beef Stroganoff

Conchiglioni Pasta

Pan Seared Sole Filet

Shrimp Gyoza

Slow Roasted Double Cut Pork Loin

Vegetable Vindaloo

 

Berrymisu

Low fat Cranberry Yogurt

Orange Chocolate Parfait

Sky High Lemon Meringue Tart

SF Coconut Custard Slice

 

Day Six:

Beef and Veal Tortellaci

Crab and Shrimp Salad

 

Cornmeal Dusted Tilapia

Parmesan Crusted Turkey Tenderloin

Beef Shoulder Filet

Asparagus and Brie Tart

Penne Tarantina with mussels, bay scallops and shrimp

Gobi Ki Sabzi

 

Choca Chino Trilogy

BBB Bananas Baileys and Irish Crème Whisky Crème Brulee

Magic Mango Parfait

Low Fat Exotic Pineapple and Coconut Cake

Steamed SF Vanilla and Berry Custard

 

Day Seven:

Shrimp Cocktail

Chilled Carrot and Apple Soup

 

Steak Diane

Scallop Linguine

Baked Sea Bass

Slow Roasted Center Cut Pork Loin with braised cabbage, potatoes and apple chutney

Polenta Pyramid

Navaratra Curry

 

Kahlua Crème Brulee

Gateau Cardinal – White Chocolate Mousse Cake swirled with Raspberries

Berry Cobbler

Low fat Roasted Bosc Pears with spiked Cherry Glaze

SF Almond Torte

 

Day Eight:

Creamed Wild Mushroom in Puff Pastry

Seafood Salad

 

Thai BBQ Chicken Breast

New England Bay Scallops and Ziti

Fisherman’s Plate

Slow Roasted Aged Prime Rib

Vegetarian Moussaka

Kabuli Chana

 

Dessert Sampler

Cherries Jubilee

Low Fat Double Passion Fruit Cheesecake

SF Red Berry Tart

 

Day Nine:

Antipasti

Caprese Salad

 

Lamb Shank with Rosemary

Rigatoni Pasta with Chorizo Sausage

Garlic Tiger Shrimp

Chicken Marsala

Eggplant and Tomato Bake

Kaju Paneer Dhansak

 

Tiramisu

Warm Chocolate Cake

Raspberry Panna Cotta

Low Fat Angel Food Cake

SF Chocolate Mint Cake

 

Didn't think I should create a new thread for this bec. this info came from the OP, didn't want to take credit. Does anyone think it should be a new thread so more people can find it?

 

Thanks again rafinmd!

[rafinmd]

I think it should be a new thread. You put a lot of work into converting all those images into a coherent whole and it deserves a place of it's own. Perhaps it will even inspire somebody else to contribute menus for other cruises.

 

Great work, spabsie.

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

Looking forward to you posting live from the Enchantment of the Seas since I will be cruising on 7/14/11. Please let us know how the overall ship looks since there has been some negative post about the ship. Hope you have a GREAT cruise!!!

 

The Enchantment is an older ship but I thought it was very well maintained despite a few minor issues.

 

1. There is a vita course on deck 10. There are 2 benches for situps. One of the boards on one of these benches was broken. It was still broken at the end of the cruise, I expect that repair will take a custom made part. I only saw the benches used once, and the person showed no problem using the good bench.

 

2. The backing of my medicine cabinet mirror was a bit ragged. No problem, just looked a bit strange when the door was open.

 

3. I found one instance of peeling paint, on the grating under the clear section of the floor on deck 9 starboard. The grate appeared to be galvanized and was not rusting. I suspect that it's extremely difficult to reach it except in drydock.

 

4. The one thing that was a bit annoying was the safe. It was the old style that is opened with a credit card rather than a pin. I was wishing I had taken an expired credit card or hotel key to use with the safe.

 

I saw occasional plumbing problems in the toilets but they appeared to be routine blockages and were always put back in service promptly. It could happen on a brand new ship. I never saw or heard of any problems with air conditioning or other significant mechanical issues.

 

This isn't the newest or glitziest ship but I thought it was well maintained and in very good shape. It is slated for drydock in 2012, so I would say RCI is fully committed to it's continuing service.

 

Roy

[smalltimecruiser100]

We are going in May 2012. Already reserved. Could they cancel the cruise? If you don't know, do you know who I could contact to find out?

 

 

 

 

The Enchantment is an older ship but I thought it was very well maintained despite a few minor issues.

 

1. There is a vita course on deck 10. There are 2 benches for situps. One of the boards on one of these benches was broken. It was still broken at the end of the cruise, I expect that repair will take a custom made part. I only saw the benches used once, and the person showed no problem using the good bench.

 

2. The backing of my medicine cabinet mirror was a bit ragged. No problem, just looked a bit strange when the door was open.

 

3. I found one instance of peeling paint, on the grating under the clear section of the floor on deck 9 starboard. The grate appeared to be galvanized and was not rusting. I suspect that it's extremely difficult to reach it except in drydock.

 

4. The one thing that was a bit annoying was the safe. It was the old style that is opened with a credit card rather than a pin. I was wishing I had taken an expired credit card or hotel key to use with the safe.

 

I saw occasional plumbing problems in the toilets but they appeared to be routine blockages and were always put back in service promptly. It could happen on a brand new ship. I never saw or heard of any problems with air conditioning or other significant mechanical issues.

 

This isn't the newest or glitziest ship but I thought it was well maintained and in very good shape. It is slated for drydock in 2012, so I would say RCI is fully committed to it's continuing service.

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

We are going in May 2012. Already reserved. Could they cancel the cruise? If you don't know, do you know who I could contact to find out?

 

I looked at the schedule and there seems to be a hole with no cruises December 1-15, 2012. I'm not sure if there is an appropriate drydock in Baltimore but if not there probably is in Norfolk.

[Alysia]

The Enchantment is an older ship but I thought it was very well maintained despite a few minor issues.

 

1. There is a vita course on deck 10. There are 2 benches for situps. One of the boards on one of these benches was broken. It was still broken at the end of the cruise, I expect that repair will take a custom made part. I only saw the benches used once, and the person showed no problem using the good bench.

 

2. The backing of my medicine cabinet mirror was a bit ragged. No problem, just looked a bit strange when the door was open.

 

3. I found one instance of peeling paint, on the grating under the clear section of the floor on deck 9 starboard. The grate appeared to be galvanized and was not rusting. I suspect that it's extremely difficult to reach it except in drydock.

 

4. The one thing that was a bit annoying was the safe. It was the old style that is opened with a credit card rather than a pin. I was wishing I had taken an expired credit card or hotel key to use with the safe.

 

I saw occasional plumbing problems in the toilets but they appeared to be routine blockages and were always put back in service promptly. It could happen on a brand new ship. I never saw or heard of any problems with air conditioning or other significant mechanical issues.

 

This isn't the newest or glitziest ship but I thought it was well maintained and in very good shape. It is slated for drydock in 2012, so I would say RCI is fully committed to it's continuing service.

 

Roy

 

 

Thank you Roy!!! One other item, many people had complained about a bad smell especially on the lower decks. Did you noticed that? Also, did you have a good cruise? I know it's not a new ship and for us it's about being with my family. I suspect that after just getting off the Oasis of the Seas, it might be a bigger shock. Thank you for posting live from the ship.

[smalltimecruiser100]

I looked at the schedule and there seems to be a hole with no cruises December 1-15, 2012. I'm not sure if there is an appropriate drydock in Baltimore but if not there probably is in Norfolk.

Do they cancel cruises because of dry docking?

[rafinmd]

Do they cancel cruises because of dry docking?

 

I went to RCI's website like I was booking a cruise and pulled up a list of all 2012 cruises out of Baltimore. There were sailings listed for every week except those two. Usually, cruises are not "cancelled" for a drydock, they are built into the schedule as it is developed, so no cruises were ever offered for those weeks.

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

I write this from the point of view of someone who probably is not really aligned with RCI's target market. I found it quite interesting that twice on the cruise (the "New Cruisers Ship Tour" the first day and Carly at the Captain's Club) people talked about liking being on the "smaller" Enchantment of the Seas and often seeing the same people more than once on a cruise. I actually have 2 favorite cruise lines which together have a five ships, and the total passenger capacity of their combined ships is about 2250, so I really like the advantages of a smaller ship, and EOS was a bit big for my liking.

 

I booked this cruise with a specific goal in mind. After many cruises I wanted to do one from my home port of Baltimore and I reaffirmed my original thought that this was the right ship and cruise for that purpose. We all have different likes and dislikes, and while I'd be happy to be on an RCI ship anytime there are others that I feel are a better fit for me.

 

Overall, I was happy with the service on the ship. My room steward Friday was superb. The dining room service was very good although I always felt a bit uncomfortable at how rushed the dining room staff seemed to be. WJ staff were helpful and attentive. People around the ship were excellent.

 

The Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers were excellent, but I was not particularly impressed with most of the other entertainers who came onboard for a single show. One or two were very good, but two or three seemed pretty weak.

 

I was not directly involved but it was obvious the youth programs were excellent.

 

There were a few things I normally expect on a cruise that were among some of the things I missed most. I thought the information on ports of call was pretty week. I saw a couple of maps on the RCI website before leaving but they seemed to concentrate mostly on shopping rather than descriptions of what to see, and I never found even that on the ship. I felt really on my own when leaving the ship in port.

 

The other thing I have come to expect in cruising is a fairly well developed enrichment program with speakers on local history, geography, world affairs, and other topics of interest. I had kind of expected that before leaving home and was able to largely compensate for that by having some extra reading material with me. A deck chair with a good book was nice but I am usually too busy with even better things to do.

 

It is great that we all have choices. I have been on many cruises and have never regretted one yet, but there have been a few where I've really said "I don't want to go back to XYX cruise line. My primary choices in cruising will continue to be other than RCI but it will have a niche spot in my future plans beginning in January.

 

I'll soon be editing my signature to concentrate on my future plans, so I'll put a permanent link to the blog version of this thread with a few more pictures:

 

http://baltoenchantment.blogspot.com/

 

Roy

[happythoughts]

Roy, I enjoyed reading your live blog.

 

Can you tell me, did the enchantment dock in Havensight in St Thomas or at another location? Thanks

[munster05]

Roy, can you tell me if they were offering the beer cooler bag special where you buy the RCC cooler bag with 8 beers for $35, then you can refill it for $25 the rest of the cruise. We are leaving on the Enchantment June 2nd. Can't Wait !!!! Thanks for your reporting of your cruise...will be very helpful to us.

[rafinmd]

Roy, I enjoyed reading your live blog.

 

Can you tell me, did the enchantment dock in Havensight in St Thomas or at another location? Thanks

 

No overnights. Our port Hours were:

 

San Juan - 3-11:30PM

St. Thomas - 7-5

Samana - 9-6

Labadee - 7-4

 

Roy, can you tell me if they were offering the beer cooler bag special where you buy the RCC cooler bag with 8 beers for $35, then you can refill it for $25 the rest of the cruise. We are leaving on the Enchantment June 2nd. Can't Wait !!!! Thanks for your reporting of your cruise...will be very helpful to us.

 

I'm not a drinker so I didn't pay much attention but I'm pretty sure the answer is no.

 

I looked at the first day's Cruise Compass "specials" section and saw mention of wine packages (no specifics) but nothing about beer.

 

Roy

[munster05]

Thanks again Roy...you have been very helpful ... one more thing....what drinks are free on board and do you think the soda packages are worth the price ? I am traveling with my spouse and two kids 16 & 12

[rafinmd]

These are what I remember as free:

 

Brewed coffee (regular and decaf) - at least 5:30am to 11PM outside WJ

Tea, hot and iced

Milk - whole and skim

Flavored drinks - Kool aid equivalent

Some juices

 

Fresh squeezed OJ in WJ was 2.50

Canned soft drinks were about 2:50, and I assume fountain versions were comparable.

The soft drink package I believe was $6 per day, purchased on day 1 for the whole voyage. It was for fountain drinks (mostly in bars). I believe it covered soft drinks in the MDR but am not sure.

[Philly Steve]

Roy, can you tell me if they were offering the beer cooler bag special where you buy the RCC cooler bag with 8 beers for $35, then you can refill it for $25 the rest of the cruise. We are leaving on the Enchantment June 2nd. Can't Wait !!!! Thanks for your reporting of your cruise...will be very helpful to us.

 

Best to take advantage of this offer on day one. We attempted to do so on the second day but they were all gone! ;)

[smalltimecruiser100]

for all your information, not just mine. Very informative.:)

 

 

I went to RCI's website like I was booking a cruise and pulled up a list of all 2012 cruises out of Baltimore. There were sailings listed for every week except those two. Usually, cruises are not "cancelled" for a drydock, they are built into the schedule as it is developed, so no cruises were ever offered for those weeks.

 

Roy

[Pumbaamd]

The other thing I have come to expect in cruising is a fairly well developed enrichment program with speakers on local history, geography, world affairs, and other topics of interest. I had kind of expected that before leaving home and was able to largely compensate for that by having some extra reading material with me. A deck chair with a good book was nice but I am usually too busy with even better things to do.

Roy

When we did our Mariner of the Seas around Cape Horn cruise in February there were several speakers on the local history, geography, etc. You will find more of that on RCL on the very long cruises, TA's and longer repositioning cruises. The more "touristy" cruises, such as the Jewel shorties in January, will not usually have any educational speakers.

Thanks for your postings!

Rick and Deirdra