"LIVE" from Enchantment of the Seas- Bermuda/New England - May 17, 2012

[rafinmd]

Sorry, but I'm not Radio. I'm more of a narrative person than a photographer but you're invited along for my reports if you desire. I live in Columbia, MD, just West of Baltimore and will be heading for the port in the morning. This will be my second and final annual May cruise on Enchantment. I think I may get one last cruise on her in January but not truly confirmed yet.

 

What pictures (along with Compasses and menus) will be posted on my companion blog:

 

http://baltoenchantment.wordpress.com

 

There are links on the blog for separate menu and compass pages in the green banner, should be above the place where the posts and the Enchantment picture meet.

 

This time tomorrow I'll be near Annapolis.

 

Roy

[regg1216]

My brother and SIL will also be sailing with you tomorrow. I will be following your reports. Thanks

[hansolosmom]

Hi Roy

Thanks for letting us share your cruise. I'm interested in this one, I think this is a really interesting itinerary.

[debrycruise]

Going on this one end of June! Have fun!

[momneedsvacation]

I too am interested since I too am taking my family on this itinerary at the end of June

[vivavegas]

Looking forward to reading your live update!

[dwdwnurse]

Thanks Roy for letting us cruise with you! What a treat - just returned with Radio and now we get to sail the high seas again :) We leave for Bermuda in less than 1 month, so I love to read your live posts.

 

Hope you'll have sunny skies and smooth seas!

[ready2sail40]

I will be getting on when you get off!

[Disneycrazymom]

We have been looking at this cruise for awhile and still can't decide if we would like this ship. I will enjoy following along on your trip. It will help us make up our minds! Happy sailing!

[rafinmd]

Thank you all. ready2sail40, I'll try and take good ship for you, although that's mostly in Enchantment's fantastic crew's hands.

 

I'm now enjoying a coffee at McDonalds Fort Avenue, perhaps a half mile from the terminal. It's been smooth so far. My first bus was right on. There are 3 and I took the middle one (instead of last a year ago) and it was less crowded. The second bus was very uncrowded but had 4 of my fellow cruisers on board. In a very few minutes I'll head for the pier to drop off my big bag and then some time at Ft. McHenry.

 

Roy

[ready2sail40]

Rafinmd,

 

I cant wait to read your posts. I will be there virtual for the next week. Any tips about bermuda you want to share, I would love.

[sept10dsm]

I guess we can stay aboard!! I love Canada/NE and have done it 3 times but on Princess out of NY! Have a wonderful cruise!

[rafinmd]

I left home about 6:45. My first bus was right on. There are 3 and I took the middle one (instead of last a year ago) and it was less crowded. The second bus was very uncrowded but had 4 of my fellow cruisers on board. I stopped at a McDonalds near the pier for a morning coffee and internet.

 

I dropped my bag off at the pier at 10, returned to Fort Avenue, and took the bus to Fort McHenry. There is a new visitor center, but it was also the season for school field trips and this is a primary location for that, maing it quite crowded and very noisy. I arrived back at the port about 1:30 for a not so smooth embarkation. I suspect the people at the terminal are contractors rather than RCI employees but they did not impress me. They were insistent that I had to show a passport to get through security while there are several other options, including the NEXUS card I used to register. I must have spent close to a half hour at security while they went to ever higher levels of supervision, even at one point asking for a birth certificate. At some time while this was going on I pulled out my laptop and put it away several times, and in all the shuffle of stuff while I was waiting, when I finally got through security my set sail pass was missing in action. That did not really hinder the process much, I was found in the manifest and the checkin guy just gave me a new cruise contract to sign. He knew the NEXUS card was valid but it was the first time he had seen one, and he was very apologetic about the minimal delay while he found out exactly how to process it. I was on board about 2:15 for a late lunch in the WJ.

 

The muster drill was at 3:30. It was done on the Promenade deck and life jackets were not required. One thing that seemed a bit different was that most of the safety announcements were made by the Cruise Director with only a brief message by the Captain. My luggage had not yet been delivered. As I left for the drill I could see it in the crew stairway and it was there when I returned from the drill, so I picked up my video camera and went off to the Cruise Critic sailaway get-together at the Oasis Bar. [Question: Does Grandeur have an Oasis Bar or anything like it?] I stayed on deck as we backed out of the slip, passed Fort McHenry, the liberty ship John Brown, the hospital ship USNS Comfort, and headed out under the Francis Scott Key bridge.

 

My cabin steward came by and introduced himself. The room had been made up as a Queen Bed and I asked him to reconfigure it as twins so I could get close to the window. It was done when I returned from dinner. We passed under the William Preston Lane bridge about 5:45, just before dinner. I am at a 5-top; we had a lady from Indiana, a couple who lives less than 10 miles from me and one empty seat for the evening. My waiters are Glenn and Praschant and Head Waiter Ice. The welcome aboard show was at 7:45 with an introduction to the activities staff and a short segment by comedian Kivi Rogers.

 

As today’s parting shot, I am not really a devotee of RCI and my experience with them is relatively limited. The crew of Enchantment seems to have a reputation as one of the best in the fleet. There was a surprise tonight as my waiter from last year stopped by my table and welcomed me back. I don’t have the experience to verify the claims of Enchantment’s crew being at the top but my limited experience does support it. Enchantment will be replaced in Baltimore in about a year by the Grandeur. I will not miss Enchantment’s crowded theater but I think I will miss this crew.

 

Roy

[superduper123]

Hi Roy, just thought I would stop by your thread and say hello. I was on the Enchantment the week before you (6-day Bermuda). I think to date, the Enchantment just may be my favorite ship.....

Have a great cruise!!

[emelvee]

rafinmd, I'm looking forward to your reporting. I think your narrative style will complement nicely with Radio's. We're on Enchantment in July for the 8 night sailing...I ended up printing out the Compasses you've posted so far - in the thread discussing why people want to see them, I mentioned it wasn't a big deal, but I found out a few things that were new to me:

 

Chops Grille says "Guests 13 years and older are welcome." I thought kids under 13 could dine prior to 7:00 pm.

 

I see that the formal nights are Day 2 (first full sea day) and Day 5 (second/last full sea day, heading home after Bermuda).

 

I see the casino is smoke free tonight (Day 2, first full sea day)...that's a big plus for me. The only thing I don't like about the casino (other than losing money) is the smoke.

 

I forgot Bermuda is in the Atlantic Time Zone. So the all-aboard at 4:30pm is "really" 3:30pm. :(

[cruisenuts4life]

So excited to see another live post,I have been thinking of doing this cruise,after Radio's post I think I have made up my mind.Looking forward to your comments.

[LBumb]

happy cruising

[Bermudagirl1981]

I just got off the Enchantment yesterday morning after our sailing to Bermuda. I enjoyed it. I'll post a review over the weekend. While I'm sure I'll take another cruise sometime in the future, I actually prefer to fly and arrive at my destination and stay put. As I joked to my significant other as we were waiting in line last Friday to board, if we had flown we'd be there by now! :) But seriously it was a good time.

[emelvee]

I see that the formal nights are Day 2 (first full sea day) and Day 5 (second/last full sea day, heading home after Bermuda).

(

Let me correct my error...second formal night is second full sea day, before Boston/Newport. There's a third sea day after Newport, before arriving back in Baltimore.

[pjlee3333]

Let me correct my error...second formal night is second full sea day, before Boston/Newport. There's a third sea day after Newport, before arriving back in Baltimore.

 

Interesting. They've changed it for this cruise. Last Bermuda, Boston, Newport cruise they had the second formal night the day of Boston. Found it unusual that they didn't have it on a sea day. Wonder if the change of food and beverage manager and cruise director have anything to do with the change of formal night.

[KathyPet]

I will be on this exact itinerary on 6/14 so will be following with interest. I still have not been able to get a clear answer on what time the shows are in the evening. I am not even sure that they have two shows. Can you please pin that answer down for me I would appreciate. Thanks

[Bermudagirl1981]

I will be on this exact itinerary on 6/14 so will be following with interest. I still have not been able to get a clear answer on what time the shows are in the evening. I am not even sure that they have two shows. Can you please pin that answer down for me I would appreciate. Thanks

 

 

For the cruise this week the shows were at 7:00 and 8:45. We had two dancing/singing performances, a juggler and magician the other two. Later in the evening we saw Kivi Rodgers (a hilarious comedian, I was rolling with laughter). The final show on Wednesday night ~ again at 7 and 8:45, was a reprise of Kivi, and 4 of the best singers in the company doing their favorite songs. Some of the talent among the RC stage shows is phenomenal, vying with top talent of shows such as AI or the Voice.

[rafinmd]

I will be on this exact itinerary on 6/14 so will be following with interest. I still have not been able to get a clear answer on what time the shows are in the evening. I am not even sure that they have two shows. Can you please pin that answer down for me I would appreciate. Thanks

 

Kathy, the full compasses each day are posted as they happen at

 

http://baltoenchantment.wordpress.com/compasses

 

I know there was only 1 show the first day (7:45). Today they were 8:45 and 10:30 which I suspect will be the case most days but it still may vary by day.

 

I also saw your thread about Jan.26. I just booked that cruise today and will be interested in seeing what comes up in the confirmation.

 

On sea days I like to walk 5 miles before breakfast. I rose at 5, and while walking up the stairs there was a vivid sound of rushing wind. I took one lap on the jogging track and found the wind very brutal, to the point that I had to be careful setting my foot down with the wind pushing very hard to move the foot out from under me. I went briefly out to the Promenade deck and there was heavy spray coming up. By 7 both deck 5 and deck 10 were roped off, although parts of deck 5 reopened later in the morning.

 

At noon I got a little taste of Captain Anders dry wit. He reported that each day he would tell us

our location “so we would know he is not lost”. This turned out to be the right thing to say since we are clearly off course for Bermuda. We are heading due East, North of our expected course at the request of the US Navy (they are doing exercises using live ammunition). He quipped that he doesn’t argue with the US Navy, especially when they are using live ammunition, and I won’t argue with him. We are about half way there but the course adjustment will delay our arrival in Bermuda by at least an hour, possibly more due to the weather. It is cloudy with occasional rain, 8-15 foot seas. Winds are 20 knots but we are headed into the wind making the effective speed 40 knots. Deck 10 is still closed.

 

The Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle took place at 12:30 in the Spotlight Lounge at 12:30. About 110 cruisers showed up along with Cruise Director Keith, Activities Manager Tom, and Group Coordinator Jeannete. Along with refreshments there was a drawing with about 5 prizes; I was given a Walk for Wishes shirt, tote bag, and hat.

 

There were 2 presentations on Bermuda. The first at 10 had some general information but mostly focused on shore excursions. At 1:30 Timothy Calvert spoke on the history and attractions of Bermuda, the most useful port information I’ve ever encountered on an RCI ship, and far exceeding anything available on my Celebrity transatlantic.

 

Problematic weather continued through the day, showing signs of improving but then getting worse again. At one point around 4pm, the sun came out and the wind subsided some (at the reception the Captain reported occasional gusts up to 60 knots), but not enough to reopen deck 10. This first formal night also included the Captain’s Welcome Aboard party. We have about 2,300 passengers onboard from 21 countries. Just over half have sailed with RCI before.

 

Dinner was wonderful with the same 4 people at the table. This afternoon I booked what will probably be my final voyage on Enchantment, a 9-day on January 26. At this early date early seating is not available so it looks like I will have to try My Time Dining.

 

This evening’s entertainment was the production show “Don’t Stop the Rock”, a tribute to great music. I enjoyed it last year but skipped it tonight based on having previously seen it, the seating being completely gone, and the hour we will lose tonight as we move to Bermuda Time.

 

Today’s parting shot relates to another person who started a “Live” thread on Cruise Critic. Member bradpole left a few days ago for 2 weeks in Alaska, traveling this time with his mother. The day I left home there was a sudden medical problem and they had to leave the ship. Brad, best wishes, godspeed, and I hope to hear soon that all is well.

 

Roy

[Kteacher]

Great review so far! I'm very happy to hear that Ice is still on board-she was the best Head Waiter we've ever encountered-love her, and hope she is still on the ship when we sail again in July :).

[roscoegirl]

Hi rafinmd!

 

I really like the way you are putting this review together! The link to your baltoenchantment/wordpress page is a great assest to the 'review' process. I'll be going to Bermuda on the Explorer in June so this part of your review is quite interesting to me. I'll be following along and I appreciate the time you take away from your vacation to keep this "LIVE" presentation going...:)..Thank you!