June 28, 8 night on the Enchantment, reviews.

[alfaeric]

My review isn't going to be much like others, but thought I'd share our cruise. This was an 8 night cruise on the Enchantment of the Seas out of Baltimore, stopping on Bermuda for 2 days, up to Boston, stopping in Newport RI on the way back to Baltimore.

 

I'll do the bad parts first, to get them out of the way, and this is kind of the way we treated them- identify, accept, ignore.

 

First things first, the Enchantment is an old ship, and she shows her age. Most of the wood in our JS needed redone, and the railing on our balcony was very stripped of any finish. Spending a day at sea, when the waves were small- one could easily see why- our balcony was wet all the time with salt water. There's rust, sure. After seeing it, and a tinge of, well... I let it go, and knew she was getting redone in December.

 

The only other bad I would think was the dinner on the second formal nights- my DW got the lobster, and it was merely ok, with very tasteless rice (especially when compared to rice on other nights), I got the prime rib, and while very tender, and cooked well, was pretty tasteless. I'm used to having the outside of the meat heavily spiced, but this just wasn't. Thankfully, this was the only dark spot on dinner.

 

I'll use that to segway into the food. For the most part, we loved the food. MDR dinners were well done, DW had sea food every night, and loved it- even having the salmon on the alternate menu. I really dig the duck, even though that was the 3rd or 4th time I've had it. The pastas were great- we both like the tomato base they use for the pastas- very fresh and tasty.

 

We also did a night at Chops- whew- what a dinner. I had the NY strip, and it was spot on- while I was given some sauce, I didn't really need it. DW had the halibut, which was wrapped in a venier of wood. She really loved it. We shared roasted potatoes and mushroom sides- both were really good. If I could have a complaint- it was just too much. We were ok to enjoy the fireworks that night, but just barely.

 

Most of our breakfasts were in the MDR, which was nice and quiet. Very relaxed.

 

IF YOU DO THIS CRUISE- and you have a balcony of any kind- get room service the day you sail into Boston. That totally rocked. Food was good- but the view coming into port was awesome. It did help that we arrived on July 3rd, so there was plenty of things to see coming in, especially the international navy ships.

 

No real note for lunch- we were all over the place- WJ, MDR (for a special lunch), off the ship. Enough choices to be satisfied. Had the afternoon tea a few times- and I was really hoping to have it be much better- even having actual tea available instead of making it yourself. Nice sweets.

 

Itinerary- really loved it.

 

Sea days were nice and relaxing, assuming you don't mind us doing spinning classes... ;) we did the art auctions twice, slept in the solarium, hung out etc. We also splurged on the Make a Wish, since it's one of our favorites. Had a great lunch with the chef, saw the bridge, galley, and engine control room.

 

If anything, Bermuda was missed opportunities- we really loved it there, but a long first day run was too much- we got back to the ship and collapsed. Next time, we'll take a ferry to Hamilton for a short run + looking around. Day 2 was a shorter run on the back roads where the trains ran, followed by a nice day checking out the shipyard. Spent good time at the Glass studio, enjoyed the other shops, and had a great lunch at the pub. Since we didn't do as much as we wanted, we already booked a Bermuda cruise in 2014. :D

 

Boston was totally awesome. We ran the walk all the way to the river outlet, and then back the green belt back to the ship- if we didn't have specific things next, we had plenty of places to stop and look around. (running wise, almost as good as Washington DC). The rest of the day was spent with DW's sister- has some beer and snacks right behind the ship's captain- nice surprise for us. The a great lunch at Legal Test Kitchen. Since this a VERY short walk from the ship, totally recommend anyone to eat there. Also, a money saving note- SIL pointed out that there are a few T stops near the ship- they are buses, sure, but the same pass as the subway- so you can get anywhere for very cheap.

 

Newport, we ran the Cliff Walk. Run is being used loosely- much of the walk is rocky. But we did the whole thing, and then worked our way back to downtown to see the shops. Oodles of people, thanks to it being the 4th of July.

 

And we got a nice surprise that was leaked to the CC Meet and Greet event- Newport Fireworks!!!! Instead of leaving at 8pm, we stayed until close to 11pm after the show ended. Very, very cool.

 

We talked to a lot of the crew about the dry dock in December, so the cruise we take on the Enchantment in February should be very special.

 

Now a wait until late November for our next cruise.

[KathyPet]

DId the June 14th Enchantment cruise and I agree with your comments. We had a aft balcony on Deck 7. Loved the aft and the space it gave us. We had a JS and I personally felt it was too overcrowded with furniture. A couch, two footstools and a barrel chair plus the cocktail table made getting around the furniture to access the balcony a PITA. In addition I had to push the chair in front of the balcony doors in order to open the left hand desk drawers. THey could get rid of the chair and one of the footstools IMHO.

We also had a tub and the first day we definitely ran into the issue of the water from the showerhead splashing against the rear wall of the tub and out and onto the floor. After that we actually put the showerhead down into the tub to turn the water on and then held the showerhead in one hand while showering so we did not have another flood.

As far as the condition of the ship in general I felt it was quite good. I did not see any dirty or stained carpet on our deck and the corridor walls were not marked up. The wood on the furniture in the cabins is oak and like all oak if it is not occasionally given a coat of oil it dries out and takes on that white color which is what has happened.

ITA about the MDR. While we felt that most of the meals we had were quite good I was very disappointed as you were with the prime rib. I had been really looking forward to it after all the reviews and while the piece I received was perfectly cooked to the medium rare temp that I asked for the meat was very bland and tasteless. I actually ordered it again a second night because I was sure that I had just received a "bad piece" the first time and I found the second time around no better than the first. We ate in Chops twice and it was excellent.

On the whole I enjoyed my cruise very much. THe service was perfection in every way.

[sunsetbeachgal]

Thanks both for your comments...we are on the six day Bermuda Itinerary...our most recent Royal Caribbean cruise was this May on the Freedom and I don't expect the Enchantment to be on that par, but I'm sure we will love her...what's not to love, you are on a cruise!:)

[baggal]

Thanks for your review and glad you enjoyed the cruise. DH and I were supposed to be on that sailing, but unfortunately we had to cancel because DH needed to have surgery which was scheduled just a few days before the ship sailed.

 

We always take insurance and this time did it through RCI. The paperwork has been submitted and now we're just waiting for the check. This is our first time using insurance - hope it works!

[cruisenfever]

We were also on the June 28th cruise and had a wonderful time. This was our 5th cruise on Enchantment and the staff, crew and service was outstanding. For all the bad weather that occurred prior to leaving and then all the storms across the Midwest through to the East Coast and beyond while we were on the cruise, we had the calmest of seas, the bluest of skies and the most perfect weather. The Weather Gods were very good to us.

 

Embarkation was a breeze. We arrived at the port at 10:30, dropped our luggage off, checked in and were the second and third to board the ship at 11:30 where we proceeded to the WJ for lunch. Rooms were available at 1:30 where our luggage greeted us in the hallway.

 

We also had a JS cabin 8116 which was the ideal mid-ship location with "no pole"!:D JS cabins on Vision Class ships are not as large as those that you will find on Radiance class and above. It was quite adequate for the 2 of us with lots of storage space. I think our biggest complaint was that they need better lighting in the bathroom.

 

The balcony definitely needed some work. Railings needed to be varnished and the floor and walls needed paint. I was really surprised to see 2 chairs a table and lounger on the balcony. It was the older style furniture and I hope that they will be replacing balcony furniture when the ship goes into dry dock in December.

 

We did MTD and had a nightly reservation at 6PM. We were pleasantly surprised that if we showed up at 5:30 or later we were also seated with no problem.

 

Because of the itinerary our first formal night was Friday, Day 2 a sea day and our second formal night was Monday, Day 5 also a sea day. Lobster was not served on the second formal night nor was the prime rib as we have experienced on other ships. It was served on Tuesday Day 6 when we left Boston. My husband had the prime rib and thought it was the best he had had in a long time. The folks around us had the lobster and were getting seconds without even asking. I would have to say that each and every meal that we ordered was well presented with great flavor.

 

We did have dinner at Chops using our BOGO coupon and it was outstanding. Our waiter Ivan was terrific. We asked if we could use the second BOGO coupon on a night when the restaurant might not be busy and were told very nicely that we could not. The Chop's Manager told us that Corporate is not allowing this any more. Unfortunately, as I so nicely told the Chop's Manager, this is certainly not consistent on every ship in the fleet.

 

Ports were awesome and we really enjoyed Boston the most. Got to actually walk through Quincy Market. There was something there to appeal to anyone's appetite. It was amazing.

 

The fireworks at Fort Adams at Newport were amazing. 30 minutes of nonstop lights, colors, and various levels of sound effects. Anyone who was lucky enough to have a balcony on the Port Side got a real treat.

 

Debarkation was incredible. We arrived in port at 7AM. Express walk-off started at 7:30 and it was smooth going from that point on. They were actually running one hour ahead of schedule. Since we had a later flight in the afternoon, we were in no hurry to get off. We were off the ship in a taxi and at the airport by 10AM. There is a flat rate of $30 to take a taxi from the cruise port to BWI. We shared a ride with a friend, so we split the cost.

 

When the ship goes into dry dock the current proposed location for the new Diamond Lounge will be to your right as you enter the Spotlight Lounge on Deck 6.

[debrycruise]

I was also on this trip... it was OK but not anything totally amazing to write home about. In the future I'd chose a trip that didn't go to the northeast since that was kind of meh, for us anyway.

 

My biggest complaint was that while we did stay for the fireworks in Newport, the music that they played to accompany them on the pool deck was awful... they repeated the same 3 "patriotic" songs over and over until the fireworks were done. I could've djed them much better than those who did.

 

The food in MDR is mediocre which was disappointing, though the food from windjammer and from room service was good. The last night I got gnocchi and it was ice cold when it got to my table...so he threw it in the microwave. Not a fan.

 

The staff was nice at least. Somehow my reservation for a romance package was never received and I was VERY upset on embarkation day but they worked to make it better. I'm still upset we didn't get our champagne until day 2, but we ended up enjoying it the night we sailed out of Bermuda. The breakfast in bed was disappointing and small but I was glad to have the flowers and robes and things from the package.

 

BF and I had an outside on deck 3 and it was the right size for us and we took advantage of deck 5 as our own "private balcony" to stroll and drink champagne.

 

We mostly kept to ourselves as is our nature, table for 2 at dinner etc. Didn't do many of the organizes activities except we went to the Love and Marriage show which I have to say I was disappointed in the fact they restricted participation to only married couples. BF really wanted to play as did I but we're not married yet. Yea, we could've lied and said we were married but whatever. I'm also tempted to write to RCI as I think its way too heteronormitive to restrict to that way, too, and they should be more open to committed non-married couples including those who are the same sex.

 

Don't think we'll be going on another cruise. Were thinking about one to Australia/South Pacific for honeymoon when we get married but think we'll do an all inclusive resort instead... at least the food will be better.

[cruise wizard]

Patty - we are following you around!!! Mary and I are on the 8/9 Enchantment - 8 days - same itinerary as yours. We are in an aft again on deck 8. How was the concierge lounge and who is the concierge? Entertainment good? It will probably change for ours but was just curious. Who is the CD?

 

Someone mentioned eating at the Legal Test Kitchen - is it close to the pier (easy walking distance - my wife has a bad ankle from a bad car accident)? Same food as the traditional Legal Sea Food restaurant?

 

We have heard that there is a beach in Bermuda - close to the pier - that has sea glass......did anyone go there?

 

Thank you everyone for your review and prior comments. We are keeping our fingers crossed for good weather and smooth seas. You never can tell about that Bermuda triangle region!!!

[Tony O]

DId the June 14th Enchantment cruise and I agree with your comments. We had a aft balcony on Deck 7. Loved the aft and the space it gave us. We had a JS and I personally felt it was too overcrowded with furniture. A couch, two footstools and a barrel chair plus the cocktail table made getting around the furniture to access the balcony a PITA. In addition I had to push the chair in front of the balcony doors in order to open the left hand desk drawers. THey could get rid of the chair and one of the footstools IMHO.

We also had a tub and the first day we definitely ran into the issue of the water from the showerhead splashing against the rear wall of the tub and out and onto the floor. After that we actually put the showerhead down into the tub to turn the water on and then held the showerhead in one hand while showering so we did not have another flood.

As far as the condition of the ship in general I felt it was quite good. I did not see any dirty or stained carpet on our deck and the corridor walls were not marked up. The wood on the furniture in the cabins is oak and like all oak if it is not occasionally given a coat of oil it dries out and takes on that white color which is what has happened.

ITA about the MDR. While we felt that most of the meals we had were quite good I was very disappointed as you were with the prime rib. I had been really looking forward to it after all the reviews and while the piece I received was perfectly cooked to the medium rare temp that I asked for the meat was very bland and tasteless. I actually ordered it again a second night because I was sure that I had just received a "bad piece" the first time and I found the second time around no better than the first. We ate in Chops twice and it was excellent.

On the whole I enjoyed my cruise very much. THe service was perfection in every way.

 

I am taking her next week and have aft JS on deck 7 . Could you please tell me what room you had ?

Did you have any noise issues with the lounge below ?

[alfaeric]

 

Someone mentioned eating at the Legal Test Kitchen - is it close to the pier (easy walking distance - my wife has a bad ankle from a bad car accident)? Same food as the traditional Legal Sea Food restaurant?

 

Not the same food as Legal Sea Food, but close- this is the test kitchen for them. Hence the name. For instance, my BIL had a fish dish, and one of his sides were fried pickles- which are not on the L.S.F. menu (I asked).

 

If you know where the Legal Sea Food is, this is about a half block farther down, on the opposite side of street. For an accident walker, I'm not sure- it's flat, and side walks. But hard to say, not knowing the extent of the injury and how hard it is to walk now. If you can walk to the port area Legal Sea Food, this one is easy.

 

I know when we visit Boston again, we will go back.

[cruisenfever]

Patty - we are following you around!!! Mary and I are on the 8/9 Enchantment - 8 days - same itinerary as yours. We are in an aft again on deck 8. How was the concierge lounge and who is the concierge? Entertainment good? It will probably change for ours but was just curious. Who is the CD?

 

Someone mentioned eating at the Legal Test Kitchen - is it close to the pier (easy walking distance - my wife has a bad ankle from a bad car accident)? Same food as the traditional Legal Sea Food restaurant?

 

We have heard that there is a beach in Bermuda - close to the pier - that has sea glass......did anyone go there?

 

Thank you everyone for your review and prior comments. We are keeping our fingers crossed for good weather and smooth seas. You never can tell about that Bermuda triangle region!!!

The Concierge Lounge is on Deck 8 mid-ship. Reyno was asked to extend his contract until 7/20 so Sneh Patell, from Guest Relations, will be the Concierge when he goes home. He won't return until 9/2. The Lounge is wonderful with a full wall of windows looking out over the sea. It is fully equipped with that special coffee machine. There is Continental Breakfast every morning, sandwiches and cookies at lunch time and then the full spread between 5-8:30.

 

The itinerary is great. This was our second trip to Bermuda. You must have lunch at the Frog & Onion.

 

Boston was super. The ship will dock at Black Falcon Cruise Terminal and there is a shuttle that goes from the Cruise Terminal to the Quincy Market complex. It is $19pp for a round trip ticket, which you purchase in the terminal, and it is charged to your SeaPass Account. Lots to see and do and eat there.

 

We didn't get off in Newport, as it's a tendered port. Tendering time is 20 minutes each way.

 

Entertainment was as follows:

 

Day 1 Welcome Aboard Show and Rick Starr, a Comedian

Day 2 Can't Stop The Rock starring the RC singers and dancers

Day 3 Shy, Katie & Whitney starring the RC singer

Day 4 Paul DiMuzio, Comedy-Juggler

Day 5 Stage to Screen Production Show with RC singers and dancers

Day 6 Martin Lewis, Wit and Wizardry

Day 7 Fourth of July, no show

Day 8 Farewell show

[cruise wizard]

alfaeric, thank for the information. I assume that the ship docked at Black Falcon pier. I will do a MapQuest search on the location for directions and distance. Legal Test Kitchen sounds like a neat place and interesting new dishes - so we will try it.

[tampacrew]

Thanks, might be doing this cruise in the future, but not after they've fixed up the ship, so I'll hang on a little bit.

[cruisenfever]

alfaeric, thank for the information. I assume that the ship docked at Black Falcon pier. I will do a MapQuest search on the location for directions and distance. Legal Test Kitchen sounds like a neat place and interesting new dishes - so we will try it.

Yes, the ship does dock at Black Falcon Cruise Terminal.

[cruise wizard]

Thank you for your info Patti - I was typing as you were responding. So the Frog & Onion has good food - is it in Hamilton? What was good on the menu? Mary and I will probably buy a 2 day ferry / transportation pass. We will want to go to Horseshoe Bay for sure and just "crash". Surprised about the BOGO only for the first night. That sure does screw up the guests at the MDR waiting for you to show up on day 1.

[KathyPet]

DId the June 14th Enchantment cruise and I agree with your comments. We had a aft balcony on Deck 7. Loved the aft and the space it gave us. We had a JS and I personally felt it was too overcrowded with furniture. A couch, two footstools and a barrel chair plus the cocktail table made getting around the furniture to access the balcony a PITA. In addition I had to push the chair in front of the balcony doors in order to open the left hand desk drawers. THey could get rid of the chair and one of the footstools IMHO.

We also had a tub and the first day we definitely ran into the issue of the water from the showerhead splashing against the rear wall of the tub and out and onto the floor. After that we actually put the showerhead down into the tub to turn the water on and then held the showerhead in one hand while showering so we did not have another flood.

As far as the condition of the ship in general I felt it was quite good. I did not see any dirty or stained carpet on our deck and the corridor walls were not marked up. The wood on the furniture in the cabins is oak and like all oak if it is not occasionally given a coat of oil it dries out and takes on that white color which is what has happened.

ITA about the MDR. While we felt that most of the meals we had were quite good I was very disappointed as you were with the prime rib. I had been really looking forward to it after all the reviews and while the piece I received was perfectly cooked to the medium rare temp that I asked for the meat was very bland and tasteless. I actually ordered it again a second night because I was sure that I had just received a "bad piece" the first time and I found the second time around no better than the first. We ate in Chops twice and it was excellent.

On the whole I enjoyed my cruise very much. THe service was perfection in every way.

 

We were in 7668. We heard no noise from the night club when we were inside the cabin. However, if you are hoping to sit outside and enjoy the stars and the night air at 10 PM or after you can forget it unless you like loud music.

 

Charlie will be your cabin steward and we loved him. Please tell him hello from the lady whose "hair dryer" got stolen. Long story but I think if you tell him that he will know who we are.

[cruisenfever]

Thank you for your info Patti - I was typing as you were responding. So the Frog & Onion has good food - is it in Hamilton? What was good on the menu? Mary and I will probably buy a 2 day ferry / transportation pass. We will want to go to Horseshoe Bay for sure and just "crash". Surprised about the BOGO only for the first night. That sure does screw up the guests at the MDR waiting for you to show up on day 1.

Frog and Onion is right at King's Wharf and a very short walk from the ship or you can take the free train that picks you up right where you disembark the ship. It has 5 drop off points around King's Wharf.

 

Yes, the food is quite good there, in fact, I would say that anything you order you would like. They have everything from burgers to chicken sandwiches to wings.

 

We did MTD, so when doing the Specialty Restaurant it didn't matter that we weren't there the first night. They knew where we were because our cabin number showed up on their screen as having made a reservation at Chops. Everything is done by cabin number.

[Summersemester]

Our aft cabin was 7668 and the larger balcony was wonderful: two chairs, a small table, 2 loungers. We also put the glass table out here because there were four of us. There was no soot, but the music comes from the crews deck below. We never heard any noise from the Spotlight lounge. There were some minor vibrations from engines, but this was not a problem. I agree that they should get rid of the chair and at least one footstool.

 

Breakfast room service makes the trip for me and the service was terrific. Ask for a large pot of coffee-just write it in next to coffee or you get a small two cup pot.

 

AC was spotty throughout the ship which was very difficult to deal with.

 

The rest of the common areas were ok. The biggest problem for me was the art auctioneer having microphone in the Centrum. His inane commentary echoed through the ship and destroyed any semblance of quiet to read or chat or have a cup of coffee. There was no need for his booming since there were only 5-6 people at the show.

 

The juggler is one of the best acts we've seen in awhile. Be sure to get to any shows early. As has been observed, adding cabins did not change the size of the theater. We did not have any problems finding seats in the WJ.

 

Bermuda was a very low key stop for us because we were there on a Sat./Sun, Ferry service stopped early. We went to Horseshoe Beach on the number 7 bus. Even though I am a nonathlete, I was able to walk down and up the hill to the beach.

 

Boston was our favorite. We took the trolley and hopped off and on for the sights we wanted to see and got back on and/or stayed on when we just wanted a glimpse. The trip could not have been easier. We ate a a restaurant near the final stop called "The Granary"-great lobster roll.

 

We did not like Newport;while the tender process was seamless, the five locals we encountered-sales people, bus driver and info center person were rude and distracted. The bus driver snapped at me when I asked for the Cliff Walk stop.

 

Also, the games and activities were run by a great guy. The "If you know it, dance it" was great fun for all our family. We also enjoyed the clubs and the casino.

 

We were looking for a fun, easy-going trip for our family of four to reconnect from jobs, school, etc. We had a great time.

[KathyPet]

Summersemester, You had the cabin we did right after us. Did you have Charlie as your cabin steward???? We loved him.

Also we did have two days where there was a substantial amount of soot on the balcony floor and on the furniture. We mentioned it to Charlie and when we returned to the room after dinner it was all cleaned up but we did have it.

 

Also we had heavy, heavy rain on our full day in Bermuda and late that afternoon we had just started getting ready for dinner and I heard a dripping noise. It looked up and water was coming down in a steady drip through the ceiling light fixture in front of the desk.. This was not a occasional drip but a very steady drip. We stuck the ice bucket under it and called maintenance. THey showed up while we were finishing dressing for dinner. We asked them to return in about 30 minutes after we left for dinner and by the time we returned the problem was taken care of.

[Tony O]

DW and I have 7668 next week.

Could you tell me what nights were the formal nights?

[cruisenfever]

DId the June 14th Enchantment cruise and I agree with your comments. We had a aft balcony on Deck 7. Loved the aft and the space it gave us. We had a JS and I personally felt it was too overcrowded with furniture. A couch, two footstools and a barrel chair plus the cocktail table made getting around the furniture to access the balcony a PITA. In addition I had to push the chair in front of the balcony doors in order to open the left hand desk drawers. THey could get rid of the chair and one of the footstools IMHO.

The aft JS cabins must be set up differently than the port and starboard side JS cabins.:confused:

 

We were in 8116 mid-ship and our two chairs were across from the couch and the two stools were under the glass table but stored at the ends and then shoved underneath which was in front of the sofa bed. We had no problem accessing our balcony door even with our luggage stored behind the chairs. We had no drawers anywhere close to the couch or the chairs. They were all by the desk area where the TV was and that was across from the bed.

[KathyPet]

THe first one was the day after we sailed (Sea Day) and the I am pretty sure that the second one was the second to the last night we were on board (Newport)

[Tony O]

THe first one was the day after we sailed (Sea Day) and the I am pretty sure that the second one was the second to the last night we were on board (Newport)

 

Thanks for the info

[Poorplaya]

Thank you for the review. I now might have to look at the Bermuda cruises out of Baltimore.

[annmarz]

Summersemester: "Boston was our favorite. We took the trolley and hopped off and on for the sights we wanted to see and got back on and/or stayed on when we just wanted a glimpse. The trip could not have been easier. We ate a a restaurant near the final stop called "The Granary"-great lobster roll."

 

Which trolley are you referring to?

[Summersemester]

The name if the trolley was the Old Town Trolley . If you google the name, you can get details for pricing and order a map, so you can plan which stops you'll disembark.There is a kiosk just outside the terminal for the on/off ticket purchase. The bus at the terminal doors is for a 1 1/2 hour no stopping excursion you can get through the ship.

 

On days when the ship is there, you can get on at the terminal and travel about 10 minutes to the main stop #1. The trolleys come every 15 minutes.

Be sure to time your stops and return trolley to be at the ship by disembarkation.

 

Nice restaurant at the last stop called The Granary. There are also a number of great places to eat in Quincy Market.