Enchantment of the Seas, January 26-February 4

[rafinmd]

'm getting ready to leave home and board the Enchantment of the Seas tomorrow for San Juan, St, Croix, Samana, and Labadee. I'll be doing daily comments here. I'm mostly a narrative type person, but there will be a companion blog with some pictures at:

 

http://getawaysfrom21044.wordpress.com

 

I'll handle as many questions as I can. I won't go online often but will get daily updates on this thread by email each morning and will respond (likely the next day) when I see them. With snow forecast today and Symphony tickets tonight I'll be staying in a Baltimore hotel overnight.

 

Roy

[JMG]

Have a great cruise and enjoy that nice warm weather!

[cruising lady]

Hi Roy, Looking forward to meeting you at the M&M. Enjoy the Symphony. Safe traveling Janet

[spookwife]

'm getting ready to leave home and board the Enchantment of the Seas tomorrow for San Juan, St, Croix, Samana, and Labadee. I'll be doing daily comments here. I'm mostly a narrative type person, but there will be a companion blog with some pictures at:

 

http://getawaysfrom21044.wordpress.com

 

I'll handle as many questions as I can. I won't go online often but will get daily updates on this thread by email each morning and will respond (likely the next day) when I see them. With snow forecast today and Symphony tickets tonight I'll be staying in a Baltimore hotel overnight.

 

Roy

 

oh suuure .. wait until the first 'real' snow fall( puhleeze.. 3 inches?! maybe?!) to escape. Jealousy abounds.

[retiredgram]

See you at the M&M.:)

[Mykitteh]

Freestyle machines-are they hooked up yet? :D

[rafinmd]

Mykitteh, I'll put that on my todo list.

 

When I left home about 1:30 it had not yet started snowing. The snow never got heavy but the inch or so it did leave was sticking in the bitter cold. I arrived at BWI Amtrak station about 3 and my 3:30 train arrived in Baltimore at 3:45 and Quality Inn Downtown at 4:15. After dinner I made my way to the Myerhoff Symphony Hall for a pops performance of Hairspray in Concert narrated by creator John Waters. When I returned to the hotel around 11 I was able to verify that the Enchantment of the Seas was well on her way up the Chesapeake Bay, and as I post is pulling into the dock.

 

As today's parting shot I have never actually seen Hairspray. Although a number of the songs were familiar much of the dialogue was new to me. Hairspray debuted in 1988 and one of the lines struck me although it surprised me that it would have been funny 25 years ago and seems to be timeless. Tracey says "What comes after Special Ed? Congress." Timeless

 

Roy

[dunn48]

Enjoy your cruise. We were on the Enchantment for the 1/5 cruise and had a wonderful time. I am ready to go back so I will just have to relive our cruise through your posts.

[Sea and Me]

Roy:

Would you please let me know what you think of Samana?? There are posts on these boards that are pro and con about this port. Since you'll be there soon:D I'm anxious to hear your experience. We will be there in March.

Thanks and have a safe and wonderful cruise.

 

Carol

[rafinmd]

Roy:

Would you please let me know what you think of Samana?? There are posts on these boards that are pro and con about this port. Since you'll be there soon:D I'm anxious to hear your experience. We will be there in March.

Thanks and have a safe and wonderful cruise.

 

Carol

 

Carol, this will be my second time in Samana. The first time I did not book a tour and just walked around and it was the pits. Nothing interesting and I was constantly hassled by taxi drivers, not just by the pier but all over town. I’ve booked a tour this time and will let you know how it is.

As I woke about 5:30 the Enchantment was approaching the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Temperatures were in the teens, warming only to the 20's. I took a morning walk and picked up a few last minute items. With the temperature so low and fresh snow on the sidewalks I decided to take a cab to the pier rather than transit and walking the last half mile.

 

I arrived just after 11. I am Gold with RCI but treated as Platinum due to my new Celebrity status. I think actually the Gold line moved as quickly as mine. For the first time the clerk had no difficulties processing my NEXUS card although she did say it was the first one she had seen. My platinum status may have helped me as I was waved right onto the ship while others were sitting in the shoreside lounge. I was on board about 11:40 and in the Windjammer for lunch just after 12.

 

I am very pleased with the officers on this cruise. Gus Anderson is at least so far my favorite RC Captain. He was more chatty than I remember him from 20 months ago coming on the PA regularly pointing out the sights as we left Baltimore but also very much to the point as he dismissed us from the cold muster drill. This is my first cruise with Enchantment's primary (for now) Cruise Director John Blair.

 

Some of the changes from the recent drydock are obvious and some less so. The most obvious is the big movie screen on the pool deck. Enchantment apparently came through heaver snow overnight than Baltimore got and the deck was quite snow covered. The upper level of the Viking Crown Lounge is off limits to the public now with half a Concierge lounge and the other half Diamond. Around the ship many of the signs are now electronic including menus and interactive ship maps. In my room the old credit card safe is still there but there is a new flat panel TV and the old TV space is storage plus an extra 120V outlet. Especially appealing is wifi in my cabin.

 

Dinner was at a 4 top with 1 empty seat. The other 2 people were both from the Philadelphia area. These are apparently the new menus. They seemed very similar to the old menus but the format was different with most everything on one large page.

 

I had a big scare as my primary bag did not arrive with the lesser one. The first arrived about 2 and when the second was not delivered by dinner time I even checked the naughty room and no sign of it. After dinner I checked with my steward Elmer. After the show it was finally in my room. I thought that all the tags I printed were identical but somehow one had no identification except for aft/port--not even a deck. Oops.

 

At the welcome show I got a feel for John and his wife Katrina and expect a fun cruise. We got a foretaste of our comedian and our magician.

 

As today's parting shot, on our way out of the Chesapeake, as we were passing under the Bay Bridge, we passed Sandy Point State Park on our starboard. It was quiet then, but earlier in the day it was home of the State Police Polar Bear Plunge. Temperatures were in the low 20's as thousands of people dipped into the Chesapeake Bay in support of Special Olympics. To all of you, thank you.

 

Roy

[JMG]

Oh you lucky guy! The temp was single digit this am. Opened the door and our cat just turned and went back to bed! Way too cold to be outside.

[cruisin4thedeepblue]

Hi, glad you are on board and hope you have a fantastic time! Please let me know if you get a chance to listen and or dance to the bands on board. I know there is a pretty good Caribbean band called Roots Vibrations and a country band called Shine. We are ballroom dancers and are hoping that the third band I think they are called Evergreen is a good dance band. Also, on Radio's 9 day cruise he had 3 formal nights. Can you tell us if that is also true on yours?

Have a great time!!!:)

[joe6666]

When you get to St. Croix get a taxi to see the beer drinking pigs.

 

 

Also, the Cruzan Rum factory has a great, free tour.

[rafinmd]

Freestyle machines-are they hooked up yet? :D

 

What exactly is a freestyle machine. I asked John Blair about it and we couldn't figure out exactly what they were, and I'm guessing Enchantment isn't getting them.

 

cruisin4thedeepblue, I haven't really seen much of the dance bands yet. We do have 3 formal nights, tonight, Wednesday, and Saturday. I think it's Captain Gus that usually has three, and he's rotating off soon, so you may only have 2.

 

Roy

[KirkNC]

Bon voyage!

[cruiseacecat]

What exactly is a freestyle machine. I asked John Blair about it and we couldn't figure out exactly what they were, and I'm guessing Enchantment isn't getting them.

 

cruisin4thedeepblue, I haven't really seen much of the dance bands yet. We do have 3 formal nights, tonight, Wednesday, and Saturday. I think it's Captain Gus that usually has three, and he's rotating off soon, so you may only have 2.

 

Roy

I am sorry to hear he is leaving Enchantment. Can you check to see when he is leaving? It would be appreciated.

 

Anne

[Merion_Mom]

Oh you lucky guy! The temp was single digit this am. Opened the door and our cat just turned and went back to bed! Way too cold to be outside.

 

Cats certainly are clever creatures. :)

[Merion_Mom]

I am sorry to hear he is leaving Enchantment. Can you check to see when he is leaving? It would be appreciated.

 

Anne

 

Most Captains do a 10-weeks-on/10-weeks-off rotation.

[Merion_Mom]

I am sorry to hear he is leaving Enchantment. Can you check to see when he is leaving? It would be appreciated.

 

Anne

 

Current Captains thread.

[JMG]

What exactly is a freestyle machine. I asked John Blair about it and we couldn't figure out exactly what they were, and I'm guessing Enchantment isn't getting them.

 

Roy

 

Freestyle machine is a coke dispenser that will custom mix your soda. (cherry flavor, lemon, diet, regular...) It is the same size as the machines that dispense cans/bottles of soda/water. Only those with soda packages are able to activate the machine with the cup that comes with the package. Radio reported that the machines were onboard but not installed. I think he got that info from Capt Gus???

[rafinmd]

For right now I'm stymied about the Freestyle machine.

 

Menus and Compasses will be posted as I get them under the appropriate tabs at http://getawaysfrom21044.wordpress.com

 

When I rose about 5:30 and went up on deck there was still quite a bit of ice and I delayed my walk until close to dawn. Deck 5 was mostly clear although there were icy spots on the stern and ice was occasionally falling from the upper decks. I walked about 90 minutes between decks 5 and 10. There was a bright nearly full moon around 6 but clouds quickly came up and I never saw the sun until about noon. The temperature was about 50 but it felt cooler and I was very comfortable in my winter coat.

 

There was a range of religious services on board with guests volunteering to lead, starting with a Catholic Mass at 8, and then Steve and Donna Sinclair led a 9AM Interdenominational service. There were 2 Enrichment lectures with John Cruise speaking about Civil War history and Ray Locke on Small Boat Sailing Virgin Islands to New York.

 

The Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle was held at 12:15 in the Viking Crown Lounge. Several management staff were present including John and Katrina Blair, the Hotel Director, Guest Relations Manager, and Group Manager. Everyone got a little notebook. This is my second Royal Meet and Mingle and I have been lucky to get a door prize both times, with a back pack, t-shirt, camera pouch and various tags. It seems unfair that I am so lucky rather than a more loyal Royal, but I will enjoy the nice items. At his noon update Captain Gus reported we had finished crossing the Gulf Stream (temporary rough seas) and his first Words of Wisdom were "Pay no attention to people who talk behind your back--it simply means you are 2 steps ahead of them".

 

With the jammed midday schedule I pretty much missed lunch but enjoyed pizza and a scone at tea time in the Windjammer.

 

 

On the first of the formal nights Captain Gus welcomed us all aboard and introduced the senior officers. We were joined at dinner by one of the 2 sign interpreters on this voyage. Somehow they did not get My Time dining and early seating worked well for them with 9 and 10:30 shows.

 

The evening entertainment was the Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers with Stage to Screen, Broadway shows which evolved into feature movies. They were all great but West Side Story brought back great memories of watching the film in Boston while I was there for my brother's Harvard graduation, and Hairspray brought fresh my night at the Baltimore Symphony. A band, I think Roots Vibration, had just finished their set in Centrum as I was walking back from the show. I'll try to catch them another time but we lost an hour on the clocks overnight and I went to bed immediately after the show.

 

As today's parting shot I seem to have intensified some misgivings on Cruise Critic over the pending vacation of Captain Gus Anderson (I believe after either this or the next cruise). He is absolutely one of my very few favorite Captains. I'm not sure but my impression is he will be staying with Enchantment when he returns from vacation. I think that will be Baltimore's loss and future Enchantment passengers gain. From what I think I remember reading on the Current Captain's thread I think the new relief Captain comes from much the same background as Captain Gus. When I first sailed with Royal in May 2011 Captain Gus was on his first contract as Master and somewhat unknown, but since then he is one of the most beloved Captains in the fleet. I wish those on the Enchantment with the new Captain a sense of adventure to appreciate the talents the newcomer will bring to the position.

 

Roy

[rednancy1]

Bon Voyage. :):):)

[cruiseacecat]

Current Captains thread.

Thanks Merion Mom. Don't spend a lot of time here and did not know about this thread. Nice work.

 

Anne

[Candleonwater]

yes, I believe Radio said the Freestyle machines are on board, but won't be installed until February. If you get a chance, ask Blair again...

 

What exactly is a freestyle machine. I asked John Blair about it and we couldn't figure out exactly what they were, and I'm guessing Enchantment isn't getting them.

[Candleonwater]

So they do have afternoon tea in WJ? Word was going around with the addition of the Park Cafe, they were going to discontinue the tea.

 

With the jammed midday schedule I pretty much missed lunch but enjoyed pizza and a scone at tea time in the Windjammer.

 

If you get a chance, would you mind scouting out the Solarium pool area? I'd like to know if there are any "upright" chairs in there. In one of Radio's photos it appeared that they had removed them. I know they have the chairs around tables, but I like to sit in the pool area and read a book, and it looked like all they had left was lounge chairs?