Enchantment of the Seas, January 26-February 4

[cruisin4thedeepblue]

I just got off the Enchantment and Shine does more than Country Songs. They are very good and enjoyed them very much!

 

Marita

 

That's great ...thanks

[rafinmd]

Captain Gus had indicated we would pass under the Bay Bridge at 4:40 and the Key Bridge 6AM. I set a 4AM wakeup call and was on Deck 9 a few minutes before we cleared the bridge. There were gale force winds on the bay, with deck 10 closed and deck 9 brutally cold. It was very dark outside and I could only see lights a half mile or so ahead but could not see the bridge itself until we were virtually under it.

 

We passed under the Key Bridge a few minutes before 6. The wind was down to about half the level on the bay but still quite brisk, and it was not any brighter.

 

We were secured to the dock by 7, and people started down the gangway about 7:15. Captain Gus reported a temperature of 27 with a high of 37 expected. I saw 36 later the day on my truck thermometer.

 

I had tag number 44 and was among the last to leave the ship. The new electronic display boards that have the compasses, menus, ship maps, and other stuff during the cruise become disembarkation status boards with the estimated departure time, meeting lounge, and status. As each number is called the status on the board goes from "stand by" to "now leaving" to "Already called". My group was estimated for 9:25 but was actually called about 9:55. Leaving the ship was quick but there was a line at immigration, about 10 minutes outside the terminal and another 10 minutes inside.

 

At most ports I have handed in my customs form on leaving the terminal after picking up my luggage. Here, the immigration agent evaluated and collected the form, and we were free to leave immediately after picking up our bags. Much easier than waiting in line with a heavy load of bags trying to keep a hand free for the customs form.

 

I like to use transit as much as practical and this was the first time I have returned from Baltimore using only transit. I walked to Fort Avenue and took the Banner and Purple Charm City Circulator routes to Penn Station, then MARC to BWI, and Howard Transit Silver and Green to my street. I walked in my door about 2:15.

 

I've been pretty open that I tend to prefer other cruise lines. I booked this cruise knowing pretty much what to expect and opting for the convenience of sailing from Baltimore over the things I prefer with other cruise lines. This cruise was my best yet with

Royal and well exceeded my expectations. Sailing to a brand new port was one factor but it was mostly the crew. That of course starts with the Captain. Gus is not actually my favorite, but well up there. My top 5:

 

Ralf Zaander, Crystal Symphony

Tim Roberts, HAL Prinsendam

David Sylvaria, Blount Small Ship Adventures

 

Gus Anderson, Enchantment of the Seas

Eigel Giske, Crystal Symphony

 

After these 5 come perhaps 30 others, some close behind, some not so close.

 

John Blair, with his wife Katrina, has become my favorite RCI cruise director. This may be the first and last time I sail with him and much enjoyed the experience. Hotel Director Michael Ladry rounds out a trio of top-notch ship management.

 

This is the first time on either RCI or Celebrity I have not encountered something really poor in the buffet. The food was not gourmet but it was consistently good.

 

I guess this chapter is now closed. I'll be back to this thread in about a month with a comparison once I have sailed on the Carnival Pride.

 

My final parting shot comes from words at the farewell show John Blair attributes to his parents: "It's nice to be important but it's more important to be nice."

 

Roy

[beachnative]

Thank you for your the outstanding information in your review. I enjoyed reading it for its content, style, and comparisons.

 

Captain Gus is fantastic and sets the tone for his crew therefore making a cruise on the Enchantment a truly delightful experience.

 

You only made one error: according to Captain Gus, "The early bird gets the worm but the second MOUSE gets the cheese." (Yours was probably a type-o.)

 

I will be looking for other reviews by you. And, in the words of Captain Gus, "Bye Bye".

[rafinmd]

Thank you beachnative. You are quite right about my typo.

 

Roy

[Candleonwater]

And, see, this is why I love cruising... what works for some, doesn't work for others! I have the Blairs at the BOTTOM of my list - one the one sailing we did with them, I found them to be boring. You give me hope that our sailing in March will be better.

 

Any signs of the Freestyle soda machines?

 

John Blair, with his wife Katrina, has become my favorite RCI cruise director. This may be the first and last time I sail with him and much enjoyed the experience. Hotel Director Michael Ladry rounds out a trio of top-notch ship management.

[rafinmd]

Candleonwater, the freestyle machines are definitely in the works, but they really don't seem to be imminent. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they were not ready for service until the ship arrives in Port Canaveral.

 

Roy

[Candleonwater]

That would make me very sad.

 

Candleonwater, the freestyle machines are definitely in the works, but they really don't seem to be imminent. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they were not ready for service until the ship arrives in Port Canaveral.

[Captain'sgirl]

Freestyle machines-are they hooked up yet? :D

We were on the Enchantment the week of 2/16. The freestylae machines were up and running.

[gelo7]

Thanks, for sharing.

[rafinmd]

I have now sailed 3 times on the Enchantment of the Seas and once on the Carnival Pride out of Baltimore. These cruises are not really my ideal of cruising but the opportunity for a cruise from close to home with minimal hassle getting to the port is very attractive. The comparison is primarily based on the Enchantment of the Seas 1/26/13 and Carnival Pride 2/24/13. Probably few of you will agree with my opinions but here they are anyway:

 

Pre-cruise: Signing up for both cruises was pretty easy and straight forward. I had one pre-cruise contact with each cruise line. For the Enchantment I attained Select status on Celebrity in December and emailed Crown and Anchor to take advantage of their reciprocity. Carnival called me about 10 days before the cruise and offered me an upsell from my inside cabin to a balcony. Both contacts were handled well. The one difference I noticed was likely pretty much a personal matter. I have a passport but because I take a lot of distant cruises I have had situations where it has to be sent away for visa processing. For my local cruises I prefer to use a NEXUS card. I’m pretty sure Royal’s checkin pretty well differentiates the documentation requirements for a specific cruise and allows pre-registration with all the appropriate forms of identification. Carnival has a link to getyouhome.gov which lists all the appropriate forms accepted but the advance checkin only has a few options. I had to pre-register using my birth certificate. Advantage: Royal

 

Embarkation: Both were very easy with about a 20 minute line for security and on the ship 10 minutes after clearing security. Advantage: Port of Baltimore.

 

Cabin: On Royal I had an oceanview cabin on deck 4. On the Pride I originally booked a deck 1 inside and later took an upsell to a verandah. Both the cabins I occupied were essentially the same size, but the Pride cabin seemed to better designed with more storage space and lots of shelf space in the bathroom. The Pride cabin (and also my original inside cabin) came with a mini-bar/fridge while the Enchantment cabin did not. One annoying feature was shared by both cabins. There were several bars in the closet for hangers but the hangers all attached via a ball on top of the hanger sliding into a slot on a bar-mounted adapter. The adapters were only on 2 of the bars making the rest of the bars pretty much useless. The Pride had a tube TV while the Enchantment had a flat screen. I do sometimes stay in inside cabins and I noted that the Pride had a bridge view (and aft view) channel which allow someone in an inside cabin to have a look at what conditions are outside while the Enchantment did not. Advantage: Pride

 

Ship:The Carnival Pride was built in 2002, Enchantment 1997, and Grandeur 1996, but the Pride seems to have a MUCH more modern look. There are many similarities in the feel of the ships along with a few differences. I liked the Retreat on the Pride although it was a little too cool there to be very attractive the first and last days. The Enchantment’s Solarium was a very nice adult area on the Enchantment; the removable cover on the Pride’s forward pool was drafty but still generally pleasant and a viable place for activities in all weather. Enchantment’s Orpheum Theater and Pride’s Taj Mahal Theater are relatively equivalent. Probably the second most used room is the Spotlight Lounge on the Enchantment and Butterflies on the Pride. Butterflies is more intimate while the Spotlight is more versatile, has nice views, and is larger. On each ship there are several smaller loungers also used for certain venues. The biggest difference for me is probably the Viking Crown Lounge on the Enchantment (and Grandeur). The Pride seems to have no similar forward looking public room. I also found the Centrum on Enchantment more conducive to activities than the Pride’s Atrium. Advantage: Royal

 

Main Dining Room: I also found the Enchantment’s My Fair Lady Dining Room and the Pride’s Normandie Dining Room very comparable. Both are on 2 levels with fixed dining on the lower level and flexible on the upper level. I’ve seen remarks about Carnival serving “comfort food” like meatloaf, it’s true but there are many other options and I never went there. Service was good in both but the staff gets spread a bit too thin. I thought the waiters dancing on Carnival was a bit overdone but not enough to really detract from the experience. A tie

 

Lido dining: The Windjammer on the Enchantment and Grandeur is a bit different being in the front of the ship. I have really enjoyed lunches on our sail in to San Juan. Prides is to the aft but sits in front of the Retreat, so it’s not really designed to enjoy a meal on the aft deck. Both have a number of stations and create some lines but not long ones. I thought the variety and quality of both restaurants was adequate although a few things like pancakes and french toast have been past their prime and been dried out. This was fairly prevalent on past Enchantment cruises but significantly better this year. I had only one instance of pancakes past their prime on the Pride.

Advantage: Carnival by a very slight margin.

 

Specialty Dining: Both the Enchantment and the Pride have steak houses. I thought the food in Chops (Enchantment) was a bit better than at David’s, but David’s 2-level location just below the funnel was stunning. In addition to Chops, Grandeur will have an Italian restaurant and an Asian Restaurant. My ranking is (3) Enchantment, (2) Pride, and (1) Grandeur.

 

Loyalty programs: Carnival has a loyalty program but it was pretty minimal. As VIFP Red, the basic level, the only thing I got was a drink at a main dining room lunch. There was a welcome back party, but that was only for the next level up. Seems a bit strange to me as I’ve always found these to be marketing tools as much as a real benefit. At the first level (Gold) of Royal’s C&A program I got a discount book where I saved on internet access, a welcome back party, and a lounge for disembarkation. On my latest cruise I was considered Platinum and had better coupons, a top-tier party, and a better departure lounge. My sailing records were similar, I was at the basic level based on my RCI sailings but they recognized my Celebrity status. I am at the basic level with Carnival and my 2-star HAL and Platinum Cunard status meant nothing. Advantage: Royal

 

Cruise Critic support: Royal Caribbean sponsors a Meet and Greet for 7-day plus sailings with 25 or more members. They have officers in attendance and door prizes. We had a Meet and Greet organized on our roll call. The organizer asked Carnival to have some staff present or some trinkets and was totally rebuffed. Advantage: Royal

 

Disembarkation: Both were pretty easy. I think things are a bit easier for Enchantment due to it’s 7AM arrival as opposed to 9AM for the Pride. One thing annoying for the Pride is that we are due to be out of our rooms at 8:30, a half hour before we even dock. Self disembarkation on the Pride was called deck by deck. There was confusion early in the process as everybody seemed to be rushing to get off. It got a bit more organized when staff came on the PA to remind people to wait for their decks. I think the rush is partly due to the Pride’s later arrival and people being more anxious to get started towards the airport of home. One nice new touch on the Enchantment is new electronic boards which usually have information like menus become status boards for the disembarkation showing which numbers have already been called and how many numbers are still ahead of yours. Overall, I was off the Enchantment just before 10 and off the Pride just before 11. No real problems but by a slight margin advantage Royal.

 

Itinerary: This is the biggest difference to me. Carnival Pride sails 2 7-day itineraries to Caribbean or Bahamas calling on a total of 5 ports. Grandeur in 2013 will have 6 distinct itineraries from 6 to 10 days to Bermuda, Bahamas, Caribbean, and Canada calling on 15 ports. For the winter sailings there are a couple of cold weather days, and Royal’s longer itineraries give substantially longer time in the warm weather. Of the two, Royal is my preferences but having both is still better. 6 itineraries with 15 ports beats 2 with 5, but 8 itineraries with 18 ports is better still.

 

I reviewed my last Enchantment cruise last May and didn’t do a new review this time. These are my reviews:

 

Enchantment: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=103298

 

Pride:http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=216426

 

Roy

[JMG]

Thanks for the comparision of the two ships! Both companies seem to be able to fill their ships so that is good news for Baltimore!

We agree that it is nicer to be in that warm weather from the start of a cruise. However, the convenient of Baltimore cannot be beat!

[Sigtau21]

I saw that you said that there was dancing in the centrum at night. Were there any cirque du soleil type shows in the centrum? I heard the enchantment was going to get those at some point.

[rafinmd]

I saw that you said that there was dancing in the centrum at night. Were there any cirque du soleil type shows in the centrum? I heard the enchantment was going to get those at some point.

 

Thanks, JMG. Sigtau21, I didn't see any sign of that, either in the program or in rigging. The rigging may have been there but I didn't notice it.

 

Roy

[JMG]

I believe that the aerial shows will not start until the ship has repositioned to PC.

[4merlurker]

I believe that the aerial shows will not start until the ship has repositioned to PC.

 

Oh that sucks! I was hoping to be surprised with that show. Oh well.

[Sugar*Magnolia]

Thanks, JMG. Sigtau21, I didn't see any sign of that, either in the program or in rigging. The rigging may have been there but I didn't notice it.

 

Roy

 

The bars and the 'rigging' is all installed. Unless you looked up and looked for it, you probably wouldn't notice. We were told when we were on board the 1/14/13 sail that there probably wouldn't be an aerial show for a couple years...This really makes me wonder. The "Road Hog" equipment is there to be used, they use it for lighting and such (70s night/show), but I'm surmising that it isn't cost effective just yet for RC to hire cirque-type entertainers....? I do have pics of the apparatus and the road hog. It kind of irked me to look up and see the mechanisms for aerialists, but it not being used! lol

 

Addendum: if you look way at the top of this picture you can see the bar that was installed....

 

[dms42]

Since you've sailed the EOS several times, can you answer a question for me?? If anyone else has additional comments, please feel free to chime in...

 

I'm sailing the EOS in a Large Interior Cabin- K catagory, with my DH and a toddler...she's almost 3. The cabin we have has pullman beds that come down from the walls, but I'd never put her up there because she's too young (I think...I'd get no sleep worrying about her falling out. )

 

The description states that there is a "seating area" and every picture I've seen shows a chaise/love seat type sofa in the cabin. Can anyone tell me if there really is a small sofa, because I'm thinking she'll fit there nicely to sleep.

 

Thoughts?? Pictures??

 

Thanks!

[Candleonwater]

DD has slept on all sorts of couches in these cabins. The shortest she slept on was the window seat in a Promenade cabin. Just be sure to move the coffee table out of the way.

 

Since you've sailed the EOS several times, can you answer a question for me?? If anyone else has additional comments, please feel free to chime in...

 

I'm sailing the EOS in a Large Interior Cabin- K catagory, with my DH and a toddler...she's almost 3. The cabin we have has pullman beds that come down from the walls, but I'd never put her up there because she's too young (I think...I'd get no sleep worrying about her falling out. )

 

The description states that there is a "seating area" and every picture I've seen shows a chaise/love seat type sofa in the cabin. Can anyone tell me if there really is a small sofa, because I'm thinking she'll fit there nicely to sleep.

 

Thoughts?? Pictures??

 

Thanks!

[SRQfireman]

The bars and the 'rigging' is all installed. Unless you looked up and looked for it, you probably wouldn't notice. We were told when we were on board the 1/14/13 sail that there probably wouldn't be an aerial show for a couple years...This really makes me wonder. The "Road Hog" equipment is there to be used, they use it for lighting and such (70s night/show), but I'm surmising that it isn't cost effective just yet for RC to hire cirque-type entertainers....? I do have pics of the apparatus and the road hog. It kind of irked me to look up and see the mechanisms for aerialists, but it not being used! lol

 

Addendum: if you look way at the top of this picture you can see the bar that was installed....

 

 

 

Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see any bars in the top of the picture. I thought all they had up in that area was passenger cabins. I know there's a bar right about where this picture was taken. (which is where they installed the new bar)

[rafinmd]

Since you've sailed the EOS several times, can you answer a question for me?? If anyone else has additional comments, please feel free to chime in...

 

I'm sailing the EOS in a Large Interior Cabin- K catagory, with my DH and a toddler...she's almost 3. The cabin we have has pullman beds that come down from the walls, but I'd never put her up there because she's too young (I think...I'd get no sleep worrying about her falling out. )

 

The description states that there is a "seating area" and every picture I've seen shows a chaise/love seat type sofa in the cabin. Can anyone tell me if there really is a small sofa, because I'm thinking she'll fit there nicely to sleep.

 

Thoughts?? Pictures??

 

Thanks!

 

I'm not sure if they vary by category, but the sofa I had would seem to be fine for a 3-year old. I'd estimate it's about 4 feet long.

 

Roy

 

[John Reid]

Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see any bars in the top of the picture. I thought all they had up in that area was passenger cabins. I know there's a bar right about where this picture was taken. (which is where they installed the new bar)

 

I was on the same 1/26 - 2/4 cruise. When one rides the glass Centrum elevators to the top of the Centrum, the bar and places for the rigging can clearly be seen. You can see it in the picture; it is a silver semicircle hanging just below the top of the picture. During one conversation with a member of the Cruise Director's staff, the person said she believed the performers were currently rehearsing/training in Miami and would then join Enchantment when the ship relocated to Florida.

[dms42]

I'm not sure if they vary by category, but the sofa I had would seem to be fine for a 3-year old. I'd estimate it's about 4 feet long.

 

Roy

 

 

Thanks, Rory. This looks like an ocean view cabin (I'm guessing from the position of the bed and all the light coming in...) If the Large Interior- Catagory K has something similar to this little loveseat, I'll be very happy. I've looked all over the internet, but finding pics of the entire cabin are scarce. I've never sailed in an inside cabin before and hopefully if I get a price drop or two, I'll move up a couple of catagories. But, push come to shove...as long as we're all onboard when the ship sails, I'll be happy.