"Enchantment"

[steelydon]

My wife and I sailed the "Enchantment" on 11/12 as a sort of belated 50th b'day for me. Happy b'day to me, from me. This was our 5th cruise w/ RCI having sailed w/ Carnival 8-9 times and w/ Premier (remember "The Big Red Boat"?) once. I called RCI with a comment regarding the cruise and they advised me to post to this site. Before I mention the problem let me tell you about ths cruise.

 

We flew into FLL and caught a cab to the terminal which is about the same price as a transfer. If you go the cab route make sure you know the terminal # for the ship otherwise they have to go through the main gate at Port Everglades.

 

The embarkation was the smoothest and quickest of any cruise we have taken and we were in our cabin within 30 minutes of arriving at the terminal. I recommend carrying a change of lightweight clothes in your carryon so that when you arrive onboard you can change out and not be wandering around the ship in winter clothes. You may even want to take a break poolside and nothing looks more out of place poolside than someone in long pants, longsleeve shirt, socks, and shoes in 85 degree weather.

 

Another kudo to RCI was the welcome aboard buffet in the Windjammer. The selection and quality bested any other cruise experience we have been on.

 

The ship was launched in 1997 and went through a major refit in Holland this year when the ship was literally cut in half and 73' was added in the middle. I am told that the addition was in the area of the bridges located above the pooldeck. The welding held throughout our cruise and with any luck will last through yours. We have been on ships that are somewhat frayed around the edges (they do get a lot of wear) but this ship showed brand-new. We had a newer cabin on Deck 4 with a cylindrical shower stall with solid doors. Watertight and no shower curtain to contend with.

 

After a tour of the ship we went back to the cabin and the luggage had arrived (about two hours). We unpacked (major chore because we always bring too much) and I went to the gym to walk on a treadmill. The gym is well equipped but you can wait for equipment during the morning rush. They began to ask passengers to leave around 4:00 in preparation for the emergency drill but the staff let me stay long enough to get at least two miles in.

 

The emergency drill is mandatory for all passengers and is taken quite seriously by the crew. (All in all not a bad thing) Don't even think about missing the drill because they will hunt you down like a turkey at thanksgiving to insure your participation.

 

We enjoy the second sitting for dinner which is sometimes better, especially if you are staying overnight in the port which is not the case on the Jamaica/ Cayman cruise.

 

We always opt for the large table, 8-10 guests. A smaller table may leave you stranded with someone like me. If you sense this early on ask the Head Waiter to seat you elswhere. They will do this if there is availability. I never have to worry about the loud and obnoxious passenger at our table because I'm it. Just kidding here, we enjoy meeting people and with 6-8 other folks at the table the odds are you will be able to strike up a conversation with someone whom you share an interest.

 

A word about the food. It is not 5 star but it ain't bad. I am constantly amazed at the kitchens ability to prepare the number of meals they do and maintain an acceptable level of quality. If something is not to your liking, speak up and have the wait staff bring you another entree'. Our waitress and assistant worked hard and they depend on the generosity of the passengers to provide for themselves and the people they love. Don't stiff them for the end of cruise tip. Remember to separate food quality from service. They can only serve what is prepared so don't give them a bad rating if your complaint is with the kitchen.

 

"Enchantment" has quasi-private restaurant aboard called "Chops" and they offer intimate dining arrangements for two or can accomodate a group. It is $20 extra per person. I know what you are thinking, I paid for the food with my cruise and I am sure not going to pay extra. I am the tightest man on the planet, alright I'm cheap but we sprang for this experience and ate with a couple we had met onboard and the steak was top notch and the atmosphere was delightful. Reservations are required and the waiter advised us that they do not fill the restaurant to anywhere near capacity so it was most enjoyable.

 

The dress at dinner was decidely casual, even on formal night. Let me say I am "old school". When dining out at a nice restaurant in NC I dress for dinner and I consider the "My Fair Lady Dining Room" to be a very nice restaurant. I wore a suit on formal night as did many other passengers while others opted for the jacket sans tie. The ladies were quite elegantly dressed, they seem to get into the spirit of fine dining more than the gents. Our table finally forced me to stop wearing the tie on the 3rd night.

 

A word, or two, about the ports of call. I cannot speak to the excursions offered on board since we did not take one. When we go into a new port we like to get a cab and then i ask the driver to show us where the rich folks live, the poor folks live, where you shop, go to school, church, etc. we have found that you get a local feel this way. Our experience has been that if you get away from the port then you generally get a better deal from the driver.

 

A word of caution, in Ocho Rios you may not want to get to far from the port unless you are fleet-of-foot or built like a linebacker. I never felt threatened but this is a very poor third world country and crimes of opportunity can happen anywhere. We shared a cab with another couple and he carried us around the area for 4-5 hours taking us up Spice Mountain and into places around town that most tourists don't see. Not that there is any reason to see these places.

 

For example we stpped at a roaside store for some refreshments and 3 memebers of the local chamber of commerce were out front smoking marijuana. This was real Kodak moment. Our driver was named Jerry Blacker and it including tip it cost us $100 total. We found the people to be a bit abrupt and persistant in their sales pitch. They are poor and I am sure that they look on us as rich Americans but Jamaica (Ocho Rios) is not on my list of places to see again real soon.

 

Grand Cayman has a British feel to it for obvious reasons and we shopped a little, my wife loves English linen. The Landmark is a nice place to sit and overlook the harbor and it is the only place I have heard Chaka Demus played on the jukebox. We caught a bus and squandered most of our time at 7 Mile beach soaking up the sun in 90 degree weather with clear, actually it was reasonably clear water, at our feet. We will be going back to Grand Cayman.

 

Captain Per, Master of the "Enchantment" was a most gracious host. His welcome aboard party was well attended, (free cocktails) and he was charming and willing to chat a bit which is unusual for the cruises we have been on. I am sure they get tired of the question "If you are here, who is steering the ship?"

 

My wife and I thought this was an excellent cruise so why did I call the Post Cruise comment line? We opted for the Express Disembakation which requires that you carry all your bags off the ship. It is supposed to be the quick and easy way off for passengers who are so inclined. The problem was that the gangway was on deck 4 and that is where a good many passengers chose to wait creatin a gridlock to the the point that when the elevators opened no one could get on or off because of the mass of people.

 

The express disembarkation was anything but. A cruise line does not want a passenegers very last experience to be the nightmare that this was. I am sure they will fix it and we will cruise again with RCI but this is not the memory you want to go home with.

 

A good time, good value, and a lot of fun. Figure a better way to get me off the ship without throwing me over the rail.

[lisa08]

can you tell me what cabin you were in I am on 4th deck 4567 and I would like to know if this is a new cabin

[shirleygr]

We were getting off the ship when you were boarding and disembarkation that day wasn't really wonderful either. While we did not do the express disembarkation, we observed the gridlock of people with too much luggage trying to maneuver through the centrum and down that really steep ramp. Of course, it would certainly help if people respected the ship's request not wait in the centrum, especially on deck 4. Unfortunately, there are far too many folks who feel the rules do not apply to them and this makes it unpleasant for everyone else. I think the crew needs to better enforce the policy to keep that deck area clear, even if it ticks someone off. It would certainly make things go smoother.

I think this is an area of weakness for most of the cruiselines, from those guests who don't show up at immigration to the ones who don't settle their onboard accounts to the gridlock of trying to move over 2000 people off a ship through one door, all at the same time. I don't know of a better way. I just think someone smarter than me needs to figure one out.

[Merion_Mom]

can you tell me what cabin you were in I am on 4th deck 4567 and I would like to know if this is a new cabin

Yes, I believe that it is.

[Merion_Mom]

steelydon: LOVED your write-up. I'd love to sail with you some time.............simpatico cruisers, I can tell. :D

[steelydon]

Mariner, we were in cabin 4570 so I am pretty sure that yours is one of the new cabins. Access to other parts of the ship is pretty good from this deck although one of our dining group had the Picasso Suite on deck 8. Thats where you need to go to party.

[steelydon]

MM,thanks! We usually go out in late fall but I am trying to figure out how we can swing some time this winter. When the spring and summer roll through we head for the beaches of NC. Can't get enough of the ocean.

[steelydon]

We were getting off the ship when you were boarding and disembarkation that day wasn't really wonderful either. While we did not do the express disembarkation, we observed the gridlock of people with too much luggage trying to maneuver through the centrum and down that really steep ramp. Of course, it would certainly help if people respected the ship's request not wait in the centrum, especially on deck 4. Unfortunately, there are far too many folks who feel the rules do not apply to them and this makes it unpleasant for everyone else. I think the crew needs to better enforce the policy to keep that deck area clear, even if it ticks someone off. It would certainly make things go smoother.

I think this is an area of weakness for most of the cruiselines, from those guests who don't show up at immigration to the ones who don't settle their onboard accounts to the gridlock of trying to move over 2000 people off a ship through one door, all at the same time. I don't know of a better way. I just think someone smarter than me needs to figure one out.

Shirley, We normally don't mind staying on until the last group but we were going to have lunch and spend the day at South Beach. I believe it was on CCL that we requested an early disembarkation and were directed to assemble in one of the lounges and our bag tickets had to show early off. When the ship was cleared we were walked to the gangway by the staff. If I remember correctly they kept the gangway clear almost with the point of a gun so there was no gridlock in that area. I sure don't know how to run a cruise line but they do way too many things to screw this part up.

[shirleygr]

had a good handle on this. I can understand your frustration, having been there myself. One thing I really enjoyed on ncl was being able to wait in your stateroom until your color was called. When we were on Majesty of the Seas in January,we were waiting for disembarkation to begin for about 3 hours. They kept calling the same people over and over again to go see the immigration agents (obviously not RC's fault). We had to clear our stateroom by 8, so we were crammed in the show lounge with everyone else watching sitcom reruns. And while those seats are fine for an hour or so for a show, after several hours we were really uncomfortable. We eventually moved to the hallway just to be able to move around and stretch out our backs. Now we had this experience with the Enchantment.

We are going in January on Majesty again. I'll be interested to see how it goes this time. Our last port call is in KW, so at least we shouldn't be held up by immigration this time. Hope your next cruise ends on a high note.

[Vyhanek]

So what time do you think you actually did finally disembark and were on your way to the airport?