5/22-26 Enchantment Review Part 1

[cruisebermuda]

Day 1:

We flew from Stewart Airport in Newburgh to Ft Lauderdale...such an easy airport to navigate (Stewart). From the time we got to the entrance of the driveway at the airport to when we were seated at the gate (including parking the car) was about 15 minutes. We got to the ship around 11:15. Boarding was starting at 11:30 so we had a short wait. Once onboard, we went to the Windjammer as no cabins were ready until 1pm. The layout in the Windjammer is so great...everything is very spread out so you are never tripping over people. The service in there was great...they have waiters going around with beverage carts serving iced tea, lemonade, punch, water, etc. so you don't have to use the self-service drink stations if you don't want to. After we ate, we dropped off the bags and went exploring. We looked at our table in the dining room (I have cruised almost 40 times and never did this before...kept reading on the boards that it was the thing to do!). It was a table of 6 so we were looking forward to meeting our tablemates. Then we did the scavenger hunt in the centrum. You had to go to all the tables that were around the centrum and get answers to questions about the various services on the ship. Then at 3:15 they had a prize draw. My husband won the unlimited fountain soda package!! Considering he doesn't drink any soda, I quickly claimed his prize. It included the nice insulated mug, so I was pretty excited. The prize list was great...different shipboard items and services. AND, people who had done the hunt had left, so several prizes had to be picked twice. We then went to the gym to sign up for classes. The class lists were FULL before the ship left Ft Lauderdale, so if you want to do a class, I would recommend doing that before checking out anything else!!! Lists were for Pilates, Yoga & Spinning $10 charge each class). The free classes (abs, aerobics, stretch) were no list (and often no crowd). We fell in love with the Solarium and quickly decided that it would be our home away from home while on the ship.

 

More in a bit...

[cruisebermuda]

We then had the required muster drill. I have never seen so many people arriving late. It was over 90 degrees and humid and people were just drifting in 10-15 minutes late...really no excuse...I am not quite sure what happened there. The first night's show was a production show with the singers and dancers. These are usually my favorite shows of a cruise, but we were not impressed. The video screens on the sides of the theater were never in synch with the right movie. They would always be either behind or ahead (not by seconds...but a song or two). We went to check out the concierge lounge on deck 8. Julian was the concierge there and was very friendly. We saw him helping lots of people with tour bookings, spa reservations, etc. They were serving chocolate covered strawberries, so I knew we'd be back later in the cruise! We went to dinner (late seating) and met one of the couples dining with us (the second couple missed the first dinner). We had a lot of fun getting to know each other and learing about each other's cruising past history. Dinner was very good. I love that they serve the bread and don't leave the basket on the table. I am always so hungry by late seating that I eat a meal of bread before the appetizers arrive. This was great...one piece and no temptations for more. I am pretty sure I went to sleep after dinner that night...I was wiped out from the early flight. My husband went to the casino to play blackjack for a while.

 

DAY 2: Key West

 

I started the day with the stretch class and walk a mile on deck. They changed the Ship Shape program to something called Vitality. Finally, a cool logo on a white shirt, instead of that awful yellow. We took our time getting off the ship in Key West since we had been there many times before and knew that the shops wouldn't be open right away. There was a nice sculpture garden at that court house looking building right after you leave the Westin's marina. They had a great old fashioned man and woman holding a pitchfork called God Bless America that had to be several stories high. We walked down Duval Street and Front Street to do some shopping. Stopped for a drink at Fat Tuesday. We went back onboard around 1. It was very hot in Key West. The humidity was crazy...

Final boarding was 1:30 for a 2pm departure. We played trivia a few times, went to a scrapbook class and did a few other activities. Mostly, we planted ourselves at the Solarium. That is such a gorgeous area...and was great when the top was open to let the wind in. The show was another production show, which we only sat through part of. We checked out our photos and the shops for a while before dinner. The captain's welcome cocktail party was that night, but we opted to go back to the concierge lounge instead. We went to the Viking Lounge disco to check it out...and were actually carded (everyone was). The security was great...although they are kind of backwards in their bracelet thinking. They were giving bracelets to the 18-20 yr olds who were allowed in but not to drink. 21 and over no bracelet. One 20 yr old in front of us said to the security guard "I"ll lose this in 1 minute". I couldn't believe it wasn't the other way around, like every bracelet bar in the country! We actually had a huge crowd of hs and collete grads so there was a very young crowd on board. There were also several weddings, including one that had 70 guests traveling with them.

 

more later...

[cruiservictor]

Hey cruisebermuda! Looking forward to the rest of your review. Did grandma and grandpa spoil the little ones while you were away?

[cruisebermuda]

spoiled they were...:)

 

Back to my review...

I should have mentioned our cabin. We were in 3621, an inside cabin on deck 3. Gave us plenty of reason to take lots of flights of stairs to work off some of the desserts we were eating. The diamond coupon books were a nice treat...although on a 5 day trip it was hard to get to everything in there! The cabin had tons of storage space. When we left for dinner the first night, our cabin steward had moved all of the toiletries that I left on the desk into these mirrored cabinets that we hadn't even noticed. We used maybe 1/3 of the space that was in the cabin for storage, so even for a 7 day it would have been fine.

 

DAY 3: Cozumel...

We took a taxi to Paradise Beach. Biggest disappointment of the trip...we have been there and loved it several times before. This time, the water was BROWN and the sand near the water was covered in seashells/seaweed, etc. The beach itself was fine, but I really wanted/needed to get in the water since it was a relaly hot/humid day. We left after about an hour or so and went back to the ship to enjoy the pool while everyone was ashore. Our tablemates had rented a jeep and stopped there first, but then went to a nearby beach that was gorgeous, so I am guessing that something dredged (sp?) up the water and left a mess that day. There was a comedian for the show, very funny. We saw the Love and Marriage show that night. It was the tamest I have ever seen it. I won't give much more away! Oh, almost forgot, when we were at dinner, the ship was on it's way back to Cozumel. Earlier in the evening, right after we left Cozumel, we heard Code __, Code __, Code __ (can't remember the exact code right now). Someone had choked in Chops, so they went back to Cozumel to drop this passenger off. We were back in the right direction around 9 or 9:30 or so. They announced the next day that the passenger was flown home to Florida the day after and was doing fine.

 

Day 4: AT SEA (YEAH!!!)

I love sea days. I spent about 1/2 the day at the Solarium and only broke it up to do a few trivia games and have lunch. During the afternoon tea in the Windjammer, someone came back to the chair next to me with the most delicious looking nachos, so I had to go get some. Well...if you like guacamole and salsa and chili...look no further. I'm not sure if they were there every day, but it's a good thing I only learned about them on the last day. They were amazing...the guacamole was so fresh. We went to the farewell variety show. It featured an olympic gymnast who I had seen compete in 1992 in the Barcelona Olympics. I spoke to him afterward...nice guy. The singers/dancers came on again and some of the crew did a funny number (just go see it...don't want to spoil it). We watched the Quest game. I had to laugh, because Luke, who was running it, announced that he had already pre-disqualified teams who came in prepared for the game. That was the greatest thing...it really made it authentic this way. IT WAS GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

More later...

[mommabean]

It is now later. We're waiting. :)

[Kteacher]

I'm waiting too. we're doing this itinerary in July :)

[granddutchess]

Great report. We are taking this cruise in July. I cannot wait for this trip. Keep the information coming.:)

[cruisebermuda]

Next installment...sorry that I have to do this in pieces but it's hectic getting back to reality.

 

After much talk on cc about the piano bar, we went to check it out. We did not enjoy it at all. The piano player had an attitude and took more breaks than he played. We had heard that it gets packed, so we stopped by to try it 5 or 6 times and it was never crowded. Also, we went to the name that tune that he did on the last night, which was scheduled for 8:15, and when we got there at 8:13, he was already doing the answers!

 

The menu in the dining room:

Some of my favorite items included the cod on the last night, the risotto appetizer, the warm chocolate cake. I was bummed that they were out of sea bass on the formal night. The salmon on night one was really good. My husband had steak the first 3 nights and the shrimp scampi and something else on the last night.

 

Menu in Windjammer: Sandwich bar was great...everything was fresh. Salad bars were good. The food didn't change much from day to day at lunch time. I never tried lunch in the dining room. At breakfast, also in Windjammer, they had these things that tasted like fried dough. They were flat and you put cinnamon sugar and whipped cream on them. Not really breakfast, but as I said...we took a LOT of stairs. They were delicious. They didn't look all that remarkable sitting in the tray, but seeing the sugar and whipped cream next to them was all I needed to take a taste! I was surprised to find they didn't have egg beaters at the omelette station. They did have egg whites.

 

We checked out the game room...it's great...video games and a full size knock hockey and foosball tables. It is attached to the teen room on deck 10.

 

The gym:

Very nice size...there were elliptical machines, plenty of treadmills, a light weight area, a heavy weight area, spinning bikes, some other machines. The class space was small but I only saw one yoga class get a little tight. I did a stretch class as a one on one on day 2. We have been on other ships where if they didn't have enough people, the class would be cancelled.

 

The rock wall and bungee trampoline: WOW...I really wanted to do the trampoline but didn't get my act together during the right times. They do close for high winds, so it's open only in good weather. Each one is open for specific times each day, so check the compass for exact details every day.

 

Vitality rewards: I earned 9 tickets, which got me a nice t-shirt. They had key chains, water bottles, backpacks, visors and the shirts. Even 1 ticket gets you a key-chain. They had plenty of non-athletic activities that count too, so anyone can do it.

 

At the main pool: The band was really great...lots of fun island music. The bartenders were very busy on this cruise. My favorite walked around the solarium with his drink tray saying "it's sipping time!".

 

Ben and Jerry's/Seattle's Best Coffee: We used our coupons at both of these and enjoyed the treats. Ben and Jerry's had about 10 flavors.

 

Kids in the solarium: There were some nutty kids jumping from the edge of the hot tubs into the solarium pool. Kids are not allowed in the solarium to begin with, but when they were just in the pool hanging out I wasn't bothered. When this craziness started, I went into the spa and asked the spa manager to call security. Security came up a few minutes later and made them get out. The kids pretended not to understand English, but the security guard didn't back off. I was ready for him to pull the kids out! It was an accident waiting to happen. There is about a 2 foot ledge between the hot tub and pool and they were jumping over that into the pool. When one of the kids suggested diving, that's when I got security involved. Never saw those kids again...

 

Last day: We got into Ft Lauderdale on time and had a smooth disembarkation. They started letting people off the ship around 8:30 or a few minutes after.

 

I am sure I will think of more things...but if you have any questions, I can try to answer them.

[pmfan]

Very detailed! Great review. Thanks for taking the time to write it. :)

[GrammyJill]

I love it! Thanks for taking the time to write it out for us.

 

So was it just the two of you or did you travel with a group?

 

We are going on a different itinerary but I can't wait to get on that ship!

 

 

[rubyblue]

Great Review. My DH and I are doing this cruise on July. If I understand your review - Formal night is on Friday, after Key West? I was hoping to go to CHOPS that night for my birthday, but I enjoy formal night in the dining room. Now I'll have to choose.:confused: Did people dress in formal attire or was it more casual? Is the concierge only for Diamond members? I'm only platinum. Sorry for all the questions - DH says I always worry way too much and things work out great every cruise.

[cruisebermuda]

Yes, we were traveling just the two of us. We usually cruise with 7 or 8, including my kids, but we decided to celebrate our 10th anniversary ourselves!

 

Yes, formal night is Friday after Key West (Day 2 if you aren't leaving on a Thurs). The dress was the most casual I have seen. Almost no tuxes, lots of jackets no tie and khakis. After dinner, walking around the ship felt like a casual night, as many people changed into more casual clothing.

 

Yes, the concierge lounge is for Daimond and above, but I believe it's also for suites. Someone else might be able to clarify that.

[BILL-WI]

Great review...thanks for sharing your report!

 

BILL

[msjaxson]

Thanks !! we did the five day on this ship earlier in the month --booked the four day for October -your review answered some of my questions...

[jakenashleysmom]

OMG, I remember that waiter in the solarium from 2004! He's still there?! I do love a good cocktail waiter while I'm relaxing by the pool, can't wait to see him again.

 

Cheers!:D

[cruiservictor]

I know some other cruiselines (Princess, for sure) have instituted these "quiet" areas, where people can get away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the ship. The staff would serve light snacks and have refreshing wet towels and the like available. I have read that they have become so popular that a nominal charge has been instituted to keep the demand down somewhat. Is that what you found on your cruise? I did see you mentioned a charge for one of the classes......

[cruisebermuda]

There was no charge for using the Solarium. I have seen that on other lines, but it was usually for a smaller area and was VERY quiet. This was not so quiet. Definitely quieter than the regular outdoor area by the other pools, since you couldn't hear the band at all, but it was somewhat crowded at times. On the day that we came back early from Cozumel, we were actually in there ourselves for a while which was nice. It got crowded when people came in for the grill that is there (to get pizza, snacks, etc.).

[engineer24]

There was no charge for using the Solarium. I have seen that on other lines, but it was usually for a smaller area and was VERY quiet. This was not so quiet. Definitely quieter than the regular outdoor area by the other pools, since you couldn't hear the band at all, but it was somewhat crowded at times. On the day that we came back early from Cozumel, we were actually in there ourselves for a while which was nice. It got crowded when people came in for the grill that is there (to get pizza, snacks, etc.).

 

 

Was Marc Walker the Cruise Director? He is really good. We will be on her in just 3 more days Saturday May 31 and can hardly wait. This will be our 3rd time on her.

[cruisebermuda]

I somehow never mentioned that in my review. He did some of the TV tune trivias and was hysterical so check those out. I am definitely looking forward to booking another trip on the Enchantment of the Seas...one of my favorite ships so far.

[SissasMomE]

Thanks !! we did the five day on this ship earlier in the month --booked the four day for October -your review answered some of my questions...

 

I'm on the October 23rd sailing as well. Come join our roll call!

[Saracruise]

Great review. I am taking this itinerary in August with my sister and her BFF. It is our new ritual in the past couple years of girls weekend! Now I really can't wait to go!

[McReece]

Hey CruiseBermuda. Sounds like you had a great cruise. That is good to hear.

 

Can you tell me who is the Loyalty Ambassador.

 

Thanks for your review, very nicely done.

[cruisebermuda]

Sorry, I don't remember her name. She was lovely though. A petite woman with light hair. We went to see her the first day because one of the coupon books in our room was wrong and she fixed that and our sea pass card immediately.