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Royal Caribbean International

MV Enchantment of the Seas

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Reviewed by: Victoria Wass
# previous cruises: 3
Date of Trip: March 25, 2001
Itinerary: Caribbean - Eastern

This was a really nice holiday. The Enchantment stood up well to constant comparisons with the fantastic Maasdam; in many ways she was just as good, but rarely better. Probably the biggest let down was not the ship itself, but some of the staff on board. With some notable exceptions (the dining room staff, who were excellent), it seemed that a smile was a lot to ask. And the entertainment staff were very skilled at being invisible - except on toga night when I wished they weren't there at all.

This ship had a very nice layout. There were two pool areas; the main one was always busy and a live band played a daily menu of about 5 different songs. If you don't like Mambo No.5, avoid this pool! The other pool was a spa-like setup where no children were allowed, although some did find their way in. Sun loungers were in short supply - if you had a lie in, you could forget it. Reserving them was not allowed, but no one policed it so everyone did it anyway. I liked the Compass deck best; there were Sun loungers there at the front, and you could still hear the band, but it wasn't too overpowering. This deck also provided a walking/running track that went all round the ship. As for the bars, we liked the Schooner Bar, especially with the pre-dinner margarita specials, complete with mexican dips. The Viking Crown Lounge, which is in the round sputnik overlooking the pool, was very peaceful and completely deserted most of the time. The real winner for me was the cyber cafe; didn't expect that at all! It was a bit pricey but not too excessive; worth it to send e-mails home instead of postcards.

We ate in the My Fair Lady Dining Room every night, and in the Windjammer cafe for breakfast and lunch. The service and food in the My Fair Lady was excellent, but a bit slow. Didn't matter at all as they seated us with a really nice American family, and we spent most of the dinner chatting and laughing. The serving staff were all very friendly and attentive. Also, they were very accommodating about changing orders, or mixing and matching bits of different dishes. Just ask. But watch out for the sneaky 15% service charge they add to your wine bill - didn't happen on HAL, and RCA policy seemed to be to make it as unobvious as possible when you signed the scribbled bill. Had a bit of an argument at the pursers desk late in the cruise, when I realized what had been happening. Just wish they hadn't been so apparently underhand about it. The Windjammer cafe had nice food, but the staff all looked like they were chewing wasps. Think I got fewer smiles than I can count on one hand for all the time I was in there. There were snacks served all day in the spa pool area, but it wasn't up to much; chips, pizza and burgers was just about it.

We paid for a large inside cabin on the Commodore deck. Documents we got from RCA before we travelled said the cabin would have a sofa. It didn't. It was not very large, and it was a struggle to get round the sides of the bed if, as we did, you got the two singles converted to a double. I had a few painful collisions with the TV on my way to the bathroom during the night! Don't know what the smaller inside cabins were like. As for wardrobe space and the bathroom, no problems there. The bathroom didn't feel cramped at all and was spotlessly cleaned everyday. There was also a safe, and hair dryers could be borrowed from the pursers desk for the whole cruise, for no charge. For some reason our cabin was noisy at night; there was a note in it when we arrived warning us that it could have noise problems; this was not mentioned when we booked. I don't know what caused the noise, but it was like someone was thumping on the wall during the night! I think the stewards' storage rooms were alongside our wall, so it might have been a tumble drier or something like that. If you're a light sleeper, it might be wise to turn down an offer of cabin 7641 when you book!

I have to admit, I didn't make it to any of the shows. Much prefer to sit and chill out in a bar. But our fellow dinner guests seemed impressed with what was on offer. There was an illusionist act on which seemed to go down very well, and another night there was a comedian. I didn't think much to the entertainment staff. Toga parties and Mr and Mrs games aren't really my scene, but the karaoke was on twice and was great fun, just wish it could have gone on longer than an hour. It only took one person to do Bohemian Rhapsody and that was half the time taken up! And that happened on both the karaoke nights.

We stopped at Key West, Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios. We did a trip at each one. Kayaking in Key West was great, and the party boat to the private beach at Cozumel was fantastic! As much as you could drink (didn't make it to dinner that night..) and an hour on a gorgeous secluded beach. Snorkeling at Stingray City was also really good; we never knew Sting rays could be 4ft wide! And climbing Dunns River Falls was different, but seemed a bit dangerous. Didn't like the Ocho Rios stop much; got hassled for tips from the moment we got off the ship by the grumpy staff on our trip. I was glad to get back on board.

This was a lively boat with a big mix of ages. There were more younger couples than we saw on the Maasdam, and a few children, although apart from sliding down a bannister en masse one day, they never seemed to run riot or cause problems. I don't think there is any age group that would feel out of place on this ship. And if Judi, Alex, Brian and Liz read this; you'd be welcome at our house any time! Key Lime pie would definitely be on the menu, so make your choice...