Cruise Diva's CRUISE
DIARY
~ Eastern Caribbean Enchantment ~
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Enchantment
of the Seas: Atrium |
Debarkation
All cruises, like other
good things, eventually come to an end.
Enchantment of the Seas
"cleared" quite quickly and debarkation began while we
lingered over a final dining room breakfast. Our departure color was
called and we were off the ship, through Customs & Immigration,
and had our luggage loaded in a taxi in less than a half hour.
Our leave-taking was as
seamless as the embarkation and week on board.
Final
Impressions
Enchantment of the Seas
is one of Royal Caribbean's "Vision-Class" ships. Launched
in 1997, she's a large ship at 74,140 GRT and accommodates 1950
passengers double occupancy, or 2446 when every berth is full.
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Enchantment
of the Seas: Schooner Bar |
I sailed on sister-ship
Vision of the Seas during her 1998 maiden season and found the
Enchantment to be quite similar, but not identical. One of the
Enchantment's most noticeable differences from the Vision is decor; I
found the Enchantment more to my liking, with understated fabrics and
richer-appearing drapery and carpeting.
The Vision-Class vessels are
noteworthy for their "vision of the seas"... featuring
expansive walls of glass for views of the sea from most public areas.
Dining and food are at
the top of most cruisers' lists of high expectations and the Enchantment of
the Seas' galleys did not disappoint. The Windjammer was an excellent
choice for quick meals and the buffet stations are an efficient
alternative to long, slow-moving buffet lines. Meals in the My Fair
Lady Dining Room were consistently well presented and tasty. My only
disappointment was a somewhat stringy steak; however, it was grilled
to my order. Without exception, desserts were some of the best of any
I've tasted on cruise ships.
Noteworthy is that
Enchantment of the Seas is consistently chosen the #1
"Friendliest" ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet. Her staff
members go out of their way to please passengers, resulting in repeat
guests with as many as a dozen Enchantment of the Seas cruises under
their belts.
There were 149 children
on our sailing and the majority seemed very content with the youth
program. The extensive activities kept them well entertained and I was
surprised to discover there were so many junior passengers on board. A
treat for adults was the children's "pirate night"
appearance in the dining room. Led by their counselor, youthful
buccaneers commandeered the ship in spirited fashion.
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Enchantment
of the Seas: Whimsical Artwork |
For adults, there were
enough daytime and evening activities scheduled to keep even Type-A
personalities satisfied. A nice touch was the "First Time
Cruiser's Club" for novice passengers to meet the Cruise
Director's Staff and learn about the ship and week's activities.
ShipShape dollars
redeemable for prizes are still awarded to guests participating in the
fitness program. While most are complimentary, there is a small fee
for some specialized classes, such as yoga. Enchantment's
Steiner-operated spa offers a wide range of services and treatments. I
enjoyed a soothing Aroma Spa Ocean Wrap—pure
pleasure and at a discount on a port day! Watch for those specials.
Interestingly,
Enchantment of the Seas had two special "security"
passengers—a private K-9 officer and
his companion, a drug-sniffing dog.
As a
Louisiana resident, I became accustomed to the practice of extending lagniappe,
or "something extra" for valued customers. On the
Enchantment of the Seas, I was delighted to receive my Crown &
Anchor Society member's coupon book with freebies and discounts. A
nice touch to add to the lasting memories of an exceptionally pleasant
journey.
Enchantment of the Seas'
alternating week-long Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries come
to a close in late-spring 2003 when she begins sailing exclusively on
4- and 5-night Western Caribbean cruises.
Back to the Eastern
Caribbean Enchantment Cruise Diary Index
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Cruise Line Profile - Royal
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Courtesy of Royal Caribbean International & Author's Collection
