I absolutely love this ship! It's small, which provides a level of intimacy that you don't get on the big ships. You bond with the crew and they become family. They have always bent over backwards to make our vacations the best ever! Remember though, you get what you give. If you treat them with respect and and kind you will get so much more than the norm! Leaving from the port of Baltimore is so easy and convenient. No flying required. Cabins are clean and neat! Dining is amazing! If you walk away hungry it's your own fault. From the eggs to the lobster the food is the best! There are so many activities that you can't get bored. There are things for kids to the elderly. I highly recommend this ship, RCI and the port of Baltimore for your next cruise. 12 days is a lot to pack for. Being able to pull up, have a porter take your luggage, park your car, walk into the terminal, register, then walk onto the ship... No better way to travel! Read Less

Obviously living in upstate New York my family knows cold temps and leaving from Baltimore we expected cold temperatures.Mind you we are experienced cruisers,but this was are first Carnival.What we didn't expect was our sweet to be as cold as the air outside.This is no lie.Upon boarding the ship which had been delayed for three hours due to rough seas and cold temps.We along with all the other passengers waited in a state of chaos to board.We took this with a grain of salt taking in to consideration that this was unexpected and things happen.Once we got to our two br vista sweet,which happened to be large and very spacious we were taken back by the fact that we could actually see our own breath.We have never complain on any ship we have ever been on but we had no choice.My self,husband two kids 7,10 and 70 year old mother were told the ship will heat up once we move.In the meantime we will send up extra blankets.Needless to say we never got our blankets until we complained for the forth time at seven am when a worker came in to take a temperature reading.It read 57 degrees.Mind you this was warmer than what it was the night before.Very disappointed and plain out angry, the only thing we wanted in return was some sort of comp for our experience.The only thing we received was 100 dollars on board credit total for five people.Not what i call comp considering we froze, slept with our coats on and spent a fortune for our room.We did make the best of our trip when the weather got warmer.Bahamas was over rated.Not much to do,but had fun riding the waves in Nassau.Freeprt was a joke.Nothing to do and was only docked there for a few hours,so it didn't leave much time for the beach.The kids program on the ship was ok,when it was open.Kids took advantaged when it was open as much as they could because there was nothing else for them to do.Basketball court and miniture golf was hardly open,as well as the slides.One of which was closed and unuseable the whole week.They did use the pool which was nice and they always had videos on the screen playing which was cool but they never swam long because it was just to cold.Food was good no complaints there.We often took advantage of the buffets,pizza and guys burger joint on the lido deck.It fit everyones likes and dislikes with fast moving lines.Dining room was good as well.As for adult activity there was not much to do during the day.Other cruises i have been on had never ending activities to do,especially if the the weather was bad.This ship had none.The one activity i did go to was a hair show,which was moved to a different area than stated and didnt even have enough seats to accomidate the twenty people that attended.One of the two comedians we saw was excellent.Laughed my but off.The other not so much.I do warn you to go to shows at least half hour in advance.There is a huge issue with seating.All four shows i went to we had to stand along the wall if we could get near it or behind the pack of people standing by the door.As for drinks, we took advantage of the soda package which was well worth it as long as you were in no rush for it took way to long for service.I found this to be an issue all over the ship.We did make the best of everything,and had no problems with cleanliness.Im just not sure if I would use carnival again in the future.Maybe a newer ship might be ok.Its just being so cold those first few days and being ignored like it was no big deal left a real bad taste in my mouth.Oh one more thing we all came home with a nasty chest and head colds,so bad my husband was out two days from work and my one son a week from school.Coincidence or just bad luck? Read Less

We were in the Royal Suite. Pro: large space, clean, handsomely done. Cons: electrical switches did not turn on the stated lamp, ceiling light, bathroom light. Faucets in bathroom leaked. Large space with baby grand piano. And, the point of that is? Bathroom had bidet and steam in shower. Again, why? Gut the bathroom and turn it into a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom suite. Food: Great in specialty restaurants (for extra money, of course). Dining room food was mediocre, at best. Examples: no potatoes in potato soup - warm and broth like; beef stroganoff had no noodles and inedible beef; ice cream wasn't ice cream; Bananas Foster was fake ice cream, cut up banana and some sweet syrup; Xmas day waldorf salad was a shredded mess; turkey was turkey roll; xmas pudding was burned and hard; and so on. Need I say more? Oh, and the "Tiger shrimp" were meager little shrimp - "shrimp" being the best that could be said. Room service food was the from the same kitchen. Poor quality pastries/bread. "Real" OJ cost $5.00 a glass. Mimosas cost extra (reminder: Royal Suite and un "Ultimate" beverage package at $585/person). At Captain's Table, we actually had to pay for dessert port wine! Give me a break! And, methinks that the Maker's Mark bourbon was watered-down. Seriously! And, the cap on a glass of wine was $13 so limited choices. We were at 8pm seating so most of the entertainment was over by the time we finished eating. And, at xmas, no traditional holiday movies (e.g, Scrooge, Wonderful Life). TV stations were very limited (most RC ads). Tons of paper - receipts for drinks; daily bulletins; notices...put it online, guys. Staff was friendly and courteous (although I hate being addressed by my first name unless I tell the person to do so. I was either Mr. Ed or Sir Ed. Now, REALLY?) Overall, despite my comments, we enjoyed the trip - perhaps because of the weather, getting away and returning to Key West. But, for almost $13,000?? Read Less

This was our 10th Cruise, the second on Royal Caribbean. The ship is older but does not feel or look as such. Pros: -Super easy to get into the Port and your luggage is taken right away -Easy embarkation (a previous review mentioned that the walk was long). You burn a few calories but it's not a bad walk at all. -Good entertainment, the Cruise Director did a great job. In addition to the nightly shows his crew did a show in the Centurium each night and were quite entertaining -Lots of activities throughout the day on Sea Days (as well as days while in Ports) -Cococay (RC private island) is beautiful and has great snorkeling -Good selection of Shore Excursions -Quick dining room service -Attentive Staff -Our room was nice and spacious -Chef's Table is fabulous and worth the money -Giovanni's is great and you get more than your money's worth -Easy Debarkation Cons: -Need to cutback on promoting the sale of the Specialty Restaurants. Yes, they need to be promoted but it was a bit much -Too long in Nassau -Too short in Key West I would definitely recommend this Cruise! If you want to find something to complain about you can but if you like to have a good time; well you will! Read Less

Embark/Disembark: Embark - I had heard that Baltimore was an easy port for embarkation. That is 100% correct. The only delay we encountered was getting through the security screening line. It was quite long and slow, but once we were threw it - it was smoothing sailing and we were on the ship within 10 minutes. Being a Diamond C&A, I got to receive expedited processing and the staff was wonderfully helpful and courteous. Easy Breezy! Disembark - Could not have been easier. We opted to do “Self-Assist” disembarkation and we left our room at 8:15am, went down to deck 4 (Centrum) and basically walked right off. We were at Baltimore Penn Station to take the train back to NYC by 9:00am. This truly was one of the easiest on/off’s I have experienced with RCCL. Thanks to all the staff & crew that made it a great experience. Dining: Main Dining Room - We chose to eat all but one dinner in the main dining room (a big change for me as I usually enjoy the specialty restaurants while on board). I have been a frequent floater for the last 10 years and I have to tell you that the service in the “My Time Dining” (Deck 5) was the absolute best service I have ever had on any ship Ive ever sailed on. I was truly surprised (sad to say as I have come to expect a little less than perfection in the main dining room these days) at the level of attention to detail and personalized service we got. My travel companion was a vegetarian AND lactose intolerant. It is always a real challenge for her on cruise ships - but not this time. Our waiter, Jorge, our Assistant Waiter, George and our host, Roshman were the very best dining room crew ever. Jorge worked overtime (always with a smile on his face) to accommodate the special requests and even offered some suggestions on vegetarian things that we didn’t think of. It was an amazing experience. The food was exceptionally good in the main dining room as well - we thoroughly enjoyed our meals there. Windjammer Marketplace (Buffet): This restaurant is a staple for RCL on all of their ships. The food was pretty standard fare for WJM, but the service in this outlet was superior as well. On multiple occasions, we had managers tell us that chef could fix anything we needed them to fix to accommodate the vegetation needs. There seemed to be plenty of options already there so we never had to ask. We did both lunch and breakfast there on many occasions. I particularly like the eggs cooked to order in the morning. Nice touch. Park Cafe - One of the best things RCCL has done for complimentary food outlets in a long time. The quality of the food is wonderful and the ambiance of the cafe is great (in the Solarium on this ship). Thank you for adding this Oasis class food outlet to some of your older ships. Room Service: N/A Specialty Restaurants: N/A Vitality at Sea Spa & Fitness: Steam Room/Sauna (Locker Rooms) - I am really sad to see the newer ships doing away with the complimentary steam/sauna options. It was SOO nice to have access to a steam and sauna when we wanted it in the Vitality Spa (8am-8pm). They were both quite large and in very good condition. There were there showers and penny of lockers for use. It was a great experience. The only problem we had was that my travel companion (female) was told on day 1 that the steam room in the ladies locker room was broken but would be fixed by the next day. It was not. In fact - at one point - she was told it would be broken the entire cruise, but about 1/2 way through - it was all of a sudden working, which made her very happy. Fitness Center - Pretty standard fitness center for RCL. I like that it was up top and was completely windowed so you could see the water while working out. Service - My only concern about the spa/fitness area is that the majority of the staff seemed to be quite ambivalent about their passengers. I never had any one crew member be rude to me - but it was like they were struggling to just do the very bare minimum when it came to passenger interaction and customer service. Forced smiles were the norm and most times, you didn’t even get that. You got them looking down at the floor as they passed so they wouldn’t have to interact with you (more on that in a moment). Entertainment: Performers - Ive decided not to break down each of the acts on the ship largely due to the fact that nothing we experienced was over the top sensational. None of it was “bad,” but none of it was anything to write a review on. Multiple times when watching one of the performing acts, I thought to myself, “When is the cruise industry going to change with the times?” We have been watching broadway reviews, magicians, jugglers, impersonators in the main theater, guitar/violin acts in the Centrum, and Jamaican bands on the pool deck for YEARS! They all begin to sound the same and you get to a point where you don’t hear them any more. I get that the newer, bigger ships are taking it to the next level with entertainment, but on the smaller, older ships - why do we have to continue to hear and see the same old thing? Movies - I am incredibly grateful for the number of movies they played in the main theater and on the pool deck. I got to see two movies I had been wanting to see (“The 100 Foot Journey” and “The Imitation Game”). It was great fun to lay on the deck and watch a first run movie. They generally played movies in the main theater around 2pm in the afternoon. It was a great time to watch them. Thanks! Aerialists - Was very sad to find out that the cruise just before us had experienced some technical difficulties with the rigging for the aerialists in the Centrum so we didn’t get to see them at all on this cruise. I would far rather the safety of the performers be first, but it was sad to not get to see them. Photos: Pretty standard fare - photographers always there to get a snap of you. They were pleasant and the pictures turned out very nice. If I could make only one suggestion - please don’t assume that when you have a man and a woman in front of you for photos that they are husband/wife or boyfriend/girlfriend. How difficult would it be for them to ask a question right up front like, “So how long have you two been married?” or something like that to gently find out. I am not intimately involved with the woman I was traveling with yet, each time, the photographers almost forced us to “pose” in the normal “palm flat on the chest of your partner” that is so standard in shop photography. Please don’t assume anything when photographing passengers. Thanks! General Thoughts: Management - Please train your crew to not lower their heads when passing a passenger anywhere on the ship. I had managers do it and regular crew members do it. Walking down the hall, walking through the shops, walking across the pool deck - it didn’t matter where it was…. the majority (not all) of the crew would rather not look at you and look away than have to interact with you. To prove my point, one of those crew (name withheld) would not smile at when when he interacted with me. A very gruff and stern face was what I got each time I encountered him. I finally asked him, “Excuse me - can I ask you a question….. is there a smile underneath that frown of yours?” He immediately smiled and apologized. He tried telling me his normal demeanor is to not smile, to which I thought “Dude, you’re in the wrong business then!” From that point on - every time I encountered him - he smiled allot to me. Now, how simple is that???? Guest Relations - Hit and miss…. one guy looked me straight in the face and said, “No. That is not possible.” He didn’t offer any kind of solutions to the problem, did not offer to discuss it with his supervisor, did not offer of an alternative solution… just NO! His attitude and demeanor so showed he didn’t care in the least if he helped me solve my problem. Most everyone else was perfectly fine at the desk and quite nice. Maybe he was having a bad day - but really!!!!!! Passenger Age - Ive never taken the time to point out the age range of a particular cruise, because Ive always been ok with the median age being much older than me. This time however, it was SO noticeable that 9/10’s of the ship was between 70-80. The captain even mentioned there were only 44 children on the ship and other crew mentioned on more than on occasion that the median age of passenger were senior. Overall Thoughts: I had sailed this class of ship (Vision Class) back in July of last year when going to Alaska (Rhapsody) and was not all that impressed with the class much. We booked this cruise in Vision Class mainly because we got a good deal on it, it worked in our schedules and it was a warm weather cruise. I boarded expecting not allot - and was pleasantly surprised. Other than the service issues we encountered here and there - overall - it was a great experience. My travel companion really enjoyed her first RCCL cruise (and she worked for a competitor cruise line for 4 years). The service and food in the main dining room will be the big takeaway from this cruise for us - but in general - it was a great experience. Would I sail this shop again - yes, if the price was right. Our many thanks to those crew members who made our trip truly wonderful (e.g., Jorge, George & Roshman in the main dining room). I chose not to talk about the ports in this review because one can find much better information about the ports on TripAdvisor.com than what I can share. I really enjoyed Grandeur of the Seas and am happy to continue to “Loyal to Royal." Read Less

This my 7th cruise and my first with Carnival Cruise Lines. Over the years I wanted to try Carnival however my travel agent strongly objected and stated that I would hate it. Well, I no longer use that travel agent and had a wonderful time. I have sailed on HAL, RC and Celebrity. I am still a Celebrity fan by far and have done the bulk of my cruises with them. Carnival is a different cruise line. The fares are less expensive however they do sell you while on the boat. For instance, I have never had my picture taken so many times. On the other lines I think I may have bought one picture ever. The pictures were great and we bought several. The drink prices seem higher as well. Overall I can control those areas. The clientele is different however no one was stuffy and by far there were no fashion models as I am not as well. Extreme comfort level with everyone on board. Embarkation was little long however it must be realized that the Port of Baltimore does maybe 2 cruises a week. The building is small and I am sure it is all part time help. We arrived at 2pm (which is what the cruise line told us to do) and we were on the boat in 90 minutes. We were most likely one of the last to get on the ship. Our rooms were good. They were clean and other than some minor items they were in good shape. We had 5108 and 5106. This is a little different configuration as 5108 is extended balcony and 5106 is an inside room. THis has a connecting door which remains opens. I know other cruise lines the door has a spring on it however this actually remains open. So, it was like a two bedroom suite with two bathrooms. Great location although once we could hear the music from the THeater. No big deal. Kids CLub is down the hall however that was ok. I would say if you go when the kids are out of school this may not be a good choice. We really did not make any real contact with our cabin stewart. He was there however we passed him in the hall. I think that his work load if higher than other cruise lines. We usally did not get service until late morning vs other cruise lines where when we went out to breakfast the room was either completed or they were coming. Overal good. The Food is different. If you are a foodie this may be a sticking point. My family and I are ok with hot dogs and chicken fingers for lunch. The lunch is more of the area where I was disappointed. There are options however it just seemed that nothing suited me. Breakfast was fine and dinner was better. Evening dinner service with Joseph was great. THe service was wonderful. We ate in the Steak House and enjoyed it. Far too much food. The Sea Day Brunch got old after the first Sea Day. I would recommend a Brunch BUffet. The entertainment was very good. We went to one show in the theater and most if not all of the comedy club shows. Most of the comedians were great. You need to arrival early when there is only one adult show. Later in the week when they have multiple shows it is easier to find a seat. Trivia was good and we did most of the Trivia. I would say that this ship had more Trivia than other cruise lines however do not look for it early in the week. In Port Canaveral we went to UNiversal. We went off season and there was still a crowd although we did everything in Islands of Adventure. When in season I would stay away from the parks. In the Islands we did not do an excursion because of the expense. Freeport there is absolutely nothing at the port. We were there to relax so this was not a big deal. Weather was ok except it was cooler than what we wanted but that is not the fault of Carnival. :) We overall had a good time. Debarkation was long and while I will not complain about it I have to think they could do a better job. We waited in the theater from 8:30am until almost noon. The ship had not even docked and we were asked to leave our rooms. I have sailed on other cruise lines where I walked off the ship with no lines at 9am. I would recommend this cruise out of Baltimore. I hope to do another Carnival Cruise in the future and check out another ship. Read Less

Having sailed the Caribbean several times, the ENCHANTMENT OF THE SEAS unique 8-DAY ATLANTIC ITINERARY is what sold us on this cruise. Even historically, I have never seen another ship that combined Bermuda with two excellent ports in New England -- Boston and Newport. These ports were nicely couched between three beautiful sea days. Flying in from Charlotte to Baltimore we were among the rare travelers on the Enchantment of the Seas that did not park at the cruise port or participate in a Park Sleep Cruise program at a local hotel. Please refer to my port review for Baltimore for detailed information that you might find helpful on your pre-cruise stay. BALTIMORE CRUISE TERMINAL -- EMBARKATION Here is a tip for those that are taking a hotel shuttle to the port. If you travel lightly as we do, with carry-ons only, make sure to tell the hotel shuttle driver that you want to carry your own bags onto the ship. They will put them on the shuttle last so that you can get to them at the port. For most people the fact that larger luggage is processed directly onto the ship is a real advantage. It was hard not to notice that several lines were almost empty or empty. These were dedicated to the Diamond or Diamond plus members, while us regular folks stood in fairly long cues. Being a mostly drive-in port, it seemed like the whole ship showed up at 11:00 am. Unlike in Fort Lauderdale with HAL, you are seated again after check in and then called one row at a time. Boarding seemed to be very controlled in that way. I was soon to find out why. Rather than a genuine greeting and escort to your stateroom, you are herded around the Centrum for an introduction to at least six ways RCI can make more money off of each passenger. I have never been hit in the face with this tactic as I stepped off the gangway. Spa services, wine and soda packages, art auctions, specialty dining, tuxedo rentals and flower sales, and even the make your own stuffed animal thing, are given the hard sell with coupons or enticements to every oncoming passenger. This creates an unnecessary bottleneck during one of the most stressful times of any cruise. A wee bit of taste and decorum could go a long way here. Thankfully this approach tempered somewhat as the cruise went on, but talk about bad first impressions! I see nothing wrong with any of these extra services. We had pre-booked the tuxedo rentals and dinner at Chops. Hurray for the stockholders! Someone likely got a bonus for this brilliantly stupid idea. After what felt like running the gauntlet around the Centrum we schlepped our bags up to the Windjammer for our first lunch. As with most of RCI and Celebrity, rooms would not be ready until 1:30 pm. I am not sure how HAL does this in Ft. Lauderdale, but if you show up at 11:45 am you are likely to wait only very briefly, then proceed directly to the ship where you are escorted directly to your room. That is my idea of a perfect embarkation. The Baltimore port staff members were very nice and welcoming. It wasn't the worst embarkation, but certainly not best I have ever seen. THE ENCHANTMENT OF THE SEAS -- THE SHIP In spite of a few negative reviews about being outdated and needing the upcoming dry dock badly, I felt that the ship was very well maintained overall. It is a more traditional design than those newer ships with the inner promenade. The ship has a great art collection, especially along the stairwells. I cannot confirm any of the rumors of worn carpets, dated fabrics, holes in the walls. I just did not see any of this during my cruise. This is a famously stretched version of a Vision Class ship was kept in great order as far as I could tell. The addition of Chops Grill, The Schooner Bar, and the beautiful Boleros Lounge are true advantages to the ship having been stretched. These are some of the best venues on the ship. The addition of the big architectural arches mid ship on the pool deck also add an interesting two-hill twist to the mile long Vita Track. The big disadvantage is that the ship can seem downright noisy and crowded at times with all those additional cabins and passengers. This was especially true during the big one-of-a-kind events like the deck party on the first night in Bermuda. Overall I think the activities staff did a good job of spreading events around the ship. In fact, almost every inch of this ship is well used. Perhaps I have a bit of a bias since I recently sailed on HAL's Westerdam, which is 3000 tons larger and has 400 fewer passengers. THE CENTRUM is quite stunning - bordering on fierce at first impression. It reminds me of a cross between a Marriot Hotel and the Escher drawing with stairs soaring in different directions, multiple marble landings, and a giant prism glass mobile. I did warm up to this giant space after seeing it turned into a six-level arena on at least three occasions. They even stopped the glass elevators so that they could be used as suspended stands for dancing girls during a 70s dance party. Similarly, the staff show with a parade of flags was a colorful reminder of just how international RCI really is. The Champagne Bar on Deck four in Centrum is a posh and comfortable space. Also by the Centrum, the library on Deck 7 had scant offerings but a decent collection of board games. Many seem to carry a tablet or Kindle these days. THE LOUNGES were all in great shape. There was not a single public space that I did not like. The Orpheum Theatre looked much better in person than in the pictures. Though it may be slightly small for the number of passengers, I did not see huge crowds standing at the rear that some have reported, and we sailed with a packed ship. The Schooner Bar is the only piano bar that I have ever seen that sets the piano against a wall of windows with a beautiful view of the ocean. Unfortunately it also served as the hallway to enter the larger Spotlight Lounge at the aft of the ship, as Boleros does for the Casino -- a minor complication of the addition that I really didn't think was a big deal. Surprisingly, the least utilized space seemed to be the Viking Crown Lounge. We enjoyed this space every evening before our late dinner seating. The views were absolutely stunning. This was also our favorite place for sail away. We saw three whales on the evening we sailed out of Boston. Part of the lounge allows smoking, though amazingly it never seemed smoky. Sometimes we would get impromptu entertainment from fellow passengers on the baby grand, though it always seemed to be in addition to a disco or 70s soundtrack that was at times overbearing. OVERBEARING OVERHEAD MUSIC was a recurring theme on this cruise, and I am a true music lover. Michael Jackson's "Beat It" somehow just does not go with sunset whale watching in the Viking Crown. Similarly, being an early riser, I nor any of my other fellow coffee drinkers are used to hearing HOT! HOT! HOT! at 6:00 am on the pool deck. The same applies in the Centrum -- almost constant music, even in the middle of the night. Cruise staff, please give us a few breaks in the music, we will enjoy it so much more in context and at the right time of day. It is just not a good idea to let the playlist run 24 hours a day. If you feel the need to keep it going at least turn the volume way down in the off hours or choose a more relaxing play list. This does not create enchantment; it is just irritating and disturbing. If you need a quiet respite, head to the deck five PROMENADE DECK and grab a chair. This is the best place on the ship to read and a feature that is very important to me when I choose a ship. The views are even better from here if you want a quiet walk to watch for sea life. The very wide deck gets unusually narrow at the bow, but it is a great place for the walkers to avoid the runners on Deck 11. Thankfully, we found it open all the way around on sea days. It was blocked at the bow at almost every other time. You can still make your laps. You just have cut across the forward stairwell lobby. I don't quite understand why they chose not to do the whole thing in teak. The front half of the ship is covered in a red rubber surface. It seems like a terribly obvious place to skimp if you are going to redo a ship from the inside out - as they did in 2005. Clearly this non-revenue generating space was not treated as a priority during the 2005 refurbishment. It was however kept impeccably clean and freshly painted. We chose a Category L LARGE INSIDE STATEROOM 4577 on level four. In spite of being close to the Centrum and below Boleros, the room was amazingly quiet. It was not amazingly large. If you are debating whether to make this upgrade yourself, my vote would be no, if I had it to do over again. Six additional square feet does not make a very small room a large one. One desk chair and one small-scale overstuffed chair is all that the little room would accommodate other than two single beds. Being in the new section, the modular bathroom was clean and very functional. The shower had great water pressure. Amenities include wall-dispensed generic shampoo, which is very drying, and unscented bar soap that is on par with Super-8. Robes, lotion, conditioner, refrigerator, ice buckets or fruit baskets were not provided in any of the rooms below the balcony categories. There was a cabinet that looked like it was built for a refrigerator. Use this to store the overpriced food and hot drink items that clutter the tiny dresser/desktop. They will bring you an ice bucket if you ask. Storage was perfectly adequate for two people. The mattress was a bit soft for my taste, but serviceable. For those that expect a flat-screened TV, you will be disappointed until after the upcoming dry dock. Our cheerful room steward Jose did an impeccable job of keeping our room clean. In spite of being small, the room was in good shape. THE ENCHANTMENT OF THE SEAS -- THE SERVICE This ship has a fantastic staff and crew. The level of service is, without a doubt, this ship's biggest asset. Our room steward Jose, our waiter Frederick and his assistant Arturo, Dr. Love on the Pool Deck, Rudolph in the Casino, and the lovely and genuinely kind Marsha in the Viking Crown all remembered our names, anticipated our needs, and delivered a stellar level of service that could be a role model for some premium cruise lines. You will never lack for drink service on this ship. Our late afternoon coffee order from room service was always offered with a smile and they always asked if we wanted cookies as well. It was every bit as good as the service I received nine cruises ago as youngster on the much smaller Song of Norway in 1987, and even better overall than that of a recent experience on a more premium cruise line. THE ENCHANTMENT OF THE SEAS - ACTIVITIES The Cruise Compass outlines a busy schedule from 6am to 2am. The belly flop, hard rock, disco, and newlywed thing are merely spectator sports for me. These sorts of things are good for laughs, but sometimes the shows and activities bordered on cheesy and loud, and you wished that a few people had had one less cup of the free Seattle's Best coffee or one less Bahama Mama. We really enjoyed the trivia games. The cruise director did a great version of the Neal Diamond hit list. The pool band was an absolutely top-notch reggae ensemble. Bernie Martini was a top-notch piano player and crooner. The Trio Royale did a perfectly classy performance of Edith Piaf and several other easy listening standards. They had an amazingly full and rich sound for only three members. I also appreciated the string music performances. Some of the nightly shows were better than others. The shows felt like church at times: introduce yourself to your neighbor, massage your neighbors back, etc. I understand the ice-breaker concept, but did feel terribly familiar to those that have a thing about personal space. We can laugh and smile without putting our hands on our neighbor. The Activity Manager, Katrina, was a standout. This lady had the ability to light up an entire room when she walked in with her magnetic personality and almost star appeal. When she led the sail-away dance party on deck, it set a smiley upbeat tone for the whole cruise. They proved right up front that every member of entertainment staff really did know how to dance. It was a perfect high-energy sail away that set an upbeat tone for the rest of the cruise. The Baltimore crowd is a fun-loving crowd. I do wish that there were more of an enrichment approach to some of the activities, or least a few that were free of the added upcharge. Sometimes you just need to bring it down a notch and learn something new or hear a good story to feel good about your day. During the one cooking demonstration that was held in the Centrum, you really couldn't see what was going on. I found it a bit irritating that several of the daily events came with substantial upcharges: pathway to yoga, bingo, with a $26 minimum entry, Martini Master Class, and Wine Tasting, etc. Look out for the $ sign beside several activities listed in the Cruise Compass. Speaking of the Cruise Compass, the back two pages of The Cruise Compass are not in bold type, yet these hard to read chronological parts of the Cruise Compass were really the only useful parts. The first two to three pages are just another opportunity to upsell in beautiful bold Technicolor. For those RCI loyal fans who like to think that RCI is far superior to Carnival, I think this cruise line may be the worst offender in the business for the hard- sell approach. While the approach certainly lacks subtly, it is always done with a smile. THE ENCHANTMENT OF THE SEAS -- THE FOOD THE MAIN DINING ROOM operated with surprising precision and grace. Some nights were better than others, but I never had a bad meal here. The food was very good to excellent overall, and the waiters were eager to please if you were dissatisfied in any way. The courses were served at the same time every night. The waiter knew every person's name. Everything was served hot. The lobster tails came on the second formal night. True to form, you can pay extra for the Chops Grill version of steaks and lobster on any night in the main dining room. We didn't find it necessary. The main menu offered plenty of tasty options. CHOPS GRILL is very much worth the $30 upcharge for at least one night of your cruise. This meal was not good - it was excellent in every way. This may sound odd, but if you like cream of mushroom soup, you must have it as a starter. Five different kinds of wild mushrooms in a creamy vegetable based broth that is without a doubt the best I have ever had anywhere. My ten-ounce filet was on par with the very best steakhouses. This is another room on the ship that the pictures just don't do justice. When lit for night dinner service, the room just glows with red velvet and candlelight. It is a deluxe experience that is worth every dime. THE WINDJAMMER CAFE is a bit of a mixed bag, but mostly good. While I love the front of the ship location with spectacular views forward, the layout and design definitely lack efficiency. Everything is laid out in a big circle. Everyone circles once to see what is available. They circle again to get what they are sure that they want. They circle again to get what they forgot or saw on someone else's plate. Then they cross the circle to get drinks if they are not lucky enough to get drink service as they sit down. There are no serving trays, so you simply can't do it all in one trip. It was crowded, but we always found a table. The staff seemed very good at drink refills, but just can't be all over the big room at one time as people seat themselves. Even in this room, the staff was actually very good. Food ranged from quite good to bad. The starchy and imitation crabmeat - she crab soup - was downright bad. Southerners who grew up near the coast know just how good this dish can be. The burgers were small and bland everywhere on the ship. RCI should invest in a proper grill. Asian specialties were hit or miss. The salad bar looked very good and fresh. Breakfast was consistently good except for the powdered eggs. You can always get real eggs if you willing to wait in another line, although it was short. There is a good variety; you can always find something good here. Just don't expect the lido buffets like Holland America or Celebrity. THE ENCHANTMENT OF THE SEAS -- PORTS OF CALL Please refer to the port reviews for very detailed information on how to use public transportation and perhaps enjoy a better and certainly less expensive way to see far more for less money in each port of call. In Baltimore I share the following: 1. Pre-cruise lodging option that won't cost a fortune 2. One of Baltimore's best crab cakes 3. Three absolutely worthwhile free attractions 4. Directions to one of Baltimore's best pub-crawls in Fells Point 5. How to use hotel shuttles to downtown and the cruise port In Bermuda I share the following: 1. The best one-mile beach walk that the little country has to offer 2. How to visit a sea glass beach from the Royal Naval Dockyard 3. Using the buses and ferries in Bermuda In Boston I share the following: 1. A little known bus route that will take you to the Old North Church 2. An easy time saving way to walk the best of the Freedom Trail 3. Negotiating the subway and bus back to the port from Boston Common In Newport I share the following: 1. Why it is important to get early tender tickets. 2. A good place to get a fabulous lobster roll 3. Taking the public bus out to the mansions 4. A jaw dropping walk along the Cliff Walk 5. Two absolutely stunning mansions that should not be missed BALTIMORE CRUISE TERMINAL - DEBARKATION This was the easiest and best debarkation I have ever experienced. We finished breakfast. We picked up our carry-ons. We walked down the gangplank. Handed the man our customs form. The man nodded. We got in a taxi. Gone! That is no exaggeration. There is something to be said for traveling light and renting formals. It also is much less of a hassle than the Port of Miami. IN SUMMARY I have few regrets about this cruise. It was far better than an average cruise. In fact I would sail this ship again if it fit my plans. Read Less