From my first contact by phone with the cruise agent through the debarkation, everyone and everything was a most pleasant experience. I have been on several cruises and this ranks near the top of the list. First and foremost was the attentiveness and attitude of the entire crew which was directed t making our trip pleasant and enjoyable. The fact that passenger count was small (at capacity) allowed for interaction between everyone which made for a most comfortable time and conversation with all. The ship provided ready access to every public area and was clean and well manned. Our cabin was large by cruise ship standards and dining was excellent. The entertainment was good and their was always something to do. All personnel were dedicated to providing first class service to all passengers. The ports were well chosen and provided good shore experiences. I would most assuredly use American Cruise Lines again. Read Less

We loved the ports! But the wait staff and crew were amazing. Food was excellent! Greeeeaaaat foood Omg! Service was definitely an A+. I would recommend these ports and this trip. Also disembarkation was so easy and smooth. My dad is handicapped and we had no issues at the ports except one which was bar harbor, because there were tenders. But a great trip overall. My family and i enjoyed thoroughly! The kids enjoyed also. We took a 1 and 2 year old. I had my concerns about safety originally because they are so active. However, that proved to be unnecessary worry as there were no hiccups. As soon as we boarded, my mind was immediately at ease. Kids enjoyed their time, in and out of the pool also. Lifeguards always in duty. I could be worry free. Great food! Great service! Great staff! Great trip! Loved and enjoyed soooo much! Read Less

I traveled on Carnival Pride for seven days. This was my first time cruising. I chose a cruise because I have never taking a cruise and it was my birthday trip to myself. The comedy shows and karaoke were the best thing on the ship. The ship did not offer many activities. The ship was not thoroughly cleaned as it should have been. The quality of the food was very poor. The buffet was extremely horrible.The food was very bland , overcooked and the variety was horrible. The restaurant was a little better , but not that much better.There is really not much to do on the three different Islands, if you do not plan an Excursion. Freeport was by far the worst. There was absolutely nothing to do there. My cabin was always cleaned. The staff there are truly overworked. The ship should be updated. Two days out of the 7 they woke us the guest up early by stripping the paint off the sides of the boat with very loud machines. That was extremely rude and if you want to sleep in you could not. If you wanted to use the iron and ironing board you have to literally walk half way around the ship to find it . Instead of having an iron and every cabin . Instead of offering one free portrait of when you first arrive on the ship you have to pay for everything! Be careful of all of the fees and gratuity that they charge. I advise that you check your sail card everyday, so you won't get hit with fees before you exit the ship. I will never travel on this ship ever again. For the price that we all paid, it really was not worth the money we paid. Last but not least the cruise director was absolutely fabulous. He made sure that everyone was having a good time and he put on some good shows. Read Less

The grand mother recommended the cruise with Royal Caribbean. The good food was great the staff where friendly the room attendant was great the waiter in the dinning room was great. The bad 2 broken hot tubs, Broken ice cream machine, unwashed windows, and rust abounding on the exterior of the ship. Now the Ugly I dropped my children off at the teen center on the ship for a "in room scavenger hunt" as described in the teen flyer. I come to find out it was a all over the ship scavenger hunt how easy at 10 pm. at night would it be for teen to be abducted and raped and thrown overboard? Brought the issue to guest services it was never addressed!!!!!!! More ugly RC claimed a port of call at coco cay which I hear from others frequently is cancelled so they flat out lied and offered no other port of call. Last of the ugly Shore excursions were great but very short not a good value. Read Less

Love the friendliness of the crew, fantastic Captain with a great sense of humor! Itinerary was great. I did a B2B Canada/New England followed by Bermuda. When you go to the Centrum bar look up Madagascar, best bar tender in the fleet. Food was mainly good, some meals could be improved upon. Deck 4 is the best deck in my opinion, right off the Centrum, close to dining room and embarkation/debarkation elevators etc. I had an interior cabin as ship was booked, NEVER AGAIN, they are small and very dry. My eyes are still recovering from the dryness as is my skin! You will love Captain Andre, he has his 2 little ones with him and 1 made an announcement for us to spend lots of money so her Dad could make more money to buy her and her little brother presents, lol. Love his personality’s!!! I was surprised as to how many children were onboard as school is in session, so it would be a great cruise for families with kids. Read Less

Chose this cruise for destination and size of ship.(small). Bermuda is gorgeous. Took the Amtrak from Lynchburg to Baltimore. Recommend Business Class on train. We sat at a table in facing seats and had lots of conversation on the train. Train has internet, outlets, comfortable seats and good food. Stayed overnight at Embassy Suites by Hilton near airport. Suite and hotel were excellent. Complimentary cocktails, snacks and breakfast. Great food from room service. Lovely Hotel, very reasonable prices. Smooth shuttle transfer from train station at airport to hotel by friendly driver. Taxi to cruise port next morning. Flawless check-in with Royal Caribbean and quick boarding of ship. Mini suite accommodations were spacious and spotless. Got connecting suites (8076 and 8078) at rear of ship. Weather was wild due to back to back hurricanes. For some reason, motion in rear of ship was much less than front (Windjammer), so took food back to room and ate together there several times. (One member of our party of three was affected by rough seas). We had excellent food on ship. Deluxe drink package is a good value and includes cocktails up to 12 dollars and starbucks coffee, bottled water, fresh juice and all sodas. Food is lighter fare these days and there were tons of fresh vegetables, Indian food, American food, fresh baked bread and loads of fresh fruit. Tasty late night snacks are available from the Park Cafe as buffet closes at nine PM. Room service available 24 hours for 7.95. Coffee maker and Teapot in suites. Only one suite had bottle of champagne. The ship is easy to move around on and lounges are lovely. Viking Crown was underutilized by passengers on this trip and was a comforting quiet place with beautiful views for nighttime cocktails and conversation. Peruvian bartender was a doll. Music and entertainment were wonderful. I love this little ship. My only complaint is about the passengers who willingly boarded a ship with back to back hurricanes and then complained to the staff about the sea conditions. (duh). The Captain did an outstanding job of altering the route and speed to cope with what mother nature created. We actually overheard people asking for refunds or discounts due to the weather. We had a ball anyway and highly recommend this cruise to heavenly Bermuda on this sweet little ship. We toured Bermuda on our own and experienced taxi drivers eager to tell us about their island. The beaches are wild, volcanic, turquoise and pink and gorgeous. Very unique and beautiful destination. Ferries and buses are great. Read Less

We chose this cruise because it sailed out of Baltimore,MD and the destination was Bermuda. Upon arriving in Baltimore,MD at the port we were greeted with excellent service and smiles. The ship was awesome. It was impeccably clean and well staffed. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. Our luggage was delivered promptly to our stateroom before we sailed. Our oceanview cabin 2064 was excellent. It was very clean, the bed was firm. There was plenty of storage space available in the closet, the drawers and in the bathroom. The dining on the ship was also very good.The Windjammer buffet offered the usual cruise like food. There was plenty of variety to choose from. The food was very fresh. Dining in the Great Gatsby dining room was great! The food was definitely gourmet. It was well prepared and presented. The dining room staff was very attentive. Greeted you with smiles throughout dinner. They made sure that you enjoyed your meal.The ship had plenty activities to choose from. You can relax at the sun deck, shop, or engage in the activities that were offered. We did not travel with children. I can't comment about the children's activities or services because we didn't use them. The age group on the ship varied from 25-70. Definitely an adult like cruise. The port at Bermuda Heritage Wharf was very nice and clean. It offers shopping and snorkel beach for those who did not want to venture out to Horshoe Bay upon arrival. Definitely do the excursion to Horseshoe Bay. It is absolutely beautiful. We were docked for two days. We chose to relax, however there are plenty of tours offered. It was a FANTASTIC cruise. Can't wait to sail again. Read Less

This was my second cruise with Royal Caribbean, but my first to Bermuda. The biggest criticism I had with the trip was the fact that we effectively only spent 24 hours in Bermuda with an arrival at 3PM the first day and a departure at 2:30PM the second day. There is a lot to see and do on the island, but the time limited your activities immensely. This is my second trip on Grandeur with Captain Thor, and I have to say that as was the case last time, the service was excellent. The cabin attendants are very accommodating while the dining staff is always on point. The bar staff does alright for how busy they are, but like all bars it can be easy to fall through the cracks if they are very busy. The ship itself is starting to show it's age a bit, not all of the areas of the ship are completely accessible for those who are wheelchair bound, and the cabins themselves are a bit dated and a bit worn. The amenities of the ship however are decent, with two pools (saltwater) and six hot tubs (two reserved specifically for kids, the' rest for adults), outdoor screen, myriad activities, a casino, and a rockwall, but they don't have quite as many features as the latest ships. The Grandeur's class of ship (Voyager) has a tendency to be replaced early, with two of the previous ships in the class/era being sold already so it's unknown if Grandeur will continue to operate into 2018/2019, but because of the clearance under the Key Bridge just outside the port of Baltimore (Grandeur clears it by a mere 20 ft), the choices will either be keep Grandeur, get a new ship of similar size, or skip sailing into the port of Baltimore. Read Less

One of the reasons I booked a cruise from Baltimore was to "sail" down the Chesapeake Bay but since this cruise was delayed by 7 hours, it was dark when that part of the cruise finally happened. I leave on the West Coast now but am from the DC area and missing that Bay experience was really disappointing. The reason for the delay was a "medical deviation" so I cannot fault Carnival since the safety of guests must come first, even if it resulted in a reduced experience for my experience. That aside, as usual, the crew members of Carnival did an amazing job and it was a nice trip. The TV in my cabin flickered while watching the channel that shows the location of the ship and all the info, and that was a bummer. Since Carnival does not ask for feedback after a cruise, I have not reported that problem. Everything else on the Pride was fine and I loved Bermuda and having a cruise to be docked in a great location at Dockyard and being able to come and go 24 hours for three days. Rented scooter and loved being able to park it right outside the ship at night to jump on it the next day. I would do this one again but hopefully without a disappointing delay. Read Less

I choose this cruise because it was in my hometown & close to home.. Also my companion was on her first cruise & she does not like flying...The staff was fantastic & went out of there way to take care of any & all problems.. The ship is lacking of needed repairs most of them very simple things like replacing a multitude of burnt out lights in the solarium.. Even though she just came out of Dry-dock it seems what work was done was superficial...Our toilet would not flush properly thru out the entire cruise.. The maintenance crew who were very good with trying to take care of the problem could not fix it... The ship is in need of a serious overhaul from stem to stern...The entertainment was great,food both quality & service were great.. The staff constantly went out of there way to please us.... All in all it was a good cruise but the ship is lacking in repairs,, Read Less

The maiden voyage of the brand new Constellation was outstanding. This was our 7th cruise with American Cruise Lines and they surpassed our expectations again. We booked our 8th cruise in Alaska for next summer. The food was very good - a lot of crab since it was the Chesapeake Bay. Didn't like the beef one evening, but the rest of the time the meals were presented nicely and delicious. Good to see Chef Tom again and Jonathan. Servers in the dining room anticipated our needs. Saw Drew and Kyle, which was nice too. We love how they know our names when we arrive to the boat. The decorations were very nice. The older ships in the fleet should be renovated to look like this. The tours were nice, especially Annapolis. Cambridge was lacking, but we enjoyed the schooner tour. Oxford was lovely, St. Michael's was beautiful. Wish that they would arrange a tour to the ship yard. Great time and we are looking forward to being back soon. Read Less

I sailed Grandeur in late August, so this was my second Grandeur experience. The first sailing, to Bermuda, was a terrific break. This cruise was even better. I had an inside cabin, which was clean and functional. The stateroom attendant was respectful and efficient. The ship is not brand new, but is well kept. The crew and hotel staff of this ship are delightful. The MDR food was great and our MDR staff, Pedro, Bradley and Jing were top notch. We requested extra steamed vegetables and some Indian food each night, and they were excellent. Giovanni's Table specialty restaurant was superb. The best of the entertainment included Mudflap McGrew, a very funny comedian; a quartet, the Unexpected Boys who received a standing ovation for a medley from Les Miz; and the debut of Tango Buenos Aires by the ship's entertainers. The latter was one of the best ship productions I have seen. The most outstanding ship excursion was the kayaking and snorkeling excursion on Antigua. It would have been great to have a lecturer on board, and a daily Catholic Mass. Galley tours don't cut it for 'enrichment activities'. Read Less

Third time on this ship ,twice to beautiful Bermuda, great food and Diamond lounge Going back for 4th voyage same ports in August 2017. The staff in the Diamond lounge were very attentive and always ready to greet you. The steakhouse service are tops beautiful steaks and an optional Sunday brunch serving lobster tails shrimp and caviar with champagne included in the price go Chops its well worth it. this cruise is the most relaxing time on the seas and Bermuda is my favorite stop next to St martin. Have been to the Bahamas 10 times ,beautful waters and country but be aware of locals always trying to sell something or a service,beefed up police and military patrols on the island which is needed. paradise island is a sight to see and the home of many mega-yahts take some pics . Coco Cay has a beautful prisine beach and a good barbeque. ENJOY !!! Read Less

This was a family first time cruise with a group of 18. We didn't know what to expect when picking ships so we went with the Grander. When first boarding the ship you could tell that this was a very OLD ship with a lot of use. We had 5 children teenagers who could not find any other children on board to hang out with.The teens club was very old and boarding they were to say to us. They spent most of there time in the indoor pool and just hung out in the hot tubs. This was a cruise with a lot of OLDER people on-board who did not understand manners. When going to get things to eat at the windjammer they would just think that they could just go in front of you because they were older in age. As you can tell this did not go well when we had to correct them on what they were doing. We didn't get to stop in one of are ports because of the weather. Not saying that this was their choice but still could have done something to make up for it. They made a new Cruise Compass for the day to make it more enjoyable. I would say they didn't add anything that really made us stick out and have a fun day. We all just did are own thing that day. Other then that we all just did are own things on this cruise because there was nothing to do for the younger age. Defiantly would not go on this ship again!!! 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

This was my third carnival cruise. Most of my cruises have been taken with Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) and I've always been very pleased with that experience. What made this cruise a no-brainer to go on was that I received a free-cruise casino offer where me and a guest could get a free interior cabin (just paying $118 in port taxes/fees) and it was right out of Baltimore, which is only an hour drive from my home. That definitely beats taking a 3 hour train ride to NY or flying to Miami. In any event, I chose to upgrade to an oceanview for a nominal fee. EMBARKATION: I really enjoyed the embarkation process at this port. Parking was $105 for the 7 days ,and so it would be really easy for a group who drove together to split that fee. I chose to pay the $60 "Faster to the Fun" fee, so me and my guest were able to move to the very front of the line to check in. However, I may not get the Faster to the Fun going forward (out of this port), because the lines didn't seem that long anyway an dI didn't really get to use the benefit for the remainder of the ship....Our bags weren't delivered to our room by the time we got there, but they were good. I REALLY liked how you could drive up to the luggage trucks on your way to park and there were men standing there who actually lifted your luggage out of your car to put into the ship. That beat dragging our luggage around outside finding someone to check our bags. PORTS AND EXCURSIONS: Half Moon Cay (their private island), Bahamas was beautiful and the water is perfect but I had the worst customer service experience there. We had to tender (didn't get to use priority tender service since I was on an excursion), and the process was absolutely dreadful. The tenders were late, which I found out later (after I called customer service to complain), was because there was rough waters and they didn't feel like it was safe at the time to get everyone out. Needless to say, I was late to my 10am bike and hike excursion, despite meeting on the ship at 9am, and when I got over to the shore, I was told our excursion was postponed until 11:30 AM. They couldn't tell us that BEFORE we left? It was HOT HOT HOT outside and so I had no choice but to sit there and wait until my excursion started in the heat, or could choose to go back through the dreadful tender process and head back to the ship. So the excursion was finally ready at 12pm (during the peak hot point of the day), and while it was a fun excursion, the heat made it a bit dreadful. The tender ride back sucked and nearly everyone vomited from being packed in a tender boat like sardines on the bottom of a slave ship and the water rocking the boat soooo much on our way back to the ship. That was the most exhausting "excursion" day I've ever had. Later I called customer service (who said they couldn't help me and tha tI had to deal with the shore excursion department - what is the point - don't you deal with all customers???) to complain (ended up with an ear infection as well from all of the weird weather), and they did not give me my money back because I should have chosen to cancel my excursion if I didn't want to do it once I got there. She was rude and was willing to lose a customer who dropped mad dough to a $37.99 excursion. Freeport, Bahamas: Despite Freeport being kind of a boring location, I did a biking tour which was awesome! I hadn't been biking in years. It did rain on us halfway through, but that was not the fault of the tour guide. He was extremely knowledgeable and polite to us despite some of the bikes not working throughout the tour for some of my counterparts. I met some cool people on that excursion. Grand Turk: AMAZING excursion at a private house - "Home Sweet Home" where we were served unlimited rum and ate AMAZING Caribbean food for lunch. There was free wifi and air conditioning in the house and we could go in as needed. They also gave us free snorkeling gear and umbrellas to cover our chairs in the sun. That was an amazing excursion. CLEANLINESS: Carnival is not as clean as Norwegian. While most bathrooms and facilities appear pretty clean, some of their practices could use work. While they have hand sanitizer available in the dining halls, they don't have people standing around encouraging you to use it. In addition, the buffet is a normal Golden Corral type buffet where no one is really standing there to serve you, and so you have a bunch of randoms serving themselves, including random children, and you just feel a sense of germs everywhere. In addition, there were often weird smells in the halls that made me go hmmm....where is that coming from? ENTERTAINMENT: Was kind of blah. Norwegian beats Carnival leaps and bounds with the quality of entertainment and the vast options available - especially on the bigger ships. I do enjoy the casino and I LOVE the cashless system you can use in the slot machines, and to pay your account, check your account, withdraw money from your account, etc. I don't appreciate that Carnival makes even their casino players (invited due to their play in the casino) re-earn points to pay for drinks once they get on the ship. Norwegian offers their casino invites plus a guest, free drinks while they are playing for the whole cruise. FOOD AND DINING: I love the Pizza Pirate and the Guy's Burger Joint. Those Fast food places are leaps and bounds more tasty than the pizza and burgers on Norwegian. Carnival could use improvement on its speciality dining. They have one steakhouse, and to me, the steakhouse is good, but not always 100% quality. For example, on a previous ship, the ribeye steak my mother ordered was tough. They do have a sushi place which I didn't try on this ship, and I value that Carnival tries to have ethnic stations on the buffet...like Indian, Caribbean, Asian, etc. The buffet kind of sucks in general though. I did like the sit down dining where you are served...those chocolate melting cakes are delicious. Also enjoy the seaday brunch that goes until 1pm on sea days. Norwegian doesn't have those. NIGHTLIFE: They have a club and the casino (as previously mentioned). The club was hit or miss and typically played the same music every night. i did like the hip hop, but would have liked to hear more reggae. CRUISE DIRECTOR: I didn't even know who he was until like day 5 of the cruise. My last Carnival Cruise had a super dynamic cruise director that was involved in EVERYTHING and made entertainment pretty fun. I think he needs to be more involved/energetic and make himself known on the ship to get people excited. There was no welcome music when we came back from port...I'm used to NCL's cruise ships jumping with excitement to have us back on board. Overall: The Pride wasn't my favorite ship as it was older and smelled funny, and the itinerary was "ok", but I really enjoyed the convenience of leaving so close to home. Despite those things, we had a fun time. I hope they expand their itinerary to both Bermuda, and some of the Canada/New England cruises. Read Less

I am only a second-time cruiser so am not "jaded" with high expectations, and hope I never am! This was a great experience that I highly recommend for the 50-60-yr.old average age group that's not over-critical and wants a fun, relaxing and happy time. POSITIVES: Very friendly staff and service! Main dining room food was great. Lunch salad bar terrific. Windjammer also good -- for mass-produced food. Easy on and off, both at the beginning and end of trip, and for all excursions. Customer service staff great. Clean pool area. Great entertainment. NEGATIVES: Takes forever to get a drink. They need to hire more bartenders. Can't understand the captain when he makes announcements -- that's not only frustrating but dangerous, if he were delivering a warning of some sort. Often paper and empty glasses blowing around -- staff members need to pick up more diligently, but they were always busy, so not slacking, but should be more aware. Morning music TOO ROWDY for the 50-60-yr.old group (average age). Very annoying. Always BAM BAM BAM all day long. SUGGESTIONS: Frequent cruisers know this, but.... bring a night light. Bring a clock that lights up in the dark. Bring an extension cord -- no 120 in the bathroom. Bring a plug extender for phones, curlers, night light and other things that may be plugged in simultaneously. There are never any tissues around the ship so bring some to carry. SUMMARY: Take a chance on this ship! It was a great experience. Read Less

I live about an hour and a half from Baltimore. I was going to get there early Sunday morning but decided I was kind of over that whole "Oh, I HAVE to be one of the first ones on the ship!!!!" thing. Been there, done that, and I figured I could miss an hour or so of feeding at the buffet trough dragging around my carry-on. :-) I was glad I did. Apparently some folks got calls and emails notifying them the ship was late and not to expect to board till after 2pm, I did not. Apparently folks who got there early weren't even allowed into the parking lot till 11:30am, so I was really glad I took my time. I got there a little after noon, parked and checked in with no line at all. The waiting room was fairly full already and apparently not long after I got there they stopped allowing folks into the building. So apparently some folks waited outside for an hour or two. It's a good thing it was a nice day. I was glad I didn't pay for the Faster to the Fun thing as they got on about 15 minutes before we did. I boarded around 2pm and headed straight to my cabin to see if it was ready and it was so I was able to drop my carryon in my cabin 8161 before heading back up to the Lido deck. This was my first balcony and I paid an extra $150 for the extended balcony so I had high hopes. Initially it looked great. We left late, around 6pm, and had to stop and anchor for about an hour near Annapolis for some maintenance. I chose to eat at David's the first night as they offered a free bottle of wine. It was an amazing meal. I slept in and kept having my room steward trying to get in to make up the room which was annoying. I had no "Do not Disturb" sign in my cabin to hang out there though I saw other doors with them. Finally on the third day I asked him to get me one. Truthfully, I never needed one before as on previous cruises my room stewards had an almost uncanny knack of knowing the instant you left. Not so here, and I think it's because they have more cabins to care for. He wasn't the most attentive either, after I used my first breakfast card I never got another one, had to get some from Guest services. Also annoying was the constant noise from the chairs scraping over my head up on the Lido deck. My cabin was under a section with no carpeting and the noise was awful. In fact, when I sat on my balcony the noise of scraping chairs was loud and grating enough to cause paint chips to rain down on occasion. I don't watch tv so I had nothing to blunt the noise. Even in the room it was bad, especially after midnight when they were cleaning. The carts and mop buckets rolling around added to the chair noise that was a 24/7 annoyance. I even recorded some of it at 12:30am. By the time we reached Port Canaveral I couldn't take it any more and went to guest services to see if there were any other cabins. They said no, but later that night I got a note saying there was a deck 7 cabin (7242) available. I went to look at it the next morning and it was a standard balcony but I took it. It was so much quieter, I could actually sit on my balcony and not get paint chips in my coffee. And the view of the water from the room was actually much better. They gave me a whopping $32 credit for my downgrade and inconvenience. Everyone at my table was on deck 8 and all complained of the noise though obviously it didn't bother everyone to the same degree. Guest services has some good actors as when each of us complained, they acted as though it was the first time they had ever heard of such a thing. :-) I was the only one who actually moved though. It was really aggravating to know I threw away $150 as I could have had that category cabin at the lower price. The good news was, in addition to the quiet, I also got a new steward who made sure he knew my name and replenished stuff like the breakfast cards. He was very attentive. It was like a different cruise. The food in the main dining room was not great. Usually I get the shrimp cocktail every night. I only had it once because it was so lame. It was 4 small, flabby, pale, barely defrosted farmed shrimp. When I say small, I mean like 51/60 size. Hugely disappointing. I also ordered an entree with Black Tiger Prawns and they were not prawns but more small shrimp. The coffee was awful. It was painfully obvious that they brewed it for the first seating and by the end of our late seating it was bitter and burned. When you poured the creamer in, it was that awful color gray color of nasty coffee. Our waiter could not seem to understand why we had a problem with it. Of course, you can pay $3 for an Americano or Cappuchino if you actually want decent coffee. The buffet items were actually generally tastier, especially Chopsticks as they were constantly cooking right there. The food in Davids was fabulous. But at $35 per night I only did that twice. I did love the Chocolate Melting Cake. My tablemates made fun of me for having it every night, but I really enjoyed it. It was pretty hilarious that during the Behind The Fun tour that recipe was one of the handouts they gave us. Apparently I wasn't the only one. :-) The comedy shows were a disappointment in that I only was able to see one. For whatever reason, they put these wildly popular shows in the small lounge so you have to get in line 30 min prior to get a seat. And there's only so much standing room. They should have them on the main stage so everyone can enjoy them. I would have liked to have seen more. Drinks and shore excursions seemed really high. It's sad when drink prices make you look at the drinks on the flight home and go "Wow, what a deal!" The good: I *loved* the ship. It is unlike any cruise ship I've been on before and it really resonated with me. The glass steps in front of the statue of David where you're standing on glass suspended over the atrium 100 feet below was a vertigo inducing marvel. I just loved it. The Carnival Pride is an incredibly lovely ship with amazing decor. It's like a floating museum filled with Renaissance art. A few people were appalled at the nudity in some of the pieces, which was a shame. Sad that some people don't know what Renaissance art is. Bottom line: I know I focused more on the bad than the good in this review but I hope this will help others manage their expectations and not make the same mistake I did in cabin choice. I will definitely cruise on the Pride again, maybe even next month, but I'll definitely know not to pay the extra $$ for the extended balcony and be very careful not to choose deck 8 again. Next time I'll also do the itinerary with Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay. I wish they offered that one more often as it's a much more interesting itinerary. Read Less

Solo cruiser, 50-ish female here. This was my 10th cruise, and my first was as a child, in 1970, so I remember the good old days of cruising. Let me start by saying that dinner in the Main Dining Room is one of my favorite things about cruising. Sadly, that's where RCI let me down the most. The MDR service/food was bad. We had a table of 10, table #305. Our waiter was Densta a.k.a. Maxwell. Food that was supposed to be hot was often served lukewarm, at best. If we sent it back, the replacement dish was sometimes lukewarm, as well. I suspect some of the food wasn't hot when it left the kitchen, as was the case with mashed potatoes in a ceramic dish. It was assumed by the waiter, head waiter, and even the chef, that if the dish was hot, the food in it was hot. It wasn't until the guest had them actually taste or touch the mashed potatoes that they realized the food was not hot. They should be using food thermometers in the kitchen to make sure they put out hot food! Another problem was that Densta did not seem up to the task of serving a large table. He seemed scattered and disorganized, and after he brought the food out from the kitchen, he kept lifting the lids from the same dishes multiple times before serving them to the correct guest. This probably contributed to the food losing heat before being served. After we'd complained up the chain about the cold food problems, Densta started putting a dish in front of a guest, then saying, "Try it. Is it hot?" with each dish, with each course, over and over again. If we said it wasn't, he'd say he'd get a replacement, but it would take so long for the replacement to come (and by then we had no faith that it would be any hotter), that often, we didn't want a replacement. If we declined, he'd insist, several times. We had to resort to sternly saying, "I don't want it!" before he would let it go. This exchange became maddening, and we couldn't enjoy our dinnertime conversations without the constant, frustrating interruptions. I know he wanted to make it right, but he took it too far. ONE "are you sure?" would have been enough. We started ordering multiple dishes for each course, hoping at least one of them would be edible, so we wouldn't have to wait for a replacement. We informed the Maitre D', Santana, of the cold food problem early in the 10-day cruise, but the problem was never solved, and we were not satisfied by the end of the cruise. The waiter blamed the kitchen. The chef blamed the waiter. Food was still being served cold on the last night of the cruise! We were told by Santana that we were sitting too far from the kitchen, and we could move to a closer table. If that was the case, then everyone at the outer edge of the dining room should have been complaining of cold food, too. Maybe they were, and we just didn't know about it. We declined to move, because that suggestion was ridiculous. There was no reason we shouldn't be able to get hot food anywhere in the dining room. The head chef offered us tickets to a "special" galley tour at 2pm the next day. He suggested we arrive by 1:45 so we could go in first. Well, we found out we weren't special guests, at all. By 1:15, there was a long line of people wrapped around the Centrum area waiting to go on the tour. No thanks. Santana comped us wine with dinner one night, but that didn't make up for the disappointing food and service throughout the cruise. This was only my second cruise with RCI. Last year, I sailed on the Enchantment, and my food in the MDR was always hot and delicious, and my waitstaff was always courteous and helpful. So this experience on the Grandeur was a huge disappointment. The food in the Windjammer was always hit-or-miss. I'd just try a little of everything until I found something that was hot, tasted okay, and wasn't dried out/overcooked. I only went there if there were no other options. On the first day, I inquired at Cafe Lattitudes whether the pastries were complimentary. I was told, erroneously, they they were free with the purchase of a beverage or ice cream. On another day, I had missed breakfast, so I stopped there for a pastry. I asked for an almond croissant. It was cold and hard, right out of the refrigerator. I asked if they could heat it up. They had no way to do so. Who wants cold, hard pastries?? Put a microwave or toaster oven in there! The best food on the ship, on this cruise, was found in the Park Cafe in the solarium. The roast beef sandwiches at lunch were always wonderful! The bagel bar, salad bar, fruit and chips, as well as desserts, were a welcome alternative, and it was less crowded than the Windjammer. I just wish it was open all day without closures. I guess the upside of my food experiences on this cruise is that I didn't gain much weight. Entertainment: This was the best thing RCI did for me on this cruise. I really enjoyed most of the shows. The staff singers and dancers were the best I've seen on a cruise ship. "Tango Argentina" was excellent, and I was impressed that the staff dancers were able to learn their routines during one week and perform so well. The show went on about 20 minutes longer than I felt necessary, but it was good. The acrobatic acts in the Centrum were lovely. The "Two Funny Guys" weren't terribly funny, more like two somewhat humorous guys. A name change would avoid over-hyping their abilities. There was one truly disappointing act, "The Divas of Motown". They really needed to stick to singing the songs the way we remember them, instead of engaging in vocal histrionics as if they're auditioning for a recording contract. Public spaces: I enjoy playing cards and boardgames, particularly during sea days. On this cruise, I saw that many others also enjoy doing so. But finding space to play, with high enough/large enough tables and good lighting, was very difficult. The solarium was okay, but it got really hot and humid in there. In the Centrum and the Schooner Bar, the tables and lighting were not the greatest. I felt like it was rude to the entertainer and bar staff for us to play in there, but sometimes it was the only alternative. I asked Guest Services about using a conference room, but I was told they were fully booked. I know RCI wants to monetize every inch of the ship, but a gameroom would be nice. Cheaters at trivia: I love to compete at trivia. IMO, they should be about who "just happens to know" the answers, through their education or life experience. It is such a disappointment that each session is won by someone who is, IMO, cheating. These players are clearly familiar with these questions and answers from prior cruises. They are even sitting there shamelessly writing down the questions and answers for use on future cruises. Do they really think we believe they just happen to know ALL the answers? They don't look smart, they look extremely LAME. That they would cheat others out of the opportunity to honestly win cheap plastic prizes shows how lame they are. In spite of the problems, I enjoyed myself. I met lots of nice people, and had interesting conversations. I had wonderful tablemates in the MDR (that I met here on Cruise Critic in the roll call!). Several of us played board games and card games daily, and that was a lot of fun. I was able to relax and laugh with them, and without that, this cruise might have been a downer. Get it together, RCI!! Read Less

I recently cruised on the repositioning cruise of the Enchantment from Baltimore to Orlando and had a really great time. I was a solo cruiser, although did have a buddy on the same cruise that I hung out with. I hope to provide a brief an honest review of my experience. (hope I don't bore you too much). Getting Started I flew overnight from the Los Angeles area to board the ship the next day. When I arrived early that Saturday morning I caught a super shuttle (look for discounts online they are there) for $20. The driver of the shuttle tried to pack (shove) all the luggage he could in that van and I had to keep an eye on him to make sure he did not damage my luggage (or others). When we arrived at the port he dropped us off at a shack outside the port in case you did not have tags. I had my tags and they were placed inside a nice holder that I purchased from Cruise Critic (I recommend getting them they look and work great!). He told me he could not drop me at the luggage area so I took off without tipping (I hate doing that but he deserved nothing, so that is what he got) Checking In Dropped my bags off with the porter; no problem. I arrived about 10:30 am so the lines were not long. As a Diamond member I went to a line that allowed me to pretty much walk into the main check in area. Again, there was no long wait. I would say the entire check-in process took about 10 minutes. After checking in I left the terminal to try to get a "real" Maryland crab cake before I left the city. Some friends in the city took me to a place named the "Rusty Scupper" for a quick lunch. The food was GREAT and the service fantastic. (and it was free, my friends treated me, BONUS! Ok, ok, I picked up the tip leftover from the van ride) After returning the terminal I boarded the ship and the cabin was available. I was in an outside cabin #3556. I usually travel in a balcony and I prefer being as high up and as far forward as possible because I am one of those that actually enjoy the rocking and rolling of the ship. The cabin was efficient and contained all I needed. I know some may complain about the size but I have been on the Monarch and even the Empress so I know what small can be and this was just fine. The Ship This was my first sailing on the Enchantment and I understand that it has been stretched and recently refurbished. I see evidence of both and I can tell you that the ship looks great. There are areas where you can see signs of he rage but these are areas that I am sure that the crew continues to monitor and handle. I mean things like minor painting and so on. In fact during the voyage they were revarnishing the wood along the rails of the ship and minor touch-up painting was ongoing. In short, she looks wonderful. The Crew I have heard that the crew on the Enchantment is one of the friendliest and I must agree. Everyone I encountered was really great, helpful, efficient etc. The CD, John Blair was great and his right hand man Katrina (lol) was great too. I thought the shows were mixed in quality, but I enjoyed them all. Some of the adult late night comedy was really adult. I am waaay ok with that but if you are going to go there just make it funny shock only goes so far. The Royal Singers and Dancers were adequate, however I have always been a little harsh on entertainment in that the performances can be a bit canned. I wish they would, especially after performing for many months together, throw away the playbook and show me what you really got. The talent was there, but perhaps they have directions from the HO to stick to the canned approach. One bright spot was some of the headliners brought on board and The CD John Blair gave what I thought was a surprisingly great tribute to Neal Diamond. I was glad I had a chance to tell him that because there was some special moments in that show for me. (shout out to John if you read this and your right hand man too!) Captain Gus in his daily announcement would offer his quotation of the day and I LOVED that! He seems approachable, knowledgeable and in charge. Leadership can be a tricky thing and this captain seems to have found that right balance as evidenced around the ship. The Food Look folks, if you want five star then no mass marketing cruise line will provide that level of service. With that said I thought the food was fine. There were many offerings. I was never satisfied. If I were to provide a percentage I would say that 85% of the food was great and the other 15% was ok but what can you do. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and I was happy. They even had grits! Lol! The dining room service was fine and I had dinner in Chops one night and that was great as usual. Complaints Before I wrap up allow me to share a couple of complaints and this is not really about the ship or RCI. I have read on CC about two things and I got to witness both. One are th chair hogs. I mean I would see people get up and 6AM to find the perfect chair and they even has special colored clips to attach towels so they could claim their property, I mean really people? They would claim the prize and then go back to their cabin for hours, really?! The other is the good folks who snack while getting food in the Windjammer. Really?! These people would get some item put it on their plate and then snack away and they grab the tongs with those disease infested hands to gather the next item for their consumption, My goodness.these are the ones who either get sick or spread their special brand of "love" to others but you can't say anything, or at least I can't because I am sure that would be seen as a hostile act.. but if you are reading this, and you know who you are CUT IT OUT! Eat at the table!!! Special Mentions My cabin steward (Danny) was great! He was cheerful and did a fantastic job. The thing I look for is the ability to gauge my schedule and take advantage of it. It took Danny a day and he was always on the spot to freshen up the cabin. I had a minor problem and he had it taken care of in a few hours. The server (Hansraj sorry if I spelled it wrong) in the MDR was personable and always provided great suggestions of what to try for dinner. The gentlemen in the Diamond Lounge were great and I visited them for my "medicine" each evening. They were great. Other servers were also great (Ivon, Candice and so on). Ports of Call All were good stops. I did the usual stuff island tours but the one that stood out for me was taking the city bus in St. Maarten (actually a van with a cardboard sign in the windshield) for $2 to the airport to watch the planes land. Simple stuff I know but I enjoyed it. We also stopped in Nassau because Coco Cay was unavailable and we had a medical emergency onboard. I was happy with the substitution. Disembarkation Leaving the ship was a breeze. The bags were ready once I got off the ship. I picked up a rental car and spent a couple of days in Orlando prior to flying back to Los Angeles. Final Thoughts I have read that some have issues with the food, or the cabins, or the age of the ship or the entertainment and so on. In my opinion your vacation will really be what you make of it. I actually slept for the first couple of days and spent limited time doing the many many activities. But this is what I needed to do for me. However, whenever I did plug in I found that the crew, the ship and the people always provided a really pleasant atmosphere and an overall great experience. Read Less

Carnival Pride March 17 to March 24, 2013 Baltimore, Port Canaveral, Nassau and Freeport This cruise was booked at the last minute, within 21 days of sailing. The rates were good for Resident, Past Guest and Military, with IS cabins starting around $500pp. We booked an IS/4K, which is a cabin with French Doors. Using tips from cruise critic, and photos from other online sites, we managed to snag a cabin which gave us a partial view between the lifeboats, which was a great location for getting sunlight and some air. Our location was deck four, aft, close to the stairs and elevators, but in the center of the other cabins in this category on this floor. Our room stewards were always on the job ensuring our cabin was in top shape or any request granted. The restaurant staff was also always ready to please, and offered their recommendation for nightly selections. We arrived in Baltimore around 11:00am, and were let right into the parking lot after the porters took our luggage, and after paying the $105 fee. We were processed through security, and issued our sail and sign card by 11:20am. We were then seating in the waiting room until around 12:30-12:45, at which point we boarded the ship. Weddings board first, followed by VIP cruisers, and then general cruisers. If you don't mind sitting, I'd get there early, as the lines were non-existent for the most part. Although rooms weren't ready until 1:30, we went to check out our room, and the previous cabin occupant we assume were at least four people, and we got to view the layout of the room with twin beds, the Pullman/bunk from the ceiling, and sofa made up as a bed. This setup would be idea for a family with small children, but I wouldn't recommend it for a family with teens. We headed up to the Lido for lunch, which had a selection for everyone, and we were soon enjoying our first DOD. The center pool was covered when we boarded, and stayed that way for most of the cruise southbound, or was at least partially opened when heading to Nassau, as it was cool and drizzling when we arrived in Port Canaveral. We stayed on the boat in Port Canaveral, after visiting Disney to many times to count, and we didn't want to do airboat or gator tours. We thought about doing Kennedy Space Center but decided to stay on board, and watched the crew train in emergency procedures, watching the staff clean/maintain the ship, reading, and relaxing around the boat. As this was a last minute cruise to mostly relax, we didn't attend most of the onboard events, bingo, shopping/port talks or other activities. We did attend several of the shows, including the adult comedy show in Punchliners. The most memorable one was "Vroom," which shows Carnivals improvement in addressing the entertainment, or at least the costumes and backgrounds. They paid homage to Madonna, Prince, Elton John, and the Beatles with full costumes, puppets or props, which I enjoyed Normally we bypass the dining room, but this cruise we at there more than normal, and the food was good, and I have no complaints there. I won't address the dress code not being adhered to on cruise casual nights. I didn't eat in the MDR on elegant night, but from traversing the vessel during the evening, it wasn't adhered to on this night either, but to each his own. It doesn't bother me either way, and I don't judge people based on their appearance. While I'm on eating/food, I'll discuss Carnival's Pizza. They seemed to have changed the recipe since I last cruised in the summer. Handmade, hand tossed with selections such as Quattro Formaggi (garlic sauce, fresh buffalo mozzarella, and Parmesan (three cheeses total, cant remember the other one), Prosciutto (available with pomodoro/red or garlic sauce, rucalo and buffalo mozzarella), Mushroom, Pepperoni, and Classic Margherita/Cheese. These pizzas can compete with any land-based pizzeria with a thin crust that had and authentic brick over taste/crust. The lines were the longest at lunch, and after midnight when the shows were ending or nightclub was closing, but whether you order a slice or two, or the whole pie (4 slices), it was worth the wait. After dinner, and if we decided to see the show, our next stop was Starry Nights Lounge with cover band, "Music Society." The next two or so hours would be spent kicking back enjoying cigars (or cigarettes for some), along with a few drinks in the company of other cruisers. Starry Nights has a limited selection of natural and infused cigars, ranging in price from $3.75 to $18.00. I purchased a Gurkha Ancient Warrior one night, which was $10.00 or so with gratuity (bartender automatic 15% gratuity), and was presented on a silver tray with cigar scissors/cutter and matches, which I didn't use because I had brought mine own cutter and lighter. This was my first Gurkha, which was slightly medium in body and flavor, but didn't wow me. This was my favorite place onboard, and Music Society covered a wide range of musical selections and genres for anyone. As a note cigar smokers can only smoke in Starry Nights, or on their balcony. After Starry Nights, or between 11:00 and midnight, our next stop was Beauties Nightclub. DJ's Smokke and Henderson played all the latest hits, along with some old tunes, and kept the club rocking. I forgot to mention that this cruise was during Spring Break, and it was definitely noticeable in the club. No one seemed to get out of hand, although some clearly had too much to drink, but all enjoyed themselves, and made the cruise memorable. Nassau was the only port we planned on getting off the ship, and we made a stop at the Graycliff Hotel, Restaurant and Cigar Factory and Store on West Hill Street to pick up some cigars. It's a short 10-15 minute walk from the pier to the hotel/cigar factory. As an identifying note, if you walk towards Senor Frogs continuing to walk around the bend towards Dunkin Donuts, the hotel is up the hill just past DD. Getting from the main gate/entrance to the store and factory takes some exploring through the grounds and gardens, but its worth the trip, as photo ops are plentiful If you're a cigar smoker, this is a must to see if Nassau. In a room of the cigar store is a cigar-rolling factory where you can see cigars being made. Cigars in the store ranged from $7.00 and up, and they also carry a wide range of accessories. Since I hadn't had a Graycliff cigar before, I picked up a dozen, several which shared onboard; the others will go into the humidor for resting, and the others for the BIL's. After leaving Graycliffs, we headed down the hill to the shopping district. The jewelry here is priced higher than the U.S., and most of the shops catered to those seeking souvenirs. There are luxury/premium brands such as Gucci, Cartier, Breitling, etc., but it seems some of the other luxury or premium brands have departed the main shopping area. A quick return to the pier, and we boarded a water taxi for Atlantis on Paradise Island. Our first trip to the Atlantis, you were able to access the main lobby, and get a view of the front of the aquarium, along with viewing other public areas. This time around, security or hotel staff seemed to only allow access to the shopping areas, and public balconies/walkways viewing the beaches and marina. We were going there for the casino, and shops only, but it clearly disappointed other tourist who previously had viewed the aquarium from the lobby. The casino was OK, and the slots just let you hit enough to keep playing without winning any major money, but we did play for several hours off our initial deposit, so we were happy. We also stopped by Havana Humidor to pick up some smokes for the day, and way back. The selection is good, and the prices are inline with the premium cigar brands such as Padron 1964 Anniversary, Opus X, etc. The staff is very helpful, and filled my butane lighter upon request, after bleeding out excess gases/propellant, and adjusted the flame. After taking pictures in the marina, and viewing "Aquaman" propel himself out of the water using a jetpack, we returned to the ship to watch sail-away, and get ready for dinner. Our next port was Freeport, and we decided to go to the Lucaya Marketplace. Our first impression was that we should have stayed on the ship, as this area had stores similar to Nassau, along with a straw market. We made a purchase at an apparel store in the Marketplace, and happened upon the hostess for the Pisces Restaurant who located a store merchant for us, along with giving us some insight into Nassau and Freeport. Before leaving the Marketplace we decided to stop for lunch at the Pisces Restaurant, and it was one of the best choices we made on this cruise. We ordered chilled stone crab claws and cracked lobster, which came with fries and a salad. The food was good and above average. The prices here are also inline with U.S. prices for a similar meal. I highly recommend this place for those seeking seafood or conch fritters. I just wish we had more time in this port if no other reason to check out other menu items, and to sit and talk with the hostess and other restaurant staff. After leaving Freeport we had a day at sea before arriving back in Baltimore. This day was spent in the same manner as the previous two sea days, just relaxing, and enjoying some peace and quiet. We arrived in Baltimore for debarkation at 9:00am on Sunday, the process started at 10:00 with self-assist. We were in group 21 (one of the last groups to be called), and I think we were off the ship at around 11:30. This was a great trip, and bringing my own stash to enjoy, the factory tour, along with the purchases were the highlight of my trip. Now I'm looking forward to sailing again in the summer, and enjoying more smokes onboard. Endnote: I was trying to find some cons to the cruise, and for me there really weren't any. Life's too short to complain or nitpick on minor issues, we're on vacation, and the small stuff doesn't bother us. Of note is that on the first or second sea day, the plumbing system malfunctioned due to someone placing an object in the toilet, which clogged the system. Upon discovering the toilet wouldn't flush, and exiting my stateroom, my steward informed me of the issue immediately, which was followed by a call to guest services who confirmed plumbing was already working on the system. Upon returning from breakfast, all was fixed. The Spring Break and Teen crowd were not out of control, and were onboard to enjoy themselves just like everyone else. Heck, I think they made the cruise livelier!!!! Read Less

I've never felt the need to write negative reviews about anything before but my experience on the Carnival Pride was so bad that I'm compelled to warn any others who are considering taking this cruise as their first "cruise experience" to reconsider. For those who are experienced in cruising, some of things I've mentioned below were probably expected but having never been on a cruise before they completely ruined my experience: Overall: The cruise was supposed to be 7 nights with 3 days at port but unfortunately we were told that the weather was too severe to dock at one of the ports (Freeport). This means that out of the 8 days, 6 were spent at sea and parts of 2 days were at port. If you've never been on a ship before, spending 6 days on a ship that has terrible food, limited TV channels, and no activities for individuals in my particular age group was torture. Obviously this is partially due to leaving from Baltimore which takes 3 days just to get to the Bahamas. However, one would think that due to the fact we could not go to one of the scheduled ports that some sort of reimbursement would be provided, but no. Food: As I mentioned above the food on this cruise is not good. There were 3 places where we ate, the Lido Deck (basically a cafeteria), the dining hall, and the steakhouse. The food at each of these places is mediocre at best and it's not hard to tell that everything you eat has been frozen and re-heated. Similar to other areas of the ship you will be constantly approached by photographers trying to take a picture and sell it to you. In one night at the dining hall we had 4 different photographers come to our table in the span of 10 minutes. Service: The guest services department on this ship is horrible. When asking any question regarding excursions or billing you either get a blank stare from guest services who clearly don't know any details about their own excursions or a terse response if you question any of their billing to your cruise card. Other than that, room service was slow but in general they were pleasant and tried to help whenever possible. Billing: I flat out don't understand how items are charged during the cruise. Unknown to us, there is apparently an $80 (7 days) pre-paid gratuity charge that is automatically billed to you at the start of the cruise. Of this $80 a portion goes to dining services, room steward, etc...for each of the 7 days. So even though you may not use those services on a particular day you'll still be charged. Also, because we were unaware of the charge during the first three days, we were tipping everybody on top of this charge. These types of charges are made even more confusing because all charges to your card have a generic "Carnival Sign/Sail" title so you have no idea what they are related to. Excursions: Getting off this miserable boat was the best part of the trip. The 2 ports we did get to go to were fun and had plenty of activities(Canaveral and Nassau). As I mentioned above, the cruise was supposed to go to Freeport but due to weather (windy conditions) we could not go to Freeport. The bottom-line is that if you're going to take a cruise I highly recommend that you do not take it out of Baltimore because you'll be spending more days at sea than exploring the different ports and experience aboard the Pride does not make the time you are on the ship enjoyable at all. If you want a relaxing vacation fly to one one of the islands and stay on a resort. It might be slightly more expensive (I say slightly because there are numerous other costs associated with cruises that aren't included in the ticket price) but you'll have a much better vacation. Read Less

This was my first and, most likely, last RCCL cruise. If you are allergic to or sensitive to cigarette or cigar smoke, this is not the ship nor, perhaps, the cruise line for you. I had a lovely balcony cabin; however, there were smokers on either side. This greatly reduced the amount of time that I was able to spend enjoying the sun and the view. In fact, someone commented that balconies are predominantly booked by smokers. The casino was smoking with the exception of two nights; the smoke still lingered in the carpeting and other fabrics. The casino smoke drifted into the Orpheum theater (rear seating)and into the Boleros lounge. Unless willing to go outside or up one deck, one needed to pass through the casino to traverse from the theator to the dining room. There was smoking at the pool deck bar; there was smoking in the Viking lounge at the bar all day and then cigar smoking in the late evening. The Viking lounge smoke was evident for the evening Diamond, etc., gathering. I don't begrudge smokers the ability to smoke, but smoke was very evident on this line (unlike Celebrity or Azamara Club Cruises). Several passengers, including myself, had our allergies to smoke kick in. When on antihistamines and decongestants, it limits or eliminates the amount of alcohol that should be consumed (I had a $0 bar bill this cruise). Not good for RCCL's bottom line.Embarkation in Baltimore was a breeze. Was dropped off by a service at 11:00 a.m.; no lines at check in. Waited until 11:30 a.m. to board; went immediately to Windjammer and was having a nice buffet lunch by 12 Noon. Cabin: Asked for an 'eggcrate' cushion for the bed. Was provided the first night. Room had plenty of storage, particularly since I was travelling solo.Would have liked better lighting in the bathroom (light lens was yellowed). Had a full-sized sofa and sufficient desk space.General Ship Condition: Good for an older ship. Elevators were slow and not logical in their performance. The Centrum has two banks (due to ship's expansion); push the call button on both sides as they operate independently. Shortage of Space in Orpheum Theater and Windjammer Buffet: I heeded the advice given in previous reviews and went to both venues in advance of opening/show start so I always had a table or a good seat. Timing is everything.Pool Deck: Always found a lounger in the shade; plenty of towels; hot tubs were not really hot; would have preferred the temperature increased a bit more. Nice kids' pool/fountain.Food: Windjammer was good; best variety on embarkation day. Dining room menu was very limited as compared to Celebrity or Azamara Club; this was a disappointment. Food was good in quality and quantity; hot food was never hot; cold food was never cold (i.e.,panna cotta). Galley was on same deck and close by so was surprised by this. Dining Room Table: For some reason, RCCL placed two solo travellers with a couple at a table for four (both of us had requested tables of six or more). On the third night, we two solos transferred to larger table.Service: Very good throughout the ship in all departments. Shore/Shopping Talks: Skip this hard sell. If you travel to the Bahamas and Caribbean, you know that every port has the same shops (and the same mass-produced merchandise) and that the cruise lines and the 'shopping experts' receive fees for recommending the shops. No good areas-of-interest advice to passengers visiting the ports for the first time. Entertainment: Katrina and John Blair, activities and cruise directors, respectively, made this cruise. If they are on board, do not miss the first and last nights in the theater; do not miss the 'newlywed/marriage' event in the theater or the adult "Quest" in the Spotlight lounge. The 'Quest' activity was all the more 'adult' due to the number of Spring breakers who participated. The "70's" event in the Centrum was a blast. The comedians and the magician were just OK. Musicians in the lounges/on deck were good. Enrichment Speaker: Great speaker with a Brit's sense of humor. His four presentations on ships (pirates, sinkings, general interest) were very well attended. Ports: Cape Canaveral: Did not do the theme parks because there would not be enough time in the parks (around six hours) and it was Spring break week with long lines. Took the ship's shuttle to Cocoa Beach. This was well worth the $12; families could negotiate a better rate with individual van drivers. CVS/Walgreen's and Ron Jon a short walk from shuttle drop off. Rented a beach umbrella for $10. Passengers who took the more-inclusive Kennedy Space Center tour enjoyed it.Key West: Took a tram ride (not ship's tour) for $25. Picked up coupons for BOGO drinks at various bars; had chocolate-covered key lime pie at Kermit's. KW is a short stop because the ships must clear out prior to sunset (the big event at Mallory Square). Would have loved a late-night departure from this fun town.Nassau: Much cleaner than I anticipated. Easy to walk around. Took a non-ship van tour of the island for $20 - I did this @ 1:00 p.m. (morning rush was over) and negotiated the price down. Had 30-45 minutes in Atlantis; limited access to property but just enough to get an understanding of what it has to offer - lots.Coco Cay: Private island (tender usage) - found a shady spot with a hammock on the far side of the island. Only one ship so only one food area open; but there was lots of food with little wait. In the area that I 'hammocked', the low tide exposed a large area of mud. The last jet-ski trip was cancelled as a result. Water was choppy and folks mentioned that the glass-bottom boat trip was more adventurous than anticipated.Disembarkation: Diamond and above levels were early off the ship (after express) and our luggage was located in a separate hall - very easy to find. Baltimore is great.As a solo traveller, I had a fun time. Met so many nice folks - passengers hailed from eighteen countries on this cruise - and participated in many activities with them. Would return if RCCL would modify it's smoking policy to mimic Celebrity or Azamara's. Read Less

This was our first cruise on the Enchantment. We had done two Freedom cruises late last year. While those were fine cruises, we wanted to go for a longer than 7 day cruise on a smaller ship. We had done this before on the Grandeur and like it very much. There is a lot more 'energy' on the larger ships, but sometimes we just want cruise days and a slower pace. The Enchantment did not disappoint us.....and we got our favorite captain too....Captain Rob. Not that there aren't plenty of things to do on the Enchantment, it is just a smaller ship with an extremely friendly crew which seems to make a more intimate ship. Jon Blair, Cruise Director and his wife Katrina, Activities Manager, came over with Captain Rob from the Grandeur which was a real plus. They really kept things rolling along. The best entertainment for us were Your Three Tenors. They were great! Our waiters, Boston and Wilder were friendly, funny and gave us great service. If you get Boston as your waiter, ask him about his 'chickens'. Edison, our stateroom attendant, not only made up our room 'magically', but he even stopped in a couple of times to check on us to make sure everything was in place and ask if we needed anything. It was a very nice touch. We could really say this was a very pleasant cruise for us. Read Less

I was a last-minute booking and payee, so I want to "thank you" for all your efforts to hold my room.. My cabin was awesome #4006 oceanview and in a good place on the boat for the price ($600 including all fees)..I booked on October 8th for the 10/21 sailing, so the choices were limited. We had late seating dinner (table for 6 at window) with 2 couples, one was an airline pilot and the other was a Black and Decker manager..Perfect matching of personalities..Every meal was interesting conversation with very delicious food.. The cruise staff was awesome..You got a smile from everyone.. The cabin steward was awesome on day1 and wanted to answer any and every need..She was readily available both morning and before dinner..She was always smiling and so pleasant..This made a difference and it was so appreciated..As we walked the hall, even the other stewards were so friendly..You always saw them busy, but happy. This added to the feeling that this cruise is family.. The dining staff was excellent , we had William and Don Don..They worked as a team made ordering your food so much fun..Remembering your name and your drink was so perfect..Knowing when to just remove your unfinished plate and help you to just move on to desert..always smiling and yet very serious about the food. I was reminded that if I tried something and did not like, it could replaced.. The headwaiter was exceptional..He literally asked us directly the first two nights about our food experience. When I said a "little complaint about tea or cold coffee", the next morning all was immediately better..It was so funny, you would see him everywhere , really concerned for the customers , and making sure all was well. About the 4th night, he was in the silly mod and I saw him more laughing and joking. Job well done..He made sure that every table reported their "true" food experience and when possible he saw that it was corrected.. The entire staff, no matter where on the ship, was excellent.. Everyone was so friendly, it felt like one big family.. I liked the gathering before and after dinner in the Centrum..Always some type of music with the cruise director trying to get all to participate on the floor or by watching...She was electrfying in her laughter and smiles about everything... I loved the solarium..The water was "fresh" water and very warm..(Bath temperature)..They had food and no music..Usually plentiful chairs, except on very windy days..Whirlpools were roomy and deep... Yeah for the staff, who made sure that children under 18 were not allowed in the solarium.. My daughter age 28 loved the Viking lounge, she went there every evening about midnight and met nice people and was always escorted back to our cabin..She said the first night , the music was bad, but after a few complaints, it was awesome, with an orderly crowd.. I loved the 2 shows by the dancers , they were about an hour with constantly changing scenes and costumes, entertaining with no vulgarity..Just pure "singing and dancing " talent..Thank You for this very uplifting entertainment.. Ceasar was excellent on the piano and did any request that was asked..I could just hear him play and sing in my memories.. We stopped at all ports with beautiful weather.. There was plenty of time for anthing you wanted to do at each port.. We did not get any excursions, but did local things that were so much fun.. SAN Juan.. No "tender " needed.. We got there on Sunday and went to 5:30 pm Mass at Saint Francis Church..It was so awesome..The church is located on Saint Francis street..to get there and back we walked thru the old city on most interesting cobbled streets, full of friendly people and vendors. There is a free trolley across the street from the port, but the traffic is so slow, that walking was faster.. Saint Thomas.. No "tender " needed.. Free tram from port to the little shopping mall.. We got an $8 taxis (a lot of fun) went to Meagan Bay beach ($4 a person). Truely one of the most beautiful beaches in the world..Lots of sand, breezy trees, and free picnic tables. water was excellent.. sand in the water was smooth as silk..excellent for swimming or floating..about 4 feet deep for about 1/4 mile out..excellent experience..when you are ready to return..plenty of taxis $8 to take you back to port.. Dominican Republic.. Need a "tender" to get to port..there were no waits..a very good ride.. Motorcycle taxis were awesome for $2 to downtown.. Very cute shops for shopping.. They had kids doing dancing at the port..It was very nice.. Haiti.. No "tender " needed.. This was great beach..lounge chairs, hammocks, great food from ship, and plenty of items for tourists to buy..Also they provided music on the beach..This was just pure refreshment.. Royal Caribbean is serious about loyalty to former passengers.. "Platinum" members are treated very , very , special.. We got robes, coupon book, at least 2 special "evening with drinks and appetizers".. Checkin and checkout was awesome.. We had breakfast about 8 am and then left the ship about 9:15.. AWESOME!AWESOME! I am looking forward to my next cruise.. Read Less