We boarded the Enchantment of the Seas for a 12 day Southern Caribbean Cruise at the Port of Baltimore. We like this port. It is 3.5 hours from our home and very easy to find. We arrived at 11:50 am and handed our luggage to the porters. The security screening and check-in took a ½ hour. By 12:20pm we were headed to the Windjammer for lunch. It was crowded, but we found a seat quickly. Make sure to try the Honey Tung Chicken—an Enchantment of the Seas (ENOS) specialty.

The staterooms were ready by 1:30pm. We were bargain hunting this cruise, so we booked 3015, an inside stateroom near the front of the ship. (We have sailed in inside, ocean view, balcony, and junior suite cabins in the past-- We balance the benefits of each category with the additional cost to see what is the best for each cruise.) This was the smallest cabin we have ever had at 140 sq ft. There was plenty of space for our clothes and our suitcases fit under the bed for storage. It was a place to sleep and we spent very little time there. Our cabin steward, Lyndon Jackson, provided excellent service.

The first three days were "sea days." The weather was sunny and in the high 70's, but it was too windy to sit poolside. We tried it for a time, until the wind picked up my full beach bag and blew it across the deck. The ship rocked some. We used the heated pool in the solarium (adults only) and watched 3 first run movies on the big screen in the 2-story theater. (The Artist, Tower Heist, War Horse) There was a family friendly matinee each afternoon and a show at 9:30pm. By the time the late movie ended the dancing was just getting warmed up in Boleros and the Viking Crown lounge. The DJ, Conrad, kept a nice mix of dance music going. Read more