Enchantment of the Seas Review

Nice short cruise; ship has some issues.

Review for the Bahamas Cruise on Enchantment of the Seas
User Avatar
SheSailsFL
10+ Cruises • Age 50s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service

Additional details

Sail Date: Aug 2015
Cabin: Junior Suite with Balcony

Diamond level with rccl and have sailed on more than a dozen of their ships, along with many others from Carnival, NCL, etc. This ship has both good and bad and I will share my honest opinions for those considering this ship.

Embarkation/debarkation - Port Canaveral: one of the easiest and quickest of any ship or port I've sailed from. We left our hotel in Cocoa beach at 10:30 AM, arrived at port and checked in immediately without any lines. We went straight to the gangway and were on the ship in less than half an hour. The downside, IMO, is that Port Canaveral is ugly! There is nothing scenic to look at from the deck, no palm trees, etc...only industrial looking structures and large water or fuel tanks in every direction. Since you are there for 6 hours before the ship sails, it is nice to have a more tropical view (e.g. Miami).

Upon arriving on ship, knowing cabins are not open until 1 PM, we went to find lunch. We found the Park Cafe in the Solarium but it was not open til Noon, so we bit the bullet and headed to the Windjammer. Luckily we were early so it wasn't crowded yet. There we found the usual fare, with every choice imaginable. There is nothing special about the food here other than the vast quantity and options available. But you won't leave hungry. ;).

Cabin Review

Junior Suite with Balcony

Cabin JS

Cabins were ready right on schedule at 1 so we went down one deck to Deck 8 and found our adjoining junior suites. They were just forward of mid-ship on the starboard side - cabin numbers 8560 and 8562. They were nice and appeared clean, although smaller than junior suites on other ships we have sailed. From previous reviews and online photos we knew there was the infamous "pole" at the foot of one of the beds in 8562. Although it gave us some laughs, it didn't bother us at all. It was padded with some vinyl-type material so if we bumped into it in the middle of the night we wouldn't have a black eye. I did wipe it down with a lySol wipe just in case the honeymooners before us were doing acrobatics on it. :0

The cabins were well stocked with tons of storage, although we did not have a walk-in closet as some have reported. There was a bathtub in the bathroom, but only 1 sink. The bathroom had been renovated with new tile and an elevated vessel type sink, and more storage shelving and drawers there.

The living area had a full sofa (that is made into a full twin bed at nite by the steward without folding it out, taking up all the floor space), two arm chairs a cocktail table and 2 round ottomans that we discovered had yet more storage -perfect spot for shoes.

Moving one of the arm chairs slightly allowed the adjoining door to be opened and walk easily between the rooms..we left the door open for the entire cruise and it made the suites feel larger and plenty of room for 5 adult women.

The balcony was average size but only had 2 small straight chairs and a small bistro table. Our steward said he could not open the partition separating our balconies due to rules and we assume concerns about breaking the glass in rough seas, although we have had the divider opened and braced back with no issues on previous cruises. We had to combine our chairs and tables to have breakfast on our balcony .. a little cramped but we made it work. The one big complaint about these cabins....you will DEFINITELY hear a lot of noise from the pool deck just above...the sounds of chairs being dragged most all nite, and footsteps until the wee hours of the morning. My earphones and some sleep music did the trick, but if you're a light sleeper I would opt for Deck 7 so there is a layer between you and the noise.

Port Reviews

Port Canaveral (Orlando)

Very efficient operation. Extremely fast embarkation and debarkation. Luggage arrives very fast. Only downside, this port is not scenic at all.

Nassau

Reports of crime are overstated. This is an island of deeply religious and family oriented people who know that tourism is their main source of income. There are good and bad people everywhere. Take normal precautions, stay in populated tourist areas, buy from locals and enjoy the local food, especially conch fritters and those amazing frozen drinks in fresh coconuts you'll find from street vendors along the harbour. Nassau has some of the best beaches anywhere, and great snorkeling options. Personally don't care for the giant Atlantis resort for day trips but a great option for families with so much to do there.

previous reviewnext review

Find an Enchantment of the Seas Cruise from $279

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.