A very good weekend

I finally sailed on the long wished for and often tried but WOULD not afford Enchantment of The Seas.  Living on the east coast of FL, this is the most convenient port for me, however, I am not always willing to spend $200 more/person just to sail out of this port to this itinerary.  However, this weekend, the price was right so we tried it.  Just coming back from the NCL Sky cruise in late September to the same location gave me a lot of comparison opportunity.  I found the boat, overall, not as nice as the Brilliance or Radiance, but perfectly enjoyable for a weekend cruise to the Bahamas.

1.  DO NOT expect to go on this ship and get great nighttime shows as there are none.  DO expect to go on this cruise and find many ways to entertain yourself.  The music entertainment garnered a 3 of 10 from me on my RCCL survey.  (I seriously thought the band playing in the Centrum area was karaoke a couple of times.  Imagine my surprise when the same girl kept singing the next couple of songs in the set....definitely not karaoke)

2.  DO expect to have a good dining experience in the MDR.  No need to go to Chops and pay $30 when you can have the same filet in the dining room for $16.95.  The side dishes were good but not worth another $15.

3.  DO NOT worry about overeating the rich desserts.  In fact the Enchantment should consider a new pastry/dessert chef as I could not find one dessert that would garner more than a 5 from me and that personal favorite was an oatmeal cookie.  Several of the desserts were downright laughable (the mud pie in Chops and the dark chocolate souffle' in the MDR) which is sad because I don't eat dessert that often and was looking forward to this part of the meal.

4.  DO NOT expect to sleep on a cloud in your statement.  The bedding is comfortable and clean, but the mattress border more on the Flintstone side of firm than the other.  I did learn that you can request for your steward to "flop" the mattress to a side that is more cushy and they can add an egg shell top under your mattress cover to lessen the pain your will surely feel in your hip/shoulder if you are a side sleeper.  Also, note to self, if  you like your pillows flat,  no need to carry on comfort from home.  If not, consider making space in the carry on.

5.  DO expect great service from the on board staff.  Everyone was very helpful and friendly.  Hopefully you will not want to interact personally with the cruise director because he was rarer than a pearl in an oyster.

6.  DO take time to enjoy a movie on the big screen outdoors.  Very fun.

7.  DO take time to go the spa on the first day as the special they offer those that attend the raffle drawing is a great deal.  $89 for a plethora of treatments with the ad they hand out after the raffle.  Saves you about $40.

8.  DO take your own drink to the gym.  The water fountain squirts a minimal amount of fluid and is in an unfortunate location.  The vending machine that was there takes $$ bills not your room key and was also out of service all weekend.

9.  DO expect a great variety of food at the buffets.  120% better than the NCL offerings on the cruise I took several weeks ago.

10.  DO expect easy embarkation and debarkation.  Purely magical.

11.  DO NOT expect this to be a sparkling new ship, even though it has replaced the Monarch. DO expect it, however, to be well-maintained.  The 3rd floor starboard side had an abnormally pungent sewage odor.  It did not creep into the cabin, but every time you entered the hallway, you were reminded that you were on the 3rd floor.

12.  DO NOT anticipate using the fabulous coupon book for repeat guests.  The coupon book is now a preloaded benefit on your room card and varies dependent upon your level.  BUT there was nothing free for Gold or Platinum and the offerings were almost embarrassing.  I think that RCCL should just discontinue this if this is as good as it gets.

13.  DO NOT expect a past guest party if you are not Platinum or higher.

14.  DO expect to have a great time on the private island.  The water is beautiful, the chairs plentiful and the bbq lunch more than adequate.  Go early, stay late.  Tender service was easy peezey.  

Comparatively with the NCL Sky, the boats are similar.  The island at NCL is a little nicer, however, if a beach is what you are looking for, you are golden.  There is NO comparison between the food on the Enchantment vs. the Sky.  Hands down big winner here.   The entertainment in the evenings on the SKY is a big thumbs up but not having to drive south to Miami would make me consider this cruise again.