First Time Cruise - Gr8 Experience!

This was our first cruise and found Royal Caribbean service is hands down FOUR STAR. The staff are EXTREMELY GOOD at their jobs showing respect, kindness and a willingness to serve at every turn. Notably, from the moment we arrived, our stateroom attendant was ever-present and available to even our smallest requests and managed to slip in and out of our cabin so often, our room was always tidy and clean.

DINING: On the 3rd evening, we dined at MY FAIR LADY and it was a white glove experience. Our waiter Eduardo even made the choice of appetizer, entree and wine an easy one to make. The downside was while the menu had vegetarian options, they were very limited.

I must admit that dining in the Windjammer Buffet was overall a more convenient experience and the selection of food items were more diverse. The hours that are kept are extremely flexible and allowed us to eat almost at our leisure between all our activities and naps. The wait staff there were incredibly attentive as they carefully navigate amongst the throngs of passengers like a well-choreographed dance.

Latte-tudes on Deck 6 offers up Starbucks beverages and sweets and is opened extended hours. The coffee at the Windjammer was sub-par, so this was a nice alternative and the beverages here were also included in our unlimited beverage package. The only downside here were the blenders that were broke on almost every visit we made to get a Frappucino (apparently from the over-use and popularity.)

The Park Café on Deck 9 is a GREAT alternative and perfect for a late night pizza snack especially after a late night of drinking. During daylight hours they offer a salad bar which was remarkably simple, but a healthy delicious and convenient alternative.

Notably, the Bartenders have a a difficult job of keeping passengers lubricated and appeased and I am sure there are some  passengers who are more demanding than others. By and large, kudos to all mixologists!

Ports of Call: I must admit that I found Coco-cay far exceeded my expectations, partly due to the weather that was mostly raining in Nassau. I've been to Nassau before and was still glad to shop and visit Atlantis. We did not opt for any excursions but were told that if we go to Atlantis after 5, we could get in for free, only to be turned away after catching a cab over there. We realized that this is a loosely enforced policy and managed to go through the hotel lobby (not the casino), and was able to access the gorgeous grounds and see the aquarium which was well worth the walk.

Coco-Cay was (surprisingly) gorgeous and personifies the tropical island experience. We did not even board the tender till noon where we quickly settled in and got in the water for some overdue swimming and snorkeling. There is really nothing very interesting by way of a reef to see, but there are some artificial ruins that have been placed for the snorkelers.

I was not aware of the amenities available on the Cay and it was unclear as we debarked the tender as to where I could use my C Pass or where I must use cash. I would advise bringing some cash with you just in case.

In fact, by the time we got out of the water at 2:30 there was seemingly no food options available to us that we could find. Again, this was not a big deal knowing we would soon be back on the Enchantment to dine. We also failed to realize we must bring our towel(s) with us and ended up doing without towels on the Cay; no biggie.

The maintenance department probably does not get much recognition but I have to give props for a very rapid response from engineering when our safe refused to open. A maintenance man was at our door within mere moments of calling guest services. Nice work!

Production staff, cast & crew; What can I say? The show(s) are the cherry on the cake. The Orpheum Theater is gorgeous and inviting and there's just not a bad seat in the house. The singers and dancers work very well together and really put on 2 great shows but Stage to Screen to me is definitely the standout production with its full live orchestra, amazing costumes, choreography, lighting and sets. The live jazz sets on the Centrum are a great way to get to know the singers better and again, the musicians are really some of their unsung heroes who make all the magic possible. We also played BINGO in the Orpheum which was worth the chance to win some cash and a free cruise for two, albeit luck was not on our side for this game.

I cannot emphasize enough the quality of the staff and only regret that I did not take note of the names deserved of being mentioned.  I am quite certain that if it weren't for the synchronous teamwork at hand from stem to stern, our trip would not have been the same.

We chose the Enchantment to celebrate my birthday (also notably acknowledged by RC staff with Birthday Cards in the stateroom) as well our 15th anniversary which was an unforgettable experience for both of us. We were unsure whether a 4 night cruise would be enough time, but it was a perfect reprieve and while we were completely satisfied, we were also happy to be headed home after 4 nights aboard ship.

Royal Caribbean delivered a SAFE and FUN journey that allowed us to make and enjoy memories that will last a lifetime. The cruise director did a GREAT JOB as did the entire staff on the Enchantment! We will definitely sail Royally again in the future.