Enchantment was launched in 1997 when Bill Clinton was president. Despite some updates the ship is showing its age. Apparently RC considers Galveston a secondary market and so they have positioned the smaller, rust-stained Enchantment in that lesser port. We plan on a couple of long cruises next year and wanted to see how Royal Caribbean compared to Princess. The staff on RC Enchantment was definitely more cheerful than on any of our Princess cruises. But with more comfortable beds, greater food variety, more venues and things to do, we will probably go with Princess. However, if you are happy with average entertainment options and tasty but standard buffet fare, the Enchantment of the Seas represents a very good 4 or 5 day cruise value for the money.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Well organized. On-board in half an hour
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Food in the Windjammer buffet was pretty good, with a large variety of items. However the offerings didn't change much from day to day; Princess seems to offer new selections daily. The 'Asian Food' section had only Indian dishes which were the same every day. RC should really call this the 'Indian Food' section! There was never any Thai or Chinese food items. The Windjammer was always crowded and finding a good seat was sometimes difficult. But the waiters and waitresses were all terrific and always ready to refill your glass with lemonade or a fresh coffee with a smile. They seemed much happier to help than some of the staff on our Princess cruises. Late night snacks at the Park Cafe were limited in choices and there were often 20 or 30 people waiting in line. Some of the tables around the solarium were filled with dirty dishes. Not as classy as Princess, but the Enchantment passengers didn't seem to mind. We do not fault the Park Cafe overworked staff; cleaning it up is a problem that RC management should address
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
The fitness center was first rate with new equipment.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
There was lots of dancing on the deck and fun 'adult' games at night for the 25 to 35 age group. The singer in the relaxing Schooner Bar was pretty good. The comedians were just ok. The seats in the main theater were wide and comfortable with a nice drink holder -- very classy. But the live musical "Can't Stop The Rock" is dated and boring. The talented singers and dancers are forced to perform movie tunes that you have never heard of while jumping around what appears to be some old construction scaffolding. Come on RC, after10 years it's time to update your shows!
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The staff on RC Enchantment was definitely more cheerful than on any of our Princess cruises.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Enchantment was launched in 1997 when Bill Clinton was president. Despite some updates the ship is showing its age. The interior furnishings are in very good condition. Apparently RC considers Galveston a secondary market and so they have positioned the smaller, rust-stained Enchantment in that lesser port.
Cabin / Stateroom
2 out of 5
Our oceanview room was about the same size as on Princess, but the bed was lumpy and uncomfortable. Also, unlike Princess, the 'king size' bed is actually two metal framed cots just pushed together. The metal legs underneath will not allow you to slide your suitcase under the bed.
Ship tip
Before the cruise stay one night at the Tremont House Hotel and park your car at their sister hotel, The Galvez. Parking was only $18 total for all five nights, garage parking. The Galvez provided a free shuttle between hotels and to and from the port which is just a few blocks away.
Disembarkation was slow. One of the three elevators was always out of order and everyone was forced to walk down a flight of stairs and wind around one side of the ship and out to the other side in order to leave.
Good comments. The above reference to 'who was president' was to help give you an idea of how old this ship is. Asian food? Nice try, but some mediocre California rolls does not qualify as an "Asian Buffet". And NO chopsticks! Again, RC does not seem to care about Galveston or the Enchantment. The food and service at the ship's Park Cafe was an embarrassment. They need to hire at least two more servers to help at that small cafe. At $27K a year avg, that would be an expense of $54 thousand for RC. This year RC is spending $116 million to upgrade Freedom of the Seas and $165 million to renovate Oasis of the Seas. That's $281 million. Let's say you are wealthy and you decide that you want to build a 6-car air-conditioned garage, an Olympic-size swimming pool with custom rock features and waterfalls and a 3-level patio deck. Total cost: $281 thousand. And the lady next door asks: "Can you please donate just $54 dollars to our church community lunch fund?" And you tell her: GET LOST! I can't afford to give you $54! Well, that's the same way RC is treating a needed "fix" for the Park Cafe on Enchantment. Spending big bucks making newer ships even nicer, but zero/zip/nada for Enchantment. Earliest possible refurbishment for Enchantment looks to be 2022..... Call me a grouch, but I don't like standing in line for 30 minutes to get two tiny slices of mediocre pizza... RC can do better...
Galveston is the number 3 busiest port in the US. Not a secondary port. Lines use older ships for shorter cruises, but RCL also has Liberty of the Seas cruising 7 day trips out of Galveston. RCL is also investing in a 3rd terminal in Galveston to be able one of their super ships to the port.
Every port other than Miami, Ft Lauderdale, New York and Seattle / Vancouver in the summer is considered a secondary (or lower) market and get assigned the older ships. That doesn’t mean it’s not a good option, just a fact of supply and demand. It allows the cruise lines to get a few more years out of the ships before selling or scrapping them. As far as food goes, banquet / buffet quality is about the best you can hope for when they are feeding several thousand people 3 meals a day for weeks on end.
Enchantment is rusty on the exterior. Funny that Royal knows its rusty because when you complete the survey and have noted maintenance issues, rust pops up as an automatic box to check. The interior however is well maintained. The buffet Indian selection does change. I also recall a few other Asian options including a mediocre assortment of sushi. Solarium is understaffed. The poor manager is there from at least 9am all day until 3am. Coffee is always cold. They need to put more staff in that place because it is well used all day and night. Agree entertainment is corny. When I was on they did have funny comedians though. Agree this ship is fitting for adults, small kids ..only for short sailings.
We just booked to go on a Puerto Rican cruise yesterday for November2020! Enchantment of the seas will be permanently moved & that will be the first going out on our cruise! Yikes
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