Great trip and cruise teams were great and friendly. Unfortunately when deboarded, RC stuck me with a bill to pay for gratuities $14.50/person per night. We did not sign up for this. I already gave the maid a tip before departure.

Item: Enchantment of the Seas
Rating: 3.4
Author: frechetlegrand

Enchantment of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

frechetlegrand

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 38

Overall rating:

3.4 out of 5

Verified Review

5 Night Western Caribbean (Galveston Roundtrip)

Sail date: November 20, 2019

Ship: Enchantment of the Seas

Cabin type: Oceanview

Cabin number: 3644

Traveled as: Family (young children)

Reviewed: 4 years ago

Review summary

Terrible charges for gratuities ($14.50/person per night). bought an item at the shop, paid for by credit card, the shop did not charge to the credit card but charged to the room. So when disembarked the cruise, was asked to speak with guest service because of the charges. Saw that RC charged $14.5/person per night, I was angry for fraudulent charges. I told the guest service people that I gave tips to the maid. Guest service was able to take these charges off but the delay to 30 minutes and the disembarkation was terribly long and no logistics at all.

Embarkation

1 out of 5

RC fraudulently charged me $14.50/person per day for gratuities. COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

Main dinning room was normal but the wait for the food was too long. Menu did not have a lot of option. I ordered a steak (2 thin and less than 1 inch slices of beef). Buffet was great and fast with courteous people.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Not much activities at all

Entertainment

2 out of 5

Not much of an entertainment per se

Children's Programs

2 out of 5

No kid stuffs

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Great staffs

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

Not that great

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5

good

Ship tip

DONT GO TO FORMAL DINNING ROOM. GO TO BUFFET THERE YOU CAN GET ALL KINDS OF FOOD INCLUDING STEAKS TOO.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Galveston, Texas

3 out of 5

No I did not purchase any excursion at Galveston port. It was not much to see.

Thumbs Up 1

Progreso (Merida), Mexico

5 out of 5

Great excursion with online booking to Ixmal. Had to take a taxi to the city (10 minutes ride by taxi $10, waiting for shuttle bus took too long) because the company has no accesss to the Port. But we got a great host and were well treated by this host.

Thumbs Up 1

Cozumel, Mexico

3 out of 5

Water park was not that great.

Thumbs Up 1

Disembarkation

1 out of 5

Terrible experience with RC. RC fraudulently charged us $14.50/person per day for gratuities. UNACCEPTABLE

15 Comments

wgammon1 4 years ago

Thanks for the review. Sorry you didn't agree with the charges. They are quite fair.

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CruzeFan 4 years ago

I’m always amazed at how many people book a cruise and don’t read any of the details of what is and is not included.

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1Spursfan 4 years ago

It’s unfortunate that you didn’t know about the gratuities. All cruise lines have this in place. The workers truly work hard with long hours and deserve this money. There is no fraud going on!

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DMS60 4 years ago

You obviously didn’t do your research do you honestly think it would be fair not to tip your room steward or the people that have served you during your cruise. Many people choose to pay the tipping fee when they pay for the cruise ahead of time. Most cruises charge it to your room then add it to your credit card at the end of the trip. I don’t understand why you’re making a big deal about that because either way you still have to pay it.

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dhoyle1 4 years ago

Also if you are in a suit their gratuities are $17.50 per day per person

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15mustang 4 years ago

When you book, they tell you the gratuity charge. This is standard for all cruise lines. They all charge tips to make sure that their workers receive them. When you take them off your bill you take money away from lots of behind the scenes people.

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Shh813 4 years ago

You definitely should not be cruising. I can’t believe you didn’t do your research. Tipping each day is standard and then if they do a super job you can give them extra in cash. They work hard for their money and and to not pay those daily gratuities is not good., and is really upsetting. Also when you buy something your cabin account is charged and they will then at the end of the cruise charge whatever credit card you gave them. I don’t think you know what you’re talking about.

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eddiemac1 4 years ago

Fake

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Cruiselovers70 4 years ago

14.50 is a standard charge. Next time read your contract.

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sunrx 4 years ago

The tip.goes to more than just your room steward. It goes to a lot of behind the scenes workers..laundry your dining staff the chefs etc. You can also view your charges every day on your tv. I understand your frustration finding charges you didnt anticipate but this is pretty standard for cruising. In the future you CAN go to Guest services at beginning of cruise and ask for charges to be removed if you prefer to do your own tipping. Dont quit on cruising but just be more aware next time.

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jojo625 4 years ago

Every person that commits to a cruise cannot board the ship unless they have signed the sail agreement/contract - which includes you. It is our responsibility to read, understand the agreement before signing. Ask questions, call the cruise line, do your research/homework. The contract is clear and specifically states everything. I read it thoroughly no matter what cruise line I'm traveling on, that way I know what to expect. I always have a fantastic time wherever I go, whatever ship I'm on. Don't give up on cruising, just do a little more research.

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papapot41 4 years ago

Next time read your travel documentation. This is a standard charge and is explained. Would have saved you time and frustration. Not cruise lines fault.

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DebandMarkC 4 years ago

You can never purchase anything on a cruise ship with a credit card! All purchases are charged to your room card.

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queenb12702 4 years ago

It's not fraudulent and if you did your research you'd know that. The gratuities are for more than your room steward. I highly doubt you weren't informed of this when you booked your trip. Furthermore all charges go on your sail card/stateroom. Again RESEARCH....it amazes me how people will complain about things that could be avoided especially when you spend a substantial amount of money. BTW - I will be taking my first cruise in January and knew this. STOP blaming the cruise line for your lack of knowledge.

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packer2687 4 years ago

Definitely wasn't fraudulently charged for gratuities.. everyone was told about this when booking it even gives u an option to pre pay them before your on the ship. Sorry you feel it was fraudulent. I believe 14.50 a day is very fair and i still tip a little extra on top for the people i have direct contact too daily. Hopefully next time your aware this is normal practice for all cruise lines.

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Other reviews of this sailing

Great for a first cruise

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Old ship that needs lots of upgrades