Relaxing & Fun But Would've Been Better on a Newer, Bigger Ship

Item: Enchantment of the Seas
Rating: 4.3
Author: Ecrivan

Enchantment of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

Ecrivan

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 64

Overall rating:

4.3 out of 5

Verified Review

5 Night Western Caribbean (Galveston Roundtrip)

Sail date: February 26, 2020

Ship: Enchantment of the Seas

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: 2059

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 4 years ago

Review summary

Overall, it was a pleasant trip, but that was due to my sailing companions and the excursion we took in Cozumel. The food was great, and I was able to relax quite a bit. But my biggest complaint was after we couldn't dock in Costa Maya, which wasn't the cruise line's fault, they sped up to get to Cozumel early. But arriving at night, there was really nothing to do there, and the extra wind and roughness of that voyage ruined what could've been another enjoyable day at sea.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

With the exception of having to pay another fee for parking (2 vehicles), the embarkation process was quick and painless. We were on the ship in almost no time without waiting in lines. And our bags were at out rooms within 2 hours. Choosing a boarding time and having everything pre-printed and ready helped.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

With the exception of lunchtime, I have no complaints about the food. I always ate breakfast at the buffet and dinner in the main dining room. Lunch I would eat either at the buffet or at the Solarium cafe. The cafe, though convenient and always open, wasn't the greatest. Many times, the (non-alcoholic) drinks tasted watered down. I didn't eat at any of the specialty restaurants but did enjoy a couple of specialty coffees and free snacks at Cafe Latitudes.

Solarium with Solarium Bar

3 out of 5

I was hoping their adults-only policy would be enforced, but it wasn't. I was also hoping that this indoor pool would be warmer than the outdoor ones, but it wasn't. The place usually smelled like a locker room, heavily chlorinated.

My Fair Lady Dining Room

5 out of 5

Nothing but good things to say about this venue, its waitstaff, and the cooks. All of the food was tasty.

Room Service

4 out of 5

It was harder to find space in the whirlpools since there are only 4 of them and they are small. Plus, the 2 that I used seemed to have an issue with their jets.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

I did not use most of the facilities onboard except for the pools and hot tubs. The pools were only heated the first day. After that, they were pretty cold. Some of the hot tubs had a difficult time starting or being as warm as they should be. The Solarium, which is supposed to be 'adults only,' was never enforced. Most of the other activities did not interest me. I wish there was a wider variety.

Guest Services and Shore Excursion Desk

3 out of 5

It was hard to hear guest services with all of the activity from the Centrum on one side and Bolero's on the other. Also, they should've been able to rectify my onboard credit issue easily, but I was there for over an hour and it's still not fixed days after the cruise.

Swimming Pools

4 out of 5

There are 3 pools, so it was usually possible to get in one without it being crowded. But they were only heated on the first day (leaving Galveston), which was nice since it was cold outside. But we had a few more chilly days at sea when a heated pool would've been nice.

Vitality at Sea Spa

4 out of 5

In general I liked the serenity of this venue, but more privacy and quiet are always welcome. My biggest complaint is they didn't have a wet or dry sauna.

Casino Royale

3 out of 5

I wish there was a non-smoking casino in addition to this one. I did like the variety of games.

Bungee Trampolines

2 out of 5

For some reason, these were never open during the trip.

Entertainment

3 out of 5

I caught 5 shows while onboard: 2 musical stage shows, 2 comedians, and a ventriloquist. While I enjoyed the stage shows (especially the one on the first night), my friends were bored. We all liked the first comedian, but the second one seemed to be making up his material as he went (he was a last-minute replacement). The ventriloquist was very talented, but his show felt long.

Centrum

3 out of 5

This was usually crowded and loud as they used it for a number of different activities. This made it hard to hear when dealing with the art curators, guest services, etc. Also, because you typically had to pass through here to get from bow to stern venues (or vice versa), it could be hard to get through when there was an event.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

I have no complaints about the waitstaff (in the main dining room especially) or my room steward. I needed to talk to guest services one day about an onboard credit issue. While the provider was nice, the situation should have been easily resolved. It took an hour and still hasn't been resolved.

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

The ship feels dated, mostly due to its decor. For the most part, it was clean, though some of the common areas could've use more TLC. I don't mind having things spread out because it encourages walking, but smoking areas should not be near other public areas. And overall, I just wish there were more themed spaces for specific types of music, dance, reading, etc. The central area of the ship always seemed packed and loud (and small), sometimes making it hard to get from one side of the ship to the other.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

There was plenty of storage space, and I never really felt cramped. The room steward did a good job keeping it clean.

Ship tip

If you can find a bigger or newer ship with the same itenerary, I would pay a little more to book that cruise. It never hurts to have a window or balcony. We didn't.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Galveston, Texas Did not visit port

I have been to Galveston before, so I didn't want to spend the money or time doing anything there. I came for the cruise.

Thumbs Up 1

Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico Did not visit port

There was a ship docked in our spot when we arrived so we had to skip this port.

Thumbs Up 1

Cozumel, Mexico

5 out of 5

I wish I had more time to shop or just explore here, but our excursion was really fun. We did the single rider ATV's through the jungle to the Jade Cavern, where we briefly swam. After that, we went to a beach resort (not an excursion) for lunch and lounging.

Thumbs Up 1

Disembarkation

4 out of 5

Overall, the process was simple and fairly quick. Of course, unlike the embarkation, everyone is basically leaving the ship at the same time, so it can get a little hectic.