Enchantment of the Seas - Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships 2017 (Berlitz Cruise Guide) (2016)

Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships 2017 (Berlitz Cruise Guide) (2016)

Enchantment of the Seas

★★★+

Berlitz’s Ratings

Ship: 379 out of 500

Accommodation: 142 out of 200

Food: 240 out of 400

Service: 262 out of 400

Entertainment: 75 out of 100

Cruise: 273 out of 400

Overall Score: 1371 out of 2000

Enchantment of the Seas Statistics

Size: Large Resort Ship

Tonnage: 81,500

Lifestyle: Standard

Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean International

Former Names: none

IMO Number: 9111802

Builder: Kvaerner Masa-Yards (Finland)

Original Cost: $300 million

Entered Service: Jul 1997

Registry: The Bahamas

Length (ft/m): 990.1/301.8

Beam (ft/m): 105.6/32.2

Draft (ft/m): 25.5/7.6

Propulsion/Propellers: diesel-electric (50,400kW)/2

Passenger Decks: 11

Total Crew: 840

Passengers (lower beds): 2,252

Passenger Space Ratio (lower beds): 36.1

Passenger/Crew Ratio (lower beds): 2.6

Cabins (total): 1,126

Size Range (sq ft/m): 158.2-1,267.0/14.7-117.7

Cabins (for one person): 0

Cabins (with private balcony): 248

Cabins (wheelchair accessible): 20

Wheelchair accessibility: Good

Cabin Current: 110 and 220 volts

Elevators: 9

Casino (gaming tables): Yes

Slot Machines: Yes

Swimming Pools: 3 (1 w/sliding glass dome)

Hot Tubs (on deck): 4

Self-Service Launderette: No

Dedicated Cinema/Seats: No

Library: Yes

Onboard currency: US$

Enchantment_of_the_Seas_03

A fine resort ship with elegant decor, for savvy families

Overview. This ship has quite attractive interiors and will provide you with a good cruise vacation. It is good particularly for first-time passengers seeking comfortable surroundings similar to those in a Hyatt Hotel, with fabrics and soft furnishings that blend together. This company provides a well-organized but rather homogenous cruise experience, with the same decades-old passenger participation activities and events.

The Ship. Enchantment of the Seas, sister to Grandeur of the Seas, has a fairly sleek profile, with a single funnel located well aft - almost a throwback to the designs of the 1950s, and a nicely rounded stern. There is a walk-around promenade deck outdoors, but no cushioned pads for the home patio-style plastic sunloungers.

A large Viking Crown Lounge, a trademark lounge aboard all Royal Caribbean International ships, sits between the funnel and mast at the top of the atrium lobby, and overlooks the forward section of the swimming pool deck, with access provided from a stairway off the central atrium.

In 2005, a $60 million ‘chop-and-stretch’ added a 72.8ft (22.2m) mid-section, increasing its overall length to 990.1ft (301.8m) and its gross tonnage. It added 151 passenger cabins, including two ‘family’ cabins that can sleep six. The pool deck was given more space plus soaring ‘suspension’ bridges. Special handicap lifts were provided for the two pools, as was a new Splash Deck (kids love the 64 water jets). While not as large as some of the newer ships in the fleet, Enchantment of the Seas is perhaps more suited to couples and families with children that don’t need all those bells and whistles, but want to cruise with up-to-date facilities and have multiple dining choices for more convenience. Between 2011 and 2014 the company added some of the dining options found on the larger ships, and enhanced the overall onboard experience by adding, for example, ship-wide Wi-Fi (it costs extra if you use it), flat-screen televisions in all cabins, and finger-touch digital ‘wayfinder’ direction screens.

The principal interior focal point (and the social hub of the ship) is a seven-deck-high Centrum (atrium lobby). On its various levels, it houses an R Bar (for some creative cocktails), several passenger service counters, art gallery, and Café Latte-tudes (for coffee). Aerial entertainment happens in the Centrum, too. Close by is the decidedly flashy Casino Royale (for table gaming and slot machines - and interesting exhibits under glass floor panels), the popular Schooner Bar, with its nautical-theme décor and maritime art, Boleros (for Latin sounds and dancing), Centrum shops, and the library.

There’s a varied collection of artworks, including several sculptures, principally by British artists, with classical music, ballet, and theater themes, and huge murals of opera scenes adorn several stairways. There is a good use of tropical plants throughout the public rooms, which helps to counteract the plain, clinical pastel wall colors.

Accommodation. There are multiple price grades, with location and grade perhaps the most important determining factor, given that so many of the cabins are of the same or very similar size. All suite and cabin grades are provided with a hairdryer. The room service menu has only the most basic selection.

Royal Suite. The largest accommodation, which contains a baby grand piano, is the Royal Suite, located directly aft of the ship’s navigation bridge on the starboard side. It has a separate bedroom with king-size bed, walk-in closet and vanity dressing area, living room with queen-size sofa bed, refrigerator and wet bar, dining table, entertainment center, and large private balcony. The bathroom has a whirlpool tub, separate shower enclosure, two washbasins, and toilet.

Owner’s Suites. The Owner’s Suites are at the forward end of the ship, just behind the navigation bridge, close to the Royal Suite. They have a queen-size bed, separate living area with queen-size sofa bed, vanity dressing area, refrigerator, and wet bar. The bathroom has a full-size tub, separate shower enclosure, toilet, and two washbasins.

Royal Family Suites. These suites have two bedrooms with twin beds that convert to queen-size beds, living area with double sofa bed and Pullman bed, refrigerator, two bathrooms (one with tub), and private balcony. This suite can accommodate eight and might suit families.

Grand Suites. Features of these suites include twin beds that convert to a queen-size bed, vanity dressing area, lounge area with sofa bed, refrigerator, and a bathroom with tub. There’s also a private balcony.

Superior Suites. Features of these suites, which include two superior suites for the disabled, have twin beds that convert to a queen-size bed, vanity dressing area, lounge area with sofa bed, refrigerator, a bathroom with tub, and private balcony. Although these are called suites, they really are little more than a larger standard cabin with balcony.

Other grades. Standard cabins have twin beds that convert to a queen-size bed, ample closet space for a one-week cruise, and a good amount of drawer space, although under-bed storage space is not good for large suitcases. The bathrooms have nine mirrors. Plastic buckets are provided for Champagne/wine and are really tacky.

Dining. The 1,365-seat My Fair Lady Dining Room spreads over two decks, connected by a grand, sweeping staircase. When you book, choose one of two seatings, or ‘My Time Dining’ (eat when you want, during dining hours). The food is not as good as the menu makes it sound, but the company does try hard.

Other dining options. Extra-cost, reservations-needed Chops Grille Steakhouse is an à-la-carte steakhouse serving prime steaks and veal chops. Aft is the Park Café: an indoor/outdoor deli for salads, sandwiches, soups, and pastries.

Casual, self-serve breakfasts and luncheons can be taken in the 790-seat informal Windjammer Marketplace. It has a great expanse of ocean-view glass windows, the decor is bright and cheerful, and buffet ‘islands’ contain food from around the world.

Entertainment. The 875-seat Orpheum Theater, the main showlounge, is a grand room at the forward part of the ship. This is where the big production shows are staged, as well as the major cabaret acts.

A second showlounge, the 575-seat Carousel Lounge, is located aft, and is for smaller shows and adult cabarets, including late-night adults-only comedy. A variety of other lounges and bars have almost constant live music; in fact, there’s no bar without music to have a quiet drink in. There’s even background music in all corridors and elevators, and constant music outdoors on the pool deck. If you want a quiet relaxing holiday, choose another ship.

Spa/Fitness. The Vitality at Sea Spa is aft of the funnel and spans two decks. Facilities include a gymnasium (with the latest techno- and cardio muscle pumping machines), aerobics room, sauna and steam rooms, a beauty salon, and 13 private massage/body treatment rooms, including a couples massage room.

The Spa/fitness facilities are staffed and operated by Steiner Leisure, a specialist spa/beauty concession. Some fitness classes are free, while some, such as Pathway to Yoga, and Pathway to Pilates, cost extra.