Enchantment of the Seas
Royal Caribbean Cruise to Bermuda
Here are some basic facts about The Enchantment of the Seas from Royal Caribbean Cruise Line: With a capacity 2446 passengers and a length of 990 feet, it's a large ship. It started its operation in 1997 and was refurbished in 2005. The ship was actually extended during this complex renovation process. There are 11 passenger decks and over 1100 cabins. There are 840 crews on Board the ship. It departs from Norfolk and Baltimore and docks at
Kings Wharf in Bermuda.
The Cabins or Staterooms
You have cabin choices starting from suites and deluxe cabins, cabins with balcony, outside cabins, cabins without balcony and interior cabins.
Most of the Suites have a private balcony and all have standard features including TV/DVD, radio, phones etc. and of course plush private bathrooms. Some suites include complimentary concierge service, which includes access to a private lounge plus personalized service for making reservations or other arrangements. The Royal Family Suite can accommodate up to eight people. The suites vary in size from 1120 Sq. ft. to 245 sq. ft.
Enchantment of the Seas
Photo: Tony Hisgett, flickr, cc by 2.0
Balcony rooms have a private balcony, sitting area and a mini bar. All cabins including Balcony, Outside and Inside cabins have standard features with private bath an shower. Balcony cabins are 190 sq. ft. in size with a 36 sq. ft. balcony. Outsides are 154 sq. ft. and inside cabins are 146 to 140 sq. ft.
Restaurants and Dining Options
There are several types of dining choices available on board the cruise.
The main dining is at the Traditional Dining Room - My Fair Lady. It's a two deck gorgeous dining area with grand stairs and water fall. If you like to watch people or see outside view, take the upper floor close to a window. The menu offers nice selection of starters and entrees.
After renovation in 2005, a new restaurant has been added - Chops Grille. This restaurant specializes in Steaks and Chops and has $25 service charge. Make early reservations as this is usually quite full.
Another option is the California Vineyard. Here you can have a nice five course dinner with selection of wines from the Wagner family's California Vineyard. The food includes dishes like Smoked Duck Salad, Pan-fried Scallops and Crab Cake with Belle Glos Pinot Nor. This dining is hosted through the Chops Grille.
Windjammer Cafe near the pool offers salads, soups, sandwiches and burgers, meat-carving and hot entrées almost round the clock. It also serves breakfast. You get a great view from this place.
There is also a 24 hours room service available and you can order all your meals in the cabin. There is no extra charge for this.
In a 5-night cruise to Bermuda, there are usually 3 casual nights, one smart casual and one formal night for dining.
Onboard Entertainment
Live musical performances are scheduled through out the cruise at various venues.
At the Schooner Bar, you can even sing with the Pianist. This bar designed on marine theme is on deck 6. There are two other bars - Pool bar by the side of the pool, and the elegant Champagne bar.
There are a number of themed lounges available all across the ship like Carousel Lounge and Rhythm Lounge. There is usually live musical entertainment and dance taking place in these lounges.
Boloeroes is a Latin themed lounge. The gaming room the Casino Royale has 190 slot machines and over 10 card and game tables.
Other hot spots include Viking Crown Lounge on Deck 11 and has a spectacular view. It turns into a disco during the night time. There is a theatre hall - Palladium Theatre that spans across two decks where plays and other entertainment are held during evening time.
There is also a library and a study room in the ship.
Pools and Spas: During the renovation, the pool areas have been well extended. There are 2 pools and 4 whirlpools. There is plenty of space around and many lounge chairs and vantage areas to watch the action.
The Solarium Pool has a sliding glass roof and is supposed be a no kids pool. There is a 2-deck day Spa and Fitness center.
Sports: There is a jogging track and a 30 feet high rock climbing wall. There is a lot of hype about Bungee Trampoline. There are 4 bungees and the highest point is 35 feet. You get a 2-minute trial.
For Kids and Teens: Children and teens have their own places to hang out. Adventure Ocean divides kids into specific categories. Fuel is the teens-only nightclub. There is a great program for kids under 3.
Others: There is a conference center. There are shops offering perfume, jewelry and such. There is also a program for learning new skills like cooking, dancing, language etc. There is an internet cafe on deck-8.
Cost that are outside the cruise deal
Watch out for these extra charges which are not covered in your basic cruise deal package in Enchantment of the Seas:
As gratuity, Enchantment adds $10.5 per person per night.
Yoga and Pilates at the fitness center costs $12-per-class
A 15% gratuity is added to the bar bills.
Most cafe items are free, except chocolate-covered strawberries and evening tapas (ranging from $1 to $5).
There is $25 per person cover charge at the Chops Grille.
Our overall review and opinion
The fellow passengers range from families with old, young and children of all ages. The summer time attracts lot more families.
There are many cabins of different types that are handicap friendly.
The Latin themed jazzy Bolero's is a bar concept and a great hot spot. The Cuban Rum with fresh mint is superb. The newly added Chops Grille is a great restaurant.
The sun decks and pools are excellent with a lot of space for all and wonderfully done up. There are multi colored splash pools. The Oasis bar has stools overlooking the ocean.
Although many features have been added while refurbishing the ship, the only negative could be that the deck around the Centrum has not been renovated. And probably the other Royal Caribbean cruises have few more options than this one. Try to take cabins in the new area of the ship that was renovated in 2005. The cabins are better here with modern furnishing.
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 By Raj Bhattacharya
Raj, a seasoned travel writer and Bermuda destination expert, has extensive global travel experience. This website reflects his profound insights, garnered over nearly two decades of dedicated findings and research on the island. Raj has assisted countless Bermuda-bound visitors by providing direct, personalized responses to their queries and imparting his wealth of knowledge through this platform. This site serves as an indispensable guide for those seeking informed and reliable insights into Bermuda's treasures.
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