Enchantment of the Seas Review

A Repositioning Cruise that met the 85 Degree Rule!

Review for the Southern Caribbean Cruise on Enchantment of the Seas
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John & Robin
First Time Cruiser • Age 60s

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Sail Date: Apr 2009
Cabin: Large Inside Stateroom

This was our 12th cruise with RCCL; our second as diamond members.  We were looking at various cruise itineraries a couple of months ago with friends and this one was a "late bloomer"...not one of our initial choices.  As fate would have, this one worked out the best, and it ended up being just the two of us.  We could not have asked for a better cruise experience!We traveled from Tulsa, OK (TUL) to MIA on American Airlines Saturday afternoon in order to catch a few stone crab claws at the Catch of the Day restaurant.  We had also booked the MIA - PTY transfer through RCCL and our Miami Air charter flight departed early Sunday morning.  The flight was very nice (they even served breakfast!) but it became apparent that the cruise was going to be "top-heavy" with diamond and diamond plus members.  This led to a decision to change our dining room table to a small "Just for 2", which made the cruise even more special, as will be seen.  The arrival in PTY was uneventful...NOT!  Absolute chaos was an understatement!  We had already filled out two forms on the airplane, and ended up filling out at least two others.  Some of us were shuttled into a holding area to await a bus, then were almost forgotten and told to board immediately.  Our bags (including our carry-on) were literally torn from our hands and tossed into one bus, while we were told to board yet another.  It was an adventure that had to be experienced to be believed!  Somehow, we successfully navigated the 60 miles of well-littered countryside and made it to Colon.  After a bit of a tussle at the pier we found an angel in a Royal Caribbean uniform who spoke English, which enabled us to get our bags retrieved and finally tagged to our cabin.  We walked through to the doors into the embarkation hall, took a deep breath, and started our vacation!At our first stop in Puerto Limon we were too tired (and didn't feel like another bus ride) so we passed on our plans to go white water rafting.  We strolled around the town, picked up a few souvenirs, and headed back to the ship.  Our decision to go with the small table worked out incredibly well, as our waiter ended up with only two couples at the main dinner seating...us!  We got to know Gonzalo and Efrain pretty well, and enjoyed the "personalized" service.  They were the best wait staff we've ever had in all our cruises.  "Crazy Gonzo" from Chile and his knowledge of Carmeniere wine was a lot of fun.  We hope he'll one day get his bowl of onion soup from Michael Jackson.  Hasta la Vista!Our second stop in Cartagena, Colombia was an absolute gem!  We took one of the city tours and it was well worth it.  The Old City was both clean and beautiful!  Our Tour Guide, Edgar, was knowledgeable and versatile, and made the excursion very interesting.  His talk in the cathedral of his mission to serve others was inspiring and blessed.  The Palace of the Inquisition was truly sobering, and the bargaining at the shops was a lot of fun.  Edgar's final words as we returned to the pier was that he hoped that the "mental picture" we all had of Cartagena of 10 - 20 years ago had been changed for the better.  It was indeed, and we'll be back.Santa Marta, Colombia was a small port surrounded by towering mountains.  Picturesque and beautiful!  We took the Irotama Resort Break and ended up in one of the prettiest swimming pools we've ever been in.  We wandered around, sunburned, and bargained for some souvenirs.  The lunch was so-so, and the language barrier was a challenge (even with the Tour Guide), but the weather was perfect.  It was rumored that Santa Marta will not be on the itinerary for next season so we were glad we got to see it.  After returning to the ship, the Diamond sail-away party on the forward deck was a nice touch.Oranjestad, Aruba was the final stop, and we again chose to wander around the town for some last-minute gifts.  After trying a couple of local beers at Senor Frog's we felt rested enough to walk the remaining distance to the ship.  The last two days were at sea, which capped off the cruise with some extreme relaxation.  We both visited the spa...myself for a massage, while my wife tried the acupuncture treatment for some lower back pain. Highly recommended!  The "Tango Buenos Aires" show was also very good.  The Crown and Anchor events were thoughtful and fun.  What ultimately "made" this cruise for us was the crew.  Never on any of our previous cruises had we experienced such friendly crowd!  At one point, I jokingly told the Hotel Director, Michael, that I had never spent so much time speaking with a ship's officer before.  I talked to him at least twice after that.  All of the crew we met seemed to go out of their way to greet us or be of assistance.  Special kudos to Alejandra (the Loyalty Ambassador), Winston (our Room Steward), and Diego (for putting up with the people in the Concierge Lounge).  Thank you, crew of Enchantment of the Seas, for such a great time!  

Cabin Review

Large Inside Stateroom

Cabin L
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