Enchantment Of The Seas

Launched in 1997, Enchantment of the Seas is the 4th Vision-class Royal Caribbean ship, together with Vision OTS, Legend OTS (now Marella Discovery 2), Grandeur OTS, Rhapsody OTS and Splendour OTS (now Marella Discovery).

History - construction and ownership

Royal Caribbean International (RCI) is a US company, trademarked brand, and subsidiary owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCCL, shipowner). RCI was established in 1968 and currently has over 1/5 of the worldwide cruise market. RCI also has RCCL's largest fleet as both numbers of vessels and GT tonnage (ship sizes and capacities). All Royal Caribbean liners have names ending with "of the Seas".

The 82,910-ton, 1,950-passenger Enchantment of the Seas was sliced, diced and sewn back during 2005 refurbishment, along with the addition of a 73-ft long midsection.

This is the reason why parts of the ship sparkle like new, while others show a bit of wear. Although the external appearance of the Enchantment of the Seas is slightly faded, the midsection (both inside and outside) is still looking comparatively new and offers a larger pool deck, funky suspension bridges, Boleros Latin lounge, Ben and Jerry's, Champagne bar and ritzy Centrum atrium, full with glass-enclosed elevators.

Cruise itinerary program

Enchantment of the Seas itinerary program is based on year-round 3- and 4-day short Bahamas cruises from Port Canaveral, Florida.

Cabins

Enchantment Of The Seas has a total of 1143 cabins (of which 94 Suites, 154 Balcony rooms) in 23 grades. Most Enchantment of the Seas staterooms is 135-260-sq.foot insides (463). 19 are the wheelchair accessible rooms. The largest aboard Enchantment of the Seas are the Royal Suites (1185 ft2).

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

For a quick bite choose Enchantment's Windjammer Marketplace. It's set up in various stations, so you can grab everything from cheeses and pizza to carved meats and dessert. Beginning at 3 p.m., afternoon tea is offered there each day. During busy times, it's difficult to find tables. For more formal dining, better check out the 2-level My Fair Lady dining room. It's open daily from 7 to 9:30 a.m. for breakfast and from noon to 1:30 p.m. for lunch (when it's converted into a Brasserie 30 restaurant, which serves excellent dishes like shells with pesto sauce). Set-seating dining times are 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Passengers can opt for any time dining, which allows to avoid set tablemates and eat between 6 and 9:30 p.m. The alternative dining venue onboard Enchantment of the Seas is Chops Grille, which carries a fee of $25 per person.

Follows the complete list of Enchantment of the Seas restaurants and food bars.

• My Fair Lady Restaurant (1346-seat aft Dining Room; offers Brasserie 30 lunch on sea days)
• Windjammer Cafe Lido buffet restaurant (566-seat, offers Early Breakfast at 6:30 a.m., Breakfast between 7:00-11:30 a.m., Lunch 11.30-3:30 p.m. and Dinner 6.30-9:00 p.m.)
• Chops Grille (108-seat specialty restaurant; reservations recommended)
• Park Cafe (68-seat deli restaurant; complimentary - serves the Solarium area).

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Orpheum Theater is the venue to go for shows. It hosts everything from comedic performances and musical revues to free first-run movies. The theatre comprises space on Decks 5 and 6. Flashy Casino Royale is situated between Boleros Lounge and Orpheum Theater on Deck 5 and features an exciting see-through floor close to the entrance and lots of lights, as well as blackjack, roulette, craps, poker and slot machines.

For daytime fun, the main pool deck is the spot to participate in funny contests, from Ms. Biceps to belly-flopping. Most enrichment consists of activities like gaming lessons in the casino and dance classes in the disco, free of charge. If you expect lectures and the like, Enchantment of the Seas probably is not the ship for you. The line offers a number of shore excursions through its "Explorations!" desk. Glass-bottom boat trips and sightseeing tours are very popular, as are beach excursions, but have in mind that you may be able to access some of the beaches for free or for a lower price if you go on your own.

Additional amenities include Complimentary 24-hour Room-Service, Adventure Ocean (Youth program), Internet/WiFi Access, Laundry.

Follows the complete list of Enchantment of the Seas lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• Orpheum Theater (870-seat, features grand production shows with dance, acrobatics, comedy, and games)
• Photo Gallery and Shop; Art Gallery
• The Centrum (5-deck atrium and social hub, offers aerial acrobatics entertainment); Spotlight Lounge (575-seat show lounge); Diamond Club and Lounge; Concierge Club (suite and past guests only); Viking Crown Lounge and Nightclub
• R Bar (52-seat cocktail bar); Boleros Lounge and Bar (113-seat); Cafe Latte-tudes Bar (36-seat specialty coffee bar, Starbucks Coffee); Ben and Jerry’s (ice cream bar); Schooner Bar (135-seat piano bar); Island Bar; Oasis Bar
• Centrum Boutiques (duty-free; clothes, perfumes, accessories, jewelry, logo souvenirs, General Store/alcohol, and cigarettes)
• Casino Royale (259-seat)
• Royal Caribbean Online center (Internet computers room; 24-hour)
• Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center; 6 jacuzzis; 3 pools
• Solarium lounge (includes Cafe Bar, pool bar and adults only pool area)
• Outdoor Movie Screen
• Video Games Arcade; Fuel Teen Disco club; Royal Babies and Tots Nursery
• Adventure Beach; Adventure Ocean kids lounge area
• Sports Court (golf simulator, table tennis, basketball court); Vita Course Jogging Track; Rock-climbing Wall; Bungee Trampolines.

Royal Caribbean's Enchantment and Grandeur were the first-ever liners of a major cruise company to have Dynamic Positioning System. Enchantment OTS was built in Finland (completed on July 3, 1997). Vessel's godmother was Colleen Fain - wife of Richard D Fain (Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean International). The naming ceremony was on July 12, 1997, held at Port Southampton (England UK). The next day (July 13) started the inaugural cruise (maiden voyage).

As a Vision-class ship, Enchantment has the Viking Crown Lounge at its Deck 11 - ending the 7-deck high "Centrum" Atrium. This is the perfect 360-degree place for enjoying panoramic sea views.

Enchantment OTS refurbishment 2015 review

For the first time, Enchantment OTS entered drydock in 2005 in Rotterdam (Holland) for less than 2 months. The ship received a major refit (mid-body extension). In 2012, Enchantment was refurbished for the second time - this was Bahamas (Freeport). In 2015, the ship received many technological enchantments, dining menu upgrades, several new features. The list of deckplan changes after drydock 2015 includes:

• the poolside huge movie screen was installed
• complimentary “Park Cafe” (deli restaurant) was added
• “Chef’s Table” (gourmet dining package) was introduced
• “R Bar” (the 1960s themed) was added
• The nursery was added.

The following YouTube video reviews the ship's enlargening (drydock refit and refurbishment) in 2005.