Enchantment of the Seas Ship Review

The 80,700-ton, 2,252-guest Enchantment of the Seas was the fourth of Royal Caribbean’s six Vision-class ships, launched in 1997. Today, she’s the most up-to-date of the Vision-class ships, owing to a mid-2005 rebuild job that substantially increased her size and added some of the attractions and amenities popular aboard Royal Caribbean’s newer ships. She’s still no spring chicken, and shows some wear and tear from her decade and a half at sea, but all in all she’s tops among Royal’s older ships.

Activities On Enchantment of the Seas

The rebuilding job that Enchantment went through in 2005 involved literally sawing her in half, inserting a pre-built 73-foot-long midsection containing new staterooms and public areas, then welding everything back together. Up top, the addition made room for a new stage, a midships bar, a pair of “suspension bridges” overlooking the pool deck, an interactive splash area for kids, and four bungee trampolines. Down below, it added the Latin-themed Boleros bar, a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shop, a Latté-tudes specialty coffee shop, and 151 additional staterooms.

The majority of Enchantment’s public rooms are located on Decks 5 and 6, radiating out from a central seven-story atrium full of faux palm trees and glass elevators. At the base of the atrium, on Deck 4, the Champagne Bar and Terrace offers musical entertainment to go with its namesake bubbly. On Deck 5, there’s the glittery Palladium Theatre, the flashy and crowded Casino Royale, and Boleros, offering Latin music and drinks. On Deck 6, there’s the nautically themed Schooner Bar for piano entertainment and relaxation; the Spotlight Lounge for a mix of live music, dancing, and entertainment; the Latte-tudes coffee shop; the photo shop and art gallery; and six shops. Up at the top of the ship, Deck 11’s Viking Crown Lounge is an observation lounge by day and disco by night.

For kids, the Adventure Ocean playroom on Deck 10 is stocked with toys and games, and there’s a teen center and video arcade right next door.

On Deck 9, you can swim or lounge in the spacious main pool area or chill out in the Solarium, with its retractable glass ceiling and vaguely Roman design motifs. Kids can spray each other or create their own water ballets using water jets at the kids’ splash pool.  Just astern, the two-deck spa and fitness center offers the usual selection of treatments, steam rooms, and saunas, plus aerobics and workout rooms. A rock-climbing wall and a jogging track are outside, along with fitness stations for outdoor exercise and four bungee trampolines where guests can bounce up to 35 feet above the deck, doing somersaults in midair.

Dining on Enchantment of the Seas

Dining options on Enchantment are limited. Dinners are taken at the two-deck My Fair Lady Dining Room, with its grand staircase and classic style. Other than that, your main alternative is the Windjammer Cafe buffet restaurant.

Staterooms on Enchantment of the Seas

Staterooms aboard the Vision-class ships tend to be small and have seen a lot of use in their decade and a half of service. Standard outside staterooms are only 151 square feet, and come with a TV, a small sitting area, a vanity, and a small bathroom. If you want a private balcony, you’ll have to bump up to a 191-square-foot Superior Oceanview stateroom, which also offers a minibar, small sitting area, and lots of storage space. The top-of-the-line accommodations are the 1,087-square-foot Royal Suites, which come with separate living room and bedroom, a huge marble bathroom with a whirlpool tub, a baby grand piano, and a 161-square-foot private veranda.

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