Enchantment of the Seas
Royal Caribbean
4 Night Cruise to Nassau, Bahamas
photos and copy by Patricia Blackstock
Royal Caribbean
Plus review of Nassau's Queen's Staircase
and Fort Fincastle
View Our Photo Gallery from Enchantment of the Seas
I'm Patricia Blackstock. My husband is Wally Snider. We've been living in Myrtle Beach, S.C. since 1998.
The Enchantment of the Seas cruise was too short, but it was very enjoyable. We loved our Stateroom on Deck 7 where the balcony views were terrific! We especially enjoyed the unobstructed sunrise view of Nassau, Bahamas, and I was able to get some good shots. (See the photo gallery.) The room itself had more than enough space for the short stay, and it was a generous size. The shower was the standard ship shower with a shelf. Push tubes of shampoo and conditioner were refilled the first day.
We were puzzled that there were never glass or paper cups available in our Enchantment of the Seas Stateroom. We noticed it first when we wanted to brush our teeth the afternoon of arrival. After dinner the first night, we brought wine and brought one glass back to the room to serve as the "bathroom glass" but it was removed by housekeeping the next morning. This continued for 4 nights! We would bring one wine glass back to the room to serve as a bathroom glass at night, and the next morning it would disappear. I even tried "hiding" it in one of the cabinets, but even that did not work. Someone found it there and took it away! No paper cups or glasses were ever provided. Biggest mystery on the cruise!)
We had a plumbing problem with the toilet on the Enchantment of the Seas on our first day (it would not re-fill after being flushed) and there was a sewer smell in the sink. We called about these problems, and someone came in while we were gone and fixed the toilet. While the smell from the sink was somewhat better, it never completely went away. We wondered if the water was safe to drink, but since we had purchased some bottled water we we drank that instead.
The Enchantment of the Seas ship is somewhat eclectic and it seems to have a personality of its own. It was not only educational, but it was fun to learn about the ship and finding our way around, as you can see in our photo gallery.
The Enchantment of the Seas staff was top notch. Thanks to all the employees of Enchantment of the Seas for your pleasant smiles and helpful attitude. You work hard to please all the Enchantment of the Seas guests. We enjoyed the excellent service and a big smile from every staff member we encountered.
The buffet-style breakfast on the Enchantment of the Seas was very good, with an excellent selections of items. Although it was crowded, we always found a place to eat where we were able to chat with other guests at the table. As a result we never used room service.
We skipped the Enchantment of the Seas private island and opted to stay on the boat and relax. It was delightfully uncrowded and the salt water pool was absolutely perfect! We knew what to expect. from being on other boats. For us, staying aboard the boat was the perfect alternative.
The menus in the Enchantment of the Seas dining room were standard ship food. There were no "wow" factors nor anything remarkable. However, the waiters, the bar guys and anyone we encountered ...went out of their way to please everyone. We even had a waiter who performed table-side card tricks for us, and left us smiling.
We purchased a drink ticket as we boarded Enchantment of the Seas . Royal Caribbean offers four drink plans ranging from $20. per person, per day to $65.00 per person, per day. Additionally, Royal Caribbean offers other Beverage Packages.
Wi-fi is available on the Enchantment of the Seas for 75¢ per minute, or you can choose from one of several pre-paid plans. We stayed away from the Internet and our iPhones for this cruise, so I can't comment on the efficiency of either. (I WILL comment that it felt good to be totally unplugged for four days, and discovered the world did not end during our time away!)
Enchantment of the Seas arrival in Nassau. Nassau is typical of many ports. The minute you leave the ship, it's as if you are sending a message to the locals that you are an American with a lot of money, looking to buy souvenirs or be escorted on a scenic tour. These people do not understand the word the word 'no.' They gathered around us, crowding into our path, and telling us about their tour options. If I were a telemarketing, I would smuggle them all aboard the Enchantment of the Seas, take them to the US and put them to work in Myrtle Beach.
However, once we got through the initial crowds close to the ship, and into the city of Nassau, things changed dramatically. We had absolutely had no problems with street people trying to sell something. The shopkeepers and locals were all friendly and helpful. Every person we met smiled and welcomed us to Nassau.
We took the advice of the very nice lady in the Nassau Tour building, and because of her suggestions, we found something wondrous and beautiful! We did not expect to see anything like the overwhelmingly amazing Queen's Staircase when we left the ship. Please view the photo gallery below to see all the photos.
Following her directions and carrying a map she provided, we walked to the Queen's Staircase. (Thank you, Nassau Tourism Center!)
We loved the walk from the heart of downtown Nassau to Fort Fincastle and The Queen's Staircase. From 1793 to 1794 slaves on the island carved these 65 steps of solid limestone to an impressive 102 feet height, to honor of Queen Victoria's 65 year long reign. As you can see in my photo gallery, the Queen's Staircase is extraordinary and beautiful.
Ft. Fincastle is one of the most visited sites in Nassau. It was built in 1793 by Lord Dunmore. It is shaped like an old steamer - or bow of a ship - and is known for its large array of different sized cannons. See the photo gallery linked above to enjoy views from the top of Ft. Fincastle.
The Queen's Staircase and views from Ft. Fincastle are well worth the climb. The walk from the Enchantment of the Seas was quite enjoyable as we were able to visit local shops at our leisure and talk with the friendly locals. This is a long walk with a lot of stair climbing, so if you are not used to this sort of exercise you may opt to take a taxi. But either way, don't miss this beautiful area when you visit Nassau! See my photos in the photo gallery.
I would definitely consider doing this cruise again.
I hope you will also enjoy our Photo Gallery:
Enchantment of the Seas Here
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Contact me: Patricia Blackstock or copy/paste - patricia@funbeaches.com