Shelley Holtmann

Age: 14
Occupation: student
Number of Cruises: 3
Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean
Ship: Enchantment of the Seas
Sailing Date: August 5th, 2001
Itinerary: St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and Nassau

Though I am only 14 years of age, I am proud to say that my experience on Royal Caribbean's Enchantment of the Seas was amazing!  I took a cruise with my family and with our neighbors, so it was a party of 8. 

Dining- The food on the Enchantment of the Seas, while dining in the My Fair Lady Dining Room, was absolutely wonderful.  There were many fabulous dishes such as lobster, steak, and chicken, as well as an exciting array of dessert options, featuring my favorite, Cherries Jubilee!!  Every dish was displayed beautifully and tasted wonderful.  Some of the nights at dinner were themed, for example, Italian Night.  They had Italian cuisine and the waiters performed for us.  The Windjammer Cafe was equally as well too, with many options for both breakfast and lunch buffets.  Your waiters can definitly be seen walking throughout the Windjammer as well.  Word of advice: Friendliness!  If you are friendly with the waiters, they will be friendly with you.  It's their job! 

Entertainment- I thought that the entertainment on the Enchantment of the Seas was spectacular!  The singers and dancers did very well and the comedian was very funny and captured the audience right away!  Also, we had magicians on our cruise and they were wonderful as well. 

Staff- The staff was absolutely the best that I have seen!  Everybody that worked there, including our cabin stuart, was friendly and always had smiles planted on their faces.  Waiters were exceptional and some even call you by name if you give them the opportunity on the first night!  They will be your buddies the entire week.  Our Head Waiter was wonderful too.  He even helped us cut our meat and lobster for us kids, and even the adults, so that they could pick up a few pointers!  The entertainment staff was exceptional, including the fabulous work of our lively and energetic cruise director, Mr. Kirk Detweiler.  He did most of the pool games and was hilarious when you worked with him.  Another word to the wise- Line Dancing!  Attend the line dancing classes and I'm guarenteeing you that you will have a great time.  Our cruise director taught the course and was both funny and friendly during the course.  I became "friends" with our cruise director, and if you do get to meet them, please be their friend.  The cruise will be so much fun when you meet them.  Their energy will strive you on to having a GREAT cruise!

Cleanliness- I always saw people cleaning around the ship, but not in an irritating way.  They were not around every corner to block your fun.  The railings and glass was always shining and there were no fingerprints to be seen.  Plus, the mats in the elevators are changed everyday.  Not just for cleanliness, but to tell you what day it was.  I thought that was a very good idea!

Ports of Call- The Ports of Call were overall pretty good, except for St. Maarten, only because there was some nudity on the beaches.  I learned to deal with it quickly though, by just remembering that it was their custom, and that they would respect our customs too.  For my excursions, we rented jeeps and drove around all of the islands to see it up close, and to videotape it.  I suggest it!  It's a lot of fun, and you can do whatever you want!  Just remember the time to get back on the ship! 

The Cruise Overall- Overall, it was a fabulous cruise.  If you are a first time cruiser, or just a cruise veteran, choose the Enchantment of the Seas for your cruise.  It will give you smiles and memories that will actually LAST!  Royal Caribbean is actually like they say, "Like No Vacation On Earth!"  Take my word for it! 

Shelley Holtmann
Laurel, Maryland  

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