Sultry Summer Cruise

The absolute most perfect way to unwind after the hairy travel that sometimes accompanies getting to a cruise ship dock is to lounge by the pool (favorite cool drink in hand, of course) and listen to the steel drum band. Close your eyes, turn your face to the sun and fall into the tin tones of the Caribbean as you anticipate your next few days in Paradise.

Quick Tips:

If you''re flying cross-country, arrive the day before and enjoy a few hours exploring your departure city, in this case Fort Lauderdale, FL.

The best cruise tip I''ve ever received is to disregard the boarding time listed by the cruise line. Go early, avoid the sea of grouchy voyagers-to-be and cool your heels on deck in a lounge chair while the rest sweat it out in the terminal.

Best Way To Get Around:

Links to my journals on Ports of Call for this cruise: Key West, Cozumel, Montego Bay Grand Cayman

Our lovely, clean room overlooked the busy pool and bar area. We could glimpse an artery of the intracoastal waterway and the yachts moored on the dock. A short walk around the corner allowed us the opportunity to watch yachts cruise by on the main waterway. A water taxi stop is right on the dock here at the Marriott. The grounds of this hotel are lush and well-kept; a perfect precursor to our tropical vacation.

The embarkation process on this ship was the quickest I’ve ever experienced. Undoubtedly it’s because we arrived before noon, well before the 3pm embarkation suggested in our travel documents. We were very disappointed to learn that one of our ports of call, Costa Maya, Mexico, had been changed. We were now going to Montego Bay, Jamaica. We were frustrated at this news since we had picked this itinerary specifically because it did NOT go to Jamaica. We’ve been there and loathe the street vendors’ persistence in trying to get you to buy their wares. Also, we’d made arrangements to finish our SCUBA diving certification with a resort in Costa Maya. I’d read much about the unspoiled diving experience in this new port of call and we were anticipating a fabulous underwater encounter with marine life. After boarding, we scrambled to the Internet Café to cancel with the Costa Mayan resort and find some place in Montego Bay to dive.

The Enchantment of the Seas is fairly new, having set sail on its maiden voyage in July of 1997. The 916-foot ship carries almost 2000 guests. Though she was filled to capacity that July week, the only crowd-related inconvenience we felt was in trying to get a lounge chair in the sun on the main pool deck. There was plenty of room at the tables in the shade, however, and we enjoyed playing cards while listening to the steel-drum band.

Like many of her sister ships, this ship has what’s called a Centrum; a gleaming 5-story atrium area that is the centerpiece of the ship. There is often a master pianist at the grand piano there, or sometimes an orchestra. We sometimes watched from several floors up as couples waltzed across the shining marble floor.

The main pool is rather small, but there is an alternative. The Solarium pool is for adults only. There are also a couple of whirlpools in there. It’s beautifully lush in the Solarium. Very Grecian-looking. The roof there is retractable, so on very hot days, or rainy days, you could still be comfortable in there. We never once were able to find an open lounge chair there, so we again sat at the tables.

The ShipShape Fitness Center is aft of the ship. You can keep your mind off your pain as you workout in front of a huge window, watching the deep blue churn behind the ship. We took a very enjoyable yoga class ($10 per person). Others in our party took a kickboxing class while I went for a facial and a massage. I felt very pampered, until they tried to sell me some of the products they had used. Couldn’t they just let me enjoy the experience?

We had an outside cabin on Deck 2 with a porthole. I was a little nervous, as our cabin was very far down and aft of the ship. Sometimes that location means lots of movement and vibration. Happily, we had neither. A bonus of being on Deck 2 is that since debarkation at ports takes place on Deck 1, we were always among the first off the ship to enjoy the ports of call. Our cabin steward stopped by immediately after we arrived to ask if we wanted the twin beds pushed together. Every time we returned to the cabin we could tell the steward had been there to pick up, clean up, restock, etc. I felt very spoiled, never intruded upon. The inexpensive cabins are never very roomy, but unless you’re honeymooning (or seasick), you probably won’t be spending much time there anyway. We felt there was plenty of room for the 2 of us, even when we spent a few hours watching the new release movies on TV. Of course, the bathroom can get a little crowded. There’s always the joke that to take a shower, you soap up the walls of the stall, then step in and spin around to get the soap on your body. If you’ve never cruised before, you might want to experiment with flushing the toilet before you use it for the first time. The suction is pretty violent. During a Bingo game one day, the caller pulled B-4, then declared, “B-4 you flush the toilet, B SURE to stand up!”

I had read several less-than-complimentary reviews of the food on this ship, and those reviews were correct, at least for the first few days. The meat was dry, the desserts weren’t exciting, and the fruit wasn’t ripe. We’d decided that at least we wouldn’t gain weight on this trip! Mysteriously, at about Day 3, the food in the main dining room improved immensely. The meat was fresh and moist, the fruit ripe and sweet. The vegetables were cooked to perfection. We’d heard that the pizza served at the Solarium pool was like cardboard, but we found it to be just fine. Same with the hamburgers there. We tried eating in the Windjammer Café, a more casual setting, but it was very blah. The main dining room was definitely the best choice. Besides, in the dining room you get to bond with your waiter and assistant waiter.

Our waiter, Tomas, was from Lithuania. He happily brought us shrimp cocktail each night, even though it wasn’t on the menu. The menu was varied and I always took the opportunity to try something I would never order if I had to pay for it in a restaurant. Ok, so I still couldn't bring myself to taste the escargot.

We’ve been on several cruises before, and this was the first time we felt the headwaiter actually earned his tip. He checked on our table each night, he shelled the shrimp and lobster for us, and other nice touches.

We were chosen to dine at the Captain’s table one evening. We asked why we were chosen, but never received a straight answer. Usually the captain asks to dine with celebrities, airline pilots, and ship’s captains. . .none of which applies to us. It was a delicious dinner of steak and lobster, with an extremely attentive wait staff. It was at this dinner that we learned it had been the Captain’s decision to change ports of call. He felt that Costa Maya was still too rustic and he’d have a lot of unhappy passengers if he stopped there, so chose Jamaica instead. He was a little surprised that we weren’t exactly grateful for that decision.

Our Fort Lauderdale stay for this trip was limited to the evening before embarkation on the cruise and the morning before flying back home. We opted to explore the intracoastal and the Las Olas Riverwalk before we set sail. A perfect way to begin our vacation.

The water taxi has a stop right on the dock at the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Marina. The fare is $4.00 one way, or $5.00 all day. There are also multi-day passes available. For more information, check out the website here: water taxi

It seems that sometimes the water taxi captains are so used to having locals ride that they forget to point out the interesting homes and sights along the way. Tell the captain you're visiting and ask for details on this excursion. Which house has the 50-seat theater and a bowling alley? Which mansion belongs to the once-lowly factory worker who invented the air conditioning clutch for GM cars? You might find out that gorgeous home over there is for sale because the owner is in jail for (surprise!) tax fraud.

We enjoyed riding the water taxi along its whole route. It was raining by the end of the evening, but the captain zipped the vinyl curtains around and kept us dry. This is truly cheap but worthwhile entertainment. You've gotta try it!

The Las Olas Riverwalk is an area along the intracoastal that absolutely bustles with activity. Boutiques, restaurants, bars, movie theater, street artists. We had a delicious dinner in the open air at Dan Marino's Restaurant on the 2nd floor. We gawked curiously at the locals and tourists dancing with abandon to the reggae band playing in the courtyard gazebo below.

We booked a post-cruise tour of the Everglades on an airboat through the cruise line. It's one of those things that you've gotta do at least once if you visit the area. Skimming across the water searching for alligators was an amusing way to while away the morning before the long flight home.

After the airboat ride, we were taken to the Sawgrass Reptile Exhibit where we were able to see many species of wildlife up close. My favorite was the endangered Florida Panther. A $10 donation gets you the opportunity to go into the enclosure with the big cat, pet it, and get your photo taken. Sorrowfully, I passed on the chance.

When you book this tour through the cruise line, they will then take you directly to either Ft. Lauderdale airport or Miami airport, having stored your luggage for you on your bus.