We Were Enchanted with Commodore Cruise Lines
Written: Dec 20 '99 (Updated May 29 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Fun and friendly ship with plenty of activities!
Cons: Older ship
The Bottom Line: The Enchanted Isle was small in comparison to the newest mega-ships, but it was charming and comfortable and easy to find our way around. I thoroughly enjoyed myself!
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| diverpam's Full Review: Commodore Enchanted Isle |
The Enchanted Isle cruise was wonderful. I had packed two books for leisurely, shipboard reading. I never read the first page!
Ports of Call
The Enchanted Isle sailed out of New Orleans. The ports of call for this 7-day cruise were Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Montego Bay. Living in Memphis, we were able to drive down to New Orleans on Friday (great for hauling suitcases and dive gear) and spend some time in the French Quarter that night. By the time we boarded the ship Saturday morning, we were already in a festive mood.
Smaller Size Was Nice
The Enchanted Isle is a 729 passenger, American made ship. I enjoyed the smaller size, both for the ability to find my way around while on board, as well as for ease of getting on and off the ship. We were able to manage this much faster than those mega-monsters we saw in dock. There always seemed to be a line of people waiting to get back on the bigger ships. We just seemed to breeze right off and on the Enchanted Isle.
Relaxed and Friendly
The smaller size of the ship also gave us a chance to get to know some of the other passengers, since we saw each other frequently. At the end of the week we felt like we had made new friends. We also enjoyed the more casual atmosphere. I think if my husband knew a cruise would force him to wear a tuxedo, he would just tell me to have a good time and he'd see me in a week.
There were a couple of "dress up" opportunities during our week-long cruise, but no tuxedos were required (or even evident that I saw). We had a Mardi Gras night and a very festive Captain's Farewell Dinner. We also happened to be cruising on Halloween, so there was the opportunity to don our favorite Halloween costume that evening. The dining staff made every night seemed like a special occasion, though.
Activities
The Enchanted Isle provided a fun, friendly atmosphere with something to do all the time. (Did I mention I never read a page of my book?)
We participated in a variety of shipboard activities, everything from bingo to "horse racing" to trivia contests. Of course, there was also the onboard casino. I could never pass by without stopping to make my contribution. Every day there was another new schedule of activities.
My husband participated in an onboard putting contest and won a small prize for his efforts.
The Spyglass Lounge and piano bar offered opportunities for relaxing over a cocktail after a long day of sightseeing. For those who still had enough energy to dance, there is the disco, as well. I think our most strenuous activity on board was wondering what we were going to eat next or which tropical drink special to try.
Food, Food, and More Good Food
The food was excellent and offered a nice variety. Some days we ate a larger, more formal lunch in the main dining room. Others, we chose to nibble snacks on deck or have sandwiches in the informal dining area.
Dinner every night was excellent, with a wide range of food. Each night was another wonderful dining opportunity. There was a distinctly different menu every night, with a variety of options for the main course. There was always an appetizer, soup, and salad, as well as a delicious dessert. I fell in love with the most wonderful praline pecan pie. (I brought that recipe home with me, compliments of the chef!)
And no matter what dessert we were having, we always had the option of including a scoop of ice cream. By the end of the week, our waiter quit asking if we wanted ice cream with our dessert. He just brought it automatically.
Our final evening our board, the waiters came out dancing to "Hot, Hot, Hot" while balancing individual Baked Alaska dishes on their heads. Sparklers in each of the dishes illuminated the room for their grand entrance. We were all dancing and clapping along, having the time of our lives.
As attested by our tight-fitting clothes when we arrived home, there were multiple opportunities to eat throughout the day and night. Room service was also available, if we chose to order. However, we didn't spend much time in our cabin. There was just too much to do!
Cozumel
For our first port of call we had to option of touring the Mayan ruins at Playa del Carmen or visiting Cozumel. We made a brief stop at Playa del Carmen where some of the passengers disembarked for a day of sightseeing, then caught up with us in Cozumel.
We signed up for scuba diving in Cozumel and went directly to the dive boat. The dive boat was too crowded for my taste -- we had passengers from the Carnival shipped that was also in dock. Next time, I'd arrange my own diving directly with a dive operation. There was plenty of time in port to do so.
The reefs were very colorful and it was our first time drift diving, so it was a great experience. We drifted under a giant 6-foot barracuda (he gets larger every time I tell my story) on our first dive. What an incredible experience. I can still see his teeth! The water is very clear in Cozumel, with great visibility. The colors of the reef are very vibrant, as well.
Folowing two dives in Cozumel,we still had time to take a taxi into the downtown area where we did some shopping. After much haggling, my husband bought me a pair of sterling silver scuba diver earrings. A perfect souvenir after a morning of great diving. (I believe we were in port about 8 hours that day.)
Grand Cayman
Then on to Grand Cayman - where we managed to squeeze in a couple of quick dives with Parrot's Landing. Much less crowded, thank you! We had only about 4 hours total in port, so we couldn't go too far out to dive. Diving is always wonderful in Grand Cayman and we weren't disappointed. (We had spent a week in Grand Cayman the previous year, so we were delighted to be back, if only for a few hours.)
The water was crystal clear and smooth and we were treated to beautiful reefs and an abundance of sea life on our first dive. Our second dive we came back to Devil's Grotto, which is close to the dock area. It has a very interesting series of swim-throughs and earned its name in a most unusual way. Supposedly an evil pirate was killed, stuffed into a trunk, and tossed overboard in the grotto. We saw no evidence of evil doings, just a fascinating series of formations and some great underwater photo opportunities.
We had a little time left to check out the shops before heading back to the ship. You can find jewelry and electronics stores and there are dozens of souvenir and t-shirts shops near the harbor. There is also a great bakery where you can buy delicious rum cake. You'll also see tons of banks in Grand Cayman. Everything is very clean and neat in Georgetown. If you rent a car and venture out to see Hell (a real place on Grand Cayman) be careful to stay on the left side of the road.
Make sure you go to the liquor store to buy your coconut rum early. They deliver it back to the ship for you. (We missed the cutoff time by 15 minutes.) They do have GREAT coconut rum on Grand Cayman and very good prices, so you don't want to miss the opportunity to buy some.
Climbing Dunn's River Falls at Ocho Rios
Our next stop was Jamaica, where we took the bus trip (long and crazy) to Ocho Rios and Dunn's River Falls. The Falls are not at all like the pictures in the travel magazines, but it was an adventure. They made us walk all together in a long line holding hands, helping pull each other up the falls. It was pretty strenuous and - until I went on strike and refused to move as part of the "herd" - not very relaxing. I expected to have time to play leisurely in the falls. That's not the case.
Word of Advice: Be sure to bring your own rubber-soled shoes to walk in the water.. we wore our dive booties. Otherwise they will make you rent these horrible - no telling who has worn them - rubber/plastic shoes to wear. The rocks are slippery with moss if you get off the beaten path, so be careful, especially if you decide to venture off from the line a little.
If you're interested in more detail about this adventure, please see my review http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-5BCB-7979CB3-39DA5729-prod1.
Shopping in Jamaica
After our equally adventurous bus ride back to Montego Bay, we even had time to shop a little before going back on board. They took us to a nice jewelry store where we bought a camera (it has been a good one) and a string of pearls. My husband ran next door to the liquor store (we had to get that coconut rum!)
I think next time in Jamaica I would pass on the bus trip and spend my time leisurely shopping and maybe get in some beach time. The Enchanted Isle crew provides shopping and tour briefing before each port of call, giving you ample time to make your plans.
Overall Thoughts
The crew of the Enchanted Isle was very friendly and helpful. They were also quite entertaining and did their best to keep us happy and well-fed at all times.
I don't know if this is usually the case, but there was only one small child on board. It was nice having an almost "adults only" cruise.
We compared notes with passengers from one of the big Carnival ships while we were on the dive boat and we knew we made the right choice with the Enchanted Isle. They felt like they were part of a herd. We felt like we were with friends, if only for a short while.
We'll definitely take that cruise again and this time, I won't bother taking a book!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
diverpam
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Member: Pam
Location: Collierville, TN
Reviews written: 263
Trusted by: 347 members
About Me:
~~~~So many oceans...so little time!~~~~
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