50 Years, 9 Nights, 5 Beds and 1 Big Fat Mistake

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Dave, you had expressed a concern earlier that the Enchantment had been cut apart and enlarged.

 

Did you know that the Magic was built in two different shipyards and the pieces were welded together?

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

 

Sunpass now works with license plate technology, so my girls can use my account even though they don't have transponders or the window sticker in their cars (the license plates have to be registered).

 

TCD

Oh, that's cool, so I can register Rick's car on the rare ocassion we take it down to Florida.

 

I'm wondering if I could register rental cars, or if it would conflict with the Plate Pass system already in place?

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

WOW, Anna is shooting up!!  Also, I'm not much of a beach person, but we did the same thing before our cruise, wandered Cocoa beach for about an hour.  Loved the hard packed sand and walking at dusk.

 

Soft sand, middle of the day, no thanks

[DaveInTN 3,247]

I am eagerly awaiting the cruise portion of your TR!  But the pre-cruise part was also great.

 

Thanks Gwen!  We should be boarding the ship in the next update. 

 

Thanks for the shout out, but are you calling me a liar?

Love the beach pictures!

 

I would never call you a liar.  Just pointing out some discrepancies in your statements.  :rofl3:

 

 

Dave, you had expressed a concern earlier that the Enchantment had been cut apart and enlarged.

 

Did you know that the Magic was built in two different shipyards and the pieces were welded together?

 

When discussing enlargement and "Enhancement", please don't use the phrase "cut apart".  It makes guys cringe. 

 

And no, I wasn't aware that the Magic is a Frankenship like the Enhancement.  Either way, I'm not concerned.  Our ship did not come apart at the seams so all is well. 

 

Oh, that's cool, so I can register Rick's car on the rare ocassion we take it down to Florida.

 

I'm wondering if I could register rental cars, or if it would conflict with the Plate Pass system already in place?

 

I have used my SunPass on a rental car, with the rental car agency's SunPass tucked away in the metal box.  I had no issues, but am not sure how using the license plate would work. 

 

WOW, Anna is shooting up!!  Also, I'm not much of a beach person, but we did the same thing before our cruise, wandered Cocoa beach for about an hour.  Loved the hard packed sand and walking at dusk.

 

Soft sand, middle of the day, no thanks

 

She is growing quite a bit lately.  Still tiny for her age, but definitely bigger than she was 3 years ago. 

[Katman1356...Jason 1,140]

Dave, you had expressed a concern earlier that the Enchantment had been cut apart and enlarged.

 

Did you know that the Magic was built in two different shipyards and the pieces were welded together?

 

One difference with that though is the Magic was designed to be put together. The Enchantment was built then taken apart and added on to. 

 

Not saying its anything but safe but definitely a possible psychological difference. 

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

Toll booths SMB. If you don't have Ez pass and are driving to the shore you are crazy. The high speed ez pass lanes are sweet.

 

But I have fond memories of driving to the Shore and having to toss a quarter in every couple miles.  In college, we would toss them from the passenger seat, over the top of the car.

FYI cool people call Publix Subs Pub Subs.  Also, do you know that they now have an app for you to order your Pub Subs?  We've used it a couple of times and it works great.

 

Also, is that a fried chicken box I see?:

 

 

 

And Shock Tops?

 

Y'all were living large.

 

TCD

 

No one I know of in SC calls them Pub Subs or Sublix. But I love my Publix.  They have a large selection of healthy food, fresh produce, and the staff at my local Publix know me by name and are very sweet to me.

We don't call them Pub Subs in NC either.  But we don't have Publix here.

 

Also we don't have any toll roads in NC.

There is a toll road near me in SC that was built a few years ago. Last I heard, they were going broke because everyone just continued to take the free roads that went around the long way.

[jmaul 65]

Oh come on.

 

Don't you want to tell us about if you have Publix Subs or toll roads in Joisey?

 

TCD

 

I am just happy the word 'sub' is in there for it is the proper term. And yes, I have had a Publix sub, tho not called that at the time and not up here as we do not have Publix.  They are tasty.

 

Every major road and bridge is a toll in Jersey, but we all know that.  Funny that on the bridges is it's free to come into NJ, but you have to pay to get out.

 

 

 

 

Dave, I'm a bit upset about your dislike of beaches.  What's not to like about your toes in the water and a$$ in the sand?

 

Great update.  Your kids are either growing like weeds or your shrinking.  Bring on the cruise!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I agree with JMaul, I don't understand what's not to like about the beach?

 

But, we've discussed this before, and you can hate the beach if you want to.

 

Thanks for posting the beach photos- I love Cocoa Beach.  When we were in the mood for some wave action, I would pack up the kids and drive all the way across the state to get there.  Good times.

 

Did y'all go in to Ron Jon's?  Seems like everyone has to do that when in Cocoa Beach.

 

TCD

[DaveInTN 3,247]

One difference with that though is the Magic was designed to be put together. The Enchantment was built then taken apart and added on to. 

 

Not saying its anything but safe but definitely a possible psychological difference. 

 

Good point.  The Enhancement was chopped in half and lengthened. 

 

I wonder if they also added girth? 

 

But I have fond memories of driving to the Shore and having to toss a quarter in every couple miles.  In college, we would toss them from the passenger seat, over the top of the car.

 

No one I know of in SC calls them Pub Subs or Sublix. But I love my Publix.  They have a large selection of healthy food, fresh produce, and the staff at my local Publix know me by name and are very sweet to me.

There is a toll road near me in SC that was built a few years ago. Last I heard, they were going broke because everyone just continued to take the free roads that went around the long way.

 

But your local Kroger staff will smile at you with missing and/or gold teeth. 

 

I am just happy the word 'sub' is in there for it is the proper term. And yes, I have had a Publix sub, tho not called that at the time and not up here as we do not have Publix.  They are tasty.

 

Every major road and bridge is a toll in Jersey, but we all know that.  Funny that on the bridges is it's free to come into NJ, but you have to pay to get out.

 

 

 

 

Dave, I'm a bit upset about your dislike of beaches.  What's not to like about your toes in the water and a$$ in the sand?

 

Great update.  Your kids are either growing like weeds or your shrinking.  Bring on the cruise!

 

I can't help it....I dislike sand.  Luckily I married a likeminded woman.  Although as we'll discuss later in this report, she did decide that she likes the sandy bottom of Stormalong Bay. 

 

I agree with JMaul, I don't understand what's not to like about the beach?

 

But, we've discussed this before, and you can hate the beach if you want to.

 

Thanks for posting the beach photos- I love Cocoa Beach.  When we were in the mood for some wave action, I would pack up the kids and drive all the way across the state to get there.  Good times.

 

Did y'all go in to Ron Jon's?  Seems like everyone has to do that when in Cocoa Beach.

 

TCD

 

I was in Ron Jon's back in the 80's when going to school in Gainesville....some buddies and me drove down to Cocoa Beach for some "fun".  I coudn't believe how much it had grown since then.  I offered to the ladies to stop and look around, and not one of them was interested.  I guess no one needed a tshirt or sunglasses, or a boogie board. 

[Grumpy and Grandma 740]

Did you know that the Magic was built in two different shipyards and the pieces were welded together?

As are most new ships although not necessarily in different ship yards.. The same applies to the Dream & Fantasy. Our Navy's aircraft carriers are usually built in 3 pieces and they are designed to flex slightly. We even had seams on the flight deck with a rubber joint to keep it water tight.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Alright, shall we proceed onto the ship? 

 

Monday morning arrived, and we had some time to sit in the lobby and relax with coffee and breakfast, as we couldn't board until 11:00.  Luckily, most Courtyard hotels have a cafe with a decent breakfast menu and a counter that serves Starbucks coffee beverages.  I have learned from a certain bus driver that doesn't read trip reports that this most likely was not a Starbucks, but rather a dining establishment that happens to serve burnt caffeinated beverages in a cup with a Satanic logo.  In any case, we enjoyed our Satanic drinks, and soon enough it was time to pack the car and make the short drive to the port. 

 

When rounding the bend in the road approaching Port Canaveral, the first ship that came into view happened to be the Enhancement of the Seas. 

 

 

It's certainly not one of the bigger ships on the ocean, and is getting a bit long in the tooth as it was first launched in 1997 and went through its major overhaul, when it was lengthened, in 2005.  But, despite its age, it looks nice as you approach it. 

 

 

That odd looking spiked thing on top in the last photo is a bungee jumping contraption.  More on that is to come. 

 

My only previous experience with cruise check in was with Disney, so I anticipated a similar process where you check in and are given a boarding group number.  So I was surprised when, after a quick and painless check in, we were told we could simply walk onto the ship at that time.  No waiting for a number to be called.  Easy peasy.  So a few minutes later, we were onboard.  That was better than Disney.  But what was NOT better than Disney was the first impression.  On a DCL ship, you board into a grand atrium with a beautiful chandelier.  It's a breathtaking thing the first time you do it.  On the Enhancement we boarded into a hallway.  No kidding.  We literally entered the ship through a door and into an elevator lobby.  Oh well, so first impressions weren't good.  But we were still onboard and we were ON VACATION! 

 

Per instructions, we headed up to Deck 9 to the Windjammer buffet for lunch.  On the Dream, we had packed swim suits to hit the Aqua Duck before eating lunch, to avoid crowds.  But there isn't really a compelling water attraction on this ship so we went to eat. 

 

Here is my plate. 

 

 

Overall, the buffet quality on this ship was quite good.  Always a nice selection, and the food was typically fresh, the proper temperature, and tasty. 

 

After eating we headed right out onto the pool deck, which is also on Deck 9. 

 

 

You can see it isn't crowded yet. 

 

We changed Anna into her suit so she could enjoy the kids splash area. 

 

 

This kid loves the water!

 

 

 

Pretty soon she was all giggles. 

 

 

 

 

Around 1:30 the announcement went out that we could go to our cabins, so we headed down to Deck 2.  From there, we changed, and got ready for the sail away party, and our first dinner onboard!! 

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

Cocoa beach pix are real nice.

Looks like your girls like the sand.

The cereal looks like it's doing a good job. How much weight have you lost?

[momof3kids-Yvonne 596]

I love the pictures of Anna playing in the splash area.

Oh and we really aren't beach people either. Though Kelly has really made me want to go check out Topsail. Now I just need to convince the rest of my family.

[jmaul 65]

Good point.  The Enhancement was chopped in half and lengthened. 

 

I wonder if they also added girth? 

 

According to the Deck 11 floorplan, only at the tip....

[Okieatheart 33]

  "On the Enhancement we boarded into a hallway.  No kidding.  We literally entered the ship through a door and into an elevator lobby.  Oh well, so first impressions weren't good.  But we were still onboard and we were ON VACATION! "

 

My goodness, that's different.  I've cruised with RCCL five times - once leaving from Port Canaveral - and we've always boarded through the atrium area.  But then again, we haven't cruised in about 8 years.

 

I'm with you; I'm not crazy about beaches either.  I much prefer a sand-free deck attached to a sparkling clean swimming pool.

 

Your girls are darling - and the look of total joy on Anna's face is priceless!

 

Looking forward to the rest of your cruise report!

[jmaul 65]

Anna + water = giggles.  Love it.

 

Who doesn't like water....and sand.  Oh, we've been over this.  Sorry.  Carry on.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Cocoa beach pix are real nice.

Looks like your girls like the sand.

The cereal looks like it's doing a good job. How much weight have you lost?

 

Some of them like sand.  Some don't.  Anna loves it but she gets overstimulated and ends up taking a handful of sand and putting it in her mouth, so we tend not to let her play on the beach.  Just one reason why we don't care for it I guess. 

 

And so far, 32 pounds. 

 

I love the pictures of Anna playing in the splash area.

Oh and we really aren't beach people either. Though Kelly has really made me want to go check out Topsail. Now I just need to convince the rest of my family.

 

Topsail really is beautiful.  Even a non-beach family enjoys walking along the surf there.  But don't tell anyone I said that. 

 

According to the Deck 11 floorplan, only at the tip....

 

Oy.  LOL. 

 

  "On the Enhancement we boarded into a hallway.  No kidding.  We literally entered the ship through a door and into an elevator lobby.  Oh well, so first impressions weren't good.  But we were still onboard and we were ON VACATION! "

 

My goodness, that's different.  I've cruised with RCCL five times - once leaving from Port Canaveral - and we've always boarded through the atrium area.  But then again, we haven't cruised in about 8 years.

 

I'm with you; I'm not crazy about beaches either.  I much prefer a sand-free deck attached to a sparkling clean swimming pool.

 

Your girls are darling - and the look of total joy on Anna's face is priceless!

 

Looking forward to the rest of your cruise report!

 

Thanks for the comments!  I agree on the sparkling clean pool.  And total joy is a good way to describe Anna's face. 

 

Anna + water = giggles.  Love it.

 

Who doesn't like water....and sand.  Oh, we've been over this.  Sorry.  Carry on.

 

Yeah we've beat that one to death.  LOL. 

[Beckers 1,136]

So what was the verdict on the popcorn from Sam's?

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

More Anna pictures!

 

More Anna pictures!

 

More Anna pictures!!!!

 

(Loving the TR)

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

Some of them like sand. Some don't. Anna loves it but she gets overstimulated and ends up taking a handful of sand and putting it in her mouth, so we tend not to let her play on the beach. Just one reason why we don't care for it I guess.

And so far, 32 pounds.

.

32lbs!!! That's awesome!!! Keep it up!!!

At first I thought how cute. Anna eating sand.

Then I thought. Omg. Anna is eating sand!

Remind me to invite you to our ski chalet in Vail not our beach house in Maui. It's ok if Anna eats snow. Lol.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

So what was the verdict on the popcorn from Sam's?

 

I never got any.  It was gone pretty fast.  Guess that's your verdict.  

 

More Anna pictures!

 

More Anna pictures!

 

More Anna pictures!!!!

 

(Loving the TR)

 

Ok

 

Ok

 

Ok

 

32lbs!!! That's awesome!!! Keep it up!!!

At first I thought how cute. Anna eating sand.

Then I thought. Omg. Anna is eating sand!

Remind me to invite you to our ski chalet in Vail not our beach house in Maui. It's ok if Anna eats snow. Lol.

 

When we were at my brothers cottage in Mexico Beach, FL, Anna ate so much sand that she pooped a sand castle.  

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

First thought... wow, that splash area is a lot smaller than the Freedom.

 

Second thought... who cares, Anna looks like she was having just as much fun as Z had in the bigger one. Splashing water is splashing water for the most part. 

 

We went straight to the buffet too. And the pampering and catering to Mr. I Busted My Teeth Out started there. He was an instant celebrity. 

 

Can't wait to hear more! 

[DaveInTN 3,247]

First thought... wow, that splash area is a lot smaller than the Freedom.

 

Second thought... who cares, Anna looks like she was having just as much fun as Z had in the bigger one. Splashing water is splashing water for the most part. 

 

We went straight to the buffet too. And the pampering and catering to Mr. I Busted My Teeth Out started there. He was an instant celebrity. 

 

Can't wait to hear more! 

 

Another result of being on an older ship....those amenities are either smaller or non-existent.  But like you said, Anna enjoyed it.  And in reality, the smaller the area she is confined to, the more we can relax.  That splash area was next to a large bar, and it was very convenient for INC and I to sit on the edge of the pool with a drink while watching her play.  

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Another result of being on an older ship....those amenities are either smaller or non-existent.  But like you said, Anna enjoyed it.  And in reality, the smaller the area she is confined to, the more we can relax.  That splash area was next to a large bar, and it was very convenient for INC and I to sit on the edge of the pool with a drink while watching her play.  

 

And that is perfection. Our marina has an area like that, and Z can spend hours there. And they have a bar next to it. Winning!

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Damn That Dream

 

I think you know where this update is going.  

 

As I mentioned earlier, this was our 2nd cruise.  Our first was 2 years ago on the Disney Dream.  It was the best vacation we had ever taken as a family.  If you are interested, I wrote a trip report called Pirates of the Tennessean which is linked in my signature below.  Anyways, we knew when we decided to book this cruise that it would be difficult to live up to our experience on the Dream.  And our experiences so far on the Enhancement of the Seas were not dispelling those fears.  

 

I already mentioned our not so overwhelming entrance into a hallway.  That was weird.  And when we went downstairs to our cabins, the comparisons kept coming.  The cabins we had on the Dream were quite large, modern and comfortable.  And our first impressions when entering our cabins on the Enhancement were....well....not so Enhanced.  They're rather small, and somewhat outdated looking with color schemes of mauve and green with brass accents.  

 

But....the cabin was clean.  And there was plenty of storage.  And there were enough beds, which ultimately turned out to be incredibly comfortable.  The bathroom was small, but functional.  So all was not lost.  Would we continue to find negative comparisons and conclude that this was a mistake, or would the Enhancement of the Seas eventually win us over??  We'll get to that later.  

 

We unpacked as our bags arrived outside our door, and got ready for dinner.  We had to attend the muster drill, and after that we decided to head back up to Deck 9 to check out the sail away, but I don't have a single picture of that.  There really wasn't much of a party.  More of just general drinking on the deck and folks watching us leave port.  There wasn't any organized entertainment to speak of.  We watched for a bit, then headed down to Deck 4 which is where the main dining room is.  We found some live music in the main atrium and sat a bit to watch.  

 

 

 

The girls were getting excited that we were moving, and that dinner was getting close.  

 

 

Selfie time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's not a photobomber behind us....that's my MIL.  

 

 

 

Silly girl.  

 

 

We had early dining, which was at 5:45 every evening.  Another difference from our DCL cruise is that, on the Enhancement, there is one Main Dining Room, along with the buffet restaurant and the optional "upgrade" restaurant.  On the Dream, there are 3 main dining restaurants that you rotate through, with your servers following you.  I honestly thought that was standard in the cruise industry....it just makes sense to me.  But we had dinner every night in the same restaurant, at the same table.  It turned out fine and was very enjoyable....it was just different from my expectation.  

 

We were seated promptly at 5:45 and immediately met our servers for the cruise.  Our head server was from India, and the assistant was from the Dominican Republic.  They were both fabulous.  

 

Anna had fruit for her appetizer the first night....actually she had fruit for her appetizer every night.  

 

 

I ordered as my appetizer a tart with artichokes and mushrooms, and arugula.  It was supposed to have goat cheese but I had them leave that off.  I asked for several modifications to dishes throughout the cruise and they were very accommodating.  

 

This tart was one of the best things I had on the cruise.  INC tasted mine and ended up ordering one for herself.  

 

 

This was INC's first appetizer....which wasn't spectacular so she set it aside when she ordered the tart.  I don't remember what it was.

 

 

Anna had chicken and fries for her main course.  Pretty standard fare. 

 

 

INC and I both ordered the same entree.  It was a grilled vegetable tortilla with a black bean chutney.  This was one of our favorite entrees of the trip....so good!

 

 

Here's our main server making a paper swan for Anna.

 

 

 

 

The dessert menus went around and nothing struck my fancy so I passed.  Several members of INC's family ordered 2 or 3 desserts each...LOL.  They were STUFFED after dinner.  

 

Later that evening we went to the theater to see the entertainment for the evening, which was a musical production put on by the house dance and singing group.  I hate to keep drawing comparisons to DCL, but this was one area where the differences were quite stark.  Disney's entertainment blew us away.  It was nearly Broadway caliber.  The entertainment on the Enhancement was a mixed bag.  The musical numbers were certainly not as polished or as well produced.  But some of the individual singers were really good, in particular one woman who did a rendition of I Will Always Love You (the Whitney version, not the Dolly one).  She was amazing.  But overall the first show fell flat.  We did have some great entertainment ahead of us though, so fear not.  

 

And that was about it for day one.  INC and I donated a small amount of money to the casino.....I'm talking like $5.  I'm not much of a gambler.  And then we went to bed.  We had a big day ahead of us.....our day on Coco Cay, the private island.  Would it go well?  Would we finally put these comparisons to DCL to rest?  Or would the ghost of the Dream continue to haunt us??