This blog was written by Andrew Lucuski, Port of Call's Intern
Recently I took a 5 Night western Caribbean cruise on board Royal Caribbean’s beautiful Enchantment of the Seas from Tampa, Florida. We sailed down to Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico with 2 sea days as well. The destinations were fantastic and the ship was a destination in itself. I will split this blog/review into two sections, first I will discuss the ship itself and its features, then I will move onto the destinations we visited. Enchantment is a Vision class ship, meaning it is one of Royal’s oldest ships around. Let me tell you though it certainly did not feel like it. From the moment we stepped on board we fell in love with the ship. It was in beautiful condition and felt like a time capsule to the older times of cruising. My first ever cruise was in 2012 on Grandeur of the Seas and since then I have tried every ship class Royal has to offer. This ship certainly does not have all the newest and biggest activities that many of the newest ships have, but there are plenty of activities and things to do. The ship has 3 pools, (one of them is adults only), a rock wall, pickleball court, running track, kids splash pad and of course all of the typical cruise ship features (casino, running track, arcade, etc.) The dining room in the evenings was fantastic, as were the performers throughout the ship. There were many lounges to relax in with live music in the evenings which created a very laid-back vibe for the trip. One thing I noticed on my last cruise in August on Symphony of the Seas was that there was not much space to relax, there was too many people and too many things going on. This ship created the perfect environment for a relaxing but exciting adventure. The staff on board were also fantastic, our cruise director Sheenagh and activities manager JJ were very involved and provided a fantastic experience for us. We had an interior room for this trip, and for just the two of us it was perfect. The room is a little bit outdated because of the age of the ship but it did not cause much of an issue for us. Onto the destinations, we first stopped at Costa Maya, Mexico. This destination was recently purchased by Royal to develop their newest destination, Perfect Day Mexico. There was no construction yet, so we got to experience the authentic experience that the port provides. We decided to spend our day at Jaimes Blue Reef Hotel in the village of Mahahual, where we got an all-inclusive day pass to the resort. It came with a dedicated spot on the beach, all we could eat, all we could drink and use of kayaks. The pass was $68 per person, and we believe it was worth every penny. The food was amazing, with authentic Mexican dishes as well as some American classics and the drinks were great as well. The taxi was easy to get and $10 round trip per person with a tip. The second stop was Cozumel, Mexico, and any Western Caribbean cruise will most likely stop there. We did not have much planned here, so we got off and walked around the town for a bit before getting back on board. The weather was not great that day, so many of the water-based excursions were cancelled. Royal’s smallest ships may not be for everyone, but if you cruised in the 90s and 2000s the design will feel very familiar to you and the experience may bring back fantastic memories. I had such a great time on this trip I have already planned to go back again next January to do it again. As always, if you have any questions about Royal Caribbean Cruises or any other vacation do not hesitate to contact us at Port of Call Travel!
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AuthorColleen Peterson, Owner Port of Call Travel Archives
January 2025
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