Before this trip, we had never been on a cruise. We had some assumptions about what it would be like, and not all of them were good.
Then Tamekia's 50th birthday came around, and we wanted something big enough to bring everyone together. At the end of December, 25 of us, adults and kids, boarded Royal Caribbean's Enchantment of the Seas.
Here's our honest review from two first-timers.
Boarding Was Easier Than We Expected
Patrick went in expecting boarding to be a long, slow mess. It wasn't. It was quick and organized, and we were on the ship much faster than he'd braced for.
If you're putting off a cruise because you're dreading the check-in lines, that was the first assumption we got to cross off.
The Rooms Were Bigger Than a Shoebox
We booked three rooms, with different bed setups to fit everyone. Tamekia put it best:
I thought we were going to be in a shoebox, but it was a little bit bigger than that.
No, it's not a resort suite. But it was comfortable, and with so much to do on the ship, we weren't spending much time in the room anyway.
The Food, Honestly
This is where we'll be straight with you. Dinner was inconsistent. Patrick rated the dinners anywhere from a 3 to a 7 out of 10 depending on the night.
Brunch was better.
What made up for a lot was the service. The staff were excellent, attentive and friendly every single time, and that goes a long way when you're feeding a group this size.
Plenty to Do, Together or Apart
There was no shortage of activities. The best part for a group of 25 was that nobody had to do the same thing all day. People split off to do what they liked, and then we all came back together for dinner every night.
That rhythm worked really well for a big family trip. Everyone got their own time, and we still had one guaranteed moment together each day.
And the surprise of the trip: Tamekia discovered she has a talent for karaoke. We did not see that coming.
Getting Off the Ship in Mexico
When we docked in Mexico, getting off was simple. A quick scan of our ship card and we were on our way, with very little security hassle going either direction.
What We'd Tell Other First-Time Cruisers
- Don't let boarding scare you off. It moved faster than we expected.
- Lower your expectations on dinner, raise them on service. Try brunch.
- Plan one daily meetup if you're traveling in a group. Let everyone roam during the day, then gather for dinner.
- Try something you'd never do at home. You might find out you're a karaoke person.
We went into this trip assuming cruising wasn't for us. We came home already talking about the next one, as a couple and with the kids. Sometimes the best way to celebrate a milestone is to try something new at it.