First, I will admit that Malcolm and I were born for cruising. Leisurely days, filled with whatever we choose to do without lifting a finger on our behalf, seem to suit us. We recently sailed to the Caribbean out of Ft. Lauderdale onboard the Enchanted Princess, a 4,000-passenger ship. This was our first experience on a mega-ship, and we had a lot of expectations, both good and bad. Each of those extremes was met.
Checklist from the previous post – rated poor (1) to very good (5)
- (3) Embarkation – with over 4,000 passengers, how does this work. Long lines and lots of waiting?
- (2) Quiet Spaces – will there be ample spaces for quiet time
- (5) Dining Venues – buffet (chaotic or orderly), wait time for seating in dining venues, food preparation, service, alternatives to main dining (worth the upcharge).
- (4) The mood/social dynamic of the ship – will we feel comfortable, or out of place
- (3) Mobility – does the layout of the ship facilitate ease of movement (are elevators readily available and conveniently located)
- (5) Entertainment variety (intimate space performances as well as theater performances)
- (4) Daily activities – is the focus on a younger demographic, or will there be activities of interest to us
- (3) Stateroom comfort – shower, closet, storage, charging outlets, bed linens, towels, mattress comfort, even pillows
- (4) Service – do employees appear to be happy, engaged, professional, and attentive
- (5) Cleanliness – are precautions taken to minimize the spread of disease
- (4.5) Value and mode of pricing – did we receive what was expected or feel nickeled and dimed
While the Enchanted Princess is a lovely ship with an impressive entrance and grand Piazza spanning three floors, we were less enchanted with the remainder of the ship’s floor plan. Malcolm and I look for quiet, (indoor) ocean-view spaces to relax, play cards, and read in our downtime. Those spaces were not available on this ship. There were quiet corners in some of the underused bars but no dedicated space like those we have experienced on other cruise ships. Lounge seating with a view was mostly outside, on one of the pool decks. There was no library, and a very uninviting make-shift ‘game and card room’ was set up daily in one of the dining rooms.
The vastness of the ship’s floor plan was initially confusing, but after a couple of days, we realized that while it didn’t always make sense, it made us move. We averaged over 7,000 steps daily while onboard and 12,000+ for shore excursion days.
The daily activity sheet was chock full of things to do, and while we enjoyed participating, overlapping activities on the schedule made it hard to choose. FOMO is real, and the atmosphere felt chaotic at times. Our ship excursions and walk-offs (on our own) were scheduled for early morning, leaving the afternoon for onboard activities. We settled in around day 3 and found ‘our people’ – trivia players and music lovers. The long days continued with 6:00 cocktails, a late-ish dinner, and a show, (or not) depending on available entertainment.
The upside of being on a big ship was the choice of dining options. We purchased the Premier package, which allowed unlimited dining at specialty restaurants, and took full advantage. Our preferences in favorite order, were The Catch by Rudi, Sabatini’s Trattoria, and The Crown. The names speak for themselves, with seafood, Italian dishes, and steak as the featured cuisine. We mostly avoided the MDR and buffet, but we did sample breakfast in the MDR twice. Honestly, we preferred the casualness of the International Cafe on the Piazza for a quick breakfast sandwich and a great cup of coffee. Yes, there was always a service line, but it moved quickly. Folks who love leisurely dining at breakfast will prefer the Main Dining Room.
We selected an inside cabin for this voyage and applied the savings to the Premier package purchase, which was more important to us. Unless you choose a luxury cruise line, most are like ala-cart menus these days. While you may not be able to have it all, you can prioritize the important stuff to fit your budget.
The room was adequate, with ample closet space, storage options, and a dressing table outside the bathroom, (at the foot of the bed) but the shower was tiny. I was not deterred from making this selection on a future cruise, but Malcolm had strong feelings about the bathroom. Considering the savings, he will likely reconsider.
I won’t share a lot about the pool deck because we didn’t spend much time there. There were several pools, hot tubs, and one dedicated ‘adults only’ pool. We passed by on our way to and from activities, when we were out for a walk, or looking for a shaded space to catch a bit of fresh air. Otherwise, we didn’t spend much time there.
Glass Sea Walk, 128 feet above sea level
The Bottom Line
Most of our dislikes border on ‘picky’ and we have concluded that the Enchanted Princess was not ‘too big’ for us. Once we figured out how to navigate the ship, narrow our choices from the activities schedule, and accept that excursions would be chaotic we relaxed.
We have (almost) forgotten about the long line at embarkation and two very disorganized ship excursions, but we can get past those. A lot of the fulfillment of a cruise vacation is determined by how you define travel and leisure. At this stage of life we want to continue seeing the world, but we don’t want to work hard or struggle to make that happen. We will continue to research options and choose wisely, but after this experience, I can confidently say that size has become a non-issue.
Bon Voyage…
Picture Retirement 
Hi Suzanne – I’m so glad you enjoyed the trip and it turned out to be better than you expected. I’m still not drawn to the idea of big ship cruising, but I can see why you enjoyed yourselves. A lot of travel involves pros and cons, and as long as the positives outweigh any problems, then it sounds like a win to me.
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Leanne, there were plusses and minuses, but overall, we enjoyed the ship. Given the right itinerary, we wouldn’t hesitate to choose this size again.
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Glad you had such a good trip, and I’m sure cruising folks will appreciate all your tips so they make good choices when planning. Happy holidays!
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Judy, cruising is so individual, and there are many ways to make mistakes when choosing. I like reading reviews and learning from the experiences of others, and hopefully, ‘cruisers’ (or anyone thinking about cruising) who read this post will tuck something away for future reference. Thanks for the visit. I hope you have a great week.
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I’m glad this choice of ship worked out for you both (on the whole). As you know, I’m not tempted by this sort of cruising at this point in my life but I would consider it in the future – however I still feel a smaller ship would suit us better. We’re not into organised entertainment of any sort, so the quiet corners with a view that you describe, along with good food, would be our main priority in choosing a ship – IF we ever do!!
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Sarah, I am open to an ‘explorer’ cruise or ‘expedition’ cruise, but that window is closing fast for Malcolm. His mobility and balance issues hinder the small ship experience. I sincerely think our ‘sweet spot’ is under1200 passengers on a well-designed ship with beautiful indoor spaces, great food, and a great itinerary. Unfortunately, those things come at a stiff price – Regent, Oceania, Seabourn, to name a few. It was interesting to realize that we can make a big ship feel smaller and keep it inside the budget.
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Good morning! Interesting to read your assessment of one of the “bigger” ships. My daughter and I have done a Norwegian cruise. Had a great time, minus the gaggle during embarkation and disembarkation – what CHAOS!! I’ve heard good things about Princess. Will put it on our radar. Cheers!
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Hi Kirsten, disembarkation was much easier as we were given a choice of exit times. The cattle call at embarkation was ridiculous. We waited in line outside the terminal for 40 minutes before getting to the check-in point. Oh well. Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful week.
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We are trying an Explora II cruise next year. Hoping for a better embarkation experience!
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Now that’s a classy ship. Enjoy!
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Hi Suzanne! A timely post in that we’re wavering about whether or not to book our first luxury cruise, with Oceania. I do think we’re going to proceed, even though it feels a bit decadent, lol.
I was initially confused reading about your search for quiet spaces, but upon reading that you’d booked an inside cabin, I did finally understand. I applaud your willingness to do so as a tradeoff for nicer amenities elsewhere, even though I don’t think I could return to an inside cabin at this point. My balcony is my private space, and I/we really do spend hours on it almost daily when cruising, starting with coffee in the AM, and concluding with wine in the PM. In between I enjoy reading on it, and doing lots of ocean gazing.
Our preferred mass market line is Celebrity, followed by Princess. We’ll see how that order changes after experiencing Oceania!
Hope all is well with you and Malcolm! Over here, Mike and I recently moved, now live a mile and a half from the ocean, and life is good. 😊
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Tamara, what a wonderful surprise to hear from you. You have all but disappeared from social media forums, and I’ve been wondering about you guys. I would love to hear about your new house and what prompted the move – I thought your last house was perfect, so many questions… is a new blog in the works?
Anyway, cruising. Since Malcolm’s mom passed and we find ourselves in perpetual travel mode, there has to be some give and take (budget-wise). Sacrificing the balcony was easy, considering it was a swap for the Premier package, which enabled unlimited dining in all the specialty restaurants, free wifi on four devices, a photo package, gratuities, and unlimited top-shelf drinks, etc.
We have Silver Sea booked for April, (all balcony rooms) and I’m looking forward to that. It isn’t as spacious as the balcony on Celebrity, but it is nice. That cruise line doesn’t offer an ala carte ship menu like most have become and everything is included in the base price. It’s a splurge for us, but worth it on a 14-day transatlantic crossing. I’ll borrow your word ‘decedent’ to describe that one.
We love Celebrity ships and feel instantly at home when we board. The deck plans make perfect sense, and the Sky Observation Lounge is the best.
Thanks again for checking in with us. Have a wonderful December, and stay in touch.
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Suzanne, I’m glad you had a good trip and enjoyed the ship. This experience expands what you’ll consider for future cruising so that’s a plus. As we age and our travel experiences accumulate, it’s good to stay open-minded and try new things. Thank you for your post and beautiful pictures.
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Natalie, you nailed it – ‘trying new things’ is what this time is all about. We’d love to travel on trains with nothing but a backpack, but that is not our reality. We are more into accepting our limitations and making necessary adjustments in order to move forward and enjoy life our way.
Have a great week. Happy December!
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Thanks for the insight! I’ve never cruised on a ship that large, but you make it sound like a possibility. And I agree about the convenience of a cruise ship…you get to see a lot of things, with minimal stress. I especially love unpacking once!
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Ann, I’m glad we had the experience, and I won’t hesitate to book a big ship in the future, although my preference is still in the 1200 to 2000 range. Minimal stress is the name of the game at this stage of life. Happy December.
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Well, that desert at the end looked phenomenal. I’m not convinced yet that a cruise is right for us but I appreciate your analysis of the big ship experience.
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Dawn, you will only know for sure after you have tried one. Have a wonderful week.
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I am glad you enjoyed it. We do love cruising, too. We don’t usually eat at the buffet, rather we prefer the sit down main dining room for breakfast and dinner. I do think cruising can be a great way to travel. I look forward to reading about any of your future cruises.
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Betty, we are cruising again in April (Ft. Lauderdale to Lisbon). There will be several sea days, but we’ve done the transatlantic a couple of times, and we’ve been on the Silver Ray before, so there shouldn’t be any surprises. Even so, there is always something to learn. No buffets for me either. Even with the new standards. Have a great week.
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I’ve only been on one cruise – to Alaska on Viking via the Inland Passage. Not a terribly large ship – we tried to stay clear of the all you can eat place. The scenery and the shore excursions really made the trip.
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Jan, it’s a great way to see the world without working hard, and we don’t want to work at having fun these days. Yep, staying away from the buffet is the way to go.
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Hi Suzanne we experienced a mega ship a few years ago when they were just becoming more the ‘norm’. At first it was confronting with so many people but we found our groove and made the most of what was on offer. Like you we enjoy cruising and have a short one from Brisbane to Sydney in February and a 7 night Norwegian cruise in September 2025 booked.
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Sue, it took almost three full days for us to settle in, but we finally figured out what we needed to do to make the ship feel less intemidating and confusing. Brisbane to Sydney sounds great. We haven’t cruised Norwegian, so I will be interested to hear what you think.
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Wow, that’s a big ship! Interesting trade-off of the interior room vs. increased dining options. Since you and Malcolm have cruising experience, you knew that it made sense for you. If I’m ever booking a cruise, I will keep that in mind. I never enjoyed the buffets – both the lines and the food.
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Hi Janis, last night we were with friends who thought we were crazy for choosing the inside cabin. It’s not for everyone. But, the tradeoff was perfect for us. We much preferred the upgrade in dining options/drink package, etc. that the $$ afforded. And, we slept like babies in our little cacoon. Have a great week.
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Wow, this ship truly is a village on the water! It’s like being in a different world. I’m glad you enjoyed the size as much as you did; the more options that are available and pleasant, the easier you’ll find something that fits your vacation, route, and tastes. Thanks for the overview!
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Liesbet, the ship was pretty, but the space wasn’t designed well. (in our opinion) However, we will no longer dismiss the possibility of cruising on a big ship – given the right itinerary. You are right, ‘it’s all about options.’
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Suzanne,
I’ve always felt that “size matters” so, I’ve never been on a large cruise ship. I’m glad to hear that your overall experience was positive. I hope that gooey, sinful-looking desert was as good as it looks! Thanks for sharing your trip. Joe
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Joe, size, atmosphere, demographic, food, itinerary; it all matters to us, which is why we spend so much time researching every cruise we book. Learning that we can overlook the mega-ship size when other conditions are favorable was progress. I hope December has started out well for you guys. We woke up to another record-breaking cold morning (for December) It feels great.
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Thank you for sharing your insights on your cruise adventure! My husband and I like cruising also. There are so many options, and that is a good thing!!!
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You are welcome. Having options is always a good thing.
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I was happy to read that your cruise turned out to be better than you expected overall. And as you said, the itinerary is the most important part of a cruise. Since you ate at the specialty restaurants, did they compare favorably to say Regent?
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Karen, the food in the three specialty restaurants was comparable to what we had in the MDR on Regent’s Navigator. But, it came at a stiff price. That is what I love about Regent; they simply include excellence – no upgrades necessary.
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I’m glad you enjoyed the cruise. There’s always pluses and minuses in every travel scenario. Having an open mind and flexible attitude makes any kind of travel a fun experience. Although cruising isn’t my cup of tea, I understand why folks love it, and I might even consider another cruise if the circumstances were just right. For now, I’ll enjoy those cruises via your posts 😁
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Hi Ingrid, flexibility and an open mind are always a good idea. Each of us has different standards for what we will tolerate and for what we consider enjoyable. Our sweet spot is a combination of cruise/rail travel. We have another cruise booked for April. This one is a transatlantic to Lisbon. There will be lots of sea days to fill. Thanks for stopping by and have a great week.
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Suzanne, I appreciate how clear you are about what you want from your travel adventures…and I also admire your ability to adapt to different situations. I think our many years of RV travel set the bar high for me (it suited us perfectly), and we’re still learning how to travel in a different way. I’m very interested in your transatlantic cruise to Lisbon!
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Laurel, adapting is becoming harder as we age, hence the inclusion of cruise ships. The Lisbon trip is taking shape. That one will likely morph into a long haul, so I need to figure out the ‘luggage thing’. Big Suitcases and Portugal are not compatible.
RV travel was a fantasy that didn’t materialize for us. We do love road trips though. We just can’t bite off too much (like we did with the Nova Scotia trip). In the future, we will fly to our destination and rent a car. It was ambitious to drive from Florida to NS.
Happy December to you and Eric. You must be freezing!!! We have had record-breaking temps for this time of year in Florida. 49 – 52 for over a week now. Of course, it warms up in the afternoon and feels great, so no complaints from me. This is the weather we wait all year for. Take care.
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Suzanne, I’m sorry it took me so long to read this post. Things have been hectic around here lately.
Thank you for this post. You’ve given me a much better idea of what these mega ships are like. I’m glad you and Malcolm enjoyed the cruise. The food and scenery look amazing. I’m not sure I could walk on that Sea Glass Walk! I’m looking forward to see where you go to next!
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Hi Beth, days get hectic this time of year and I have no expectations of my friends stopping by the blog during December. It’s nice when some of you do, so thanks for visiting. My family in Tallahassee tell me it’s cold up there. You must be freezing! I hope your preparations for Christmas are going smoothly and you’ll be ready for Santa by the 24th. Many Blessings.
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Hi Suzanne, I learn a great deal from you and Malcolm reading your candid posts on cruising. Our one experience (excellent and better than expected) was the Ruby Princess to Alaska for 2 family birthdays. I would have given all 5’s on your checklist. I realize cruise ships can vary. It may be the Alaska vibe, with gorgeous views from the ship. Lots of steps on the ship (over 10,000 each day) and we did have 2 children with us (8 and 10) with swimming minimum 2 days a day. You speak from vast experience. Room with balcony worth it on the Alaska cruise. You have given me more to think about. The big takeaway from our Alaska cruise is we want to do another cruise.
I visit your posts all the time, Suzanne. You have a way with words, and I love your photos. Have a wonderful holiday season! I look forward to connecting in 2025! 💕 Erica
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Hi Erica, we are thinking of an Alaska cruise in June. What month of the year did you go? A balcony is a must for that destination, so I’d spring for the extra charge.
Thanks for keeping up with us. We are about to shake things up again. I’ll share the details as soon as the dust is settled.
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Hi Suzanne, We went at the beginning of May. I will email you via your contact page with a few thoughts. Too many for this page. I look forward to keeping up with you and Malcolm. xo
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Hi again, Sue, I noticed in my initial note swimming 2 days a week. I had meant to type 2 times at least per day – jacuzzi, too – very cold outside, yet nice and cozy in the jacuzzi.
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