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Hi all!

My husband and I are thinking of going on our very first cruise in December on the 4 night Bahamas cruise on the Enchantment of the Seas. I was hoping to get some input from previous cruisers on a couple questions/concerns:

- What all is included in the cost of the trip? (I have read different things saying that no drinks are included or that a few drinks are included like water and tea. Just wanted to get an official answer!)

- Is the Enchantment ship a stable ship? I know that you can't account for rough seas from a storm, etc. but my husband does tend to get motion sick but I have been hearing that stabilizers are being used a lot more often on cruise ships to help cut down the rocking. Hoping Enchantment uses this as well! 

Thank you in advance everyone! :)

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Your fare included you room, basic drinks (juice at breakfast, coffee, tea, milk, lemonade, tap water) meals at the buffet, snacks at the coffee bar (coffee and tea here costs extra), meals in the main dining room, and entertainment. 

I would recommend booking a midship cabin for the best stability. My wife is prone to motion sickness and had always been fine when we've had a midship cabin even in the rough North Sea. 

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I have to stay mid-ship also.  I do take a Bonine every night at bedtime (just as a precaution).  The only time I really noticed any movement on the Oasis this summer was when I was in the bathroom for some reason (cabin or public area bathrooms).  I am not sure why but it wasn't enough to make me sick, it was more that I noticed it.

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The Ship

Enchantment is a wonderful, very stable ship...despite that, I was in 9' seas on her in January a couple years ago, and it bothered me a little when I was very far forward in the theater balcony for a show. I moved to the main level more mid-ship, and was fine. Our stateroom was deck 8 aft, and the motion didn't bother me there.

Bonine is important to have in case you're bothered.

Green apples, ginger ale...things like that also help as well as not missing meals and staying hydrated.

Cost

One thing to be aware of that I didn't see in the other comments is gratuities.

Here is a link to the current policy:

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/onboard-service-gratuity-expense

Here is one of Matt's posts about it:

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2015/05/19/first-time-cruisers-what-you-need-know-about-gratuities-royal-caribbean

I highly recommend doing pre-paid gratutities so that you have it behind you. This is a critical source of income for the crew, and I like to slip my stateroom attendant, waiters and really good bar tenders cash from time to time in addition.

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My wife swears by the seasickness bands worn around both wrists. Never had a problem and this is a women who used to get sick in cars! Available at CVS, Walmart, Walgreens, etc. Strap'em on before muster and leave'm on all the time, even in bed. Take them off in the shower or shore excursions where water is not involved. Have a great cruise!

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On ‎9‎/‎18‎/‎2017 at 8:30 AM, lhaynes said:

Hi all!

My husband and I are thinking of going on our very first cruise in December on the 4 night Bahamas cruise on the Enchantment of the Seas. I was hoping to get some input from previous cruisers on a couple questions/concerns:

- What all is included in the cost of the trip? (I have read different things saying that no drinks are included or that a few drinks are included like water and tea. Just wanted to get an official answer!)

- Is the Enchantment ship a stable ship? I know that you can't account for rough seas from a storm, etc. but my husband does tend to get motion sick but I have been hearing that stabilizers are being used a lot more often on cruise ships to help cut down the rocking. Hoping Enchantment uses this as well! 

Thank you in advance everyone! :)

Welcome and you are definitely in the right place!

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My wife is sensitive to motion and gets the behind the ear patches and has never complained of feeling ill on the cruises we have been on.  We also take some of the OTC medications with us just as a precaution, but never really needed them.  Our first cruise (Navigator) we were mid-ship/middle deck and our last cruise (Harmony) we were on a high deck at the very back.  Both locations worked well as my wife was fine on both.

As for what is included, I am pretty sure you could pay your full fare, taxes, fees, and gratuities and not spend another dime and have a great trip.  These ships have so many "free" places to eat that you really don't have to spend any additional money on food unless you want to.  With that said, some of the specialty restaurants are pretty good and worth the cost if you want to "splurge".  You can also check the lunch prices in these specialty restaurants as they are often (if not always) cheaper than dinner.

I'm not sure how big of a drinker you guys are, but you should do the math on whether a drink package would be good for you.  Somewhere on this site is a menu of the drink prices from this summer that will help you figure that out (there are also several drink package blog posts on here as well).  Somebody already posted above on what the "standard" drinks are.  If you only drink alcohol occasionally, then you might check the Royal Replenish package (I think that is what it is called).  It is the non-alcoholic package that covers everything except alcohol and Starbucks (bought from a Starbucks kiosk).  I was able to get that package on sale for both of our cruises for around $18.00/day.

Watch the Cruise Planner after you book for "sales" they have on various items (such as drink packages, excursions, etc.)  Even if you have already purchased an item (say an excursion) and it goes on sale for less....you can cancel the original booking and get the better price.

You will find this board is a wealth of information, and people are extremely helpful in getting you the answers you need.  Also check out the blog posts by clicking the "Home" tab at the top.  There are TONS of good articles out there.  Try searching on your ship (if you haven't already) to see if there are any posts specific to the Enchantment (in the forums and also on the Home tab).

Sorry this was so long.  Hope you guys have a great trip!

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Make sure you know the full cost. The cruise fare that is advertised is often double that once you add port fees and taxes and gratuities(especially on those shorter cruises). Also, if you enjoy a few drinks each day look at the drink  package, but that again will double the cost of the cruise.

 

So for example, you find a deal on a 4 night cruise being advertised for $229...know that your going to pay over $600 once its all said and done basically...TRIPLE the advertised price and that doesn't include any extra spending money for on or off ship.

 

That being said..those short cruises are what got me hooked on cruising and Royal. As for motion sickness...been on Enchantment 4x and on 10 cruises with Royal so far with no issuses. Can only think of one or two nights when it was really even noticeable.

 

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On 9/18/2017 at 9:30 AM, lhaynes said:

- What all is included in the cost of the trip? (I have read different things saying that no drinks are included or that a few drinks are included like water and tea. Just wanted to get an official answer!)

Here is a list of which beverages are included in your cruise fare: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2015/08/11/first-time-cruisers-what-drinks-are-included-your-royal-caribbean-cruise

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Like everyone has said, prices are base price and can add up, but again a drink total is only what you end up drinking ...a lot or not much. 

I tend to think if I'm going on a break, holiday, or anything term you want to call it spend what you can afford to make it enjoyable.

I never ever wanted to go on a cruise but when I came back from Afghan the wife said cruise or divorce, can't get enough now. But that's just us.

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