Enchantment of the Seas
Encyclopedia
MS
Motor ship
A motor ship or motor vessel is a ship propelled by an internal combustion engine, usually a diesel engine. The name of motor ships are often prefixed with MS, M/S, MV or M/V.- See also :...
Enchantment of the Seas is a Vision Class
Vision Class
The Vision class is a term Royal Caribbean International uses to refer to six of its cruise ships. Although called a "class" by Royal Caribbean, actually it consists of two pairs of sister ships and another pair of sister ships that was later split up into two different ships by a lengthening of...
cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
owned and operated by Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean International is a Norwegian and American cruise line brand based in Miami, Florida and owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.. With 42 ships in service under 5 different brands and one more under construction, it controls a 25.6% share of the world cruise market...
. She cruises in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
year round sailing out of Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
.
Propellers
The two propellers are highly skewed fixed pitch types, manufactured in SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. Enchantment of the Seas and her sister ship Grandeur of the Seas
Grandeur of the Seas
The MS Grandeur of the Seas is part of Royal Caribbean International's Vision Class of cruise ships. Features include a full-service spa, six whirlpools, an outdoor jogging track and a number of bars and restaurants....
are the first two major cruise ships to be equipped with a Dynamic Positioning System
Dynamic positioning
Dynamic positioning is a computer controlled system to automatically maintain a vessel's position and heading by using its own propellers and thrusters...
.
Facilities
The ship's dining facilities include the two-story "My Fair Lady" dining room, the Windjammer cafe buffet, the Chops Grille specialty restaurant, and several themed bars and lounges, including a piano barPiano bar
A piano bar consists of a piano or electronic keyboard played by a professional musician, located in a cocktail lounge, bar, hotel lobby, office building lobby, restaurant, or on a cruise ship. Usually the pianist receives a small salary plus tips in a jar or basket on or near the piano,...
. Other features include three pools, a spa, a theater, a solarium
Solarium
Solarium may refer to:* Similar to a Sunroom, a room built largely of glass to afford exposure to the sun. Solariums have glass roofs , unlike sunrooms...
, a fitness center, a discothèque, a shopping center and centrum, a teen disco and lounge, Adventure Ocean center, an observation deck, a rock-climbing wall, four bungee trampolines called the "Jump Zone" and the Viking Crown Lounge
Viking Crown Lounge
The Viking Crown Lounge is a signature design element of every Royal Caribbean International cruise ship. The lounge, originally built around a stack of the ship, is the highest guest-accessible area on-board...
.
2005 overhaul
In 2005, the Enchantment of the Seas was overhauled. Part of overhaul included stretching the vessel by cutting it in two amidship and adding a 73 feet (22.3 m) long section. Enchantment entered dry dock at Keppel Verolme shipyards in RotterdamRotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
on 15 May 2005. The mid-body extension section was built at Aker Finnyards ahead of time, allowing the construction to be done in just over a month.
The ship resumed service on 7 July 2005, less than two months after entering dry dock. The new section included 151 new staterooms, outdoor trampoline bungees, suspension bridges, an expanded pool area, a 64-jet interactive fountain area for kids, and floor windows allowing an unobstructed view of the ocean below. During its time out of service, Enchantment also received an overall renovation, which included paintings by Paul Critchley for the Windjammer cafe.
When the extension project was approved, an extension of Enchantments sister ship, Grandeur of the Seas was also planned, with tentative plans to extend other ships in the Vision class (and possibly throughout the fleet). However, while the Enchantment project was successful, it proved to be prohibitively expensive, and all future extension projects have been cancelled.
Incidents
On September 30, 2009, as Enchantment of the Seas was berthed at Cozumel, high winds pushed the cruise ship Carnival LegendCarnival Legend
Carnival Legend is a Spirit class cruise ship operated by Carnival Cruise Lines. It was built by Kvaerner Masa-Yards which was a subsidiary of Kvaerner, in Helsinki, Finland. It was launched on December 17, 2001, and delivered to Carnival on 14 August 2002.Carnival Legend currently offers a 7-day...
against the side resulting in damage to both ships. A Royal Caribbean spokeswoman commented that the ship had minor damage to the stern of the ship and some railings. Both ships were able to depart to its next port of call after being inspected by port authorities.