Cruise Spotlight
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Enchantment of the Seas vs Independence of the Seas
The Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas was built in 1997. It was renovated in 2021. It's 11 years older than the Independence of the Seas, which was built in 2008 and renovated in 2018.
Comparison Overview
- Ship Size
- Number of Passengers
- Food and Restaurants
- Bars and Drinks
- Pools and Hot Tubs
- Ship Features and Activities
- Cruise Costs
- Onboard Costs
Ship Size
The Enchantment of the Seas is considered a small size ship. Coming in at 989 feet long and 106 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.7 football fields, as wide as 2 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 11-story building. Compared to the Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas, the Enchantment of the Seas is 46% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas holds 42% fewer passengers than the Independence of the Seas based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Enchantment of the Seas has less space per person compared to the Independence of the Seas.
| Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Vision | Freedom |
| Gross Tonnage | 82,910 | 154,407 |
| Length | 989 | 1,112 |
| Beam/Width | 106 | 185 |
| Passenger Decks | 11 | 14 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,252 | 3,858 |
| Crew | 852 | 1,440 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.6 | 2.7 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 37 | 40 |
Food and Restaurants
Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.
The Enchantment of the Seas has seven different dining options like Chops Grille, Chef's Table, and Windjammer. Of those options, eight are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other four options have an additional fee.
The Independence of the Seas has six more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Fish & Ships, Chops Grille, and Windjammer. nine of these restaurants are complementary and the other nine have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Independence of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 86% more dining options than the Enchantment of the Seas.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Enchantment of the Seas might be a better choice then the Independence of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
Restaurants on Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas & Independence of the Seas
| Restaurant | Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas |
Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Included | |||
| Cafe Promenade | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Park Cafe | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Sorrento's Pizza | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Windjammer | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| A la carte | |||
| Cafe Latte-tudes | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Fish & Ships | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Ice Cream Parlor | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Playmakers | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Vintages Wine Bar | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Flat fee | |||
| Chef's Table | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Chops Grille | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Giovanni's Table | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Izumi Hibachi & Sushi | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Johnny Rockets | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas has 8 fewer bars than the Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas.
| Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Boleros | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Champagne Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| English Pub | ✗ | ✓ |
| Olive or Twist | ✗ | ✓ |
| Playmakers | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| R Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Schooner Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sky Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Solarium Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spotlight Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Star Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Suite Lounge* | ✗ | ✓ |
| The Plaza Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Viking Crown Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Vintages | ✗ | ✓ |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship. Most Royal Caribbean ships also have Coke Freestyle machines where you can make 100 different flavor combinations.
You can check out recent the bar menus for the Enchantment of the Seas and the Independence of the Seas below.
Pools and Hot Tubs
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas has a total of 3 pools and 6 hot tubs.
The Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas has the same number of pools as the Enchantment of the Seas and more hot tubs.
Worried about lots of kids onboard? Visit The Solarium, an adult-only area for guests 18 and older only. Both the Enchantment of the Seas and the Independence of the Seas have full-depth adult-only pools in The Solarium. Enchantment of the Seas’ adult-only area is covered by a retractable glass roof, while Independence of the Seas’ is not enclosed. They’re both located in the middle of the ship.
| Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 0 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 7 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 | 0 |
Cruise Coloring and Activity Books for Kids
Get your kids ready for their cruise or keep them entertained while on board with our custom made coloring and activity books. These are the Royal Caribbean editions with places like Studio B and Sorrento's featured.
Cruise Ship Coloring Book for Kids 3-5 - Royal Caribbean Edition
Let's Get Cruising Activity Book for Kids 6-8 - Royal Caribbean Edition
Ship Features and Activities
Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. You might up paying more while on board the Enchantment of the Seas. Only 67% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Independence of the Seas, 72% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bungee Trampoline | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✓ |
| Escape Room | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ice Skating | ✗ | ✓ |
| Laser Tag | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Royal Caribbean is a mainstream cruise line. Mainstream cruise lines cater to a variety of guests, hoping to provide something for everyone. These typically cost about $100 - $350 per person per day.
Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas will likely be cheaper than on Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas.
Onboard Costs
Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.
Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.
The table below will help you understand what you might spend onboard a Royal Caribbean ship.
| Royal Caribbean | |
|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.50 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.25 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $77 - $118 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $19 to $30 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | |
Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing, which means the pricing for many things will vary per sailing. The daily gratuities and tip are consistent across the fleet, but the pricing for the drink package, internet, and excursions will change. The only way to know your price is to consult the Royal Caribbean cruise planner once you're booked.
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