I went on two different cruise ships that sailed to Mexico, and the experience was remarkably different on each.
Royal Caribbean has almost 30 ships in its fleet, and they're far from carbon copies of each other.
In the last two months, I went on Voyager of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas and these are both cruise ships that started cruising before the turn of the century.
While they're only two years apart in age, what it's like onboard each one differs greatly. Equally important is the price difference too.
Both cruises went to the Western Caribbean visited the same port: Cozumel, Mexico.
For me, there was a clear winner in which I'd prefer to go on again.
I ate in the Main Dining Room for dinner on both ships, but I liked the ambiance better on Voyager
Every night I ate dinner in the Main Dining Room on both ships, and it's a favorite place because of the level of service here.
Some cruisers nit pick about the changes to dining on a Royal Caribbean cruise over recent years, but the dedication the crew members have in the Main Dining Room always impresses me. You can tell they are working incredibly hard to deliver on excellent service.
On both ships, our table's main waiter brought a smile and hustle to their approach. They may not have always been perfect, but they strived to make it better.
On Voyager of the Seas, our head waiter went above and beyond what I'd expect with his attention to our group. He ensured the service matched our expectations, and stepped in where needed.
Of course, the menus are exactly the same across all Royal Caribbean ships in the Main Dining Room. The main difference was the look and feel of the venue itself.
The Main Dining Room on Voyager of the Seas is three decks high, whereas Enchantment's is two decks.
While I like the staircase on Enchantment, I think Voyager's Main Dining Room just looks so much more ornate and spectacular. It's bright, very open, and feels like you're dining in a palace.
I had fun on both ships, but there was much more to do at night on Voyager
Because Voyager of the Seas is so much bigger than Enchantment, there's simply more to do onboard the ship.
During the day, I didn't really care or notice the differences. Both ships have pools, a rock wall, and various activities happening around the ship.
But at night, I noticed the stark contrast between these cruise ships.
While Enchantment of the Seas has a large Schooner Bar, I much preferred having more of the venues on Voyager.
There's an English Pub on Voyager that has a guitarist each evening, and it was my go-to spot.
Plus, the Royal Promenade just seems like there's more happening compared to a ship with a Centrum.
Small things like a better situated casino bar, more expansive dance area in the Viking Crown Lounge, and live music in the Star Lounge seemed to give Voyager an edge over similar venues on Enchantment.
I much preferred the adults-only area on Enchantment
Without a doubt, Enchantment's adults-only space is significantly better than Voyager of the Seas.
The Solarium is enclosed on Enchantment, so that makes it always the perfect temperature. The Voyager Class Solariums are not enclosed, so when it was cold and rainy on our sea day, it made the Solarium nearly unusable.
Plus, I really like how large the Solarium is on Enchantment. It felt like there was much more space and more chairs to choose from.
One other advantage the Solarium on Enchantment of the Seas has is the fact there's Park Cafe inside it.
You can get sandwiches, salads, and pizza here.
There's no restaurant in the Solarium on Voyager.
I stayed in a balcony cabin on both ships, but the shower was much better on Voyager
I booked a balcony cabin on each ship, and the experience was quite similar, with one notable exception.
An ocean view balcony cabin is pretty standard across all Royal Caribbean ships. Apart from the aesthetics of the room, and how many drawers or cabinets there are, these rooms are more similar than different.
The key exception is the shower, which makes one so much worse than the other.
On Enchantment of the Seas, there is a shower curtain, whereas Voyager of the Seas has plastic tubes.
The problem with the shower curtain is it tends to cling to you while you're in there, and that grosses me out.
I can live with the problem, but I greatly prefer the room on Voyager simply for no shower curtain.
I was surprised how much cheaper Enchantment was
You can't compare these two ships without talking price, especially when cruises cost more and more each year.
I paid $3,004.18 for two people on a 5-night cruise on Voyager of the Seas. This was also over New Year's Eve, so there was definitely a premium for the holiday sailing.
On Enchantment of the Seas, I received the room for free because of a casino offer, so I cannot compare exactly the retail price difference.
While both ships offer a good value compared to newer ships, you are likely to find lower rates on Enchantment. In fact, some dates there are sailings that begin at right around $100 per person, per day.
A cruise on Voyager of the Seas will cost you a bit more, which means those on a tight vacation budget will find a better fit on Enchantment.
Overall, I'd pick Voyager of the Seas again
In the end, though both cruise ships offered enjoyable experiences, the fact Voyager of the Seas had more to do and more places to eat made it my clear winner.
Voyager of the Seas has more specialty restaurants, more theaters and shows, and the caliber of its shows are superior to Enchantment.
Surprisingly, I think I prefer Enchantment's pool deck. The enclosed Solarium and pool bars are definitely better.
I liked my cruise on Enchantment of the Seas far more than I thought I would, but I prefer a ship to offer me more choices in what I can do.
I don't have a cruise booked on either ship in the future, but if I had the choice for a 4- or 5-night Caribbean cruise, I'd like to book Voyager (if I can't simply book both ships again).
