Enchantment of the Seas is one of Royal Caribbean's Vision-class ships, with a casino similar in size and atmosphere to those of three of its sisters, Grandeur of the Seas, Rapsody of the Seas, and Vision of the Seas.

Enchantment has a nicely arranged casino featuring 11 gaming tables (four multi-deck blackjack tables, one single-deck blackjack table, one Caribbean stud poker, one three-card poker, one Let It Ride, two roulette and one craps table). While the Enchantment casino has 180 slots that were generally quite busy, noise from some of the louder slots (ie, "Wheel of Fortune") seemed less intrusive at the tables than in some other cruise casinos.

Most of the table games have a $5 minimum and $200 maximum, and players -- particularly at the craps table -- appeared to be having a good time. As always seems the case on cruise ships, the lower-limit blackjack tables drew a number of inexperienced cruisers who tended to play somewhat erratically.

But Enchantment also had one blackjack table with a $25 minimum and $500 maximum, and for the most part, it attracted the type of players you might find gambling next you at the higher stakes tables in Las Vegas or Atlantic City (one woman who wagered several hundred dollars a hand is, in fact, a regular at Caesar's Atlantic City).

The casino on Enchantment stayed busy into the wee hours, and generally remained open as a result until somewhere between 2 and 3 am.

The dealers on the whole were highly competent and friendly, and management was particularly attentive and accommodating to higher-stakes players and members of the Royal Caribbean Players Club.

Overall, this casino -- on a ship that has been doing four and five day cruises out of Fort Lauderdale -- offers the VIP player an excellent long-weekend alternative to flying to Atlantic City or the Bahamas.

While Enchantment is about to head into drydock for a stretching and facelift, it should emerge with a casino similar to the one we visited, and if this experience is any guide, we can recommend the casinos on Grandeur, Rapsody and Vision of the Seas to VIP players.

--The Savvy Cruiser