Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Ron Bee
Email: thebees@total.net
Age: 45
Occupation: Customs Inspector
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Majesty-RoyalMajesty
SailingDate: Dec. 15, 1999
Itinerary: 11 Day Panama Canal
Cabin: 814
FoodDiningRoom: 70
CruiseDirector: 50
CabinComfort: 50
FoodRoomService: 0
CruiseStaff: 50
CabinAmenities: 50
FoodLidoDeck: 50
DiningRoomService: 50
CabinQuietness: 50
FoodMidnightBuffets: 60
CabinSteward: 40
ShoreExcVariety: 60
FoodVariety: 50
DeckService: 40
ShoreExcValue: 70
GoodForHoneymoon: 50
CasinoStaff: 50
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 50
LoungeService: 50
TenderService: 80
GoodForSeniors: 50
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 80
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 50
CruiseActivities: 50
Casino: 50
AirSeaProgram: 50
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 80
EmbarkDisembark: 0
DiscoNightclubs: 60
DeckSpace: 60
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 80
OverallCruiseValue: 50
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 31 Dec 1999
Time: 09:43:42
Remote Name: 216.210.24.201
Remote User:

Comments

This was the most disapointing cruise we have ver beeen on. The following is part of a complaint
letter I have sent to NCL:

On December 15, 1999, we were scheduled to fly from Toronto, Ontario to Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, on U.S. Air flight 2265 at 7:00 A.M. and then on to San Juan, Puerto Rico on U.S.
Air flight 1929. When we arrived at the airport we were informed that the flight to Pittsburgh was
cancelled. U.S. Air put us on Continental flight 1769 to Newark, New Jersey, and then on
Continental flight 747 to San Juan, Puerto Rico. When we arrived in Newark, I telephoned your toll
free number in Miami, to inform them of the change in flights. I was transferred several times, until
finally someone advised me that I had no reason to worry, NCL was tracking the changes in
itinerary, and someone would be at the airport in San Juan to meet us. When we arrived at the
Continental baggage area in San Juan, there were no representatives from NCL to be seen
anywhere. We collected our bags, and waited until all the other passengers had left the area, and
still there was no one to be seen. I again called the toll free number, and was advised that I should
have a NCL representative paged. I did so, and waited, and waited. There was no response. We
decided then to take a taxi to the ship. When we exited the terminal we saw a large truck parked at
the next terminal building, with a banner on the side that read 'Norwegian Cruise Lines Baggage'.

We approached a uniformed representative, and advised them that we had been waiting for them
in the Continental baggage area. They advised us that that had not been informed that we would
be coming on an alternate flight, and that they did not work directly for NCL, but were merely an
agent. We put our bags on the truck ourselves, and boarded the bus for the trip to the ship.

Upon arriving at the dock, we checked in. The young man who checked us in wrote on our
boarding cards that we had main seating for dinner. I advised him that we had specifically
requested late seating. He told us to talk to the Maitre D' at our first dinner, and perhaps we could
arrange a change. We later found out that there would be only one seating as the ship was only
half full. The young man was obviously misinformed, or incompetent. We have always had late
seating, as we prefer to eat later as we normally do at home, and the late seating provides more
time ashore when in port. It was an inconvenience to say the least to have only one seating.

When we boarded the ship, one of the crew looked at our boarding pass and stated the obvious,
'You are on the eighth floor'. On previous cruises on good cruise lines, there was always a crew
member to escort us to our cabin, and to welcome us aboard. With NCL we were left to our own
devices to find our cabin without so much as a "take the elevator and turn left".

We decided that we needed a drink, and proceeded to the bar on the top deck. We were sold rum
punches in souvenir glasses for $6.95, even though we had not requested souvenir glasses. I was
too tired to argue. I later found out that his was a common practice. Several other passengers
reported that they were told that certain 'special' drinks, and 'smoothies were only available in the
more expensive souvenir glasses. This is a shameless practice to garner a few extra pennies from
your guests. We have smashed our souvenir glasses in our fireplace, while cursing NCL.

We explored the ship and returned to our cabin to get dressed for dinner. Our luggage had still
not arrived at 7:00 P.M. even though we had put it on the truck at 2:30 P.M. We went to the
pursers office to see if there was a problem, and we were informed that this was quite normal! We
had to go to dinner in the clothes that we had travelled in.

My wife and I normally have wine with dinner every night. I perused the wine list, and ordered a
bottle. I was informed that it was not available. I ordered another. I was again informed that it was
not available. This continued until I had gone through virtually every wine on the first page of the
wine list. I finally told the wine steward that it would be simpler to tell me what was available. I was
given a limited choice, all in the higher price ranges. I asked if this situation would continue
throughout the cruise, and was informed that there was the possibility that they would have more
wine on board after Aruba, which was in two days! I took my complaint about the lack of availability
up the chain of command, until I finally spoke with the Bar Manager. He advised me that there was
more wine on board, but it was not yet "unpacked". I guess that I should not have been surprised,
as it took five hours for our bags to be delivered to our cabin.

He then arranged that each day, after dinner, I could look at the next days dinner menu, and order
my wine in advance, so that they could 'locate and unpack' it. This arrangement worked, but, it
should not have been necessary.

We finished our dinner, and ordered coffee. We requested cream for our coffee. I thought that this
would be a simple request, but for NCL it was not. We were informed that there was only skim milk,
as the cream had not yet been unpacked. We were advised that we could have whipping cream as
a substitute. We declined the offer. The first night's dinner set the tone for the standard of service
for the remainder of the cruise. Our dining room waiter Martin consistently mixed up people's
orders, both appetisers and entrees. The quality, selection, and presentation of the food was
mediocre at best. The appetisers were particularly disappointing, as the portions were ridiculously
small. On previous cruises, our wait staff went to lengths to entertain us with things such as
interesting folded napkins. There was no extra effort on this cruise. This was also the first cruise
that we were not offered copies of all of the menus for the cruise. All of the guests at our table
were disappointed with the food and service, and many of the other guests we spoke with
expressed the same feelings.

Our cabin was kept clean, but the service did not extend beyond that. On previous cruises, a copy
of the 'Cruise News', as well as the daily faxed 'newspaper', would be slipped under our door each
night. On this cruise, on two occasions we did not receive the daily 'Cruise News' at all, and we had
to go to the Reception desk to get them, and we occasionally received the faxed 'newspaper', but
only the Canadian edition. Your literature said that breakfast was available in the cabin by simply
filling out the breakfast card, and hanging it on you door before retiring. We never had a breakfast
card in our cabin. No one we spoke with saw a card either. It was yet another disappointment that
this service was not available, as we had become used to having breakfast in our cabin on
previous cruises.

The security on board the ship was non-existent. On previous cruises, the boarding cards were
plastic with magnetic strips. We would "swipe" the cards when leaving the ship, and when returning
to the ship. I imagine this would be helpful to know who had left the ship but not returned, as well
as for security reasons. In addition, on other cruises, we had to pass our bags through an x-ray
machine. On this cruise we were only asked to show our boarding cards upon our return to the
ship in Guatemala. We were not checked on any other occasion, and our bags were never
examined.

The entertainment had its highs and lows. I realise that this is a subjective judgment, and that you
cannot cater to everyone's taste, however, bad is bad. The Cruise Director Linda Milliken, came
across as phony and insincere, a Brit trying hard to be an American by addressing people as
'y'all'. Linda spent nearly 30 minutes of the disembarkation talk "begging" for tips for the staff. It
was such a distasteful display that many guests walked out. The production shows were
exceptionally good, and Helen Jayne was fantastic. The comedian Hank McGauly had only one
routine, and recycled his jokes. The comedian/singer Duncan Tuck should have retired after the
Gong Show as it was obviously the high point of his career.

The singer Michael Jones, who was brought on board at the end of the cruise was awful. He had a
lot of energy, but no talent to back it up, singing out of tune until his voice gave out. The real talent
on the ship was to be found in the piano bars. Ted Connors is an extraordinary talent, and a
terrific entertainer. We went to see him every night in the Royal Observatory, where we received
the most attentive, personal service from John Watt the bartender, and Thelma the waitress. The
evenings in the Royal Observatory were truly the high point of our entire cruise thanks to Ted,
John, and Thelma. They were the only staff we encountered who even tried to excel. It is too bad
that such exceptional people work for such an inferior cruise line.

In retrospect, I should have known from our first impression of Norwegian Cruise Lines, that you
would not be up to the standards we have come to expect. When we received the package with
our tickets, and cruise information, I remarked on how cheap looking the whole thing was,
contained in a flimsy cardboard folder. In contrast, Holland America had provided us with a
handsome vinyl travel wallet, which I used to carry our documents on this trip. On arrival they
provided us with a canvas bag, with Holland America printed on the side, to use on shore
excursions. These are all nice touches, and although inexpensive, they are appreciated by
discerning travellers. On previous cruises, the cruise lines and their staff went beyond the call of
duty to provide us with a wonderful cruise experience. On other cruises, there were a larger variety
of events to pass the time, and the staff were energetic and enthusiastic. The dining room waiters
folded napkins, and the cabin stewards folded towels into animal shapes. I realise that these are
things that they learn on their own to garner larger tips, but they do enhance the cruise experience
for their guests as well. On NCL the staff was hard pressed to provide even basic services, and
this was with a ship that was only half full. I don't know what they would have done with a full ship.

We expressed our disappointment to several of the staff, most notably the Assistant Cruise
Director Paul, and the only response received was 'we're sorry you feel that way'. No one even
hinted at any possibility of improvement. We spoke with many of our fellow guests, who expressed
similar feelings to ours, and most said that they would never take another cruise on Norwegian
Cruise Lines. My wife and I travel a great deal, and have come to appreciate, and expect good
service. We are planning several more trips for the year 2000, and Norwegian Cruise Lines will not
figure in our plans. Needless to say I will not be returning my "Latitudes Club" membership
application. I will be passing on my comments to my travel agent, and posting my feelings on the
Internet, in the hope that other travellers can be spared experiencing the 'Norwegian Way' of
cruising.

Name: Mark & Peggy Chenoweth
Email: greybyrd@mindspring.com
Age: 46
Occupation: sales
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Majesty-RoyalMajesty
SailingDate: 1/10/00
Itinerary: Cozumel Mexico, Key West
Cabin: 4018
FoodDiningRoom: 50
CruiseDirector: 50
CabinComfort: 60
FoodRoomService: 
CruiseStaff: 40
CabinAmenities: 50
FoodLidoDeck: 40
DiningRoomService: 70
CabinQuietness: 50
FoodMidnightBuffets: 50
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 50
FoodVariety: 50
DeckService: 70
ShoreExcValue: 50
GoodForHoneymoon: 50
CasinoStaff: 
PrivateIsland: 
GoodForFamilies: 50
LoungeService: 60
TenderService: 
GoodForSeniors: 50
BeautySalonStaff: 
EntertainmentLounges: 60
WheelchairAccess: 
ExerciseFacilities: 
EntertShowLounge: 50
OverallPortsofCall: 60
BeautySalon: 
EntertainmentPoolside: 60
CruiseActivities: 40
Casino: 
AirSeaProgram: 
MedicalFacilities: 
ShipCleanliness: 80
EmbarkDisembark: 50
DiscoNightclubs: 
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 50
ShopsOnBoard: 60
SpaceRatio: 70
OverallCruiseValue: 60
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 16 Jan 2000
Time: 11:01:08
Remote Name: pool-209-138-53-41.tmpa.grid.net
Remote User: 

Comments

We were one of the first cruises to sail in the new millennium, and the ship was very smooth in going
through the Gulf leaving Miami. However, the Yucatan waters proved rough and the ship did move
about more than I liked! We found the boarding personnel less than helpful, and leaving the ship on
Friday morning was also a bit confusing. 

The crew on board were not always very helpful and seemed to have their own agendas. We found the
shore excursion info to have errors and some aspects were totally incorrect. The tour of the Mayan
ruins was interesting though it ended a half hour early! The photography on the ship was not done well,
the poses poor and also the prices high! We did not buy any of the photos we had taken, as the lights
always reflected off of our glasses. Simple adjustment by their staff would have solved this error. This
was a disappointment for us, as some of the photos would have been nice if the light was adjusted
properly. 

We found our cabin steward to be excellent (Kim) and we tipped him better than anyone else. He kept
our room well-stocked and very neat...even folded some of our dirty laundry! But we had problems with
the room safe not opening once we put a camera inside several times and also our toilet would not
flush on several occasions! The maintenance staff was a bit laxed in responding to the toilet problem,
which we were surprised about. 

Some of the info in the ship's news concerning shore excursions was incorrect as was some of the
advice on local shops and offers. The entertainment on board was not bad, but very 'trying' at times,
though not so bad that you wanted to walk out. We were annoyed that no matter where you went in any
public area, someone walked up to you and offered to take a drink order. If such service was their
venue in the dining areas their staff would have been excellent! However, we felt a bit rushed at times
and the menu wasn't always to our liking. Some of the midnight buffets were also disappointing and
certainly not worth the time to check out! The dessert menu was limited most of the time, tasting not as
good as things looked! Overall, as expressed elsewhere here, the food was not great and if good food
is your goal on a cruise, you won't find it here! 

Overall, we felt the best part of our cruise was meeting a number of our fellow passengers....which one
can do on any cruise line! The Majesty was disappointing and we will not likely ever cruise on
Norwegian again. We expressed this to staff, but I doubt they care

Name: Dan Bahr
Email: dbahr@fnol.net
Age: 53
Occupation: labor relations
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Majesty-RoyalMajesty
SailingDate: 2/14/00
Itinerary: Miami, Key West, Cozumel
Cabin: 452
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 88
FoodRoomService: 
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 
GoodForHoneymoon: 
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland: 
GoodForFamilies: 
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 
GoodForSeniors: 
BeautySalonStaff: 95
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess: 
ExerciseFacilities: 
EntertShowLounge: 88
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 80
AirSeaProgram: 
MedicalFacilities: 
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 24 Feb 2000
Time: 20:06:57
Remote Name: ip105.li-fish.net
Remote User: 

Comments

This was a thoroughly enjoyable cruise. The Majesty is about 8 years old, but has been refurbished
during the last year --- approximately 100 feet was added to her. 

The good points include: (1) flawless embarkation (less than 30 minutes to board, obtain shipboard
credit and get to our cabin) (2) flawless debarkation (less than 1 hour to unload about 1600
passengers) (3) the cleanliness of the ship (4) the waiter and cabin steward service (5) the
entertainment in the Fireworks Lounge (an incredible trio called "The Prime Time Trio") (6) never
having a problem getting a lounge on the sun deck (7) the overall cruise experience 

NCL could improve: (1) the variety of food on the dining room menu (2) the number of tables in the
casino for virtually all games 

Watch out for: (1) the older of the two dining rooms (The Seven Seas) is aft and the engine
vibrations were always noticeable. The newer dining room (Four Seasons) is mid-ship and probably
a better choice. 

Name: Mary Dobson
Email: mcd52871@aol.com
Age: 50
Occupation: educator
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Majesty-RoyalMajesty
SailingDate: Marcy 20-24,2000
Itinerary: Miami-Cozumel-Key West
Cabin: 608
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 
CabinComfort: 
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 
CabinAmenities: 
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland: 
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 
TenderService: 
GoodForSeniors: 80
BeautySalonStaff: 
EntertainmentLounges: 
WheelchairAccess: 80
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 96
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram: 98
MedicalFacilities: 
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 02 Apr 2000
Time: 23:11:29
Remote Name: spider-wj071.proxy.aol.com
Remote User: 

Comments

My family of 4 sailed on the Majesty for the 4-day cruise. The weather was wonderful and the ship was
very enjoyable. We had sailed the Majesty in 1998 before the stretch and it was noticably bigger and
had less movement in the water. A crew member said they increased the stabilizers and we thought so
also. We booked this cruise last July and wanted a bigger room. Our stateroom was one of the few large
room on the ship and it was great, with 2 windows and all the beds on the floor. The bathroom was large
with a tub and we never felt crowded, even with four and luggage. We would never go back to a small
room now. We enjoyed watching the dockings from our windows and seeing the moon flooding our room
at night. Our steward was very efficient. 

We had extra snacks, a refrig, vcr, and champaigne to enjoy.
We thought the ship was very clean and looked freshly painted. The crew was great and our cruise was
completely sold out. Our son used room service for the pizza which he really enjoyed. Both our children
used the fitness facilites and thought they were great. Being on the 6th deck, we were just one deck
down from an outside deck, and right next to the stairs. So we used that deck for sunning and walking,
and never used the top decks much, thereby avoiding the crowds. We enjoyed the meals, but have one
suggestion, ask for seating in the new dining room in the middle, not the big one in the rear, which is
noisy from the engines. We were glad we changed. Our waiter was very efficient and we thought the
food was excellent, with lots of fish, fresh fruit and vegetables. We actually lost weight on this cruise, by
walking at least 2 miles each day around the deck and not hitting the buffets much. We enjoyed the
Internet room which was new, although the prices are high. 

The one singer we saw in the theatre was
new and very good. Watch the casino. The slots are looser the first night and never again. Also, the
bingo is very expensive for what you win. The shore excursions were typically expensive, but our island
and beach tour in Cozumel was very well done and entertaining. The beach was gorgeous, and I would
go for that again by itself. The town is not really scenic. We enjoyed the ruins, but these are not treated
like American historic sites. The tourists can walk everywhere and ruin the vegetation. We really love
Key West and the shopping. We walked to a beach first and got some sun, then took a taxi back to the
ship and picked up souvenirs then. Two of the group took a tour of the bridge which they enjoyed also.
We loved the four day cruise, with a day at sea to relax. We felt rested and ready to go back to normal
life when we were done. We are recommending cruising to all our friends and hope to go again. Both
our experiences with Norwegian have been excellent, and we used the air-sea program, with no
problems. Everyone was on time and efficient. Hope everyone elso has as good an experience as we
had.

Name: Vickie Beachem
Email: tori@stargate.net
Age: 49
Occupation: Benefits Manager
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Majesty-RoyalMajesty
SailingDate: April 10, 2000
Itinerary: Key West and Mexico
Cabin: 4051
FoodDiningRoom: 70
CruiseDirector: 82
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 78
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 100
FoodVariety: 75
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon: 
CasinoStaff: 
PrivateIsland: 
GoodForFamilies: 
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 
BeautySalonStaff: 
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess: 
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon: 
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram: 
MedicalFacilities: 90
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 50
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 16 Apr 2000
Time: 20:11:31
Remote Name: dap01-190096.butler.sgi.net
Remote User: 

Comments

This was the first cruise venture for myself and my spouse. We elected to try a shorter cruise for the first
time, incase we didn't care for this type of vacation. Although it appeared to take quite a while to move
the passengers through the paperwork processing in Miami, we eventually got on the ship anxious to
explore and begin this adventure. 

I believe we both were very pleased with the cruise. We felt the Majesty was very clean and that the
stewards, waiters and attendants were very customer oriented and all worked very diligently to make this
a cruise to remember. 

The greatest disappointment we had was in the dining room. We had been told about the wonderful
meals on the cruise lines and we anticipated delicious dining. Unfortunately, the food didn't even rate as
good, not to mention delicious. One fellow passenger actually stated the food tasted as if you had been
at a bad wedding reception all week! I had to agree with her analogy. It was truly a disappointment. To
make matters worse, our dining room waiter definitely had a chip on his shoulder. He displayed
somewhat of an attitude several times. 

The other staff members, both in and out of the dining room made up for this one individual. Others
went out of their way to be helpful and pleasant. Our cabin stewardess was one of the sweetest ladies I
have ever met! 

My husband was thrilled with the shore excursions. He has always wanted to try scuba diving, but never
had the opportunity. He had this chance in Mexico and had a great time! He felt the program offered by
NCL was a chance of a life time. 

Unfortunately, I became very ill during our trip with bronchitis and was not able to fully enjoy myself. I did
go to the ship hospital and was treated quite nicely. I received medication which relieved my symptoms
to a degree. This service was a blessing. 

The Majesty was a good first time cruise. Although I don't believe we would try this specific cruise line
again, we will certainly cruise again. I think we will try a larger ship next time and a different itinerary. 

The only other negative I could mention was the disembarkation process. Before anyone was permitted
to leave the ship, all passenger fees had to be settled. The ship spokesperson announced one
passenger's name more than four times over a lengthy duration. It appeared the person in question had
not settled his final bill and as a result all passengers were delayed for almost an hour. This seemed
highly unacceptable. All passengers were notified of the procedure to handle their personal account
balances. When the account balance for this person wasn't handled timely, someone from the ship
should have gone to the individual's cabin to personally handle. Instead all the passengers had to pay
for this person's ignorance. Poor process. 

Again, this last example did not turn us against crusing, nor against NCL, we would definitely cruise with
this line again. Please feel to email me if you have any questions! 

Name: Doug Gillaspie
Email: Princdata@aol.com
Age: 43
Occupation: Consultant
NumberOfCruises: 11
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Majesty-RoyalMajesty
SailingDate: May 5, 2000
Itinerary: Boston - Bermuda
Cabin: 3042 - inside
FoodDiningRoom: 88
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 75
FoodRoomService: 88
CruiseStaff: 75
CabinAmenities: 70
FoodLidoDeck: 70
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 
CabinSteward: 88
ShoreExcVariety: 
FoodVariety: 75
DeckService: 75
ShoreExcValue: 
GoodForHoneymoon: 80
CasinoStaff: 88
PrivateIsland: 
GoodForFamilies: 
LoungeService: 
TenderService: 
GoodForSeniors: 
BeautySalonStaff: 
EntertainmentLounges: 75
WheelchairAccess: 
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 75
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon: 
EntertainmentPoolside: 75
CruiseActivities: 70
Casino: 88
AirSeaProgram: 
MedicalFacilities: 88
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs: 
DeckSpace: 75
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 75
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 17 May 2000
Time: 13:43:12
Remote Name: host243d.abbott.com
Remote User: 

Comments

Who we are: We are a couple from the Midwest in our early 40’s. This was our 11th cruise and 3rd on
NCL. We have sailed Premier once, Holland America once, Celebrity once, Carnival once and Princess
four times. We were looking for a relaxing week away from the responsibilities of children, family and
jobs. 

Purchasing this Cruise: I purchased this cruise at auction on the internet (www.onsale.com) just 3 weeks
before sailing. This is the second time I have purchased a trip from this site. I paid $650 per person
including port taxes for an inside cabin. All correspondence with NCL was via e-mail or telephone and
went smoothly. We received our travel documents a few days after we booked the cruise. A word of
caution about these auctions. Most travel offerings are available for 24 hours. Always check with a travel
agent to see what is the best deal you can get through them. You can also check airfare costs and
availability on the internet. I usually put a hold on plane tickets before I get real serious about bidding for
a cruise. If I get the cruise for a bargain but have to pay $700 per person for airfare I save nothing! All
too often I see cruises and other travel being bid up past the retail cost of the trip. Another thing to
consider is that when you buy at auction you have no say in where your cabin will be. Auctions can be
fun and cost saving but only if you do your homework first. Buyer beware! 

Getting to the ship: I arranged my own airfare to Boston out of Chicago on Northwest. The flights were
on time and smooth. We took a cab to the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal. The cost was $15 plus tip. We
are Latitudes members so we had priority check-in. We were onboard in less then 15 minutes. 

The Ship: The Majesty is clean and well maintained. It has everything you would expect a modern cruise
ship to have. There is no grand focal point, however. While it is nice it is not spectacular or flashy. We
appreciated the onboard internet café’ which allowed us to easily remain in contact with our kids. The
show lounge had spotty acoustics and columns that interfered with sight lines. The space around the
main pool was a little cramped. 

Our Cabin: Yikes! This was the smallest cabin I have ever seen (deck 3 cabin 3042). We are used to
compact cabins but this was really small. Look carefully at the deck plans of this ship before booking if
you don’t want to get one of these closets. With the beds pushed together I had to climb over the corner
of the bed to get to the tiny dresser. There was no remote control for the TV. This wasn’t a problem
because you could change the channels with your toes while laying in bed. The bathroom was equally
tiny and had no storage space at all. The drawer space was so limited that we stored some clothing in
the safe because there was simply nowhere else to do so. The size of the cabin became a source of
comic relief as the week wore on. These tiny cabins are in the 'new' mid section of the ship. Our cabin
had no hair dryer and only one electrical outlet, which was not in the bathroom but at the desk/vanity. 

Cabin Service: Anthony kept our cabin spotless. On occasion we would return to our cabin and find that
it had not been cleaned yet. We really could not blame our steward because we never got into a routine
and therefore made it hard for him to guess when we would be out of the cabin. We did order one
breakfast via room service and it was well done. I liked the fact that I received a phone call that our
breakfast was on the way. That gave me time to wake up a bit before it was delivered. 

The Food: The food was plentiful if not out standing. If top-notch cuisine was important to me I would not
book an NCL cruise. The place where food quality suffers the most is of course the buffets. The
breakfast was virtually the same every day. The high point here was the made to order omelets. The
lunch buffets were poorly camouflaged leftovers. We never had burgers or hotdogs from the grill. The
24-hour pizza was ok. The food in the dinning room was quite good. Portions were small but I never went
away hungry. The deserts were average and there was a very limited selection each evening. We ate
one breakfast and one lunch in the dinning room. In both cases the quality and presentation was much
better then the buffets. We frequented the buffets for convenience only. The late afternoon snacks
consisted of cookies, sandwiches, ice cream, crepes and sometimes nachos. Often the cookies were
over done. We did not get to any of the midnight buffets. We ate one dinner in the Le Bistro the
alterative dinning room. The food was very good and the service was also top notch. 

Dinning Service: We had the late seating in the Seven Seas (larger) dinning room. Our waiter (Delphine)
and bus boy (Michael) were great. They worked well together. Both did their jobs efficiently and
cheerfully. We really never waited for anything but never felt rushed. We were seated at a table for 6 but
there was just one other couple seated with us. Word was that the ship was fully booked but there were
many empty seats in the dinning room every night. We really got along great with our tablemates and
were often nearly the last ones to leave the dinning room. Again our waiter and busboy catered to us
even as we lingered over after dinner coffee. 

Entertainment: The evening entertainment was pretty good. The song and dance shows were well done
given the limitations of the Palace Theater. The comedian was funny without the benefit of dirty jokes.
The vaudeville act of Mickey Finn was interesting and high energy but one evening of his show would
have been enough. We felt the cruise staff could have been a little more energetic. They often seemed
to be just going through the motions when doing pool games or other activities. 

Casino: The casino was well outfitted. It even had several nickel slots. There were no $3 blackjack tables
and only one non-smoking blackjack table and it had a $10 minimum wager. Because we were in port for
3 of the 7 nights the casino was pretty crowded when it was open. The staff were friendly. I was
disappointed that there was no blackjack tournament. 

Medical Services: Unfortunately I had the opportunity to use the medical facilities on the Majesty. I
developed a sore throat on Tuesday and by Thursday it had become quite bad. The office visit was $50
and the antibiotics were $5. The doctor and nurse were professional and attentive. My condition did not
improve so I nursed myself along with aspirin and throat drops. I’m awaiting test results to see if I have
mononucleosis as I write this. Because my throat was so bad it was painful to eat and I actually lost 4
pounds on this cruise. 

Bermuda: Bermuda is a beautiful island. We were docked from Tuesday morning until Friday afternoon
in St George. St George is a small quiet village on the east end of the island. You can easily shop the
town in a couple of hours. Tobacco Beach is a 15-minute walk or a $2 shuttle ride away. This beach is
perfect if you have little children. Boulders that break up any surf surround the beach. It is sandy and
shallow. There is a snack stand and small gift shop there as well. We rented a scooter and rode it from
one end of the island to the other. Driving is on the left and traffic is pretty heavy. I would recommend
using the busses and water taxis rather then renting a scooter especially if you are docked in St George.
We liked St George but if I cruise to Bermuda again I will look for a ship that docks in more then one
spot. A day in both Hamilton and the Dock Yards would have suited us better. St George is perfect if you
really don’t want to explore any other part of the island. The weather was great. We had only a little rain
one evening. 

Summary: We had a good time, my illness not withstanding. We made some new friends and enjoyed a
week of relaxation. On this cruise we learned that we prefer the early seating for dinner. We also learned
that we would rather be on a ship that doesn’t stay put as long as this one did. Bermuda is a place that
we may even like to cruise to again. 

We felt the cruise was a good value and met our expectations. Too often these days I hear complaints
from cruisers who want rock bottom prices but expect top shelf service, food and entertainment. NCL is
far from perfect but is also not significantly better or worse than any of the mass market cruises being
sold these days including Holland America. NCL is perfect for the value conscious person looking for a
casual cruise experience where food quality is not a top priority. 

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