majesty-royal6

Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Janette Sullivan
Email: stsullivan@snet.net
Age: 50
Occupation: School Secretary
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Majesty-RoyalMajesty
SailingDate: 7-9-00
Itinerary: Bermuda
Cabin: 445/B
FoodDiningRoom: 88
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 88
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService:
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess: 85
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 17 Jul 2000
Time: 13:51:14
Remote Name: hrfr-sh26-port28.snet.net
Remote User:

Comments

My husband and I chose this cruise because we live in Connecticut and the idea of cruising right from
Boston was very appealing to us. We had never visited Bermuda before and felt this would be a
great way to cruise without the hassle of flying to Florida.

NCL had sent directions to the terminal, but the streets in Boston were all under construction and
some were closed. Finally we followed a limo heading in the general direction of the terminal and
found the drop off area with very little trouble. We arrived at the terminal about noon. This gave us
plenty of time to park the car and get ourselves organized. We were able to park right next to the
terminal at the cost of $10.00 per day. We chose to drive to Boston rather than take one of the
buses that were leaving from our area. I guess we just like to have the freedom to make our own
schedule.

This was our first cruise with NCL and we were very impressed with this line. The embarkation went
very smoothly. We were through the terminal with a minimum of delay and were escorted directly to
our cabin when we boarded the ship.

Our cabin was quite roomy. Because it had two drop-down bunks we had two dressers and a very
large closet. The rooms with only two beds were much smaller and we did hear other passengers
complaining about the size of their rooms. Our room was fine for the two of us. A hairdryer was
provided as well as shampoo, conditioning shampoo, and lotion. Beach towels were handed out at
the gangplank on days we were in Bermuda. We had a picture window that overlooked the harbor
when we were in Bermuda. Even numbered rooms will overlook the town of St. George.

The ship was very clean and well maintained. One problem that seemed to bother many people was
the limited number of elevators. There were only six elevators. Often there was a long wait for
elevators because they were very slow. We would frequently use the stairs, but people who were
unable to use the stairs learned to be patient. We did see a number of people in wheelchairs or
using walkers or canes. The ship appeared to be quite accessible for handicapped passengers, as
long as they don’t mind waiting for elevators.

Our days at sea were quite rocky. We experienced a severe storm the first night out and were
tossing around quite a bit. Our cabin was in the new section of the ship and was very noisy during
the stormy weather. We felt some vibrations and shuddering during the storm, but the creaking was
what woke me up. Passengers on the upper decks were more bothered by the rocking during the
night. We were mid ship on the fourth deck. I think this is one of the more stable areas of the ship
since we were right down the hall from the hospital.

On Monday the seas calmed down some (12-15 feet), but there was a strong wind (40-mph) and
many of the passengers were seasick. The upper decks were closed at times due to the strong
winds. We rocked and rolled through the day and by evening it had clamed down so most of the
passengers could enjoy the first formal night.

The service in the dining room was excellent and the food was very good. We ate in the Seven Seas
at the late seating. Our only complaint was that we had ten people at a table that would seat eight
people comfortably. There was a breakfast and lunch buffet each day as well as open seating in the
dining room. On days when we were in port there was also a dinner buffet on the pool deck. This was
great as it allowed all passengers to eat at their leisure. One event that we highly recommend is the
High Tea served in the dining room on sea days. The scones and sandwiches are excellent and the
service by white-gloved waiters was a real treat. Don’t miss this special time to relax with a nice cup of
tea!

We were in St. George for four days. This is a wonderful, quaint town and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
The rest of Bermuda can be toured on various shore excursions or by taxi or the bus system. A
three-day pass for the bus is $23.00; a one-day pass is $11.00. There is also a mini bus service in
St. George that can be used to get to the beaches if you don’t want to walk. It is about 1 mile to
Tobacco Bay and 1-½ miles to Fort St. Catherine. We enjoyed the town of St. George so much that
we decided not to tour the rest of the island but to spend out time right in St. George. The weather
was unsettled the whole time we were there and we decided against an hour ride to Hamilton or
Horse Bay only to arrive in the rain.

Tobacco Bay is a small beach with concessions and changing rooms. Snorkeling gear can be rented.
The snorkeling is excellent. We saw huge parrotfish, tangs, and blue angels in the cove surrounded
by coral reefs. Fort St. Catherine is a larger beach but has no concessions or changing rooms.

The only shore excursion we took was a horse and carriage ride through St. George. This was an
excellent tour and well worth the money. We had signed up for a snorkeling tour and a water and
swim tour, but these were cancelled due to high seas.

The entertainment aboard the ship was reasonably enjoyable. We did not attend all the shows, but
enjoyed the calypso band and the piano players. We are not drinkers or dancers so can’t comment
on the quality of the bars. The bar waiters were always on deck and throughout the ship offering
cocktails and soft drinks.

Our trip back was also very rough. As soon as we left the harbor we had high winds and increasing
winds. The ship was listing quite a bit to starboard. As we changed course the list became less
noticeable but the waves increased. The passengers on the deck below us had waves over their
windows. I suspect the waves were in the area of 25 feet. Needless to say, many passengers again
were sick. The ship was reasonable stable during the night, but there is only so much the captain can
do under conditions like we had. Honestly, I would not recommend a Bermuda cruise on any ship to
people who are prone to seasickness. We were not sick, but many were miserable. Even some of the
crew was a little queasy.

All in all we enjoyed this cruise greatly. The cruise director did her job well and she had a very
capable staff under her. There were many activities going on all day even while we were in port.
There were craft classes, bridge classes, dance classes, cooking classes, movies (with popcorn),
beauty talks, and art auctions. Also, tours of the bridge were offered when we were not at sea. If
anyone was bored, they only had themselves to blame. The duty free shops were well run and had
good prices. The maintenance on the ship was excellent. We did experience problems with our toilet,
but the plumbers fixed it promptly. Our cabin steward was prompt and always did a great job. He did
not make animals out of our towels. Although we did not use any of the programs for children, we
heard much praise for the staff. The children did not want to leave the activities to go with their
parents. Teens had lots of activities and never seemed bored. The Internet café was great. There
were kids in there all the time and I was able to keep in touch with my own children at home with
e-mail. This was a real plus for me. The cost was $.75 per minute of on line time and $3.95 for every
e-mail sent. There is no charge for e-mail received.

The debarkation also went smoothly. We had late breakfast at 7:45. Our steward let us leave our
carry-on luggage in the cabin until we had finished eating. Then we waited with a book in a lounge on
deck 9 until we were cleared to leave. We were off the boat by 10:00.

This was a great cruise and a great line. We plan to cruise with NCL again in the near future. We
were surprised to see how many families with children were cruising. This cruise is a great bargain
and I would highly recommend it as long as you don’t mind a rough passage. This is certainly not the
fault of the ship. Sometimes the North Atlantic just doesn’t cooperate!

Would we cruise to Bermuda again? Absolutely! Would we cruise NCL again? Absolutely! However, if
you are prone to seasickness I would suggest an itinerary less prone to high seas.

Name: Brian Allison
Email: brian@allison.mv.com
Age: 45
Occupation: engineer
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Majesty-RoyalMajesty
SailingDate: 7/23/00
Itinerary: Boston - Bermuda
Cabin: A - 805
FoodDiningRoom: 77
CruiseDirector:
CabinComfort: 88
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff:
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 79
DiningRoomService: 84
CabinQuietness: 93
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 88
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 82
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService:
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 82
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 78
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 82
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 87
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio: 80
OverallCruiseValue: 88
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 31 Jul 2000
Time: 13:04:48
Remote Name: zmapxy02.zma.compaq.com
Remote User:

Comments

We just returned from the Bostom - Bermuda cruise on the NCL Norwegian Majesty... The weather
was great, the cruise was smooth and St George's is a very quaint town to visit.

Overall we had a good time (though I can't reccomend cruising with a 21 month old child).

Bermuda is a very beautiful place with very pleasant people. Unfortunately St George's is on the very
eastern tip of the island and its very difficult to get around. Many passengers rented mopeds despite
the warnings of the cruise director. We couldn't because of the young child. We rode the public
buses around Bermuda. They were mostly on time, but always crowded and nearly a 1 hour trek to
get to Hamilton and almost 2 hours to get to the nice south side beaches.

The Norwegian Majesty is a nice ship... Clean, big, but not too big. Deck space is at a premium with
many people grabbing a table first thing in the morning for the whole day. Finding a place to sit on
deck at lunch time was difficult, and there was usually a band playing loudly on the fore deck and a
loud engine aft. The main show room is quite small with many columns in the sight lines. You pretty
much had to go to a show at least 30 minutes early to get a seat.

I must say I was pretty unimpressed with the food in the main dining room, and very pleased with the
food at Le Bistro. The soups and hot/cold appetizers were quite nice, but the main meals were
usually pretty bland (meat always cooked too much), and the desserts were small and not very fresh.
We had a bottle of wine with every meal but it seemed for the non-drinking types there there was only
water and milk available. The waiters seem stretched a little thin. If they messed up your selection on
one course, it was usually too late to get things corrected before the next one. The main annoyance
was that they inisted in serving kids meals with the adults main meals leaving them lots of time to get
bored during appetizers. The main aft dining room is also very noisy. It throbs with engine noise
making it very difficult to carry on a conversation across an 8 person table. I guess you can pretend
you're on the space shuttle for kicks.

As I mentioned earlier, Le Bistro is a very good dining alternative. They don't take reservations, but
we had good luck wandering by at 7-ish and being offered a seating about an hour later. The food
there was very nice in all ways... Well prepared, well served. Dessert was a highlight with fruit flambe
and fondue.

I give NCL very high marks for dinner flexability for the 3 nights in port. You could sit in the dining
room at any time and there was always a dinner buffet on deck (and Le Bistro was open too). It would
have been horrible to be forced back to the ship by 6:00 every night if they had maintained the
normal dining protocol.

We had an A catagory cabin on deck 8... It wasn't quite as big as we had expected, but it did work out
pretty well. Noise isolation is very good and we almost never heard noise from other cabins
eventhough they all seemed to be occupied. The cabin steward kept the cabin very clean without
being intrusive. There was only 1 electrical outlet available making it difficult to keep various camera
and walkie-talkie batteries charged all the time.

The Majesty has an internet cafe now so you can surf while you sail... I never saw anyone use it.... I
think it was 60 cents a minute or so to use.

So all in all, it was a nice cruise for the $$$ ($1700 for 2 adults in an A cabin at egghead.com... kid
was only an extra $150). I always heard about the great food on cruises, but I've yet to find it. Mass
quantities, but not great quality. Other than Le Bistro, its about like eating at Applebees / Olive
Garden / Dennys.

Name: Sarah Masi
Email: sarah_masi@hotmail.com
Age: 26
Occupation: Self-Employed
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Majesty-RoyalMajesty
SailingDate: 10/15/00
Itinerary: Boston-Bermuda
Cabin: 437
FoodDiningRoom: 55
CruiseDirector: 70
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 50
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 50
FoodVariety: 45
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 50
GoodForHoneymoon: 10
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 95
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff: 95
EntertainmentLounges: 45
WheelchairAccess: 90
ExerciseFacilities: 80
EntertShowLounge: 45
OverallPortsofCall: 70
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 45
CruiseActivities: 10
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 10
DiscoNightclubs: 15
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization:
ShopsOnBoard: 10
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 50
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 23 Oct 2000
Time: 21:29:49
Remote Name: chpxy01-chrtr01.ne.mediaone.net
Remote User:

Comments

First let me say that perhaps my husband and are are just not 'cruise people'. It is also possible that
we picked the wrong time of year to go on a cruise to Bermuda. However, with that said, let me tell
you, we hated our experience with NCL. The food was unappealing, the activities were horrible and
the boredom was inescapable. My husband and I are in our late-twenties. We like to have fun but
don't need to be up all night partying either. We were looking forward to our cruise from Boston to
Bermuda for MONTHS. The average age on our boat was 65 and the cruise activities were geared
toward an older crowd. We were by far the youngest couple. The cruise director was trying to
entertain us with endless games of bingo, art auctions and lame theme nights. Another reviewer wrote
that if a passenger was bored it was his/her own fault. We were bored to tears and we are the type to
get up and do things all day long. We actually entertained thoughts of flying home to avoid another
2.5 at sea.

St. George's, Bermuda was our port of call. Bermuda was wonderful, we loved it. it was too bad we
wasted so much time on a cruise to get there instead of just flying there and staying later. The idea
that 'getting there is the fun' didn't apply for us. Also, the one problem with St. George's is that it is a
full hour long bus ride to Hamilton, where everything is happening. We would have really preferred
being located in Hamilton and then visiting St. George's. We were constantly wasting time going
between our port and Hamilton. And when we got back on the ship to head home I was filled with
dread. If they played the 'Macarena', I feared I might jump overboard.

The last really negative thing we would add about NCL was the whole desembarkation process. We
were over 2 hours late getting in, but there's nothing you can do about bad weather. My husband is
not a US citizen so he was told to meet in one part of the ship at 7 am, to go through immigration. He
woke up on the last day of our vacation at 6:30, showered, dressed and at 7 am the announcement
was made that non-US residents no longer had to assemble for immigration. There was never another
announcement about when he was to go up to the room and wait for immigration. Over 2 hours later
we happened to be in the area where non-US citizens were supposed to assemble, and he joined
them. Over an hour later he was done. Now the time was 10 am. We waited from 10 am until nearly
noon before our floor was called to leave the ship. We desembarked over 3 hours late, aside from our
weather delays. The whole process was mayhew, very disorganized and frustrating. While we were
waiting many people were smoking heavily in non-smoking areas and it was very unpleasant. If it were
my cruise line, I would not want to sent patrons away with that memory as a lasting memory.

The positives are worth mentioning since everyone out there probably thinks we're horribly picky. The
staff was really really wonderful. We can't stress that enough. They did everything they could do to
make us comfortable. They treated us well even when many of our fellow passengers were not very
respectful. Our room steward in particular was really great. He knew when we were in the room and
never bothered us- he knew when to turn down the beds and when to make them. The stateroom was
small but really pretty well appointed. Besides, we didn't go on vacation to stay in our rooms all day so
that was fine. The photo gallery was also fun, trying to find our photo from the night before became a
ritual for the days at sea.

Finally, as I said earlier Bermuda was a great place to visit, but I would strongly suggest you fly and
enjoy some extra time there as opposed to spending it trapped on the floating Lawrence Welk Show.

Name: Nancy and Jessica Rodrigues
Email: savanah163@yahoo.com
Age: 20
Occupation: student
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Majesty-RoyalMajesty
SailingDate: 8/27--9/3
Itinerary: Bermuda
Cabin: 960- Class A
FoodDiningRoom: 100
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 100
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 99
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 100
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 97
FoodVariety: 98
DeckService: 98
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 100
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService: 100
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 100
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess: 100
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 100
CruiseActivities: 100
Casino: 100
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 100
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 98
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 10 Nov 2000
Time: 11:29:45
Remote Name: 1cust235.tnt1.har1.da.uu.net
Remote User:

Comments

We sailed off on the Majesty on Aug.27 and returned Sept. 3. The embarkation process was excellent,
but the boat left about twenty minutes late. We were in room 960, in the class A division. The room was
good sized, it had three beds, but it was a little smaller than some of the other A class cabins. It was very
quiet and comfortable. Our steward, Carlo Santos, was excellent and polite. We became friends with him
easily. Our room was always nicely organized and cleaned. He did a fantastic job!

The cruise staff was amazing. Our international host, Pedro Serra, was great! The staff incorporated
many varieties of activities to fit everyone’s needs. There were many sources of entertainment to keep
you busy and on your feet, such as trivia, casinos, theatre shows, singers, and crafts. The staff did and
excellent job including activities for all different ages. They were all very polite and helpful towards the
passengers.

The cruise was smooth sailing to Bermuda and back. The boat was a good size. The entertainment
rooms were excellent sized to allow movement and they were not overcrowded. The only problem we had
was the elevators. There were only six and they were quite slow. We often used the stairs to get around
because of this problem. Our room was located on the ninth floor so it wasn't too far from the
entertainment on the sundeck or the theatres on floor five.

Our dining experience was also excellent. We enjoyed the variety of food available to everyone including
children, who had their own menus. Our waiter, Delphine, was amazing. He was incredibly polite and
served us properly. Our food was served fresh and it was very tasty. He also provided us with some
entertainment with napkin folding lessons. He was very courteous with everything, always asking if
everything was great. Of course we replied with a yes. Our bus boy, Iyoman, was also very polite and
excellent. He was always on task providing us with great service. Our wine steward, Rolando Martinez,
was great. Our beverages were served fresh and quick. We never had to wait for our drinks to come
because he was always there ready to serve you. His politeness was also top ranked. Finally, our matre'd
was, Levant. He would always come around and greet you to make your dining experience great! We
would always eat our dinner at the Seven Seas Dining Room. It was very large and seated 600 people.
Our tables were properly set and spacious. The food was served promptly after ordering and was always
delicious! We had our breakfast at the Cafe Royale, located on the sundeck, floor 10. Here, there were a
variety of foods to choose from to suit your needs and tastes. You could also have your breakfast at the
Seven Seas Dining Room, or the Four Seasons Dining Room. Along with these places to choose from
there was the Piazza San Marcos, were you could always eat hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, and fries. This
and the Cafe Royale were always open to eat at. On our cruise we had two midnight buffets. They were
the chocoholic and the gala buffets. They were both excellent and delicious and contained plentiful food
at each.

When we arrived in Bermuda, we immediately went to shore. We purchased our bus passes to get
around in Bermuda. The buses were quite packed and busy. We first visited the Horseshoe Bay Beach.
This was located in Hamilton, Bermuda, approximately an hour away from our ship. The beach was
gorgeous but also crowded. We spent our whole first day there. The second day we visited the Crystal
Caves and the Perfumery. The caves were beautiful and the tour was great! The perfumery was also nice
and the scents were pretty. We also took a shore excursion on a glass bottom boat with a nature walk
included. The cost of this excursion was $35.00, but in our opinion it was not worth the cost. The nature
hike was pretty good but the glass bottom experience was quite boring. We went to a coral reef in the sea
but we didn't see as much as we had expected. On our next day, we went to Archilles Bay. This beach
was also beautiful. We enjoyed this beach better than Horseshoe Bay because it was closer and not as
crowded. Here you can rent any type of water gear to make your stay enjoyable. There was also a
restaurant close by to satisfy your hunger and/or thirst. The beaches were gorgeous. The water was
crystal clear and warm and the sand was soft! On our final day in Bermuda we decided to go shopping for
souvenirs. There were not to many stores to look at and the stores they had contained the same items.
The prices there are very expensive and it was not worth it because of the quality of the item. While in
Bermuda the entertainment on the ship was still excellent. Although the casinos were closed for the days
in Bermuda the parties were great! Every night there was a deck party at 10:00 on the sundeck. Each
night was a different topic. The cruise staff did an amazing job with this source of entertainment. On the
first night at Bermuda we had a Tropical Party. The second was the Country Western party followed by
the 50's and 60's Sockhop party on the third night. Each party contained items to fit that celebration. The
staff was very fun! Each party had different music and dancing. There were also contests at each party to
fit the theme. On our final day we returned to the boat at 10:30 for disembarkation at 11:00 a.m. Our
sailing back towards Boston was smooth. The fun didn't end there though. The cruise staff was on task to
make our trip fun until it was really over. The casinos reopened as soon as we left Bermuda. The
entertainment was still great! We attended many night shows at the Palace Theatre and the Royal
Fireworks. Here there were singers and shows. We rank the entertainment a 100 plus.

As our cruise came to an end we were very sad because we didn't want to leave. The cruise staff became
our family for the week and our cabins were our homes. We went to breakfast the final day at 7:00 and
returned to our rooms to pick up any final luggage. The staff did a great job keeping us happy and
satisfied throughout the entire trip. The disembarkation process in Boston ran smoothly. We were off the
ship by 10:00 as planned. We truly enjoyed our cruise! We will defiently cruise with NCL cruises again in
the future! We would like to thank everyone involved with NCL with providing us with a memorable
vacation. Thanks once again!

Name: Jim MacQueen
Email: SportServe@aol.com
Age: 54
Occupation: Event Planner
NumberOfCruises: 7
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Majesty-RoyalMajesty
SailingDate: 12/8/00
Itinerary: Exotic Caribbean repositioning cruise
Cabin: 908/S1
FoodDiningRoom: 89
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities:
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 79
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff: 75
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 90
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 98
WheelchairAccess: 90
ExerciseFacilities: 92
EntertShowLounge: 70
OverallPortsofCall: 99
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 75
CruiseActivities: 75
Casino: 50
AirSeaProgram: 100
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 89
EmbarkDisembark: 97
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 91
Stabilization: 96
ShopsOnBoard: 96
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 99
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 21 Dec 2000
Time: 08:15:52
Remote Name: spider-mtc-tb022.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:

Comments

NORWEGIAN MAJESTY REPOSITIONING CRUISE December 8-17, 2000

Miami Tortola/Virgin Gorda, BVI Antigua Martinique St. Maarten St. Croix, USVI St. Thomas, USVI San
Juan, Puerto Rico

Reviewed by Jim MacQueen, Tallmadge, Ohio

FIRST, THE BOOKING STORY

It is impossible to talk about this cruise except in the context of the booking story. My wife and I are in
our 50s with several cruises in our background. Cruising has become our vacation of choice, although
we still like Vegas, DC, New York and Chicago. Fine dining and restaurant reviews are a hobby. Other
cruise lines with which we have experience include Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Premier in the old
days. I have moved away from using travel agents and now do almost all my own booking. I am a very
experienced traveler, having traveled as part of work for 20 years, and pretty much know the ins and
outs of self-booking.

This particular Norwegian Cruise Lines trip was chosen for this time period because it covered my wife’s
birthday. The trip was first booked on the Norwegian Dream because we wanted to go to islands we had
not visited before...the so-called ‘exotic’ Caribbean. When I booked, I used NCL’s 2-for-1 summer
special to book a nice outside cabin...about mid-grade...for approximately $1600 per person. About one
week after making this reservation and placing the deposit, NCL called to tell us the Dream was being
repositioned to S. America. We were told NCL was no longer going to offer the ‘exotic’ itinerary, so they
offered us a 2-level upgrade and $100 shipboard credit to move to a different ship. We rebooked on the
brand new Norwegian Sky as the attraction of a new ship seemed like the next best alternative at the
same time period.

About two weeks later, NCL issued a press release saying they would be moving the Majesty to the
same route the Dream had covered!

I was on the phone the next day. I told them that if they had given me this information when they
canceled the Dream trip, I would have chosen the Majesty because it was the islands, not the ship, in
which we were interested. Actually, they were VERY NICE about this! They offered us the repositioning
cruise, which was two days longer, at the same price, let us keep the upgrades and credit, and for $200
more, I was able to further upgrade us into the Category S1suite. What a deal...for about $1700 per
person including air, port charges and tax, we were on a 9-day cruise in a suite!

Through all of this, my experience working directly with NCL was mixed...their phone system is
particularly hard to use, and you never get to talk to the same person 2 times in a row. But they are very
good about keeping records, faxing responses back to you, sending billing statements, and correcting
errors. In my opinion, while they may not always get it right the first time, they are very good at
responding to the customer. And I think this 1 on 1 communication, without the filter of a travel agent
who might not take the time to look for mistakes and cover details, is one of the advantages of
self-booking.

TRAVEL TO MIAMI, CRUISE CHECKIN

I personally feel NCL is a little better on air arrangements, meeting flights and cruise checkin than other
lines. Certainly, they are MUCH BETTER than Carnival! Our flight from Cleveland was well-timed for
mid-morning, not unGodly early. Our seats were assigned through the regular boarding and
reconfirmation process...not bulk seats in the back of the craft. We were met at the gate instead of
baggage claim, and given pretty good instructions on what to do including the tip to rent a baggage cart
instead of using a porter. With 7 checked bags plus carryon, that saved us at least 5 bucks.

The transfer bus driver actually gave us a little tour of Miami on the way to Dodge Island. When we
arrived at the terminal, it was straight off the bus, 5 minutes at the checkin desk to check IDs and correct
paperwork (no lines...much better than Carnival...and this was true for all cabin categories) and onto the
ship. In fact, the only holdup was the mandatory pause for the ‘boarding picture’. I think the cruise lines
need to learn that people resent being held up to participate in something they have no intention of
buying. There should be two lines. One for those who think they MIGHT want such a picture, and one for
the rest of us. Although there was no one to escort us to our suite, it was easy to find on Deck 9
portside. We found fresh flowers, Champagne, and fruit waiting for us. We had plenty of time to explore
the ship as our luggage arrived a couple of pieces at a time. And of course, we started right out eating
with the welcome aboard buffet, which actually was about the only disappointing meal of the trip.

STATEROOMS

Of course, we were spoiled. NCL ships do have much smaller cabins, on average, than other lines, but
we were in a suite. The S1 suites on the Majesty are really just extra large cabins. There is a king bed
with a curtain at the foot which can be pulled to make ‘2’ rooms. There is a sofa bed, coffee table and
two chairs. The Majesty does not have verandahs, but the suites have floor to ceiling windows that bow
out, and you can put the chairs in this bubble for the feeling of an enclosed porch. There is a walk-in
closet with lots of hangers, but drawer space is very limited because they use some for the safe and
another area for a refrigerator (not an honor bar) that we never used. Should have kept our ‘cool’
clothes in there, I guess. The other luxury my wife appreciated was a bathtub in the comparatively large
bathroom.

A lot of our soft clothes simply stayed in the bags the whole trip and we got them out as we needed
them. We kept some bags under the bed, and the ones we used most often on the floor of the closet. It
worked out just fine. The tradeoff was the service. Our cabin steward was excellent, always smiling and
waving, and getting the job done without bothering our routine. In Majesty suites, you receive afternoon
hors’derves at 4pm and a little dessert plate with the turndown service. You also have a concierge who
looks after your special needs, and in our case, Lisa Jensen did an excellent job. She booked my wife’s
birthday dinner, and cleared up a little billing question for me, just to note two services outside the
ordinary which she performed. And don’t forget...we paid one-half the cost of a mid-grade outside for all
this!

Over the course of the trip, we had the chance to see inside several other cabins. Yes, they are small.
But they are well planned in my opinion, and two people would be comfortable in them. I would not take
anywhere near as much baggage if I knew I would be in one of these cabins, however. We did
encounter some passengers who felt cramped in their cabins. Of course, on any cruise, you always
meet people who have unreasonable expectations about cabin size, food and service on a ship.
However, because the average age of the passengers on this particular trip was older, there seemed to
be less complaining...I think there were a large number of repeat cruisers on the trip who knew what to
expect. The ship was booked at about 100 passengers under capacity, and at the Latitudes cocktail
party for repeaters, there were about 500 guests.

THE FOOD AND ‘FREESTYLE’ CRUISING

I have found that expectations are everything in being satisfied with the cruise experience. If you only
like grilled food such as steaks and lamb chops, and you want them done a certain way, that’s hard to
perfect in a ship galley. On the other hand, roasts and creative dishes lend themselves to the ‘hotel
cooking’ approach, and even on the bargain cruise lines, I have always found the food is better than in
most hotels.

Certainly NCL is very good. I would rate the quality and preparation as equal to or better than Carnival,
although the presentation is simply not as good. In general, dishes tend to be presented with the food
‘compartmentalized’ as you would do at home, rather than ‘dressed’ as you would expect in today’s top
restaurants. So, although the NCL recipes are better, I would rate the overall food experience as equal
to Carnival.

My wife and I loved the Freestyle Dining experience. I know this is very controversial and does not
appeal at all to those who like the traditional ship experience. But I’ve got to be blunt and say that being
placed with other people was always the least attractive part of cruising to us, and that having a choice
of dining rooms and times simply suits the way we like to travel. On this cruise, we ate twice in the Seven
Seas, three times in the Four Seasons, twice in the Royal Observatory, and once in LeBistro. We also
did one buffet evening. All these rooms are very different in atmosphere and service, although the food
in the two main rooms is always the same...a theme night of some sort. The RO is an Italian pasta room,
while LeBistro is a limited menu ‘gourmet’ room with a $10 per person cover charge. Frankly, of all the
dining options, this last was the biggest disappointment and not worth either the money or the trouble.

The Seven Seas is the largest room and in the stern of the ship. It became our least favorite because
there is tremendous engine vibration here, and when the room is full, it is also the noisiest room on the
ship. On the two nights here, we had one table for 2 by ourselves, and we agreed to be placed at a
larger table the other time. We are very flexible this way, and that’s one reason why Freestyle is OK for
us. The Four Seasons was our favorite room. It is midships, so there is less movement and no vibration.
The menu in the Four Seasons and Seven Seas is always the same theme each night. The color
scheme in the Seven Seas is more pastels (green or yellow) while the Four Seasons tends to be darker
and more elegant. On our nights here, we had two tables for two and one table with others. The Royal
Observatory, which is forward on Deck 9 just outside our room, is the hardest to get into in the Freestyle
system because it is small and tends to be the first choice on the theme nights no one likes...Caribbean
or Southwestern. Most of the people we encountered loved Freestyle, as we did. Those who did not
were either traditionalists, or were not flexible enough. For instance, one couple was incensed that they
had to wait to get into the room in which they wanted to eat, although it was clear the real problem was
that everyone else on the ship wanted to eat at that time too! We NEVER had that problem...we simply
went a little later at around 7 or 7:30, and we made reservations in the Royal Observatory the nights we
wanted to eat there.

As far as the Freestyle effect on service, I did not see any of the negatives others have reported. The
crew was in wonderful spirits on this trip. There was only one section of the Seven Seas dining room
where I felt the staff was a little sloppy. Otherwise, the dining room wait staff was fine. I do not miss the
waiters and busboys learning my likes and dislikes, frankly because I change them all the time! I did see
that moving around from place to place made the service seem inconsistent, because after all, different
crews move at different paces. Expectations, once again. I don’t believe the NCL policy of billing tips to
room bills and then pooling them for the staff made any difference in the attitude of the staff, level of
service, or the overall esprit d’corps of the crew. Many of them seemed to have been on the ship a long
time, and seemed to have adjusted very nicely to the new way receiving their compensation. Overall, a
happy bunch!

THE MAJESTY HERSELF

There was a time when the Norwegian Majesty would have been a large cruise ship, but these days, at
only 38,000 tons, she is at the ‘small’ end of the spectrum. Nevertheless, I felt she had a great ‘ride’
even on a couple of relatively rough nights, and she is not as sensitive to side wind rocking as some of
the taller, more square ships. Equipped with both bow and stern side thrusters, she seems very
maneuverable, and thus was able to dock in every single one of the ports we visited. Great. I hate
tenders!

Her layout is also very good. She has three central stair/elevator ‘towers’, each of which runs all the way
from topside Deck 10 to Deck 2, where the gangway was most often placed. She has an outside hallway
down both sides of most decks, the exceptions being Deck 5 and 6 where most of the public rooms are
located. This arrangement makes her the easiest ship to learn and get around on of any I have ever
cruised. She has a complete promenade on Deck 7 which runs all the way around the outside of the
ship. This is used for walking and jogging, and of course, it is wonderful to be able to walk all the way
around a ship out of doors. There are fore and aft showrooms. The aft showroom, used for the largest
productions, is not very good because the ceiling is too low and there are too many sightline problems.
This limits the types of shows which can be done, so the typical NCL Broadway productions don’t
happen on the Majesty. There are a large number of bars and smaller public rooms, and the overall
decor is restrained and very elegant, in my opinion. This ship is finished with lots of wood and natural
hues, and is very well done from an interior design point of view...real first class cognac and cigar club
styling without all the smoke. Very nice, very comfortable, and one never feels crowded on this ship
because there is always a bar or room which is not crowded.

I might add that the Martini Bar offers very large drinks. They are a little more expensive than those at
the other bars, but they are so much bigger that you are really getting 3-4 drinks for the price of 2...I
found it the best value on the ship. If you drink beer, order the draft beers. They are bigger and $1
cheaper than bottles! But you need to check out each bar because each has different brands on tap.

The pool and sun decks are very nicely arranged as well. There is a forward observation lounge which
is usually full of people eating from the buffet line. There is a forward bar and a midships bar. There is a
grill and pizzeria aft. There are two pools and two hot tubs, and one of each is reserved for adults
(although there weren’t more than 2-3 dozen kids on this trip). Although the sun deck runs all the way
around the ship as does Deck 7, it is not used (officially, at least) as an exercise deck. There were
plenty of deck chairs whenever we wanted two of them, and plenty of tables on the pool deck whenever
we wanted to eat outside. From the outside activity standpoint, this was one of the most pleasant cruises
we have ever taken because we never felt we had to run up and place towels on chairs, and never had
trouble finding tables to sit at. Both pools were very nice and kept clean and fresh. They had both open
in all ports, even on the day we left Miami. The tubs, on the other hand, always seemed to be full of
people. They could use a couple more. We do not make much use of the exercise rooms or spa facilities
on cruise ships, but we visited both and thought they were nicely equipped. The worst feature of the
ship is the casino...one of the tightest I have ever seen. Everyone complained about how poorly the slot
machines paid off...and indeed, by the second or third day, hardly anyone even tried to use them.

ENTERTAINMENT

Truth to tell, my wife and I are early risers. We usually are up at 5:30 or 6 AM, get our early coffee, and
are on deck to watch the pilots maneuver the ship into dock. For that reason, we are not likely to see
many of the shows unless they especially appeal to us. We took in the bon voyage show the first night,
and it was pretty good...a salute to Broadway shows. However, shipmates who saw other shows told us
that this first one was the highlight of the trip...that all the others were less entertaining. I don’t know...I
was usually in bed by 9 PM or still at dinner. As I mentioned, the aft showroom is a problem on the
Majesty, and limits what they can do.

We found that the bands and individual musicians on board were very entertaining and talented. We
also heard that the show put on by the crew was the next best of the trip. As you can probably tell, I am
not particularly enamored of cruise directors (I more or less equate them to the talking heads on TV
news shows) so how good, bad or indifferent they are matters little. I really don’t rely on the cruise staff
to provide my good times for me. It seemed to me the staff was competent, friendly, and kept things
going for those who need that kind of inspiration.

OUR PORTS OF CALL

While this was a repositioning cruise, Majesty will continue to call at a number of the same ports we
visited. The main differences will be that she will start and stop from San Juan, and apparently will omit
the stop in St. Croix...no great loss in my humble opinion. In the spring, it appears she will return to her
familiar Boston to Bermuda run.

Our first two days were at sea...a very nice way to get down a tan base before hitting the beaches.

Our first stop was Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. We were torn between taking a cab over to Cane
Garden Beach with lunch at Rhymer’s, or taking the excursion trip to Virgin Gorda. In the end, we did the
later and were very glad. Swimming at The Baths was one of the trip highlights. The Baths is that
wonderful beach with the huge house-size rocks that form pools and eddies. The water was warm, the
beach sand is soft, and the bottom pretty good for wading. My wife is the snorkler...I am NOT a water
baby! But I enjoyed this beach, and even got my face in the water to see some pretty fish. We did not
take the longer walk to Devils Beach. One recommendation I would make is to get a pair of ‘swim shoes’.
Some of the bottom is made up of more large rocks which can be slippery and/or sharp. My wife
wounded herself on a bottom rock, and this caused her some minor walking discomfort throughout the
trip.

Our second port was Antigua. I have now been to Antigua and do not need to go back. I’m afraid this
particular island has one of the lowest overall living standards I have ever seen, exacerbated by the
tremendously rich yachters who call at Nelson’s Dockyard. We took the Historic Antigua tour which
included Shirley Heights, the British forts, Nelson’s Dockyard and town tours. St. Johns, the main town, is
a DUMP. If we had to do it again, we would get off the tour at Nelson’s Dockyard and eat lunch at the
Admirals Inn or one of the other hotels which are located there. Then you can take a private cab back to
the cruise terminal. But I did get great pictures from the heights, and photos of some of the biggest
sailing yachts I’ve ever seen. Learned the difference between Caribbean sheep and goats from the taxi
driver...goats have tails up and sheep have tails down...otherwise, who can tell?

Things got truly exotic with our arrival at Martinique. This is a French island...in fact, it is actually a
French Department, the equivalent of a state. We took a trip to St. Pierre which was destroyed in 1902
by the eruption of the Mt. Pelee volcano...30,000 people were killed. We visited a rum distillery which is
family owned and operated very much like a small California boutique winery. We saw many coastal
fishing villages...wish they had stopped for picture opportunities...and the botanical garden and rain
forest. Really a very nice trip, and probably the best way to see this particular island if you have only
one day. The traffic is terrible and the roads narrow and winding...they are in good shape, but require
some local knowledge. The advantage of the trip is they make sure you see the highlights and get it
done with timing that guarantees you won’t miss the ship. We also had an excellent lunch on shore at a
downtown Fort de France bistro and grill. Had my best local lobster there.

The next day, we took the exact opposite option by renting a car to tour St. Maartin/St. Martin, the half
French, half Dutch island. We docked at the brand new cruise ship terminal, one of the first ships to use
the dock. The terminal itself is not finished, which creates some minor inconveniences in getting around.
We had booked our rental car in advance from the US by computer. We had to take a cab to the airport
to pick it up, which was about a half-hour away. Traffic, again, is really bad although the roads are all
right. The rental car company paid the taxi cost one way, and we paid the other, which was more than
fair. It only cost $25 to rent the car! We drove to the French side and did our shopping in Marigot, the
main French town. It was actually the best shopping of the trip, superior to St. Thomas in every way.
Better stores, better prices, duty free if you can keep the total under $800. We had lunch at Jean
Dupont’s, a French restaurant on the marina...great food, great view. The only real downside was that
we couldn’t be absolutely sure how long it would take us to get back to the ship, so we cut our touring
too short...we left way too much time and got back too early without seeing more of the island. This is
the chance you take when you go off your own instead of doing the tours.

After Antigua, the worst stop on the trip was St. Croix, but that was probably our own fault. Instead of
taking the tour to Buck Island for some good snorkling, we decided to shop and use one of the local
beaches. We also toured a local rum factory and the great botanical garden, which was about the only
highlight. The local beach was just one block from the ship, but it wasn’t very good either for swimming
or snorkling. And there was a strong wind blowing from our backs which kept picking up sand and
blasting us...reminds of the description of sand storms in Frank Herbert’s science fiction classic ‘Dune’
which can ‘flay the skin and flesh off your bones!’ St. Croix may be the largest of the US Virgin Islands,
but it seems to me it has the least to offer tourists...the shopping is poor, and you actually have to go
off-island to find the real attractions.

You would think the only reason to go to St. Thomas is the duty free shopping, but we actually found our
2nd best beach here, at Megan’s Bay. This is truly one of the best salt water beaches I’ve ever seen,
deep in a well-protected inlet with gentle waves, white sand, a shallow wading bottom out 50-100 yards,
and picture perfect. There’s everything you want...rental chairs and floats, a restaurant, public changing
rooms and showers, and cabs coming and going all the time. Despite the fact that the Majesty had to
dock in the Sub Base instead of downtown Charlotte Amalie, we were able to get in a split day between
the beach and our last duty-free shopping. One of the true wastes of time on this trip was that we had to
leave both St. Croix and St. Thomas at 5:30 PM. Of course, the trip between St. Croix and St. Thomas is
only 40 miles, and the trip between St. Thomas and Puerto Rico only 400 miles, so we spent most of
both nights drifting around the Caribbean. It would have been nice to stay in port at least until 9pm so
we would have had an on-shore dinner option. That’s the restaurant hound in me talking!

As they say, all good things must come to an end, and so we arrived in San Juan just as the police were
escorting Al Gore into town, and just as some thug pumped 3-4 bullets into someone on the pier across
the bay. Lights, sirens everywhere, and we even heard the shots while standing on deck! As a further
complication, they were having one of those spectacular building implosions downtown at 10 AM and
had half the streets blocked off. We had a late flight, and thus we could book a rain forest tour. This
allowed us to be the first off the ship. The biggest problems were that the baggage forklift ran out of gas
before all the luggage could be taken off the ship for the doggies to sniff, so we had to wait an extra 40
minutes in the lounge...no biggie. We got our bags quickly, customs barely even spoke to us, and all the
airlines had checkin stations right at the dock, which I had never seen before. That is so slick because it
lets you get rid of your bags and do some hands free sightseeing. Then the long flight home, back to
Cleveland, Ohio, and blowing snow and –10 chill factors. Hard to believe we had been swimming in
84-degree water the day before.

THE BOTTOM LINE

My wife said this was the best vacation we ever had. I think I agree. There is no question I would find it
hard to go back to Carnival, which I now think is a step down from NCL. I was surprised at this as
everything I have read led me to believe the opposite might be true. I certainly would have no trouble
booking another trip with NCL, and I would love to sail on the Majesty again. So many cruises, so little
time. Obviously, this trip was a tremendous value, taking into account what we paid for what we got.
Since we got the cruise itself for a bargain rate, we had a lot of extra money in our budget for shore
excursions, on-board expenses, and shopping. That made it at least a ‘business class’ trip instead of
‘coach’.

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