Memories on the Majesty -- a Mother/Daughter Cruise

EN ROUTE

Twenty-nine days from Courtesy Hold to Boarding … and Day 28 had arrived. The excitement level was off the charts as I slipped out of the office a bit early and headed for my car. The iffy weather forecast was even looking a bit more promising. I zipped home and slipped the last few essentials into the suitcases just before my ride pulled into the driveway. I had cruised often in the past few years with DD2, but this time it was DD1 who was going with me. DSIL had agreed to tough it out with the 3 kids at home while DD and I slipped away on a long weekend for a cruise on the Majesty of the Seas. We tossed my suitcases into the car … next stop: Cleveland Hopkins Airport. There was a lot of playful bantering as DSIL teased about the amount of mileage he was going to put on DDs premium vehicle while she was gone, including a reference to off-road 4-wheeling, but that wasn’t going to slow us down. At the airport, the kids bounced out of the car to give Mommy and Nana hugs, and the 6-year-old melted our hearts when he solemnly wished us both a great trip without any prompting.

We waved them off and headed into the airport to make our way through security. DD commented that the kids were probably bound for the first of a series of restaurant dinners that would continue till she got home.

After a quick dinner we headed for our gate. Once the boarding staff arrived they started the inevitable announcement about the fact that it was a full plane and they were well aware that their baggage charge policy for checked bags had created a capacity issue. Here’s where they are now ready to check your bags to your final destination at no cost whatsoever. DD was ready to jump on it, rather than drag the biggest piece through the Atlanta airport. I was torn. There is always that worry that the bag will go astray and I will be left to cruise without my stuff. And I really am attached to my stuff. I have given a great deal of consideration to every piece of stuff that is in that bag and I really want it to join me for my cruise. As I stood there waiting to have my bag tagged and whisked away, I changed my mind about a half dozen times as to whether they were going to be allowed to separate it from me, but in the end, they took it and I tried to relax about the matter.

I did manage to find something else to worry about as I spotted several planes sitting on the tarmac and that brought up recent memories of the 2 hours I spent in a plane at Reagan International waiting for the weather to clear so we could return to Cleveland. But our plane boarded on time, left the gate on time and took off without delay.

When you pick a cruise ship cabin, you are warned if the window has an obstructed view. It seems to me they should do the same thing with a plane. Who knew that Delta had jets with engines slapped up right against the windows in the back two rows? There should have been a discount offered for those seats, but there was nothing to be done at this point, since the plane didn’t seem to have a Guest Services desk where I could lodge a complaint (is there a planecritic.com web site?).

We climbed up though the heavy cloud cover and burst into glorious sunshine, which was not something Clevelanders had experienced for several days. DD dozed on the first part of the flight, but woke up in time to marvel with me at the beautiful sunset we experienced shortly before the final approach to Atlanta.

We only had about an hour for the Atlanta layover. It was enough time to grab a snack, visit the facilities and settle down at our gate. Shortly before boarding, DD advised me that our bags were already on the plane. I thought she was kidding. I’m not a smart phone kind of person, given that I’m still wallowing in the supreme accomplishment of having entered the texting world about 3 years ago. But the luggage they had tagged in Cleveland was apparently communicating with her phone and assuring her that they would be joining us in Miami. Very nice. I think I was trying to search for something else to stress about at that point, because I had just ticked off the last of the things that usually bother me till I get to the port city.

They went through the pre-boarding announcements and when they got to the part about the premier passengers, virtually everyone stood up and surged toward the gate. I was startled. What did all these people know about club-joining that my research had missed? I was convinced that Delta offered some free rewards program that all you had to do was sign up and you got to go to the short line … rather like HHonors for Hilton. But I soon discovered that they were just premier wannabees. They stood clustered around the gate like a bunch of groupies at a stage door awaiting the star of the show. Of course, we had lightened our load in Cleveland, so we weren’t anxious about the amount of available space in the overhead bins. This afforded us the opportunity to be cool and collected, and board with poise and a total lack of anxiety (which is really rare for me). The Miami-bound flight was also wonderfully punctual and we landed shortly before midnight.

We walked off the plane and followed the signs to baggage claim. It was a very short wait before our bags appeared and we found that the line for taxies was non-existent … at midnight … maybe that had something to do with it. Downtown is a mercifully quick ride from the airport and we were walking into the downtown Hilton less than 30 minutes after our plane had arrived at the gate.

I pulled out my HHonors card and asked if they had added my number to the reservation and then asked if there was a possibility of a room with a view of the bay, because we were cruising the next day and I wanted DD to wake up to that view. Yes, I know those rooms cost more (and we had scored a nice senior rate on hotel.com), but it doesn’t hurt to try. And it paid off. They gave us a great room on the 20th floor with a good view of the pier. One of the desk clerks was a cruiser too, so we wallowed in a bit of mutual admiration for our wise decision on vacation choices.

DD and I headed up to the room, turned on the lights and headed to the window to pull back the drapes. The view was amazing. The hotel boasts wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling windows and we had a great view of the port and a big chunk of the downtown high-rises. We quickly killed the lights in the room and sat on the bed marveling at the view. Everything had come off without a hitch and we were so wired that it took quite a while before we wound down enough to call it a night.

I realize that it’s pathetic, but I approach cruising with the excitement level of a 6-year-old at Christmas time. That kid that’s sneaking out of bed to see if they can spot Santa’s reindeer in the sky? That’s me when I get a hotel room with a view of the pier. I was awake by 5 a.m. and I slipped out of bed four different times to stand at the window and survey the waterway leading to the pier to determine if there were any ships making their way to the pier. I kept going back to bed and trying to fall back asleep, but it was a wasted effort. Finally on the fourth try, I had that “there she is!” moment. The Majesty had already completed the spin and was sliding up to the dock. With great restraint I resisted awakening DD to share this moment. I hope she appreciated my control. I stood watching the ship nestle against the dock and began to rehearse the excitement I would be feeling when we were actually stepping out of the taxi and looking up at her from the pier.

It was probably another hour before DD woke up. I think she was as excited as I was, but we were both being very adult and hiding it so the other person didn’t think we were completely looney. We made ourselves presentable while we alternately kept being drawn to that huge window to take a few more pictures. Then it was down to the lobby to head off in search of some breakfast pastry. We followed a cruisecritic lead and went to the Publix a block away to buy some highly sinful pastries and take them over to the nearby park for a picnic by Biscayne Bay. We were apparently the only visitors to the park bent on self-indulgence. Everyone else seemed to belong to one of two groups … the dog-walkers and the Olympic hopefuls. We did see one guy walking a pig on a leash. I really wanted to take a picture, but I figured he probably gets tired of that sort of thing. The local birds recognized us right away as misfits, since we had arrived with something far more fattening than bottles of water and granola bars. I polished off the best parts of the flaky turn-over, but I tossed the crusty ends to the waiting birds, since I figured that reduced my calorie and fat intake for the morning by about 10%.

We still had a good hour and a half before boarding time, so we headed for the people mover to take in a whirlwind tour of Bayside. Since it was DD’s first trip to Miami, I was determined to drag her around and give her a taste of the things I’ve told her about from previous visits. Partly I wanted to see what sort of things intrigued her as well. And sure enough, the Banyan tree was a hit. People that see these trees on a daily basis have no idea about how marvelous they are. Gauging by the number of pictures she took, I’m pretty confident that DD wasn’t just humoring me in my belief that the tree alone was worth the effort to take the people mover to see it. And then we walked around Bayside a bit. We only wandered around the kiosks, of course, because the stores in the mall part can be found all over the country. We just wanted to get a chance to check out the sorts of things that aren’t part of an Ohio shopping trip. We both made a small purchase and then it was time to go back to the hotel and get on with the main objective of the trip.

We had intended to take a taxi to the ship, but the hotel shuttle was just boarding when we emerged and the driver swiftly ushered us toward it. We joined several other hotel guests who were destined to set sail later that day. There was one other couple that would be going on the Majesty and a group headed for the Carnival Ecstasy. As we headed to the port, the veterans in the shuttle were regaling the newbies about the important things to be aware of when cruising – principally, the non-stop supply of food. The shuttle driver left off the Carnival cruisers first and DD observed to me that Carnival had named their ship after a drug. She then went on to ask if they had a cocaine and a meth.

Moments later, we were stepping out of the shuttle and collecting our bags. We bypassed the porters, since we planned to carry-on everything. We zipped through security and headed straight for the diamond line, which meant we were able to walk right up to one of the check-in agents. I think there were about three couple in the non-priority line, but hey! A perk is a perk! As many times as I’ve done this, the boarding process excitement never leaves me … and I have a lower level of stress to deal with now that I’m not traveling with an underage daughter who used to need that “Permission to Travel” document. The formalities were a breeze and we were in possession of our boarding cards in no time. We headed up the escalator and stopped briefly for a boarding picture, then it was on to the ship.

Can you step back in time? I often ask myself that question. As I stepped into the Centrum I tried to remember what it felt like on my first cruise when I stepped into the Centrum of the Sovereign. I know it made a bigger impact then because the whole experience was a complete unknown. But it was still a cool experience to be once again surrounded by all that glass and brass. Let the party begin!

Hi, thanks for your review, looking forward to reading the entire thing. As a fellow Clevelander AND my love for the Majesty, it makes it even more fun. Every single time I board her I do the same thing....look all around and all the memories from past cruises on her come flooding back. Thanks :)

gorgeous pictures.

I'm curious what is going to be built at the location where they are currently tearing down the Miami Herald. If it's a high-rise, the Hilton is going to lose this great view.

I'm curious what is going to be built at the location where they are currently tearing down the Miami Herald. If it's a high-rise, the Hilton is going to lose this great view.

they're toying around the idea of building a soccer stadium there but nothing official yet.

they're toying around the idea of building a soccer stadium there but nothing official yet.

What a waste of an incredible waterfront site. That makes about as much sense as the stadium squatting on Lake Erie's shore in Cleveland. People look inward at a stadium. A more sensible use of waterfront space is something that encourages people to look outward ... like Chicago's waterfront park.

What a waste of an incredible waterfront site. That makes about as much sense as the stadium squatting on Lake Erie's shore in Cleveland. People look inward at a stadium. A more sensible use of waterfront space is something that encourages people to look outward ... like Chicago's waterfront park.

I would love a soccer stadium in South Florida but not in Downtown. Traffic is bad enough as it is during a heat game or a concert.

The stadium idea is for a soccer team sponsored by David Beckham. It was originally going to go on unused land at the port, but Royal squashed that. They're still looking for a home for the soccer stadium.

But the land where the Miami Herald building is being demolished is actually owned by Genting group, and their plan has been to build a Resorts World Casino complex with multiple high-rises. They're just still trying to convince the legislature to allow casino gambling in downtown Miami. No matter what happens, I think you can count on high-rises of some sort.

Fantastic review so far by the way.

I am sailing Majesty next month. I am looking forward to your review!

You totally described me! From the anxiety, to the giddiness & excitement! I am sailing on Majesty in 11 days! YAY! Pretty darn stoked! This will be my first time on her, so I am loving your review and excited to read more.

Thanks for sharing!

If you want to avoid jet engine view seats in the future, seatguru has all the info you need!

Look forward to hearing more. :)

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Can you step back in time? I often ask myself that question. As I stepped into the Centrum I tried to remember what it felt like on my first cruise when I stepped into the Centrum of the Sovereign. I know it made a bigger impact then because the whole experience was a complete unknown. But it was still a cool experience to be once again surrounded by all that glass and brass. Let the party begin!

 

My answer to your question above is 'Yes'! :D Our first cruise was Majesty. She still looks great (thanks for the pictures!) & brings back some great memories, as I sit here enjoying your review & wishing my next cruise was next week instead of next year!:( Way too many 'nexts'! LOL

Did you happen to see if there was a pool bartender by the name of Jefferson Edwards on there?

Did you happen to see if there was a pool bartender by the name of Jefferson Edwards on there?

Sorry, no. I never stopped at the pool bar.

Thank you to each of you for your nice comments. I'm working on the next section this evening. I hope to post it yet tonight. DD is supposed to chime in with her observations as well, but I have a bit more time in the evenings, since I don't have to help 3 kids with homework.:)

At some point during lunch we realized that DD’s spa appointment was going to conflict with sail-away and that would never do. A sail-away from Miami is unsurpassed in awesomeness. So the first order of business after lunch was a quick trip back to the spa to move the appointment back an hour. A good point to keep in mind if you are looking for an early timeslot when booking the spa on boarding day … you don’t want 4:15.

We had just a bit of time to kill until the rooms were available, so we headed up to the Viking Crown Lounge. DD hadn’t made it up there on the Liberty Cruise, so it was one of the places she wanted to be sure and check out this time. Actually, she picked a better ship for her first Viking Crown. Most of the ships have chopped up the space into multiple venues now. I wonder if the Majesty is the last ship with a real Viking Crown Lounge that goes all the way around the stack. We stopped for some pictures with the big ship wheel that overlooks the pool deck and took a few pictures of the pool deck as well. Once again as I looked out over the deck I was amazed at the low number of people who had opted for early boarding.

With 1:00 nearly upon us, we headed down to cross the pool deck and head for the forward elevators to take us down to Deck 6. Sure enough the doors were open and we headed down to cabin 6538 on the Tween Deck. I hadn’t been in anything smaller than a suite for years, so this was going to be a different experience. We opened the door and stepped inside and decided that it was perfectly fine. I loved the nice-size window and I felt the staggered layout of the beds was a plus. Frankly I was surprised that the beds were already apart. Granted, that is what the reservation requested, but I’ve never had them believe the reservation before.

We quickly unpacked and within 20 minutes everything was stowed and we were changing for an afternoon on the pool deck. There were still a vast number of available chairs to choose from so we picked two chairs right by the pool. DD was focused on getting to experience that luxury that is generally denied to the mother of three school-age children … she wanted to take a nap. I opted to settle into the deck chair next to her with my embroidery, but it didn’t hold my interest for long. I soon decided to join the big crowd of two people who were already in the pool. I floated around and people-watched the afternoon away as the numbers of passengers gradually increased. Naturally, those who board soon find themselves drawn to the pool deck and the first order of business seems to be photo shoots. They were holding up cameras, and cell phones and ipads, taking pictures from every angle. I’m relatively certain that a great many people then promptly posted those pictures on Facebook in order to afford their friends and co-workers ample opportunity to be annoyed at the subtle bragging. I also wondered how many of those pictures I was a part of, since the pool had only acquired a couple other people and we were pretty pleased with ourselves and our little private domain. All good things come to an end, and shortly after 2:00 the child count increased dramatically. I wondered how many Florida parents pull their kids out of school a bit early on Friday for a wonderful weekend on the Majesty. Three such lucky girls exploded onto the scene about 2:30 and I decided that it was time to relinquish my little domain to the fun and splashing that was obviously going to be the current state of affairs.

DD’s indulgent nap was still underway. I left her to her bliss and went down to the cabin for a quick shower. Once I was relatively presentable again, I unwrapped the cup that came with her Coke package and headed back to the pool deck to wake her up and point her in the direction of the Coke machines. It is a family code of conduct that the best way to wake up from a nap is with a Wake-Up Pepsi … but for the next few days, Coke would have to do. She was suitably appreciative of the thought and ready for that first Coke. I settled for the strawberry kiwi flavored water, since my rationale is that every calorie saved entitles me to a richer dessert.

There wasn’t much time before muster, so we returned our things to the cabin where we finally connected with our cabin steward. Francisco introduced himself and asked if we wanted anything. We asked for ice every day, a couple of extra pillows and foam mattress toppers, if possible. He said the first two were no problem and he’d see what he could do about the mattress toppers.

There was no other option at this point than to be pointed toward the promenade deck. The public spaces were shut down and cabin stewards were doing room checks. DD wasn’t exactly resigned to the inevitability of the muster drill and she expressed that fact several times, in several ways, both before and during to process. She doesn’t realize how lucky she is that they no longer expect you to show up with your life jacket, with the photographers scurrying around taking those charming pictures of cruise ship passengers looking like they are ready to abandon ship. Worse yet, after muster, you were burdened with that bulky orange fashion accessory and had to return to the cabin to get rid of it before you could kick the party into high gear. Today, you just wait it out, meet a few people who are in close proximity to you and exchange character defamations on the people who fail to show up. Hey! Where do those people hide out anyway? This cruise had the largest number of missing passengers in our section I’ve ever experienced. They must have called 20 cabin numbers.

Once the dismissal sounded, we inched our way back into the ship and slipped past the people waiting for elevators. I’d decided that the best place to get our sail-away drink would be the Schooner Bar, since I didn’t want to deal with the bother of later trying to exchange the cup for a real glass. Additionally, it was going to be tougher to get the attention of a server on the pool deck. So we settled into chairs in the Schooner Bar and let someone stand in line for us and deliver the drink to the table. In the 10 minutes we were there, the place filled up. When we stood up at 4:20 to head up to the pool deck, we were abandoning the last table by the window – I doubt it was empty for long.

Sail-away had arrived! We found a great place on the sun deck by the port rail at the front edge of the shadow cast by the Viking Crown Lounge. The music was pumping and the RCI entertainment staff was leading dancing on the pool deck. I was expecting one long blast of the ship’s horn, but that didn’t happen. It’s a small thing. Once we realized that the ship was underway, we clinked our drink glasses and saluted what we knew was going to be a great cruise. The ship began to move along the channel and we turned to watch the passing landscape. From time to time, one of the vehicles below would honk and the people would wave. We waved back, deeply appreciative of the well-wishes that the gesture communicated. There was an open air bus that went by and everyone on the upper deck was waving. Of course we passed some incredible houses and DD had to take photos of a few of them, along with the yachts they were flaunting in their front yard. We reached the end of the cut and quite a number of people on the break-wall and the end of the beach waved us off as well. It was just the sort of sail-away that I treasure and DD agreed it had been awesome. She said she wouldn’t have known what she’d missed if she hadn’t been able to move that appointment, but she’s glad she was able to experience it. Her other cruise was on the Liberty out of Fort Lauderdale and that was nice, but it is so much more of an actual “Event” when you sail out of Miami.

DD went off to her appointment and I stayed on the sun deck where I handled the photo duties of a couple that was trying to do a selfie. What is the point, people? There are 2000 other people on board and if you hand one of them your cell phone for a few moments, you can have a photo of the two of you that doesn’t include your arm extending toward the bottom corner of your shot.

We passed the Great Lakes Dredging operation on the way out to sea and I made a note to Google it when I got home and find out what part of the Great Lakes that operation came from. I would later find out it was Illinois and their web site claims they are America’s premier dredging company. Of course, none of that is very glamorous, but I appreciate their efforts nonetheless because it wouldn’t do to have the Majesty slide into a sand bar on the way out to sea.

At booking time, we had selected a table of eight as our preference. We arrived in the dining room to find that we were gifted with a table of 10 instead. The bonus was that it was a table by the window. I haven’t had a table by the window since my very first cruise, so this was a pleasant surprise. Two other couples had already arrived and we each made the respective introductions. They were from Columbia and they were appropriately pleased to make our acquaintance, but it quickly became apparent that the one member of the party that was doing the introductions was probably the only one of the four who spoke fluent English. Fortunately, the next woman who joined us spoke English. I think her husband did as well, but he joined us late and seemed to be the silent type. So we chatted with each other and had some lively conversations with the newest arrival. From time to time the spokesman from the Spanish group would join our conversations, but his companions would just smile and nod. They were very pleasant people and it was a rather unusual dining experience, but it really wasn’t as awkward as it sounds.

Meanwhile I spotted the placard on the table that noted our waiter was Francisco and the assistant waiter was Sandip. I’m really bad with names, so I began questioning myself about whether I had been mistaken about our cabin steward’s name. If not, how was he going to be slipping foam toppers on our beds if he was down here in the dining room serving us dinner? Fortunately, when the waiter arrived, it was a different Francisco and I congratulated myself on the bonus of not having to remember three different names. But I had another one of those moments when I froze and had to ask myself if I was really hearing right, because the head waiter stopped by partway through the meal to introduce himself. “I’m Francesco.” Really? OK. So this is like that Zorro movie, where everybody dresses up as Zorro and announces themselves with a flourish. Of course, DD set me straight and noted that the third guy’s name really was just a bit different. Doesn’t matter. I am still going to be looking for some more Francisco’s on board.

Sandip determined our drink preferences and we never had to repeat it the rest of the cruise. He was also quick to identify our bread favorites and we always promptly were served those as well. I was determined to try some different things off the menu this time and I made some delightful discoveries. The scallops appetizer in a light cheese sauce had one serious flaw … there were only two of them … so I ordered another. Next time I cruise, I’ll cut through the red tape and just get 3 of them right off the bat. I selected the rigatoni for my entrée, expecting it would come in a red sauce (which is probably an Ohio thing). It was a white sauce, very light with a dusting of powdered cheese, I believe. I still dream about it. I hadn’t expected to finish it all, but I would have skipped dessert if necessary to finish it. Of course, I managed to find room for dessert. I’m not sure that the words “soufflé” and “frozen” really go together … doesn’t a soufflé have to be baked? In any event, my strawberry frozen soufflé was delightful. DD meanwhile had made an appropriate amount of delightful fussing about the opportunity to get key lime pie … so of course, Francisco slipped two pieces on the plate. This wonderful first dinner would set the tone for three days of indulgence.

Enjoying your review. Thanks for taking the time to write it. Really great to read.

Great review!

Thank you for your comments. I have a lot of fun writing these. And this one is a bit of a challenge, since I didn't take very good notes this time ... I was too busy having a good time. I'm hoping the fact that it was a short cruise will help me keep the days straight.

Great review!!! You are funny!!!

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Really enjoying your review and photo's, looking forward to more of it.:)

Will be posting later today :) Though I must warn you, I'm not the writer my mom is ;)

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Thank you for your comments. I have a lot of fun writing these. And this one is a bit of a challenge, since I didn't take very good notes this time ... I was too busy having a good time. I'm hoping the fact that it was a short cruise will help me keep the days straight.

All the Francisco's....ha! Funny b/c Francesco Orlando (your HW) is a friend of ours. And we also know a Fransisco who is a waiter on MJ, but he's a really short guy who is more than a little crazy. I love your writing style, thanks again.

Francesco Orlando is the best. He was so good to us on a recent Majesty cruise. I am going to be seeking him out again.

Enjoying your review! Looking forward to the rest. It's been so long since my family went on Freedom. Taling all 3 kids on Allure soon. Wish I lived closer to a port as Chicago isn't close enough for a weekend cruise! :(