My LONG Majesty review 3/25-4/1

[tstruth]

Familycruise, Embradley,

Thanks for the tips. I'll be leaving soon, getting excited. It's really helpful and fun to hear your comments. If you think of anything else - I'd love to hear it.

Thanks

[embradley]

familycruise2006: That is really a coincidence about your son and kayla. I will have to tell her about that. She seemed like she had a great time with all of them! Thats good you got to do stingray city..mine was one that was cancelled :confused: Oh well! Ms. Majesty contest was extremely funny as well..seeing all those men dress like women..too funny!

 

tstruth: Im glad I could help..just let me know if you have anymore questions!! I just posted more pics on my webshots if you hadn't seen them already (I know I looked at hundreds of pics before I went on my cruise!):D

[Post Cruise Blues]

Have been following this thread and watching as you posted your pictures........ Brought back some good memories ..... We were on the Majesty in December ..........

[homeofthedogs]

embradley - thanks for answering my question! Just saw your newest pictures from Key West. What a great trip. The pictures are fantastic, made me feel like I was there with you.

[tstruth]

Embradley,

Your pictures are great, it really makes me anxious to leave. How was the temp. in the evenings, and in the dining rooms?

Thanks again:)

[MJ25]

i was on this same cruise with embradley and here is my review of it.

 

Overall this trip was fantastic! My wife and I traveled with another couple and we could not have had a better time or more fun than we had on this cruise. Now for the details.

 

Embarkation – This went very smooth and fast. We stayed the night prior to the cruise at the Holliday Inn Riverview which offered parking during the cruise and shuttle service to and from the pier. We left the hotel at 11:00, arrived at the port at 11:15. Had to wait for 15 minutes for the port gate to open. Checked luggage, got on shuttle to pier went through boarding process and were on board by 12:15.

 

Staterooms - We booked an interior stateroom on the lower level simply due to the price. We have never done anything but sleep in our room on any cruise and do not see the sense in spending extra for something we do not use. That being said we had room 3040 and when we arrived the carpets were wet and the room had a very strong chemical orange smell to it. We spent Saturday evening with the door propped open and a large squirrel cage fan blowing into the room to dry and air it out. It became bearable around 11pm. Then we discovered that the AC wasn't working. We spent Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights sleeping in a sauna! We asked to have the Air Conditioning looked at 4 times, each time we were told it was working properly. Tuesday I blew a gasket and insisted that something be done. I told them I didn't care if they had to send down someone with a bucket of ice and a fan, but that our room would be cooled down. I guess no one was available for that request and we were moved to room 4988. This room was clear at the rear of the boat! AC worked but lots of movement and engine noise. TV was snowy also, but it was cool and we were happy about that.

 

Ship Staff - We have never sailed with such a great staff. They were all very professional and friendly. DavieMarie at the coffee bar on deck 5 was outstanding! Dinah at the Reception desk handled the issue with our room very professionally and politely. The service in the 4 Seasons, Le Bistro and Pasta bar was outstanding!

 

Entertainment - This was where the Majesty was the most lacking for me.

 The Frame 52 disco was the only lounge with music I liked and it didn't start until 10:30 or 11pm.

 The shows in the Palace Theater, (The Norwegian Production Company) were no better than my local High Schools Show Choir. Sonny Rose was good if you like Neil Diamond music.

 Amadeus in the Royal Fireworks lounge struck me as high-grade karaoke. A man on keys and 2 ladies singing to track music. I must admit that a lot of the passengers really liked Amadeus, but they were all heading towards retirement if you know what I mean.

 The Lady playing piano in the Polo Lounge was very good. Sorry I do not remember her name.

 Ted Holum, the comedian on this cruise, was funny and I enjoyed him a lot. Late-Night-Joke-Night was very enjoyable. Once again the audience tended to be older and the jokes shared at the open mic tended to reflect that.

 Dr. Trance, the hypnotist, was fantastic. His shows in the Palace Theater were hysterical and his seminars on smoking, stress & weight loss were very informative and entertaining.

 Uprizon played at the pool area and did a good job.

 

Over all there were times that we had to struggle to find something we liked in the lounges. With my past experiences with cruising I found myself having to choose between all of the entertainment options, not looking for one I liked. There were pianos scattered all over the ship and I never saw any of them played outside the Polo Lounge. There was also an obvious absence of background, or mood, music in any of the restaurants.

 

Food - The menu and food at the 7 Seas and 4 Seasons restaurants provided a wide variety and was very well prepared and served in a very nice manner. The presentation was very good. The food at the buffets left a little to be desired. The eggs on the breakfast buffet were never done - runny. Everything else was pretty good. The deli sandwiches at lunch were very good. The late night buffet in the casino was very nice with a selection of fruits, sandwiches, cheeses and desserts. The Pizza/Hamburger bar on deck 10 was fantastic. Some of the best hamburgers I have ever had.

 

Ports of Call - Over all the ports we visited were pretty enjoyable. Had to tender at Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Tendering went pretty smooth and if you booked an excursion through the cruise line you got to tender first.

 Grand Cayman - booked the stingray & tour excursion. While on the tour we were informed that the stingray portion had been canceled due to high winds and surf. On the tour we stopped at the Turtle Farm, Hell, and the Rum Cake factory. The tour was enjoyable until they started adding things to make up for the cancellation of the stingrays! I really didn’t care about the power plant, the water company or the city landfill. Everyone on the tour would have preferred to just go back downtown and shop. Word of caution - Our tour was canceled by the cruise line because of adverse conditions at the stingray bar. I heard that some of the passengers booked through independent locals and that the conditions were so bad that they had to form a human chain to get back to the boat and that many passengers got very seasick on the excursion. I was told it was a very scary experience for them. Prices were high in the shops and the bars. This was our least favorite stop.

 Cozumel - Took the Island tour and shopping excursion. Our tour guide, Patricio, was fantastic. Really enjoyed seeing the entire island then returning downtown to walk the shopping area. Enjoyed bartering when making a purchase, but tended to feel a little smothered and pressured when getting of off of the main streets. I would like to return to Cozumel in the future, I really enjoyed my time here and wished that I could have stayed longer.

 Key West - WOW !!! We loved Key West! Live music in almost every club. Enjoyed Sloppy Joe’s, Margaritaville & Hogs Breath. Wish we had more time, we only had 4 ½ hours here. The anchor on the boat got stuck in some rocks at Cozumel and delayed our departure by 2 hours - we lost those hours in Key West. I am already pricing airfare and rooms to return.

 

Disembarkation - We used the express Disembarkation and couldn’t have been happier. We were off of the ship by 7:30. Called the hotel shuttle, were back at our car and on the road back to Ohio at 8:05.

 

Overall the boat was very comfortable. It was spring break for the South Carolina public schools so there were lots of families on board, I heard 1,400 passengers, yet it never felt crowded. I loved freestyle dinning! Longest wait for seating was at the 4 Seasons, the smaller of the 2 main restaurants, was under a half-hour. The average wait was 10 - 12 minutes. The entertainment, music and activities, at the pool area were great! The line for the Chocolate Buffet was ridiculous and I refused to stand in it.

 

This boat is small, but we were still finding new areas the entire cruise. Being smaller there was a LOT of movement. If you tend to suffer from motion sickness I would not suggest this ship. As I said earlier, we had a great time on the Majesty! Yes there were a few problems with our room, some canceled excursions and not as much entertainment that was to my preference, but you can either dwell on the negative or accentuate the positive. We tried to roll with the punches and had a vacation that I rank up in the top 5 of my life.

 

Being on a smaller ship allowed me to participate in activities at the Disco and on stage with Dr. Trance. I boarded the Majesty with the attitude that I was going to have the best time I could with what she had to offer and I am happy to report "Mission Accomplished"!

 

Would I sail NCL again! NCL - probably. Majesty - not sure. She is a nice ship with a faithful following. She just doesn’t offer the nightlife and lounge choices that I prefer.

[embradley]

Thanks Post Cruise Blues & homeofthedogs..Im glad yall enjoyed the pics!

 

tstruth: I wish I was leaving with you!! I wanna go back:p The weather was very nice in the evenings. It was somewhat chilly on the sun deck & sky deck on some nights..very windy. You could easily walk the promenade deck with short sleeves and have no problem. The restaurants seemed to be comfortable most nights, but I do remember one night being chilly (Im not one to get chilly often). Almost all of my "dinner attire" was strapless or sleeveless and I had no problems.

 

Are you staying in a hotel the night before the cruise or driving the day of? It was very convenient for us to stay the night before (we live 3 hours away) because we didnt have to "rush" to get there, we could relax more, AND we did a little sightseeing in Charleston on Friday. It was just as cheap to get the hotel (b/c parking is $15 a day at port) and it made our vacation start a day earlier!;)

 

I totally agree with MJ25's review! So glad you made the best of your vacation even with your stateroom problems (some people would let that ruin their vacation):rolleyes:

 

I'd be more than happy to answer anymore questions!:D

[tstruth]

Embradley,

Thanks for your reply. We are staying at the Radison Friday night. A lot of people on my roll call are also staying there. Where did you stay?

[MJ25]

tstruth - If you, or anyone else on your roll call, are interested we stayed the night before at the Holiday Inn Riverview, It is a unique hotel because it is round. It is just across the river from the downtown historic district. Has shuttle service to downtown and the pier. They will also allow you to leave your car in their lot for no charge. the hotel also has a wonderful dining room/lounge on the 13th floor that is all glass and has wonderful views of the new bridge and the historic district. We called them from the boat and they picked us up 15 minutes after we disembarked. We were back at our car and on the road in under an hour of hitting the pier.

[tstruth]

MJ25,

Thanks for the info, I think I did call them a couple of months ago and I believe they were booked.

[embradley]

tstruth: We also stayed at the Radisson. It was a very nice room and they have a lounge downstairs. They took 11 of us + luggage to the pier and was already there waiting for us when we got off the ship. They were very helpful and really nice!! I would definitely stay there again:D

[mom2queen]

Hey! embradley: do you mind if I ask what the rates were for the Radisson? We are leaving next Saturday on the Majesty!!!

Planning on driving that morning, but would rather spend the night.

Thanks!

[bdeviled]

mom2queen, we too are sailing the 15th and are staying at the Radisson, it is $140 for the night. Price includes; room, breakfast, free shuttle to and from pier, and parking for the week. Hope that helps, I know there are quite a few people staying there for that night.

[ladymacwilly]

What? No visit to Jimmy Buffets Margaritaville or Crabby Dicks in Key West? (BTW, You can print out a coupon on Crabby Dick's website for a free drink or free dessert...hey, every little bit counts). ;)

 

If you are afraid of seasickness buy the Sea-Band wristbands for $9.95. They work on accupressure so you're not ingesting chemicals which may make you drousy. Don't wait to buy any seasickness drug on the ship as besides being overpriced, the first "rocky" day at sea, they're inventory will be gone in about 5 minutes.

[mom2queen]

Thanks!! Maybe I can talk our group into spending the night :)

We are only a few hours away, so some dont see the point. I love Charleston and think it would be nice and relaxing to hang out, walk around, and do a little pre-cruise celebrating :)

Thanks again for the info, I will call them after work.

[embradley]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid]mom2queen: The rate that bdeviled gave is about right and includes all of those things. The free breakfast is only for 2 people though, we did not know this...we just grabbed something early that morning when we drove to the port to watch the ship sail in. I see you are from Wilmington also..very convenient drive!:D

ladymacwilly: We REALLY wanted to go to Margaritaville but we didnt know where it was exactly and we had a lack of time (due to the anchor problems). We just walked Duval St. and stopped at the places there:rolleyes: We enjoyed it anyways!;)[/COLOR]