Majesty 09/06 - Day 7 and Debarkation

[KatWag]

Day 7 – Last Day

OK , last day onboard the ship which I have by now decided has become one of my favorites. No more of this R&R stuff, need to make the most of every remaining minute.

 

Started early and were at the Seven Seas when it opened for breakfast. Most days we don’t share a table at breakfast – DH is definitely not a morning person and would be the first to admit it. This day we decide to share and are seated with two other couples. All of us lived within driving distance of Philly. Talk about small world – one couple belongs to the same church in York as DH’s cousin and we were there two weeks ago for a wedding.

 

The couple from York shared an interesting story which really illustrates the importance of being able to keep things in perspective. The day we docked at St. George’s, the wife ran into a honeymoon couple who were leaving the ship, luggage in tow. They had nothing but complaints – hated everything about the ship and the cruise. Wife was seasick, ships doctor wouldn’t do anything for her, they hated the food / couldn’t find a single thing they wanted to eat, etc,. etc. Hated it so much that they bought airline tickets to fly back to NY (supposedly at $800 pp / elected not to fly to Phila because it would have been $1,000 pp). Didn’t even want to stay on the ship when we were docked, just wanted out and to go home. The wife didn’t even speak to anyone getting off, just stormed off with her luggage while her husband was talking.

 

IMHO this new husband just got a great insight into what the rest of his life is going to look like. :D

 

To my mind this was probably a combination of poor research and inflexibility. A simple Google search would have turned up numerous reviews telling them that Majesty was a smaller and older ship. A similar search would have let them know that this was hurricane season and that even without hurricane season, the Bermuda run is notorious for being a challenge for folks who tend toward seasickness.

 

The way I read the “ships doctor wouldn’t do anything for her”? Likely meant ships doctor charges for services and they elected not to take travel insurance. Couldn’t find a single thing to eat? Well, I don’t claim to be a true gourmet, but the Philadelphia restaurant scene is quite good these days and I think DH and I are pretty average in our enjoyment of a good restaurant. It is hard to imagine that between the two regular restaurants and the two specialty restaurants they could not have had a single good meal.

 

Amazing how two folks in similar situations can have such a different story. We met two other honeymoon couples who loved every minute of their trip.

 

Oh well, back to breakfast. After the first day, we had been in Seven Seas every morning for breakfast. I loved their eggs benedict and had it several times. Tried the pancakes one day. Funny one – menu says served with blueberry syrup but arrived with maple syrup. Hmm… should I allow this to spoil my entire vacation and write a scathing review when I get home? Nope, just asked for the blueberry syrup and it was delivered very quickly.

 

If you like French toast, try this one. Cinnamon raison toast, thickly sliced. Delicious. Coffee in the Seven Seas was not bad. Coffee in the buffet I did not care for. And by now you’ve all learned my favorite spot on the ship – the coffee bar! Always had a freshly brewed espresso drink there in the morning after breakfast.

 

The pastries served were quite good. If you like chocolate, definitely try the chocolate pastry – it was a particular favorite of mine. I also enjoyed the cinnamon rolls. Tried a coconut muffin one day and decided it was not worth the calories. DH reports that the bran muffins were very good.

 

Pastries can also be found at the coffee bar in the morning. And pastries and coffee are available in the casino in the morning as well.

 

Opted to attend the cruise rewards presentation rather than the debarkation talk. We’ve done this enough to know how it works by now. And both of us wanted to be in the last group off the ship – why rush when we only had a 45 minute drive home? Ended up putting down our deposit for a future cruise. DH worked for a bit while I settled in for coffee and conversation with fellow passengers in the coffee bar. Next stop was the shopping area. Yesterday was amber day (bought a fabulous bracelet) and today is pearls day with a little bit of amber on the side. Already have pearls and didn’t get overly tempted here.

 

Ran back to the cabin to do our packing before lunch. DH and I always differ here - I like to get it over with so I can enjoy the rest of my day. DH wants to wait because he says it depresses him. This is always fascinating to me since DH's contribution to the packing involves laying out the clothes he wants for that evening and the following day. It is kind of like when we talk to people about moving and DH opines on how stressful an experience moving is. To the best of my recollection, in 25 years of marriage and numerous moves, DH has yet to pack a single box. I guess he must be referring to how exhausted I always am during the process. Whatever - I did the packing and got it over with so I could enjoy the remainder of my day.

 

Met DH for lunch in the Royal Observatory. Both of us headed straight to the back of the ship to the grill area. The day before (Thursday) after sailaway from Bermuda, they had the charcoal grills going and the burgers and hot dogs were fantastic. Today they were back to the regular grill. The fries looked like they’d been sitting a bit under the lamp so I opted for the potato salad which was very good. At the tail end of the line is the cookie and quickbread section. Usually had at least 2 types of cookies, pound cake and banana bread. Didn’t have a single thing in that section that I did not enjoy. As my scale can attest, I tested way too many of them during the trip. Note: snacks are also available in the casino in the afternoon.

 

1PM was the towel folding demonstration with the housekeeping staff. Our steward had done a new towel animal for us every day and I really wanted to learn how to do it. They were great. They had four members of the staff, each demonstrated two towel animals. They had a handout for us and invited us to come up afterward and they would show us personally if we had any questions. Don’t know if I’ll actually manage to make any of them – but I’m going to try.

 

2:15PM – this was the free martini show, hosted by Grey Goose. Very nicely done. Jason, who works for Bacardi, talked about Grey Goose, the history of cocktails and martini’s and then showed us how to make a French Martini and one called the Pear Pleasure. They delivered samples of both to everyone in the room. I really enjoyed both of them. Too much, actually since as we left the Palace Theatre, I talked DH into stopping by the Polo Club to try two of their other Martinis (so I could write down the ingredients – LOL).

 

4PM was the bourbon and whiskey tasting. Not my thing so we skipped that one in favor of the movie “Name that Tune” in the Polo Lounge. Had a blast.

 

Dinner was back up at one of our favorite spots, the Pasta Café. Got there a bit early and had a drink (club soda this time) in the lounge. Both the dinners we had here were really excellent - if you enjoy Italian food, I highly recommend it. Great waitstaff, excellent food, and you cannot possibly beat the view.

 

The Majesty Production Company was doing “On the Radio” tonight. We opted for the second show and enjoyed the music of Crimson Sky back in the Royal Fireworks lounge for a while first.

 

Never made it to the Quest Adult Game show – by that time I was fast asleep, darn it, having enjoyed one last evening in the coffee bar before hitting the sack.

 

Debarkation Day –

OK, now I’m totally depressed. Vacation is over and I think my chances of sailing Majesty again are slim. It takes a near miracle for DH and I to find a week we can both manage to take vacation and Majesty won’t be sailing from the East Coast much longer.

 

Breakfast in the Seven Seas again – shared a table with yet another congenial group – met some very nice folks on this cruise. Shorter menu today since they need to get folks moving more quickly. No eggs benedict or omelets available in the dining room.

 

After breakfast, headed up to the Royal Observatory to wait for our tags to be called. They called Orange right on the expected time (around 10:15AM) and we headed down and walked right off the ship. Got our luggage, a porter took our luggage out to the curb and I waited while DH got the car. Took a while since they only allowed a few cars at a time through in an effort to avoid congestion. But we loaded up and headed for home.

 

General Observations and Thoughts:

· Amazing crew – we did not encounter a single crew member who ever seemed to have a bad day. Always a smile and a friendly greeting.

· Cabin was small, but plenty of storage and kept immaculate by our room steward. Special touches like towel animals were much appreciated by both DH and I. Several times he was outside the cabin when we got back and I think he got a real kick out of my coming back out to thank him for the towels animals – I loved getting them.

· No charge for the pasta café – it was one of our favorites.

· If asking for a table for two at the Four Seasons, ask to be by the wall or by the window so you don’t get stuck next to the kitchen or in the traffic pattern.

· Try Le Bistro – it is worth it.

· The Royal Observatory is a great place to eat if you are going to the buffet or grill for lunch – nice tables and more private.

· The size of the ship makes it so easy to get around and also to move pretty quickly between events.

· For great coffee, conversation and comfy chairs, check out the coffee bar.

· If you have any difficulty maneuvering, do NOT do the self debarkation at Philly. It is the longest gangplank apparatus I have ever seen and I can’t imagine what it would have been like to struggle down it with tons of luggage that was too heavy for me to manage.

· Last, but not least….. enjoy every moment. Yes, Majesty is a smaller and older ship. The rooms are not overly large and they don’t have balconies. And the shower did not thrill me. But the crew is amazing, and the size of the ship makes it easy to meet people and to get around. As long as you are willing to be flexible, you’ll have a wonderful time. Will you likely wait a bit if you arrive for dinner at the main restaurant at the peak time? Yep – we saw lines where people had numbers and were waiting to be called. Think of it like going out at home. Use Outback Steakhouse as an example. If you go soon after they open – you’ll be seated right away. If you go at 7PM or 7:30PM, you’ll wait a bit. At home we usually eat between 7 and 7:30. Onboard, we moved that up to around 6:30 since DH doesn’t like to wait. Or, make reservations at the specialty restaurants and you won’t wait at all. If you have some special requests for your cabin steward, take some sticky post it notes and use them. They make a great memory aid – these folks do so many cabins that it isn’t reasonable for us to expect that they’ll necessarily be able to remember each special request.

 

Here’s hoping that all of you sailing Majesty in the near future have the same great experience we did – DH and I rank this ship as one of our favorites so far.

[Bunkie103]

Bravo.....great review. I'm making a list to tell DH. Can't wait for the month to pass as we sail a month from tomorrow.:D

[KatWag]

Thanks, Bunkie. Have a wonderful wonderful trip!

[azzuri]

Been on that cruise as well. Overall OK although next time will definately do homework on the quality of the ship itself. I think the Majesty should be removed from the NCL fleet.

[Cruizer_J]

Thank you for a great review! We were on the 8/23 sailing and it was fun to read about your experience.

[Sailor's Girl]

I've followed your trip from start to finish, and feel like I've had a "pre-cruise." We leave from Philly on 9/27, and you've given me a wealth of information. Thanks for sharing. I know we're going to have a terrific time.

[AnnaLisaOne]

Hi Kathy....

 

Many thanx for your great description. I'm a first-time cruiser. Next month boarding the Majesty. We're headed to NE and Canada.

 

AnnaLisa

[scrinchy]

To my mind this was probably a combination of poor research and inflexibility. A simple Google search would have turned up numerous reviews telling them that Majesty was a smaller and older ship. A similar search would have let them know that this was hurricane season and that even without hurricane season, the Bermuda run is notorious for being a challenge for folks who tend toward seasickness.

 

I am one of those who suffer with seasickness, but I love the Bermuda cruise so it's worth the risk for me. I just go with every preparation known to man and an attitude that if I do get sick I can use the rest to get ready for sightseeing or laundry if it happens on the way home:).

 

Ran back to the cabin to do our packing before lunch. DH and I always differ here - I like to get it over with so I can enjoy the rest of my day. DH wants to wait because he says it depresses him. This is always fascinating to me since DH's contribution to the packing involves laying out the clothes he wants for that evening and the following day. It is kind of like when we talk to people about moving and DH opines on how stressful an experience moving is. To the best of my recollection, in 25 years of marriage and numerous moves, DH has yet to pack a single box. I guess he must be referring to how exhausted I always am during the process. Whatever - I did the packing and got it over with so I could enjoy the remainder of my day.

 

It appears we may have the same husband. I spent the morning packing and DH needed a nap from all that work!

 

[/font]Last, but not least….. enjoy every moment. Yes, Majesty is a smaller and older ship. The rooms are not overly large and they don’t have balconies. And the shower did not thrill me. But the crew is amazing, and the size of the ship makes it easy to meet people and to get around. As long as you are willing to be flexible, you’ll have a wonderful time.

 

Kathy, thank you for a wonderful review. We were on the same trip with you and I really enjoyed your review. I can't agree with you more about the crew and the ship. I'm really looking forward to my next trip on Majesty!

[maryln]

They have Quest on the Majesty? That's the first time I've seen it mentioned. Maybe they added it recently. Anyone know?

[scrinchy]

They have Quest on the Majesty? That's the first time I've seen it mentioned. Maybe they added it recently. Anyone know?

 

They had it last week when we were on. We missed it too, but a couple we were sitting with at debarkation were very upset. They felt it was really disgusting. Evidently women kissing women and men kissing men. They said they walked out before anything else went on. I don't remember quest being that risque.

[RoxanneCat]

Thank you, Katwag...we leave this Saturday. Thanks for the suggestions, I've taken some notes. Can't wait.......

[KatWag]

Hi Everyone,

 

Azzuri - Majesty has indeed been sold. Keep in mind that "quality of the ship" has different meanings to different people. We all have our own ideas of what makes up an enjoyable cruise. That's why it is so great that we have a variety of lines to sail on and a variety of ships even within the line.

 

ganders - thanks for the kind words.

 

Sailor's Girl - I think you'll have a blast. Wish I was going again. I've been playing the "last week at this time, I was...." game all week. I always find myself doing that when I've been on a cruise I particularly enjoyed.

 

AnnaLisa - I'd love to hear about your trip when you get back. We've never done the NE cruise and it's at the top of my list.

 

Scrinchy - sounds like we do have the same DH. :) Sorry we didn't get to meet you on the cruise.

 

Maryln - Maybe it is now offered because John (the CD) is on the young side? When he was plugging the show at the earlier events, he definitely described it as "risque" and "for adults only". After reading Scrinchy's post about the couple they met at debarkation, I went back to the Freestyle Daily to look up the description. This is an exact quote:

 

"Don't miss the wildest and wackiest game show on the high seas. You have to see it to believe it. Hosted by your cruise director, John. Not for the easily offended, 18 and older only."

 

I'm not sure that the description above adequately describes what scrinchy reported. I think NCL needs to be a bit more careful here. Honestly, for DH and me, what scrinchy was told would not have bothered us any more than seeing male/female kissing. But I do recognize that this is not going to be the case for everyone. And clearly the folks scrinchy met at debarkation were extremely offended by what they saw.

 

Here's my take on this. I think NCL is attempting to appeal to a different audience going forward. The new builds and the direction they are moving seems to be an attempt to appeal to what could be described as "a younger and hipper crowd". My guess is that DH and I will likely only be able to sail NCL for the next few years. Much of what was described in the articles about the new F3 series really doesn't appeal to our age group much. Trendy items such as an Ice bar don't really interest me. And I would prefer a top quality lecture offering over something which is touted as "adult entertainment". I think folks like us who like the smaller ships and are not terribly interested in "trendy" are not NCL's target market anymore. JMHO.

 

Roxanne - wish we were going with you. Have fun! I'll check in again tomorrow to see if you have any last-minute questions. Just think - Saturday you'll be on your way!!!! Have a martini for me - they have a great martini menu. (And by now you've figured out how much I like their fancy coffees). :D

[iheartbda]

Kathy,

What color were the luggage tags they gave you at the pier? I have 4 from NCL, not the ones you print yourself. I'm hoping to use 2 for the week of the twentieth and DH can use the other 2 when he joins me for the week of the 27th. Just wondering if the color is always the same or if it makes a difference at all.

 

GREAT review!!!

[KatWag]

Thanks, Iheartbda - you're in luck. I was using the extras for a bookmark and was able to find them upstairs - trash already went out yesterday.

 

I would describe them as somewhere between peach and beige. Ours have the sailing date on them, though, right under the address section.

 

Have a great trip. Two weeks????????? That sounds fantastic. Not sure of the schedule. Does that mean you're doing Bermuda and then NE? DH and I were talking when we were onboard about how great it would be to do that as a "back to back".

[scrinchy]

Kathy, I'm sure you saw us, we were the one's with the Phillies Gnome. DH said he was bringing him as a stow-away. I didn't think he meant it until he pulled him out of his carry-on. We have pictures of him all over Bermuda, even having fish and chips at the Swizzle Inn:).

[iheartbda]

Have a great trip. Two weeks????????? That sounds fantastic. Not sure of the schedule. Does that mean you're doing Bermuda and then NE? DH and I were talking when we were onboard about how great it would be to do that as a "back to back".

 

Two weeks to Bermuda.:D Friend wanted to go, couldn't find a roomie so DH offered up me. If he's willing to pay, I'm going.:p

 

The 2 cruises were booked at different times and with different agencies. We received tags for the 20th but my TA said they no longer get them from NCL so don't have "ready mades" for DH on the 27th. I know it's no big deal and DH can get them in Phila. but he gets a bit freaky over little things.;)