Back from the Majesty

[momtopom]

Karen,

 

That was not me dancing. I actually hate dancing, lol so I never attended those. My favorite spot were those bench seats in the hall across from the coffee bar. I was there every day, reading my book and looking out at the ocean. It was so relaxing.

[LuvBNatC]

Hi, Babyof8,

 

I booked the Majesty cruise to Bermuda precisely because I had never done it before and I have platinum Latitudes status with NCL. I did many hours of research beforehand and basically had the experience I expected. I posted my observations, and regret that they hit a terrible nerve with Hotspur and incited his nasty personal attack on me. Obviously, some people who love this cruise will not consider any other point of view. I have no problem with that. I'm a creature of habit myself. I sailed 23 times on the Norway to the Eastern and Western Caribbean, Canada, and Europe. But that's no longer an option, so I'm branching out. As a writer by profession, I'm no stranger to controversy, but I realize that it's safer to restrict my postings on CC to high praise to avoid sending anyone into cardiac arrest. Once again, I apologize if my frankness has offended.

[LuvBNatC]

MomToPom,

 

Then I must have seen you a 100 times. We were two ships passing in the day. I usually went to the House of Lords to read in the morning, unless they were having a darts tournament.

[Barb Nahoumi]

Hi, Maria,

 

The whole dining experience on Royal Caribbean is more upscale than I think you'll find with NCL Freestyle (although I can't speak for the newer ships, I haven't tried any). If I recall, the menus on RCCL are the expanded version I mentioned earlier. I'd say the food is a bit higher quality, better prepared, and presented.

 

NCL is certainly trying to attract a certain type of passenger, but I think they've shot themselves in the foot. They have created continual chaos in the dining rooms, so food preparation and presentation is suffering. They can only do so much. But if their diminished offerings still please their passengers, they are succeeding.

 

The dining rooms on Majesty gave me the impression I was eating in a crumby restaurant with pretensions of class, both from the menus and from the rooms themselves.

 

But to compare Majesty to Explorer of the Seas is apples to oranges. Explorer is a megaship, and the dining rooms have balconies, art, and elegance right down to the table settings. On Majesty, you get two forks and two butter knives so there's never any confusion about which one to use. Since there are only two courses, this is appropriate and certainly cuts down on dishwashing.

 

I've never sailed on a ship on any other line that was as devoid of class as the Majesty. 24/7, there were people dressed like they just came from Wal-Mart, some toting yellow plastic football helmets full of beer bottles on ice. It's a deliberate strategy on NCL's part that must be working, but it doesn't happen to be my idea of cruising. I became hooked on the lovely traditions of ocean voyages on the Norway (yes, dressing for dinner), and I am very sorry to see them dying because cruise lines think people want them to dumb down. Well, I guess some people DO want that.

 

I basically liked Bermuda. We docked in St. George's. I walked around and checked it out. Took the bus to Hamilton. The ferry to the Royal Dockyard, and the ferry back to the ship. It's a lovely island. Extremely clean. The people are friendly and speak English. There's nothing to criticize.

 

But if I had to rename it, I would call it "Caribbean Lite." You get the palm trees, the pink-tinged sand, and turquoise water, but it all seems so bland, lacking energy.

 

The chef/writer Anthony Bourdain advises, "Be a traveler, not a tourist."

 

To me, Bermuda is tourist heaven, a place for people who like to think they're going somewhere exotic without really feeling as if they've ever left home. As long as everything and everyone is just like what they're used to, they don't have to push their boundaries.

 

I know this is going to offend people, but it's not my intent. Personally, when I venture out to see the world (and pay 200% for the privilege of going alone, as NCL charged me), I want to experience new things, from the food to the ports of calls. That's just me.

 

On the Norway, I had my first taste of escargot, calamari, and foie gras. You can rest assured there's nothing that adventurous on the Majesty's standard menus.

 

It's all a matter of what you're seeking.

 

Hi Karen,

 

I think that escargot and foie gras were available in LeBistro. Friends who were with us ordered it.

 

Barb

[LuvBNatC]

Thanks, Barb. That's very good to hear. I never ate in Le Bistro because no one else I met on board was interested in paying the extra charge and I didn't feel comfortable dining in the romantic atmosphere alone.

[beach2sea]

I've seen a few posts with comments about macaroni and cheese for dinner. What were the other choices? I can't picture ordering mac&cheese. What will I get?

[margretha]

Karen,

Please don't duck and run as I did the first time I responded to someone about the condition of a room on the Majesty. I was stunned by the snide and hurtful responses I got, accusing me of being a "glass half full" type or "someone who looks for problems" sort of person. I'm amazed at the defensiveness of some responses, as if because they love beer helmets and you don't that you need to not say that or change or be quiet.

When my job gets me down, I try to find the show "Airport" on whatever channel it shows up on. I somehow find solace in watching people who are just honest and trying to do their jobs being attacked and vilified by people who because they aren't hearing what they wanted to hear, feel they have permission to be as nasty as they'd like to be to the airport personnel.

I have learned many things from these boards but have learned that being honest or sharing how you perceive things can be an invitation to others to come at you as some others on this board have. Good luck.

margretha

[michelle49]

I was one of those Wal-Mart people on the Majesty. I guess I don't have any class because I loved the whole experience. This cruise is very unique in that you do have time to explore and really see an island - not just hop to it for a couple of hours like a bunch of crazy tourists running from island to island.

[Sweetpea]

Hey Margretha--the program you're talking about is "Airline" on A&E. That is one of my favorite shows! You're right, it's amazing the way people think they can curse out the help! We're going on the Majesty in October to Bermuda so I'm looking for honest opinions/reviews of the ship. I'm pretty easy to please, but I do love cruises because I look forward to a nice dining experience.