Farewell, Majesty! June 10-17 cruise review (very long).

[Cubechick]

We awoke bright and early on Sunday in eager anticipation of our cruise to Bermuda. It would be our fifth time on the Majesty on this itinerary. However, this time would be different. We would be bidding a fond farewell to the Majesty as this would likely be our last time aboard this lovely, older lady. The weather forecast for our departure had grown increasingly dismal. Cool with a chance of showers. Not that that dampened our enthusiasm. We were on vacation! However we awakened to sunny skies and the news that the rain would be held to western Massachusetts, leaving Boston bathed in sunlight for our departure. All the better!

Our arrival at Black Falcon Terminal was a bit earlier than normal. For the first time in all of our cruises, they hadn’t yet opened the vessel for boarding. They began boarding at about 11:45. As we were booked into an AB suite, we were given a pass to the concierge area, but we felt uncomfortable cutting the line, so we waited patiently. We did however keep the pass prominently displayed, and when it was noticed by one of the staff members, we were whisked to the front of the line.

We immediately went to drop off our carryon bags and to check out our suite. It was our first time booked into a suite (in celebration of our 10th anniversary) and I have to say we were impressed. The room was 235 sq. feet, making it closer to a real hotel room (nothing compared to the Garden Villas on the newer ships, we know, but we’ll take it). The end tables and desk were topped with granite, the full-sized bath coated in marble. In lieu of a balcony there was an alcove made up of the floor-to-ceiling windows that jutted out just enough to allow you to look forward and aft. It was nice that the room was also not decorated in the pink and blue that we are accustomed to, but in muted tones of sage green and taupe. A bottle of complimentary sparkling wine was chilling as was the champagne that I’d ordered to be delivered the next day (oh well, better early than never). That promptly went into the fridge. Our only complaint about the room was the lack of storage. The superior oceanview has more drawer and closet space, along with hooks on the wall. The AB suite had one dresser with four drawers and although the closet was a “walk-in” there wasn’t any more hanging space than in a normal closet. All in all, though, we were quite pleased.

A quick dash up one flight of stairs brought us pool-side where we quickly snagged a table. A process much easier to do when you arrive early. Unfortunately, the buffet continues to offer up mediocre food, but they do have a deli-sandwich station set up. Also there’s the Piazza San Marco where you can grab burgers, dogs, and pizza. So we grabbed lunch (still not liking this “no tray” nonsense) and people watched.

It was quickly approaching the time for that one thing that stands between you and your vacation, the muster drill. So we headed to our room to grab our lifejackets and found that our luggage had arrived. Here I discovered the one mishap of our entire trip. A bottle of water that I’d packed had detonated in my suitcase, soaking half of its contents. This is when the lack of places to hang things really stood out as I attempted to hang ten or so articles of clothing!

We set sail under gorgeous skies with the environmental police boats chasing sailboats out of our path. Three loud blasts of our horn and we were on our way to Bermuda.

Before dinner we went to the Rendevous lounge for a cocktail. Kora from St. Lucia became our favorite waitress there. Always welcoming, with a big smile. The captain made an announcement that we couldn’t quite make out, but as people leaped from their chairs and ran to the port side of the ship, we figured that we’d better see what was what. There were whales swimming around, blowing their spray and fluking. A very cool way to start the trip (and the only time that we’d seen whales on our many cruises from this port).

Dinner was the Pasta Café. We’d tested the system with the concierge and had left her a message asking that she place a reservation for us. Sure enough, a card showed up in our stateroom, confirming the time and the place. I’ve always liked the Pasta Café. The food is consistently good and the view is phenomenal. I had the spaghetti carbonara (which would appear on the main restaurant menu two days later and again at the buffet our final night), which was quite tasty and DH had the steak tip piazzole (?) which was in a very flavorful sauce. Part way through our meal, DH looked out the window and we saw more whales! It was dinner with a show!

After dinner we made our way to the casino and had some success there, which is always nice.

Our room stewards, Ireno and Herbert were great. Ireno knocked on our door just to introduce himself (I’d never had a room steward do that before) and they both greeted us by name each time we saw them. The Majesty really does have the friendliest crew. Our room was kept spotless which is really all you can ask for.

Day two, at sea is always kind of just an unwind day. Unfortunately, the weather was kind of dreary (although the seas were pretty calm) and occasionally rainy. So we just hung out, dividing our time between reading and the casino. It was “Dress Up Or Not Night” with Beef Wellington and lobster on the menu. We had just been on the Spirit two months ago so we were very familiar with the menu. We decided to eat in the Seven Seas dining room. We had a small wait (maybe 5 minutes) before being seated. Although the dining room looked like it was in “controlled chaos” mode with the wait staff rushing about, we were done with our meal in about an hour. Just emphasizing how wonderful the crew on the Majesty is. It was interesting to note that items that were just “okay” on the Spirit were very good on the Majesty and vice versa. Although the menu is the same, it can be worthwhile to try something that you weren’t necessarily pleased with on another cruise.

That night we received our Dine Ashore coupons, but want to note that there are only 9 restaurants participating this year. About a third of what had been available in previous years.

Day three had us arriving in Bermuda. We had decided to take advantage of the extended room service breakfast menu and had filled out our little card the night before and hung it on our door. We should have known that something was amiss when we received a phone call asking if we wanted our scrambled eggs and our omelets on the same plates?? The waiter showed up with a giant cart laden with food which I assured him we hadn’t ordered. He retrieved our card and sure enough some mischievous kid (or adult) had checked off pretty much everything on the menu. The poor waiter was mortified and kept apologizing (as if it were his fault). We quickly sorted out what we had in fact ordered and settled down to a nice breakfast. But we certainly wouldn’t be ordering breakfast again unless we called the order in!

The day was overcast, but clearing. The Town Crier was at Gates Fort as usual to fire the cannon and welcome us to Bermuda. A sight I will never tire of. After we had docked we headed over to Achilles Bay. We hadn’t been there before, but had heard it’s good for snorkeling. It’s a tiny beach tucked in between Fort St. Catherine and Blackbeard’s Hideout. The snorkeling was as good as advertised and by the time we left there were only eight other people on the beach, so it’s nice and peaceful as well.

On the way back to the ship, we stopped at the Visitor’s Information Center to pick up a bus schedule, only to find that the center had moved! It’s now in Caffé Latté (owned by the former Town Crier) on Water street. Ultimately quite convenient as the shop is located next to the bus stop.

We attended our first Latitudes party ever. Hey, free snacks and drinks and a chance to meet the Captain. It reminded me of the old Captain’s Champagne party that they used to have on formal night…but without the band, and with a sales pitch. They did hold drawings for some prizes (dinner for 2 at LeBistro, 30 minute massages, etc.), but as usual, we didn’t win. A very constant theme for us!

Dinner was in the Four Seasons, which I prefer over the Seven Seas for its more intimate atmosphere. We both had the NY strip sirloin, which I found to be “fair”, but DH’s had more flavor than mine. Go figure.

That night was the street fair in King’s Square so we headed out to watch the Gombay dancers (if you think of it before everyone else does, the stairs on either side of the town hall give a great vantage point). We hung out at the fair, went into the White Horse and had a beverage (and watched some of the Red Sox game).

Getting back onto the ship, two crew members where walking by with a big trash barrel between them. They were returning from a barbeque thrown for the engineering department. DH jokingly asked if they had any beer in there and they said yes, with big grins. They then handed us four beers! The Majesty really does have the friendliest crew!

Day four starting out cloudy again, but we walked over the St. Catherine’s beach. DH was thrilled that the snorkeling was good and he saw a lot of fish. After we cleaned up we caught a bus to the Swizzle Inn for lunch. The best rum swizzles on the island!

We were lazy that day and just had dinner at the buffet. Actually, as I didn’t like what I had chosen, I ended up with a hotdog and fries from the Piazza San Marco. But that’s okay. I’m not that fussy!

We did go take in the comedian Ross Bennett. He was okay. He started out kind of slow but did gather steam and get funnier as his show progressed.

Day five was a repeat of day four. We were kind of lazy this trip. We have vowed that we’ll make our way to the other side of the island next trip.

One thing that we’d never seen offered before was a tour of the bridge. We made sure that were back from the Swizzle in time to do that. It was pretty cool and I was pleasantly surprised that they allowed us (even urged us) to take pictures. We learned that the Captain works 10 weeks on and 10 weeks off. The other officers work 12 on and off. Oh and if you hear someone announce a code “oscar” that means “man overboard”. Hopefully that’s something we won’t be hearing!

Dinner was at LeBistro, and it was a fantastic as always. One thing to note, is that they’ve added additional seating by setting up tables for two in the hallway! Can’t say that we’re a fan of that. We were fortunately seated in the restaurant, and I was relieved. I don’t want my elegant dining experience to be punctuated by hundreds of people tromping by!

It rained a little that night as we walked over to the White Horse to watch the Sox. Overall the weather hasn’t been bad at all.

Day six is my least favorite day. I hate leaving Bermuda. We did our standard shopping at A.S. Cooper (which is now where Trimingham’s used to be) and poked around some other shops. For the first time we went into St. Peter’s church and explored the lovely cemetery. Finally we wrapped up with a stroll through Somers Garden. We put off getting back on board until the last possible moment. Apparently a couple of people pushed that too far and didn’t make it back to the ship at all. One day while we were getting off of the ship we saw a couple with luggage who told Security that they were staying in a hotel for a couple of days…maybe it was them!

One of the customs agents was hugging everyone as they made their final passage through customs. When we were finally set adrift he and the other agents came out of their building to wave us off and offer support of the Red Sox. As we made our way through the Town Cut, we saw the uber-friendly customs agent again. He’d driven to Gates Fort on his scooter and was wishing us a bon voyage and of course a final “Go Red Sox!” Only in Bermuda do you find people this friendly!

Went to the 50% off your liquor purchase raffle, where there was controversy. The person who had the first number called had removed his raffle ticket from his receipt, so they refused to give him the prize. They said that as he had multiple liquor receipts, they couldn’t tell which receipt the ticket belonged to. Why they just didn’t honor the least expensive of the two receipts was beyond me. So the second number called ended up being the winner and they had one very irritated guest on their hands. (And, no the second number wasn’t mine…)

The VIP cocktail party was that evening, so we stopped in for that. It was in the House of Lords off of the Rendevous. It was a bit too small to accommodate everyone, so we didn’t stay long.

We had dinner in the Seven Seas restaurant, which got off to a shaky start. Our waitress disappeared for 20 minutes after our water was poured. I was a little concerned that we were about to experience one of those two and a half hour dinners that the “worst cruise ever” people always complain about. But never fear, once she returned with our wine (we’d had a bottle left over from the night before), things were back on track and we were again finished with our meal in an hour or so. I had the lobster ravioli and shrimp that I had found to be a huge disappointment on the Spirit. This time it was delicious. But a tiny serving: 3 ravioli and 2 shrimp. The waitress even asked me if I wanted seconds or another entrée. It was very nice of her, but I declined. I think I was still full from the decadent meal at LeBistro the night before. DH’s “rack of lamb” was similarly tiny with only two small chops, but he also felt like he’d eaten enough.

Our final day at sea had given us super calm seas. It was like gazing across a lake. I was out on the promenade deck trying to walk off some of the food I’d consumed when I spotted a pod of harbor porpoises frolicking along the side of the ship. We would end up seeing four pods of porpoises as the day progress (DH saw some flying fish too). You would never have seen them if the seas weren’t so calm. I think the calm seas also put us ahead of schedule. We were really creeping along to keep us from arriving in Boston ahead of schedule. DH thinks we were only doing maybe 8 knots or “Pilot boat speed”.

Taking heed of advice on this board, I got a copy of our bill to check for any discrepancies. I was especially curious as on our second day in Bermuda we received a note in our cabin informing us that we hadn’t turned in our towels and that we’d be charged the $25 each. (Until we received that note, we had thought that the whole $25 thing was just a scare tactic to get people to return their towels. We never imagined that some poor soul was sitting in a room somewhere matching up yellow slips with white ones.) I immediately called the reception desk and let them know that we had in fact returned our towels. I was told that it would be taken care of and it was. No towel charge in the bill!

We accompanied our packing with the champagne I had pre-ordered. I’ll have to remember to do that in the future…made the experience much less painful! We ate at the buffet (which we always do the last night) and I had the carbonara again. Like I said before, I liked it, but found it disappointing to have it offered up three times in the course of the cruise.

That night, we went up to the sun deck and saw the pluming of whales as the sun was setting and I swear I heard a whale’s song. I’ve never experienced so much “sea life” on a cruise before.

Disembarkation was smooth. We were escorted off of the ship by the concierge as soon as the express people were done. Our luggage was quickly found and we were on our way home.

I’m glad that our farewell voyage on the Majesty turned out to be so memorable. Between the upgraded accommodations and the beauty of the whales and the porpoises this trip will stand out in our minds for a long time.

Adieu, Majesty. Adieu.

[dodiebird]

Thank you so much for your review! We sail in "33 days" and can't be more excited. I hope we are fortunate enough to see all that ocean life you saw. Reading your "review" has made me just that much more excited!

We too will miss the Majesty!!!!

[janetjulie]

Cubechick,

Thanks so much for your wonderful review. I will be boarding the Majesty on Sunday and can't wait. Did you use the Dine Ashore vouchers? If so, where did you eat and what was on the menu? Any details would be appreciated.

 

Janet

[rebeljohn]

Very nice review...........we will be on the NYE cruise on the Majesty from Charleston........and looking forward to it.........

[JPV072900]

Hey Cubechick, thanks for submitting your review. I'm so excited to hear someone write such a great review only days before I go on the Majesty for the first time. This will be my 10th cruise overall and 2nd with NCL. I'm also taking my parents and my wife and two kids (ages 4 & 2), so I hope we all have a great time!!

 

Now that you're home, is there anything you wish you had done on the cruise or in Bermuda?? Have you been to Tobacco Bay before?? Where did you end up using your Dining Ashore vouchers?? Did you get to the City of Hamilton??

 

Anything else you can share would be great!

 

Sincerely,

 

Jeff

[dodiebird]

Hi Cubechick!

Loved the review! When did you book the Pasta Cafe? Last year we couldn't get in and we will be sailing with friends and we would like to dine there? should I do it 1st thing when We get on? We are not in a suite or penthouse. As my kids would say we are sailing in steerage. lol but who care as long as we are sailing!!! Anyone else???? Should I go immediately to the reservation desk for the Pasta Cafe and the Bistro?

Thanks!

[Cubechick]

Hey Cubechick, thanks for submitting your review. I'm so excited to hear someone write such a great review only days before I go on the Majesty for the first time. This will be my 10th cruise overall and 2nd with NCL. I'm also taking my parents and my wife and two kids (ages 4 & 2), so I hope we all have a great time!!

 

Now that you're home, is there anything you wish you had done on the cruise or in Bermuda?? Have you been to Tobacco Bay before?? Where did you end up using your Dining Ashore vouchers?? Did you get to the City of Hamilton??

 

Anything else you can share would be great!

 

Sincerely,

 

Jeff

 

We have been to Tobacco Bay numerous times. DH says it has some of the best for snorkeling. It's also great for kids as it's a shallow, protected bay. But as it is the first beach that all cruisers come to, it fills up fast. So when we go there it's usually the first day and we try to be some of the first people off of the ship to stake our claim on a good spot. If there are 2 cruise ships in port it can get towel to towel.

 

We didn't use our dining vouchers this time. We had intended to use them at the Carriage House, but ended up at the Swizzle Inn for lunch twice. My fault, I forgot the credit card and couldn't purchase "swag" at the Swagger Out gift shop. Oh well. There are far worse things in life than having pitchers of swizzle two days in a row! :D If you head out to the Swizzle Inn, Bailey's Ice Cream shop is across the street and has excellent reviews. (DH says there's a thread on the Bermuda forum that discusses the Dine Ashore program in detail.)

 

I do recommend the Carriage House, however. It's white glove service with excellent food. And they allow you to order anything off the menu rather than limiting you to a fixed menu. The White Horse offers more casual pub grub and is fine, but the food at the Carriage House is superior.

 

DH doesn't really care for Hamilton, so we haven't been there in a while. I do wish that we'd either taken the high speed ferry out to Dockyard (the fare is covered by your bus pass) or to Hamilton, then bussed it out to one of the famous pink beaches along South Shore road. In five trips to Bermuda, I still haven't managed that. But it's just another excuse to go back!

 

Cube

[Cubechick]

Hi Cubechick!

 

Loved the review! When did you book the Pasta Cafe? Last year we couldn't get in and we will be sailing with friends and we would like to dine there? should I do it 1st thing when We get on? We are not in a suite or penthouse. As my kids would say we are sailing in steerage. lol but who care as long as we are sailing!!! Anyone else???? Should I go immediately to the reservation desk for the Pasta Cafe and the Bistro?

 

Thanks!

 

Dodie, definitely hit the reservation desk when you get on the ship. I booked the Pasta Cafe immediately for that first night. On Wednesday I tried to book LeBistro through the concierge for Friday, but couldn't get the time I wanted. I was a bit disappointed by that as from what I'd read on these boards, I'd thought that the concierge could work magic. And I was trying to book more than a day in advance which I thought could only be done through a concierge. :confused: So I settled for Thursday, which had better availability as we were still in port.

 

Cube

[Welove2cruise2]

Cubechick: thanks for your great "bon voyage" review of the Majesty! We'll be doing the same in about five weeks -- and so very sad to see her leave Boston. It will be a very bittersweet cruise...:(

 

Did you happen to come across Jun -- he is a bar manager? Was Marcus Dagan on board (piano player/singer -- probably in the Polo Lounge or Rondezvous)? We so enjoyed him on our recent Dawn cruise, and he assured us he would be on board when we sail in July.

 

Any other comments on the on board entertainment? Who is the pool band? Is Amadeus still on board (or am I thinking of the Dawn...:rolleyes: )?

 

And finally, is Karin still concierge? She is WONDERFUL!!

[Cubechick]

Cubechick: thanks for your great "bon voyage" review of the Majesty! We'll be doing the same in about five weeks -- and so very sad to see her leave Boston. It will be a very bittersweet cruise...:(

 

Did you happen to come across Jun -- he is a bar manager? Was Marcus Dagan on board (piano player/singer -- probably in the Polo Lounge or Rondezvous)? We so enjoyed him on our recent Dawn cruise, and he assured us he would be on board when we sail in July.

 

Any other comments on the on board entertainment? Who is the pool band? Is Amadeus still on board (or am I thinking of the Dawn...:rolleyes: )?

 

And finally, is Karin still concierge? She is WONDERFUL!!

 

Welove2cruise2, I think we were on the same cruise as you last year!

To answer your questions, we didn't run into Jun. Yes, Marcus is on board. We saw him in the Rendevous, but you're right, he's also in the Polo Lounge. Amadeus is still there. Caribbean Wave has been replaced by a new band called "Joy". They're very good. The singer is amazing.

 

The cruise director is still "Soozy"...:eek:

 

Our conceirge was Julie Hewell, but she said she's leaving in 2 weeks, so I'm not sure who you'll have for your voyage.

 

Anything else you want to know, just ask!

 

Cube

[SweetpeaOne]

Thank you very much for posting your review. Can I ask what are "flying fish"?

[Cubechick]

Thank you very much for posting your review. Can I ask what are "flying fish"?

Hi. Cube’s DH here. I have been assigned to answer this question:

Flying fish are exactly that. Fish with wings! Try Google-ing it. That’s the way I found out after I first witnessed this phenomenon. I have witnessed them usually from NJ south all the way to Bermuda. They are spooked by the ship and jump out of the water and “fly” 50 yards or more before dipping back into the ocean. This is apparently a defense mechanism for escaping their predators. They seem most easily spotted from the front one-third of the ship, where the bow-wave breaks. I am not a marine biologist (any out there, please chime in) I thought they were birds the first time I saw them.

Mr. Cube

[weary traveler]

Cubechick you hit it right on the nose.. how great it was to be so

l.....a...z...y... and truly enjoy your last visit aboard the Majesty.. having taken her some 8 times (i think once with you...) our last trip sept 06 was exactly how you did it... Achilles Bay, that long walk to White Horse Tavern (do they still have the crew party thursday night?) and that afternoon at the swizzle inn... people are amazed when i tell them while in port.. we just sat on deck playing cribbage or scrabble and then would meander off the ship and actually stay within a block or two lol. Thanks for the heads up on the corridor tables being added for Le Bistro..i agree the dining room traffic would be most distracting... there's nothing better than those hamburgers,pizza and hot dogs at the San Marco's either.. truly a relaxing and memorable vacation for you.. thank you for sharing and putting a smile on this face remembering..

 

Weary

[pathubia]

Thanks Cubechick for the great review. We are heading on our final voyage on the Majesty August 26th. I cant wait to check in and relax. We have never been to Achilles Bay, but I think we will check it out this year.....We have done the Helmet Diving, Dolphin Dip, Crystal Caves, Aquarium, Hawkins Island Carnival....I think this year will be relaxing on the beach!!

[cruiserssandr]

Please let me add my thanks CubeChick for an excellent review. We are booked for the Sept 30 cruise which is the final 7 day cruise out of Boston. It will be our 10th Boston to Bermuda cruise. We are so sorry to see the Majesty leave Boston. It was our first cruise and now we are hooked! Glad to see the Dine A Shore program is back. Last couple of times we have used it for dinner at the Carriage House so I'm happy to see that it is still on the list.

[Cubechick]

Cubechick you hit it right on the nose.. how great it was to be so

l.....a...z...y... and truly enjoy your last visit aboard the Majesty.. having taken her some 8 times (i think once with you...) our last trip sept 06 was exactly how you did it... Achilles Bay, that long walk to White Horse Tavern (do they still have the crew party thursday night?) and that afternoon at the swizzle inn... people are amazed when i tell them while in port.. we just sat on deck playing cribbage or scrabble and then would meander off the ship and actually stay within a block or two lol. Thanks for the heads up on the corridor tables being added for Le Bistro..i agree the dining room traffic would be most distracting... there's nothing better than those hamburgers,pizza and hot dogs at the San Marco's either.. truly a relaxing and memorable vacation for you.. thank you for sharing and putting a smile on this face remembering..

 

Weary

 

Weary, you are so right. I tell people that just gazing upon the town of St. George makes you feel like you're in Bermuda without even having stepped one foot off of the ship. It's just such a gorgeous view!

 

And yes, there is still a crew party on Thursday at the White Horse. Gotta take care of the crew!:)

 

Cube

[daisydu]

Thanks for such a detailed review! We will be on the Majesty Sept 2nd for the first time (our 3rd NCL cruise). Can you tell me how long it takes to walk from the ship to the beaches you snorkled at - St. Catherines, etc?

So nice that you were able to see the whales and flying fish. We saw lots of flying fish during our W. Carribbean cruise (NCL Sun) this year. They sure can fly! Again, thank you for taking the time to post your review.:)

[berryberry]

Cubechick - thanks for the nice review. 2 questions

 

1. Is the reservations desk for the Pasta Cafe in front of the restaraunt itself or somewhere else?

 

2. For the days you ate at the buffett or Le Bistro - do you happen to know if the menu's were themed in the Dining Room? I am trying to plan what would be the best days to eat at the Pasta Cafe as well as dinner in bermuda via the Dine-ashore program and really haven't been able to come across some semblance of menus by day

 

Thanks

[mommiemudd]

We also cruised the week of the 10th. We had a super easy embarkation and disembarkation. Disembarkation was much smoother than Miami! Bermuda was wonderful. We all want to go back soon! The buses and taxis were very easy to figure out. We went to Tobacco Bay (water was too cold for me!), the aquarium (aquarium was not impressive but eh attached zoo was) and we did 2 excursions through the ship. The carriage ride and the Bermuda Island drive. I think the island drive was our favorite thing. It has been two years since our last cruise and we were disappointed in the menus. We struggled on some nights to find something we liked. Never had that problem before. We had problems in the dining room this go around. We would always ask for ice tea to drink and we would be lucky if it got there with our desserts. We probably had 4 dinners like this. The buffet was not great most days. The pizza place was awesome! The poor cook could not keep up with the demand though! Everyone loved the pizza! Loved going to Rendevous for popcorn! I have also read in the past about difficuluties getting soda with the soda card. I had never had that issue until this past cruise. I would wait patiently, then finally I would have to get a little demanding which I hate to do and shouldn't have to do. I had pre-ordered tons of stuff before the cruise. I will never do that again. I had trouble getting all of my stuff except the shore excursions. I had to hunt down everything else. They did do the birthday package that I ordered correctly. Also, I should not have ordered the soda package. Usually I get my money's worth but since we were docked there I could have purchased soda in Bermuda. The friendliest staff were our room steward and the shore excursion desk. Lots of great tips! Loved our inside room-cabin 4058. Lots of space and storage. However, the blow dryer stunk! I have super short hair and it just would not dry it. My sister-in-law in 4056 had the same issues. They looked like the same ones we had on other ships but they were not as good as the ones on the Spirit and the Sun. The Spa was wonderful! Great specials. They also had the laundry special that I love a whole bag for $24.99. Stuffed it full! But I should not have placed some of my daughters clothes in there that had stains on them. They did not treat them and they did not come out. On previous cruises the stains were always treated. I love NCL and will use them again very soon. Just a little disappointed in the difference b/w the Majesty and our last cruise on the Spirit.

 

Had a great time in Boston! We ate at Cantina Italiana,Legal Seafood and Hennesey's pub. Also, tried Mike's pastry (yum).Went to Fenway park and the aquarium. We stayed at the Millenium Bostonian. It is in need of major updating, which they will begin soon. But the hotel was very convenient to everything.

[Cubechick]

Cubechick - thanks for the nice review. 2 questions

 

1. Is the reservations desk for the Pasta Cafe in front of the restaraunt itself or somewhere else?

 

2. For the days you ate at the buffett or Le Bistro - do you happen to know if the menu's were themed in the Dining Room? I am trying to plan what would be the best days to eat at the Pasta Cafe as well as dinner in bermuda via the Dine-ashore program and really haven't been able to come across some semblance of menus by day

 

Thanks

 

HI Berryberry, the reservation desk for both LeBistro & the Pasta Cafe is now on deck 5 in the reception area.

 

Unfortunately, we didn't pay much attention to the menus the nights we didn't eat in the main dining rooms. I knew before we boarded that we wanted to eat in the Pasta Cafe the first night, so I never even looked at the other menus. Sorry!:(

[Cubechick]

Thanks for such a detailed review! We will be on the Majesty Sept 2nd for the first time (our 3rd NCL cruise). Can you tell me how long it takes to walk from the ship to the beaches you snorkled at - St. Catherines, etc?

So nice that you were able to see the whales and flying fish. We saw lots of flying fish during our W. Carribbean cruise (NCL Sun) this year. They sure can fly! Again, thank you for taking the time to post your review.:)

 

I realized that I didn't answer your question. It takes around 10-15 minutes to walk to Tobacco Bay (which is the first beach you come to) and St. Catherine's is maybe five minutes further down the road.

 

There is a blue bus that runs from the town square to all of the beaches (it has a sign in it's window saying "Ship & Beach Bus") that I believe is a dollar. There are also plenty of taxi cabs for those that aren't inclined to walk.

 

:)

[berryberry]

HI Berryberry, the reservation desk for both LeBistro & the Pasta Cafe is now on deck 5 in the reception area.

 

Unfortunately, we didn't pay much attention to the menus the nights we didn't eat in the main dining rooms. I knew before we boarded that we wanted to eat in the Pasta Cafe the first night, so I never even looked at the other menus. Sorry!:(

 

Ok, thanks. Maybe someone else will get back and post before we go in a few weeks

[weary traveler]

just think of all that Majesty-Boston stuff youre gonna get for next to nothing on that last cruise... save your pennies.. those will be collector's items...

 

Nostalgic Weary...

[scopewest]

I'm thinking of having three adults in an AB. Do you think it would be too cramped with three? Also I keep hearing about all the perks the other ships give to suite guests. What did you have on the Majesty?

[Cubechick]

I'm thinking of having three adults in an AB. Do you think it would be too cramped with three? Also I keep hearing about all the perks the other ships give to suite guests. What did you have on the Majesty?

 

I don't think you'd be too cramped with three adults in the AB. You have a queen-sized bed and a pull-out sofa. Although we can't comment on the comfort of the mattress in the pull-out, DH thought the sofa itself was quite comfy for a nap or two. There is a curtain that you can draw that divides the room in two to give yourselves a semblence of privacy. One word of caution: I have heard that with the sofa bed open, it can be a bit cramped as the two beds almost touch. But being that that's at night, I wouldn't think it would be too big a deal. Plus you also have that little seating area to use.

 

As far as the perks! They were great! :D

 

A bottle of complimentary champagne chilling upon arrival (not the best, but FREE :D ). A lovely flower arrangement (worth at least $60). A full-sized bath w/ marble accents, a tub and upgraded shampoos, real bar soap, etc. Canape's delivered everyday running the gamut from sweet to savory. You also get invited to the VIP cocktail party (free drinks and very upgraded appetizers). Finally you get to use the concierge to book reservations for restaurants and she gives you priority disembarkation (you wait over in the House of Lords, with coffee, juice & snacks until she leads you to your VIP luggage).

 

You do also get to wait in the VIP area before boarding if you arrive at the pier early enough to take advantage of it.

 

It's gonna be hard going back to steerage. :rolleyes: