Just returned from MAJESTY & DAWN---YOU GOT QUESTIONS-WE HAVE ANSWERS!

We just returned from the MAJESTY yesterday and the DAWN a month ago. Since, I had so many questions that this group answered for me...I'm more than happy to give back to this group by sharing my experiences with answers to your questions...SO JUST FIRE AWAY!

Debjo

P.S. This helps keep the cruise going for me...at least for today, I still feel the "ship swaying"!

  Until the NORWEGIAN DAWN 2004 (Can't Hardly Wait But Still Wishing I Was Going On The NORWAY Instead!)

 NORWEGIAN MAJESTY 2004 Bermuda Bound Again!

QE2-Bermuda 2003

PACIFIC PRINCESS-Bermuda 2002

REGAL EMPRESS-New England/Canada 2001

I am cruising on the Majesty the 13th. I am a little concerned about the weather. How was your weather? Also I am hearing that the food was not the good nor the buffett care to contribute your opinion. I have cruised this ship 5 other times and found the food to be ok but not as good as it once was years before. I also think that if people are saying the food and service were not that good it is because they have sailed on bigger ships and did not have open seating. Any information would be gladly accepted thanks..

deb,

welcome back! Hope you had a super cruise!

Okay, questions...

How was the food? Did you snag any menus?

How was cruise director? Ricky Matthews? Any fun events we shouldn't miss?

Did you like accommodations? Which deck were you on? How was motion of the ocean?

Okay, that is enough bombarding for today...catch you later and again, welcome back!

Patti

ps...did you see us with our red hats? We saw a couple wearing royal blue at the front. Thanks for waving if that was you.

Bermuda Bound!

HI Debjo!

Hope you and everyone you were with had a great time. I too would love to know anything about the Bermuda cruise. What I'm trying to find out is the cost and day and time of the Hawkins Island Carnival that you can't book online. No one seems to have booked this or know too much about it. So, if you have any info on this, I'd appreciate that! Just trying to plan the week we have the best we can.

How were the shows and the food? Any complaints?

Thanks!

UNTIL the MAJESTY to BERMUDA !

FOR babyof8...

1. WEATHER...we weren't hampered by the weather on our cruise, although it wasn't what we've been used to in cruising to Bermuda during the month of May. The brochures and booklets all state that May is the month that Bermuda receives the LEAST amount of rain. (Note...they don't get a lot of rain in Bermuda anyways.) After talking with many Bermudians, we were told that their "weather" has been all mixed up since Hurrican Fabian last year.

I watched the Bermuda weather for week prior to our cruise via the internet. The forecast for both Boston and Bermuda never seemed to change. Showers, rain, and thunderstorms were all predicted for both locations. We went expecting the worst and prayed for the best. What we actually experienced was a "cold" Boston with only intermitent showers that never happened when we were outside. Bermuda was always in the high 70's or low 80's. We never got rained out of things we planned to do on our own "on land"...just some intermitent misting that we found quite refreshing in the heat and humidity. The biggest problem was that many of the Bermuda "water" excursions (kayaking, snorkeling, helmet diving, boat trips) got cancelled due to rough seas. We ended up going to Tobacco Bay on our own to snorkel rather than taking an excursion boat, which most likely would have been cancelled. I highly recommend Tobacco Bay. Snorkeling around the volcanic rock formations was surreal and the fish were HUGH and plentiful!

The only real "problem" we encountered that was weather related was the gray & cloudy days. Having been to Bermuda twice before, we were anxious to get back to those "Bermuda Blue" skies and waters. Most of the time, during our trip, the skies were gray and overcast...quite like our weather at home in Central New York State. I missed the "Bermuda Blue". I also longed for those gorgeous Bermuda sunsets that I've captured in pictures on previous trips. One day that was more sun than gray skies, I thought we'd have a good sunset. It happened, but it wasn't that spectacular, colorful, feast for the eyes that I had come to expect. ON THE PLUS SIDE...during one of the "misting" days, both my husband and I captured some awesome pictures (while we were taking some outside pictures of the MAJESTY) of a vibrant rainbow that arched over the ship. I felt that God himself was smiling down on our cruise! While I yearned for a sunset, God gave us a rainbow!

2. QUALITY OF FOOD & SERVICE...Let me start by saying that my husband and I are not fussy eaters. As long as I have my potatoes and beef, I'm usually happy. My husband likes to sample different kinds of fish (not shell fish though). AND, anytime we don't have to make a meal and clean-up after ourselves, is a TREAT! In addition, neither of us have any dietary restrictions, although my husband is lactose intolerant and does take Lactaid for that, so he isn't limited to his selections and does enjoy his ice cream!

We found the menu offerings and quality of the food to be like that offered on any of the other ships we have sailed on. I must add that I found the "beef" dishes to be exemplary...always tender and always cooked to my "medium" requests. That goes for both the dining rooms and the buffet. Most of our meals were taken in the dining rooms. We did not go to LE BISTRO...after having done that on the DAWN and finding it not much different than the regular dining rooms, we decided it wasn't worth the extra charges.

I should make note here that if you are a Diabetic, the DAWN has much more to offer than the MAJESTY in "sugar-free" desserts. Our friend that sailed on both cruises with us was very disappointed with her dining options on the MAJESTY after having sailed on the DAWN. We thought that being ships sailing with the same company the food would be very similar. It wasn't as far as Diabetics are concerned in her opinion.

We didn't find any difference in the quality of the food between the dining rooms and the buffet at CAFE ROYALE. Sometimes the buffet food might be "fresher" than at other times depending on whether it was a new tray that was brought from the galley or a tray that was ready to be replaced. Unless we were pressed for time and needed to eat in a hurry due to an excursion or planned activity, we prefered to be "served" our meals in the dining rooms. NOTE: If you chose to eat in any of the dining rooms, make sure you allow yourself enough time. Breakfast usually took 1 to 1 1/2 hours and lunch or dinner usually took 2 hours. Part of the problem could have been our large group of six to ten people that dined together. We didn't always arrive at the table simultaneously and the wait staff would "wait" until the table was completely seated before taking our orders. The wait staff would also "wait" to bring out each "course" until everyone at the table was finished with the previous one. Because of this, even though we ate dinner at 5:30 each evening, we never made it to the beginning of the early "show" at 8:00 or 7:30. In addition, it always took some time to get my mother-in-law (who is handicapped and traveling in a wheelchair) a bit of extra time getting settled before dinner and "up and running" after the meal was over, so that contributed to our late arrival to the shows. In short, if you are just traveling as a couple or small family, you probably won't have as long a meal time in the dining rooms as we did.

While this is a "free-style" dining ship, we didn't really participate in the "free-style" concept of open seating. Because we were a large group (10 people) with one person in a wheel-chair, I made arrangements with the Maitre Di, shortly after I boarded, for our party of 10 to eat at 5:30 each evening in the FOUR SEASONS on "sea" days and the SEVEN SEAS on "port" days. They will only take "reservations" like this for times when the dining rooms first "open" for dinner or close to the times when the dining rooms "close" in the evening. Our breakfasts and lunches in the dining rooms were always "open" and we found that we didn't have to wait for a table if we arrived early. I also have to think that once the staff got to know our seating "needs", they anticipated our accommodation needs. So, all in all, we tried to make our "freestyle" dining experiences more like "traditional" dining because of our large group. Things worked out quite well with our plans and the MAJESTY's staff happily accomodated our needs and requests...even when we changed them at the last minute to eat in the Pasta Cafe at the ROYAL OBSERVATORY.

I should probably note here that if you are a large group...the SEVEN SEAS dining room has wonderful round tables with a combination of curved sofa seating and chairs to accommodate everyone at one table. When we ate in the FOUR SEASON, we ate at two tables that were next to each other. The ROYAL OBSERVATORY (Pasta Cafe) is much more intimate and only has tables for four with a space on the ledge with a cushion for a fifth person, and tables for two or three. It was also a bit more difficult to negotiate my mother-in-law and her wheelchair through this dining venue if there were many people already seated there. If you have a wheelchair...early arrival in the ROYAL OBSERVATORY is a must.

Wow...that was a long reply! Hope I helped answer your questions and concerns.

Debjo

  Until the NORWEGIAN DAWN 2004 (Can't Hardly Wait But Still Wishing I Was Going On The NORWAY Instead!)

 NORWEGIAN MAJESTY 2004 Bermuda Bound Again!

QE2-Bermuda 2003

PACIFIC PRINCESS-Bermuda 2002

REGAL EMPRESS-New England/Canada 2001

Hi....

Did the ship turn around again in Bermuda sometime mid week? Just wondering.

Thanks!

UNTIL the MAJESTY to BERMUDA !

FOR mikenpat (Patti)...

Thanks for the "welcome" home, although I'd still rather be on the ship! I haven't quite got my "land legs" back yet, and still think I'm swaying with the ship at times. I guess my body still thinks I'm cruising!

1. See my comments on the FOOD in my reply to babyof8. In further "food" thought...the remember that you can get DINNER everywhere on the ship. If you want BREAKFAST or LUNCH in a dining room, you can only go to the SEVEN SEAS. While the PIAZZA SAN MARCO is supposed to be open 24 hours, they do not have any breakfast food available...just hot dogs (decent), hamburgers (not so great), pizza-cheese or pepperoni (can be OK and not so OK depending on when it was made and by whom), and some salads and fruit. One night (2:00-3:00 am)when the MAJESTY was "rocking & rolling" in high seas (which we found quite exciting and exhilerating), we climbed up to the Sports Deck 10 to experience it all and grab a bite to eat, we found the PIAZZA SAN MARCO to be closed...guess they couldn't keep the food on the buffet from flying around! (As an aside here...the rollercoaster ride on the sea tossed some things around in the gift shops and the sales staff there has some messes to clean up when they opened in the morning. Have no fear...we took Bonine every day when we were "at sea" and this exciting ride didn't cause us to be sea-sick in any way. The next morning, when we checked in with our family at breakfast, we discovered that many of them had slept right through the experience...even my mother-in-law! There is nothing to compare to the rocking of a ship to put you to sleep...it is like being rocked in a cradle.)

MENUS...my husband likes to "collect" menus from all our cruises. He usually asks the Maitre Di at some point and is given a packet of menus at the end of the trip. This cruise, he obtained some menus at the beginning, but didn't remember to "collect" them each day. At the end of the trip, he asked about it, but was told that if he asked a day earlier, he could have gotten the entire packet. He was only able to procure the final menus then. So, we are lacking the menus from the middle of the journey. Having just sailed on the DAWN a month prior, we did notice that the menus on the MAJESTY were very similar (if not the same) from the menus we got on the DAWN.

2. The Cruise Director on the MAJESTY is now BRUCE KIDD. He was fantastic...very available and very upbeat. He and his assistant CD, Chris Butcher played off each other well.

FUN EVENTS THAT SHOULDN'T BE MISSED..."Liar's Club" game/show, any of Comedian Rudi Macaggi's shows (I won't say more because I don't want to spoil the experience for you), "What's My Line" game, the main Broadway Revue shows, and of course, the Chocoholic Buffet. There were many, many more things that we would have liked to participate in, but didn't get a chance to because we taking care of my handicapped mother-in-law and the rest of our first-time cruising family. They "dubbed" me "cruise director" of our group...a position that you need to be very flexible with and very hard to schedule things that you might want to do. My "free time" was limited to times when Mother took her daily naps and the late evening hours after she had gone to bed. My husband and I knew this ahead of time and tried to plan our days accordingly. So, I know there is MUCH, MUCH more that you shouldn't miss...just carry your "Freestyle Daily" around with you and don't forget your highlighter. Oh, I almost forgot...one of the "fun" things we did was participate in the Sports Afloat Scavenger Hunt. Our friends took part in the complete Sports Afloat program and obtained their complimentary T-shirts, we only did the Scavenger Hunt. It was silly fun running around the ship trying to get the answers to the questions within the time allotted. Hint...have some deck plans with you if you do it, it helps to save some time!

One thing I did "endulge" myself with was a special they had at the spa. I believe you had to sign up for it on Thursday. Anyway, it was a "Pick & Mix" where you could choose any three threatments from Mini Facial, Foot Massage, Back-Neck-Shoulder Massage, Hand Massage, Conditioning Scalp Treatment, or Toenail Painting for only $69 (a savings of $89). I schedule my appointment for shortly after Bermuda Sail Away. The Back-Neck-Shoulder Massage, Foot Massage, and Mini Facial did wonders for my neck (which was sore from snorkeling the day before)...not to mention having a massage while at sea was heavenly. With the "special", I was fully prepared to experience some "hard-sell" tactics from the spa staff, but that didn't happen. When my "treatment" selections were done (about 1 hour and 15 minutes), I was asked if they could show me what products they used. I agreed and after inquirying about price, I simply stated I wasn't interested and it was done...no hard selling here. I have to admit, I was quite surprised!

3. CABIN ACCOMMODATIONS...We had cabin 402, an "F" Category cabin on Biscayne Deck 4 on the Port side with a picture window. My mother-in-law paid for all of the family cabins (we all had "F" Category Oceanview on Biscayne Deck 4) so that we could travel with her...even though the family had purchased the cruise for her 80th birthday gift...she decided that she wanted to give us a cruise for all of our 2004 birthdays! So she paid for us and we paid for her! My mother and father-in-laws had a Category CC Superior Oceanview Handicapped Cabin #746 on Promenade Deck 7. My husband and I hand-picked this Cabin 402 because we like to sail on the Port-side due to the views you get going in and out of St. Georges and the dock in Boston. We also wanted to sail in a cabin in the furthest forward section of the ship, having not sailed in that part of a ship before. The cabins furthest forward in a ship offer the greatest sensation of the ship's movement through the water...this is why we had so much fun the night of the "rock & roll"!

CABIN 402...I knew before, from research and seeing pictures on the internet that our stateroom accommodations would be small...108 square feet. This was the smallest cabin we have every had on a cruise. I have to admit that I was surprised at the "smallness" of the cabin when we first opened our door. In order to take a picture of the "entire" cabin, you have to be standing out in the hall with the door open. Comparatively speaking...all of the cabins on the MAJESTY are smaller than the staterooms we've seen on other ships. Don't let this be a deterent to booking the MAJESTY though...the cabins are well laid out and believe me...you can make them work for you.

The twin beds in our cabin were seperated by a small nightstand with four drawers. We chose to have the "twins" pushed together. There was a desk/vanity with lighted mirror at the foot of the bed along with a chair. This "desk" had two drawers...one is a pull-out ironing board (no irons, so bring your own), the other drawer held a Gideon Bible and could be used for your clothes or whatever. There were two "pegs" behind the door that you can hang your jackets, baseball caps, purse, waterbottle holder, etc. on. I highly recommend bringing some "removeable stick-on hooks"...they will come in handy. NOTE: When we had the beds pushed together, there wasn't a way to "walk" between the desk and the foot of the bed...you had to crawl over the foot of the bed to get to the nightstand that was now placed in the corner. The twin beds pushed together were pushed to the wall that the upper shelf with television was placed on and that the closet was on. The long rectangular shape of the cabin was interrupted by the bathroom that was directly to the left upon entering the cabin and the double full mirrored door closet. The closet housed a swinging cupboard door with the credit card operated safe behind it. Beneath the safe were two small drawers. The wooden hangers (some with pant clips) weren't enough for our clothes, so we asked our cabin steward for some additional ones. Because of the safe/drawers placed in the closet, full hanging dresses/gowns and pants can only be placed in one-half of the closet. There was a shelf above the closet hanger bar, but it was only large enough for the two life preservers housed there.

The bathroom was tight and irregular in shape. If you are a "large" person...you might have some difficulty in this bathroom if you shut the door...the shower area could also be a problem. The counter around the sink wasn't large enough to hold our overnight bag, so we had to place it on the floor. There was a small shelf beneath the sink, but it is VERY narrow and can't accommodate much. A trash can was placed underneath that. (There was also a trash can under the desk.) There is a full wall mirror above the sink. NO TROUBLE WITH BROWN/YELLOW water at all. There is a dispenser for hand soap on the wall by the sink. Another dispenser with shower gel and shampoo in the shower. You actually step up into the bathroom...all of the plumbing is beneath the floor. The shower doesn't have a "door", just a cloth curtain which really doesn't keep the shower water from invading the rest of the bathroom area even though the floor of the shower is slightly lower and has a drain. Traveling shower water can be contained by placing a folded towel underneath the edge of the shower curtain. There is a grab handle in the shower should the ship be "moving" when you are showering. The toilet is directly opposite the bathroom door. It is vacuum operated and we were surprised at how much quieter it was than the toilets on the DAWN. There is a towel rack up above the toilet. If you have ever had experience with the bathrooms in a camper trailer...take this experience with you on the MAJESTY, it will help you cope with the bathrooms better...just think "camper".

When we first were unpacking our four suitcases and one carry-on, we didn't think we'd have space enough for everything, but with a little creativitiy, you can make it work. Just keep putting everything "away" when you use it...there literally isn't any space for "clutter". Suitcases all fit under the beds...no room in the closet or on the floor for them in the cabin. At the head of the bed and beneath the window there was a ledge that was convenient to put our camera gear, umbrella, and other sundries. The head of the beds also have a master light switch to shut off the overhead lights of the cabin as well as individual reading lights for the bed.

We brought along our "power strip" which was plugged into the single outlet on the desk.

The thermostat is located behind the door and was easy to use...red for heat and blue for air-conditioning. We DID NOT have any trouble with keeping the cabin a comfortable temperature.

If you are concerned about MOTION OF THE OCEAN...do not get a forward cabin. As stated before, we chose this for the "motion experience" and we got what we wanted and even more when we skirted that storm on Friday night.

4. RED HATS...BLUE HATS...While we had our blue baseball caps on, it was so windy at the front of the ship on "sail-away" that we had to put our navy blue jacket hoods up. We both took video and digital pictures and "waved". We'll have to see when we review our pictures if we can spot you...had trouble "seeing" red hats from the upper deck of the ship. Guess we should have had flags to wave or something a bit more creative than the color of our hats. Thanks for giving us a good send off...it was nice knowing that there was someone there to bid us Bon Voyage!

Well, this has turned into a book...thanks for asking the questions and keeping the cruise "alive" for me. It won't be long now before you are leaving. Anymore questions...fire away!

Debjo

  Until the NORWEGIAN DAWN 2004 (Can't Hardly Wait But Still Wishing I Was Going On The NORWAY Instead!)

 NORWEGIAN MAJESTY 2004 Bermuda Bound Again!

QE2-Bermuda 2003

PACIFIC PRINCESS-Bermuda 2002

REGAL EMPRESS-New England/Canada 2001

FOR Newcruiser00...

Yes, our family did have a great time...we tried to be flexible and make the best of the weather conditions, etc. Remember, even if things don't work out according to "plan"...the best place to be on vacation in bad weather is on a cruise ship...there is always something fun to do!

Sorry, I don't have any information on the Hawkins Island Carnival...your postings are the first I've been made aware of it. We didn't hear anything about it from anyone else on our cruise. Have you done an internet search for it to find a website?

I know about planning your week...we had a rigid itinerary based on the things we did with my handcapped mother-in-law with her care and sightseeing arrangements we had to make (outside of what the cruise line could do for us) and the things we wanted to do during her rest time. We had prebooked our excursions through NCL ahead of time. We ended up cancelling them on the ship. Many of the excursions got cancelled due to the rough water and safety concerns even though it wasn't raining. So be prepared with an alternate plan for your days incase of inclement weather and/or cancellations so you won't be left with idle time on your hands.

ONE THING YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF (that messed us up a bit)...Our cruise itinerary was scheduled to arrive in St. Georges on Tuesday at 1:00 PM. We learned on Monday that the ship would be arriving in St. Georges at 9:00 AM on Tuesday instead. We had our CAPTAIN'S CHOICE SNORKEL excursion schedule for our arrival in St. Georges on Tuesday at 1:00 PM. Our prebooking excursion confirmation stated 1:00 PM on Tuesday, our cruise ticket documentation stated 1:00 PM on Tuesday for this excursion. When we arrived at our cabin upon boarding, we found an envelope of excursion tickets waiting in our cabin. We check the names of the excursion and found two tickets that didn't belong to us and our Captain's Choice Snorkel tickets to be missing. They were not given because we had to fill out some medical information before they would be issued. We completed the medical questionnaire and reported to the Excursion Desk at Crossroads. We returned the two excursion tickets that did not belong to us and handed in our medical forms. Our Captain's Choice Snorkel tickets were already printed up and awaiting us. They were handed over and we put them in the envelope with our other tickets. Here is where the problem comes...in no way were we alerted to the change in itinerary (the early arrival in St. Georges that would take place on Tuesday), nor were we told that the previously confirmed times of our 1:00 PM snorkel excursion had been changed. It wasn't until breakfast on Tuesday morning at 9:30 am that we overheard someone taking about their excursion time being changed for that morning because of our early arrival in St. Georges. When we got back to our cabin and took the excursion tickets from our safe, we read them thoroughly and discovered that our CAPTAINS CHOICE SNORKEL was NOT at 1:00 PM on Tuesday, but was listed at 9:00 AM on Tuesdya. Needless to say, we missed our excursion. We felt that it would have been appropriate for someone at the excursion desk to "alert" us to this change or at least take a yellow highlighter and mark the time on the ticket. Granted, we probably should have read every word on the tickets when we got them, but to be honest, we were more concerned with getting the tickets that had incorrectly been given to us into the right hands. Anyways, by Friday, we had talked to enough of the ship's staff about our dilemma and a compromise was reached so that we didn't have to lose ALL of the fee that we paid for that excursion.

We did manage to find out that the MAJESTY's itinerary for arrival in St. Georges was changed from 1:00 PM arrival to 9:00 am arrival on Tuesdays since early in May...about three weeks prior to our cruise. We thought that our's was just an isolate instance based on good tail winds/currents or something, but that wasn't the case...they've been arriving at St. Georges for disembarkation at 9:00 am for the last three cruises. Even the NCL website has not changed that itinerary time and if you look today, you'll find that it still says 1:00 PM arrival. Even our arrival back to Boston was changed from a 7:00 am arrival to a 4:00 am arrival. I don't know if it was just for our trip or a "new" itinerary. Anyways, my husband wasn't able to be up on deck for his picture taking as we got back to Boston.

OUR ADVICE...DON'T COUNT ON ANY PRE-CRUISE INFORMATION YOU HAVE REGARDING TIMES...CHECK, DOUBLE-CHECK, TRIPLE-CHECK EVERYTHING. It is too bad we have to do this and I hate having to do other people's "jobs", but it will save you some anguish during your cruise.

As far as letting you "know anything about the Bermuda cruise", it is easier to answer specific questions rather than write a review or just elaborate about our experiences. As you can see from previous posts...I get rather lengthy in my postings and replies. If I were to "write" a review...it would be a rather lengthy book!

2. SHOWS, FOOD, COMPLAINTS...Try not to miss the shows. It might be easier to dine early and catch the late show than to dine early and catch the early show (see my previous postings above). Considering the size and sightlines of the PALACE THEATER, the shows were good and the performers outstanding. Try to get to the PALACE THEATER to get a "good" seat in the center front of the stage. Getting their 45 minutes before the show should help. The comedians were hilarious...especially the stylings of Rudi Macaggi...believe me you haven't seen comedy/acrobatics until you've seen him. He could be the next Robin Williams. The Broadway type shows were more song and dance. The stage is small and cannot accommodate "set" changes very well. The performers were great!

FOOD...see my previous postings on this board.

COMPLAINTS...keep in mind that the MAJESTY is going to go for a refit in October. There were a few things like our T.V. not working and getting only three channels (which was fixed within two hours of our reporting it). One of the other members of our group had a safe that didn't work because a bolt was missing...this too got resolved in good time. A couple other people in our group had a safe that didn't work with their credit cards...this got fixed immediately upon reporting it. The only problem with safe issues is that you have to be in your cabin when they come to repair it.

We noticed that our hand lotion wasn't replaced when it was gone. We just left a post-it note on our mirror requesting more and they were replenished the next time our cabin was cleaned. We didn't see our cabin steward for two days...we knew he was their because our cabin was always cleaned up, so we just left him post-it notes on the mirror. Finally on day three, we ran into him and learned that it wasn't just magic that kept our cabin spotless!

Just remember that if you have a concern about something...either ask your cabin steward or go to the Reception Desk. If you don't alert the right people that there is a problem, you can't get it fixed.

Our only real complaint would have to be regarding our Captain's Select Snorkel Excursion situation which I described above...which I have to add resolved to our satisfaction. Just remember a little bit of honey goes a long way in trying to get something fixed to your satisfaction. The ship's staff handle a lot of problems and when they are faced with irrate passengers they might not be as understanding as if you approached them in a more positive way. Compromise is the name of the game!

TO ANSWER YOUR SECOND POSTING...yes, the MAJESTY did "turn around" while we were in Bermuda. It was on Thursday. Apparently, the crew was performing some safety drills and inspections with the Starboard lifeboats upon our arrival. In order to do the same with the Port side lifeboats, the ship had to be turned around and relocated to the other dock. This was announced over the P.A. system and written in the "Freestyle Daily". It did not present any problem to members of our group. Note: our Port side cabin viewed St. Georges town at the first dock. When the ship relocated and turned around, we got a "view" of the harbor and the island on the other side. The fun came onboard because we were so used to going in one direction when inside the ship (based on what we were seeing out the windows), we were a bit disoriented at first when the ship turned around. Many times we'd head down a hall only to realize that we needed to be going the other way!

My understanding is that this is not a weekly occurance...just a scheduling of safety drills and Coast Guard regulations.

Hope this information all helps in your planning.

Debjo

  Until the NORWEGIAN DAWN 2004 (Can't Hardly Wait But Still Wishing I Was Going On The NORWAY Instead!)

 NORWEGIAN MAJESTY 2004 Bermuda Bound Again!

QE2-Bermuda 2003

PACIFIC PRINCESS-Bermuda 2002

REGAL EMPRESS-New England/Canada 2001

debjo

I would love to get copies of the main restaurant menus if you have them

I have a question about the dawn. Could you tell me what the deal is with the drinks, I'm getting confused. From what I'm reading everything except, soda, mixed drinks and bottled H20 are free. Is this true, and also is this just at meals or anytime. Can you ask for specifics like lemonaide and juices or is this a charge, and also what about room service are these kind of drinks free then too.

Also we are planning on taking the excursion to Seaworld, is it a hassle to get off the ship, we've done Seaworld before, so it's no big deal either way.

Thanks Donna

thanks for such a great and detailed review!

are you able to tell me anything about the kids' program on the ship? thanks

debjo,

Wow..what a font of information. A million thanks for the great details.

I know that you have more questions to answer but I just have one for you now.

Do you mean to say that you returned to Boston at 4:00am?

I am glad that we have not gotten up early at 6:00 on Sunday to go over and see the ship come in, if that is the case. She would have been there for two hours already.

Thanks again,

Patti

Bermuda Bound!

debjo,

Thanks so much for your detailed information! I really appreciate it!

Glad your family cruise was a success! How is the "birthday girl" this week? Hopefully, she had a great time too and is ready to go back !

UNTIL the MAJESTY to BERMUDA !

DEBJO......you mentioned that you wanted to make the most of the motion of the ocean by staying in a cabin in the front of the ship. You also stated that you got more than you bargained for when skirting the storm. Do you know if the Majesty has stabilizers or not? I am thinking about sailing the Majesty because it is so close to home, but have heard conflicting accounts about the stability of the ship. Any info would be greatly appreciated. BTW, you are a tremendous writer and I have enjoyed your responses. Not a wasted word and so detailed. Great review!!!

Facation Fanatic

Fantasy - 6/02 Bahamas

Fantasy - 12/02 Bahamas

Victory - 9/03 NE/Canada

Sovereign of the Seas - 1/04 Bahamas

Sovereign of the Seas - 4/04 Bahamas Daughter's Birthday Cruise

Carnival Glory to the Eastern Caribbean

For jonj...

I don't have a way to "copy" the menus for you, but can give you a run-down from the few that my husband procured.

MAIN DINING ROOM BREAKFAST (Seven Seas-First Day of our trip)

EXPRESS BREAKFAST: Choice of Chilled Juices & Yogurts, Freshly Scrambled Eggs with Crisp Bacon, Assorted Bakeries, Coffee, Tea or Milk (This was a good selection if you were on a time schedule.)

THE "COURSE" SELECTIONS WERE:

CHILLED JUICES: Orange, Grapefruit, Pineapple, Prune, Tomato, V-8

ASSORTED YOGURTS: Plain, Strawberry, Blueberry, Peach, Mixed Fruits

FRUITS: Fresh Sliced Fruit Plate, Chilled Melon In Season, Grapefruit Half, Sliced Bananas, Kadota Figs, Stewed Prunes, Peaches, Pears, and Baked Apple in Syrup

FROM THE BAKERY: Bran, Fruit, and English Muffins; Assorted Danish Pastries, Croissants, Brioches, Cinnamon Rolls, Donuts, Sweet Rolls, White & Whole Wheat Breads and Bagels. (These were usually brought out on a tray and you made your selection at the table.)

PRESERVES: Assorted Jellies, Marmalades, Honey (These were in a rack on the table.)

COLD CEREALS: Corn Flakes, Frosted Flakes, Rice Krispies, Fruit Loops, Cheerios, Total, Raisin Bran, All Bran, Shredded Wheat, Product 19, Special K, Quaker 100% Natural.

HOT CEREALS: Cream of Wheat, Oatmeal, Grits, Served with Hot Milk at Your Request.

EGGS TO ORDER: Boiled, Poached, Scrambled, Basted, Sunny-side Up, Over Easy.

"Cooking Light" BREAKFAST: Banana-Buttermilk Pancakes Served with Cinnamon-Rum Syrup (The Menu lists the calories, protien, carbs., etc.)

SPA SELECTION: Fat and Colesterol-Free, Low in Sodium & Calories. Assorted Juices (Approx. 90 Calories), Melon in Season or Grapefruit Half (Approx. 50 Calories), Scrambled Egg Beaters (Approx. 45 Calories).

FISH SPECIALS: Broiled Scotch Kipper with Browned Onions, Steamed Smoked Haddock with Lemon, Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese, Herring in Wine Sauce.

FROM THE GRIDDLE AND OVEN: Crisp Bacon, Ham, Pork Link Sausage, Turkey Sausage, Scotch Bangers, Hash Brown Potatoes, Corned Beef Hash, Pancakes, French Toast, Grilled Tomato, Baked Beans.

BEVERAGES: Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, Assorted Teas, Milk, Skim Milk, Hot Chocolate.

DINNER MENUS:

BON VOYAGE DINNER (Same menu for both the Four Seasons Dining Room, where we ate on the first night, and the Seven Seas Dining Room)

COLD APPETIZERS:

Norwegian Shrimps in Aquavit (Shrimps in Dill-Mustard Mayonnaise flavored with Caraway Seed "Schnaps"

Basque Duck Confite and Lentil Salad (Garnished with sliced Smoked Duck Breast and fresh Chervil)

Fresh Fruit Salad with "Kirsch" (Marinated in "Kirschwasser" Liqueur from the Black Forest)

HOT APPETIZER: Crisp Fried Mushrooms with Italian Dip

THE SOUP KETTLE:

Hong Kong Won-Ton Ginger Broth

"Cooking Light" Roasted Tomato-and-Red Pepper Soup (with calories etc. listed)

Chilled Cream of Guava and Coconut

FRESH FROM THE GARDEN:

Russian Summer Salad (Butter Lettuce, Beets, Eggs and shredded Radishes served with Russian or other Traditional Dressings

Composition of California Greens and Herbs (Choice of Olive Oil-and-Vinegar, Traditional or Fat-Free Dressings

VEGETARIAN ENTREE: Caramelized Asian Noodles, Green Beans, Eggplant, Cashews and Fried Tofu (Soba-and Lo0Mein Noodles Wok-fried with Balsamic Vinegar, Garlic, Clover Honey, Light Soya Sauce, fresh Basil and Cilantro, Topped with Tofu)

PASTA DEL GIORNO: Farfalle e Salmone Affumicato (Bow-Tie Pasta with Smoked Salmon in a Saffron-Dill Cream Sauce Served with freshly grated Parmesan Cheese at your table)

MAIN COURSES:

Roast Prime Rib of Heartland Beef Served with a Natural "Glaze" and Whipped Horseradish Cream Complemented with Vegetables and Baked Idaho Potato)

"Cooking Light" Pan-Seared Scallops With Walnuts, Spiced Carrots and Wild Rice Pilaf

Pork Cutlets"Saltimbocca alla Romana" Griddle-fried with Sage, Ham and Provolone Cheese Served with Pesto flavored Gnocchis and Vegetables

FROM THE GRILL:

Moroccan Lamb Kebabs-Grilled ground Lamb Skewers served in a Cous Cous Ring with Vegetables braised in Arabian Spices, crowned with thinly shaved Red Onions and fresh Mint.

ALWAYS AVAILABLE: Grilled Chicken Breast, Steamed Vegetables, and Baked Potatoes with Condiments

FROM OUR CHEESE BOARD: Assortment of International Cheeses and Fruits

DESSERTS (which they usually brought out on a "sample" tray after the meal for you to look at rather than reading off the menu)

Decadence Chocolate Cake-a Flourless Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Sauce

Merida Chiffon Pie On Lime and Tequila Salsa

"Cooking Light" Irish Break Pudding with Carabel-Whiskey Sauce (calories etc. listed)

FROM THE ICE CREAM PARLOR: Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Coffee, Butter Pecan Ice Creams.

Coconut, Raspberry, and Orange Sherbets.

Norwegian Sky Ice Cream Coupe

Frozen Vanilla Yogurt

Choice of Sugar and Fat-Free Ice Creams

BEVERAGES: Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, Assorted Teas, Espresso, Cappuccino

CHEF'S DINNER MENU (This was the menu for our last night of the cruise-again, the same for both the Four Seasons and Seven Seas Dining Rooms.)

COLD APPETIZERS: Duo of Tuna Tartare with Cucumbers and Daikon Coriander-Citrus Vinaigrette.

Cantonese Style Beef Salad With Bean Sprouts and Sesame Seeds.

"Cooking Light" Three-Berry Compote (with calories etc. listed)

HOT APPETIZER: Baked Idaho Potato with Creme Fraiche and Salmon Caviar

THE SOUP KETTLE:

Yellow Split Pea Soup with Smoked Hocks and Scallions.

Fish and Vegetable Minestrone, Garlic Baguette.

"Cooking Light" Fire-and-Ice Melon Soup (with calories, etc. listed)

FRESH FROM THE GARDEN:

Mixed Crisp Lettuces with Vegetables and Bacon Bits and Your Choice of Traditional and Fat Free Dressings.

Red Beets, Radishes and Carrots in their own individual Marinade.

VEGETARIAN ENTREE: Mediterranean Style Vegetables in Tamarind Curry With Steamed White Rice and Dates.

PASTA DEL GIORNO: Fettuccine ai Funghi Pasta Ribbons with Mushrooms, Pine Nuts and Rosemary

MAIN COURSES:

Salmon Piccata on Sun-Dried Tomato Spaghetti.

"Cooking Light" Red Currant-Glazed Pork Chop with Root Vegetables and Savoy Potatoes (with calories, etc. listed).

"Butterflied, Griled Leg of Lamb with Forty Cloves of Garlic, Pan Jus, Seasonal Vegetables and Roasted Red Bliss Potatoes.

FROM THE GRILL: Cowboy Steak with Tobacco Onoins Vegetable Stir-Fry and Roast Potatoes

ALWAYS AVAILABLE & FROM OUR CHEESE BOARD-same as on dinner menu above

DESSERTS:

Chocolate-Nougat Cake on Grand Marnier Sauce.

Apple in the Jacket with Raisins and Marzipan on French Vanilla Bean Sauce, Baked in Puff Pastry Coat.

"Cooking Light" Almond-Mocha Parfait (with calories, etc. listed).

FROM THE ICE CREAM PARLOR:

Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Coffee, Butter Pecan Ice Creams.

Pineapple, Raspberry, and Orange Sherbets.

Choice of Sugar and Fat-Free Ice Creams.

Pear Belle Helene.

Ice Cream Sundae.

Frozen Raspberry Yogurt.

BEVERAGES: Same as on menu transcribed above.

(Note at the bottom of the menues..."The Children's Menu and Kosher prepared items are available. These distinguished selections require time for preparation. Please consult your waiter for your advance order.")

(They also had menues written in foreign languages available.)

NOTE: We did not eat in the main dining rooms on Caribbean Night nor the last night of the cruise (see above menu)...we ate in the ROYAL OBSERVATORY (reservations required but no cover charge) for both nights. The menu there was similar in format and featured Italian style selections (although they were not the "red" sauce Italian foods one might expect). Since this "restaurant" is a lounge by day and is located on Deck 9 far away from the galley, the menu selections are not as numerous as in the main dining rooms. There were only two main course entrees offered each night. The first night I had Beef Stroganoff, the second night I had Pork in Cream Sauce. Both were served over pasta. I originally thought that the menu for the "Pasta Cafe" would be the same each night and was pleasantly surprised to find that they do offer a different menu each night. It is an intimate and quiet place to eat which overlooks the bow of the ship, giving you a "Captain's" view of the sea and sunset (if you are fortunate to get one). There is a piano player there. The only problem we had with that dining venue was that the tables were bolted to the floor and only accommodated two or four people (you could put a fifth person on the window ledge with a cushion at the tables for four). It was a difficult room to get my mother-in-law into with a wheelchair unless you arrived when they first opened. The tables/chairs are in very close proximity to each other for negotiating a wheelchair around when people are already seated. It is also a two tiered room and there are ramps to the upper level, but difficult to navigate with the wheelchair when people are seated.

HOPE THIS HELPS...sorry we didn't obtain more menus.

Debjo

  Until the NORWEGIAN DAWN 2004 (Can't Hardly Wait But Still Wishing I Was Going On The NORWAY Instead!)

 NORWEGIAN MAJESTY 2004 Bermuda Bound Again!

QE2-Bermuda 2003

PACIFIC PRINCESS-Bermuda 2002

REGAL EMPRESS-New England/Canada 2001

FOR elwin1942 (Donna)...

REGARDING YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DAWN...I believe that you have things straight in your mind about the drinks. Sodas, Mixed Drinks & Beer, and Bottled Water will cost you additional money plus a 15% tip (even though they might not be directly from the bar as in the case of bottled water). NOTE: The "tip" is automatically calculated on your "bar bill", so you don't need to "add" it to the total that appears unless you want to give the waiter/waitress a bit more for exceptional service! My husband and I do not "drink" and we did order some "tap" water from the bars and were not charged. Coffee, Iced Tea, Lemonade, and Juices are available at all means without charge. They are even "on tap" at the buffet. HELPFUL TIP: If you have brought water bottles from home or purchased one on the ship and want to have some liquid refreshment with you...just take a cup and fill your bottle from the buffet dispensers. The attendants at the buffet won't let you "dispense" the beverages directly into your "water" bottles for sanitary reasons...that is why you have to put it into a cup first and then pour the cup into your bottle.

We didn't procure the ROOM SERVICE MENU from our DAWN trip (or we just haven't found it yet in our piles of papers), but I recall from memory that it was the same or, at least, very similar to the one we just brought back from the MAJESTY.

The MAJESTY's BREAKFAST ROOM SERVICE MENU lists Orange, Tomato, and Grapefruit Juices. Other beverages listed were: Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, Tea, Hot Chocolate, Milk and Lowfat Milk.

The MAJESTY'S 24 HOUR ROOM SERVICE MENU lists some "SPECIAL OCCATION" items for which there is an additional charge. The charges are listed for Canapes, Cheese Platter, Shrimp, Caviar, Truffles, etc. which are available from 11:00 am to 11:00 pm. Bar Service with charge is available from 9:00 am to 2:00 am. A one-hour preparation time is required for the "food" items that there is a "charge" for. There is also a 15% gratuity that will be added to your check.

The "FREE" items available on the 24 hour room service menu include vegetables & dip, fruit plate, Chicken Saesar Salad, Oriental Noodle Soup, Assorted Sandwiches, Pizza, Chef's Dessert of the Day, Chocolate Mousse. For the kids there is Hot Dog & Chips, Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich, Cookies or Brownies. "FREE" Room Service Beverages include: Coffee, Assorted Teas, Iced Tea, Milk. Friends traveling with us on both the DAWN & the MAJESTY ordered Room Service Coffee each morning. There are hang cards available to put on the outside of your cabin door handle. You need to put them out by 4:00 am for breakfast that morning. The cabin stewards collect them. Breakfast Room Service is available for delivery from 6:30 am to 9:00 am. On both the DAWN & MAJESTY they would call your cabin before delivering breakfast. This was nice, because it assured that you'd be awake to receive it. It also served as a good wake-up call in case you didn't program the wake-up call correctly into your cabin telephone.

They would like a 30 minute time allowance for deliver of the "Free" items and the Room Service menu states that "gratuities are suggested".

NOTE: Water from the faucets in our cabin on both the DAWN and the MAJESTY was fine to drink...no problems there.

YOUR SEAWORLD EXCURSION: There was no problem in getting off the DAWN when we were docked for anything that you wanted to do. Just make sure that you have your cabin key card with you when you get on or off...they need to "swipe" it into their computer system for security measures both when you get on and off the ship. When you return to the ship, you will also have to pass through a metal detector and have all your bags, purses, cameras, etc. (anything you are carrying with you) go through the scanning system. A process very similar to the airports these days. Somehow it seems faster to get through the ship's security than through the airport security. There wasn't much of a backup or time to "wait" in line. Of course, the busiest time to get off the ship will be when the ship first docks and everyone wants to get off immediately!

There are even the hand-sanitation "globes" available when you get on and off the ship. I think these really help in keeping "germs" at bay!

Hope this helps!

Debjo

  Until the NORWEGIAN DAWN 2004 (Can't Hardly Wait But Still Wishing I Was Going On The NORWAY Instead!)

 NORWEGIAN MAJESTY 2004 Bermuda Bound Again!

QE2-Bermuda 2003

PACIFIC PRINCESS-Bermuda 2002

REGAL EMPRESS-New England/Canada 2001

Debjo, your "review" is so interesting and detailed. Thank you for taking the time to post all this information. I also have a question. I was wondering if there were a lot of kids on this itinerary. Would you consider Bermuda to be "kid friendly" or better for older teens and adults? My kids range in age from 2 - 16 at this point. Any advice/opinion would be appreciated.

Shirley

cruising-courtesy-kindness

3-Night Anniversary Cruise on Majesty of the Seas . . . January 7, 2005

Family spring break cruise on the Dawn . . . April 17, 2005

NCL Majesty 11/98

CCL Ecstasy 1/01

CCL Fascination 11/01

CCL Fascination 4/03

RCI Majesty of the Seas 8/03

CCL Imagination 12/03

CCL Fascination 5/04

Facation Fanatic: I have been told there are no stablizers on the Majesty. Don't worry about the motion. If you get a cabin on a lower deck and mid-ship, you will feel the movement but not as bad as if you were in the front or rear.

NCL Majesty

For maps...

Don't know if you are inquiring about the DAWN or the MAJESTY...we don't have any children, but I can share what little I do know about both ship's Children's Programs.

THE DAWN and THE MAJESTY both have programs geared to specific age groups of children. (i.e. 2-5, 6-8, etc. and teen groups). I felt that the "security" of the children was good as we "adults" weren't "allowed" into the inside spaces of the children's areas unless we had a child participating in the program.

The outside children's deck areas could be seen from adjacent deck areas. The DAWN'S outside children's deck area was awesome. They had their own little pool, hot tubs, and water slides. It was all "decorated" like something you would see in a major water amusement park with comical dinosaur figures that were larger than life! It made me want to be a kid! I tried to "peek" into the windows to see what their "inside" rooms looked like...all I could see was a giant "jump into the balls bin". Signs on the doors comically stated..."no adults allowed".

The MAJESTY's children's deck area was much more subdued...it featured only a children's splash pool. One couple in our 10 member family group brought their 8 year old niece who participated in the Children's Program for her age group. As a child, she seems thrilled with the program and couldn't wait to get to Kid's Korner each day. I was surprised at how often she could participate...the hours seemed to accomodate things so the adults could participate in the evening "show" activities. I did see the shallow children's splash pool, from a deck above, one night when we were walking out on deck. It was empty and covered with a safety net so no one would fall in. I assumed that it was emptied each night, as were all the other pools and hot tubs on the ship. I asked the niece about it and she said that it never had water in it during the whole cruise, so she had to swim in the large pools on Sports Deck 10. So, I don't know if there was a problem with the children's splash pool or not.

Sorry, I don't have more information about the kid's programs. Perhaps someone else reading this board can fill you in with additional information.

Debjo

  Until the NORWEGIAN DAWN 2004 (Can't Hardly Wait But Still Wishing I Was Going On The NORWAY Instead!)

 NORWEGIAN MAJESTY 2004 Bermuda Bound Again!

QE2-Bermuda 2003

PACIFIC PRINCESS-Bermuda 2002

REGAL EMPRESS-New England/Canada 2001

For mikenpat (Patti)...

Don't ever be afraid to "ask" questions...Lord knows, I've asked a million questions before my cruises during the past four years!

Yes, we did sail into Boston at 4:00 am. I don't remember exactly what time we actually "docked". We were planning to be out on deck for the "journey" into the harbor, figuring it would be about 6:00 am, since the original published itinerarys stated docking at 7:00 am. From past cruises, we know that this time can vary, but never did we imagine it would vary this much.

Something awoke us about 4:00 am, we opened our eyes and noticed that it was still quite dark. We looked out our window and saw the lights from a lighthouse. Since you are from Boston, you probably know where this was. My husband got his video camera out and taped the "harbor" journey from our window. He didn't feel like getting fully dressed at that hour and going out on deck. I chose to go back to sleep. When I woke again at our preplanned time of 6:00 am, we were fully docked at the Black Falcon Terminal. My husband told me that he saw an ambulance, with all the emergency lights lit, as he was video-taping when we arrived at the dock. He thought it might be for the man who had a bad fall on the gangway when we were at Bermuda...perhaps he broke his leg. Later on, we learned from another member of our group that the ambulance was for someone who broke their leg...it needed to be set and the medical staff on the ship kept the man comfortable with pain killers until we got back to Boston. I don't know if this was the same person or not. If it was, I was surprised he would wait until getting back to Boston to have it properly attended to. I am sure that the ship's doctor could have set his leg (if it was the man we saw fall). Perhaps he didn't want to be hospitalized in Bermuda, or perhaps his insurance wouldn't cover the costs unless he had the work done in Boston.

So, in short...it seems that we arrived back in Boston a bit early to accommodate someone's medical needs. Perhaps, someone else reading this board has more factual knowledge about why we arrived so early. My husband and I can only surmise from what we witnessed.

Anyway, our "early" Boston arrival did not alter the time that we disembarked the MAJESTY. We originally figured that we'd be getting off the ship about 10:00 am. We were in our van to drive home at about 10:30 am.

So, I don't think I'd worry about getting up too early to see the MAJESTY arrive back into Boston. I just wish we'd been able to do it in the "light of day".

Debjo (ready for your next "question of the day")

  Until the NORWEGIAN DAWN 2004 (Can't Hardly Wait But Still Wishing I Was Going On The NORWAY Instead!)

 NORWEGIAN MAJESTY 2004 Bermuda Bound Again!

QE2-Bermuda 2003

PACIFIC PRINCESS-Bermuda 2002

REGAL EMPRESS-New England/Canada 2001

For Newcruiser00...

Glad all our experiences and information is helpful to you...thanks for your appreciation!

Our "birthday girl" seemed to have a terrific time on the cruise. If she was disappointed by anything, it probably was the fact that there was too much for everyone to do, which made "being a family together" a bit difficult with everyone's varied schedules. It was one of the few times that the New York, New Hampshire, and California bunch could be together all at once. I think my mother-in-law would have preferred it if everyone "stayed together" during the cruise, but that is very difficult with 10 people. We did manage to eat most dinners altogether and the one night that my husband and I didn't want to eat Caribbean food and went to the Pasta Cafe at the Royal Observatory, the "California family" all convinced her and my father-in-law to join them in the main dining room to sample Caribbean cuisine. My father-in-law was game, but I think my mother-in-law would have preferred to eat Italian with us, but didn't want to be seperated from her husband of 55 years.

The "California bunch" suffered from "jet-lag" most of the trip, so they chose to "sleep-in" many mornings. For the most part, my husband and I managed to arrange our schedule (which was put together in advance of the trip with all of the words of wisdom I gleened from these message boards) to enable us to eat most breakfast, lunches, and dinners with my mother & father-in-law. He and I also planned all our shore excursions and evening entertainment around my mother-in-laws daily afternoon "nap" schedule and early to bed times in the evenings.

The entire group dined together on Formal Night in the Four Seasons dining room to celebrate my mother-in-laws 80th birthday. She really appreciated her son's being all decked out in their tuxedos. It isn't often she gets to see us all "cleaned-up" like that!

Excursion wise, we privately booked a reservation for Wednesday morning with a driver in Bermuda that had a wheelchair accessible van. His wife had a stroke a few years ago, and his accessible van specifications suited my mother-in-law's wheelchair needs perfectly. She was able to "sit" in the front passenger seat for our "scheduled" 3 hour driving tour of Bermuda. The van that she and my father-in-law had custombuilt for her only allows her to sit in the middle of the van, which doesn't allow for a "good view" through the windshield. She was thrilled to be able to have a "front" row seat for our Bermuda driving tour. Our driver, knew all the places that allowed for easy wheelchair access, so we were able to "tour" the Aquarium and Zoo, drive through the Botanical Gardens, shop in some stores in Hamilton, and "see" other interesting things around the Bermuda islands. He was an excellent "tour" guide and took care of all my mother-in-laws needs perfectly. She felt very comfortable with him. My husband and father-in-law also accompanied us on our "tour". The "California family" had their own excursion activities planned for that day. When we approached our "three-hour" time mark, I asked my mother-in-law if she was getting tired. Prior to the trip, she figured that she'd be able to "last" about three hours. Needless to say, she was having such a great time, she decided that we should "continue" on our tour, which ended up being a total of five hours. Then it was back to the ship for a quick lunch in the buffet and "nap" time.

The next day, Thursday, my husband and I had mapped out our own version of a "walking tour" through St. Georges with her and my father-in-law. Again, the California crew had their own plans. My husband and I didn't quite remember how "hilly" St. Georges was, but we did manage to "push" my mother-in-law up the hill to the Unfinished Church...just in time to see the MAJESTY "sail away" for repositioning at the other dock! Our timing couldn't have been better! From there we went to St. Peter's Church...no not up the steps, but in the back entrance off Queen Street and in the side door where there were NO STEPS! The church sextant, Clare, upon finding out that our trip was in honor of my mother-in-laws birthday, treated us with several favorite hymn renditions on the church's pipe organ. She really made my mother-in-law feel special that day! Our next "tour" stop was at the home of Delaey Robinson across from Aunt Nea's Inn. This "home" was featured on PBS's "This Old House" series earlier this spring. We had the pleasure of seeing the show which gave us a nice prelude to our trip. To finish our "walking tour" we stopped at a few shops for those "required" souvenirs in St. Georges, and then back to the ship at it's new docking position, lunch and a "nap" for my mother-in-law.

My mother-in-law doesn't "rave" about much, so it was hard to tell during our cruise week if she was having the "time of her life". As we loaded her in their van after we disembarked the MAJESTY in Boston, she thanked me for all my efforts and said she appreciated me "going overboard" for her. After we drive back home ourselves, we called them to make sure they arrived safely as well. She said she'd been thinking about what the "family" could do next year. I'm not sure the California bunch was as thrilled with the cruise as the rest of us, so my mother-in-law was talking about renting a cabin for all of us or a motel with a pool. I think she feels those venues might help to keep "her chicks all around her" more than a cruise ship. So, who knows what we'll be doing next year. If my husband and I have "votes" that count, we'll be wanting another cruise...once we started crusing, land vacations just don't have any appeal to us anymore. Perhaps, he and I could just take his parents on another cruise with us. I have to say, keeping a group of ten together is a challenge. They "dubbed" me "cruise director"...a job that is challenging, but doesn't afford much "free time". I've definitely a "new" appreciation for all the work that the MAJESTY's Cruise Director does...Bruce Kidd and Chris Butcher-you're phenomenal!

Debjo

  Until the NORWEGIAN DAWN 2004 (Can't Hardly Wait But Still Wishing I Was Going On The NORWAY Instead!)

 NORWEGIAN MAJESTY 2004 Bermuda Bound Again!

QE2-Bermuda 2003

PACIFIC PRINCESS-Bermuda 2002

REGAL EMPRESS-New England/Canada 2001

For Facation Fanatic...

Just to clarify my previous statement of "we chose (cabin) this for the "motion experience" and we got what we wanted and even more when we skirted that storm on Friday night"...we were very happy with our "forward" cabin selection and the "storm" that we skirted only "added" to our enjoyment rather than being "more than we bargained for".

I looked back through all my notes and information that I printed out from the internet about the MAJESTY, and can't find any specifications about whether she has "stabilizers" or not. Having sailed on two other older ships of similar length, I have to say that the MAJESTY rode the water well, "stabilizers" or not! Being a shorter ship in length than the QE2 and the DAWN (which we have also sailed on), my conclusion is that the "longer" ships have far less "motion" than the ships of shorter length. When we were on the QE2 and the DAWN, you could hardly feel the "motion" of the ocean. The inclement weather that we encountered with the MAJESTY for an hour or so, made the ship feel like a gentle rollercoaster as it went up and over the swells...or the feeling of a low magnitude earthquake but more continuous.

When my husband and I "toured" the ship during the middle of that "moving" night, we found that our "forward" section was, indeed, the place to be if you like to experience the "motion". Being concerned about the other people in our "group", especially my handicapped mother-in-law, we walked the ship to where their cabins were. Deck 7 Midships was relatively calm...in fact, my mother-in-law slept through the entire "event". Deck 4 Aft was more disturbed by the vibration of the engines and "screws" than by the waves and swells we were encountering.

So, all in all, if you want to limit your exposure to the "motion of the ocean", just book a cabin midship. The rule of thumb is also to book as low in the ship as possible too. Don't let our "storm" experiences keep you from sailing on the MAJESTY or any other ship that is considered "small" or short in length. Based on our five cruising experiences on five vastly different ships, I don't feel that the MAJESTY is more or less "stable" than the rest of them. In fact, if we hadn't encountered the rough weather, the experience wouldn't have been any different than what we enjoyed on the REGAL EMPRESS or PACIFIC PRINCESS. And, since your are sailing out of the Southern East Coast, the waters of the Atlantic are far different than what we can encounter on the North Atlantic!

Hope this helps!

Debjo

  Until the NORWEGIAN DAWN 2004 (Can't Hardly Wait But Still Wishing I Was Going On The NORWAY Instead!)

 NORWEGIAN MAJESTY 2004 Bermuda Bound Again!

QE2-Bermuda 2003

PACIFIC PRINCESS-Bermuda 2002

REGAL EMPRESS-New England/Canada 2001

For shirleygr...

Well, I'll try to answer your "kid" question based on my MAJESTY/Bermuda observations and throw in our previous two trips to Bermuda on other ships. Since my husband and I don't have children, we aren't intimately involved in those aspects of cruising or Bermuda sites. Hopefully, someone else with children can better clarify things for you based on their personal experiences.

We found our week on the MAJESTY to have a very varied passenger compliment. All ages were represented. The "niece" in our "group" fully enjoyed the Kid's Program and met a few friends whom she say many other times around the ship. It seemed like there might have been about half a dozen children in her 8 year old age group. She just adored the counselors, but I didn't meet them.

We saw a few people with infants and toddlers, a few others that had taken their kids out of school to go on the cruise, and a few younger and older teens. But, because this wasn't a "school vacation" week, there definitely weren't as many children/teens on the MAJESTY as there were on our DAWN cruise (April 25-May 2, 2004 which was spring break for schools in NH). It looks like you'll be sharing your 2005 DAWN cruise with the NH spring break families.

(See my notes above for details on the MAJESTY & DAWN children's areas...and to add to that, the DAWN Garden Buffet has a wonderful kid-sized buffet with short tables & chairs and their own scaled-down version of the buffet line with "kid" type food.)

The evening "show" entertainment on the MAJESTY is probably geared more for older teens and adults, although some of the acrobatic "comedy" of Rudi Macaggi intrigued even the youngest in the audience.

Now to Bermuda...it probably depends on what your children enjoy. There is plenty of "souvenirs" available for purchase to suit all ages...both in the ship gift shops and in St. Georges. If "water" types of entertainment thrill your children, I think you will find going to the beaches on your own or "water" excursions through the ship to everyone's liking. St. Georges is the "original" capital of Bermuda and was "settled" in the early 1600's. It is a historical treasure and any "commercial" distractions are kept to a minimum. Main streets are still cobblestone or brick, so rolling a toddler around in a stroller might be a bit cumbersome. If there are sidewalks, they are narrow, but the Bermudians are very courteous when they drive around because there are MANY tourists there supporting their economy. If your children are intrigued with history, they will like St. Georges. If your children like Disneyworld, they'll probably be bored with St. Georges.

Sites to see via a ship excursion tour or if you go off on your own are: Lighthouses-St. David's and Gibb's Hill, both of which you can "walk" up and get a tremendous view of the Bermudian island complex. The Aquarium has enormous "tanks" which give you an idea of what underwaterlife can be like if you are snorkeling or scubadiving. Their is a small "zoo" attached to the Aquarium which has "free-flight" areas for some exotic birds and monkeys, giant turtles, flamingos, seals, an Austrialian animal exhibit and a reptile exhibit. There are even peacocks wandering around with the zoo vistors. It is all very well done and the flora is a feast for the eyes as well. Crystal Caves is a "cool" experience on a hot day. You walk down about 80 steps to enter an underground lake that you traverse via pontoon bridges & walkways. The water is so clear it confuses your sense of depth. Fort St. Catherines in St. Georges & Fort Hamilton in Hamilton are fun to explore. Fort St. Catherines combines a "museum" experience along with the outdoor walk through the cannon batteries. The "museum" features replicas of the Crown Jewels and some diaramas of Bermudian history. Fort Hamilton lays in the upper elevations of the city and is more like visiting a tropical garden than a war-time fort. The "mote" around the Fort has been turned into a virtual rainforest of plants and flowers. The upper levels of the fort give you a fantastic view of the city. There are some interesting nooks and crannys to explore within the stone/grass structure. If you make it to the Royal Dockyard, you'll have many things to see. The entire area was once a fort. Some buildings now house a Straw Market, Craft Market, Artisans Center, and Maritime Museum. The former Governor's House tops off the complex and overlooks the ocean, island, and harbor. Dolphin Quest (which you need to book on your own) lays within the complex near the Maritime Museum. You have to pay an admission to get to the Maritime Museum and Governor's House. It's close proximity allows you to "watch" the people who have paid to interact with the dolphins. The "markets" are visited outside the complex and are free of charge. There are a few places where you can grab a bite to eat too.

As far as "kid friendly", I would have to say that Bermuda is very "people friendly". We've found the Bermudians to be very hospitable and more helpful that anywhere else we have been. We've never felt concerned about our safety, even when walking the streets late at night to get those illusive pictures of our ship all lit up like a Christmas tree. It is VERY easy to get around the islands. Purchasing a day or three-day pass entitles you to unlimited transportation on the pink buses and water taxis. You can rent scooters, but I would warn against it...the locals "know" how to drive them and navigate the narrow roads while driving on the "opposite" side than we do in the USA...the tourists driving scooters seem to be a hazard. Each time we've been to Bermuda we've seen at least one wreck! The speed limits throughout the islands is about 35 mph.

One thing that we have done each time we've visited Bermuda, and never seem to tire of, is taking a Horse and Buggy Tour. It is a nice way to see "around town" either in St. Georges or in Hamilton. Unfortunately, you can only get the St. Georges Carriage Tours through the ship. In Hamilton, there are carriages available right on the main street in front of the docks. Kids of all ages can appreciate the "slow and steady" pace of the buggy ride. The surrey provides protection from the sun and it is a nice way to get around without having to "hoof" it yourself. Most of the drivers give an excellent commentary on everything that you see and encounter...some are even well versed in all of the folliage and floral details.

On another note...if you are off exploring Bermuda, you might want to bring along some snacks for the kids. Dining and grabbing a bite to eat can be a bit expensive, especially since you can get all your meals for "free" on the ship. It is O.K. to bring prepackaged snacks (cookies/crackers) from home and take them off the ship, but you can't bring fruit or unwrapped food from the ship...they will confiscate it on you.

All in all, I think you're older children will be "happy" in Bermuda depending what you choose to do. You're toddler might be a bit bored and want to take a nap while you are sightseeing or on a tour.

I hope that some folks with children who have been to Bermuda will catch this thread and post their experiences for you.

Debjo

  Until the NORWEGIAN DAWN 2004 (Can't Hardly Wait But Still Wishing I Was Going On The NORWAY Instead!)

 NORWEGIAN MAJESTY 2004 Bermuda Bound Again!

QE2-Bermuda 2003

PACIFIC PRINCESS-Bermuda 2002

REGAL EMPRESS-New England/Canada 2001

Debjo,

You have been extremely helpful with your comments. I have a couple of questions though. I have been on the dawn and the majesty years ago so don't remember much about it. Do you think the standard 108 square feet cabins can hold 3 adults comfortably or will it be a miserable sqeeze. Granted in bermuda you use the ship as a hotel so we wouldn't spend much time in the cabin would it work or should we consider another ship. Also, the pool deck looked nice with 2 pools and I was wondering whether the pools were similar sized to the one on the Dawn. Also, how was the fitness center? You said food was good but did they have any barbeques on deck? Also, is the showlounge like those on older ships or more like the lounge on the dawn where there is tiered seating so you can see better? Thanks for the help.

Sincerely,

JC

Celebrity Constellation December 27, 2003

Celebrity Galaxy June 30, 2003

NCL Dawn Dec 21, 2002

Celebrity Millenium 7/18/01

Grand Princess 2000

Royal Princess 1999

Other Cruises:

Carnival: Holiday, Jubilee (2 times), Celebration, Fantasy, Ectasy

Celebrity: Meridian

Dolphin Cruises: Island Breeze

Holland America: Westerdam

NCL: Dreamward (Pre-stretch), Norway, Southward, Norwegian Majesty(when owned by Majesty Cruise lines)

RCCL: Nordic Prince, Sovereign of the Seas

Several others can't remember

Carnival Destiny Spring Break Cruise 2/29/04

For Joe1690...

Well JC...thanks for your wonderful comments. By the looks of your cruising resume, I should be asking you some questions! I don't think I've ever seen a poster to these boards with more cruises behind them!

If you are ready to read another "book"...here are my opinions and observations:

1. CABIN SIZE: If I were to sail on the MAJESTY again, I would definitely try to find a price close to what we recently paid and hope to get into the Superior Oceanview Stateroom Category with the 147 square feet as opposed to the Oceanview Category Staterooms with only 107 square feet. With just my husband and myself, we found the 107 square feet to be a bit too small. We felt like we were in a "camper" on the seas. Now if you are used to camping...it might not be a problem for the three of you. My husband and I found it difficult to unpack and pack. We also had difficulty getting dressed and undressed when in a hurry to get ready for formal night or catch an excursion that warranted changing into bathing attire. Sharing the itsy-bitsy bathroom when we both needed to shower, shave or do make-up, and brush our hair worked out only with a schedule. I can't imagine two adults and a child sharing the cabin, let alone three adults!

If a Superior Oceanview Stateroom is beyond your financial abilities, you might want to consider a Superior Inside Stateroom. We had the passing opportunity to view a few of these cabins on our deck 4. I'd gladly have exchanged my window (and I love looking out windows and/or balconies) for the extra square footage of the Superior Inside Cabins.

I should note again, that we had our two twin beds pushed together in our "F" cabin. There might have been more room to maneuver had they remained against each side wall. With a third person occupying the upper fold-down berth, I think you'd have to leave the two twin beds separated. (I did hear that the upper folding berths were quite uncomfortable.)

All in all, I guess it just depends on how well the three of you get along and if you've ever shared a room/cabin before. It definitely takes teamwork to make the small spaces work effeciently and not get grumpy with your cabinmates.

If you need to sail to Bermuda from Boston, they I think you can probably make the MAJESTY work for you depending on your cabin accomodations.

2. POOLS: Neither my husband or I are "sunworshipers" and we rarely utilize the pools aboard ships. I've been the only one to take a "dip" and that is usually at a time when most people are ashore or on excursions. When we ventured onto Sports Deck 10 on the MAJESTY, usually to partake of the Cafe Royale Buffet, witness our port arrivals and departures, or to enjoy some of the evening's on-deck pool party festivities and bands, the area was throbbing with people. It was impossible to find a chair or table, so we always had to stand. I would have to say that the MAJESTY pools are smaller than the DAWN, but it could have seemed that way just because they were so crowded with people. The area around the forward pool is more conjested because that is closer to the buffet area and the bandstand. One of the pools was supposed to be just for adults, but both pools seemed to have a fair number of children in them. We had an 8 year old in our group of 10 people. She said that the children's splash pool by Kid's Korner was never open...that could be why there were so many children on Sports Deck using the pools.

I have to admit that I never really noticed the pool near the Topsiders Bar (except when it was emptied and netted over for the night, but then again, as I tried to get through the crowds of people, one pool probably looked the same as the other. I usually was more concerned with getting through the crowds.

The layout of the pool area on the DAWN with the terraced sunning areas seemed far less congested, even though that deck only had one pool. Perhaps the fact that the second pool on the DAWN being located inside in the spa helped to separate the pool crowds a little bit. The lap pool in the DAWN's spa never seemed to be crowded at all.

The pool areas on both ships were lovely when they weren't full of people. I wish there was a way that the cruise lines could make these areas less congested...perhaps then I'd enjoy spending some time around them more.

3. FITNESS CENTER: On our DAWN cruise, my friend's adult son accompanied them and partook of the Sport's Afloat Program. We popped into the Fitness area a few times and was amazed at the variety of equipment it contained. There was a seperate room for "Spinning", another one for "Yoga", an area with weight-lifting equipment and another for treadmills, stairsteppers etc. The only fault I could find in the layout was the fact that it would have been nice for the treadmills, etc. to be placed by a window so you could enjoy the sea view while working off your previous meal. All of the Fitness Center rooms were above the Spa Treatment area and indoor lap pool. There was an "internal" spiral stairway that accessed one to the other. Consequently, there was always the "scent" of clorine in the Fitness Center.

The Spa and Fitness Centers on the Majesty were adjacent to each other. You virtually had to walk through the Spa to get to the two Fitness rooms which flanked the hall that lead to the Frame 52 Disco. One fitness room was the GYM that had treadmills, etc. The other room was the AEROBICS room which also housed the weightlifting equipment. Being a much smaller and older ship than the DAWN, the MAJESTY's Fitness Center was obviously smaller in size and equipment. It was better than most that I've seen in hotels though.

One couple in our group participated in the Sports Afloat program headed up by Paul Welder (?). They felt, at times, that they were motivating Paul more than he motivated them. The only thing that we did (other than pass through the Spa/Fitness area) was participate in the Scavenger Hunt (part of the Sports Afloat Program). That was a lot of fun-literally running around the ship completing some sport related trivia and ship information in 1/2 hours time.

4. ON-DECK BARBEQUES: Weather permitting, the DAWN had two or three afternoon barbegues on Deck 12 by the Oasis Pool. Unfortunately for the people who liked to use the tiny pool behind the band stand, that pool was closed during the "open kettle" barbeques that were located in that immediate area. There was all sorts of barbequed meat along with assorted salads and desserts.

The MAJESTY had one poolside barbeque on Sports Deck 10 in the afternoon while we sailed away from Bermuda on Friday. When we arrived to eat at the buffet at Cafe Royal for lunch, we were pleasantly surprised to find people with plates full of "barbeque" fare. Upon inquiry, we learned that if we walked further aft, we'd encounter the barbeque. Literally, we grazed from the aft section of the ship to the forward section. First filling our plates at the barbeque (which was served buffet-style, rather than getting items straight from the open kettle barbeques on the DAWN), carefully negotiating past all the sunworshipers at the pool to the Vegetarian and Indian food action stations to replenish what we'd munched on through the crowd, then onto the regular luncheon buffet line. No one could go hungry or not be able to find something to please their pallet on that day!

Both ship's barbeques were some of the best we've partaken of.

5. SHOW LOUNGES: The Palace Theatre on the Majesty is very similar to the theatres that we've experienced on the Regal Empress and the Pacific Princess. It was single storied with a slightly tiered floor, a small stage, and moveable chair seating with small cocktail tables all arranged in slightly curved, slightly tiered rows. The side aisleways are ramped. The center aisleway has some steps. Even looking at pictures on the internet, you can't envision the room as it actually is. The biggest problem with the area are the sightlines. There are support columns around the semi-circular stage that protrudes out into the room. Audience seating continues around the sides of the stage. Unless you arrive at least 45 minutes before the show (or event) and snag a seat in the middle of the room toward the front, chances are you will have a column blocking your view of some portion of the entertainment. If you don't mind repositioning yourself and leaning to the left and right occassionally, you'll manage just fine.

To compare the MAJESTY's Palace Theatre to the DAWN's Stardust Theatre is like trying to compare Versailles to a Farm House. The DAWN's Stardust Theatre is akin to a theatre on Broadway. It occupies three decks! All floor seating is on an angled. Sightlines are excellent...there isn't a bad seat in the house! There is side balcony-style seating along the walls above. The stage is enormous, which allows the shows to have huge sets and aerial props and "acts".

It isn't fair to compare one theatre to the next one because the physical and structural compents that make them up couldn't and wouldn't be done on either ship. The shows that each theatre offers are conducive to the type of staging each ship has.

When we were in the theatre on the DAWN, we almost forgot we were on a ship!

Well, that should answer your questions for the day. Hope this helps. Remember...it really isn't fair to compare the MAJESTY and the DAWN...they are vastly different ships altogether.

  Until the NORWEGIAN DAWN 2004 (Can't Hardly Wait But Still Wishing I Was Going On The NORWAY Instead!)

 NORWEGIAN MAJESTY 2004 Bermuda Bound Again!

QE2-Bermuda 2003

PACIFIC PRINCESS-Bermuda 2002

REGAL EMPRESS-New England/Canada 2001