Majesty....can't decide!

[itchintogo]

We are considering doing a cruise on the Majesty in Dec 2005, out of Charleston. I've only done a few cruises, 1 on Celebrity and 2 on Royal Caribbean. This would be my first NCL cruise. I have been reading many reviews over the last couple of days and am still undecided. I don't think I've ever seen such a mixed bag of reviews. On the other cruises I've taken (all big 3 of them!) I did lots of homework reading about the ships I went on, but the wide variety of opinions on the Majesty is not helping me to decide! Let's see, we have bad food/great food, clean rooms/dirty rooms, clean water/brown water in rooms and in hot tubs, worst entertainment/really good entertainment, staff looked unhappy/staff smiling all the time, smoke everywhere (this IS a biggie for me and my family).

 

 

When I went on the second RC cruise it was the Empress of the Seas and I certainly saw a LITTLE BIT of mixed opinions, but went anyhow and was quite pleased with the ship, food, staff, etc. Can someone please help me decide???!!! I like the thought of being able to drive to Charleston, so does my sister who lives in South Carolina. I like the itinerary, it's different than any other we've done. What to do...What to do!!! Are there any VERY RECENT cruisers from the Majesty who can help me to decided? Thanks so much for any input...you can email me too if you like.

 

Judy:cool: :o

[erby2283]

Judy - I took my first cruise on the Majesty in November and loved. As I am sure you've been told, it all depends on what your expectations are. I just posted a review but it is pending approval by the CC webmasters. Look for my review to appear within the next 5 days (by using the review tab at the top of this Board!

 

Take me with you!

Elisa

[Copper_beeches]

Mine was in August, and though I don't have anything to compare it to, I had a great time. I didn't wear rose colored glasses, I didn't love everything (I filed a review), but overall I think it's an excellent value for the money, and you'll have a good time as long as you're familiar with the issues people have had, and they aren't things that will ruin your cruise.

[NorthCarolina_Cindy]

Judy, I just returned from the Majesty 1/22, this past Saturday.

 

I found the Majesty to be a nice ship. Of course I have no other cruise to compare it to, this was our first time. I had read alot about her being small and old, but, from what we saw she was in great shape, well cared for.

 

Never saw any dirty/brown water anywhere, not in our cabin, not in the public restrooms (which I tought were kept very clean) and the pools and hot tubs had very clean looking water in them. Read about funny smells too, didn't encounter that either.

 

I found the crew to be very friendly and service to be great.

 

The food in my opinion was good. I have posted a review also, maybe that would help answer some of your questions.

[Welove2cruise2]

We have done four cruises on the Majesty, and most recently, cruised on the Dawn 11/28. Prior to the Dawn Cruise, I thought we'd be so spoiled after that one we'd never want to go back on the Majesty. Well, guess what -- two or three weeks after returning from our WONDERFUL 11 night cruise on the Dawn in a balcony stateroom, we booked another 7 night cruise on the Majesty to Bermuda. It's just a different experience. On the Dawn we spent considerable time in our stateroom (on the balcony!!) in the morning having coffee and fruit, in the afternoon having a drink, in the evening before dinner having a drink, after dinner, before bed, having a drink... but the Majesty is different -- you don't spend a lot of time in your stateroom, so it doesn't matter that it's 108 square feet (which is what we booked) as long as it has a window! We truly enjoy the ship and the crew. Most of the crew on the Majesty has been there for YEARS (scary -- many of them remember us!!) and they truly love the ship as much as we do.

 

It's well known that the Majesty will be going to Star cruises after the 2006 season -- given the passenger loyalty, and the fact that so many people love the Boston to Bermuda run, I'm wondering if it will end up like the Norway, and hang in there for a few more years.

 

In our four cruises, we never experienced brown water, smells, or any of the other complaints that we've read here. There was one time we had no water on the entire ship for about an hour and a half while in port in Bermuda -- so we weren't on the ship anyway, and it didn't affect us at all.

 

Can't help you with the winter cruises since we've only ever cruised out of Boston, but we just love the Majesty. We hope you do too!

[F5Loar]

The things you mention being so different in reviews has a lot to do with what week someone went and what happened that particular week.

Yes the sewer can back up in your cabin when the people 2 doors down throws the washclothes in the toliet. A pipe can burst at anytime in your brand new car so expect something to break on older ships. That can make an unpleasant expereince for those people that week. But they fix things.

Beef can be tough one week and tender the next depending on how their supplier gave it to the ship. You can have 100 happy ship employees and you get the one that is unhappy so you only report about your guy not the other 100 you didn't run into personally. The biggest thing you had a problem with and me too is the smokers. That changes every week. One week you have kind considerate smokers that keep to themselves and repect the rights of non-smokers and you hardly notice a problem but the next week it could be 80% full of the most inconsiderate and rude smokers on the planet. You can pick your week to go but you can't pick the other 2000 people going with you.

Even on ships with a dead split on smoking on one side and nonsmoking on the other side you still have a problem. The only solution to this problem was Carnvials Paradise but unfortunatly the public spoke on this ideal concept in crusing and it failed. The Paradise is now a smoking ship. I hope to live long enough to see the day that smoking is ban in all public places including ships but until that day I'll just have to live with it since I think the cruise experience far outweighs the few negatives you listed. As far as the Majesty is it right for you the big factor is the ship size. Some get use to the big mega liner and can never go back to smaller ships like this while others never want anything else but the smaller ships.

[itchintogo]

Thank you all for your very thoughtful and helpful responses. Me and my family have decided to go ahead and book the Majesty. The size is DEFINITELY NOT an issue, in fact it is a plus. Our last RCL cruise was on the Empress, which is a small ship, and it was VERY NICE!

 

We're all flexible and enjoy whatever comes our way, and do not usually focus on the negative. So thanks again, we're booking for Dec 10th out of Charleston.

 

Judy:D :rolleyes:

[dwayne&patty]

The biggest downfall regarding the Majesty for my wife and I was the smoke.After stopping in the ports where you can purchase Cuban cigars, deck 10 where the pools are smelled sickening.People could not bring them into the U.S so you had to smoke them before arriving. The casino was nasty too.

 

But, we enjoyed the food,the entertainment was good, and the wait staff was spectacular. If you hate smoke as much as we do,you will loose a little enjoyment from your vacation but overall you will have an awesome time.

[billvabeach]

we are non smokers but have never really found cruise ships to be a problem as far as the politeness of smokers is concerned.

 

Since the restaurants and evening show is smoke free we were fine. Casino can get a bit overwhelming.

 

We did sail the Paradise. It was the nicest smelling ship I have ever been on. Even though it had a couple of years on her, she looked as good as new.

[JMNL]

I am so glad you had a good time. How was the weather? Do you remember who the cruise director and the ports experts were? How early did you get on the ship. We are sailing Saturday and I am getting very nervous/excited. Thanks.

[dwayne&patty]

It was sunny everyday. We sailed Jan. 1-8,2005. Our cruise director is now on vacation for 2 months.On a scale of 1 to 10 our vacation was an 8.5. I loved the Majesty. You will too.

[Welove2cruise2]

on the Majesty should be Tatiana Montenegro -- unless she's on vacation! She's been on board for 10 or 11 years, and is the nicest lady!