Majesty and Indy review - Pics included.

[nbsjcruiser]

Thought I'd post a review of our most recent cruises on the Majesty and the Indy. There will be more pictures than words but I'll start out with a detailed review of our experiences on both ships and then proceed to the pictures.

 

We originally had planned on a two week stay in Hollywood Florida followed by a 6 night cruise on the Independence. We really enjoy Hollywood Beach and I wanted to spend some detailed time there just enjoying the beach. Unfortunately for us, what looked like a decent place to stay was a dump. We had heard good things about the Hollywood Beach Resort but after 3 days, we had all we could take. It was filthy and looked like it hadn't been cleaned in weeks. To top it off, on the last night we were there we both were awakened by a smell that I cannot adequately describe. It was rancid and permeated the entire floor. That was it for us. We booked out, got our money back and headed up to Deerfield Beach and stayed at the Extended Stay America, which was quite acceptable. After we checked in at Deerfield, we both realized that this might be a good chance to pick up a last minute cruise so we hunted around and found a 4 day on the Majesty and so we cut short our stay in Deerfield to 5 days from 10 then jumped on the Majesty. I felt like a travelling gypsy by the end of this adventure.

 

The Majesty of the Seas

 

This was our fourth trip on the Majesty and I really quite enjoy the 4 day itinerary. The weather could not have been better for this cruise and in fact, it could not have been better for the entire 3 weeks we were travelling. Hot and sunny every day. We were lucky enough to be able to get the same waiter that we had in November when we were on this cruise. Surprisingly he recognized our faces and asked us if we had been served by him before. He didn't remember our names but he recognized us which was nice. We did My Time Dining, which I've come to enjoy. We like to pick the times we want each night and get the same table every night too so for us its the best of both worlds. For whatever reason, I found that the food in the MDR this time around was fantastic. We hit a home run every night and we didn't once have a meal we didn't care for. We also did breakfast every morning in the MDR which for us has become the norm now. I find that buffet breakfasts are too busy, rushed and the food not as good as the MDR. The entertainment was identical to the November cruise but considering the troubles we had in Hollywood, we just enjoyed being taken care of, fed well and served well.

 

Our room was one of the last inside rooms on the ship and considering how late we booked (3 days prior to sailing) we were just glad to have a room in familiar surroundings. It was the smallest room I've ever been in but it was comfortable enough for us.

 

The stops were of course familiar to us and as I said previously the weather really could not have been better. In Nassau we did our own walking tour and then spent the afternoon at Junkanoo Beach (pics to follow). Coco Cay was a nice beach day but sadly, as I posted on another thread, a woman drowned or had a heart attack while snorkeling. It wasn't noticed until her body washed ashore at which time it was too late to do anything although they tried.

 

Next up was Key West and we did the hop on hop off trolley with of course the obligatory stop at Kermits. We then spent the afternoon on South Beach in Key West. It was really hot that day and the beach was a Godsend.

 

All in all, we enjoyed the Majesty. It was clean, food was great, room was well cared for and the weather awesome. What else can you ask for in a cruise?

 

We got off the Majesty and stayed in La Quinta Hollywood for 2 days and enjoyed a couple more days on the beach before heading off on the Independence.

[nbsjcruiser]

Independence of the Seas

 

This was the second time for us on the Indy. We really enjoy that class of ship with the flow rider and the Promenade. For the first time for us, we had a Promenade stateroom and I was impressed with its size and layout. For sure I'd do it again. Once again we elected for My Time dining and got two excellent waiters for the week. They did a great job. We both found the food ok with one miss, the Chicken Marsala (which we had the previous week on the Majesty and enjoyed) was really salty and not as good. Other than that, the food was good and tasty. We ate at Chops one night and I can't say enough about that place. Awesome steak, awesome desert and awesome service. Giovannis was ok. Nothing wrong with the food or the service but we both agreed that next time, we'd hit Chops twice and skip Giovannis. Here's a tip for you btw. On the first day they were walking around enticing people try both restaurants with a 20% discount on the first night. We had already booked Giovannis and when I talked to the guy pushing Chops he offered a similar discount for the second night so it doesn't hurt to ask him for a discount even if you aren't going first night. Like the Majesty, we did all of our breakfast's in the MDR except for one. Again, I just find the food in the MDR noticeably better in the MDR than Windjammer.

 

I did the flowrider a couple times and it didn't take long to re-learn what I had done the previous year. Lots of fun on that. The sauna and steam room was a regular stop for me as well. We did spend a little time in the Casino which could have been run a little better to be honest. We had a cash account and the first day we took a couple of hundred bucks off it they charged us 5%. The next day they didn't and I asked why and was told they only charge debit and cc's so naturally DW got the 5% back from the previous day. A couple of days later I tried getting $40 off and they wouldn't give it to me unless I was willing to accept a 5% charge. They did say my wife could withdraw without penalty. Long story short, DW spent a few minutes discussing why she could get money and I couldn't. They admitted it was an error on their part. Anyway, that was the only hiccup of the week. Food was good, service once again great.

 

Our first stop was Grand Cayman and we went to Seven Mile beach and let me tell you it was stinking hot. Not a breath of wind or a cloud all day. Damn it was hot. I think next time I'll book an excursion in Grand Cayman. I just find that other than Seven Mile Beach, there isn't much to do.

 

Next up was a stop I wasn't really sure about, Falmouth. As it turns out we had the best day of the cruise there. We went to Red Stripe Beach and while the weather was hot, there was a nice breeze coming in from the ocean and lots shade to get in and out of the sun. It was a locked private beach and I thought was really nice. There was a woman doing a BBQ and while I don't care for the ships Jerk Chicken, her's was awesome. A great day.

 

Our last stop was Labadee. We had an over the water Cabana with the upgraded lunch. That was a nice day to relax and just enjoy the ending few days of our 3 week vacation.

 

Anyway, like the Majesty, the Indy was great, in good shape, weather was good, service and food was good - what more can you ask for?

 

Now on to the pictures.

Edited March 5, 2014 by nbsjcruiser

[nbsjcruiser]

So here's a few pictures in and around the Florida beaches we visited pre-Majesty and pre-Indy cruise.

 

Deerfield Beach. The day we were there they were doing a community market thing there. Lots of food places to eat at. I quite enjoyed the day there and would go back for sure.

 

 

 

 

 

[nbsjcruiser]

Hollywood Beach

 

 

 

 

 

Fort Lauderdale Beach - at the end of Las Olas Blvd

 

 

 

[nbsjcruiser]

A few more FLL Beach shots then a few cruise ships leaving Port Everglades

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mollymaloney]

Can anyone tell me if they do anythign special for Easter on the boat. We will be traveling with two little ones that still believe in the Easter Bunny. Thanks!

[BillOh]

Lot's of interesting detail. Thank you.

[BillOh]

Can anyone tell me if they do anythign special for Easter on the boat. We will be traveling with two little ones that still believe in the Easter Bunny. Thanks!

 

Molly,

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic, You may want to start a new subject and ask this as many people who have sailed on Explorer may not see it here. I've never cruised during Easter or on Explorer, but am guessing you may see a few generic , non religious Easter decorations. i'll stand now and prepare to be corrected. I have sailed during Thanksgiving, Mother's day and Halloween. They may even have some Easter related events, especially in the kids program. I hope you get a better answer.

:)

Edited March 5, 2014 by BillOh

[Merion_Mom]

Can anyone tell me if they do anythign special for Easter on the boat. We will be traveling with two little ones that still believe in the Easter Bunny. Thanks!

 

Truly your best bet is to pack your own usual Easter supplies and create your own easter egg hunt or whatever you want to do.

[nbsjcruiser]

We always wanted to watch the ships sail out of Port Everglades and we had 2 fine days to do just that.

 

The Legend leaving port

 

 

 

The Oasis - what an impressive ship to see up close.

 

 

 

 

 

The Liberty

 

 

[BillOh]

We always wanted to watch the ships sail out of Port Everglades and we had 2 fine days to do just that.

 

 

Wow, great pictures, this was one of highlights of my last Allure cruise. We were just there for a couple of hours and saw the Saturday ships leave, including Oasis. If I do a shorter cruise out of there again I may do as you did. I see you made it to both sides. Nice work.

[nbsjcruiser]

The Celebrity Century

 

 

 

The Ruby Princess

 

 

 

 

The Independence.

 

 

[nbsjcruiser]

The Westerdam

 

 

 

 

A couple of random shots of a nice looking yacht. There were a few floating around that day.

 

 

 

 

and now lunch time is over. I'll post more later.

[nbsjcruiser]

Wow, great pictures, this was one of highlights of my last Allure cruise. We were just there for a couple of hours and saw the Saturday ships leave, including Oasis. If I do a shorter cruise out of there again I may do as you did. I see you made it to both sides. Nice work.

 

We found that the best vantage point was on the South side of the port that way the sun isn't in your face when trying to take pictures, which completely ruins the exposure. We parked in the John U Lloyd state park.

Edited March 5, 2014 by nbsjcruiser

[LuckiStac13*Majesty*]

Hi, thanks so much for your review and beautiful pictures. I spend a lot of time in the same areas of SFLA that you reviewed, so I especially enjoyed it. I also sail on Majesty a lot and am sailing on her again in May. Glad to hear you had a nice time on both of your cruises.

 

By any chance do you have your compass to tell me the name of the Caribbean band on Majesty right now?

 

Also, we stayed in Hollywood Beach for the first time last year, and didn't care for the area at all- we usually stay in Ft. Lauderdale and love that area. However, we stayed at the Crowne Plaza Hollywood Beach and we love that hotel and it's pool area so much, we're going back down just to stay there for a few days. Sorry you had a bad experience at your hotel...but really nice that you were able to jump on Majesty! I laughed when you said you felt like a traveling gypsy by the time it was all over....ha ha!!

 

Thanks again.

[nbsjcruiser]

Hi, thanks so much for your review and beautiful pictures. I spend a lot of time in the same areas of SFLA that you reviewed, so I especially enjoyed it. I also sail on Majesty a lot and am sailing on her again in May. Glad to hear you had a nice time on both of your cruises.

 

By any chance do you have your compass to tell me the name of the Caribbean band on Majesty right now?

 

Also, we stayed in Hollywood Beach for the first time last year, and didn't care for the area at all- we usually stay in Ft. Lauderdale and love that area. However, we stayed at the Crowne Plaza Hollywood Beach and we love that hotel and it's pool area so much, we're going back down just to stay there for a few days. Sorry you had a bad experience at your hotel...but really nice that you were able to jump on Majesty! I laughed when you said you felt like a traveling gypsy by the time it was all over....ha ha!!

 

Thanks again.

 

Oh, I'm sorry I can't remember the name of the band but they were pretty good. Thanks for the hint about the Crowne Plaza. We're looking for a spot for next year so I'll keep that in my mind as I look.

[nbsjcruiser]

So here's a few pics from the Majesty 4 Day cruise. Sailaway weather was pristine!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[nbsjcruiser]

As I mentioned earlier, we did a walking tour of Nassau followed by a day at Junkanoo Beach. Because we cruised to Nassau so many times I really didn't take too many pictures around town. I took pictures of places I hadn't seen before like the church we stepped into.

 

 

 

 

Christopher Columbus

 

 

[LMaxwell]

Wow! What excellent photos. Thanks for sharing. Hoping to see more of Majesty as I am anticipating booking for a 3 day get away this spring. Been a looooooooooong time since I was on a Sovereign class ship. Those are some quality "FL Board of Tourism" shots there. I used to live in DFB and had many dinner right where your photos are from. <thumbsup>

[dcedar]

Beautiful Pictures:)

[nbsjcruiser]

Here's a few shots in and around Junkanoo Beach which is about a 15 minute walk from the ship. Really nice day there.

 

 

 

 

 

[nbsjcruiser]

and a couple night shots

 

 

[nbsjcruiser]

Coco Cay

 

 

 

 

 

 

[nbsjcruiser]

A few more from Coco Cay

 

 

 

 

 

[CRUISEFAN0001]

We're loving your review and especially the photos.

 

Since we'll be on INDY in a couple of weeks...any INDY photos are especially enjoyable.

 

One question....noticed that your photos (liking your photographer's eye by the way - angles, frame content, etc.) seem to have a deep color saturation.

 

Was that a manual setting on your camera?

 

The reason I ask is that our new Canon Powershot has a setting for "vivid color" that emulates the same kind of deep color results - wondering if that's how you got that...or may be just the software you're using on your images. Just curious. Thanks.