Majesty vs Dawn to Bermuda?

[emilymad]

I am new to NCL and I am considering a cruise to Bermuda either over the summer or in September. Which ship is better? I live near Philly and that is where the Majesty departs from but getting to NYC isn't too big of a deal either. Also, how is it crossing the Atlantic? My previous cruises have all been on RCCL Voyager class which I understand are much bigger then NCL. Any opinions are much appreciated! :)

[electricron]

Are you planning to sail while the Majesty is homeported in Philadelphia?

 

The Majesty will dock in St. George for alost four days.

The Dawn will dock in King's Wharf (Dockyards) for three days.

 

The Dawn is the larger, newer, nicer ship, but the Majesty stays in Bermuda an extra day.

[electricron]

Are you planning to sail while the Majesty is homeported in Philadelphia?

 

The Majesty will dock in St. George for almost four days.

The Dawn will dock in King's Wharf (Dockyards) for three days.

 

The Dawn is the larger, newer, nicer ship, but the Majesty stays in Bermuda an extra day.

[electricron]

Are you planning to sail while the Majesty is homeported in Philadelphia?

 

The Majesty will dock in St. George for almost four days.

The Dawn will dock in King's Wharf (Dockyards) for three days.

 

The Dawn is the larger, newer, nicer ship, but the Majesty stays in Bermuda an extra day.

[cruizinwithkids]

My opinion is that if you are looking for itinerary, the Majesty is the better choice. The ship however is older and smaller. If you are looking for the newer ship with more features the Dawn is the choice.

 

If like most people you are looking for a combination, I think it's a very difficult decision.

 

I have been on the Majesty 5 times to Bermuda. I have been on the Dawn 3 times to Florida/Bahamas. My next booking is the Dawn to Bermuda.

 

We are in Massachusetts and love the convenience of sailing out of Boston. There is no sailing out of Boston as early as April 27 which is why we chose the Dawn.

[emilymad]

If I would do the Majesty it would definitely be out of Philly. I am just scared the ship will feel too small after the Voyager class. Thanks!

[Don Haynes]

The Majesty has some of the smallest cabins afloat. The Dawn has larger cabins. Are you just going to sleep and change clothes in your cabin, or are you intending to live in the cabin and watch some movies? A larger cabin would be nice. If so, I would choose the Dawn, even though its itinerary isn't as nice, docks at Kings Warf, and spends fewer days at Bermuda. If you prefer a larger cabin, and a newer ship, I would choose the Dawn. On the other hand if you don't care how large the cabin is, and prefer to spend more time and days in Bermuda at St. George, I would choose the Majesty.

[iheartbda]

If I would do the Majesty it would definitely be out of Philly. I am just scared the ship will feel too small after the Voyager class. Thanks!

 

This is a long review but worth reading and might give you a "feel" for the ship. We've gone out of Philly on RCI and it was a breeze, parking is also cheaper than in N.Y.

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=693495

[musicgirl63]

Does anyone in your group get motion sick? If so, go with the Dawn since it is bigger. That was the reason that we chose the Dawn. I've dealt with motion sickness all my life and have experiences it occasionally on cruises. Those times were in bad weather but also on large ships and it wasn't too bad.

The bigger the ship, the less chance of getting sea sick.

 

If you've never been sea sick the size won't matter.

[ChampionCruiser]

The Majesty has some of the smallest cabins afloat. The Dawn has larger cabins. Are you just going to sleep and change clothes in your cabin, or are you intending to live in the cabin and watch some movies? A larger cabin would be nice. If so, I would choose the Dawn, even though its itinerary isn't as nice, docks at Kings Warf, and spends fewer days at Bermuda. If you prefer a larger cabin, and a newer ship, I would choose the Dawn. On the other hand if you don't care how large the cabin is, and prefer to spend more time and days in Bermuda at St. George, I would choose the Majesty.

 

While it is true that the Majesty's regular interior/oceanview staterooms are literally among the smallest afloat, her superior cabins are almost exactly the same size (actually a tad bigger) as the regular cabins on the Dawn (plenty big enough IMHO)

[cruizinwithkids]

While it is true that the Majesty's regular interior/oceanview staterooms are literally among the smallest afloat, her superior cabins are almost exactly the same size (actually a tad bigger) as the regular cabins on the Dawn (plenty big enough IMHO)

 

And if you happen to have four in the room, I would rather the old fashioned layout with two uppers on the Majesty, then the trundle bed layout of the Dawn.

[julescruisin]

I have been on both ships with 2 kids and we loved them both for different reasons, the Majesty was great because we docked for 4 days in St. Georges, and we loved the town. The Dawn is a larger, more modern ship with lots to see and do for the kids.

But you should go just to be in Bermuda it is our favorite island of all, we are booked on the Gem 4/12/08 and the kids and I are upset because it is not going to Bermuda. Enjoy, you will love it on either ship.:D :)

[bluesea777]

Dawn will anchor for her first day in Bermuda and goes in to dock at kings Wharf (Dockyard) when the RCCL ships leaves, for the remainder of her stay.

 

Dream also goes to Bermuda this summer - from Boston - docks at St. George's (which now can have 2 ships). Kings Wharf can have only one ship, but will have 2 in 2009 when the 2nd berth is built.

[coondogg97]

I am new to NCL and I am considering a cruise to Bermuda either over the summer or in September. Which ship is better? I live near Philly and that is where the Majesty departs from but getting to NYC isn't too big of a deal either. Also, how is it crossing the Atlantic? My previous cruises have all been on RCCL Voyager class which I understand are much bigger then NCL. Any opinions are much appreciated! :)

 

Emily,

 

I am in the same boat as you are (insert lame pun here). We are about 30 minutes outside of Philly, so it would be much easier for us to leave from here. The problem is the only ships that leave from Philly are the smaller, older NCL ships. So the times we have cruised with NCL we have driven to NYC. We were in the same dilemma this year choosing between the Majesty leaving from Philly and the Gem out of NYC. None of the rooms on the Majesty offer balconies so choosing the Gem was an easy decision for us. It is VERY easy to get to the NYC docks from Philly. Take the Turnpike and get to the Holland Tunnel and you are at the pier. Also keep in mind that Baltimore, NJ and even Boston are easy to get to from where we are.

 

That being said my parents are also dedicated NCL fans and they enjoy the smaller ships that leave from Philly over the bigger NYC girls. They feel the smaller ships are more intimate and try to incorporate some of the traditional cruising aspect into them. This may be more up your alley since you are used to the traditional RCCL cruising.

 

Either way im sure you will have a blast and good luck with NCL!

 

Brian

[electricron]

Dawn will anchor for her first day in Bermuda and goes in to dock at kings Wharf (Dockyard) when the RCCL ships leaves, for the remainder of her stay.

 

Dream also goes to Bermuda this summer - from Boston - docks at St. George's (which now can have 2 ships). Kings Wharf can have only one ship, but will have 2 in 2009 when the 2nd berth is built.

 

Here's a drawing that shows what Bermuda is planning for King's Wharf.

 

 

All the new modifications are near the yellow circle in the drawing.

[musicgirl63]

Dawn will anchor for her first day in Bermuda and goes in to dock at kings Wharf (Dockyard) when the RCCL ships leaves, for the remainder of her stay.

 

Dream also goes to Bermuda this summer - from Boston - docks at St. George's (which now can have 2 ships). Kings Wharf can have only one ship, but will have 2 in 2009 when the 2nd berth is built.

 

I don't know about Sept., but during the summer (at least on my cruise) the Dawn is docked for the first 2 days and 2 nights. On the 3rd day it moves to Grassy Bay (anchor). We will be tendering only on that day.

[CruiserFromPhilly]

Emily

 

I was in the same boat (not a pun) as you....I live near Philly and wanted to find a nice cruise without the travel like I have had to do in the past. After speaking to numerous people, plus a very nice TA in NE Philly, and also the cheap price, I decided to sail on the Majesty out of Philly Labor Day weekend.

 

Altho the ship is much smaller than the rest and smaller than what I've sailed in the past, it will mainly be a floating hotel while docked in Bermuda. The sailing to Bermuda is relatively short compared to sailing to the Caribbean, etc. I would definitely consider the Philly cruise and if you need the name and number of a good TA in Philly, let me know.

 

Good luck

 

Michael

[siren]

We took the Majesty out of Boston for our second NCL cruise, but first time with Free Style Dining. We usually cruise RCL. We live south of Boston and the $499 price tag was great for a last minute getaway to Bermuda. I wasn't expecting first class with that price and our inside cabin was so small we had to climb over the bed to get to the bathroom. The only really bad thing was the dining room service. We waited 30 min after being seated at a table. The maitre D saw us and had to get our waiter, so you'd think he would be on the ball. Forgot the appetizer, drinks and waited another 30 min for coffee and then another 15 for the dessert. The maitre D actually brought us the dessert........and this was the first night. Next night got the same waiter and we were seated next to the serving station. One side of the station is used for dirty dishes and one side for meals coming in. We observed this waiter looking for a creamer to serve coffee. He actually went to the other side, took a dirty creamer off a tray and poured cream into it and served it..! We then ate in the other dining room the next night and got a gigantic black hair in my husbands soup. When ever a complaint or issue arises they take your room number, so after the hair incident, we received fruit and wine in our cabin for two nights.. On a good note, the dining experience in the le bistro was excellent and we found a wonderful bar...where they do the martini tasting with great bartenders...... Safe to say we won't do this freestyle dining to soon in the future. The waiters seemed much more frazzeled doing different courses at different times instead of the more regimented dining. IMO the service really suffered on this ship for this cruise.

[fridaythe13th]

I personally was not impressed in the Majesty. I only went on her a second time to help my dad with my WC bound mom. Both times there were broken things in the cabin. The first time we were in a CC (superior OV) and it was VERY tiny and the beds are not much bigger than a cot. The second time we were in a suite which was okay but in dire need of repair. We also found the dining room service to be lacking. While St George is nice to dock at so is Kings Wharf. It is so easy to get around Bermuda with a bus/ferry pass and the people are so willing to help and are so friendly. I can say even if things were perfect I do enjoy the larger ships. Both times we were on the Majesty from Boston to Bermuda and the seas were 15-18" which is not fun on a small ship. But there are also times when the seas have been like glass. Since you have been on a Voyager Class ship you might be disappointed with the Majesty. On another note, my cousin LOVED the Dawn.

[jdarch]

My dh and I were also going back and forth between sailing the Majesty or the Dawn out of New York, partially concerned over the time each actually spent in Bermuda. There have been posts that say the Majesty is in Bermuda much longer. The Majesty does dock in St. George, which is beautiful. However, if we read this right, on the Majesty you get there at 3:00 p.m. on Monday and leave at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday. That's really just 3 nights and about 2 1/2 days. On the Dawn we get there at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday and leave at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. That's 2 nights and 3 days. You have all of Wednesday, Thursday, and most of Friday on the Island! So after all, it doesn't seem as much of a difference as one might think. I know this is confusing....it is to me. But, maybe I just see it differently. Or maybe I'm just leaning way toward the Dawn...;)

[electricron]

My dh and I were also going back and forth between sailing the Majesty or the Dawn out of New York, partially concerned over the time each actually spent in Bermuda. There have been posts that say the Majesty is in Bermuda much longer. The Majesty does dock in St. George, which is beautiful. However, if we read this right, on the Majesty you get there at 3:00 p.m. on Monday and leave at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday. That's really just 3 nights and about 2 1/2 days. On the Dawn we get there at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday and leave at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. That's 2 nights and 3 days. You have all of Wednesday, Thursday, and most of Friday on the Island! So after all, it doesn't seem as much of a difference as one might think. I know this is confusing....it is to me. But, maybe I just see it differently. Or maybe I'm just leaning way toward the Dawn...;)

 

You have a point. Totaling up the hours each ship is in port:

 

Majesty 68 hours - Dawn 57 hours

There's still 11 hours difference, but most of that is night.

 

At St. George, your minutes away from a beach.

You're almost an hour away from a beach at King's Wharf.

[travelsalotcincinnati]

If I would do the Majesty it would definitely be out of Philly. I am just scared the ship will feel too small after the Voyager class. Thanks!

 

Been on a Voyager class and on the Majesty: if you used the rock-climbing wall, the ice-skating rink, the extensive kids stuff, you will not like the Majesty. If you just hungout at a bar, ate some food, laid around the pool, caught a show---well, the Majesty is fine.

Think of a Majesty Bermuda cruise this way: you start your vacation with a day of relaxation to unwind from everyday life. The embarkation process was easy in the small terminal at Charleston, and you didn't have to board with over 3000 other people. The food you're eating is about the same as any other ship. You didn't have to drag along FORMAL clothes or sit with people you don't know or care to know, so dinner is relaxing and you ate when you were hungry, not when you were SCHEDULED. You arrive at St George's, Bermuda--what a charming and quaint little village! Because the Majesty is small, you can dock here, not out in the water. You actually dock at a real dock--no tendering on a little boat. You can get on and off the ship as if it were a hotel. Have you checked out hotel prices in Bermuda? VERY EXPENSIVE!!! Bermuda is GREAT: it is clean, safe, English-speaking, and gorgeous! There are no beggars, thieves, armed guards, or crooked hawkers selling anything and everything including their sister. Get a bus pass for the days you are here. Or, take the ferry to Kings Wharf at the other end of the island and take the bus back, getting off and on all day. The locals are very nice and friendly. Make sure to stop at the Swizzle Inn and have a pitcher of Swizzlers--a great little rum drink. The beaches are lovely--pale pink! The beach at Tobacco Bay has a little bar for cocktails--hey, I'm on vacation!

The Majesty docks in Bermuda longer than any other ship-- this is what makes it such a good deal, and it is inexpensive, too! Did I mention you can use your US dollars everywhere? The Bermuda economy is tied to the US, so your dollar is worth a dollar. Caution: If you go to the Swizzle Inn, don't try to drive a scooter-- it's hard enough trying to drive on the OTHER SIDE of the road, much less when drinking. Take the bus!! The Majesty is a great, economical place to eat and sleep in Bermuda. You want the most time you can get in wonderful Bermuda!! We have just booked our second cruise on the Majesty this May with another couple, and can't wait to go!!

[Ms belp]

The Dawn is newer and prettier. They have a movie theatre, although I didn't take advantage of it. It is just a newer, and prettier, ship!

[bluesea777]

At St. George, your minutes away from a beach.

You're almost an hour away from a beach at King's Wharf.

 

Not an hour from KW, but about 20 mins. The great beaches are along the South Shore of the island.

[cruisecrazyk]

We went to Bermuda on the Majesty OCt 06 and we hit some rough seas 15-18 ft. We got very seasick. The ship is too small to handle rough seas in the Atlantic. My husband never wants to go on it again. It is a nice ship but should stick to the Western Caribbean route where the seas are calmer. The only thing you would miss by not taking the Majesty is going into St George thru the cut. That is wonderful. It is amazing the captain gets you in there. It is a close "shave" to get through and that was amazing to me. That is the big selling point for a small ship. The other ones cannot make it thru and that is why they dock elsewhere on the island. Get a bus/ferry pass and they will take you everywhere you need to go.:)