I think cruising offers the best value for your dollar, unlimited food, fun and all the comforts of home. I personally don’t care for vacations were you stay somewhere more then two days. I like being on the move. My boyfriend and I are a young couple who are relatively new to cruising. I wanted an itinerary with plenty to offer. We choose the Norwegian Majesty for the itinerary and package it was offering.

Our flight left at 7am from Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Canada and landed in Philadelphia around 9am. The plane to San Juan, Puerto Rico was delayed because of traffic and we left at 11am.

We arrived in San Juan, around 3pm (Atlantic time). As we exited the plane we found many travelers waiting for flights. The terminal was packed. We headed towards the baggage claim to get our bags. We didn’t see a representative nearby so we waited until we spotted one. They are in and out of the terminal busy loading people into shuttle buses. They gathered our bags and put us on a shuttle. I didn’t want to depend on a taxi. It was cheaper then arranging our own flight and transportation.

The bus was air-conditioned and the driver looked younger then us but he got us to the pier safely. We were at the Pam American Pier. It’s great because you turn the corner and all of a sudden you see this big ship before you. Now the Majesty is not huge but she’s a good size. It’s also not as crowded as larger ships.

Embarkation went quickly. In total maybe 10 minutes. Apparently early afternoon is very busy and you can easily wait an hour or more. A quick picture is taken and you board the ship.

Everything is very casual on embarkation day. There’s a buffet with sandwiches and different things as well as the 24-hour pizza, hamburger, hot dogs and fries. There was a lifeboat drill on the Promenade deck (7) from 9:30 to 9:45. They are very well trained and makes sure everyone knows what they must do. Our bags finally arrived during the drill. The farewell party wasn’t a big thing but it was good. Music is played and everyone dances. The waters are very choppy out of San Juan. The first night is always the worst with the rolling.

Our cabin was number 747 and located on the Promenade Deck (7). We were upgraded from a category H (partially obstructed) to CC (full ocean view). We had a handicap room, which meant the bathroom was bigger but the room was a little smaller, our beds were also separated. That was ok since I saw the bathroom of other rooms and it looked like a closet. Ours was at least a decent size. The ship was very clean and someone was always touching up stuff around the ship.

Our room steward was amazing; he found an earring I thought I lost in my bed. Our room was always made up even after naps.

The dining experience was great. The freestyle option was preferred over set times because we liked to eat at different times. We never waited for a table but sometimes everyone comes at once so they have to wait a few minutes. We ate mostly in the Four Seasons dining room since they have the exact menu at the Seven Seas dining and there are more vibrations. The food was good. We ate in the Pasta Restaurant (Royal Observatory) which has a beautiful view. I love it but my boyfriend did not. Many people told us they liked it. The Bistro (the gourmet restaurant) was good but nothing special. I wouldn’t waste $10 again.

The entertainment was excellent but we didn’t see any of the production shows. The comedy shows were hilarious and I laughed the night away. The deck parties were fun too.

The staff was always nice and friendly. It’s a very international group.

I didn’t get to try the Mandara Spa, sign up ASAP if you really want it.

We had one problem on the ship. Our toilet broke and it wouldn’t flush. I called reception and I was told that they would send someone. I went to dinner and came back to a new toilet with a new plumbing installed. They also sent a letter the next day making sure that we were happy with our new toilet and to check that it was working fine.

Day at Sea:
We spent it sleeping, laying on the deck and eating.

St. Lucia:
This is a beautiful island and the people are very friendly. We took the ship’s shore excursion because all of the sights we wanted to see were further away and the prices were about the same if we did the tour on our own. (We did a ship shore excursion on each island because we like a group environment, and with only the two of us it was cheaper.) We chose the Catamaran to Volcano. This was amazing. You sail for about an hour from Castries to Soufriere. You see the beautiful landscape and the Pitons. You don’t really get to see them any other way. We then got into taxis and drove up to the Volcano. They call it a drive-in volcano because the top was blown off the last time it erupted. It smells like rotting eggs because of the sulphur. But it’s interesting seeing the lava boil. We then went to the botanical gardens. It was very lush, full of local flowers and a spectacular waterfall. After the tours we headed back to the catamaran for lunch. Lunch was good; we had chicken, rice, pasta, and fruits with unlimited rum punch. We sailed to a secluded cove for a swim and sailed around Margot Bay for a brief tour. St. Lucia’s pier is beautiful and offers lots of shopping unless you get unlucky and dock on the industrial side. If this happens you have to take a taxi to the shopping plaza.

Barbados:
We probably should of done something on our own but my boyfriend wanted to try the “booze cruise” Jolly Roger. Barbados has gorgeous white sand beaches. Pick one and stay there the whole day. The Jolly Roger has unlimited rum punch. Everyone gets drunk because they give you half rum, half punch. You can walk the plank, swing off a rope or lay on the beach. We went to Carla beach, very nice but we only got to stay there an hour or so. On the return back to the ship, the party starts and everyone dances. Or at least tries to.

Dominica:
Most of you are going to hate this island. The shopping is not very good but the people are very friendly. If you are lucky and your ship gets to the island before another ship (two piers only) you will get the pier that’s located right in the middle of town. The other one is in the middle of nowhere in the industrial part. Now Dominica is covered with rainforests and has many spectacular views and lots of rainbows. We took the Dominica Favourites tour. Dominica has small roads and sharp, steep turns, get a local to drive. We toured the town and stopped at some places to take in the views. The guides were very informative. Trafalgar Falls was breathtaking but if you have trouble climbing and walking don’t do this. We then went to the Emerald Pool, another waterfall. These attractions are very popular and there are many tourists. You might have to wait a little while in line. If you don’t like crowds, don’t take this tour. We enjoyed the greenery and beauty and headed back to Roseau for some shopping. Dominica hasn’t been in the tourism industry very long but they do a good job. They have beautiful crafts. Bring a raincoat to the rainforest.

St. Kitts:
This is a small island run by monkeys. I don’t mean the people are monkeys but this island has a huge population of African monkeys. A driver told us that there were three times as many monkeys as there are people. My boyfriend slept in and I went on the horseback riding tour. This was spectacular. We rode along the two beautiful beaches. The horses looked pretty good to me. Let them know if you are experienced rider because they will give you a faster horse. Make sure you wear long pants like jeans and shoes you don’t mind getting a little wet. In the afternoon, we went to Cockleshell Bay but it was deserted. Our taxi recommended Friar’s Beach but I felt bad about having to drive so much so we settled with Turtle Beach. Turtle beach is nice and has a restaurant but it also has lots of seaweed. Taxis are regulated, no problems.

Midnight Buffet for Chocoholics:

The Chocoholic buffet was on the Friday night. Many people on board wanted to have it earlier in the week. This buffet wasn’t spectacular. They didn’t have a big variety of stuff. Friday night was probably the worst night to have it since everyone on the ship has to wake up early to go through immigration for St. Croix. So with all this chocolate in our systems, do you think we could sleep?

St. Croix:
We woke up early and stood in line. Not pleasant. We did the Buck Island Snorkel. Frederiksted doesn’t have a lot to offer and Christiansted doesn’t have much more if you are opting for the shopping tour. We took a taxi to Christiansted to get to the pier were we depart to Buck Island. The boat never touches the beach and you snorkel directly from the boat. You are in ten feet of crystal clear water. This was my first time snorkeling and I enjoyed the corals but I would of liked to see more fish. We snorkeled for an hour and then returned back to the ship.

San Juan – Disembarkation:
We woke up early because we planned a tour to the El Yunque Rain Forest. Disembarkation was easy and we met the group at 8:15. If you do not take a tour you can leave at your leisure or when your colour tags are called. You must however leave by 10. When you get off the ship they will assign a baggage handler to you and another couple or family. Since we prefer to carry our own bags the handler got mad and kept trying to take our luggage to carry. He kept yelling at us to hurry. Very rude, tell this guy off for me if you come across him. We dropped our suitcases off beside a truck and were promised that they would be at the airport when we got back from our tour. To get to the rainforest you travel about an hour by bus and make a stop at a restroom and store. The rainforest was like all the others but I liked finishing the trip with it. One last forest and waterfall adventure. Look out for snails, lizards and Coquico frogs as they bring good luck and prosperity. The Coquico frog is Puerto Rico’s national mascot and it’s call sound like a bird. Beware of the blue wasp. Ask your guide about that one.

We got back to the airport early but that’s a good thing because check-in takes hours. They do have restaurants available once you check in.

Overall:

I had fun, I got some sun, saw amazing people and sites, was stress-free and never bored. I loved the staff and the food. I would do it all over again. Hopefully soon.