Carlene Mullins

Age: 57
Occupation: retired
Number of Cruises: 2
Cruise Line: Norwegian
Ship: Majesty
Sailing Date: June 20th, 2004
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean

The Majesty, first of all, is small by cruise ship standards and the Atlantic can be quite choppy. That said, if you are the least bit prone to seasickness, this may not be the cruise for you. Our crossing was only a little choppy at times, but some of our shipmates, who have taken this same cruise in the past, told of waves that swamped the decks - particularly in the Spring and Fall.

The Majesty is an older ship, too. But she is nicely appointed and quite intimate. The crew is a young, attractive group that is eager to please. Service is very good on the Majesty.

The food is plentiful and considering they serve up about 3,000 meals per day, it is splendid. We ate in all the restaurants except Le Bistro (which requires a $15 - $20 sur-charge). The two main dining rooms - the Seven Seas and Four Seasons - always offered vegetarian dishes, low cal choices, and a pasta entree. The Cafe Royal was not my favorite, but the pizza on deck 10 was surprisingly good. All the window tables seat 8 people, so if you want a view while you dine, be prepared to share.

The Majesty features "free style" dining. No more early or late seatings for dinner, and only one night that you had to dress formally, and then only in the 4 up-scale dining rooms.

We were up-graded from a standard ocean view cabin to a superior ocean view. We were on Deck 9 and had a balcony right outside, but it was not a private balcony. It was so well-hidden, however, that we were the only ones who used it. Some of the ocean view rooms - even the "superior" cabins - had obstructed views, so be prepared. They do, after all, have to put the life boats somewhere.

While the Majesty does have programs for children and teens, it's not a party ship. They drain the pools and hot tubs around 10 PM and by midnight there are very few people on deck. Even if you are the early-to-bed type, stay up for the chocolate buffet the one night it is featured, just to take photos, if nothing else. It is unbelievable!

We liked the idea of a 7 day cruise with only one port. We had a chance to really explore Bermuda. With 64,000 people packed into 21 square miles, it is a country that may not long remain as you find it today. Hamilton is a bustling city of banks, high-rise office buildings, and traffic...lots of traffic. In Bermuda each household is limited to only one car, so consequently you will see motor scooters and mopeds everywhere. Business men ride them to work in there proper British attire from the waist up, and snappy Bermuda shorts and knee socks from the waist down. Grandmas ride them, with their big bottoms hanging over the sides of the seats. And tourists, of course, rent them as if they had good sense. I don't suggest it, however. For one thing, it's hard for Americans to drive on the left-hand side of the road and in Bermuda, one cannot afford to drift very far to the right. The streets are very narrow and wind up and down hills and along sheer drop-offs.

St. George is a pleasant, slow-paced town with lots of historical sites. Don't miss St. Peter's church and the cemetery just outside, or the museum in the 250 year-old house on Duke of Kent street.

The Majesty offers an on shore dining voucher for $5.00 (lunch) or $10.00 (dinner). Upgrade to the dinner voucher and eat at the Carriage House. It is absolutely wonderful!

We didn't go on any of the water tours, but if you skip the walking tour and the carriage ride, you won't be missing a thing. The hour-long walking tour is actually about 15 minutes of walking (two square blocks or so) and 45 minutes of standing around. The carriage ride is on the same par. Do buy a pass on the bus/ferry system. It is a great bargain (taxis charge $30.00 per hour). The buses and ferries are air conditioned...the taxis are not - probably because gasoline is $6.00 per gallon. Ride the bus from St. George to the Dockyards in Hamilton, do a little shopping and sight-seeing, then take the ferry back. A one day pass is $12.00 and for three days it is $26.00.

The beaches are lovely and quite clean. There were lots of older people there, as well as families. I did not see a single thong bikini, so if that's your style, you might want to pack something a little more reserved, just in case.

We would take this same cruise again. The only thing we would do differently is buy the soft drink cards ($28.00) and opt out of the Bingo games (too expensive at an average of $40.00).

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