My wife and I are booked aboard the Majesty for Feb. 4 Western Caribbean cruise. It's our first and we are really excited about it. We are curious about the 2 "main" dining rooms -- the "Four Seasons" and the "Seven Seas." The brochure from NCL really doesn't say a whole lot about the differences between them. Are there some folks out there who've dined in both placed aboard the Majesty and can tell us some of the differences between the 2 dining rooms? Is one larger than the other? Is one more casual that the other? Is one a buffet and the other an "order off the menu" kind of place? Any comments would be appreciated.
The main difference between the two dining rooms is the size. Both are sit-down dining rooms with waiter service, and they offer the same menu. There is no extra charge for either.
The Seven Seas, located aft, is much larger and brighter and has windows on three sides. The Four Seasons is a bit more elegant in its decor, IMO, and is quieter as it holds about 250 passengers. We've dined in both several times and enjoyed them.
Lisa (or anyone for that matter): Are both dining rooms "order off the menu" only, or does one or both feature a buffet as well? I thought the buffets aboard cruise ships were legendary. Of course, there's time I like to be served, but other times I like the informality and selection of a buffet.
There is no buffet in either dining room, at least not on any of our sailings. There is a buffet area on the top deck, but it is nothing special, IMO. Sure, there's enough food, but it is a very small area. There are also small theme buffets set up by the pools, such as an Asian soup bar (fabulous!). That said, we did go to the buffet for dinner one night last summer and enjoyed it, even though I am a big fan of formal dining rooms. The change of pace was nice.
I've just returned from the Sun, not quite the Majesty. But, as noted by the Sun's Freestyle Dailies, although both main restaurants use the same menu, the Seven Seas food is cooked in a more traditional way, while the Four Season's food is cooked in a more contemporary way.
My family was on the Majesty over Thanksgiving. Hate to say this, but "Freestyle Dining" stinks. Either get there 15 minutes before they open, or be prepared to wait in line (a long time).
While the food in the dining rooms was good, the waitstaff, 75% of the time, was unacceptable.
I never had to wait in line for dinner on the Majesty last summer, and I never got there 15 minutes early.
But, there is a period of time when the dining rooms do fill up, between an hour to 90 minutes after they open the dining room. When those who arrived soon after opening are just finishing dinner and those who wish to eat somewhat later.
Waiting in a line has more to do with timing than anything else.
I think a lot depends upon the time of year and itinerary. When we were on N. Majesty to Bermuda last summer, not too many pax dined early, so we never had to wait before 6:15 as many were still ashore. Yet, I can see that if traveling during a peak time, such as a school vacation week, there would be many more families on board... meaning more 3rd and 4th berths booked... translating into more people using the dining room than on average.
On a side note to Ron -- when were you on N. Majesty? We were on the 8/14/05 sailing, and are booked again for this coming summer.
There's small cabin's aboard the Majesty, but I has just as much fun in them. Everything I packed fitted. There was plenty of room for two, three and four in one of those small cabins would have been a challenge to all's patience.
My favorite public space, besides the dining rooms, was the Rendezvous Lounge.
We had three in a 145-square foot cabin, which was a little snug but we managed. When my husband and I sailed alone, we had a 108-square foot cabin. I was amazed at the storage capacity.
I love the window seats along Deck 5. I spent most of my time there. I also love the Seven Seas Dining Room. We were on the ship when it was operated by Majesty Cruise Line, and I greatly prefer the dining room decor by NCL. The dining room is now much brighter. The Four Seasons was a very nice addition to the ship, IMO.
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