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Overview After her recent stretching the Norwegian Majesty
 reenters service as a nearly new ship. Those who may have cruised her in the past will be pleasantly surprised by the numerous changes that have been made. The addition of the new 112' midsection brought many improvements. Added were two new restaurants, 203 passenger cabins, 33 crew cabins, another swimming pool, two whirlpool spas, a new deck bar, a coffee bar, a new casino, two elevators and a stair tower. Additional improvements include new teak decking on Sun deck. Sky deck was expanded by a new extension that increases sunning space substantially. A new plastic deck covering on Sky deck drains quickly and eliminates the problem of outdoor carpeting that never seems to dry. The deck extension provides additional shaded areas below it on Sun deck. Additional glass was added along the sides of Sun deck providing better weather protection. Carpeting in the public spaces and in all cabins was replaced. Behind the scenes improvements include a new laundry, expanded refrigerated cold food storage and freezer capacity. Additional fresh water making equipment was added eliminating the need to rely on additional shore-side supplies. Discover new worlds while cruising aboard the classic Norwegian Majesty. Norwegian's signature Freestyle Dining allows you to choose from six international restaurants, including the Seven Seas Restaurant for traditional cuisine and Le Bistro for savory French delights. Lounge on deck by two outdoor pools and hot tubs, or work out at the 24-hour fitness center. Take in the dazzling entertainment of the Palace Theater, then try your luck at the Monte Carlo Casino. An exotic massage at the Bodywaves Spa will rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul. After some well-deserved pampering and relaxation, sip your favorite cocktail at one of 11 lounges or get down at the Frame 52 Disco.
Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) has long been a leader in the cruise industry, challenging traditions, and forging new innovations. Now they're doing it again with "Freestyle Cruising," designed to give the cruiser all the options of a land resort at sea. This means a wider variety of activities, better service, and more options in your dining experience: now you get to decide when, where, and with whom you choose to dine.
In this fast-paced world of active lifestyles, most people appreciate a cruise company that can keep up with them. But on a nostalgic note, we are witnesses to a dying age of classic ships and formal cruising. In other words: almost gone are the days when your waiter remembers that you like coffee with your meal because you might eat at a different dining facility every single night! This could be disappointing to those who are expecting the comforting stability of a traditional cruise experience, but "Freestyle Cruising" is absolutely wonderful for those wanting maximum flexibility and options on their vacation. And NCL has recently maximized those options by "stretching" the Majesty in 1999 with the insertion of a 112-foot midsection. This additional space has allowed more cruising conveniences: additional cabins, a second pool, several alternative dining facilities, an outdoor bar, a coffee bar, an internet café, and more deck space. And in 2001, the Majesty was refurbished yet again, adding even more dining areas and extra staff ensuring quicker, better service. Today you'll find the Majesty is sleek, and her clean, simple lines, make her a poster-ship for understated elegance. Interiors are stylishly decorated with soft colors, natural wood, leather sofas, glass, mirrors, and fresh foliage. The Majesty also has an intimate feel and is extremely well laid out. This means you're not likely to get lost (since most of the public rooms are located on Decks 5 and 6) and you'll often see familiar faces. NCL is a cruise company on the upswing as is evidenced by its bevy of new ships setting sail within the next few years - each bigger and brighter than the last. But on the Majesty, you'll get the best of both worlds: the classic lines and personality of a traditional cruise liner with all the options afforded by "Freestyle Cruising." Try the Norwegian Majesty. Let them treat you like royalty. The moment you see her, you'll understand why she commands such a loyal following. The Norwegian Majesty Public rooms The Royal Observatory is located above the bridge, a delightful place to have a pre or post dinner drink. A small dance floor set among tables and a bar complete the room. Frame 52, located aft on deck seven, is the disco and the small and intimate Polo club offers piano music nightly. The casino is a new addition, with an art deco decor. The Palace Theater is the main show lounge, by day used for port lectures and bingo. Forward on deck 5 is the Royal Fireworks Lounge. This is a smaller room that presents cabaret, a bit under used during our cruise. The Rendezvous Lounge offers cocktails and large screen TV's. Other spots of interest are the jewelry store, a very small sundries shop and the logo/clothing shop. The shopping onboard this ship is limited. Interiors have a contemporary ambiance that is informally elegant through the use of quality fabrics in pastels and muted shades, fine woods, artwork and marble. Lots of glass walls afford views of the sea and ports. There is no multi-level atrium -the attractive lobby/reception area on Atlantic Deck has a Nordic feel with white marble and art deco accents. The ship underwent a "chop and stretch" in 1999 that added cabins and new and enlarged public rooms. As a result of the stretching, the Four Seasons Restaurant was expanded to encompass the entire width of the ship. The ship absorbs the post-stretch increased guest numbers well, but had a less spacious feel than before the stretching. The Palace Theater features a proscenium stage for revues including the Sea Legs Circus at Sea. Sightlines are good from most seats. Polo Club, a horseshoe-shaped piano bar with a dance floor is one of the most popular lounges on board for a drink after the show. The Royal Observatory Lounge with its floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides is a great perch for watching Bermuda sunsets; for people watching, the Rendezvous Lounge is best. The 24-hour Internet Cafe is equipped with four computer terminals (cost is 75 cents per minute). There is no self-service launderette; laundry and dry cleaning are available for a fee. Fitness and Reacreation The Norwegian Majesty has a mediocre fitness center divided into two small square rooms - one room contains aerobics exercise machines and the other has an assortment of weight machines and stationery weights. Both the size of the fitness center and the number of exercise machines are far less compared to fitness centers on similar-sized ships. There are only four treadmills, four Stairmasters and five stationery bikes. As a result, the room is often filled to capacity and passengers who want to work out have to wait in line to use the machines. Other onboard recreational facilities include a golf driving net plus shuffleboard courts and ping pong tables. There are also two Jacuzzis plus sauna and massage and a daily schedule of aerobics classes. Located midship on deck 10 is the main swimming pool with a terraced deck, while located aft on deck 9 is a Children's Splash pool for those with small children. Bodywaves, the health spa has a full complement of treadmills, nautilus type exercise machines as well as a separate aerobics and a free weight room. Steiner of London operates the Vanity Fair Beauty Salon located next door. Among the beauty treatments offered are facials, massage, manicures, body wrap, pedicures and other beauty treatments (expect Steiner's staff to push the sale of their products during treatments). A separate jogging track is located on deck seven (four laps equal one mile). Learn from the pros on NCL's Tee-Up Golf cruises to Bermuda while the Dive-In Snorkeling program is featured on all Caribbean cruises. Bodywaves Fitness Center and Spa Because every "body" deserves royal treatment. Vanity Fair Beauty Salon You'll be sitting pretty at the captain's cocktail party or formal dining night with a new hairdo and manicure. Let the ship's professionals do what they do best - beautify. Get a manicure and pedicure, facial, cut and color, or all of the above! Jogging Track If your motto is: "Shape up or ship out!" You should be expending lots of nervous energy at the jogging track located on the Promenade Deck. Four trips around the ship measures a mile. Snorkeling/SCUBA Diving NCL's "Dive-In" program gives you instruction on snorkeling and diving both in the ship's pool water, and the "real reef thing." With licensed, expert instructors, and top of the line diving and snorkeling equipment, your last name doesn't have to be Cousteau to take part. The program includes use of equipment (with plenty of instruction on how to do it!), marine life tours, transportation to and from dive sites, and a "Dive-In" certificate to proudly present to family and friends. Entertainment NCL established itself as an innovator and leader in shipboard entertainment. Unfortunately, the Broadway production shows found on other NCL ships are not offered aboard Norwegian Majesty since the show lounge cannot accommodate them. However, I wasn't disappointed by the high-energy production shows, lively comics and other performers. Low key piano music is available in the Polo Club and Royal Observatory Lounge. Frame 52 disco heats up the action into the wee hours. All the gambling opportunities are available including slots, black jack, and roulette and Caribbean stud poker. Older teens are allowed in the disco until 11:30pm. Traditional activities such as bingo, passenger talent shows, bridge, dance lessons, ice carving demonstrations and pool games rounds out the fun. NCL excels in nighttime entertainment; this ship is no exception, with Smokey Joe's Cafe, a production featuring such 50s and 60s hits as "Hound Dog" and "On Broadway." A good number of passengers stay up for options that include dancing the night away at Frame 52 Disco; and gaming in the Winners' Circle Casino with six blackjack tables, one roulette, one dice, one Caribbean Stud Poker, one Let it Ride table and 158 slots. Activities Do everything in sight, or nothing at all. For those who prefer to be active, our new Life Style Program features adventurous Shore Excursions, art auctions, health and wellness programs, cooking demonstrations – all kinds of activities aimed at challenging your mind as well as your body. Or you can simply relax and enjoy not having a schedule to follow. We pick the ports, but the rest of the day is your call. Indulge as you please in the wide variety of activity probabilities. No matter how you plan on spending your day Norwegian's Majesty shall accommodate all.
Family NCL's "Kid's Crew" program is divided into three age groups. Junior Sailors (2 - 5), First Mates and Navigators (6 - 12), and Teens (13 - 17). Operating on Sea days: 9 a.m. - noon, 2 - 4:30 p.m., 7:30 - 10 p.m. In port: 3 - 5 p.m., 7:30 - 10 p.m. in the "Kids Korner" playroom. Only group sitting is available; evenings from 10 p.m. - 1 a.m.; in port from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost is $5 per child per hour; the second kid is $3. Dress With Freestyle Cruising in place the ship is now "Resort Casual." For ladies, "Resort casual" attire means sundresses, blouses, sweaters, slacks and skirts. For men "Resort casual" attire means shirts with collars, such as polo shirts, and khakis or trousers. Jeans, shorts, T-shirts, swimsuits and beachwear are not permitted in the restaurants after 5:30 p.m.. Dressing up is always an option for everyone. The tradition of mandatory "formal nights" on NCL ships has been changed to optional formal nights. Freestyle cruising means that resort casual is the designated dress code for the ship. There are optional formal nights when certain lounges and dining areas are designated formal while the rest of the ship remains resort casual. Shorts and bathing suits are not permitted in the dining rooms for dinner. Gratuity NCL automatically adds a fixed service charge to your shipboard account which covers all service personnel. The amount is $10 per person per day for passengers age 13 and over; $5.00 per day for children age 3 - 12 and no charge for children under the age of three. Further tipping is not necesary, however, NCL recommends a 15 percent gratuity for bar service and suggests those receiving concierge or butler services consider offering a gratuity for services rendered. Additional gratuities are at the passenger's discretion. $3.50 per day for the room steward, $3.50 per day for the waiter, $2.00 per day for the bus boy and $1.50 per day for maitre'd. That's a total of $10.50 per person, per day. Ship hightlights
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has always been stylish and sophisticated. Now she's also been s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d - adding 110 feet that's filled with new staterooms, a second pool and dining room, a new casino, another outdoor bar, NCL's hallmark Le Bistro restaurant, a coffee bar and lots more deck space. And everything else has been spruced up and refurbished. The Majesty now gives you even more room to roam, more sparkling places to enjoy and more quiet corners to relax in.