It was very nice taking a cruise without having to worry about how much luggage to take, putting things in 3 oz containers, just avoiding the hassle of flying and being only 30 minutes from the port.
We know many of you are smokers and we have no problem with those that respect the space of non-smokers but NCL now has a policy that allows smoking in all staterooms. That policy is not disclosed anywhere and we were very upset when we heard about it on the ship’s roll call as my wife is allergic to cigarette smoke and gets ill from it. We contacted NCL immediately and tried to get out of the cruise, but we booked through an agency which also did not disclose the policy and the agency would not refund us. I contacted the Cruise line again and they contacted the ship’s Guest Relations Manager (GRM) and made arrangements to assure there was no smoke residue in the cabin and there wasn’t a trace which we appreciated very much.
General comments: the food was poor in many cases and mediocre at best in all but the one cover charge restaurant. Service was frequently poor. They didn’t seem to be staffed sufficiently. I blame NCL not the waiters and waitresses. In fact the serving staff was very nice. NCL is all open dining. We’ve sailed with them in the past and never had the service issues we did on this cruise. The dining rooms were not large enough to accommodate all passengers and for the first several days, waits to be seated for dinner were an hour if you didn’t get in line well before they opened. They ultimately opened the dining rooms a half hour earlier which helped considerably, (but did not disclose the earlier seating until a few days later.) There were often mistakes in our orders but we accepted them because it took so long to get the meals. We like omelets but stopped ordering them because each time we ordered one it took at least an hour to get them. The waiters told us there were not enough people in the kitchen to accommodate the demand. When I ordered ice cream or sherbert it was so soft by the time I got it, a straw was more appropriate than a spoon. You might ask why we didn’t go to the buffet. Many folks did but it had the smallest seating area we’ve ever seen and if you didn’t get there before the crowd, there was no place to sit.
The toilet didn’t flush properly, and once would not flush at all. We and most others didn’t have sufficient hot water for most of the trip.
The right hand didn’t seem to know what the left hand was doing. There was so much miscommunication by the staff. We were told we could make reservations in the 2 general seating restaurants by the restaurant manager after we had an incident with one of the hostesses, but then none of the hostesses would accept reservations. When they changed the restaurant times, they didn’t publish it in the daily flyer. Scheduled times for activities were wrong in the flyer.
The guest entertainment was very good. We used the fitness center, the weight room was so small one could barely pass by another. Fortunately when I was lifting, there weren’t many others there. The time in the ports was not adequate. It was generally less than 8 hours. The ship was generally sailing well under its top speed even on clear day. I t makes us wonder why they didn’t sail at top speed and allow more time in the ports. I can’t help but think they were trying to save money in fuel, port charges or both. They charged for almost everything on board, not that we were interested, but for example, if you wanted to learn how to make towel animals, you could for a fee, I believe it was $12 dollars. We missed the Latitudes member cocktail party because we didn’t receive the invitation in our cabin until the same day after we returned and by that time the party reception was over.
Other than the wind at sea and fog the first day we had absolutely gorgeous weather the entire trip. One of the pros of anytime dining is we did meet a lot of people. Meeting new people is one of our favorite aspects of cruising.
Day 1: the port was chaotic as people were disembarking and waiting to embark at the same time. However, we arrived early, and embarkation was efficiently executed so we were on the ship having lunch in the dining room within an hour after the start of embarkation. We heard from others that arrived later that they had a less pleasant experience. Although we were on the ship before 12PM, the cabins weren’t ready until 2PM so we had to keep our carry-ons with us, the “con” of NCL’s policy allowing people to stay on the ship late.
When we finally got in the cabin, I opened the door and looked to see if the room was L shaped and had more space. It was the smallest cabin we’ve ever had and we’ve been on smaller ships than the Majesty. Worst, the cabin was very dirty and we couldn’t unpack until it was cleaned better. We were one of the first to get to our cabin and the steward was no where to be found. There were spots all over the mirrors, the drawers were loaded with dust hippos (bunnies is an inadequate description). The previous occupants had apparently spilled something on one wall as there were streaks and spots of some liquid. There was something on the shower floor and the water in the toilet bowl wasn’t clear. After that was corrected we unpacked and had to keep some clothes in our suitcases because of the room size and had to lift the beds off the floor to get the larger luggage underneath. All the cabins on this ship were small, not just ours. Nothing more eventful for day 1
Day 2: at sea, we were fogged in. Sea days were boring in general. There weren’t sufficient activities and we’re not gamblers. Inside public leisure space was not adequate for the number of passengers and the weather was not conducive to lounging on the deck. Most days at sea were chilly (expected) and windy. More than one day was so windy; they closed off portions of the deck and locked many doors. In the morning I went to the gym and when I returned my wife left a note for me to not shower and that a plumber was on the way. The drain had backed up into the shower and bathroom floor. The plumber never showed up and having just returned from a heavy work out was not able to sit anywhere in the cabin or go for breakfast. We went to guest relations and blasted them about the plumber and were told he didn’t start work until 8AM. We didn’t take that well and they made arrangements for me to take a shower in the spa. I went to the Spa and the shower was glass enclosed in a public area. I wasn’t prepared for that and had to shower in my workout clothes. After a couple of minutes showering, I was standing in ankle deep yellow water. I quickly got out of the shower and the entire floor was flooded. I went into the changing room that fortunately had a sink and put one foot in the sink, washed and dried it put on my sneakers and then washed the other foot. The plumber came while I was showering, fixed the issue and the room steward sanitized the floor.
Day 3: St John’s – Reversing Tides and Loyalists House. We went twice to see the tide changes where the Bay of Fundy meets the St. Johns River. The tides move very fast and twice a day suddenly stops and changes direction dropping 37 feet from high to low tide. We were unable to catch them when they changed but saw them coming in and going out at a very fast pace. What I found very interesting was the border where calm water ended and rapid tides butted against it. When the tide is coming in, it pushes against the calm water and when it’s going out the calm water is pushing the tidal waters. The people were extremely nice. We toured an early 19th century home. We were halfway through the tour and I wanted to leave and see the tides. The tour guide allowed us to leave and return for the second half of the tour. We did and when we returned they served us tea, ambrosia and offered us cake in the dining room. They were an elderly couple and we sat and talked to them before we completed our tour. I felt like I was visiting my grandparents. We took public buses to and from the tides both times. The first time a stranger sitting across from us gave us 4 tickets for the bus. It saved us half the fare since we went twice. The driver didn’t stop at the tides but stopped for us and had to tell us when it was time to get off. On the second trip, another driver stopped and asked us where we wanted to get off and we proceeded to ask questions about the best vantage point, etc. and he answered while passengers sat patiently waiting. Walking from the drop off point to the location of the tides, residents gardening and one having a yard sale started talking to us as we passed by. Everyone made us welcome!
Day 4: at sea we went to a Jazz brunch ($15 per person). It was very nice; there was continuous music and a large variety of good food. They even had real shrimp cocktail, something not on the dinner menu. That evening the Director of Passenger Relations (The GRM) came to our cabin and asked us if we wanted to change cabins. She was the person contacted about the smoking and had heard about the flooding and the dirty cabin. We had asked about switching cabins but the staff told us they were sailing full. The GRM told us one cabin was open as it had been booked, the passengers didn’t show and she had to confirm they weren’t meeting the ship in one of the ports. We had been in an inside cabin which is our usual choice. She showed us the cabin, an outside cabin, up one deck (the promenade deck). It looked even smaller that the inside one and although I was worried about where we’d put everything, we took it. They got a steward to help us move and it only took about 90 minutes to complete the move. The next day or so, we were sitting on our beds talking with the drapes open when a women put her face up to the window and peered in. We got a good look at her and later saw her and asked her if she liked our cabin since she took such a good look in the window. It turns out we hadn’t been told a complete truth and this room was hers originally. She never moved in and asked to be changed because she was afraid people could see in from the promenade deck. She looked in because she saw the light on and wanted to confirm her belief. She could see us clearly. The windows did have a coating on them to obscure looking in, but some was rubbed off..
Day 5: Sydney: rented a car and drove to a restored 18th century fortress, Louisburg. I was built by the French in 1748, burned by the British, rebuilt by the French and burned again after which it was abandoned. In it’s hey day it was the 4 largest port in North America but gone before the 19th century. About 20% of the original settlement is restored on the original foundations and about 90% authentic in detail as they acquired the original designs from archives in France. The 20% is huge so the overall fortified town was enormous. We were shocked at the size of the structures. We went with another couple and spent most of the day there. It was staffed with employed people in costume and character. We took a free guided tour and spent the rest of time on our own. We purchased “soldier bread” and snacked on it. Interesting, the aristocracy favored white bread because of its texture and solders got bread 80% rye and 20% wheat. It was made in wood fired ovens and was delicious. We learned an interesting fact in the fisherman’s hut; the floor was made of tamped mud and manure and sealed with blood. It had a sweepable surface. We spent a little time in Sydney, went to a local craft fair and purchased some hand carved Christmas tree ornaments. Again, the people couldn’t have been nicer. The artisans, retired teachers were so proud of their work, showing us the tiny saw blades they use and kibitzing with us. I remember joking with the guard at the entrance to the port. The car rental agency picked us up but didn’t have capacity to take all of us to the agency so my wife and I drove to the agency and drove back to the port to pick up our friends and in leaving and returning joked with the guard about letting us out and back in.
Day 6: Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island: we rented a car and on our own went to the Anne of Green Gables historic site. My wife loves Anne of Green Gables. The author Lucy Maude Montgomery has the status of a “person of historical significance” because she wrote a series of books centered on her childhood home that the world loves and is interestingly required reading in Japan. We spent most of the day there and drove back along the coast, stopping for photo ops on the North Shore with its high cliffs, checking out the red dirt (famous for using as a dye), and a small fishing village.
Day 7: at sea: played cards, read and ate lunch at the buffet.
Day 8 Halifax: the couple we toured Louisburg with rented a car and together we drove to Peggy’s Cove, a fishing village of 60 residents (they don’t allow anyone else to move in) and the most photographed lighthouse in North America. It sits on a point and is covered with huge boulders you can climb on for photo ops. We took lots of photos and then took a scenic drive back to Halifax. Halifax has a free bus that takes people around the points of interest called FRED (Free Ride Every Day). We decided to try it and were the last to people allowed on the bus. The tour guide, told everyone to suck it in and push back so we could get on. The bus then proceeded to slow down at every stop and tell people it was full as no one was getting off. When we got on, they told us people would exit at certain places but they didn’t and there’s only 1 bus and it’s about an hour from start to finish. I was hanging on to a pole in the front of the bus and getting hit by the doors each time the driver opened them to tell folks he was full so we decided to get off and walk.
Day 9 Portland ME: we just walked around the city poking in shops and touring 1 Victorian mansion. It was one of the most ornate mansions we’ve ever seen and we’ve seen more than I can count including many of the Vanderbilt’s, Rockefellers, etc. The most eventful thing in this port was my wife stepping in dog doo doo in a park just outside the port and spending 30 minutes on a park bench cleaning it out of the grooves in the soles of her shoes. Fortunately, there was a visitor’s center and I must have made 4 or 5 trips to the bathrooms getting wet and dry paper towels. Since tomorrow was a sea day, we decided to stay up later than usual and about 11:30PM, while my wife was showering, the drain backed up and flooded the bathroom. I called for a plumber and made it clear that I didn’t t care if he was off duty; I wanted the issue corrected immediately. Sent up a room steward which made me even angrier because of the late hour and we wanted to go to bed. After at least 3 calls, the plumber arrived and Guest Services had told him the toilet was broken so he didn’t come prepared to fix the shower drain and had to go get some different tools... He had to use a drill and auger to clear some obstruction and it was about 12:45 AM when he finally left.
Day 10: at sea: I spoke with The GRM about the flooding and the other issues we had. They hadn’t told her and are supposed to. She comped us for their cover charge restaurant and made reservations for us at the time we requested. We had filet mignon, it was the best meal we had and the service was great.
Disembarkation: NCL allows people to walk off the ship as soon as it clears before other passengers if they carry all of their luggage by themselves (no luggage taken to baggage claim the night before). We opted against that because it was a very long walk off the ship to baggage claim and we had four pieces of luggage Big mistake: I’ll bet at least half the passengers walked off and everyone had to wait until they all got off. However, we had priority disembarkation (first group to leave after the walk offs). Our luggage tags were yellow and we stood on the deck and saw them take off the yellow tagged luggage first. That’s how the process was to work. You’re all familiar with it, you disembark by color and to facilitate that (emphasized by the cruise director) they take the luggage off in the same color coded sequence. Well true to the half baked (have a different anatomical term in mind) way they operate, we were one of the first to get off after the walk offs and NCL would not let us get our luggage. I tried to show her my letter stating my priority and told her I had seen my bags leave the ship an hour earlier; she wouldn’t let anyone in baggage claim because the ship had not told her it was ok. Finally after a long delay, the GRM appeared and people were allowed through. Just as I told that NCL representative all colored tagged bags were sitting in baggage claim neatly grouped by color code and no one claiming any of them. I grabbed my bags and when I tried to exit, the Philadelphia port people stopped me because they weren’t informed anyone could leave. Keep in mind I had cleared Customs at least a half hour earlier at this point. They weren’t stopping me. I told them I cleared Customs and was leaving. There was a Customs agent standing nearby that told the port folks that people couldn’t get into baggage claim without clearing Customs. It was like this was the first time the port had ever been used. Well it ended on a positive note. My daughter arrived to pick us up at the time I told her to based on what ships personnel had told me and she was right at the exit. We loaded up and I was home in less than 30 minutes. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Art, thank you so much for taking the time to write your Report!
I'm sorry that you encountered so many problems with your cabins plumbing It sounds like you had a great time in the ports, I'm tempted to do a Canada/New England cruise now that I've read your port activities
I was wondering how leaving out of Philly was, like you I'm close to the port (about 20 minutes away), but with Majesty being so old and not having balconies we've always been nervous about sailing on her. I'm sorry to hear that the Philly port didn't have their act together either! You would think they'd be better equipped since it's only the Majesty using the port.
We did have a nice time and loved the ports. The people in Canada were wonderful, hospitable and very helpful. They love the tourists up there. There may be other cruises sailing up to Canada from Bayonne, Baltimore or New York. I would like to go again, as we did not have much time in each port. If you like flowers Halifax has a beautiful 17 acre botanical garden that fellow cruisers went to and said it was lovely. In Sydney, we had a celtic concert by locals onboard ship that was very entertaining. Also there were four male singers direct from Las Vegas who performed two shows onboard ship. They were so talented and sang oldies that sounded as if they were original recordings. I was able to catch a third show with a few others. They were rehearsing in the disco which was around the corner from our room. That was neat. I really am glad we went on this cruise regardless of all the mishaps. Linda
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It sounds like you had a great time in the ports, I'm tempted to do a Canada/New England cruise now that I've read your port activities 
Linda
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