Newport Majesty Dinner Cruise, Newport, RI

Last weekend, for the first time, I boarded Newport Majesty for a dinner cruise that started at 7pm.  It was a cool night for early September and I was pleasantly surprised by how warm it was inside the boat. 

Inside decor was average.  Round tables that sat up to eight people weren't overcrowded.  Plain white table cloths, carpets clean, shiny woodwork but smaller compared to other dinner cruise ships I've been on in the area.  They also offered dancing, however the dance space is outdoors on the second floor and is very small.  50 people dancing would be elbow to elbow so if that is your plan for the evening, beware.  The bathrooms were horrible!  Small is OK.. dirty, run down, doors that barely shut, is not good.  When the bathrooms look like that, it makes you seriously wonder about the kitchen.  Big turn-off!

Food service was offered about 45 minutes into the cruise leaving ample time for pre-dinner drinks.  Unfortunately, no appetizers, bread, crackers, or other tidbits were out for people to munch on during the cocktail hour.  The bar is not extensive but had enough to offer most people drinks that are most commonly ordered.  A little expensive but not outrageously priced.

Dinner consisted of chicken in a white sauce, small pieces of fish, pork with veggie sauce, rice pilaf, summer squash mix, and bread.  The chicken was tasty.  The fish was previously frozen and had not been thoroughly cooked so it was still partially frozen.  The pork was tough.  It was not a stellar meal at all and for $51 per person based on our party size, it was not worth the money.  Dessert consisted of still half frozen plain cheesecake and carrot cake with coffee and tea.  The coffee service was slow and many had to wait for the refills to come out.  Again, a disappointment.

The music/dancing was all fast paced songs typically of a DJ at a wedding composed mostly of newer hits with a few tried and true old dance hits.  It was disappointing that one or two slow songs weren't thrown in the mix since most of the people on board were couples. 

The boat circled around the harbor and since it was night time, not much was to be seen except for the lights of the Newport Bridge.

Overall, I can not recommend this cruise to anyone.  It was mediocre at best and for the price, I'd hoped for slightly better than small, cramped, and lack luster food.  In fact, a survey revealed that in our party of close to 20 people, not one person would repeat the experience.

H2O Newport, RI

I visited Newport, Rhode Island yesterday and had dinner at H2O at Christie's Landing off Thames St right next to 41o North.  It offers an unobstructed though small view of Newport Harbor.  We were lucky enough to have seats in the front porch area which held nice views and a cool breeze. 

The restaurant porch is a little too cramped.  I understand the desire to fit as many tables in the front viewing area as possible but if you took out just one table per row, sitting would be comfortable.  There is nothing I hate more than sitting back to back with someone and being afraid to move because you can feel every move. 

We started with a tuna tartar, a bowl of clam chowder, and an order of calamari.  The tuna tartar was fantastic, melt in your mouth, and flavorful.  Nice portion size as well.  The chowder was OK but there were some hot spots and some cold spots suggesting that this was nothing more than a microwaved dish.  Very disappointing given that we are sitting ocean view with lots of local seafood available.  The calamari was well cooked and well seasoned but the portion size was on the smaller end.

Dinners ordered were swordfish, blue fin tuna, rare, grilled rib-eye steak and a shrimp scampi.  Again, disappointment for 3 of the 4 dishes.  The swordfish was dry and the roasted potatoes lacked seasoning.  The tuna was cooked right but the overall plate was lacking.  The grilled rib eye was perfect but it was a small steak, 6-8oz with 5 asparagus and a small mound of bland potatoes. At $32 for the plate, it took away from the appeal of the dish. The shrimp scampi was the biggest failure of the night.  They used three colossal shrimp with chewy wheat pasta.  Most colossal shrimp are fairly bland in taste.  These were overcooked and tough in addition to having no flavor at all.  All portions were relatively small for the big prices.

Service was another disappointment.  You'd think that being an upscale restaurant right on the water at a huge summer destination, they'd at least offer to fill your water glass.  No.  We had to ask.  A water server might be a nice addition!  I get that at low end restaurant...c'mon!  No salt or pepper on the table.  No pepper service offered.  Nothing.  Even empty glasses sat for some time even after refills were brought to the table.  No one working there was dynamic or looked like they wanted to be there.

In the end, with the addition of a two glasses of wine, two glasses of champagne, one beer, and one cocktail, no desserts...A little over $200 was spent.  Absolutely outrageous for the lack of service and the lack of selections, lack of flavor, lack of inspiring cuisine, and lack of portion sizes.  I expect to pay more for a waterfront restaurant.  I expect to pay more for being in Newport.  I do not expect to walk away feeling like I was robbed of my money.  Half the price would have been right for this restaurant.

I do not recommend this restaurant.  One fork out of five rating.