imagination vs. majesty of the seas

[clover4]

Hi all - just back from our first sailing on Carnival - a 4 night cruise on the Imagination. Great time! I'm going to post about our trip on the various boards (miami port of call, cozumel, etc) instead of doing one review but I have to start with this question... why did the ship seem SO MUCH more crowded than my other sailings on RCCLs Majesty of the Seas? They are similiarly sized ships and hold about the same number of passengers. We go on the Majesty in May so maybe it doesn't sail full then?... that's hard to believe though. It seems like all the common areas (from the seating in the buffet area, to the lounge where the nightly shows are seen, to the pool deck) are WAY smaller than on the Majesty. I think that's why I felt so crowded. Do you guys notice the same thing?

[Sarah@Sea]

Hi all - just back from our first sailing on Carnival - a 4 night cruise on the Imagination. Great time! I'm going to post about our trip on the various boards (miami port of call, cozumel, etc) instead of doing one review but I have to start with this question... why did the ship seem SO MUCH more crowded than my other sailings on RCCLs Majesty of the Seas? They are similiarly sized ships and hold about the same number of passengers. We go on the Majesty in May so maybe it doesn't sail full then?... that's hard to believe though. It seems like all the common areas (from the seating in the buffet area, to the lounge where the nightly shows are seen, to the pool deck) are WAY smaller than on the Majesty. I think that's why I felt so crowded. Do you guys notice the same thing?

 

I have been on Majesty and Navigator but have yet to sail Carnival...however, my friend who is a Carnival regular sailed on Navigator with me and thought RCCL had a lot more deck chairs than Carnival...now not a ship vs ship comparision but those were her thoughts...as for other areas...can't say.

[firefly333]

Im generally a big fan of RCL, but Majesty has such tiny staterooms. Every ship has its pros and cons. I like the newer RCL ships, but on the older ones, Carnival wins to me.

[ladylikes2cruise]

I have cruise both ships (see sig.) but always in off season.

Maybe the summer sailing was more crowded, so it seem much smaller to some. They also do different ports (were you on Majesty's 3 or 4 day intin.?)

If 4 day, it is more port intensive, so more cruisers may go into port, and free up those areas:confused:

[darth frosty]

The magisty was my 1st cruise back in dec I will be on the imagination this oct look forward to my own comparisons of the 2.

[clover4]

It was a 4 night sailing with stops in Cozumel and Key West (and three nights on Majesty stopping at Coco Cay and Nassau). People being off the ship in port could make a difference during the day but even at night there was really tight seating in the Dynasty Lounge where the shows were held. Plus (and maybe this contributed to the problem) it didn't seem like there were as many activites to do. So everyone came to the same one or two things that were planned. There was one showing in a smaller lounge (the Xanadu) of an adult-only comedian and the place was PACKED. Another night (not the first one) there was only one showing of the main production. THAT was also packed and many people were standing.

[clover4]

Im generally a big fan of RCL, but Majesty has such tiny staterooms. Every ship has its pros and cons. I like the newer RCL ships, but on the older ones, Carnival wins to me.

 

 

Majesty DOES have much smaller staterooms! I loved the size of the Imagination rooms. But like everyone says, you spend so little time in there...

[Sarah@Sea]

See I think it was good Majesty was my first cruise so everything after than will just keep getting better!!!

[firefly333]

Majesty DOES have much smaller staterooms! I loved the size of the Imagination rooms. But like everyone says, you spend so little time in there...

 

I actually did the SOV and said never again, and Im doing it again. Personally, Id pay to upgrade, but my friend doesnt want to. We are tacking it onto a nicer cruise to get an extra RCL cruise credit toward diamond. Making it more worth our while to fly into Miami.

[tiggerman101]

I have done both 4 day cruises on the two ships. I also did both of them as solo cruises. Overall I liked Imagination better. I really enjoyed sitting out on the serenity deck at night (which was not crowded in the least at that time). They also sat me with other solos at dinner where RCCL set me at a table for 8 with an extended family of seven (!?!). I really didn't do much but relax and keep to myself on both cruises.

 

I found Majesty a bit oddly laid out in design. The room was tiny, but I didn't care as I had an Oceanview for a super cheap price ($189 total). We also had a port everyday so I was off the ship a lot. I did enjoy the pool deck a lot and they had a nice late night party as we left Nassau.

 

I am actually doing the same cruise on Imagination solo again in August.

[Cruzman]

There is a lot more public space on the Majesty; but, the cabins are claustrophobic. We are talking 117 sq ft vs 185 sq ft; that is the trade off.

[clover4]

There is a lot more public space on the Majesty; but, the cabins are claustrophobic. We are talking 117 sq ft vs 185 sq ft; that is the trade off.

 

That really explains it then... the extra cabin sizes eat up what could be public space. Ironic though.. since it was so crowded everywhere I found myself wanting to retreat back to the cabin a lot on the Imagination. On the Majesty I had plenty of places to go and relax and never really spent time in the cabin except to shower and sleep.

 

BTW.. about Serenity... we went with kids so never tried to sit there but could see it from the Horizons buffet and there were never any open chairs there during the day.

[CanWeGoYet?]

Haven't been on any RCL cruises so far, but the cruise I took on the Imagination was my least favorite by far. It did seem very crowded to me, bad bad lines at the buffets, congestion when walking through various public areas of the ship.

[tiggerman101]

I just don't remember big crowds on either ship. Maybe I just didn't pay attention. I sailed Imagination in August and Majesty in December. The Serenity area was packed during the day though. I mainly just sat around and read on both of the cruises anyway.

 

This was my Oceanview cabin on Majesty:

 

 

I was fine with it, but more then one person would get a bit annoying IMO.