Fascination vs Majesty vs Sovereign

[kdickers]

I'm thinking of booking another short cruise for my DD's fall break. :D I know . . . one cruise under my belt and I'm ADDICTED!!!!!

 

I've been looking at either the Fascination, the Majesty of the Seas or the Sovereign . . . what are the advantages/disadvantages of these ships?

 

Hopefully my DH will make the trip with us this time so . . . it'll be myself, 14 yr old DD and DH. They're all 4 day cruises with the Majesty and Sovereign cruising the caribbean (Nassau, Coco Cay) while the Fascination travels into the gulf (Cozumel). Both the Fascination and Majesty also take in Key West but since I've already been there I'm not really taking that into my considerations.

 

Each of these sailing are approximately the same cost, but with the Fascination (past guest) I can get a 2 category upgrade (6A to 6C) while on the Majesty I'm looking at an F2 and the Sovereign category G.

 

Give me your opinions of each of these ships please taking into consideration the age of my DD!!

 

THANKS!!

[dsclark]

The Soverereign isn't much bigger than the Fascination, yet it has a whole bunch more people, so it will feel much more crowded. They have added even more rooms with the last dry dock- it's almost like trying to fit the passengers from the Victory onto the Fascination.

The SOS has the dinkiest rooms around. I was on her when she was a couple of months old, sharing the room with two brothers and boy, was it tight!

Like lobster? RCl is too cheap to offer it on its shorter cruises. CCL will give you lobster.

As far as port stops, Cozumel blows away Nassau.

I really like the fantasy class ships a lot. They have that cool water slide with the long lines the larger CCL ships have.

[Cruising89143]

I have been on all three ships. The Fascination was my least favorite of the three. I had a lot of problems on that ship. The Sovereign was just refurbished to the tune of forty million dollars and looks great. I like the Majestys itinerary best and both RCI ships stops at Coco Cay which makes for a great beach day.

 

 

The rooms on the RCI ships are smaller but for a shorter cruise it really does not make that much of a difference. I have some photos of the Sovereign in my link below.

[jerseygirl3]

Putting 3 passengers in one of the Royal Caribbean ships would be a nightmare to me. Although I like Royal Caribbean and I've been on the Majesty (very nice) and the SOS just underwent a complete overhaul, unless you don't mind being really...and I mean really...cramped, I'd opt for the Carnival ship because the cabin is larger. You're talking approx. 122 sq. ft. vs. 185 sq. ft....big difference.

 

The other option would be to get one of the larger cabins on SOS or Majesty. If that is a possibility, then I'd go with Royal Caribbean. I think their ships are much nicer.

[kdickers]

Cruisingator . . . those pictures are GREAT!!! Since the only ship I have to compare this to is the Celebration it SURE LOOKS NICE!!!!!!!

[SAYHEYRENEE]

I was on Majesty and Inspiration (sister of Fascination) The rooms do make a big difference even though you only shower and sleep in them. We had three on both ships and it was unbarable on the Majesty. We had our bed together and child had bunk. You had to get in and out the bed from the bottom-couldnt walk around and getting dressed was nuts. Two had to sit on bed while one stood between bathroom and table getting dressed. Bathroom was smaller too. Everything else was about equal (entertainment, food, things to do). Majesty is suttle and Fascination is glitzy. I loved Coco Cay but missed having a sea day too.

[Cruising89143]

Cruisingator . . . those pictures are GREAT!!! Since the only ship I have to compare this to is the Celebration it SURE LOOKS NICE!!!!!!!

 

Thanks. The Sovereign is actually the best looking out of the three IMHO. Of course a lot of that has to do with the recent refurbishment that she received.

[K.T.B.]

kdickers, I think dsclark hit it pretty much on the head. And as you can see by those who have travelled RCI, their cabins are smaller in the category you're looking to book.

 

Plus, IMO, Cozumel is probably the best port in the Western Caribbean. :)

[davidmele]

A couple of months ago, I too was faced with this exact situation. In Canada, we had the 24th off so we decided to take a short weekend cruise. We decided between the Fascination, or the Soverign or the Majesty. I have been on both lines before, so I knew what each one could bring to the table. In the end we went on the fascination because of price, and had a magnificent time. There was a formal night, with two production shows, a very friendly staff, comfortable rooms ( 4 people in one room was not a problem) , and a great time. I highly recommend a short cruise on the Fascination. Also, the ship was very clean and showed just minor wear and tear here

and there but nothing major. However, the Soverign just went through a major refurbishment so it would probably be "cleaner" than the Fascination.

 

dave