Just back from Majesty jan 13-17 2014

[pxy cda]

Here is my mini review:

 

We flew in on Jan 12 the day before the cruise.

 

Stayed one night (priceline $100) at Doubletree Gallery in FT Lauderdale. It is an ok hotel for one night but for a Hilton - mea. It need a really good cleaning in public and room areas. The A/C in the room seems to be leaking and there is a distinct odor of mildew. That said it was a FANTASTIC location and the staff were exemplary! Oh and the warm cookies on check in were really yummy. It was a nice hotel once but we felt it had been ridden hard and put away wet needs some TLC.

 

Had a lovely dinner at Trulucks at the Gallery Mall close by and picked up some wine at CVS to take on board. All within walking distance of the hotel.

 

We had rented a car through Thrifty to drive down to Miami - drop off was seamless and their free shuttle ushered us to the port with no problem.

 

We got to port just as the line started moving through security to board. There didn't seem to be a clearly marked priority boarding from Platinum and above members through security (like they did in March) but the line moved well and there was a priority line once past security to get our cards. Overall we were onboard in about 15 minutes from drop off by Shuttle.

 

Some highlights and lowlights:

 

Food was greatly improved since last cruise. Duck was a standout and the deli is a great place to grab a sandwich for lunch and the crepes are really yummy there. A shout out goes to Russell Joseph who took such good care of us at the deli each day - he kept us coming back remembering our names the very next day - This is the exemplary service we expect on a cruise and he should move up quickly I expect. We don't really like buffet and really only ate there for breakfast (from the egg bar) - overall it was well kept with dishes removed quickly and good service. I didn't really eat a lot of buffet but the malaysian and thai salads were really good!. DH enjoyed the pizza. We sadly never saw our fellow diners at our Main Dining table so we ended up dining just the two of us. We had a bad experience in the dining room last time on Majesty with a really mean waiter - this time we had lovely servers who were very attentive and I have to give top marks on improvement!

 

Our stateroom was 9080 - roomier than other O/V. Great location near the rear elevators and the spa. We felt very little motion and the room was very quiet. Our attendant, Lincoln was unobtrusive and kept the cabin well maintained throughout the cruise. We got a couple of cute towel animals as well.

 

Spa - I enjoyed the special on the first day $89 with massage and mini facial. It was a great way to start off the cruise and the tech almost had me asleep.

 

Crew - everyone is very friendly, helpful and offering great service - kudos to captain Karen for running a great ship!

 

Entertainment was mostly miss. Singers/Dancers were borderline and the shows were REALLY lame & dated. Some really bad off key moments for the singers - but they did their best and we whiled away some time after dinner. The comedian was ok but I didn't find myself laughing a whole lot - he tells a lot of groaners and off colour racist type humor and example: two Mexicans playing basketball - Juan on Juan - a little lowbrow for me but some seemed to enjoy it. The magician/comedian was likely the best of a bad bunch - he had a couple interesting tricks and he was funny. The activities director, Mauricio is a gem and he was very funny and entertaining when mc'ing various events onboard. The cruise director (not so memorable as I cant remember his name) seemed a bit arrogant and very interested in showing off his linguistic abilities (7 languages) - but fell flat as the mc in the love and marriage game - seemed to be going through the motions. The band was amazing and I would have been happy to see them highlighted more in the shows - we managed to catch them in Boleros one night and they were amazing set of musicians. There were two other bands onboard - one with an Asian female lead singer who seemed to think they were playing a funeral their tempo was so depressing. The other was great but I only saw them briefly before dinner and once in Boleros - would have liked to see more of them - the male lead singer was quite good and upbeat. The overall musical vibe onboard reveals RCCL is catering very strongly to the latin crowd onboard. It would be nice to hear something other than the Miami latin dance beat piped over the speakers in various eating places. I like this music but not 24/7 and not first thing in the morning. The midnight buffet (White Party)turned out to be piped latin dance club music with crew members leading line dances in Spanish - we felt we were intruding on a private party. I would have loved to see a live band on deck with a good mixture of music to be more inclusionary of all guests onboard. We watched the festivities for about half an hour and then left. The piano player (Jack?) needs to be retired. His singing is Vegas lounge lizard from circa 1970 - I've seen much better on other ships - he did not draw many to Schooner lounge. .

 

Ports were Nassau and Coco Caye where we enjoyed some time in Atlantis casino (made a deposit); enjoyed the sunshine and relaxed. Key West was a bit of a shamble. We lost the first 4 hours of port time to customs check out and line up to get off the ship as there was only one beeper in operation. We walked around port enjoying the sunshine (and the bracing wind - it was a bit chilly) We didn't find it too cold but many of the patios were empty as it was cold for the locals (about 50 degrees).

 

There was a noro virus outbreak on the ship and we made the news. Captain handled it well, making announcements and telling people to wash their hands, lots of cleaning and containment. We did not suffer any ill effects. This could be that we stay away from the buffet and I don't touch the railings and wash my hands often. I also bring portable Lysol and I spay down my cabin bathroom, TV remote and bed to kill any germs from prior guests.

 

Disembarkation through the priority lounge for Platinum and higher loyalty guests was well organized and we were at the Miami Airport to pick up our car by 8am.

 

Overall - a great cheap little reprieve from the COLD north, with good food and good ports and great little ship. Entertainment and efficiency at KW need some work. Don't know if we will sail Majesty again. I like the ship (she's the quaint, cozy bed and breakfast of the line). But I don't enjoy my fellow passengers (very loud and at times, rude with no sense of personal space). We did enjoy ourselves - just more as spectators than participants at times. We are loyal to Royal and Celebrity but will likely stick to a different ship out of FLL or another itinerary.

[dealer9296]

Enjoyed reading your review of the Majesty........look forward to boarding her next month. Always enjoy our cruises on this ship. We don't do shows, love the crew and always feel at home when on board. Dread the day........when she leaves the fleet.

[cruisefan0110]

I also enjoyed your review. And like the previous poster, we will be on Majesty next month. I have heard other places that the comedians are not very good. The one thing that I was not happy to hear about was the piano player in the Schooner Bar. We had a great time in the Schooner bar on our last Majesty cruise a few years ago. But whatever it ends up, ot should be a fun cruise.

[Paulette3028]

Here is my mini review:

 

We flew in on Jan 12 the day before the cruise.

 

Stayed one night (priceline $100) at Doubletree Gallery in FT Lauderdale. It is an ok hotel for one night but for a Hilton - mea. It need a really good cleaning in public and room areas. The A/C in the room seems to be leaking and there is a distinct odor of mildew. That said it was a FANTASTIC location and the staff were exemplary! Oh and the warm cookies on check in were really yummy. It was a nice hotel once but we felt it had been ridden hard and put away wet needs some TLC.

 

Had a lovely dinner at Trulucks at the Gallery Mall close by and picked up some wine at CVS to take on board. All within walking distance of the hotel.

 

We had rented a car through Thrifty to drive down to Miami - drop off was seamless and their free shuttle ushered us to the port with no problem.

 

We got to port just as the line started moving through security to board. There didn't seem to be a clearly marked priority boarding from Platinum and above members through security (like they did in March) but the line moved well and there was a priority line once past security to get our cards. Overall we were onboard in about 15 minutes from drop off by Shuttle.

 

Some highlights and lowlights:

 

Food was greatly improved since last cruise. Duck was a standout and the deli is a great place to grab a sandwich for lunch and the crepes are really yummy there. A shout out goes to Russell Joseph who took such good care of us at the deli each day - he kept us coming back remembering our names the very next day - This is the exemplary service we expect on a cruise and he should move up quickly I expect. We don't really like buffet and really only ate there for breakfast (from the egg bar) - overall it was well kept with dishes removed quickly and good service. I didn't really eat a lot of buffet but the malaysian and thai salads were really good!. DH enjoyed the pizza. We sadly never saw our fellow diners at our Main Dining table so we ended up dining just the two of us. We had a bad experience in the dining room last time on Majesty with a really mean waiter - this time we had lovely servers who were very attentive and I have to give top marks on improvement!

 

Our stateroom was 9080 - roomier than other O/V. Great location near the rear elevators and the spa. We felt very little motion and the room was very quiet. Our attendant, Lincoln was unobtrusive and kept the cabin well maintained throughout the cruise. We got a couple of cute towel animals as well.

 

Spa - I enjoyed the special on the first day $89 with massage and mini facial. It was a great way to start off the cruise and the tech almost had me asleep.

 

Crew - everyone is very friendly, helpful and offering great service - kudos to captain Karen for running a great ship!

 

Entertainment was mostly miss. Singers/Dancers were borderline and the shows were REALLY lame & dated. Some really bad off key moments for the singers - but they did their best and we whiled away some time after dinner. The comedian was ok but I didn't find myself laughing a whole lot - he tells a lot of groaners and off colour racist type humor and example: two Mexicans playing basketball - Juan on Juan - a little lowbrow for me but some seemed to enjoy it. The magician/comedian was likely the best of a bad bunch - he had a couple interesting tricks and he was funny. The activities director, Mauricio is a gem and he was very funny and entertaining when mc'ing various events onboard. The cruise director (not so memorable as I cant remember his name) seemed a bit arrogant and very interested in showing off his linguistic abilities (7 languages) - but fell flat as the mc in the love and marriage game - seemed to be going through the motions. The band was amazing and I would have been happy to see them highlighted more in the shows - we managed to catch them in Boleros one night and they were amazing set of musicians. There were two other bands onboard - one with an Asian female lead singer who seemed to think they were playing a funeral their tempo was so depressing. The other was great but I only saw them briefly before dinner and once in Boleros - would have liked to see more of them - the male lead singer was quite good and upbeat. The overall musical vibe onboard reveals RCCL is catering very strongly to the latin crowd onboard. It would be nice to hear something other than the Miami latin dance beat piped over the speakers in various eating places. I like this music but not 24/7 and not first thing in the morning. The midnight buffet (White Party)turned out to be piped latin dance club music with crew members leading line dances in Spanish - we felt we were intruding on a private party. I would have loved to see a live band on deck with a good mixture of music to be more inclusionary of all guests onboard. We watched the festivities for about half an hour and then left. The piano player (Jack?) needs to be retired. His singing is Vegas lounge lizard from circa 1970 - I've seen much better on other ships - he did not draw many to Schooner lounge. .

 

Ports were Nassau and Coco Caye where we enjoyed some time in Atlantis casino (made a deposit); enjoyed the sunshine and relaxed. Key West was a bit of a shamble. We lost the first 4 hours of port time to customs check out and line up to get off the ship as there was only one beeper in operation. We walked around port enjoying the sunshine (and the bracing wind - it was a bit chilly) We didn't find it too cold but many of the patios were empty as it was cold for the locals (about 50 degrees).

 

There was a noro virus outbreak on the ship and we made the news. Captain handled it well, making announcements and telling people to wash their hands, lots of cleaning and containment. We did not suffer any ill effects. This could be that we stay away from the buffet and I don't touch the railings and wash my hands often. I also bring portable Lysol and I spay down my cabin bathroom, TV remote and bed to kill any germs from prior guests.

 

Disembarkation through the priority lounge for Platinum and higher loyalty guests was well organized and we were at the Miami Airport to pick up our car by 8am.

 

Overall - a great cheap little reprieve from the COLD north, with good food and good ports and great little ship. Entertainment and efficiency at KW need some work. Don't know if we will sail Majesty again. I like the ship (she's the quaint, cozy bed and breakfast of the line). But I don't enjoy my fellow passengers (very loud and at times, rude with no sense of personal space). We did enjoy ourselves - just more as spectators than participants at times. We are loyal to Royal and Celebrity but will likely stick to a different ship out of FLL or another itinerary.

 

DH and I have cruised on Majesty many times -- it is an easy get away for us since we live in S. Florida for a weekend.

 

Our most recent cruise on Majesty was over Thanksgiving weekend. We met the cruise director who was just coming on board to take over from Mitch Merucci, who was going on 12 weeks of vacation. Mitch is terrific and very often is the cruise director on Majesty. So sorry you did not enjoy the cruise director you did have...because Mitch is terrific. Glad, that Mo, was your Activities Director, because he is very good indeed.

 

We stayed at the Doubletree Galleria back in August for a couple of nights, and did not find the hotel in need of the kind of 'servicing' that you describe. It is located close to several nice restaurants and it is easy to get to the Fort Lauderdale Beach, if you want to stay in FLL before you jump on a cruise ship. You can arrange transportation from the hotel to the port as well, if needed.

 

Sorry you found some of your fellow passengers loud and rude and lacking a care for others personal space. Unfortunately, RCCL has little control over that. We have always found the ship's crew to be one of the fleets best, from housekeeping to entertainment and everything in between.

 

Majesty does not have the new amenities that the larger ships have, yet it gives cruisers a way to have a wonderful cruise. I can surely agree that there should be a broader mix of music on the ship, considering that cruisers come from many different cultures/countries. We had Lincoln as our cabin steward because we were in 9070 when we cruised in Nov. and he was wonderful. Compass Deli is a nice place to have lunch. We have done both breakfast in both WJ and MDR. We always do dinner in MDR -- just what we like, and hope we have wonderful table mates.

 

Majesty is always a ship we have a great time on....but that may just be us

[pxy cda]

DH and I have cruised on Majesty many times -- it is an easy get away for us since we live in S. Florida for a weekend.

 

Our most recent cruise on Majesty was over Thanksgiving weekend. We met the cruise director who was just coming on board to take over from Mitch Merucci, who was going on 12 weeks of vacation. Mitch is terrific and very often is the cruise director on Majesty. So sorry you did not enjoy the cruise director you did have...because Mitch is terrific. Glad, that Mo, was your Activities Director, because he is very good indeed.

 

We stayed at the Doubletree Galleria back in August for a couple of nights, and did not find the hotel in need of the kind of 'servicing' that you describe. It is located close to several nice restaurants and it is easy to get to the Fort Lauderdale Beach, if you want to stay in FLL before you jump on a cruise ship. You can arrange transportation from the hotel to the port as well, if needed.

 

Sorry you found some of your fellow passengers loud and rude and lacking a care for others personal space. Unfortunately, RCCL has little control over that. We have always found the ship's crew to be one of the fleets best, from housekeeping to entertainment and everything in between.

 

Majesty does not have the new amenities that the larger ships have, yet it gives cruisers a way to have a wonderful cruise. I can surely agree that there should be a broader mix of music on the ship, considering that cruisers come from many different cultures/countries. We had Lincoln as our cabin steward because we were in 9070 when we cruised in Nov. and he was wonderful. Compass Deli is a nice place to have lunch. We have done both breakfast in both WJ and MDR. We always do dinner in MDR -- just what we like, and hope we have wonderful table mates.

 

Majesty is always a ship we have a great time on....but that may just be us

 

Hey thanks for your comments. I tried to give a balanced report of good and bad. Don't get me wrong, the good far outweighed the bad and we enjoyed our cruise (we had sailed on her in March so obviously we like her). Majesty is a cosy little ship with a great crew.

 

CD was ok - just not the standout of others we have had or in comparison to MO (the activities director). If I had never cruised in the past (with no comparisons) I likely wouldn't have noticed.

 

I think with Doubletree it depends on if you are on the water or on the city view. We did not get a good roll of the dice with our room (there was mold/mildew definitely from an A/C leak under the carpet - it was wet enough to soak through DH's sock). It was fine for one night but my comments are for folks expecting Hilton standards - it did not meet them. I agree location is excellent.

 

We've had a similar experience with fellow guests out of Puerto Rico on a b2b 4/7 night on Adventure. The 4 night was a nightmare (even the crew were commenting on the guests bad manners) the 7 was a different ship altogether - and we had a wonderful time with fellow guests. I think this price point for shorter trips draw some undesirables (but this did not stop us from enjoying other areas of the ship). Again what is a minor irritation for us may spoil someone else's holiday so I shared our opinion. Others may not even notice - it is subjective.

 

We will continue to cruise and enjoy the sea! Our next cruise is on X Eclipse 14 day - and we are looking forward to it!;)

[pxy cda]

Enjoyed reading your review of the Majesty........look forward to boarding her next month. Always enjoy our cruises on this ship. We don't do shows, love the crew and always feel at home when on board. Dread the day........when she leaves the fleet.

 

Glad you enjoyed my review. I tried to be objective and show the good and the bad. It was mostly good and we had a great cruise. Hope you have a great time next month.:)

 

Even a bad cruise is better than working!:rolleyes:

[pxy cda]

I also enjoyed your review. And like the previous poster, we will be on Majesty next month. I have heard other places that the comedians are not very good. The one thing that I was not happy to hear about was the piano player in the Schooner Bar. We had a great time in the Schooner bar on our last Majesty cruise a few years ago. But whatever it ends up, it should be a fun cruise.

 

You never know you might like the piano player. Everything is subjective and one mans poison is another's pleasure. We find if we don't like the singer in one bar, we move to another area of the ship and are easily entertained.

 

We enjoyed the "name that tune" hosted by Mauricio and we stopped in to listen to the karaoke a couple of nights in Spectre and it was entertaining to watch. Always lots of options for fun. Have a great time on your cruise!:)

[Paulette3028]

Hey thanks for your comments. I tried to give a balanced report of good and bad. Don't get me wrong, the good far outweighed the bad and we enjoyed our cruise (we had sailed on her in March so obviously we like her). Majesty is a cosy little ship with a great crew.

 

CD was ok - just not the standout of others we have had or in comparison to MO (the activities director). If I had never cruised in the past (with no comparisons) I likely wouldn't have noticed.

 

I think with Doubletree it depends on if you are on the water or on the city view. We did not get a good roll of the dice with our room (there was mold/mildew definitely from an A/C leak under the carpet - it was wet enough to soak through DH's sock). It was fine for one night but my comments are for folks expecting Hilton standards - it did not meet them. I agree location is excellent.

 

We've had a similar experience with fellow guests out of Puerto Rico on a b2b 4/7 night on Adventure. The 4 night was a nightmare (even the crew were commenting on the guests bad manners) the 7 was a different ship altogether - and we had a wonderful time with fellow guests. I think this price point for shorter trips draw some undesirables (but this did not stop us from enjoying other areas of the ship). Again what is a minor irritation for us may spoil someone else's holiday so I shared our opinion. Others may not even notice - it is subjective.

 

We will continue to cruise and enjoy the sea! Our next cruise is on X Eclipse 14 day - and we are looking forward to it!;)

 

If I had put my feet on a carpeted floor in a hotel, and found a leak, A/C or any kind, I would have gotten another room. The hotel has to keep its facility 'repaired and maintained' whether it is a Hilton property or part of some other chain. It doesn't matter whether your were there for one night or an entire week. It shouldn't matter whether you were on the city side or the water side of the hotel....they have to maintain EVERY room. But that isn't a complaint for here (IMO), in either case.

 

I am glad you had a good experience on a previous cruise on Majesty. I have cruised on her 10 times...and each time the cruisers vary....from loud young people in their 20's to loud older people. If you went on short cruises on other lines, they probably attract a wide variety of people as well, and it varies from cruise to cruise as much as from time of year to time of year.

 

A cruise line has no control over the cruisers, no matter what cruise line it is.

 

For those cruising on Majesty next month....I believe that Mitch Merucci as CD will be back from his vacation. He is wonderful. If he isn't, have a great time, ANYWAY. YOU make the cruise great, the staff helps it happen!

[Pumbaamd]

We are on MJ 2/20 - 2/27. What's with the Compass Deli at night? Some kind of Mexican dinner place? Free or charge? Menu?

Thanks!

Rick and Deirdra

[Paulette3028]

We are on MJ 2/20 - 2/27. What's with the Compass Deli at night? Some kind of Mexican dinner place? Free or charge? Menu?

Thanks!

Rick and Deirdra

 

Compass Deli during the day is a wonderful venue for some great lunch snack type food....wonderful wraps and incredible crepes (wow, the chocolate crepe). At night it now is a Mexican restaurant. It is a for fee restaurant. They did this recently, when Her Majesty was in dry dock for a couple of weeks.

 

From what I have read, it is very reasonably priced (don't remember the amount), and it is all you can eat.

 

There are other threads on this board regarding Majesty of the Seas (or as I call her, Her Majesty), where you might find more info -- this thread originally was posted in January 2014.

[Pumbaamd]

Little bit of trivia on Compass Deli. It was introduced on MJ in 2007 when she got an extensive dry dock in Freeport. The Compass Deli was an experiment for the Park Café that was planned for the upcoming Oasis. Of course, the Park Café is now available on many of RCCL's ships and a favorite lunch place of ours.

Rick and Deirdra

[Paulette3028]

Little bit of trivia on Compass Deli. It was introduced on MJ in 2007 when she got an extensive dry dock in Freeport. The Compass Deli was an experiment for the Park Café that was planned for the upcoming Oasis. Of course, the Park Café is now available on many of RCCL's ships and a favorite lunch place of ours.

Rick and Deirdra

 

As Her Majesty gets closer and closer to being retired from the Royal fleet, these pieces of trivia are very interesting. I have enjoyed chocolate crepes there as a mid afternoon snack and the Taste of Tuscany dinner, which now has been replaced with a Mexican restaurant. So even as she gets closer to retirement, they are giving her some new things to interest cruisers.