Majesty of the Seas Review--10/14/05--Long

[ErinFl2003]

We had a conference in Miami on a recent Friday and decided to book a 3 night cruise for the weekend. Majesty of the Seas’ itinerary fit the bill. We had sailed with Royal Caribbean before and had a wonderful time.

 

Pre-cruise in Miami--

We drove from Orlando on Thursday afternoon and stayed at Holiday Inn, Port of Miami. This hotel was not fancy but clean, comfortable and the staff was friendly. It was quite reasonable as well. One of the best things about the hotel was that the Port of Miami is only one mile away. Also, an added advantage was that you could walk across the street to Bayside Marketplace where there are many nice shops and restaurants. We ate at Lombardi’s and had a nice table facing the water. They served good italian food at a reasonable price.

 

Embarkation—

This was one of the most painless we have encountered. Make sure you do your advance registration and print out your Sea Passes. We arrived at the port at 12:30pm and were in our cabins at 1 pm.

 

The Ship—

As many have already mentioned, the ship shows signs of wear. The only thing that really bothered me was that the elevators were very slow or were not working at all. We had a superior ocean view cabin on level nine. Even though the room was a bit worn looking, the layout was very good. The desk/dressing table was well lit. It had 3 drawers and 2 mirrored cabinets each containing 4 shelves. The wall unit holding the television had 2 sets of cabinets each with 3 shelves, suitable for storing clothes. The cabin had a small curved sofa and table, which we used to have our coffee in the morning. The bathroom contained 3 small glass corner shelves which were great for holding bath products. I am going into such detail because I have found lodging so different on different cruise lines. It is always so helpful to me to know exactly what to expect. The shower had a small clothesline but was tiny. Our room contained both a refrigerator and a safe.

 

Dining Rooms—

Windjammer Café—We had breakfast twice and lunch once here. The breakfasts were nothing special, just the usual fare. I should have had a freshly made omelet but didn’t realize there was an omelet station until I had already selected my breakfast. The omelet station was not open on the final morning. I did love the smoked salmon, tomatoes and cream cheese that were offered. Lunch in the Wj was on the first day and I must say that the selection was pretty good—roast beef, pasta, chicken, pork and fish dishes with both a hot and cold vegetable selection.

Maytime Dining Room—We had all our evening meals here. This was a delightful experience partly because we enjoyed our tablemates and partly because we had an ace wait staff. Our main waiter was Andrae from Jamaica and our head waiter was Wellington from India. I must say that they did everything they could to make our dining experience wonderful. Andrae always made recommendations and I learned to trust him. DH requested a special dish for our final evening and Wellington had the chef prepare it for us. Every night there was some kind of singing or dancing which made for an enjoyable evening.

 

Ports of Call—

I must preface this section by saying that this trip was intended to be a restful, relaxing 3 nights so we did not book any excursion of any kind.

Coco Cay—I really can’t say anything more about this island that has already been said. We tendered over about 11 am and walked around the island. DH went in the water for a while and said it was quite cold. The barbeque was pretty good. There were, of course, a couple of bars on the island and we sat in one of them for a while just to get out of the sun.

Nassau—We have been to Nassau several times so basically we just walked around the town shopping for a while and had lunch at the Hard Rock Café. We then took a water taxi over to Paradise Island to visit the Atlantis Hotel Resort. We found out that it did not drop you off at the hotel. It is quite a walk from the dock to the hotel. The water taxi cost $3pp one way plus a tip for the narrator. We played the slots awhile in the casino and then returned to the shop via a regular taxi @ $4pp. It was a much quicker trip.

 

Entertainment—

As I said before, our only mission was to relax so we weren’t up half the night in the clubs. We saw the “Welcome Aboard” show the first night which was pretty good. The casino was pretty small and very smoky. On the first night, I could not get a seat at a blackjack table but was able to on the second and third evenings. DH played the slots a lot and said they were very tight.

 

Lounges—

We visited the Champagne Bar, Schooner Bar and Viking Crown lounge. The Champagne Bar has martini specials for $5.50 between 5:30—8:30pm. Nice lounge but very smoky sometimes. We stopped by the Schooner Bar on Sunday afternoon to see the football game on the big screened TV. The wait staff was very friendly and they served free hot dogs during the game. The Viking Crown Lounge was lovely and had a fantastic view of the pool and ocean. It is on the 14th floor. There was a musician there when we visited one evening. He played all types of music and also took requests. I wished we had discovered this lounge earlier.

 

Shops on board—

There are several shops on board—jewelry, t-shirts, liquor, etc. My only recommendation here is to purchase your liquor before the final evening. We waited until then and there was quite a line of people out the door, waiting to purchase liquor. The prices are very good in there so stock up early.

 

Disembarkation—

They start the process from the bottom of the ship. Since we were on level nine, our level was one of the last called to leave. We always find disembarkation in Miami to be a bit slow. We were in our car and on our way by 10:15am. Not too bad, but not nearly as pleasant as embarkation.

 

Final words—

I would recommend this cruise for a quick 3 night getaway. We found the crew very nice and helpful and the itinerary permitted either a relaxing or busy cruise. Also, don’t forget to use your Crown and Anchor membership number when booking your future cruises. We received a discount book in our room which we used for purchases all over the ship. I would be happy to answer any questions.

[JamesNC]

Erin,

Thank you for the detailed review. My DD and I will be on the Majesty in Dec, on deck 9. I was wondering if our room would have a refrigerator, and hadn't easily found my answer until now. I am glad that you had a good time, and hope you get back out there soon. :)

James

[Rala]

Erin, Thanks for your great review. We are on the Majesty this coming Fri. for the 3-night cruise. One quick question--do you remember if they offered lamb chops on any of the dinner menus? Thanks!

[claven]

How was the hotel? I have read reviews about the loud door slamming in the halls?

[Jeepers385]

Thanks Erin, enjoyed your review. I just booked the 4 day cruise in March for my DH's 50th birthday.

Debbie

[tovanatasha]

Hi, would like to know if there was a sewer smell and if the ship was at least CLEAN....with good mattresses etc.

How was the entertainment? AM taking 2 teenage girls....did you feel safe on this ship? I saw that the CDC rating dropped from 96 to 92 and was a bit concerned!

Let me know...we LOVED the Enchantment and sailed on the Navigator....this is just a quick trip to relax for ME....and a time to play for the girls!

We also live in Florida, so need to rest because of the stress of the hurricanes!

Tova

[nadinehines]

Thanks for the fine review. I do hope your trip was filled with R&R. You answered a question for me - no tub on deck nine superior oceanview huh? Must admit, bathrooms on the Disney Cruiseline are quite nice WITH a tub. Oh well, I will certainly survive w/o a tub for 4 days...hahaha:D

[Leafpeeper]

I enjoyed sailing Majesty a couple years ago. It is a nice ship for a short cruise. I do remember some people complaining that the bathrooms are very tiny and cramped.

 

We loved CocoCay and Nassau's Paradise Island. We enjoyed taking a water taxi from the pier to Atlantis for the same money as a cab-- without the traffic congestion. We walked around Paradise Island after viewing the Atlantis aquarium underground and above ground. There is a public beach on Paradise Island for those who love a beach day.

 

We loved swimming in CocoCay. The water must be over 80 degrees this time of year because I saw the water temp in Hilton Head a couple weeks ago was 82. I guess everyone's idea of perfect water temperature varies. For me, anything water over 75 degrees is just fine for swimming.

[MIcruiser99]

Erin,

Thank you for the detailed review. My DD and I will be on the Majesty in Dec, on deck 9. I was wondering if our room would have a refrigerator, and hadn't easily found my answer until now. I am glad that you had a good time, and hope you get back out there soon. :)

James

 

We were on the Majesty earlier this year and did not have a refrigerator in our room. I don't know if suites are different than other rooms?? But in both our rooms, inside and oceanview - no fridge.

[MIcruiser99]

Hi, would like to know if there was a sewer smell and if the ship was at least CLEAN....with good mattresses etc.

How was the entertainment? AM taking 2 teenage girls....did you feel safe on this ship? I saw that the CDC rating dropped from 96 to 92 and was a bit concerned!

Let me know...we LOVED the Enchantment and sailed on the Navigator....this is just a quick trip to relax for ME....and a time to play for the girls!

We also live in Florida, so need to rest because of the stress of the hurricanes!

Tova

 

I thought the ship was clean. Saw many times, workers cleaning the stairs, banisters, etc. Did not notice any sewer smells and loved the cruise. We had two teen boys and didn't worry about their safety. Mattresses were fine for me and I am very picky about what I sleep on!

Hope this helps!

[lilyfrog73]

DH and I will be cruising for the first time on Majesty (4 night) in April and your review answered some questions I hadn't got answers to yet. We will be on Deck 9 SO #9052 and I was curious if we would have a fridge and safe. Thanks again for the review.

[ErinFl2003]

Hope these answers help:

 

Erin, Thanks for your great review. We are on the Majesty this coming Fri. for the 3-night cruise. One quick question--do you remember if they offered lamb chops on any of the dinner menus? Thanks!

Rala--I believe that they served lamb on the first evening. Not sure if it was chops, though.

How was the hotel? I have read reviews about the loud door slamming in the halls?

claven--We stayed there only one evening but did not hear any doors slamming. The room was quite large with a hugh walk-in closet and safe. We had no complaints with the hotel.

Hi, would like to know if there was a sewer smell and if the ship was at least CLEAN....with good mattresses etc.

How was the entertainment? AM taking 2 teenage girls....did you feel safe on this ship? I saw that the CDC rating dropped from 96 to 92 and was a bit concerned!

Let me know...Tova

Tova--I have read about sewer smells as well but did not experience them (thankfully). Our room was clean and the mattresses were thin but comfortable. They were cleaning carpets the day we were in Coco Cay. I think they did a good job of trying to keep the ship clean. We only saw one show which was good but our tablemates saw all of them and said they were all good. And regarding safety--yes we felt safe but if I were taking teenagers, I'd keep an eye on them. They will really love Coco Cay.

 

Thanks for the fine review. I do hope your trip was filled with R&R. You answered a question for me - no tub on deck nine superior oceanview huh? Must admit, bathrooms on the Disney Cruiseline are quite nice WITH a tub. Oh well, I will certainly survive w/o a tub for 4 days...hahaha:D

nadinehines--sorry no tub and only a very tiny shower. The bathrooms are quite small. Only enough room for one person at a time.

We were on the Majesty earlier this year and did not have a refrigerator in our room. I don't know if suites are different than other rooms?? But in both our rooms, inside and oceanview - no fridge.

MIcruiser99--We were in a superior oceanview on level nine. I have read that it depends on the level as to whether the rooms have refrigerators and safes. Our refrigerator and safe were quite small but they did the job. Also, I took a peek in a regular oceanview cabin and it was quite a bit smaller than a superior oceanview. If anyone wants more space, go with the superior oceanview.

[ErinFl2003]

see above post for answers to your questions--problems with the CC website.

[ErinFl2003]

Sorry, will try this again. The answers to my questions are there but not showing in the queque.

[larasmom]

thanks for your review. i cannot wait. majesty will be my very cruise ever. i am going with 9 ladies (all relatives) for the 3 day cruise in december.

[Tralynn222]

I was on the Majesty for the 3 day on Oct 7th. We were on deck 3 and did notice a sewer smell when we got off the elevator on our deck. Thankfully we were forward and by the time we got to our cabin, the smell was gone. I felt for those that were near the elevators.

 

Our mattress was thin, but comfortable, and clean. We never had a problem with the elevators not working, but they were typically cramped.

 

We did have a wonderful time and were able to "overlook" certain things that we weren't used to by sailing on the Voyager class ships. It is a great time and like they say, it's what you make of it.

 

Go and have Fun!

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

Thanks for your review of Majesty. We are booked on it for a four day cruise in February. I have to confess that we have been spoiled by Mariner of the Seas, Brilliance and Jewel. I suppose even Enchantment of the Seas, my least favorite ship so far, even though it has been made longer and partially renovated, might be more "modern" than Majesty.

 

You mention that the ship does seem a little worn. I was somewhat reluctant to book the Majesty because I was disappointed in the Enchantment. But a cruise is a cruise. It's all good, right!!!

 

It is worrying that some folks are talking about a "sewer smell." Gosh, I hope that has been rectified. It just doesn't seem as if one could have a successful cruise ship line if one's ships had a reputation for being odiferous.

[ErinFl2003]

You mention that the ship does seem a little worn. I was somewhat reluctant to book the Majesty because I was disappointed in the Enchantment. But a cruise is a cruise. It's all good, right!!!

 

It is worrying that some folks are talking about a "sewer smell." Gosh, I hope that has been rectified. It just doesn't seem as if one could have a successful cruise ship line if one's ships had a reputation for being odiferous.

HeavySurf--I agree--a cruise is a cruise. Fortunately, I had read many comments and reviews here on CC so I knew what to expect. As I said, we didn't experience the "odor" problem but I'm sure it must exist as so many have commented on it. Even though the MOS is not a Voyager class ship and a little old, you can still have fun--we did!

[JerseyGirl23]

Thanks for the review. We are looking forward to sailing her in December for 4 nights. :)

[cruising ann]

Are the Martini at the Champagne Bar a limited variety or can you get any kind. We will be going on the majesty on Monday. Also with the 2 pool is on of the a solarium type. thanks cruining ann

[goodml]

I was on the Majesty for the 3 day on Oct 7th. We were on deck 3 and did notice a sewer smell when we got off the elevator on our deck. Thankfully we were forward and by the time we got to our cabin, the smell was gone. I felt for those that were near the elevators.

 

Our mattress was thin, but comfortable, and clean. We never had a problem with the elevators not working, but they were typically cramped.

 

We did have a wonderful time and were able to "overlook" certain things that we weren't used to by sailing on the Voyager class ships. It is a great time and like they say, it's what you make of it.

 

Go and have Fun!

 

Oh dear, I'll confess to a wee bit of concern over that sewer smell. Guess where our cabin is? Not far from the elevators by the photo gallery. Oops.:o :eek: I will say I read a lot about this before sailing on the Sovereign. We did notice it a bit in certain areas but it wasn't overwhelming. I read in another Majesty review that the people had to call maintenance every day because their toilet on deck three didn't work at all. That would not thrill me. Oh well, I'll hope for the best and as long that toilet flushes I think I'll be happy.:D :D

[ErinFl2003]

Are the Martini at the Champagne Bar a limited variety or can you get any kind. We will be going on the majesty on Monday. Also with the 2 pool is on of the a solarium type. thanks cruining ann

I believe you can get any type of martini. They have a martini menu. The martini's for $5.50 are made with "house" liquor. If you specify an premium liquor, they charge you more. Sorry, we didn't visit any of the pools. We weren't interested as we have a pool at home which we rarely use.