Back from Majesty 7/29 - 9/2

[EBFURR]

We returned Friday from our latest cruise aboard the Majesty of the Seas. First of all, we had a great time as always and thought we would share our observations both good and not so good. We are Diamond level with 106 nights on RCI and this was our 5th cruise on MJ. We have not cruised at all since 2011 and have not been on MJ since 2008 so things have changed a bit.

 

Trip down: We have driven the trip to port Canaveral many times but chose to fly this time around. Since this was a quick last minute trip we tried to save on travel costs and used Frontier airlines for the trip down. We were very pleased with the airline. The plane was very clean and the crew was friendly. Everything was on time into MCO. We rented a car from Budget with pickup on Sat. Aug 27 at MCO and returned it at PC on Mon. Aug 29. The total cost was $56 for a Hyundai Elantra and it exceeded our expectations. We were able to get around Cocoa Beach as we desired and only used about $5.50 in gas the entire time.

 

Pre-cruise: We stayed at the Radisson as we have many times before and were quite satisfied. The Tiki bar by the pool is a great hang out and we met a lot of FL locals who frequent the place even when not cruising. Great service and atmosphere. We had dinner Sat. at the hotel since we were tired from the early morning start and travel. It was okay. On Sunday we had breakfast at Grills and it was outstanding. The Freedom was docked and we were surprised at how close it is to Grills. I could chunk a ball underhanded from Grills and land it on the crew deck. I did not do this since my wife was not in favor. :) We will definitely do the breakfast again. We went back to Grills for dinner but missed the Freedom sail away. We did see the Carnival ship sail by though. I had my usual grilled Mahi and it did not disappoint. We returned the rental car to Budget around 9:15 and it went smoothly. There were already a number of people there and we saw the shuttle come in from the ship and depart empty. We asked one of the Disney cruisers what was up and they said that the shuttle would not take anyone to the port before 10 AM. Since there was already a number of people there and we were antsy, we called for a cab and took a $15 ride over to the port at around 9:45. At 10 they opened up the terminal for departures and we were the third and fourth people through the door. We breezed through security and went up to the check in area where we were shown to seats near the priority check in line. After a very short wait we were checked in and ushered over to the Diamond/Pinnacle/Suite waiting area. It is very comfy and they had free coffee and danish. It reinforced our opinion that it pays to be loyal to Royal! We met some very nice folks and chatted until boarding started around 10:50. Overall this was the best boarding experience we have ever had, but I cannot say we have ever had a really bad time with the process at any port.

 

Day 1: We walked into the familiar centrum area of the MJ and immediately felt like home to us since this was our first ship back in 1994. They had live music in the centrum and there was the usual hustle and bustle of boarding going on. One thing we liked was that we pre-paid for the wife's soda package and her Sea Pass was already stamped so we did not have to do that ritual. They put the souvenir cup in the cabin so we had to wait until the cabin opened to get it but that is okay. We walked around a bit and wound up on the pool deck as usual. People were already filling the chairs and using the pool. Our cruise was underway! We found the new bar on deck 12 right outside the doors to the stairs and Sorentos. This deck is where we hang out so having the bar there was a very good thing. On the deck plan it shows as the Mast Bar but the sign actually says Sky Bar. I hooked up with the resident bar tender and pre-tipped him since I would be working him hard. The service was outstanding and he kept me hydrated throughout the week (very important). At around 1:05 we wandered down to the cabin on deck 5 and it was ready including the complementary bottle of wine from RCI for our anniversary. The cabins have not gotten any bigger by the way. We unpacked a few things and went back up for sail away. My wife saw the cabin attendant and asked for the robes. He told her that you had to be diamond plus to get them but he would bring them anyway. Odd. We grabbed a bite to eat - wife from Windjammer and me from Sorentos. She tried out her cup at the freestyle machines and it worked although only one of the machines was working. This seemed to be a theme for the cruise. There were also a lot of flavors that seemed to stay empty but that was not a problem since she goes with basic Coke. Sail away was right on time and we were giddy as usual and happy to be at sea again. The pool band was really good and we were enjoying the music and festivities when a sudden rain storm hit and everyone ran for cover. We browsed the shops and wound up in the Viking Crown for the Diamond/Suite event. They had about 2/3 of the crown reserved and it was fairly full but not packed. We sampled the food (very good) but did not order any drinks. We did not stay long but went back down for our My Time dinner. We were about 45 minutes late for our reservation (oops) but there was not problem and we were seated right away. We were seated at a table for two but it was right next to the front door. It was not our preferred location but we rolled with it and all was fine. There was a young couple next to us and the young man said he won the cruise in the casino on Liberty. It was his second cruise and he was very happy and very entertaining. We saw them several times throughout the cruise and they were having a great time of it to say the least. I would have to say that the service was very slow by RCI standards that night but it got better as the cruise progressed. Again, we just enjoyed things and went with it since we were very happy to just be there. We thought the food was very good. The portions are small, but we got all filled up anyway so it was for the best. The dining is not what it was 20 years ago but it is still very good and we have no complaints given what we paid. After dinner we wandered around some more and tried out the slots with no luck. We saw some friends we had made at the roulette table and they begged us to stay since they started to win when we walked up. We obliged until they started to lose again and then went out to deck 7 (life boat deck) and found some chairs. This is one of our favorite areas, especially at night, since we can enjoy the sea breeze and the sound of the waves without any ambient noise. There are a few people strolling by but it is by and large an area with some privacy where we can discuss the day and reminisce. Very relaxing! After a trip to the Schooner for a night cap we turned in for the day.

 

More to follow....

[venicia]

following

[HardHeadedWoman]

Following!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[easyboy]

Following.

[EBFURR]

Well, I forgot a few things from day 1 so I will cover before moving on.

 

Next Cruise: After boarding we found the Next Cruise desk which is on deck 4 in the centrum next to the entry doors. It was not open, but the sign said noon I believe. We wound up back there around 2:20 and there were three computers but only one employee & she was busy. The sign up sheet had an opening at 2:30 so we signed up and sat down to wait. The woman at the desk was mostly just talking and yapping & there was no sign that she was actually looking at cruises. This continued until about 2:40 and since we had been told that muster would be around 3:00 I walked over and asked the employee if there was anyone else available since we had signed up for 2:30 and muster was coming up. She went over to the loyalty desk and returned & said that she was supposed to have help but no one was available. She apologized and said give her 5 minutes. The lady finally left but I don't think she ever booked a cruise. We sat down and booked 3 cabins for Liberty next summer and began to ask about the 2018 Majesty 5 day when the muster announcement came. We had to go and agreed to continue later. We did eventually go back and book the Majesty cruise. The RCI agent who helped us was wonderful and very friendly. The second time there was no one waiting and she talked to us for a while about cruise ship life, her husband who is also an officer on the MJ, and the addiction to being on that ship that a lot of cruise line employees develop. We did see another Next Cruise agent around, usually up at the elevators on deck 10. I think they sold a lot of future cruises.

 

Muster: We had an inside muster for about the second time ever. It was in Boleros & this is the way to go. No more life jackets and the muster was short & sweet.

 

Disco night: After one of our respites on deck 7 we went inside for the disco party in the centrum. It was very high energy and very well attended. They seem to be utilizing the centrum for this type of activity way more so than they used to. These are events that would be on the promenade if the ship had one, but we think that the centrum is a great venue since you can line all 5 decks and get a great view. It seems more intimate to us and there is a lot of participation. Four thumbs up. The music selection got a little weird when they moved into the 80's part and some of the crowd started to drift away but it still rocked on to the conclusion. This was our first taste of the odd DJ that was on board. They announced that the party would continue up in the disco (Spectrum, formerly "Paint your Wagon") so we ambled up to check it out. We expected more of the same type disco theme but instead we found said DJ playing the strangest "dance" music we have ever heard. We are not young and hip, but we have kids in their 20s so we have been exposed to all the current stuff. This was like nothing we had ever heard. Apparently we were not alone since there were very few people attempting to dance and those that were out there were well lubricated but still struggling to find a groove. We stayed a little while to see if the DJ would try to adjust to his audience but that never happened. We saw lots of people come in and leave and we eventually joined them. Thumbs down to the DJ who never seemed to connect with his audience and generate a party groove. This was true throughout the cruise.

 

As I said previously, we went back down to the Schooner and then to bed. It was a great first day.

[island lady]

You stated 7/29-9/2. Were you on for a month? Or is that a typo?

Very detailed review! :)

Edited September 5, 2016 by island lady

[EBFURR]

You stated 7/29-9/2. Were you on for a month? Or is that a typo?

Very detailed review! :)

 

Uh.. That would be 8/29. We wish it were a month. :)

[loubetti]

You stated 7/29-9/2. Were you on for a month? Or is that a typo?

Very detailed review! :)

 

I would guess a typo, as 7 is next to 8 on the keyboard.;)

[island lady]

OK...or it could be we have future Marios! :)

[hometownmedic]

Great so far! Can't wait to read the rest.

[EBFURR]

Okay, on to Day 2 Coco Cay: On this cruise we had a standard inside cabin & they are still small :). When we have a balcony our standard practice is to order breakfast room service the night before at a time when we want to get up. The room service is our wake-up call. Since there is no room to eat in these cabins, we just ordered coffee and it arrived at the designated time to start our day. They delivered a full pot which was nice. We proceeded up to the Windjammer for breakfast. I will have to say that this is one of our disappointments for this cruise. We went to the forward section since it is usually less crowded and found a table. We both began to search for food. This turned out to be quite an adventure since the food is scattered about randomly instead of grouped by type. The wife, being a true Carolina Girl, requires grits and we never did find them. A nice man at the adjacent table found them in the Asian food section. Southern Asia, I suppose. Toast was another MIA item but we later found that it was in the back of the waffles and french toast covered with a towel. To make this all the more challenging we were to find out that they moved the items around from day to day so that once you found an item it was not there the next day. Going back many years, I found the omelettes on the Majesty to be something I looked forward to. I think the best prepared one I ever had was in the MJ Windjammer. I ordered one at the egg station and continued to forage for food. When it came out, I was shocked. I know that food and it's preparation is a subjective matter, but this thing was so grossly overcooked that it was barely recognizable as having originated from eggs. It had the consistency of those tire retreads from trucks you see lying on the interstate. I thought about asking for a replacement but when I went back over I saw that they were all coming out this way so I just found some eggs elsewhere. They were not too bad - about your normal Waffle House fare. I later visited the other egg station and it did not appear to be any better. It seems to me that the egg station cooks were not trained at all, but maybe were waiters that were given a hat & spatula. As I said, there were other options and we did manage to get a full breakfast each day but we were accustomed to a lot better from the Windjammer on previous cruises.

 

The weather this day was mostly overcast and it looked as if we were going to get a downpour at any minute. That never happened; we just got a few sprinkles now & then. It was not even enough to make you move from your chair. The tender service started and we found some chairs facing the island and watched to progress. We decided not to go over since we thought it might start to pour once we were over there and there was nothing we really wanted to do anyway. They use only one tender for passengers early on since the other two are moving crew and supplies. This causes some long lines in the morning. They were giving out towels near the elevators on deck 5 and the line was up to deck 6 (at least). We were glad not to be in it. We spent most of the day hanging around the pool with occasional strolls around the ship. We met some nice folks and chatted throughout the day. One lady had two kids who were "bored" and pronounced that Coco Cay was "ghetto". We felt for her since they were constantly hovering around and complaining. She had gone over to the island and got upset that one of the vendors quoted her $15 for a shirt while another quoted $25 for the same shirt. I explained that these were locals, not cruise line employees, and that usually they expected you to haggle a little. "Like a flea market?" she says. Yep, like that. In any case, she had cruised Carnival before and was soured on RCI by this time. Hopefully things got better for her.

 

We tried the WJ for lunch and the wife just grabbed a hot dog and I got one of those burgers made from genuine 100% imitation beef-like substance. With the appropriate condiments it was not too bad. We were again underwhelmed by the WJ. I rolled up to Sorentos and grabbed a couple of slices and that topped me off. I checked Compass deli and it did not open to 3:00. My wife had a spa appointment at 3:30 and she decided to see if she could move it up. She actually wound up getting a better deal on a "head to toe" treatment and made an earlier appointment. We realize that the spa is very pricey on the ships and you can get better prices on land. However, this is one of the things she looks forward to on a cruise so I tell her to just go for it. She is always pleased with the service and was especially so this time. It was our single biggest sea pass expense (not counting the cumulative bar tab) but well worth it. They do not try to sell her the products at all and she always tips them well. I am thinking maybe when they see the "Diamond" on the sea pass they figure you already know the Elemis deal and don't bother.

 

At a little after 3 I decided to check out the Compass deli. There were only a couple of people in there and I wound up ordering a ham & brie. I asked the server if I could also get a roast beef sandwich but he misunderstood and had roast beef put on the ham & brie. It was outstanding. The roast beef is not the most tender I have had, but it does taste good. We wound up going back to Compass several times over the week and it was always very good. There were never more than a handful of people in there. I think that most folks either don't know it is there or don't know what it is. In any case, we found it to be an excellent alternative for lunch and tried most everything at some point. Four thumbs up for Compass deli.

 

To be continued....

[birdylady]

. My wife saw the cabin attendant and asked for the robes. He told her that you had to be diamond plus to get them but he would bring them anyway. Odd. ....

She tried out her cup at the freestyle machines and it worked although only one of the machines was working. This seemed to be a theme for the cruise. There were also a lot of flavors that seemed to stay empty but that was not a problem since she goes with basic Coke.

Did you get the robes? I know when I did a weekend last year in an OV on Enchantment I was told they were for suite members. When I stated I was D, they said they would get them for me.

 

Sad to hear about the freestyle machines. I find it frustrating that they have them but don't seem to ever keep them stocked with supplies. Makes it very frustrating to walk around with the overpriced cup and not be able to get much or any from them.

 

Still... looking forward to our short getaway in a 3 weeks.

Thanx

Erika

[EBFURR]

Did you get the robes? I know when I did a weekend last year in an OV on Enchantment I was told they were for suite members. When I stated I was D, they said they would get them for me.

 

Sad to hear about the freestyle machines. I find it frustrating that they have them but don't seem to ever keep them stocked with supplies. Makes it very frustrating to walk around with the overpriced cup and not be able to get much or any from them.

 

Still... looking forward to our short getaway in a 3 weeks.

Thanx

Erika

 

We did get the robes. We use them more with a balcony but they are handy to have. At least one of the freestyle machines was always working and there never seemed to be a line for them. Since any bartender will give you a fill up it is not a deal breaker anyway. You will enjoy the cruise. Marc "Bing Bong" will still be on board and he will keep you entertained. We found all of the evening activities in the centrum to be a hoot. Be sure to check out the Compass deli.

[EBFURR]

Okay, not sure how many are still following but we will press on with Day 2.

 

It is getting close to dinner time (formal night) and I had realized back at the hotel that I left my suit at home. We had planned to dress and have a photo since this was our anniversary cruise, but that was not to be unless I rented a tux on board. We decided not to. We are not formal night police but we usually either dress up or go to an alternate venue. We don't really care what others wear but we prefer to fit in with the theme. I put on my khakis and a casual shirt and we went over to the MDR to gauge the dress norm for the night. After determining that I was squarely in the middle between the tank tops and tuxes we went on in. We got the same servers and table but different neighbors. They were a pleasant couple who were dressed for the evening and I explained my faux pas and of course it was fine. Dinner was very good with very good company and lots of cruise chat with our neighbors. The service was much faster tonight so the previous night must have been a kitchen issue or something. I was getting addicted to the pumpkin seed bread and our AW sensed this and kept bringing the basket around. Nice.

 

We did not attend the Diamond event tonight or any night for the rest of the cruise. We intended to, but the time seemed to slip away each evening. We did make use of the 3 bar credits though as I explain later. We also missed the flag parade and captains address except for the very end. Tonight was karaoke in Boleros and we really wanted to go. We met 3 young guys at the Radisson who were on their second cruise. We ran into them a lot & they always invited us over to talk. They were fine young men and they kept talking about doing karaoke so we wanted to see them perform. We got there as it had just started and heard some musically challenged but enthusiastic performances which were all good fun. There were a few performers who really amazed everyone with their talent. You just never can tell when they step up there and that makes it fun. Our guys were among the last to go and we were just blown away. Two of them did a duet to "Friends in Low Places" which had the room clapping and singing along. They nailed it.

 

We were going through the centrum later and saw that something was ramping up. It was the "finish that lyric" contest about to get underway. There was a lady down on the stage getting her boogie on big time while waiting for things to start. Eventually a young guy joined her and was cutting it up pretty good as well. Turns out it was our dinner neighbor from the first night. We had never seen this contest before and it was great fun. The boogie lady was the first one out, which was sad since she was so enthusiastic & fun. The MC kept telling us not to help but it is so hard not to sing along and a lot of us did despite ourselves. It was a very popular event and we recommend it.

 

Back to the Schooner for the nightcap. They had these drink menus in there with a page full of various "collins" drinks. I decided to try one and ordered the sandy collins. It was really good and I mentally filed it away for future reference. It was well past the 8:30 mark, but I chanced to ask the waiter if I could use my Diamond credits. There was not a problem. We found that they did not really stick to the time limit and we were able to use them each evening. Between us we had 6 credits but we never did use them all. I always tipped extra when we used them as I think most do as well. After another lap around the ship we called it a night. Another great day on MJ.

[finz2u]

I am really enjoying your review. You sound like a great cruising couple.

 

We were on Majesty last New Year's and had such a great time we booked for this New Year's as well. I am hoping the latin vibe so apparent when she sailed from Miami followed her north to Canaveral.

 

Thanks for taking the time to share your experience.

[birdylady]

Okay, not sure how many are still following but we will press on with Day 2.

 

Back to the Schooner for the nightcap. They had these drink menus in there with a page full of various "collins" drinks. I decided to try one and ordered the sandy collins. It was really good and I mentally filed it away for future reference. It was well past the 8:30 mark, but I chanced to ask the waiter if I could use my Diamond credits. There was not a problem. We found that they did not really stick to the time limit and we were able to use them each evening. Between us we had 6 credits but we never did use them all. I always tipped extra when we used them as I think most do as well. After another lap around the ship we called it a night. Another great day on MJ.

Hey 'neighbor' :D, still following.

 

Interesting that they don't worry about the time limit for the D drinks. Last year on Enchantment I tried to get a drink on the way to dinner and we were about 3 minutes before official time. I was told by the Rbar bartender the computer won't let them do it even a minute early so I had to wait.

 

Erik

[EBFURR]

Hey 'neighbor' :D, still following.

 

Interesting that they don't worry about the time limit for the D drinks. Last year on Enchantment I tried to get a drink on the way to dinner and we were about 3 minutes before official time. I was told by the Rbar bartender the computer won't let them do it even a minute early so I had to wait.

 

Erik

 

Greetings from Concord! I never tried to use them early but used them late several times. I am thinking always in the Schooner but with different bartenders or waiters. It was from a few minutes past the window to quite a bit. I figured if they said no it was all good but they never did. Maybe it is just my natural charm. If you knew me you would know just how big that joke is. :D

 

I also noticed that our friends the three amigos had the drink package and they were ordering anything and everything and getting it no problem. I had also read on here that some bartenders were strict on what you could get. I saw no evidence of that, but we did not have the package so take that with a grain.

[May B]

We've been on Majesty twice and are going again in Feb. with friends. Looking forward to seeing the changes, plus we've never cruised out of Port Canaveral.

 

Loving your review. Seems like a great way to enjoy it all over again.

[angogl]

I am enjoying your review. My daughter and I were on this cruise with you and had a wonderful time. It's nice reliving some of the events on the ship I had forgotten (too much rum maybe :p). I also booked the 1/19/18-5 day cruise (what a great price) as well as this Halloween. I may have an addiction! :eek:

[easyboy]

Okay, not sure how many are still following but we will press on with Day 2.

Still following, and enjoying!

[Clarea]

Okay, not sure how many are still following but we will press on with Day 2.....

Still here.:)

[mooseman52b]

Nice review (so far). We boarded the day you left and had a great cruise :cool:

 

I may have an addiction! :eek:

 

I can't think of a better addiction to have :p

[EBFURR]

Sorry for the delay. Catching up with work and fall chores.

Day 3 Nassau: We did the room service coffee wake up again and this time they called before coming up. Our cabin attendant had left us some chocolate covered strawberries the day before and we were too full to eat them so we left them for this AM. I do not eat them but the wife had them with her coffee. We went up to the WJ for breakfast; I have no idea why we don't try the MDR. Habit I suppose. We were now used to the food hunt (kind of like Easter morning) and we rounded up sufficient provisions. The food was not bad, but I dared not try the omelette station again. I read a review of the cruise following ours and he said it was good so either they got it fixed or maybe I just had a bad day. I actually stopped checking after 2 days and just went with the pre-prepared stuff.

 

Eventually we departed for Junkanoo beach. We have been in Nassau many times and it is not our favorite but better than being at work for sure :D. We have always either gone over to Paradise Island, walked around downtown, or stayed aboard but this time we decided to check out Tiki Bikini hut because of what we read on CC. We were walking since it is a short distance and the weather was perfect. On the way we saw the Harley Davidson Nassau store which is not dealership at all, but a T-shirt store. HD has figured out that us HD owners are suckers for logo merchandise with various city/country names so they now have these popping up all over. With my overpriced T-shirt safely bagged away we continued on. We took a detour down by the flea market and admired the wood carvings. There is some nice stuff but we did not bring a ton of cash ashore so we did not buy anything. We found the Tiki and it was already starting to get full. We got the 2 chairs and X drinks for Y dollars deal (forget the amounts) but they kept trying to sell us the "unlimited" deal. We should have done it since they count water as one of your "drinks". We chilled in the shade of our umbrella and people watched which is one of our favorite activities on a cruise. They have a lot of activities that they do and we watched those. The wife helped hold the bar for the limbo for which she got a free drink. Most of the activities were taken over by kids aged from about 5 to 12. We can't really figure why people bring their kids to a bar where they feature "all you can drink" but I suppose we are just old fashioned. Nothing really out of the way went on, but it just seems that this would be an adult thing. After all, I rarely play in the ball pit at McDonalds or hog the video games at Chuckee Cheese. But I digress. A lady came by our chairs with various trinkets for sale and we, being polite, let her do her thing. She had the wife all outfitted in various jewelry and skirts & things and gave us a ridiculous price. We settled on a few of the bracelets for gifts but of course we overpaid. We do not have the heart to hard bargain and it was not a lot of money in the grand scheme but it put a dent in our meager cash reserves. We asked around but there were no ATMs close by according to the locals. We stayed until we ran out of cash and our thirst was getting to us. Since we needed a place that takes plastic we decided to stop by Senior Frogs. I know a lot of folks avoid these places as too "commercial" but we have found that the ones on the islands that are run by the locals are usually a lot of fun.

 

Next up: Senior Frogs and the evening activties.

[dreadpirate3]

Following!

[hometownmedic]

Still here! I can't wait to hear about SF in Nassau. We like Junkanoo too.