From the Bridge: Is Majestic Princess the Future of Cruising?

[LauraS]

Check out the latest Princess Cruises news from Cruise Critic:

 

From the Bridge: Is Majestic Princess the Future of Cruising?

[Thrak]

I certainly hope not. I have zero interest in sailing that ship.

[Kenswing]

I certainly hope not. I have zero interest in sailing that ship.

I think we get it based on every other post you've made about this ship.. lol

[Lucky TGO]

I certainly hope not. I have zero interest in sailing that ship.

 

Me too.

Tony

[dreaminofcruisin]

I certainly hope not. I have zero interest in sailing that ship.

 

Me neither... :(

[Astro Flyer]

I certainly hope not. I have zero interest in sailing that ship.

The Majestic is designed to succeed in Asia & not for many of their repeat passengers...including me.

 

However the basis of the article is that the Majestic changes may be the future for Princess ships which would be a major mistake for many of us.

 

Reading a current review of the French restaurant La Mer by a person who lived in France, the location is terrible (it replaced the high traffic Crooners space) and the meal wasn't worth the price. While I enjoy Chinese food, replacing Sabatini's with Harmony isn't good for me.

 

Plus replacing too many entertainment locations with gambling locations & more expensive high end shops are not improvements for many of us.

 

If the Majestic is to be the model for future Princess ships then we may have to seek other cruise lines that better suit our desires.

[ddled]

I agree-they are leaving behind all of the customers that made them the money it takes to do this stuff.:mad:

[Cruiser411]

I would daresay that the Majestic is a one-off for Princess. Many of her design elements don't translate well for Western passengers and I would expect that the next Royal-class ship will ditch many of them. The successful elements will stay such as the covered pool.

[Thrak]

Well... Since the ship is fitted especially to appeal to the Chinese market one can't really expect it to be of great appeal to westerners. They took out most of the bars and replaced them with things like karaoke rooms that you have to pay to use. I guess karaoke must be a really big deal in China. I certainly don't like the idea of replacing Crooner's with a French restaurant which, of course, is another extra-fee venue.

 

Hopefully this ship, while not appealing to me at all, will be a huge hit in the target market. It certainly wouldn't hurt my feelings any if the stock was to go up. I liked it when the dividends got larger and another increase would definitely make me happy.

 

Looking forward to our next couple of cruises on Emerald Princess and Caribbean Princess although even Caribbean will have some pretty big changes when we sail her next March. They don't seem like bad changes to me though.

[Chief02]

OMG. I certainly hope not!

 

I remember when Laura S said that she was glad to see a change from the "American Bubble".

 

Well, I am not.

 

We don't care for the royal class and would never set foot on the majestic. That is not the ship for us at all.

 

Then again, neither is the royal or the regal. Given the new builds, it's getting harder and harder to find a PCL ship to go on. We'll take the Grand Class any day.

[TorontoTL]

I'd say that Princess dose need to modernize and that the changes to Caribbean Princess are more along the lines of what Princess ships of the future for the NA market might have onboard. On the other hand, I hope that the covered pool on the Majestic is one change that the next Royal Class ships will get.

[cdngrl]

i don't like the big ships either. i am sailing on the majestic next month though as the itinerary and price was right. it ought to be interesting. there are lots of sea days and i won't be in the gaming rooms.

 

the changes made to the caribbean princess for the non-asian market give me hope that princess knows what they are doing and the newer ships will be tailor-made for the market they serve.

 

 

it saddens me that the ships are all so big and getting bigger. that doesn't appeal to me at all. i'll have to check out pacific princess itineraries... now that ship makes me happy!

[stewedprune]

Couldn't agree more. After sailing two of the mega-class ships, we are now looking for smaller more elegant ships such as the Noordamm, Jewel of the Seas or Century.

[RNGALNG]

Just like in a church. . . . 'we've never done it that way before!'

 

Reading the first live, I too thought it wasn't going to be my 'cup of tea.' However, I said that about the Regal as well, and I enjoyed her immensely. Would love to go on her again. So, I will keep an open mind and think good things about the newest ship.

[floridalover5623]

I disliked the Royal class ship when I first sailed them but after going back to the Emerald, CB & Grand I've come to appreciate the large new ships much more.

Send the Majestic over to the Caribbean & I'll bet it would be packed. :D

[caribill]

Some parts of the design should be in future Royal Class ships.

 

Already mentioned was the covered pool.

 

Another is the staterooms with the extended balcony.

 

And the center staircase is open to passengers from the getgo.

 

As far as the Chinese restaurant, it is located where a restaurant already is located on the Royal and Regal (Sabatini's). If the Majestic ends up sailing elsewhere, the restaurant concept can be easily changed.

 

But there are features consistent with the Royal and Regal that continue to annoy:

o Crown Grill located next to a noisy bar.

o Lack of a decent walking area outside on the Promenade Deck.

o Cabin light switch for the closet area that also turns on a main light near the bed(s)

[floridalover5623]

Are all the balcony sizes increased or only selected ones?

[crochetcruise]

Just my personal opinion with no personal experience of the Royal Class ships.

 

The Oceanview stateroom category is removed-that means I either take an Inside, with the possibility of seasickness due to not being able to see the horizon or have to take medication to prevent seasickness which means I cannot drink alcohol. A friend who has personally sailed in a Suite on the Sun Princess advised me that travelling solo and using a Rollator for mobility, I may have difficulty in opening the Balcony door by myself.

 

Personally I'd like to see some Window Suites added-effectively providing additional space without a balcony. Even a group of Window Suites without the separate private corridor would give an option for people to choose. I'm eagerly waiting for the 2017-2018 Australian Cruise Schedule to be released so I can identify a possible cruise for 2018. I'm addicted! After my 1st cruise-even with Bass Strait being more than a little er-bouncy on the Saturday night, I was able to return from Skywalker's Bar safely using the handrail and moving slowly. Always felt safe on my feet, just didn't understand how tiring so much walking/exploring the ship would be. :D

 

There also seems to be limited Handicapped Accessible Staterooms/Suites-not sure of the exact numbers on the Royal class ships.

[ian441672]

Take a look at the new Celebrity Edge on YouTube - looks pretty snazzy with lots of new ideas and additions (including new style staterooms), including what they call a 'Magic Carpet' bar/restaurant the size of 2 tennis courts, which glides on the outside of the ship from deck 15 up/down to deck 5 (or similar). That 'gimmick' wont appeal to everyone (I like the sound of it), but it these innovations that increase revenue, gain new customers and set standards that others may have to follow. I have to say, as loyal as I am to Princess, this Edge ship (8 minute clip on YouTube) looked pretty good to me.

[nukesubsailor]

From my own selfish point of view, I am hoping that the Majestic Princess is very successful in Asia for a variety of reasons. It means the Sapphire Princess will again be sailing where I want to sail. I love that ship. It means the value of my Carnival Corp. stock may increase as well as the dividend. And, as I have no desire to do any Asian itinerary, I won't experience any of the features of the Majestic that I do not care for.

 

I will be sailing on the Caribbean Princess later this year and I am looking forward to the changes now being made to that ship. I am a big fan of barbeque so I will try out the new barbeque specialty restaurant. I am not against change as long as the changes are designed based upon the popular desires of the passengers in the ships operating areas. Designs based only upon the taste of the designer should not be made.

[beckntom]

Take a look at the new Celebrity Edge on YouTube - looks pretty snazzy with lots of new ideas and additions (including new style staterooms), including what they call a 'Magic Carpet' bar/restaurant the size of 2 tennis courts, which glides on the outside of the ship from deck 15 up/down to deck 5 (or similar). That 'gimmick' wont appeal to everyone (I like the sound of it), but it these innovations that increase revenue, gain new customers and set standards that others may have to follow. I have to say, as loyal as I am to Princess, this Edge ship (8 minute clip on YouTube) looked pretty good to me.

 

Okay, so am I the only one who immediately ran to YouTube to view this video? This ship is AMAZING! We are Princess loyalists, so I doubt we'll ever venture to the Edge, but it's a thought! The suites (where we definitely wouldn't be) with infinity balconies and other suite-only experiences are unbelievable. It's definitely worth a YouTube view!

[Thrak]

Okay, so am I the only one who immediately ran to YouTube to view this video? This ship is AMAZING! We are Princess loyalists, so I doubt we'll ever venture to the Edge, but it's a thought! The suites (where we definitely wouldn't be) with infinity balconies and other suite-only experiences are unbelievable. It's definitely worth a YouTube view!

 

OK. I also just went and checked out the video (the short one referenced) and the ship does look incredible. All I need now is a large bale of $100 bills and I can try the ship. It seems to be a huge collection of venues that cost a fortune or are only available to those in a suite. I can probably take 10 or 15 Princess cruises for the price of that one whoop-de-do suite they showcase. It's hardly fair to try to compare that ship with Princess.

 

Edit: I notice there are several other videos on youtube about this particular ship that are posted by Affluent Journeys. Kind of a hint right there.

Edited April 6, 2017 by Thrak

[PrincessLuver]

I disliked the Royal class ship when I first sailed them but after going back to the Emerald, CB & Grand I've come to appreciate the large new ships much more.

Send the Majestic over to the Caribbean & I'll bet it would be packed. :D

 

I really like the Royal class ships and find they have way more pluses then negatives.....I hope they keep going in the direction of Royal, Regal, and Majestic. We get to sail on her later this year....I am sure if Princess is successful in a market with at least a billion people that they will be building more ships like the Majestic for that market....it has the potential to be way more lucrative then their other markets....just look at the stores that will be on the Majestic....very high end....:cool:

[floridalover5623]

....just look at the stores that will be on the Majestic....very high end....:cool:

They're certainly not looking for people like myself to spend money in them. Other than discounted liquor, I haven't spent more than $10 in the past 5 or 6 years.:D

[pablo222]

I'm still trying to figure out who is writing this from what bridge.

 

Regardless, it contains this quote:

 

"Princess' executive vice president of fleet operations, Rai Calouri, told Cruise Critic on a preview voyage over the weekend. "Even though we're saying Majestic Princess is a ship tailored for China, it truly is an international experience."

 

 

I guess the tailoring was a poor fit.

Maybe it will fit australians better.