Majestic to NZ. Any tips?

[DevonianCruiser]

Hi

 

Okay this is quite a generic ask I know, but I just wondered if anyone has any tips or ideas. We’ve cruised a lot before but never been to Australia or NZ. Will have a couple of weeks there before the cruise. We’ve booked a premium suite and are hoping the perks are similar to RC and NCL. It’s Nov 2019amd we’ll have a 3 year old with us.

 

Any thoughts most welcome 🙂 

[JF - retired RRT]

My main suggestion would be to look up the suite perks that Princess provides to help you decide if it's worth the extra cost for you. This should get you started: https://www.princess.com/learn/ships/staterooms/suites/

Others have posted here that the perks from Princess aren't as nice as the perks from other lines.

[voljeep]

deleted most of post after see JF post above...

 

you should have an amazing time as NZ would be high on our list of ... "if we ever"

 

 

Edited October 28, 2018 by voljeep

[DevonianCruiser]

Thanks both of you . . . . . I didn’t word that very well. I know what the perks are as I looked them up before I booked. What I meant by ‘hope’ is that I’m hoping the service and experience of a suite is worth it. For example the whole suite experience with NCL was fantastic. On other cruises lines it’s not been as good. Anyway I’m sure we’ll enjoy it.

[Pet]

We are doing the same cruise as you next March and are fortunate enough to have an S5 suite overlooking the bow. This will be the third Princess suite cruise and have no reason to think the experience won't live up to the previous ones nor those on other lines, such as P&O and Celebrity.  What I would say is that you may need to be a little more proactive in order to get the full benefits you are entitled to, mostly little things like you should be able to dine free in one of the speciality restaurants on the first night and other treats are only provided on request. There are no dedicated butlers on other Princess ships so I imagine its the same for the Majestic Princess so if you want to dine in your cabin, for example, you don't get the professional service that some other lines provide. Two thing that stuck in my memory from previous cruises are that on arrival in your suite the steward poured a glass of sparking wine but then took the bottle away saying we were only entitled to one glass, which I thought was a bit penny pinching. The other thing was that we wanted some friends we had made to join us in our cabana on the Princess Island in the Caribbean but they weren't allowed in to the suite guest area even though they explained they were our guests.    

[DevonianCruiser]

1 hour ago, Pet said:

We are doing the same cruise as you next March and are fortunate enough to have an S5 suite overlooking the bow. This will be the third Princess suite cruise and have no reason to think the experience won't live up to the previous ones nor those on other lines, such as P&O and Celebrity.  What I would say is that you may need to be a little more proactive in order to get the full benefits you are entitled to, mostly little things like you should be able to dine free in one of the speciality restaurants on the first night and other treats are only provided on request. There are no dedicated butlers on other Princess ships so I imagine its the same for the Majestic Princess so if you want to dine in your cabin, for example, you don't get the professional service that some other lines provide. Two thing that stuck in my memory from previous cruises are that on arrival in your suite the steward poured a glass of sparking wine but then took the bottle away saying we were only entitled to one glass, which I thought was a bit penny pinching. The other thing was that we wanted some friends we had made to join us in our cabana on the Princess Island in the Caribbean but they weren't allowed in to the suite guest area even though they explained they were our guests.    

 

Great info, many thanks 🙂

[GUT2407]

6 hours ago, DevonianCruiser said:

Hi

 

Okay this is quite a generic ask I know, but I just wondered if anyone has any tips or ideas. We’ve cruised a lot before but never been to Australia or NZ. Will have a couple of weeks there before the cruise. We’ve booked a premium suite and are hoping the perks are similar to RC and NCL. It’s Nov 2019amd we’ll have a 3 year old with us.

 

Any thoughts most welcome 🙂 

Come over to the Australia, New Zealand Cruisers, sub forum and you’ll get more information than you can process.

[rimram]

Hello from the Majestic princess presently sailing on the Majestic from Auckland New Zealand to Sydney it’s a 13 day cruise we left on the 18th and the ship is magnificent and the staff is wonderful the best thing I can tell you is enjoy everything that the ship has to offer the food is been very good and we are enjoying the ports tremendously.  The people in New Zealand all the ports we’ve been to have been wonderful warm welcoming and extremely friendly so enjoy the whole trip 

[GUT2407]

1 minute ago, rimram said:

Hello from the Majestic princess presently sailing on the Majestic from Auckland New Zealand to Sydney it’s a 13 day cruise we left on the 18th and the ship is magnificent and the staff is wonderful the best thing I can tell you is enjoy everything that the ship has to offer the food is been very good and we are enjoying the ports tremendously.  The people in New Zealand all the ports we’ve been to have been wonderful warm welcoming and extremely friendly so enjoy the whole trip 

Yep friendly people those Kiwis unless they’re play8ng sport, or asking to Aussies.

[Kenswing]

19 hours ago, rimram said:

Hello from the Majestic princess presently sailing on the Majestic from Auckland New Zealand to Sydney it’s a 13 day cruise we left on the 18th and the ship is magnificent and the staff is wonderful the best thing I can tell you is enjoy everything that the ship has to offer the food is been very good and we are enjoying the ports tremendously.  The people in New Zealand all the ports we’ve been to have been wonderful warm welcoming and extremely friendly so enjoy the whole trip 

Is the Hollywood Conservatory free to everyone or is it like the Sanctuary?  Thanks.

[DevonianCruiser]

19 hours ago, rimram said:

Hello from the Majestic princess presently sailing on the Majestic from Auckland New Zealand to Sydney it’s a 13 day cruise we left on the 18th and the ship is magnificent and the staff is wonderful the best thing I can tell you is enjoy everything that the ship has to offer the food is been very good and we are enjoying the ports tremendously.  The people in New Zealand all the ports we’ve been to have been wonderful warm welcoming and extremely friendly so enjoy the whole trip 

Great to hear, thanks for the post 🙂

[Mrs. Kitty]

To Kenswing's question about the Hollywood Conservatory on the Majestic...we just got back from the cruise around New Zealand and 3 ports in Australia (Oct 23 - Nov.5  2018). I thought I had read that there was a fee to use the cabanas around the Hollywood Pool and the adjoining Conservatory BUT on sea days of our cruise I just went fairly early (before 8am ) and chose an empty cabana and made myself at home with my stuff (kind of like being a squatter really) and no one ever asked me for a payment of any kind. There is a policy in the Hollywood Pool area that if you leave a towel on a chair for more than 30 minutes unattended, the towel will be removed and your space is lost. So in order to keep a cabana until we were ready to vacate for the day, either my husband or I stayed in the cabana. We took turns going to get food, etc. and brought it to the cabana with no one objecting...better to ask for forgiveness than permission. This policy may change in the future but we did not have a balcony room so having this opportunity for a free unobstructed view of the ocean was lovely for us. 

[Kenswing]

15 hours ago, Mrs. Kitty said:

To Kenswing's question about the Hollywood Conservatory on the Majestic...we just got back from the cruise around New Zealand and 3 ports in Australia (Oct 23 - Nov.5  2018). I thought I had read that there was a fee to use the cabanas around the Hollywood Pool and the adjoining Conservatory BUT on sea days of our cruise I just went fairly early (before 8am ) and chose an empty cabana and made myself at home with my stuff (kind of like being a squatter really) and no one ever asked me for a payment of any kind. There is a policy in the Hollywood Pool area that if you leave a towel on a chair for more than 30 minutes unattended, the towel will be removed and your space is lost. So in order to keep a cabana until we were ready to vacate for the day, either my husband or I stayed in the cabana. We took turns going to get food, etc. and brought it to the cabana with no one objecting...better to ask for forgiveness than permission. This policy may change in the future but we did not have a balcony room so having this opportunity for a free unobstructed view of the ocean was lovely for us. 

Thanks for the information.. 

[DrivesLikeMario]

17 hours ago, Mrs. Kitty said:

To Kenswing's question about the Hollywood Conservatory on the Majestic...we just got back from the cruise around New Zealand and 3 ports in Australia (Oct 23 - Nov.5  2018). I thought I had read that there was a fee to use the cabanas around the Hollywood Pool and the adjoining Conservatory BUT on sea days of our cruise I just went fairly early (before 8am ) and chose an empty cabana and made myself at home with my stuff (kind of like being a squatter really) and no one ever asked me for a payment of any kind. There is a policy in the Hollywood Pool area that if you leave a towel on a chair for more than 30 minutes unattended, the towel will be removed and your space is lost. So in order to keep a cabana until we were ready to vacate for the day, either my husband or I stayed in the cabana. We took turns going to get food, etc. and brought it to the cabana with no one objecting...better to ask for forgiveness than permission. This policy may change in the future but we did not have a balcony room so having this opportunity for a free unobstructed view of the ocean was lovely for us. 

 

That policy is on every ship and it is very rarely ever enforced on any ship. 

[Pantheral]

On 11/23/2018 at 11:17 PM, Mrs. Kitty said:

To Kenswing's question about the Hollywood Conservatory on the Majestic...we just got back from the cruise around New Zealand and 3 ports in Australia (Oct 23 - Nov.5  2018). I thought I had read that there was a fee to use the cabanas around the Hollywood Pool and the adjoining Conservatory BUT on sea days of our cruise I just went fairly early (before 8am ) and chose an empty cabana and made myself at home with my stuff (kind of like being a squatter really) and no one ever asked me for a payment of any kind. There is a policy in the Hollywood Pool area that if you leave a towel on a chair for more than 30 minutes unattended, the towel will be removed and your space is lost. So in order to keep a cabana until we were ready to vacate for the day, either my husband or I stayed in the cabana. We took turns going to get food, etc. and brought it to the cabana with no one objecting...better to ask for forgiveness than permission. This policy may change in the future but we did not have a balcony room so having this opportunity for a free unobstructed view of the ocean was lovely for us. 

Mrs. Kitty, sort of off the subject, but we are on the February 18, 2019 Majestic cruise, which I believe is the same itinerary you were on. Hoping you might be able to answer a few questions. )Of course, anyone else who has been on a recent Majestic cruise can comment as well 😊)

- How many formal nights were there and do you recall on which evenings?

- Did you dine at any of the Specialty restaurants? Any helpful comments on food, etc.?

- Overall, there has been references to changes in food offerings and changes to venues to more suit the Australian market than the Asian market, curious if the noticed any of these

- Any thing else that would be important for us to know.

 

Many thanks to all posters in advance!!!!!

[Mrs. Kitty]

Hi Pantheral! About the formal nights...there were two. I looked at your itinerary and you are leaving from Sydney (I think) while we left from Auckland and went in exact reverse of your cruise but same ports. The formal nights were on sea days...one at more the beginning of the cruise and one towards the end. I wonder if your first formal night would be between Melbourne and Hobart (or the Tasman Sea days?). Your second formal night might be between Akaroa and Tauranga but I'm just guessing.

- We did eat at all three of the specialty restaurants. La Mer had great service and food with a good view. It was in more of an open area on the level above the Piazza so not very cozy. Harmony is the Asian food specialty restaurant...very lovely service..decor not remarkable...that type food is not my favorite but my husband thought it was great. The Crown Grill is more off to itself and has tasteful and traditional "club" decorating. The service and food was excellent. It was probably my favorite of the three. 

- Honestly, I don't know about changes made in food offerings and venues. I heard the Conservatory was designed to appeal to the Asian market...it is not like any place I have seen on a cruise ship before. I was in that area in "my cabana" a good bit but really not many folks of any nationality played the musical instruments there etc. It almost seemed like a wasted space in a very desirable spot on the ship. I could see Princess changing that area up in the future. I think they told us that on our cruise there were over 2,000 Americans, then Australians (don't know number), then Asians. I was expecting for it to be more Asians. 

-Here's a tip... On the fiord day the Conservatory and Hollywood Pool area gets very crowded with folks wanting to get good views from inside the ship. I would go early to get on spot on this day in front of the big windows. I know you will have a great time!

Edited December 1, 2018 by Mrs. Kitty
had an additional thought

[Pantheral]

14 hours ago, Mrs. Kitty said:

Hi Pantheral! About the formal nights...there were two. I looked at your itinerary and you are leaving from Sydney (I think) while we left from Auckland and went in exact reverse of your cruise but same ports. The formal nights were on sea days...one at more the beginning of the cruise and one towards the end. I wonder if your first formal night would be between Melbourne and Hobart (or the Tasman Sea days?). Your second formal night might be between Akaroa and Tauranga but I'm just guessing.

- We did eat at all three of the specialty restaurants. La Mer had great service and food with a good view. It was in more of an open area on the level above the Piazza so not very cozy. Harmony is the Asian food specialty restaurant...very lovely service..decor not remarkable...that type food is not my favorite but my husband thought it was great. The Crown Grill is more off to itself and has tasteful and traditional "club" decorating. The service and food was excellent. It was probably my favorite of the three. 

- Honestly, I don't know about changes made in food offerings and venues. I heard the Conservatory was designed to appeal to the Asian market...it is not like any place I have seen on a cruise ship before. I was in that area in "my cabana" a good bit but really not many folks of any nationality played the musical instruments there etc. It almost seemed like a wasted space in a very desirable spot on the ship. I could see Princess changing that area up in the future. I think they told us that on our cruise there were over 2,000 Americans, then Australians (don't know number), then Asians. I was expecting for it to be more Asians. 

-Here's a tip... On the fiord day the Conservatory and Hollywood Pool area gets very crowded with folks wanting to get good views from inside the ship. I would go early to get on spot on this day in front of the big windows. I know you will have a great time!

Thank you very, very much for your prompt reply and all of the information! Looking forward to experiencing all of it. We booked a Penthouse suite on the fantail with one of the bigger balconies purposes because of the fjord cruising day. Hoefully the weather will cooperate....but good to have an alternate plan!