Come sail with me on a virtual cruise on Majestic Princess to Fiji!

[ellie1145]

20 hours ago, PurpleTraveller said:

Gabrielle Bonheur was better known as Coco Chanel. Have no idea about the other questions.

 

I am sorry your cruise is coming to an end as I have so enjoyed following along. Thank you for taking the time to write your wonderful review. 😊

 

You are spot on with that answer, Purple Traveller! It is, indeed, Coco Chanel. Well done!

 

Your super powered, Mini, collapsible, Vortex vacuum cleaner, small enough to fit in your pocket or handbag, is winging its way to you via Amazon ([the river, of course).

 

So glad you have enjoyed my review. It’s not quite over, we still have another sea day, plus a day in Sydney before our flight to Singapore, where we will spend a great night before flying home. 

 

[ellie1145]

18 hours ago, Loucat said:

Here is a shot at the 360 degree head turing insect- A praying mantis? I used to watch them years ago in the northern US but I do not see them in my area now.

 

Absolutely right, Loucat! It IS a praying mantis! Well done!

 

Your super powered, Mini, collapsible, Vortex vacuum cleaner, small enough to fit in your pocket or handbag, is winging its way to you via Amazon [the river, of course).

[ellie1145]

15 hours ago, DUCHESSRN said:

One happy girl with her Volcano 

 

 

What a little cutie, DUCHESSRN. Is it one of your grandchildren?

 

The volcano looks pretty good, too! 👍

[ellie1145]

Well I don’t know what’s been wrong with Cruise Critic today but it wouldn't let me log in so I wasn’t able to post anything, but it seems to have sorted itself out now so off we go again. 

 

 

[TeaBag]

So very sad today that our Grand Princess trip Mar 23 Singapore to Southampton has been cancelled.  Regal Princess is taking over from the Grand to be home ported in Southampton, so I guess it doesn't make much sense for the Grand to sail there from Singapore.  I believe the Grand is to be home ported in LA, so I suppose a transpacific will be in her future.  This was to be our first Princess cruise in 20 years.

 

Your ship is truly beautiful, Ellie.

Happy Birthday.

[ellie1145]

2 minutes ago, TeaBag said:

So very sad today that our Grand Princess trip Mar 23 Singapore to Southampton has been cancelled.  Regal Princess is taking over from the Grand to be home ported in Southampton, so I guess it doesn't make much sense for the Grand to sail there from Singapore.  I believe the Grand is to be home ported in LA, so I suppose a transpacific will be in her future.  This was to be our first Princess cruise in 20 years.

 

Your ship is truly beautiful, Ellie.

Happy Birthday.

 

 

Oh, no, Teabag. I am so sorry to hear that. What a shame. This pandemic seems to be never ending in its effects. 

 

Southampton is about 26 miles from us, although we never sail from there as we normally fly to pick up a ship. 

 

I would love to do Singapore to Southampton. That would have been amazing. 

 

Do you ever sail out of LA? We did Hawaii from there but it is such a long journey to the islands, and we didn’t like the Mexican port at all. 

 

It’s particularly disappointing for you as you were revisiting Princess again. I do hope that you will be able to book another Princess cruise in the future. I think we are all desperate to be cruising again. I know I am missing it so much.

 

Maybe you will be able to sail on beautiful Majestic one day. She is a lovely ship. 🤞

 

 

[ellie1145]

 

Progressive Trivia over, we make our way back to our cabin for a little more packing. We will have been away for a month, so there is quite a lot to sort out. I pop down to the guest laundry with some washing as I hate taking dirty washing home. Although we do have free laundry, I am too fussy to risk having my clothes shrunk. Having the guest laundry available is really helpful, especially when you are away for a long time. 

 

Meanwhile, we make a start on the packing. Thank goodness we can watch a movie while we are doing that. We don’t bother with lunch as we had a late breakfast and will go for afternoon tea later.

 

It’s ‘Voice of the Ocean’ at 2.00 pm so we take a break and make our way to the theatre. I would have liked to take part in the Arts and Crafts session but it clashes, unfortunately. It is a good show, and the judges are witty, but as we have Trivia at 3.00 pm we have to slide out as quietly as possible before we know the result of the singing.

 

After our trivia we persuade two of our trivia mates to join us in the dining room for afternoon tea. We are always surprised at how few people take advantage of this quintessentially British feast, but we certainly enjoy it. The staff greet us warmly and find us a table for four. We sit and sip tea, eat scones, cream and jam, and chat. They have been delightful companions on our trivia journey and we are sad that it’s coming to an end.

 

After tea we are just in time to make the Early Evening Music Quiz with Christiaan, called ‘The Fairy Tale of Love.’ It’s a little different as you have to work out what songs fit into the story. We meet up with our other trivia team for this and they are really good at it. We decide to stay and wait for Sam McCool the comedian who has a new show at 5.45 pm, also in Princess Live. However, we move higher up so that if we need to leave we can do so without disturbing anyone.

 

We now have some choices to make. I want to have a quick swim and then we need to get ready for formal night. We would love to see the Production Show, ‘Encore,‘ which is at 7.45 pm and 9.45 pm, but our favourite show is the Marriage Match Game Show at 9.00 pm. Going into dinner in the dining room isn’t going to work as we know from previous experience that space is very limited in Princess Live, and if we aren’t there at least half an hour before the Marriage Match Game Show starts we won’t have a hope of getting a seat, it will be standing room only. It really is a silly venue for this very popular entertainment, which would be much better in the Vista Gaming Lounge, but that is where the comedian has his two later shows.

 

So, after my swim we get dressed in our formal wear but decide that it would be quicker to dash up to the buffet, as we realise we are unlikely to get out of dinner in time otherwise. We don’t eat lobster so for us it’s not a great loss. We are finished in time to get to Princess Live and grab a good seat. The show is very funny, and we really enjoy it.

 

 

We finish the evening with a walk round the deck, a cup of decaffeinated tea in the buffet, and a naughty cookie or two from outside the Bakery.

 

 

But before we make our way to our cabin I will show you a little more of this lovely ship. 

 

First, the International Cafe, which is open 24/7 and has a wonderful range of food available day and night. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Majestic Princess is still steaming homeward, and we have one more day to enjoy everything she has to offer.

 

It’s Halloween tomorrow and that should be interesting! 

 

Edited September 2, 2020 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

The Crown Grill

 

This is one of the Speciality Restaurants, and is also the venue for the Pub Lunch. There is normally music here in the evening. 

 

 

 

[barbpretz]

I know that I'm extremely late to the party (I'm only up to page 40) but I wanted to catch you before you ended your cruise to let you know how much your cruise blog has meant to me.  I was getting very fed up with being so isolated with the pandemic and missing all the wonderful plans I had previously had for this year.  Following your lovely blog has almost made me feel like I'm on the trip with you - not quite as good as the real thing, but so much better than sitting home and feeling sorry for myself!

 

I've been sharing news of this cruise with my family on a regular basis, so they are well aware of how much this virtual cruise has meant to me.  Usually, whenever we go on a wonderful adventure like a cruise, I buy lots of small gifts for my family to give to them for Christmas.  Since I have had absolutely no trips this year, I'm doing something very silly:  I'm buying them small gifts from the Fiji Islands to commemorate this virtual cruise.  I'm sure that they will be entertained by my silliness.

 

Thanks so much for giving me something to celebrate and something to help get me though this difficult time.  Now, I'll go back to page 40 . . . 

[ellie1145]

4 minutes ago, barbpretz said:

I know that I'm extremely late to the party (I'm only up to page 40) but I wanted to catch you before you ended your cruise to let you know how much your cruise blog has meant to me.  I was getting very fed up with being so isolated with the pandemic and missing all the wonderful plans I had previously had for this year.  Following your lovely blog has almost made me feel like I'm on the trip with you - not quite as good as the real thing, but so much better than sitting home and feeling sorry for myself!

 

I've been sharing news of this cruise with my family on a regular basis, so they are well aware of how much this virtual cruise has meant to me.  Usually, whenever we go on a wonderful adventure like a cruise, I buy lots of small gifts for my family to give to them for Christmas.  Since I have had absolutely no trips this year, I'm doing something very silly:  I'm buying them small gifts from the Fiji Islands to commemorate this virtual cruise.  I'm sure that they will be entertained by my silliness.

 

Thanks so much for giving me something to celebrate and something to help get me though this difficult time.  Now, I'll go back to page 40 . . . 

 

Wow, I’m simply overcome by your wonderful words. I love the idea of the Fijian gifts for your family. I’m sure they will love them!  I’m thrilled that you are with us on this journey!  

 

I started this adventure a little selfishly I think, as I was missing cruising so much that I had to find a way to come to terms with the loss. Like you, I was going through a difficult time just before I embarked on this marathon, and life seemed to be pretty hopeless. But looking back over my photos I realised that they lifted me, as I remembered all the good times we had experienced, and felt the joy and the excitement again.

 

So I hoped that by sharing my memories I could build new ones for other people to enjoy, too, even though it was only virtually. I also hoped that it might give people ideas of other places to visit that perhaps they had never considered. I wanted it to be informative so that it would provide a resource for those visiting some of those far flung places. 

 

From what you have said I seem to have achieved that in some small way.

 

But I must thank all of you wonderful Cruising Adventurers for following along with me. You have been the absolute BEST group of people I could ever have hoped for, and you have spurred me on to finish this saga. 

 

I must admit I was petrified at posting my first trip review as sometimes CC can be a very unfriendly place, but all your comments have been so helpful and uplifting, and I’ve loved how people have really been on this journey with me.

 

But it’s not over yet! There’s a little more to come and I hope you enjoy the finale. 

[ellie1145]

World Fresh Market Place

 

The World Fresh Market Place is one of our favourite buffets. We think it is one of the best for several reasons. For a start it is huge and divided into two distinct sections, The Bistro and The Buffet, each with a distinctive decor. It also offers a huge range of food options from 5.30 am - 11.00 pm, without a break.

 

Tea and coffee are also available all the time which is very useful. This format of the buffet is common to all the Royal Class ships, and is more extensive than any of the buffets on the Grand Class ships.

 

The Buffet is open from 5.30.am until 11.30 am, then 11.30 am to 3.30 pm, and from 5.30 pm until 11.00 pm. 

 

The Bistro is open from 5.30 am until 9.00 am for a light breakfast, and from 11.30 am until 5.30 pm for a light lunch.

 

World Fresh Marketplace is unusual in that there are several long serveries which are across the width of ship, from side to side, with a huge range of food available.

 

 

 

 

There is also the Bakery which is separate. For us, we thought that it wasn’t as good as the Pastry Shops on the other Royal Class ships. There really was a lot of bread, and fewer desserts we thought. But it’s still a great addition. 

 

 

 

Edited September 2, 2020 by ellie1145

[ROWSE]

On 9/1/2020 at 2:20 PM, ellie1145 said:

Progressive Trivia

Then we make our way to Princess Live, where our team mates are ready and waiting. This is the penultimate Progressive Trivia and we are hoping to improve on our previous scores, so we wrack our brains for the answers, and think we have done quite well.

 

But there are lots of teams who have stayed the course so it’s going to be a nail-biting finish we think. We are definitely in with a chance, but there are some great teams competing so it’s going to be touch and go. But whatever happens, it’s been great fun, and we’ve met such lovely people that winning is not really important.

 

Here are a few Trivia questions for you to mull over.

 

1.  What is the only insect that can turn its head a full 360 degrees?

2.  Born in Saumar, France in 1883, who is Gabrielle Bonheur better known as?  

3.   What is the name of the red dragon in Mulan?

Ellie, I still don’t think any one tried to answer question number 3.

Please don’t take off for spelling, but I believe the dragon’s name is Mishue. Pronounced MeeShoe.
 

We also just started to take care of our, almost 4 year old, grandson today till next Tuesday.  Nothing better than being grandparents!!!  We will definitely be exhausted by next week.  

 

 

[Lucky TGO]

1 hour ago, ROWSE said:

Ellie, I still don’t think any one tried to answer question number 3.

Please don’t take off for spelling, but I believe the dragon’s name is Mishue. Pronounced MeeShoe.
 

We also just started to take care of our, almost 4 year old, grandson today till next Tuesday.  Nothing better than being grandparents!!!  We will definitely be exhausted by next week.  

 

 

Hi Kitty,

I have a trivia question. Who makes the great champagne that they give you for winning a trivia game on Princess Cruises.

Scroll down to see the answer.😁😁
Please say hi to Jim ,

Tony

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The boys in the boiler room make it fresh every Tuesday.😁

 

[ROWSE]

7 hours ago, Lucky TGO said:

Hi Kitty,

I have a trivia question. Who makes the great champagne that they give you for winning a trivia game on Princess Cruises.

Scroll down to see the answer.😁😁
Please say hi to Jim ,

Tony

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The boys in the boiler room make it fresh every Tuesday.😁

 

Hi Tony!

Give Marge a hug from us!  Wish we were all cruising the Caribbean together again!!
 

🤢That prize champagne is so delicious!!!

 

🥰

[TeaBag]

Ellie, I think you should give a thought to writing travel books. 

I hope you had one of those strawberry meringues for me.  Yum.

Yes, we have sailed out of LA and of course, Vancouver.  But would you believe it, we have sailed out of Southampton many more times.  We love that city and all there is around it, and of course, when we're there it means we are cruising very soon.  If all goes well and COVID is under control we will be there next August sailing to the Norwegian Fjords, back to Southampton and then Ireland and Iceland.  We do hope this does not get cancelled also.

Thank you so much, Ellie, for all the time you have spent on this wonderful blog.  It has been especially welcoming during this cruise famine!

[PaulS]

I would like to add my thanks for the review. I would never have guessed that it is your first attempt, as it has been very entertaining. You have a gift for writing and for photography. As you say in Britain, the review has been brilliant.

[ellie1145]

14 hours ago, ROWSE said:

Ellie, I still don’t think any one tried to answer question number 3.

Please don’t take off for spelling, but I believe the dragon’s name is Mishue. Pronounced MeeShoe.
 

We also just started to take care of our, almost 4 year old, grandson today till next Tuesday.  Nothing better than being grandparents!!!  We will definitely be exhausted by next week.  

 

 

Well done, it is Mushu! 👏

 

Your super powered, Mini, collapsible, Vortex vacuum cleaner, small enough to fit in your pocket or handbag, is winging its way to you via Amazon (the river, of course).

 

I hope you have a wonderful time with your grandson. They certainly keep you young.

[ellie1145]

12 hours ago, Lucky TGO said:

I have a trivia question. Who makes the great champagne that they give you for winning a trivia game on Princess Cruises.

 

It certainly can’t really be described as champagne! 🤣

[ellie1145]

2 hours ago, TeaBag said:

Ellie, I think you should give a thought to writing travel books. 

I hope you had one of those strawberry meringues for me.  Yum.

Yes, we have sailed out of LA and of course, Vancouver.  But would you believe it, we have sailed out of Southampton many more times.  We love that city and all there is around it, and of course, when we're there it means we are cruising very soon.  If all goes well and COVID is under control we will be there next August sailing to the Norwegian Fjords, back to Southampton and then Ireland and Iceland.  We do hope this does not get cancelled also.

Thank you so much, Ellie, for all the time you have spent on this wonderful blog.  It has been especially welcoming during this cruise famine!

 

Thank you so much Teabag for your kind words. 

 

How spooky that you have been to Southampton several times! It has an interesting link to Titanic, and we love the building that housed the hotel where passengers stayed overnight, before they set sail on her. We nearly bought a flat situated right at the top of the building a few years ago when the building was turned into flats. It had an amazing tower room and a huge balcony overlooking the docks. It would have been amazing watching the ships going to and fro. 

 

I will keep my fingers crossed for your August Fjord cruises. Maybe we will meet in Southampton if this beastly virus goes away. 

 

I’m so glad that you have enjoyed this marathon blog. It’s kept me going for sure. 

[ellie1145]

2 hours ago, PaulS said:

I would like to add my thanks for the review. I would never have guessed that it is your first attempt, as it has been very entertaining. You have a gift for writing and for photography. As you say in Britain, the review has been brilliant.

 

Thank you, PaulS. I’m delighted that you have enjoyed it. I’ve really enjoyed writing it. 

 

It’s been particularly nice to have so many wonderful Cruising Adventurers travelling along with me. 

[ellie1145]

The Tardis Awaits......

 

 

Before we retire for the night I will take you back to the night of the 27th, to experience a little of Andy Joy, the Headliner Instrumentalist.  I’ve reserved front row seats for us all! Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ellie1145]

Our Final Day Onboard Majestic Princess - Halloween

Thursday, October 31st - At Sea

 

 

Last night, on our return to our cabin, the Princess Patter was waiting on our bed. The headline was ‘Farewell and thanks - until we sail again.’

 

Who could have imagined that an earth shattering pandemic would sweep through the world and bring cruising to a sudden end?

 

But I have faith that we WILL sail again. I cannot imagine life without cruising.

 

Throughout the night Majestic Princess followed a course through the Coral Sea, and into the Tasman Sea. At noon, the nearest land, Smoky Cape, is 103 nautical miles off our starboard bow. Situated on the east coast of New South Wales, it is a distance of 195 nautical miles from Sydney.

 

The temperature outside is 20C/68F and there is an easterly wind force 4, with partly cloudy skies.

 

But today we will not think about our departure, we will enjoy our last day and experience Halloween onboard this beautiful ship.

 

[ellie1145]

 

So what is happening today?

 

Movies Under the Stars kicks off with a Halloween movie, Ghost Busters at 9.30 am, followed by a Music Concert: Elton John - Brit Icon at 12.15 pm. There is another Halloween movie at 2.15 pm, A Quiet Place, followed by a Music Concert: Santana Live at Montreux, at 4.30 pm. At 5.45 it’s another Music Concert: Crowded House - Farewell to the World. The evening movie is Breakthrough at 7.00 pm and 9.45 pm. There is another Halloween movie in Princess Live at 9.15 pm, the Shining with Jack Nicholson - or should that be called ‘Princess Dead?’

 

 

There’s plenty to do throughout the day with Zumba at 9.00 am, an Enrichment Presentation: Christian Imperialism also at 9.00 am, and a Halloween Line Dance Class at 10.45 am. The Princess Pop Choir has a final rehearsal at 11.15 am, and at 1.30 pm there is Halloween Make-up in the Shops of Princess. The Scrapheap Final is at 1.30 pm, with Ballroom Dancing in the Piazza at 1.45 pm. A Ukulele Class is at 2.15 pm, with a Halloween Arts and Crafts Class at 2.45 pm. The Scavenger Hunt finishes at 4.45 pm with the return of all the items collected.

 

There is a Matinee Concert starring Chris Watkins at 11.00 am in the Theatre, the Production Show: Encore at 3.00 pm, Princess Pop Choir and Ukulele concert at 4.00 pm, Music of Love in the Piazza with Jaame’s Band at 5.15 pm, Encore Stand-Up Comedy Showtime with Sam McCool at 5.45 pm, 7.30 pm and 9.15 pm. At 7.30 pm and 9.45 pm Patrick McMahon is the Vocalist Instrumentalist in the Theatre.

 

Princess Pop Choir and Ukulele Concert

 

At 8.30 pm there is the Kids’ Halloween Costume Parade, followed by the Halloween Disco Party in the Piazza at 9.00 pm.

 

Halloween Disco Party

 

There is plenty of Trivia, too, starting at 10.15 with The Great Australian Trivia, Progressive Trivia at 12.15 pm, Afternoon Music Trivia: Aussie Anthems at 1.00 pm, Spooktacular Halloween Trivia at 3.00 pm, Cruise Long Progressive Trivia Presentation at 3.45 pm, Early Evening Gameshow: Rock the Room at 4.30 pm, and finally, Where in the World Am I? at 8.15 pm.

 

And if all that is not enough there is the Group Renewal of Vows in the Piazza at 5.00 pm. This is a lovely ceremony where couples are invited to renew their love for each other.

 

So what will you be doing today?

[ellie1145]

On 9/2/2020 at 3:57 AM, rmf11699 said:

I think Loucat beat me to the answer. I too would say praying mantis.

 

You would have been right, too! 

 

So, as this is our last Trivia, I am sending you, too, a super powered, Mini, collapsible, Vortex vacuum cleaner, small enough to fit in your pocket or handbag. Hope you enjoy using it! 🤣

[azbirdmom]

We did see the Chris Watkins' matinee and recall that we enjoyed it.  Will post pictures of our last day experience after you!  😞