Everything is just Majestic

[Cruise Raider]

Being a huge fan of the Royal Princess, we booked a trip on the Majestic, mainly to meet up with some of the teammates now working this this ship.  
We’ve been onboard for 5 days and think this ship is just something really special.  
 

Embarkation was a breeze, even though there were two ships in port.  We did not have to go through immigration in Vancouver so, that sped things up quite a bit.  I got my medallion via the mail but somehow, my DH’s medallion was canceled in the app.  Just in case anybody is wondering, the blue line took about an extra minute vs the green line.  
 

The security line at Canada Place was a short wait but nothing to really draw any complaints.  Plus, the line is all indoors so not really a much of a hassle on a rainy day.  The signage in Canada Place has really improved since we e last been there.  Of course, we saw people complaining about no directions on where to go but they were just not paying attention.  I call it the lost art of reading!  Nevertheless, I think everyone got where they needed to be.  

Once through check in and security, we were allowed to board, which was shortly before 11:00 AM.  They also allowed us to drop our carry on luggage off in our cabins.  At that time, we met our most wonderful room steward, JeeVee!   He is so hard working, kind, happy and friendly!  Most of all, he is so attentive and keeps our room so clean and well stocked.  
We booked a midship deluxe balcony cabin and love our cabin.  It is really the perfect size for two people, at least it is for these two people.  The bed and pillows are so comfortable.  Everything is in perfect working condition.  
 

We also booked the subsequent sailing and are in the same cabin.  They set up a meeting today in Princess Live today to explain the procedures for all the In Transit passengers.  That’s so great as I know that is a big source of questions for those that haven’t done B2B cruises in the past.  Plus, procedures change all the time and in different ports.  I think it will be very informative.  
The staff is extremely friendly and helpful.  I understand from some of the crew that we know that the culture on this ship is generally quite happy.  That attitude comes from good leadership from the top!  Even though this cruise is completely full, the service is impeccable and none of the staff seem stressed out!   It’s just a really happy ship!  
Most of the passengers are from the Vancouver area, since it is a roundtrip from Vancouver.  
We’ve had surprisingly decent weather and calm seas despite the forecasted wind and rain.  

 

The internet / WiFi has been pretty decent but, this site is sometimes giving me problems so, instead of going too much further on this post, I will continue in another comment in this thread.  

 

 

 

[sunviking90]

So glad you’re enjoying the Majestic! We are joining you in 2 days and super excited! The Royal class ships are not our favorite but we love the Majestic. I’m not sure what the difference is. 
She also has a soft spot in our hearts as our first post Covid cruises were on her in early 2022. Of course 30% occupancy helped! She was one of the first Princess ships brought back into service and the crew at that time all loved being on her and were a tight knit group having all started back together. It sounds like that friendly culture has continued.

Can’t wait for Tuesday! The weather in Vancouver is beautiful today, but it looks rain on Tuesday. Hopefully it’ll hold off for us.

[charliedalrymple]

I know that Majestic is unique because it was originally designed for the Chinese market.  We will be on Majestic for a round trip from Sydney to New Zealand over Christmas and new year.  The ship must be repositioning to Australia fairly soon.  Can't wait!

[jwattle]

Thank you for your reports; love hearing about Majestic! We'll be on her for a B2B most of November.

[Cruise Raider]

So, moving along .. we upgraded to the premier package through one of our friends that works onboard as the sommelier.  We’ve had a few problems being overcharged for wines included in premier package but taken care of pronto at the guest services desk. 
 

We then checked the menu for Harmony and it looked really appetizing so we made reservations there for the first night.  We were given a beautiful window seat for a 5:30 reservation.  My goodness, that food was so delish!  The service was fabulous, as well.  They were very accommodating with some changes to the menu.  They had shrimp and snow peas and kung pao chicken and I asked for kung pao shrimp.  They had no problem and even brought us an additional appetizer.  
 

We made our second specialty dining reservation for The Catch by Rudi for a couple nights later.  That reservation was also for 5:30 PM but we wanted to make it to the 7:30 PM show so showed up around 5:15 instead and we’re seated immediately, again given a wonderful window seat.  We noticed a solo traveler sitting in a window seat next to us and invited her over to our table.  We had wonderful conversation .. so glad she joined us.  
Our service there was absolutely impeccable!  Now, for the food .. WOW!  That was quite possibly the best meal we’ve ever had while on a cruise.  
I asked the server what she would recommend and she was spot on!  I had the seafood pasta and my DH had the filet and lobster.  We had the citrus lobster calamari appetizers.  Everything was just perfection!  We were completely satisfied so, we were to skip dessert but our server said she’d pick out something light for us and boy, did she ever.  She brought me fresh berries and my DH got the orange crepe.  Both of those were so incredible.  I know some people don’t love the atmosphere of the Catch but we thought everything was just perfect.  We liked it better than the Crown Grill or Sabatini’s.  
 

More on the food .. Alfredo’s has been wonderful.  Plus, there is no wait since the new charges have been implemented.  I wouldn’t call it empty by any means, there is just no wait.  
We haven’t tried the sushi yet up on deck 7.  We’ve heard it is only open on sea days.  
If it’s anything like all of the other venues onboard, I bet it will be fantastic!  I think we will try it sometime today.  
We’ve had the charcuterie and crudités at Vines .. also wonderful!  We’ve had them swap out some of the meats for extra cheeses.  That has worked out so nicely.  Neither of us has been a fan of the chocolates.  The fresh vegetables are great!  
There are some decent wines on the premier package, however, there is no more Rombauer Chardonnay available, which is my favorite wine.  The service at all the bars, but especially at Vines has been perfection!  Eunice, Matthew and Mandal are all such wonderful staff.  Goos spirits, with Chris and Erica and Good Spirits, with Jonard, Cesar and Johnson also spoil us!  
 

Lastly, we’ve gone to the buffet once for breakfast, once for a small snack and once for dinner and it is also quite good.  The dinner is especially good with a stir fry station.  The service there is also great.  We ordered what we wanted for store fry and the server brought it to our table for us, insisting we were n vacation and we should just sit and relax and enjoy ourselves.  To me, that type of service deserves kudos!  The food there is really fantastic.  
 

We have ordered room service twice and everything was delivered quite timely and hot.  
Just of note, the specialty coffee from the International Cafe is amazing.  The espresso based drinks are so very good!  Sergei, that makes designs in the coffee is a true artist.  I must admit, I am a sucker for coffee art!  
 

We haven’t been to the MDR or to the PES lounge as of yet.  We’ve been so very happy elsewhere, so far.  
 

I will continue with other aspects of the cruise in another comment. 

 

 

 

 

[Cruise Raider]

2 hours ago, sunviking90 said:

So glad you’re enjoying the Majestic! We are joining you in 2 days and super excited! The Royal class ships are not our favorite but we love the Majestic. I’m not sure what the difference is. 
She also has a soft spot in our hearts as our first post Covid cruises were on her in early 2022. Of course 30% occupancy helped! She was one of the first Princess ships brought back into service and the crew at that time all loved being on her and were a tight knit group having all started back together. It sounds like that friendly culture has continued.

Can’t wait for Tuesday! The weather in Vancouver is beautiful today, but it looks rain on Tuesday. Hopefully it’ll hold off for us.

She really is a special ship!  We were on her on the first cruise after they lifted the cOVid restrictions back in July 2021.  I was just so happy to be onboard, I didn’t actually appreciate what a special ship she is.  
I hope to meet you on the next sailing as we will be staying on until LA.  I really wish we could stay even longer.  I’m loving every bit of this sailing.  
We have to be doing some other things but will be back to continuing my review on ‘Everythng is Just Majestic’ later today.  

[jwattle]

Loving this, thank you so much!! Bringing back memories of o ur favorite Princess ship (to date) and making me do the countdown dance! (November, get here please!)

[Lady Arwen]

We’re booked on Majestic TA - July 2025 - Southampton to Boston, via Iceland and we are so excited.  Such a long time to wait, but we didn’t want to miss out on this exceptional itinerary and outstanding ship.

 

Looking forward to reading more on your trip.  Thank you for sharing!

[startedwithamouse]

We are on the sailing after you , joining in LA and just love the Majestic, sailed on her 3 or 4 times in 2021 and 2022. We are very excited to experience the Catch by Rudi. 

 

Does guest services know how many guests or elites they are expecting for the crossing? 

 

Love the location of Good Spirits on the Majestic, and will be there often. 

 

Can't wait to hear your updates on the Dallas cast! 

[Cruise Raider]

4 hours ago, startedwithamouse said:

We are on the sailing after you , joining in LA and just love the Majestic, sailed on her 3 or 4 times in 2021 and 2022. We are very excited to experience the Catch by Rudi. 

 

Does guest services know how many guests or elites they are expecting for the crossing? 

 

Love the location of Good Spirits on the Majestic, and will be there often. 

 

Can't wait to hear your updates on the Dallas cast! 

We just walked by The Catch and although we already ate dinner, the smells were so appetizing.  
 

[Cruise Raider]

5 hours ago, startedwithamouse said:

We are on the sailing after you , joining in LA and just love the Majestic, sailed on her 3 or 4 times in 2021 and 2022. We are very excited to experience the Catch by Rudi. 

 

Does guest services know how many guests or elites they are expecting for the crossing? 

 

Love the location of Good Spirits on the Majestic, and will be there often. 

 

Can't wait to hear your updates on the Dallas cast! 

From what I’ve heard, it is not full. 

[RNRcruisers]

19 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

I call it the lost art of reading!  

 

 

Haha, love that!

 

Sounds like a fabulous time so far! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Cruise Raider]

So, I made an attempt to continue my review of the Majestic and after writing out several paragraphs about the entertainment when poof, the whole thing was gone.  So, let my try it now.  
 

We missed the show the first night as we were having a relaxing dinner in Harmony.  It was a vocal impressionist that we heard from others to be quite good.  
We did catch two shows by the comedian, Sid Davis.  He is one funny guy!  

We had seen two of the production shows a few times each in the past so didn’t repeat those but did go to the new show, Fiera, only performed twice so far.   It is a circus themed show so not really to my liking but I can still appreciate it for all the hard work, talent, choreography and costumes.  
I wanted to comment on the seating for those with the premier package.  There was a section of seats saved in a good location for those with the premier package, left side on deck 6 about 8-11 rows back from the stage.  They were filled prior to even being able to release them 10 minutes before the show.  
This cruise is full capacity, thus the theater was filled by did not notice anyone standing in the aisles, at least not for the early show.  
 

They have two bands playing through the evening with a little different style of music but both are very good.  Grace’s Secret is a group of 5 very talented musicians from England, which we’ve seen on several cruises in the past.  We love them so we so happy to see them listed on Journeyview.  
The Sunset Quartet has a Latino flair and the lead singer is so very talented and energetic.  They’ve played a lot of music to get people up on their feet in the piazza.  A few times, it has turned into the Sunset Quartet without singing.  We try to catch both their shows in the evenings when they play.  
Ercobel is a wonderful guitar player and singer and performs in both the Crown Grill Bar and the piazza.  
I’m sure there are another couple of duos around the ship but we really scope out the performances by the ones listed above.  
 

The casino isn’t really entertainment, per se, but we’ve had a lot of fun in there, nonetheless.  No winnings but it is enjoyable gambling in a relatively low smoke environment.  It’s not the norm but this sailing seems to have very few smokers onboard.  
 

The activities are pretty much all day and into the evening.  We tried to see the vocal impressionist in the Vista Lounge the other night but it was standing room only 15 minutes before the show.  We opted to go to this game show called The Generation Gap in Princess Live hosted by our cruise director, Christoff.  Oh my word, we laughed so hard!  We usually attend most of the CD staff activities as they are usually hilarious.  
 

Just of note, gone are the days with limited capacity sailings where you can go from one show to another and expect to find a seat.  
 

I missed the CC meet and greet up in the Hollywood Club area as there was an excellent enrichment lecture we wanted to attend.  He was so knowledgeable, interesting and an  excellent speaker.  He even threw a little humor into his talk.  Nicely done!  

We missed his lecture on humpback whales as we were waiting for our lunch to be served but, I imagine it was also a very interesting.  

Anyway, the Hollywood Conservatory is a wonderful area that is climate controlled, wonderfully decorated with soothing spa music playing.  The cabanas are first come, first served and offer complimentary seating.  I don’t know how long they will remain free but what a wonderful relaxing experience to find during a rainy day.  
 

 

 

 

[Cruise Raider]

We went through immigration onboard the ship when we reached Astoria.  Everyone was scheduled at a specific time for meeting with immigration officials.  Those with tours set up in Astoria had the first scheduled times.  Some people were still going through immigration after 2:30 PM.  We were scheduled for 10:30 when they made the announcement that everyone was to proceed to the line.  Because the line was so long, we let it die down a bit before standing in the line.  Of course, we simply enjoyed the comfort of Good Spirits while we kept an eye on the line.  Once we saw the end of the line, we made our way one deck up.  We finally got through by around 12:30 PM.  By this time, it had begun to rain so we merely stayed onboard.  
 

We missed the In Transit guests talk yesterday as we lost track of time in the casino.  They did send a letter explaining that we don’t have to go through immigration procedures tomorrow.  We still have to find out if we need to disembark to clear the ship.  I really wished I’d have set an alarm to remind myself of the session for in transit passengers.  

 

 

 

[startedwithamouse]

24 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

So, I made an attempt to continue my review of the Majestic and after writing out several paragraphs about the entertainment when poof, the whole thing was gone.  So, let my try it now.  
 

We missed the show the first night as we were having a relaxing dinner in Harmony.  It was a vocal impressionist that we heard from others to be quite good.  
We did catch two shows by the comedian, Sid Davis.  He is one funny guy!  

We had seen two of the production shows a few times each in the past so didn’t repeat those but did go to the new show, Fiera, only performed twice so far.   It is a circus themed show so not really to my liking but I can still appreciate it for all the hard work, talent, choreography and costumes.  
I wanted to comment on the seating for those with the premier package.  There was a section of seats saved in a good location for those with the premier package, left side on deck 6 about 8-11 rows back from the stage.  They were filled prior to even being able to release them 10 minutes before the show.  
This cruise is full capacity, thus the theater was filled by did not notice anyone standing in the aisles, at least not for the early show.  
 

They have two bands playing through the evening with a little different style of music but both are very good.  Grace’s Secret is a group of 5 very talented musicians from England, which we’ve seen on several cruises in the past.  We love them so we so happy to see them listed on Journeyview.  
The Sunset Quartet has a Latino flair and the lead singer is so very talented and energetic.  They’ve played a lot of music to get people up on their feet in the piazza.  A few times, it has turned into the Sunset Quartet without singing.  We try to catch both their shows in the evenings when they play.  
Ercobel is a wonderful guitar player and singer and performs in both the Crown Grill Bar and the piazza.  
I’m sure there are another couple of duos around the ship but we really scope out the performances by the ones listed above.  
 

The casino isn’t really entertainment, per se, but we’ve had a lot of fun in there, nonetheless.  No winnings but it is enjoyable gambling in a relatively low smoke environment.  It’s not the norm but this sailing seems to have very few smokers onboard.  
 

The activities are pretty much all day and into the evening.  We tried to see the vocal impressionist in the Vista Lounge the other night but it was standing room only 15 minutes before the show.  We opted to go to this game show called The Generation Gap in Princess Live hosted by our cruise director, Christoff.  Oh my word, we laughed so hard!  We usually attend most of the CD staff activities as they are usually hilarious.  
 

Just of note, gone are the days with limited capacity sailings where you can go from one show to another and expect to find a seat.  
 

I missed the CC meet and greet up in the Hollywood Club area as there was an excellent enrichment lecture we wanted to attend.  He was so knowledgeable, interesting and an  excellent speaker.  He even threw a little humor into his talk.  Nicely done!  

We missed his lecture on humpback whales as we were waiting for our lunch to be served but, I imagine it was also a very interesting.  

Anyway, the Hollywood Conservatory is a wonderful area that is climate controlled, wonderfully decorated with soothing spa music playing.  The cabanas are first come, first served and offer complimentary seating.  I don’t know how long they will remain free but what a wonderful relaxing experience to find during a rainy day.  
 

 

 

 

Thank you for posting - twice!  Frustrating, as we've all been there!

 

Grace's Secret is one of the best house bands Princess has.

 

Hopefully Fiera will be performed on the crossing. Your words about the show, being not to your liking, but you can appreciate the talent and hard work put in by the cast - they feel that from the audience!

 

Yeah, this is why we've been on the Majestic more than a few times, all the few hundred people sailings after the pause - the price and lack of crowds couldn't be beat. We did thoroughly enjoy the ship. 

 

Where is the Elite happy hour?  We had it in the Hollywood Conservatory, and it wasn't ideal with the neon lights at night. 

[Cruise Raider]

19 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

Thank you for posting - twice!  Frustrating, as we've all been there!

 

Grace's Secret is one of the best house bands Princess has.

 

Hopefully Fiera will be performed on the crossing. Your words about the show, being not to your liking, but you can appreciate the talent and hard work put in by the cast - they feel that from the audience!

 

Yeah, this is why we've been on the Majestic more than a few times, all the few hundred people sailings after the pause - the price and lack of crowds couldn't be beat. We did thoroughly enjoy the ship. 

 

Where is the Elite happy hour?  We had it in the Hollywood Conservatory, and it wasn't ideal with the neon lights at night. 

We finally made it to the elite happy hour last night.  It was located in the Vista Lounge.  They had some snacks and we met one of the further cruise consultants there manning the door.  She was very friendly and welcoming!  There weren’t many passengers in attendance, though.  
Some of the most recent HH events I’ve attended on other ships had some live music during the event. The best snacks they’ve had were on the Ruby when we sailed on her last month.  We usually just had that for our dinner instead of going to the dining room.  
But, I can assure you, there’s no way we are going to starve.  The food all over the ship has been phenomenal.  
We haven’t made it up for the sushi as of yet and seeing we are in Seattle today, they aren’t open.  We still have next week.  

And yes, we love Grace’s Secret.  Jennifer and Graham both have such unique voices.  Peter and Chip are still in the band but the guitarist they refer to as Elvis, maybe that’s really his name 😂 , has been replaced by Ollie.  He is very talented and a great addition / replacement.  

 

Edited October 2, 2023 by Cruise Raider

[MLBFan24]

I was on the Majestic this past May (B2B Alaska). I had a wonderful time.

 

Only negatives:

 

• Food quality was inconsistent (good one day, same food wasn't good the next time). But overall, I liked the food. I'm not picky.
• Cruise Director assistant staff was mostly "green". Considering it was one of the first Alaska cruises of the season, I guess it made sense they weren't that in-sync yet.

 

But way more positives than negatives. Loved the ship, entertainment, and other passengers were great as well. 

 

[CruiserMickey]

We are just disembarked from the Majestic and had a fantastic cruise! We would happily sail her again. When the staff came out into the Piazza last night, you could tell that they really love their ship.

[LACruiser88]

On 10/1/2023 at 11:28 AM, jwattle said:

We'll be on her for a B2B most of November.

We will be onboard in April, Sydney to Seattle.  Great ship and crew!

[Cruise Raider]

3 hours ago, CruiserMickey said:

We are just disembarked from the Majestic and had a fantastic cruise! We would happily sail her again. When the staff came out into the Piazza last night, you could tell that they really love their ship.

I agree, it is such a happy ship!  

[Cruise Raider]

We are staying B2B as far as Los Angeles and now, I wish I had the foresight to book it all the way through Hawaii.  
The turnaround day procedure this morning for ‘In Transit’ passengers was as easy and seamless as I’ve ever experienced.  All that we had to do was to turn in our immigration for to the front desk yesterday and then relax and enjoy the ship this morning.  
I am excited this sailing is less crowded than the previous one, although, I really have no basis for that comment.  Most everything we’ve done had no lines with the exception immigration in Astoria and the emebrkation lunch on the first day in the MDR.  
This ship really has the happy crew onboard!  

 

[sunviking90]

We just joined you and are already impressed with the friendly crew. Smiles all around. We arrived at Canada Place at 10:30 and after a 5 minute wait to pick up our medallions and get checked in, we hustled through security, and were on the ship by 11 am. No waiting in chairs. Looking forward to 5 days of relaxation. I am also kicking myself for not booking the entire trip to Honolulu. Oh well.

We just enjoyed our embarkation lunch in Allegro. Salmon was excellent (and we know our salmon here in BC!), and the orange soufflé had the highest rise I’ve seen in a while. A great start!

Edited October 3, 2023 by sunviking90

[Cruise Raider]

We are still onboard and having the best time.  This cruise is not at full capacity and we are loving that so much!  
Since there are no crowds onboard, we made it to the dining room yesterday afternoon for chicken Korma and had the best meal.  The waiters in the Allegro were so much fun and attentive!  
Last night was formal night and we checked the menu.  They did have some cod and turkey dinner, both of which are always good but we had a big lunch so just got a few snacks at the buffet instead.  The theme last night in the buffet was Indian food and it was so delish!  Their curries are so marvelous.  
The evening entertainment was the production show, Fiera.  Since we’d just seen it, we enjoyed the fabulous music options of the Sunset Quartet and Grace’s Secret in the piazza. 
 

Throughout the day, the cast of Dallas will be having talks in the theater.  That should be interesting.  They are around the ship and appear to be having a good time as well as interacting with the guests.  
 

 

[Cruise Raider]

I forgot to mention, I went to the Future Cruise Sales office and booked a great deal on another cruise.  
When onboard, you may want to check out their current sales .. they can offer you some really great deals on some cruises.  

 

 

[Host CJSKIDS]

Sounds like an amazing cruise.  Love following along and thank you for taking the time to do a live from!