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

[Astro Flyer]

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.

At the bottom of the article it says "By Carolyn Spencer Brown, Editor-in-Chief" of CC and maybe "From the Bridge" is the title for her ship reviews.

 

I think that Rai's job is to put a spin on the Majestic's design possibly because sales in China are not as good as forecasted. It's very doubtful that the design decisions were made by Rai but no one higher in management (such as CCL CEO Donald & Princess president Swartz) are going to accept responsibility.

 

Posts from Aussies say they're adaptable however a ship that replaced entertainment venues & bars with more gambling, expensive shops & karaoke is not suited for me. Although maybe passengers from Aus/NZ are not their targeted customers but instead are Chinese seeking a warm weather destination during China's winter.

 

It's becoming more routine for such Princess spin such as Share's initial promotion of the sharing aspect of the dining experience. Now it's the spin that the Majestic which was promoted as being designed for the Chinese is now an "international experience". Medallions might be the next change requiring spin because the promoted service improvements are impossible with the current staffing levels. Too often the crew is already overwhelmed & their vague statements such as finding passengers to deliver food seems unrealistic & they've never said it's a free service.

 

Maybe Princess needs a new position...Director of Spin...because some recent changes have me wondering about their direction. Most of my cruises have been on Princess but I'm now more seriously considering other cruise options.

 

The article asks "Is Majestic Princess the Future of Cruising?". Maybe it is in China but it's not my future of cruising.

Edited April 18, 2017 by Astro Flyer

[rumbalizw]

I sailed on the Maiden Voyage.

The ship was lovely but i can see many if your points.

The Conservatory was a waste of space but if thats what appeals to the Chinese market its aimed at then so be it .

The indoor pool was ideal on a sunny but cold day though soon filled up .

Other than that the ship was fine but if you like the bars that were missing on this ship then it would cause disappointment.

 

 

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[grouchomarx]

I'm glad to see they've done some new things for once. Sadly it's only for the Asian market and I have no interest in sailing there. Princess has fallen way behind some of their competitors in many ways, and they are less and less appealing to me because they just don't have enough or new specialty dining options like Royal and NCL have on their newer ships. I've been saying for years they need a French restaurant in addition to Crown Grill and Sabatini's, glad to see they have one. And replacing Sabatini's with Harmony is a very cool idea. A covered pool is much needed. They still lack any major bells and whistles but I guess that's not their demographic. I feel that Princess is basically going into retirement, becoming more like HAL (which is too boring for me), not trying to do anything exciting but remaining rather sedate. Ten years ago I loved it but there's been too many exciting things happening on other cruise lines' new ships that once I've experienced them, it's hard to go back to being relatively bored on a cruise. Regal Princess was an amazing cruise but then it was followed by NCL Breakaway and Royal Anthem of the seas, and looking back it doesn't compete that well with those in terms of dining, activites, and overall fun/excitement.

[Astro Flyer]

I sailed on the Maiden Voyage.

The ship was lovely but i can see many if your points.

The Conservatory was a waste of space but if thats what appeals to the Chinese market its aimed at then so be it .

The indoor pool was ideal on a sunny but cold day though soon filled up .

Other than that the ship was fine but if you like the bars that were missing on this ship then it would cause disappointment.

Thanks for sharing your experiences although for me it's replacing entertainment venues with gambling that is a larger factor than fewer bars which to some passengers is more important than to me.

 

I've read posts that noise from music & loud voices in the enclosed Hollywood Conservatory & Hollywood Pool Club was very loud...were you there at those times to experience it?

 

I'm sure that I'd enjoy the traditional Cantonese dishes in Harmony but have been disappointed by reviews on La Mer which I thought would be an improvement in dining. However my scale for the overall Majestic's cruise experiences definitely tilts to the downside & other ships provide me with a better experience. Sometimes it's good to have options & glad to know that the ship was lovely and was fine for you.

[rumbalizw]

Thanks for sharing your experiences although for me it's replacing entertainment venues with gambling that is a larger factor than fewer bars which to some passengers is more important than to me.

 

I've read posts that noise from music & loud voices in the enclosed Hollywood Conservatory & Hollywood Pool Club was very loud...were you there at those times to experience it?

 

I'm sure that I'd enjoy the traditional Cantonese dishes in Harmony but have been disappointed by reviews on La Mer which I thought would be an improvement in dining. However my scale for the overall Majestic's cruise experiences definitely tilts to the downside & other ships provide me with a better experience. Sometimes it's good to have options & glad to know that the ship was lovely and was fine for you.

 

 

The Hollywood pool and Conservatory when i went in were fine noise wise though all sun loungers were full on a cold day so didnt go in so it may have been noisy

At night the pool indoors turned into a night club . That was loud [emoji3]

 

 

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[Working 2 Cruise]

Regal and Royal Princess, yes. Majestic, no.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Posts from Aussies say they're adaptable however a ship that replaced entertainment venues & bars with more gambling, expensive shops & karaoke is not suited for me. Although maybe passengers from Aus/NZ are not their targeted customers but instead are Chinese seeking a warm weather destination during China's winter.

 

 

Most of the itineraries in her first season in Australia are to NZ and I think she will be ideal for that. The observatory will come into it's own in the cooler South Island cruising. The size of the ship is more suited to NZ itineraries, rather than South Pacific cruises where most of the ports are tender ports. NZ is also a prime itinerary to attract Asian tour groups.

 

I'm hoping to book a short cruise to Tasmania on her, just to see what she's like. I like the idea of the French and Chinese restaurants although I will miss Crooners.

[donaldsc]

Check out the latest Princess Cruises news from Cruise Critic:

 

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

 

If this is the future of cruising, I will stop cruising.

 

DON

[GUT2407]

It may be the future in that ships may be targeted more at specific markets and less, "One size fits none".

[pablo222]

At the bottom of the article it says "By Carolyn Spencer Brown, Editor-in-Chief" of CC and maybe "From the Bridge" is the title for her ship reviews.

 

Thanks. I was thinking it was from a Rt 9 overpass.

[Sea Hag]

Lack of full, wrap-around promenade decks is still a deal-breaker with me.