New Zealand on Majestic Princess November 24, 2018

[Kenswing]

I am so loving this trip report.  Thank you for taking the time in providing so much detail. 

[PurpleTraveller]

15 minutes ago, Kenswing said:

I am so loving this trip report.  Thank you for taking the time in providing so much detail. 

 

Thanks. I am really pleased that you are enjoying it. 

[PurpleTraveller]

Sunday December 2 - Dunedin/Port Chalmers

 

When we woke up this morning we did a little happy dance to see that we were docked in Port Chalmers. On our cruise in 2016 we had woken up on the morning we were due to be in Port Chalmers and we were still at sea as the Diamond Princess couldn't get through the heads due to the strong winds. In the end the weather became so bad we had to miss Dunedin and the Fjordlands and turn around and sail back up the east coast of the south island and then through the Cook Strait between the north and south islands before crossing the Tasman Sea. We were at sea for four days in very rough seas which was not a lot of fun. We were so pleased to be here! 

 

I had booked another tour through Zealandier Tours and it was a half day tour to Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula run through their sister company Back to Nature Tours. We met up at 8.3am inside the terminal building and we were then led to a small bus. We were a group of 19 and left at 8.45am.

 

We drove to Dunedin and our first stop was at Baldwin Street - the steepest street in the world. 

 

 

 

We then drove through the centre of Dunedin past the cathedral and to the train station. The station is very ornate. The Taieri Gorge train was at the platform and there were people in period dress. The main hall was impressive and had a beautiful mosaic tiled floor. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PurpleTraveller]

Marty was our driver and guide and he now drove us out of the city and onto the Otago Peninsula. We took the high road over the peninsula and even though it was foggy the views were great. We drove through some lovely countryside and we were able to see down to the coastline. 

 

 

 

 

We left the main road and drove down a dirt road to the coast. We drove around an inlet where there were two riders on horses far out in the water and past boat sheds. 

 

 

 

We then arrived at Allan's Beach where we had to climb two stiles and walk along a path to get to the beach. We were hoping to see sea lions but there were none to be found. The beach was lovely with the wildflowers in bloom and the sun came out. 

 

 

 

After our beach walk we returned to the bus and headed back towards Dunedin via Portobello and along the low coast road. 

 

You could choose to leave the tour in Dunedin and make your own way back to the ship (there was a shuttle from Port Chalmers to Dunedin for NZ$20.00 return or NZ$15.00 one way) or return to Port Chalmers with the tour. We chose to return to Port Chalmers and we were dropped off in the main street. Others were taken all the way back to the ship. 

 

We had a great morning and enjoyed seeing the lovely countryside on the Otago Peninsula. 

 

Edited December 8, 2018 by PurpleTraveller

[PurpleTraveller]

We got back to Port Chalmers at 12.30pm just in time for lunch. After a quick walk along the main street and looking at the few shops we had hot chips for lunch - yummy! 

 

We then walked to the Iona church that has a tall spire and stands tall above Port Chalmers. 

 

 

We continued up the road to the Lady Thorn Rhododendron Dell which is in an old quarry above the town. Unfortunately it was too late in the season for the best of the rhododendrons but there was a great view over the town and of Majestic Princess. 

 

 

 

 

Further up the road we went to my other love - the cemetery. This cemetery was in a lovely location and had a view over a pretty bay. 

 

 

Then we went up a path to the Scott Memorial. Captain Scott left for his ill fated expedition to the South Pole from Dunedin. His last diary entry is on a plaque on the memorial.

 

 

 

By now we were at the top of the hill and there was a lookout so we had a great view. 

 

 

 

We walked a different way down the hill and stumbled across the Old Cemetery. It was on a very steep hill and had a view of the port. It was so pretty and peaceful. 

 

 

 

We arrived back at the ship at 2.30pm and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing. As the afternoon moved on the fog came down so low that we couldn't see the Scott Memorial anymore. 

 

At 6.00pm the captain made his usual announcement that everyone was back on board and that we would be departing. His next words made DH and I sit upright and cry out "Nooooooooo!!! Not Again!!!" Yes, you guessed it! Due to a cold front about to cross the Tasman Sea from Tasmania we would not be going to the Fjordlands. We would instead sail past the Fjordlands directly north to try and get as far north as we could to try and miss the worst of the expected bad weather. We couldn't believe it! Last time it was March when we missed the Fjordlands so we specifically chose an earlier time in the season to see the Fjordlands but it wasn't to be. We are obviously doomed to never see the Fjordlands on a Princess ship! If we ever do get to see the Fjordlands it will be on a land tour as I won't trust that a cruise will get me there. I really felt for the passengers who had come from long distances such as North America and Europe who were missing out on a highlight of the cruise. 

 

That evening we went to the production show Fantastic Journey. It was excellent and I really enjoyed the music and dancing. One of the best production shows I have seen. 

 

The fog horn was sounding as we sailed south which is such an eery sound and I went to sleep listening to it. 

[PurpleTraveller]

Monday December 3 - Not the Fjordlands but a Sea Day

 

When I woke up I turned on the TV to see where we were located and we were at the closest point that I have been to the Fjordlands. Sigh!!!

 

 

We had breakfast and saw a pod of dolphins swimming alongside the ship. The seas were very mildly bumpy and there was a strong wind but nowhere as bad as we had been expecting. 

 

We then went down to the Piazza and were delighted to see that it was decorated for Christmas. There were garlands and wreaths everywhere and a large Christmas tree. There were also Christmas trees and decorations throughout the ship. There was even a menorah for Hanukkah. It was all so pretty and festive. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We didn't do a lot - just morning trivia and watched a number of movies in our cabin. In the afternoon the weather improved and it was sunny with smooth seas and I spent time reading on our balcony.

 

 

We had dinner at Alfredo's and once again the service was not very good athough the food was. After dinner we went up to the Hollywood Conservatory and laid back in one of the clam shell seats at the front and spent a few hours watching the sea and the sunset. Heavenly! 

 

Edited December 8, 2018 by PurpleTraveller

[PurpleTraveller]

Tuesday December 4 and Wednesday December 5 - Sea Days

 

We spent the morning in a private seating area of the Hollywood Conservatory reading and relaxing. In the afternoon we went to the Voice of the Ocean Final. The winner sang You Raise Me Up and was fantastic. What a voice! That evening was the International Crew Show. Before the show the about three dozen balloons were released into the audience and it was hysterical watching everyone have so much fun bouncing them around the theatre. The show was great - who knew there was such talent in the crew! 

 

The following day was another lazy one. A lot of time was spent reading in the comfy chairs on deck 17 outside the Hollywood Pool Club. There was also that dreaded task of packing.

 

Edited December 8, 2018 by PurpleTraveller

[PurpleTraveller]

Thursday December 6 - Disembarkation

 

We got up early and were on our balcony at 5.15am to watch the sunrise and our arrival into Sydney. It was overcast but very quiet, peaceful and lovely. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All I could think is that I am very lucky to live in such a beautiful city. 

 

We ate our last breakfast at the Wake View Bar so that we could enjoy this view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. 

 

 

We left the ship with our luggage at 7.30am and it took all of three minutes to get out of the terminal. We got a train at Circular Quay and we were home before 8.30am.

 

[Cootakid]

Great review, thank you very much for taking the time 😊

I am interested in your thoughts on the ship itself?

[Pantheral]

Thanks again for the great review. Sorry to learn that you missed Fjordland (again!!). I am hopeful we do not suffer the same fate in late February. You did encourage me to ask questions so here goes:

Did you encounter any rough waters when crossing the Tasman Sea and what impact did it have on the ship?

I believe you mentioned that you only visited Crown and that the other specialty restaurants never seemed crowded, did you here any reviews on their food?

There was also discussion of Princess making changes to the ship, activities and food for the Australian market, did you notice anything significant in this regard?

Thanks in advance for your answers or any additional information you can provide. 

[coo359a2]

 What a great review.  We only have 6 weeks before we arrive in Sydney. to begin our b2b.  We have been on this cruise itinerary three times and never made it to  Christchurch (1st earthquake happened about 2 days before we were to arrive) so thanks for your beautiful pictures.  We did make it into Fjordland once but it was so foggy we could only see the very bottom of the  mountains.

[Jase0581]

Thank you for doing this wonderful review.  I did this same itinerary on the Diamond in March of this year and it was fun remembering that while reading your review.  I am sorry you missed the Fjordlands, we didn't have ideal weather on our cruise for them, but in the end only missed out on Doubtful Sound.  It was overcast and raining in Milford Sound, but made for an amazing sight with hundreds of waterfalls.

[possum52]

I have enjoyed reading your posts Purple Traveller, I'm sorry you didn't get into the Sounds. We were there four weeks ago today and were fortunate with the weather conditions to be able to cruise through them. I would have been extremely disappointed if we couldn't have cruised through them. 

 

I loved seeing your photos, we have many similar views on our camera.

 

I hope you do manage to see Fiordland, if not by ship then by land.

 

Leigh

[PurpleTraveller]

10 hours ago, Cootakid said:

Great review, thank you very much for taking the time 😊

I am interested in your thoughts on the ship itself?

 

Thanks. My conclusion and thoughts will be coming up soon. 

[PurpleTraveller]

9 hours ago, Pantheral said:

Thanks again for the great review. Sorry to learn that you missed Fjordland (again!!). I am hopeful we do not suffer the same fate in late February. You did encourage me to ask questions so here goes:

Did you encounter any rough waters when crossing the Tasman Sea and what impact did it have on the ship?

I believe you mentioned that you only visited Crown and that the other specialty restaurants never seemed crowded, did you here any reviews on their food?

There was also discussion of Princess making changes to the ship, activities and food for the Australian market, did you notice anything significant in this regard?

Thanks in advance for your answers or any additional information you can provide. 

 

Thank you and thanks for reading.  

 

The seas were a little rough at times as we crossed the Tasman but nothing compared to our previous crossing in 2016 when we had to cling to the handrails in the corridors and showering was a very interesting exercise. We also had some strong winds. The pools were closed and at one stage also the hot tubs. The Wake View Bar was also closed at one stage and also the deck 7 promenade. The sick bags made a number of appearances around the ship but all activities and shows continued on the ship. Occasionally the ship would move as you were walking and you would sway but I personally did not think the seas were very rough though I did hear some people complaining. Even though we had some bumpy seas and strong winds we also had periods of calm seas and sunshine. 

 

I did not actually meet anyone who ate in La Mer or Harmony so can not report on how the food or restaurants were. 

 

One of the changes for the Australian market was to remove the High Stakes Gaming Lounge next to the Casino and replace it with Crooners Bar. This is a lovely area with comfortable seating and was quiet as it was separated from the Casino and Piazza. It was very popular for people to sit in the armchairs by the windows throughout the day. The Vista Gaming Lounge was also changed to a standard Vista Lounge. We did not do any activities other than Trivia and the questions were standard trivia questions (always with one Canadian question if Andrew the cruise director was hosting). There were activities such as painting and line dancing held in the Piazza. The food was normal Princess cuisine and typical of what I have had on other Princess cruises. 

 

I really hope that you get to the Fjordlands on your cruise and that you have a wonderful time. 

 

[PurpleTraveller]

8 hours ago, coo359a2 said:

 What a great review.  We only have 6 weeks before we arrive in Sydney. to begin our b2b.  We have been on this cruise itinerary three times and never made it to  Christchurch (1st earthquake happened about 2 days before we were to arrive) so thanks for your beautiful pictures.  We did make it into Fjordland once but it was so foggy we could only see the very bottom of the  mountains.

 

Thank you. I am really glad that you enjoyed it. I found our Christchurch visit very interesting and I'm really glad that we went there. I really hope that you get to the Fjordlands and have good weather. Safe travels and have a wonderful cruise.

[PurpleTraveller]

6 hours ago, Jase0581 said:

Thank you for doing this wonderful review.  I did this same itinerary on the Diamond in March of this year and it was fun remembering that while reading your review.  I am sorry you missed the Fjordlands, we didn't have ideal weather on our cruise for them, but in the end only missed out on Doubtful Sound.  It was overcast and raining in Milford Sound, but made for an amazing sight with hundreds of waterfalls.

 

Thanks. I'm pleased that you enjoyed reading it and that it brought back good memories. Sometimes you don't need to have perfect weather to see amazing sights so I'm really glad that you got to see Milford Sound and the waterfalls. 

[PurpleTraveller]

42 minutes ago, possum52 said:

I have enjoyed reading your posts Purple Traveller, I'm sorry you didn't get into the Sounds. We were there four weeks ago today and were fortunate with the weather conditions to be able to cruise through them. I would have been extremely disappointed if we couldn't have cruised through them. 

 

I loved seeing your photos, we have many similar views on our camera.

 

I hope you do manage to see Fiordland, if not by ship then by land.

 

Leigh

 

Thank you and thanks for reading. I'm pleased that you got to see the Sounds. I was very disappointed to miss them again but I will just have to go back another day probably by land. 

[PurpleTraveller]

Conclusion 

 

These are my opinions only and I am sure that others on the cruise would have different opinions so here goes. 

 

Cabin

 

Our cabin was very comfortable, clean and in a convenient location. Even though you sacrifice some storage space I really like having the small couch to sit on rather than having to always sit on the bed. Our steward was friendly, helpful and very good at quickly making up our cabin when we were out. We were blessed to have very quiet and considerate neighbours so there was no front door, balcony door or drawer slamming. We did not ever hear anyone else's TV. 

 

Food

 

The food in the Symphony Dining Room, Alfredo's and the Crown Grill was all very good. The food at the Marketplace (aka the Buffet) was just OK and I was disappointed that the same food was served every night with almost no variation. There were not any theme nights (that I saw) as I have seen on other Princess ships. I found the desserts in the Bakery rather uninteresting and very similar each day. The food at the International Cafe was good but again without the variety I have had on other Princess ships (No chocolate donuts throughout the whole cruise!).

 

Service

 

As I have written before we had issues with some of the service. I am used to a certain standard on Princess ships and that was not met on Majestic Princess. Some service such as in the Symphony Dining Room, Internet Cafe, Front Desk and from our steward was great but well below par elsewhere such as at Alfredo's, the Crown Grill and outside around the pool. The best word is probably "Inconsistent" and I really hope that I get better service on my next Princess cruise. 

 

Entertainment

 

All the entertainment that I saw on Majestic Princess was in the theatre. All of it was fabulous. I particularly liked Christopher Watkins the violinist who performed a solo show and also performed with the production show "Encore". I also enjoyed the Australian Beatles. The production show "Fantastic Journey" was fantastic - the best production show I think I have seen. I really liked the more up to date music - One Direction and Lady Gaga to name a couple though I did hear some older passengers complaining about the music. The Princess singers and dancers were great and the lead vocalists were wonderful with one male and one female vocalist particularly great. I had never seen a Crew Show before and really enjoyed it. The movies and music concerts at MUTS were OK but not great. 

 

Activities

 

We did not do any activities other than Trivia which we enjoyed.

 

Passengers

 

There were mostly Australians on board but with a number of people from all over the world. The age demographic of the passengers was the oldest we have ever cruised with. There were many wheelchairs, mobility scooters and walkers and the "parking lot" in the Symphony Dining Room was a sight to behold. All jokes aside they did not cause any problems except when someone occasionally parked their mobility scooter in the passageway in the buffet. I was told there were only 19 children on board. We met many lovely people and had many fun and interesting conversations with them. 

 

Internet

 

I had my Platinum 250 free minutes to use. It was quick and easy to set up and I was able to use it in my cabin which is not always the case on Princess ships. It was fairly quick compared to previous cruises and I had no trouble using it. 

 

The Ship

 

Majestic Princess is big, sparkling and beautiful. I had my doubts prior to going on the cruise but they were definitely allayed. I loved the Hollywood Conservatory on deck 17 and it was great to be able to look out the front of the ship and also liked that it was available to all. Definitely the best change! For anyone who likes a bigger balcony the extended balconies on deck 8 and 9 are also a bonus. I really enjoyed cruising on Majestic Princess 

 

Ports 

 

I love visiting New Zealand as the people are friendly, the countryside beautiful and it is very easy to get around. The ports are a good mix of big cities, small cities and small towns but it was a big disappointment to miss out on the scenic cruising in the Fjordlands (again!). My favourite port was Tauranga as I had such a wonderful time going to Hobbiton and I also really enjoyed visiting Christchurch and Dunedin/Port Chalmers. The weather wasn't perfect but we were lucky to not get rained on (except for a very light drizzle at Akaroa) and had sunny breaks in most ports. The temperatures were mild and perfect for all the walking and climbing mountains we did.

 

Overall

 

I had a great time on Majestic Princess and really enjoyed my cruise. I would definitely cruise on her again if the itinerary was right for me. 

 

It it now time to wrap up this review. Thank you for reading along and for your lovely comments. They are truly appreciated. My next cruise (I think) will be on the Land of the Midnight Sun cruise to Norway on Sapphire Princess in June 2019. I will do a review of that cruise on my return. In the meantime safe travels and happy cruising. Bon Voyage! 

 

 

 

Edited December 8, 2018 by PurpleTraveller

[sewgood]

10 hours ago, Pantheral said:

 

I believe you mentioned that you only visited Crown and that the other specialty restaurants never seemed crowded, did you here any reviews on their food?

Thanks in advance for your answers or any additional information you can provide. 

 

We went to both Harmony (a group of ten) and Le'mer (just the two of us) in September.

Everybody enjoyed their meal at Harmony. The duck salad was one of the best meals (starter) I have ever had. Really enjoyed my whole meal. A couple of the group had a sample starter that included jelly fish that they found to be a bit chewie so just avoid this unless you are a lover of it.

Le'Mer was superb, my husband had the duck with roasted chestnuts which he did not mix together until the end.

The different things on your plate have been selected as they pair together beautifully. I enjoyed taking a little bit of everything on my plate to put on the fork so really enjoyed my dish. I didn't hear the Oh my God moment from my husband until the end when I told him to mix his food together. I had the beef filet mignon with a sweet onion sauce and red wine jus. This was so much better than the Crown Grill filet which I do enjoy.

We dined early at Le'Mer which I was glad of as the music comes up from the atrium and was more refined earlier in the evening when the violinists were playing compared to the party band later in the night. This is not an issue in Harmony as it is fully enclosed and you do not hear any outside noise.

 

 

[chamima]

2 hours ago, PurpleTraveller said:

 

Thank you and thanks for reading.  

 

The seas were a little rough at times as we crossed the Tasman but nothing compared to our previous crossing in 2016 when we had to cling to the handrails in the corridors and showering was a very interesting exercise. We also had some strong winds. The pools were closed and at one stage also the hot tubs. The Wake View Bar was also closed at one stage and also the deck 7 promenade. The sick bags made a number of appearances around the ship but all activities and shows continued on the ship. Occasionally the ship would move as you were walking and you would sway but I personally did not think the seas were very rough though I did hear some people complaining. Even though we had some bumpy seas and strong winds we also had periods of calm seas and sunshine. 

 

I did not actually meet anyone who ate in La Mer or Harmony so can not report on how the food or restaurants were. 

 

One of the changes for the Australian market was to remove the High Stakes Gaming Lounge next to the Casino and replace it with Crooners Bar. This is a lovely area with comfortable seating and was quiet as it was separated from the Casino and Piazza. It was very popular for people to sit in the armchairs by the windows throughout the day. The Vista Gaming Lounge was also changed to a standard Vista Lounge. We did not do any activities other than Trivia and the questions were standard trivia questions (always with one Canadian question if Andrew the cruise director was hosting). There were activities such as painting and line dancing held in the Piazza. The food was normal Princess cuisine and typical of what I have had on other Princess cruises. 

 

I really hope that you get to the Fjordlands on your cruise and that you have a wonderful time. 

 

 

 

Loved reading your review. Thank you.

I have a couple of questions......

You mentioned that they've added a Crooners Bar - is there a piano in there along with the ubiquitous sing-along piano player?

Also, is the currency on board the Majestic the Autralian dollar or the US dollar?

Thanks again!

[Mom33]

1 hour ago, PurpleTraveller said:

It it now time to wrap up this review. Thank you for reading along and for your lovely comments. They are truly appreciated. My next cruise (I think) will be on the Land of the Midnight Sun cruise to Norway on Sapphire Princess in June 2019. I will do a review of that cruise on my return. In the meantime safe travels and happy cruising. Bon Voyage! 

 

 

Thank you so much for the beautiful review. It brought back many memories of our trip to New Zealand.....I'm sorry you missed Milford Sound but if you are doing the Norway cruise in June, you will see the best there is in scenic beauty sailing fiords. We highly  recommend The Mid Night Sun cruise. It was awesome. As beautiful as Alaska's and New Zealand's fiords were, we rate Norways as #1.

[PurpleTraveller]

1 hour ago, sewgood said:

 

We went to both Harmony (a group of ten) and Le'mer (just the two of us) in September.

Everybody enjoyed their meal at Harmony. The duck salad was one of the best meals (starter) I have ever had. Really enjoyed my whole meal. A couple of the group had a sample starter that included jelly fish that they found to be a bit chewie so just avoid this unless you are a lover of it.

Le'Mer was superb, my husband had the duck with roasted chestnuts which he did not mix together until the end.

The different things on your plate have been selected as they pair together beautifully. I enjoyed taking a little bit of everything on my plate to put on the fork so really enjoyed my dish. I didn't hear the Oh my God moment from my husband until the end when I told him to mix his food together. I had the beef filet mignon with a sweet onion sauce and red wine jus. This was so much better than the Crown Grill filet which I do enjoy.

We dined early at Le'Mer which I was glad of as the music comes up from the atrium and was more refined earlier in the evening when the violinists were playing compared to the party band later in the night. This is not an issue in Harmony as it is fully enclosed and you do not hear any outside noise.

 

 

 

Thanks for this. It is very interesting to hear about your experiences and that you enjoyed both restaurants. I thought that Harmony would be quiet as it is the only enclosed specialty restaurant. I will have to try them if I am ever back on Majestic. 

[PurpleTraveller]

20 minutes ago, chamima said:

 

 

Loved reading your review. Thank you.

I have a couple of questions......

You mentioned that they've added a Crooners Bar - is there a piano in there along with the ubiquitous sing-along piano player?

Also, is the currency on board the Majestic the Autralian dollar or the US dollar?

Thanks again!

 

Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the review. 

 

There is a piano in Crooners and the entertainment is 7.45pm to 11.30pm each night. 

 

The on board currency is Australian Dollars. 

[PurpleTraveller]

21 minutes ago, Mom33 said:

 

Thank you so much for the beautiful review. It brought back many memories of our trip to New Zealand.....I'm sorry you missed Milford Sound but if you are doing the Norway cruise in June, you will see the best there is in scenic beauty sailing fiords. We highly  recommend The Mid Night Sun cruise. It was awesome. As beautiful as Alaska's and New Zealand's fiords were, we rate Norways as #1.

 

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it and that it brought back good memories. Really pleased to hear about the Norway fjords. I am really looking forward to our cruise there next year.