New Zealand on Majestic Princess November 24, 2018

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 hours 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.

 

 

 

We did the short Tasmania cruise on Majestic. We also went to both Harmony and La Mer.

 

We loved Harmony, so much so we went again as the MDR menus were very lackluster and boring on that cruise - apparently Princess doesn't use the more interesting menus on short cruises. I agree that the duck salad was outstanding. We liked it so much we had it again the second time we went. I love the texture of the jellyfish (more crunchy in an odd way than chewy to me) so was delighted to find it on the menu. Also the abalone starter was outstanding but very small. The soups were also wonderful, we tried the duck soup one night and the daily special (which was chicken) on the other night. The mains were huge but very good. We tried a selection of them over the two nights and particularly liked the salty fish fried rice. The menu is delightfully different to standard Australian Chinese restaurants (which are mostly Cantonese) but not too challenging for most western tastes.

 

However we had a totally different experience in La Mer. I'd rank it among the worst speciality restaurants I have ever been to. It had very little ambience and was unusually chilly where we were sitting. We were served by a very snooty young man (the classic snooty French waiter) who talked down to us all night. I had the lobster bisque which, although it had a reasonable flavour, had none of the lusciousness usually associated with a good bisque as it appeared to have been watered down. DH had the escargot and mushroom tortellini where there was no sign of escargot. He said it was boring. I ordered the duck for main and received a long row of barely overlapping thin slices of dried out, nearly cold, chewy duck with lines of chestnut puree piped down the sides. The puree tasted quite nice. Luckily the head waiter came over just as I was tasting it and offered to change it for something else. I chose the scallops which were lovely but the artichoke puree accompanying them was strangely and unpleasantly bitter and the side dish (risoni?) was far too creamy and cheesy for me (and I love cream and cheese!). DH had veal escalopes - he said the veal schnitzel he had in the MDR was better. However the desserts were amazing. I had the Iles Flottante, probably the best I have ever eaten topped with a tangy, tart, crunchy praline disk. DH had the jelly with freshly cooked beignets which was also very yummy. We didn't find the music from the atrium to be a problem - perhaps that was because they were playing music we liked. 

 

La Mer was open in the mornings as a cafe and it was delightful in this aspect. The decor suited a cafe far more than a fine dining restaurant.  

Edited December 9, 2018 by OzKiwiJJ

[OzKiwiJJ]

Thank you for the great review, Purple Traveller. We found the service in the MDR for lunches (other than embarkation day) and dinners was very erratic on the Tasmania cruise. It was our first time trying Anytime dining so we were prepared for some differences at dinner but in the past we often had lunch in the MDRs and always had excellent service then.

 

She's a lovely ship though. We had D424, one of the angled balconies on the "hump". The balcony was close to twice the size of the usual balconies. Very nice indeed.

[PurpleTraveller]

6 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Thank you for the great review, Purple Traveller. We found the service in the MDR for lunches (other than embarkation day) and dinners was very erratic on the Tasmania cruise. It was our first time trying Anytime dining so we were prepared for some differences at dinner but in the past we often had lunch in the MDRs and always had excellent service then.

 

She's a lovely ship though. We had D424, one of the angled balconies on the "hump". The balcony was close to twice the size of the usual balconies. Very nice indeed.

 

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed the review. Also thank you for your detailed report of Harmony and La Mer. It was very interesting to read about your experiences. When I first saw La Mer I thought it was a cafe rather than a specialty restaurant. Good to hear that you enjoyed your bigger balcony. 

[chamima]

20 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Thank you for the great review, Purple Traveller.

 

She's a lovely ship though. We had D424, one of the angled balconies on the "hump". The balcony was close to twice the size of the usual balconies. Very nice indeed.

 

Is there a site that lists these larger balconies?

Or did you just use deck plans?

[sewgood]

48 minutes ago, chamima said:

 

Is there a site that lists these larger balconies?

Or did you just use deck plans?

We used the deck plans and booked on the first day the new cruises opened.

I did note for our cruise, the first return out of Sydney the angled balconies were booked very quickly.

[sewgood]

Thanks Purple Traveller for your review that I am very much enjoying following.

Your many photos add so much to the experience to those who have done the cruise before (we realise there are still many things for us to see on a New Zealand cruise) and to those who have never been to NZ (for them to see what a beautiful country it is).

Last time we were at Port Chalmers we walked around the coastline to a bay. At the historic pub we than walked up a steep street and found the cemetery. What a treasure it was, the most scenic resting place I have ever seen. We too found the memorial ( I hope the chickens are still there) and the dell.

We took the road less travelled this day and had a wonderful time scampering over the hills above the port and gave my calf muscles a good workout to boot.

 

I am sad it has come to an end.

 

I hope you go cruising again soon.

Looking foward to your next review.

 

 

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, chamima said:

 

Is there a site that lists these larger balconies?

Or did you just use deck plans?

 

Deck plans - they are very easy to see. Plus people have mentioned them on this and other forums. As Sewgood said, you have to get in very quickly to get them. I was on the phone to Princess as soon as bookings opened - well, I tried to book online first but the system crashed so I phoned them.

[PurpleTraveller]

1 hour ago, sewgood said:

Thanks Purple Traveller for your review that I am very much enjoying following.

Your many photos add so much to the experience to those who have done the cruise before (we realise there are still many things for us to see on a New Zealand cruise) and to those who have never been to NZ (for them to see what a beautiful country it is).

Last time we were at Port Chalmers we walked around the coastline to a bay. At the historic pub we than walked up a steep street and found the cemetery. What a treasure it was, the most scenic resting place I have ever seen. We too found the memorial ( I hope the chickens are still there) and the dell.

We took the road less travelled this day and had a wonderful time scampering over the hills above the port and gave my calf muscles a good workout to boot.

 

I am sad it has come to an end.

 

I hope you go cruising again soon.

Looking foward to your next review.

 

 

 

Thank you very much. Glad you enjoyed it and the photos. I love to go on paths less travelled. When we were at the Old Cemetery in Port Chalmers we met a local man and his dog who was very surprised to see us. He goes there every day and said that he very rarely sees any tourists there. I would be very happy to be laid to rest at the cemetery - so pretty and tranquil. Sad to say there were no chickens at the memorial. 😞 Climbing a hill or two is our excuse for having dessert each night. 😀

[trbarton]

Any tips for someone new on the Majestic Princess?  Anything that we should know?

 

Tom😀

[PurpleTraveller]

1 hour ago, trbarton said:

Any tips for someone new on the Majestic Princess?  Anything that we should know?

 

Tom😀

 

I don't know if you have been on Royal and/or Regal but here goes. 

 

Check out the Hollywood Conservatory forward on deck 17. I loved this area. 

 

Take the time to check out all the food options in the buffet. It is very big and can be confusing. Most food is repeated in the different areas but there is some food that is only in one place. 

 

Get to the theatre early - at least 30 minutes before show time if you want to get a seat of your choice and to sit together. The theatre fills up very quickly. 

 

If you play trivia get to the Vista Lounge early to get an area of your choosing particularly if you are playing with a group of six. It can get very crowded particularly when there is going to be an art auction later in the day and space is taken up by the art. 

 

If you like something such as donuts that are available at the International Cafe in the morning get it before the food choices change at 11.00am.

 

If you want to go to the Crown Grill request a table as far from the bar as possible. Also go early if you don't want to hear the music that starts in the bar at 7.30pm.

 

It can be far quicker to use the stairs if you can rather than waiting for a lift. 

 

Take the time to explore the ship even if you have been on Royal and/or Regal as there are differences. 

 

Most importantly have fun and enjoy your cruise. 😀

 

[Pantheral]

Many thanks to PurpleTraveller and everyone else who have added their experiences with the Majestic. You have provided more details in the last week about cruising on her than had been posted to date. I now feel much better prepared for our upcoming cruise!

[Bimmer09]

On 12/8/2018 at 5:17 PM, PurpleTraveller said:

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! 

I will look forward to that review.

Thanks for bringing me along to see these beautiful faraway places and for making them all come alive through your excellent photos and descriptive prose.

This is the second of your reviews that I have enjoyed. Hobbiton was a treat and I love that you visit Botanical Gardens and Cemeteries -such peace to be found in each.

I have been reading along but now I can go back and read it from stem to stern as a whole.

Thank you!

Norris

[PurpleTraveller]

On 12/9/2018 at 12:12 AM, Pantheral said:

Many thanks to PurpleTraveller and everyone else who have added their experiences with the Majestic. You have provided more details in the last week about cruising on her than had been posted to date. I now feel much better prepared for our upcoming cruise!

 

Thank you for reading. I was very interested to sail on Majestic as I had not read much about her beforehand but I love Regal and Royal. I hope you enjoy your cruise on her. 

 

[PurpleTraveller]

3 hours ago, Bimmer09 said:

I will look forward to that review.

Thanks for bringing me along to see these beautiful faraway places and for making them all come alive through your excellent photos and descriptive prose.

This is the second of your reviews that I have enjoyed. Hobbiton was a treat and I love that you visit Botanical Gardens and Cemeteries -such peace to be found in each.

I have been reading along but now I can go back and read it from stem to stern as a whole.

Thank you!

Norris

 

Thank you so much. I am so pleased that you enjoyed it. I like to go to peaceful places, particularly in an often crowded city or during a busy trip away. I look forward to reporting back on Norway! 

 

[Geoffa30]

PurpleTraveller, thanks for doing this review. We are sailing on the Majestic to New Zealand starting 13 March 2019. Our cruise is a 13 night one and also includes a stop in Napier. When we booked, Napier wasn’t included in the itinerary but was a sea day instead. A little bonus stop for us! Hoping we do not miss the Fjords as it’s unlikely we’ll make this trip again as will be visiting from the U.K. We will be spending nine nights in Australia beforehand. Trip of a lifetime for us.

 

We did the Norway trip on the Emerald Princess back in 2016. It was the later in the year itinerary but was generally similar to the one you’ll be doing next year. We had an amazing time despite the weather which was more rainy than not. We sailed in August but apparently the cruise that happened in June that year had much better weather so hopefully you’ll get the same. If you’re interested, my partner did a live from for our cruise and I subsequently added some photos. A link to this is below.

 

Emerald Princess Norwegian Fjords and North Cape August 2016

[Madal]

I will add to the thanks, PurpleTraveller.  What an exceptional review on Majestic Princess.  Our group of 6 are doing our first cruise on her to NZ for New Years this year - we cannot wait.  Hopefully the weather (and the seas!!) will treat us nicely on our way across.  Look forward to your next review on Norway.

[trbarton]

On 12/9/2018 at 12:00 AM, PurpleTraveller said:

 

I don't know if you have been on Royal and/or Regal but here goes. 

 

Check out the Hollywood Conservatory forward on deck 17. I loved this area. 

 

Take the time to check out all the food options in the buffet. It is very big and can be confusing. Most food is repeated in the different areas but there is some food that is only in one place. 

 

Get to the theatre early - at least 30 minutes before show time if you want to get a seat of your choice and to sit together. The theatre fills up very quickly. 

 

If you play trivia get to the Vista Lounge early to get an area of your choosing particularly if you are playing with a group of six. It can get very crowded particularly when there is going to be an art auction later in the day and space is taken up by the art. 

 

If you like something such as donuts that are available at the International Cafe in the morning get it before the food choices change at 11.00am.

 

If you want to go to the Crown Grill request a table as far from the bar as possible. Also go early if you don't want to hear the music that starts in the bar at 7.30pm.

 

It can be far quicker to use the stairs if you can rather than waiting for a lift. 

 

Take the time to explore the ship even if you have been on Royal and/or Regal as there are differences. 

 

Most importantly have fun and enjoy your cruise. 😀

 

 

Thanks...Yes this is my first time on a large Princess ship 🚢 as I’ve never been on the Regal/Royal either so your tips are very helpful. 

 

On other Princess ships it’s important to get to the Princess theatre 🎭 early unless you don’t care where you sit or if you want to sit together with someone as you mentioned. 

 

Tom😀

[PurpleTraveller]

On 12/11/2018 at 6:41 AM, Geoffa30 said:

PurpleTraveller, thanks for doing this review. We are sailing on the Majestic to New Zealand starting 13 March 2019. Our cruise is a 13 night one and also includes a stop in Napier. When we booked, Napier wasn’t included in the itinerary but was a sea day instead. A little bonus stop for us! Hoping we do not miss the Fjords as it’s unlikely we’ll make this trip again as will be visiting from the U.K. We will be spending nine nights in Australia beforehand. Trip of a lifetime for us.

 

We did the Norway trip on the Emerald Princess back in 2016. It was the later in the year itinerary but was generally similar to the one you’ll be doing next year. We had an amazing time despite the weather which was more rainy than not. We sailed in August but apparently the cruise that happened in June that year had much better weather so hopefully you’ll get the same. If you’re interested, my partner did a live from for our cruise and I subsequently added some photos. A link to this is below.

 

Emerald Princess Norwegian Fjords and North Cape August 2016

 

Thank you. I haven't been to Napier but I believe it is lovely with lots of Art Deco buildings. I really hope you get to the Fjords. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. 

 

I actually have read your partner's review and have it saved as it is wonderful! Thank you both for the great info! I'm sure I'll have a great time in Norway no matter the weather. 

 

Hope you have a great cruise and enjoy your visit to Australia!

 

Edited December 12, 2018 by PurpleTraveller

[PurpleTraveller]

22 hours ago, Madal said:

I will add to the thanks, PurpleTraveller.  What an exceptional review on Majestic Princess.  Our group of 6 are doing our first cruise on her to NZ for New Years this year - we cannot wait.  Hopefully the weather (and the seas!!) will treat us nicely on our way across.  Look forward to your next review on Norway.

 

Thank you. I hope you have a wonderful cruise and that the weather is good for you! 

 

[PurpleTraveller]

22 hours ago, trbarton said:

 

Thanks...Yes this is my first time on a large Princess ship 🚢 as I’ve never been on the Regal/Royal either so your tips are very helpful. 

 

On other Princess ships it’s important to get to the Princess theatre 🎭 early unless you don’t care where you sit or if you want to sit together with someone as you mentioned. 

 

Tom😀

 

I really hope you enjoy Majestic. As you haven't been on Royal or Regal you will definitely have to explore her! Have a great cruise! 

[trbarton]

On 12/11/2018 at 9:08 PM, PurpleTraveller said:

 

I really hope you enjoy Majestic. As you haven't been on Royal or Regal you will definitely have to explore her! Have a great cruise! 

 

Thank you very much. All suggestions helpful. 

 

Tom😀

[dairy9744]

Thanks for your review. We are departing for NZ on Majestic in 3 days! Cant wait!

[PurpleTraveller]

2 hours ago, dairy9744 said:

Thanks for your review. We are departing for NZ on Majestic in 3 days! Cant wait!

 

Thank you. Hope you have sunny skies, calm seas and go to the Fjordlands! Have a great time! 

[land lover]

LOVE the photos.....just did a quick skim...hope to come back later..Enjoyed the Majestic on a maiden voyage dropping her off in Shanghai,now that was an experience..utter chaos on that disembarkation.

Found the Hollywood Club......to be the best venue on that ship...and like your experience specialty dinning at the Grill was sub-par.

 

But all those things can be overlooked ....by the beauty of the lands you visited..unfortunate you missed some places you wanted to cruise...but there is always will be another time...some "non-planned" cruises yield the best memories.....

 

Edited January 9, 2019 by land lover

[PurpleTraveller]

1 hour ago, land lover said:

LOVE the photos.....just did a quick skim...hope to come back later..Enjoyed the Majestic on a maiden voyage dropping her off in Shanghai,now that was an experience..utter chaos on that disembarkation.

Found the Hollywood Club......to be the best venue on that ship...and like your experience specialty dinning at the Grill was sub-par.

 

But all those things can be overlooked ....by the beauty of the lands you visited..unfortunate you missed some places you wanted to cruise...but there is always will be another time...some "non-planned" cruises yield the best memories.....

 

 

Thanks. Glad you like the photos. The embarkation and disbarkation in Sydney were both great. Glad there was no chaos here. I really enjoyed Majestic and love New Zealand where I will visit again another day.