"Live" Majestic Princess, 33-Days, Apr 10th to May 12th, Sydney to Seattle (+6 Nights Sydney Pre-Cruise)

[LACruiser88]

 

Next Tuesday we will be leaving for our six-night pre-cruise trip to Sydney prior to sailing on the Majestic Princess.  We booked our 15-hour non-stop Business Class flight via EZair on United Airlines.  Our EZair fare was almost 50% less than any other available options.  We booked our return flight, Seattle>LAX, directly via American Airlines.  We will be spending three nights in Seattle before flying home.

 

We obtained our Australian and New Zealand e-visas a few weeks ago via their respective apps.  The process was fairly simple and we received the visas within 10 minutes of applying.  The only hiccup we had with both apps was the uploading of our photos.  I had read that this was a common issue and was patient with the process.  It took about 5 to 6 attempts on both apps before I was successful with the uploads.

 

The Australian e-visa was $13.24 per person and is valid for one year.  The New Zealand e-visa was $32.12 per person and is valid for two years.  Proof of the New Zealand e-visa is required at check-in to board the ship.  We will have to apply for both again prior to our trip scheduled for 2026.  

 

We were last in Australia during the spring of 2019.  On that trip, we spent a week in Sydney before boarding the Sea Princess for a 28-day cruise around the Australian continent.  We also visited Tasmania and Papua New Guinea.  After the cruise we spent an additional week in Sydney before flying to Hong Kong.

 

We really enjoyed our time in Sydney and are very excited to return.  We will be spending our six-night stay at the Four Seasons Hotel in Circular Quay.  We received a fantastic deal via the Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts Program.  The Four Seasons is usually not within our travel budget. 

 

As always, we have booked our transportation from the airport to the hotel via the "Blacklane.com" car service.  Blacklane has a great app that makes booking the car service a breeze worldwide.  They are great with emails and texts informing you of the name and phone number of your driver.  Our drivers have always been waiting for us just outside immigration with our name clearly visible on a tablet.  Their drivers have all been extremely friendly and on occasion have given us a short city tour on the way to our hotel.

 

On this cruise we will be visiting New Zealand for the very first time.  We have been waiting a long time to see New Zealand and are really excited to finally visit.  We have been to French Polynesia at least a half-dozen times and have been visiting Hawaii for as long as I can remember.  We have also visited Vancouver several times and we will be spending the day with a dear friend that lives in the city. 

 

We very rarely book excursions thru Princess as we prefer to DIY in ports.  If there is a hop-on/hop-off bus available, we will jump on and see the local sites.  If something attracts our attention, we'll get off and explore.  If no hop-on/hop-off bus, we will usually arrange something with a local tour company or a taxi driver.

 

We have sailed on the Majestic many times and have enjoyed her very much.  The one thing we find lacking on the ship is that it's missing a Sanctuary.  Hopefully, one day they will replace the Hollywood Conservatory with a Sanctuary.  I know there are many that enjoy this venue, we do not.  We have found the chlorine smell in the Hollywood Pool Club (indoor pool) to be overwhelming.  Hopefully, this has improved since our last cruise on the Majestic.

 

The Majestic does have one of our favorite venues, "Vines!"  You can find us there almost every night before dinner (and sometimes after).  The Majestic also has "The Catch" which we plan on visiting several times.

 

We are very excited to see a number of crew that we know quite well that are currently onboard, especially the DRO (Maitre'd), Douw, who we know very well.  We joke with him that we have known him since he was a young boy!

 

Feel free to ask questions and I will try my best to provide answers.  I will usually post the "Princess Event Listings" and dinner menus daily.

 

To our fellow passengers, I encourage you to add your experiences and answer questions on this blog as we all have different perspectives and experiences.  Because we no longer attend shows, games, or lectures, we will count on our fellow passengers to provide info on those events.  We will report on live music, food, and the ship's wine selections!  

 

Cheers!

 

The below map is no longer accurate.  Princess has cancelled Kona and replaced it with Moorea.  A switch I would make any day of the week!

 

Date	Port	Arrive	Depart
Wednesday, April 10th 2024	Sydney, Australia		04:00 pm
Thu, Apr 11	At Sea
Fri, Apr 12	At Sea
Sat, Apr 13	At Sea
Sun, Apr 14	Picton, New Zealand	08:00 am	06:00 pm
Mon, Apr 15	Wellington, New Zealand	08:00 am	06:00 pm
Tue, Apr 16	At Sea
Wed, Apr 17	Tauranga, New Zealand	08:30 am	07:30 pm
Thu, Apr 18	Bay of Islands, New Zealand	08:00 am	06:00 pm
Fri, Apr 19	Auckland, New Zealand	06:30 am	07:00 pm
Sat, Apr 20	Cross International Date Line	12:00 pm	01:00 pm
Sat, Apr 20	At Sea
Sun, Apr 21	At Sea
Mon, Apr 22	At Sea
Tue, Apr 23	At Sea
Wed, Apr 24	Tahiti (Papeete), French Polynesia	08:00 am
Thu, Apr 25	Tahiti (Papeete), French Polynesia		09:00 pm
Fri, Apr 26	Moorea, French Polynesia	07:00 am	05:00 pm
Sat, Apr 27	At Sea
Sun, Apr 28	At Sea
Mon, Apr 29	At Sea
Tue, Apr 30	At Sea
Wed, May 1	At Sea
Thu, May 2	Honolulu, Hawaii	06:00 am	11:00 pm
Fri, May 3	At Sea
Sat, May 4	At Sea
Sun, May 5th	At Sea
Mon, May 6	At Sea
Tue, May 7	At Sea
Wed, May 8	At Sea
Thu, May 9	Vancouver, Canada	03:15 am
Fri, May 10	Vancouver, Canada		02:00 am
Fri, May 10	Victoria, Canada	11:00 am	11:00 pm
Sat, May 11	At Sea
Sun, May 12	Seattle, Washington	07:00 am

[mamafun]

Looking forward to following your trip!

[PacnGoNow]

We love Moorea too and Sydney!  Have a great cruise!  Your  “Lives” are always so informative. Thank you.

Edited March 26 by PacnGoNow

[HotRoot]

Noted you do not do shows but do you have any idea what the production shows are on the Majestic?

[Hayflinger]

Will be following!  On the Majestic Princess in August for a RT from Seattle through Alaska so will look forward to seeing what the boat is like. 

[Ken the cruiser]

Have a great cruise along with your pre-cruise time visiting Sydney! The only thing I don't envy you about this cruise is the 15-hour flight you're about to embark on! 😂

[shellbeachjim]

The lack of a Sanctuary makes the Majestic a no-go for us. We found the Hollywood Conservatory to be quite depressing. We have stayed at the Four Seasons a couple of times in Sydney and it's hard to beat the location. Have a great cruise, and hope to see you again on a future cruise!

[echoshipmate]

@LACruiser88, just off 30 days on the Enchanted and 2 shows were fantastic, znd we are not show people. We saw Rock Opera 3x snd Spotlight Bar 3x, once on every 10 day cruise. If you haven't seen them on previous trips snd if they are on Majestic might be worth checking out. Best we have ever seen including NY, London! We are joining you on the December 1 trip around SA and are leaving soon for the 32 day Sapphire trip to Hawaii and South Pacific. Seems our tastes in travel align quite well, oh yeah, we are also booked on the Island 60 day in March, 2026!

Safe travels.

Doug

[LACruiser88]

1 hour ago, HotRoot said:

Noted you do not do shows but do you have any idea what the production shows are on the Majestic?

I have no idea?  🤷‍♂️    Maybe someone who has been on the Majestic recently can comment on the shows.  

[LACruiser88]

1 hour ago, shellbeachjim said:

The lack of a Sanctuary makes the Majestic a no-go for us

As you well know, the Sanctuary is my "happy place" and we practically live there on whatever ship we are on.  But, this great crew and the itinerary were too good to pass up!

[nwcruiselover]

I’m looking forward to being with you on this 33 day voyage from Sydney to Seattle, and am eagerly awaiting your live review.  People see and experience different things on the same cruise, and I am interested in your point of view.  Nancy

[LACruiser88]

1 hour ago, echoshipmate said:

We are joining you on the December 1 trip around SA and are leaving soon for the 32 day Sapphire trip to Hawaii and South Pacific. Seems our tastes in travel align quite well, oh yeah, we are also booked on the Island 60 day in March, 2026!

Safe travels.

Doug

Great minds think alike!  🤣

 

Rafael

[echoshipmate]

1 hour ago, LACruiser88 said:

Great minds think alike!  🤣

 

Rafael

Look forward to meeting in person in December. Will touch base before then. Have a ball on your upcoming cruise!

Doug

[Yehootu]

4 hours ago, HotRoot said:

Noted you do not do shows but do you have any idea what the production shows are on the Majestic?

We leave tomm night to start our trip on the 31st for a 10day Queensland Cruise prior to the 30day to Vancouver. My wife looked up some of the entertainment and she mentioned Fiero,Fantastic Journey,and Encore as the production shows. Too lazy to look ahead on the next voyage.

[Yehootu]

5 hours ago, LACruiser88 said:

We booked our 15-hour non-stop Business Class flight via EZair on United Airlines.  

We leave tomm night as we sail on the 10day before this one. We preselected the Spicy Chicken Curry for the flight. Will let you know if we made the right choice.

[c-boy]

you will be within walking distance to 

 

Jo and I spent a couple on nights in there 

[LACruiser88]

@c-boy  Hey buddy!  I just checked the menu.  There are a few items there for us pescatarians.  Thanks for the recommendation!

[c-boy]

15 minutes ago, LACruiser88 said:

@c-boy  Hey buddy!  I just checked the menu.  There are a few items there for us pescatarians.  Thanks for the recommendation!

 

 I'm so sorry I forgot 🙁. wouldn't be a good fit for you guys. May be Harbour front seafood at the other end. 

[charliedalrymple]

3 hours ago, LACruiser88 said:

I have no idea?  🤷‍♂️    Maybe someone who has been on the Majestic recently can comment on the shows.  

 

On our 13-day NZ cruise in December 2023, Majestic had four production shows:  Sweet Soul Music, Fantastic Journey, Fiera and Encore.

 

I will freely admit that live shows are always a highlight of any cruise for me (and I'm very disappointed when shows don't measure up).  I will say that the current cast on Majestic is probably the best I've seen on any cruise.  If nothing else, I would encourage you to give Encore a try, which is a wonderful show (with classical and musical theatre elements, as well as an amazing guest operatic soprano on our cruise).

[dickinson]

Looking forward to "joining" you on your trip!

[shellbeachjim]

5 hours ago, LACruiser88 said:

As you well know, the Sanctuary is my "happy place" and we practically live there on whatever ship we are on.  But, this great crew and the itinerary were too good to pass up!

Ditto for us regarding the "happy place". We leave next Thursday for our drive to San Pedro and our upcoming Sapphire Princess cruise. We expect to spend most of our time up in the Sanctuary.

[Celandine]

Looking forward to following you along on your trip! The itinerary sounds amazing! 

[LACruiser88]

39 minutes ago, shellbeachjim said:

Ditto for us regarding the "happy place". We leave next Thursday for our drive to San Pedro and our upcoming Sapphire Princess cruise. We expect to spend most of our time up in the Sanctuary.

Have a great trip!

[LACruiser88]

I failed to mention that our 33-day cruise has four other voyage lengths:

 

9-Days:      Sydney to New Zealand

21-Days:    Auckland to Vancouver

24-Days:   Auckland to Seattle

30-Days:   Sydney to Vancouver

 

Btw, our 33-day voyage will accrue two cruise credits. 

[LACruiser88]

Oops!  The 9-Day voyage above should say Sydney to Auckland.