Majesty or Sovereign of the Seas???

[peteypie]

I am starting to plan a vacation for next summer. Four moms and four daughters (age 15). We just want a short trip, so we are looking at the Bahamas 3-night cruises. In your opinion, is one ship better than the other?? We've already been spoiled on the Explorer of the Seas, so I know these smaller ships may be somewhat of a disappointment in some areas. I appreciate any thoughts you may have!!

[glo1]

We are going on the Majesty in two weeks. Remind me and I will let you know. It will be our first cruise on RCI,

[parfect]

Sovereign is going into dry dock next month for major refurbishing and renovations. Check out the RCI website for details. As of mid December this year, Sovereign will be like a new ship.

[MLB]

I had the same question when I was looking to book my March cruise. We are going on a 4 day so there really was a difference, a day at sea vs Key West for the extra day. We picked the Sovereign for the day at sea, but it is also being refurbished next month and we did take that into consideration. Where are you coming from? It may be cheaper for you to fly into Orlando vs Miami.

[yj2cute]

If departure point didn't matter, I would choose the Sovereign. While I enjoyed the Majesty, overall I just liked the Sovereign. Passenger mix was better for me. Out of Miami lots of young folks looking to party. Also, on our sailing there was a large contigent of drag queens. They actually booked one of the lounges and put on a burlesque show, for which they charged admission!

 

I liked that they used the Carousel lounge as the nightclub. It was much more spacious with very comfortable seating.

 

I'm sure you'll enjoy whichever ship you choose.

[peteypie]

Thanks for your responses. We will be flying out of Philadelphia, and airfare to Orlando and Miami are usually comparable. How do you get to Port Canaveral from the Orlando airport -- shuttle service?? Is this expensive?? Thanks again!

[bUU]

See below.

[leighuf]

I took a 3 day Bahamas cruise on the Sov. of the Seas. Both the Majesty and the Sovereign are in the same CLASS of ship. So, they are similar in size. The Majesty debuted in 1992 & the Sovereign debuted in 1988. I was disappointed in the Sovereign because it appeared tired. It definitely needs a tune-up!! However, the staff was wonderful! We enjoyed our short cruise to Nassau and Coco Cay. Coco Cay isn't really all that wonderful, though. Half of the island was under 'construction.' The island, itself, feels very man-made. The sand is a very unnatural color and the place is drenched with RCCL employees dressed up as locals screaming "Coco Loco, come get your Coco Loco!" FYI, a Coco Loco is a alcoholic beverage in a plastic RCCL cup that costs a fortune.

 

It was a short vacation I took with my husband and 2 other couples. So, we had a good time. If you've been on RCCL's newer ships (I've been on Adventure of the Seas) you'll be disappointed. This ship is not as stunning or grand. Some people enjoy more 'intimate cruising' so maybe you will too.

 

As for the port-- Orlando Aiport is approx. 45 miles away from the coast/port. RCCL offers roundtrip airport transfers for 50 dollars per person on a huge bus. I've heard of people renting a car for 20 dollars and driving over. It's a straight shot to the port. Or, stay a couple days at Cocoa Beach or Orlando to enjoy the sights and sounds.

 

I lived in Orlando for 15 years, so I'll answer any questions you may have.