Opinions on Majesty of the Seas?

[JennieRC]

My friends and I are looking into cruises for next year... has anyone done the Majesty of the Seas Bahamas out of Miami? What is the ship like... does it seem super small and old?

I'm used to the larger ships so I don't want to be completely disappointed.

Thanks for any feedback!:)

[tigerdadky]

I have never traveled on any of the larger vessels so I cant compare it to them but I will tell you that it doesnt look old at all. It is a beautiful ship. Being an older ship the staterooms are probably smaller than your used to, the smallest Ive been in. Compared to the Carnival Celebration it is quite a large ship. It wasnt my best cruise but mostly that was our fault but you will more than happy on the Majesty, it is a beautiful ship.

[RoyalCruiser2007]

I just returned Friday from my third cruise on Majesty since July 2007. I have also sailed on the Voyager class. I can tell you that Majesty is a GREAT ship with lots of amenities and very good service. It is one of the best maintained cruises for its age and the refurb has really been incredible.

[firefly333]

Insides are 119 s.f. and OVs are shown at 121 s.f. I would suggest getting at least a OV, the window makes it seem larger. We did a B2B on SOV and I thought the inside cabin too small for the two of us. Might just have been that particular inside (was in poor condition). The OV was one on deck 8 and well worth the $80 we paid extra. More storage, the inside had almost none.

[JennieRC]

Thanks for the feedback!

[golfer1966]

My favorites are the Radiance Class, but I really like the Majesty. I was on her before the upgrades and then this past April after the upgrades. She is still in good shape (imo ) and the perfect ship for a short Bahamas cruise. She is nicely decorated and the crew and food were great. Adding Johnny Rockets and Sorrentos was a big plus !! I think you will like her too.

[FL_Cruiser64]

Here is a little review:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=864767

[bigbillfromchicago]

DW and I just got back from a 3 day, 4 day back to back on Majesty. We have previously sailed on Majesty, Monarch, Brilliance, Explorer and Empress.

 

The staterooms are much smaller than the newer ships. It didn't bother us much but that's an individual thing. Also, you don't get the promanade, flow rider, mini golf or ice show. We didn't care.

 

The good was great food and service, best stateroom attendant we've ever had, very good entertainment and bands, never felt crowded, and the fastest embarcation and debarcation process we've ever had. And the price was right! :D

[Clarea]

... and the fastest embarcation and debarcation process we've ever had...

Agree with this 100%. We just got off Majesty yesterday. We were off the ship on the bus back to the airport in less than 15 minutes. They had the disembarkation process down to a science.

[aurelius180]

Agree with this 100%. We just got off Majesty yesterday. We were off the ship on the bus back to the airport in less than 15 minutes. They had the disembarkation process down to a science.

 

 

Agreed! Miami appears to be much more organized, and aesthetically

pleasing, than Port Everglades. :)

[GigglewolfOfTheSeas]

For the same or just a tad more $$, you can do a 4-night leaving on a Thursday aboard the Navigator of the Seas:

-Newer vessel

-Larger vessel

-More entertainment options

-Larger cabins

 

I used to be a big fan of the Majesty when she first debuted, but IMO the renovation wasn't "all that". In fact, she's probably the best ship doing the 3 & 4-night cruises out of Miami at the moment.

 

But as an avid RCI fan, I'm partial to the NV.

 

Bon voyage,

Gigglewolf

[aurelius180]

For the same or just a tad more $$, you can do a 4-night leaving on a Thursday aboard the Navigator of the Seas:

-Newer vessel

-Larger vessel

-More entertainment options

-Larger cabins

 

I used to be a big fan of the Majesty when she first debuted, but IMO the renovation wasn't "all that". In fact, she's probably the best ship doing the 3 & 4-night cruises out of Miami at the moment.

 

But as an avid RCI fan, I'm partial to the NV.

 

Bon voyage,

Gigglewolf

 

That might not be a bad idea. Thank you for the heads up!

[tuliplvr]

Been on Majesty twice, Loved every minute of it. Would definitely recommend a cruise on the Majesty!

[temple1]

We really enjoyed Majesty. Not the newest or biggest - but worked for a nice 4 nighter. Plus - if you go on the Nassau/Coco Cay/Key West - one of the best short iteneraries they have.

[jackdiamond]

Did they add balconies? Or is it essentially a non-balcony ship except for the suites?

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

I agree with Temple 1 above. We have sailed on Majesty of the Seas both before and after the renovation. This cruise is our favorite quick getaway. We prefer the four-night because it includes Key West. We have done the three-night however. It was still lots of fun, but a little too hurried for relaxation.

 

A few caveats with Majesty. It is an older ship even though it looks terrific. Its cabins are much smaller and it doesn't have the glamourous amenities of flow riders and ice rinks, boxing rings, a consierge lounge and premium restaurants such as Portofino and Chops. But the crew is consistently the friendliest of any ship we have sailed. The food is better than some of RCI's bigger ships. The overall spirit on the ship seems to be more festive and high energy than one encounters on much longer cruises.

 

We do really enjoy Majesty, but there is a matter of taste. We talked up Majesty so much my sister and brother in law went and they were miserable from start -to-finish, complaining about every detail. My BIL didn't even like the captain and made fun of him for having difficulty docking in Nassau during a heavy rainstorm.

 

My BIL was also very angry about the bad weather on the cruise which caused them to miss Coco Cay. He vowed never to sail on RCI again. Not everyone will enjoy their cruise on Majesty.

[Clarea]

Did they add balconies? Or is it essentially a non-balcony ship except for the suites?

Only the JS and above have balconies. I believe Sovereign was retrofitted with balconies. Majesty was built about 5 years after Sovereign, but I don't know if by that time they had decided to equip Majesty with balconies, or if it was a retrofit for Majesty also.

[GrandSuiteorBust]

Jennie,

 

I just got off the Majesty on a 4 night Bahamas trip. While everyone responding seems elated with the ship, I was a bit disappointed.

 

I had only sailed on Voyager and Freedom class ships in the past, so we are in the same boat, so to speak.

 

The feel of the ship on the water is completely different. I am motion sensitive, so for this fact alone I would never sail it again. The ship cavatates badly as well as rocks from side to side. The seas never were bad, but the ship reacted like a voy/fre class in rough seas. No matter where on the ship, centrum, dining or cabin, it all felt the same.

 

The ship feels considerably smaller, not just in length, but more importantly in volume. The only multistory space is the centrum/windjammer, which is circular so it appears smaller than the Royal Promenade which is expansive. The ship never felt crowded though.

 

The dining room is only 1 story and has no wow factor, and really no sense of presence, when compared to the 3 story dining on the Voy/Fre class ships. Also, the finishes and appointments in the main dining are nothing special, so it takes away even more of the dining experience.

 

The casino is not as opulent, but more than adequate. The pool deck is very nice, as well as the running deck. The theater is smaller, but has a grand feel.

 

Both bars, Boleros and Schooner are much larger than on the other ships. Also, these bars are actual rooms, while on the larger ships they are programed into the circulation, which takes away from the ambiance. So having a dedicated space is much nicer on the Majesty.

 

As to the cabins, I was in an owners suite, which was extremely large with a very nice balcony. I saw some other cabins which seemed very very small. Even the ocean view rooms had small windows.

 

As for the age and the renovation, the majesty crew did a very nice job. The ship did not look like it was built in 92. The maintenance was superb.

 

The service was as good as on any other ship.

 

All in all, it was a pretty ship, that was far too small and did not have a lot to do. Too many spaces lacked the presence and opulence of the larger ships, and the motion of the seas were much. As I said, I would never sail anything smaller than a voy/free again.

 

Also, take all of these reviews with a grain of salt. RCI and the cruise industry as a whole is changing like it never has before. The ships rolling out of the yards are being changed from transportation to a massive destination unto themselves.

 

You now see two camps of cruisers. The first group has been sailing for 20-30 years when ships were 40K tons and featured almost nothing, and the second group that is used to the mega ships with all they have to offer. The first group seems to love the small size, ocean movement and comfyness of these ships, while I as mega ship cruiser felt that I missed out on my normal cruise experience. Case and point, at the C&A party they did a 10 minute video on the Oasis, with about 150 in attendance, only about 15 people clapped, myself included.

 

So if the boat doesn't matter and you just want to go somewhere for really really cheap, this is the boat for you. But if you are expecting the same experience, seriously find another cruise.

[springbee]

The previous post has made me a little nervous - have other people noticed how much movement there is on the Majesty? I am going on a cruise with some people that have never cruised before, and I thought it would be a good start, but I am worried if the ship rocks so much they might get sick. Anyone have additional insight into the Majesty's motion? Thank you!

[JennieRC]

I appreciate all the responses! They are very helpful.

One more question... has anyone out there been on Monarch and Majesty?

I was not happy with the Monarch as far as it being clean and I sailed her after the renovation and it didn't look like it had been renovated.

So is the Majesty at least nicer than the Monarch?

[S4POPO]

Has anyone out there sailed on all three, RCI's Majesty, Carnival's Fascination, and NCL's Sky? It would be good to get an honest unbiased opinion regarding all three ships that have similar itineraries.