Farewell to the Majesty
Majesty of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Bahamas
Contributor Level:
Second Mate
Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 3
Helpful Votes: 122
5 Night Key West & Nassau (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)
Sail date: December 09, 2019
Ship: Majesty of the Seas
Cabin type: Oceanview
Traveled as: Singles/Friends
Reviewed: 4 years ago
Review summary
I have no idea why I booked this cruise so soon after going on MSC Armonia to the same darned ports of call. I know it had something to do with her being a sister of Sovereign of the Seas, on which I was aboard. I know my ex-wife cruised aboard Majesty like...10 years ago and loved it. I always loved the LOOK of her, like a ship, with a circular Viking Sky Lounge around the funnel. When I heard she was being repositioned and put up for sale, I knew I had to get aboard and buy a model to add to my collection. CABIN: I chose it based on the deck plan--adjacent to an exit to the Deck 7 smoking area. Once aboard, that exit had a hatch marked "Crew Only." Darn! What a weird cabin! Turned sideways with the shelf below the window forming the headboard. In that position you get to watch your tropical painting instead of the television, which is on the perpendicular wall, along with your reading light. To watch TV, you have to prop your pillows on the desk partition. To read, you have to reach over to your desk light. It took me two days to figure out that people passing by my window on the Promenade Deck could clearly look inside my cabin. I bet they wish the cruise line furnishes bathrobes. Check it out in my video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neK0LXyAV_M&t=198s ACTIVITIES/ENTERTAINMENT: As far as the cruise itself, it was fine. I did very little except eat, drink, smoke cigars and...well, that's about it. Hung out with my two cruise-buddies at the Sky Cigar Bar, enjoying the two really good bands: the Caribbean one and the Latin one with the great "chica" singer. Went to one show in the Chorus Line. It was supposed to be an "adult" comedian. He was a middle-aged white man who made noises with his lips and nose. He never said, "F____,k." I wanted to find something funny until I walked out after five minutes. THE FOOD REPORT: The striploin steak was okay, sinewy and fatty. The seafood was okay, nicely presented. The drinks were expensive. The Indian food was delicious. The espresso was hot and pastries deliciously expensive. The pizza was okay, no whole wheat option. The ice cream was great. The asparagus were delicious. I heard wonderful reports about the breads, rolls and baked potatoes. I don't eat white food. The Eggs Benedict were perfect, made with Canadian bacon! The filet mignon at the Chef's Table was enormous, rich and superb. The desserts were generally good to exceptional, WAAAY better than the ones I had aboard Liberty of the Seas. The Chef's Table and the galley tour with the brunch were worth the extra bucks, similar to going on a shore excursion. The bars in which I personally drank were limited to Bolero's and Sky Cigar Bar outside overlooking the pool. Loved that place and Sylvester, who took good care of me. The cigars available on the ship were thoughtfully selected (Gurkha, RyJ, Arturo Fuente etc.) and expensive. NO CUBANS AVAILABLE! They also make lighters, cutters and punches available. If you want to buy authentic Cuban cigars there are a couple of places in Nassau where you can find them. NEVER FROM A SIDEWALK SELLER! One of my "cruise buddies" who you completely forget after you disembark, got ripped off buying fake Cohibas. Check out my video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEhfi1Cjpn4 SERVICE: Uniformly excellent (pun intended.) I loved the way the Cruise Director would disappear, only to be found on TV and introducing acts onstage. I loved how a $20.00 bill to the Maitre D' expedited my change in dining time and table. I loved how Raquel, my cabin attendant, would always greet me with an "Hola Papi" and a fist bump. I loved how Sylvester, the bartender supremo at the Sky Cigar Bar started to pour before I could even pronounce "Johnny..." Honestly, I appreciate their low-key friendliness more than their fake hale-and-heartiness that makes Carnival so "fun." There are only so many hours in a day, each one at sea is better than any day on land.Embarkation
Painless and fairly quick. Not as fast checking-in, document checks and boarding as MSC and a lot slower than Carnival.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
I know from previous experience that the only place you can get a properly-cooked hamburger is at Johnny Rocket's, and it's a for-fee restaurant. It's the only one of its kind. Everything else is free, except the coffee bar, Latte-tudes. As far as quality of the MDR, it was mostly good. Love them garlic snails. Desserts were better than on Liberty of the Seas. The buffet was average with a couple of Indian highlights. The Compass Deli had good soup. Nothing was inspiring, nothing made me want to vomit. My favorite place on the ship is the Sky Cigar Bar. The galley tour with brunch was exceptional, expertly handled from the host to the chefs who cooked for us. The Chef's Table was as good as it gets, beautifully presented five-course meal, paired with decent wines and a terrific dessert.
Onboard Activities
I did nothing but hang out at the Sky Bar, smoke cigars, ogle the eye candy. I never went to the fitness center. I never went into the pool. I never saw a rock-climbing wall, although I did see pictures of it.
Entertainment
I liked the bands that played next to the Sky Bar, where I smoked cigars and whistled a tune once in a while. One of them was Caribbean/reggae, the other was Latin-influenced with a great chick singer. I did go to one of the comedy shows, listened to a middle-aged talk and make funny sounds with his lips for about five minutes. I didn't laugh and walked out.
Service and Staff
Mostly good, a bit reserved which is good. Raquel my cabin attendant was nice enough, kept my place clean enough. My MDR waiters changed with the dining room. No one was particularly outstanding, maybe Chen the waitress was a bit overworked. Sylvester, up at the Sky Bar, took good care of me.
Ship Quality
Definitely a high point is the ship's design. It's so easy navigating around that ship! Forget the elevators and the "Tween Decks," hardly a problem. Forget the weird cabins tucked in the corners and the impossibly small interior ones with four beds crammed inside. She's aging, she's about the end of her career, she's been kicked and banged and dinged and smacked from everywhere but she still looks pretty good.
Cabin / Stateroom
It was the weirdest cabin ever. Turned sideways! The window had a wide shelf, perfect for my stuff but it was a bit short as a headboard. The television and reading light were perpendicular to the head of the bed in solo-queen configure, instead of split apart and placed along the adjoining wall. It was fine, just...weird to turn my body side-wise to read. Bathroom was weird....no facial tissue in the provided spot, but there was inside the desk drawer. One bar of soap supposed to last 5 nights? That liquid body wash shampoo from that dispenser does an incomplete job of both.
Ship tip
Buy your model before she's sold. They will become collectible.
Thumbs up
0
Ports of call
Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida
Disembarkation
Simple. Easy. Quick. Painless.
Traveler Photos
4 Comments
TheSnoMan 4 years ago
We have cruiser her twice and will again on right intenary. She is a classic and arguably of most proven legacy design with engines coupled directly to prop shafts and real rudders. Cabins are small to maximize space available for common areas. We spend little time in cabin other than sleeping and such so small cabin is not a big concern for us. Our cabin was very quiet on both cruises on Deck 5 near elevators.