Majesty of the Seas
Majesty of the Seas Overview
Tonnage: 73,941
Length: 880 ft
Passengers: 2,354
Passengers (all berths): 2,744
Registry: Bahamas
One of the oldest ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet - good for quick, cheap getaways.
Best For People Who WantRelatively inexpensive three and four-day itineraries on America's two coasts; a boisterous spring break atmosphere; younger fellow passengers.
Should Be Avoided By People Who PreferLarge, luxury cabins; exotic itineraries; refined decor & decorum
Majesty of the Seas is the second of the Sovereign-class (Sovereign, Majesty of the Seas) of Royal Caribbean vessels, launched in 1992. She went into drydock in May 2003 for a major renovation and refurbishment adding alternative evening dining, offering the full menu available for room service, a rock climbing wall and an Internet center. In yet another refurbishment in 2007 they remodeled the pool deck, expanded the Spa & Fitness Center facilities, and refurbished staterooms with luxurious bedding and space saving flat-screen televisions.
Onboard ExperienceIn her day, she was considered a huge ship, so Royal Caribbean introduced their "round robin" philosophy of passenger flow, getting the first seating of diners out of the restaurant and into the main showroom or casino early enough to miss the oncoming wave of second seating. At a mere 11 decks you can still find your way around, even when the ship is fully booked at 2,744 passengers. But if it is seclusion you want look in places like RCI's trademark Viking Crown Lounge during the off hours, 11 decks above the ocean with a 360-degree view.
Foremost, this is a fun-filled, generally short vacation ship. The cruise director delights in getting passengers involved in everything from belly flop contests to adult scavenger hunts. Daily activities are listed on a conveniently small card you can keep in your pocket. Shorter cruises generally mean younger passengers, so poolside can be all too reminiscent of spring break; just try to find a vacant lounge chair!
DecorMuted beiges, blues, greens, and peach add a bit a of nostalgic chic to the public rooms atmosphere. The ship looks frankly a little dated, still, there's plenty of artwork on display, as well as plenty of '80s-style brass, chrome, and neon. Cabin decor is newly updated with brighter colors and softer surfaces.
Public RoomsAs soon as you're aboard, you enter the Centrum, a hotel-style atrium with lush foliage, fountains, and a sweeping brass-railed staircase. Here you find passenger services and the small Internet cafe area. Sea days and even sail time after days in port, the entire centrum turns into a shopping mall with gold chain by the inch and temporary tattoos. During the quiet hours a solo classical guitarist strums.
The two-deck, 1,050-seat Sound of Music Lounge, which stages the expected production show spectacles, has some of the biggest video walls at sea. Other popular spots include the new Latin lounge, Boleros, The Circuit Disco, and the Schooner Bar, a pleasant place to listen to a piano player. Crystal chandeliers sparkle in the enormous Casino Royale. There's an Art and Photo Gallery on Deck 3.
The handsome new business center on Deck 7 features three individual meeting rooms, Voyager, Explorer and Adventure, accommodating a total of 240 persons who are able to enjoy sun and ocean views through the large windows lining the outer rooms. There are several computer terminals and a fax machine. Royal Caribbean Online centers provide 24-hour Internet for a per-minute charge. Virtual postcards can be sent for a flat surcharge per transmission.
CuisineA majesty cruise offers a wide range of dining options, including, in addition to five traditional fine dining entrees per night, ShipShape healthy menus (with less than 30 percent of calories from fat); vegetarian; ethnic and regional specialties. The same dinner menus were available at the casual open-seating Windjammer Cafe. There's Asian cuisine at Jade and pizza at Sorrento's.
Twenty-four hour room service is available with a variety of hot food, along with a full breakfast menu. Dining room menus are also available for in-cabin service during lunch and dinner. There is a waistline-threateningly irresistible chocolate-lovers buffet and a Gala Buffet that more than lives up to its name.
RestaurantsThe two refurbished dining rooms, Claude's and Vincent's (after Monet and van Gogh, you see) tend toward bright lighting. They are assigned by cabin, and the low noise levels can vary, considering that they accommodate 700 diners each. With little of the elegance of the two- and three-story rooms on the line's Voyager and Radiance classes, though, they're sadly reminiscent of banquet-halls. There are tables for two, four, six, and eight. Seatings are at 6:15 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
The Windjammer Cafeacute;, for casual breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and open-seating dinners served restaurant-style, has full-length glass windows on three sides, and encompasses Jade and Sorrento's. The back of the Lido buffet area, facing the stern, is the place to go almost anytime for hamburgers and hotdogs. They may not be fresh, but their fairly warm. On Deck 5 in the Boutiques of Centrum area you'll find Latte-tudes coffee house and a Ben & Jerry's ice cream parlor. Don't miss The Deli's colossally delicious sun-dried tomato, brie and avocado sandwich.
Some of the newer dining features include the Johnny Rockets 50's style burger joint with its patent chrome and etched glass booths and swivel counter seats. Sorrento's Pizza is open 24-hours for pizza and other "take-out" style goodies like calzone. Latté-tudes coffee house features Seattle's Best Coffee and wonderful, free pastries and finger sandwiches, a great place for people watching.
ServiceUniformly good, though less pesonal on these shorter cruises, the waiters are multitalented, good at balancing trays on their heads, or singing, and even doing both at the same time.
TippingRoyal Caribbean suggests a per person per day gratuity of $3.50 for the stateroom attendant ($5.75 if sailing in a suite); $3.50 for the waiter; $2.50 for the Assistant Waiter; .75 Head Waiter. These gratuities may be paid in cash or charged to your onboard account. For children sailing as third or fourth passenger in the stateroom, tipping is at the parents' discretion.
A 15 percent gratuity is automatically added to all beverage tabs. Gratuities for room service, spa, casino and other staff are at your discretion.
EntertainmentEven when there are no Las Vegas-style revues, the cruise staff will keep you well and truly entertained, especially with their riotous Farewell Spectacular. Boleros, a new Latin bar on Deck 7, will entice you onto its dance floor with its tangy Latin rhythms. Or sit back and enjoy guitar recitals, karaoke, and dueling piano shows. In the new disco, The Circuit, the resident show band plays popular tunes from 9:30 p.m. until midnight, when a DJ takes over. The main showroom on Deck 5, the Sound of Music Theatre, has been updated with new carpet and upholstery.
Casino Royale generously (ha!) offers free gaming lessons. For a $20 entry fee, new graduates and others, can enter morning blackjack and afternoon slot tournaments.
CabinsMajesty's's staterooms were upgraded during The Great Refit of 2003, but inside cabins can be almost satirically tiny -- 119 sq. ft.! - so by all means choose carefully and opt for an outside cabin at the least. These older ships do not have many balcony cabins available, unfortuantely. The 2007 upgrade includes fluffier twels and softer sheets for the beds which convert to queen-size. Other amenities include phone; new flat-panel televisions throughout with CNN, ESPN plus movies; three-channel radio; individually controlled air conditioning, and a hair dryer.
The five categories of suites have balconies. They include the Junior Suites (264 sq. ft. balcony 70 sq. ft.) and Royal Family Suite with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, living area, and a private balcony (371 sq. ft., balcony 155 sq. ft.).
In a Superior Ocean view stateroom, 157 sq. ft., attractively decorated, with a queen-size bed, sofa, coffee table, wall-length dresser and mirrors, lots of storage and closet space and a refrigerator, you'll hear no outside racket whatever.
Fitness/SpaThe ShipShape Center and Spa aboard Majesty, expanded in 2007, now feature additional cardio equipment and panoramic views. But the ceilings are so low that persons over 6'3 are liable to knock themselves unconscious while running on the treadmill. There are two outdoor pools with plenty of room for sunbathing, as well as shaded areas, two outdoor whirlpools, jogging track, wrap-around promenade deck, basketball court, ping-pong, shuffleboard and the new three-sided rock-climbing wall on Deck 12
The spa offers massage and beauty treatments, state-of-the-art equipment, morning and afternoon classes and walkathons. A barber and beauty shop provide full services.
Children's FacilitiesIn addition to separate play areas for kids aged three to 12, there is also a teen lounge that converts to a disco, making Vision an excellent choice for families with children of many different vintages. The "Adventure Ocean" youth program has age-specific facilities and programs supervised by youth counselors for Aquanauts (age 3-5, must be toilet trained), Explorers (age 6-8), Voyagers (age 9-11), Navigators (age 12-14) and Teens (age 15-17). The program runs year-round in the Caribbean, Bermuda, Bahamas, Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska. Parents can leave their children at Adventure Ocean while they take shore excursions. For this purpose, the facilities open 30 minutes ahead of morning shore excursion departures. Otherwise, organized activities are offered from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., with group babysitting from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. for a fee. Teen centers are now open past 2 a.m. Teens will find their own private coffee house and disco.
A new program for infants and toddlers 6 months to 3 years, in partnership with toy maker Fisher-Price, offers 45-minute playgroups for children accompanied by an adult, involving storytelling, creative arts, music and a variety of Fisher-Price learning toys and games. Aqua Babies are six months to 18 months old while Aqua Tots are 18 months to three years old.
Private babysitting is offered from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m., provided sitters are available, for children from one year old. The rate is usually between $8.00 and $10 per hour depending on the number of children in the family. Cash payment is made directly to the sitter. Arrange through Guest Services at least 24 hours in advance.
At mealtime, young cruisers get their own eight-page menu, featuring word and picture games and pictures to color.
AttireThere is usually just one formal night per three or four-day cruise. A dark suit would be appropriate for most men onboard but feel free to don an actual tuxedo. In general, though, this ship offers so much to do onboard on any given evening that we noticed passengers dress pretty much the way they want to on any given night and no one seems to care very much.
User Reviews
by Lesser160
2 Reviews
Publication Date: December 10, 2012
Blatant Misrepresentation by RCCL.
Poor ship. Poor food. Poor entertainment.
After 4 previous cruises on Princess and Celebrity (all 7 nights or longer) we opted for a last minute short cruise on Royal Caribbean (RCCL). Since I knew that this was an older smaller ship, I first checked the RCCL web site to view the cabins to determine if they would be acceptable. I went to RCCL, then to plan a cruise, then to ships, then to Majesty Of The Seas, then to deck plans deck 3, then to interior cabin, then selected view cabin.
The cabin shown for THIS SHIP lowest possible category shows a 2 seat sofa and room to walk around both sides of the bed. The actual cabins have no sofa and no room to walk around bed. In fact the bed was bordered on 3 sides by wall so the inside person had to climb over the outside person to get out of bed. This is a total misrepresentation by RCCL designed specifically to procure business. In discussing this matter with RCCL customer relation after the cruise, I was told that all this was acceptable and
no adjustment would be made.Other problems:- Food was of poor quality and poor selection. Entertainment included a good comedian, a hypnotist who had to keep sending people back to the audience because he could not keep them hypnotized, and a juggler who dropped his items 5 times. The review on the last night was quite amateurish.
The toilet did not work in the cabin the first night. One of the public bathrooms remained flooded for hours with no one attending to the problem. During the Muster Drill old and infirm people were forced to stand for 45 minutes. When they tried to sit, the chairs were taken away from them.
by Deanna G.
1 Review
Publication Date: December 13, 2010
My mother-in-law purchased a cruise vacation for 7 family members, spanning 4 generations (4 of whom include veterans). We drove 6 hours from Tampa to Miami to catch the Majesty of the Seas for a cruise from 12/13/2010 to 12/17/2010. Both the deposit and remainder of the balance were paid ahead of schedule. This was her first experience with Royal Caribbean, whom she booked with on a referral. Myself, my fiance, and his 7 year old son had never been on a cruise, and we were so excited and had been looking forward to this trip for months. We had issues with our GPS, and were running behind schedule, but we finally arrived at the dock at 4:40, and the departure time was 5pm. We were already checked in (we had done so 2 days before online) and had our luggage tags on our bags. Our documentation failed to stress that if we were not at the port a minimum of 1 hour before departure, we would not be allowed on the ship.
The security supervisor explained this regulation, and without much outward sympathy suggested we call customer service. In a state
of disbelief that they could do nothing to help us, we got back in the car and drove another 6 hours back home, not getting in the door until midnight. When my mother-in -law called customer service the next day, she was told that not only was she not eligible for a refund, she also was not eligible for a credit to use towards a future cruise. The only thing she can do apparently, is call for a refund of the taxes she paid, once the ship docks back in Miami on the 17th.The customer service agent would not refer her to a supervisor, even though she requested to speak with one. I have worked in customer service for over 10 years, and I have never heard of such a shocking lack of empathy from a company, especially around the holidays, and towards a family of veterans. We were not looking for a refund of the more than $2,000 she spent, we were asking for credit with the company to be used for a future trip. I do not believe it is right that Royal Caribbean should be allowed to keep so much money without providing any services, and such appalling customer service.
Neglecting to inform the customer of the importance of the deadline for boarding is one thing, but then refusing to work with that customer to rectify the situation by at least honoring the money they have spent is reprehensible.
by Phillip
1 Review
Publication Date: April 26, 2010
My wife and I just got back from our anniversary cruise with Royal Caribbean on Majesty of the Sea. This was our first trip with them and most definately our last. We were supposed to leave out of Miami on 4/26/10, but due to thunderstorms over Miami we had two cancelled flights and about a four hour delay on our last flight. We knew at the time of the delayed flight that we were going to miss our ship. I had to scramble to find a flight and hotel in Nassau. This is a complicated process in the airport with just a cell phone. This is the point where my disgust with RCCL began.
I contacted a representative of RCCL and told them my situation. I was told that there was nothing they could do execpt notify the ship that we may be boarding in Nassau. The trip was paid well in advance and I would have been out of $1200 if we were unable to make the cruise. Its hard to muster the thought that RCCL had no concerns or help a paying customer in a time of
need. Well we made it to the ship in Nassau, and had more trouble with guest relations pertaining to all necessary doucments needed on board. There were several other guest that had missed their flight and ended up in Nassau. Before we boarded the ship, the other guests all recieved envelopes but there was not one for my wife and I.Later we found out the envelope would contain the nessary information on how to deal with US Imigration in Key West since we missed them in Miami. There were also several small issuse dealing with paper work not being delivered to our state room on deck 8. Guest Relations keep blaming this on the state room attendents, my thought was, who was suppose to give the attendent the paper work anyway! When we arrived in Key West and waited in a long line on deck 3 to get onto the island, my wife thougth she heard them call our name to go to guest relations. Because I did not want to lose our place in the long line, I went up to guest relations to inquire.
When I approached guest services, the line was extremely long so I asked nearby crew member if our name was called. He didn't know and told me to wait in the guest services line. Thinking our name was not called (why would it be) I proceded to find my wife still waiting in line. About 15 minutes later, we tried to exit the ship. We were then pulled to the side when entering our seapass card and were escorted to immigration, just to be told that we could have been in really big trouble for trying to exit the ship. My wife,in tears, he then looked at our passports, told us we are ok to exit but to get in the next line for non-US citizens, that took us another 20 minutes to go through.
Shooken up we made a day on the island. Upon reboarding the ship from Key West, we asked to speak to a guest relations manager. One was not available and we were told they would call us in our room. We have not heard from them yet! Then, on departure morning, we received a statement of charges to our seapass card. It told us to visit guest relations to settle our account, even though we had signed up online to link our seapass to our credit card, just like most people do.
Later we found out that guest relations should have asked to see our credit card upon boarding to execute that process. Upon returing home, we called a customer service supervisor that seemed unconcerned and proceded to tell us that most individuals are happy with a simple apology.
Each of these items in itself seems miniscule, but Royal Caribbean did not show proper customer service in any of these situations, which added up to be one big dissapointment in the company. If it were not for the friendliness and professionalism of the wait staff, security, and shore excursion staff, this trip would have been a complete waste of money. What if someone was unable to pay or find a flight and hotel to board to ship at the next port of call, would RC have any more concern or help since they already had their money in hand? I doubt it!
We did learn two valuable lessons. One, fly to your departure city the day before. Two, don't depend on RCCL to assist you in any way if trouble arrises!
By the way, there were other couples in the airport in the same situation but were traveling with Carnival. Carnival scheduled their flight and hotel in their next port and paid for it. And no, they didn't have travel insurance either!