Royal Caribbean International
Majesty of the Seas Cruise Review
Bahamas

Lacey
Age: 40
Number of Cruises: 1st Cruise
Sailing Date: April 1st, 2006

This was our first cruise ever and it was amazing! When we first arrived to prepare to go to the ship, two of our bags had to be taken away because they were too large to carry on. Our bags did not arrive at our room until about 5:00, so pack clothes in a smaller extra bag. Note: If your bag is small enough to meet the size expectations that they use at the airports to see if you can take you bag on the plane with you, then you should be able to take your bag on the ship with you. Contrary to other reports I have read, the boarding process was fairly quick, far faster than anything that I had expected. But, be sure to let the attendant know up front if you have any non-US citizen going on board. Because, it took our attendant several times before she got this right. All non-US citizens must turn in their passports and will get them back at the end of the trip. Once she gave us our SeaPass cards, which act as credit cards and room keys on the boat, we headed towards to escalators to board the boat. The people who checked our SeaPass cards before we entered the boat were not too friendly or happy, but don’t worry, these people do not come on to the boat with you. When walking down the walkway to enter the ship, we noticed a really long line up. Soon, we realized that it was a man who was taking pictures on a special background. Note: You do not have to have your picture taken. Just walk past the line up. Finally, we were boarding the ship.

When we entered the ship, the staff was already friendly. Not one person hounded us to buy wine or soda packages. There were tables set up and if you were interested, you went to the table and signed up for it. Note: I would not recommend the soda package. It is four dollars a day per person. Every meal is provided with Iced Tea, Lemonade, Water, Coffee, Tea, and Orange Juice. Plus, during the day, you are not on the boat and the people at the ports will not honor it. Also, you can buy wine by the bottle during dinner and if you do not finish the bottle, they will save it for you to drink the next night.

We went up to the rooms and put some of our bags away. Then we headed upstairs for lunch in the Windjammer Café. We barely made it because they stop serving at 3:30. The food there was pretty good, but was not hot in the slightest. It was what you would expect from a buffet. The desserts that they served, however, were excellent.

We spent some time roaming around the ship, and then had to get ready for the mandatory lifeboat emergency process. We had to grab our life jackets out of our room and then go to the lifeboat station. And of course, we had to wait until everyone on the ship was at his or her station. Surprisingly, it only took about 30 minutes. Next, it was time for dinner at the Maytime. We had the first seating at 6:00 and I strongly recommend it. Our waiter was extremely nice and helpful. He was always able to recommend a good dinner plate and a good bottle of wine. When we sat down, he introduced himself and told us where he was from. He asked us how our cruise was going. He then gave us our menus and we chose from pretty large selection of food. The Caesar salad was very good, and always cold, not warm like the other report said. Our head waiter, Wilma, then came and greeted us with a big smile and talked with us for about five minutes, asking about how the trip was going and telling us about the other stuff that would be going on later that night. She even knew what country we were coming from. She came back three others time and was friendly every time. We then went to the singing and dancing show, which was okay. Tired from the long day, we went back to our room and were surprised to see a chocolate on our pillows. We stayed on level 5 in a stateroom with a window. It was tiny, but it was big enough to be comfortable. Besides, it isn’t like we spent the whole day in it.

Nassau: Be prepared- the second you get off of the ship and into the city, people will ask you if you want tours or your hair braided. Just say ‘no thanks’ and they will leave you alone. The city was basically the same type of stores over and over again. We walked through some of them, and passed on others. It is a pretty poor city, but in no means will you feel endangered. Then we went to the straw market. Wow, what a busy place. However, it was a ton of fun. It is just the place to go for the knock off designer purses (which there are millions of), jewelry, t-shirts, and magnets or key chains. There is just a lot on fun stuff. The people do not hound you or anything and, contrary to the other report, if you touch the item, they will not jump all over you until you buy it. Keep in mind: You can barter with them to get a lower price, but these people do have to make a living, so please respect that. We went back to the ship for lunch. And came out for a little bit after dinner, but there wasn’t much more to see. We didn’t go to Atlantis, seeing as you have to pay for almost everything there.

Coco Cay: Amazing!!! One of the best places I have ever been. There was snorkeling and Jet Ski trips, parasailing and kayaks. Everything you could imagine. I rented a mat for $10 and kept it the entire day. It was definitely worth it. They provided a wonderful BBQ lunch for us and we went back to the boat at about 3:00, when we had to go. It was just a wonderful little island.

Key West: Was okay, not that great. It was nothing special, just a lot of junk stores. Note: If you feel like touring, rent a little car on the island. For $69, you get the electric car, which seats four, for two hours. You can drive around the island and see what you want to see, instead of going on the train/bus tour. The butterfly place was amazing. Go and see that.

Getting off the Boat: Quick and easy. Note: Do not let them take your bags from you the night before. Keep them with you and carry them off. Otherwise, you will have to wait for them.

Overall: Excellent cruise. I would highly recommend this. Crew was always friendly and there was no rocking what so ever. They are however, completely redoing the ship later at the end of the year. I would strongly recommend this cruise.

Ask a Question About Royal Caribbean Cruises

Ever thought about becoming a home based travel agent? Check out my web site for home based travel and cruise agents located at;

Home Based Travel Agent