Royal Caribbean International
Majesty of the Seas Cruise Review
Bahamas

Gwen

First off, I would like to say that my husband and I absolutely loved this cruise! If you're looking to relax, looking to party, or just looking for fun activities, this ship has it all.

Like another reviewer said, our entire boarding procedure was extremely easy because we planned everything online beforehand. We only waited in line for about 5-10 minutes, and once we were at the counter, it only took them about a minute to check us in because we had all our documents. So I highly recommend booking and paying for all your excursions online before your trip, and filling out the online check-in form so that you have your sea pass readily available. I found it even easier to purchase a folder and keep everything in there. I put each document in a clear sheet protector, so they didn’t even have to take anything out and I didn’t have to worry about losing any of it. Keep in mind that after December of this year, you will be required to have a passport to go on any cruise leaving the United States. Don't leave it to the last minute, or you may not get your passport in time.

I read several reviews about the ship being old and needing updated, but we did not see this anywhere. Maybe we're just not very picky, but it seemed very clean and updated to us. As far as luxury, of course it's not going to be as luxurious as say, Disney, but it's still very well maintained. There are employees constantly walking about picking up items and cleaning down tables. We had a room on the second floor, and while it was very small (I wouldn’t recommend it for claustrophobic people) we didn’t mind at all because we were doing so much that we were only in the room to sleep and that’s it. I actually wouldn’t recommend a room with a veranda unless you’re going on a 7-night or longer cruise. You’re just not in your room enough for it to be worth it. And they are constantly cleaning your room, so whenever you have to return, the bed is always made and new towels are readily available.

The cruise has so many things to do. We are a pretty young couple and didn't mind going from activity to activity. But if you want to relax more, you may miss out on some of the activities because there are just so many. We found the comedic juggler to be the best performance on the ship. They also had a regular comedian, but we didn't really think he was that funny. That is one thing we're picky about I guess. But I’m sure there are different comedians each trip, and it’s all a matter of taste whether you will like them or not. They also had Vegas style shows with singing and dancing. They had pool parties with ice sculpture demonstrations and midnight chocolate buffets. They also had karaoke, bingo, newlywed games and night clubs. The casino was pretty big, and in addition to the slot machines, they had poker tables where they would hold competitions. The last day of the cruise, I had about $.75 in change in my pocket and put it in a machine out of fun and won $20.00. Not much, but off $.75 that isn’t bad! So you can win in the casinos. In addition to all of this, they had several pools and hot tubs, a rock climbing wall, a library, a basketball court, ping pong tables, an internet area and several bar areas. If you have kids, they have programs that they will literally spend all day in. We didn’t bring our kids this trip, but we wouldn’t hesitate to do so next time. We went to the wrong floor one time and there was an employee taking care of the children and he was absolutely wonderful with them. I would trust their employees with my kids if we would have taken them because they seemed really friendly and kid-orientated.

The biggest thing I would recommend on the ship is the ‘unveilings’ that are held each night before dinner. Each shop does an unveiling where they display their merchandise, and everything they display is on sale. There was a ring that my husband had wanted for sometime that we could never afford before, that was only $150.00 on the ship. These rings in the states normally sell for $700-$2,000, so it was a very good deal. I would also recommend the art auction, as they have a lot of fine art at reasonable prices. If they do a raffle, be sure to put your name down. They did a raffle to see who could guess the price of a Picasso they had onboard. They announced the closest guess at the auction, and my husband was the closest! So we came home with 5 art pieces worth $500.00 each. So you can find a lot of great deals and prizes on the ship.

The food was very good. We really enjoyed dinner and found the staff to be very friendly. A tip we learned from our waiter is that, if you don’t talk to them a lot and have a ‘stiff’ attitude, then they’re not as fun. But the staff will go out of their way for fun people that joke around and have a good time. Our waiters not only served us, but they would stand around and talk to us as well because we were very friendly with them and would joke around with them. I do have to say however, that I like Disney Cruise Lines breakfasts better than Royal Caribbean. It was still good, but compared to our other cruise it wasn’t.

The ports were wonderful. Keep in mind at Nassau that people will hound you for their services and merchandise. I would highly recommend bringing one dollar bills to that island, because they are really bad about giving change. They will sell something to you for $7.00, and if you only have a ten, they say they are going to get change and don’t. You have to keep hounding them for it. It’s a sales tactic, because they’re hoping you will forget about it. Also, they will put necklaces on your neck without asking, saying they are free, and then ask for a ‘small donation’ once they are on. Well, as soon as you pull out any money, they just grab it and walk off with it. Even if it’s a twenty dollar bill and you didn’t mean to give them that. But as long as you are polite and say ‘no thank you’ when you don’t want to purchase something, then they aren’t too bad. Coco Cay is definitely the best part of the cruise. If you are looking for that ‘paradise’ island with white sand beaches, palm trees, and crystal clear water, then Coco Cay is the place for you. I could stand in chest deep water and see my toe nails, the water was that clear. There is also an abundance of marine life, so the snorkeling is definitely worth it. We found it to be better than both Nassau and Key West. And the BBQ lunch was to die for! As far as Key West, the Pirate Museum was pretty interesting, and the shops were fun, but we didn’t do much else there because we did everything else on the other islands. If you’re scared of sharks and want to snorkel, I would recommend Coco Cay over Key West because there are sharks in Key West. They are harmless of course, but for someone that is scared of them, you might want to avoid snorkeling there.

I hope this review helps! You definitely won’t be sorry on this trip. They have things for everyone. Just go into it with a laid back attitude and you will be fine. Ya mon!