Suzanne

Age: 40
Occupation: Sales
Number of Cruises: 6
Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean
Ship: Majesty of the Seas
Sailing Date: March 4th, 2005
Itinerary: Bahamas

We set sail from Miami on a Friday for a 4 day 3 night cruise. I had previously been on Sovereign and Majesty is the sister ship so finding our way around was not a problem.

We arrived in Miami on a 11 am flight from JFK, proceeded through the Miami airport to baggage where there were many Royal reps waiting to show us to our bus. We retrieved our luggage, followed the rep across the street, dropped our baggage to a large truck and followed her once again to a coach bus. Our plane and a plane that had just arrived from Boston filled the bus and we were off to the port. The ride took approx 25 minutes, we were dropped right off at the terminal doors and were the first passengers on it was 12:15. Made our way through the terminal...have your boarding documents and IDs available there are 2 check points before you arrive upstairs to the check in points. The check in area is divided by decks. We were on deck 4, we found our area and waited for 2 other passengers in front of us. I had pre-registered online, the rep took our documents, ids, passports, credit card, we were done with the process in under 5 minutes. She returned with our sign & sail cards & map of the ship. We boarded the ship... again keep out your sign & sail card there were 4 points along the way to the ship that you need to show it to security. We took the photo welcoming us aboard Majesty!

You enter on Deck 4 the rooms would not be available until 1pm, but lunch was being served on the Windjammer deck 11 and there were welcome aboard cocktails, as well as wine stewards, soda purchase area. Nothing was a hard sell, no one approached us, we set had our welcome cocktails, read the ships map and proceeded to our room to change in to lighter clothes and go eat.

The buffet on the 11th deck was wonderful!! After having just taken a Carnival Cruise Dec 2004 I can tell you the food on Royal is superior! Waiters are all around offering the drink of the day in the souvenir glass, the dining room is very clean and well kept but the ship is old and shows signs of wear. The selection of food was lovely from hot to cold, deserts were excellent. As a note here, the beverage machines are hard to locate they are all spread out, most of them didn't work well. Never was ice that worked properly.

We went to our cabin on Deck 4 a oceanview suite. Small but nicely kept. Linens, bathroom, room area was very clean and orderly.

Hung around on deck soaking in the sun, after cruising so many times I have learned to pack a carryon with a swimsuit or shorts to enjoy the sun in port ! We made our way to deck 12 in lounge chairs, had some drinks and people watched!! I love watching passengers come aboard all that first day excitement and meeting people from all over !!!

Then there was the lifeboat drill, why is it always 150 degrees and someone cannot understand they have to come, so they page them while we all stand around sweating and packed in like sardines. Once we found those passengers, the drill was quick and we went back down to our rooms to leave the lifejackets and our luggage had arrived !!! That was wonderful !

Went back on deck watched the ship leave port, waved to the Carnival line right next to us and enjoyed the sun and then sunset.

Late seating in the Makado for dinner.

I will rate all the dining rooms shows etc at the end lets get on to Coco Cay on Saturday.

Awoke early Saturday to the sunrise the sun was shining through our window and it beckoned me on deck, my husband was content to roll over and tell me to come down in an hour for him !! LOL !

I have been to CocoCay before, and after reading some reviews about the damage it had received and that previous cruises hadn't been able to even go ashore I was nervous that we wouldn't be able to... but the sun and water Gods were in our favor that day. Took the 8:45 tender over, got off the ship 1,2,3 and arrived at Coco Cay since I last have been there 4 years ago they have really built up the arrival area, they have added all the food areas, rental shacks etc.

CocoCay does not disappoint, white sand, palm trees, crystal water...what a day. We went all the way to the end I like the silence of the beach and try to stay away from the volleyball etc I can walk after all you eat some walking is a good thing. Lounged in the sun, floated on beach mats, snorkeled, enjoyed the b-bque (which was very spicy) had a lot to offer everyone though and there was lots of food as always for everyone! Had the cocolocos in the royal Caribbean water bottles!! I can tell you the beach is wonderful, while there was a lot of sea grass in the water this time large large patches of it, the beach, the rocks, the areas were beautiful. Peaceful, restful, so enjoyable! I didn't leave the lounge chair until 4pm, browsed some shops that are on the island (bring cash they do not take your ship card) got on the last tender back to the ship.

The ship was hoping, everyone was feeling great, lots of red lobster looking people, remember sunscreen, the sun is hot and harsh! Lots of ladies with braids, everyone looked relaxed and were having fun! The band played which by the way I could do with out they play 4 songs over and over and over again I would have rather listened to canned music. This is formal night, so we hung around the pool and went down to shower and get ready for the captains cocktail party and formal dinner.

Picture with the captain, captain's cocktail party in the Chorus Line Lounge is a poor excuse from other cruises I have been on, some bad champagne, no food. The captain introduces the major parties on the boat and it was 8:30 time for dinner. Dinner was nice, however the service in the dining room was very slow we did not receive our meal until 10:15 while half the dining room had already left, the waiters did not put on a show this night which I always find amusing but no show.

Sunday Nassau

Arrived on time, ship cleared customs and we disembarked headed for Blackbeards Cay. I had seen Atlantis my husband went back there but I wanted to go to the beach. Had to meet at 8:45 our tour we did not leave until 9:40 Splendor docks right next to you and those passengers take the tour also. Walked about 5 min to the boat across from the straw market got on a open air boat and took a 20 minute boat ride to blackboards cay. There is stingray feeding, snorkeling, the thriller boat leaves from here, I was disappointed, its a lovely white beach but all for tourist, its off the property of sandals and must be part of their resorts on days that the ships don't use it. You stay for 3 hours, get back on the boat and back to the dock. Shopped at the straw market... they are very aggressive in there my advice its all the same row after row after row...next off designer bags, straw bags, t-shirts, towels. Chose 2 rows go up and down them and you have completed the straw market, bargain bargain bargain, they will sell you anything trust me!! Bring lots of small bills if they see you have too many twenties they aren't willing to bargain but if you have small amounts and say well I have $25 and have that amount in your hand you can get some great deals on bags and wallets. Liquor is here too, since it was Sunday most of the other shops were closed! Returned to the ship, you go through security at the gate in the Bahamas they pass a wand over you, inspect your bags, there is another check point and then the checkpoints on the ship. We brought our liquor right back to our rooms, remember you cannot bring that wonderful conk salad back on the boat no food so everyone who has it has to get back off and you see many people eating it along the pier!

Packing that is the downer of a cruise, you just get there and the bags need to be outside your door by midnight!

Casual dinner tonight, lots of entertainment

Monday Miami

Well, this is always a big waste of time. They tell you you have to be off the boat, report to this and that area I have learned stay in the cabin, wait for the tag to be called because you only get herded way up to a deck to only come all the way back down to get off the ship! Its always a confusing mess!! We were one of the first off at 8:30 we took a tour in Miami. We had breakfast, waited in our cabin and sure enough everyone who had gone to deck 7 the other end of the ship had to shlep all their stuff to the other side of the boat down 3 decks to deck 4 to leave the ship Have your card out, you swipe it one last time to leave, and now have your id, passport declaration cards ready for customs. They herd you through lines, these Custom Agents in Miami are nasty people! I had to put my finger in something to identify my fingerprints, they ask all kinds of questions, I had my purse inspected, everyone got some kind of inspection. You go downstairs to carasols where you find your luggage by colored tag this was the easiest retrieval of my luggage from any cruise I have been on. A porter took our luggage and we met our tour to go to the everglades!

Summary

Majesty of the Seas

Ship is clean, well kept, but old, you can see signs of rust and wear on the stairs, I do not like the green rug around the pool areas its a ship after all. Very easy to find your way around.

Food

4 stars

Warm food is warm, Hot food is hot, cold food is cold. Large varieties, great deserts. Coffee machines never worked they had problems all the mornings on the ship. Breakfast was wonderful although the morning we ate in the dining room the Maytime it was just ok nothing great I like the variety of the buffet and the omelet station better! Plus that open random seating in the dining room is not my favorite. Dinners were wonderfully presented from appetizers to main meal to desert, nice selection of fish, meats, pastas. Service was not quick while top notch and the waiters are very attentive if you want to eat quickly avoid the dining room. The midnight buffet was Spectacular! That was a great night, ice carving, demos, dancing lots and lots of fun!

Staterooms

Small, old, even the staterooms on deck10 are showing there age. They are very clean, the stateroom attendants are very good in attending to your every need. Clean fresh towels, sheets turned back, chocolate on the pillows, beach towels, etc. The bathroom well you can shower, use the sink and the potty all at the same time and I don't spend much time in the cabin anyways but the beds are comfortable and lovely soft linens.

Shore Excursions

Ripoff... if you know the islands and do some research before you arrive its cheaper to take a cab, go to a beach, take a walk yourself to the straw market then to pay for the tours. The everglades tour was something I would never see again but it was a lot of money for not much!

Personnel on the Ship

Top Notch!!! Five Star service! Polite, helpful, I cannot say enough about them from the porters, to the housekeeping staff, to the pursers, waiters, etc.

Ports of Calls

CocoCay I cannot say enough about it, it is paradise

Nassau lovely!

Miami didnt love it, stayed 3 more days and its not what it looks like on tv, would have preferred to go out of Ft Lauderdale!

Food

Excellent...Royal knows how to serve a buffet! The only criticism is the slowness of service in the main dining rooms and Carnival has lobster I love lobster. Let me tell you go on a diet before going on the cruise, the food is that good and that plentiful and room service comes 24/7! Drinks are strong and expensive. Drinks of the day are fun but very rich and sweet too many make you rather sick! The schooner bar is fun. The Champagne bar was wonderful best martinis on the ship!

Entertainment

Wow! Of all the cruises I have been on this entertainment was incredible. The two shows, the comedians, amazing, very talented!!!!

The lounge entertainment just ok. Karaoke was well attended but the cruise director who led it was rather flat and not fun. The bands on the boat were no better than a high school band and to tell you the truth our high school band is better. The disco is fun, wild times, lots of dancing, lots of 70's & 80's music!
These cruises are short, had we not be given this cruise as an award incentive for a company trip I would not have chosen to take such a short cruise. They are a tease! I would take a longer Royal Caribbean cruise on a newer ship!

All in all, wonderful weather, wonderful fun time!

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