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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Chris Bunch
Email: cbunch@adams.net
Age: 40
Occupation: Bank Manager
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Majesty
SailingDate: January 4, 1998
Itinerary: Western Caribbean 7-day
FoodDiningRoom: 100
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland: 60
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 80
TenderService: 80
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff: 80
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess: 80
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 80
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 80
MedicalFacilities: 90
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 80
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 13 Jan 1998
Time: 23:15:50
Remote Name: 206.28.249.134
Remote User:
Comments
There were 16 people in our party, of which 8 were children. The ship has plenty of room
and plenty of activities to keep
everybody busy 24 hours a day. Our staterooms were a little small, but kept very clean by
our Cabin Steward. The best
highlight of the entire week was the opportunities we had to eat in one of two main dining
rooms. Our waiter and assistant
waiter for always there to serve us and make recommendations on daily menu selections. Our
youngest child is 18 months
and not always agreeable when it came time for the evening meal. Not only did these two
gentlemen from Turkey serve our
group with speed and accuracy, but entertained our youngster while we enjoyed the meals.
They were a true testimony to
us of the kindness and excellent service available to cruisers aboard the Majesty. I would
highly recommend this cruise to
anyone with children.
Name: Desiree Cairnes
Email: dezcairnes@att.net
Age: 33
Occupation: Marketing Director
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: Yes
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Majesty
SailingDate: August 16, 1998
Itinerary: Labadee Haiti, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Cozemel
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 100
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 100
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 100
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 98
LoungeService: 100
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 100
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 98
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 98
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 100
CruiseActivities: 100
Casino: 100
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 100
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 02 Sep 1998
Time: 22:45:33
Remote Name: 12.65.165.162
Remote User:
Comments
This was a vacation of a life time! It was our first cruise and our first vacation in over
a year so we enjoyed it tremendously! The embarkation took longer
than I thought it would after reading some of the other cruise comments. It was a hot and
steamy August day so the waiting seemed longer that it actually
was. By the time we boarded the ship, we, and everybody else, was starving so the line for
the only available eating place, called the Windjammer, was
very long and tempers were very short. There are over 2000 people on the ship so you need
to expect to wait in a lot of lines while on a cruise. I suggest
that you eat before you get on the ship.
Other than the lines and the feeling of being hearded on and off the ship like cattle, the
cruise couldn't have been better. The food and service in the
Maytime dining room was wonderful. (Early seating is a must even if your're a night owl).
We enjoyed the five course meals EVERYNIGHT!. Frank, our
cabin sterward was great. I squealed with delight every night upon entering our cabin to
find different animals made out of our towels, sunglasses, night
clothing or what ever he could find! The shows were entertaining and fun (except for Four
Past Midnight who performed on Thursday). Our dinner table
mates were interesting and made our trip memorable. The Champagne Lounge was a frequent
place to visit for an evening toddy and a quick cigar
before going to the show in the Chrous Lounge.
Labadee was our first and favorite stop. Go off by yourself and explore on your own as
much as possible. The Island Tour was worth the money but gave
us less time to relax and just float on the mats.
Ocho Rios was less appealing but exciting to see just the same. The Dunns River Falls took
our breath away and was worth the money but I felt like
hearded cattle once again. I wish I could have layed on a beach somewhere just to relax
but the beggers would have been all over us. Do the falls, save
the beach for Cayman.
Grand Cayman was gorgeous but eat on the ship if possible. Our lunch, consisting of a
hamburger, fried shrimp, 2 cokes and a pina colada, was $36
American Dollars. Ouch! We took a taxi to 7 Mile Beach and simply snorkeled and laid on
the beach. Bring your own snorkel gear and save a bunch of
money. It is also easier to put your mouth on gear you're familiar with!!!!!!! I heard
that swimming with the Stingrays is also a favorable alternative for
those wanting more to do.
In Cozumel we shopped for a while, ate lunch and then took a cab to Chankanaab which was
extremely pleasant. The snorkling was fair and the beach
was nice. In retrospect, I would have gone to the next beach down (San Francisco - I
think). Chankanaab was somewhat of a tourist trap too.
Overall, this is a perfect first-time cruise itinerary. But next time we are planning a
trip to Roatan off the coast of Hondoras. I hear there is no cattle
hearding to worry about.
Name: Dennis Christel
Email: monaNwally@webtv.net
Age: 43
Occupation: cabinetmaker
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Majesty
SailingDate: 3/1/98
Itinerary: western caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 97
CabinComfort: 91
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 94
CabinAmenities: 88
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 94
CabinQuietness: 89
FoodMidnightBuffets: 93
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 88
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland: 93
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 93
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 94
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 93
OverallPortsofCall: 92
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 88
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 89
AirSeaProgram: 89
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 93
DiscoNightclubs: 88
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 94
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 22 Mar 1998
Time: 16:58:30
Remote Name: 207.79.35.229
Remote User:
Comments
Overall we felt the cruise was an excellent vacation. It was our 25 th aniversary and our
first cruise so we didn't know
what to expect. The staff went out of their way to be friendly. The food was great and our
waiter and assistant Dexter and
Xavier were the best. They knew what we wanted and when. The cruise director Paul Rutter
and his staff were tireless in
their efforts to keep everyone happy and entertained. They couldn't have done a better
job. The private island was much
better than we expected. We had heard bad reviews but Labadee was clean, the people were
friendly and the
entertainment was pleantyfull. Tenders were constantly there if needed. We were not
dissappointed with the shore
excursions except that the Brimmer Hall plantation tour was slightly less than I expected.
The tour of the plantation was
great but I thought the Plantation house would be nicer and guided. Overall for our first
but not last cruise with Royal
Caribbean was fantastic from the staff to the food.
Name: Rick Holland
Email: kellrick@aol
Age: 39
Occupation: Chemist
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Majesty
SailingDate: January 18, 1998
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 94
CabinComfort: 75
FoodRoomService: 92
CruiseStaff: 98
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 92
CabinSteward: 92
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 99
ShoreExcValue: 60
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 88
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 92
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 96
EntertShowLounge: 92
OverallPortsofCall: 92
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 95
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 99
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 99
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 80
OverallCruiseValue: 99
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 25 Mar 1998
Time: 21:56:21
Remote Name: 152.163.204.139
Remote User:
Comments
Royal Caribbean did an excellent job during our cruise of January 1998 on Majesty of the
Seas. The ship was well
maintained, the food was abundant, well prepared and top shelf in nature and the crew was
courteous, pleasant and
aiming to please. We ate every evening meal in the main dining room. I would always order
two or three different
appetizer and at least two entrees. Our waiter would bring my meals in courses of two or
three plates at a time. The
assistant waiter would immediately remove the finished plates and promply replenish with
my next plate. I once ordered
three lobster tails which were consumed within minutes. My waiter had anticipated my
robust appetite and had four tails
on standby. The meals at the Windjammer Cafe and the midnight buffets were acceptable but
did not compare to the
dining room cousine.
We flew into Miami a day before sailing. I strongly suggest families with small children
and possibly seniors spend the
extra $120. This removed all fears of missed or late flights and allows the luxury of
knowing you have an extra day to
track down lost luggage.
I highly rate RCCL on their embarktation/disembarktation process. We preregistered at the
hotel. We were quickly
transfered to the boat and were in bathing suites within 30 minutes of leaving the hotel.
The experience was much better
than other cruises we have been on.
This is a very good line for families like ours having young children. My son and daughter
of 8 and 10 year old were
treated like royality by the staff. We have traveled on Premier's Big Red Boat and thought
RCCL did a better job with the
kids.
Finally, with all the good comes some bad. The rooms were very small and at times
claustrophobic. Although we spent
very littlle time in our inside state room, I suggest upgrading to a larger room for
people needing more personal space.
Also, the shore excursions were very expensive. Our Dunn's River Falls excursion was $112.
We could have grabbed a
taxi in Ochio Rios for $10 and then paid $6 per ticket at the Falls...for a grand total of
$34.
With all said, we'll be on Royal's new 150,000 ton mega liner when it sails next year.
Sincerely,
Rick Holland
Name: Keith Tatum
Email: ktatum@govt.aum.edu
Age: 26
Occupation: Project Director
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Majesty
SailingDate: March 22, 1998
Itinerary: W. Caribbean - Haiti, Jamaica, Caymen, Cozumel
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 97
CabinComfort: 96
FoodRoomService: 97
CruiseStaff: 98
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 97
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 98
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland: 98
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 98
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 94
CruiseActivities: 96
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 89
ShipCleanliness: 97
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 97
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 01 Apr 1998
Time: 17:50:50
Remote Name: 199.5.154.143
Remote User:
Comments
This was our first cruise as well as our honeymoon. Not knowing what to expect we did some
searching to try and find
out what were the best ways to do things on the ship. After reading every related cruise
from every cruise line on the
cruise review website we still had some questions that we never really could answer, so
I'm going to be as objective as I
can be, but detailed as well. We elected to purchase our air fare on our own since it was
alot cheaper than the fare from
RCCL. The only catch is if you live in an area that is prone to bad weather if your flight
is delayed the boat will not wait for
you, unless you purchase your fare through RCCL. We flew out of Tallahassee so no problem
there with bad weather.
Some people did have flight trouble and lucky for them they purchased their tickets
through RCCL. We got to the Miami
airport and a RCCL rep was waiting for us. We did purchase transfers so we wouldn't have
to get a taxi to and from the
ship. The rep loaded us on the bus and away we went. The ship was awesome. It was
absolutely beautiful!! We were
amazed at the size of it. Embarkation went pretty smooth, we were there kinda early (1:30)
so the lines hadn't really
had a chance to be long. It took about 30 minutes to get checked in and in line to get on
the boat. There was plenty of
RCCL reps making things move right along. We were on the boat within the hour. As soon as
you get on the boat it hits
you. Brass, glass, lights, and music everywhere. The boat is a astonishing sight. Truely a
gorgeous ship. We found our
room with no problem and had a few hours before we set sail so we wondered around a bit to
check it out. Of course
within 15 minutes we were lost and had no idea where we were or how to get back to our
room. The flights and
embarkation process went about as smoothly as possible I really can't find anything to
complain about. We were told
that there were 2639 passengers representing 48 countries on board. I know the cruise
review says 2300 but there were
2639 on our cruise. You never tell it. There was never any lines and always a space by the
pool. I don't know what these
people were doing but I couldn't find them.
ROOM - the room was a bit small but definitely comfy enough for our accomodations. The
only problem was the beds
were two singles, not exactly what honeymooners have in mind. We shortly found our cabin
steward and he informed us
he would take care of everything. He pushed them together to make a king size - much
better!! The room was big
enough for us but the only problem was not enough closet space. We barely had enough room
for our clothes. They give
you enough room for hanging clothes but not for shorts, shirts, socks, etc. We just had to
make do with what we had. I
guess I need to tell you what kind of room we had to give you a better idea of what to
expect. We had a standard room
with no window. The big rooms with balconies are nice but for the amount of time your in
the room, even honeymooners,
the standard room will do just fine. Especially for the amount of money it costs for an
upgrade. Not having a window was
no problem either. For $300 -$400 more it just wasn't worth it. Don't forget the sun comes
up at about 5 or 6. The
bathroom was small but manageable. Just don't drop the soap. You'll have to get out to
pick it up. There were enough
plugs for electrical items. Overall I can't complain about the room. We didn't have one
problem with it. With your cabin
steward cleaning it up everyday there is always room to move around.
FOOD - The food was EXCELLENT! I heard stories about how the food was OK or how it was not
up to par. You really have
to be a picky person to not find a dish on this ship you don't like. The dinners (in the
fine dining room) were done on a
theme basis. One night it was italian, next it would be american, then international, etc.
Each night the waiter would
recommend a dish and usually he was right. We had steak, lobster, stuffed crab, shrimp
(every night), duck, and game
hen to name a few. The food was great and you could eat as much as possible (example I ate
four lobsters). The dining
room has breakfast , lunch, and dinner but you had to wear nice clothes to go in there. So
we only ate a few lunches and
all our dinners there. If you want to eat and not worry about the dress the windjammer
cafe is the place. Food there all
the time and dress is not a issue. The cafe is a buffet type restaurant with a big
selection on it as well. The only problem
is the food didn't seem to be that hot. I don't know if it is because it's out in the open
on warmers or if I'm just being
picky but the food was just barely warm when you ate it. On some things that's OK but for
breakfast foods I kinda like
that hot. Overall I have to say they do a very good job making sure 2600 passengers get
food and plenty of it. There was
not a single time that I wanted to eat that I couldn't find food.
ENTERTAINMENT - The entertainment on the ship was awesome. We had late sitting at dinner
(8:30) so most of the time
our shows were after dinner. Bob Eubanks of the Newly Wed Game was on there and hosted the
$25,000 game show.
Real fun. People were winning good prizes like TV's, stereos, money, and cookware. There
was a chance for a women to
win $25,000 but she ended up winning a TV instead. There was a newly wed - not so newly
wed game as well but Bob
Eubanks did not host it, the cruise director did. It was very funny to watch the ladies
get mad at their husbands answers.
Another night there were magicians that did a show. They were awesome! They really did
some neat tricks. As a matter
of fact, they are in the guiness book of world records for beating whodini's record for
fastest costume change. They
performed it on the boat. They came in the audience where they had a wooden crate . One
magician hand cuffed the
other and put him in a bag in the box. Put the lid on it and pad locked all four sides.
Then got on top of the box and
lifted a curtain around himself as soon as it hit the top of his head he dropped it and he
was now the magician that was
in the box. He got off and opened the box and the magician that was on top of the box got
out of the bag. Another act
that was on board was a man and women dance couple. They did some awesome dance moves. He
would throw her all
over the place but it seemed graceful. She was really limber and could really get into
some funky positions. Very
intertaining. There were more shows and they were all great. The farewell show hosted by
the cruise staff was also
great. All the shows were worth going to and made the night go by fast. Overall I give the
shows a 100 because I can't
find anything to complain about. There was also bingo on the ship. Play bingo for sure.
They give away alot of money.
They play five games a day and each game the money gets bigger. It really depends on how
many people play because
that's the money you win. The 5th game each day is for the jackpot and if nobody wins it
it continues to grow all week
until somebody wins it. It usually takes til Saturday before somebody wins it. On our
cruise the winner won $11,000
dollars TAX FREE. Now that's what I call bingo!! It was very fun and everybody has a good
time playing. It only costs
twenty or thirty dollars to play depending on how many cards you get. The entertainment
was fabulous and there is
more to go but I'll leave the rest up for surprise if you should go on the Majesty.
EXCURSIONS - This is the area I really want to give a bit of information because the
cruise ship charges a fortune to do
these through RCCL. Everybody says you better do it through the boat because you might not
make it back before the
ship sails and it will leave you. That is a total lie!! There is plenty of time to do the
excursions on your own and ALOT
cheaper. The ship will leave you if your not there at departure time but there is plenty
of time to do your excursions on
your own. Some excursions require you to go through the ship because they have guides to
them. Even then there is
services on shore when you get off the boat that will provide any excursion the boat can
offer except cheaper. The only
problem I had with it is nobody realizes you can do excursions on your own and their all
booking these excursions and it
seems your the only one going out on your own. Doesn't matter it still can be done and
you'll have more time to do
other things when you do them on your own because the ship takes its time on tours and has
alot of people to look
after. When your on your own you can go and do what you want when you want. Some examples
are in Jamaica, very
crazy place but stick to your plan and everything will be fine. More than likely you'll
want to go to Dunn's River Falls. the
cruise line wanted $31 a person to do it. We got a cab for $20 (round trip) and went to
the falls and it cost $6 a person
to climb them. $62 compared to $32. In Grand Caymen, Snorkeling with the Sting Rays costs
$44 a person through the
ship. $20 dollars a person on shore with the ride included (they take you to the little
boat and take out to the sand bar
and return you to the ship). $88 compared to $40. The ship is out to make money, they will
not even talk about going
out on your own because they'll lose money. I was hesitant to do it and my wife hated the
thought of not planning a
excursion but just get off the boat and there will be plenty of tour services to offer
trips. If you want more information
please email me, I could go on but this is already a lengthy opinion. I will say that if
you can find a another couple or
some friends to go with you it will make your adventure much more easy. In Jamaica we were
a little hesitant because of
all the bad things we had heard, to make our selves feel better we got a female taxi
driver. In Haiti, the area is owned by
RCCL so there is no option to go out on your own you have to go through the ship if you
want to do an excursion. There
are only a few excursions to do there any way. The best thing to do is lay on the beach
and take it easy after all it is the
first place you visit you still have a whole week ahead of you. Cozumel is fun to. We
rented a moped ($30 for all day) and
drove around and went site seeing, snorkeling, shopping, ate at Hard Rock Cafe, Planet
Hollywood, and if you don't do
anything in Mexico - GO to Carlos and Charlie's!!! It is wild and fun. Cozumel is really a
neat little place and besides Grand
Caymen we like it the most. The excursions can be as expensive as you want them. We were
more into relaxing and
having fun than touring the islands so we definitely made the right decisions by going out
on our own.
This cruise was really a eye opening experience and deifinitely the best vacation we've
ever been on. We will go on
another cruise and will use RCCL again. The only complaints I could come up with are the
food not being hot in the
Windjammer Cafe, excursions prices, the weather (it rained the first three days solid, but
then not a cloud in the sky, we
were told that Haiti gets rain two times a year and we got one of them), closet space, and
not being long enough!!!!
Happy Sailing!
Name: Wayne LaValla
Email: wkm@megsinet.net
Age: 48
Occupation: Vice President, Sales
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Majesty
SailingDate: 03/22/98
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 100
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff:
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall:
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 100
Casino: 100
AirSeaProgram: 100
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 100
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 05 Apr 1998
Time: 20:49:15
Remote Name: 208.150.55.197
Remote User:
Comments
First of all, we thoroughly enjoyed our cruise. We booked the air/cruise package and also
booked the pre cruise package. Royal Caribbean put us
up at the Wyndham Hotel in downtown Miami. From our room we could see the ships. On Sunday
morning we got our Super Charge Cards at the
hotel and at 12:30PM they had busses there to take us to the pier which was about 5
minutes away. On our bed in the cabin was the daily Cruise
Compass, which listed all the activities and other information. Everyday, we would review
it and circle all the activities that we wanted to do.
Everyplace that we went we had a copy of the Cruise Compass in our pockets. Our 16 year
son also had the teen version of the Cruise Compass
which listed all of his activities. He went on tours with us and otherwise, we saw him at
meals and bedtime. He was busy doing his thing with the
teens. We ate the majority of our meals in the main dining room since we decided that we
were going to be pampered. The food was superb and our
waiter and assistant waiter were top notch. The shows for the week were also top notch. We
had Bob Eubanks who hosted a game show called the
$25,000 question and people from the ship won prizes. Also had the Magician LaRaf, the
Platters and Kathy and Jim Taylor, who were dancers. We
took the tours offered through the ship and were pleased with the tours and service. We
highly recommenced the Majesty of the Seas and we are
looking into booking another Royal Caribbean cruise next spring, but this time we will
probably go to the Southern Caribbean. When they say Royal
Caribbean they Mean Royal treatment.
Name: Ken Wilson
Email: atcken@flash.net
Age: 40
Occupation: Air Traffic Controller
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Majesty
SailingDate: 3/22/98
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 99
CabinComfort: 88
FoodRoomService: 97
CruiseStaff: 98
CabinAmenities: 94
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 92
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 98
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 92
TenderService: 92
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 93
OverallPortsofCall: 92
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 96
Casino: 94
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 92
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 93
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 92
ShopsOnBoard: 97
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 97
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 10 Apr 1998
Time: 01:25:28
Remote Name: 209.30.68.157
Remote User:
Comments
I was able to pick up lots of helpful information and tips from this site so I’d
thought I’d return the favor and write a ‘just got back’ review.
This was our 3rd cruise (2nd with our son), the other cruise lines being NCL (Southward)
and Premier (Big Red Boat). Every one of us, despite a few
minor gripes, thought this cruise on ‘The Majesty of the Seas’ was by far the
best of our cruising experiences.
Ship: The ship itself is fantastic - elaborately detailed with glass, mirrors, polished
brass and chrome, as well as works of both fine wall art and
statues/standing art throughout the ship. If you’ve ever stayed in any of the newer,
luxury hotels in Las Vegas or even an upscale hotel in your
home city, you’ll get the idea of what the public areas of this ship look like. There
are two large dining areas on the 3rd and 4th levels for dining room
service as well as a large eating area on deck 11 (Windjammer Cafe) that has several
buffet/cafeteria style lines for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’ll
get to the food in a bit. The extravagant atrium area houses a nice set of shops and is
adjacent to a casino with all the gaming (including tournament
areas - slots, blackjack, etc.) you would expect. There are several nice lounge/bar areas
on various levels, a very nice piano bar, two discos (one
for teens/one for adults), and a large entertainment lounge for all the various shows and
presentations. There are two pools adjacent to each other
on deck 11 with seating all around on deck 11, 12, and 13 so that as many as possible can
look at both the pools and the ocean while on the open
air decks. Sports/Fitness fans should like the small but well equipped exercise room and
there is a basketball court (really half-court) far aft on deck
12. A deck below the basketball court are ping pong tables, shuffle board, and even a
small miniature golf course that can be assembled on
request. There are two decks available for jogging (deck 7 and deck 12). Our cabin was
small but with all the amenities. The three of us stayed in a
mid range outside cabin on deck 5 - larger than porthole size window, two single beds for
my wife and I and a Pullman, drop down bed for our son.
My in-laws, also on this ship, had a similar cabin on deck 7 (without the Pullman) and
seemed to have just a bit more room. Then again there were
just the two of them. My family felt a bit cramped, but expected this before boarding.
Storage was adequate and we were able to stow all of our
emptied suitcases under the beds and out of the way. Access to our cabin from the
elevators and staircases was fine - just down a corridor.
Speaking of elevators and despite some of the complaints I read earlier about elevator
waiting times, we never experienced more than about a 1-2
minute wait for elevators. And our cruise had 2, 698 passengers on board!!! I have to
admit I took the stairs as much as the elevator for exercise,
and even the stairs were convenient.
Food/Food Service: Overall, the food and food service was excellent. Our waiter, Luis,
explained at one point, that RCCL really focused on this area
as their pride and joy and believe me it showed. Service and the food itself, at least in
the dining area, was superb. Every evening had a theme, but
there was always a variety to suit everyone. Our waiter and assistant waiter were always
there to cater to us and to recommend specific items off the
menu. We also purchased the wine package from our wine steward on our first evening
(including tip, which by the way are added automatically to
all bar charges, it came to around $110 for the table) and found this to be an economical
way to enjoy a bottle of wine every night. The wine steward
(George) provided us with a listing of 12 wines to choose from and we would pick one at
every evening meal. If we didn’t finish a bottle, it was waiting
for us next evening to finish in addition to still getting to pick another wine selection.
Most breakfasts we ate upstairs in the Windjammer Cafe. The
food here was akin to an upscale cafeteria/buffet - nice, plentiful, not extraordinary,
but fine for breakfast and lunch. And the view from this eatery,
of course, can’t be beat. We missed most of the midnight buffets (due to exhaustion)
but the few we did make had about the same style of food as in
the Windjammer, with a few extras and specialties.
Shore Excursions: As noted in previous reviews for this ship, you can spend as much or as
little as you want on shore excursions. In our case, we
opted for ship provided excursions for the islands we hadn’t visited and went out on
our own in Cozumel, having been to Mexico several times. The
weather was terrible for the first three days and this wiped out the private island day on
Labadee, Haiti. My father in law, son, and I made it over to
Labadee and tried snorkeling but it was raining and windy. The crew ended up having to
cancel the tender service to the island except to “rescue”
those of us already over there. Actually, it was kind of fun riding the tender back to the
ship in 3-5 ft seas. With good weather, I’d recommend hitting
this island and just relaxing. Don’t pay for the snorkeling unless you need
instruction and practice. The weather wasn’t quite as bad on Jamaica and
we opted for the San San luxury yacht cruise. The yacht was not as luxurious as I’d
have thought from the price we paid ($63 per person) but we
had all sorts of drinks available (included in fee) as well as an assortment of tropical
fruits. The yacht took us to Dunns River Falls and then to a nice
snorkeling spot. We also walked into Ocho Rios and shopped. There were alot of vendors and
taxi drivers hawking their wares/services but if you just
firmly but nicely said no, they didn’t hassle you. I bought a nice Seiko watch in
town - probably saved at least $100 from what I would have paid in
the U.S. If you want a watch, from real cheap to a Rolex, Jamaica is the place to buy! By
the way, if you are planning on shopping at any of the
islands, go to the presentation on shopping (or at least watch the replay on your cabin
TV-RCI channel). Very good information and shopping
itineraries. The weather was much better when we got to Grand Cayman with the exception of
the wind, which canceled the Stingray City snorkeling
tour for my son and I. I think we still could have gone into town and booked this tour on
our own but opted instead to join my wife and in-laws on the
Island City tour. This tour was very nice although a bit rushed. We did get to see a large
part of Georgetown, the very interesting turtle farm, and
Stingray City from an underwater viewing platform, as well as getting to spend a few
minutes in ‘Hell’. In Cozumel, we took a taxi into San Miguel for
shopping and then over to Chankanab for the best snorkeling of the trip.
Entertainment: There was always some sort of entertainment planned during the day and into
each evening. Bingo was a big hit, especially because
the first few days everyone was forced inside due to the weather. Bingo winnings ranged
from $500 to $10,000 so it was usually worth the entry
fee. The casino was going strong when we were at sea and there were several tournaments
(we entered a slots tournament, which was fun). There
were presentations on shore excursions and shopping which were very beneficial. Each
evening there were either performances (Vegas style but
family oriented) or other events, some corny (Bob Eubanks Game Show), some well done
(comedy shows, Welcome and Farewell shows). Personal
tastes come in to play here but everyone in our party thought that overall, the shows were
well done. We had the earlier dinner seating (6 PM)
which worked out well for our son and the shows. We were able to go to the shows at 8:45
PM and our son could be in bed by 10:15 PM.
Other Comments: Again, this was by far the best cruise any of us had been on. My in-laws
had been on the sister ship (Monarch) and enjoyed this
cruise even better than their other RCCL cruise. The service staff was very attentive to
the passengers, from the captain and cruise director, to the
cabin stewards, to the food service personnel, to the maintenance personnel. They all made
sure the ship was clean and enjoyable for the
passengers. The only negatives I can think of, besides the weather (which of course,
isn’t the cruise lines fault), are as follows: 1) Book early for the
excursions, preferably the day you board. Some excursions sold out within the first two
days (Stingray City for example). 2) If you want to use the
exercise equipment, be prepared to get to the fitness area prior to 8:00 AM or you’ll
end up waiting. There were only 4 treadmills and 4 stair
steppers - not many for over 2600 passengers. 3) Grab a spot by the pool by 9:00 AM on
‘at sea’ days if you like to sun there - these chairs went
fast. 4) We had to line up at least a half an hour before the start of each evening show
in order to get a decent seat. As you can see, the negatives
primarily arose due to the amount of people on board. This is a big ship with lots of
passengers - just be prepared for lines at certain events and
plan ahead for events/excursions you know will be crowded. In all fairness, besides the
very popular events, we never really felt like the ship was
crowded. There was always so much going on that people were usually dispersed all over the
ship.
RCCL definitely does it right and I would highly recommend this cruise line and this ship.
Name: Steve Orchard
Email: orch@aol.com
Age: 37
Occupation: Software Engineer
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Majesty
SailingDate: 4-12-98
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 97
CabinComfort: 96
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 98
CabinAmenities: 99
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 96
CabinQuietness: 99
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 89
FoodVariety: 99
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 81
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 89
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 92
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 88
EntertShowLounge: 92
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 96
CruiseActivities: 99
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 70
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 94
EmbarkDisembark: 89
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 92
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 94
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 29 Apr 1998
Time: 17:15:11
Remote Name: 151.155.132.67
Remote User:
Comments
We booked our flight to and from Miami through Royal Carribbean. the flight from Salt Lake
City to Pheonix was terrible, a lot of turbulance. When we
arrived in Pheonix we only had two minutes before the flight left for Miami, and the next
flight was at the other end of the airport. Me and my wife ran
through the air port so we could make our next flight. When we got to the gate they told
us that we didn't need to run that they knew we were comming
and were waiting for us. I wish they would have told us sooner. The food on the plane was
very stale, worse than most airline food. When we arrived in
Miami the RCL rep met us at the gate and told us that we would have to take our luggage
with us to the hotel because America West didn't have any
storage facilities. I didn't like flying with America West at all. We flew TWA on the way
home, and it was a much nicer experience.
The ship was great. We had a full ship being Easter weekend, and they said there were 500
kids on the ship that week, but we really didn't see much of
them. The first day we spent at sea and we were kept busy going to the different
presentations, on shopping and shore excursions, and learning our way
around the ship. The second day was at Labadee. We went snorkling and parasailing here,
but I would recomend just relaxing on the beach, and
exploring the area. I only saw two little fish the whole time we were snorkling, and I
think that was two more fish than anyone else saw. We brought our
own mask and snorkle so we only rented the fins, but there isn't much to see at Labadee.
The parasailing was fun, but more expensive than at the other
stops. The wave runners cost $80/hr at Labadee and only $45 at Cozumel. The third day was
at Jamaca. Here we climbed the Dunn's River falls, which
was fun. Then we took a taxi to go shopping, and our taxi driver also took us through Fern
Gully the rain forest. We had a great taxi driver I would highly
recommend him. Ask the dispatcher for CJ (Cool Jeff) he gave us a very good tour, and was
very informitive about the culture and history of the island. We
did some shopping here, but I would recommend not doing any shopping until you get to
Mexico the prices were much better. The only thing I would buy
on the other islands is a T Shirt. The forth day was in Grand Cayman. We were on the first
String Ray city excursion, and it was great feeding and swimming
the the southern rays. I would recommend going as early as possible, my sister went on the
last trip and said the rays wern't hungry at that point and
didn't interact to much with them. We also went snorkling at edens rock right next to
where the tender drops you off. We saw more fish here than we did
anywhere on the trip. The fifth day was in Cozumel, Mexico. We took the scuba tour here.
RCL changed the dive from a boat dive to a beach dive. The dive
was ok we made a loop of the bay. Some people where upset because the dive didn't go very
deep. My only complaint was that the guide went to fast, and
I didn't get time to really look at any thing. We spent the rest of the day shopping, and
like I said earlier I think the prices are better in Mexico then any
where else on the trip.
The shows on the ship were all good except we didn't much care for the ships dancers and
singers, so the night they did the whole show I didn't enjoy to
much. I don't like just singing and dancing anyway, but my wife said she thought it could
have been alot better to. They had a magician and a couple of
comedians and the they were very entertaining. They also had a juggaler who was very
funny. Our waiter and cabin steward were both excelent. Our
cabin steward made animals out of towels every night and left them on our bed. The food
was very good I ate way to much. I tried alot of things I had
never eaten before, and if I didn't like it I could send it back. Shahid from Pakistan was
our waiter, and he took very good care of us, he even cut my wifes
meat for her.
We enjoyed the whole experience. The only problem we had with RCL was our suit cases was
handled very roughly. It came to our room all dented and
smashed. We have the soft sided suit cases, so most of we could reform, but they did bend
a metal rod in one of the bags. I would recomend taking strong
luggage.
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