08/04/2023
Boarding Princess Cruises’ Majestic Princess, I soon discovered that it has a lot to offer. I’m sailing again on her in November to New Zealand so a three day ‘taster’ cruise was a good opportunity to explore the ship and get to know the ins and outs before my longer journey later in the year.
We booked Cabin C102, Category S5 which is known as a Premium Suite on Deck 10, Caribe deck. When we opened the door we discovered it was quite a large cabin, entering immediately into the separate living area and access to the expansive balcony which contained two loungers, a table and two chairs (and an iconic view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge as we were right at the back of the ship). The separate bedroom contained twin beds which had been converted to a queen size bed. Access to a split bathroom was achieved either via the bedroom or living area.
As we were sailing in a Suite, we were provided with a full mini bar set up, fruit bowl, canapés and two glasses of Sparkling White wine on arrival. Majestic Princess also offers the Concierge Lounge to its Suite guests and it wasn’t long before our personal Concierge rang to ask if we had any requests for our voyage on Majestic Princess and to invite us to the Lounge for pre dinner drinks.
One criticism I did have of the Suite we had booked was that as it was at the back of the ship, and when we docked in Brisbane before dawn, we were awoken by the workings of the dock and the anchoring of the boat underneath us. I’m glad we had the opportunity to get to know the ship as we had booked the same Suite but on the other side, C101 for our New Zealand sailing but have since changed to a Suite more mid-ship to alleviate the early morning noise and movement when docking.
So why has the Majestic Princess become one of my favourite ships? Well, you may recall when I was in Belfast I raved about the hydrotherapy area at The Merchant Hotel where we stayed. Well, the Majestic Princess has almost the exact same hydrotherapy pool in their Thermal Suite, known as The Enclave. As we were in a suite, one of the perks was unlimited use of The Enclave and I must admit, we were there twice a day, but even if it wasn’t included it’s definitely something I would have paid extra for. You can buy a pass for the duration of your sail which works out to approximately AUD$25 a day. As well as the pool there are amazing heated stone beds and steam rooms infused with aromatherapy oils. Pure indulgence and bliss! If you want to make use of The Enclave, I would suggest you head to Lotus Spa on the first day of your voyage to purchase your pass.
Another great feature of the Majestic Princess is their great indoor pool area known as The Hollywood Club. As someone who doesn’t fare well with my pasty, white skin (thanks to my Irish and English heritage!), an indoor pool area is something I love on a cruise ship. It also means whatever the weather is like outside, you can lounge on one of their comfortable deck chairs or in one of the cabana areas and take a dip in the freshwater pool or soak away your troubles in the hot tubs. There’s also a bar area but with Princess’ Medallion app, no matter where you are, you can order food and drinks.
The Hollywood Club is a popular area and open to all passengers, including children so it is advisable to try and get there early if you want a lounge but we did find during our voyage that people were coming and going on a regular basis so it wasn’t too long before a space became available.
There are plenty of places to eat on The Majestic Princess. Aside from the World Fresh Marketplace, or the Buffet as is it known, there’s also casual dining options such as the International Cafe which is opened 24 hours a day with a changing array of small meals and treats depending on the time of day. It’s also a popular place to grab a specialty coffee.
Alfredo’s Pizzeria is also on board and a great place to enjoy freshly made, gourmet pizzas. By the pool, you can find the Burger and Lobster Grill, for a quick burger and hotdog while relaxing by the pool or indulge in a lobster roll if that’s more to your liking. Chopsticks Noodle Bar can also be found on the pool deck, where you can enjoy wok-fried noodles and fresh soups.
The Specialty Dining options onboard include the very popular steakhouse, Crown Grill and French inspired, Bistro Sur La Mer. I must admit, no matter which Princess ship we’re sailing on, we always make sure we book a night to dine at Crown Grill. This time on the Majestic Princess, we also dined a night at Bistro Sur La Mer, which features a French inspired menu crated by 3 Michelin Star Chef, Emmanuel Renaut. My dining partner highly recommends the Lobster Bisque, and said it was probably the best she’s ever tasted – on land or at sea.
Another speciality restaurant which can be only be found on The Majestic Princess is Harmony, another Michelin star Chef, Richard Chen has created a menu which features a modern interpretation of classic Chinese dishes. On this sailing we didn’t have a chance to dine in the evening here but took a look at the menu and it will definitely be somewhere we will be dining when we sail again to New Zealand in November. Harmony Restaurant was also where the Suite guests dined during the Breakfast service on our sailing so we did get to sample the decor and ambience of the restaurant during the day.
We were lucky enough however, to be invited to the Chef’s Table Lumiere on our last night on board and if you’re a foodie, I definitely recommend you put your name on the list to partake in the extravaganza. It is very popular, so it’s another thing to request when you first board the ship. If you’re successful, you will receive a letter in your stateroom advising the date of your dinner.
The Majestic Princess was built in 2017 and has a total of 1780 cabins. It allows for 3560 passengers, and served by approximately 1340 crew and staff. It has 18 decks, 15 which are passenger-accessible, and 8 of the decks feature cabins. To keep you occupied at sea, there are 2 swimming pools with 8 outdoor hot tubs and features 14 bar and lounge areas.
After exploring the Majestic Princess on a short cruise and finding out all it has to offer, I can’t wait to be back on it later this year heading to New Zealand.
