Majestic Princess, an onboard experience to remember

Many people dream of one day taking a cruise. For some it is to visit a favourite area and others it is to include a place that they want to sample before committing a longer holiday in that location.  For us, this cruise was to travel onboard the Majestic Princess to areas not familiar to us on a ship that was still in its inaugural season.

It started with a simple facebook message in August 2016 when Steve posted a sneak preview link to my page, tempting me to book a trip on Majestic Princess, which was due to set sail in May 2017.

We had travelled on Majestic’s sister ship, the Royal Princess and when we saw the 21 night Grand Asia cruise onboard the Majestic Princess from Singapore to Shanghai it wasn’t a hard decision to go ahead and confirm a booking. After all, all areas we’d already travelled in Asia we’d enjoyed and being the sister ship to Royal Princess we knew it would be beautiful. Seven of the nine ports on this repositioning cruise were new to us and the itinerary offered a good balance of sea and port days.

Majestic, the largest in the Princess fleet has capacity for 3560 guests and 1346 happy and well trained staff to support the guests whether it be cooking, cleaning, maintenance, entertainment, etc. This megaship is 330 metres long, with 1780 cabins, 19 decks, has almost 1100 square metres of luxury boutique shopping. Built exclusively for the Asian market Majestic is reported to have the largest shopping space at sea. It has a private Karaoke lounge, a water fountain with multimedia light show and a giant LED screen for Movies Under The Stars.

Once you cross the gangplank the first area you arrive at is the grand atrium. The multi-story heart of the ship is a hub of excitement and fun day or night. It is the place for refreshments, relaxation and people watching. The atrium hosts many social activities, where you can enjoy musicians, jugglers, acrobats with a morning coffee or late night cocktail. The atrium is a picture of elegance, with beautiful marble floors and magnificent circular staircases. It is inviting and luxurious and has a balance of the calming blues of the ocean and the glittering opulence of golden tones, making it aesthetically very pleasing.

The Princess Cruises design team certainly did not compromise space or comfort using all their design expertise to create spacious public areas and comfortable suites and staterooms.  It was easy to find our room, the even numbers had blue carpet in the hallway and the other side red. Sounds silly but on a ship this size it is easy to confuse which way to go when you navigate the stairs and corridors. Our stateroom was C512 on Caribe deck, level 10. It was tastefully decorated and quite spacious. We had a sofa, modest bathroom and generous sized robe with shelves and safe. The beds provide the ultimate in luxury and comfort, a sprung mattress with a plush pillow top and luxurious duvet and linen. To enjoy the views and sea air there was a huge window opening up to our balcony.

If you’re like us, one of the things you look forward to making it the most memorable, apart from the itinerary, is the food. And I have to say the Majestic Princess does not disappoint. With an array of delicious food to satisfy any palate and appetite, we could choose from decadent western cuisine to mouth watering eastern favourites. The buffet, World Fresh Marketplace, Chopsticks Noodle bar, Alfredo’s Pizzeria and the International Café were some of the free places we could choose to eat. All guests have the choice and flexibility of anytime dining or the indulgence of traditional dining in the main dining rooms at no extra charge. We chose the latter with late seating, at the same time, same table with the same wait staff.

Then there the ‘extra charge’ Lobster & Dim Sum bar,  two Michelin star restaurants, a French Bistro, La Mer and a specialty Cantonese restaurant, Harmony. There are also other specialty dining options like Crown Grill steakhouse, private Ultimate Balcony dining, or the adventure of Chef’s Table Lumiere. Seriously the food in the dining rooms was so delicious and offered endless choices that we never sampled all the extra charge venues.

Ever want to walk on water? Then there is one feature of this ship you will love. The SeaWalk, a glass floored walkway extending out 9 metres beyond the edge of the ship. Walking along the 20 metre walkway, 40 metres above the sea is just spectacular looking straight down to see the ocean below. Nearby is the SeaView bar.

Despite the number of people onboard surprisingly we always found spaces around the ship to sit or mingle with our newly found friends. There are also lots of bars to sample the awesome range of cocktails.

Another area fitting with Princess’s philosophy of ‘come back new’ is the relaxing adults only retreat, The Sanctuary. This is the place to be, the chic Hollywood Pool Club by day with comfortable day beds, modern sculptures and topiaries surrounding a freshwater pool covered with a glass dome. By night the area transforms to a luxurious nightclub.

When you’re not feasting on the delicious culinary delights the place to be is on the top deck where you’ll find the largest pool of any onboard a Princess ship. If you prefer the outdoors and fresh ocean air you’ll enjoy the huge Movies Under The Stars day and night and the Watercolour Fantasy fountain. Whether you are taking a dip or curling up on a sun lounge with a good book and refreshing cocktail this is the perfect place to unwind after a day of shore excursions.

Majestic Princess is the first in the Princess fleet to feature the new Seawitch design on the bow with her hair flowing toward the stern. Being built for the Asian market all signage on the ship, is written in English and Cantonese.

Entertainment is something that has been well thought out. From original musical productions in the Princess Theater to a Vegas style casino, shopping arcades, even an al fresco mini golf course and basketball court. You can work off all the effort the chefs put into creating great tasting fare and sweat it out at the huge sea facing gymnasium on the treadmills and other equipment. The Vegas style casino has slot machines, blackjack, poker, baccarat, etc. You name it they have it.

The stunning onboard features that make the Majestic Princess standout, are nothing short of magnificent. Majestic offers great value for money, when you consider the price includes everything needed for a fantastic trip; food, accommodation, entertainment and transport between destinations. Speaking of destinations, the 9 port itinerary was amazing, travelling to some of the world’s most remarkable destinations. Boarding in Singapore we sailed to Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Keelung, Yokohama, Osaka, Incheon, arriving in Shanghai where we disembarked. Our ship docked in Hong Kong overnight so we could experience the vibrant nightlife and enjoy the symphony of light and sound show in the harbour.

Have you been on a cruise ship that was brand new? Would you consider a cruise onboard Majestic Princess?

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