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Royal Caribbean International

MV Majesty of the Seas

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Reviewed by: Trish C.
# previous cruises: 1
Date of Trip: September 15, 2003
Itinerary: Bahamas

We got a great deal and everything was very smooth. RCCI has a user friendly, information packed web site! This was truly one of the best vacations I have ever been on! There was always something or nothing to do. The best part was it changed everyday and you did not have to plan any of it. You could just let it happen. Despite my generally skeptical nature, by the time I got off the Majesty I was a Crown and Anchor member & had an application for their credit card in my hands. I am looking forward to my next cruise next month.

We loved the Viking Crown Lounge, RCCI's signature 360 degree bar around the smokestacks. The panoramic view is breathtaking. We went up there the first night before dinner to have a quiet glass of champagne and unwind. We met a waitress named Sylvia who was great. She wasn't very busy so she took the time to talk to us and tell us more about the ship. She explained the crew was a bit nervous about hurricane Isabel but that we would have gone to Mexico if she came to the Bahamas.

We only went to the casino once. It always seemed bustling with activity. We played a few slots and went to the champagne bar afterwards.

The library and game room were well stocked and comfortable. The board games were often checked out early.

The rock climbing wall defeated me early on but Bobby climbed it a few times. Each face is a different degree of difficulty. He swears the view from 15 stories above the ocean enhanced by your sense of personal accomplishment is not to be missed. I'll take his word for it.

I never felt crowded even though the ship was full.

We opted for the late dinner seating so as not to miss the sunsets and to avoid passengers with children. Sean our waiter was marvelous and Wilma, the head waitress, was one of the most vivacious people I have ever met. We were at a table for 6 but one couple never showed up. Our table mates worked in the travel industry for an airline and were lovely dinner companions.

We primarily ate breakfast and lunch in the Windjammer Cafi. Breakfast buffets are all pretty much alike but everything was hearty and hot. The lines were never too long. If you wanted something lighter, there was always plenty of fresh fruit available. I usually grabbed a piece for later by the pool. Do not try to take food on excursions; foreign countries usually prohibit this practice.

We did eat in the dining room one morning because that was the only place to get eggs benedict. We were seated with a group of Asian tourists who did not speak English. I found the service to be slow and surprisingly the portions were small. We did not return to formal breakfast.

The pool side midnight buffet was served on formal night. I was disappointed that all of our fellow passengers changed into shorts for the event. We opted to stay dressed. As we walked onto the deck some woman grabbed my boyfriend and pulled him into the conga line saying she couldn't resist a man in a tuxedo. He was happy to go around the deck once and I was in search of chocolate so it worked out for everyone.

The other midnight buffet was spectacular to look at. It was hard to believe that everything, including the flowers, was made out of food. We walked though at about 11 pm for the preview and took some pictures. When we came back at 11:45 to eat, the wait was over one hour to get in. Food simply did not interest me that much, so we had a pizza in the sports bar instead.

We opted for the ocean view room and enjoyed our partially obstructed view. The obstruction was that we could see the bottoms of the life rafts. The cabin was small but well designed and actually bigger than I expected. The bed was comfortable and there was enough storage space for everything. The temperature was always perfect - not too hot and not too cold. The bathroom was very tiny and I still wonder how larger passengers fit in the shower. If you are looking for "fun in the shower" with your cabin mate - give that idea up now. There's not enough room to change your own mind in there. We were on deck 8 which was convenient to everything. We managed to keep the inevitable weight gain to a modest 5 lbs by always taking the stairs. We didn't spend much time awake in the cabin so I doubt that I would ever opt for something larger unless I was traveling with more people; I could not imagine having more that 2 people in there.

I loved the animals the stewards made out of the fresh towels every night! It was fun to return to a "surprise".

The Sail Away party was a bit hokey for my tastes. I do not like public participation activities, but mood was festive, the weather spectacular and the vacation had begun! Be aware that you are being video taped and may be subjected to watching yourself on a big screen the last night. Your fellow passengers can also buy a copy of this tape for their future viewing pleasure.

We liked the acrobats. The singing waiters were marvelous AND unobtrusive, a tough combination to achieve.

The Captain's Event was kind of boring, but you do get free champagne. The house brand was drinkable. It was also much less of a hard-sell commercial than I thought it was going to be.

Exiting the event, we found a photographer set up. One other couple was ahead of us and a passerby took our picture with our camera too. We ended up buying the photograph because it actually came out well. (Anybody who knows me, knows I hate having my picture taken, so this was an accomplishment). Upstairs people waited up to 45 minutes to have their pictures taken.

The on-board shopping offered better bargains that I thought we'd find. The duty free shops were competitively priced with land based stores. They do gouge you on necessities so pack your toiletry bag carefully.

In Nassau we left the ship without any wait and walked around the main section of town. We bought some trinkets and other souvenirs. We had both been to the Bahamas before and neither of us liked it. It was much cleaner and less seedy than it had been in '91, the last time I was there. You can take public transportation or a taxi to Paradise Island or other public beaches on Grand Bahama. Both are much better values than booking the same trips through the cruise line. We did enjoy watching the crew practice the life boat drill.

Coco Cay, RCCI's private island, was cute. It had a Disney-esque quality. Everything was just a little too perfect and contrived but it was a nice day at the beach. About the only time we waited for anything during the whole cruise was to get on and off the tenders to and from the island. The hammock was comfortable. I wish the waiters selling "coco loco in the sun" had on-off switches. After about 15 minutes of that mantra from every direction it gets old, fast. A menu similar to the lunch buffet aboard ship was available on the island, along with huge containers of fresh, potable water. Again, armed with our trustee insulated mugs there was no need to purchase water. The snorkeling was good. RCCI sunk a boat & a plane for you to go "find". They give you a map and other swimmers tend to congregate by these wrecks. Various life guards throw fish food into the water to cause the fish to swarm around you. In that frenzy one fish bit a mole off some guy's back. It was fairly disconcerting to see him bleeding but he thought it was funny. The current was strong and rough because of Hurricane Isabel so for safety reasons they closed the deep snorkeling reef. Although we brought our own equipment, I was very impressed with the quality and frequency of the safety lectures and the sterilization procedures.

Key West was eye opening. The natives are incredibly liberal and welcome all sorts of alternative lifestyles. Watch out for all the people who rented golf carts to get around & can't drive them well. The town was a bit disappointed; they had been expecting the arrival of an Aircraft Carrier and 5,000 sailors but due to the hurricane the carrier was re-routed to Norfolk to provide disaster relief. They were also waiting for a Harley Motorcycle Event to roll into town. I wasn't looking forward to the mix of those two groups.

There is no ban on public nudity in Key West as long as you are wearing body paint. We were there in the morning and afternoon so things were fairly calm. I do not think I would bring impressionable kids through many parts of town after a certain hour. We had a drink at the Hogs' Breath Saloon because well, you have to. We also went to Irish Kevin's - where as the sign said, "we came, we drank, we don't remember." Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville looked like it would have been fun but we were short on time.

The tour of the Summer White House was educational. As you walk there from the pier, about 3-5 blocks, take a look at the lush and unique foliage.

The highlight of our trip was parasailing with Sebago on Williams Street. Through the cruise you could purchase parasailing excursions at every port. They were charging about $60 pp for a = hour boat ride and a 6 minute sail. We paid $75 for 2 people to go on 5 minute boat ride and a = hour parasail. Sebago is a member of the Key West Chamber of Commerce. They are fully insured and take safety very seriously. For an extra $10 they will also take digital pictures of you sailing and give you the disk to print out when you get home. There's an Internet Cafi on the pier right there, with cheaper access fees, if like us you didn't bring a lap top but can't wait to see yourself flying through the air. Sebago also made a point of sailing us past the Majesty twice for a birds' eye view of the ship.

Back in Miami we had a full day after disembarking. We rented a car which also served as a convenient & safe place to store our stuff for the day. Florida is pretty easy to navigate. We headed south on Route 1 to Crystal Castle. It's this huge place all hand carved in coral by one guy in the 1920s and 30s. It has a sun dial that is still accurate. There a 9 ton door you can move with one finger and the furniture is surprisingly comfortable. Some people say the place has mystical qualities. I don't know about that but I thought $20 pp for an attraction you can see in about 20 minutes was a bit pricey.

After the Castle we drove north to the Miami zoo and learned the hard way why Floridians don't go to the zoo on 90 degree days with 100% humidity. We had the place to ourselves and were able to listen in on some private zoo keeper tours. It was fairly easy to see all the animals. Every few feet there were misters to cool you so all in all it was fun. I enjoyed seeing the two baby giraffes who were both under 7 feet tall.

We saw people from all walks of life, in all age brackets, from a majority of income brackets. There was even a guest in a wheelchair. Everyone was personable.