Tom Brown

Age: 37
Occupation: Manager - Technical Solutions
Number of Cruises: 1
Cruise Line: RCCL
Ship: Majesty of the Seas
Sailing Date: October 25th, 2004
Itinerary: Bahamas

At the expense of sounding repetitive with the other reviews, let me first direct my comments to the First Time Cruisers, of which I am one. This was an Excellent first time cruise.

I chose the Four Day version as a first time cruise because I was not sure how well my body would react to the rocking motion. It was inexpensive while giving me a good taste of cruising. I am now planning my next – longer cruise, and will definitely be on Royal Caribbean.

Point number two, do not be discouraged or swayed too strongly by the negative comments that you have read in this forum. Yes, the ship is not perfect, it is however 13 years old. So lets try to keep a little perspective. If you set out to find lots of faults, you will do so. If you set out to have a wonderful first time experience; that is what you will have.

Have you ever wondered why there are such varied opinions about this ship? The answer is how particular and how negative you want to be. That being said; here are my observations as a first and soon to be second timer.

We arrived at the checkin early around 1:00pm and were on board within 20 minutes. If at all possible complete your documentation online in advance. Bring a change of clothes in a backpack which will get lots of use on the trip.

I personally found the food to be excellent, both at the buffet and in the formal dinning room. We quickly learned that the wait staff will bring you more than one appetizer or dessert if you cannot decide or want to experiment. Go with the motto that you can do almost anything if you ask.

With respect to drinks. The pop card is expensive, but several people bought one per couple. Although this is not completely according to the rules, you are entitled to unlimited drinks. People just ordered two and shared – no one seemed overly concerned.

I also brought several bottles of wine with me, packed in my luggage. Royal Caribbean’s web site says you are not permitted to bring alcohol onboard. However, there is also a disclaimer that states this policy may not apply to every ship. In our personalized ticket booklet, the message was very different. It stated that RCCL reserves the right to “limit” the amount of alcohol brought on board. With that guidance we did so, and our stateroom attendant provided a wine bucket (continually filled with ice) and a corkscrew. This helped cut the drinking cost considerably.

As far as the quality of the ship goes. There were a few warn spots on the rugs, and a little rust at the bottom of our shower, but nothing that had any impact on the quality or enjoyment of our cruise. One of the elevators had a nasty habit of not stopping on the correct floor, but that just added to the adventure.

In Nassau, take a taxi tour instead of the excursion; but beware the “taxi” tour of the Atlantis only includes the hotel portion of the Aquarium. If you want to do the full underground tour, go for the excursion or pay at the hotel.

One last comment with regard to motion sickness. I am susceptible to motion sickness, and usually take Gravol to go on rides at the fair. I took a little the first night, but overall did not find the rocking to be problematic. The ship is in constant motion, swaying back and forth, but I got used to it very quickly. I was surprised to find out that I continued to rock after going ashore. I guess I now understand what “sea legs” are all about.

Overall, I was very impressed with the trip, the cruise and Royal Caribbean. This is a great entry level cruise at a great price. I highly recommend it.

 

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