Sophie

Age: Under 30
Occupation: Internal Auditor
Number of Cruises: First One
Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean
Ship: Majesty of the Seas
Sailing Date: January 17th, 2005
Itinerary: Western Caribbean

Quick Summary

For a first cruise, I thought my experience was great. I got this cruise free for attending a time share presentation last year so for the value it was definitely worth it. The crew members were awesome and they worked their tail off to make sure I was satisfied the whole time. I tipped them extra because I felt that their efforts were worth it. This coming summer, my husband and I are planning on going on a cruise tour in Alaska. We have already made reservation with another cruise line but we are considering Royal Caribbean as an option because I like them so much. Weeks before going on the cruise, I used this site and read everyone's reviews and tips about the ship. It was very helpful. Thank you all for such thorough reviews. Below is my experience on the Majesty.

Day 1: Embarkation

I arrived at Port Miami with my good friend who is a Miami resident. This was her first cruise as well. My husband is home on medical leave from shoulder surgery so he wasn’t able to join me on the trip. However, it was good for me to hang out with my friend and have some “girly” time. My friend's roommate dropped us off at the terminal and we were helped with our luggage by one of RCCL's employee. Note, if you get some help, tip them because I notice many people not doing it. We checked into the ship around 1:30 PM and went straight to our room (#2077 on Deck 2). The room was cleaned with the exception that the bed was converted to a queen size. Not a big deal, I called Housekeeping and our stateroom attendant, Edwin, came and converted it back to two twin beds. Next, we went up to the 11th floor for lunch at the Windjammer Cafe. The food was ok. I don't particularly care for buffet style food so the rest of the cruise I ate at the main dining room (Mikado Dining Room) for breakfast, lunch and dinner. At 4:30, we had the infamous Muster Drill. It was very interesting to see people in their life jackets standing in a line to learn about what to do in case of an emergency. After the Muster Drill, the ship left at 5:00 sharp. My friend and I went up to the Pool Deck (12th floor) to wave goodbye to everybody. After spending 30 minutes on the Pool Deck, we both decided to go to the gym. A word of advice, if you don't like to drink, hanging out at the Pool Deck is boring. That's all people did the whole time, drink on the Pool Deck. At around 7:00 I started feeling ill. Yes, the seasickness kicked it. We had a cross wind and everyone got sick the first night. Even the Bonine I took several hours before getting on the ship didn’t help. We had second seating for dinner so I was unable to keep anything down. Our waiter, Bulentz, and his assistant waiter, Glennifer, tried really hard to make me feel better. The only thing I could eat and drink were apples and hot tea. My friend, who is not susceptible to seasickness, started feeling ill. I knew I was in trouble when she told me that she was feeling sick. Half the people in the dining room started throwing up. Around 10:00, my friend and I went back to our room and went to sleep. For me, the only cure to seasickness is to sleep it off. Lo and behold, it did the trick. I was better the next day. So was my friend.

Day 2: Nassau

To be honest, Nassau was a big disappointment. My friend and I had this high expectation of beautiful beaches and nice shopping centers. Instead, it was ok. But, we decided to stay positive and make the best of our visit. We spent half the day at the Straw Market because my friend is a shopaholic. She bought two purses for $50. I bought a flamingo straw purse for $5. Bargaining is the key at the Straw Market. All vendors sell the same thing. You just have to go up and down and negotiate with them. If one vendor gives you a price that is better than another vendor, you go to the vendor with the stuff you like and negotiate with them.

Day 3: Sea Day

We were supposed to go to Coco Cay today but the water was too rough. So, we spent a day at sea. I slept in and woke up at 11:30 AM. I just spent most of the day on the Pool Deck (not drinking) bird and whale watching. Bird watching is one of my hobbies so I was able to see sea birds on this trip. The whales were awesome. I couldn’t tell what they were because the only thing I could see was their tails. But, I at least knew they were whales.

Day 4: Key West

The highlight of the trip for me was Key West. The shops were much better and I took a couple of nature tours. I got to see more birds. The only disappointing thing was we had to get back on the ship by 5:30. I wanted to stay there longer. Oh well, looks like I am going to have to go back to Key West some other time.

Day 5: Miami

Going through Custom was a piece of cake. We left the ship at around 9:00. I spent the day in Miami with my friend and left the next morning for home (I live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area).

Conclusion

Overall, I had a great time on this trip despite being seasick the first day. It was also nice for me to hang out with my friend and had some “girly” time. A word about the food in the dinning room. I have never been pampered like that in my life. Every night, my friend and I ordered 2 to 3 entrees and 1 to 2 desserts. Yes, we are both pigs but hey we’re allowed to be one on a cruise! Dinner was the highlight of the evening for me because of the quality of the food (e.g. shrimp, lobster, filet mignon, etc.) and exceptional service from our waiters. I will definitely go on another Royal Caribbean cruise. For those who have not been on a cruise, I highly recommend Royal Caribbean.
 

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