Review: Majesty of the Seas March 15 - 19

We just got back from the 4 night Majesty of the Seas cruise to the Bahamas and Key West, March 15 - 19. We took this cruise to celebrate DW’s birthday and to get away and relax a little. We planned no shore excursions ahead of time. In the past, we have always cruised with our kids or with other couples. This was our 5th cruise (platinum now, yeah :D) but the first we have taken with just the two of us.

Pre cruise – Miami: We went a day early as always. Our flight down was on Delta, booked through Orbitz. Aside from a 2 hour delay on our layover in Cincinnati, the flights were uneventful. I usually book my own flights directly through the airlines but I decided to try Orbitz this time. Never again, but more on that later. The taxi from the airport to our hotel was $26. There was a traffic accident on the expressway that added time to the ride. That probably added a few bucks to the cost. We stayed at the Intercontinental downtown near the port. We had been inside the hotel before but had never stayed there. This hotel gets a lot of recommendations on Cruise Critic so we thought we would give it a try. We had a room on the 21st floor overlooking the harbor and the cruise pier. Both the room and the view were spectacular. Our only complaint about the hotel was the fact that there was a charge to use the fitness center.

The hotel is located a short distance from Bayside Marketplace. We arrived at the hotel at 2:30 and after spending some time getting settled in, we headed for Bayside. We browsed the shops for a while and then had dinner at Bubba Gump’s. The meal was good and the dessert was outstanding. We browsed the shops and the rest of the harbor for a while after dinner and then headed back to the hotel. It had been a long day for us. We had gotten to the airport at 5:15 am after losing an hour of sleep to daylight savings time.

Day 1 – Miami: We slept in a little to get caught up on our sleep from the night before. We then took a power walk over to Bayside and back to work off some of the calories that we would be putting on over the course of the next few days. We arrived at the pier a couple minutes before 11:00 and they had not started boarding yet. There were probably 100 or so people in front of us already. At 11:00 they opened the lines through security and we were on our way. The whole check in process was quick and painless and we were on the ship at 11:25. There were a lot of spring breakers on this cruise. I know there are a lot of people who won’t cruise with spring breakers but I will say I never once saw anyone acting out of control. The entire group of passengers on this cruise seemed to be there for some fun and relaxation.

The ship, in general: The Majesty of the Seas was in fantastic shape. She had just been in dry dock for 10 days in February and had undergone some major improvements. The entire wooden pool deck had been torn up and replace with a synthetic material. It looked gorgeous. Most of the indoor/outdoor carpeting on the pool deck and the deck above had been replaced also. There were (some) new tables and chairs on the pool deck also. Some of the other improvements we noticed as we traveled about the ship were new carpets in some areas, new upholstery in some of the lounges and fresh paint in several areas. Overall I think the ship looked fantastic.

Our cabin was 8572, an oceanview on deck 8. Most of the cabins on deck 8 have obstructed views. Thanks to Cruise Critic, I was able to get a list of cabins that did not have the obstructed view and this was one of them. Most of the cabins on deck 8 look out at the life boats hanging from the deck above. The view is not totally obstructed. You can see under the life boats. Our cabin was between two life boats which allowed us to have a better view. We did have a structural pole to look around but it was not much of an obstruction. I will have pictures posted later if anyone wants to see the view from our cabin. The down side to this cabin is that it is over Bolero’s. The noise coming up from Bolero’s was very noticeable. We were up most nights until 12:00 or 1:00 so it’s not like we went to bed early. We complained about the noise to each other but we were always so tired every night that it really didn’t keep us from sleeping. If you are a light sleeper or have trouble falling asleep however, I would not recommend any of the cabins above Bolero’s.

Dining: We had lunch the first day in the Windjammer. I know that food quality is subject to opinion and everyone has their own expectations as to what the food should be. We found the Windjammer selection and quality to be very good. My only disappointment was the Honey Stung Chicken. I have heard lots of rave reviews about it but I don't see what the big deal is. I tried it for the first time on our cruise last year aboard Adventure and again on this cruise. Both times it was very dry and almost tasteless. Not what I was expecting.

Our table in the main dining room was a table for six. Also at the table with us were another couple and a mother with her teenage son. After looking at the menu the first night, the son decided that he wanted to eat in the Windjammer so they got up and left. We never saw them again. Our wait staff was very pleasant and attentive to our needs. DW ordered chocolate milk on the first night and it was there for her every night after that. The food was very good every night. After five cruises with RCI we have seen most of their food and know what to expect. Again, I know food is subject to personal opinion but for us, we were very satisfied. I will say though that I am ready for a change of menu on RCI's ships.

The best kept secret on the Majesty is the Compass Deli. The Compass Deli is located on deck 12 on the starboard side of the ship above the Windjammer. You can get to it either by a set of stairs in the Windjammer or by walking through Sorrento’s. I had heard about this place here on Cruise Critic and I knew I wanted to check it out. I knew I had made a good choice when I found the Cruise Director and some of the Captain’s staff eating there. The Compass Deli serves a selection of soups, fresh made sandwiches and desserts. They also have a make-your-own salad bar, assorted breads and fruit. They also have a limited selection of beer and wine. While we have always enjoyed the food in the Windjammer, we ate lunch at the Compass Deli the rest of the week. Unfortunately, Majesty of the Seas is the only ship in RCI’s fleet that offers this venue.

Day 2 – Nassau: As I stated earlier, we had not planned any excursions for any of the ports on this trip. Our only plan for this stop was to visit the straw market. DW enjoys shopping (Duh! what female doesn’t? :D) so this was where she wanted to go. We found a couple of trinkets for souvenirs so it paid off. After walking around town, we were back on the ship for lunch and then just relaxed by the pool for the afternoon.

Day 3, Saint Patrick’s Day – Coco Cay: This was DW’s birthday. She slept in a while and then we had a relaxing breakfast in the Windjammer. We took a tender to Coco Cay around 10:30. We were only on the island for about a half an hour before it started to sprinkle on and off. We decided to beat the rush and headed back to the ship at 11:30. We had lunch in the Compass Deli. By 1:00 the sprinkle had turned to rain and everyone was coming back from the island. We stayed inside for the rest of the day.

Day 4 – Key West: We had never been to Key West before so we thought it would be nice to find a guided tour to learn a little about it. We got off the ship and walked around until we found the Conch Train Tour. This is a 90 minute tour that takes you around most of Key West. We rode past most of the tourist hot spots. Our tour guide was very informative. After the tour we walked around town for a little and did some shopping and sightseeing. We had a snack and a drink at Sloppy Joe’s and then headed back to the ship to lounge by the pool. While DW was relaxing by the pool I decided to check in for our flight home. When I got to the airline web site, it told me the confirmation number that Orbitz had given me was invalid and that I needed to call the airline, Continental. I called the airline and for some reason they had my flights and even my seat locations but they could not check me in. I was told I would have to check in at the airport.

Day 5 – Miami: Disembarkationwas the fastest and easiest that I have ever experienced. Our meeting place was the Chorus Line Lounge. We walked in at 8:30 and our color was called at 8:35. We were escorted to the gangway and off the ship at 8:50. I planned on taking a taxi to the airport. I know the cost is $24. When we got to the ground transportation area, we were offered a shuttle for $10/person. We took it. It was a 10 passenger van that took a few minutes to fill but we weren’t in a big hurry to get to the airport so it was not a big deal to wait. Once at the airport, I went to the Continental desk to check in and they could not check me in either. The attendant had to call someone at corporate to figure out what was going on. I don’t know what happened on the phone but when she got off she told me that I could now check in using the kiosk. I think the flight was probably overbooked and that was what was causing the issue. Anyway, I got my boarding passes and the flights were uneventful. I don’t know if booking through Orbitz had anything to do with all of this but I have never had problems booking directly through the airlines. From now on, I’ll go back to booking directly with the airlines. I know others use Orbitz all the time and I assume they do it without problems but I have decided it’s not for me.

Overview: We were able to get a very good price on this cruise so it was well worth the money spent. The ship was in fabulous condition. The staff was very friendly. The entertainment was enjoyable. The food was great. What more could we ask for? If anyone is considering this ship or itinerary, I highly recommend it. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Thanks so much for the review. We leave on Majesty a week from tomorrow :D I'm glad to hear she is looking good and all is running "ship shape!". Will definitely check out the Compass Deli. Anything else we should not miss? (shows, shops, lounges & music etc?)

Thanks for the review! Glad you had a good time. I was on Majesty in December and didn't know she was going in to dry dock. I'd love to see the improvements. And I totally agree about the Compass Deli--best secret ever!

Thanks for the review. I enjoyed reading it. We also loved the Compass deli on the Majesty.

Thanks so much for the review. We leave on Majesty a week from tomorrow :D I'm glad to hear she is looking good and all is running "ship shape!". Will definitely check out the Compass Deli. Anything else we should not miss? (shows, shops, lounges & music etc?)

My recommendation would be to just check the daily Compass and see what interests you. There were many things happening in the bars and lounges most nights. I could recommend the Love and Marriage Game and Quest but the outcome of those two is dependant on the guests so what we got may not be what you get.

My recommendation would be to just check the daily Compass and see what interests you. There were many things happening in the bars and lounges most nights. I could recommend the Love and Marriage Game and Quest but the outcome of those two is dependant on the guests so what we got may not be what you get.

Thanks! We loved those two on our last cruise. Not sure if we'll make it this time as DD (age 6) may not make it in AO that late.

Thanks for the review, we have to wait until Oct. to board the Majesty.

What a well written review.

Well Done and thank's for sharing it with us :o

Nicely done review.

Wife and I were on Majesty in Feb 09 on this exact cruise and it converted us to RCI dweebs. The review in my sig pretty much mathes yours except that the Compass Deli wasn't good on the one day we were there.

If Majesty had balconies (without paying for a suite) we'd sail her again in a second. As it is, Enchantment suited us better and we're trying out Explorer in about 7 weeks.

Thanks again for the review.

Thanks for a great review. Interesting you mentioned disappointment with the honey stung chicken. If cooked well, it is delicious. But if cooked poorly, it can be dry. Also, the dark meat is to be avoided. Try to find the white meat HSC.

Thanks for the review. We will be heading out on the 4 day in Sept.

thanks for the review! do you have any photos you can share?

Thanks for a great review. Interesting you mentioned disappointment with the honey stung chicken. If cooked well, it is delicious. But if cooked poorly, it can be dry. Also, the dark meat is to be avoided. Try to find the white meat HSC.

Totally agree on that. I had the HSC on Liberty and it was awful--after all the hoopla, I was so disappointed. But interestingly, on Majesty in December, I tried it again, and it was fantastic! Sorry OP got a bad batch. :(

Thanks for the review! Sailing on May 17th!! Will try the deli for sure!!! If anyone knows any of the activities choices available on the ship, I'm very interested in hearing more options for things to do. Did they have a wine tasting by any chance?

thanks for the review, i love the Majesty.

Great review we like the ship as well and we have never understood the hype of honey stung...........