Any Majestic Pincess thoughts for Australian Cruisers.....

[Johhno]

yeah i think you have to pay upfront now, i aint paying $600 upfront 5 months out, i'll take my chance when onboard.

 

Yes correct , you now have to pay at time of booking .

 

Just did a dummy booking for our 27th Sept cruise on the Majestic so you can see.

(Cut and paste of the payment)

 

 

 

 

Excursion Reservation(s) Total$371.90

Items added to the cart are not reserved until paid.

Pay Now

 

As a note if you have any cruise credits you can apply those first.

 

Cheers,

Johhno

[MicCanberra]

Yes correct , you now have to pay at time of booking .

 

Just did a dummy booking for our 27th Sept cruise on the Majestic so you can see.

 

 

As a note if you have any cruise credits you can apply those first.

 

Cheers,

Johhno

I suppose too many were booking and then cancelling later or once on board.

I did like the idea of the options but have no issues pre paying for excursions. Especially for overseas cruises where it is locking in the cost (USD - AUD conversions) and it certainly helps with spreading the cost out over a larger time period helps with budgeting and not having a huge bill at the end of the cruise.

[martin jenkins]

I suppose too many were booking and then cancelling later or once on board.

I did like the idea of the options but have no issues pre paying for excursions. Especially for overseas cruises where it is locking in the cost (USD - AUD conversions) and it certainly helps with spreading the cost out over a larger time period helps with budgeting and not having a huge bill at the end of the cruise.

 

thats what i heard, maybe they should do a non refundable deposit on shore tours if your serious about going on one or more.

[MicCanberra]

thats what i heard, maybe they should do a non refundable deposit on shore tours if your serious about going on one or more.

Seems they want the money early instead.

On Royal and X you have to pay upfront but you can use any OBC as well though.

[NSWP]

Seems they want the money early instead.

On Royal and X you have to pay upfront but you can use any OBC as well though.

 

With Princess you have to pay shorex upfront, but they take your obc first, no problems with that. Personally I think paying up front is a good policy, save people booking heaps of shorex and then cancelling just before cruise or onboard, thus probably denying others the opportunity of booking shorex.

 

I have just paid out about $3000 for Princess shorex for next 3 cruises on Sapphire and Royal Princess in Europe. And on checking several of the shorex are already booked out, so on board would be bookers will miss out probably. At least our final on board a/c won't be a shocker.:o

 

Lets face it, you have to pay your airfares when you book and you have to pay your cruise fare 2 or 3 months out, (75 days on Princess) so what is the big drama about pre paying shorex? Many private tour operators also want prepayment.:rolleyes:

[MicCanberra]

With Princess you have to pay shorex upfront, but they take your obc first, no problems with that. Personally I think paying up front is a good policy, save people booking heaps of shorex and then cancelling just before cruise or onboard, thus probably denying others the opportunity of booking shorex.

 

I have just paid out about $3000 for Princess shorex for next 3 cruises on Sapphire and Royal Princess in Europe. And on checking several of the shorex are already booked out, so on board would be bookers will miss out probably. At least our final on board a/c won't be a shocker.:o

 

Lets face it, you have to pay your airfares when you book and you have to pay your cruise fare 2 or 3 months out, (75 days on Princess) so what is the big drama about pre paying shorex? Many private tour operators also want prepayment.:rolleyes:

Agreed, some private shorex will accept a smaller (10-25%) deposit and then Cash on the day but others want at least 50% or full payment up front.

[cheznandy]

Hi all,...it appears the Majestic will be with us for extended seasons for the next coupe of years,...YAY!!... ( we are on the Sept sailing)...

 

there has not been too many reviews about, and a few people have commented on the lack of bars and dancing areas, which will be a bit of a concern when we Aussies board for a fun time! lol..... do you think there will be a few adjustments to things before she comes to our waters?.... I realise a lot of space is given over to various gaming areas, for the Chinese market etc....any thoughts?..:):)

 

Hi, we are on the Shanghai to Sydney cruise.

Happy to do a Live from for anyone that wants info for the following cruises.

We are expecting a few changes during the 22 nights as they change it up a bit for the Aussie season, who wants the same old all the time anyway!

Looking forward to some Asian influence and a change of Princess ship.

We have taken the Diamond from Beijing and the Sapphire from Singapore, so very excited to do the Majestic from Shanghai:D

[martin jenkins]

Hi, we are on the Shanghai to Sydney cruise.

Happy to do a Live from for anyone that wants info for the following cruises.

We are expecting a few changes during the 22 nights as they change it up a bit for the Aussie season, who wants the same old all the time anyway!

Looking forward to some Asian influence and a change of Princess ship.

We have taken the Diamond from Beijing and the Sapphire from Singapore, so very excited to do the Majestic from Shanghai:D

 

looking forward to harmony. le mer, chopsticks etc plus i hope they keep the dim sum and lobster bar.

[martin jenkins]

With Princess you have to pay shorex upfront, but they take your obc first, no problems with that. Personally I think paying up front is a good policy, save people booking heaps of shorex and then cancelling just before cruise or onboard, thus probably denying others the opportunity of booking shorex.

 

I have just paid out about $3000 for Princess shorex for next 3 cruises on Sapphire and Royal Princess in Europe. And on checking several of the shorex are already booked out, so on board would be bookers will miss out probably. At least our final on board a/c won't be a shocker.:o

 

Lets face it, you have to pay your airfares when you book and you have to pay your cruise fare 2 or 3 months out, (75 days on Princess) so what is the big drama about pre paying shorex? Many private tour operators also want prepayment.:rolleyes:

 

i wish i got $600 to $1,000 OBC like a lot of our american friends.:(:(

[MicCanberra]

Hi, we are on the Shanghai to Sydney cruise.

Happy to do a Live from for anyone that wants info for the following cruises.

We are expecting a few changes during the 22 nights as they change it up a bit for the Aussie season, who wants the same old all the time anyway!

Looking forward to some Asian influence and a change of Princess ship.

We have taken the Diamond from Beijing and the Sapphire from Singapore, so very excited to do the Majestic from Shanghai:D

Sounds good, I will subscribe to your "live from" if you do it.

[MicCanberra]

i wish i got $600 to $1,000 OBC like a lot of our american friends.:(:(

Don't we all but then I want all the perks of being an aussie as well.:D

[Johhno]

Hi, we are on the Shanghai to Sydney cruise.

Happy to do a Live from for anyone that wants info for the following cruises.

We are expecting a few changes during the 22 nights as they change it up a bit for the Aussie season, who wants the same old all the time anyway!

Looking forward to some Asian influence and a change of Princess ship.

We have taken the Diamond from Beijing and the Sapphire from Singapore, so very excited to do the Majestic from Shanghai:D

 

Yes please Cheznandy, will be following watching with interest for our NZ cruise on the 27 Sept.

 

Cheers,

Johhno

[S&D]

Hi, we are on the Shanghai to Sydney cruise.

Happy to do a Live from for anyone that wants info for the following cruises.

We are expecting a few changes during the 22 nights as they change it up a bit for the Aussie season, who wants the same old all the time anyway!

Looking forward to some Asian influence and a change of Princess ship.

We have taken the Diamond from Beijing and the Sapphire from Singapore, so very excited to do the Majestic from Shanghai:D

 

 

Thanks for that chezandy, we will follow along, we are interested to see what changes they make, if any, for our Oz market.... cheers S&D

[zowie57]

Hi, we are on the Shanghai to Sydney cruise.

Happy to do a Live from for anyone that wants info for the following cruises.

We are expecting a few changes during the 22 nights as they change it up a bit for the Aussie season, who wants the same old all the time anyway!

Looking forward to some Asian influence and a change of Princess ship.

We have taken the Diamond from Beijing and the Sapphire from Singapore, so very excited to do the Majestic from Shanghai:D

 

Have Princess advised of any changes to the ship prior to the Oz season beginning Sept 18. The ship appears to have been designed for the Asian market and appears to be staying that way. After studying deck plans my concern is the lack of entertainment areas. Where do 3000 Oz passengers go for a drink and music after dinner and the last show. There is no niteclub, no large lounge for dancing and no piano bar. Everything seems confined to the main piazza areas where everyone will be walking through. Even the specialty restaurants seem open to this thoroughfare. There is the Hollywood Conservatory which is accessed via an indoor pool and has the bandstand between two hot tubs. Weird !!!! It appears the entertainment areas on other Royal class ships have been replaced by additional gambling areas and high end shops once again for the Asian market. Majestic is supposedly the new flagship for Princess in the Australian market so I hope some layout changes will be made. I can live without a walk around promenade deck. Has any one else noticed the lack of entertainment areas which are always found on even the smallest ships.

[martin jenkins]

Have Princess advised of any changes to the ship prior to the Oz season beginning Sept 18. The ship appears to have been designed for the Asian market and appears to be staying that way. After studying deck plans my concern is the lack of entertainment areas. Where do 3000 Oz passengers go for a drink and music after dinner and the last show. There is no niteclub, no large lounge for dancing and no piano bar. Everything seems confined to the main piazza areas where everyone will be walking through. Even the specialty restaurants seem open to this thoroughfare. There is the Hollywood Conservatory which is accessed via an indoor pool and has the bandstand between two hot tubs. Weird !!!! It appears the entertainment areas on other Royal class ships have been replaced by additional gambling areas and high end shops once again for the Asian market. Majestic is supposedly the new flagship for Princess in the Australian market so I hope some layout changes will be made. I can live without a walk around promenade deck. Has any one else noticed the lack of entertainment areas which are always found on even the smallest ships.

 

hard to say, there is nothing showing any changes on there deck plans for sailings after aug 26th.

[zowie57]

hard to say, there is nothing showing any changes on there deck plans for sailings after aug 26th.

 

That's exactly why I am concerned there won't be any necessary changes made to cater for 3000 Oz passengers looking for the usual cruise entertainment. The venues just aren't there. Hard to expect any major changes to a ship only built last year. I sincerely hope I'm wrong!

[cheznandy]

That's exactly why I am concerned there won't be any necessary changes made to cater for 3000 Oz passengers looking for the usual cruise entertainment. The venues just aren't there. Hard to expect any major changes to a ship only built last year. I sincerely hope I'm wrong!

 

I will certainly keep you informed if I get emailed anything;)

Maybe minor changes like the Ocean Terrace juice bar into a bar, Tealeaves to a coffee place to take the pressure off the IC......the Vista Gaming lounge back into the Vista lounge.

These would not be structual changes just different uses.

 

Apparently they use the indoor pool as a nightclub, note to self, dont book a cabin below!!

We dont dance or hang out in bars much but hoping they dont change the Hollywood Conservatory into a "paid" money making Santuary, let you all know in under 5 months:)

[MicCanberra]

I will certainly keep you informed if I get emailed anything;)

Maybe minor changes like the Ocean Terrace juice bar into a bar, Tealeaves to a coffee place to take the pressure off the IC......the Vista Gaming lounge back into the Vista lounge.

These would not be structual changes just different uses.

 

Apparently they use the indoor pool as a nightclub, note to self, dont book a cabin below!!

We dont dance or hang out in bars much but hoping they dont change the Hollywood Conservatory into a "paid" money making Santuary, let you all know in under 5 months:)

That would be great, I also think they will likely just change the venues use without any structural changes.

[NSWP]

Probably changing the beer taps from Sapporo to VB, lol.;p As part of the 'Strayan' image. Also Sushi gone and on with the hot chips and meat pies in the Horizon Court.:rolleyes:

[zowie57]

That would be great, I also think they will likely just change the venues use without any structural changes.

 

That would be a good idea and probably may happen but it would be nice if Princess advised of any variations to the deck plan as published on their website. European cruisers are already complaining that there is no bar in either the Casino or Vista lounge on Majestic.

[zowie57]

Probably changing the beer taps from Sapporo to VB, lol.;p As part of the 'Strayan' image. Also Sushi gone and on with the hot chips and meat pies in the Horizon Court.:rolleyes:

 

They only have to change the taps in four bars (3 of them outside). That's all there is apart from restaurant bars. Not much for 3000 thirsty passengers. No Horizon Court looks like buffet at World Fresh Marketplace. Call it whatever but I don't fancy any buffet on a ship with over 3000 people. Some serious pushing and shoving and good luck getting a seat.

[doenbucket]

They only have to change the taps in four bars (3 of them outside). That's all there is apart from restaurant bars. Not much for 3000 thirsty passengers. No Horizon Court looks like buffet at World Fresh Marketplace. Call it whatever but I don't fancy any buffet on a ship with over 3000 people. Some serious pushing and shoving and good luck getting a seat.

 

We were on the inaugural cruise from Singapore to Shanghai , June 2017. On a personal note, we really liked the Majestic. This has been our largest ship & it was nice to be on board where everything is shiny & new. The Horizon Court is now known as Worldwide Marketplace. We found it could be quite busy at breakfast & lunch, depending what time you went, no worse than any other cruise ship buffet.In the evening we never had any problem finding a seat & we ate about 6.30 to 7pm. The seating area is really big & split into 2 sections with different dining furniture. You are free to sit anywhere you like. The Worldwide Marketplace served the usual buffet fare. Our voyage had a little more Asian choices.

 

We loved the Piazza & International Cafe area.Spectacular. You are quite right, it was the hub of the ship with various entertainment, including short acts lasting about 10 minutes eg acrobats, dancing, dance classes etc. So, it did get very busy, even when there was nothing on. Best IC coffee we've ever had.

 

Leaves tea bar on deck 7 also made made specialty coffee, but did not open until 11am. As the ship stands at the moment, there is 6 bars. There isn't one in the casino but whilst on board we where told there is an area already to go, just need to remove the wall panels:confused:. We also heard the ship might be going into dry dock prior to its Australian season for some changes. Not sure if either is true.

 

We boarded the ship with no expectations. It was a totally new ship for us & we expected it to be different to the usual Princess ship home based in Australia & it was. We missed the walk around promenade deck, the choice of venues for trivia was really poor, Princess Live! :(

 

Much comment has been made about it being built for the Asian market, this is correct. Signs were in English & Chinese.Yes, there are venues specifically aimed at the Asian Market, ie high end shops, private karaoke rooms & high rollers room in the casino. but we did not feel any overwhelming Asian-ness about it.

 

But overall, we had a great time, adapted to the changes & embraced them.:cool:

 

Hope you decide to cruise on Majestic, but I know it may not be to everyone's taste.

 

Sorry if I rambled on a bit.:o

[MicCanberra]

That would be a good idea and probably may happen but it would be nice if Princess advised of any variations to the deck plan as published on their website. European cruisers are already complaining that there is no bar in either the Casino or Vista lounge on Majestic.

No bars will be an issue for the aussie market.

[MicCanberra]

They only have to change the taps in four bars (3 of them outside). That's all there is apart from restaurant bars. Not much for 3000 thirsty passengers. No Horizon Court looks like buffet at World Fresh Marketplace. Call it whatever but I don't fancy any buffet on a ship with over 3000 people. Some serious pushing and shoving and good luck getting a seat.

I avoid the buffet as much as possible on any cruise.:D

[MicCanberra]

We were on the inaugural cruise from Singapore to Shanghai , June 2017. On a personal note, we really liked the Majestic. This has been our largest ship & it was nice to be on board where everything is shiny & new. The Horizon Court is now known as Worldwide Marketplace. We found it could be quite busy at breakfast & lunch, depending what time you went, no worse than any other cruise ship buffet.In the evening we never had any problem finding a seat & we ate about 6.30 to 7pm. The seating area is really big & split into 2 sections with different dining furniture. You are free to sit anywhere you like. The Worldwide Marketplace served the usual buffet fare. Our voyage had a little more Asian choices.

 

We loved the Piazza & International Cafe area.Spectacular. You are quite right, it was the hub of the ship with various entertainment, including short acts lasting about 10 minutes eg acrobats, dancing, dance classes etc. So, it did get very busy, even when there was nothing on. Best IC coffee we've ever had.

 

Leaves tea bar on deck 7 also made made specialty coffee, but did not open until 11am. As the ship stands at the moment, there is 6 bars. There isn't one in the casino but whilst on board we where told there is an area already to go, just need to remove the wall panels:confused:. We also heard the ship might be going into dry dock prior to its Australian season for some changes. Not sure if either is true.

 

We boarded the ship with no expectations. It was a totally new ship for us & we expected it to be different to the usual Princess ship home based in Australia & it was. We missed the walk around promenade deck, the choice of venues for trivia was really poor, Princess Live! :(

 

Much comment has been made about it being built for the Asian market, this is correct. Signs were in English & Chinese.Yes, there are venues specifically aimed at the Asian Market, ie high end shops, private karaoke rooms & high rollers room in the casino. but we did not feel any overwhelming Asian-ness about it.

 

But overall, we had a great time, adapted to the changes & embraced them.:cool:

 

Hope you decide to cruise on Majestic, but I know it may not be to everyone's taste.

 

Sorry if I rambled on a bit.:o

Thanks for your insights.