| Overview
Majesty of the Seas is a clean and comfortable vessel with some surprisingly contemporary features considering she debuted in 1992: a modern Internet center, a large casino with, an excellent children's program complete with a teen disco and two saltwater pools with Jacuzzis.
If the ship shows her age anywhere, it's in the cabins. Inside cabins are small by industry standards; a larger cabin is worth the extra splurge if space is an issue, but don't be surprised to find signs of age - stained upholstery, broken tile - even in the higher cabin categories. Overall, Majesty of the Seas is a great value - food, service and a convivial atmosphere compensate for any discrepancies in accommodations.
Cabins
There are 732 oceanview cabins, 62 with a balcony, and if space is an important amenity, grab one! The inside cabins below category D are small for industry standards and although the highlight of any cruise is the time spent outside the cabin, cramped quarters can be very uncomfortable. All cabins have twin beds that convert to queen, color interactive television, hairdryer, in-room controlled a/c, radio and telephone. There are four wheelchair accessible staterooms available.
Dining
Majesty's two dining rooms -- Mikado and Maytime -- serve dinner in a tradtitional two-seating program. The dining staff is friendly and attentive, and the food is good with a changing theme each night, including seafood, steak, pasta, vegetarian and low-fat choices. The Windjammer Cafe, located on Deck 11 serves a breakfast buffet with fruit pastries, fluffy cheese omelets, pancakes and crisp bacon -- a great alternative to room service, which offers a disappointing selection of juice, rolls and cereal. The Cafe is open until 4 a.m. for late-night snacks.
Public Rooms
The Centrum atrium is the heart of the ship. The boutiques are located here, along with the Steiner-operated Spa, which offers everything from a standard haircut to full-body seaweed wraps, and the Casino Royale, featuring slot machines, video poker, blackjack, American roulette, craps and Caribbean Stud Poker. The Internet center overlooks the atrium on Deck 4 and offers e-mail and Internet access for 50 cents a minute, plus copying and faxing services.
A Chorus Line Lounge, the two-story main showroom has seating available for couples and groups. Most passengers have to pass through the casino to reach A Chorus Line; however the Schooner Bar also leads to the lounge and can be just as tempting, with mahogany leather seats, wood and brass tables and large panoramic windows that offer stunning views of the ocean.
Family
Majesty has a good children's program called "Adventure Ocean," for kids from three (or when toilet trained) through seventeen. The children are broken up into four age groups: Aquanauts (3-5), Explorers (6-8), Voyagers (9-12), and Navigators (13-17). A teen disco is popular with the 13-18 set.
Group baby sitting is available from the youth staff from 10 p.m through 1 a.m. nightly, and, on port days, from noon till departure. The rate is $4 per hour per child (who must be at least three years old and potty-trained). In-cabin sitting is available through the purser's desk and must be booked at least 24 hours in advance, based on availability. Minimum age is one year; the charge is $8 per hour, in cash, for up to two children within the same family, $10 per hour for a maximum of three children in the same family.
RCI will not accept pregnant guests in their third trimester.
Entertainment
The best nightlife can be found in the Viking Crown Lounge, which encircles the smokestacks 14 decks above the water and offers pre-dinner drink specials and late-night karaoke and dancing. Blue Skies Lounge is open 24 hours a day for coffee, and the Paint Your Wagon Lounge offers some fun disco nights.
Fellow Passengers
Royal Caribbean typically appeals to couples and singles in their 30's to 50's as well as families of all ages. The median age is in the low 40's on seven-night cruises and in the 30's on three-and four-night cruises, passengers 50-55 and over tend to dominate ten day and longer cruises. Royal Caribbean attracts passengers that are looking for an affordable, active vacation.
Gratuity
Royal Caribbean recommends $3.50 per person per day to the dining room waiter, the same amount to the cabin steward and $2 per person, per day to the assistant waiter. Tipping of maitre d' is at passenger's discretion. A 15 percent gratuity is automatically added to bar tabs.
Dress Code
Expect two formal nights each cruise. Most men opt for dark suit instead of tuxedo, and women choose cocktail dresses rather than lavish gowns. The remaining nights are casual, with sport shirts and slacks recommended for men, and sundresses and khakis for women.
Fitness and Recreation
A variety of cruise activities are offered during the day, from the standard Bingo to downright laughable belly flop competitions in the pool.
For those who over-indulged at the midnight chocolate buffet, don't worry: the ShipShape Fitness Center on deck 10 is complete with recumbent Life cycles, stair steppers and treadmills. Personal training sessions, Yoga and Kickboxing classes are also offered, check the Daily Compass for time. An open-air basketball court is located on the sports area on deck 11. |
