Cruise champion, Pauline McLennan, spent two-nights cruising Brisbane to Sydney on-board Majestic Princess' inaugural visit into Sydney Harbour. In her own words she describes it "as magic", and here's why.
An overview
Majestic Princess is the largest and newest addition to the Princess fleet down this side of the world, based here for the summer season, September through March 2019.
Boarding
On arrival at the port she definitely was impressive! With capacity for 3500 guests I was expecting to feel a little overwhelmed compared to other Princess ships I have been on, but once on-board you feel welcomed and right at home. The boarding process was stress-free and we were in our cabin with luggage in no time at all. The cabins were spacious and lovely and light. Something to note with the Majestic is that 81% of the cabins have balconies with interiors making up the rest.
What can you expect
You feel the buzz of being on a big ship as soon as you enter The Piazza, with three levels of lounges, bars and cafés, and live music playing, it’s the place to meet and mingle. It was certainly the heart of the ship day and night and even when just passing through to get to other areas, you were drawn into stopping and checking out what was happening. There were also lots of other quieter areas to escape to if needs be, and it never felt crowded, even with the large amount of guests on-board. The Wake View Bar and Hollywood Conservatory were great spots. If you have travelled with Princess before you know how attentive and friendly the staff are, and you can expect this level of service on the Majestic as well. She also has one of the biggest Spa areas at sea. The facilities and treatments were top notch and certainly worth indulging in.
On-board dining and entertainment
The dining was definitely up to the Princess standards, with plenty of choice at the World Fresh Market Place buffet and also your evening dining. You are spoilt for choice with Specialty Dining at the Crown Grill or La Mer, both extremely popular. And you can’t go past Alfredo’s Pizzeria for lunch! There was plenty of entertainment to keep you busy. The Fantastic Journey show was a hit with some guests watching it for their 3rd and 4th time and still loving it. With guest entertainers, movies under the stars, the Seawalk, Princess Watercolour Fantasy Show, and excellent live music in the bars and lounges you really are keep on your toes!
Verdict
I thoroughly enjoyed my short time on-board the Majestic. Although she is a large ship with a great array of activities, dining and entertainment available, the Princess crew was definitely the highlight for me, constantly making sure you felt like an individual, not just part of the crowd. You have a choice of doing as much or as little as you like on this beautiful, well designed ship. I think New Zealanders are in for a treat this summer!
