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Majesty of the Seas staying in the fleet


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Well I had it booked for Nov, as I figured that was going to be my last chance to get to experience it before it was gone in the spring.

 

If I really enjoy it, plus with all the changes they are making I may book it again once it is based out of PC.

So you're going to keep your pre-refurbishment reservation? I know other folks mentioned they were re-booking for post-refurbishment. 

 

Not criticizing your plans, just curious!

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Im really excited to hear this. When we recently booked we were very close to the Majesty, passed it up worried about ruff seas in November (wife).

Now ill get another chance, thats awsome, I really want to give it a shot. Its hilariously small but it looks like fun, really want the model too.

Good on Royal for the upgrades, looks like allot more than just carpet and tv's.

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I've looked, but with the added airfare from the West Coast, the Explorer to Alaska is actually cheaper for us than the Majesty back-to-back.  I also wish they would throw in an additional port on the four day rather than keep the same itinerary as the three day.

 

Overall, I'm impressed by the upgrades and really had me considering the ship.  I also see this as another shot across the bow of Disney.  I think the Majesty with her upgrades and the Universal Studios add-on will put a lot of competition on the Disney Dream, which is Disney's 3/4 day ship.  Port Canaveral should get very interesting in the next few years and may even force Disney Cruise Line to reduce prices in response to remain competitive.

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We will seriously considering booking her after the makeover. We have only sailed on the "mid-size" ships so far (Radiance and Voyager class) and are doing a Freedom class later this year. I'm really interested to try the smaller, potentially less crowded Majesty after the makeover. We may take my dad, who has trouble getting around, and the smaller Majesty might be better than walking around the larger ships. And with Izumi and Sabor how can you lose?

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Just to clarify, Steve, that it's the Majesty, not the Monarch, that's staying in the fleet.

 

Ironic that the Radiance and Voyager classes are now considered midsize when they were once the largest cruise ships in the fleet. And the Voyager class is still larger than many other lines largest ships.

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Just to clarify, Steve, that it's the Majesty, not the Monarch, that's staying in the fleet.

Ironic that the Radiance and Voyager classes are now considered midsize when they were once the largest cruise ships in the fleet. And the Voyager class is still larger than many other lines largest ships.

Thanks DocLC. I've corrected my post.

 

Yes, it might be stretching it a bit to call a ship with an ice skating rink and a surfrider "midsize". I'm looking forward to booking future cruises on both "large" and "small" RCI ships.

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After we did the flagships on both Disney and Carnival, we said we'd never sail anything small again as we liked the amenities.  We then ended up on the Celebrity Century and the Jewel of the Seas and honestly didn't miss the amenities as the stellar itineraries more than made up for the "smaller" size of this ships.  However, I will admit that I'm looking forward to the enhancements on the Brilliance that we didn't have on the Jewel.

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  • 3 months later...

With the news of Empress of the Seas staying in the fleet, it now appears clear to me that the reason why Majesty of the Seas did not end up going to Pullmantur is because Pullmantur was doing so poorly back then that RC had no choice but to keep it in the fleet.

 

Am I crazy?

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Based on the financial results from RC's 3rd quarter this year, the answer is a resounding, "no".

 

Not yet; third quarter cruisers reservations were made in the first half of the year or prior, before the Chinese economy started to contract.  Six to twelve months out from now would be a better reflection of the current state of cruising in China. 

 

Edit: which isn't to say it's bad; just one good quarter isn't necessarily reflective of current conditions.  (Especially considering: The cruise company on Friday morning announced fourth-quarter earnings of $228.8 million, or $1.03 a share, down from $490.2 million, or $2.19 a share)

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Interesting to see what happens with Empress and where she goes. Wonder how long till we hear when and where she is going.

 

With the slowdown in China, and the low Canadian dollar affecting us cruisers from the North, I would think that bookings will start to slow down somewhat. Of course it takes awhile for it to show up in the numbers as many cruises are booked 6-12 months out or longer.

 

Not to mention with all these mega ships being brought on, the availability of cabins is going to go way up. I would think something has to give at some point?

 

But I am glad Majesty is sticking around and I get to try her before her overhaul and then I want to try her out of P.C. once she is updated to compare.

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I was trying to decide between the Enchantment, the Brilliance, and the Majesty for a quickie in late Jan/early Feb 2016, but I think this helps my decision. Unless, of course, Enchantment and/or Brilliance will be due for the same refurb? Anyone know?

Oops! The Majesty refurb won't be done in time for my plans. I've gotta learn to read better. :huh: :unsure: But still, what's the word about the other two?

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Brilliance was new in 2002...updated in 2013....Enchantment new in 97 and updated in 2012....Majesty new win 92, updated in 2010.

 

Not sure what you are looking for or enjoy as these are 3 pretty different ships...but for me the appeal of Majesty would be to get on her one time before the refurb as she is the oldest style ship in the fleet right now...not to mention there are usually some very good pricing to be had on her, especially in Jan/Feb!

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By "refurbishments fairly recently," do you mean Oasis- and Quantum-inspired upgrades? Because I thought I saw something, somewhere, that said they had upgrades in the mid-2000s. That's ten years ago. Pre-Oasis and Quantum.

I am referring to Brilliance's refurbishment in 2013 and Enchantment had one in December 2012

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monctonguy/Matt - Sorry, my mistake. :unsure:  I guess I'm bad at research. Or maybe I'm just getting old and remembered it all wrong.

monctonguy -
 

"Not sure what you are looking for or enjoy as these are 3 pretty different ships...but for me the appeal of Majesty would be to get on her one time before the refurb as she is the oldest style ship in the fleet right now...not to mention there are usually some very good pricing to be had on her, especially in Jan/Feb!"

In general, I'm not a nostalgic guy. I'm big on progress and technology. I like cutting-edge and fresh. So, getting on Majesty before her refurb does nothing for me. I'd much rather wait and see what new and wondrous things await me! Besides, I was on Sovereign back in the day. Do I remember her at all? Heck no! ;) But, I've been there, done that. As for pricing, you're definitely right. However, living in Orlando, I get my pick of the litter. I've got three ports and three different ships, always ready and waiting for me to jump on, and they're all within our "quickie vacay" budget.

For my big bucks, I'm Oasis or Quantum class all the way. Well, actually, I'm just assuming I'll love Quantum, as I've never actually been on one. Oasis is still my fav! I cannot wait for Harmony! But, the good news is, Matt said that when his Patreon pledges (https://www.patreon.com/RoyalCaribbeanBlog?ty=c) reach 10,000 patrons or $1,000,000 per month, whichever comes first, he'd be taking us all on Harmony for a group cruise on his dime! Woo hoo! Matt's the best! :lol: :wub:  :P 

Matt - I should have known you'd have a blog post ready to go! Thank you! According to your post though, there is no Sabor on Brilliance. :( Total bummer! But, there is an R Bar! :D Winner! I just listened to your podcasts on the Radiance class in general and the Brilliance specifically. I'm all about it!

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I was on the Brilliance in Northern Europe in July/August. While you correct that there's no Sabor, there is the Chef's Table, Izumi, Chops, Giovanni's Table, Rita's Cantina, and Park Cafe. I would kill to see Rita's turned into Sabor or at least a casual version of Sabor. I think we may have been the only people there in 12 nights and left with a tab of under $3. We also didn't go back as it didn't do much for us.

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I was on the Brilliance in Northern Europe in July/August. While you correct that there's no Sabor, there is the Chef's Table, Izumi, Chops, Giovanni's Table, Rita's Cantina, and Park Cafe. I would kill to see Rita's turned into Sabor or at least a casual version of Sabor. I think we may have been the only people there in 12 nights and left with a tab of under $3. We also didn't go back as it didn't do much for us.

I love Chef's Table, but due to the price, it's not an every cruise sort of thing for us. The one we did on Oasis was, to answer Matt's traditional podcast question, our "favorite dining experience on a Royal Caribbean Cruise." While we're at it, the song on my Android at any given time is usually Matt's podcast (I'm still catching up). I'm probably the only guy riding down the highway on his Harley-Davidson listening to a cruise podcast. :lol:

 

Rita's Cantina used to excite me, but the more I hear about it, the more I fear it's Taco Bell at sea. That would bite the big one. <_< Then again, I was not impressed by the Seafood Shack, so I'd not be surprised if Rita's was underwhelming. :(

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S

 

I love Chef's Table, but due to the price, it's not an every cruise sort of thing for us. The one we did on Oasis was, to answer Matt's traditional podcast question, our "favorite dining experience on a Royal Caribbean Cruise." While we're at it, the song on my Android at any given time is usually Matt's podcast (I'm still catching up). I'm probably the only guy riding down the highway on his Harley-Davidson listening to a cruise podcast. :lol:

Rita's Cantina used to excite me, but the more I hear about it, the more I fear it's Taco Bell at sea. That would bite the big one. <_< Then again, I was not impressed by the Seafood Shack, so I'd not be surprised if Rita's was underwhelming. :(

I was really looking forward to Rita's and was underwhelmed.  We actually ended up taking the nachos we ordered into the Windjammer to spruce them up with tomatoes and onions.  Of course, at $2.50, they weren't expensive, either.

 

I'm glad to hear that the Chef's Table was a good experience.  We've only done it on Carnival and found it to be an exceptional experience.  Of late, though, I haven't been that intrigued by the menus I've seen posted.  I might need to reconsider for our cruise in January.

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Allow me to clarify - even if it is "Taco Bell at sea," I'd still be somewhat happy. I love TB!!! But, after experiencing Sabor, how can Rita's expect to impress? So, with a lowered bar, I might still be content. However, the Windjammer nachos are a great alternative, and they're free! Yum! Yum!

The Chef's Table isn't as much about the menu as it is about the experience. I will say, though, that the Oasis experience was probably better than the Freedom one would have been, because they set us up in some private lounge/dining area (like the diamond club or something - I forget where), as opposed to the Windjammer. We saw that and were like, "What? The Windjammer for the Chef's Table? Are they kidding?" And the people you have with you are so integral. Of course I mean the other guests, but I also mean the Chef and the Sommelier. Our Chef was satisfactory, but our Sommelier made the night! So wonderful! Tah-dah!

Here are some images and videos from our experience on the Oasis.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B41VaJKWq_l0Mjhha3Y5SkFpTTA/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B41VaJKWq_l0bTJIdGtNUXB1Vlk/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B41VaJKWq_l0TFc5WTZVanYySms/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sWS59CrKWUFmf9jRQ_DcxJb75BqzDQpBPQ/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1leaZXiA90OPZX2LD-ZAo2ifnO9AFLviAlA/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/187F1IfYMNKw_k2QgrPG0YETRIBQbfloHGQ/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZkinqP_F4uoOTIh2gzkFKCoOF24j3ekwdg/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iQcz6vCJwxyfcW8q1LqSuLo-Jp3K-gPE-g/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WmEfrRivRZzEm4Yj4Wh1Q6b0iKrd3_UMRw/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UrbIqK59O6fMJ22WWAF9iM4JP_Z2iQ7o1w/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ukx9E1_H44dkNH5kqPiwWa2xN7YP4gTdag/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lTc6p6OknSZdtIPHSzh4qkwCSC9GIQwIuw/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xaTRk1On_Kn_vFfmm_GSHGutIJcaHFlzgA/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SVRU-1GC76eDGxJw2_2D4QehjPyawrfBLA/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YBPx919Wgii-zoQxqH6FyPDbWDON2bGmTA/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1re6VLn2rnfMHxNvr977d5dRLOP7pxKiLHw/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/11FnJ6jHLyWvxAzMXp4-Cj1wQfmQXqKoWIw/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/13_LjGQuaOCYtsKaecLpQj_0fjpVvS-r7cw/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/198iMLun1eLM5_msxCUm88JDGZ9sp-1ltxw/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aRkSMMOhuS-bOmR1Mzcp6IZZlsP5kZBVZw/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/102q-ogZO9nZJnv03bX36Pn_pdKLfXsCsxQ/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mhXGLm5oVubMF_WmBCtxfjmwhZbLUuVPFw/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gVvmZF0XM8XWipzIfXrF-Up_YhE7QCy7xA/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hWjKDtDOKJpL5bHeaQUFQsrlNqwgawGQUg/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1whO2-RDJcgZQeQVa1z8epUCm5WiJ2tWP6Q/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/131el24ieFmDOqbNvZxb1GJmMUfKm9k1Lww/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MglxBXYAfZvlHTdnFRLlnz5f0zLCGDbRvw/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b9WJT0CAyjPql4d_BckIseG51IKzGkvT0Q/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yLbxMwoueCLGzUvG2lTwt37c0ctsnv3nCA/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BA8HNwFhzESgyZaVfdWAdfgxh0AROSkH9Q/view?usp=sharing

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I agree with you, Scott. The Chef's Table is definitely more about the experience than the food itself. We've done the Chef's Table twice, once on the Oasis (or Allure...cannot be sure which) and once on another ship - which one it was I cannot even remember. I know the first one was on an Oasis class b/c it was the first time I had ever been in a Concierge Lounge. The Chef's Table (back then) was on the second level and you had to go through the CL and up the stairs to get there. It was at Christmas time and I remember passing through the CL where all of the Pinnacles were exchanging Christmas gifts and it seemed so much more like a family get together than a cruise. They all knew one another. Now that I go into the CL routinely it doesn't seem so unusual, but back then it was remarkable to me.

 

The food that they serve at these kinds of events is generally not something that I would ever choose. I put the Chef's Table and 150 Central Park in this category. In the end, I really have simple tastes and all of this foo-foo food isn't really my style, but it is fun to do this kind of thing every once in a while. To be honest, the thing I remember MOST about my meal at 150 was the intriguing array of salts that they serve. Who knew ? I had no idea that salt could be so different in different parts of the world. I guess it makes sense...I just never thought about it before. The food was good but I couldn't recount any particular dish...just the salt.

 

But the food, combined with the wine, combined with the excellent - and I do mean EXCELLENT service and the interesting mix of fellow diners, made the Chef's Table a must do at LEAST once.

 

At one of the Chef's Table events (I think it may have been the Christmas one) we received a RC cookbook as a gift. Very nice.

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Yes, the Concierge Lounge! With the stairs! Yes, that was it. I remember now. And it was certainly remarkable! And we got the cookbook too. Never used it, but it's nice nostalgia.

We dipped out on our 150 reservation on Oasis. It seemed too uppity for our tastes. Someday, we may take another look at it. We will definitely book the Chef's Table again, but I'm afraid of which ships to do it on, after seeing the Freedom spin on it. Maybe Oasis class or higher only?

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However, living in Orlando, I get my pick of the litter. I've got three ports and three different ships, always ready and waiting for me to jump on, and they're all within our "quickie vacay" budget.

 

I am officially jealous. No matter what cruise I look at in the back of my mind I have to factor in $1600-$3000 in air fare.

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I am officially jealous. No matter what cruise I look at in the back of my mind I have to factor in $1600-$3000 in air fare.

Yes, and that is a BIG factor to consider.  Plus you also have to figure on other incidentals related to airfare (hotels, food, etc)

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I am officially jealous. No matter what cruise I look at in the back of my mind I have to factor in $1600-$3000 in air fare.

Yes, and that is a BIG factor to consider.  Plus you also have to figure on other incidentals related to airfare (hotels, food, etc)

You think you're cruise addicts! I moved to Florida just so I could cruise more! :D :lol: :P

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You think you're cruise addicts! I moved to Florida just so I could cruise more! :D :lol: :P

 

I'm a staffer in my state legislature; I doubt they're going to move our Capitol to another state anytime soon, so I'm stuck here until retirement.  But once I hit retirement I'll be purchasing a place exactly equidistant from all FL cruise ports so they're all within driving range... :)

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When you pull out of Orlando all things tourism, there's not much left here. And there's no food! All the NY Jews and Italians moved to South Florida - that's where all the great food is! It's as close to NY as you can get. (And, for the record, the only reason Sorrento's is good, is because anything is good when it's free and you're "drunk hungry" at 1 AM, and when you're on a cruise.) So come here only if you want to be my neighbor and we can lament together that we're not on a cruise. Otherwise, go south, my friends. Go south! (Or at least go to Tampa so you'll have the ocean.) By the way, the Everglades wouldn't be bad - you could ride the alligators! Florida gators are friendly - they like when you do that! :D

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