Just returned from our first Royal Caribbean cruise, on the Majesty of the Seas. This short cruise (four days) was great value for the cruise fare - under $600 for two. Thanks to a tip found here on the Cruise Critic website, we flew in the day before and stayed at the Hotel Intercontinental in downtown Miami. What a difference it makes to not have to travel the day of departure! Embarkation was easy and quick, and we were on the boat by 1 pm.

Our previous cruises were longer voyages (7 to 14 days) on Celebrity. Of course, those cruises are quite a bit more expensive, so this cruise, while not nearly as posh or sophisticated, was a great value.

Some of the things we like about Celebrity - large cabins, bathrobes, lobster tail, and great food overall, were not found on the Majesty. The food was adequate at best, though thanks to another tip from Cruise Critic, we headed straight to the Compass Deli for sandwiches upon embarkation. The Compass Deli easily has the best food on the ship, and typically there are plenty of tables in which to sit and enjoy your meal. The Compass Deli is just a staircase up from the Windjammer Cafe, though it seems few of the other cruisers were aware of this dining option. The Windjammer serves sushi, which we like as a before dinner appetizer. It was okay by our standards (when not cruising or otherwise on vacation, we reside in central Indiana, not exactly sushi heaven). We really didn't try any of the other offerings from the Windjammer, and none looked all that appealing. Read more