Majestic Princess Review
tripledip3
6-10 Cruises • Age 70s
Rating by category
Cabin
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Additional details
Sail Date: Oct 2021
Cabin: Deluxe Balcony
The three of us - my husband and I, 68 and 69, were really ready to travel again, and needed a relatively short cruise close to home so his 89 year-old mom, who lives with us, could come along. This fit the bill perfectly. Plus Mom had never been to California, so the two ports, San Francisco and San Diego, had lots of new things for her to see. Covid numbers were down, we were all fully vaccinated, and the ship required current negative Covid tests and masks onboard, so it seemed a safe option for us. This was my 9th cruise, all on other cruise lines, and I was not disappointed in Princess.
The ship was beautiful with a large atrium entry ringed with floors of shops, bars, and restaurants. The staff was the friendliest of any ship I have sailed. I know they were happy to be working and sailing again, but I've never before had staff applauding as I entered the ship. Everyone, everywhere, spoke to us, told us "Good Morning" or "Good Evening," and their kindness and helpfulness did not end with the greetings. Our charming waiter and assistant waiter, Daniel and Godfrey, were superb, lavishing attention on the three of us, especially Mom, and our stateroom attendant, Victoria, was like a little smiling angel, so helpful and kind and willing to please. Even the attendants in the buffet and bartenders just seemed to bend over backwards to give excellent service.
Due to the time of year, and the recent re-launching of cruise ships post-Covid vaccinations, the ship was only about half full and largely seniors, many of them with canes, walkers, scooters, etc. Mom is mobile but to help her out with the size of the ship and the walking required on shore excursions, we rented a wheelchair for her and she did not feel at all conspicuous. We loved having the Medallions; they were so helpful at stores and bars, unlocking cabin doors as we approached, and when entering or leaving the ship at ports. I accidentally lost mine once, and Guest Services was able to pinpoint its location in a hallway by looking at his computer! I also enjoyed their interactive TV in the cabin, where I could watch free movies, check out the dining room menu or room service, or read about all kinds of services available on the ship.
Cabin Review
Deluxe Balcony
Our balcony cabin was very comfortable and well equipped, and we all commented on how comfortable the beds were. We requested a cabin with a sofa bed for Mom instead of a pull-down berth, and had our beds made up as twins so everyone could sleep when they wanted to. It was a little tight when the sofa bed was open, but still maneuverable. Not a whole lot of drawer storage, but they have a super-long closet rod across from the bathroom door, and hanging all our clothes made the lack of drawer space doable. Nobody complained about lack of storage, and we brought a lot of clothes, shoes, books, etc. The balcony was probably the smallest we have had on a cruise, only room for two chairs, but it was fine to sit on and read during sea days. The bathroom was small but had a great shower and adequate storage space for the most necessary items for three people.
Port Reviews
San Francisco
We took a bus tour and saw many of the classic sights of San Francisco, including a really nice stop on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge looking back at the city, which made for some very nice photos. The tour carefully avoided the trashed-out homeless areas we have seen on the news, and perhaps due to this we missed the chance to take Mom around to some of the areas we had most enjoyed on previous trips to San Francisco like Chinatown and Fishermen's Wharf, but we did have a good tour guide who told us a lot of the history of the city. One word of warning - don't bother with the highly overrated Japanese Tea Gardens. Entry tickets are not cheap, it is very tiny, and there is really nothing to see or do there. Overall the bus tour shore excursion was okay but not memorable. We had a much better time going to Alcatraz on our own the second day in port.
San Diego
We took a bus tour of the city which also took us to La Jolla and Balboa Park. San Diego is one of my favorite cities, and it is always a pleasure to see it. One stop in La Jolla along the coast was delightful, with time to watch swimmers, seals, and sea birds. Another stop in Old Town was also enjoyable, with time to shop and have drinks and nachos al fresco at a little Mexican restaurant. Our tour guide was a San Diego native and very knowledgeable and funny.
One complaint: I know California is expensive but I did grow a little weary of the tour guides on the San Diego tour and the San Francisco tour telling us over and over how much the homes and apartments and gasoline and everything else cost. I shouldn't be surprised; they do the same thing in Europe, but it does not impress me and it gets a bit old.
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