We wanted to try out cruising, and being school teachers, needed a cruise that left or arrived in our home town during school holidays. This 4 night cruise from Auckland to Sydney was perfect. Embarkation was a breeze at the port of Auckland. There was no problem with being dropped off with luggage right by the terminal. We were happy with the cabin, it was exactly as we expected after researching. It was comfortable and clean, with everything we needed. Our steward was amazing at looking after us. That was actually the theme of the cruise - the most incredibly staff are on Princess. Our daughter has coeliac disease, and safe eating is the hardest thing when travelling with her. Not on Princess though - we ate in the formal dining room for pretty much every meal after the first day as the food was incredible, and they were able to cater for my daughter's gluten free needs, as well as her wants. I was blown away by how great the food was. The other options on board were perfectly good (we had breakfast once at the buffet, and tried out the terrace grill for lunch as well once, both good meals), but the anytime dining at Traviata was super special. Bar service was equally great. The staff are so friendly and welcoming. Nothing is too much trouble. There are amazing cocktails on Princess! Our daughter had great fun at the youth club, and she also loved the pools. We became addicted to the trivia sessions, and found that there was always something to do if we wanted to do something. The show Encore was amazing, extraordinary talent. Lots of live music from classical to rock band, at all different times, and loads of opportunities to take part in activities - not bad for a 4 night cruise! The crossing was a wee bit rocky - as it often is when crossing the Tasman, which also meant they couldn't disembark at Bay of Islands, but they really tried to make it happen. We weren't planning on getting off there, so that didn't impact us. We were having too much fun exploring the boat. We would absolutely sail with Princess again, the trip exceeded expectations in so many ways. Read Less

We did a 3 days cruise to no where. The ship is only 2 years old so is quite new and in good condition. Highlights were the movies under the stars, good steak at Crown Grill, quite good food at the buffet with a wide variety, good gym and other sporting activities such as golf practice range, basketball court and numerous table tennis tables. Our balcony cabin was in good condition but the pull down bed for our daughter meant it was hard to get out to the balcony when it was down. The room seemed a little small but the wardrobe was a good size and the bathroom nice and modern and clean. The shows were very good, the violinist and the dancers put on great events especially the tech based dance show. Afternoon tea in one of the dining rooms was good, nice tea, cakes and nibbles. Did not like the lack of ambience of the speciality restaurants, they open to a bar or to a walk way, too noisy. Poor service in the Crooners Bar Read Less

We chose this for a weekend away with adult kids. These dates and prices worked out at the time for us. This was our first Princess experience. For reference, we have sailed on Carnival Spirit, RC Voyager OTS, and Pacific Explorer. We had four adults in a mini-suite. The lounge became a narrow single bed, with a pullman being the fourth berth. Shower over bath. Narrow balcony. No complaints about the room. Food did not quite meet our expectations, given the hype about Princess food. The desserts were terrific. Service in the MDR terrific of course. The buffet had a very weird grid-like pattern layout, which no real logic to it. I found this area very claustrophobic. I would rate this area and the food at 2.5/5. The inside of the ship seemed very disconnected from the sea outside. Almost all of the public areas are enclosed by restaurants around the outside, or the shops. Way too many shops in my view, but I know some people love them. Even the door to exit onto the small outside (uncovered) area on deck 7 was frosted. You may as well just be in a Westfield anywhere. There did not seem to be enough public areas to suit the number of passengers and not enough shady areas outside. The lack of promenade deck adds to the challenge in this area I believe. The atrium area is very pretty but very noisy with mostly paid restaurants or the photos etc around it. Sometimes parts of this area or the access way to it was blocked off for an activity, making it even more difficult to get around on the ship. I would not want to be on this ship in poor weather as I feel the inside public areas would become very unpleasant. You would be extra glad of your balcony cabin in bad weather. As mentioned by others the theatre area seems to fall well short of requirements for the number of passengers. We saw the new show which I did enjoy. The fact that the 7.15 pm show is televised live into the Princess Live theatre indicated that the supply of seats does not meet the demand. On the other hand, some of the game shows were done in the Princess Live theatre, which seemed too small for the number of people who wished to have a seat. Hollywood Conservatory is quite pretty, although I personally am not a fan of indoor pools. Table Tennis, golf driving range, basketball court seemed to meet with approval. The Laser shooting area did not seem to be open or accessible with no explanation given. Service terrific, poolside music, movies etc good. As mentioned by others trying to get around on this ship is clunky, with corridors and walkways on both the lower and upper public decks ending abruptly. I felt almost all of the public corridors, stairwells, lift lobbies, buffett area were too narrow for the number of people trying to move around on the ship. Seawalk area and bar a nice quirk. In short, I am not too sure that this ship suits the Australian market or cruising in warm climates or scenic areas. Lucky there is a lot of balcony rooms on this ship because it may be the best spot to sit and realize that you are traveling on the ocean. (other than on deck 17). We enjoyed our first taste of Princess overall, and will do again, but probably not on this ship. Read Less

I was never keen on cruising but reluctantly I relented to my wife’s pleading so we chose the Majestic Princess as our first cruise and we chose a sampler cruise out of Sydney and boy am I glad we did. We left the harbour at around 6.30pm and it look spectacular. Everyone was on deck to watch Sydney Harbour in all its glory. This ship provided everything to keep us interested from movies to shows to auctions to karaoke or just do nothing. The choice was ours and let me say the food choices were amazing with many different types of dining from ala carte to casual dining and everything in between. Outdoor movies and bars around swimming pools, it even had an adults only area so that parents can get away from the kids for a short time if they want. Now we are looking forward to our next cruise sometime next year. Maybe we will see you there. Read Less

Great 3 night cruise, good entertainment and activities on board. Trivia, Bingo, game shows and dance classes. Lovely modern ship with some nice decor. Stayed in a Comfortable balcony room. Leaving from Sydney the ship operates in $AU which helps. Long lines for breakfast and lunch in the main dining room which was annoying, good menu and food was nice. Brought the enclave package for the 3 days $139 per couple and we were able to use the thermal spa pool, heated tile seats, fragrant showers, also the steam and sauna rooms. Cocktails on board were a reasonable price. We had a comedian show in the theater the first night, 2nd night was The Princess singers and dancers show which was spectacular and a violinist the 3rd night. Tropical Party at night around the pool and a balloon drop on the last night. Embarkation and disembarkation process was very smooth, easy and no queues. Nice arrangement of shops on board and they had sale days. Overall a nice ship and would definitely cruise on this ship again. Read Less

Was really looking forward to being on the Majestic again. Absolutely thrilled and delighted that Princess offered us an upgrade from a balcony suite to a Mini-Suite for a minimal cost. Unfortunately some of the passengers ruined the experience with their ignorant behaviour - noisy, pushy and totally unaware of fellow passengers. We utilised Anytime dining and the experience varied from really good to disappointing. Our last dinner was dreadful - had to wait for an hour to receive the main course and the wine we ordered. The wait staff did not come near us when we finished the main course and as we had waited a ridiculous amount of time, gave up and left the dining room. I had made an enquiry at the front desk as to the latest we could disembark so I could inform my son who was picking us up. The answer was vague. Then we were not provided with the normal form to nominate a departure time. Lucky for us, it was a short cruise so we only had a small suitcase that I could manage myself getting off. The WiFi speed was the worst we have ever experienced on Princess. It would lose connection but still gobble up the Internet minutes unless I rebooted my iPad and then try to log off. I lost 60 minutes because of this. I keep my iPad up to date with the latest OS and have no issues at home. The stage show “Fantastic Journey” was one of the best we have seen and I would highly recommend it. Sadly the experience was spoiled by the hordes of ignorant passengers, constantly talking and letting their children run about. These passengers came late, crowded around the stairs. Hopefully this is only a blip as we are booked on five more Princess cruises. Read Less

Just got back from a three night cruise with a group of friends to celebrate one of our friends significant birthdays. Had never been on a cruise ship before and thought the overall experience was fantastic. The ship is still very new, having been built in 2017. Our cabin was excellent and we spent so much time sitting on the balcony watching the sea pass by. The modern cruise ships are so stable, with very little impact from the waves of the ocean. The service and assistance from the staff was fantastic. We were made to feel so welcome when we got on board and this level of hospitality did not cease for the duration of our trip. Nothing ever seemed to be a bother for any of the staff. Overall, I would rate the ship, the staff, the service and facilities as excellent and would recommend this cruise ship highly. Read Less

I hate flying. So any cruise that docks in Australia is attractive to me. It was easy to get to the port from Waikiki but we left it late and got traffic. This was a good size ship. The cabins are quite spacious and decent. The staff are great. And who doesn't love Tahiti. The entertainment, food and general feel is this cruise is great. The breakfast ends in the restaurant at 9 am and with the 830 pm dinner seating that was too soon for is a few mornings. The buffet is open longer and the food was great just a little hard to get seating some days. I got the non alcoholic premium drinks package but I'd probably get the alcoholic one next time. I'm 43 so the demographic is slightly older than I'm used to but they're a great crowd. And a welcome change from the drunken louts. I've already booked it again. I particularly enjoyed the Silk Harvest for dinner. Quirky Le Petit Chef projection show accompanied an absolutely fantastic meal. Check it out. Read Less

Be prepared to cough up a lot of extra money! Everything’s got an extra price on it. Photos are an unbelievable price! Average $20-30 each printed picture of about 5x7 or 8x10. And there are ALOT of pictures being taken- photographers are everywhere trying to pump this money making machine... whilst also talking you that you can’t take photos with your own phone of your family/child with the characters/port set up. Dr seuss breakfast- extra cost PLUS find yourself again paying $20 each picture taken with different characters. Food is ok in the dinning room, but you will find generally below average and luke warm in most places. Bingo- $35 for 5 games! Port stops in the Great Barrier Reef are very poor and EXTREMELY rushed. Expect to get about one hour to snorkel on most shore tours due to the very limited time spent at the ports of Airlie beach, Yorkeys Knob and port Douglas (meanwhile again coughing up on average $200+ pp for a snorkel tour of the reef) Oh and be aware your account will be held for all purchases while your sailing and will not be released when you get back BUT carnival will charge you the entire amount on top. Essentially double dipping into you account until the “holds” of amounts are released which they attempt to put back on to you own bank being the problem not them. I have sailed in the past and enjoyed but this time I will not come back the this company. Read Less

Cruised with Princess before, but the Majestic Princess was too big for us, very hard to navigate when your cabin is at the back of the ship. Were on Deck 12 & had to take lift to 7 and walk to the middle to get anywhere. Went with my Mum who has a walker, so could not do stairs, lifts always busy & waited a while. Atrium was far too noisy, all the action happens here. Pity there was no Promenade deck (which we did know about) did miss this one. Tender ports took too way too long to get ashore. Ticket system, waited over an hour in dining room, took about another 15 minutes or so to get to the tender and another 15-20 min to get ashore. Staff very helpful when trying to board tender. No Happy Hour, which I did miss, drinks package way too expensive for me. Drinks expensive.but managed with our OBC. Grown Grill was a wonderful experience, food excellent as well as great service. Food generally average, did have issues with consistency Staff could have been more friendly & chatty. Thanks to Arthur in the Symphony Dining Room Table 7 for lots of laughs & jokes with dinner. Balcony cabin rather small as well as balcony. Overall we did enjoy our time on board & ashore Read Less

I chose princess as I had previously cruised with them in 2013 on the ruby princess by far the most amazing cruise I have ever done. I loved the itinerary and have always wanted to cruise with Princess up to the barrier reef. The majestic princess looked amazing new clean we were very excited to be on the ship. This was a huge disappointment the ship is catered for an Asian market so the food was of the lower standard The entertainment was boring and the staff unfriendly. Also we felt like we were on a moving nursing home everyone on the ship was so old it was truly a geriatric cruise even my 71-year-old mother felt out of place. The entertainment at night was so dull that they had a string duo playing at 8 pm 9 pm in the main atrium. There is also no place to dance no dedicated place to dance only in the atrium where all the ballroom dances with frustrated if you got in their way. We paid a premium price for this cruise and were highly disappointed the only thing that redeemed it was the amazing itinerary I’m not sure I want to cruise princess again which makes me feel sad because the best cruise I ever did was on the Princess ship. The food was terrible just terrible my carnival cruise was better food,Actually even the p&o and MSC was better. So disappointed such an Asian ship it does not belong in the Australian market its really catered to the asian market. It was a floating nursing home a geriatric flop with bad food and boring entertainment the only good entertainment was zinger band they were amazing. . Read Less

From Syd up the east coast to Port Douglas. Embarkation was very smooth. Princess does cater to an older demographic, but this Princess ship is larger than Golden or Diamond and it seemed a lot easier to navigate around all those walkers. Beautiful Piazza, and Bars and Dining Room. there is something to be said for a ship that is only a few years old. Had an internal on Lido deck (L215) great bed and pillows and easy access to buffet and pools and the lovely Conservatory area. There was always space available which is such a bonus. Only draw back were those folks who can't seem to close their cabin door but let it SLAM shut behind them ( oh well what can you do). Food in main Dining Room was good, Hairdresser (Raylene) at the Spa was excellent. Had to search to find the ext. number for the Spa and the Massage price list, seems they don't want people ringing but prefer you trek all the way down to L.5 to the desk. Entertainment I would rate 6/10 not up to RoyalCaribbean's high standard but a few highlights. The big mistake on this Ship which holds around 4000 is a Theatre that only holds 875 ! People were getting into their seats at 6pm for a 7pm Show. Most just gave up and didn't bother - and there is no space to stand up the back at all. Weather was sunny and windy. Tenders at Airlie, Cairns and PtDouglas took a while. But Pt Douglas was lovely. Shops on board are quite good, musicians around the Bar areas are fine. Buffet area was hit and miss and very confusing layout. I also miss a pool at the back of the ship. Read Less

This cruise was booked so that we could relax & unwind & we certainly were able to do that. The shore tours that we booked were well worth the cost,especially the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary & also the Crocodile Safari Cruise. The chance to be up close with a koala who was actually awake & hand feed a kangaroo & also see crocodiles in their natural environment was amazing. We thoroughly enjoyed Alfredo’s Pizzeria & the Crown Grill was a great experience. Alfredo’s was included dining but the extra charge for Crown Grill was definately worth it as the waiters were very attentive. Despite Majestic being a large ship & there being 3500 passengers on board we never felt that it was over crowded or that we were unable to find seating for meals in the buffet or the theatre. We would cruise on Majestic Princess again in a heart beat. Read Less

The itinerary appealed. I enjoy cruising in and out of Sydney. I'd read reports that this ship was built for an Asian market so perhaps they don't like the fresh air and sun? The vast Hollywood Conservatory would have been much better if the roof and windows opened. It was adults only but strong chlorine smell, bizarre fake bird noises and lack of sun made it very unappealing. Might as well have been in a hotel lobby. There is only one outdoor pool and of course, the shrieking children were in that one. All ports except Brisbane were tender ports. The elderly demographic meant this was a very slow process, walking frames and all. The shuttle from Yorkeys Knob and Brisbane Cargo Wharf should have been free as there was no other option. Food was excellent, especially the Chef's Table experience, well worth the charge. Ship was very clean and shiny new, beds were fabulous. The buffet had a confusing lay out, many people going round in circles. It needed another tea/coffee area, often that was all I came for but those plastic mugs are horrible. The Room Service menu hasn't changed in 20 years and definitely needs a revamp. Afternoon tea in my cabin and balcony breakfast were superb. Super quick check in and out. I didn't go to any shows, too crowded. Atmosphere in bars ruined by sport on big screens. The outdoor movie screen was mostly not used as had broken in the storm. I liked the peace. Much time devoted to the art auctions, not my taste and very little sold. My cabin was on deck 15, good location for quick hop upstairs to pool and buffet. Deluxe balcony and I enjoyed having the sofa to sit on rather than those tub chairs or the bed. The balcony was small. I loved Port Douglas and Airlie Beach and will visit again. Saw friends in Brissie, port at Hamilton much more convenient but ship too large. I loved the newness of the ship but have realised I prefer a smaller vessel that can dock in town instead of tenders. I also think I'm too young or the Princess demographic is rapidly getting older, slower and grumpier, some real whingers onboard, nothing pleased them. Fortunately my dinner companions, late sitting Allegro were fantastic as were the staff. Read Less

We’ve been on Princess for a number of cruises. I think we prefer the mid-sized ship as everything that we experienced on the Majestic that we didn’t like was due to size rather than crew, activities etc Embarkation was easy. Walk on and straight away you’re into cruise mode. The rooms are nice, we had a mini-suite which gives a bit more space. We like to make an effort to keep fit. We made good use of the fitness facilities and classes. All were good by Princess standards. Some free some you pay for (such as yoga and TRX) but there’s plenty of equipment to use even at busy times. What is disappointing is that there is no full promenade deck on this ship. One of our favourite things is to walk around a few times after dinner to help it settle. There’s not really the space to do this. They’ll tell you that you can walk around 17 & 18 but that’s right out in the elements and often got sections closed off. Anytime dining was a nightmare. Don’t be confused that you can ‘just turn up at anytime’. You need to book. But you need to book at 8am in the morning. You can’t be spontaneous. If you do not book first thing, you will not get a table at a normal time. You may get offered 5.15pm or 8.30pm. But anything inbetween - gone! You’ll also get conflicting information about whether you can book over the phone or you may even be told to go to the dining room in person - only to discover it’s not actually open.....If you don’t book and you just turn up they will tell you they are fully booked and give you a vibrating beeper. You can wait up to an hour for a table in this way. It is nice to eat in the dining room though. The wait staff are always lovely and professional. Tendering from a large ship is always problematic. We’ve been on the Diamond, Golden and Saphire and never had as many issues as there are on the Majestic and the Emerald. The ships have to anchor further out and have to shift thousands of guests. If you get up at the crack of dawn and get on the first tender you’ll be okay. Cairns in particular you have to queue for a tender AND you’ll then need to queue for a shuttle to take you into town 20 mins away. Prepare for this whole process to take up to 3 hours! Makes for a very short visit to the city centre. On the plus side, the ship is beautiful the crew on board are lovely. The cruise director and his team are great fun. They seem to be enjoying themselves, even when dealing with difficult guests they handle themselves with grace and good humour. Read Less

From the warm welcome of the immediate team on emarkation to the seemless tender trips to airlie beach, port douglas, yorky's knob and others we had an unreal experience and all of our expectations were met and exceeded. There were numerous daily activities to suit just about everyone. The Princess Majestic team went out of their way to ensure every detail was covered from the food which was exceptional with great variety to the smiles from all of the team members.The rooms are extremely quiet and well equipped with the room attendant making sure towels were changed regularly as well as the bed. There was an older customer base on this cruise but you can never know that when booking. The food was great in both the marketplace and the restaurants with a great variety to suit just about everyone. We had a coffee and soda package that suited us and i think was value for money. The upper deck areas accomodated plenty of people for sunbaking etc. There were many areas you could just chill for a drink or sit with friends or hang at a bar and watch the bar tenders do tricks. We were on deck 15 in a deluxe balcony and found it to be perfect for us, easy access to food. The on board app assisted with the daily timetable so you could easily check what was on for the day from art and jewellery auctions to bingo. Shore excursions could be prebooked for day trips or make your own way. We have booked another cruise on a different ship but look forward to going on the Majestic again next year in 2020. The Majestic handled well in rough seas on the first night and then it was smooth sailing, i recommend the 10 day from Sydney to Brisbane, Airlie Beach, Cairns, Port Douglas, yorky's knob and Willis island. Read Less

Over all the experience was not so good. The ship was too big, it had to be docked at Circular Key not White Bay as it wouldn’t fit under the Harbour Bridge. The laundry's were located the end of the ship on each deck directly above and below each other, meaning a cut lunch and a water bottle was needed. Some of the wait staff spent more time speaking to each other rather than looking after the paying passengers. The price of refreshments was a rip off being &42 a bottle and $12 to $14 a glass for wine. Water in the state room was also overpriced at $6.50 for a 1.5 ltrs bottle. The entertainment was that good, not a lot of of variety offered. The big screen was not used that often for movies. The main entertainment areas were located at either ends of the ship again meaning the cur lunch and water bag were needed. The layout of the main eating areas (help your self) on deck 16 was rather strange, having different sections for different foods but not those that should have been together ie the bread was with the cakes not with the hot foods. It meant by the time it took to get all you needed to make a main meal and returned to your table it was cold. Read Less

We had been eagerly anticipating our cruise on Majestic Princess because of its size and newness (The Biggest and Newest in their fleet - of which we were constantly reminded during the cruise)! Sad to see so many areas of rust and general wear and tear ! Disappointed that we could never get a seat in the Theatre which is disproportionately small for the large number of passengers! Watching a simulcast on a large TV screen in another area really didn’t satisfy us as it lacked any “live show”excitement. Whilst the ships decor is pleasant, it didn’t give us the WOW factor which we were expecting! The cabins seem small - we had been expecting a sofa which seems standard on other cruise lines in balcony staterooms! And the smallest bathroom we’ve ever had! A shame that a shower screen hadn’t been installed instead of an old fashioned curtain! The food, staff, amenities, entertainment, etc were fairly standard on this rather conservative ship! The Captain always sounded happy and professional on his daily updates. Both embarkation and disembarkation were quick and efficient. The one true plus was the Australian Dollar’s use on board, making purchases more affordable! Read Less

Sydney to Nth QLD September 17th 10 days We took my wife’s father on this cruise - and he was in good company. This was the oldest crowd we had ever seen on a ship. Lots of walkers, scooters, slow moving folk so don’t be in a rush. The vessel size and the ports visited meant all but 1 were disembarked/embarked by tender. Combined with the age profile of the guests and some appalling organisation by Princess made this experience really poor. We felt the itinerary was boring would never do something similar again. Even sea days were boring - its the first holiday we were happy to see the end of. The Ship Nominally 3500 pax. We have been on bigger ships however this vessel felt crowded in the public areas. It’s an “odd” sort of vessel to get around. Lots of waiting for lifts. Moving from front to back you basically have to funnel through 1 public area which makes the whole ship feel crowded. There is no external promenade deck around the vessel. The gym is excellent. There is a large number of treadmills, cross trainers, bikes etc. the weights area is a little small but well stocked. There’s a golf practice net however, ridiculously, it was so low in height that you could not make a full swing - what a waste. There is a put putt course, basket ball come racket ball court. The central piazza is typical Princess - however it was also very crowded ...always. Finally probably the worst coffee we have ever had and we tried every location on the boat. They just have no idea. We were so delighted to go ashore for a drinkable cup of coffee. The Staff Just like the standard of food there are some hits and misses with the staff. Our suite cabin steward was MIA - days would go by between glimpses and waves in the corridor. Not once did he ask how we were going, need help etc. Some of the bar staff and food waiters were great. The people at the tour desk were just plain unfriendly - they definitely need a break from the customers. Restaurants General dining Concerto/Symphony/Allegro As a suite customer we had Anytime dining - which worked out to be anytime they aren’t busy. There is absolutely no difference or value in anytime dining on this vessel. The food in the general dining restaurants was also hit and miss. I had 2 genuinely awful meals which required meals to be sent away and 2 OK ones which didn’t. The service is fine. Alfredo Casual Italian/Pizza Good quality pizza. Thin base nice sauce. Tasty egg plant parmigiana. This is a safe place for dinner. La Mer French It is on the third level of the piazza. With a band playing on first level of the piazza it was impossible to have a conversation without virtually yelling at each other. I told the maître dei no thanks see you on a quieter night. When we did eventually go to the restaurant it was OK. They had a snail agnolotti with an awsome sauce and this should have been great ...however the pasta was not aldente :-( Overall nothing special and probably not worth the cover charge. Crown Grill - The best steak on any cruise line (not that i have been on many) Every time I eat at Crown Grill I have a small fillet Mignon and swear it is the best steak I have ever eaten. Good food, great service, just love it. We had 2 meals here. The first was typical and fantastic. The second was on our final night and was pretty ordinary - they were very busy and everything was overcooked - even desert. We had two glasses of wine which were off so i sent them back - the waiter didnt appreciate it and was exceptionally rude in dealing with us. The excellent maître d' sorted it out but it shouldnt need this intervention. Harmony Chinese It was just OK. We live in Ashfield Sydney which has a large Shanghainese community so we eat fresh, vibrant Chinese food - this food was the opposite to this. Not worth the cover charge. Market Place By the standards of cruise ship buffet of the same class as Princess this is typical - and awful. The idea is a taste of worlds which is a nice idea however it just comes off as disorganised. We had 1 lunch here and that was enough for us - maybe dinner may have been better? Read Less

To celebrate our 30th anniversary we decided to take a 3 day cruise which fitted in with work and having somebody to keep an eye on our kids while we are away. We had done a comedy cruise earlier in the year and had a great time so when the price and timing was right we booked. Embarkation, From getting to the overseas passenger terminal to sitting in the buffet eating lunch was no more than 15 minutes, certainly the fastest I have ever gotten on board, I think they started boarding early so there was absolutely no backlog when we arrived. The service The service was what we have come to expect from P&O, efficient and friendly but certainly different to what you might expect on a more upmarket line. The food, Its edible but not great, we had our first night at Angelo's, it wasn't special but considering the price (free) I am not complaining. The second night was at Dragon Lady where we had the share set menu, plenty of food, some of it was pretty good, the service was a little slow but we were in no rush so not a big deal. Entertainment We missed the comedians on the first night but those who saw them said it was good. The second night we did make the later show, Tahir was good but Mick Meredith probably by his own admission didn't have his best show, I have never seen a comedian so put off by some of the audience members and it definitely affected the show, to be fair on the comedian, a lot of people up the back wouldn't stop talking and one heckler tried to take over the show with some kind of vendetta from years ago, the result was a show more in line with a school teacher swearing at the class to try to get them to shut up while rubbishing the suburbs many of them likely came from The 3rd night we saw the Love Riot and had the pre dinner degustation, for $39 each we had a 5 course meal in a closed off area of the waterfront. * Zucchini sorbet - I gave mine to my wife who said it was OK, i dont like it cooked let alone frozen * Duck beast with pickle - nice but very small serve *Heart shaped pate with jelly served with orange and thin sliced toasted bread, it looked amazing and those who ate it said it was good, mine looked just as good when we were done because I didn't eat it. * Crab (and prawn I think) bisque - This one I did enjoy * Slow cooked beef - this was a thick piece of well cooked and extremely tender beef that fell apart as you cut into it, a little fatty for my liking but i was very nice * Desert - I dont recall the name they gave it so i will just have to describe it, orange spun toffee ball on top of a chocolate egg filled with a pink cream and the eggs was sitting o na piece of sponge cake, then they got hot caramel and poured it over the toffee and into the egg which caused the toffee and egg to melt, it looked amazing and tasted pretty good too but very sweet . After this the Love Riot performers turned up and escorted us to the show and our seats at the front , they gave us a drink in a complimentary glass and posed so we could get some photos. The show it self is probably best described as an adults circus musical with some very entertaining acts by very skilled and well rehearsed performers. If you are at all offended by anything of a sexual nature this is not for you as there is some very adult only content, they do suggest there is nudity but besides bums I think that is more to account for wardrobe malfunctions which no doubt occur on a regular basis during the show. Its worth noting, the Love Riot show is $15 without the dinner, $39 with it, my opinion, if you are going to do it, spend the extra $24 Itinerary The cruise was listed as having a stop in Eden but I wasn't sure if this was going to happen because it was posted differently depending on where you read it, as it turns out we did in fact stop at Eden, the first cruise ship to do so docking at the new wharf, before going to Eden I really couldn't care less about the stop but after the day there I am glad we did spend the day there, Eden is a very scenic port and many people saw dolphins, whales and seals from the ship while in port. The locals were very happy and excited to have us there and put on a lot of stalls and entertainment ready for us. The cruise overall We splurged a little being our Anniversary and had a balcony cabin which for 2 of us cost about $1,000, an inside cabin would have been around $600 but when you consider this includes food, accommodation and most of the entertainment its good value for what you get. Read Less

This was our second cruise on this ship, the first was a disappointment as you will see in our previous review but we wanted to go to Cairns and couldn’t fly so it was Hobson’s choice. We had a balcony cabin which was a good size and quiet comfortable except for the bathroom which was a disaster. The shower was over a spa bath and impossible for anyone with even a minor disability to access, the toilet was designed for very short people and was very difficult to get off for elderly people, although a toilet raiser was supplied on request. Most disappointing was the food, we tried the pantry but found the food cold and unappetising. The seating arrangement was modern cafeteria and almost impossible to get a table for two. When possible we ate in the Waterfront restaurant and again were disappointed. The selection of dishes was very limited and the standard of cooking poor, in some cases inedible with that kept warm to long flavour. There was no decent coffee shop and the service was very poor generally resulting in us having to go to the bar a join a line to order. Entertainment was bog standard and after twenty cruises had nothing new to attract us.there was no classical music or decency comedy. Read Less

We chose these cruises for the expeditions and ability of the vessel to get into small ports and also to change course to find unexpected delights. We also love French food! The expedition leaders were wonderful as were their lectures each evening on the following day's adventures. All the crew went out of their way to make sure those of us who were less able-bodied were included in as many excursions as physically possible. There was always help with getting in and out of the Zodiacs, etc. We would certainly go on another of these expedition cruises and look forward to the National Geographic connection with Ponant. It was delightful for us to be able to practice our foreign language skills again on this multi-lingual vessel. Captain Fabien Roche was a brilliant commander - very easy to engage with. We made many new friends on both of our back-to-back cruises and hope to see them again on future cruises. Read Less

Just completed Shanghai to Brisbane - 20 nights and still sick. My numerous attempts to speak to management re lack of enforced handwashing/cleaning of handrails etc, fell on deaf ears, Every night in the theatre, numerous people could be heard coughing/sneezing right across the whole audience. Passengers who have previously cruised on Majestic, told us that this is normal - good business for the medical centre - upper respiratory infections/runny noses, Spoke to a passenger who said her husband had been confined to their cabin with confirmed Influenza A. Also a number of cases of diarrhoea and vomiting. Just very poor infection control for a ship of this quality and size. Will definitely think twice before we rebook princess. We have never experienced this much sickness on a cruise before - and we are very regular cruisers on princess, royal caribean. celebrity etc, Every time we booked a Princess excusion, we were short by at least 1/2 to 1 hour. And the numerous excuses for the reasons why, were an absolute insult to your intelligence i.e. too much traffic on the harbour when they had taken down sufficient tender boats for 3500 passengers. Very glad we were not on the previous cruise after reading previous reviews, but there continued to be numerous black hairs right through the whole cabin/bathroom /balcony repetedly, For the price we paid for this cruise, I did expect much better. On the positive side, the food was good, TV in room was excellent and the hollywood club was great too. Some ot the staff were sensational and made the greatest effort to be personable and lots of fun i.e. trivia and ukelele lessons. Just such a pity that basic cleaning/maintenence was not carried out apprpriately. And a 900 seat theatre for 3500 passengers is rediculous - had to get there 30 - 45 mins prior to show if you wanted a seat. Have 3 more cruiises booked over the next 2 years and none of them are Princess!!!!!!! Read Less

We did the most amazing cruise from Broome W.A. to Darwin N.T. 10 night/ 11 days in the most awesome part of the world. There were only 45 passengers on board and the crew were amazing. The excursions which were twice a day were interesting and the guides were amazing in their information about the areas we visited. The scenery and areas in the Kimberley was so amazing and quiet. Heaps of birdlife, wildlife, whales and dolphins and crocodiles. The weather was kind also. I wish I could give 30/10. The service and cleanliness was excellent. Couldn't praise the crew enough. Our cabin was close to the dining room and was cleaned every morning and the bed was pulled back ready for bed at night. Clean towels every day. The food was to die for. Great selection on the menu. Everyone sat wherever they wanted to. Everyone got to know everyone. Read Less

Hi, my husband and I and 2 friends boarded this cruise on the 13th August to the New Guinea Islands. My first disappointment was the fact that we could not take on a pack of bottled water or the usual 2 bottles of wine on baord, like we could on every other cruise. And our first thoughts as we headed towards the boat was how tired and dirty the boat looked. As the cruise sailed up the Brisbane River, we all decided to get a cocktail to celebrate the beginning of our holiday only to find out that the cocktails we ordered had half the amount of alcohol in them. It was on another P & O Cruise that the bar staff taught us how to make Mudslides and Toblerones and these cocktails on the Aria were like chocolate milkshakes, the other drinks on the boat seemed to be watered down as well. Not impressed at all. This happened right throughout the cruise and when we questioned the bar staff they just said (It is company policy) which I can only gather is what they have been told to say. Not good enough. We wrote in a complaint at desk and asked to see someone higher up, which of course never happened. The next complaint is the variety of food in the Pantry Dining - poorer quality and poorer variety of food than any other cruise we have been on. We tried 3 other restaurants and was not happy with the amount of dishes to choose from, on there menu's and at these venues. Had much better on other P & O Boats. Then we went to see a show - because of the layout and low tiering of the seats in the Marquee - we could not see the stage performances hardly at all, and in the end, we had to get to the Marquee sometimes 3/4 of an hour earlier just to get a seat in front of the glass petitions on the top level to be able to see the show. Then there was the trivia - we learnt early that we also had to get to trivia at least 1/2 hour beforehand just to get a seat and many people just walked away in disgust. When we ordered drinks from any venue (except the Dome room) we had a long wait. Any venue that had a good entertainer at it, just got swamped with people and there, again, was no where to sit. The layout of the boat is very poor. The adult pool on the back deck didn't even have 1 spa - this has never happened on another ship. Pretty poor. The only 2 spa's on the main deck were usually full of kids and parents. The amount of toilet facilities around the boat were very poor and outdated. None I found had more than 2 toilets in them. We were all very disappointed with this cruise ship and would never go on it again and this was not just our opinion - there were people on the boat that told us how disappointed they were as well. The only good thing I could say about the boat is that the rooms were nice and that the staff cleaning our room were very good. I feel this trip was not worth the money we spent on it. The only way P & O will get us back on their boats is to give us a free cruise to prove they have changed their policies and maybe ditch the Aria boat or give it a make over. I feel terrible to make this sad revue but feel it is necessary to do so and hope P & O read it and make plans to rectify situation before more people right more sad revues. Read Less