I took this cruise for The Suez Canal and the Arabia countries for their culture and religion and also a time for a good memorable vacation for me and which I’ve got from this cruise. I liked the entertainments in the theater also the lectures on destinations by Debbie. I still have more on my bucket list to go through yet. I was hoping on this cruise could’ve helped me make a quick decision on my next cruise but the future sale and captain circle staffs were always too busy and not warm to help us to achieve that goal. Disappointed! The conditions of sapphire really needs a update. It’s sanitary conditions is not updated. There are many leaking water stains or even wet spots in the hallways with strong moldy smell which I think is the main cause for the many people being sick with the flu like symptoms. I was happy that the dinning room head waiter attended to my dietary needs. Loo Hua Jiang from customers service desk helped me solved my airline booking problem with great effort and patience. The excursions were very good and the buffet lunch at movie-pic and the tea at the KingsBury hotel were good. I wish there would have had a lunch scheduled for our excursion in Malaysia. It was a long time after our early breakfast and our excursion ended At 2 PM by the time we return to our cruise was close to 3. Overall we had a good cruise and now we’re safely home and time to start planning our next cruise. Read Less

We choose this cruise as a family vacation that would take us half way around the world, Southampton to Singapore, in 37 days. We had some good times and some not so good times, and met many new friends, but I can not recommend the Sapphire. The service is good, but the food is not good. You can always find something to eat, but as a rule, the overcooked meats buried in tasteless brown sauce, the cooked to death vegetables, the fried foods too hard to cut with a knife, just did not do Princess proud. The Sapphire is an older ship needing repairs and a new WiFi system. You could spend hours not getting emails. We missed the port for Paris and Normandy, and Sicily without a real apology or credit. And the shore excursion to Petra was a total ripoff. We spent as much time in a non scheduled over priced souvenir shop where the guide probably got a kick back than we did at the treasury in Petra. It took 14 days of complaints, but I finally got a credit on that. It wasn’t all bad, about half the shows were top notch and the cruise staff was fun, but after 20 Princess Cruises, this was probably at the bottom. Last year, when the Royal missed two ports due to a Hurricane, everyone got a 20% credit. On the Sapphire, complaints went no where, even though this storm wasn’t even a hurricane, We’ve missed several ports with several cruise lines over the last three years. I think this is a trend. If there is somewhere you really want to go, take a plane. Read Less

Excellent choice of ports. Princess has good value and consistent and organized product. Food is excellent but occasionally disappoints. Good coffee still seems to be a weakness although café bar at extra charge is a nice touch. Value added features are pushed and not good value for money especially excursions. You have to be careful as you can quickly find the bill for your holiday much higher than expected. Many days at sea and despite some rough weather this time of year ship was more stable than expected. Gym is a bit crowded and perhaps used more than it was designed for. Exercise seems to be a priority for the demographic on board. Overall experience was very good and I would recommend this particular itinerary. London and Singapore at each end were also worth spending extra time at. Had several changes due to weather and unexpected medical evacuations but handled well. Just a reminder that things don't always go as planned and you have to be tolerant. Also a reminder to be sure you know what is covered on your medical insurance plans including evacuation costs. Read Less

We are a retired couple from the UK. Seasoned travellers and been on over 50 cruises with all the major players. Never been to any of these places so we were attracted to this cruise. Big mistake. The ship is old, tired and needs to be out to sleep. Rust everywhere and painting over it doesn't help. The smell on our deck was revolting. We didn't need to ask what it was - that was obvious. What I found odd was the fact that they couldn't fix it. Thousands of pounds spent to have 19 days putting up with something smelling like the inside of a public lavatory or sewage plant. Simply not good enough ! As for the rest of the ship, our room was kept clean and tidy. Plus marks as usual to the stateroom staff. They deserve every penny they get Entertainment was average. Each headliner performed at least twice, some even more. The comedian was dire.it's not funny to make fun of where audience members come from and that constituted his whole act. They did host a few trivia sessions, no themes at all, Only general trivia with some wacky way out questions. It's no fun if the questions are too surreal . nd there are too many times when the answers they have were wrong. That's just embarassing Only one port had a tender and they managed to muck up the tender ticket allocation process. They gave out numbered tickets on a first come first served basis. Only they realised that they were giving out the wrong tickets and started to give out new ones after about an hour. Meant that those who queued early ( me included ) had invalid tickets, had to queue again and as such got delayed getting off . A total farce Food was disappointing. I've been on a few Princess ships and the difference in quality here was very noticeable. Small portions delivered cold in the MDR. Food also cold in the buffet. And what happened to the complimentary soft serve ice cream usually available on the pool deck ? Replaced with chargeable ice cream at $5 a scoop. That's just mean. I feel sorry for families with kids Ports were as expected. I'm still critical of cruise lines on!y giving out port information which gets them money I've written to Princess about the smell. Hopefully they will reply but I'm not holding my breath - unlike in board where I had to Read Less

We stay in Hong Kong before the cruise which is the best thing to do. We embark very smoothly in hong kong and disembarkation in Brisbane was great. While the ship is looking old and could do with revamping, I really loved the cabin, while I normally don't like a soft bed it was okay. I ate in the buffet for most lunches and the selection was great especially as a diabetic I loved having choices of dessert that are sugar-free and tasted great. Entertainment and activities where good but more activities that tailor to the guest would great i.e more craft. The front desk had long lines during the first 2 days of the cruise. While the tender ports you had to wait longer if you were not an organized tour but as experience cruisers, we expected that. Of all the sun princess have some great points and only a few issues that can be rectified Read Less

Primarily I chose this cruise because it was a way of returning to Australia after holidaying in the UK. However it was a wonderful experience. We visited ports of great interest and met many lovely people. We enjoyed all of the on board activities and felt that for 23 days we were living a life of luxury - which we were! The ship was comfortable and large. The only thing I missed was a dedicated promenade deck. Usually Deck 7 but on this ship it wasn't possible to do a full uninterrupted circuit of the ship. The entertainment was great, the day time activities covered lots of areas althoughI would have liked more enrichment lectures, or lectures on special subjects and special interest groups. The cruise staff were involved in so many activities and impressed us with their friendliness and patience. This was my third Princess cruise and I wont hesitate to book with them again. Read Less

Everything about this cruise was fantastic. From the ports we visited, to the length of the cruise, the onboard entertainment, the exercise class choices, the gym facilities, the games and competitions not to mention the food, all exceeded our expectations! The restaurants were impeccable and the food was first class. The décor is exemplary and let's not forget the compliment the cruise staff. The cruise director and his assistant were very high achievers, always at the ready to assist with entertainment and of course anything that a passenger might request. The production entertainers put 110% into all of their performances. The cabins were well appointed and always well maintained by the cabin staff. We were even fortunate to have the weather in our favour with only 1 rainy day and 1 overcast day at sea. Most shore excursions were value for money and the arrangements for departing the ship were co-ordinated with great precision. Well done Princess Cruises!!!! Read Less

Cost good for a repositioning cruise...Ship was generally good as it is quite new. BUT cabins are small as are the bathrooms and balconies. The pillows are awful felt like I was sleeping on a marshmallow and when I requested a better pillow was given 2 pillows squashed into one pillow case. The mattress is ordinary. The ship's PIAZZA is ok at first.... BUT is very noisy and if you want to watch some thing you have to get there early in morning as the same people monopolise the seating 24/7. The same can be said of the Cabanas and seating around the pools. The ship is set up for the Chinese market with too many areas for gaming ie the 16th and 17th decks. There are not enough interesting activities such as Wine and other Alcohol courses or food demos and tasting times , or even interesting craft courses...there is too much emphasis on the Art shows and Bingo. The long days at sea need more activities. The LIBRARY was a disgrace it effectively did not have any books from day 1...it needs to be bigger and have staff looking after it. The so called SALES in the shops are ridiculous the same stuff, that is mostly junk is put out daily. There could be more interesting food stalls around the pools that could change regularly...the ice cream was the same flavour every day. The off shore tours were boring and not particularly well run. not really good value for money Read Less

I must have been on a different cruise than some of the other reviewers. After 20 + cruises on various cruise lines, I found this one mediocre. Perhaps I expected too much of the exotic 37 day Singapore to Southampton itinerary. I have to admit the highlight of the trip, Petra, definitely did live up to its hype and my expectations. The Suez Canal on the other hand was a major disappointment to anyone who has been through the Panama Canal. The quality and presentation of the food at the buffet in the Horizons Cafe was something you would expect in a military mess, not on a cruise ship. The food in the dining room fared somewhat better but was definitely not what it used to be 5 or 10 years ago. Cost cutting is definitely evident. We asked about wine packages and coffee cards when we boarded and were told these were not available, yet we saw both being used by other passengers later on in the trip. It would be good if Princess would promote these packages and not just it's expensive beverage package. The ship itself could use a little TLC; and I have to say the (same) activities become a little stale after 4 Princess cruises. The entertainment was mediocre as well, just the usual magicians, comedians and ventriloquists. I found the enrichment activities uninteresting, however there were quite a few recent release movies available. Thank goodness for a wonderful stateroom stewart. Read Less

Overall a great cruise with nothing negative to comment on. Great itinerary, excellent ships staff, good food good entertainment, what more could one want. Sailing down the Solent in daylight was a great experience, a good selection of continental ports, the weather could have been better but did not impinge on our enjoyment.visiting the many classical sights through the Mediterranean including the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the monastery at Montserrat in Spain, the walking tour of Rouen, Marseille, the ultimate tour of Rome including the Vatican, Collisseum, the Sistine Chapel, the buried city of Pompeii, Valletta in Malta, the Parthenon in Athens, the acropolis of Linda’s in Rhodes, and transiting the Suez Canal. A bit of a disappointment at Aqaba where due to flash flooding Petra was closed but relief that we were not there the previous day and caught in the chaos. Dubai as usual was an eye opener including visiting the Q.E. 2. First visit to India, Sri Lanka and repeat visit to Kuala Lumpur with final and reluctant disembarkation at Singapore. No issues with the food or service, theatre entertainment dropped off after Dubai and the greatest disappointment of losing our electric jug on the last day.Just hope it returns for our cruises next year. Read Less

Main reason was to go along the Suez Canal and then see Petra. We saw and liked the Suez, but Petra had to be cancelled due to the flood there the day before our arrival. Practically nearly all of the other ports we had visited before, and this ship and it's itinerary (apart from the Sea or Sun Princess World Cruise) go through the Suez and gave the chance of going to Petra. Had we seen advertised before we booked, various section itineraries of this cruise we would have just taken the Rome to Dubai section, and missed out the problem and cost of the Indian Visa's, plus the trouble the Sapphire Princess had with them when we were about to arrive at Cochin. Fortunately, we had ours on a thumb-drive and were able to have Sapphire Princess customer service reprint them. A lot of people had problems there. The Sapphire Princess also charged excessively for shuttle buses that were probably put on by the ports, for which Princess would probably pay only a pittance. The shows were sub-standard and a lot of passengers were complaining about them and walking out. There was little in the way of activities, and the Cruise Director staff were very loud, would shout or scream even though they were using a microphone. The Cruise Director Manager, Paul, would 'put down' his female staff and it was 'beneath' him to talk to passengers. On the whole, this is the WORST CRUISE we have ever taken with Princess, and it will take a lot of consideration before joining Princess again. Read Less

We wanted to cruise somewhere warm and end up up in Freemantle, as I had family in nearlby Perth. The cruise was a great, we had absolutely awesome service from the staff and nothing was too much trouble. THe onboard entertainment offered in the theatres and lounges was top class. In the main the food offerings were fantastic, with regular menu changes The staff in the restaurants particularly the regency restaurant on deck 6 were absolutely wonderful and I would love to go on a cruise and experience this level of service and friendliness again. The only negative was that the excusions ashore are very expensive, however we made our own arrangements for this and it was really not that much trouble to find someone adshore that would take you where you wanted to go. The ship was clean and rooms were attended to twice a day every day. I loved the decor on the ship and the ambience onboard was really nice. We would not hesitate to go with Princess again, and are planning our next cruise now as we made a deposit on board for a future cruise with them Read Less

We have traveled with Celebrity, Cunard, P & O and Princess and till now Princess was our clear favorite, but our experience over the past 3 weeks has left that favoritism in tatters! There were many negatives on this ship but I will start with some positives. The staff were all very helpful, polite and generally good at their jobs. The ship itself was extraordinarily stable with almost NO rocking and rolling over the entire 22 days even though we traveled from Asia to Australia. Their system of taking the passports from the passengers to ease the immigration processing worked in most cases and the tendering service on the one occasion it was used was extremely smooth. Sadly, the negatives affected our cruise more than the positives, with one having a major effect on us throughout most of the trip. I will work through them in a logical order. Some are not fixable but it is probably best if you are aware of them rather than being surprised later. For this particular cruise the boarding in Shanghai was a nightmare. I am told that Princess were not responsible for the debacle in Shanghai and had indeed tried to be in control and failed. All I can suggest is that in future they avoid Shanghai altogether. It ensured most of the passengers boarded the ship in less than a positive frame of mind and could well have been part of the reason so many people were negative about the ship . For our part, the cruise was spoilt by our inability to have the balcony door open at night, but more of that shortly. On the first evening we went to dinner in the any time dining restaurant, Symphony, at 6.30 only to be handed a buzzer and told to go away and wait till it buzzed!! I assumed they had made an error as there were plenty of empty tables in the restaurant and told them I had any time dining, but they said they realised that and to take the buzzer and wait. 40 minutes later it went off and despite a preference for a table for two, we were forced to share a larger table of six if we didnt want a further delay! In all the cruises with all the different shipping lines we have sailed with that was the first time that had ever happened. Any time dining in the past referred to any time WE wanted to eat not any time the staff could fit us in! As a consequence to eating so late, I had severe indigestion that evening and in order to avoid that problem again we went to dinner at 5.45pm each night to ensure we got mostly the same table and didnt have to wait to be placed on a table. However it completely nullified the point of any time dining which is one of the main criteria we look for on a cruise. The other main essential for us is a cabin with a balcony so we can sleep with the door open at night. The reason we do this is because we enjoy fresh air and it usually avoids the problems associated with breathing recycled air conditioned air and the coughs and colds that often causes. On this cruise, despite paying so much extra for a balcony (and indeed a mini suite) we were unable to sleep with the balcony door open for all but the final few nights. The reason for that was a loud ''howling'' sound that erupted spasmodically from the wall next to the door when it was opened. Sometimes it was a high pitched whistle and other times it sounded like the night of the living dead! On the morning of the second day, we asked the cabin steward to listen to the sound and see if it could be fixed. He appeared horrified and baffled by the noise and told us he would get someone to look into it. Nothing happened so we assumed it was something structural which could not be fixed at sea and started sleeping with the door closed. Whilst it had an impact on the cruise from our point of view, we understand that sometimes there are events that are outside peoples control. However, on the 18th day an engineer came to the cabin to check our fridge and while he was there I asked if he knew what was causing the wailing sound when the door was opened. He listened to it and recorded it on his phone after tracing it to the panel of the bulkhead beside the door and told me to call reception and request a carpenter. I did this as he waited, but all that achieved was the cabin steward arrived asking if I had called for him. I explained I had asked the engineer about the noise we had told him about 2 weeks earlier and he called down to someone and spoke to them in a foreign language and left after telling me a carpenter was on his way. After a while we left the cabin as well. 8 hours later I called down to reception to ask if the carpenter had been as the noise was still there and they said he had been and not heard the noise when he opened the door and left! I had explained it wasnt constant but irregular and often. After dinner there was a message to call reception if the noise started - which it did almost immediately. They said the carpenter would be there, but it took about 2 hours for him to arrive! Around 10.15 that night the carpenter came. The noise was very much on and off and not as serious as before but he did at least hear it and started banging a hammer on a screw driver. A manager arrived part way through and then when the noise stopped they both left and the carpenter said he would check back in the morning to see if the noise was gone. In the morning we advised him it was substantially reduced but still there a little and he then filled several gaps with silicone and from then on it was perfect. However it was annoying to discover we had paid for a mini suite for the balcony and not been able to use it for all but the final 3 nights despite pointing out the problem on the first full day! We may as well have paid for an ocean view for all the good of it. THAT issue obviously had a major impact on our cruise and its enjoyment. But it was not the only one. On the Majestic there is no promenade deck as such. On EVERY cruise ship we have traveled on in the past we could walk around the entire deck with a nice view and fresh air as we go. This was not possible on the Majestic and I believe that is a major design flaw. We took a Princess shore tour in Singapore and have to say we were shocked by the poor condition of the coach we traveled in. It was quite old and the air con was VERY limited. Worse still when the engine idled it was impossible to hear the guide speaking and the smell of petrol became quite over powering at the back of the bus where we were seated.Having said that, we could see the other coaches were all quite new, so it is possible we were unlucky. However the tour ended at some markets in China Town. They were about the least inspiring markets I have ever seen and having driven past all the fabulous stores on Orchard Street, a stop THERE would have been far better than ending up in a smelly third rate market! Due to the passenger numbers on the ship, there is another problem - not enough places for passengers to sit and read quietly. Most of the common areas are so full, there isnt a seat to sit on at times and far too much noise when there is. The lounge in front of the Hollywood Club was either full up (which it was all day) or the odd person would come and play the musical instruments around the place (BADLY) to interrupt any attempts to have a quiet moment in the evening. I am sure that sounds picky, but a lot of passengers look for that little place to sit and have some peace on board. On Majestic it really doesnt exist. For Trivia, there were more people than seats which resulted in my missing out a few times and I assume others missing out when I didnt! The room just wasnt big enough for the passenger numbers. The little nook and cranny problem was exacerbated by some of the few areas available being closed off now and again so a British film crew could film a fake wedding or give a (fake) impression of quiet areas on board as they made their free advert for Princess which will be shown on English TV shortly.! Finally I should mention the entertainment, which was disappointing. In over 3 weeks there were only 3 major stage shows on board - UNHEARD of on any other cruise where they are usually every second or third night. Whilst the value of the other entertainers is very much subjective and affected by personal opinion, the stage shows by the singers and dancers are what most of the passengers look forward to and less than one a week is pathetic! As for the other entertainers, some were good and some were iffy at best. I wont criticise individuals because as I said it is all a matter of personal opinion but for me, I have certainly seen better on every other cruise in the past. These are not all the problems or all the things that adversely affected the cruise for us, but I am sure if these had not been applicable the rest of the problems with have dimmed into insignificance. We may reconsider, Princess in the future, but at this moment we are very disappointed with them. Read Less

It gave me the opportunity to take a land tour of China before boarding the ship in Snahhai. Further the ship was the latest in the fleet so we were keen to experience the latest Princess’s offering. The cruise was underwhelming. The ship guest numbers was simply to many for the sh8p amenities to cope. This was exemplified by the demographic of the typical guest and as a result the 5th floor of the vessel which accommodated the 8nternational cafe, together with a convenience store, excursions desk, front desk, spa and restaurant was constantly full of people. Getting a seat or having a coffee was a bridge too far at peak times. Why all these facilities were accommodated on one floor was beyond reason. The coffee card offer was 15 coffees for $36A. No problem but any unused portion could not be car4ied forward to the next cruise. This was a contrast to the traditional format applied on other Princess ships. The cost of on board drinks and facilities had also increased as had the price for the speciality restaurants all of which were either $35 or $45 per person. ( Australian dollars) despite some aggressive marketing attempts, these restaurants were abandoned by guests due to the costs. The on board guest numbers of 4500 was too much for the princess theatre to handle at one time with capacity occupation at most shows. The singers and dancers also appeared just three times during the cruise over 22 days. Read Less

My elderly mother and I chose this cruise for the interesting south east Asia itinerary, and the chance to get on the newest and largest ship in the Princess fleet. It was so disappointing. We've cruised a lot, including several trips with Princess, but this experience REALLY put us off booking with them again. Embarkation in Shanghai was appalling. I know Princess tried to blame the Chinese, but the company should surely have realised that getting over 3600 passengers through immigration would require them to take additional action. As it was, we were left queuing for nearly 3 hours, treated like cattle, without a Princess representative in sight. The cabin (D145) was supposedly premium deluxe (D4), but apart from having a really good sized balcony - which we mostly couldn't use because of inclement weather and standing water - there was nothing special about the room. Dining was very average. We mostly used the buffet, and sometimes found it difficult to get a seat, and get drink service. We went to the Concerto restaurant on 3 occasions, but found the food to be substandard, and the service slow and ordinary. The shore excursions were - as usual - expensive, but the main problem was how fake and inauthentic they were. For example, in Nha Trang there were over 22 coachloads of passengers trying to look at a 'typical' local house, which was clearly not lived in. We also went to see locals working in the rice paddy fields, but it was really 4 very fed up people clambering down from their veranda to hoe their overgrown front garden. Then other people turned up with 'disabled' people to beg for money. On the ship, there weren't enough service staff to provide a reasonable standard of service in the restaurants. The coffee shop saw arguments and even physical altercations as hundreds of people tried to get service from just two coffee machines. There were only free coffees and teas in the dining area. The posh shops were a waste of space, and the women working in the perfume shop were so rude and superscilious I only went once. There were not enough seats for those wanting to participate in the Trivia quizzes, and only 3 good shows in the theatre. I could go on, but I'm conscious how whingey and whiney this sounds. It was just so different from our usual experiences on Princess. The ship holds too many passengers to be looked after properly or appropriately. Read Less

Wanted to see some of Asia and this one was shown to us.Enjoyed it very much. Embarkation was a nightmare though , something has to be done about it if a ship leaves Shanghai, no thanks to the Chinese government, we think. Dining room food leaves a lot to be desired, was disappointing. It was the first time we chose to miss dinner there, at least 5 nights. Overall loved the ship, crew, entertainment and excursions. Pool areas are great, plenty of deck chairs to relax in , even at night where you are supplied with blankets to watch the footy or movies under the stars. Indoor pool area and adjoining areas are great to relax in. Food market eatery had a huge variety and the Bakery was very popular especially with the age group that was onboard. Unfortunately this ship does not cater for children, it will have to add a lot of interests like Royal Carribean have , to get families onboard. But we , as a retired couple enjoyed it very much. Read Less

I will start with the positives - disembarkation at Sydney was fast and efficient. That's the positives taken care of! So now the ship and the cruise! The ships main problem is too many passengers and not enough public areas - so it is ALWAYS busy and finding a seat is not easy. Embarkation took over 3 hours for most people thanks to total disorganization at the port. At meal times with any time dining we were given a buzzer and told to come back when it buzzed - 40 minutes later it buzzed, so any time dining doesnt mean any time you want to dine, it means any time they want to seat you. The dining room was not full, they kept a lot of tables empty! Entertainment. What entertainment? In over 3 weeks there were just THREE stage shows with the singers and dancers and the rest of time they had VERY mediocre performers - for example an Asian Harmonica player had the first nights show in the theater and you have to ask yourself how entertaining could half an hour of a Harmonica player be? I will give you a hint, people were walking out after one tune and by the 4th more had left than remained! He also performed in other areas across the ship for the next week or so and the other artists that featured from then on were about as 'good'! The on board singing group were totally lacking in enthusiasm and ability. There is NO promenade deck! NEVER been on a ship without a deck to sit on and walk around the entire length of the ship - but Majestic doesn't have one. WHO on earth approved THAT design error? The coach supplied for our one Princess shore tour was old and smelled of petrol. We had trouble hearing the guide over the noise of the engine when it idled and the trip ended in a smelly awful market having driven past the beautiful shops of Orchard Road in Singapore. When our Mini suite balcony door was open, there was a hideous howling sound which made it impossible to leave it open at night. The noise was pointed out to the cabin steward on the first morning and yet was not fixed till the 18th day!! Our cabin was rarely cleaned before lunch and our friends cabin had a continuous smell of stale urine from day 1. This on a relatively NEW ship! Wines ran out long before the cruise ended and the one remaining red wine by the glass, a nasty, inferior and over priced drop was desperately offered from that point on. The wines werent even restocked when we made landfall. So many people tried to use the laundry to get tokens for the machines, but more often than not it charged their cruise card and didnt deliver tokens. I waited 40 minutes in the laundry for someone who I was told 4 times was on their way to arrive before giving up! An Elite member, who have their washing done for them as part of their loyalty program, was using the laundry on one occasion when I was there because she said it had taken FIVE days for her wash to come back when they sent it for the service wash - so much for loyalty. Having previously cruised with Princess we looked forward to the usual facilities and service and found neither up to their usual standard. The balcony on Majestics Mini Suite is substantially smaller than their other ships and despite the ship being less than two years old it felt shabby. When advised of the problems we had experienced, Princess offered us a pathetic $250 each towards a future cruise in compensation, which we turned down as it is clear Princess has lowered its standards across the board and none of their ships will be as they once were. So in closing, avoid Majestic Princess at all costs. AVOID Princess or severely lower your expectations because they are heading down the same road as their partner P & O. Read Less

Spent 22 days on the Majestic and wish we had not spent a single night on board. The boarding was hell, the food wasnt very good and the any time dining simply didnt work out. Unless we ate at 5.45 we would have to wait ages for a table even though they werent all full. The entertainment was so bad we only went to 5 shows over the entire three weeks and the Princess cruise dancers and singers only performed 3 times over the entire period. What a joke on a cruise ship. So many things didnt work as they should it is hard to remember them all. Several types of wine ran out and werent replaced even when we docked. The laundry token machines were always empty but still charged our cabin for the tokens we didnt get. Our room was only clean on the surface and was never tidied till lunch time each day - obviously the cabin steward had too many cabins to look after - probably due to a shortage of staff. The balcony door impersonated moaning minnie or a howling Banshee when it was open forcing us to keep it closed and make the extra payment for a balcony over an ocean view a total waste. Despite all that, Princess thought the problems we had had were worth $250 in future cruise deposits for each of us but if we wanted to accept their offer, we would have had to write back to them 16 days before they sent us the offer. I am one preferred customer (platinum) who will NEVER be traveling with Princess again. Now where is that phone number for Celebrity? Read Less

There was a group of four of us who chose this cruise as we liked the Ports of Call and the length of the Cruise. We had previously done a cruise on the Diamond Princess and really enjoyed that. Sadly we were very disappointed with this cruise. Embarkation was a disaster with queues as long as 3 hours, waiting in the hot sun with no cold water supplied, no chairs for the older people and no explanation from Princess. It appears that this is normal procedure for them. This Ship is large, but has no flow to it. There are no outdoor decks where you can walk all the way around. Getting from the front to the rear of the ship requires you to go up or down a floor to get to the other end. It appears that Princess has added more passengers and removed a lot of the public areas to do this. There is only two pool areas. One indoor which is fine, but the air-con keeps it cool The outdoor area has two small pools, right next to each other and is the noisiest part of the ship. It is right under the movie screen and when there are no movies being shown a band appears and plays as loud as possible. If you are wanting to lie around the pool reading and swimming quietly in the sun this ship is not for you. We were looking forward to using the Kareoke areas on this ship, however they have been removed, as has the Juice Bar. Once again no explanation from Princess as to what is going. They are still written on the options on all the signage onboard, they just no longer exist. We were in a Mini Suite on the 14th floor. Our room was nice, but the balcony was a waste of time. It was so small we didn't use it. Two of us could not fit out there at the same time. Anytime dining???? When you have to queue for 30 minutes to get a table in the restaurant at night it doesn't feel like they are coping with the large number of passengers on board. We didn't bother with the shows. You have to get there 30 minutes before the show to get a seat (at every sitting!). Service from restaurant staff was of a high standard as was our room steward. Bar staff however .............the normal wait time to get your drinks in the Wake Bar is 30 minutes after ordering. If you want a drink by the pool you have to go to the bar (no staff serving drinks to your lounger) and hope that the staff are not entertaining everyone with their juggling act. These juggling acts can go on so long you are better to go to the wake bar at the other end of the ship, wait your 30 minutes for your drink, then go back to the pool!!! We were very excited about travelling on this new ship, however have been very disappointed. We do travel regularly and have all done numerous cruises across several cruise lines. We went on this cruise to have a good time and we did manage to do this, however I think we will give Princess a miss for our next cruise. They don't cope with large numbers of passengers very well. Read Less

Other reviewers have referred to the debacle that was our boarding in Shanghai. A two to four-hour wait in the Asian heat was just the beginning of our worst cruise of more than twenty so far. This ship is shockingly, badly designed. On board there is no sensation of being at sea, due to the enclosed nature of all of the public areas. There are not enough lounge seats for more than 3500 passengers and none with a sea view. Those on board were aged and infirm. They were also cranky and demanding of the very friendly crew. Many times we saw people with walking sticks and even electric carts just fold up and walk as well as the rest of us. This is not the fault of the ship. But - our usual Crooners Bar was horrible. On past Princess cruises we've danced till dawn with fantastic performers but this ship has an overly-lit room divided in half by a wall and one half has no connection with the performer. It was previously a 'high-rollers' gaming space and has kept the stench of cigarettes. We missed having sail-aways from a bar with a view. The busy, windy and noisy Wake View Bar is completely inadequate for pre-dinner drinks. The only food we enjoyed was in two specialty restaurants - Crown Grill and Harmony, though if you don't have six for the cellar room in Crown you'll sit with blinds down because the lifeboats are outside the windows. Whoever designed this awful ship? The closest we got to the ocean, other than from our own deck 12 balcony, was from a small window in Vines bar and you might be in any dark bar anywhere in the world - and it was 11am! La Mer French restaurant should be avoided and was empty for most of the cruise. It sits above the only dance floor and loud band on the ship with nothing to separate it from passing foot traffic. We booked online ahead of the cruise for a celebration dinner but when we saw the location we asked several days ahead for a table as far away from the noise as possible. We were told it was 'first come, first served' starting at 6pm although we had been given only one booking time, 7.30pm. We made the mistake of dining there and the noise was deafening. Food otherwise was ordinary and frequently cold. Breakfast once took more than an hour to be served in the dining room. The wine list reduced every day. We had excellent waiters in Allegra for traditional late dining and the efforts of the crew to keep us going were obvious everywhere. Shops were boring and either ridiculously expensive or bargain-priced T-shirts, with nothing in between. We did not take any ship's excursions, since they were too expensive and we'd previously visited every port. Disembarkation in Sydney was the best yet and well-organised with helpful porters. Read Less

Repositioning cruise so great value on a deluxe balcony Friendly helpful staff and crew Great food choice menu in 5.30 fixed seat dining.Well presented, good standard food with good service from friendly waiters 3 million dollar show Fantastic Journey with drones and new affects in an original Broadway type show .Shows so popular you have to get in early to get a seat Extra large balcony to stretch out full length and still room Settee in room to relax when using the cabin As brand new ship the standard of furniture and decor great Embarkation a disaster .We had no trouble getting off the ship in Shanghai so knew where the quickest entry point but were stopped by police even though we tried to go out and try again. The Hong Kong Tram excursion meal the worst in all previous Princess Excursions even though it cost well over $200 Excursions in other ports were good, especially Saigon at the Rex Hotel Read Less

Travelled to Asia to join Cruise and Shanghai embarkation was abysmal. After arriving at the allotted time we were shown to a holding lounge for a bus transfer. The bus arrived and all passengers were told to load their luggage into the bus as the driver would not open the doors under the bus- those of us who could load the bus did so and helped those who were unable to do so. The bus arrived at portside and the driver stopped, jumped off the bus and we reversed the process to unload all the luggage procedure. We entered the shed and for the next four hours we waited while a Princess person was wandering around but did not have the courtesy to advise us of what was going on. We were the lucky ones as some passengers waited outside in the sun for some 90 minutes with no water or wheelchairs to help the not so well passengers - absolutely disgraceful of Princess. Our luggage finally arrived ay our cabin at approximately 7-30 PM. The cabin was small but clean and our balcony could just hold the 2 chairs and small table but the staff were very helpful. The Dining experience ( L6 dining) was not good with long delays in receiving warm food and a fairly ordinary menu. The Maitre d" of Hotel was very aloof and had no interest in upholding the dress code as noted on the Princess Patter - may need retraining. We found very limited areas to walk for 3500 passengers and in the L16 pool area people would be knitting or sleeping and the problem was even worse on L17 and the pools on both levels were so small for this size ship. The entertainment was average to say the least and will need to improve. The staff on the boat were mostly very helpful but the Service desk needs some people who understand english and know the job they are supposed to do. Shore excursions were expensive and passenger who have travelled more than us said they would not go on this ship again and that also applies to our group. To sum up - will avoid this boat again and very disappointed with Princess and the way we were treated - Ship to big, more like a floating hotel rather than a cruise ship. Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the destinations and the timing suited us both. We spent three nights in Shanghai which gave us enough time to explore this interesting city. What did I like about our cruise onboard the Majestic Princess? The service was very good, friendly and efficient. The tapas in Vines Bar pre-dinner was a nice addition. The Hollywood Pool Club was a pleasant place to relax during the day. Both pools are heated. Movies under the Stars was an enjoyable experience particularly on warm evenings. The classical musicians were excellent and provided appropriate ambience in the atrium. The ports of call were interesting and we enjoyed all of them. Harmony restaurant was great and well worth the cover charge. The destination lectures were informative and interesting. Disembarkation in Sydney was a breeze. What did I dislike? Embarkation in Shanghai took three hours. Enough said. The house band often played in the atrium before dinner and the music was way too loud. It made having a conversation near impossible. The entertainment and activities were geared towards an older demographic. Only one deck party on a 22 night cruise says it all. Nowhere to place your drink in the theatre. Not a lot of options where to go for night caps considering the size of the ship. The openness of the atrium reminded me of an upmarket shopping centre. No observation lounge or wrap around promenade deck. We kept getting drinks charged to our account even though we both had a drink package. This was a daily occurrence. In summary, would we go again? We’ve done a couple of cruises to south east Asia, so probably not. We’d like to explore different destinations now. This was our second cruise with Princess and have found the demographic onboard too old for us, so it’s unlikely we’ll do one in the near future. We’ve cruised with Celebrity in the past and they are more to our liking. Read Less

Chose back-to-back-to-back cruises on Majestic Princess (totaling 47 days) due to itinerary and effectively a brand new ship (about 1 year old). The Majestic overall was disappointing: 1) One of the 4 front elevators was out-of-service for the entire 47 days - extremely inconvenient for those of us with forward cabins. This also was totally unacceptable for an almost brand new ship. We also got the run-around every time we inquired about the repair status. 2) The Front Desk was horrible - we had 3 requests/issues that we were promised someone would get back to us and they never did - even when we followed up again on one of the questions. 3) There was a wall left up (from when the ship was leased out to the Chinese market and the area was a high-rollers gambling area)) in the Piano Bar (Crooner's Lounge) that made seating in the Piano Bar very difficult. The Piano Bar "gal" (Tonya Scott) was absolutely excellent, but there was almost no seating available there to see her (due to the wall being left up). 4) The Embarkation from Shanghai was a nightmare. The worst Embarkation ever - some people were in line in the hot sun for over 4 hours. One woman in line had a heart attack while waiting in line. Complete disorganization and chaos. All Princess could do is blame the Chinese authorities - they took absolutely no ownership for this debacle. 5) Food was not nearly as good as we have had on the Royal and Regal (Majestic's sister ships). 1st Lobster night (last formal night of 1st cruise segment) was atrocious - worst cruise ship lobster ever!! The one good thing was the crew was warm and friendly. It is too bad they had to be on this particular ship. We will likely never book the Majestic Princess again. Read Less

Never visited before Asian countries.? and Magestic Princess ....the newest Princess ship on her maiden voyage to OZ ...We just had to be onboard .!!! We flew from Adelaide to Shanghai the day before boarding Was amazed at the size and magnificence of the ship but once orientated was easy to find our way around... Our balcony cabin was cosy and had all we needed...the food in all dining areas excellent...! There was always entertainment in venues any where on the ship ...and plenty of quiet places to relax and read a book or sit on the deck and watch the ocean....There was a variety of shore excursions offered by Princess and the ones we chose were well organised and very enjoyable.. The staff and crew were very friendly and helpful always willing to have a chat when possible..A great relaxing holiday and well worth the money ... Our 3rd Princess cruise will be on the Golden Princess in March next year Read Less