MAJESTIC PRINCESS LIKES AND DISLIKES

[@tvaud]

The horn never gets old.🎵🎶❤️

[@maryannmcc.8420]

Don, I just disembarked the Majestic Princess today. I loved the Medallion ap, but I also relied on the paper Princess Patter. My big thrill was San Francisco as a port of call. The Majestic Princess was the first cruise ship in 18 months and the City and citizens put out the welcome mat. One of the tours I had in Chinatown, a tv station sent down a reporter to talk to our tour guide about the first cruise ship in port. Also the views in port were magnificent. Our cabin face the Oakland Bay Bridge which provided us with a beautiful sunrise. The other side had an even more beautiful landscape- Coit Tower, Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. My biggest thrill was sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge at sunset- with the Love Boat theme on the ship’s horn. This will be a memory I will treasure forever.

[@kayhouse7653]

Like a paper schedule more.

[@KnuckleheadParker]

They playTime to Say GoodBye on Costa ships every time you leave port, sung by Andrea Bocelli

[@travelinhawk4584]

I wonder if the decreased selection in the buffet has to do with the supply chain issues related to the pandemic. We are still having some issues here related to that.

[@hazelnut0127]

Planned scamdemic

[@joannabalis0310]

Or decrease in passengers.?

[@rickhodgkins6937]

Hi don! Glad to hear your voice again and hope that your illness is in remission or has improved!

[@darayusengineer4152]

We went on Island Princess 58 days S.America in 2020 jan5 to mar7 and all shows for 58 days were excellent . It is tough to entertaining for 58 days. Love boat theme is always there from time to time.

[@stewartandbonniecampbell94]

Do they still have the Princess Patter somewhere? I hate scrolling!

[@ranger688]

yes ask your steward.

[@maryannmcc.8420]

Our steward brought us the Princess Patter every day- we didn’t even have to ask.

[@anneclough7064]

You did not mention my favourite thing about Majestic Princess. The Hollywood Pool Club area with the pool and all the cabanas and places to sit and relax and the fact that it is free! Majestic was the first Princess ship we sailed on and my husband and I just loved this area, especially on sea days. We were shocked to find on our next Princess cruise, sailing on Caribbean, that this same area was called "The Sanctuary" and you had to pay to use any of the cabanas. We are booked to sail again on Majestic in October 2022 and cannot wait. We just have to hope it goes ahead after having cruises in 2020 and 2021 cancelled.

[@davec1034]

Let's hope.

[@tracymurray3360]

The Sanctuary is inside the spa and there is a fee. I paid in advance for the two of us 3 days for $100. Well worth it. The Hollywood Pool club is just an enclosed pool area with great views with a bar. Free and adults only. So far it seems the Majestic is the only ship with it.

[@anneclough7064]

@@tracymurray3360 On Caribbean Princess the Sanctuary is on a different deck to the Spa.

[@kamelhaj6850]

Don (like a few others) does a cruise critique right by giving us both the good *and* the bad aspects of what he encountered. This helps many of us decide what cruises we wish to take in the future.

[@markrussell8017]

Don spot on. We’ve sailed the Majestic several time as it was in The Australian market in 2018. Agree with your positives! The running track is the real downer. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@darayusengineer4152]

Princess is always our first choice.

[@danakruse7325]

Thank you for your review. Sounds like a ship I would want to be on. Have a great trip.

[@TSKseattle]

I hope you'll do an update version of this on our may-24 group to alaska on this ship

[@KimBurkhart-ob9zi]

We booked our cruise to Alaska on the Majestic princess one year before sailing when it got to be within 30 days of our sailing time. The price of the excursions went up and they made us pay the price increase for our excursions when we had our cruise already paid for in fullit was a little disciplining, but I still love Princess

[@lawanahultquist9342]

Everybody knows who you are Don especially on princess you're loved by everyone ❤️👍🙃

[@marylynngallant5168]

Appreciate this type of analysis. Stay away from the clickbate.

[@joanndallas4683]

I was on your sailing and I agree with you on the buffet. It wasn't the Princess buffet of the past. The selection was just okay.

[@Bill98006]

After watching your videos about the Majestic Princess, we booked a 13 night land/sea cruise tour in May. Should be fun, thanks Don!

[@AnxiousAnt1]

How was the cruise Bill? I’m going on the majestic at Xmas time and I have never done a princess cruise before, was the majestic princess great?

[@Pitsler]

We had that same “Butterfly Service” with the individual waiters in a specialty restaurant onboard Celebrity! Pretty cool!

[@nancysmall9793]

I did the chef's table a long time ago on Princess and it was fantastic.

[@pamlaminsky9898]

What restrictions/modifications are happening in the casino?

[@pamelahicks517]

I wish Princess would put a ship in Galveston!!! I adored our cruise on Princess to Alaska.

[@judycohentx]

Princess used to cruise from Houston. It was a great port. I miss it.

[@samuelcollins1331]

We get one in BALTIMORE BEFORE ANYWHERE ELSE gets a Princess ship! Or I will throw a TANTRUM!!!☹️

[@darayusengineer4152]

Yes wifi is Best all the time.

[@genep7344]

Thanks Don!

[@BethCampbell-b9c]

First one here!! Can’t wait for our group cruise aboard this ship in June!!

[@janicedean427]

Thanks Don, I hope those limitations will be lifted by the time the Majesetic Princess comes to Australia in 12 months time.

[@julianigoe1291]

I hope we will be cruising in 12 months time 🤣🇦🇺🍻

[@ranger688]

Liked the Hollywood Conservatory.

[@kstaffen-justlovescruising]

The Love Boat horns were on your second cruise ( I know because of the hail. I was on the first, and they didn't not play them once. I was really looking forward to it and was extremely sad 😥.

[@toreaastrand6932]

We have been on several cruise with Princess, and it’s no 1!

[@paulromero1742]

Yea your right, I know there will be the feeling of cut backs in cruising until everything gets back to normal … I will be on the carnaval sunrise next week and I hope there’s not too much cut backs where we say we should have waited until next year 🙏🙏

[@gretchenbly6832]

Sounds like Oceania when you talk about the fabulous food and amenities Best cruise line ever

[@barbarameyer649]

You got to see Barbi McCullough! She performed on the Royal in January 2020. Unfortunately she has left the ship so we won't see her on our trip on the 30th.

[@luciad5988]

They call that tandem service, when each person dining has a server. And all the plates are lowered at once. Very fancy!

[@benran100]

We will be on Majestic December 29 down to Baja, looking forward to i

[@dianefullerton6791]

Love Princess cruises!

[@stevec9669]

Will you do the same thing for the Celebrity Edge?

[@russellyeley2561]

Princess is my favorite cruise line.

[@PAWS0810-]

my friend works on that ship lead male singer. great ship.

[@donnaschuepbach3830]

I go on her in a week. I can't wait to board and enjoy the food and experiences you did. I'm going to get the paper Patter because I know the medallion will be hard for little "old" me. THANKS DON!

[@BibtheBoulder]

have a fabulous cruise....it's been a bleak 2 years....

[@yusselfaveljl]

Overall, sounds like a very good experience....

[@Karli4Sure]

Ok even hearing the “Love Boat” theme during your video got me a bit. Agreed Don Majestic was wondering.

[@chuckarock2001]

Thanks Don. Regards from Australia 🇦🇺🇨🇦🤓

[@philhorvath1347]

On Celebrity it is in a room by itself in the Steakhouse at least on the Edge.

[@barbaralynch2363]

What I didn't like myself (I was on your cruise) - most of the buffet food was ethnic (asian/indian) and for someone who can't handle spicy foods, it really limited my options. Also a few of the roving ship photographers were too aggressive for me - they would not accept my No answer. I do agree about the great shows and the staff. It was a beautiful ship.

[@pamvogelsang8135]

We cannot have spicy food either. We talk with the a chef’s rep and order our dinner the night before. At the buffet we ask to speak to a chef and have always been accommodated.😄

[@barbaralynch2363]

@@pamvogelsang8135 I also can't do gluten -- the crew in the buffet told me they didn't have gluten-free...ran into the chef who was in charge who told me they did, but the crew is new and not aware of gluten-free offerings! I am thinking they should have known from their training and because of the prevalence of gluten intolerances these days. But I also realize they're not fully back to normal due to pandemic, so I will give Princess another shot when pandemic is over with.

[@smokeyjoe1953]

I agree the app needs some fine tuning. Overall though, a great experience

[@code4forlife]

Our experience with Harmony and Bistro Le Mer was less than excellent. The Buffet was also not near as good as the Grand Princess that we just sailed on. However Crown Grill was excellent. The Crew and Entertainment was superb and made up for any food quality deficiencies.

[@sherrellbennett1333]

Thanks Don for this review! I am going on the Majestic in April 2022 and it was good to know I made a good choice. I will be going the Mexican Riviera route, opposite of your trip, but still same ship. I noticed a few negatives from another person on the same ship. I just chalk it up to different strokes and I am so happy to hear your take on it. The only thing that worries me is the Medallion. I don't do "apps" and my iPhone is so old I was told it wouldn't be compatible. Luckily I will be sailing with my niece and she knows all about "apps". However, I may need to buy a new phone before I go and that wasn't in my budget.

[@maryannmcc.8420]

My ap worked well, but You also can get the information on your tv. Also, you can still pick up the phone and make reservations and get your questions answered without the ap.

[@sherrellbennett1333]

@@maryannmcc.8420 thank you. I just hate to spend $1000 on a new phone if I don't have to!

[@randolphwellington1704]

Very good review. Is the Chef's Table offered every night, or is it limited to certain days only?

[@darayusengineer4152]

Going on Island Princess in 2023 Jan World cruise.

[@fishurm0344]

Did they let you know in advance that they would play the love boat so you could record it? We’re sailing 1-8-22 and would love to record it. Thanks for your time. And you’re right-The Love Boat theme lives on

[@dollylittlewolf]

Hi Don, I've heard that besides trying to find the daily activities/times on the Medallion Ap, you can also still get a hard paper copy down at the pursers/customer service desk area. Is this true or not? Although I've been on 18 cruises, I'm new to youtube and all cruise news experiences. Thanks, for doing your youtube channel. Been watching for about two months now.

[@maryannmcc.8420]

I disembarked from Majestic Princess today. My steward brought the Princess Patter in paper form every day- I didn’t have to ask - he just brought it. I loved the Medallion ap, but glad to have the paper copy.

[@bobblafkin2087]

Hey don, watch you every day. One question, I'm sailing on the Majestic in February, do they have kareoke????

[@lynnfranklin5098]

Chef Table. Do they do it on. 4 day cruise? I am always like #5 on wait list next cruise is only 4 days and I am club class and 1st time platinum. So my best chance.

[@maryv.4476]

Well done !

[@dianefullerton6791]

I'm going on Regal for Christmas, seriously thinking of canceling til next year, not sure what to do! Excited to cruise again but ambivalent about change and protocols

[@maryannmcc.8420]

I was a bit skeptical about protocols such as wearing masks, but by day 2, I got used to it. If I forgot my mask and I was going to a restaurant, the host/hostess provided me with a mask with no judgements, the same when I visited customer service. The reminders were always gentle and you were provided with a mask so you didn’t have to go back to your cabin to get one. I loved the new hand washing sinks by all the entrances to the buffets.

[@davesfoodfinds2087]

I have cruise on princess a lot and I agree with everything he saying I have not found a cruise line has better service or better staffed and Princess the only one that can compare a celebrity

[@vontravel]

Thanks Don for all your comments: watch you daily. Don’t you want to go see the latest Bond movie then do a short video explaining the plot? Please. I am left confused...

[@michaelvoisey8458]

This the first Don video I have seen for some time as they seemed to be full of negativity about cruising not from Don but CDC and Canada and some other countries . So far in the UK we had cruises around the British Isles but no stops on most of them and full international cruising with stops has been going for a few weeks now . In two weeks time we are off on the Iona to Spain and Portugal 14 days . Glad to Don is back cruising

[@kaaylaskorner]

Pre-Covid, I was on the Royal Princess for my Alaskan cruise and it was good but sounds like the Majestic would be even better.

[@helenebrochu4683]

Does anyone know where is gonna be the Carribean Princess for Seasons 2021-22 ? Everything's changing. Thanks.

[@janetdomagalski4747]

Don do they 2 shows at nite? What time are they?

[@kengodbold1142]

Just left the Majestic coastal cruise. Most in our group were not happy with the buffet, too cold, too hard (pancake like a cookie). We weren't happy with dining room not open till noon. Princess has gone to reservations for dining rooms and time. We prefer having a set table and waiter who knows how to take care of you. On the third night our table had others seated there before us so we got a different table. The waiter there could have cared less about us. We talked to staff and that was the last time our table wasn't available for anyone in our group of eight. Alfredo's kept us happy if nothing else. I agree- our BEST experience in 20 years of cruising was the chef's table dinner. On the 'royal' class ships you are in the closed off area. BUT don't tell anyone about it because as it is you are not going to get it unless you reserve it as soon as walking on ship and I don't want other people to beat me to it on our next cruise because we will do it again.

[@barbarapomeroy4664]

Question……Do you tip in specialty dining?

[@sherrellbennett1333]

I love the Crown Grill for my specialty dining choice and, yes, I always tip. I tip well. The service is always great and the food is perfect. For me, anyway.

[@careym3901]

I didn't like the Casino games on the Majestic Princess. Everything else was great! Not that the Casino is a huge deal for me. I spend a little to get the deals & offers, but I'm not a high roller by any stretch!

[@johnsimion2893]

Just returned today from the Classic California Cruise on the Majestic Princess. It's a beautiful ship with great crew, great food and great entertainment, and everything went great ... BUT we were cruising at just over HALF capacity! There is no way I would ever take this ship at full capacity. The common areas are far, far too small to handle twice as many passengers and I'm surprised Don didn't comment on that. The buffet had great food but it wasn't easy to find a table at half-capacity and it would be completely impossible to find a table at full capacity. The cafeteria-style service didn't work well - not the crew's fault, but they couldn't hear the passengers well and were always bumping into each other - and the passengers are disorganized. That would be compounded with twice as many passengers. The theater was completely full at half-capacity so I guess they'd make you get reserved seats. Most common seating areas were already almost full at half-capacity, so what would they be like at full capacity? There were often six or seven of us in the elevator, which was a little crowded already (none of us were fat BTW) and THEN I saw the plaque saying the elevator's capacity was 17 passengers! COVID or no COVID, I cannot imagine getting 17 people into that elevator. But props to everybody for cooperating and keeping us safe from COVID. If anybody got COVID on the cruise, I sure didn't hear about it.

[@misterrjg]

We'll be sailing on the Majestic next week. Excited to be back to cruising.

[@dkdecker1]

Don, question on the chefs table experience. Is it ok for a somewhat picky eater? Lol i don’t eat fish mushrooms and other stuff, hubby eats just about anything.

[@julianigoe1291]

So sad that I lost my all inclusive cruise from Sydney to the Fiji islands 😞😞 stupid covid. Glad you enjoyed your experiences 👍🍻🇦🇺

[@ronaldmassey7873]

I agree about the lack of a jogging track, but don't agree on the food, we were on the August 1st Alaska cruise, the buffet food was good but the main restaurant was pretty poor ,i ordered bouillabaisse, one evening it was the worst ever in fact there was no resemblance to that dish what so ever, hardly any sauce or fish for that matter, it was so bad we just laughed, figured the chef just didn't know how to make it.

[@redstratus97]

During every cruise I always wish that I had two stomachs so that I can enjoy most of the food. So easy for me to stuff myself on these trips.

[@repns]

Our experience on the Majestic Princess was a bit different (we were on your second week in Alaska). I agree with most of your superlatives, with a few exceptions. The Medallion App didn’t work on my phone, so we had to use my wife’s phone. We ate at Harmony, and the food was just horrible. Not even up to fast food standards. So bad we complained to the customer service desk. Other food options were uniformly excellent. Loved it when we were eating at the pizza place and my wife ordered a slice of chocolate cake delivered for my dessert. Several times, our in-room television displayed a green screen (the app is restarting to free up memory). When that happened, no TV, no access to make reservations, nothing. You are right, the staff at every level was outstanding, tens across the board. The debarkation process needs work. We waited in the piazza area for our meeting time. None of the meeting areas was labeled. We went looking for our area about 15-minutes before meeting time and we were told everyone in our group had already left the ship. There were no overhead announcements, no directional signs. Out of 10 we would rate the cruise probably as an 8.5.

[@markeaston7353]

Thanks for that offering Rick. We need to hear about the good and the not so good.

[@dogcrazy25]

Best part, the love boat theme.

[@dm75thRanger]

Well if they put the noodle bar on every ship they would have to get rid of the pizza place.

[@rachelleslater8997]

Yup, the Love Boat theme song brought me to tears.

[@maryannmcc.8420]

One thing you didn’t mention and that was the internet. It was fantastic (but you did have to pay for it). I don’t know if it was a Princess or Majestic Princess or did internet access improve since the pandemic? Pre COvid and on Holland America, you paid 75 cents per minute or bought a “ package” of 250 or 1000 minutes that cost more than the internet on Princess. You could buy unlimited minutes for the whole cruise cost of $70 for 1 device or $140 for 4 devices ( and you could share those 4 devices with your shipmates or anyone that you were willing to share your password). I found I focused less on the internet on Princess because of the easy access and no lag time.

[@brentpayne4215]

Majustic princess

[@MuscleAL]

My Like for the Majestic Princess - Food! Definitely better than Royal Caribbean! My Dislike, the Fitness Centre! Fitness Centre in Royal Caribbean ships are huge, and usually close to their Spa. In Majestic Princess, their Fitness Centre and Spa is at different level, and it’s tiny (mean crowded)! 😱 Worst still, you have to go outside to get to the Fitness Centre! So you’ll get soar if it’s raining!😝

[@rachelleortiz7880]

Don, thx for the info. I have never cruised Princess but would love to try it. Sounds like a fun cruise line! Once again Don, thank you for all your professional information.

[@carolynnowak3823]

I miss the paper copies of all the menus. That was in the “olden days”. Also wish Princess had pools with retractable roof.

[@maryannmcc.8420]

At the sit down restaurants- Allegro, Concerto, Harmony- we had paper menus. I also saw that there were paper menus for the other sit down or specialty restaurants. I agree about the Hollywood pool- I wish it had a retractable roof or a heater for the water- the water was a bit cool at the Hollywood pool.

[@archerychampion]

Don, don't fool yourself (too much!): With the technology on board, you can bet that everyone with a device letting them know your name likely also saw a code associated with your name that let them know that you were a V.I.P.!

[@gregm1955gm]

I'm 3rd. 😄😄

[@kays749]

Dining was a nightmare. Reservations did not work.

[@samuelcollins1331]

From top to bottom, all aspects considered: price, demographics, food, service, decor, accommodations, itineraries, on board activities, excursions, and Aft Pools 😂🥱Princess is our absolute favorite cruise line. Like they say in yachting:”Princess is FIRST, there is no second!”

[@larryabrams5693]

The shows were generally good, however, I have no interest in opera. The opera lady gave me a headache.

[@sarahbrown7055]

Sorry not been funny, Don who are you !, , the president /king of KZbin ? you seems to offer state "they don't know who you are", .... just confused 😐 why you think they would treat you any special 🤔

[@mindyschocolate]

Not interested in Love Boat songs. That was straight up 50 years ago.

[@sherrellbennett1333]

Awww....Give us old folks our memories.

[@ksandhoff1]

OBVIOUSLY THE THEY ARE INCCOMPTET =