#ad Princess Cruises Majestic Princess arrived at the QEII terminal in Southampton on Friday 18 July, marking her Maiden Call in the UK. As part of the celebrations members of CLIA Europe Choose Cruise were invited on board for a few short hours to have a look around. Majestic Princess will home port in the UK during the summers of 2026 and 2027 so this was an opportunity to see what she has to offer and to pass that information on to you, our readers.
Public Areas
Our day started with a tour of the public areas. There is a very familiar feel to the rooms and layout of Majestic Princess as there is a resemblence to other Princess Ships. We did find some differences. For instance the area we would recognise as the Take Five Jazz Bar, has been reimagined. It is now called Double Down Bar and is a bar/lounge area along with an extension of the casino adjacent to it. Bars such as Good Spirits and Bellini’s still feature and are larger than on some other ships.
Princess Live is still an area that is widely used for game shows and other live events. It is however more of a theatre layout and has the feel of a separate room rather than being an offshoot of a corridor. The Crown Grill restaurant and bar looked very inviting as we passed by. One of the biggest differences though is the Vista Lounge. This has a very different feel and although it is a lounge and bar, the service area is not as we would view a traditional bar.
Outside Areas
We had an opportunity to briefly see some of the outside areas. Again these would be familiar to those who have travelled on other Princess Ships. The pools, a fountain pool and hot tubs in the Lido area. The Sea Screen is a popular feature on Princess Ships. In addition there is the SeaWalk (for those brave enough) and SeaWalk Bar in the Lido area.
Cabin Tour
The day of our visit was also a very busy change-over day for the staff. We were however, able to see some of the Staterooms. These included a Penthouse Suite, a Mini Suite and an accessible Balcony Stateroom. It was interesting to see how the areas varied. There is no doubt that the balcony for the Penthouse Suite was superb. However for us, the space available in the Mini Suite was similar to that we have had on other ships and perfectly serviceable. The accessible stateroom did show how Princess have considered requirements for easy opening doors etc and has been reasonably well thought out. Of course in each room the Princess Bed features with all its comfort.
More details on room types, styles, layout and space are available on the Princess Website and we would suggest that is a good place to start your search.
Plaque and Key Ceremony
Our tour of the ship took a slightly unusual turn when we were invited to take seats in the Princess Theatre. Here Pauline, Cruise Director, introduced the Captain, Deputy Captain and a senior member of the Port Authority for the Plaque and Key Ceremony. Originally dating back to medieval times, this ceremony traditionally takes place when a ship ports for the first time. In medieval times it represented trade and business with access being granted to the port. Today it is more a symbol of friendship. It is quite unusual to be able to see this ceremony take place and we felt very privileged.
As an extra special treat we were also able to see part of one of the production shows aboard Majestic Princess. It is called `Fantastic Journey’ and is full of beautiful costumes, singers, dancers and some dramatic production. If you are ever in a position to see this show on a Princess ship, it is an absolute must.
Our Lunch on Board
Our appetites whetted for more of this lovely ship, the group was taken to a Main Dining Room where we enjoyed a hosted lunch. The menu had been designed specifically for this event but even so there was plenty of choice, almost too much!”
Choices for Appetisers included: Greek Salad, Crab Cake, Chicken Tikka, Minestrone Soup and Fettuchine Alfredo.
Main Courses: Green Vegetable Risotto, Beef Tenderloin, Pan-Fried Cod, Norwegian Salmon
Dessert choices: Princess Loveboat Dream, Chocolate Pistachio Dome
There were some difficult choices to make, but you will see those that we made in the photographs below. Oh, and in case you are wondering, it was all delicious and the Chocolate Pistachio Dome was the `star of the show’.
Our thanks go to the unsung heros in the kitchens and the waiting staff for preparing and serving this delicious meal.
Formal Reception
After lunch it was time to head to the Hollywood Conservatory. This area is very different and leads on from the covered Hollywood Pool Club area towards the bow of the ship. It really does have the feel of a Conservatory and I am sure will prove very popular during our rather unpredictable summers in the UK.
It was here that ther was a formal reception to thank those travel agents, press and Vloggers who attended this event. It was also an opportunity for Princess Cruises to launch a new range of canned cocktails (part of the Love Line Liquors Collection) that will be stocked aboard their ships, before allowing a short period of time to explore some areas a little more.
And Finally
All too soon our day visit was over and reluctantly we boarded the coach returning us to Carnival House so that we could head home. It really was a great opportunity to see this ship and we are sure that it will suit the British Market – we will certainly be checking out the upcoming itineraries.
As always we were made very welcome by all of the Princess Cruises staff, both crew and land-based. Not for the first time Princess Cruises’ hospitality has been superb.
Our personal thanks go to the crew of Majestic Princess, Princess UK and Europe Media Team and David Sanders from Choose Cruise for hosting this event.