After a long hiatus, it was such a thrill to experience big-ship cruising once again onboard Princess Cruises’ Majestic Princess. I joined the ship’s fifth Alaska cruise of the 2021 season, which called at Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan, and spent a day cruising Glacier Bay. While standing over the pool deck with Seattle’s Space Needle and skyline shrinking in the backdrop, I felt pangs of joy, not just for myself, but for Princess and the travel industry in general.
The fourth member of the Royal-class platform that includes Royal, Regal and Sky, Majestic is unique within the Princess fold. The ship was built for the Chinese market and features the Hollywood Conservatory — a space that is broken up into small alcoves with cabanas that overlook the bow from the top of the ship — in place of The Sanctuary venue present on other Princess ships.
The Hollywood Conservatory replaces The Sanctuary venue on other Princess ships.
Credit: 2021 Peter Knego
Unlike The Sanctuary, the Hollywood Conservatory is not affiliated with the ship’s Lotus Spa, and access is free. By day, this was a popular hangout for watching the passing Alaskan scenery; in evenings, with a live DJ, it ended up being a favorite nightspot. Another Majestic distinction is that the adjacent adults-only Hollywood Pool Club area is covered with a fixed glass dome, unlike the ones that slide open on the other ships.
Majestic Princess Dining Highlights
Majestic also differs with an extra-tariff Chinese restaurant in lieu of Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria. Called Harmony, it has a menu of delectable specialties, such as crab rangoon, braised tofu, kung pao chicken and green tea cheesecake. Meanwhile, Italian food fans still have the included-in-the-fare Alfredo’s Pizzeria, which also has tasty salads, pastas and more, albeit on a lighter scale. Other foods unique to Majestic include the poolside Chopsticks Noodle Bar with Asian noodle and soup dishes, and the Burger and Lobster Grill, which has burger fare and a small-but-tasty extra tariff ($16) lobster sandwich option.
In addition to Harmony, where we indulged on two occasions, we also dined at the Crown Grill, which is renowned for its surf and turf menu and some tasty sides, such as garlic fries and creamed spinach. On another night, we sampled Bistro Sur La Mer, which, like the Crown Grill and Harmony, is priced at $29 per guest. Its French-inspired menu offers up some of the finest breads afloat and traditional French courses including foie gras, escargot and seared duck breast.
The included dining options, such as the traditional Concerto, Allegro and Symphony restaurants, offer both open and fixed seating. While enjoying a leisurely breakfast in Concerto, we were wowed by doting Ukrainian servers Valeria and Oleksander, who jumped through hoops in getting us the perfect “dry” cappuccino to accompany our meal.
Servers Valeria and Olesksander at Concerto restaurant onboard Majestic Princess
Credit: 2021 Peter KnegoThroughout the ship, we found the staff friendly, eager to please and grateful to be back at work. Even the World Fresh Marketplace casual eatery, formerly a self-service buffet and now, of course, offering “point to” service, was excellent. On several occasions, I put the salad bar server to task with my impossibly large portions, and he obliged with patience and finesse.
One of the ultimate Princess dining experiences is Champagne Balcony Breakfast, which we enjoyed as the ship approached Glacier Bay’s dramatically receding Margerie Glacier. Priced at $45, in addition to a demi of chilled Champagne, fresh orange juice and a pot of coffee, it serves two with beautifully presented offerings such as a giant “rose” of smoked salmon, far too many pastries, a crab quiche and artfully carved fruit.
Grand-scale entertainment included full production shows with a live band in the Princess Theater, a magician and guest singers Barbi McCulloch and Emily Yates, who put the divas that inspired them to the test. In the Atrium, there were around-the-clock performances by live musicians, including a resident string duo — aptly named Strings Attached — who actually met onboard Majestic.
More cerebral diversions included regularly scheduled talks by guest lecturer and author Michael Modzelewski, who wowed the packed Princess Theater with his poetic musings about all things Alaska, and there were several talks from visiting naturalists while the ship cruised Glacier Bay. The Princess Live venue, which boasts its own television studio, was a very popular stop for music quizzes and a variety of game shows.
What a refreshing week it was to experience the Last Frontier once again onboard a ship brimming with such diverse dining and entertainment choices. Like many, I’m hoping this restart is just the beginning of a full-scale comeback for Princess and Alaska.
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Princess Cruises
