A Travel Advisor’s Perspective Aboard Majestic Princess
In October 2026, I spent seven nights aboard Majestic Princess on a Canada and New England itinerary while participating in a travel advisor Seminar at Sea. The ship had undergone a refurbishment in April 2025, introducing several new and updated dining and social venues, so I was particularly interested in experiencing what Princess Cruises offers its guests.
In this Majestic Princess review, I’m sharing my firsthand impressions of the dining, entertainment, accommodations and service, including where the experience met my expectations of a premium cruise line and where I had hoped for more.
For transparency, I sailed at a reduced travel advisor fare that included Princess Plus benefits. The opinions and observations shared here are entirely my own.
The Onboard Atmosphere Aboard Majestic Princess
Majestic Princess is a large, attractive ship with an atmosphere that reflects many of the traditions of classic ocean cruising. Our particular sailing attracted predominantly older guests, with relatively few children aboard. The overall atmosphere was relaxed, and passengers appeared to be thoroughly enjoying themselves.
The Piazza was the heart of the ship’s social activity, particularly in the evenings. Live musicians performed regularly, and I was impressed with the quality of the entertainment and the engaging personalities of the activities team.
One memorable evening featured the traditional Princess Champagne Waterfall. The ship’s officers were introduced while a tower of champagne glasses became the centrepiece of a ceremonial pouring. Guests could pose for photographs, enjoy sparkling wine and celebrate together. It was an elegant occasion, particularly with so many passengers dressed their best for the evening.
Princess continues to embrace dress-up nights, and many guests enthusiastically participated. I spotted tuxedos, cocktail dresses and plenty of elegant evening wear. Participation wasn’t universal, however, and my travel companions and I generally preferred a more casual approach.
Because our sailing fell just before Halloween, the Piazza was decorated for the occasion midway through the sailing. There were special activities, trick-or-treating for children, themed premium cocktails and a popular costume contest that attracted plenty of attention.
There were other enjoyable touches, too. NFL games played on the large outdoor screen, and as we departed Saint John, New Brunswick, the ship’s horn sounded the familiar theme from The Love Boat. A fun reminder of Princess’s place in cruising history!
Majestic Princess Staterooms and Medallion Technology
I stayed in an interior stateroom, which I found surprisingly comfortable and spacious for its category. Storage was plentiful, and I never felt particularly cramped. My stateroom attendant was excellent. He maintained the room beautifully throughout the voyage and was frequently present in the corridor, making him easy to approach if anything was needed.
One feature that genuinely impressed me was Princess’s Medallion technology. The small wearable device replaces the traditional cruise card and makes several everyday tasks remarkably convenient. As I approached my stateroom, the door unlocked automatically. Boarding and leaving the ship was also efficient, requiring only a quick scan of the Medallion, which I wore on a lanyard around my neck.
The technology allows crew members to recognize guests and access relevant information, including loyalty status. It’s a clever system that creates opportunities for more personalized service. Through Princess Plus, I also enjoyed the convenience of ordering food and drinks for delivery to my stateroom. The service worked well throughout the cruise.
Dining Aboard Majestic Princess
Overall, I enjoyed the food aboard Majestic Princess. The dining experience was traditional rather than especially adventurous, but most meals were tasty, served at an appropriate temperature and offered satisfying portions.
Main Dining Room
We had an Anytime Dining arrangement, so we encountered different servers throughout the voyage. Without exception, I found our main dining room servers friendly and attentive. They happily accommodated our beverage requests, including Dave’s Diet Cokes and the prosecco Marie and I enjoyed with dinner. The menus offered a good selection of familiar dishes, and I was consistently pleased with the food quality.
Casual Dining with Princess Plus
Our Princess Plus package included four casual dining meals per person. We used three of these, visiting Alfredo’s Pizzeria, O’Malley’s Irish Pub and Ocean Terrace Sushi Bar.
Alfredo’s Pizzeria was easily my favourite. The pizzas were delicious and generously sized, but what really distinguished this restaurant was the service. The staff worked exceptionally well together, with managers actively helping to seat guests, clear tables and deliver meals.
Our server, who was from St. Lucia, was particularly memorable. She was warm, funny and genuinely hospitable, even recommending a cocktail for one of my friends. These personal interactions made an already enjoyable meal even better.
O’Malley’s Irish Pub also served very good food. The dishes were fresh, hot and satisfying, with the traditional pub-style selections you’d expect. However, the restaurant was extremely popular, and getting seated wasn’t always straightforward. On more than one occasion, we arrived without anyone acknowledging our presence or indicating when we might be accommodated, so we chose another venue. Once seated, though, we enjoyed our meal.
Ocean Terrace Sushi Bar was my least favourite of the three. I found the sushi warmer than I generally prefer it, and the dining service was noticeably less attentive than in other venues.
What Does Premium Hospitality Mean to Me?
Having worked in hospitality for many years, including aboard a cruise ship, I tend to notice some of the smaller details that contribute to the overall guest experience. For me, premium hospitality isn’t necessarily about extravagant gestures or elaborate service. It’s about consistency, attentiveness and making guests feel genuinely welcomed and cared for.
At a restaurant, for example, I expect guests to be acknowledged when they arrive, even if it’s simply to explain that someone will be with them shortly. Once seated and served, I expect a server to check that everything is satisfactory, offer another beverage or recognize when something else might be needed.
During our lunch at Ocean Terrace Sushi Bar, none of those follow-up interactions occurred after our food was delivered. We weren’t asked whether we were enjoying our meals, whether we needed anything else or whether we’d like another drink.
I also noticed occasions when tables needed clearing, carts contained used dishes and glassware, or dining room seating arrangements were less than ideal. On one occasion, we were seated at a table that hadn’t yet been prepared for guests.
I understand the realities of busy restaurant operations. However, I believe that one of the distinguishing characteristics of premium hospitality is the ability to manage those practical necessities without allowing them to detract from the guest experience.
The frequent promotion of additional purchases, including dining, photographs and shopping opportunities, also felt somewhat at odds with the premium atmosphere I had anticipated.
That said, there were some genuinely exceptional examples of attentive service. In Newport, our tender departure was delayed twice because boats weren’t available. Rather than leaving us to keep checking, a crew member remembered our group and personally sought us out in the lounge when the next tender was ready. It was a small gesture, but one that demonstrated initiative and genuine attention to guests’ needs.
These positive experiences, combined with the excellent service at Alfredo’s and in the main dining room, showed me what Princess can deliver at its best. Overall, I found the crew warm and friendly. My reservations related more to the consistency of service than the attitudes of individual crew members. And importantly, none of these shortcomings spoiled our cruise. We had a lovely time!
Majestic Princess Entertainment and Onboard Activities
Beyond the live music and evening entertainment, one of my favourite experiences aboard Majestic Princess was a wine tasting that Marie and I attended.
Two sommeliers led the session, and both demonstrated exceptional knowledge and enthusiasm for wine. Their passion for the subject made the presentation entertaining and informative. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and one I’d recommend to guests who appreciate wine.
I also enjoyed discovering some of the quieter areas aboard the ship. The Hollywood Pool Club, a covered pool area on Deck 17, was almost deserted when we visited in the evenings. It offered a peaceful alternative to the busier Piazza and entertainment venues. There was certainly no shortage of activities, but guests could also find somewhere quiet to relax.
Ship Design and Getting Around
Although Majestic Princess is an attractive vessel, I found its interior design fairly traditional, without a particularly distinctive personality.
Despite spending an entire week aboard, we also occasionally struggled to find our way around. The ship’s layout wasn’t always intuitive, and the three of us felt clearer directional signage would have been helpful.
An architectural feature I particularly appreciated was the SeaWalk, a glass-enclosed walkway extending out over the ocean. It offers an unusual perspective of the water far below and is a reminder that Majestic Princess does have some distinctive design elements.
A clever feature I appreciated was the colour-coded carpeting in the stateroom corridors. Blue carpeting indicated the port side, while red indicated starboard. It was a useful visual reminder when navigating the accommodation decks.
On the other hand, communication about onboard activities, schedules and port operations was generally well organized.
Is Majestic Princess Right for You?
After seven nights aboard, I have a much better understanding of the guests who might particularly enjoy sailing with Princess. I can see Majestic Princess appealing to travellers who appreciate traditional cruising, familiar dining choices, live music, dress-up evenings and a relaxed onboard atmosphere.
The comfortable accommodations, efficient Medallion technology and engaging entertainment are genuine strengths. The ship also offered some lovely opportunities for enrichment, including our memorable wine tasting.
Although there were relatively few children aboard our sailing, family activities were available. The passenger mix on another itinerary or during school holidays could be quite different.
Personally, I would happily consider sailing with Princess again if the itinerary appealed to me. However, Majestic Princess itself wouldn’t necessarily be my primary reason for booking.
While I enjoyed the voyage, the overall hospitality experience didn’t consistently meet the expectations I associate with a premium cruise line. That doesn’t mean it was a bad cruise. Far from it. We enjoyed ourselves, had some wonderful meals, met memorable crew members and visited five fascinating ports.
Instead, it reinforces something I’ve come to appreciate through my work as a cruise travel specialist: no single cruise line or ship is necessarily the right choice for everyone. Understanding the differences between cruise experiences, and matching those experiences to the people who will appreciate them most, is one of the most valuable parts of my work as a travel advisor.
If you’re considering a Princess cruise, you may also be interested in the additional benefits available on select sailings through the Distinctive Voyages programme. These can include exclusive shore experiences, private onboard receptions and other amenities at no additional cost for eligible bookings.
You can use my Cruise Benefits Finder to explore upcoming departures, compare included benefits and find a sailing that interests you.
