Superb new spaces and fabulous food on board revamped Majestic Princess

A twee intro I confess, but it just about sums up our experience on board this voluptuous vessel, just a couple of months out of dry dock after a major refurbishment. A brand spanking fresh look, sparkling new spaces, fabulous food and an amazing itinerary, all synergistically combined to make for us a fantastic week's foray into the Mediterranean.

So, especially if you're new to cruising, let's first talk about what is included in the basic price of a cruise on board the Royal Class Majestic Princess, a more than apt name for this sumptuous 3,560-guest, 18-deck, 143,700-tonner. Gleaming chrome and polished timbers abound, with elegant and contemporary decor, flooring and furnishings continually inspiring your awe and eliciting your gasps at every turn.

All guests can expect a comfortable en-suite stateroom, complimentary dining venues including the three main waiter-service dining rooms Allegro, Symphony and Concerto, and the World Fresh Market place buffet, open from 6.30am until late for continuous consuming (note: take some elasticated trousers). Coffee, tea, tap water, lemonade, iced tea, and juices are also included.

The fabled Princess entertainment, including daily activities and West End-quality stage shows in the Princess Theater, also form part of your fare, as is the MedallionClass experience, incorporating a wearable device.

This ingenious little Medallion, supplied with a complimentary lanyard (or treat yourself to a watch/bangle from the ship's shop) is all you need to carry around while on board, serving as your room key (it unlocks the door as you near your room!), tallying up any bills or drinks allowances, and also acting as a 'finder' for AWOL co-cruisers. Via the OceanNow® delivery service, available with the Princess Plus and Premier packages, you can order a drink via the app (I'll get to this), go down a deck or five, and your waiter will still find you!

Free to download from the Play /App Store is the Princess app, which as well as ordering your favourite cocktail while soaking up the sun, has everything else at the touch of a button, allowing users to access bookings, manage their cruise experiences, and interact with the MedallionClass digital features on board, including what's happening on board the ship, activity and entertainment-wise.

If, like me, you also like a paper version of things, the daily Princess Patter pamphlet, detailing everything in print, is conveniently delivered to your stateroom the evening before.

Of course, things like drinks are extra so there are various packages you can buy to suit all tastes. Princess Standard is included in the basic fare and covers the core Princess® MedallionClass® Experience, so you can purchase drinks individually at bars and restaurants on the ship and these are charged to your on-board account.

The Princess Plus package offers the MedallionNet® Max Wi-Fi (1 device per guest), crew appreciation and the Plus Beverage Package (15 drinks per day up to $15 each), unlimited juice bar, premium desserts (two per day), fitness classes (two per cruise), two casual dining meals per guest, OceanNow® delivery and room service delivery. This costs £50 pp/per day.

For £75 pp/per day the Princess Premier Package offers the above plus Wi-Fi for up to four devices per guest, an unlimited Premier Beverage Package with drinks up to $20 each, unlimited premium desserts and fitness classes, a photo package of unlimited digital and three prints, unlimited speciality and casual dining meals and reserved theatre seating (for production shows only).

If you're not on the Princess Premier Package and wish to spoil yourselves, there are a la carte restaurant options onboard. These include The Crown Grill for a surf n turf experience par excellence, The Catch By Rudi, specialising in fine fish and succulent seafood, Alfredo's Pizzeria and Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria, formerly Harmony Restaurant.

The latter is Majestic Princess' signature authentic Italian trattoria with a taste of Tuscany and beyond, featuring family recipes from handmade pastas to robust sauces and rich slow-braised meats. It's here we sampled the amazing Frescobaldi Grand Tuscan Dining Experience, a special evening dedicated to the heart of Italian hospitality, where we immersed ourselves into an exquisite six-course dining experience paired with Frescobaldi wines, designed to showcase the rich flavours of the Italian region. ($99pp)

New spaces, I hear seasoned Majestic Princess cruisers ask? I would first reassure them that the feel of the ship has not been compromised, rather an injection of appealing additions to complement the familiar features regulars look forward to year in year out.

So, the former Vines Wines Bar has been given a Gaelic going over and is now O’Malley’s pub, offering classic Irish comfort food paired with an extensive drinks choice including a curated selection of beers (including Guinness, obvs) and whiskey flights. Live music makes this place a great gathering place to enjoy the craic.

It’s one of several ‘open plan’ bars in and around the glorious and ornate Piazza and, so to avoid clashes, when one live act finishes another one starts – a bit like the Jools Holland stages – giving the Piazza the air of a musical hub with many guests even happy to give the production shows a miss and just move their cocktails from bar to bar.

The nearby Bellini’s Cocktail Bar is another addition to the ship's drinking venue line-up (10 in total). Inspired by the popular drink, bellinis and cocktails are served up and finessed with Italian flair by snazzily-suited staff.

The Ocean Terrace Sushi Bar (extra cost applies) is also new, as are The Shops of Princess, Alfredo’s Slice - a poolside pizza lover's paradise serving authentic Neapolitan pizza crafted from scratch and made to order, and the Salty Dog Cafe, a poolside grill serving cooked-to-order burgers, hot dogs, tacos, loaded fries and more.

A unique feature on Majestic Princess is the indoor Hollywood Pool Club. Covered by a glass dome, it provides a comfortable temperature regardless of the weather outside and ideal on cruises to cooler climes and for family swims. It gets its name courtesy of a Tinseltown-themed environment with luxurious loungers, sculptures, and topiaries.

There's so much more to talk about with excellent kids' and teens’ clubs, the Grand Casino, Lotus Spa, Fitness Center - the list just goes on to keep everyone of any age entertained on this superb seafarer, but the final mention must go to the efficient, professional and ever-smiling staff who constantly strive for guest satisfaction - scratch that - guest delight.

An amazing trip and ship, thoroughly recommended...and did I mention that Majestic Princess will soon be sailing from Southampton? Keep on reading!

So where did we go?

We joined the cruise halfway during the voyage on this 10-day itinerary, the ship having already visited Athens, Mykonos, Rhodes and Kusadasi before we joined in Chania, Crete, then cruising on to Katakolon (for Olympia), Corfu, Naples and Civitavecchia (for Rome).

There are myriad trips for each destination available from the Shore Excursions Desk, but we enjoyed the following.

Olympia & Archaeological Museum (from cruise port of Katakolon)

We put on our walking shoes for a guided tour via headsets through ancient Olympia where the Olympics began over three millenniums ago. Our first destination was the Olympia Archaeological Site, home to the Temple of Zeus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The Temple of Hera was also ours to explore, as was the stadium where the Olympics began nearly 1,500 years ago. Here's where more than 40,000 spectators would witness contests ranging from foot races to the pentathlon, and after nearly 1,500 years, the 2004 Olympic Games held the shot-put contest. A short walk away, the Archaeological Museum displays amazing artifacts from the site.

Corfu Town & Cooking Demonstration

A tour that wined and dined us! After a scenic 30-minute drive to the Corfu countryside, we arrived at a traditional restaurant, observing demonstrations of traditional Greek cooking before sitting down to a feast accompanied by wine. With a delicious meal behind us it was on to the island capital's Old Fortress, which stands guard over the harbour and Corfu and a guided tour of the town.

Pompeii & Time On Your Own In Sorrento

We spent a full day visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Pompeii, marvelling at the archaeological excavations of a lost city buried beneath ashes from Mount Vesuvius's eruption in 79 AD. Our knowledgeable guide took us on a two-hour walking tour, pointing out the remains that hint at daily Roman life and how they entertained, decorated and lived. Highlights included stunning frescoes and mosaic-inlaid floors of wealthy homeowners' villas. We then travelled onto the beautiful city of Sorrento, where lemons abound! With 2.5 hours of free time there was plenty of opportunity to discover this charming place with splendid views of the sea and the colourful marina below, strolling the flower-filled main street, Corso Italia, lined with quaint boutiques and sidewalk cafes, and enjoying the must-have speciality - pizza!

How to book

As I mentioned Majestic Princess will be sailing from Southampton on a 12-night British Isles tour with France & Belfast. The cruise departs on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, calling at Cork (Cobh – for Blarney Castle), Liverpool, Belfast, Glasgow (Greenock), Orkney Islands (Kirkwall), Invergordon, Edinburgh (South Queensferry) and Le Havre (for Paris/Normandy). Princess Standard fares start from £1,149pp*, based on two people sharing an inside stateroom. Princess Plus fares start from £2,049pp*, based on two people sharing a balcony stateroom.

For more details, click here

If you like the sound of the places we visited, sister ship Enchanted Princess will be sailing the Mediterranean next year on a similar itinerary.

A 14-night Mediterranean, Aegean & Adriatic cruise, sailing roundtrip from Civitavecchia (for Rome), onboard Enchanted Princess. Cruise departs on Tuesday 26 May 2026, calling at Naples (for Capri & Pompeii), Santorini, Kusadasi (for Ephesus), Katakolon (for Olympia), Civitavecchia (for Rome), Corfu, Dubrovnik, Kotor and Naples (for Capri & Pompeii).

Princess Standard fares start from £1,249pp*, based on two people sharing an inside stateroom. Princess Plus fares start from £2,819pp*, based on two people sharing a balcony stateroom.

For more details, click here

*Correct at time of writing

Holiday Extras

Holiday Extras’ is the UK market leader in airport parking, lounges, and hotels – and last year its customers saved an average of £196 per trip by booking their airport parking in advance.

Booking an Airport Hotel with Parking means you can enjoy more holiday with less hassle. Plus with Flextras, if you need to cancel, you can without charge. One night’s accommodation in a Standard Room at the Premier Inn Heald Green with eight days’ Meet & Greet Parking at Manchester Airport (T3) is available for £264.28. Based on arrival on Tuesday 8th July 2025.

For more information and to book, visit HolidayExtras.com

Escape Lounge

Manchester Airport’s Escape Lounge is available in all three terminals and offers passengers to chance to put their feet up, catch up on last-minute business, or simply enjoy some peace and quiet as they enjoy the complimentary food and drink on offer.

The lounge caters to passengers of all ages and offers fast unlimited Wi-Fi, flight information boards, bar service for complimentary alcoholic and soft drinks, along with buffet service for seasonal meals and snacks.

Prices start from £33.99 when booked in advance. For more information or to book visit: https://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/at-the-airport/airport-lounges/escape-lounges/.