By David Yeskel
As cruise ships start sailing again with the industry laser-focused on safety, cruise lines must carefully balance that overarching goal with the need to satisfy their guests with an experience at least equivalent to — or greater than — the pre-pandemic standard. It’s certainly not easy, but Princess Cruises seems to have found that sweet spot, based on my recent 7-day voyage on Majestic Princess from L.A. to Mexico. And by leaving March 2020 in the rearview mirror with lessons learned and solutions applied, Majestic Princess’ recent return to service augurs well for the West Coast-based line’s comeback.
Originally built and outfitted for the Chinese-speaking market in 2017, then redeployed Down Under and now to the U.S. West Coast, the 3rd in Princess’ Royal class of ships fits comfortably into the North American market with a few interesting holdovers from its original Shanghai homeport. Carrying a maximum of 3,560 guests at double-occupancy, Majestic Princess doesn’t feel quite as large as that number implies, thanks to an interior design that focuses on multiple, smaller spaces radiating out from the ship’s central atrium and social hub, The Piazza. On my capacity-limited voyage (a short-term, common industry practice as ships gradually return to service), the 1,750 guests (representing 49% of capacity) reveled in open spaces and the ability to spread out in half-filled restaurants, bars and showrooms.
Passengers stepping aboard immediately notice signage in both English and Chinese, while public spaces like the domed Hollywood Pool Club and adjacent, topiary-studded Hollywood Conservatory offer fully-enclosed venues designed for those who wish to avoid sun and/or temperature extremes. Meanwhile, the elegantly-appointed Harmony Restaurant is the only fine-dining Chinese eatery in the fleet. And while menus at Harmony were Americanized as the ship redeployed to the U.S., the ability to enjoy made-to-order Chinese delicacies at sea is a welcome treat for guests, especially Princess’ loyal past passengers.
MedallionClass Upgrades
Princess adeptly took advantage of the 18-month, pandemic-caused hiatus to upgrade its entire 15-vessel fleet with the company’s proprietary MedallionClass technology, which impressively enables personalized service at scale – a feat not possible heretofore on large ships. Affecting virtually all facets of the voyage, the MedallionClass experience provides expedited gangway security, stateroom entry, digital payments, wayfinding, location of family and friends, dining reservations and mobile casino and sports wagering — all enabled via thousands of sensors installed throughout the vessel working in tandem with the MedallionClass app and a quarter-sized Medallion carried or worn by guests. And, as I learned, the technology is only as intrusive as you permit it to be, that is, still leaving the guest in charge of how much information is shared, and thus, tracked.
As an impressive metric, my wife and I entered the cruise terminal in Los Angeles, tapped our Medallions at a check-in station, showed our passports, vaccine certificates and negative COVID-19 test results to an agent, and were aboard ship in 10 minutes. Staggered boarding times also contributed to this expedited process, as did the ability to check in remotely via the line’s proprietary MedallionClass app, an impressive piece of software designed by John Padgett (former Disney developer and “Magic Band” creator, and now Princess Cruises president).
And to demonstrate just a couple of practical examples of the MedallionClass Experience’s reach, I was able to locate my wife aboard ship easily via the companion smartphone app or a touchscreen portal; and I ordered a dessert to be delivered to me in a remote corner of the ship, at no charge and without expressly divulging my location or interfacing with a human. Creepy? I didn’t think so. In fact, I regarded it as a service upgrade. I was comfortable in my spot, knew what I wanted, and didn’t want to have to schlep to World Fresh Marketplace (the Lido buffet venue) to see whether that particular dessert was even available there (I checked later; it wasn’t).
And all of the back-end IT infrastructure supporting the MedallionClass Experience has thankfully resulted in super-fast internet speeds, thus rendering moot concerns over the often spotty, overpriced and slow service found on most modern cruise ships. The MedallionNet package is also priced somewhat lower than the poky service on competing lines, costing about $140 for up to 4 devices on a 7-day cruise – with no data caps.
While some guests opted to wear their Medallion in custom-designed jewelry (watches, pendants), which came at an extra charge, I opted to just carry mine in my pocket and did not have to remove it for my cabin door to auto-unlock as I approached. Myriad touchscreen portals around the ship were also sensitive enough to detect the Medallion in my pocket as I stood still facing them. Gangway security and onboard purchases, however, required a tap for verification, as did shoreside purchases in select shops (a new feature only available in Cabo San Lucas thus far).
COVID Caveats and Cruising
COVID-19 protocols were in place shipwide, but guests’ compliance re: masking was spotty — something I’ve observed on other ships that have restarted recently. Guests were required to wear masks in the buffet area, elevators, the casino and other indoor spaces where they mingled and/or couldn’t distance, while that policy was voluntary in other venues. Masks were optional on outside decks. Princess’ requirements that all guests be fully-vaccinated and submit a negative COVID-19 test (taken within 2 days of embarkation) before boarding did confer a sense of safety and security, however, and all crew members wore masks at all times.
New Dining Delights on Princess
Although the ship’s limited guest capacity on my voyage resulted in some areas of the casual, Lido buffet restaurant (World Fresh Marketplace) being closed, I was assured that all items were still available; just displayed in a more compact area. And self-service hasn’t returned yet, so ample crew were on hand behind the counters to dish out anything that guests desired and in any quantity. While a nice selection of dishes was offered here for all three mealtimes, I particularly enjoyed squid in multiple interesting preparations, salmon en croute, masala tea at breakfast, Indian specialties, five different grilled vegetables every day, a deviled egg station, and a rotating hot dessert at lunch.
Another casual dining option – open for lunch and dinner – was Alfredo’s Pizzeria, where delicious, made-to-order pizzas were enjoyed along with an authentic tiramisu dessert.
Although dinner in the Concerto Dining Room (one of three on the ship) was expertly served by experienced teams, food quality varied from night to night, resulting in some uneven culinary experiences. On at least three nights, however, the finishing touch was turned up a few notches with delicious, special desserts crafted by pastry chefs under Princess’ “Chocolate Journeys” program.
Once finished with dinner, most guests made their way to the Princess Theater, where the line’s commitment to quality showroom entertainment was on full display. On most cruises, top-billing usually goes to the production shows, which feature large casts of 10-20 singers and dancers, LED walls, elaborate sets and themed music, while fly-on entertainers (typically solo acts) work the room on the production company’s off nights. While they provide an interesting after-dinner diversion, the appeal of these solo acts rarely rises above the spectacle and excitement generated by the larger, elaborate production shows, which were impressive in their own right on Majestic Princess. But on this voyage, the fly-on entertainers actually flipped the script. Funnyman, magician and vocalist Naathan Phan, a true, triple-threat entertainer, not only wowed the crowd during his two performances, he delivered an act with a key quality sorely lacking in most large entertainment venues: humility. Demonstrating respect and gratitude for his audience, Phan’s fast-paced act was hilarious, incredibly entertaining and unique, leaving many jaded cruise passengers – myself included – wonderstruck. And the two other specialty acts seen on alternate evenings – vocal impressionist Mike Wilson and Elton John tribute artist Jeffrey Allen – also shone brightly.
Majestic Princess’ crew was obviously grateful to be back at sea serving guests after the year- and-a-half pause, and it showed in their gracious and welcoming demeanor. But in a credit to General Hotel Manager Bosco Pires and his able management team, crew members also displayed genuine warmth, happiness and an eagerness to serve … traits not always seen in combination in the cruise industry.
With more ships coming online regularly, Princess plans to have its entire fleet sailing again by mid-2022. The line’s health & safety protocols will obviously evolve over time as necessary, but even through a mask, the crew’s smiles radiated a welcoming warmth that was palpable and much appreciated by the other demographic who were feeling very fortunate to be back at sea again: us guests.
Follow Travel Journalist and Cruise Expert David Yeskel, aka The Cruise Guru on Twitter
Author: Lark Gould
Lark Gould has been a travel industry journalist for more than 30 years. She shares her insight on cruise travel, air travel, hotels, resorts, popular activities, attractions and destinations to assist travel advisors and travelers with the current news and information they need to travel well.
Get Social