7 Day Mexican Riviera on Majestic Princess. Stateroom Lido 210. Round Trip from San Pedro / Port of Los Angeles. October 30 – November 6, 2021.
So nice to be back on a Princess ship. It really didn’t hit until the sail away party when they played a video with Jan Swartz welcoming us back. I have nothing but admiration for her. I feel she handled the pause with heartfelt dignity and respect for her crewmembers.
Had an issue linking my booking to the Medallion app. After several lengthy calls to the Ocean Navigators team, they just could not fix the issue. I could access Suzi’s account, but it would constantly lockup with a white screen. Finally, at 11:00 PM the night before embarkation, I got access to the booking so was able to fill out the health questions. Had to pickup our Medallions at the pier. Having been in the Tech Sector for 30 years, it was very frustrating.
We arrived at about 10:00 AM. Check in was smooth but had to wait a bit in the terminal. They do not offer the most comfortable seats. At 50% capacity, boarding was easy. Our room was ready so we dropped off our carry-ons and proceeded to the World Fresh Marketplace.
We had heard from previous reviews that, unlike the Carnival Panorama we were just on in September, this was either staff served or food was in individual plates. I’m sure all the cruise lines under the Carnival umbrella are trying out different processes to see what works best. We were a bit apprehensive about having the food served by staff. We had this back in 2006 on our Mediterranean cruise. There had been a Norovirus outbreak during the cruise before us, so the Staff was caught off guard.
This time, however, much better managed. The entire staff was more than willing to please. They would usually start out with a small portion but would gladly give you as much as you wanted. They would gladly pick out certain veggies, for example to suit you taste. Very accommodating. They also had single serving plates or ramekins you could pickup on your own.
Everyone followed COVID guidelines without issue. There was a crew member at each entrance to the buffet who would kindly remind you to use one of the handwashing stations as you entered.
The ship set sail the day before Halloween, so the ship’s Piazza was very well decorated.
We brought a little over 750 pieces of Halloween candy with us, mostly for the crew. We made a lot of friends…
Speaking of making friends, on Day 2, Suzi and I found a great spot in the buffet. Due to the reduced capacity, the forward serving stations we not being utilized, so it was very quiet. Turns out, we chose an area where many of the public-facing crew ate. Senior staff, musicians, singers and dancers, etc. Suzi started handing out candy, so we struck up a conversation with some of the entertainment staff. By the end of the cruise, we made some really good friends. We ate most every breakfast and lunch with these people.
I play several instruments, including the trombone back in Jr. High and High School. We struck up a conversation with Tony, the trombone player in the Princess Orchestra, then joined by Pefi, the drummer for the Ocean Blvd band (I also play drums). Then Luke, one of the dancers joined… Next thing we knew, we had Christian, David, another Tony, all congregating pretty much every day until they had to practice or help with excursions, etc.
Tony “Tromboney” offered to comp us to a specialty restaurant. We told him he didn’t have to but he insisted. We had already eaten at Crown Grill, so we decided on the French Bistro. Very good! Thanks Tony!
Turns out Tony was on the Diamond Princess when the world stopped due to COVID. In fact, his folks flew from the UK to Japan and was supposed to join Tony, but…
Tony said it was quite the experience. Through it all, he had nothing but praise for the way Princess had treated them. Fortunately, Tony never got the virus. When they were finally able to disembark, the company made sure they all made it home safely and made sure to keep in touch with them and offered financial assistance. It made us feel good about giving our loyalty to Princess. They care!
Later in the cruise, we met up with Luke, one of the dancers / tablemates. There was a large group getting their picture taken in the Piazza. They borrowed one of the large Stanley bears from one of the shops. Suzi mentioned how much she’d love to get one. I was actually planning on getting one, but the stores were all closed the first few days to restock / remerchandise.
We split up and headed towards the elevator. As the doors started to close, Luke swoops in and hands Suzi a bag with… Stanley! WOW! BEST CREW EVER!
We never set foot in the Main Dining Room (MDR). We did the Bistro and Crown Grill. Both good, but portions were much less than previous visits. We ordered a side of Creamed Spinach at CG. Had, at the most, 3 tablespoons. We asked for a second bowl and it had much less.
The most disappointing meal, portion-wise was at the Bistro. The taste and quality were excellent but… I ordered the seafood bisque. It cam out looking like this:
Quite impressive! The server gently cut off the crust to reveal:
Very disheartening.
The place I found myself eating at almost every day was Chopsticks. I wish all ships offered this option. They server Ramen, Won Ton Soup and a special every day. Delicious!
Our first port was Cabo. No excursions planned but I was in search of my beloved Damiana Liquor. I got hooked on this several trips back and always picked up a bottle or two whenever in Mexico. I ran out during lockdown, so was on a quest. It was available right off the tender dock for $25.00 USD but knew I could get a better price. We walked into downtown and as we were about to give up, we found a place for $17.00 a bottle. I got 4.
Next port was Mazatlán. We just took the tram from the ship to the shops within the port. We have a friend who is from Mazatlán who just had a baby girl, so we picked up a little outfit, then went back on board. Time to have lunch with the crew!
Next stop? Puerto Vallarta. We made our pilgrimage to that authentic Puerto Vallarta institution, Wal-Mart. Hey, at least we are on a cruise ship!
The Production shows were the best. The singers and dancers were terrific. AJ Jamal was the comedian. We’ve seen him on several of the West Coast itineraries and never fails to make us laugh. Even if he tells the same joke, he’s made it current. Lot’s of new material, too.
Thanks to the kindness and generosity of the entertainment crew, this was one of our favorite cruises ever.
The Veranda Life 