Majestic Princess

The 2017-built Majestic Princess cruise ship is the 3rd Royal-class vessel in the Princess Cruises fleet, together with Royal Princess (2013), Regal Princess (2014), Sky Princess (2019), Enchanted Princess (2021), and Discovery Princess (2022). From the same class is also the P&O UK ship Britannia (2015).

The vessel (IMO number 9614141) is UK-flagged (MMSI 232002990) and registered in Southampton.

History - construction and ownership

Princess Cruises is a US-based passenger shipping company headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA. Formerly a subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises (founded in 1977), the company merged in 2003 with Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest cruise shipowner. Among Princess Cruise Lines Ltd’s assets is the private island resort Princess Cays (on Eleuthera Island, Bahamas), located about 80 km (50 mi) from Nassau.

The 3,560-passenger Majestic Princess is among the largest Princess liners. She carries the Chinese name 盛世公主号 ("Sheng Shi Gong Zhu Hao") on her hull, chosen by Carnival Corporation’s Chinese employees. It translates as “Grand World” or “Grand Spirit.”

Signature features shared with sisterships Regal and Royal include multiple dining venues, the cantilevered SkyWalk, a multi-story atrium, the outdoor cinema Movies Under the Stars, and the adults-only Sanctuary complex. For the Chinese market, “Princess Class” experiences include Tai Chi at sea, ballroom dancing, Chinese satellite TV channels, and subtitled Hollywood movies.

On February 8, 2016, Princess Cruises announced (on Chinese New Year) that Majestic Princess, its first cruise ship designed and built specifically for China, would be the fleet’s first vessel to feature the new livery design. On the same day, she reached a major construction milestone when she was “floated out” at Fincantieri Monfalcone shipyard in Italy, meeting the ocean for the first time in a traditional ceremony.

Majestic Princess was delivered on April 4, 2017, in Civitavecchia-Rome. Homeported in Shanghai, she offers many of the same features as Regal Princess and Royal Princess, such as a multi-story atrium serving as a social hub, the top-deck glass-bottomed SeaWalk (extending 28 ft beyond the ship’s edge), Princess Live! interactive studio, and the Chef’s Table Lumiere private dining room. Several venues were created specifically for China’s cruising market.

Decks and Cabins

Majestic Princess staterooms (1,780 total, in 38 categories) include 350 Suites, 1,088 Balcony cabins, and 342 Inside cabins. The ship has no Oceanview cabins. Most outside accommodations (1,438) feature step-out balconies. She also has 36 wheelchair-accessible cabins. The largest are the Balcony Suites (470 ft² / 44 m² plus 210 ft² / 20 m² terrace).

The vessel has 18 decks, of which 15 are passenger-accessible and 8 have cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Majestic Princess offers numerous specialty dining options, while also providing complimentary choices with ample variety. Traditionalists can dine in the three main dining rooms.

The World Fresh Marketplace buffet provides a casual option. Passengers in swimwear can grab a burger at Trident Grill or pizza at Prego Pizzeria, while Alfredo’s serves calzones, salads, and thin-crust pizza indoors.

Majestic Princess introduced two new restaurant concepts: "Harmony" and "La Mer" (Bistro Sur La Mer, replaced in 2023 by "The Catch by Rudi").

Harmony is a modern specialty venue offering a refined Chinese menu created by Michelin-starred chef Richard Chen.

La Mer (cover charge US$35 pp) was an authentic Parisian bistro by Michelin-starred chef Emmanuel Renaut. In 2023 it was replaced by “The Catch by Rudi,” a seafood restaurant introduced on Enchanted Princess in partnership with celebrity chef Rudi Sodamin (Princess Cruises’ Head of Culinary Arts). Its menu focuses on sustainably sourced seafood, supplemented with vegetarian options, prime beef steaks, gourmet appetizers, and desserts (cover charge US$39 pp).

Additional venues include Gong Cha bubble milk tea, Crown Grill steakhouse, Lobster Grill & Dim Sum Bar, and Alfredo’s Pizzeria, known for “The Best Pizza at Sea.”

Full list of restaurants and food bars includes:

• Main Dining Rooms (midship, forward, aft; offering Anytime or Traditional dining; Wine Maker’s Dinner $40; Chef’s Table Lumiere $115)
• Harmony (Cantonese cuisine by Chef Richard Chen)
• Alfredo’s Pizzeria (121-seat, largest complimentary pizzeria at sea)
• Ocean Terrace (seafood bar)
• Crown Grill (160-seat steakhouse/seafood; on select days offers complimentary British Pub Lunch)
• Trident Grill & Prego Pizzeria (fast food, complimentary)
• Calypso Cabana (picnic baskets, desserts, wine and champagne packages)
• World Fresh Marketplace / The Court (buffet, complimentary; with “East Meets West” street food counter)
• Swirls Bar (ice cream)
• Sabatini’s Trattoria (Italian/seafood, à la carte; handmade pasta via partnership with Chef Angelo Auriana)

In April 2024, Princess Cruises announced a new dining program (starting September 14, 2024) introducing three main dining options: Traditional, Reservable, and Walk-in Anytime. Each ship will allocate one dining room to each option, integrated with OceanNow service for onboard ordering and delivery anywhere on the ship.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

The main entertainment venue is the Princess Theater (decks 6–7), hosting production shows, vocalists, and instrumentalists. The theater also accommodates workshops, game shows, and seminars.

The Shops of Princess feature luxury brands including Cartier, Chopard, Bulgari, and EFFY.

As a ship designed for China, Majestic Princess also features private karaoke suites and exclusive dining venues such as a Cantonese restaurant, noodle bar, lobster bar, dim sum bar, and French bistro.

“Sing On The Sea” Karaoke Suites (on deck 5) can also be booked for private parties. Each suite is furnished with sofas, armchairs, a coffee table, mini-bar, large TV, and en-suite bathroom.

Complete list of Majestic Princess lounges, clubs, and entertainment venues includes:

• The Piazza Atrium (3 decks, live performances, Bar Piazza)
• Princess Fine Arts Gallery; Photo Gallery & Shop; Limelight and Platinum Studios
• International Cafe (24-hour patisserie and coffee bar)
• Vines Bar (wine/seafood/sushi)
• Gelato (largest ice cream bar at sea)
• Library and Internet Cafe
• Princess Theater (2-level, production shows, seminars, game shows)
• Shops (Celebrations, Calypso Cove, Essence, Meridian Bay, Facets)
• Club 6 Disco & Bar; Churchill’s Cigar Lounge; Bellini’s Bar; Crooners Lounge; Princess Live Lounge; Vista Lounge; Concierge Lounge (Suite guests only); SkyLight Bar; Seaview Bar
• Princess Casino
• Wheelhouse Bar (piano bar by day, English pub by night)
• Lotus Spa, Beauty Salon, Fitness Center (with Aerobics Studio)
• Wedding Chapel
• Movies Under the Stars (outdoor LED cinema)
• Game Lounge (video arcade); Teen Center; Youth Center; Remix Disco & Lounge (teen club)
• The Sanctuary (adults-only open-air retreat)
• SeaWalk (glass-bottom walkway, 60 ft / 18 m long)
• Fountain Pool and Retreat Pool areas
• Sports Central (basketball, volleyball, football, tennis tables, golf nets, golfing cage, laser shooting, jogging track)

Itineraries

Majestic Princess was initially deployed on year-round Asian cruises, mainly from China to Japan and South Korea, with departures from Shanghai.

After the 2020 Coronavirus crisis, her 2021–2022 program featured 7-day California and Mexico Riviera roundtrips from Los Angeles.

In 2018, she operated two 14-day Grand Asia cruises between Shanghai and Singapore, open to both Chinese and international passengers, with calls in South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, and Japan, plus a late-night call in Hong Kong. The first departed Shanghai on February 25, the second from Singapore on March 11.

From September 2018 to March 2019, she was homeported in Sydney, Australia, becoming the largest Princess ship ever deployed in the Australia–New Zealand market. She completed 16 itineraries to South Pacific destinations (Fiji, New Zealand, Tasmania), plus two repositioning cruises (Shanghai–Sydney and Sydney–Hong Kong).

Between April and July 2018, Majestic Princess was homeported in Keelung, Taiwan for 3- to 4-night short cruises to Japan and China. Afterward, she returned to Shanghai before being deployed to Australia (September 2018–March 2019).

For winter 2024–2025, Majestic Princess is scheduled to debut in the Caribbean, with 14-day roundtrips from Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Jan–Feb 2025). Preceding this deployment, several voyages around South America (Dec 2024–Jan 2025) depart Los Angeles, visiting Mexico, Panama, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil, before ending in Fort Lauderdale.

The vessel's powerplant consists of four Wartsila marine diesel engines (model 46F, 2x 12V and 2x 14V) with a combined output of 62.4 MW (83,700 hp). Propulsion is provided by two azipods with a total power output of 18 MW (24,000 hp).

She was built at Fincantieri Monfalcone shipyard with hull number 6232. The ship has a volume of 144,216 GT, deadweight tonnage of 11,277 tons, LOA (length overall) of 330 m, beam of 38 m (47 m including the Navigation Bridge wings), and maximum draught of 8.6 m.

Fun facts: It takes around 3 million man-hours to construct a Royal-class ship. Approximately 37,000 tons of steel were used for Majestic Princess, compared to 12,000 tons for the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. The vessel required 95,000 gallons (360,000 L) of paint—twice the amount used annually to repaint the Golden Gate Bridge. The ship’s electrical cabling stretches 2,484 miles (4,000 km), long enough to connect New York City with Los Angeles.

After Ovation of the Seas (Royal Caribbean), Majestic Princess became the world’s second cruise ship designed specifically for the Chinese market. She is also known in Mandarin as "Sheng Shi Gong Zhu Hao" (meaning "Grand Spirit").

The keel-laying ceremony took place on July 10, 2015, at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard, officially marking the start of construction. The ship was delivered on March 29, 2017. Attendees at the delivery included Micky Arison (Chairman of Carnival Corporation), Arnold Donald (CEO of Carnival Corporation), Stein Kruse (CEO of Holland America), and Jan Swartz (President of Princess Cruises and Carnival Australia), along with Fincantieri executives Giampiero Massolo (Chairman) and Giuseppe Bono (CEO). It was noted that between 1990–2017, Fincantieri delivered 77 cruise ships (54 of them between 2002–2017) with 30 more under construction.

On November 3, 2016, construction began on her sistership with the steel-cutting ceremony at Fincantieri’s Castellammare di Stabia yard. Between 1990–2016, Fincantieri had built a total of 101 cruise ships.

On May 25, 2017, Majestic Princess embarked on a 37-day relocation voyage from Civitavecchia-Rome to Shanghai via the Suez Canal. The cultural program “Telling the Chinese Story along the Silk Road Sea Route” featured themed events and live performances, including “Ansai Youth Waist Drum,” “Luochuan Youth Yangge Dance,” “China National Orchestra,” and “China National Opera and Dance Drama Theater.” More than 6,500 passengers enjoyed the enrichment program during a voyage that visited 22 Silk Road ports across Greece, Egypt, UAE, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, China (with Xiamen as her first Chinese port of call), Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea.

On July 9, 2017, the ship’s christening ceremony was held in Shanghai, with Yao Ming (Houston Rockets legend and NBA Hall of Famer) and his wife Ye Li as godparents. The couple established The Yao Foundation after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, building 23 primary schools and supporting youth education programs. Attendees included Wang Hong (Baoshan District’s party secretary and Shanghai International Cruise Business Institute’s general director), Arnold Donald, Jan Swartz, Chinese travel agent partners, and media representatives.

Majestic Princess refurbishments review

Drydock 2025

Her most recent drydock was in March 2025 at Fincantieri’s Palermo shipyard. The project included routine maintenance, safety and classification inspections, machinery overhauls, hull cleaning and repainting, and minor updates to public spaces and staterooms.

Majestic Princess Asian cruises (2017)

Majestic Princess’ Asian program from Shanghai began on July 11, 2017. In 2018, she operated two 14-day “Grand Asia” voyages between Shanghai and Singapore, calling at ports in Korea, Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam, with extended port stays. The first cruise departed Shanghai on February 25, 2018, and the second departed Singapore on March 11, 2018.

Managed by Costa Asia, Majestic Princess allowed Chinese passengers to use Alipay accounts for onboard purchases, thanks to a 2017 partnership between Carnival Corporation and Ant Financial Services (Alibaba’s financial subsidiary). This enabled Chinese guests to use the Alipay mobile payment platform for onboard shopping, dining, tours, and services, with charges billed to their cabin folio and processed nightly.

"Love Boat" cruise 2022

On November 4, 2021, Princess Cruises announced a “Love Boat”-themed voyage on Majestic Princess, scheduled for Q1 2022.

The 7-day roundtrip from Los Angeles/San Pedro (February 26–March 5) visited three Mexican Riviera ports: Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas.

Hosted by Jill Whelan (actress who played “Vicki Stubing” in the TV series), the cruise also featured fellow Love Boat stars Cynthia Lauren Tewes (“Julie McCoy”), Bernie Kopell (“Doc”), Fred Grandy (“Gopher”), and Ted Lange (“Isaac”).

The voyage paid tribute to Gavin MacLeod (1931–2021), who portrayed Captain Merrill Stubing and served as Princess Cruises’ brand ambassador from 1986 to 2021.

Special onboard activities included:

• Sailaway party, 1970s-themed Disco Party (pool deck), group vow renewal ceremony (top deck)
• Q&A sessions, photo opportunities, trivia games, themed merchandise
• Birthday celebration honoring Gavin MacLeod
• “Love Boat” themed dining menus and cocktails
• Screenings of “The Love Boat” episodes (outdoor theater and cabin TVs)

Inaugural itineraries 2017

In October 2015 it was announced that Majestic Princess would be deployed in Asia. After her launch in 2017, she first operated Spring Mediterranean cruises before repositioning to Asia via the Suez Canal. She was homeported year-round in Shanghai and later repositioned seasonally to Sydney for Australia–New Zealand and South Pacific voyages, with Asia–Australia repositioning cruises.

Her itineraries included ports in Japan (Yokohama, Nagasaki, Kobe), South Korea (Busan), and Hong Kong. In January 2017, she successfully completed sea trials off Italy’s coast.

The maiden voyage began April 4, 2017: a 5-night Adriatic Sea itinerary from Venice to Civitavecchia-Rome. She also operated 7-, 14-, 21-, and 28-night Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona, Piraeus (Athens), and Rome before her relocation to Asia.

• April 4 (Maiden Voyage): 5-day roundtrip from Civitavecchia (Rome) visiting Kotor (Montenegro) and Corfu (Greece).
• European cruises (April 9–May 14, 2017) went on sale December 3, 2015.
• Sisterships Royal and Regal were also deployed in Europe in 2017, sailing in the Mediterranean (Royal) and Baltic (Regal).

Fun fact: This Princess ship has a namesake—the 2013-launched “Majestic MAERSK,” one of the world’s largest container ships (capacity 18,340 TEU), operated by Maersk Line.

The following tables list the ship’s inaugural cruise itineraries with ports of call, times, and USD fares per person (double occupancy inside cabin).

4-day Inaugural cruise from Trieste to Civitavecchia-Rome (from $420)

5-days Inaugural Mediterranean cruise round-trip from Rome (theme "Maiden Majestic Adriatic Sea", from $810)

14-days Inaugural Western Mediterranean cruise round-trip from Rome (theme "Majestic West Med Medley", from $4120)

14-days Inaugural Eastern Mediterranean cruise from Rome to Barcelona visiting Greek Isles (from $3000)

56-days repositioning cruise from Europe to China (Barcelona to Shanghai, from $6900)

Godspeed!