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Why Go?
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 Interior surroundings are elegant and relaxing
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Port-heavy cruises to Africa, Mediterranean, Canary Islands
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Wide range of tastefully appointed lounges across three decks
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Friendly passengers hail from a variety of European nations
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Debuts first alternative restaurant for Louis Cruises
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Louis Majesty Review
In today's world of amenity-laden cruising leviathans, Louis Majesty charts an altogether more individual course. Smaller, chic and highly styled, the ship carries a broad cross section of European passengers from several different nations. That means life onboard can be loud, exuberant and, perhaps, even chaotic at times, but it's all inherently joyous -- as bubbly as French Champagne and feisty as Spanish paella.
Welcome to life aboard Louis Majesty, an old friend in a slightly new guise. Many will remember the ship as Majesty Cruises' Royal Majesty or NCL's Norwegian Majesty, when it was a mainstay on the Boston-to-Bermuda run for the better part of two decades. As such, the vessel was immensely popular, but two decades of progress dated this pretty lady with indecent haste.
One of the last ships built without balcony cabins, the ship lacked the adaptability to survive in the increasingly amenity-driven U.S. cruise market. However, for Louis Cruises, the ship was an absolutely perfect fit for the line's no-frills, port-intensive itineraries. The company purchased the ship in 2008 and chartered it back to NCL for 18 months, finally taking delivery at the end of 2009.
The ship received some cosmetic refurbishment, but former passengers will have no difficulty recognising the vessel, either inside or out. Public rooms remain essentially the same in terms of decor, right down to their names. Even NCL's trademark Le Bistro remains in place -- albeit with a different menu. This also marks a first for Louis as the company's inaugural extra-tariff restaurant.
Indeed, gentle evolution is the name of the game here. While most of the Louis fleet operates short, port-intensive cruises in the Greek Islands and Mediterranean before being laid up for the winter, Louis Majesty will sail year-round. The ship will embark passengers in both Genoa and Marseilles for port-intensive cruises to North Africa, the Western Mediterranean and the Canary Islands 12 months of the year. Size-wise, 40,876-ton, 1,462-passenger Louis Majesty is a significant step up from sister ship and former NCL fleetmate, Louis Cristal, and takes the distinction of "largest in the fleet" away from that 25,611-ton ship.
The vibe on a cruise ship carrying European passengers is hugely different from those sailing with predominantly American and British passengers. Louis sells itself across Europe, and the result is a passenger list comprised of Italian, French, German and Spanish guests, some English and even a smattering of Polish and Slovenians on our sailing. For any cruise line, satisfying the often very conflicting demands of such diverse groups is quite a challenge. It is to the credit of everyone working onboard Louis Majesty that it seems such a happy ship.
Many passengers onboard speak more than one language, and in general, many people seem happy to try out their language skills on each other. The fact that people made an effort definitely enhanced the positive vibe onboard.
The crew is a mixture of eastern European and Filipino staff, and while service can be patchy in areas, it is almost unfailingly cheerful. Most of the staff is reasonably multilingual, and while some language confusion is inevitable, it is best accepted with a smile. The crew really do try hard to put you at ease.
One possible bone of contention on a multinational sailing is the onboard smoking policy. Though smoking is specified as being allowed only on the outer decks and in one indoor bar, Europeans have the often maddening habit of taking their ashtrays wherever they want and sharing their cigarette smoke with unstinting generosity. Some of the crew are very good at politely reminding passengers of the regulations, others not so much. If this is a deal-breaker for a cruise, then you should certainly bear it in mind.
On the whole, passenger flow is good throughout the ship, with most of the public rooms situated on Deck 5. The ship is high-density, with her sailings averaging around 1,300 passengers each voyage. That inevitably means lines for the buffets and crowding in the coffee bar, which serves as the antechamber to the Seven Seas restaurant at the stern. The upper decks can get busy on sea days, despite -- or perhaps because of -- a 1999 "chop and stretch" that saw the insertion of a substantial midsection with a second pool and more public rooms.
In general, Louis Majesty is a comfortable, charming and unpretentious ship, gifted with a fair amount of elegance. Its cabins may be small, but they do not detract from an overall very pleasant experience.
One final note: Louis offers a package that covers the cost of call brand alcoholic drinks, soft drinks, ice creams and speciality coffees, from 10 a.m. straight through to 2 a.m. This typically works out to around £25 per day, but sometimes even these prices are discounted if booked on sailing day. Terms and conditions apply, but in general, this is an excellent deal, allowing prospective passengers to budget for a large portion of their onboard expenses.
Read Complete Louis Majesty Review
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Louis Cruise Lines Ships: Aegean Two • Arielle • Coral • Cristal • Louis Majesty • Opera • Orient Queen • Perla • Princesa Marissa • Sapphire • Serenade
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