Royal Majesty Rocks the Boat With Its $99 Fare : New line offers special price on four-day voyage from Miami to the Mexican Caribbean.

Most cruise passengers, already inundated with so many new ships and lines, would probably not agree that what the world needs now is yet another new cruise line.

But tell them the newest line to hit the seas, Miami-based Majesty Cruise Line, is also offering a four-night cruise for $99 (provided you buy one at full price) and they’ll probably perk up.

At least that’s what Ed Mass, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Majesty, believes.

“We’re making the offer to introduce our brand-new itinerary to Mexico from Miami for only four nights,” Mass said. He said the new itinerary evolved in part from discussions on how to attract passengers from the West Coast to the new ship.

While there are some restrictions, the basic deal is this: Buy a four-night cruise in 1992 at the regular price and get a second one in 1993 for only $99.

Any passenger who books a four-night midweek Bahamas cruise on the Royal Majesty between now and Dec. 14 (excepting the Nov. 23-27 Thanksgiving holiday period) can take a second four-night cruise on the same ship to the Mexican Caribbean during 1993 for only $99, holiday sailings excepted. Air fare and port taxes are not included in the special.

The 1,056-passenger, $220-million Royal Majesty, which made its debut in August, has already garnered a lot of attention for its nonsmoking dining room and a number of nonsmoking passenger cabins.

Majesty is the sister company to Dolphin Cruise Line, which operates three ships: the Dolphin IV, the SeaBreeze and the OceanBreeze (the former Azure Seas, which was based in Los Angeles for 12 years.) While Dolphin’s cruises are in the budget-to-moderate price range ($99-$327 a day per person, double occupancy, including air fare), the Royal Majesty’s normal fares of $150-$479 a day per person, double occupancy, including air fare, put it in an upscale category.

During the remainder of 1992, the Royal Majesty will follow an itinerary of three-night weekend cruises round trip from Miami to Nassau, Bahamas, and four-night midweek sailings to Nassau and Key West, Fla.

But beginning Jan. 4, the Royal Majesty will change itineraries on the four-night sailing from Miami to replace the Bahamas port of call with calls at Cozumel/Playa del Carmen, Mexico, and Key West, along with shopping, beach visits and optional excursions to Mayan ruins. This is the only four-night cruise to Mexico’s Caribbean from the East Coast, although two ships--Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s Viking Serenade and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Southward--offer year-round three- and four-night cruises from Los Angeles to Ensenada, Baja California.

To qualify for the $99 cruise, a passenger would need to book a four-night Bahamas cruise, priced from $599 per person, double occupancy, for an inside (windowless) cabin with two lower beds, to $1,499 per person, double occupancy, for a luxury suite. Two weeks after the sailing, a non-transferable certificate is mailed to the passenger, who then must use it before April 1 to book passage in the same category on any non-holiday, four-day sailing in 1993.

“The itinerary change also enables us to offer a seven-night cruise on the Royal Majesty by combining the four-night Mexican program and the three-night Bahamas program,” Mass said. “That gives you six ports in seven days, including a full day in Miami.”

A special MaxSea rate for the seven-night combination cruise ranges $1,188-$2,058 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles. Cruise-only rates without air fare begin at $788 per person, double occupancy.

We joined a group of some 1,000 travel agents and media in Philadelphia for a two-day preview cruise aboard the Royal Majesty at the end of August. Most enthusiastic about the ship itself, especially the generous use of wood in the decor.

In addition to its nonsmoking dining-room policy and designation of 132 cabins--one-fourth of those on board--as nonsmoking, the Royal Majesty has other distinct features.

The ship is fully sprinkler-equipped and all windows are double-glazed with thermal and sound insulation, an industry first, according to the line. Fully-automatic, environmentally-oriented systems include a sewage-treatment plant and a garbage-handling plant that shreds and burns waste in a smoke-free incinerator. Glass and metal are stored aboard for recycling ashore.

The ship’s warm and handsome interiors were designed by the Greek husband-and-wife team of Michael and Agni Katzourakis. Particularly appealing are the small lounges where people can gather before or after dinner for drinks and conversation. The Rendezvous Bar has leather chairs and a granite-trimmed piano bar. The Royal Observatory offers a captain’s-eye view of the sea and antique ship models. The Polo Club has upholstered teak chairs, marble tables and a classical guitarist who plays audible but unamplified melodies that don’t drown out table conversation.

Along with joggers and walkers, we enjoyed the full around-the-ship promenade, rare in new ships where the forward section is usually claimed by backstage dressing rooms for the show lounge. But sunning space on the pool deck is at a premium because tables and chairs surround the pool area. Instead, lounge chairs are located on the deck above the pool.

The serenity of the cool marble lobby, with its white piano, is shattered by its being open to the casino above. There, six blackjack and two Caribbean stud-poker tables, a craps table, a roulette wheel and 135 slot machines are constantly ringing and pinging.

But perhaps the most unfortunate element is that many of the most expensive cabins have views partially or totally obstructed by hanging lifeboats. While the deck plan shows the lifeboats on the Queen’s deck obstructing some views, it fails to show that cabins on the Empress deck above are also obstructed.

Even one of the two Royal Suites (the one not open for inspection on the sailing we took) appears to have a boat partly blocking the windows.

The similar standard, deluxe and superior outside cabins, priced according to deck location, range $759-$1,189 per person, double occupancy, depending on the season and the length of the cruise. Inside cabins, where mirrored walls replaced the more common blank wall covered by a curtain, successfully present an illusion of light and space; these cabins cost $489-$939 per person, double occupancy.

All fares include round-trip air fare to Miami. Los Angeles and San Diego passengers must add $50, but will have their overnight hotel accommodations provided where necessary, according to airline schedules.

Four staterooms designed for the disabled can sleep three passengers each, two in twin beds and a third in a pull-down berth. Space in both the bathroom and bedroom is adequate for turning a wheelchair around, and the bathroom is fitted with a pull-down stool and support handrails for toilet and shower.

The food, prepared by an experienced Miami catering firm called Apollo, is uneven, with salads, pastas and main dishes generally competently rendered, but the ship’s rendition of Key lime pie would drive Floridians into a rage.

Vanity Fair Beauty Salon and the Bodywaves Spa offer a full range of health and beauty services, exercise machines, saunas and massage. Rubberized matting covers an entire upper deck with a special jogging or walking track laid out in the center. A children’s play area includes a wading pool outside on deck.

Duty-free shops sell jewelry, crystal, porcelain, evening clothes and items decorated with the ship’s logo.

Among special events on board is a medieval fair with jugglers, entertainment and face painters, along with costumes for staff and passengers alike.

For a free color brochure, contact a travel agent or Majesty Cruise Line at (800) 532-7788.