Goa’s Majestic Pride (Casino Pride 2) – Another Tick Off My Bucket List!
On the lapping waters of Goa’s River Mandovi, Casino Majestic Pride (Casino Pride 2) dazzles with all its might. A glimmering cruise ship sways upon the turquoise of the river, its deck bedecked with all things gambling.
Alive and thriving just a stone’s throw away from the Captain of Ports Jetty, this casino is a low roller’s paradise. If gambling within a shoestring budget is on your mind, Majestic Pride is your top dog.
But wise men say all that glitters is not gold. There’s more to Majestic Pride than meets the eye. Want to know what it feels like to be aboard this grand gambling vessel? Hang in there. I have a full review coming up for you!
Home » News » Goa’s Majestic Pride (Casino Pride 2) – Another Tick Off My Bucket List!
Ever since I landed in Goa, I’ve been on a jackpot trip. I see a casino on Google Maps; I put a pin in it. Majestic Pride Casino happened to me in such wise.
My plan to visit this gambling destination picked up steam thanks to a snowballing desire to cover all the major land-based gambling destinations in Goa.
Deltin Royale was just the kick-off of the parade I needed. The Pearl of the Orient had many more in store, of which, Majestic Pride topped my bucket list. The reasons were obvious.
Firstly, the ship is a neighbour to Deltin Royale, which is the largest cruise casino in Goa. If you’ve been to this casino, there’s no chance you’d miss the spectacular Majestic Pride glittering nearby. I went, I saw, I planned a visit.
Secondly, if you Google the ‘cheapest casinos in Goa,’ this one shows up first. Fellow punters would agree, if a casino is easy on your wallet, it definitely deserves visiting. Anything for low-cost entertainment, you see.
Thus, began my jaunt to Casino Majestic Pride in Goa – something I don’t regret, but don’t cherish either.
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Lusting for a first-hand experience of the million-rupee 30K square feet vessel, its 27 gaming tables, two full floors of gambling entertainment, and an exclusive VIP room for high-rollers, I booked a cab to the Captain of Ports Jetty in Panjim.
The route was pretty straightforward and the ride short. At the piers, the crowd was a small chunk and pretty scattered, perhaps because of the pandemic. Please note that all entries to Casino Majestic Pride need to be booked at the pier. I booked mine and waited to catch a feeder boat to the mother vessel.
Five minutes was all it took for it to arrive. I wouldn’t lie, to be ferried across the waters to a grandly lit casino does feel downright regal. However, while the outdoor lighting, signage and architecture surely drew me to the casino, Majestic Pride didn’t turn out to be the high-street floating casino I had in mind.
For clarity, I’ll explain what happened on board. Before that, here is some information you must know if you are planning a visit.
What You Need to Know About Majestic Pride Casino
Timing
Majestic Pride Casino is open 24/7. Entertainment is on 365 days a year, only if you can call it entertainment enough. Honestly, there’s nothing to complain about the timing. Buying a ticket to onboarding the cruise happens at the double.
However, it is the way you are received by the staff that throws you off. Of course, individual experiences could vary. But overall, I felt the staff lacked courtesy.
For instance, I shouldn’t be justifying my passport and foreign citizenship at the gate just to afford an entry. Neither should I be forced to pay in cash when cards are clearly accepted. That’s a sheer waste of time.
In my opinion, places like Majestic Pride have all the potential to impact the tourist footfall in Goa negatively. More surprises coming up!
Minimum Age for Entry
I have always been an informed traveller. Whenever I visit a new tourist destination, I make sure to do my homework well in advance. Unfortunately, Majestic Pride didn’t allow me to do my bit of research.
The official website doesn’t mention the minimum age for entry. My calls and emails were not responded to. I had to depend on third-party information and pure instincts.
Deltin Royale mentions the minimum age of entry as 21, which is fair enough. I assumed it would be something similar at this cruise casino as well. Third-party review sites mention the minimum age for entering the gaming floor to be 18 years.
Thus, I concluded, age is no bar for entering Majestic Pride Casino. However, if you are below 18 years of age, you would be sitting in their Special Kids Zone. Big kids, small kids, all kids.
Update: After what seemed like an eternity, I finally received a response from the casino clarifying the minimum age for entry. It is 21. You see, my gut feeling is seldom wrong.
Photo Identification
At Majestic Pride, I was preparing to enter without even knowing about the prerequisites for entry. There is no mention of photo identification documents anywhere on the site. I had to plan a visit based entirely on assumptions. One wrong foot and the door gets slammed on my face!
Luckily, a passport is enough for foreigners. Indians are supposed to produce government-issued photo IDs such as PAN card, ADHAAR, or Voter ID in my opinion.
I can say this confidently because I had overheard this Indian couple arguing with the staff who stuck to his guns saying their ADHAAR cards were fake. I can only imagine the frustration.
Dress Code
This is another amusing part of the visit. While the casino does mention what not to wear, it gives no clue regarding what to wear.
Short and sleeveless t-shirts are a big no-no. You can’t enter the cruise wearing flip flops and chappals. Sounds much like Deltin Royale, doesn’t it?
I assumed (for the third time) the dress code for men would be formal or smart casual. What I wonder is if this holds for women and kids, too. I’d love to see a three-year-old in a tuxedo.
Acceptable Payment Modes
Find me a casino in Goa that accepts only cash. You can’t!
Majestic Pride casino ship has all provisions for net banking, debit cards and credit cards. Yet, the staff would insist you pay in cash. I don’t know about others, but this forceful compliance got on my wick.
Casino Packages
Here’s what the one and only casino package holds for you:
Entry fee: ₹1000 (₹500 for the children between the age of 15–20 years)
Unlimited food on Buffet
Unlimited Drinks (House Brands) & Snacks while playing on the gaming table
Live Entertainment between 9 PM to 11 PM
Special Kids Zones
A good thing about Majestic Pride is its low entry fee, which remains the same on all days of a week. The downside is the site doesn’t mention if we have to pay the same amount for infants, too.
If you travel with kids and decide to drop by this casino, you could be paying for people who wouldn’t play the games, eat unlimited food or enjoy the live entertainment.
If you carefully study the package, the owners of Majestic Pride do not mention if you would be provided complimentary feeder boat service. There’s unlimited food on the buffet, but you get unlimited drinks only if you choose to play.
There is no hint at the choice of drinks you would be receiving – whether soft drinks, mocktails, cocktails or alcoholic beverages. The mention of ‘House Brands’ makes it even trickier; you don’t know which label you are being served.
Live entertainment is on only for 2 hours. Majestic Pride hosts DJ Nights and live dance performances by international artists. There’s cabaret, solo and other dance forms to feast your eyes on. Recently, a masquerade party was also hosted in New Year 2020.
Now imagine being limited to just 120 minutes of fun. Even before your evening gets pumped up, the zeal to party would die down.
Last, but not the least, there are no casino bonuses, even if you are willing to pay something extra.
Available Games
Majestic Pride, the floating casino offers the following games to play for real money:
That’s a decent game range, if not an extensive one. But the entire gaming experience is what needs everyone’s attention.
I entered their poker room with monumentally high hopes. I won’t deny that the first look of it swept me off my feet. But the moment I converted my Euros to Indian Rupees to play, I was given a rate that was way lower than what I should have received otherwise.
A confused me asked if I could get my Euros back. The staff agreed. But when I went to claim my money, they put me off by saying the money is in the main office and cannot be returned.
Oh, by the way, if you happen to land in trouble while playing, you get absolutely no help. The staff in the poker room would play blame games without resolving your issue.
I also noticed something really suspicious. Of all people playing at your table, some would be constants. They’d always be there when you’re playing. The moment you change table, they do it, too. Now, it might be a coincidence. But if you have sharp senses, you wouldn’t be comfortable at any of the gaming tables.
Lastly, you are important as long as you spend money on the gaming tables. You would receive your free drinks and snacks. The moment you decide not to shell out money, you’d receive the cold shoulder. It doesn’t matter if you paid that ₹1000 at the entrance.
Food and Entertainment
Food isn’t one of the best things on this ship casino in Goa. Everything tasted bland except the munchies. The drinks are nothing like the original brands I’ve tasted. I could sense some kind of dilution. Add House Brands to the horror. You have no idea what you are ordering!
Apart from a multi-cuisine restaurant, the casino also has a bar and barbeque on the Weather Deck. But by the time I finished chewing what was served, I had lost appetite for other stuff.
When it comes to entertainment, Majestic Pride seems to have spent an arm and a leg in advertising itself as a happening party place. But the reality is otherwise.
Watching videos of a Fight Night with bigshot boxer Vijender Singh might give you goosebumps. The presence of celebrities like Nora Fatehi and Urvashi Rautela might give you the hopes of a rocking nightlife. The idea of Russian dancers and Bollywood dance troupes entertaining you might seem worth the money.
But, at the end of the day, the entertainment at Majestic Pride casino is just like its food – boring.
The Return
The icing on the cake was the return!
Forget the thin hopes of winning the big money, my mind was still clouded by the not-so-hospitable treatment I received at this so-called grand casino. The staff’s refusal of the drop-back shuttle they promised was the final nail in the coffin. I lost it and walked out.
So, ladies and gentlemen, that’s Majestic Pride Casino for me! Despite having everything a punter would ask for, it fails to meet your expectations. I’d call it a brightly lit casino floating in its own vanity.
What would bring you here? A cheap ticket? The remarkable views? Unlimited food and drinks? The gaming floors? The dazzling lights? Or just the feel of being aboard a cruise casino in Goa?
Your decision should not be off the top of your head. This casino comes with a lot of pros and cons, the latter outdoing the former. Set your priorities and you’d know if it deserves a visit.
Lastly, this experience will not subdue my love for gambling.
Goa is what I call ‘sun, sea, and surf’ by the day and ‘fun, fish, and feni’ by the night. Somewhere in between casinos beckon. My tryst with gambling is growing at full throttle. Stay with me as I discover more Goa casinos and bring the reviews to you.
Where to Find Majestic Pride
Address: Majestic Pride Jetty at River Mandovi Near District And Sessions Court, Panaji, Goa 403001, India
