Azjack

We recently returned from a HAL cruise (T/A) on the Westerdam. We are Princess people, but there were some things that appealed to us on HAL.

** The staff (mostly Indonesian and Filipino) was very, very pleasant and friendly. HAL seems to instill this attitude better than PCL.

** HAL sold an unlimited internet package for about $200. Pretty good speed and no need to jump on and off to preserve precious minutes.

** The enhanced soft drink package on HAL was expensive, but it included canned soda and bottled water. Also specialty coffees.

** While we preferred the whole dining experience on PCL, we did have outstanding meals on two pop-up venues on HAL (Sel de Mer and De Librije).

We probably won't sail HAL again, unless we see a can't miss itinerary.

One more thing: there were complaints from CruiseCritic passengers about HAL's treatment of them. They said HAL was not very responsive to their needs in setting up a meet&greet. No crew participation, cramped venue, etc. I must admit that the Roll Call activity was very light compared to what I have seen for PCL cruises

The deck plans for both the Royal and the Regal show an area on deck 18 called "the Greens", and the Regal plan actually mentions a golf practice cage in the sidebar.

The cages on the Royal were in fact there at "the Greens" in 2013, but there were none on the Regal in the follwing year. They did not get much use, as far as I could tell, so I wouldn't be surprised if they were discontinued.

On the Royal in 2013, I spent some time working on my golf swing in the cages on the Sports deck. I was disappointed to find no cages on the Regal in 2014. (I was told by the help desk staff that it was too expensive!)

We are on the Royal again next year and was wondering if the cages are still there.

And did the cages ever appear on the Regal?

Jack

Note that the robes are thin, short waffle-type robes, and perhaps not adequate for some of the more generously proportioned pax.

On the Royal last year, our steward came up with robes for us on day 2 of our cruise (there were big laundry problems on that cruise). The waffle robes were a little bit of a disappointment, because they had shrunk like a two dollar T-shirt. We took them to the laundry room and ironed them but they were marginally useful at best.

Jack

Having booked one of these cabins on a future Regal cruise, wondering why being near the elevators was a hassle? Noise? thanks

Because there is no central staircase for passengers, these elevators get heavy use. There have been complaints about long waits and crowded cars. I thought the problems were minor on the Royal TA last year, but others have had serious concerns.

Jack

Can anyone tell me their favorite mini-suite on the Royal/Regal princess ships?

My choices would be Baja or Caribe 409,410,414,415,416,417,426,427,428,429. All of these MA minisuites have larger balconies, and are far enough below the Skyview/Bar that privacy is not a concern. Check the deckplans to get an idea of the relative sizes. If you are doing a TA you might want to chose port or starboard, depending on direction and route.

The negative is that all these cabins are closest to the midships elevators, which could be a hassle.

Jack

EZ Check is one of the few cruise ship services which is worth the money.

 

DON

We tried to use EZ Check last October in FT Lauderdale. I had purchased Early Bird seating from SWA at purchase. Got a letter back from Princess saying my request for EZ Check could not be accommodated due to an issue with my reservation. Could not get any more info from anyone.

I wonder if the Early Bird thing was the problem. At the airport, SWA said my reservation was fine--no issues. I sure would have liked to avoid the luggage hassle.

Jack

Your work on the Royal was a great resource. I followed the thread every day, right up to boarding for the maiden T/A. I am so happy to see that you have started the Regal thread.

We loved the Royal, and enjoyed the T/A so much that we are on the Regal's maiden crossing in October.

I wonder if the well documented soot problem will have an impact on the aft pool. I don't remember noticing any problems on that aft deck of the Royal, but we didn't spend much time there (too many smokers).

Thanks again!

Jack

So I just fell in love with a 2015 itinerary on the Royal. We have cruised on Ruby and Coral and in both instances booked the larger balconies found on the Caribe deck. We spend a ton of time on the balcony so this is important to us.

 

I know that this ship has smaller balconies, however I know there are some larger ones. I have read several threads that say general statements about size and to look at the deck plans, but I can't tell from the deck plan which are the "largest". For instance is C409 larger than C415 or C417?

 

Privacy is a bit of a concern as well since I tend to do things in the room that others don't want to see :o. If I go with a balcony in the bump out, it looks like you can see in the room and I would need to close the blinds. While I can certainly do that, I just wanted to check and see f that was true for the 10th floor for instance.

 

What about the aft balconies? I like the view and found a review from D731. The balcony is large, but I have questions. How does the wind compare? Is there enough of a block from the dividers when sitting? I know about the soot. Is D731 the same size as D729? Again, I can't tell from the deck plan. It looks like it, but based on bookings for the ship, I would tend to think something is more popular about the one over the other. What about sun here. Is it partially shaded? I can't cook all day.

 

Ok, that was a lot of questions. I really appreciate your assistance! As I sit in my house for the 4th straight day staring at 2 feet of snow, I want to get out of here and I am super excited about this one!

The largest balconies below the SeaWalk (starboard) and the SeaView Bar (Port) on Caribe Deck are C415 and C429 (S) and C414 and C428 (P). Two HC accessible cabins C432 and C433 are a larger still.

The Cabins on the inside of the curve --C421, C423, C420, C422-- have balconies that are only slightly larger than the standard balconies. Maybe 48 s.f. versus 41 s.f.

Privacy inside your cabin on Caribe is not an issue, although the balcony is partially visible from above. There is a blue glow at night, but I found it visible only on the balcony, not in the cabin.

These cabins are midships, and some have complained about the lack of a central staircase, leading to elevator problems

I believe the balconies on Dolphin Aft you mentioned are the same size. Size may not matter if the balcony is unusable due to soot.

Jack

I'm counting on all of the Princess experts out there to give me some good advice. My DH and I are considering the TA on the Ocean that starts in Rome and ends in Fort Lauderdale. What do people do about the one way air? It is too early for the rates to be out, but doing ghost bookings for earlier dates proves to be very expensive. Princess doesn't have rates out yet. Can you get an open jaw to Rome, then home from Fort Lauderdale? What would be a ball park amount to expect. Our other option is a Holland cruise in Oct. that starts in Rome and ends in Barcelona.

 

Also what can we expect for weather in the Med in Dec?

 

Any advice will be greatly appreciated!!!

Ez Air may be your best bet. But try the consolidators too. We booked a very convenient one way flight from Phoenix to Rome thru Chicago for about $750 pp next October. American Airlines. Last year we got a slightly better price to Venice on an American (operated by BA) thru Heathrow. Both times, we used 1800flyeurope.

Shop around, get the best deal you can and don't look back.

Jack

Does anyone have any feedback on good or bad locations for the mini suites on the Regal/Royal princess?

 

We would like to be higher on the ship and close to the action for pools, entertainment and kids clubs etc, but are there any good or bad experiences to share before we book?

Just my opinion, but I think the best minisuite locations are on Baja or Caribe on the "bumps" below the Seawalk or Seaview Bar. The deck plans show which cabins have the largest balconies (some are handicap/accessible). Privacy issues due to the observation areas above do not really come into play on these decks.

Note that these cabins are midships, so the lack of a central staircase leads to elevator issues. We found this to be minor, but others have complained bitterly.

Jack

We stopped at the Ocean terrace a couple of times on the Royal TA. The sushi and sashimi were outstanding, and the portions generous. Each time, the chef added an extra treat without our asking.

There was seldom anyone eating there and we had nice conversations with the chef. Very pleasant. Would probably have stopped there again, but there are so many choices on the Royal, we didn't get back.

We didn't try Vines, but I think they serve tapas rather than sushi.

I missed Skywalkers as a place to read and relax. Agree with Pam about Club Six. Comfortable seating with a view of the sea. Just find a time when no events are taking place.

Jack

Hi CC Family,

 

Can any one tell me about C437 BA Balcony. On our last 4 cruises we always have chose B435 and liked Baja. Since this is a new ship for us, just curoius. We will be on the Royal this March. Any help is appreicated.

Warm Regards from the very cold Colorado!

Most balconies on the Royal are small but adequate for two people. You can eat on the balconies if you use the space carefully. I'm not sure how well Ultimate Balcony Dining would work, but some have said it was OK.

If balcony size is important, take a look at the midship cabins below the Seawalk and the Seaview Bar. These have "extended angled balconies" and sizes vary. We were in a MA minisuite on Baja with a balcony around 45 sq ft. The cabins toward the projections were larger (check the deck plans). On the higher decks there may be some lack of privacy and annoying lighting from above, and some of the lower deck cabins are listed as "obstructed view". And if you are midship, you get to complain about the lack of a central passenger staircase (a minor issue for us).

Some aft cabins have larger balconies as well, but there have been serious complaints about soot.

Jack

Thanks Joanie. It made me proud to see my pictures on the walls. Thanks for taking the time to find them.

Dave: we spent a couple of hours wandering the halls on the Royal viewing the great photos from PCL cruisers. I'm sure yours were among our favorites.

It was like visiting an art gallery. An unpublished activity for passengers on the Royal.

Do you know if the Regal will have any of your photos displayed?

Jack

We board in Venice with an extra netbook. Pia, it's yours if you need it.

Jack

Thanks for the review. Can't wait for the next installment!

We loved the Borghese. I think I'd travel to Rome just to visit Apollo and Daphne.

Jack

Sneeked photo taken over the top of our partition

 

Thanks for posting all the photos. We are a couple of cabins forward and a couple of decks up in October (B423).

I was wondering if you had any problems with the Seawalk up above. I know some early posts about the Royal raised concerns about privacy, but that seems to have died down.

Jack

We will be in Venice in October and are thinking of attending Mass at St. Marks on a weekday morning (there appears to be a sung mass at 9am). I was wondering if any CCers have done this. If so, any advice? We know that dress must be appropriate, but have never attended services in Italy. (have done so in UK, France and Russia without incident).

I asked this question on our roll call, but there was no response. Hoping someone on this forum can help.

Jack