Cloudyrain

It's worth having a look: we found some great last minute deals last year (50% less than the early booking price) but cabin selection may be limited.

I have added the patter pages for today.

If anyone had any specific questions please feel free to ask. I will try and post daily 😊

Portland tomorrow for us: it's strange having a port day on day 2!

I have added some photos of the kids club details.

Parking and Embarkation: Super Quick! We arrived at 10.50 and parked via CPS. They take photos of the car, have a little chat, take your keys, and offer assistance with cases if required. They also keep track of docking changes so if we return to a different dock they will ensure our car is there. We have user them before, and it's worked well. They take your keys and move your car. We have also happily used Parkside Meet and Great via Holiday Extras, and Hotel and Parking at the Leonardo. All have been fine and worked ok, but Portside Meet and Greet, and CPS are certainly easier as you don't need to deal with shuttles or taxis. 
 

Kids Club: there are very few children on this cruise - a lot less than I expected! This meant that the first evening of Kids Club was quiet! However, having been with P&O and having to set alarms to book slots, this is a very different experience! We registered onboard and it was very quick and easy.

Arcade: I was really happy there was an arcade, but it's pretty rubbish. Actually that's an understatement - it's totally rubbish 😂 Great if you want to spend hundreds of dollars on fixed grabber machines.

Crown Grill: we like to avoid the MDR on the first night as it's usually chaos, so we booked the Crown Grill. It was very nice and service was brilliant. We don't actually eat a lot, but what we had was lovely. 
 

Buffet: we think this is great! We didn't really eat a lot, but our son liked it - which is a blessing!

Mini-suite: this is our cabin of choice and is spacious and clean. The balcony is smallish, but the rest is fine.

I am a Brit, travelling with a 7 year old son and my husband on our first Princess: previously we have travelled with NCL, P&O, MSC and Marella. We have cruised Britain before, albeit a covid-cruise when we couldn't really get off!

Pre-Cruise: We drove the day before and stayed in the Ibis Budget (£50 for a family room, parking £10 or free for those with Blue Badges). 5mins walk to the shopping centre, casino over the road, McDonalds outside, and bars at the Novotel and Ibis 3* across the car park. There is a TGI Fridays outside too, but it gets busy so have patience 😂

Actually, I might do a half-live...!

1 hour ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

Not specific to the Regal but generic enough that it may cross over to other Princess ships departing from Southampton.

 

Looks like you embarked at the Mayflower terminal.

1.  Does it make any difference if you have a Medallion in hand or not?

2.  I think Mayflower has seats before check in, then security.  Is there priority check in/waiting area for Elite/Suites?

3.  What time did you arrive/get on the ship?

4.  Is smoking in the casino allowed?

 

Many, many thanks for taking the time to reply back. I do hope that the weather allows you great sailing.

We embarked the Regal from the Ocean terminal today: disembarkation is via the Mayflower.

1/2/3. We didn't have medallions, but did have assistance due to disability. We dropped our cases at the luggage pods and were onboard within 20 minutes. There were queues, but they were moving quickly. There are plenty of seats available in the terminal.

4. there is smoking in the casino, but it isn't particularly bad (I have a problem with my lungs at present and it hasn't caused me any problems - so far!).

I am on this cruise so happy to answer any questions 😊

We have previously been on a cruise during the Olympics around the British Isles (not Princess), and would personally go for balcony instead of the drinks package: but then we don't drink a lot and I am happy with tea and coffee provided in the room, and we sometimes take our own soft drinks and wine with us. 
 

Watching the Olympics on a sea day with the door open and the view was great. We love the Olympics too and watch as much as we can, and that time was such a great experience: especially if maybe there was a downtime in broadcasting we could sit and enjoy the sea for a bit, and leave the TV on and nip back in when something we wanted to watch came on 😊

If you link your booking you can book tables for 2.

There are shows every night in the Skydome, and you don't pre-book them, it's open seating. The later show is generally less popular than the earlier shows.

The theatre shows can be accessed without booking by turning up 10 minutes before the start.

The 710 and Olive Grove are worth booking as soon as you board: although they will have cancellations during the week, it's still best to book.

Have fun!

12 hours ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

The shelf stable singles are great if you’re driving to a port, but if you are flying, it doesn’t work so well.

I'm in the UK and have Myom oat milk pouches that are mixed with water to create oat milk. I don't know if there is an almond milk product that is similar, but I understand there are dried almond milk powders. 
 

It's not ideal, and I can't understand how Princess can't ensure that there are a decent choice of non-dairy UHT long life milk substitutes. I would have thought that options would be increasing in this area, not reducing.

On 5/22/2024 at 4:05 PM, room with a view said:

We are considering Regal princess but the only cabin available for our preferred sailing is D220 .

 

Would have preferred midships ...also the drinks package plus benefits is expensive for us moderate drinkers .

 

How are the gratuities paid for this category of cabin , and how much per person per day .....thanks

With regards to the package, it includes gratuities and wifi, and a couple casual dining meals: when we added that up it actually still worked out good value even though we don't really drink a lot.

15 minutes ago, sandancer said:

Thanks. I want to email them as I want something in writing. 
it’s gone now, must have been a blip. Now to see if I get a reply. 

Last time I emailed them they replied with an answer a month after we travelled (which was 2 months after I emailed) 😂

If you have booked with a TA it's worth asking them to submit your enquiry via the agents line.

1 hour ago, Cruisemeister2002 said:

I don't wish to be confrontational but myself and wife started cruising back in 2002 and whilst they always say your first cruise is the one you remember the most we have had many excellent cruises with P&O since. However I believe the reverse is true of what you say with regards to cruises getting better. When we first cruised ladies had toiletries in a little P&O bag to greet them in the bathroom. You had a turndown every night with a chocolate on your pillow. The biscuits you were provided with the tea and coffee were better than now. Things like tours of the bridge and galley were free. You had chocoholics tea one afternoon where the display of cakes and pastries and an ice carving were wonderful. It was laid out buffet style and you helped yourself to as much as you wanted. Tea and coffee was served at your table. Menu wise if you didn't like anything on the main course you could ask for a steak. These were much better than the things dished up now. The first cruise we even had a guy giving information over the tannoy system about the port you were entering and the daily paper had port information in them.

Don't worry, I don't think it's confrontational to have a different opinion 😊

I think a lot of it comes down to personal preferences though: I personally don't miss evening turn-down as I don't think it's necessary, and I don't care if the quality of the biscuits had declined because I find the food available elsewhere is good enough that I don't eat a biscuit (or chocolate, when they were left) in the cabin. In fact I used to save them up over the course of the holiday and take them in to the office for my "holiday souvenir" - so maybe my colleagues aren't happy because now they get nothing 😂 And I always use my own toiletries, I don't use those provided anyway.

From 2013 to now I have found the food options have improved overall: although they have certainly reduced the number of choices in the MDR, I think what remains is mostly better. I also think the dining system as a whole is improved, as is the quality/variety of the entertainment.

After our first P&O cruise we said never again. The only reason we gave them another chance was due to circumstances, and I am glad we did as I find they are now a lot more suited for our tastes. I don't think they get everything right, but they offer a food product for the price - especially when compared to land-based hotel holidays.

Although I am looking forward to trying Princess as the price we have paid is less (all things considered), and it's nice to open up a few more options of port/ship etc - I currently like P&O, but I am not a loyal customer when it comes to cruises 😂

3 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Still had a really great cruise and holiday

 

Just that Princess wasn't the level above P and O that I was expecting

 

Shows me that P and O get an awful lot right when planning and organising how their cruises work

 

 

I have always thought the current P&O offerings are pretty good, and think they are so much better than they were 10 years ago: maybe I am easily pleased 😂

As I said I have been able to pre-book dining (speciality and MDR) at various timings throughout the cruise so that's helpful. The rest of it, I will just cross my fingers and ignore the cold-soup options (which I don't like, and American cruise lines seem to love 😂)

3 hours ago, Justpackingmybags said:

As a Brit, anything over 20C is shorts weather 😎😆 (that’s 68F)

In theory July should be at least that. And it sometimes is for, ooh maybe, a week, 

Layers. Definitely layers. And a sneaky pair of shorts just in case.

Totally agree: I'm a Brit and prone to be nesh, but was still in a bikini in the garden last week when it hit the dazzling heights of 18c 😂

18 minutes ago, alpha whiskey said:

Just back from Regal, and all our pre booked dining times (6pm-ish, non shared tables) were honoured, with no queues. Service was pretty good too. I think ICF was very unlucky on Ruby. 

That's good to hear, thank you 😊

yes, it does sound like ICF has had a bad time to the reviews I have seem coming from other Princess ships.

20 hours ago, chamima said:

 

 

Yes, but the "chefs" on cruises are cooking/baking for thousands of people. Not sure they have the freedom or impetus to make something for the tens that might be vegan.

I think they're very careful about life threatening allergies but this isn't that - and my husband is a vegan for his health so we'd be thrilled to have more choices but don't expect them on large cruiselines.

We usually cruise with P&O and find their Vegan desset options in particular are great: they usually always have a good choice on the main menu and in buffet (including cake, sorbet and ice cream, various alternative milk etc), and they seem to veganise standard deserts (less so with mains/starters). We haven't been with Princess yet, but I think we may have been spoilt for choice in the past 😬

8 hours ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

Of course now I’m doubting myself but I’m almost positive that I’ve had Almond Milk on my other cruises. Is this something new? 

That is really disappointing if that's the case: lots of people with dairy allergies also have soya allergies. And rice milk... 🤢

I am going to take my own oat milk I think.

We have been able to pre-book dining available at all hours (non-shared tables) on the Regal: but wether they actually accommodate it at the time remains to be seen as we haven't sailed yet.

Previously we sailed a lot with NCL and although that was anytime dining we found that if you wanted to eat before 8 it was bedlam as the predominantly American passengers tended to eat early: in "leisure suits" as opposed to actual suits 😂

2 hours ago, Dermotsgirl said:

Norovirus is more commonly spread on surfaces, that’s why hand washing is so important.

 

There are other, commonly circulating viruses that are airborne….. 

 

 

Noro is airborne, and can also live for hours on surfaces. Of course there are other illnesses that are circulating that are airborne. I was just pointing out that as noro is also airborne it's super tough to get on top of it with confined spaces, even when good cleaning systems are implemented. 

2 hours ago, Winifred 22 said:

Princess does not come under the Carnival U K umbrella. Only P &O and Cunard are under Carnival UK.  Ultimately all brands come under Carnival Corp so in the future Princess may well follow with similar or the same policies in the future. 

I am aware of that: I was just pointing out that with P&O stating this is in response to the new international regs, then it would be an international issue and I would have expected an internationally aligned stance for lines that form part of an international group.

I think the problem is that it's all very narrow minded.

If someone is travelling with someone who lacks capacity to know what to do in an emergency then they will not be alone at anytime. Or in the case of children they will be with a guardian, or at the kids club where separate processes for emergencies exist. 
 

The whole process also completely ignores disabled children and groups them in with adults.

It is interesting that Princess don't seem to have the same procedures though, and appear to have interpreted them differently. Either that or they don't appear to have implemented them yet?

Loads of gastro bugs around it seems at hospital and school: the other month nearly half my son's class were off at some point over the space of a few weeks with gastrointestinal bugs or scarlet fever.
 

I was also in hospital for a week, and whole wards were closed due to gastro bugs: and that was a ward with some serious strict infection protection protocols, and mostly bedbound patients, and yet it still spread.

Sadly norovirus is airborne and highly contagious, and often starts with little to no warning. 

Due to many places not accepting the added months, and the need for the 3 months after return, the safest way is to view your passport as 9 years, 9 months from issue date. Sadly the added months are mostly irrelevant now.