changes to the Regal Princess

[skynight]

If an aft pool is added to the Regal and Royal would think it might be where the current outdoor play area is on the Sun deck. The pool might be configured above deck similar to the Oasis Pool on the Star. Just a thought.

[CCFC]

Re your PS, yes the film crew was everywhere on the Royal last week. Saw them many times, general filming, interviewing passengers (watch for the guy in the kilt from the last Formal night), and following Captain Tony around on a walkabout.

 

Saw them in a powerboat in St Thomas buzzing around the ship for some exterior shots. I had also heard about them using helicopters, and an MD500 was circling the ship for quite a while as we left FLL, which I assumed was filming the departure, but I overheard a waiter tell a passenger that it was for "security reasons". Still, I'm pretty sure I saw the guy hanging out the door holding a video camera.

 

I was told that the filming is for an (ITN?) documentary which will show in the UK next summer. Does anyone know more about this, and when would copies be available for purchase in North America. Talk about an amazing holiday souvenir.

 

I did see the footage from the helicopter in FLL, I will see if I can dig it out.

 

ITN and Channel 4 are making a documentary about cruising, they were aboard the Ruby around the Greek Isles when we were on it earlier this year.

[TorontoTL]

I'm amazed that these changes are actually happening for the Regal and possibly the Royal eventually. All good news.

[pablo222]

Do away with fountains, have 2 decent pools mid ship

Have a heart, the fountain is entertaining for at least 30 seconds, maybe a full minute. I remember going to a captains circle party before royal launched, where we were told that the fountains and other lido deck amenties were going to make that deck an evening destination, and reduce crowding in interior public spaces. I remember when Freedom of the Seas entered service -- quite a few years ago -- it had a similar water feature that was intended as a kids' play area. Hard to make a 'splash' in 2013, with the same idea.

[lx200gps]

Weird eh? What we thought would be an easy fix apparently isn't.

 

Is it not possible that the restrictions to passengers using the mid-ship stairs aren't a "design flaw" at all, but a conscious design decision based on an operational requirement. Could it not be possible that Princess NEEDS the central stairs to be used by and for the crew only, and can't have them open to all? I know on some ships they are open, but on others they aren't. Yes, opening those stairs would be an easy fix, but perhaps Princess can't do it.

 

We also should keep in mind that not all the "design flaws" on the Royal are flaws for everyone. I'm quite sure there are lot of folks like my wife and I who couldn't care less about a missing Promenade Deck (always struck us as a windy, nasty place, easily replaced by a myriad of other alternatives for walking around the ship).

 

The Royal is now our favorite Princess ship by a mile, and I'm almost dreading the letdown we'll feel next March, going back to our previous favorite, the Ruby ;o)

[Carolyn R]

I wonder why there has been no confirmation directly from Princess.

 

I'm off to make some popcorn!

[lx200gps]

I did see the footage from the helicopter in FLL, I will see if I can dig it out.

 

ITN and Channel 4 are making a documentary about cruising, they were aboard the Ruby around the Greek Isles when we were on it earlier this year.

 

Thanks Mike. Is this documentary Princess-specific, or are other lines featured as well? And is it just an hour-long show, I was under the impression it was to be something of a series?

[Iamcruzin]

but what about the toilet paper roll holders:);)

 

Another item to add to the what to bring list

 

Edited November 21, 2013 by Iamcruzin

[timetravler]

All this news is very puzzling to me as while we were on the Royal we attended a lecture on the building of a cruise ship. That person who gave the lecture was highly involved with the planning and design of the Royal. He was asked directly if any changes who happen to the Regal and he then said you mean like the placement of the toilet paper holder or central staircase? He then said nothing will be changed on the Regal as it is too late to make changes. He then said on the 3rd ship , the Britiana which will be a P&O ship, yes changes may be made. I realize all of you are talking about another pool and the promenade deck, but he clearly said NO CHANGES to the Regal. Guess he was misinformed. I am sure others on the TA cruise that post here must have been to that lecture. What say you?

[5:00_Somewhere]

Was there any discussion with the Princess staff about the soot issues, and if so, what did they say? We are going on the Regal next year (TA in Oct) and have an aft cabin booked. I am expecting they will have that problem fixed - being very positive :D

 

I spoke with several people on board, including our cabin steward (the poor guy who had to clean our deck off 2-3 times a day ... to no lasting avail), the Future Cruise Consultant and Passenger Services (as well as others in less "formal" or directly relevant positions) and, unfortunately, though everyone was well aware of the problem, they all essentially shrugged and said that Princess was trying to find a fix but that no one was hopeful. Very sad, really. We had an absolutely enormous balcony (Riviera Deck), but it was utterly unusable for the great majority of the cruise due to the soot and fumes. I am not normally a "complainer", and have to confess that I was skeptical about the severity of the problem as reported by prior passengers. But, having experienced it for a week myself, I am sorely disappointed. Though we did not experience the smell of fumes in our cabin (fortunately), they and the soot were constant and persistent issues on the balcony itself. Even after our steward had power washed our balcony, it was covered again 2 hours later. The soot got on clothes - even when we were trying to be careful - and it tracked into the cabin on our shoes. It would literally "snow" soot on us if we made the mistake of trying to use our balcony while the ship was underway. Many of us were out on our balconies during sail away from St. Thomas - while the ship was moving sideways and backwards on thrusters - and passengers on every single deck reported this problem, even those with partially covered balconies. For this reason, we changed our cabin on the Regal from the 1/2 covered large Baja Deck aft balcony to a smaller balcony on the side of the ship. It is incredibly disappointing. She's an otherwise gorgeous ship, but this is a deal breaker for me, as far as aft balconies are concerned.

 

If an aft pool is added to the Regal and Royal would think it might be where the current outdoor play area is on the Sun deck. The pool might be configured above deck similar to the Oasis Pool on the Star. Just a thought.

 

Just one comment in this regard: much to our surprise, there is a very large open deck area on the Sun Deck right about the Outrigger bar and seating area on the stern of the ship, but it is NOT a children's play area as many have commented. Rather, there is a small children's play area on the port side - separated from about 90% of the area by a wall. The bulk of the space is open area that is used as, essentially, an outdoor smoking area. It's a surprisingly large space, with no loungers; just a few ash trays. It would not surprise me at all if this is taken for pool/splash pool/hot tub and/or lounger space. It seemed a surprising waste of space as it is.

[louden]

FYI - Just noticed on CC News page that a Princess representative has confirmed changes to the Regal and potential change to the Royal at it's first dry dock.

 

Cheers

 

Louden

[Iamcruzin]

It's nice to see that some of the poo-pooers are now willing to give the Royal/Regal a try.:D

If the poo-pooers such as myself didn't cancel or refuse to sail this class of ship I'm sure the ship would have been built as planned. Money talks and the price drops speak for themselves. If people never spoke up and expressed their dissatisfaction we here in the US would still be ruled by England and would be booking through Princess UK. ;)

[Iamcruzin]

I spoke with several people on board, including our cabin steward (the poor guy who had to clean our deck off 2-3 times a day ... to no lasting avail), the Future Cruise Consultant and Passenger Services (as well as others in less "formal" or directly relevant positions) and, unfortunately, though everyone was well aware of the problem, they all essentially shrugged and said that Princess was trying to find a fix but that no one was hopeful. Very sad, really. We had an absolutely enormous balcony (Riviera Deck), but it was utterly unusable for the great majority of the cruise due to the soot and fumes. I am not normally a "complainer", and have to confess that I was skeptical about the severity of the problem as reported by prior passengers. But, having experienced it for a week myself, I am sorely disappointed. Though we did not experience the smell of fumes in our cabin (fortunately), they and the soot were constant and persistent issues on the balcony itself. Even after our steward had power washed our balcony, it was covered again 2 hours later. The soot got on clothes - even when we were trying to be careful - and it tracked into the cabin on our shoes. It would literally "snow" soot on us if we made the mistake of trying to use our balcony while the ship was underway. Many of us were out on our balconies during sail away from St. Thomas - while the ship was moving sideways and backwards on thrusters - and passengers on every single deck reported this problem, even those with partially covered balconies. For this reason, we changed our cabin on the Regal from the 1/2 covered large Baja Deck aft balcony to a smaller balcony on the side of the ship. It is incredibly disappointing. She's an otherwise gorgeous ship, but this is a deal breaker for me, as far as aft balconies are concerned.

 

 

 

Just one comment in this regard: much to our surprise, there is a very large open deck area on the Sun Deck right about the Outrigger bar and seating area on the stern of the ship, but it is NOT a children's play area as many have commented. Rather, there is a small children's play area on the port side - separated from about 90% of the area by a wall. The bulk of the space is open area that is used as, essentially, an outdoor smoking area. It's a surprisingly large space, with no loungers; just a few ash trays. It would not surprise me at all if this is taken for pool/splash pool/hot tub and/or lounger space. It seemed a surprising waste of space as it is.

 

We were booked on your cruise and I even joined the roll call before we canceled. I am surprised that you were so skeptical about the soot problem because I know you are a frequent CC poster and the reports that were coming back were reports from CC member whose points of view are well respected. My sister in law and her family were on board the week before and she told us that they were not letting the children play on the outside deck. I am sure it was due to the fumes and soot. I hope that Princess compensated you and Sox Fan. You guys always have positive things to say about Princess and what you described was more than just a slight inconvenience. The ironic part of this is my SIL and her family of 4 were booked in a deluxe balcony cabin facing forward on the lido deck. They booked it at great rate because there is always a possibility that they won't allow access to the balcony during sailing. They knew this when the booked and were happy when they had access to the huge balcony all week.

[Astro Flyer]

All this news is very puzzling to me as while we were on the Royal we attended a lecture on the building of a cruise ship. That person who gave the lecture was highly involved with the planning and design of the Royal. He was asked directly if any changes who happen to the Regal and he then said you mean like the placement of the toilet paper holder or central staircase? He then said nothing will be changed on the Regal as it is too late to make changes. He then said on the 3rd ship , the Britiana which will be a P&O ship, yes changes may be made. I realize all of you are talking about another pool and the promenade deck, but he clearly said NO CHANGES to the Regal. Guess he was misinformed. I am sure others on the TA cruise that post here must have been to that lecture. What say you?

And he also admitted that some of the things not on the Royal were due to keeping within the budget Arison wanted.

 

I don't agree that the inability for passengers to use the center stairways is because they're necessary for crew. I saw the stairs & they are like other passenger stairs minus the finishing touches. Since that CCL employee said some things were cut to stay under budget that's why I believe they were not finished for passenger use. Just like the advertised dual glass pianos in Crooner's being replaced by one wooden piano...decisions were made about where to cut things to stay under budget. I wonder if the 2nd full size pool mid-deck was another cost cutting decision.

[Ethel5]

If the poo-pooers such as myself didn't cancel or refuse to sail this class of ship I'm sure the ship would have been built as planned. Money talks and the price drops speak for themselves. If people never spoke up and expressed their dissatisfaction we here in the US would still be ruled by England and would be booking through Princess UK. ;)

 

I am NOT saying that you don't have a right to voice an opinion. What I am saying, is that many hated the Royal without stepping foot on her. To give that as a justified opinion is unfair to those who want to cruise on her.

 

Where did you see price drops for the Regal? I just saw that it went up $200/pp for an inside. Yes, I cruises insides because as a solo, the $200 supplement is a tough pill to swallow.

[need2cruisesoon]

Some early construction photos of the sister ship Britannia at the Fincantieri ship yard. Still too early to tell but the aft of the ship doesn't look built yet but I am curious of the aft pool and if it will be of substantial size.

Also looks like from the photos that the balcony's won't be any larger than Royal/Regal. However I think I see the promenade deck on the the 12th picture down.

 

http://cruisemiss.com/2013/11/19/building-britannia-britains-largest-cruise-ship-progress-photo-blog/

[senior lady]

I wonder why there has been no confirmation directly from Princess.

 

I'm off to make some popcorn!

 

There has been Carolyn, go back a few posts and you'll find the link

[Carolyn R]

I only see yesterday's announcement by CC where the source was an unnamed person, nothing on the Princess website. What am I missing?

[Woobstr112G]

If the poo-pooers such as myself didn't cancel or refuse to sail this class of ship I'm sure the ship would have been built as planned. Money talks and the price drops speak for themselves. If people never spoke up and expressed their dissatisfaction we here in the US would still be ruled by England and would be booking through Princess UK. ;)

 

 

Bob

[Woobstr112G]

Bob,

 

You are not a "poo pooer" because you actually sailed on the Royal. I was referring to the many who wouldn't even give it a chance before they nixed it.

 

Donna;

My apologies then.....:D:D:D

Bob

[Iamcruzin]

I am NOT saying that you don't have a right to voice an opinion. What I am saying, is that many hated the Royal without stepping foot on her. To give that as a justified opinion is unfair to those who want to cruise on her.

 

Where did you see price drops for the Regal? I just saw that it went up $200/pp for an inside. Yes, I cruises insides because as a solo, the $200 supplement is a tough pill to swallow.

 

Sorry I didn't even look at Regal pricing. I was referring to the Royal with the entire Caribbean season being discounted. Honestly, I would be willing to sail on the Royal as she is now in Europe or Canada/New England. However, she is not designed for my needs in the Caribbean.

[timetravler]

Lots of talk about where the pool may go. Well my favorite place on the Royal was AFT outside past the buffet court, deck 16. It was huge with a bar, tables, chairs and some couches. To me this is the most likely place to put a small pool. But if they do, I will be very disappointed. Surprised none of you mentioned this area.

[Pam in CA]

PS those on the Royal just now why have they not told us about the TV crew onboard or did they and I just missed it.

You missed it. I posted in Pia's thread and elsewhere about the TV crew onboard. Not sure if they boarded before the T/A but there were definitely there on our cruise. They were not very noticeable other than the fact that there were 2-3 young men onboard with a ton of grey-haired oldies like me. :) They didn't walk around with great big cameras shooting everything in sight. The camera shots were probably pre-arranged set-ups.

[Pam in CA]

I only see yesterday's announcement by CC where the source was an unnamed person, nothing on the Princess website. What am I missing?

There was a short CC article about it yesterday. Their source was Princess.

[Carolyn R]

I'm still waiting for confirmation directly from Princess on their website or via email. So far, nothing. Until then it is just rumor. We will see.