COUNTDOWN to REGAL PRINCESS: News, updates, and general information!!!

[#1winelover]

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Well that may be true for the sanctuary but even there since doubling the price I haven't seen the sanctuary busy.

 

I think the excuse that it's getting too popular is just a way for Princess to try to rationalize why changes are made & to me is a bunch of garbage.

 

GARBAGE is a mild word. Reminds me of the handling of the Veteran's Administration (VA). Great plan, bad administration, everyone suffers! :mad:

[Astro Flyer]

GARBAGE is a mild word. Reminds me of the handling of the Veteran's Administration (VA). Great plan, bad administration, everyone suffers! :mad:

 

Yes...I didn't use a more "descriptive" term to avoid a CC timeout! :eek:

[ischeer]

I think if I lived there I would still think it was amazing. But how else would they get to where they need to dock? DH and are hoping to one day do a cruise out or into Venice....

 

Well your cruise will have to be on a smaller ship. Just noticed today that in 2015, the only Princess ship in Venice is the smaller Island Princess. No Grand-class ships, and no Royal/Regal. Don't know about other lines, though.

[cruzrbachoua]

Well your cruise will have to be on a smaller ship. Just noticed today that in 2015, the only Princess ship in Venice is the smaller Island Princess. No Grand-class ships, and no Royal/Regal. Don't know about other lines, though.

 

Oh that ship is doable. We were on the Coral for our Alaska cruise and it was nice and I think the Coral and Island are sister ships...so that works for me......ah heck who am I kidding being on a cruise ship works for me and I will be happy with whatever route we take cause I will be on vacay...lol. ;) Can't sweat the small stuff and I am sure Venice is beautiful all over....now if I could just win the lottery.

 

Oh and I emailed Princess as well about the new charges for room service and Alfredo's. Lets up they hear us like they did with the aft pool and promenade deck area!

Edited May 24, 2014 by cruzrbachoua

[Moksha22]

If anyone has any questions at all, please let me know and I will answer HD

 

Hi,

Thank you very much for your fabulously detailed review, thoroughly appreciate the effort and time that's gone into it, and most grateful for it. Also Amazed at your account. Hope the confusion has settled a bit and everyone and everything is more sorted! I did have a few questions - what's a good (as in convenient) place to grab wine and soda in venice? The cruise terminal or a COOP in venice? Would you know the price of soda in venice? would you be able to give us an idea of breakfast venue options (opening times and a broad idea of menu) on board the Regal? I would trust your observations way more than a princess website - Given their inability to even update basic info. Also was wondering about price of a soda/cocktail/glass of wine bought on board on their own (minus any card). And which dining venues allow me to drink my own wine (with corkage fee of course)? I knows that's a lot of questions but pls don't feel compelled to answer them all. Many thanks and have a wonderful cruise,

Parul

[caribill]

 

There is now also a $10 cover charge for Alfredo's.

 

Does anyone know if there is a charge now on the other ships with an Alfredo's?

 

We were certainly surprised to find out there was now a fee, but the Sanctuary manager told us it was just getting too popular.

 

 

 

 

Gee, the buffet is often very crowded. Maybe Princess will have a cover charge there since it is obviously very popular.

[Moksha22]

SeaCBear

Posting this again cause i hadn't addressed this to you earlier. Thank you very much for your fabulously detailed review, thoroughly appreciate the effort and time that's gone into it, and most grateful for it. Also Amazed at your account. Hope the confusion has settled a bit and everyone and everything is more sorted! I did have a few questions - what's a good (as in convenient) place to grab wine and soda in venice? The cruise terminal or a COOP in venice? Would you know the price of soda in venice? would you be able to give us an idea of breakfast venue options (opening times and a broad idea of menu) on board the Regal? I would trust your observations way more than a princess website - Given their inability to even update basic info. Also was wondering about price of a soda/cocktail/glass of wine bought on board on their own (minus any card). And which dining venues allow me to drink my own wine (with corkage fee of course)? I knows that's a lot of questions but pls don't feel compelled to answer them all. Many thanks and have a wonderful cruise,

Parul

[the kids]

We were certainly surprised to find out there was now a fee, but the Sanctuary manager told us it was just getting too popular.

 

 

QUOTE=Ethel5;42859522]So sad that Alfredo's has a fee.:(

 

SURPRISE SURPRISE SURPRISE, THE ADDITIONAL FEE FOR ALFREDOS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING....ENGLISH PUB, NEXT, THEN THE HORIZON BUFFET, PERHAPS EVERY MDR MEAL, WHY??IT WAS GETTING TOO POPULAR,,SHAME ON YOU PRINCESS,,,,

 

 

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We enjoyed the Alfredo's pizza on the Sapphire and the Grand earlier this year but I won't pay $10 for the expanded menu on the Royal/Regal. Shame, Shame on Princess :( :( :(

 

 

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[GweninTX]

Just got off the Royal and no charge for Alfredo's or room service!

[Astro Flyer]

Just got off the Royal and no charge for Alfredo's or room service!

Thanks Gwen & based on their FB reply it will be implemented fleetwide.

[caribill]

SURPRISE SURPRISE SURPRISE, THE ADDITIONAL FEE FOR ALFREDOS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING....ENGLISH PUB, NEXT, THEN THE HORIZON BUFFET, PERHAPS EVERY MDR MEAL, WHY??IT WAS GETTING TOO POPULAR,,SHAME ON YOU PRINCESS,,,,

 

The Captain's Welcome Party and shows in the Princess Theater are very popular also.

[caribill]

If anyone has any questions at all, please let me know and I will answer before we leave the ship.

 

On the Royal, each bank of four elevators does not have one button to call the next one, but two buttons must be pressed so that all four of the elevators might stop.

 

Has this been corrected on the Regal so that one button can call all four??

[Denali2003]

What about the Afternoon Tea - do they still do it? (on the Regal) Hopefully they won't start charging for that now.

 

I was looking forward to trying Alfredo's but don't think it's worth $20 (for 2). I heard they do serve pasta dishes, Calzones, & salads. Is this true? Yes, it comes with A glass of wine, but what if you don't drink wine?

 

We will be on the Regal in Oct for their Maiden TA. While these extra fees are a bit unnerving, it won't stop me from enjoying my cruise. This would have been the first ship we've been on with Alfredo's. All other ships either don't have it or were "installed" after we had cruised on that ship. This will be our 9th cruise and 9th different ship on Princess.

 

I feel sorry for the crew on the Regal right now. They are having to deal with upset passengers, some may be irate for the whole cruise. Some may even take it out on the crew and not tip them or not be nice to them That IMHO is not fair. The crew has nothing to do with what the corporate office does. I also heard that there is significant less staff - so the staff/crew that is on the ship are working crazy hours and LONGER hours. What? The already 14 hour days there were doing wasn't enough? :mad: The crew tries their best to make us happy. We are always nice to the crew. We say Hi, Good morning, Thank you, Please, May I, etc. We smile at them. We occasionally give a tip to a server (in cash). Even without the issues happening on the Regal, being nice to the crew can make for a more enjoyable cruise. They may remember your name and say Hi the next time they see you. It also makes them feel good when you are nice to them. Some times all they want from a passenger is a nice smile and a "Hi, how are you?" We have learned this from experience.

 

Ok, that is my 2 cents ;)

[the kids]

what about the afternoon tea - do they still do it? (on the regal) hopefully they won't start charging for that now.

 

I was looking forward to trying alfredo's but don't think it's worth $20 (for 2). I heard they do serve pasta dishes, calzones, & salads. Is this true? Yes, it comes with a glass of wine, but what if you don't drink wine?

 

We will be on the regal in oct for their maiden ta. While these extra fees are a bit unnerving, it won't stop me from enjoying my cruise. This would have been the first ship we've been on with alfredo's. All other ships either don't have it or were "installed" after we had cruised on that ship. This will be our 9th cruise and 9th different ship on princess.

 

I feel sorry for the crew on the regal right now. They are having to deal with upset passengers, some may be irate for the whole cruise. Some may even take it out on the crew and not tip them or not be nice to them that imho is not fair. The crew has nothing to do with what the corporate office does. I also heard that there is significant less staff - so the staff/crew that is on the ship are working crazy hours and longer hours. What? The already 14 hour days there were doing wasn't enough? :mad: The crew tries their best to make us happy. We are always nice to the crew. We say hi, good morning, thank you, please, may i, etc. We smile at them. We occasionally give a tip to a server (in cash). Even without the issues happening on the regal, being nice to the crew can make for a more enjoyable cruise. They may remember your name and say hi the next time they see you. It also makes them feel good when you are nice to them. Some times all they want from a passenger is a nice smile and a "hi, how are you?" we have learned this from experience.

 

Ok, that is my 2 cents ;)

 

 

you are absolutely correct!! The crew works so hard to please the passengers...do not take it out on them... While the majority of the complaint is about the fee in alfredos, what about the room service extra cost...i am sure more vacationers utilize room service than alfredos.

 

Let's see how this plays out at corporate, as if they really care//

the kids

[#1winelover]

you are absolutely correct!! The crew works so hard to please the passengers...do not take it out on them... While the majority of the complaint is about the fee in alfredos, what about the room service extra cost...i am sure more vacationers utilize room service than alfredos.

 

Let's see how this plays out at corporate, as if they really care//

the kids

 

A response from Princess posted on another thread (also deeply involved in "thread-drift!").

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=42882952&postcount=150

[the kids]

a response from princess posted on another thread (also deeply involved in "thread-drift!").

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=42882952&postcount=150

 

 

 

well well well, so princess turned tail, but for how long.??

They are probably rounding up the wagons for another shot at us just prior to regal arriving in florida. If they were honest, they would now announce that they would curtail any extra fees for alfredos and room service, at least through the end of 2014 season.

Many of us already signed up for regal in february with the understanding of the extra fees already set in place. Let's see what transpires, but, we still need to make our voices heard to corporate.

The kids

[SeaCBear]

Sorry everyone for not responding to these questions on board, or for posting more updates. We used most of our minutes to Facetime home each day, but we also found this cruise VERY busy with little 'down time'. But we're home now, and I'll be posting my long review today of the ship and each port, and also many photos!

 

To answer your question caribill yes - you do still need to press a variety of buttons to call all of the elevators. A very strange set up. My husband, who had not been on the Royal (any Princess ship) before, found the whole ship layout very poorly designed.

 

 

On the Royal, each bank of four elevators does not have one button to call the next one, but two buttons must be pressed so that all four of the elevators might stop.

 

Has this been corrected on the Regal so that one button can call all four??

[SeaCBear]

Yes, I'm sure afternoon tea is still available although we did not participate. Our time on board was spent mostly in the Sanctuary.

 

The menu at Alfredo's is not extensive - two types of Antipasto (one vegetarian), perhaps 8 pizza options, a couple of pastas I think and one Calazone I think. Two desserts including Tiramisu.

 

 

What about the Afternoon Tea - do they still do it? (on the Regal) Hopefully they won't start charging for that now.

 

I was looking forward to trying Alfredo's but don't think it's worth $20 (for 2). I heard they do serve pasta dishes, Calzones, & salads. Is this true? Yes, it comes with A glass of wine, but what if you don't drink wine?

 

We will be on the Regal in Oct for their Maiden TA. While these extra fees are a bit unnerving, it won't stop me from enjoying my cruise. This would have been the first ship we've been on with Alfredo's. All other ships either don't have it or were "installed" after we had cruised on that ship. This will be our 9th cruise and 9th different ship on Princess.

 

I feel sorry for the crew on the Regal right now. They are having to deal with upset passengers, some may be irate for the whole cruise. Some may even take it out on the crew and not tip them or not be nice to them That IMHO is not fair. The crew has nothing to do with what the corporate office does. I also heard that there is significant less staff - so the staff/crew that is on the ship are working crazy hours and LONGER hours. What? The already 14 hour days there were doing wasn't enough? :mad: The crew tries their best to make us happy. We are always nice to the crew. We say Hi, Good morning, Thank you, Please, May I, etc. We smile at them. We occasionally give a tip to a server (in cash). Even without the issues happening on the Regal, being nice to the crew can make for a more enjoyable cruise. They may remember your name and say Hi the next time they see you. It also makes them feel good when you are nice to them. Some times all they want from a passenger is a nice smile and a "Hi, how are you?" We have learned this from experience.

 

Ok, that is my 2 cents ;)

[SeaCBear]

...before I post my full review, which I will do in a separate thread.

 

The gelato charges were never removed from our account. The passenger services person who promised she would follow up with the Beverage department to determine if gelato was incuded in the All Inclusive plan, and get back to us, never did. For the sake of $8 we did not want to waste any more time at Passenger Service trying to confirm if gelato was included.

Edited May 29, 2014 by SeaCBear

[SeaCBear]

Hi Moksha - I did not see anywhere at the port to pick up wine. We bought a couple of bottles at a supermarket close to Piazzale Roma - MUCH less expensive than the small deli's and cheese shops that sold wines. The wines we bought were decent, and were about 5 and 8 euros a bottle I think.

 

We don't drink soda at all, so unfortunately I can't advise on the prices in Venice. We thought wines were very reasonable in Venice, but we're used to paying at least $10 or $15 a glass at restaurants here in Toronto, so it's all relative. (I'll post more details in my review).

 

For breakfast on board you can visit the International Cafe (open 24 hours), and twice we picked up croissants, cappuccinos and Egg McMuffins there before heading off the ship. There is also the buffet of course, where we loved sitting outside many mornings for breakfast. The selection was large, but the quality varied. The biscuits were usually hard and dry, and the egg dishes that were not made to order (like Eggs Benedict) were similar. I did like being able to order an omelette, and just presenting the ticket to our server for pick up. You can also, I believe, have breakfast in the dining room but we never did as we preferred to sit outside.

 

I think wines ranged from about $7 to $10 on board. We didn't take our bottles of wine outside of our cabin, so I can't comment on corkage options.

 

 

If anyone has any questions at all, please let me know and I will answer HD

 

Hi,

Thank you very much for your fabulously detailed review, thoroughly appreciate the effort and time that's gone into it, and most grateful for it. Also Amazed at your account. Hope the confusion has settled a bit and everyone and everything is more sorted! I did have a few questions - what's a good (as in convenient) place to grab wine and soda in venice? The cruise terminal or a COOP in venice? Would you know the price of soda in venice? would you be able to give us an idea of breakfast venue options (opening times and a broad idea of menu) on board the Regal? I would trust your observations way more than a princess website - Given their inability to even update basic info. Also was wondering about price of a soda/cocktail/glass of wine bought on board on their own (minus any card). And which dining venues allow me to drink my own wine (with corkage fee of course)? I knows that's a lot of questions but pls don't feel compelled to answer them all. Many thanks and have a wonderful cruise,

Parul

Edited May 29, 2014 by SeaCBear

[Moksha22]

Hi Moksha - I did not see anywhere at the port to pick up wine. We bought a couple of bottles at a supermarket close to Piazzale Roma - MUCH less expensive than the small deli's and cheese shops that sold wines. The wines we bought were decent, and were about 5 and 8 euros a bottle I think.

 

We don't drink soda at all, so unfortunately I can't advise on the prices in Venice. We thought wines were very reasonable in Venice, but we're used to paying at least $10 or $15 a glass at restaurants here in Toronto, so it's all relative. (I'll post more details in my review).

 

For breakfast on board you can visit the International Cafe (open 24 hours), and twice we picked up croissants, cappuccinos and Egg McMuffins there before heading off the ship. There is also the buffet of course, where we loved sitting outside many mornings for breakfast. The selection was large, but the quality varied. The biscuits were usually hard and dry, and the egg dishes that were not made to order (like Eggs Benedict) were similar. I did like being able to order an omelette, and just presenting the ticket to our server for pick up. You can also, I believe, have breakfast in the dining room but we never did as we preferred to sit outside.

 

I think wines ranged from about $7 to $10 on board. We didn't take our bottles of wine outside of our cabin, so I can't comment on corkage options.

 

 

Thank you so much for all the info. Yes i think the store near P Roma might be the COOP.

[Cruise Junky]

Some nice prices on the Transatlantic if anyone is interested.

 

INTERIOR BALCONY DELUXE BALCONY

$1,499 $2,299 $2,499$

[cruzrbachoua]

I just saw on the CC news page that the entire cast of Love Boat will be named the godparents of Regal Princess in a ceremony on 11/5/14!

[#1winelover]

I just saw on the CC news page that the entire cast of Love Boat will be named the godparents of Regal Princess in a ceremony on 11/5/14!

 

Yup! I am SO happy for the cast that brought us so many happy viewings. AND the cast that put Princess Cruises ON THE MAP! Princess announced it on their Facebook page last week and it's been all over the 11/6 and 11/9 threads ever since.

 

Hope all is well with you two!!

Larry

[Woobstr112G]

I just saw on the CC news page that the entire cast of Love Boat will be named the godparents of Regal Princess in a ceremony on 11/5/14!

 

That is a very cool thing. Kudos to Princess.....:):):)

 

Bob