Regal Princess Vs. Disney Fantasy

[Shoobie1124]

Hello CC friends! After 2 Disney Cruises, I just returned from a 12 day Mediterranean Cruise on Princess' newest/largest ship, The Regal.

 

I wanted to do a quick recap of the pros and cons in case other families were considering the differences between the two.

 

We LOVE DCL, and have only been on the Fantasy. We have traveled both with and without kids on Disney and have been blown away each time. We knew that this trip would be without kids, and Princess had an itinerary that worked best with our schedules and wish list.

 

The Ship

Both Ships are stunning. Although many people complain that Regal doesn't have one central grand staircase, the Piazza was beautiful and had a similar feel of Fantasy - Bright, Marble and Gold accents etc.

 

Pools

The larger of the main pools on Princess was around 7 feet deep, so not many kids played in there compared to the big pool on Fantasy where the kids bob around and watch movies. There is a smaller pool that is about 4.5 feet deep surrounded by wading pool area that is about 2 inches deep. That area was always packed. Although there were only 688 kids on board, the pools didn't seem as crowded as Fantasy - but the kids were MUCH more noticeable. I think its because no life guard to say no to horse play and parents were not as vigilant watching their kids. If you were seated ANYWhere around the main pools kids would be splashing you with cannonballs, running past you, bumping into you. I was amazed at how with so many LESS children how much more they were noticed.

 

Ditto for all of the 4 hot tubs in the main pool area, always PACKED with children.

 

The adult pool was lovely and Quiet and we really enjoyed that area - but missed satellite falls!

 

Dining-

We were overall VERY disappointed the entire cruise when it came to food. The premium restaurants (20$ per person) had the quality of DCL main dining rooms. And there was no place for a Remy or Palo type meal. Pool side grill was incredibly limited ( Burgers, Hotdogs, Pizza and Grilled chicken... no other options for the entire 12 days) We really missed having a main dining room option for breakfast or lunch. The buffet got very repetitive, and nothing was outstanding.

 

Service-

Dining room service was atrocious. We had anytime dining, which means we could go to one of 2 dining rooms anytime between 5 and 10 pm. We enjoyed the flexibility - but I think since the servers knew they would only see us once and were not needing to made a good impression for a tip - they really could care less about the service aspect. They were all pleasant, but lacked the personable touches Disney servers have. They almost seemed bored or sometimes annoyed to tell us that days specials etc. (Looking around instead of at us when explaining things etc, like they were looking for a clock when their shift was over!) Ditto for buffet servers. Again - nice, always said good morning, but not spectacular.

 

Entertainment

This is where Princess was heads and tails above DCL. Their stage shows were spectacular. I understand the audience demographic is different- but the shows were technically much better on Regal. Better dancing/singing/Music. The other AWESOME thing that Princess had was a "Live TV Station" where they had interactive game shows in the evening. Games like The 10,000 Pyramid, Jeopardy, Family Feud type shows w/ audience participation- even a murder mystery night! We enjoyed the newly wed game on DCL - but these were all so much fun. I want to write a letter to DCL and hope they add more!

 

Kids Activities -

Since we did not have children onboard I cannot give a first hand account, but I did visit during open house and talk to the kids club staff. we 100% will never be able to take our kids on anything other than Disney. The clubs were so boring! And everyone had to be doing the same thing. If it was craft time, everyone did the craft. The councilor said it was easier that way when they were "so busy" ( she said this when there were 9 kids in there!) They have 10 mins of free time between each organized activity. Our 8 year old DS would have been miserable. They had board games, a toddler sized playground outside ( that they used about 30 mins a day) and a few movie areas and small wii station that was available during the 10 min free time. I can't speak about the teen area, but I don't think they had their own hot tub or any "Chill out" area since they were all hanging out all over the ship.

 

The club hours wouldn't have been convenient for us either - I think it was 9-12, 1:20-4:30 and then 6:30 -10? or something like that?

 

Rooms

Obviously smaller than DCL and we really missed the split bath. The bed was very comfortable and our room steward was wonderful. I would have liked more drawer space- but the closet was very big and they supplied a lot of hangers so we just ended up hanging everything.

 

Extra expenses - The extra costs for soft drinks was frustrating. We ended up doing the soft drink package that was $8 a day per person. The full package was around $45 a day pp.

 

Overall - It was a pretty ship and a great itinerary. but lacked the attention to detail and personable touches that makes Disney spectacular. My only wish would be that DCL take some hints from Princess on the after dinner adult games that had a packed audience every night

[johnmik1]

Can I ask why you missed the MDR for breakfast and lunch?Princess has a dining room open every day for breakfast and lunch on sea days.

[Shoobie1124]

Hi! We must have missed them on Sea days-- there were only 2 of them and we searched the patter but couldn't find anything to say which would be open. We usually didn't dock until later in the day ( sometimes 1:30 pm) so having the same things at Breakfast and Lunch for 12 days got old! It has also been nice on Disney to have a relaxed sit down breakfast option when time in the morning allowed. The room service for breakfast was gross, we only did that the first day ( the egg sandwich) As "Pro- Disney" as this review sounds, we are not Disney Maniacs in the least, we initially took it for our son and thought Princess would end up being our go to "adult" cruise line.

[johnmik1]

Hi! We must have missed them on Sea days-- there were only 2 of them and we searched the patter but couldn't find anything to say which would be open. We usually didn't dock until later in the day ( sometimes 1:30 pm) so having the same things at Breakfast and Lunch for 12 days got old! It has also been nice on Disney to have a relaxed sit down breakfast option when time in the morning allowed. The room service for breakfast was gross, we only did that the first day ( the egg sandwich) As "Pro- Disney" as this review sounds, we are not Disney Maniacs in the least, we initially took it for our son and thought Princess would end up being our go to "adult" cruise line.

 

On the back of the patter,there is a complete list of all eating and drinking venues and their opening and closing times.There is usually a card in the cabin with the same information.I hate the buffet and eat in the MDR whenever it is open.

[-Lew-]

Thank you, Shoobie1124, for your report...

 

We're big-time Disney fans and enjoyed your comparison of the two ships. We left DCL long ago for Princess for a number of reasons.

 

I don't understand your comment, We really missed having a main dining room option for breakfast or lunch. The MDR should have been open for breakfast every morning and for lunch on sea days. Are you stating the MDR was never open for breakfast or lunch? That would be quite unusual.

 

Lew

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks for your review.

If you docked late in any port or left early then the DR should have been open for lunch as well as sea days. ;)

[bermudiana]

Hi! We must have missed them on Sea days-- there were only 2 of them and we searched the patter but couldn't find anything to say which would be open. We usually didn't dock until later in the day ( sometimes 1:30 pm) so having the same things at Breakfast and Lunch for 12 days got old! It has also been nice on Disney to have a relaxed sit down breakfast option when time in the morning allowed. The room service for breakfast was gross, we only did that the first day ( the egg sandwich) As "Pro- Disney" as this review sounds, we are not Disney Maniacs in the least, we initially took it for our son and thought Princess would end up being our go to "adult" cruise line.

 

Shoobie, I was on the Regal last month. The Concerto dining room was open everyday for breakfast from 7 to 9. Also if you wanted to have something light for breakfast or lunch did you try the International Cafe (great salads)? On sea days, there was the Pub lunch in the Wheelhouse Bar. As far as the Horizon Court we had lots of choices for breakfast, more so than on other Princess ships.

 

Regarding service, although not "atrocious" we all agreed that there was just something lacking. No one stood out which we found quite unusual :(

[wcc19]

We have been on Princess and Disney too, and consider Disney to be a step above in every aspect. However, you have to compare cost as well - Disney is definitely a premium line.

[custompcsys]

We have been on Princess and Disney too, and consider Disney to be a step above in every aspect. However, you have to compare cost as well - Disney is definitely a premium line.

 

I think you also have to consider that they are really two different products and experiences, Disney being the more family oriented choice (characters, no casino, more extensive kids activities, etc). Even the OP indicated that they tried Princess in the hopes that it would be their "adult" cruise line. For people without kids or who don't love the Disney experience, another choice might work better. And yes, Disney is significantly more expensive than Princess. Not up into the Seaborne category but close. But that's why there are lots of cruise products to choose from...there is something to make everyone happy :)

[Mom33]

Hi! We must have missed them on Sea days-- there were only 2 of them and we searched the patter but couldn't find anything to say which would be open. We usually didn't dock until later in the day ( sometimes 1:30 pm) so having the same things at Breakfast and Lunch for 12 days got old! It has also been nice on Disney to have a relaxed sit down breakfast option when time in the morning allowed. The room service for breakfast was gross, we only did that the first day ( the egg sandwich) As "Pro- Disney" as this review sounds, we are not Disney Maniacs in the least, we initially took it for our son and thought Princess would end up being our go to "adult" cruise line.

 

We enjoy a sit down breakfast on all Princess ships when our sightseeing plans allow. Dining room is always open for breakfast. We also enjoy lunch there on sea days as well as the Pub lunch. Alfredos is a sit down restaurant that also is available for lunch everyday. The International cafe is a real treat all day long. Poolside, we enjoy the Trident grill and Pizza. We coverup and go into the buffet for food and bring it outside by the pool.

 

Just curious as to what food DCL has poolside?

 

We are looking forward to taking our precious granddaughter to Disney World

in a few years and then a Disney Cruise. Disney is for kids and the young at heart.

For now, we are very happy with what Princess has to offer us in ships, service, food, entertainment and itineraries.

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for the comparison. Guess it is back to Disney for you?

[Coral]

Does Disney have dining room lunches on port days?

[CI66774]

I've cruised on both the Disney Fantasy and Royal Princess. Princess wins for food - no competition. Disney wins on staterooms - no comparison. Both have great kids' clubs but my daughter preferred Princess (except for character interactions, of course). Entertainment - equal - neither amazing. Adult areas - Princess wins hands down. Customer service - both are great but Disney nudges ahead slightly. Both ships are beautiful and classy. I'm booked on both Disney and Princess in the future. Both have high points and both are wonderful lines.