A peak at Princess

[OCruisers]

If that's the bar next to the Sky Walk - yes!

Thanks!

LuLu

[Belle]

Yes the scooter will fit in the

mini-suite. Just has a sofa, chair

and coffee table. Open space from

table to wall.

 

Tub has grab bar not sure of toilet.

But counter is near so can hold on

counter to get up if need to.

[Oceanwench]

Make that "Seawalk" not Sky Walk. Info overload.

I need to refer to the deck plans more often.

 

In the HC cabin we had, there were so many grab bars - it was wonderful.

DH had no problems.

The toilet actually had one of those "arms" that you can raise (out of the way) or lower if you need it.

That was located between the shower and the toilet - where there was open space, so no wall to mount a grab bar.

The arm came in very handy.

 

I wish HAL's bathrooms were as HC friendly!

Edited November 10, 2014 by Oceanwench

[Folk Singer]

DH and I were aboard the Regal Princess last week for the ship's naming ceremony.

 

We've never been on a Princess ship - we only sail HAL (with one Royal Caribbean cruise long ago) and we're happy with the line.

 

But Regal Princess was impressive.

Bigger than any ship we've been on, so we got lost all the time!

 

But I must say, the buffet restaurants - Horizon Bistro and Horizon Court - were amazing! The layout was so much better than HAL's Lido, much more handicap friendly. Lots of room to maneuver for a wheelchair. And there were a lot of crew members there to help out.

 

Although the shops were not open (the ship was in port), there were many more than on a HAL ship, all clustered around the 3-story atrium.

 

I guess if the ship were at 100 percent capacity, or close, it wouldn't feel so spacious or uncrowded.

 

Our balcony cabin was a good size, and the bathroom arrangement with a roll-in shower was easily accessible.

 

Parking was a breeze, as was getting to the terminal. So different for us not to be at Terminal 26 or one of the others near the Midport Garage.

 

We're talking about taking a Princess Cruise in 2015, based on the positive experience.

 

 

We will listen with open ears. Then decide what works best for each of us.

[Folk Singer]

Is this where the Love Boat cast reassembled? And they have some connection (godparents?) to the new ship? Did you get a chance to meet (or even see) any of them?

 

Sounds pretty interesting, can you share more details about the naming ceremony? You know, the VIPs, the food, the alcohol (if applicable) :D Did you get to rub elbows with people whose names we might recognize?

 

 

The Love Boat Cast. Would have been fun to see them.

[POA1]

The Love Boat Cast. Would have been fun to see them.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article3591907.html

 

Photos from the Miami Herald. There were photos from the Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel, but I think the Herald's were better.

 

P. S. - Isaac does not use a meager, measured pour. Tip accordingly. :D

[fishin' musician]

DW and I have sailed Princess about 10 times and last year we took the Regal's sister ship, Royal Princess. FWIW, it was our least favorite Princess cruise/ship. Our balcony was so narrow I could not sit in the chair facing out, I had to turn sideways. It was uncomfortable and thus I did not spend much time there (perhaps this is the intention?) The ship was beautiful, but I just don't think I'm a mega-ship fan. I felt more like a number than a customer. We almost never saw the same people twice. And we never really did learn the layout of the ship. Give me those old tubs with about a 2000 capacity.

[Topsham]

My friends are trying to convince me to try a Princess cruise, but they think I'll need a handicap cabin to have enough room to hold my scooter. I would prefer not to take such a cabin, as I don't otherwise need the amenities. I would rather leave it for someone who does.

Do you happen to know if Princess will pick up a scooter, store it overnight, and return it in the morning, as HAL is known to do (I've always been able to fit it in my HAL cabin, but not all of them are large enough).

 

Was the shower in the handicap cabin separate from the toilet, unlike some of the HAL ships? :mad:

 

How was the coffee? Has Princess improved the wake-up juice?

 

Thanks for any answers you might have.

 

 

 

Hi Ruth,

 

Two years ago on Caribbean Princess a friend on board asked for a handicap cabin. He had a good size cabin.... plenty of space to move around and everything you could possibly want. Only problem.... all of those cabin are right at the stern. To walk to atrium... a walk at least 500 too 600 feet. Could not make it without a scooter.

 

Stephen

[RuthC]

Momaofami & Topsham, I appreciate the info. Since there is no way I would book a mini-suite, it looks like I would have to work at it more than a bit to make something like this work.

 

I don't want to derail the purpose of the thread, so let's leave it at that.

[solocanadian]

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article3591907.html

 

Photos from the Miami Herald. There were photos from the Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel, but I think the Herald's were better.

 

P. S. - Isaac does not use a meager, measured pour. Tip accordingly. :D

 

Thanks for posting that!:)

[solocanadian]

Oceanwench - thanks for posting. How exciting to have been invited. Sounds like you have a wonderful time.:):D:)

[510picker]

Thank you for posting your thoughts on the ship. I am a full-time wheelchair user, so I found your observations of particular interest. We've never sailed with Princess, but have considered it.

 

My biggest complaint on HAL ships is wheelchair access to the verandah. We've never stayed in a suite so maybe the access is better, but in the regular verandah cabins the ramp/threshold is terrible, the door is very heavy and the angle at which you go out runs you directly into the divider. I'm 43 and have been in a wheelchair for almost 20 years, so I'm very independent in my wheelchair. It is a struggle to go to or from the verandah by myself. It is a horrible design. We are sailing on the Allure soon and I'm hoping it is a better design.

 

Thanks again for your insight!

[sail7seas]

Thank you for posting your thoughts on the ship. I am a full-time wheelchair user, so I found your observations of particular interest. We've never sailed with Princess, but have considered it.

 

My biggest complaint on HAL ships is wheelchair access to the verandah. We've never stayed in a suite so maybe the access is better, but in the regular verandah cabins the ramp/threshold is terrible, the door is very heavy and the angle at which you go out runs you directly into the divider. I'm 43 and have been in a wheelchair for almost 20 years, so I'm very independent in my wheelchair. It is a struggle to go to or from the verandah by myself. It is a horrible design. We are sailing on the Allure soon and I'm hoping it is a better design.

 

Thanks again for your insight!

 

 

One would think automatic sliding doors would be a better arrangement for special needs cabins.

 

[510picker]

One would think automatic sliding doors would be a better arrangement for special needs cabins.

 

 

Absolutely! Or at least a door that would lock into place when opened all of the way. If I had either one of these, I could get out onto the verandah without a problem. It's a very simple fix that I have pointed out on every HAL cruise I've been on.

[CowPrincess]

Oceanwench, did you get a chance to see other categories of cabins? And did you actually get to use the Horizon Court for a meal, to experience the traffic flow?

 

(and thanks for the answers to my previous questions :D )

[innlady1]

Sounds like it was a wonderful event - and I appreciate hearing about the ship. I must admit to being tempted to try Princess but have heard the cabins are rather small and beds not comfortable. It's great that you actually met Stein Kruse as well. Thanks for the info.:)

 

Our first cruise was on Princess (Caribbean Princess in '06) and I would love to give it another try but the dreadfully hard beds keep coming into my mind.

[Mary Ellen]

Sounds like it was a wonderful event - and I appreciate hearing about the ship. I must admit to being tempted to try Princess but have heard the cabins are rather small and beds not comfortable. It's great that you actually met Stein Kruse as well. Thanks for the info.:)

Princess has been changing out the mattresses. They have been VERY comfortable on my last two Princess cruises. Much better than the rock hard ones of before. Actually, DH now prefers the Princess mattress.

 

We do prefer the closet/dressing space on Princess. One thing we do miss is the hand held shower head found on HAL.

[rkacruiser]

DW and I have sailed Princess about 10 times and last year we took the Regal's sister ship' date=' Royal Princess. FWIW, it was our least favorite Princess cruise/ship. Our balcony was so narrow I could not sit in the chair facing out, I had to turn sideways. It was uncomfortable and thus I did not spend much time there (perhaps this is the intention?) The ship was beautiful, but I just don't think I'm a mega-ship fan. I felt more like a number than a customer. We almost never saw the same people twice. And we never really did learn the layout of the ship. Give me those old tubs with about a 2000 capacity.[/quote']

 

Thank you for re-confirming what I have learned about these two ships. The size of the standard verandas are deal breakers for me. I would be very unhappy with such a small size, even if I enjoyed the rest of the ship.

[jimmy2x]

Thank you for re-confirming what I have learned about these two ships. The size of the standard verandas are deal breakers for me. I would be very unhappy with such a small size, even if I enjoyed the rest of the ship.

 

My thoughts exactly.

[Oceanwench]

Thank you for posting your thoughts on the ship. I am a full-time wheelchair user, so I found your observations of particular interest. We've never sailed with Princess, but have considered it.

 

My biggest complaint on HAL ships is wheelchair access to the verandah. We've never stayed in a suite so maybe the access is better, but in the regular verandah cabins the ramp/threshold is terrible, the door is very heavy and the angle at which you go out runs you directly into the divider. I'm 43 and have been in a wheelchair for almost 20 years, so I'm very independent in my wheelchair. It is a struggle to go to or from the verandah by myself. It is a horrible design. We are sailing on the Allure soon and I'm hoping it is a better design.

 

Thanks again for your insight!

 

DH almost never goes out on the balcony. He did make an exception with our aft cabin on Westerdam - it was so large, I think he felt comfortable. He feels the ramps in the other cabins - SYs - are scary as you head right to the rail.

He really prefers to stay inside.

 

I did notice the balcony in our cabin on Regal Princess was very shallow. I didn't go out much - we were in port the days we were on, and busy. But it did appear that one would have to sit on the chairs sideways, because of the narrowness.

 

Cow Princess: We did not see any other staterooms.

We did eat in the Horizon Court and really enjoyed it. Again, it was a bit overwhelming to take it all in!

 

Our ship was not full, so there was never a crowd in the area, no problems with traffic flow. Seemed to me that there was a lot of duplication - same food in several different areas, so no need to graze! :)

After we'd eaten, we discovered other areas with different items -- so sampled them the next day.

 

We loved the hibachi grill station - DH got lamb ribs and I got grilled veggies, which were delicious.

 

I loved how quickly staff was to clean plates, refill water and iced tea, etc.

 

I would definitely get a larger cabin if we sail the ship.

Edited November 11, 2014 by Oceanwench

[Folk Singer]

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article3591907.html

 

Photos from the Miami Herald. There were photos from the Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel, but I think the Herald's were better.

 

P. S. - Isaac does not use a meager, measured pour. Tip accordingly. :D

 

 

Great thank you so much.