3 Nights On Regal. My thoughts...and a few photos.

[Cindy]

Thanks for a great, balanced review! I really appreciate reports that present both sides of the coin and help me know whether I might want to try a ship or not.:) The Regal looks lovely, but I would have to do my homework before I booked anything but a very short cruise on her. I'm a proud, card-carrying member of the Bigger is Better Balcony Snobs Club, and the one you had wouldn't make me happy.:o

 

Special kudos go to Mike in Crooners, Elvis in Vines, our room attendant (whoever you are), and the CBP lady who didn't laugh when I told her the only thing I purchased was a hangover (thanks to Mike's espresso martinis in Crooners the night prior).

 

Any questions, feel free to ask. Thank for reading. :)

 

That is the best line I've read on CC in weeks!:D Thanks!

Edited April 16, 2015 by Cindy

[UpcountryTravelers]

I did NOT like the TVs on the Royal and Regal. While there were a couple of movies available on-demand (I don't spend enough time in the cabin to be concerned about such), you could not get the chart showing where you are, nor could you get as many regular news channels, and the TV is much more difficult to operate. On the plus side, it is bigger and in a better location.

 

You can get access to your expenses on your computer or tablet, however, and also get a printout any time you want at the Passenger Service Desk area.

[Aquahound]

Thanks for a great, balanced review! I really appreciate reports that present both sides of the coin and help me know whether I might want to try a ship or not.:) The Regal looks lovely, but I would have to do my homework before I booked anything but a very short cruise on her. I'm a proud, card-carrying member of the Bigger is Better Balcony Snobs Club, and the one you had wouldn't make me happy.:o

 

Thanks Cindy. I too am a balcony snob and this was my punishment for not doing any homework before booking. I know now that if I ever book a longer cruise on this ship, I'll need to do a little more research into adequately sized balconies.

[dmwnc1959]

I did NOT like the TVs on the Royal and Regal. While there were a couple of movies available on-demand (I don't spend enough time in the cabin to be concerned about such), you could not get the chart showing where you are...

 

 

Is this the location chart on the TV you're talking about?

 

[Aquahound]

Is this the location chart on the TV you're talking about?

 

 

Where was that? :confused: If that's on a stateroom television, that feature was not available on my cruise.

[dmwnc1959]

Where was that? :confused: If that's on a stateroom television, that feature was not available on my cruise.

 

 

It was on the TV when you tabbed all the way over to the right, under the tab labelled INFO and the section SHIP LOCATION (next to the WEATHER)...

 

Edited April 17, 2015 by dmwnc1959

[Aquahound]

Hmmm. I went to the weather tab several times and never saw that Ship Location tab. I guess my eyes just overlooked it due to the large weather icon below. Thanks. :)

Edited April 17, 2015 by Aquahound

[Colo Cruiser]

Its a bit confusing to find, we had it on the Regal.

[Cruzaholic41]

With other cruise lines having added interactive tvs 15 years ago, I'm curious why Princess is holding out on these. :confused:

 

Great question. That's something I've wondered about both Princess and HAL for years.

[susancruzs]

Interesting about the TV! :D Sailing single, long cruises, I book inside cabins. The TV is my window as I am an early riser! I set the TV to the web cam when I go to bed, when the TV gets light usually time to get up! :)

[Aquahound]

Interesting about the TV! :D Sailing single, long cruises, I book inside cabins. The TV is my window as I am an early riser! I set the TV to the web cam when I go to bed, when the TV gets light usually time to get up! :)

 

The tv did have a live cam channel. The camera was located somewhere near the MUTS looking forward over the Lido deck.

[rkacruiser]

Many thanks for your informative and balanced review. I have considered Royal Princess and Regal Princess for a booking next year, but have been concerned about many of the comments that I have read about both. Your photo of your balcony clinched my thinking: I will not be spending my money on a cruise on either of these vessels. Too many guest unfriendly design errors have been made on this Class of vessels. Yet, the man who was in charge of Princess Cruises and who was the "presenter" of Princess Cruise's Royal Princess Video Presentations before her introduction is now the COO of Carnival Corporation. That, I do not understand!

[kendon]

Where was that? :confused: If that's on a stateroom television, that feature was not available on my cruise.

 

Yeah, I want to know that also. We missed wave height info, current locations....

[Maraprince]

We booked a 7-day Canada/NE cruise on the Regal for October with an obstructed balcony for 3 people with a sofa bed. There is only one sea day on the way up and none on the way back. We are doing 5 ports during the voyage. It is past mid October and we will have little or no time to even be on our balcony other than sail aways and sailing in. So in our case, balcony size does not matter. We would have even booked an outside cabin since our time at sea is limited but the Regal only has insides and balconies.

 

What I am trying to get at is it depends on how many sea days you have and the time of year you will be on the ship. In our case, the balcony is nice, but definitely not an essential.

 

We look at walking up/down steps and front to back as our exercise on the ship. Without a mid ship stairway, we either take the elevator or walk.

 

MARAPRINCE

[Likes2cruise]

I certainly do appreciate your review and pictures. You addressed many of my concerns about booking the Regal. But after four cruises on the Crown and one on the Ruby, we really wanted to try a different ship. I was disappointed to see the handicapped cabins were midships and combined with the lack of stairs. I can only imagine the wait for those in wheelchairs will be considerably longer than on past cruises.

 

I understand there is a lower route to the theater for handicapped access. I'm hoping that the handicapped seating is not limited to those far left/right seats where stage visibility is poor.

[pablo222]

Because without easy access to your balance you are likely to spend more money. People who purchase with credit cards will spend more than people who are actually handing out money to pay. It's all psychological.

 

I don't think that can be the reason -- you can see you account

on princess@sea, anywhere on the ship, including your cabin.

 

Princess promised to have princess@sea on all it's ships by

the end of the year.

[dmwnc1959]

I certainly do appreciate your review and pictures. You addressed many of my concerns about booking the Regal. But after four cruises on the Crown and one on the Ruby, we really wanted to try a different ship. I was disappointed to see the handicapped cabins were midships and combined with the lack of stairs. I can only imagine the wait for those in wheelchairs will be considerably longer than on past cruises.

 

I understand there is a lower route to the theater for handicapped access. I'm hoping that the handicapped seating is not limited to those far left/right seats where stage visibility is poor.

 

 

I distinctly remember there being w/c designated areas in the upper level - Deck 7 Promenade entrance, port side (not sure if the same spots are on the stbd side too). There were two places for a wheelchair or scooter to park, and between them several seats. The view was fine from there; I think the post regarding poor visibility meant being very close to the stage and also being to the far left/right.

 

If you're able to spot the Exit door in the first picture (just above and left of center), that's where the w/c parking was. The second picture I've included is a view from the back of the theater (stbd right side) looking at the stage. The view will be somewhat similar on the port side from the w/c area.

 

 

[Cruzaholic41]

Many thanks for your informative and balanced review. I have considered Royal Princess and Regal Princess for a booking next year, but have been concerned about many of the comments that I have read about both. Your photo of your balcony clinched my thinking: I will not be spending my money on a cruise on either of these vessels. Too many guest unfriendly design errors have been made on this Class of vessels. Yet, the man who was in charge of Princess Cruises and who was the "presenter" of Princess Cruise's Royal Princess Video Presentations before her introduction is now the COO of Carnival Corporation. That, I do not understand!

 

Quantity over quality seems to be the Carnival Corp motto lately and with these tiny rooms and tiny balconies, Princess certainly isn't immune.

[Boatingmom]

Thanks for the review. We never found the ship info on tv either and we seached for seven days:eek: we were on the week before you.

[Aquahound]

I understand there is a lower route to the theater for handicapped access. I'm hoping that the handicapped seating is not limited to those far left/right seats where stage visibility is poor.

 

At the bottom of the stairs, see how the aisle widens and there appears to be gaps at the ends of some rows....

 

 

 

 

That is the handicap seating area. The view from right there is pretty good. To get to the seats with the terrible view, you either have to go along the front of the stage, or go down a very narrow stairway against the wall.

[abisha]

I got off the Regal the day you got on. I agree with Princess Theater set up and not seeing the stage from the sides. For Fiera, we sat up high and it was so much better up there.

 

I don't get the main pool area. It couldn't handle all those people at sea days. I've seem many a crowded pool on sea days, but that was utter craziness..packed them in like sardines. The small pool on the other side of the "fountains is a joke...so small..fits about 5 people..lol. The fountains are lovely, but why didn't they just make one long pool or two good sized pools in that area?

 

We ended up at the retreat pool...much quieter but still a bit crowded. The aft pool/smoking area was so tiny as well. I think that pool was an afterthought since they didn't include it on the Royal.

 

I also missed the full wrap around promenade like other vessels have.

 

One thing that Regal lacked was shade for loungers...there was hardly any! I cannot lie out in the sun and bake and couldn't find any shade (very very little). At the retreat pool, the overhead coverings are made of see-through mesh allowing for full sun to filter through. I know there were cabanas for rent, but there were only a handful of them and I don't stay out there for hours.

[TX_Atlantis_Cruiser]

Very much agree with Aquahound's observations and opinions. I was on the Regal on a chartered cruise in early Feb and while she is a beautiful ship, there are some real "head scratchers" in the design area. My biggest complaint was the design of the main dining rooms where you have to go up to deck 7 and all the way back then down to get to Symphony or whatever it was called. It never failed that the one that was open was the one you couldn't get to easily. BTW on our charter the fountains at the pool were used for additional deck space especially for watching the movies, we never did see the fountains operating. I really wanted to love Regal, but even compared to the gorgeous MSC Divina which was our charter last year she was just a bit "off". It was a good cruise but not an outstanding cruise due to some of the little things mentioned by previous posters.

[Colo Cruiser]

Very much agree with Aquahound's observations and opinions. I was on the Regal on a chartered cruise in early Feb and while she is a beautiful ship, there are some real "head scratchers" in the design area. My biggest complaint was the design of the main dining rooms where you have to go up to deck 7 and all the way back then down to get to Symphony or whatever it was called. It never failed that the one that was open was the one you couldn't get to easily. BTW on our charter the fountains at the pool were used for additional deck space especially for watching the movies, we never did see the fountains operating. I really wanted to love Regal, but even compared to the gorgeous MSC Divina which was our charter last year she was just a bit "off". It was a good cruise but not an outstanding cruise due to some of the little things mentioned by previous posters.

 

That's pretty much the way it is on the majority of Princess ships.

No big deal, we use deck 7 to navigate most places. Its only 1 DR. Going down to the deck 6 DR is no big deal either by stairs or elevator.

[pablo222]

we never did see the fountains operating.

 

There was 30 seconds of fun missed.

[Aquahound]

...we never did see the fountains operating.

 

There was 30 seconds of fun missed.

 

We kept missing it on our cruise also. Finally on the last night, according to the Patter, it was scheduled to occur 9:45-10:15. We got out of the show at exactly 9:45 and beat feet up to the Lido to catch it, figuring we would only miss the first few minutes. It was about 9:50 when we got up there and it was already over. :mad: Since the Patter said until 10:15, we stood there for another 10 minutes waiting either for it to continue or for another show to start but.....nothing. Another cruise line has a fountain show that goes a good 15-20 minutes. I kinda figured if Regal was using such prime space to copy an idea already introduced by another line, the displays would be a little more impressive.

 

So yes, this is another thing I found disappointing about Regal.