[Roll Call] Regal Princess 16 October 2005

[Ephraim]

Anyone else on this cruise!?!?

[Aldo Ray]

Hi Ephriam

 

I was going to book the Volendam for Oct 16th but have waited too long...it's full. Cruised it last fall and met a wonderful couple that I shared a Transatlantic cruise with last April.

 

I found the Regal Princess leaving oct 16th for 10 nights. This ship has lots of availability but I have never cruised with Princess. Royal Carribean and Holland America have always had social hours in the steam room around 4-5 PM. Do you Know if the Regal Princess has seperate steam and saunas for men and women? I was on one ship which had a co-ed steam room. Who wants to steam with your swim suit on?

 

I will be traveling solo whitch is OK except for the dining experience. Last fall on the Volendam I was seated with Ma and Pa Kettle and Mr and Mrs Moral Majority. After 2 nights the great couple insisted that I join their table. It sat 8 already but they insisted that I join them. The table was wonderful consisting of an elderly Scotish couple and their son (quite handsome), a Dutch Lady(equally striking), and 2 sisters. We spent a lot of pool time with the sisters, one of whom sang beautifully.

 

My concern on the Regal cruise is that I may be assigned to dine with Ma and Pa again. I am not very aggressive and would probably just sit there and suffer.

 

Well, anyway, let me know if you know anything about the staem and sauna set up.

 

Bob;)

[Ephraim]

I checked out all the threads on the Regal, and in fact, someone mentioned this before, so I will just quote his message....

 

I just got off of the 10 day Alaska cruise on the Regal Princess. The bottom line about the health club is that it's very small. There are 4 treadmills (can be reserved for 1/2 half hour a day or so in advance), 4 bikes (2 of which are broken), a stairmaster and an elliptical. There are a few weight machines. The ceiling is very low so if you're taller than 6' you really can't use some of the cardio machines. The health club is open from 6am to 10pm. The Lotus spa is right next door and is open from 8 to 8. The steam and sauna are immediately to the right when you go toward the Lotus Spa entrance. They also open and close at 8. The are gender separated and clothing optional. Being a guy, I obviously only saw the mens' side. It had two nice big showers, plenty of think purple towels, and a private, lockable bathroom. The sauna was nice and warm with two levels and a water bucket and scoop to heat up the rocks. The steam was fairly small and could only fit about 3 people comfortably. Not very hot but that's the way I like it. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I spent a some time down there during the afternoon, usually as I'm a spa nut. Channing

 

As for seating, we have never done standard seating on Princess until this cruise, since most Princess cruises offer personal choice. We have mentioned that we want second seating. If you want, send me a private message, and I will give you our names, and you can ask to be seated with us.

 

As for seating, I think I learnt my lesson from the Carnival cruise and open my mouth and ask if there were other possible companions. But then again, that was a long time ago.

[Aldo Ray]

Ephraim

 

Thanks for the info on the steam and sauna rooms. It looks as though the gym was not a priority when the Regal Princess was designed.

 

I tried to send you a private email but it said you did not wish to receive emails. It was very kind of you to offer sharing a table with me. I would like to have at least one dinner guest that I felt comfortable with. See if you can change your email setting so that I can get your names in order to dine together.

 

Thanks

Bob :p

[Ephraim]

Forgot about that problem on here.

 

Try sending to my name on here at the domain of inforoute.net

[Aldo Ray]

Sorry I can't seem to get through.

 

Bob:(

[Ephraim]

Are you spelling EPHRAIM correctly? and the @inforoute.net as well?

[Aldo Ray]

I tried Ephraim@ inforoute.net and it would not go through.

 

I must admit I am not very computer savy.

 

Bob:(

[bdjam]

Just a note on dining room seating on Regal Princess. The Café Del Sol (a.k.a. Horizon Court on other ships) features evening table service with a bistro menu that is pretty close to the dining room menu. It is open usually from 7:00 to 11:00, but the times vary depending on the port times or if you’re at sea. This was used by a number of people on my last Regal Princess cruise as an alternative to fixed seating in the dining room. All were very happy with the service and the quality of the food offered there. Then there’s also Bravo pizzeria which offers sit-down service (not counter service like the bigger ships) and has calzone and lasagna on the evening menu. Café Del Sol also has the 24 hour buffet. So, you don’t have to be stuck in the dining room if you don’t want to be.

[Ephraim]

I tried Ephraim@ inforoute.net and it would not go through.

 

Bob, without the space.... @inforoute.net

[Ephraim]

Just a note on dining room seating on Regal Princess. The Café Del Sol (a.k.a. Horizon Court on other ships) features evening table service with a bistro menu that is pretty close to the dining room menu. It is open usually from 7:00 to 11:00, but the times vary depending on the port times or if you’re at sea. This was used by a number of people on my last Regal Princess cruise as an alternative to fixed seating in the dining room. All were very happy with the service and the quality of the food offered there. Then there’s also Bravo pizzeria which offers sit-down service (not counter service like the bigger ships) and has calzone and lasagna on the evening menu. Café Del Sol also has the 24 hour buffet. So, you don’t have to be stuck in the dining room if you don’t want to be.

 

Should I ask.... how's the Pizza? It's usually the one place on the Princess Cruises that I avoid.... I've never had good Pizza on the Golden (where I have been for three cruises). They seem more adept at making a pizza that might interest 8 year olds, rather than something inventive that an adult might enjoy with a salad.

 

Thanks for the other tip. We will look into that. We really were shocked that it wasn't Personal Choice, like the other Princess Cruises we were on. Gee! I miss NCL sometimes.

[bdjam]

Should I ask.... how's the Pizza? It's usually the one place on the Princess Cruises that I avoid.... I've never had good Pizza on the Golden (where I have been for three cruises). They seem more adept at making a pizza that might interest 8 year olds, rather than something inventive that an adult might enjoy with a salad.

 

Thanks for the other tip. We will look into that. We really were shocked that it wasn't Personal Choice, like the other Princess Cruises we were on. Gee! I miss NCL sometimes.

Regal Princess came online in 1991 and so she doesn’t have the twin or triple dining rooms as does the other Princess ships. I’m not a fan of Anytime Dining, so I don’t really miss it on Regal Princess. I must say that the quality in the dining room is at the top of what is offered across the fleet. The fact that the dining room is traditional also allows for table side preparation of pastas and desserts.

 

The pizza in Bravo is actually very good. I think the sit-down pizzerias do a better job than the counter-service types on the larger ships.

 

If you’re doing a Mexico itinerary (not sure if you are) you might have tried Dawn Princess out of San Francisco – Dawn Princess offers Anytime Dining. The experience on Regal Princess is a bit different than the Grand Class ships – much more traditional and without the multitudes of amenities. You will be greeted with a happy ship with happy staff and probably the largest standard staterooms on a mass-market cruise line. Good luck.

[Ephraim]

Regal Princess came online in 1991 and so she doesn’t have the twin or triple dining rooms as does the other Princess ships. I’m not a fan of Anytime Dining, so I don’t really miss it on Regal Princess. I must say that the quality in the dining room is at the top of what is offered across the fleet. The fact that the dining room is traditional also allows for table side preparation of pastas and desserts.

 

The pizza in Bravo is actually very good. I think the sit-down pizzerias do a better job than the counter-service types on the larger ships.

 

If you’re doing a Mexico itinerary (not sure if you are) you might have tried Dawn Princess out of San Francisco – Dawn Princess offers Anytime Dining. The experience on Regal Princess is a bit different than the Grand Class ships – much more traditional and without the multitudes of amenities. You will be greeted with a happy ship with happy staff and probably the largest standard staterooms on a mass-market cruise line. Good luck.

 

Yeah, we are doing the Mexico itinerary. We did look at the Dawn Princess, but the ports weren't as interesting for us. (We just weren't interested in Catalina, and an American port on the return meant that we would have to be up very early in the morning for that port. (For some reason, they like to check the "foreigner" passengers at the most inconvenient hours... doing it once on the day of return is okay, we need to be up early anyway, but it's another, on a port day).

 

Well, since we are booked, I guess we will get to see what it's like.

 

We had a really bad experience with the traditional dining on our first cruise, on Carnival. Carnival seated us with four carnivorous women... and we were the "meat" at the table. I was too polite to ask to be changed tables, and didn't know any better. We didn't go back to cruising for a long time, after that experience.

 

We like happy staff. Then again, we usually get treated nicely by the staff and the cruise director staff. We aren't very demanding, and I happen to tell a good story and a mean joke. Oh, and we do well at trivia, without cheating! (We actually saw people walk in with preprepared answers from other ships!)

[bdjam]

We had a really bad experience with the traditional dining on our first cruise, on Carnival. Carnival seated us with four carnivorous women... and we were the "meat" at the table. I was too polite to ask to be changed tables, and didn't know any better. We didn't go back to cruising for a long time, after that experience.

Well, the Bistro might be the answer if you have this issue. Then again, if it happens again, see the Matre’d immediately. More than likely you will be accommodated at a table that better suits you. If you can cross reference your reservation with the other poster on this thread, Princess will get you to the same table – just give either TA your booking numbers and Princess can do that for you. You could also ask for a smaller table (more difficult to accommodate) to cut down on the chances of bad tablemates.

 

I’ve been particularly lucky on Princess – while the table mate matches haven’t always been perfect, I’ve never felt the need to abandon the table because of who I was sitting with. They want you to be happy – if you’re not, ask if they can help you.

As for the early Customs call - us from the US have to do that too!

[Aldo Ray]

deleate

[Ephraim]

Well, I guess we will see :)

 

We always request a sharing table, if possible. So far, we have only had bad tablemates a few times. We had one table, where at lunch, they sat us with non-English speaking people, so the table was primary communications between the couples at the table.

 

We had one table where the lady started talking politics, but quickly led into conspiracy theories of 9/11. Yikes!

 

We had one table where one couple was a rather stuck up British couple. But everyone else at the table was nice, and in fact, we had dinner with the rest of the table another night, as well.

 

I'm sure we will survive. And I won't be afraid to ask to be moved, if it's uncomfortable.

 

As for the customs call, really? They herd all the foreigners into the theatre, make us sit around for about an hour and then make us go through customs, at like 6AM in the morning. In one case, they wouldn't even let us back, after. We were escorted directly off the ship.

 

And you should hear some of the stupid quetsions that they ask. Since we don't need passports to visit the US (until next year, I think), I don't often travel with mine. One of the customs guards says to me "What are you going to do, when you need a passport to visit the US." What did he want me to say? There are only two possible normal answers. Either it's "I'll get one" or it's "I won't visit anymore".

 

Being in Montreal, we go through the border quite often. And sometimes, you just wonder if they ever think before asking a question. And the worst question that they ask us, is "How do you know him" (pointing at my partner) and being that it's the US, I never really know what to answer.... I just say "He's my roommate". What am I supposed to say.... "He's the guy that I have consentual sex with in a monogamous relationship that has lasted over 16 years, but isn't recognized legally in the United States, and possibly allows you to exclude me from visiting the United States claiming that I might have HIV, which I don't really have any proof that I dont' have?" ARGH!

[bdjam]

the worst question that they ask us, is "How do you know him" (pointing at my partner) and being that it's the US, I never really know what to answer.... I just say "He's my roommate". What am I supposed to say.... "He's the guy that I have consentual sex with in a monogamous relationship that has lasted over 16 years, but isn't recognized legally in the United States, and possibly allows you to exclude me from visiting the United States claiming that I might have HIV, which I don't really have any proof that I dont' have?" ARGH!

Well, that’s probably what I would do, but my big mouth has been known to get me into trouble. If the ship is coming from a foreign country – Mexico, Canada – since 9/11 we have to go through Customs at the next US port. Most silly was on Sun Princess – sailed from Ft. Lauderdale, spent the next day at Princess Cays, the cruise line’s private island and had to be up at 6:00 to go through Customs before they’d let anyone off the ship in St. Thomas, a US territory. I had been to Princess Cays before and it rained that day – I didn’t even get off the ship.

[Ephraim]

We sailled on the Golden for two weeks. We started in San Juan, the last stop was St Thomas. But when we got to San Juan the next day, they made us go through customs again, to get a transit pass, even though we had gone through customs the day before.

 

For me, this doesn't really make sense at all. The people who came back on the ship are the people who left. No one is allowed to be added to the ship. Since everyone has been through US customs before, to get to the ship, you would think you could preclear most people, against the passenger manifest.

 

Of course, this only makes sense if you intention is to be logical, not bureaucratic.

 

I learnt a long time ago, always answer the questions that they ask the way that they ask them. I was going through Canada Customs once, and the guard asked us why we had gone to the US. I answered. He didn't ask us what we had done, but just why we had gone. So, we never told him about our shopping... he didn't ask. We had not planned on going shopping, we changed our mind once we were already over the border for the day.

[Aldo Ray]

Hello

 

 

Just to bump up to see if therewill be any other family on this cruise.

Surely someone else is out there...We promise we won't bite!:p

[Ephraim]

Less than two weeks to go. Getting excited!

[Ephraim]

Invitation....

 

Hi Guys, less than a week to go.

 

Wanted to drop a note for anyone who's here, or lurking, that we are trying to plan a CruiseCruitic GT for all the Cruise Critic people, and make sure that everyone is invited to join, from here too!

 

Oh, and doesn't hurt to bump this up, a bit.

[Ephraim]

The general CC meeting is on Sunday at 5PM on the Lido deck, in front of the Cafe del Sol, on the starboard side (where the ladies washroom is)