Regal Transatlantic review - (LONG)

[cruise2relax]

This review will be long...fair warning. I do a lot of research before a cruise and although I recognize that the transatlantics are limited in number, the ports are not necessarily as rare, yet I had some difficulty gaining information. So hopefully this is of assistance to others.

Despite not finding a whole lot of information on the airline, we chose to fly from JFK on Norwegian Air direct to Copenhagen in the Premium Cabin. It was affordable, comfortable, on time and staff was lovely. I would fly them again in a heartbeat.

 

CPH airport is very easy to navigate. Went through immigration, got luggage and made our way to the Metro. Quick 15 minutes to downtown Copenhagen. We stayed two nights pre-cruise at Wakeup Borgergade. It was new with very small but efficient rooms, no frills. The best part besides being very affordable for Copenhagen, it was close to everything, 5 minute walk from Metro and Nyhavn, 15 minute walk to Tivoli.

 

We did the Netto boat tour (about 70 minutes), really nice ($20). Toured Tivoli and ate in some really nice restaurants. Of note, we had booked the 4 hour Copenhagen Food Tour, which is a walking tour. There were 12 people on our tour. I would very much recommend this tour. Filled with history and experiencing of local cuisine, which we like to experience.

 

Embarkation day.

Quick cab to the cruiseport, through security and waited about 50 minutes. Check in and on the ship by 11:30am. Easy.

 

Kristiansand. Walked through town, really a fishing village. Great parks and gardens. Very pretty. Not much to see.

 

Bergen. The sail into port was beautiful and should not be missed although they did not really tell us that. All along fjords into port, very similar in geography and feel to the pacific northwest. Took the complimentary shuttle to town, straight to the funicular and to the top. Great view. No need to book through the ship, easy to get to and do on your own saving lots of money. The town is very pretty and clean with parks, flowers and statutes all over the place.

 

Glasgow. As I indicated, we like to experience local food and drink if we can. In anticipation of our day in Scotland, I found and booked our private tour with Benda from Tasting Scotland. She was great in corresponding about our likes and dislikes and put together multiple options for our choosing. She picked us up at port and drove us to Stirling Castle. The sun was shining and it was gorgeous, we learned some history and had scone and tea. Then off to Cameron House, a private boutique hotel on Loch Lomond, we had a drink (Cameron House Martini) at the Great Scots Bar then off to the Boathouse for a lunch of scottish salmon, local oysters and fish and chips. Brenda got us some local beer with lunch and ordered some hard scottish cheddar. Then off to Glengoyne distillery. We had a semi private Malt Master Tour with one other couple. Tour then tasting with a barrel direct tastes to blend our own 200ml each scotch to take home. It was a wonderful day with Brenda. I strongly recommend her and her company. With her background in food science and years of culinary teaching, she brings a wealth of knowledge about food and history that was both interesting and informative. It was a one fee, all-inclusive day from entry fees to transportation to food and drink. Well done.

 

Belfast. We had booked a full day coach tour with Odyssey Tours to the Giants Causeway and the Antrim Coast through the roll call for our ship. Upon arrival, Odyssey was completely unorganized this morning with massive confusion. Woody was our guide. Ok but became more annoying as the day wore on. We went to the Causeway first and it was sunny and beautiful. Gorgeous. We stopped at a few lookout posts, all nice then to Ballycastle for lunch. Terrific fish and chips. Then a drive down the Antrim Coast and the glens -- too long. It was like 1.5 hours. Followed by the ride back to Belfast and a tour of Belfast (which was boring) so essentially 3.5 hours sitting on the bus to end the day. I would not do it again nor would I recommend it. See the Causeway yes, the country side, yes, too long simply sitting on a bus, they need to break it up better with stops. Most everyone could not wait to get off that bus by the end.

 

Cork. The sail in was breathtaking through Cobh, again not really mentioned. The harbour is beautiful. It is the second largest natural harbour in the world. We had prebooked with eCoach (Butler Tours) for the day long coach tour, also through our roll call. This was far better than Belfast. They were exactly where they said they would be and had both signage and people to assist. The weather was sunny and warm. We left for Blarney quickly and arrived ahead of the crowds. It was a perfect morning, the grounds are beautiful and the weather cooperated. Then we went to the Blarney Woolen Mills across the street. Off to a tour of Cork and a stop at the Fort/overlook to Kinsale where the Lusitania sunk in WWII then on to Kinsale for lunch. Great little fishing village with a ton of very good restaurants. Then we drove back to Cobh with a little tour. Our guide was Ian and he was very good.

 

The Crossing.

We started with a little problem. A passenger became seriously ill and as a result we turned around midday on our first crossing sea day to return close enough for a helicopter evaluation of the passenger, about 5 hours in the wrong direction. Everyone felt very badly for this passenger and were respectful. They had to evacuate the room in the aft of the ship due to the helicopter during the maneauver, that people complained about??? Go figure. The captain then came on to tell everyone the passenger was safetly on her way to the hospital in Cork and that he was going to push the ship to 19 knots in an attempt to make up time. We were moving and then some. The Captain ultimately made up all the time and we arrived In St. John's Newfoundland in time. The crossing itself was eventful only in the weather which was overcast, chilly and very rocky. The third night of the crossing, passengers and some staff we missing in action. We have been on worse so it was ok for us but it did last quite a while. The last night coming into Newfoundland was so foggy you could not see the railings on your balcony...kind of eerie.

 

St. John's, Newfoundland. The Regal's first time. Weather was perfect sunny and pleasant. Not much to the town/port by way of walk off. Small little city with limited shopping etc. We walked around in the morning and had our only ship excursion that afternoon. We went to the wine caves for a port tasting. The port was wonderful but there was no place to purchase it???? Then off to Quidi Vidi for a beer tasting at a craft brewery. Very nice and good beer. Then a stop at Cabot Tower and back to the ship. Quick and a bit rushed but nice. All in all, quite a pretty port and very nice people. When we were leaving port through the tiny narrow passage, it was full of people waiving and wishing us well. It was very nice.

 

Halifax. Another beautiful day. Nothing was planned. We walked off (disaster - one exit point off the ship, lines a mile long through the ship. I gave the Captain credit for coming on the PA and explaining the problems and expressing his apologies. Man that goes a long way.) I had sort of designed our own walking tour including the Public gardens (so pretty), the Citadel and the boardwalk along the harbour. Great day.

 

The negatives. There was a lot of complaining about the fact that the ship really is not built for colder weather. Although not a huge issue for us, they are right. There is simply no place to sit, outside of the buffet, up on deck away from the elements like Skywalkers, Adaggio or a covered pool. Four days on a crossing, it was noticeable. The midship elevators and lack of stairs really is hugely problematic. We have been on the Royal before and did not notice it as much. This cruise is was unbearable. Princess should be ashamed of the design flaw especially since the stairs exist and they simply did not have them completed for passenger use. If they do not correct this problem on dry docks, I will seriously question the powers that be.

 

The positives. Dining room service. We eat every dinner and most other meals in the dining room. By day three we found a terrific server, Flora, in the Symphony dining room with head waiter Garbiel. We ended up with them at 7:30pm every night for the remainder of the cruise. They anticipated our likes, dislikes, wine preference etc. It really made a difference in our overall experience on the cruise. Interestingly, the young woman at the door asked us every night how many and if we had a reservation. LOL. We found it funny as everyone in the entire section knew us (crew and passengers) and we ate at the exact same table every night. She was very nice but a little dim.

The bar service, especially the bartenders (Peter and Silma), in the Wheelhouse were wonderful. We would have pre-dinner cocktails there daily. I know there have been negative comments on here about the Royal and Regal and the placement of the Wheelhouse. We love it and think it the best place on the ship for drinks. No matter what, we cannot find good service in Crooners on these ships. Maybe its us, who knows.

Great cruise, great people. A shout out to our fun new travel buddies Mike and Kris and our stalkers Ken and Divinia. Had a great time.

[srpilo]

Thanks for sharing your review

 

Well done :)

Srpilo

[Mom33]

Thanks for sharing your experience. :)

[sunsetbeachgal]

Thanks for such a well balanced review. We have sailed on the Royal (in the Mediterranean) and the Regal (Caribbean) so did not notice the lack of quiet places since both were warm weather cruises and one was very port-intensive. But I totally get it that in cold or bad weather there are very few places to go out and about to sit other than the Piazza area and that makes for quite a bit of noise!

Edited September 26, 2015 by sunsetbeachgal

[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[Mommypig]

Great review. I agree on the problem with seating on cold weather sailings. We just got back from Alaska on the Star, the last southbound of the season, and the crowds in the atrium were almost unbearable. Too cold for MUTS. Even in the covered pool area it was too cold to sit.

[PrincessLuver]

Kristiansand. Walked through town, really a fishing village. Great parks and gardens. Very pretty. Not much to see.

 

Really.....Being from Norway and having done this cruise with Princess I am always amazed that they do not advertise a trip to Norway's number one attraction which is the Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement Park (Kristiansand Dyrepark). It is Norway's most frequently visited attraction, covering an area of 150 acre and one of the great zoos and parks to visit in the world. it is an easy 30 minute public bus ride from Kristiansand. If you are a senior you will get the ride for free.

 

When we did this cruise we were the only one's we were aware of who visited the park that day. It seems that if Princess doesn't advertise something as an excursion it does not exist. I am sure Dyrepark does not need the business from Princess so they are probably unwilling to negotiate a tour with Princess who hence sees no need to promote the park.

 

Most passengers did what you did and walk around a small part of Kristiansand.

[Elevatorman]

Can you tell me , what time does wheelhouse open?

[WISH84]

Princess should be ashamed of the design flaw especially since the stairs exist and they simply did not have them completed for passenger use. If they do not correct this problem on dry docks, I will seriously question the powers that be.

 

 

Curious.. I've read many posts about the infamous "stairs" issue but this is the first time I've seen anyone say "especially since the stairs exist and they simply did not have them completed for passenger use"

 

I know if you were booking the ship, it will or would ask you for your intended sail date (giving a before or after date to select) and I presumed that was due to a scheduled dry dock (which seemed odd since the ship is so new but then after reading about the stairs issue I presumed it was to correct this error) so now I have to ask...

 

Are you saying the stairs are already there but because of construction delays and the pre-scheduled inaugural sail off, that Princess chose to just close off the stairwells to those stairs so they could get the ship out on the water (making money) and that in the scheduled dry dock they will complete the stairs as previously intended?

[windsor26]

We gather the stairs are in place but were never intended for passenger use just there for staff and for emergency evacuation They open them for the muster drill. This problem is not just on Regal and Royal but also on other ships in the fleet Grand I believe as well This is a nuisance for people who prefer to use stairs and only go up or down one or two floors The lines for the elevators get busy and people get cross. Such a stupid decision by Princess for all these ships.

 

Think again Princess I gather this same decision has been made for the newest ship also

[caribill]

 

Are you saying the stairs are already there but because of construction delays and the pre-scheduled inaugural sail off, that Princess chose to just close off the stairwells to those stairs so they could get the ship out on the water (making money) and that in the scheduled dry dock they will complete the stairs as previously intended?

 

Supposedly the Royal was running over budget and Princess saved $$$ by not making the center stairway passenger friendly (rugs, walls not as in normal passenger area). So, as others have pointed out, it is there and available in case of emergencies, just not as "pretty" as other passenger stairways are.

 

This problem is not just on Regal and Royal but also on other ships in the fleet Grand I believe as well.

 

The only other ship without the center stairway above deck 7 is the Grand Princess. Others in the Grand class have the center stairway available for passengers.

[Grego]

Still amazes me that folks want to keep flogging the central stair issue and guessing as to why it isn't "passenger friendly". The existing stairway is there for crew use and emergencies and if there was a consideration to saving money it was only after studies done that showed that there was limited use by passengers. This was explained to my by a ship's officer.

 

Now it's possible that in the future the existing stairway will be "beautified" and made available to passengers but for now take a look at what is the current situation. We have timed the walk from midship to either the forward or aft stairway and it takes about 1 minute to do this. If folks are into doing stairways then an extra minute or two of walking isn't that bad (and probably a good thing after a few days of the HC or MDR). The lifts usually arrive very quickly during normal usage periods so waiting for them would possibly be less time then a nice walk to either of the stairways.

 

So let's move on to other things of interest such as interesting places visited off the beaten track on the voyage or how you liked the images on the wall taken from some of us that you can see while you walk to the stairways available. Let me know if you have found my photos on both the Royal and Regal.

[caribill]

Still amazes me that folks want to keep flogging the central stair issue and guessing as to why it isn't "passenger friendly". The existing stairway is there for crew use and emergencies and if there was a consideration to saving money it was only after studies done that showed that there was limited use by passengers. This was explained to my by a ship's officer.

 

 

That does not fly at all. In the ships with center stairs they are used as much as the forward and aft stairs.

 

It is very frustrating to have a cabin mid-ship and want to go up or down one deck. Walking 1/3 the length of the ship in two directions is not a good alternative.

[Astro Flyer]

That does not fly at all. In the ships with center stairs they are used as much as the forward and aft stairs.

 

It is very frustrating to have a cabin mid-ship and want to go up or down one deck. Walking 1/3 the length of the ship in two directions is not a good alternative.

I agree & during a Royal cruise an engineer involved in the design & construction of the ship gave a presentation. He said that former Carnival Corporation CEO Micky Arison refused to pay for cost overruns & thus finishing the center stairs for passenger use was eliminated.

 

I read a post from a passenger who during a UST was told that by not finishing the center stairs it saved $30 million...it is about the money & it's certainly not due to a lack of use by passengers.

 

To me an engineer involved in the construction of a ship is a more reliable source than a ship's officer who may not want to admit that it was a cost savings situation.

Edited September 28, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[PrincessLuver]

Still amazes me that folks want to keep flogging the central stair issue and guessing as to why it isn't "passenger friendly". The existing stairway is there for crew use and emergencies and if there was a consideration to saving money it was only after studies done that showed that there was limited use by passengers. This was explained to my by a ship's officer.

 

Now it's possible that in the future the existing stairway will be "beautified" and made available to passengers but for now take a look at what is the current situation. We have timed the walk from midship to either the forward or aft stairway and it takes about 1 minute to do this. If folks are into doing stairways then an extra minute or two of walking isn't that bad (and probably a good thing after a few days of the HC or MDR). The lifts usually arrive very quickly during normal usage periods so waiting for them would possibly be less time then a nice walk to either of the stairways.

 

So let's move on to other things of interest such as interesting places visited off the beaten track on the voyage or how you liked the images on the wall taken from some of us that you can see while you walk to the stairways available. Let me know if you have found my photos on both the Royal and Regal.

 

We were just on the Royal and that is all we heard about were the "missing stairs"......like the engineers or Princess had no clue. One thing that I find lacking on Princess cruises is people USING the stairs.....it is common to see people get in an elevator and go up or down one floor when they easily could have used stairs.....good grief!!!

[srpilo]

That does not fly at all. In the ships with center stairs they are used as much as the forward and aft stairs.

 

It is very frustrating to have a cabin mid-ship and want to go up or down one deck. Walking 1/3 the length of the ship in two directions is not a good alternative.

 

Exactly..

To deny the significance of the lack of a center stairwell and it's impact on mid-ship cabin's can only be made by those who have never experienced the negative impact on those cabins first hand...

 

Bad design plain and simple

Srpilo

[cruiselvr1]

Still amazes me that folks want to keep flogging the central stair issue and guessing as to why it isn't "passenger friendly". The existing stairway is there for crew use and emergencies and if there was a consideration to saving money it was only after studies done that showed that there was limited use by passengers. This was explained to my by a ship's officer.

 

Now it's possible that in the future the existing stairway will be "beautified" and made available to passengers but for now take a look at what is the current situation. We have timed the walk from midship to either the forward or aft stairway and it takes about 1 minute to do this. If folks are into doing stairways then an extra minute or two of walking isn't that bad (and probably a good thing after a few days of the HC or MDR). The lifts usually arrive very quickly during normal usage periods so waiting for them would possibly be less time then a nice walk to either of the stairways.

 

So let's move on to other things of interest such as interesting places visited off the beaten track on the voyage or how you liked the images on the wall taken from some of us that you can see while you walk to the stairways available. Let me know if you have found my photos on both the Royal and Regal.

I'm sorry that just doesn't make sense. On any ship I have been on that has center staircase, there always seem to be more people on the staircase, than using the elevators. People like myself like walking up and down the stairs, just to try keep off the weight you can gain even on a 7 day cruise. I have never been on the Grand before, it is sad that it doesn't have a center staircase. Luckily we are aft on both of our upcoming cruises, and can use the aft staircase.

[richstowe]

Thanks for the review . Any comments about your cabin cruise2relax ?

 

Exactly..

To deny the significance of the lack of a center stairwell and it's impact on mid-ship cabin's can only be made by those who have never experienced the negative impact on those cabins first hand...

 

Bad design plain and simple

Srpilo

We had heard so so much about this issue before our cruise . We almost never take the elevators on this or any cruise . While we recognized that there was no center stairway , it was not a big issue for us . Like on all cruises , the stairs were almost always unused . Princess may accede to all the complaining but I had no problem with their decision .

[Steelers36]

I agree & during a Royal cruise an engineer involved in the design & construction of the ship gave a presentation. He said that former Carnival Corporation CEO Micky Arison refused to pay for cost overruns & thus finishing the center stairs for passenger use was eliminated.

 

I read a post from a passenger who during a UST was told that by not finishing the center stairs it saved $30 million...it is about the money & it's certainly not due to a lack of use by passengers.

 

To me an engineer involved in the construction of a ship is a more reliable source than a ship's officer who may not want to admit that it was a cost savings situation.

 

Hard to believe the spruce up to central stairs would cost $30MM.

 

According to a couple of sources I found the cost to build Royal was about $735MM and Regal was $760MM.

 

It doesn't seem at all likely that finishing the central staircase to nice passenger finishings would amount to 4% of the total cost.

[Steelers36]

Dear CRUISE2RELAX (the OP).

 

Were the central stairs open both for heading TO your muster stations and then after for heading FROM muster back to cabin?

[JimmyVWine]

The existing stairway is there for crew use and emergencies and if there was a consideration to saving money it was only after studies done that showed that there was limited use by passengers. This was explained to my by a ship's officer.

Do you have a cite to these studies? C'mon. Do you really believe that Princess hired some third party consultant to do an unbiased, testable, reliable study on the use of central staircases? And if such studies were ever done, do you really believe that the data revealed that people wanting to go from mid-ship Dolphin Deck to the Promenade Deck never walked down the stairs? You never stopped to consider that the ship's officer was spouting off some corporate talking point given to her/him by HQ to quell what has been a constant thumping in the echo chamber? Studies? Really?

[Astro Flyer]

I agree & during a Royal cruise an engineer involved in the design & construction of the ship gave a presentation. He said that former Carnival Corporation CEO Micky Arison refused to pay for cost overruns & thus finishing the center stairs for passenger use was eliminated.

 

I read a post from a passenger who during a UST was told that by not finishing the center stairs it saved $30 million...it is about the money & it's certainly not due to a lack of use by passengers.

 

To me an engineer involved in the construction of a ship is a more reliable source than a ship's officer who may not want to admit that it was a cost savings situation.

 

Hard to believe the spruce up to central stairs would cost $30MM.

 

According to a couple of sources I found the cost to build Royal was about $735MM and Regal was $760MM.

 

It doesn't seem at all likely that finishing the central staircase to nice passenger finishings would amount to 4% of the total cost.

The main point of my post was that Arison wouldn't pay for cost overruns even if it meant changing the ship. The original CGI drawings showed dual glass pianos in Crooners & also 2 midship full size pools...neither were part of the completed ship.

 

The amount came from a post from someone who took a UST and said that was the cost given.

 

Based on the engineer's statement no matter what the exact cost was for finishing the central stairs for passenger use Arison wouldn't pay more to do it.

Edited September 29, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[caribill]

Hard to believe the spruce up to central stairs would cost $30MM.

 

 

A post last year put the savings at $3MM, not 30.

 

That is a more believable number.

[Grego]

Exactly..

To deny the significance of the lack of a center stairwell and it's impact on mid-ship cabin's can only be made by those who have never experienced the negative impact on those cabins first hand...

 

Bad design plain and simple

Srpilo

 

You probably should have checked your facts first. We have been on 3 previous Royal Class ships as shown in my signature and experienced life midship. There are only a few folks that keep complaining about the midship stairway. Most seem to deal with it. Some just want to find something negative.

[JimmyVWine]

There are only a few folks that keep complaining about the midship stairway.

Source? You know what all 3,500 passengers talk about amongst themselves while in their cabins, or over dinner, or in a lounge? Are you suggesting that the half-dozen or so conversations that you personally overhear, and which do not involve a discussion of the central staircase is a large enough sample to conclude that only a few folks find this design feature to be a good one? The fact that this issue keeps coming up over and over again (much to your dismay) belies your conclusion.

 

Edit to add...In looking at the most recent reviews posted on CC, one doesn't have to go too far to see that people still comment on this issue. So I really don't think it is just a "few folks". Two of the most recent four reviews (from this month) had this to say:

 

The ship's layout: That's been discussed mightily. Why they didn't put a center stairwell in was the discussion of many a dinner.

 

The ship itself doesn't have a mid ships stairway which makes it hard to get about as we always had to wait for a elevator. It was not uncommon to wait for 4 elevators to go past or stop only to be full.

 

One can continue reading the other 550+ reviews if one wants. But I doubt that the results will differ greatly.

Edited September 29, 2015 by JimmyVWine