Regal Princess Mexico 9/26/05-10/6/05 Review

[Desert Nurse]

Here is the first part of my review plus a link to my photos. I'll be posting the rest of my review in parts during the week and will post the Patters and menus this weekend.

 

Regal Princess Mexican Riviera 9/26/05-10/06/05

 

Link to photos: http://community.webshots.com/album/470740905rwWzyH

 

Background

I traveled solo on this cruise as I do about 50% of the time. I am an experienced traveler with over 20 cruises just on Princess. I used to travel on other cruise lines but Princess provides better prices for solo cruisers and with the Elite perks it’s hard to cruise with another line again.

 

The Ship

I sailed on the Regal Princess to the Western Caribbean about 11 years ago. I have to admit that this previous cruise was not my best cruise due to a problem with the dining room staff but this didn’t dissuade me from booking the ship again.

 

She is a smaller older vessel holding 1590 passengers and first sailed in 1991. She was designed by the architect Renzo Piano who wanted the ship to resemble a dolphin. Dolphins are a theme throughout the ship including the handles on the slot machines. Since she is a smaller vessel she cannot offer some of the choices that the larger new ships offer but she more than compensates with an intimate charm and warmth that you cannot get on the larger ships. The ship is in very good shape considering at one time she was going to leave the fleet soon. She is tastefully decorated with muted colors and decorated with a lot of teak, brass and marble.

 

The crew were extremely upbeat, partially because this was their first warm weather cruise after four months in Alaska. Because the ship is smaller, you have the opportunity to get the crew better and they get to know your preferences.

 

Your cruise card is paper with bar codes on it and is separate from your room key. You are given a clear plastic wallet that will carry both items and is color coded around the edges with your Gold, Platinum or Elite status. You do not need to remove your cruise card when exiting or reboarding the ship as the entire plastic wallet fits in the machines easily.

 

Embarkation/Disembarkation

I drove over from the California desert to the cruise and parked in one of the “Park n Ride” lots that also service the airport. When you drive into the lot, let the attendant that gives you the ticket know that you are going to the cruise port and don’t care to go by the airport first and they will send a van just for you. I had barely stepped out of my car when the van pulled up behind me and the driver loaded my luggage for me. Your will receive a paper with a phone number on it to call after you get off the ship and they pick you up promptly and deliver you right to your car. http://www.parkandrideinc.com/parkandrideinc.com/

 

Embarkation in San Diego did not go well while under the control of the Port Authority. Since this was the first Princess cruise of the season, they only provided four porters for the entire ship and only one container to load luggage on the ship which delayed luggage arriving at the cabins. There were many rumors that the port workers were craving the overtime pay and that’s why the appropriate amount of staff and equipment were not provided. After being dropped off at the port, we had to stand in a long long line in the hot sun and drag all our luggage to the front of the line until a porter was available. I have to admit I didn’t plan on moving my own luggage that far and it was a challenge.

 

Once you got inside and were under Princess’ control, the embarkation went much faster. With express check in I was on the ship in less than 15 minutes after entering the terminal building. Security did not require that I remove my laptop from the case as they did in San Pedro earlier this year.

 

One curiosity, I have never seen so many people filling out their documents in the terminal! There were long tables set up for this purpose so obviously Princess was excepting them. These passengers obviously did not fill their information out online or mial it in before the cruise. I’m sure it took them much longer to check in because they didn’t have anything completed in advance.

 

Disembarkation was a breeze. It started a little late due to international passengers that would not show up for immigration but we quickly caught up and actually got off earlier than expected. There are two flights of stairs after you get off the ship so keep that in mind. There is only one elevator in the terminal building but there was a long line waiting for that elevator. There are no escalators like other terminal buildings. The customs officials were standing in three lines and simply collected your customs form and glanced at your passport. There were plenty of porters this time. I called the number provided by Park N Ride to let them know I had my luggage and they told me there was a van already waiting that was going to my particular lot. The porter took me right to the van and I was at my car ready for the drive home in about fifteen minutes.

 

Weather

The captain did an excellent job of skirting two tropical storms. I don’t think everyone on board realized that the slightly rought seas we had one day were actually a blessing compared to the rougher seas we could have encountered. It was hot and humid in the ports which is to be expected this time of year. As soon as you were back on the ship with the ocean breeze it was very comfortable.

 

Food

The Regal Princess provides many food options which leaves me somewhat perplexed by those who complain about the food. If something is not to your liking, just order something else! The dining room menus offered the same quantity of choices as the larger ships. Our waiter and assistant waiter were perfect and never forgot a preference or request. The buffet is set up with one single line on each side instead of the “scramble” system which means you see the entire buffet. I know some do not like the scramble system, but I do because I usually only want a couple of items. The buffet is smaller than other ships so on any given day you may see fewer choices on any particular day but the choices change daily. Again if you don’t see the juice or item you want, just ask! The hamburger grill was always popular with little wait. Then to my favorite, the pizzaria. I could eat there every day and almost did. The wait is relatively short for a fresh hot pizza made just for you. If you like pesto, be sure to try the pesto pizza that is a special of the day. It was offered twice on this cruise. My other favorite is the calzone.

[kayred]

Thank you for the post, I can't wait to hear more. I am glad you had a good time. I was worried for you all with storms, I watched the cam and it didn't look like the weather was too bad...I am glad it wasn't. Thanks for taking the time to review, it is great to hear about the Mexico cruises..

[bdjam]

Great to see the :D Good to see Regal is still a welcoming ship. Thanks for the photos.

[Dave Hansen]

I enjoyed your review. The last time we were on the Regal the trip

was L.A to Hawaii. Every cruise is my favorite cruise until the next

one.

Dave Hansen

[mii]

Hi Cricket: Great review but I have a question. Is this something new with the cruise card? You said it was paper with bar codes and a separate room key both placed in a plastic wallet. Now that is the first time I have heard of that. Just curious.

 

I anxious to hear more about your review.

 

Marilyn

[Coral]

Does the Regal Princess still have the sit down pizzeria? Or is it near the pool and ordered by the slice?

 

I thought they were going to move the sit down pizzeria during a dry dock but I don't think that dry dock ever took place....

 

Thanks for the review.

[spongerob]

Cricket, your comments make me want to find an excuse to book a cruise on Regal Princess. Thanks for your review.

[crusdiva]

Cricket,

Thank you for the review and your wonderful pictures - I enjoyed them very much. Having sailed twice on the Regal's sister, the Crown I have a soft spot in my heart for these classy vessels. I love hearing good things about her.

 

Marilyn,

I remember the same type of cruise card when we sailed the Crown a few years ago - if I remember the APASS security system was a little different onboard the Crown - there was a security system in place but the cards were indeed paper.

 

I do remember that on that sailing on the Crown the developer/CEO of the APASS security system was sailing with us and he said that Princess hadn't updated the Regal and Crown systems - this was in 2001.

 

Brian, can you comfirm that for us? I'm a little fuzzy on the details. ;)

Thanks.

[Desert Nurse]

Does the Regal Princess still have the sit down pizzeria? Or is it near the pool and ordered by the slice?

QUOTE]

 

It's still a sit down pizza place which gives you a hot pizza that you order rather than a slice of whatever is available. I prefer the sit down type.

 

Marilyn, the Regal has always had a separate room key just like all the older Princess ships. This is nothing new but it would take a major overhaul to change the locks on all the rooms to accept the cruise cards you see on the newer ships.

[mii]

Thanks Cricket and Diva for the answers on the sail card. I sailed on the old Crown in 2001 and honestly I cannot remember what the heck I used but since then have been on newer ships with the credit card thingy. Again thanks for the answer.

 

Marilyn

[Pam in CA]

Cricket... great review. You have very eloquently echoed my feelings about the Regal. To add what you said, on our cruise to/from Hawaii, there was an omelet station in the buffet where they would make you eggs any way you wanted them: fried, scrambled, omelet, etc., right in front of you. Also, I hope people picked up on your comment that the food in the buffet changed every day. On our cruise, that meant not just a few changes but extra tables with different "themed" dishes every day, such as Italian, Mexican, PacRim, etc.

 

Like you, I have a hard time understanding why people whine about the food since you can always send it back, ask for something else, or ask for something (if you let them know the day before) special. When I want a juice that's not set out on the buffet or in a large glass, I ask for it. When my sister and BIL were celebrating their 40th anniversary, we asked for a special dessert (not cake) to be made for them (and us :) ). I have always found the Princess dining staff wonderfully flexible and accommodating.

 

The cruise "card" on the Regal is the same as we had on the Royal Princess: a paper equivalent of the credit card type that is used on other Princess ships. It's in a two-sided, clear plastic "wallet" that's just a little bit bigger than the cruise card and folds in half. There's a pocket on each half to hold the paper cruise card and your room "key" which is a thicker plastic key with a "punched hole" code. You put the key into the lock and leave it in, open the door, and then pull it out. The plastic wallet is great because you can use it to hold any receipts you get while onboard and it fits easily into a small purse or pocket.

[DanL]

DN - thanks for posting review. Looking forward to the rest since we are on Regal 10/26.

Question: Did you hear anything about the San Sebastian tour from PV? Pricey but we are looking at seriously. Dan

[Rebel]

Can't wait for the rest of your review. Loved your pictures. Thanks!

 

Can you tell me if the washers and dryers in the self-service laundry are free and if not how much does it cost to do a load? I've read conflicting reports about this and would really like to know if I can cross off "get rolls of quarters" from my "to do" list.

[Rebel]

Can't wait for the rest of your review. Loved your pictures. Thanks!

 

Can you tell me if the washers and dryers in the self-service laundry are free and if not how much does it cost to do a load? I've read conflicting reports about this and would really like to know if I can cross off "get rolls of quarters" from my "to do" list.

[LARGIN]

Thanks Cricket for the review.. Up until a few years ago, the Regal was our favorite ship.. I plan to sail her again next year..

[calikak]

Cricket, glad you had a good time, and thanks for the review! :)

[Coral]

Cricket -

 

If I had looked at the pics this morning - I guess I could have answered my own question about the pizzeria :) I just had time to read the review before I left for work.

 

Your pictures are great - it brings back the fun times of my Mexican Riv cruise a few years ago.

 

Thank you for the interior shots of the Regal - this is one of the first albums I have seen with Regal cabin pictures and other interior pictures. This is also the first album I have seen with pictures of Randi in them.

 

Glad you had a fun cruise! The Regal is on my list of ships to sail in the next year or so.

 

Again, thanks for the great review and pics!

 

Theresa

[sunprincess]

Cricket,

 

Welcome Home!

Thanks so much for your review & photos of the Regal.

Hard to imagine it has been 10 years since I last cruised on the Regal.

[Desert Nurse]

Ports

Cabo San Lucas

This was a port that required tenders to get to shore. We were here the entire day instead of a half day as you do on many other cruises. When exiting the tender to the dock the port authorities were there confiscating any food products that were brought ashore. There was a huge basket of mostly fruit by the time I got there. It was 104 and very humid due to the first of two tropical storms/hurricanes that we nearly encountered on this cruise. I just did a little shopping with friends and stopped for a Waborita at Cabo Wabo.

 

Acapulco

I did the “Acapulco through the ages” tour. This tour was done in vans with only six people in each van which made it more comfortable. We visited the old Flamingo Hotel in the older section of Acapulco which was filled with photos of the celebrities that once visited there. We made a stop at the cliff divers site and although it was not one of the normal times for dives, they were practicing so we did get to see some beautiful dives. If you have ever been to Acapulco you have seen the large cross on top the hill. This is a private site called the Chapel of Peace. A wealthy woman built it in memory of her two sons who died in an airplane accident. You must have clearance 24 hours before visiting to enter the Las Brisas community that surrounds the base of the Chapel. The views of Acapulco from the chapel were breath taking. Our tour ended at the fort museum which was refurbished three years ago. It is a very interesting presentation on how other cultures traded with and influenced the Acapulco natives. I bought a very interesting CD in the gift shop there of salsa music from all over the world including countries you would never think of like Scotland and Japan.

 

 

Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa

I did the “Ixtapa Resort” tour. After tendering ashore, we boarded a bus for a short tour of Zihuatanejo with a stop at a scenic overview which provided excellent views of the ship anchored offshore. After that we went over the hill to Ixtapa. One of the scenic stops was atop an overpass! Ixtapa is a swamp that has been filled to create the land for the resorts. We were shown a pond with several large crocodiles in it. I was disappointed in Ixtapa after hearing that it was a desired destination for many. If you plan to spend all your time at a resort it would be fine. But remember that the undeveloped areas around are still swamps.

 

Puerto Vallarta

I did the “Tequilla, Town & Countryside” tour. Although it was Sunday, we did stop at a small church in a small town on the way to the tequilla factory. It was beautiful to hear the gospel music as we approached and most of us hung back so as not to disrupt the services. Of course there was one woman who marched in, wearing shorts, and flash camera in hand! (The same ugly American later insisted on lighting a candle at the cathedral and made a fool of herself bargaining with a nun for the price of a candle.) After services were concluded, the parishoners invited us to view their church. Then on to the tequilla factory where we received an interesting presentation on how tequilla is made from blue agave. During the tequilla tasting you are given a tiny cup but don’t worry, there are fourteen different types of tequilla to taste so you won’t be cheated. They manufacture flavored tequilla that was very smooth and I bought on bottle of almond flavor. ($25) The was a open restuarant with seating and stalls for shopping outside the factory. We were each given a couple for a cold beer, soda or coffee. I found a tile painter like the one I found last year in Puerto Vallarta and bought two more tiles to frame. ($20 for 2) These artists paint with one fingernail. They dip the fingernail in the paint, paint the tile, clean the fingernail and move on to another color. You’ll see a picture of the tiles in my photos. After a drive back to town with a shopping stop in town, we were back at the ship. A very interesting unique tour. (http://www.haciendadonaengracia.com)

 

Mazatlan

I spent the day with Randi from Randi’s Happy Horses. (http://www.randishappyhorses.com) I couldn’t ride due to a hip injury but spent the time at Victor’s on the beach. Although it was hot in Mazatlan, sitting in the shade with the ocean breeze at the beach was perfect. The day following my visit was Randi’s birthday so I brought her a few little gifts (as did passengers off the Celebrity ship in port) including a pair of gold Mickey Mouse ears from Disneyland’s 50th birthday with her name embroidered on the back. She wore them all day and got some funny comments and looks by people who know her in town. They kept call her “Randi Mouse.” I had cold beer, garlic shrimp, and good company so what else could you ask for? When the riders arrived several of the women had their hair braided while sitting at Victor’s. I snapped some pictures of the beach and Victor’s which you can see in my album. I wouldn’t consider going to Mazatlan without riding or visiting with Randi.

[hendey47]

hi desert nurse, glad you had a good time on the regal. I am going on the regal 11/5. this is the first time i am going on this ship. I have been on 20 princess cruises, but most have been to the caribbean on th e grand class ships. I am looking forward to see the patters and menus from you cruise. can you please tell me when you are planning to scan them.

thanks, roy

[Druke I]

I agree - the Regal is a great ship, and takes to rough water better than the much larger Grand class.

 

We'll be on her, 'round the Horn, Mar 06.

[LBL]

Desert Nurse,

 

Loved your pictures!! The Captain looked so much more relaxed at your cocktail party then the one I attended. He loves the warm weather. So glad you enjoyed your trip. . .the pictures really showed what a good time you had.

 

Carole

[Desert Nurse]

Cabin

I booked approximately eight months in advance and booked an obstructed outside guarantee and was upgraded to an unobstructed cabin on Caribe deck. The cabin was very spacious with lots of storage. The desk area had eight drawers, the bedside stands another eight drawers, the hallway closet area nine large drawers plus large storage spaces on either side of the safe, and the bathroom had two mirrored cabinets that closed as well as a large shelf under the sink. The closed had about 30 hangers in it waiting for my use and a large shelf above.

 

Your suitcases may not fit under the beds on the Regal unless you have duffle bags or something similar that fold down quite flat. Otherwise you can put your suitcases in your closet on the carpet, up on top the shelf, or give them to your room steward to store.

 

I asked for an eggcrate mattress when I first met my room steward and it was on within a hour. That little bit of extra padding makes the beds more comfortable. The room configuration was with the bed under the window so I climbed up on the bed and sat on the shelf under the window when I wanted to look outside. The black out curtains work very well and provided excellent darkness even during the day. The refrigerator is in the hallway between the bathroom and the bedroom and has two large open shelves above it that can also be used for storage. One of my favorite features is a large wall mirror opposite the refrigerator so you can actually see your entire outfit before you step out the door.

 

Princess has added the mailboxes outside the door like they have on the other ships but the door does lack the "peep hole" to see who is outside your door. This wasn't really a problem but I am nosy and like to see who is outside my door making noise. I had neighbors on this cruise (just like many times before) that never caught their door before it slammed......every time they went in or out of their room. The neighbors in the inside cabin across the hall from me sat in their room most of the days with the door open. With so many lovely places on the ship, why would you sit in an inside room?

 

Important note: There is only one, repeat ONE, outlet in the room on the desk. I always bring a power strip so I can plug everything in at once and it was extremely useful this trip. The hair dryer is also above the desk area and works but if you have longer hair like me, it tends to suck your hair into the back of the dryer so beware.

 

I had one of those wonderful room stewards that seemed to know what I wanted before I did. I've had some room stewards who were less than attentive because they perceived that they would be getting a smaller tip from my cabin with only one occupant.

[emang]

Cricket,

 

Could you tell me how the ship handles the time zone changes? Did they change the ship time so that it always matched local time or did they stay with one time on the ship?

 

I am trying to find out for sure if the arrival times posted in our itinerary are local times or 'ship' times.

 

Thanks,

 

Jeff

[Desert Nurse]

Cricket,

 

Could you tell me how the ship handles the time zone changes? Did they change the ship time so that it always matched local time or did they stay with one time on the ship?

 

I am trying to find out for sure if the arrival times posted in our itinerary are local times or 'ship' times.

 

Thanks,

 

Jeff

 

Jeff, I didn't really pay attention to local time but stayed on ship time. I do know that in Mazatlan that ship time did match the local time.