Day 1 on Regal - early impressions and CC!

[ian441672]

First day on Regal, started with the baggage handler outside advising that I wouldn't be seeing him again on board, and was there anything I wanted to give him? His inference was clear, but I have never been approached like that before, and being from the uk (sorry!), I told him that I thought all baggage handling was included in my fare and I would not be giving him any money. I may get pilloried here, and I am not sure on the etiquette, but I didn't like his gruff and direct approach, but I walked away somewhat put out!

 

Anyway, we arrived at 11.55 and was on board by 12.30 after some organised chaos, and we found our lovely suite on deck 14. Not sure if it's my imagination but my penthouse suite seems slightly smaller than on other ships though the different configuration is nice and makes a change. The balcony is certainly more narrow than on other ships and only 2 chairs rather than the loungers as well were there. I guess this is now standard.

 

Our first mini bar was dropped off (we are suite/elite so we get another later) and I asked that being CC also now, would we get the one time wine set up (not being greedy!) and was told no. We would get 2 bottles of water instead as we get the mini bar, and CC only get the wine. Fair enough but this was not that clear.

 

I went to the concierge lounge and spoke to the host there to book the chefs table dinner but this was sold out already, by 1.30! Need to get in quick then on the next leg, next Sunday to reserve this. Also, CG was fully booked (never seen this before at such an early time) and they could only just fit us in at 6.30, rather than 7.30 as we wanted. To be fair, he did ring back at 6 to say there was availability at our preferred time.

 

On to CC lunch then! Fabulous!! After our Alaska cruise in June we were so disappointed with the food in general. We rated Celebrity 10/10 in March, but that would only warrant a 6 if generous. Here was different. We found the MDR ok, and was guided into the 'regular' line. I discreetly/awkwardly mentioned we were CC, and she got her list out which we weren't on. I said we were also Suite, and she found us. There was a small delay but then the head waiter appeared and said to the staff to seat us immediately!

 

It is a relatively small area, with around 22 tables fairly close together at times, seating 2-6 people. We were one of 4 parties there sitting down in this enclosed right hand side part of the MDR. the menu casing was marked smartly as club though I would assume the contents would be the same. For our appetiser I had a shrimp and avocado roulade type dish in a lemon alioli and a light salad garnish. It was presented well and tasted delicious. Better than anticipated for sure. My main dish was an equally delicious chicken in a tomato type sauce and freshly made spaghetti. I haven't explained it well, but it was very tasty, fresh and well presented. My wife had a lovely salmon which previously might have been oily or dry but this time neither. We are both fussy eaters and as I said, we were so disappointed last time, but this at least was a very good start. The head waiter came over to see how it was and the service was friendly and attentive, not intrusive.

 

The ship is bigger and more grand than the previous Princess ships we have sailed. More bars popping up, clubs, theatres and the dizzy inducing skywalk and bar. The piazza is more glitzy and twice the size of others. Very exciting and we look forward to exploring over the coming days. One annoying thing is having no stairs in the middle of the ship, just fore and aft. So if we just wanted to pop up or down 1 or 2 flights we would have to wait a while for the elevator or walk an age one way, then back on yourself to get to where you want to go. A small inconvenience for my first impressions of the brighter, grander, more inviting ship.

 

We had our complimentary Crown Grill dinner too. They obviously knew we were suite/elite and that showed. Very friendly and attentive service and little wait. Last time again we were here, it wasn't a great experience but after our lunch we approached this in eager anticipation. I am pleased to say we were not disappointed. I had the ubiquitous onion soup which is always the same and tasty. Then I had the shrimp in whisky glaze with the chilli rice. They had enhanced the menu slightly since our last visit as my wife had scallops to start with and a new (for us) sea bass with tempura battered king shrimps (or something like that!), which I was advised was absolutely delightful, and after tasting a bit, I concurred. The steak was nicely cooked to our liking, though I always find it quite dry. It always lacks a sauce or jus and it is a shame one is not offered. The sides were good and overall an enhanced experience. The Crooners bar was larger and more fun than usual with some good staff singing and dancing and shaking their cocktails.

 

Casino was crammed, as was the theatre and unusually for us, we struggled to get a seat. Normally we get there with five minutes to go and still get a pick of seats, but not this time. I get the feeling that this is going to be the theme moving forward so we need to be on our game! We were the only Brits in the theatre last night, largely outflanked obviously by the Americans!

 

A really good first day all in all, exploring, eating and drinking! Shame we couldn't get the chefs table and I have left it with our concierge to see if he can move our 2 waitlisted tours, so we will see. Early days yet, CC to be experienced in full over the next few days and a relaxing sea day to come.

 

Bring it on!

[sunsetbeachgal]

Am enjoying your review, thanks.

 

We always, with a friendly greeting and a smile, hand a tip to the baggage handlers at the pier. We do this regardless of where we are cruising from or the local custom. It is the way we start a cruise!

 

 

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Edited January 9, 2017 by sunsetbeachgal

[-Lew-]

Thank you for taking the time to post your impressions...

 

 

Our first mini bar was dropped off (we are suite/elite so we get another later) and I asked that being CC also now, would we get the one time wine set up (not being greedy!) and was told no.

I recommend you follow up on the wine. According to the ClubClass eFlyer, full suites enjoy all benefits of CC mini-suites (Note: Full Suite guests will also enjoy all of the elevated benefits of Club Class Mini-Suites.)

 

One annoying thing is having no stairs in the middle of the ship, just fore and aft. So if we just wanted to pop up or down 1 or 2 flights we would have to wait a while for the elevator or walk an age one way, then back on yourself to get to where you want to go. A small inconvenience for my first impressions of the brighter, grander, more inviting ship.

The aft elevators and stairs are much closer to your PH suite than the center elevators. You might want to give them a try.

 

Enjoy your cruise...

 

[JoAnneNYI]

in the flyer there are two asterisks to explain about the wine set up and that full suites don't get it because they receive the minibar

[FlorenceItaly]

Enjoying your review. We sailed on the Regal Princess, Dec. 18-29, what a fabulous cruise. We sailed on the Celebrity Eclipse Jan 2-8, and it was great, but, I still keep reminiscing about our Regal cruise. What a fabulous ship. Wishing you a wonderful cruise.

[satxdiver]

Loved the review particularly with a UK point of view. I agree that the baggage handler was rather bold in all but demanding a tip. While for those across the pond tipping is not normal, for us yanks is it standard procedure. I like your practice better. We were on the Regal last February and have been on the Royal as well. They certainly are very different from the other ships in the fleet. The center stairwell being missing has been a sore point for some time and I heard they are attempting to put it back on the Royal. Looking forward to more of your posts about our cruise.

[NeurosurgeryNP]

Thanks for the review so far. We are sailing on her in March. We can't wait. We have sailed on the Royal.

 

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[ian441672]

Had a lovely Sabatinnis breakfast, pushing the boat out with 2 Mimosas! Booked our future cruise for next year, our 'special' birthday, treating ourselves to the Owners Suite around the Med for 2 weeks! I asked the lady about the size of the suites and she confirmed they were more 'intimate (very tactful) and that the balconies were two feet narrower than other ships, to maximise passenger satisfaction outside the stateroom. At least that satisfied my curiosity and I was right!

 

Windy but warm in the top deck, time for a drink! Look forward to CC dining tonight.

[-Lew-]

 

in the flyer there are two asterisks to explain about the wine set up and that full suites don't get it because they receive the minibar

I stand corrected...thank you. You saved me from embarrassing myself in a few weeks on the Royal...

 

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks for checking in. Where are you headed?

 

Not that it helps you now but the center stairs were reconfigured for passenger use on the Royal and will be done on the Regal at some point in the future.

 

 

Bon Voyage.

[shredie]

Thanks for the information. I am a little concerned about the crowding on the ship. We'll be doing a TA this year, and a crowded ship won't be much fun. Oh well, I'll find some way around it if need be. :)

[patrickmoran]

Thanks for the information. I am a little concerned about the crowding on the ship. We'll be doing a TA this year, and a crowded ship won't be much fun. Oh well, I'll find some way around it if need be. :)

 

This cruise is absolutely full which probably won't be the case for a TA. We got a crazy move offer from P to skip this cruise which we took. We did the Royal TA in October and there were empty cabins though you still had to be at the theater at least 30 minutes before show time to get decent seats.

[lindy sails]

Enjoying your review. We sailed on the Regal Princess, Dec. 18-29, what a fabulous cruise. We sailed on the Celebrity Eclipse Jan 2-8, and it was great, but, I still keep reminiscing about our Regal cruise. What a fabulous ship. Wishing you a wonderful cruise.

 

 

Hi Marie,

I have to agree with your praise for our Regal cruise. This was my third tine on the Regal and other than a few MDR menu changes and miss steps, the Regal continued to exceed my expectations. While I enjoyed my 2 Eclipse cruises very much, the Regal is still #1. You & Elaine had the right idea extending your 11 days at sea. Hope we are all

cruising again soon!

Linda

 

 

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[FlorenceItaly]

Hi Marie,

I have to agree with your praise for our Regal cruise. This was my third tine on the Regal and other than a few MDR menu changes and miss steps, the Regal continued to exceed my expectations. While I enjoyed my 2 Eclipse cruises very much, the Regal is still #1. You & Elaine had the right idea extending your 11 days at sea. Hope we are all

cruising again soon!

Linda

 

 

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Hi Linda,

Yes, I do love the Regal. I would sail on the Regal or Royal anytime. We enjoyed our Eclipse cruise, but, the Regal cruise was special. With that said, unless it is a b2b, booking 2 cruises so close together is something I won't do again. I know, I know, such problems, LOL. While on the Eclipse, we did book a 7 day cruise on the Equinox for March 2018. It is the drink package that lures us back to Celebrity, lol.

 

 

Marie

Edited January 9, 2017 by FlorenceItaly

[easyboy]

The actuation of the baggage handler was really inappropriate. He just might have been used to receive tip from most travelers here.

Happy sailing and look forward to your updates.

[lindy sails]

Hi Linda,

Yes, I do love the Regal. I would sail on the Regal or Royal anytime. We enjoyed our Eclipse cruise, but, the Regal cruise was special. With that said, unless it is a b2b, booking 2 cruises so close together is something I won't do again. I know, I know, such problems, LOL. While on the Eclipse, we did book a 7 day cruise on the Equinox for March 2018. It is the drink package that lures us back to Celebrity, lol.

 

 

Marie

 

 

I wondered how that worked out for you. I've been looking at the Celebrity sale too with the drink package plus the $300 OBC per cabin. can't beat that. Wanted to try the Reflection or Equinox. The Regal & Reflection both made CC's top 15 list. I'll let you know what I book.

 

 

 

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[ian441672]

Thanks for checking in. Where are you headed?

 

Not that it helps you now but the center stairs were reconfigured for passenger use on the Royal and will be done on the Regal at some point in the future.

 

 

Bon Voyage.

 

Off to Dominican Republic, though the Commodore said as the sea is a bit choppy it might curtail some of the tours tomorrow. Was sunny this morning now cloudy, windy and light drizzle.

 

Thanks for info re the stairs, though why take them out in the first place?

 

Yes, it is a max capacity cruise and looks fairly busy but not overly-so. It was a bit fraught over the sun beds this morning! It is the first formal night tonight so I can get an idea around the crowds.

 

Had a fab lunch in Alfredos, after an 8 minute wait we were seated and again got excellent service. The calzone was amazing, so with 4 out of 4 quality meals so far, the proof will be in the pudding (so to speak) for our first meal proper in the CC dining room tonight. Are they getting back to the quality I used to get, I hope so. So far, so very good.

 

Cheers.

[jennybenny]

Enjoying the review and looking forward to hearing your updates. Thanks for sharing!

[Colo Cruiser]

 

Thanks for info re the stairs, though why take them out in the first place?

 

 

 

They were there all the time except configured for crew only with bare bulkheads and stairs. It was quite a task to put up all the passenger area type faux wood on the walls/carpeting/fixtures/signage etc. This was done during a scheduled dry dock last year. ;)

 

 

Enjoy your cruise!! :)

[plan09]

Thanks for posting.

Even being used to a tipping culture I would have found the baggage handler's remarks a little off putting.

Enjoy!

 

 

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[lovevacadays]

Am enjoying your review, thanks.

 

We always, with a friendly greeting and a smile, hand a tip to the baggage handlers at the pier. We do this regardless of where we are cruising from or the local custom. It is the way we start a cruise!

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Me too. I guess tipping isn't universal. In 19 cruises I have never had a luggage porter ask me for a tip.

 

Enjoying your review. We sailed on the Regal Princess, Dec. 18-29, what a fabulous cruise. We sailed on the Celebrity Eclipse Jan 2-8, and it was great, but, I still keep reminiscing about our Regal cruise. What a fabulous ship. Wishing you a wonderful cruise.

 

It is a fabulous ship, isn't it! We paid more than I have for any other cruise for an extended balcony on the Regal but it was worth every penny.

[abbydancer2003]

I wonder if the porter, recognizing that the OP wasn't American was simply trying to remind them that they aren't covered by the tips on the ship. There might have been a better way to do it, though.

 

I remember once going out to dinner with a couple of coworkers visiting from Japan. They bought me dinner, and after I walked them to their car, I went back into the restaurant, found the server, and gave her the tip she should have received.

 

And last Friday, my Australian cousin bought us dinner, and asked me what the tip should be. I told her, after confirming that for a group of 7, the tip wasn't automatically added.

[patrickmoran]

I wonder if the porter, recognizing that the OP wasn't American was simply trying to remind them that they aren't covered by the tips on the ship. There might have been a better way to do it, though.

 

I've had the porters at the Port of Miami over the years be pretty aggressive regarding giving them a tip.

[ian441672]

I wonder if the porter, recognizing that the OP wasn't American was simply trying to remind them that they aren't covered by the tips on the ship. There might have been a better way to do it, though.

 

I remember once going out to dinner with a couple of coworkers visiting from Japan. They bought me dinner, and after I walked them to their car, I went back into the restaurant, found the server, and gave her the tip she should have received.

 

And last Friday, my Australian cousin bought us dinner, and asked me what the tip should be. I told her, after confirming that for a group of 7, the tip wasn't automatically added.

 

All points made around me not tipping - well, fair enough and I accept them! Though being suite/elite should have no bearing on it affordability wise as someone mentioned, nevertheless you all make fair points! It's just his direct attitude and the fact I had never been approached before nor it ever crossed my mind before in all the worldly ports I have boarded before (and the fact I am a Brit!), is the reason why I have not tipped. I will bear it in mind in future!

 

CC dining was a success tonight. We arrived at 8pm, no queues either side and were shown to our table. The menu seemed shorter than previous cruises but you still had a fair selection. I chose Caribbean shrimp salsa, and a veal ravioli with porccini mushrooms in a nice sauce while my wife had the shrimp Danielle. The extra offering was advised to us sometime after the menu was given to us, and immediately before our order was taken, so not much time to consider the Shrimp American (with mash potato!) option. If we had been given it with our menu that would have been better. I saw nothing prepared table side.

 

Hardly anyone else joined the area after we sat down, No one was near us and the service was excellent. The server jokingly admitted it was nice and quiet here tonight. The head waiter engaged with us and I enquired how CC was going, just after I heard him have an altercation with a non CC passenger. He said it was fine though that argument was a bit of class envy going on. "I've had 14 cruises with you, well NEVER AGAIN' was the upshot of an elite pax not being able to sit in club. The head waiter was sympathetic but explained how it was, but you could tell he didn't suffer fools. We had a good chat and I understood his concerns around it, but he thought it a good thing that would work well. Peak time seemed to be around 7-8 though they have not been busy and he has sent waiters back to the MDR to help other parts of the restaurant when quiet in CC.

 

Food was again of good quality. Steady, this could be a pattern that I am enjoying! Excellent taste, presentation and size. Really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere, enhanced service and the banter between us, the crew staff and head waiter.

 

Due to bad weather, Dominican Republic has been cancelled tomorrow, all tours refunded and we will arrive in St Kitts 3 hours earlier the next day. Shame and hope it's not too windy on top deck tomorrow!

 

Formal night good, about 20 odd tux's on display, mainly business suits with ties, some without, and a few lower than that, but a decent turn out! The commodore didn't say too much, but introduced the crew and waterfall and made way for a pleasant evening.

 

So an extra day at sea, pub lunch on offer (yesss!) and will hope for a calm sunny, less windy day! Still, so far, so very good!

[Woobstr112G]

OP;

 

Enjoy your cruise.....:):):)

 

Bob

Edited January 10, 2017 by Woobstr112G