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Soloing the Caribbean: Live from the Regal - 22 Jan to 05 Feb 2017

Croptop

By Croptop,
in Princess Cruises

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Croptop

Croptop

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I was up early enough to grab a cup of coffee and a banana before heading to the fitness centre for the stretch and abs classes. After doing a run each day in port, I opted to have a bit of a rest and skipped a run today. Then it was back to my cabin to get cleaned up before popping into the Horizon Court for breakfast. I really should try out the MDR for breakfast at least once on this cruise but so far I haven't done so.

 

Then I killed some time out on the Promenade deck staring first at the bow wave and later at our wake as our flotilla of cruise ships steamed generally north westerly towards Ft. Lauderdale -- we've got ship ahead of us to starboard and two abaft. It's like a cruise ship equivalent of a battle group on deployment except that there's no CAP. And there's a lot more bacon. And drinking. And art auctions instead of gun drills.

 

OK. It's nothing like a battle group.

 

Anyway, once the daydreaming was done, it was off to the Princess Live theatre for part 4 in our continuing series on bushcraft and survival. Today's topic: signalling and navigation. As always, Gordon gave an interesting and informative talk. Word has been getting out on the ship as each of his lectures has been better attended than the one prior. This lecture could have gone on a lot longer were it not for the hordes of people desperate to play Bingo kicking us out of the theatre. On the bright side, we're going to get a bonus lecture tomorrow to cover some of the things that he ran out of time on during the week. There might even be a bonus fire! If so, I'll try to get photos this time.

 

For those who asked about Gordon's future plans vis-a-vis these lectures, I have good news and bad news: The good news is that he will be continuing to give these lectures as long as he is on the ship. The bad news is that his contract with Princess is done in three weeks at which time he's leaving the ship. So if you're on the Regal in the next three weeks you'll be able to check him out for yourself.

 

Just before I knock this off and go have some lunch, I'll also add the information that people were asking for about which airlines are participating in EZCheck. They are as follows:

 

American Airlines (FLL and MIA)

Delta Airlines (FLL and MIA; domestic flights only)

Jet Blue Airways (FLL)

Southwest Airlines (FLL)

United Airlines (FLL and MIA)

Alaska Airlines (FLL)

 

Coming up later: I read more books (Oooooooh!) and it's formal night so I skip it and pig out at Sabatini's instead (Aaaaaahhh!)

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Croptop

Croptop

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Thanks John for the airline information. Looks like my airline does not participate... ( shucks )

 

We are on the Regal 2/19/17, I am guessing Gordon will be getting off then.

 

Yeah. I'm flying Delta but it's an international flight so I'm SOL too! :(

 

Sadly, it looks like you'll miss Gordon as he said he was finished, "sometime around the 20th of Feb."

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Croptop

Croptop

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The afternoon was just a lazy extension to the morning sitting out on the Promenade deck reading a book and watching the sea go by. I popped inside briefly to grab a coffee and discovered -- much to my great surprise -- there was an art auction going on in the Piazza. Is it just me or have they really cut back on these auctions? Here it is day 6 on our cruise and I swear that there has only been 7 or 8 of these auctions. Thank goodness there's another one tomorrow in case you missed out on today's. Or yesterday's. Or...

 

Anyway.

 

Mid-afternoon, I logged into my shipboard account to see how my OBC was holding up and discovered that I've been billed for the Ultimate Ship's Tour that is happening tomorrow. So no more suspense there: I made the cut. Woot!

 

Excuse me whilst I go have a celebratory plate of fries.

 

Speaking of gluttony, since I find myself with an embarrassment of available coffee card punches, I've made it my mission to sample each of the Sundae offerings at the gelato bar. Once again, I'm taking the caloric hit so that you don't have to. You're welcome. Current leader in the competition is the Oreo sundae. Highly recommended.

 

As I mentioned in my previous post, tonight was dinner at Sabatini's. Even dining solo, it took me an hour and a half to complete my meal (no dessert -- see prior comment about sundaes at the gelato bar). It's definitely a slower paced meal but oh so worth it for me.

 

Sure enough, when I returned from dinner, there was an envelope waiting for me containing my invitation to the UST along with a waiver that I need to sign absolving Princess if I get injured or killed. We're going to be venturing into some spaces potentially subjected to, "...fumes, smoke, extreme temperatures, chemical odors,... sharp pointed objects,..." etc, etc. Good thing I've taken Gordon's seminars. If I get lost, I can start a signal fire and forage for water!

 

Speaking of bushcraft lectures, sadly, the UST timing of 0815 - 1115hrs will probably end up conflicting with Gordon's final, bonus seminar so I'll end up missing my chance to grab some photos of burning coconuts. At least until next week because you know I'm going to go to those seminars again!

 

That's it for today. Coming up tomorrow: another sea day! The UST! And at least one more damn art auction! Plus I finish off the remaining contenders on the Gelato Shoppe's sundae menu!

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Hoosier-Cruiser

Hoosier-Cruiser

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Love your blog! I'll be on the Regal on Mar 26th. My boys would love the bushcraft lectures!

Thank you for sharing your adventure and humour!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

That's why I'm reading along too. We are on the same cruise as you. I haven't seen you on the roll call, come join the growing group.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2293812

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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Kenosha Cruiser

Kenosha Cruiser

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Croptop, looking forward to how the turn around goes for you when you arrive back to Ft. Lauderdale. You will have to tell us the procedure for passengers staying on for another week. This will be our first back to back cruise when we board the Regal on Feb. 12 through Feb. 26. By chance could you keep posting the Princess Patters, would love to see today's (Jan. 27th) if you have time. Enjoy, cruising is the best!

 

Cheers - Ken & Darlene

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Croptop

Croptop

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The highlight for today was the Ultimate Ship Tour from 0815hrs until just before noon. Others have written volumes about this tour so I won't go into incredible detail. But I will say that it was a fascinating and engrossing look at what goes on behind the scenes to keep us all pampered. I'll just share a few facts and tidbits that jumped out at me during the tour:

 

The Princess Theatre seats 956 people which sounds like a lot until you realise that there are well over 5000 passengers onboard. So really, less than 20% of the passengers can actually get a seat for any one show.

 

The bakery in the galley bakes over 8000 dinner rolls each day in addition to the rest of the breads and buns and rolls that they bake.

 

In the produce department, they will prep over 4000 kgs of fruits and vegetables each day.

 

The guy butchering the full chickens in the butcher shop, on average, takes less than 30 seconds per chicken. I know this because I timed him. And they do about 500 of them a day.

 

The engine control room has their own espresso machine tucked off in one corner. Classy. I don't know if the crew has to have available punches on a coffee card to use it, though.

 

As you would expect, the bridge has the best views on the ship.

 

Commodore Romano is a very personable and approachable ship commander and it was an absolute pleasure to meet him. But you might not want to sail on any ship that he is in command of on the first of April. He apparently likes to prank the passengers. If he ever announces that you all need to duck or that there are ships towing an iceberg off to starboard, I'm not saying that it won't be true. But be skeptical and check the date first.

 

All told, we visited backstage at the Princess Theatre, the medical centre, the galley and portions of their stores and prep areas, the photo lab, the print shop, the engine control room, the laundry deck, the mooring deck, and finally, the bridge -- along with a bunch of crew-only passageways and elevators along the way.

 

A big thank you to our tour guide Fernando and all of the various crew members who took time out of their busy schedules to show us a little bit of what they do.

 

I know that every time someone posts a review of the ship tour, debate is sparked over whether or not the US$150/person fee is worth it. For me, the answer is a resounding "Yes" (and I haven't factored in the swag that we received -- three 8x10 photos, a photo frame, a plush robe, an apron, and a pad of customised stationary).

 

Once that wrapped up, it was off to Alfredo's for lunch with dessert being another sundae from the gelato parlor in my ongoing quest to determine which is the best flavour. Today's contender: the Brownie Blast. It was good but the Oreo Sundae is still leading the race. Next up: the Fluffernutter!

 

Post lunch, it was off to Princess Live for part 5 of Gordon's 4-part series on bushcraft. This bonus lecture was just the tying up of a few loose ends and giving passengers a chance to ask more questions. Sadly, Gordon was out of coconut husk so no fires. Oh well. Next week.

 

The pool area on the Lido deck feels particularly crowded this afternoon on this last sea day as everyone tries to cram in one more solid day of hardcore vacationing before they have to pack up and leave the ship in the morning. I'm so glad that I'm staying on for another week but I know that I'll be in the same state at this time next week.

 

So this past week, I experimented with going to the dining room at various times in an effort to gauge how the new Club Class dining might be affecting Anytime Dining wait times. As far as I could tell, it had pretty much zero effect. If I showed up between 1730 and 1815hrs, I pretty much walked in and was seated immediately. If I showed up between 1815hrs and 1930hrs, I was pretty much assured to get a pager and would end up waiting anywhere from 10 to 20 mins. After 1930hrs or so, wait times dropped pretty much to zero again. In all of my past cruises, it's been this same pattern so I don't think that carving out a small section for Club Class dining has had much negative impact.

 

Next week, I'm on a different mission: try out breakfasts and lunches in the MDR instead of the buffet and also sit with others for dinner instead of dining alone. Should be an adventure.

 

For those of you asking for the rest of the Patters, I'll post them when we get to Ft. Lauderdale and I've got cell/Wi-Fi service.

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prg2101

prg2101

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The highlight for today was the Ultimate Ship Tour from 0815hrs until just before noon. Others have written volumes about this tour so I won't go into incredible detail. But I will say that it was a fascinating and engrossing look at what goes on behind the scenes to keep us all pampered. I'll just share a few facts and tidbits that jumped out at me during the tour:

 

The Princess Theatre seats 956 people which sounds like a lot until you realise that there are well over 5000 passengers onboard. So really, less than 20% of the passengers can actually get a seat for any one show.

 

The bakery in the galley bakes over 8000 dinner rolls each day in addition to the rest of the breads and buns and rolls that they bake.

 

In the produce department, they will prep over 4000 kgs of fruits and vegetables each day.

 

The guy butchering the full chickens in the butcher shop, on average, takes less than 30 seconds per chicken. I know this because I timed him. And they do about 500 of them a day.

 

The engine control room has their own espresso machine tucked off in one corner. Classy. I don't know if the crew has to have available punches on a coffee card to use it, though.

 

As you would expect, the bridge has the best views on the ship.

 

Commodore Romano is a very personable and approachable ship commander and it was an absolute pleasure to meet him. But you might not want to sail on any ship that he is in command of on the first of April. He apparently likes to prank the passengers. If he ever announces that you all need to duck or that there are ships towing an iceberg off to starboard, I'm not saying that it won't be true. But be skeptical and check the date first.

 

All told, we visited backstage at the Princess Theatre, the medical centre, the galley and portions of their stores and prep areas, the photo lab, the print shop, the engine control room, the laundry deck, the mooring deck, and finally, the bridge -- along with a bunch of crew-only passageways and elevators along the way.

 

A big thank you to our tour guide Fernando and all of the various crew members who took time out of their busy schedules to show us a little bit of what they do.

 

I know that every time someone posts a review of the ship tour, debate is sparked over whether or not the US$150/person fee is worth it. For me, the answer is a resounding "Yes" (and I haven't factored in the swag that we received -- three 8x10 photos, a photo frame, a plush robe, an apron, and a pad of customised stationary).

 

Once that wrapped up, it was off to Alfredo's for lunch with dessert being another sundae from the gelato parlor in my ongoing quest to determine which is the best flavour. Today's contender: the Brownie Blast. It was good but the Oreo Sundae is still leading the race. Next up: the Fluffernutter!

 

Post lunch, it was off to Princess Live for part 5 of Gordon's 4-part series on bushcraft. This bonus lecture was just the tying up of a few loose ends and giving passengers a chance to ask more questions. Sadly, Gordon was out of coconut husk so no fires. Oh well. Next week.

 

The pool area on the Lido deck feels particularly crowded this afternoon on this last sea day as everyone tries to cram in one more solid day of hardcore vacationing before they have to pack up and leave the ship in the morning. I'm so glad that I'm staying on for another week but I know that I'll be in the same state at this time next week.

 

So this past week, I experimented with going to the dining room at various times in an effort to gauge how the new Club Class dining might be affecting Anytime Dining wait times. As far as I could tell, it had pretty much zero effect. If I showed up between 1730 and 1815hrs, I pretty much walked in and was seated immediately. If I showed up between 1815hrs and 1930hrs, I was pretty much assured to get a pager and would end up waiting anywhere from 10 to 20 mins. After 1930hrs or so, wait times dropped pretty much to zero again. In all of my past cruises, it's been this same pattern so I don't think that carving out a small section for Club Class dining has had much negative impact.

 

Next week, I'm on a different mission: try out breakfasts and lunches in the MDR instead of the buffet and also sit with others for dinner instead of dining alone. Should be an adventure.

 

For those of you asking for the rest of the Patters, I'll post them when we get to Ft. Lauderdale and I've got cell/Wi-Fi service.

 

 

 

I didnt think the Regal could hold 5000 people....I thought it was like 3800??:confused:

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arizonaperson

arizonaperson

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Regal can hold 3560 if all cabins are at max -if all beds are used (passengers only not crew)

So if a quad cabin only has 2 passengers occupying the cabin obviously the numbers would go down.

Also not all passengers are trying to get into the theater at once. Some people don't care about seeing any of the production shows or they've been there done that ,so not all 3000 +passengers are trying to get in at once. Certainly seems like it at times.

But we've had absolutely no problem getting into the Princess theater for the 10 PM show ,always a seat available.

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caribill

caribill

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Regal can hold 3560 if all cabins are at max -if all beds are used (passengers only not crew)

So if a quad cabin only has 2 passengers occupying the cabin obviously the numbers would go down.

 

The 3560 only counts two passengers/cabin. Any 3rd and 4th passengers are additional. There can be up to 4222 passengers if all berths are occupied.

 

(1780 cabins x 2 = 3560)

 

So if both shows in an evening are full, it still means about 50% of the passengers have no opportunity to see the show.

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muggo11

muggo11

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Loving your review. We board on Mar 19 with 4 friends, all cruise newbies. Fortunately we were on Regal last August in the Baltic so we will he good cruise guides. Lucky enough to have had dinner with Commodore Romano. He is delightful. Also happy to see the Polonia Quartet still playing--they are excellent.

You haven't mentioned the casino--any insight on the names of the casino pit bosses or others there? I usually get to know them pretty well. In fact, my cruise in March is a freebie, thanks to Princess Casinos!

Thanks!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

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Croptop

Croptop

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It's a busy day today with 8 ships in port. The Royal stole our berth at Pier 2 so we ended up at Pier 21. I had originally planned to disembark and spend the day in Ft. Lauderdale but given the current weather conditions, I have changed my plans and will just hang out on the ship today.

 

It's nice to be able to sit and have a leisurely breakfast while all around me people scramble to disembark. I decided to breakfast in the dining room this morning. Quite a different experience from the madhouse of the buffet. Currently, traffic is light so the majority of the wait staff is, well, waiting in a line just inside the doors. Now I ask you, how am I supposed to eat like an uncouth slob when a squad of well dressed waiters is just standing across the aisle from me... staring... judging... I was so self conscious that I even ate my toast with a knife and fork!

 

Time to to watch the madhouse of disembarking passengers.

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arizonaperson

arizonaperson

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The 3560 only counts two passengers/cabin. Any 3rd and 4th passengers are additional. There can be up to 4222 passengers if all berths are occupied.

 

(1780 cabins x 2 = 3560)

 

So if both shows in an evening are full, it still means about 50% of the passengers have no opportunity to see the show.

 

Good to know. Thanks for the correction, I don't like to give out incorrect information.

Edited by arizonaperson
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