New to Princess: Advice on Regal Princess Vs Crown Princess

[Mom33]

We have been on the Crown before and are sailing her next month.

We have also been on the Regal.

We have enjoyed both ships. Each has it's own pluses and minuses.

If both were doing the same itinerary however, I would favor the Regal:D

[Loyal PSU fan]

We are scheduled for the Crown next year, and looking forward to the differences in itinerary from prior Eastern Caribbean cruises we've taken. While we haven't sailed the Crown yet, we have been on Regal once, and Ruby (2) and Caribbean (2) Princess. So far we've enjoyed each ship and cruise. Regal was definitely an elegant ship, being practically brand new when we sailed. We did miss the full Promenade as we like to get our daily walks in around the ship. What little Promenade area Regal offered was very windy while underway and not protected as it juts out. The area behind the tenders is also very narrow so difficult to walk other than single file. Crown will have 2 separate pool areas, one with MUTS and one without, that can be nice if you want to see the MUTS movies, or if you want it quieter the second pool area tends to be quieter unless they have entertainment happening. On our last cruise I popped into Skywalkers on CB during the afternoon and would suggest this as a possible quiet open, under utilized location for cards or games. And it has a terrific view.

 

Bottom line is I have really enjoyed both ship layouts and would sail either, but would pick based on the itinerary and schedule considerations.

[JimmyVWine]

When we line up the pluses and the minuses side by side, we prefer Crown. Adagio is one of our favorite lounges. Crown has one and Regal does not. We love the upper deck location of Sabatini's on Crown. On Regal it is tucked down low. We enjoy the entertainment and dancing at Club Fusion. Crown has that venue. Regal does not. We enjoy the entertainment offerings in the Explorer's Lounge. Crown has that venue. Regal does not. We enjoy breakfasts and afternoon happy hour on our balcony. Crown has wonderful Mini-Suite balconies. Regal has a limited number of balconies with elbow room and you pay extra for them. We walk the Promenade daily. Crown has a full Promenade for strolling. Regal does not.

 

On the flip side...Regal has the superior buffet. We rarely eat at the buffet. Regal has Alfredo's which we enjoy. Crown does not. Regal has a larger, more grand Piazza. Enlarging that space does not seem to have enhanced the overall experience. In fact, the larger space seems to have caused Princess to repurpose the space with some odd use choices (like Zumba). We prefer the smaller Piazza that retains its communal purpose as opposed to an entertainment purpose.

 

There are definitely things about the newer builds that are "upgrades". It just so happens that they are upgrades to things that are unimportant to us. And the new design has come at the elimination of other things that we care about much more. We will sail the new ships if the itinerary demands that we do (as we will in June). But on an even-up choice, we would choose the Grand Class ships every time.

[Janie001]

Thank you all for the detailed responses - it has been very helpful! Still haven't made a decision but you have given me a lot to think about!

[neonbubble]

When we line up the pluses and the minuses side by side, we prefer Crown. Adagio is one of our favorite lounges. Crown has one and Regal does not. We love the upper deck location of Sabatini's on Crown. On Regal it is tucked down low. We enjoy the entertainment and dancing at Club Fusion. Crown has that venue. Regal does not. We enjoy the entertainment offerings in the Explorer's Lounge. Crown has that venue. Regal does not. We enjoy breakfasts and afternoon happy hour on our balcony. Crown has wonderful Mini-Suite balconies. Regal has a limited number of balconies with elbow room and you pay extra for them. We walk the Promenade daily. Crown has a full Promenade for strolling. Regal does not.

 

On the flip side...Regal has the superior buffet. We rarely eat at the buffet. Regal has Alfredo's which we enjoy. Crown does not. Regal has a larger, more grand Piazza. Enlarging that space does not seem to have enhanced the overall experience. In fact, the larger space seems to have caused Princess to repurpose the space with some odd use choices (like Zumba). We prefer the smaller Piazza that retains its communal purpose as opposed to an entertainment purpose.

 

There are definitely things about the newer builds that are "upgrades". It just so happens that they are upgrades to things that are unimportant to us. And the new design has come at the elimination of other things that we care about much more. We will sail the new ships if the itinerary demands that we do (as we will in June). But on an even-up choice, we would choose the Grand Class ships every time.

 

I was going to post a reply but this one covers nearly everything I was going to say. We're also fans of the Grand class nightclub (Skywalkers; lovely sea views) rather than Royal class nightclub (Club 6; it's a corridor). On the flip side, the adults pool on the Royal class was a lovely place to swim. But, yes, we'd pick the Crown over the Regal given a choice.

[azdmelani]

The opera singer has been on board for a while. I have seem her for the past two winters (7 cruises) and I believe I saw her one other time too. She does one show with the other singers, which has some opera in it. And then she will do another show all opera. Until our last cruise on Regal this March, her second show was in the Piazza, in March she was in the Vasta Lounge. We got lucky and had her on board each time. I will bet that she goes from ship to ship and also other cruise lines. But we enjoy her when we are lucky enough to be sailing with her. Her name is Chelsea Coyne

 

Adding my two cents- Chelsea is fabulous!

 

While I have a soft spot for the Crown (been on her four times since her debut in 2006 I think) Regal is my favorite ship.

[Crzn-Life]

When we line up the pluses and the minuses side by side, we prefer Crown. Adagio is one of our favorite lounges. Crown has one and Regal does not. We love the upper deck location of Sabatini's on Crown. On Regal it is tucked down low. We enjoy the entertainment and dancing at Club Fusion. Crown has that venue. Regal does not. We enjoy the entertainment offerings in the Explorer's Lounge. Crown has that venue. Regal does not. We enjoy breakfasts and afternoon happy hour on our balcony. Crown has wonderful Mini-Suite balconies. Regal has a limited number of balconies with elbow room and you pay extra for them. We walk the Promenade daily. Crown has a full Promenade for strolling. Regal does not.

 

On the flip side...Regal has the superior buffet. We rarely eat at the buffet. Regal has Alfredo's which we enjoy. Crown does not. Regal has a larger, more grand Piazza. Enlarging that space does not seem to have enhanced the overall experience. In fact, the larger space seems to have caused Princess to repurpose the space with some odd use choices (like Zumba). We prefer the smaller Piazza that retains its communal purpose as opposed to an entertainment purpose.

 

There are definitely things about the newer builds that are "upgrades". It just so happens that they are upgrades to things that are unimportant to us. And the new design has come at the elimination of other things that we care about much more. We will sail the new ships if the itinerary demands that we do (as we will in June). But on an even-up choice, we would choose the Grand Class ships every time.

 

I posted earlier that we prefer the Crown to the Regal. However, you said it all much better that I did. Couldn't agree more with what you wrote. What you said is what I meant to say!:)