Regal Mistake

[rogerdawhip]

2 hours ago, PrincessLuver said:

have a hard time believing your story because they modified the designs for the Regal and Majestic to take care of the soot issue that is present on the Royal.

I do not appreciate being called a lair....I should have take pictures. 

 

Another poster said Princess has not built a ship with a promenade deck in decades. The last was the Ruby in 2008..my favorite ship.

More people than not must like the Royal class because Princess is currently only building them.  

My comment on Asian food not being normal was wrong.  But I still thing there was too much of it available. 

 

 

[luckyinpa]

15 minutes ago, shof515 said:

 

i sailed on the Norwegian Breakaway twice. Not a bad ship, there is some flaws to that ship too. 

 

those that have not have no idea how great regal is compared to BA. the buffet on BA is horribly arranged in a single line. regals is fantastically spread all over the place. never any wait or dishes in your back from people in back of you. atrium in BA is smaller than my local bar ....you have to fight literally for a seat. piazza on regal is soooo much more spacious. on BA if you have a rain day theres nothing to do inside. on regal you have the big piazza, intl cafe, princess live and tons more indoor seating than BA. regal is a cold weather ship. BA is not

the only area BA excels in is outdoor play activities. virtually nothing on regal can come close. 

[Hlitner]

Must admit we are puzzled about the Asian food comment.  In the Horizon court (which is a very large area) there is only one small station that has what some might call Asian food.  I do qualify this comment since, having spent a fair amount of time traveling in Asia, most of the offerings are what I would loosely call "Americanized Asian" food.   There also in an area offering some Tex/Mex stuff, a bakery, sandwich area, several hot food areas, salad bars, etc.  IMHO there is something to please most folks although one does need to take a little time to get used to the lay-out.   One big negative would be that the size works against those with mobility issues (whether real or self-imposed).

Our favorite spot on the Regal (and also the Grand Class vessels) is the area near the International Cafe.  On the Royal Class ships this area was enlarged (from the previous Grand Class design) and is used as the activity center inside the vessel.  There are "events" going on in the Atrium (deck 5) from early in the morn until late at night.  While we sometimes found the noise and activity a little annoying we eventually adapted and did have lots of fun just people watching.  But if one is looking for a quiet space this is not it!

Hank

[babs135]

Is there anywhere on the ship where people can go and quietly read, do crossword puzzles, etc? Reading this thread makes me feel not.

[richsea]

11 minutes ago, babs135 said:

Is there anywhere on the ship where people can go and quietly read, do crossword puzzles, etc? Reading this thread makes me feel not.

Yes there are places to sit and read, etc. there is Club 6, forward on deck 6, there is seating outside Princess Live on deck 7, and Wheelhouse bar is a quiet place during the day. Also, if you want to read outside, the Retreat Pool is a quiet place. There are also chairs outside on deck 7 midship. Oftentimes during the day, the Vista Lounge is quiet. And despite the many activites in the Piazza, there’s times during the day when it is quiet enough to read, or Crooners on deck 7. 

[Hlitner]

5 hours ago, babs135 said:

Is there anywhere on the ship where people can go and quietly read, do crossword puzzles, etc? Reading this thread makes me feel not.

DW and I usually manage to find a quiet spot but sometimes it does take some searching :(.  As much as we enjoy cruising on Princess it does seem like the line has determined that passengers do not deserve a quiet spot unless they are willing to pay extra (The Sanctuary).  Sit anywhere in the Atrium and you will likely be bombarded with dance classes, exercise classes, cooking demos, etc.  Go out  on the pool deck and you get blasted with MUTS...day and night!  And once we finally do find a quiet spot then we might get hit with a loud PA announcement telling us what is already in the written cruise schedule.  When the weather is good and all else fails we sometimes decide to just sit on our cabin balcony....but even this is dependent on having quiet neighbors.

 

Hank

[capriccio]

5 hours ago, richsea said:

There are also chairs outside on deck 7 midship.

And two rows of lounges outside the aft doors on deck 7 (the Promenade deck), including 2 lounges (at least on the starboard side) that face aft.

Edited October 18, 2018 by capriccio

[Hlitner]

We do have our "quiet places" on deck (far from the main pool area and MUTS).  But our most recent Regal Cruise was 14 days from Copenhagen to NYC where most days were not conducive to going outside (chilly, windy and rainy).   When everyone is forced inside (because Princess neglected to put an all-weather pool on their newer ships), finding a quiet spot to read can be a challenge.  Another issue about Princess ships which many do not mention is the lack of a nice indoor venue with a decent sea view.  Most cruise lines have at least one upper deck lounge/bar with a great view of the sea.  The designers of the Royal Class apparently decided that nobody on cruise ships cares about a sea view.  Go figure.

 

Hank

[Daniel A]

Having sailed twice on Regal and done three BVE's on Regal. I am somewhat embarrassed by the fact that neither I nor DW could tell you what the difference is between Horizon Court and Horizon Bistro (except sometimes one is open while the other is closed.)  Can anyone explain the difference?

 

Also, no more signatures in the new format?

[Daniel A]

OK, I figured out the signatures...

[JoseyP]

h-sar    as you said, the OP meant no disrespect.  He was not being insulting. To him it was not "normal" American food. He put it the best way he could. Please don't be offended by his language. I am sure the billions of Asian people would not be insulted by this, and they say their food is "normal".--to them.

[tdk]

We were just on the regal week and our first time on princess in many years.  I ... me was very disappointed in the food in the buffet area.  Now we did have friend from the Thailand who loves  seafood and various Asian food options and he was in heaven.  I love a good omelette in the morning, when I’m on vacation is about the only time I eat breakfast but I wasn’t impressed with the omelette either so only ate it once , I tried the roasted potatoes but must have gotten bad batch because they tasted like they hadn’t been washed so didn’t eat  more than a couple bites.   My favorite meals came from Alfredo’s , the main dining room and some items from the international coffee cafe, (I think that’s what it’s called I didn’t look it up ). You can get any of the sandwiches, danishes or croissants heated there , so yummy 

[shof515]

21 minutes ago, tdk said:

We were just on the regal week and our first time on princess in many years.  I ... me was very disappointed in the food in the buffet area.  Now we did have friend from the Thailand who loves  seafood and various Asian food options and he was in heaven.  I love a good omelette in the morning, when I’m on vacation is about the only time I eat breakfast but I wasn’t impressed with the omelette either so only ate it once , I tried the roasted potatoes but must have gotten bad batch because they tasted like they hadn’t been washed so didn’t eat  more than a couple bites.   My favorite meals came from Alfredo’s , the main dining room and some items from the international coffee cafe, (I think that’s what it’s called I didn’t look it up ). You can get any of the sandwiches, danishes or croissants heated there , so yummy 

 

i was also on the regal last week and it was also my first time on princess. i agree with the buffet area. the food was just ok and i noticed every other day or so they repeated a few things. I kinda wish there was more variety. The theme buffets they have is a nice idea, but i wish they can do more like offer regular food if you want to those theme dishes.

I also do not understand the purpose of the Horizon Bistro, it seems to be only open for breakfast and lunch and closed for dinner. When it is open, i noticed it does decrease the crowds at Horizon Court a little bit. 

I also had good sandwich and cakes from the international cafe. My only complaint and this is something i wrote on the survey i received, they need better equipment to heat up the sandwiches. All they do is toast the bread, it does not heat up the chicken/beef. A warm toast bread and cold meat does not taste good and it ruins the flavor of the sandwich.

 

 

Edited October 19, 2018 by shof515

[Colo Cruiser]

19 minutes ago, tdk said:

We were just on the regal week and our first time on princess in many years.  I ... me was very disappointed in the food in the buffet area.  Now we did have friend from the Thailand who loves  seafood and various Asian food options and he was in heaven.  I love a good omelette in the morning, when I’m on vacation is about the only time I eat breakfast but I wasn’t impressed with the omelette either so only ate it once , I tried the roasted potatoes but must have gotten bad batch because they tasted like they hadn’t been washed so didn’t eat  more than a couple bites.   My favorite meals came from Alfredo’s , the main dining room and some items from the international coffee cafe, (I think that’s what it’s called I didn’t look it up ). You can get any of the sandwiches, danishes or croissants heated there , so yummy 

 

Do you have any idea how far along the Medallion system is as far as installation?

[Colo Cruiser]

4 minutes ago, shof515 said:

 

i was also on the regal last week and it was also my first time on princess. i agree with the buffet area. the food was just ok and i noticed every other day or so they repeated a few things. I kinda wish there was more variety. The theme buffets they have is a nice idea, but i wish they can do more like offer regular food if you want to those theme dishes.

I also do not understand the purpose of the Horizon Bistro, it seems to be only open for breakfast and lunch and closed for dinner. When it is open, i noticed it does decrease the crowds at Horizon Court a little bit. 

I also had good sandwich and cakes from the international cafe. My only complaint and this is something i wrote on the survey i received, they need better equipment to heat up the sandwiches. All they do is toast the bread, it does not help up the chicken/beef. A warm toast bread and cold meat does not taste good and it ruins the flavor of the sandwich.

 

 

Do you have any idea how far along the Medallion system is as far as installation?

Trying to figure out if I should pre purchase the unlimited internet or not, or just wait to see if its still free.

[tdk]

No sorry not sure.   We really needed to disconnect so internet wasn’t a priority so didn’t look into it

[JoseyP]

12 hours ago, richsea said:

Yes there are places to sit and read, etc. there is Club 6, forward on deck 6, there is seating outside Princess Live on deck 7, and Wheelhouse bar is a quiet place during the day. Also, if you want to read outside, the Retreat Pool is a quiet place. There are also chairs outside on deck 7 midship. Oftentimes during the day, the Vista Lounge is quiet. And despite the many activites in the Piazza, there’s times during the day when it is quiet enough to read, or Crooners on deck 7.

Thank you for this info!  I needed it for my upcoming cruise on Regal.  and please, what does MUTS stand for?

Edited October 19, 2018 by JoseyP

[Colo Cruiser]

18 minutes ago, tdk said:

No sorry not sure.   We really needed to disconnect so internet wasn’t a priority so didn’t look into it

Are they issuing medallions at all?

[h-sar]

38 minutes ago, JoseyP said:

Thank you for this info!  I needed it for my upcoming cruise on Regal.  and please, what does MUTS stand for?

 

Movies Under the Stars 

[h-sar]

1 hour ago, shof515 said:

 

I also had good sandwich and cakes from the international cafe. My only complaint and this is something i wrote on the survey i received, they need better equipment to heat up the sandwiches. All they do is toast the bread, it does not heat up the chicken/beef. A warm toast bread and cold meat does not taste good and it ruins the flavor of the sandwich.

 

I agree! That’s why I always ask for my mozzarella tomato sandwich to be double grilled. Does the trick for heating up the guts of the sandwich without overgrilling the outside. Might not work on a croissant, though, as it’s far more delicate a bread.

Edited October 19, 2018 by h-sar

[EastBay Cruisers]

3 hours ago, Colo Cruiser said:

Are they issuing medallions at all?

 

Keith --  On the Regal, there are about 10-20 cabins on each deck that are equipped for Ocean Medallion. Our friends were in Baja 303, which was an Ocean Medallion cabin, as well as the cabins surrounding them.  The Ocean Medallion cabins are usually in the forward or mid-forward part of the Regal.

 

If you have an Ocean Medallion cabin, then you will receive your Medallion at check-in. Princess should have let you know in advance if your cabin is outfitted for the Medallion.

 

Regal's internet service is called Medallion.net,  which can be confusing, because it sounds as if only Ocean Medallion cabins can have that service.  Actually,  every cabin on the ship has access to Medallion.net , the internet service.

 

As a Platinum guest,  you should have free internet service from Medallion.net .  Our Platinum friends had free internet last week.  I don't think that Regal will change that in the two weeks before your sailing.

 

Have a great cruise, and let us know all about it !   --  EBC

Edited October 19, 2018 by EastBay Cruisers

[EastBay Cruisers]

So, to re-cap, especially for new Princess cruisers:

 

 The Ocean Medallion is the small disc which replace the cruise cards.  Right now, they are used to unlock the cabin doors and make some purchases. As more technology is installed, they will be used for other purposes later on.

 

For Ocean Medallion cabins, there is a touch screen outside the cabin door, and when you hold the Ocean Medallion up to the screen, the cabin door unlocks.

 

Medallion.net is the name of the internet service on board the Regal and some other Princess ships.Medallion.net internet service is available for everyone.   As of last week, internet service was free to Platinum and Elite Captain's Circle awards level guests.

For other guests, there was a charge of $59.00 for unlimited service for the week.  Hope this is helpful, especially for new cruisers to Princess.  -- EBC

Edited October 19, 2018 by EastBay Cruisers

[Colo Cruiser]

6 hours ago, EastBay Cruisers said:

 

Keith --  On the Regal, there are about 10-20 cabins on each deck that are equipped for Ocean Medallion. Our friends were in Baja 303, which was an Ocean Medallion cabin, as well as the cabins surrounding them.  The Ocean Medallion cabins are usually in the forward or mid-forward part of the Regal.

 

If you have an Ocean Medallion cabin, then you will receive your Medallion at check-in. Princess should have let you know in advance if your cabin is outfitted for the Medallion.

 

Regal's internet service is called Medallion.net,  which can be confusing, because it sounds as if only Ocean Medallion cabins can have that service.  Actually,  every cabin on the ship has access to Medallion.net , the internet service.

 

As a Platinum guest,  you should have free internet service from Medallion.net .  Our Platinum friends had free internet last week.  I don't think that Regal will change that in the two weeks before your sailing.

 

Have a great cruise, and let us know all about it !   --  EBC

Appreciate the details thanks. I booked last minute and it’s a 10 day so pre cruise price is $69. I know how it is trying to secure a refund after the fact. So I think I will skip the purchase. I think you are right. She is not far enough along with the installation to take the free internet away yet as they did on the CB. I was very impressed with the medallion net speed on the CB. Lighting fast.

[Go-Bucks!]

On 10/8/2018 at 5:34 PM, firecrewcapt said:

we're not the buffet type of eaters, way too many hands in the food that aren't clean/washed

That's a nice feature of the Oceania ships buffets....no one serves themselves,  the workers serve everyone...cuts down the risk of contamination.  

 

I enjoyed my Regal cruise.  Large buffet compared to the very crowded ones on Grand class, no soot on our aft balcony and since I spend zero time on a Promenade deck...couldn't care less.