Change of ship

[Colorado Coasty]

26 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

I also did "my" homework.  There are aft suites (soot), forward suites (motion), and deck 14 midship suites.

 

According to the news release:

 

Cabins will be reassigned by category (window suite to full suite).

Location will also be a factor (window suites = midship)

 

I am also booked in a window suite (love the location) and therefore the reason for me booking the Grand.  I chased her around the world to find an itinerary that I would find interesting (Iceland).  I am so disappointed in the change, but will sit back and have a wait and see attitude.  It will be most interesting how Princess will handle this cross over.  

Chances are that if you paid for a cat.S7 on Grand they will not be giving you a cat.S4 on Regal. But who knows.

[Grego]

On 7/8/2020 at 1:59 PM, cr8tiv1 said:

I am voicing my objection to any thread that mentions the replacement of the Grand itineraries with the Regal.  Princess may think this is a good move, but I am in the minority that will not sail on these "MEGA" ships.  

 

I, too, am wondering how they are going to move passengers equitably from one ship to the next.  I guess I will give them the benefit of the doubt and wait for a room assignment.  Most likely, I will have to cancel this cruise.

 

I am not in favor of this change.

The cruise line has every right to change ships and itineraries.  This "Mega" ship is only 500 pxs and 35,000GT larger and certainly not the size of the Oasis class ships of RCL.  With the huge changes in when and where the ships can sail to, the itinerary that the Grand class ship was going to see has now become of more interest to more customers and it is important to get the right product to fill the need.

If a particular room on a Grand class ship is that important then find an opportunity to sail on her in the cabin that you require to have a great voyage.  I'm sure that those on the Regal won't miss anyone that would be having a bad time because they were on a "Mega" ship.

[crows nest club]

17 hours ago, Colorado Coasty said:

Chances are that if you paid for a cat.S7 on Grand they will not be giving you a cat.S4 on Regal. But who knows.

There are no cat S7 suites on Regal, only S3 and S4. Having booked a window suite on Grand, I will assume that we will be given one if these. 

[Colorado Coasty]

53 minutes ago, crows nest club said:

There are no cat S7 suites on Regal, only S3 and S4. Having booked a window suite on Grand, I will assume that we will be given one if these. 

Thank you, my point exactly. No S7 on Regal but there are S5 suites. These are called Premium Suites and are located on the forward corners. As these are the lowest cat suites on Regal, it is a good bet that those who were in window suites on Grand will be assigned to these.

[riffatsea]

Him? I looked at the deck plan of the Regal and didn't see any midshipmen suites which is what we booked on the Grand. I guess I didn't  look on deck 14 7 I'll look again now

[crows nest club]

1 hour ago, Colorado Coasty said:

Thank you, my point exactly. No S7 on Regal but there are S5 suites. These are called Premium Suites and are located on the forward corners. As these are the lowest cat suites on Regal, it is a good bet that those who were in window suites on Grand will be assigned to these.

Thanks Colorado Coasty. 

I forgot to mention that my husband is 89 years old and has age related mobility walking issues (don't we all lol!!). As the S5 Premium Suites are the 1st forward cabins on each deck, with the added fact of more movement of the ship

 This would, of course, be s safety issue when in cabin, or going to and fro from restaurants/lounges/buffet etc., apart from the long trek

 

I have therefore explained to our T/A that we book window suites because of their midship/forward position. 

We are therefore hoping we can have one of the mid/aft suites on Riviera Deck.

We await with bated breath.

Edited July 10, 2020 by crows nest club
Typo

[Colorado Coasty]

35 minutes ago, crows nest club said:

Thanks Colorado Coasty. 

I forgot to mention that my husband is 89 years old and has age related mobility walking issues (don't we all lol!!). As the S5 Premium Suites are the 1st forward cabins on each deck, with the added fact of more movement of the ship

 This would, of course, be s safety issue when in cabin, or going to and fro from restaurants/lounges/buffet etc., apart from the long trek

 

I have therefore explained to our T/A that we book window suites because of their midship/forward position. 

We are therefore hoping we can have one of the mid/aft suites on Riviera Deck.

We await with bated breath.

I hope they can do this for you.

[crows nest club]

1 minute ago, Colorado Coasty said:

I hope they can do this for you.

Thank you for your kind thoughts. 

We have been loyal to Princess over the years - 65 cruises with them - so we hope they will look favourably on us in our "time of need". Will keep you updated.

[phabric]

It is hard waiting to see where Princess plans to put everyone as most of us pick the cabin/location you want.
 

I spend time deciding on location/category of my cabin.  

[kernowkat]

We also received the email, have had two cruises cancelled for this year. The Regal Princess would probably not have been our first choice of ship, but I will be delighted just to be on a cruise next year. She looks a very nice ship bigger than I would have liked, but will enjoy anyway, if we can go.

[cr8tiv1]

5 hours ago, Grego said:

The cruise line has every right to change ships and itineraries.  This "Mega" ship is only 500 pxs and 35,000GT larger and certainly not the size of the Oasis class ships of RCL.  With the huge changes in when and where the ships can sail to, the itinerary that the Grand class ship was going to see has now become of more interest to more customers and it is important to get the right product to fill the need.

If a particular room on a Grand class ship is that important then find an opportunity to sail on her in the cabin that you require to have a great voyage.  I'm sure that those on the Regal won't miss anyone that would be having a bad time because they were on a "Mega" ship.

 

I am not disputing Princess' right to change ships.  I am voicing my disappointment.  MEGA is "big" for me.  The Regal has 3560 passengers and the Grand has 2600.  That's close to 1000 more people in public areas with only one theater for all those extras.

 

I did track the Grand around the world from the time she left San Francisco to her travels WEST through Asia and around to the Mediterranean.  I considered a few cruises that had availability in the stateroom of my liking.  I was thrilled to find an itinerary that was exciting.  Booked it.  

 

Everyone has their favorite ships.  Princess has already cancelled two of my cruises.  I might have to cancel this one.  Most of my cruises are booked for the ship.  It really isn't that important where I am going.  At this point, I have an open mind and am waiting to see what will happen.  I am sure someone will be thrilled if I should cancel this cruise and my category becomes available.  

 

And yes, I am a grand class fan (and smaller).  I already have 2 more cruises booked on the Grand Princess.  

 

I am sure there are many passengers who agree with me and many who agree with you.  My preference will always be for Princess's smaller ships.  Unfortunately, this fleet is slowly being depleted.  

[phabric]

I used a FCD for my Grand cruise.  The OBC for an Oceanview is $25 for a 7 day cruise.

 

Since the Regal does not have oceanview, they will move us to a balcony which has a $50 OBC for a FCD.
 

I know if you take an upgrade, you do not get the higher FCD OBC.

 

Will they give us $25 or $50, anybody know?

[Cairn Mom]

I was happy to learn that the Regal was replacing the Grand for our cruise. The Grand is my least favorite of the the grand class ships. I selected the cruise for the itinerary which is Norway and Iceland. I believe the switch was made for health reasons. Since the virus is airborne, I think Princess  wants as many cabins as possible to have access to fresh air and the Regal is mostly balconies. The ventilation systems on the newer ships are probably easier to upgrade than those on the older ships. These were my first thoughts when I heard about the ship swap. I doubt they’ll ever tell us.

[ldubs]

10 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

I am not disputing Princess' right to change ships.  I am voicing my disappointment.  MEGA is "big" for me.  The Regal has 3560 passengers and the Grand has 2600.  That's close to 1000 more people in public areas with only one theater for all those extras.

 

I did track the Grand around the world from the time she left San Francisco to her travels WEST through Asia and around to the Mediterranean.  I considered a few cruises that had availability in the stateroom of my liking.  I was thrilled to find an itinerary that was exciting.  Booked it.  

 

Everyone has their favorite ships.  Princess has already cancelled two of my cruises.  I might have to cancel this one.  Most of my cruises are booked for the ship.  It really isn't that important where I am going.  At this point, I have an open mind and am waiting to see what will happen.  I am sure someone will be thrilled if I should cancel this cruise and my category becomes available.  

 

And yes, I am a grand class fan (and smaller).  I already have 2 more cruises booked on the Grand Princess.  

 

I am sure there are many passengers who agree with me and many who agree with you.  My preference will always be for Princess's smaller ships.  Unfortunately, this fleet is slowly being depleted.  

 

It has been many many years since we were on Grand or Crown Princess.  I like both a lot.   Never been on Regal so can't compare.  

 

I'm only posting because I find it amazing that Grand Princess is now considered a smaller ship.  When we were on it the first time we were stunned at the size, but that was probably 15 or more year ago I'm guessing.   Anyway, we have nice memories.  Maybe someday we will get to sail on Grand again.   

[AtlantaCruiser72]

33 minutes ago, ldubs said:

I'm only posting because I find it amazing that Grand Princess is now considered a smaller ship.  When we were on it the first time we were stunned at the size, but that was probably 15 or more year ago I'm guessing. 

 

I remember when the Grand was launched in 1998 she was billed as the largest, most expensive and amenity filled ship in the world.  I believe she was the first passenger vessel built to exceed 100K GRT and had the highest ratio of balcony cabins to total passengers in the world.  Reaction to her was polarizing. Many said they would never sail such a "monster" ship and decried her size and passenger capacity. Others loved the unprecedented variety and choice of dining, entertainment and accommodation she offered.  She was built for Anytime dining, which revolutionized how we approach cruise ship dining.  Truly a ship of firsts and Princess really changed the industry when she launched. 

 

Now she's called smaller, mid sized or outdated..... My how times have changed!

Edited July 11, 2020 by AtlantaCruiser72

[caribill]

12 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

I am not disputing Princess' right to change ships.  I am voicing my disappointment.  MEGA is "big" for me.  The Regal has 3560 passengers and the Grand has 2600.  That's close to 1000 more people in public areas with only one theater for all those extras.

 

 

 

To me the problem is not 1000 more people on the ship. It is 1000 more people in ports, many of which are already overcrowded.

 

It also makes shore excursions (both independent and cruise company) more expensive as supply is usually limited and demand is larger.

[susancruzs]

To me the problem is not 1000 more people on the ship. It is 1000 more people in ports, many of which are already overcrowded.

 

This is my issue, I've adjusted to the Royal class ships.  I don't go to the Caribbean anymore, it was great in the 80's & 90's.  I don't care for the crowds in the ports.  Having cruised for 35+ years, I understand logistics, money aspect, why cruising is the way it is, why things have changed.  

[Coral]

7 hours ago, caribill said:

 

To me the problem is not 1000 more people on the ship. It is 1000 more people in ports, many of which are already overcrowded.

 

It also makes shore excursions (both independent and cruise company) more expensive as supply is usually limited and demand is larger.

For me, it is both. I hate crowded ships.

[cr8tiv1]

10 hours ago, caribill said:

 

To me the problem is not 1000 more people on the ship. It is 1000 more people in ports, many of which are already overcrowded.

 

It also makes shore excursions (both independent and cruise company) more expensive as supply is usually limited and demand is larger.

 

I'm waiting to see on a couple of deal breakers:

 

Which cabin will I be assigned in the crossover.

If ports remain the same, will they need to do more tendering than docking?

 

1000 more passengers going ashore does put more demand on the port.  I'm citing reviews of the Caribbean Princess arriving at Greenland ports.

 

It is a wait and see game this far out.  Thanks for your post.

[darknightsdespiser]

On 7/10/2020 at 5:10 PM, phabric said:

It is hard waiting to see where Princess plans to put everyone as most of us pick the cabin/location you want.
 

I spend time deciding on location/category of my cabin.  

So do we

[caribill]

4 hours ago, Coral said:

For me, it is both. I hate crowded ships.

 

I dislike crowded parts of ships also. Even on the Grand class sized ships there are big crowds to wade through when they have sales tables outside of the atrium shops or have passageways blocked off by ship photographer setups.

 

In the current Princess fleet, the Pacific Princess is the only one that does not feel overcrowded at times.

[retrembl]

On 7/8/2020 at 1:51 PM, darknightsdespiser said:

Just had an email saying our cruise on Grand next year has changed to Regal - horrible ship with no prom deck; and how do we keep the cabin we chose? Absolutely furious.

That's a shame,  I'm not a fan of the Majestic Class ships either.

 

[ICANDIGIT]

We have been on both the Regal and Royal. We were concerned about the number of passengers on board. We found that it was only a problem was after a show in the theater. We learned to sit in the atrium for 10  to 15 minutes and the crowd thinned out. We are scheduled on the Sky in Dec. We'll see if that happens.

Mike

[Ombud]

Delete ....

Edited July 12, 2020 by Ombud

[PoohUnderstands]

On 7/9/2020 at 10:33 AM, Colorado Coasty said:

We are also booked in a window suite for the Norway cruise. 

There are 35 full suites on the Grand (this includes window suites, which are full suites minus the balcony) and 40 full suites on Regal. So anyone booked in a suite on Grand should be moved to a suite on Regal. I am guessing that those of us in window suites will be moved to S5 (the lowest suite class) premium suites on Regal. These are forward corner suites and I think ideal for this cruise.

One can only hope you are correct!!!!!

 

Pooh