Regal Princess

[bhawks9]

Have only sailed on the Grand Class ships, but booked on the Regal in 2023.   Any thoughts on what deck for a balcony?   We are on Baja now and like aft, but know this is a bigger ship.  Would like ideas on location and if the decks make a large difference.   We have done Caribe deck on the Grand ships as they have larger rooms.  I understand the importance of what is above and below the decks of the rooms.   Thanks for any input!

[wowzz]

Just go for a Club Class mini suite.  Mid ships and a nice big balcony..

[Steelers36]

31 minutes ago, bhawks9 said:

Have only sailed on the Grand Class ships, but booked on the Regal in 2023.   Any thoughts on what deck for a balcony?   We are on Baja now and like aft, but know this is a bigger ship.  Would like ideas on location and if the decks make a large difference.   We have done Caribe deck on the Grand ships as they have larger rooms.  I understand the importance of what is above and below the decks of the rooms.   Thanks for any input!

What type of balcony are you asking about?  A regular size?  A deluxe size?

 

It's no longer a secret unfortunately, but many of us like the deck 8 mid-ship balconies that are larger because any balcony not at mid-ship is quite small.  Anything above Deck 8 is going to be either a deluxe balcony or a mini-suite.

[Lady Arwen]

7 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Just go for a Club Class mini suite.  Mid ships and a nice big balcony..

Unfortunately, not everyone can afford this category.  Some people think it’s not worth the extra money.  We prefer a mini suite on Lido deck and dine a couple of times in specialty restaurants.

To the OP, we’re also sailing on Regal in 2023 to the British Isles and have L210 booked…our favourite location.  We’ve also enjoyed deluxe balconies on Lido and on lower decks as well.  We need to have some sort of sofa/sitting area, so regular balconies don’t suit us.  The extended balconies midship are very nice and you don’t need to book Club Class, unless you want that.

[Wishing on a star]

Yes, be aware that the balconies on Regal are just SMALL.  Like only walk-out (Juliette) in depth.

If the enjoyment of a larger balcony is important, go for mid-ship, or Aft wake-view.

Other than that, I think you have a good idea of which areas which are above or below loud venues, etc...

Study the deck plans on those wake-view or mid-ship bump-out balconies are larger. 

And, of course, you want to avoid those mid-ship balconies that are on higher decks below the Sea-walk.

I love the Regal.

[HaveDogWillTravel]

While the midship CC minis do have a larger balcony than their neighbors, it’s really a stretch to say they are big. You really need to look at the deck plans and also find pictures and videos of the cabins online. 
 

https://www.princess.com/deckPlans.do?shipCode=GP

https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/DP/deckplans/deckbydeck.php?ship=Regal-Princess&deck=9

 

Aft facing balconies have reasonably large  balconies. But not all decks are created equal. It is easy to tell which are the deepest from the deck plans. 
 

The CC M6 minis all the way at the front have enormous balconies  as do the other forward facing balconies and minis. 

Whether you should go for a lower deck, upper deck, middle deck and whether aft, forward or mid ships depends entirely on your level of mobility and what areas of the ship you think you will utilize the most. Again the deck plans will let you know which part of the ship makes sense for you. 
 

There’s a sticky thread on the Princess board with cabin reviews. Once you start narrowing it down you should look at that spread sheet and find out if the cabin has any noise or other issues. Remember ships like Royal and Regal will be the same (please someone correct me if I’m wrong I sail mostly Grand and Coral class) so comments about a cabin on one should apply to the other. . 
Have fun planning!

[SantaFeFan]

3 minutes ago, HaveDogWillTravel said:

While the midship CC minis do have a larger balcony than their neighbors, it’s really a stretch to say they are big. You really need to look at the deck plans and also find pictures and videos of the cabins online

 

And many of them are connecting cabins. In every connecting cabin I have been in the noise from the next room could be heard through the connecting doors, especially when the TV was on. We avoid those rooms like we avoid rooms above or under public areas. 

[vjmatty]

2 hours ago, bhawks9 said:

Have only sailed on the Grand Class ships, but booked on the Regal in 2023.   Any thoughts on what deck for a balcony?   We are on Baja now and like aft, but know this is a bigger ship.  Would like ideas on location and if the decks make a large difference.   We have done Caribe deck on the Grand ships as they have larger rooms.  I understand the importance of what is above and below the decks of the rooms.   Thanks for any input!

Royal class ships, including Regal, are an entirely different kind of animal than any prior class of Princess ship. First question, how much do you care about the size of your balcony? If you don’t care, either because of a cold weather location or port intensive itinerary, then you’re in luck. About 80% of the balconies on Regal are what I’d call a ledge. Four feet deep….too shallow for a lounger and forget balcony dining.  There are some extended balconies midship on a few decks but you really need to look at the deck plans to see what you are getting, as the dimensions vary. Also there are some aft balconies but because of the corner penthouse suites taking up a lot of space, there aren’t as many back there as the Grand class ships, so you have to book early to get one.

 

Later Royal class ships, meaning anything after the Regal, have some decks with double sized balconies. Princess responded to the negative feedback regarding the ledge balconies, so I believe it is Dolphin and Baja which have larger balconies starting with Star Princess. I’m not sure how far out your cruise is, but if you’re before final payment and balcony size is important, you may wish to rebook on another sailing. 

[vjmatty]

1 hour ago, SantaFeFan said:

 

And many of them are connecting cabins. In every connecting cabin I have been in the noise from the next room could be heard through the connecting doors, especially when the TV was on. We avoid those rooms like we avoid rooms above or under public areas. 

I found putting a rolled towel on the floor between the doors helps, but yes better to avoid connecting rooms if you can. 

[PacnGoNow]

2 hours ago, bhawks9 said:

Have only sailed on the Grand Class ships, but booked on the Regal in 2023.   Any thoughts on what deck for a balcony?   We are on Baja now and like aft, but know this is a bigger ship.  Would like ideas on location and if the decks make a large difference.   We have done Caribe deck on the Grand ships as they have larger rooms.  I understand the importance of what is above and below the decks of the rooms.   Thanks for any input!

We like the bigger balcony also. We stayed on Baja and Dolphin aft cabins (D4 category)

and they were 1/2 covered and nice. 

Look at the deck plans and you’ll see mid ship extended or angled balconies which are bigger, clearly shown.  So, depends on your balcony category of course.

 

 

 

[SantaFeFan]

21 minutes ago, vjmatty said:

...so I believe it is Dolphin and Baja which have larger balconies starting with Star Princess.

 

There isn't a Star Princess in the fleet. Do you mean Sky Princess?

[vjmatty]

32 minutes ago, SantaFeFan said:

 

There isn't a Star Princess in the fleet. Do you mean Sky Princess?

Yes Sky, sorry. The Star is no longer. 

[paradiselivin1]

We've been on the Royal 3 times over the years and get a balcony/deluxe balcony on Riviera all the way aft. We typically stay all the way aft as we don't like all of the foot traffic mid-ships (just our personal preference). Always staterooms above and below. We've done a total of 6 cruises on the Royal class and have enjoyed it and look forward to the Enchanted in December!

[Wishing on a star]

There are many things that I like better on the Regal than I do these other newer ships.  A complete mistake to close in the nice open retreat pool area, for one thing.

I will book Regal again in a heartbeat.  But, yes, if a real balcony is important, book early and get one of the  mid-ship or aft balconies!

[dave_k58]

5 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

Unfortunately, not everyone can afford this category.  Some people think it’s not worth the extra money.  We prefer a mini suite on Lido deck and dine a couple of times in specialty restaurants.

To the OP, we’re also sailing on Regal in 2023 to the British Isles and have L210 booked…our favourite location.  We’ve also enjoyed deluxe balconies on Lido and on lower decks as well.  We need to have some sort of sofa/sitting area, so regular balconies don’t suit us.  The extended balconies midship are very nice and you don’t need to book Club Class, unless you want that.

WE had club class and thought the balconies were quite small. WE enjoyed club class, but in my opinion its not worth the high cost it is now. 

Plus - the perks like the canapes and fruit never materialized.  Special dining area was ok - but there was definitely not extra entrees on the menu everynight. Still, if the price was right, I would consider one again

 

[Lady Arwen]

7 hours ago, dave_k58 said:

WE had club class and thought the balconies were quite small. WE enjoyed club class, but in my opinion its not worth the high cost it is now. 

Plus - the perks like the canapes and fruit never materialized.  Special dining area was ok - but there was definitely not extra entrees on the menu everynight. Still, if the price was right, I would consider one again

 

Yes, the cost can be very prohibitive for many of us.  I would really only book the absolute forward ones on Lido and Marina decks.  Huge wrap balconies.  Problem is the potential for extreme windy conditions, which makes the balcony unusable at times.  For a good price, I would also consider trying it out.

[RNRcruisers]

14 hours ago, Wishing on a star said:

Yes, be aware that the balconies on Regal are just SMALL.  Like only walk-out (Juliette) in depth.

 

 

Yes they are small but they do have two chairs (not loungers) and a side table. In case the OP thinks they are literally only walk out.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Yes!  We don't want confusion for any newbies!   They are very small.  A taller person might have to turn the chair at an angle to have room put their legs out without hitting the glass.  There are a lot of good cabin tour videos online!

[bhawks9]

Thank you for all of the comments, input and ideas!   We will probably stay put where we are now on Baja aft port side.  Once we are five days past the final payment will see if the upgrade email comes and decide what if anything we will do!   Contemplating that now for our Panama Canal cruise in November, now that final payment was made.   As I indicated in original post, location is important to us and prefer aft.  Other cruises were predominantly on CB and the Emerald Princess.  Thanks again!

[PacnGoNow]

3 minutes ago, bhawks9 said:

Thank you for all of the comments, input and ideas!   We will probably stay put where we are now on Baja aft port side.  Once we are five days past the final payment will see if the upgrade email comes and decide what if anything we will do!   Contemplating that now for our Panama Canal cruise in November, now that final payment was made.   As I indicated in original post, location is important to us and prefer aft.  Other cruises were predominantly on CB and the Emerald Princess.  Thanks again!

Go Black Hawks!

[tml1230]

Bobby Hull.....one of the greatest!

[Steelers36]

19 hours ago, Wishing on a star said:

Yes, be aware that the balconies on Regal are just SMALL.  Like only walk-out (Juliette) in depth.

Yes, they are on the small side, but a Juliette typically has no floor space at all.  It is really more of a fancy guard-rail for a window that opens to the floor and is a safety device as well.

 

[PacnGoNow]

21 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Yes, they are on the small side, but a Juliette typically has no floor space at all.  It is really more of a fancy guard-rail for a window that opens to the floor and is a safety device as well.

 

Juliet had a small area to step

out in Verona.  

[PacnGoNow]

Just now, PacnGoNow said:

Juliet had a small area to step

out in Verona.  

Yours looks more like a French balcony!

😂

[PacnGoNow]

23 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Yes, they are on the small side, but a Juliette typically has no floor space at all.  It is really more of a fancy guard-rail for a window that opens to the floor and is a safety device as well.

 

I hope yours is not that small. 😆