Half-Live: Regal Princess British Isles 27 May 2024

[k9Rulez]

15 hours ago, beltsbear said:

We are on this ship with you. Going to the Swanary in Portland in a few minutes. 

Please let us know how the Swannery is.  We are on the June 8th cruise and have planned to go on that excursion too.  Thanks.

[cr8tiv1]

@Cloudyrain thanks for the weather reporting.  Not many lives include a weather report.  I know the weather will change, but good to see "weather over time" during one day.  

[beltsbear]

6 hours ago, k9Rulez said:

Please let us know how the Swannery is.  We are on the June 8th cruise and have planned to go on that excursion too.  Thanks.

It was wonderful!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Cloudyrain]

I have just realised that I haven't added the Patter from yesterday.

 

Also, a big shout out to the staff in general: they are all brilliant. By far the best staff we have encountered on any cruise 😊

[Bestbubba]

We got off as you got on! We had the most amazing time.

We haven't cruised Princess for a number of years, this cruise reminded us how much we always enjoyed them.

Unfortunately we missed 2 ports, selfishly it didn't impact us, we'd visited them before, but fellow cruisers were very disappointed. Portland was subbed for one of them and we had the best time. We spent the day in Weymouth where they were enjoying what we Brits call a Charity Fun Day. Stalls selling all sorts, street entertainers, delicious food stalls, it was great, an added bonus? The sun shone all day!

We agree with you, the crew were outstanding. Enjoy every moment, we certainly did. 

[Cloudyrain]

Weather Report

 

Day 3 - All At Sea...?

 

Morning - Cloudy.

 

Afternoon - Sunny! Actual sunshine! And, it was relatively warm (for the Irish Sea). Although many people were wrapped in thick winter coats, but I suppose warmth is relative 😊

Edited May 29 by Cloudyrain

[MCMandMMM]

On 5/28/2024 at 6:44 AM, Cloudyrain said:

Day 2: Portland

 

International Cafe: the pastry/cakes here acted as breakfast en route to the shuttle bus, and handily located close to the gangway.

 

Shuttle Bus: THIS IS FREE! Great, quick, no queues. Volunteer are cattle herding, and provide free maps. It is about 20/30 minutes, but mainly due to the stopping and starting. There are two stops:

- Portland Castle (and English Heritage attraction.

- Weymouth harbour.

 

D-Day Museum: this is excellent! Super close to the Portland Castle stop and really interactive and interesting. The staff/volunteers are very knowledgeable too.

 

Weymouth Aquarium: This is a taxi-ride from the harbour (2 miles). There are other attractions nearby too, and you can walk back along the sea front and experience a typical British Seaside Town. 
 

Taxi Service: We got a local taxi company. They were very good, and happy to do shorter journeys which the taxi companies at the drop off point aren't willing to do! 
- Bee Cars 01305 775151: they accept Visa, Mastercard, Maestro and Cash. They also have a office just over the harbour bridge.

 

 

Thank you for sharing!

 

We're on this cruise July 26, and this is very helpful! 

 

Appreciate you taking the time:)

[helenb]

LOL, Cloudyrain! The June weather in the UK is like our winter weather in California. We'll be some of those people in winter coats when we embark on the June 8 cruise!

[Cloudyrain]

8 minutes ago, helenb said:

LOL, Cloudyrain! The June weather in the UK is like our winter weather in California. We'll be some of those people in winter coats when we embark on the June 8 cruise!

You won't be alone don't worry: I even saw people with wolly hats on today, and there's me in swimwear and a sun dress 😂

[helenb]

I'll definitely have a warm coat and gloves... 50s F is way too cold for me! And 60s F are definitely chilly enough for sweaters, so I'll even be wearing a sweater during the 'warmest' part of the day.

 

More power to you if you can hang out in swimwear (and not in the hot tub) in that weather! You are hardier than I.

[ellp]

I'm just chiming in now as I'm in this cruise and don't have an internet package. 

 

I am able to use WhatsApp oddly enough, through the medallion wifi (free) in board. I'm able to send and receive basic texts, but no videos or pictures. It's been nice as I'm able to stay in contact with family at home.

 

On the topic of food, as I'm a bit of a Foody... It's been good. The MDR is efficient, we've shown up both with reservations and without, and there were minimal waits. We've been eating at the Allegro DR, as it seems to be the quieter and less busy DR being as it's at the back of the ship, and a bit more effort to get to. That said, the menus are the same in all the DRs I think.

 

The food quality has been really good. The beef tenderloin last night was heartbreakingly tender, the halibut was perfectly cooked, and the veggies were perfectly cooked and salted. The mashed potatoes are real, not boxed mixed. The only downers were any of the pastas that contained cheese. DD had the fettuccine Alfredo as well as the mac and cheese on separate days, and I tasted them. The pasta was slightly gummy, and there wasn't enough parmesan cheese to make it tasty. What cheese there was was the powdered stuff, and not really good. The mac and cheese was also based on the Alfredo sauce with a few sprinkling a of different cheeses on top, so that that was disappointing.

 

The buffet is ok. Lots of variety in smaller batches that they're always refilling, so it's always fresh. DD says the breakfast smoothies are really good.

Edited May 30 by ellp

[ellp]

Warning: this is a personal rant...

The one thing I've noticed is that they really do the hard sell all throughout the ship which is a bit annoying. Not only are there multiple tries to sell you on the plus packages, there's the future cruises/excursions thing, then the jewelry/watches/inch of gold stands in the hallway, then they also cruise around the MDR trying to sell you on souvenir shot glasses with the princess logo. I know it's a personal thing, but I do find it annoying as it seems like they're trying to push something constantly.

 

That said, I did succumb to the inches of gold promotion... Got a gold plated necklace for $35, which included a matching bracelet.

 

[ellp]

Docking at Ringaskiddy this morning! (We're on level 8 emerald, port/left side). 

 

It's cool, but dry. Definitely jeans, shirt, and jacket weather.

 

 

7 am)

Edited May 30 by ellp

[Cloudyrain]

Yesterday's patters 😊

 

It was formal night last night, and there were a fair few tuxedos and glittery gowns about, but equally people in sports trainers and hoodies: it was very diverse! Including people in ballgowns and winter puffer coats - the aircon did seem to be on extra cool last night though!

[insidecabin]

2 hours ago, ellp said:

Warning: this is a personal rant...

The one thing I've noticed is that they really do the hard sell all throughout the ship which is a bit annoying. Not only are there multiple tries to sell you on the plus packages, there's the future cruises/excursions thing, then the jewelry/watches/inch of gold stands in the hallway, then they also cruise around the MDR trying to sell you on souvenir shot glasses with the princess logo. I know it's a personal thing, but I do find it annoying as it seems like they're trying to push something constantly.

 

That said, I did succumb to the inches of gold promotion... Got a gold plated necklace for $35, which included a matching bracelet.

 

I recall the plus sale pitch stopped after a couple of days.

The one we found a little persistent was the wine tastings, they dropped off as they recognised you had said no.

 

The lady doing the martini sales from a trolley near good spirits I had a extended chat she never stopped to ask again.

 

One thing we like a about Regal is you rarely need to go through the shops and can avoid completely by going to the theatre using deck 6.

We lived almost exclusively atrium and aft of that except to go to the theatre.

 

 

[Cloudyrain]

Regal Theatre: This is a great venue, and so far we haven't noticed any need to arrive super early for shows. We arrive approximately 5 minutes before the start of the show and are able to get seats at the rear; although the shorties among us might have a slightly impaired view. There is no drinks service inside the theatre, and not really anywhere to put your drinks.

[carajoemom]

On the Regal, what is the difference between the 3 main dining rooms.  We are one couple looking to share a larger table with a few more couples, we want the same table same time every day dinner but don’t know which dining room to choose ?

[ellp]

2 hours ago, carajoemom said:

On the Regal, what is the difference between the 3 main dining rooms.  We are one couple looking to share a larger table with a few more couples, we want the same table same time every day dinner but don’t know which dining room to choose ?

I think they are the same, only their locations are different. The food is the same through all of them.

 

If you want to join other couples, or want the same table, go to the restaurant on the first day and talk to the person at the desk. They will mark it down on their computer. You have a choice of a private table for just your party, or you can join a shared table.  

 

We tried to join 2 parties for dinner, and unfortunately it doesn't look like it's possible to do it via the app. It's just easier to speak to a live person.

[AbbyGirl]

I will be following along on this thread. We are doing the 12 day British Isles in Aug 2025. May I ask for those of you that live in the area, what is the weather like at the beginning of August. This American isn't a fan of the cold so I'm HOPING it will be warmer and dryer but I'm also realistic that it may not be. We did Alaska and had AMAZING weather so one can hope for a repeat. 🙂

 

[KKB]

11 hours ago, ellp said:

I'm just chiming in now as I'm in this cruise and don't have an internet package. 

 

I am able to use WhatsApp oddly enough, through the medallion wifi (free) in board. I'm able to send and receive basic texts, but no videos or pictures. It's been nice as I'm able to stay in contact with family at home.

 

On the topic of food, as I'm a bit of a Foody... It's been good. The MDR is efficient, we've shown up both with reservations and without, and there were minimal waits. We've been eating at the Allegro DR, as it seems to be the quieter and less busy DR being as it's at the back of the ship, and a bit more effort to get to. That said, the menus are the same in all the DRs I think.

 

The food quality has been really good. The beef tenderloin last night was heartbreakingly tender, the halibut was perfectly cooked, and the veggies were perfectly cooked and salted. The mashed potatoes are real, not boxed mixed. The only downers were any of the pastas that contained cheese. DD had the fettuccine Alfredo as well as the mac and cheese on separate days, and I tasted them. The pasta was slightly gummy, and there wasn't enough parmesan cheese to make it tasty. What cheese there was was the powdered stuff, and not really good. The mac and cheese was also based on the Alfredo sauce with a few sprinkling a of different cheeses on top, so that that was disappointing.

 

The buffet is ok. Lots of variety in smaller batches that they're always refilling, so it's always fresh. DD says the breakfast smoothies are really good.

 

We were on the Regal for 28 days last month & felt it was the best MDR food we have had on any of our Princess cruises (Celebrity Eclass ships come closest). Our friends are also foodies. We were also impressed we got 28 different menus! 

Only a couple misses--yep, pasta sauce far too thin; escargot 2nd leg was in a puff pastry with a sauce that tasted like the onion soup (love escargot & onion soup--not so much together) & bernaise sauce on lobster tail (serve it on the side please). Nothing BAD, more preferences.

[KKB]

11 hours ago, ellp said:

Warning: this is a personal rant...

The one thing I've noticed is that they really do the hard sell all throughout the ship which is a bit annoying. Not only are there multiple tries to sell you on the plus packages, there's the future cruises/excursions thing, then the jewelry/watches/inch of gold stands in the hallway, then they also cruise around the MDR trying to sell you on souvenir shot glasses with the princess logo. I know it's a personal thing, but I do find it annoying as it seems like they're trying to push something constantly.

 

That said, I did succumb to the inches of gold promotion... Got a gold plated necklace for $35, which included a matching bracelet.

 

Interesting, other than the shot guy at dinner, we had NO hard sells anywhere.

Now we already had the Plus package, and we didn't go into shops or stop at any tables.

We just walk on by & pay them no mind.

[KKB]

1 hour ago, AbbyGirl said:

I will be following along on this thread. We are doing the 12 day British Isles in Aug 2025. May I ask for those of you that live in the area, what is the weather like at the beginning of August. This American isn't a fan of the cold so I'm HOPING it will be warmer and dryer but I'm also realistic that it may not be. We did Alaska and had AMAZING weather so one can hope for a repeat. 🙂

 

I think you will find the weather much like Alaska--basically, that you NEVER know.

You may get cool rain, requiring layers, or you may get sunny & warm--sometimes even hot!

Check the forecast prior to going but pack for all situations!

But August does give you the best chance of warmer weather.

[Cloudyrain]

Cork? Cobh? Ringaskiddy!

 

I know being docked in Ringaskiddy can mess with a lot of plans, but it wasn't as bad as you might expect! 
- there are shuttle busses from the dock outside the ship to Cork;

- there is a ferry to cobh from deck 4.

 

Ticket slots for the ferry were called until about 8.30 and after that it was just "as you like". There was also a break in service for operational reasons. I didn't see any massive queues for the coach or the ferry, but then I wasn't stood checking so maybe others onboard experienced some waiting.

Princess provided a leaflet with all the details for Cork, Dublin, and Liverpool: this is in addition to the details on the Patter and the PDF port guide.

[Cloudyrain]

Today's Patter 😊

[Cloudyrain]

Day 4 Weather Report - Cork

 

Morning: very cloudy, a brisk breeze.

 

Afternoon: mostly cloudy, but the breeze dropped.

 

Evening: mostly blue sky, chilly on deck in the breeze.