Go-Bucks!

1 hour ago, Darspurs said:

I am currently on the Insignia and it did look like a baby today next to the Regal Princess. I am on the 8th floor (top floor of cabins) and when I looked across I was level with their lowest deck of cabins. 

That's the same thing I thought while I sailed on Insignia and we docked next to a big ship! I sat in the buffet eating lunch today while watching Insignia passengers outside on the Terrace deck. I'm enjoying this ship, fellow passengers and crew, but seeing the Insignia and talking to Victor was so special!!  💝

Wow...did I get a wonderful surprise today when I stepped off my ship in St. John's, Antigua and saw the Insignia sitting right next to us! After living on the Insignia for 7 months this year, it felt like I had arrived back in my hometown! I'm currently sailing on the Regal Princess...a beautiful ship with very good food and a great crew, but the Insignia will always hold a special place in my heart. To make it even more special, Victor (our world cruise GM for 2 months while Damien was on furlough) was standing on the dock talking to a Princess officer, Jorge. We had a great time catching up and discussing future world cruises. This is part of what makes cruising so much fun!

9 hours ago, geoherb said:

I usually got my laundry back the next day--sent out one morning and returned the next evening. 

That's what it was on my current cruise.

2 years.

Now that I'm retired I don't have to do that unless I want a specific cabin or it's a high demand unique itinerary. I picked up my current cruise just 2 weeks before sailing and still got great cabins cuz it wasn't selling well.

33 minutes ago, highflyingrealtor said:

Does the Regal have a steamroom & sauna in the fitness center locker rooms? Thanks...

No, sadly. They're in the Enclave and that needs to be paid extra for.

NYC, Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island. 

Some random pictures from Halifax & St. John.

On 11/2/2019 at 12:16 PM, pkt1976 said:

We are having a group solo lunch... 

I showed up (5 minutes early), but not a soul arrived so I eventually left.

On 10/30/2019 at 5:16 PM, pkt1976 said:

They usually have the blueberry pancakes the first morning. I just know from previous cruises. Icon is on board and they are awesome! Carlos Oscar the comedian has performed two nights this cruise.  I saw them hauling mattresses around the halls but don’t know how many are done. 

Unfortunately all beds on Caribe, except for the full suites, still have the old totally broken down, hard as cement mattresses!! I switched from a full suite to a balcony cabin and the bed in the second cabin is even worse than my 25 yr old mattress at home! My steward told me that the new beds are being loaded on in FLL as we disembark...just my luck. He added 4 padded toppers on my bed to try and help but there are still HUGE sunken divots on both beds and a huge lump in the middle...I've sailed in these crappy beds before but this is the worst. 

Did Halifax on 10/28...very sunny, quite chilly in the morning but warmed up so much in the afternoon that I was wearing a tshirt.

St. John on 10/29...sunny and mild.

The Regal had pub lunch today!

21 minutes ago, Colo Cruiser said:

In my expeiience It is eligible. 

Call the Captains Circle desk.

They have always added them for me after the fact.

I have heard this for a long time that the extra credit has to be added manually after the cruise is completed.

There was a recent discussion about this in the last few weeks and this was confirmed by a couple of posters.

It's a moot point now...I qualified for Elite on this second leg so no need to call in after the fact. I was just hoping to get the perks now since I'm in a balcony cabin instead of the suite. I agree with azbirdmom...probably depends on who you talk to at that minute. 😞

I brought up a question on this board a short while ago...whether someone taking a paid upsell into a full suite would get an extra cruise credit. Most people reported that they DID get the extra credit (since it wasn't a free upgrade) and all they had to do was talk to the onboard Captain Circle rep or call Princess after the cruise. 

Well...I had 12 credits and took an upsell to a full suite as a solo on the first leg of a B2B. I should have gotten 3 credits and become Elite, then gotten the benefits on this current second leg (in a balcony cabin). I discussed this with Jorge, the current Captain Circle rep on the Regal, and he said that he didn't think that I would be eligible for the extra credit but would email the home office. Later he said that his boss confirmed that there is a new Princess policy disallowing any extra credits for upsells. Considering how much extra money a solo pays for not only the cabin but ALSO the upsell charge (200% each), I think 1 extra credit is deserved. Oh well, guess you can't fight city hall. 😞 

On 10/31/2019 at 10:09 PM, steelers36 said:

But anyone on a cruise does not have any greater access to book inventory than folks sitting at home.  

They do on Oceania...people on the current world cruise get the opportunity to book the newly released one before the general public does. 

18 minutes ago, Paulchili said:

It’s always been pp (assuming both people were Gold +) and I would assume that it will be that way again.

I know what it WAS...but ORV said "it will be...", sounding like he/she knows for sure...except it wasn't mentioned whether that means the reinstituted benefit will be per person or per cabin. Makes a difference to me since I'll probably be traveling solo alot and I'd love to get $300.

On 10/31/2019 at 7:08 PM, keithm said:

On Riviera, the show band is generally very good. It's not as high town as the large ships. Riviera has a wonderful string quartet that plays different venues on the ship. They're always splendid to relax to during high tea. 

Same as on Insignia...my guess is that it's the same on all 6 ships.

On 10/29/2019 at 9:33 PM, ORV said:

It will be $150 pp when they bring it back. 

Per person or per cabin?

Pretty sure the gym closed at 8pm on Insignia.

Pretty sure the gym closed at 8pm on Insignia.

6 hours ago, ORV said:

I thought it was Aquamar?

My last massage therapist on the Insignia (August, 2019) said that Steiner was taking Canyon Ranch's place so it doesn't surprise me. Probably just branding their Oceania spas with a new name. The therapist was hoping to get hired by them.

On 10/27/2019 at 1:52 AM, oceansandseas said:

 

When did you get $230.00 for spa treatment on Oceania? I have never seen or heard of this. Please advise.

Thanks.

Gold loyalty level and above.

9 hours ago, registrar said:

Does anyone know if there are Magnifying Make-up mirrors in cabins on Regal?

 

There is one in my Penthouse suite. 

I've had many minisuites but none had a make up mirror. 

7 hours ago, tovin said:

We've done about 7 cruises, all 7 days, except 1 4 day, as our honeymoon back in 2006. We've done Royal, Princess, Carnival, and Holland.

 

We know we want to do a Panama Canal cruise one day - but for our next big vacation, we're considering the 28 day round trip LA to Hawaii, Tahiti & Samoa. The port in LA is only a 4 hour drive, so we don't have to worry about the logistics of flying and luggage, and all that. Which is a HUGE relief to my husband, so it makes traveling 99% easier.

 

But, we have some concerns, and figured we'd start asking. We will probably try to take this trip in 2022 (yeah, I like to plan ahead!). 

 

1. Could someone point me in the direction of patters (are they still called that?) for a longer cruise, just so I can kinda get an idea of what the multiple sea day schedules look like? 4 days at the start and 8 at the end are kinda scaring me. But there's NO way I could get my husband on a flight to Australia for the 29 day from Sydney to LA.

 

2. I've been looking for some trip reports of month long cruises, particularly in the prep area. Housing concerns, mail, cat care, etc., Logistics of this kind of length. If you've done this - what were things you wish you would have known beforehand that would have made life easier?

 

3. Specifically for longer cruises, do you get tired of the entree repeats? Are there show repeats? Do you get tired of your table mates if you're not a 100% match? We're very much not super social people but we're also not big fans of anytime dining, so this scares me quite a bit. Are there interesting onboard activities that are somewhat cost effective some or most of the time on such a long string of sea days?

 

4. Are there some sea days that are better than others for doing laundry? Or some excerpts of the cruise where there will be more activities regarding the locales we are about to visit (like lei making around Hawaii, is, I'm assuming, a thing they do)? 

 

If a few folks could share their first long cruise thoughts, things we're not considering, or things they were particularly pleased with. It would help us immensely!

 

Thanks all! Off to do a bunch of research on how Princess has changed since we last cruise with them in 2014 (SO MUCH!!)

 

[Edit: Spelling!]

This year I spent 192 consecutive days on a world cruise plus the next 3 cruises after that (same ship)...they still had to drag me off! I wasn't on Princess...was on a very small Oceania ship which had way fewer activities than a larger ship but I still had plenty to do. Frankly, the days flew by! 

I had unlimited free laundry so I didn't have to do it.

Menus repeated but not too often, but I wasn't on Princess.  Usually there are several good selections each night or you can eat in the buffet (my favorite).

My post office will only stop delivery for 30 days so I had to change my address to my daughter's house and she let me know if anything important came. I had all bills on auto pay and my daughter came over once a week to run water, flush toilets, drive my car and water the plants. A neighbor mowed grass and shoveled snow. 

I suggest you go over to the World Cruising board here on CC as there are several threads about preparing for a world cruise. Your plans will be similar. 

5 hours ago, pkt1976 said:

Here are the day 1 patters and a pic from my balcony. On the 10 day I have an inside across the hall. Enclave pre purchase was $99, it’s 119 on board for the 5 day. 

I got a better deal for booking it for the entire B2B (15 days)...$199. It wasn't published...offered it at the spa.

5 hours ago, Ebony J said:

We will be sailing from New York on the Regal Princess on 31st October - beyond excited!   DH does not know that I have booked a full suite!!!  I have read that on some ships, or at least from some ports, that you are escorted on to the ship.  Does anyone know if this happens at Brooklyn?  Also, does Club Class have a luncheon on embarkation day?  Many thanks for any replies.  

I'm on your cruise but currently on the previous one...we just sailed away 2 hrs ago. I'm in a Penthouse suite and there was NO escort. I've sailed in suites on Princess, Celebrity and Oceania...never had an escort (don't need one either). 

Leaving NYC while hanging out on my aft balcony (with many others on their balconies) was beautiful!!!🗽