wishIwascruising

We planned a B2B Alaskan cruise on the Radiance of the Seas in mid-August 2022.  We had zero expectations and were cruising on RC because a family member planned this small reunion cruise for us. 

We chose an Oceanview cabin, 4518.  We were very pleased with the room with the exception of the storage in the closet.  The bathroom was a decent size, we had a small sitting area (the sofa was a little dingy and had some worn areas but seemed clean).  We really enjoyed the large window.  We have cruised Alaska several times and remembered with some drizzly weather we didn’t really use the balcony as much, so didn’t want to pay the extra expense of space we wouldn’t utilize.  We didn’t hear any noise above or below but did hear voices from cabins with shared walls (although I do feel the occupants of those rooms were very loud talkers).  A big Bravo for the toilets.  The pressure for flushing was great.  I remember that’s always been a little problematic on Princess.  The mattress was comfortable and we asked for feather pillows instead of the foam ones and they were delivered immediately.  Our room steward couldn’t have been more wonderful.  He met our every expectation and even exceeded them.     

Because we had previously only cruised on Princess, that was our comparison.  We actually enjoyed the size of the ship, especially for Alaska.  We thought it was in really good shape.  We felt the Atrium was very small and we walked through there many times a day to return to our room.  We thought the hallways were narrow.  I like the recessed doorways on Princess so much more.  Early on, 1 of the main elevators stopped working and at one other time, another elevator was not functioning either.  It started working again but we did have one non-functioning elevator for at least 1 week. 

The gym was fine and never crowded. 

Food was good, not great.  We ate All of our dinners in our assigned dining room.  Our waiters were wonderful.  We had the same table and waiters for both weeks of the cruise.  Portions seemed appropriate and numerous times they brought us additional desserts.  We did eat lunch and most breakfasts at the Windjammer.  They did have a Boardwalk Dog House for hotdogs.  It was subpar.  We didn’t eat in any of the specialty dining restaurants.  We don’t drink alcohol so can’t review bar service.  We felt there was always available seating for the Windjammer.  Sometimes we had to look for a minute but always found space.  There were other areas to eat outside or near the Park Café by the Solarium Pool.  There was ample staff to keep tables cleared off and beverages offered. 

In regards to staff, let me just say that I felt they were friendlier, more helpful and more accommodating than Princess.  I am basing this on a May 2022 Princess cruise I just took to the Mediterranean.  The Radiance of the Seas staff was exceptional in my opinion.  Everyone greeted me, offered a smile, made a comment besides just “Hello”.  It was refreshing.  Sometimes we would cross paths with management staff and we experienced the same thing.  We were always asked where we were from and if we were enjoying our cruise.  The exception to that was, the Captain.  He was basically non-existent.  I know that he has a bigger job than being cordial to guests but we NEVER SAW HIM and only heard announcements from him twice in 2 weeks.  I’m used to the Captain telling us when we would arrive in a port , what the weather was going to be, or when it would be time to disembark, what deck, and what time to return to the ship, etc.  Those announcements didn’t occur.  It was frustrating.  We were waiting for an announcement to know when we could leave the ship.  We finally just looked for the appropriate deck to disembark from and remarked to staff how frustrated we were that no announcements were made.  We were told that an announcement was going to be made at 9:00 am.  That’s great for those that don’t have an excursion planned for 8:30 am.  Another frustrating thing was when announcements were made by other staff, they frequently didn’t speak English clearly and it was hard to decipher what they were saying.  This was especially problematic when it was a safety announcement.  If you don’t like announcements and general information given, you would have enjoyed this cruise.   

Also, it was frustrating that we were not able to communicate with other guests via texting without paying a daily fee. You should be able to communicate with other guests using the RC APP.  I felt the Internet pkg offered was very expensive.  Princess allows you to message other guests using their APP, no fee. 

This particular RC Ship did NOT have self-service laundry available for guests.  That was challenging especially since we were on the ship for 2 weeks. 

The last area of review was Entertainment.  It went from bad to dismal to worse.  The movie theater was very small and showed very old movies., not classic movies, just OLD movies.    We saw one floor show “Piano Man”.  It just wasn’t that good.  There were some good moments and 1 or 2 really good singers.  We saw a couple other featured performers.  It was ho, hum!  The musicians were very good and we enjoyed listening to them on other occasions throughout the ship and in other venues.  We attended many trivia challenges which was enjoyable. The Talent Show was so bad that people just walked out.  Is there no audition to qualify those that want to perform?   

All in All, will we cruise on Royal Caribbean again, probably if we like the itinerary.  It was an enjoyable cruise. 

Yes, I had our cruise re-fared multiple times before and after final payment, no problems at all.  I booked directly with Princess.

Unless the Captain got off the Regal after May 28th, 2022, it is Captain Paolo Arrigo.  He stopped by our dinner table twice during our cruise and I saw him when we were disembarking on the 28th.  He was very personable.  

We just got off the Regal (May 21-28, 2022).  We thought the Wifi was very slow and had difficulty at night which is not what other posters have stated.  The night before our cruise ended I went to the Service Desk to talk to them and they told me to go to Internet Cafe and speak to the Manager (he leaves at 8:00 pm) and he will adjust our bill.  I did go speak to him and he asked me what the problems were.  I stated that on Tuesday & Wednesday nights we had ZERO wifi.  He concurred and said that they had Satellite problems on both those nights.  He adjusted my bill  for those 2 nights.  I wish I could tell you the amount he adjusted it but I got distracted, and he said he would do it and I walked away. 

We just returned  (May 21-28, 2022) from the Regal.  We had a Club Class Mini Suite.  It will be hard to go back to just booking a Balcony stateroom.  We loved Club Class!  We showed up for embarkation lunch and found the Dining Room that was serving lunch (they always try so hard to keep that a secret for some reason) and when we checked in, we were informed that we had a different dining room for embarkation lunch and they walked us down one floor to our assigned Club Class Dining Room.  From that point on, we were treated royally.  Allan and his team were our waiters.  They were wonderful and knew our names and likes and dislikes from that point forward.  We had an extended balcony stateroom, midship, Baja Deck.  It was worth the extra cost but I continued to monitor rates and got our price reduced many times, even after full payment. 

We just stayed (May 2022) at the Room Mate Carla Hotel.  It is a lovely boutique hotel, wonderful amenities, perfectly located in Las Rambles area and a breakfast spread that was AMAZING!  There are several Room Mate Hotels in Europe.  I would stay at the Room Mate Carla Hotel again and again. 

We had our Antigen tests in May 2022 at a Barcelona Lab that I think has several locations.  The name is "Laboratorio Echevarne".  It was an impressive clinic, the test costs $23 Eu and we had our results on our phone within about 40 minutes.  You could also request a paper copy of results but you would have to wait around for that.  You walk in, use a monitor to request what services  you want and what language preferred.  You were given a number and went a large waiting room.  When your number was shown you went to the designated room and had the test.  It was fast, friendly and inexpensive.  I was very impressed considering I had to pay over $100 for the same test in the US several months earlier. 

I have to say when we boarded our ship the next day, they didn't even look at the results, they only looked that we had the form on our phone that we received the test. 

We are cruising on the Regal in May 2022.  On March 8th, I booked an excursion through Princess to Cinque Terre.  Today, March 18th,  my husband noticed a credit on our credit card account for the exact amount of that excursion.   Evidently Princess cancelled our reservation and this particular excursion is no longer shown as an available tour. After we booked, there were 4 slots left.  There is another tour (same day) to Cinque Terre for 10 hrs for $199.95.  The cancelled tour was only 8 hours which was more desirable for us.  I can see that same tour available on other dates so it's not like they cancelled the vendor.  I am annoyed that if my husband hadn't been paying attention to the activity on our credit card we might not have become aware of this change until much later, and probably not at all from Princess.  I called Princess twice today but after waiting for over 1 hr. 45 min for one call and over 1 hr for another, I gave up for today. 

Has this happened to other Princess cruisers? 

I agree, we should have been offered a move over.  I just talked to our Princess Cruise planner and she says that prices have NOT been posted yet but I think we can ALL agree that there will be an increase to help pay for Princess losses this year.  Just a side note, I was wondering if the reason they have now eliminated Barcelona is because of the Covid increase in Spain that I've been reading about in the news. Their numbers are really climbing.  Who knows. 

Just notified our April 17th Barcelona - Rome on Enchanted was cancelled because of deployment.  Their new itinerary is Rome to Rome, no Barcelona and added Corsica.  This was our 3rd Mediterranean cruise cancelled.  Is this a sign? We had amazing accommodations.  It said in the email that new bookings are available Oct. 2nd. and start in May 2021.   

We are booked on the Enchanted in April 2021 (fingers crossed) for a Mediterranean cruise.  I am considering changing our reservation to a Club Class Mini Suite. My understanding is that ALL meals would be in a less crowded area of the dining room, no cueing up etc.  I just was thinking in what might be a “post Covid world” that this might be a way to be in a less crowded environment aboard ship.  I would appreciate any comments from guests that have opted for Club Class and if it is worth the extra money and if there are any other worthwhile benefits.  We are not drinkers so wouldn’t take advantage of the bar set up.

Our first Family Reunion cruise.  It turned these grandkids into cruise aficionados.  This was the first of many cruises.

Today - March 10th, we received the Itinerary change for our April 11th Mediterranean Cruise on the Crown.  Ports in Italy removed and they added Toulon/Provence instead of Genoa, Sete instead of Florence/Pisa, and Tarragona instead of Rome.  We were disembarking in Rome and staying 2 days and flying home from Rome (flights booked through Princess).  When I looked at my booking on the Princess website, our flights have been cancelled.  We had two excursions booked through the ship, the one in Italy has been cancelled of course.  I don't understand the credit & payment statement.  It shows a credit balance of $1,833.68 (not sure if that was credited back to my credit card).  I'll call tomorrow and sadly cancel the cruise.  We had started with an obstructed view cabin and now have a balcony, mid-ship, mid-deck due to 2 upgrades from Princess.  I already looked at re-booking for April 2021 and the same cruise, same itinerary is about $700 more per passenger for an interior cabin which we DO not want.  There are 3 of us, myself and my 2 adult daughters.  It was planned for over a year.  Italy was a MUST SEE for us.  SAd day for us.  Stay healthy fellow cruisers and those of you who continue on with this cruise, best of luck.

Hopefully this is my last message regarding our Cruise that isn't going to happen (at least for us) . . . I finally was able to speak to Customer Care @ Princess regarding our Mediterranean cruise on (Crown Princess) 04/11/20.  Heads UP, Princess is NEVER going to call /email regarding your cruise.   They are NOT offering to move cruise dates or offer incentives to remain with Princess for a future cruise.  We do have Princess Vacation Protection "Cancel for any reason" but will NOT get a full refund even if our DR has recommended we NOT travel at this time.  We can have our funds remain with Princess for a future cruise but will not have the funds returned to us. We were told to file a claim.  Princess does not consider cancelling because of the Caronavirus crisis a medical reason.  Seriously, even though the CDC has recommended no non-essential travel for Italy.  Oh and by the way, we have to file a claim for the penalty fees because we are less than 40 days from cruising.  If we  do not cancel before 03/14 the penalty fees will be 50% of our cruise.  I have not contacted AON Travel Ins. but will contact them today.  Good luck fellow travelers with your cruise plans.  (Also BTW, Princess told me there are many other ports besides stops in Italy that the ship can go to.  We specifically booked this FOR Italy.  Also we know that many ports are denying entry at this time so if the cruise departs as scheduled does anyone even know where it's going?)

I'm now 40 days out from our Mediterranean cruise.  I kept thinking I would get an email or phone call from Princess about my reservation but it's still just silence from them.  I called again a while ago and asked what their plan B was about this upcoming cruise and I was told there is no Plan B and the cruise is still a "GO".  WHAT?  I'm okay with moving the cruise to Spring 2021 if necessary but I was told, no need to do that.  I feel like I'm living in the Twilight Zone.  Hasn't the CDC warned against all non-essential travel to Italy? Several airlines have also ceased flying to Italy.  Am I the only one scratching my head saying "WTH?"

We are now 43 days out from our Mediterranean Cruise on the Crown.  We've basically decided we are not going to be going on this cruise but like many of you, I've been waiting to hear from Princess about perhaps moving my booking to later in the year or even Spring of 2021 but they've been silent.  Every time I call they try to convince me that it's all systems GO even though now the CDC has advised against non-essential travel to Italy and we all know it's a matter of time before it includes all of Europe.  I haven't cancelled because I am hopeful Princess will contact me.  If I cancel (we have Platinum insurance) I might just hold on to my travel dollars and see what cruise line offers the best incentives to travel in Spring of 2021.  I know they will all be working hard to get their cruisers back on their ships.

We are 48 days out from our cruise on the Crown starting in Barcelona and ending up in Rome.  Besides generator problems on the ship, I am apprehensive about cruising.  The virus is now in Northern Italy.  Who knows what will happen in the next 48 days?  Besides getting the illness itself what about missing ports? We don't want to be like I believe one of the Holland America ships where no country wanted the ship to come into port.  We do have Princess Travel Insurance and I just spoke with Princess and was asked to wait until 40 days to make a decision and by then Princess may also have decided to change itinerary or even cancel the cruise.  I actually don't see that happening.  I just know I will be very disappointed if we are ON the ship but yet can't get to the destinations and sights we've planned on seeing.  Oh what to do? 

Love new EZ Air and being able to check prices on my own.  I had airfare booked for $889.50 from LAX to Barcelona, returning from Rome to LAX (04/2020).  I called Princess several times to check on prices, sometimes I was told, no drop in price, or even an increase but this week I spoke to a wonderful Princess agent “Jimmy” who priced a flight for $552.05.  Because I needed to check with the other 2 passengers to change the booking, by the time I called back several hours later I was told the price was no longer available.  That evening I decided to try checking prices on my own on EZ Air.  I saw the price quoted earlier in the day but everytime I would try to process the changes, I would get an update that the price had increased $600.  Crazy.  I was not to be deterred.  I tried 3 more times and on the last time I saw the lower price of $552.05 again and updated for the changes, they STUCK and I got the new fare of $552.05.  That’s a price reduction of $1349.80 for 3 passengers.  We can spend that money in other ways on our Mediterranean Cruise.  So, my suggestion to all is, keep trying, & checking prices if you have Flexible Air.  If you see a lower price and it doesn’t stick, try it again and again.  You might be as lucky as me!  Remember just click on the GREEN button, “Change or modify flights” while you are researching prices. 

We are on the Smeralda departing from Rome on 11/14/19.  We looked at the tours available through Costa but didn't want to be with such a large group, preferring smaller tours.  The recommendations for www.Italytours.EU on Cruise Critic are very good.  We have a a tour with www.Italytours.EU lined up for 11/15 in La Spezia going to Florence & Pisa.  We are a party of 4 but need a party of 6 for a price break.  I posted the tour info on The Roll Call for this cruise months ago but there doesn't seem to be much activity on Costa Roll Calls for the Smeralda, at least for our cruise.  Check out the website for this tour company and read the reviews and compare to Costa tours. 

We will be cruising on Costa Smeralda on what I heard was her maiden voyage, Nov. 14, 2019.  I'm having second thoughts about choosing cruising on such a new ship.  I just know from staying at new hotels, there are always some hiccups, some serious.  Anyone have any experience or thoughts?  This is our first Costa Cruise.  We normally cruise on Princess.  I know this will be different and that's okay.  One thing I have read is that smoking is allowed in many public areas or balconies.  Hoping that's not true. The itinerary is very good and looking forward to the experience, just wondering if I should book a later cruise instead.  Thanks for your thoughts. 

We were on the Regal in November and we noticed the staff didn't seem as friendly as we were used to on our previous Princess cruises.  Our waiter in the MDR also never seemed to get our beverages straight even after 7 days and it was the same order every night.  We had early dining and the courses took a long time to be served and then we felt rushed when it was time to order dessert.  Will we continue to cruise on Princess, of course, and we will enjoy ourselves but we remember a happier and friendlier time on previous cruises.  And yes, the food has gotten saltier.  I love the Onion Soup in the Crown Grill but last time it was so salty I didn't even finish it and that's saying a lot.

The dress is "smart casual".  Collared shirts for men, no shorts.  The dress is the same as the MDR I think.  We had a great dinner at the Crown Grill.

We just returned from the Regal on the last NE/Canadian Cruise of the season.  It was only a 5 day and we all (4) agreed that was too short.  We've done a similar cruise several years ago that was a 10 day.  This was our first cruise on the Regal.  This cruise was Sold Out.  We were on Aloha deck, inside cabins.  This was our first cruise at the Platinum Level.  I had heard so many negative things about the Regal, yes I agree, I really miss a Promenade deck but we got our 10,000+ steps on her everyday.  We tried to not use the elevators which was a good thing since that was the only place we ever saw a line.  We thought the food was very good but I know that's a personal thing.  We had Traditional dining every evening and usually only ate lunch & sometimes breakfast at the Horizon court.  We ate in the Crown Grill on Formal Night since we didn't want to bring evening clothes.  The dinner in the Crown Grill was excellent.  Our waiter was Marko and he was exceptional.  The food at the International Cafe is very good as well.  I thought the wait staff in the Horizon Food Court was the friendliest and most helpful of anyone on the ship.  We all remarked that our room steward was just average.  He didn't do anything exceptional.  Our bed configuration wasn't as we had requested on the Cruise Personalizer.  Our daughter and her husband in the cabin next door mentioned the same thing.  They asked for robes and it took several days to get them.  I had to remind the room steward that I liked the ice bucket filled everyday.  We aren't demanding people and have just always had better room stewards, even amazing on previous cruises.  Our wait staff in the Allegro DR was also lackluster.  We aren't wine or coffee drinkers yet every night we were asked if we wanted wine.  Service was often slow and one evening I didn't receive an appetizer I ordered.  I just went with the flow and when my entree came instead I just ate that.  The waiter would list the special items of the day and if we didn't order what he suggested he always seemed annoyed. 

We didn't take advantage of any shows.  This was a family cruise with our daughter & her husband and we were just happy to be together since we live on opposite coasts.  We spent every evening playing games either in the library (smallest library on any ship I've ever seen and no game room) or in the Horizon court after the diners had left.  The wait staff always brought us drinks and were so friendly.  One perk of playing games in the library is enjoying the beautiful piano music coming from the bar at the Crown Grill. 

We did have massages and I was pleased that we weren't bombarded with purchasing their potions.  They did offer them but I said "no, I don't think so" and that was that.  The hot stone massage was great. 

We only had 2 ports, not including NYC.  We had a wonderful tour in St John, NB with Go Fundy Tours.  Our guide was Diane who works with Alexei.  She met us 1 block from the ship at 10:00 AM and didn't return us until about 30 min before we needed to be back on board  It was a great tour focusing on nature and the Fundy Trail area.  She was so knowledgeable and made it a very enjoyable day. 

In Halifax we didn't get off the ship early since that's the day we had our morning massages.  We just walked around the town.   The Old Burying Ground Cemetery was so interesting.  The first burial was in 1749.  We also enjoyed the Public Gardens.  We didn't go to the Citadel as we had done that on a previous cruise.  We were pleased that even though it was late in the season, there was still some fall color in Halifax. 

Oh, I did enjoy the FREE Internet for Platinum guests.  We also got Soda Plus cards.  We are Cherry Coke drinkers and everyone else in our party enjoyed the Mocktails.  My daughter and I also enjoyed the Afternoon Tea near the Internet Cafe with all the tasty treats although the scones were very hard but the little tea sandwiches & cream puffs were so delicious. 

All in all, we enjoyed our time on the Regal.  It doesn't compare to our favorite ship, the Coral but that's like comparing apples and oranges.  If you have any questions, I'm happy to answer them.

We are on the Regal leaving this week.  I want to make reservations at the Crown Grill for formal night (packing light and don't want to dress up) and want to wait until we get onboard to use my onboard credit since it's not showing up yet in my cruise personalizer.  I know if I call the dining line, no one is going to answer it the first day on board.  Does anyone know where the office is where I go to make reservations in person?  Should I just go to the Crown Grill?  Can you confirm, no ties required for the Crown Grill even on formal night?  Thanks.

I haven't seen these for over a year.

On our last 2 cruises the Cronuts were not available at the IC. I asked and they seemed like they didn't even know what I was talking about. They weren't anywhere on the cruise, and I sure missed them.