RNRcruisers

I am another who prefers smaller ships. We were on Caribbean February of 2023 and it was fine. We were on the Regal this past February and actually decided we prefer the Caribbean. No ship is perfect but for us, smaller is better. That isn't to say we wouldn't go on the Regal again but it would depend on the itinerary. And personally I would always cruise for 6 days over 4 days! 😅

Yay! I’m so excited to have traditional dining back!

Totally agree with OP. It is a fun splurge for me and worth it to have little to no balance due at the end of the cruise. Where I would probably not purchase the Plus, would be for a longer, port intensive cruise. For me, the object of the trip is different than a warm weather cruise and the "spoil myself" aspect wouldn't be the same.

100% agree with this. There are so many better places for this type of entertainment. We were sitting in the International Cafe one morning (on the Regal, not Sun), enjoying our coffee and ocean view, and a zumba class starts in the piazza. Not very peaceful. And in the evenings the piazza is just too crowded and loud. Crooners didn't even get used because of the noise in the piazza. Doesn't make sense to me.

Thank you! That looks pretty roomy but I am not sure if the noise would bother me. And I believe that level is the only one with these window staterooms.

Do you have pictures of these rooms? I wonder if there are others like 5429 that are noisy or if more are like the one you are in now. Is the noise the reason that you would prefer an inside higher up? The insides look really small from the one picture I have seen. I think the average sq. footage of them is substantially less than the insides on other Princess ships.

We will often order an entree for our table to share - maybe a pasta dish or just something we all want to taste. We did this as recently as this past February. We have never been charged for it.

We took a cruise to Bermuda once. The weather was the worst we have ever had on a cruise. It poured the whole way there and poured the whole time we were at the island. The sun finally came out on our last morning. And this was in June! Should probably give it another try.

On Regal last month Alfredo's was open before the MDR for embarkation lunch, maybe 11? We boarded early.

Seems like those living in the area already have an advantage in that they don't have to fly to cruise.

There is a lot of time for everything to start running smoothly. I would go into it with a positive attitude and I bet you'll have a great cruise.

I agree, that is another reason I would hesitate.

We cruised out of Galveston last month and decided we will avoid it in the future. The airports are too far and a hassle and expense to get transportation.

I am curious about this also. I loved traditional dining and would definitely do that if it were an option. I also wonder if it means Princess might bring it back on some other ships?...

DH and I always have it set up as a queen and it is fine. Last year on the Caribbean Princess we had a guaranteed room and they gave us one with the upper bunks folded up against the wall. In that case, it would have been better to have the bed set up as twins since the bunks made walking around the outside of the bed difficult - even for me and I am short! Our very first cruise in 1990 we had twins that couldn't be made into a queen. I think that was more common on older ships 🙂

I'm happy to see this. Crowding is always one of my biggest concerns.

I haven't had any of those problems but I know that can be frustrating. That being said, on board is totally separate. I am sure you will have a great time!

I saw a FB post from someone on the ship with a picture of a huge line up for MDR, saying this was the norm. Maybe it was the opening time? I think they said it was people with reservations. This wasn't your experience?

Especially with the price, less comfortable loungers, no shade and no afternoon tea. No thank you.

It varies. We had one last month and it was quite obstructed. But if you can get one in between the lifeboats it isn't too bad. This was E623. Good for fresh air but not for a relaxing view.

Wow, that looks small! Heaven forbid you have the bunk-bulk heads! I always loved the Princess closets, very sad they are now just like everyone else.

That does not look nice. We love the nice thick cushions on the loungers in the Sanctuary but it looks like they are only in the suite area. And all sun? No thank you.

It was on the second formal night.

We often book insides - mostly for price but I do sleep really well in them. We have had windows and balconies a few times and we do like the natural light and fresh air but if it is a large price difference then an inside is just fine. We had an obstructed balcony on our last cruise. It was very obstructed and we didn't spend a lot of time out there, but it was nice to step out once in a while and check out the weather.

I used Ocean Now for drinks last week on the Regal, probably an average of once a day. I loved it and found it quite handy. Some times it took a little while to get to me but it always did, and I wasn't getting around very easily with my broken foot. PS - it gives a price when you add to the cart but then zeros it back out again before you order. I would suggest always double checking that total before hitting order. PPS - I did not tip extra.