Princess for a Day - Our Regal BVE

DH and I decided to check out the Regal while it was in Brooklyn. This not going to be a review, just some photos and comments from our lovely day yesterday. For more of a review, check out this thread:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=51384180&highlight=BVE#post51384180

We are a fairly active mid-50s couple from Queens. We usually choose our cruises based on itinerary, but we've always been curious to see one of those giant shiny new ships. The BVE was the perfect opportunity. We drove our car from Astoria, and it took about 35 minutes because traffic was really light on the BQE. We arrived at about 10:45am, and our BVE group was supposed to meet our for tour at 11:30.

It was not very apparent where to go for parking. We got stuck in a long line of cabs waiting to pick up disembarking passengers, but eventually found our way to the parking lot. In this photo that I took later from the ship you can see the terminal entrance. The passenger entrance is the building in the left of the picture. Going from left to right, there is a lane for pickup/dropoff, a center lane for through traffic (yeah, right), and then another lane for who knows what that was also clogged with traffic. In the center were limo cars dropping off pax with luggage. Right of that is where the buses loaded/unloaded. We had to drive through all that to get to the parking lot, which is farther to the right of where the bus drop off is.

Walking from the parking lot gave us this great photo op. It was a cloudy and blustery day!

More to come.

DH and I decided to check out the Regal while it was in Brooklyn. This not going to be a review, just some photos and comments from our lovely day yesterday.

 

More to come.

Looking forward

We entered the terminal and went through security just like passengers do. We had our "cruise tickets" and passports. After security we had to fill out the passenger health form (bring a pen unless you want to wait for their pencils) and entered the non-existent line. We're Platinum on Princess so we just walked up to the window. It was just before 11am and the terminal was VERY quiet.

All the staff seemed very prepared for the BVE guests. The woman who checked us in had to ask another agent for a code at one point, but she had our envelope handy and knew just where to send us next. Here is what we received:

The envelope had instructions right on the outside:

A letter detailed what was included in our day:

We got one of those little fold-out maps of the ship, and a cruise card:

They also gave us a sticker to wear on our shirts. All the staff we interacted with on board knew exactly what it was. They were all very friendly and helpful.

We were sent to a special waiting area for all the BVE's. At about 11:15 the Future Cruise Consultant greeted us and gave us her peppy informational talk. We waited as a group of 25 or so travel agents boarded first, and then we were on our way.

We stopped to have our free photo taken. They actually gave us two with different backgrounds:

Then we did what we usually do on a cruise... we headed up top to begin exploring:

It was very windy with a bit of a misty drizzle. This photo looks aft, with Brooklyn in the distance. It was bizarre to be up there on this huge ship without another soul in sight.

We could have had a guided tour of the ship. But, we would have had to wait for the whole group to have their photo taken, board the ship, and regroup. We decided to go off on our own instead.

Thanks for posting the paperwork and boarding details.

I have 2 friends that will be doing a BVE just as we are landing at the airport, in FLL, so they'll have to board without us.

I've sent them a link to this thread so they can read/see what to expect.

I do have to ask though, is hubby in the witness protection program!? :p

Behind me is Governor's Island and Manhattan:

There a nice views from Red Hook of Lady Liberty (with the Staten Island Ferry crossing the harbor):

Many other people have taken much more beautiful pictures on sunny days from this very spot!

Next we headed down to lunch in the MDR. We are big fans of MDR lunch on embarkation days! It was delicious, and our tablemates were very nice and interesting. We both had the famous fettuccine alfredo, beef medallions, and soufflé for dessert. Yum!

After lunch we checked out the Atrium/Piazza area. It is so beautiful, with a bit of glitz but very tastefully done:

There have been so many beautiful photos taken of the Regal that I didn't feel the need to shoot everything. We walked stem to stern on all the public decks and the options for drinking, dining, and hanging out were almost overwhelming. If I could pick a favorite spot, though, I think I would park myself in the Sanctuary for sea days!

One of the things I HAD to check out was the Skywalk. We found the port side one first that has the bar. DH got the willies standing on the clear floor. I teased him a bit by jumping up and down on it a couple times. :) We crossed to the starboard side where there is an open space down to the water. At the time there was a barge refueling, so we didn't get the complete experience, but it was still a cool feature that we enjoyed:

What a great way to spend the day! Thanks for sharing your experiences, I board the Regal on Thursday and your photos have this lady who lives in small town North Carolina looking forward to cruising out of NY!

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I do have to ask though, is hubby in the witness protection program!? :p

LOL I realize it's ridiculous but DH is much more paranoid about social media than I am, and I try to be sensitive to his concerns about his professional reputation (he's not famous, but in his business area he is fairly well known). Perhaps if I was more adept at editing, I could have put Brad Pitt's picture in his place. :)

I thought posting the details of the paperwork would be helpful, as we didn't know what to expect either! As a compulsive planner, that's the kind of thing I'd be looking for on CC.

What a great way to spend the day! Thanks for sharing your experiences, I board the Regal on Thursday and your photos have this lady who lives in small town North Carolina looking forward to cruising out of NY!

 

 

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DH was born here, but I moved here in my twenties. I have to say, I still get a thrill from looking at the skyline. We talked about that yesterday, how much of a treat it must be to people from out of town. I hope you have a sunny embarkation, it's even more thrilling when the sun is shining and the Statue of Liberty's torch is glowing.

We continued our tour and checked out the Princess Theater, the gym, the casino, and the Crown Grill. The Crown Grill looks very elegant and comfortable. Once all the passengers began arriving, the ship got more and more busy. The International Café was doing a brisk business, and the Horizon Court was mobbed. I had read about the Pastry Shop, so of course we had to see what was on offer:

Can you tell I like chocolate? I'm not one to take food pics but I had to show the coffee/mocha one on the right that was so delicious!

With only a few minutes left of our visit (we were required to leave at 3pm), we headed back downstairs and checked out the shop windows, strolled by Alfredos (very quiet compared to the buffet), and had a short chat with the staff at the table displaying some of the available sports activities. Pickleball, anyone? I had to google that later! We never got to check out the nightclub, which is usually one of my favorite spots because I love to dance. But, we felt like we got to see a lot of the ship and also got a good feeling for what it would be like to cruise on the Regal.

Usually disembarkation is a sad moment, but we knew we'd be home soon enjoying a hot coffee on the couch and a snuggle with our kitty. We needed to warm up given how cold the day had been. We spent the drive home talking about the next Princess cruise we wanted to take, so in our case the BVE was an excellent advertisement. :)

Last minute tips:

You pay for parking in Brooklyn at a kiosk in the parking lot THAT ONLY TAKES CASH.

DH was able to order a second glass of wine at lunch that was charged to the credit card associated with our booking. In fact, you can buy drinks or lattes or whatever anywhere you like, separate from the meal that's included in the BVE price. Just show your cruise card.

Four days ago it was 82 degrees here. If it had been that warm, I would definitely have brought my swimsuit! Margaritas by the pool!!

I enjoyed your write-up; thank you. I'm sailing on the Regal in December and am looking forward to seeing her in person (so I tried to just glance quickly at your photos and not study them in detail -- I want to be surprised!). It sounds like the Sanctuary was a wow for you. Was there anything else you saw that really made an impression/made the Regal stand out for you?

Interesting that as a BVE person leaving the ship at 3 PM you were assigned a table at the 8 PM seating in the traditional dining room.

We thought that was funny, too. Perhaps their system requires that there must be something filling those fields so they just put any old thing there. We joked about whether we could just stay on and show up for dinner. :)

Thank you for writing this. We don't live nearly close enough to a port to be able to participate in a BVE - it's nice that you shared!

DH and I decided to check out the Regal while it was in Brooklyn. This not going to be a review, just some photos and comments from our lovely day yesterday. For more of a review, check out this thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=51384180&highlight=BVE#post51384180

 

THANK YOU so much for posting this. What a neat idea. I learned a lot from your posts. This is a great example about how Cruise Critic really helps people who enjoy cruising. We leave this Wednesday on the Regal. This gave us a nice preview as well as we know know about BVE!!!!:cool:

I enjoyed your write-up; thank you. I'm sailing on the Regal in December and am looking forward to seeing her in person (so I tried to just glance quickly at your photos and not study them in detail -- I want to be surprised!). It sounds like the Sanctuary was a wow for you. Was there anything else you saw that really made an impression/made the Regal stand out for you?

I can only speak for myself, but if I were on the Regal, I would probably be hanging out at the Retreat pool if I were by myself, reading and sunning (DH is too fair to be in the sun for long, which is why we both were wowed by the Sanctuary). Both the Retreat Pool and the Sanctuary seemed well thought out and quietly elegant. I didn't find the Terrace Pool nearly as appealing, though, as the ones on the Grand class.

I would want to try the Skyview Bar because I've heard it's lit with blue lights at night and I think it would be a cool venue to sit and enjoy a good drink. It's small so I can't imagine a crazy bar scene happening up there. We are not big drinkers but we do like a pre- or post-dinner cocktail and some interesting conversation. It seems like a unique place to be, not like just sitting in a bar indoors somewhere, which we can do at home.

Also, I am not much of a gambler but the casino was very impressive. It felt more open than most of them do, more spacious. I could see myself wandering in in my gown on formal night to play some slots and watch the blackjack. Even for someone like me it called and said "it would be fun to play in here! Where are you going!"

For a daytime indoor hangout, I liked Crooners. It's kind of tucked away at the top of the Piazza with nice windows for watching the water. I don't know what they use it for during the daytime, but I liked the look of it.

We really enjoyed the Emerald and the Caribbean, and the Regal had plenty of the familiar Princess vibe that we like. It did seem soooo much bigger though!

How do you find information on ordering a BVE? Also, if we are sailing, but want to treat our nieces to the BVE, would we be able to board early with them?

Thank You, The photo of the Statue of Liberty is very nice. :)

Tony

Not all embarkation ports have BVE's. Someone on the Princess board here posted the schedule of BVE's for the year, so that's how I knew one was available in Brooklyn. I just called Princess and gave them the date of the BVE we wanted. The agent then forwarded me to the BVE person. Then it's just like booking a cruise, you have to provide your Captains Circle number, your credit card, etc. It shows as a booking on your Cruise Personalizer, so then you can go online and update your immigration and contact info just like with a cruise. I printed out our boarding passes and that was that.

I had a little glitch at that stage, but it was because our passports had expired since our last cruise. A call to Princess with the new numbers and some fiddling around on their part and it was all set.

Yes, if you have guests joining you for a BVE, you all get to board early. Your cabin may not be ready though so you may have to cart your carry-ons with you to lunch.

We were on with you! Sadly, there was no Roll Call so we couldn't coordinate activities!

From our point of view, check-in was not well organized [not a single sign for BVE, and most of the staff directing people didn't seem to know much about it] -- ultimately we were directed to the VIP check-in line and then to some seats right at the corridor to the ship where a very perky [somebody should tell her about decaf ] Future Cruise Consultant explained the process and gave us the option to take a guided tour with her or just wander on our own. Like you we chose to wander -- but we didn't bring any cameras so thank you for those great pics!

Lunch in Concerto dining room was terrific! There were only a few regular passengers along with the BVE folks -- apparently it is still a secret that you don't have to go to the buffet for the embarkation lunch. There was a choice of two appetizers [smoked salmon or fettuccine alfredo in a parmesan basket]; two entrées [trout almandine or chateaubriand]; and one dessert [chocolate souffle]. We also got one glass of wine each [nobody else in our party wanted theirs, but I'm always happy to help out :D] and unlimited coffee/tea. The bread/butter was also very good [i guess this was the promised fourth course] One of the better meals I have had on any ship -- and this in the MDR for lunch. I was very impressed.

The BVE package includes a free picture -- we were two couples, so they took two shots of the four of us and gave each couple both pictures [a nice touch] The package also allows you to use the $39 fee on a future cruise -- not sure how this works yet but hope to apply it to our Canada cruise next fall. Even if we don't get that, where else can you get a gourmet lunch with wine and tip for $39 in NYC??? [i have made a note to check on 2017 BVE dates in NYC, if only for the lunch :)]

I was also very impressed with the ship. The interior decoration and finishes are wonderful -- very classy, very luxe. The ship was empty for most of our time so it's hard to judge how crowded it will feel under sail [especially on a cold, windy day like we had, when everybody stays indoors] and we didn't have any opportunity to experience the 'missing midship staircase' -- but it seemed very spacious in the public areas. We have shied away from ships as large as this, but this 'taste' has put the Princess Royal class on our radar -- so the BVE was very good marketing on their part!

How do you find information on ordering a BVE? Also, if we are sailing, but want to treat our nieces to the BVE, would we be able to board early with them?

Call Princess directly. They'll be able to help you out.

And yes, you could board early with your nieces. But you would have to have Princess link your bookings.

We were on with you! Sadly, there was no Roll Call so we couldn't coordinate activities!

 

From our point of view, check-in was not well organized [not a single sign for BVE, and most of the staff directing people didn't seem to know much about it] -- ultimately we were directed to the VIP check-in line and then to some seats right at the corridor to the ship where a very perky [somebody should tell her about decaf ] Future Cruise Consultant explained the process and gave us the option to take a guided tour with her or just wander on our own. Like you we chose to wander -- but we didn't bring any cameras so thank you for those great pics!

 

Lunch in Concerto dining room was terrific! There were only a few regular passengers along with the BVE folks -- apparently it is still a secret that you don't have to go to the buffet for the embarkation lunch. There was a choice of two appetizers [smoked salmon or fettuccine alfredo in a parmesan basket]; two entrées [trout almandine or chateaubriand]; and one dessert [chocolate souffle]. We also got one glass of wine each [nobody else in our party wanted theirs, but I'm always happy to help out :D] and unlimited coffee/tea. The bread/butter was also very good [i guess this was the promised fourth course] One of the better meals I have had on any ship -- and this in the MDR for lunch. I was very impressed.

 

The BVE package includes a free picture -- we were two couples, so they took two shots of the four of us and gave each couple both pictures [a nice touch] The package also allows you to use the $39 fee on a future cruise -- not sure how this works yet but hope to apply it to our Canada cruise next fall. Even if we don't get that, where else can you get a gourmet lunch with wine and tip for $39 in NYC??? [i have made a note to check on 2017 BVE dates in NYC, if only for the lunch :)]

 

I was also very impressed with the ship. The interior decoration and finishes are wonderful -- very classy, very luxe. The ship was empty for most of our time so it's hard to judge how crowded it will feel under sail [especially on a cold, windy day like we had, when everybody stays indoors] and we didn't have any opportunity to experience the 'missing midship staircase' -- but it seemed very spacious in the public areas. We have shied away from ships as large as this, but this 'taste' has put the Princess Royal class on our radar -- so the BVE was very good marketing on their part!

I sailed on Regal last year for a 5 day cruise to Grand Turk and Princess Cays and as an Elite Captain's Circle member, I was very impressed by the ship and its crew. I really can't wait until the next time I sail on one of these ships.

I can only speak for myself, but if I were on the Regal, I would probably be hanging out at the Retreat pool if I were by myself, reading and sunning (DH is too fair to be in the sun for long, which is why we both were wowed by the Sanctuary). Both the Retreat Pool and the Sanctuary seemed well thought out and quietly elegant. I didn't find the Terrace Pool nearly as appealing, though, as the ones on the Grand class.

We share the same preference. We love to hangout at the Retreat pool and have a drink at the bar. Not much view distraction.

The package also allows you to use the $39 fee on a future cruise -- not sure how this works yet but hope to apply it to our Canada cruise next fall.

If you have not booked the cruise yet, book it within the time limit of using the $39 (3 months??) and let whomever you book with know you want to have it applied.

If the cruise is already booked, it might not be able to be used for that cruise as it is meant to be used for a new booking. Check with whomever you booked the cruise with and see if they can get it applied.

Thanks for posting. I wonder if we could book a BVE for the day our cruise on the Caribbean Princess ends. The Regal Princess is scheduled to be in Fort Lauderdale that day. I'd love to be able to tour one of the new ships before booking a cruise on them.

If we left the ship early enough, we could take our luggage to our hotel for storage until our room was ready and be back at the port in plenty of time. Our flight back home isn't until the next day. Has anyone done this?

The $39 is already showing on my Personalizer as a Future Cruise Credit. I don't believe you can apply it to an existing booking. I suppose if one is before final payment one could cancel and immediately rebook to get the credit. However, if you had a particularly good fare or promotion you might lose those benefits. Since we are going to be booking soon I feel like we got the day for free!

I agree with everything Jazzbeau said which is why I linked to his/her comments in the other thread. The lunch was beyond good, and as Jazz said $39 for a meal that included wine and dessert is a bargain indeed. It's too bad we didn't get to share impressions at the end of the day. If you get the schedule for 2017, please pass it along. We would consider doing it again (hopefully when the sun is shining).

geoherb I think you have a good idea! It's nice to get a preview before booking a whole cruise on a new ship.

I posted some of my pix on FB, and one of my friends asked if the shot of DH in the Piazza was at an upscale mall or shop. :) I did like that it was rich looking without being tacky. I realize that this is a very subjective statement.

The $39 is already showing on my Personalizer as a Future Cruise Credit. I don't believe you can apply it to an existing booking.

Once I get done with multiple Amex $100 rebate offers, I plan to ask my TA if she can use these $39 FCCs on our existing booking. Can't hurt to ask :)