Regal Princess B2B Feb.7 likes & dislikes.

[Musky Ike]

I was on the Regal with you last week. I took the UST and saw the desserts being made by hand in the galley. Sysco must be doing a good job if you can't tell the difference :D

 

Yes, we saw every style dress onboard, Tee to Tux, even some young ladies in religious dress, and Santa Claus, to each their own. As far as pics in the gallery, OMG to be seen as relaxed and having a good time on a cruise, the horror.

 

Many, folks we talked to were doing B2B, either on their first or second leg. More than I recall on any other 7day. We prefer longer cruises also, but some of us can't get away from work for that long of a time.

 

We would sail on the Regal again. I fact it's already booked :)

 

Have fun however and where ever you travel.

Edited February 16, 2016 by Musky Ike

[CATGUY7]

Yes, this Sunday! :D:D:D

 

I will write a review but I will warn you ahead of time - DH and I are ones that look for the good and only notice the bad if it hits us smack in the face. When I see good, I feel good so I am really looking forward to experiencing all the added amenities on the Royal Class!

 

Have a wonderful time! She is such a lovely ship!

[Socceric9]

He lost all credibility with me since he clearly does not think in the same way I do.

 

Yep, I'll leave it at that lol. We don't think the same way either, so we can't have a credible or educated conversation. :rolleyes:

[JTSpitfire]

Wow! Quite a thread.

 

Will cruise this Sunday on the Regal (first time w/ Princess) after 8 Celebrity cruises. Can't wait to see how our views match up with the OP and others.

[baldercash]

 

I think each cruiseline...heck, even each specific cruise should be judged on their own merit. I'd have a miserable vacation if my mindset was always comparing my current vacation to ones I've taken in the past.

 

To judge a current cruise you need to bench mark it against past experiences wouldn't you?

You eat pizza and you immediately decide if if it is good or bad compared to previous consumed slices.

I think most people use this method of using past experiences to determine value and quality of just about everything in their lives.

I would think you are an exception?

[baldercash]

My question to people who were not pleased with the meat or any food they got, did you ask for something else or just sit and complain about it? All you have to do is ask and you will get a replacement or something totally different. As far as desserts, all are made on board.

 

The poster does seem knowledgeable stating the cuts of meat are a certain quality not complaining about how it was cooked so asking for another piece will not change the texture or taste.

We can assume he wanted to eat beef so moving on to something like chicken is not really going to please him.

He did not say he did not eat it he stated it was not of as good a quality as on X.

 

I doubt all the deserts are made on the ship another poster watched deserts being made but likely not every type served on the ship or they would be there a long time watching.

I was surprised to be told by the Maitre d while sailing on Royal Caribbean that some of the deserts served in Giovanni's Table one of their higher end dinning venues were sourced on shore.

It is rumored even some of the breads are being brought on board ships frozen now.

[blueseas4me2]

To judge a current cruise you need to bench mark it against past experiences wouldn't you?

You eat pizza and you immediately decide if if it is good or bad compared to previous consumed slices.

I think most people use this method of using past experiences to determine value and quality of just about everything in their lives.

I would think you are an exception?

 

I guess I'm alone. I go on each vacation determined to live every moment and enjoy it to the fullest. If there's an issue or something isn't exactly how I like it to be, I try to get past that as quickly as possible. Maybe I'm alone?

 

Staring at the greener grass is not a good way to enjoy your own lawn.

 

Cruises are awesome. Your room, your itinerary, your meals, and entertainment options are all provided in one package. Much of the decision making is handled by someone else. Other people plan the menus, serve, and then clean up. Heck- someone cleans up my room every day. We get to enjoy the ocean, some great ports, and a beach or two. For me, it would be very hard to have a bad cruise. I've cruised in bad weather with a ship that wouldn't stop tossing but we still had a lot of fun.

 

It's all about the mindset. If I boarded a ship and immediately began comparing it to one I liked better, I'd have a lousy vacation.

[baldercash]

I guess I'm alone. I go on each vacation determined to live every moment and enjoy it to the fullest. If there's an issue or something isn't exactly how I like it to be, I try to get past that as quickly as possible. Maybe I'm alone?

 

Staring at the greener grass is not a good way to enjoy your own lawn.

 

Cruises are awesome. Your room, your itinerary, your meals, and entertainment options are all provided in one package. Much of the decision making is handled by someone else. Other people plan the menus, serve, and then clean up. Heck- someone cleans up my room every day. We get to enjoy the ocean, some great ports, and a beach or two. For me, it would be very hard to have a bad cruise. I've cruised in bad weather with a ship that wouldn't stop tossing but we still had a lot of fun.

 

It's all about the mindset. If I boarded a ship and immediately began comparing it to one I liked better, I'd have a lousy vacation.

 

I agree a cruise is awesome and for me some of my worst cruises and travel disasters I remember the most fondly.

You have been on more then one so are you telling me every cruise you have taken are all equal and there was not one where the Ports, service, entertainment enthralled, or the food enticed more then one of the others?

 

Do you not have a favourite pair of shoes or is there not a dish your mother cooks that brings back fond memories?

Yes there are great ports but there are also bad ones I don't compare Ft Lauderdale the equivalent to New York.

 

 

It's all about the mindset. If I boarded a ship and immediately began comparing it to one I liked better, I'd have a lousy vacation.

 

What if you get on a ship and it was better then any of the others you had ever been on would you know that you where on the best ship of your life?

I guess you would just be on another cruise as they are all equal so the next time you book a cruise all past cruises would have no impact on your next choice?

Edited February 17, 2016 by baldercash

[kendon]

To judge a current cruise you need to bench mark it against past experiences wouldn't you?

You eat pizza and you immediately decide if if it is good or bad compared to previous consumed slices.

I think most people use this method of using past experiences to determine value and quality of just about everything in their lives.

I would think you are an exception?

 

Absolutely.

[hllwdcruiser]

Have a wonderful time! She is such a lovely ship!

 

Thank you! DH and I just finished our last bit of preparation shopping yesterday. I really don't know what is better, the actual cruise or the anticipation prior!

[Grego]

I'm so sorry you are disappointed...but I'm confused about why your review is all based on comparing this line to another one. We cruise on NCL and on Princess. I've never compared the two lines. Why would I? Princess delivers one product and they price it well. Other lines deliver another product and price it accordingly.

 

I think each cruiseline...heck, even each specific cruise should be judged on their own merit. I'd have a miserable vacation if my mindset was always comparing my current vacation to ones I've taken in the past.

 

He lost me at the desert comments.

[keithm]

Thank you for your review.

 

I think after this next cruise on the Regal we will be testing the waters over at Celebrity.

 

I'm surprised you think some of the desserts are from Sysco. When we did a galley tour on the Ruby we were told that everything was homemade on the ship.:confused:

 

I'm not going to flame you over your "colorful" fellow PAX descriptions, but I will say that I get extremely sad and disheartened when derogatory stereotypes are used in reviews. It is just so insulting and unnecessary.

Seems it was Superbowl weekend! Most of those pax were gone on Sunday. We saw some of the cheesecakes taken out of the boxes late at night. The Chocolate desserts are ok,but no wow factor. Food is pretty good overall, but not at Celebrity/Cunard standards. For a first time cruiser,I'd say it's a very good line overall. Unfortunately there's no real perks for suite pax. yet prices are about equal to Cunard/Celebrity.

[keithm]

The poster does seem knowledgeable stating the cuts of meat are a certain quality not complaining about how it was cooked so asking for another piece will not change the texture or taste.

We can assume he wanted to eat beef so moving on to something like chicken is not really going to please him.

He did not say he did not eat it he stated it was not of as good a quality as on X.

 

I doubt all the deserts are made on the ship another poster watched deserts being made but likely not every type served on the ship or they would be there a long time watching.

I was surprised to be told by the Maitre d while sailing on Royal Caribbean that some of the deserts served in Giovanni's Table one of their higher end dinning venues were sourced on shore.

It is rumored even some of the breads are being brought on board ships frozen now.

I ate the beef. It was good,but not at Choice or higher level. Food overall is good,but not great. Duck Al Orange was truly awful. You need to ask for Duck breast,otherwise you get tough leg/wing.

[keithm]

I guess I'm alone. I go on each vacation determined to live every moment and enjoy it to the fullest. If there's an issue or something isn't exactly how I like it to be, I try to get past that as quickly as possible. Maybe I'm alone?

 

Staring at the greener grass is not a good way to enjoy your own lawn.

 

Cruises are awesome. Your room, your itinerary, your meals, and entertainment options are all provided in one package. Much of the decision making is handled by someone else. Other people plan the menus, serve, and then clean up. Heck- someone cleans up my room every day. We get to enjoy the ocean, some great ports, and a beach or two. For me, it would be very hard to have a bad cruise. I've cruised in bad weather with a ship that wouldn't stop tossing but we still had a lot of fun.

 

It's all about the mindset. If I boarded a ship and immediately began comparing it to one I liked better, I'd have a lousy vacation.

Not True!! Regal is beautiful, but the experience is not to Cunard/Celebrity standards. Overall it's a very good, but NOT outstanding trip. The sanctuary is getting me interested in coming back. They really spoil you there.

[keithm]

If you are going to offer an honest opinion in a large group of people then you ought to expect feedback. If you say something that offends people then they are going to speak up. That's why is a good idea to weigh out your words before you hit "post" and consider the audience. Most people are not cool with people making derogatory generalizations. I'm also not understanding how that's 'helpful' in a review. He's bashing his fellow passengers. Shouldn't he post their names so we can avoid cruising with those people? (I'm not serious)

 

Suppose someone posts a review that says "There were a lot of fat women on board and many of them wore swimsuits. It really ruined my poolside experience." Would that be OK? Is that helpful to anyone else considering cruising on that ship? NOPE! It's simply an opinion and even though it's honest, it should be left out of the review.

 

The OP could have said "I was disappointed in the manner that people dressed..." and then described the things that bothered him. He never needed to decide that they were 'rednecks'. I live as far north as you can get before you hit Canada and I promise you there are people around me that dress in the same manner he described. It's not just something relating to people in the South.

True..Red necks are everywhere, but the southern ones are an element unto their own! The second leg was much nicer. These guys were "bowl" fans & left last Sunday. Overall it's a very good but not great cruiseline. I'll post my full review next Sunday.

[asctony]

Not True!! Regal is beautiful, but the experience is not to Cunard/Celebrity standards. Overall it's a very good, but NOT outstanding trip. The sanctuary is getting me interested in coming back. They really spoil you there.

 

Opinions are opinions. Personally, we are Eltie+ on X, Elite on Princess and Diamond + on RCI. Our opinion of the Regal Princess experience far exceeds that of any S-Class X ship in the way of Food, Buffet, Entertainment, Ship (with exception of X's Adult pool area which is free), Price and Service.

[keithm]

I'll post a full review upon returning home. Overall a good,but not great cruise so far. My comparison will be comparing the Regal to the Celebrity Eclipse doing an inside room.The cabin size is about equal.Bed size equal. Storage better in the Regal cabin. Bathrooms..Ahh.. here the Eclipse is far better. Better use of space. Enclosed shower stall & much better water pressure. Hand held shower head nice on Regal,but water pressure pretty lame. Towels much better on Eclipse. Larger & softer. Regal towels similar to what's in an Econo Lodge. We checked balcony cabins on Feb.14 before the next group boarded. Toiletries a bit better,but that's it. Interior of Regal is absolutely stunning. Superb use of granite & marble. No lounge at top & front of ship. Vista should be forward & on the top of the ship. Only 2 stairways way forward & way aft. Causes a lot of log jams around the lifts. Staff aboard was truly excellent. As good as any we've ever seen. Kudos to them for staying so polite with some of the PAX I've seen.

Food is always subjective, but here goes..I'm part owner & the buyer for a multi million dollar catering co. The food aboard the Regal is good,but not great.The cuts of beef in Sabatinis/Crown Grill are "Select" On Eclipse they are "Choice". One of the reasons the prices on Regal are about half of Eclipse. The desserts are really a downer. Way too much use of whip creams/mousse. Really not very creative in style. Some are obviously purchased from Sysco/Us Foods. I know. Some are the same we use in cheaper weddings. Still decent quality, but not home made.

Entertainment..OK, not great. Roving violin quartets & piano players are excellent. Shows in theater quite lame. The theater was surprisingly small for a ship this size. Dancers not very skilled. The singers,however are as good/better as we've seen on any ship.

PAX..ok here's where I'll get flamed. Most do a 7 day trip, we did a 14 day trip. A lot of southern rednecks(I call 'em as I see 'em) Next up were a lot of New York retirees. The rest were a mix of foreign & seasoned cruisers. Less kids the first part. More on our second leg. All quite well behaved. Dress style was from formal to true "trailer trash",even on formal nights Sorry, but on formal night, at least wear a decent pair of shorts & nice shirt. Rednecks mostly wore swim trunks & cheesy T shirts 24/7. Some formal pic in the gallery showed several dressed this way. Really? Is this how you want your friends to see you? Most drinking I've ever seen, has been aboard this ship. Most were ok on board, but really got hammered ashore. Their behavior on shore is an embarrassment to the US, when on the islands.

Shore excursions very varied & great overall.Probably the best in the industry.

Now..Would we cruise Princess again? Possibly. Depends on itinerary/pricing. Our next trip next year will be back on Celebrity. Sorry, Princess fans, but Celebrity knows what a premium cruise is about. As I said I will post a more thorough review at the end.

Hey! My reponse to my own post! Here goes. First some guidelines..Yes I compared the Regal to the Eclipse(I could have used the QM2)

1)The ship in detail: The Regal is gorgeous inside. Much use of elegant granite & marble with lots of very well executed "faux" wood. "Solas" (Safety of Life at Sea)does not allow use of much wood(fires, you know)Very elegant carpets abound. Very nice rich & warm colors. Piazza area is the focal point & it's beautiful. Crooners bar was our meeting point for the pax that we began "hanging" with. Great spot to people watch. There's plenty to do outside. Loved the Sanctuary area, though that pool is REALLY deep! You do need to book well in advance to reserve loungers or a Cabana in Sanctuary. Prices vary From $20 for a lounger to $140 for a Cabana. This is for a half day. There are plenty of loungers around the pools. There are also lots of hogs there, too.(like on all lines)

Food on the ship is plentiful to say the least! Quality was good, but quite lacking compared to Celebrity/Cunard(our usual lines)Overall the dinners in Allegro were good, but with one horrible meal(for my partner)Avoid the Duck Al Orange, unless you insist they provide Duck breast. Otherwise you get drumstick & wing. Real tough to chew. Sabatini's & Crown Grill were good, but use "select" not "choice" grades of meat. For $25 It's what I'd expect. Filet Mignon should be tender, not tough(I order rare, not well done)By no means was it worth sending back, just not real high quality. Murano on the Eclipse is $45 & a lot better(it should be for that price) I do recommend the Chilean Sea bass in Crown grill. Add a steak for surf & turf & it's quite good. Alfredos does very good pizzas, but I wish they'd add some white sauce pizzas, as I'm not a tomato sauce fan. Desserts are a weak point. Lots of prepurchased desserts. We use Sysco/Us Foods in our catering bus & saw their trucks on the pier loading up the ships. These vendors DO have some really good products, but not everything on board can be made from scratch!! Saw them loading up the Eclipse as well. You pay more, you get better quality..goes without saying!

Ok, here's the negatives.. For a ship Regal's size, the main theater is too small. Every other ship I've been on has at least 2 or more levels. There's no place to put a drink! This was plain dumb! Go ahead try clapping with a drink in your hand. I'm sure drink sales here would be much better if they figured a way to put your drinks down. The QM2 is 12 years old & they figured how to do it! The shows were a bit lame at times. Really bad comedian. Really good(and funny) illusionist. Dancers are a little weak. Singers were outstanding in every aspect. Sets kind of small(smallish stage)musicians were very talented,but the band could be bigger(Cunard excels here)

There is no forward lounge to relax & over look the bow of the ship..really kind of strange. Vista lounge is nice & HAS places to set your drinks. The center of the ship has NO stairway, which caused huge back ups at the elevators at various times.

Now to our cabin..As in Celebrity we did an inside. Room is average size(kind of small as are most inside cabins)Plenty of storage & very large closet area just outside bathroom(more storage than on Eclipse). Here's the rub! Terrible bathroom in my opinion. Very small. Small shower with curtain. Eclipse has enclosed shower with sliding curved doors. Water pressure in Regal shower pretty weak, but hand held nozzle helps somewhat. Towels were truly awful, like being in a cheap Econolodge type motel. Small & rough. The balcony cabins had the same towels. A real cheap touch here.

Now we'll dwell on the pax...Feb.7-14 was a Superbowl cruise for many. This explained the surprising amount of really trashy pax on board. To the poster who took offence on reference to retired New Yorkers...Anti Semitic? really?? perhaps YOU need to look in the mirror before you judge others! I'm originally from the New York area & trust me..we can really be A-holes! I was referring to the "New Yawk" accents of which we're pretty easy to recognize(thank you Mr.Trump!)Now sit back & enjoy your Cawfee, Ok? The second week Feb.14-21 was vastly different. Same amount of New York retirees(many stayed aboard like us)but nearly all the southern red necks were gone(I'm sure unhappy about the Panthers)Overall, it was a much better second week.

Now my overall view of this cruise..For first timers, probably an excellent trip. For us..very good overall, but I still prefer the somewhat more premium Cunard/Celebrity & plan on returning them next Jan. If Princess did some straight on 14 day trips rather than combining 2 seven day trips I'd certainly consider them again. Pricewise, this trip was about $800 more than the Eclipse trip I was unable to book..so price is not a real factor here. I will tell you Princess's true top asset.. Their staff. They were easily as good or better than any we have encountered. They handled the Superbowl crowd with ease. Great mix of Asian & Eastern Europeans. Truly exceptional. I could easily rebook just for them. A special shout out to Martyn(that's how it's spelled)the cruise director. Best we've ever had. Easily approachable, with a magnificent sense of humor. He should replace the comedians. I hope Princess pays him well, otherwise some other line will steal him!

Ok,"Music lovers" have at it! (my Icon's favorite phrase)

[keithm]

Yep, I'll leave it at that lol. We don't think the same way either, so we can't have a credible or educated conversation. :rolleyes:

Thank you! You did have to see this Superbowl crowd, though!

[Robinsoncruiseso]

My husband and I were on this same cruise. We are experienced cruisers, 48 and 59, so average age and we had a completely different experience than the OP. Maybe we were in all the right places in all the right times. We are not foodies (do not eat in specialty dining, but did do the fondue), we do not lounge by the pool all day and are very social. Enjoyed the Football crowd and I think we found all the twelves (Seahawk fans) onboard!! You could tell as one in the group is always sporting hawk gear. Completely understand that each cruiser may experience something different. I have only had one bad cruise experience and it was mainly how the cruiseline handled the situation. I personally do not cruise NCL because there food is too complex/mixed. I prefer a divided plate (lol). OP, if you want a good balcony room, try those in the far front. We had a huge balcony, about 10X10 which we could use at all times, with deals, we barely paid more than $800! And surprisingly, our bill was under $300 at the end of the week and we purchased $100 of clothes.

Agree on the scratchy towels, but one day we had super soft towels.

[cruzsnooze]

I sailed on the Regal last October and didn't care for the ship. There were lines every where. If you weren't willing to get to the shows a half hour early there wasn't enough seating for the number of passengers. The buffet was to spread out.

The ship was new and beautiful but not my taste. Princess food in the MDR is more similar to X then not. They both are mass market cruise lines. I prefer the cabins on Princess. I would sail either line but not the new mega ships.

[CI66774]

OP - thanks for your review. I was not offended by your descriptions of other paxs. I believed your post was written in good nature and with no intent to offend anyone.

 

However, my experience has been different than yours. I've cruised on Cunard, Princess, and Celebrity several times. Found them all more similar than different. Cunard was a little too "class" oriented for me and lots of (shall I say it) "mature" people. That's to be expected but it made the atmosphere a little too (as The Ramones would say) sedated. I liked Celebrity but people looked at my four year old (at the time) like she was the plague. Didn't care for the kids club, either. I found Princess (and Disney) to be the best (aside from Regent and Crystal - those line I don't sail anymore because of the kid). I like a little "redneck" in the pax mix. I dated a Cajun for several years and find those southerners really know how to have a good time! :D

[blueseas4me2]

Feb.7-14 was a Superbowl cruise for many. This explained the surprising amount of really trashy pax on board.

 

 

Really? How so.

[sananda]

I am not really sure that I understand the obsession with the meat quality. The USDA rates beef as select, choice and prime. This is a very subjective rating system, and it is not unusual for ten different trained agents to have very different opinions about the same meat. Given your business, you might be better than the average person at eyeballing cuts of meat and guessing their USDA rating. However, I guarantee that guessing the USDA rating after the meat has been cooked is impossible. USDA prime that has been stored poorly, handled poorly and prepared poorly will easily taste worse than select that has been stored, handled and prepared well.

 

I would have less skepticism towards your review if you had said the beef was tough and tasteless, or if you had said the desserts tasted processed and were so uniform they appeared factory made. Although you maintain your review has nothing to do with money, it is clear that you are bothered that you paid $800 more for the Princess cruise than the Celebrity cruise you really wanted. Mentioning low-rent passengers, USDA Choice and Sysco (all things associated with cheapness) further highlights how important cost is to your happiness.

 

I wish you the best of luck finding better value on your future cruises

[keithm]

I am not really sure that I understand the obsession with the meat quality. The USDA rates beef as select, choice and prime. This is a very subjective rating system, and it is not unusual for ten different trained agents to have very different opinions about the same meat. Given your business, you might be better than the average person at eyeballing cuts of meat and guessing their USDA rating. However, I guarantee that guessing the USDA rating after the meat has been cooked is impossible. USDA prime that has been stored poorly, handled poorly and prepared poorly will easily taste worse than select that has been stored, handled and prepared well.

 

I would have less skepticism towards your review if you had said the beef was tough and tasteless, or if you had said the desserts tasted processed and were so uniform they appeared factory made. Although you maintain your review has nothing to do with money, it is clear that you are bothered that you paid $800 more for the Princess cruise than the Celebrity cruise you really wanted. Mentioning low-rent passengers, USDA Choice and Sysco (all things associated with cheapness) further highlights how important cost is to your happiness.

 

I wish you the best of luck finding better value on your future cruises

Wow! You really missed a lot in my review didn't you? I say that all the lines use vendors like Sysco/Us Foods. Do you think for a minute everything is made from scratch? WAKE UP!! What the line decides to pay WILL show the quality. I would not expect Carnival/NCL/Cunard/Regent/Crystal etc. to all pay the same. Better quality ingredients cost more than lower cost ingredients. This is what I'm saying, though I feel you don't understand that. I never said the beef was tasteless. It was more tough than I'm used to having. It was like dining in a Ruby Tuesday as opposed to a higher end steak house. When I pay a premium I expect premium quality. I really didn't see it here. I've seen the Sysco trucks right on the pier off loading food products on the Eclipse the Allure & the Disney Fantasy. What each line budgets for food will determine it's quality. Since you have NO experience in restaurants or food service (and I have) cut me some slack! Yes it DOES bother me when I pay more & don't get the same quality. The desserts were generally quite bland. Their overall appearance showed some lack of skill in presentation. They were not terrible, but I've had far better.

As to low rent pax. Sorry if it offends but on Feb.7-14 there was a lot of them. You see some on any cruise, but here I'd say they made up 20% at least. I just find pax walking around at night in swim suits & trashy t shirts brings down the quality of the cruise. Feb.14-21 there were still some, but a MUCH smaller amount. It was a very good cruise, just not a great cruise.

[keithm]

Really? How so.

There were about 20%+ dressed in t shirts & swim pants. I'm used to that in the buffet, but it just made the crowd look low rent when you saw so much of it at night. The Feb.14-21 leg of the trip, the crowd was far different. more of what I'm used to seeing. You'll see pax with no sense of style all the time, but I've never seen so much of it as we did the first leg of the trip. Many of these same pax went ashore on some of the same excursions as us & their boorish behavior embarrasses me as an American. I don't like people in foreign countries seeing us act like this. Makes us look like a nation of yahoos.