Just back from Regal; a few comparisons with Eurodam

[meab]

Just got back from Regal this morning, 7 night Eastern Caribbean. Last spring break, we were on HAL Eurodam, 7 night Western Caribbean. Couldn't help but draw comparisons the whole time!

 

Rooms - I think Eurodam wins. We had category C oceanview; this year, DB deluxe balcony on Regal - rooms and bathrooms were TINY!

 

Buffet - another one where Eurodam came out ahead. We were constantly getting lost in the Horizon Court/Bistro. Lido Buffet on HAL was easier to navigate, and we felt the food options were better and changed more frequently. For example: HAL had things like eggs benedict on the buffet, and the daily options changed all the time. Also, crepes in the morning! Regal didn't have any crepes, and we didn't see eggs benedict either. That's just breakfast as an example, but we felt HAL had a better variety on the buffet.

 

Main Dining Room - food was good, we felt Princess and HAL were about on par. The only downside on Princess was that there was always a long wait for Anytime Dining. I don't understand how it's not better organized, because as I recall, Princess was one of the first cruise lines to use the anytime dining model. We arrived at 5:30, needed a pager already. One night, we had an estimated wait of 30-40 minutes. When traveling with kids, that's not always an option! Service in the MDR was pretty good on both lines.

 

Poolside food - I was expecting the Princess pizza to be just awful after all the reviews on here. I found it wasn't too bad at all. My son really enjoyed it, although he did note it was best if you already had a seat and could start eating the pizza while it's still hot! Burgers were good. I tried a veggie burger one day and it was not my favorite. I have to say though that HAL probably also gets a slight edge here - DIVE-IN FRIES ARE THE BEST! The pizza was less convenient on HAL though.

 

International Cafe - ok, HAL doesn't have this. The closest might be the little snack bar in the Crows Nest. IC was fantastic! I think we ended up eating there every morning. 2 words: Nutella Donuts! Plus, we had the coffee card on Princess, and that was great as well. A win for Princess in this area. (The sandwiches and salads were good too)

 

Library/Internet/Lounge - HAL wins here too. The Crows Nest was a great gathering spot. My kids liked to hang out up there and pick up a chess game. Great views, and a good spot to relax and hang out. The library on Princess was a little tiny and disappointing. Even more so, no chess onboard that we could find. When Wheelhouse Bar opened for board games - NO CHESS. So that was a bummer.

 

Entertainment - Princess is the hands-down winner in this category if you ask me. We did enjoy the Billboard Live and dueling pianos on HAL, but the stage productions on Princess were really fantastic. We saw Born to Dance (Broadway shows) and Bravo (a little more opera-type songs). They were much more upbeat and lively than HAL. Also, there was always a lot of activity going on in the Piazza, like games, dance lessons, contests, live music, etc.

 

Kids Programs - for the teens, I'd say Princess and HAL were about the same, although the facilities for teens were better on Princess (ie their own outdoor space). for the younger kids, my kids liked HAL, but again, the facilities on Princess were way more fun. (skeeball, foosball, etc) So HAL wasn't bad, Princess was just better. Also, for comparison, I think we had about 150 kids on Eurodam and about 200 on Regal.

 

Elevators - we liked the panoramic glass elevators on HAL. also appreciated the days of the week on the carpets on the floor on HAL, whereas Princess had inspirational travel quotes. I'm not making a judgement here, just noting the difference.

 

Crew and Staff - I feel like we really enjoyed the service on Princess. Everyone was super nice and helpful, even when I made a stupid mistake like marking the wrong box for disembarkation. I feel like we came off the ship with at least 10 staff names remembered. From the Eurodam...I'd have to look back at my notes from last year, but I only remember one or two staff being truly memorable. HAL was not bad here by any means, but for now, I think Princess wins this category.

 

Pool - I liked that HAL had the glass covering for one pool. Princess seemed like there was a lot of wasted space on the main pool area with that stage in the middle. I kind of wished there was more pool space, especially on sea days. I know there's another pool in the retreat area, but since we travel with kids, that's not really an option. It was really tough to find chairs by the pool on Princess. I think maybe the issue here is that Princess vs HAL seemed to have the same amount of pool space, but fewer people on the HAL ship so it seemed less crowded.

 

Ping Pong - again, not a main thing we look for when cruising, but on HAL, the ping pong tables are in the corner by the pool, with glass all around, so there's no major issue with wind. I don't know who decided to put the ping pong tables on Regal all the way on the top deck, but it was really really windy there. Not appealing for ping pong.

 

Promenade/Walking Deck - I think HAL wins here, I like the low, covered wrap around deck for walking after dinner, etc. I never managed to walk the track on Regal, but I did see it :)

 

Stargazing - this was fantastic on Princess. They shut the lights on the topmost deck and we could see so many stars - amazing! They pointed out various constellations, and it was a great program. Didn't have this on HAL, so a win for Princess.

 

Escape Room - hoped to report back on this, but we used the Princess Patter on my phone, and it gave the wrong location for the sign up. By the time we found it (Outrigger Bar!) it was full and they had left. Kind of a bummer. Also a note that maybe their tech features aren't quite at 100%. (Location was correct on the paper Patter).

 

If you have any questions, I'll try to answer. Our family's takeaway is that both were great and we'd do either one again in a heartbeat. Even if it looks like on my list that HAL "won" in more categories, there was just something about Princess that was really nice. I can't put my finger on it.

[meab]

I forgot about Mustering - Princess wins on this. on HAL we were out on deck standing in the heat in a big group. Princess: it was funny, indoors, air conditioned, and we didn't need to bring our life jackets.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

Just got back from Regal this morning, 7 night Eastern Caribbean. Last spring break, we were on HAL Eurodam, 7 night Western Caribbean. Couldn't help but draw comparisons the whole time.

 

Buffet - another one where Eurodam came out ahead. We were constantly getting lost in the Horizon Court/Bistro. Lido Buffet on HAL was easier to navigate, and we felt the food options were better and changed more frequently. For example: HAL had things like eggs benedict on the buffet, and the daily options changed all the time. Also, crepes in the morning!

 

If you have any questions, I'll try to answer. Our family's takeaway is that both were great and we'd do either one again in a heartbeat. Even if it looks like on my list that HAL "won" in more categories, there was just something about Princess that was really nice. I can't put my finger on it. It was the cookies!!!

 

Thank you for your review. After many Princess cruises I am getting ready for a cruise on the Eurodam (first HAL cruise). I would like to hear more about the dining options if you have time. We are interested in lunch and dinner in the buffet, Dive-In, specialty dining and anything else you can think of. Thanks again!

[meab]

I forgot to mention specialty dining. We didn't do it on Regal. We did the Crown Grill a few years ago, and didn't feel the need to splurge on the upcharge again. Sabatini's - the new menu wasn't super appealing. On HAL, we dined one night in Tamarind, and it was top-notch amazing!

 

Food can be really subjective, so it's hard to review.

 

Regarding what i previously wrote: I just found that the buffet on HAL seemed more varied. Lunches had a nice salad bar, variety of sandwiches, something unusual (like one day was Indian buffet, one day was Asian)...the sushi offerings on Regal weren't too enticing for some reason. HAL had a big selection of sushi, especially on embarkation day.

 

On HAL we were a little late arriving to the dining room on one formal night, so we went to the buffet instead, and it turned out to be really great. Unlimited lobster tails were available there, as well as pretty much anything that was on the menu in the MDR that night. I felt like on Princess, the dinner food at the buffet was not the same as the MDR options. It just felt more like "buffet" food, although I did notice they changed it up a bit like "Brazilian night" and things like that.

 

Also, Eurodam had a more accessible drinks station like for lemonade, water, etc. On Princess, it was hard to find the water/lemonade station, tucked away in a corner of the horizon bistro. Maybe they figure most people have a drink package? Also, on Regal, it seemed the lemonade was out of order several days. On Eurodam, there were boxes of milk and chocolate milk available, which my kids enjoyed. We did not see milk like that on Princess.

 

I don't really have menu pictures and that sort of thing, sorry.

 

Enjoy your trip on the Eurodam. We are still missing those french fries at the Dive-In!

[sunsetbeachgal]

I have cruised twice on Eurodam and multiple times on Regal/Royal.

 

I’m partial to the buffet on Regal (plus longer hours of service) along with Alfredo’s and the International cafe. And the Regal just has the Wow factor with the piazza. Nothing anywhere close on any HAL Ship I’ve been on. But one thing I miss on the Regal/Royal is something like the Crows Nest with forward views of the ocean. And of course the full Promenade deck.

 

I’d happily cruise on either!

 

 

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Edited March 25, 2018 by sunsetbeachgal

[Rosethorn40]

I loved the Eurodam! My all-time favorite cruise was a Baltic cruise 3-years ago on the Eurodam, but I've sailed more on Princess. Haven't been on the Regal, but I have been on her sister ship, the Royal. Since we don't travel with kids our experience is a little different, but I do agree with you on many of the items you noted.

 

Keep in mind that the Eurodam carries fewer passengers, and it's smaller than the Regal. Having a pool with a retractable roof is a plus, the older Princess ships have an indoor pool-Don't know why they didn't include an indoor pool on their newer ships, a mistake IMO that they keep on making.

 

Not sure I agree with you that Princess has the better crew. I do agree that the room stewards on Princess are second to none, but overall I give the nod to HAL (But its really close).

 

I like the cabin on the Eurodam better too, but its not a fair comparison. On the Eurodam we had a Signature Suite, and on the Royal a Deluxe Balcony. Yes, the suite was better, but the Deluxe Balcony was nice too.

 

I think Princess' Adult area is nicer than HAL's, and the Sanctuary is THE best place at sea.

 

I also agree that there is "something" about Princess, difficult to put one's finger on it, that makes it special. Glad you enjoyed both of your trips.

[Clownfish Cruiser]

Thanks for your comments! We were curious about HAL.

[Hlitner]

The Regal does have Eggs Benedict in the Horizon Court Buffet...although it did take me a couple of days to find it :). We agree that is easy to get lost in the Horizon Court Buffet...but that is because it is spread over a very large area and has an amazing array of food. Unlike on our HAL cruises, we were always able to find seats in the Regal's buffet area. One can certainly debate whether its large size is a good thing or bad. But because the Horizon Court is so expansive and spread out...there are very few lines or traffic jams.

 

Hank

[Wishing on a star]

Love all of these comparisons...

We are looking into booking our first cruise (Med.) on the HAL new-build.

I am with you Meab. There are some really great things about Princess that I am going to miss, after sailing the Regal later this year. Like the IC, the top notch shows, the Piazza, Alfredo's, etc.... Not to mention the Sanctuary, which seems to have it just all over the HAL version.

But, there are sure to be some great things we will love on HAL as well !

 

Glad to hear that the pool areas do not seem as crowded on HAL.

And, on a Med, cruise, with very few kids and families onboard, I think HAL will fit the bill for this cruise.

Edited March 25, 2018 by Wishing on a star

[JF - retired RRT]

On Eurodam, there were boxes of milk and chocolate milk available, which my kids enjoyed. We did not see milk like that on Princess.

I read a review with pictures of the Regal or Royal (they're both pretty much the same) and there was a picture in the buffet that showed a glass front refrigerator that had cartons of milk.

Probably the main problem with that buffet is the multitude of choices and the lay-out. You've really got to wander around to find where everything is.

[CruiseMstr]

I disagree with your assessment of the buffet on Regal Princess. My wife got overwhelmed in the buffet on the Royal (sister ship) with all the choices and options. It is twice the size of any buffet at sea with the most options. There is Eggs Benedict in the buffet, you just didn’t find it. If you can’t find something ask. I had to get her breakfast as she could not handle the sheer size of the buffet and hundreds of choices of menu items. She got freaked out and got turned around. Most buffets have 2 lines with the exact same stuff. That is not true of the Royal and Regal Princess. Every section in the buffet has a distinct ethnicity and array of different foods from different cultures. That’s what overwhelmed my wife. I however cherished this massive all encompassing buffet.

 

 

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[Lucky TGO]

Thanks for your review. Very nice.

Tony

[Woobstr112G]

Thanks for taking the time to post your review/comparisons.....:):):)

Bob

[caribill]

On Eurodam, there were boxes of milk and chocolate milk available, which my kids enjoyed. We did not see milk like that on Princess.

 

Chocolate milk and regular milk are available in dining locations on Princess. In the buffet there may be pitchers out for white milk. You can ask any waiter in the buffet for chocolate milk (no charge for the kids) or regular milk. The milk will just not be in small cartons.

[Keith1010]

Thank you for your report and the comparisons you provided and glad you enjoyed the cruise.

Keith

[meab]

Thanks for the tips/pointers on the buffet from everyone. I promise my kids and I did not starve without little boxes of milk and eggs benedict! Ha! I think I'm maybe with CruiseMstr's wife - it was so large and overwhelming in the buffet area. As someone else said, it's a bit necessary when you have so many people onboard, to reduce long lines, etc. However, it can also be frustrating.

 

And I don't know how I forgot to mention Alfredo's earlier. We enjoyed a few meals there, including embarkation lunch. And looking back, considering how we were always lost in the buffet, embarkation Alfredo's really was the best choice for us!!

 

Thanks for reading my review. It's just my own personal opinion and observations, but I thought maybe it could help someone!

[Grego]

Thanks for taking the time for your review. We have taking a voyage on the Eurodam on our "bucket list" and we will some day, hopefully after Carnival Corp figures a way to have corresponding benefits among its fleet. Meanwhile, the Royal Class ships are our favorites and one of the reasons is the buffet area along with the wonderful Piazza. Our recommendation for all new to the Royal ships is to walk the buffet first and then grab a plate and go for your choices before you run out of room on the plate.