Live from Regal - 02/24 - Just easy reading, no photos

[CruisingIsBest]

Ok, so Day 2 is winding down... no "theme" night in the HC but they had a beef tenderloin at the carving station that was super good. Plenty of other items, as usual. The Choc Chip cookies were back too! I still have to try the lemon cookie. I'm not a big chocolate fan so I won't ravage the chocolate cookies, but it's hard to resist each time you walk by and they call out to you! They had this desert tonight... never really heard of it by name, but it was like cream puffs in cake slices. "St.=somthing" cake?? It's basically cream puffs with choc and vanilla cream based on a traditional cream puff base. Hmmmm... that sounds pretty good... who doesn't like a good cream puff? Bad news for me... it was REALLY good. So, of course, I had a few... and after the movie will likely go back again because it was too damn good!! I didn't really think much of it then, but I'll grab a photo of it later if it's still there!

So I watched a couple win $433 on one of the penny slots. Normally, after a decent payout, that machine would be as off limits as a nuclear dump site, but hey... what's $20, right?? The medallions work great... you have to go through all the account set up stuff, but then you're in business. Now penny slot or not, I'm betting max, so $3.00 a bet. I was there for about 20 minutes and probably pressed spin about 7 times total... the machine was just doing "it's thing" with bonuses, and videos, and leds flashing... like some psychotic light show with sound and video! Once it was done and the dust settled, I ended up with $280. Hell yeah! I spun the wheels a few more times, and then the little dude on my shoulder said... "walk away dummy!!" ... and I did. In all my cruises, never won much of anything on a cruise slot machine, so I had the 😁 face!

 

Movie on MUTS is Crazy Rich Asians. Like Michelle Yeoh so gonna check it out. I travel a lot so I catch most of the movies on planes... but I knowingly didn't watch some of the newer ones thanks to other posters listing the movies. 

Falmouth tomorrow. The TV says rain, but the noon bridge announcement said sunny. We'll see!

[tawlaw1526]

CONGRATULATIONS on your slot win!    That’s always fun to win!    Thank you for all of the time you are spending sharing your cruise with us.  Really enjoying this!!!!

[Colo Cruiser]

Great win.

[JEH]

Enjoying  your review

[sunsetbeachgal]

Sounds like a great time.  I also LOVE the buffet on the Regal and Royal.  I could eat there every meal and be perfectly happy, and prior to cruising on this class of ship five years ago and beyond, I avoided buffets like the plague.  

 

Congrats on the slot win!! 

Edited February 27, 2019 by sunsetbeachgal

[vettprincess]

13 hours ago, CruisingIsBest said:

Ok, so Day 2 is winding down... no "theme" night in the HC but they had a beef tenderloin at the carving station that was super good. Plenty of other items, as usual. The Choc Chip cookies were back too! I still have to try the lemon cookie. I'm not a big chocolate fan so I won't ravage the chocolate cookies, but it's hard to resist each time you walk by and they call out to you! They had this desert tonight... never really heard of it by name, but it was like cream puffs in cake slices. "St.=somthing" cake?? It's basically cream puffs with choc and vanilla cream based on a traditional cream puff base. Hmmmm... that sounds pretty good... who doesn't like a good cream puff? Bad news for me... it was REALLY good. So, of course, I had a few... and after the movie will likely go back again because it was too damn good!! I didn't really think much of it then, but I'll grab a photo of it later if it's still there!

So I watched a couple win $433 on one of the penny slots. Normally, after a decent payout, that machine would be as off limits as a nuclear dump site, but hey... what's $20, right?? The medallions work great... you have to go through all the account set up stuff, but then you're in business. Now penny slot or not, I'm betting max, so $3.00 a bet. I was there for about 20 minutes and probably pressed spin about 7 times total... the machine was just doing "it's thing" with bonuses, and videos, and leds flashing... like some psychotic light show with sound and video! Once it was done and the dust settled, I ended up with $280. Hell yeah! I spun the wheels a few more times, and then the little dude on my shoulder said... "walk away dummy!!" ... and I did. In all my cruises, never won much of anything on a cruise slot machine, so I had the 😁 face!

 

Movie on MUTS is Crazy Rich Asians. Like Michelle Yeoh so gonna check it out. I travel a lot so I catch most of the movies on planes... but I knowingly didn't watch some of the newer ones thanks to other posters listing the movies. 

Falmouth tomorrow. The TV says rain, but the noon bridge announcement said sunny. We'll see!

HI: Have to chime in on your wonderful posts. Been on Regal 3 times and just love it. My daughter is on the Harmony now and just called me to say-the Regal is next to us so she may get to hear the love boat horn. I told her to look for you!!! They are on a raft tour on the Martha Brae. She and boyfriend from MN and you can recognize them cause they will have ear muffs and mittens and parkas on. Love reading your posts as I sit here in 60 inches of snow and below zero day and night.

[c-boy]

and who say's the machines never pay out.... 

[CruisingIsBest]

6 minutes ago, vettprincess said:

HI: Have to chime in on your wonderful posts. Been on Regal 3 times and just love it. My daughter is on the Harmony now and just called me to say-the Regal is next to us so she may get to hear the love boat horn. I told her to look for you!!! They are on a raft tour on the Martha Brae. She and boyfriend from MN and you can recognize them cause they will have ear muffs and mittens and parkas on. Love reading your posts as I sit here in 60 inches of snow and below zero day and night.

 

Haha... well, I hope they aren't wearing all that today!! Yes, and I watched Harmony come in from by front facing cabin... amazing to see something that large being so perfectly maneuvered. Here it is!!

[vettprincess]

2 minutes ago, CruisingIsBest said:

 

Haha... well, I hope they aren't wearing all that today!! Yes, and I watched Harmony come in from by front facing cabin... amazing to see something that large being so perfectly maneuvered. Here it is!!

Oh my gosh thanks for responding. I just shoveled some more and came in to warm up. We have booked the Sky Princess for Dec. That photo is fabulous of the Harmony. She bought a phone plan for international so she could call me and send photos.I will send your pic of Harmony to her. Maybe they will be wearing something that says MN. Or just yell Lisa and Mark-where are you? Have a great day-MOM

 

[CruisingIsBest]

4 hours ago, vettprincess said:

Oh my gosh thanks for responding. I just shoveled some more and came in to warm up. We have booked the Sky Princess for Dec. That photo is fabulous of the Harmony. She bought a phone plan for international so she could call me and send photos.I will send your pic of Harmony to her. Maybe they will be wearing something that says MN. Or just yell Lisa and Mark-where are you? Have a great day-MOM

 

 

My pleasure! I'm going to try and video the sailaway horns ... assuming of course we leave before she does! All aboard is 4:30pm which is about 45 min from now. Harmony is enormous! I'd have an easier time finding Nemo! I will probably go up to the very top sun deck, and be at the front of that small area, facing MUTS, and on the Harmony side. Just tell her to look for the meat head in an orange UA tank top! 🏋️‍♂️ 😃

Edited February 27, 2019 by CruisingIsBest

[vettprincess]

18 minutes ago, CruisingIsBest said:

 

My pleasure! I'm going to try and video the sailaway horns ... assuming of course we leave before she does! All aboard is 4:30pm which is about 45 min from now. Harmony is enormous! I'd have an easier time finding Nemo! I will probably go up to the very top sun deck, and be at the front of that small area, facing MUTS, and on the Harmony side. Just tell her to look for the meat head in an orange UA tank top! 🏋️‍♂️ 😃

She got back off the ship to the port shopping area about 15 minutes ago. Wearing MN superbowl shirt or something MN.

They do not sail till about 7pm . When she calls me I will tell her. UA-orange-u of arkansas?-no alabama cause that is red-roll tide....don't you have the famous college basketball team consaga (spelling!!)or something like that-does very well-we had the superbowl here last year and next month we get the final four.

Harmony is 227,000 grt Regal is 142,000 grt.

You both will be in Cozumel on Friday!!!!They are going to Paradise beach-something she signed up for-$3.00 and 10. food and bev minimum.

HOpe she will wear something MN.

Bon voyage.

 

 

 

Edited February 27, 2019 by vettprincess
more info

[CruisingIsBest]

45 minutes ago, vettprincess said:

She got back off the ship to the port shopping area about 15 minutes ago. Wearing MN superbowl shirt or something MN.

They do not sail till about 7pm . When she calls me I will tell her. UA-orange-u of arkansas?-no alabama cause that is red-roll tide....don't you have the famous college basketball team consaga (spelling!!)or something like that-does very well-we had the superbowl here last year and next month we get the final four.

Harmony is 227,000 grt Regal is 142,000 grt.

You both will be in Cozumel on Friday!!!!They are going to Paradise beach-something she signed up for-$3.00 and 10. food and bev minimum.

HOpe she will wear something MN.

Bon voyage.

 

 

 

No, no Gonzaga for me... UCONN and, the world Champion (again) Patriots!!  It's just so massive and even though we appear to be right on top of them, it's so hard to see what people are wearing. Anyway... MAYBE you can see them in the video!

Ok, here you go. hopefully you can see (and hear) it. Was kind of quicky done but it's always fun with the horn and other ships!

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ww9kS0iPIf9beToGxIBBhyVpo4E7vKLL/view?usp=sharing

 

[vettprincess]

1 hour ago, CruisingIsBest said:

No, no Gonzaga for me... UCONN and, the world Champion (again) Patriots!!  It's just so massive and even though we appear to be right on top of them, it's so hard to see what people are wearing. Anyway... MAYBE you can see them in the video!

Ok, here you go. hopefully you can see (and hear) it. Was kind of quicky done but it's always fun with the horn and other ships!

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ww9kS0iPIf9beToGxIBBhyVpo4E7vKLL/view?usp=sharing

 

That was absolutely perfect. I will have to store it. Thank you, Gonzaga is the correct name. PATRIOTS-well that is another topic. Like Jimmy Johnson being NASCAR champ 7 times. Harmony's captain just gave his afternoon talk and mentioned that you were going to Grand Cayman and if they wanted to see it they would have to be on the port side as he drove by. Too big to go there. Plus rain tomorrow. Have a great time in GC and keep posting for us snow bound freezing people.

[CruisingIsBest]

On 2/26/2019 at 4:58 PM, Host CJSKIDS said:

Really enjoying your live from.  

 

If you are ever at Crooners, can you please tell Jovie that Carolyn says hello!

 

Well, I tried twice and I have not seen 'Jovie' yet. Only bartender tonight name began with a 'V'...  he was busy so I didn't ask him about Jovie. Will try again tomorrow.

[CruisingIsBest]

Falmouth was nice, weather was again sunny for most of the day. Enclave was nice once again... I don't think a lot of people signed up for it. Three days in a row I've never been more than 4 or 5 other people in there...fine with me! 

Tonight was Bavarian night in the HC. Princess started this years back and I never thought it would stick... I'm so glad it did because it's one of my favorites... and it seems to be for many. All the traditional German dishes are there... having grown up in a German household, the food was easily identified... when one of the other passengers was asking her friend "what is Spaetzel?" I explained it's pretty much just pasta, and then directed her to the Sauerbraten, which if you don't know is basically braised beef that is supposed to be marinated in red wine for a few days. Now we all know Princess isn't quite doing that, but each and every time, the dish is just fabulous. Tender, and delish! All the usual sausage options are there of course, along with the popular items like wiener schnitzel, which of course is veal, but they also had versions using Chicken, Pork, and Turkey too! The carving station had sliced sirloin of beef and it was good too. The traditional roasted pig was there too, as was multiple other items and a variety of different sauerkraut and cabbage choices  . Everything was great. The deserts included the usual Black Forest cake, Apple Strudel, and some other items. Once again, I ate too damn much. 

 

I did have another couple slices of pizza for lunch today, and it was also good once again. Yes, two days in a row, the pizza on Lido was good. I really thinks it's a matter of WHO is making it, not all the fuss about Princess changing the dough or cheese, or whatever. The Alfredo's pizza sucked on Sunday... yet the pool side one was really good. Not ingredients... it's the person making it, and using the right proportions of those ingredients and baking it... at least close... to correctly. I'm really glad because Princess always had the best Pizza... the pizza on NCL was not great. The Lido pizza on my last Regal cruise was not good. This time, it is good again!

Bohemian Rhapsody is showing on MUTS tonight... I saw it already on a plane ride, but they had the volume cranked up tonight and it looked, and sounded really good on MUTS. I missed the last 10 min or so on the plane so I caught the end of the first showing after dinner.

 

Last night the casino had a "smoke free" night... I HATE cig smoke so I wandered in... AND OUT quickly tonight. 

 

Tomorrow is Grand Cayman... looks like the weather might not be as nice. I cannot remember ever going to GC and it not raining. I have not gone into town the last few times I was here so I was planning on going ashore this time, but if it's crappy out, then I surely won't... and this is where Princess fails... if it's bad weather, there's nothing to do unless you like Bingo or playing card games. In port, of course, everything is closed and these ships have really nothing for indoor activities. You can only use the gym and spa for so long! No nice indoor pool area like X or RCCL, or other activities... not even a decent sports bar. These ships are very much dependent on nice weather or you're pretty much SOL.... and bored. Let's hope it's not a total wash out!
 

[Host CJSKIDS]

1 hour ago, CruisingIsBest said:

 

Well, I tried twice and I have not seen 'Jovie' yet. Only bartender tonight name began with a 'V'...  he was busy so I didn't ask him about Jovie. Will try again tomorrow.

 

Here she is! Thank you so much for checking for me.

 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise!  Looking forward to hearing about the rest of it.

Edited February 28, 2019 by Host CJSKIDS

[CruisingIsBest]

So it turned out to be a gorgeous day in Grand Cayman! For all of you dealing with the miserable cold that I too shall be headed back to soon, even though I said no photos, the shots were so good I had to share...

 

From the tender headed to GC...

 

From shore, Regal behind Vista....

 

 

Speaking of tenders! People, if you can barely walk up a flight of stairs on dry land, DON'T push yourself up to the top deck on a tender! Stay down below where you belong! One person that had no good reason to do this almost fell going back down and it took her about 5 minutes to even do that! I know it's cool up top, but you should know your limits! She struggled going up the "ladder"... uhhhmm... don't you think maybe it's gonna be even harder going back down?

 

Today in the HC cafe, another one of the finer passengers onboard treated the five of us standing there to her verbal circus around her coffee. She kept scolding the poor barista about how she wanted all FOAM not milk and it had to be FOAM. She made it her mission to continually tell him how to make it, "I like foam, not milk".... now I kid you not, the word "foam" was repeated about 20 times! She simply couldn't SHUT UP! The guy was trying... "Ma'am I know how you will like it and I will not add milk". He even showed her an enormous cup of foam he made for her... but she kept going... "If you pay for something it needs to be right!". Oh boy .🤬 🤐  Then came the cinnamon... she put enough of that on top to cover and entire tiramisu!  (while everyone is of course behind her standing there waiting)! Ok, so, I'm now about ready to take her and her foam and give her a tongue lashing... but after all of this, she finally moved on, without as much as a thank you. (I must be getting old because I really wanted to help that poor guy out). Anyway, I commended him for his patience and apologized for her lunacy. 

 

Saw my friend from the show staff in Cayman today... he had two of the show's performers with him and we chatted for a few minutes. Very nice and friendly.

 

Oh, I grabbed one of those lemon cookies today... yes, they are good!!! 

 

Idiotic passengers aside, Princess is delivering on everything... it's been a great cruise so far and the food, ship, and of course the crew, have all been great. Tonight is the epic Crown Grill visit. Back again later!!

 

 

[shanecindy21403]

I'm really loving your review! Listening and watching idiotic people is half our entertainment on the cruise lol! It seems like you are getting your fair share of it. 

[Baatman]

Following along...thanks for taking the time.

[tawlaw1526]

Pictures are great!   Looks so inviting!!!!!!   Thank you for such a fun follow along, it’s enjoyable.   

[CruisingIsBest]

On 2/27/2019 at 11:14 PM, Host CJSKIDS said:

 

Here she is! Thank you so much for checking for me.

 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise!  Looking forward to hearing about the rest of it.

 

Carolyn, I found her tonight... with the photo above it was easy to recognize her. Mentioned your name and she seemed to remember, but I guess when so many people come and go, you never know!

 

[Host CJSKIDS]

1 minute ago, CruisingIsBest said:

 

Carolyn, I found her tonight... with the photo above it was easy to recognize her. Mentioned your name and she seemed to remember, but I guess when so many people come and go, you never know!

 

 

Thank you!  She definitely will if you mention Carolyn & Steve and the original chocolate martini.  She actually remembered us when we came back on 1/13/19 and I hadn’t seen her in 13 months. Jovie is an absolute doll!

 

Glad the weather today in Grand Cayman was so beautiful for you. Your pictures are beautiful.  Happy to hear you are loving your cruise.  I love the Regal.

[CruisingIsBest]

Crown Grill.... it was decent, but the steaks were nothing really special. We got the mussel pot as apps and they are quite different from the mussel pot we remembered... it's more of a meal now, with sausage and lots of veggies. The mussels themselves were tiny and the sauce was not as memorable as it used to be... the bread is now on the side, and it's really good... with garlic inside. Overall, it was good and the bread made it better... but we got this without the upcharge. I would not get this as your primary entree! It's just not worth $29, period. If you go, ask for a table further back towards the windows... at 8pm we still had the piano playing in the background, which was fine... quite nice... then it moved to a singer which just gets annoying during dinner and conversation. The entertainment should not be right outside the restaurant... when you have to start talking loudly to overcome that, it kind of ruins the nice dinner. We were sitting directly net to that section so if you're further back, it's probably not as much of an issue, if any at all.

 

As for the steaks, I got the porterhouse and it was very overcooked... no color at all. Round 2... better. The cuts of meat are still nothing great... so much fat it sat off to the side in a plie. The steak is certainly big enough so even with the fat, you still have plenty of meat. The meat itself was decent, but honestly, it's not up to what you would find in any true upscale steakhouse... just OK, and on the salty side. The asparagus was quite good, and perfectly cooked. The baked potatoes were pretty standard, and small. Sorry, but I just cannot see going here multiple nights. Save your $$. Go once, experience it, and move on. The best part of it was the service... which was outstanding.

They had the balloon drop in the piazza tonight... you'd think they were dropping cash! Sorry, but NCL wins in the excitement category... their glow parties and big deck events make this pretty boring in comparison... I think the few kids onboard had the most fun popping all the balloons, lol. 

I'll leave you with a gorgeous sunset as we continue to sail west. Tomorrow night we'll be headed east again, so no more of these from my forward facing view!

[pennst8r]

Dear CruisingIsBest,

 

i’m so delighted to hear you have more positive comments than negative feelings about your Regal cruise.  Your initial remarks led me to believe you would be less than happy with your current experience.

 

I’ve enjoyed your observations...thanks.  You know, there were a couple of times I felt I was actually right there with you. 😉 😊

[Snelling]

Saw this while browsing the Princess forum and figured I'd make an account.  

 

We are on the same cruise (first cruise ever) and it's been a great experience.  Agree with the Princess Cays, kind of boring.  Falmouth was interesting to check out but it can get sketchy in a hurry out in town.  Loved the Caymans yesterday and would like to go back and vacation there.

 

It's funny you mention the demographic because my wife and I said the same thing.  I feel like I'm constantly dodging walkers and trying to slip past people moving slower than molasses.  Getting off the tenders today was an exercise in patience with them bouncing up and down at the docks and ship.  Many of the mobile challenged created a bottleneck on our boat.

 

Looks like I'll have to try the capital grill, we have just been going with the standard dinners so far with Horizon for breakfast and lunch.