Back from Regal Princess - review and some thoughts

[Leo37]

I’m [me + wife, Brits and in our late 30s] just back from two weeks on board the Regal Princess in the Mediterranean.  It’s our first post shut down / post COVID cruise and wanted to share a review and a few observations.

 

Overall, we had a great time.  Princess has evolved a little since we last sailed we them before the pandemic, but the fundamentals remain: it’s still a very elegant, relaxing way of travelling, and all the staff we dealt with gave good service.

 

It was also our first back-to-back sailing (it’s technically two one week cruises, but sold in various combinations) and was fascinating to see how the mood and tone of the ship changed between the two.  The first week was a slightly later crowd, with more of an evening atmosphere and lots of late risers in the morning.  The second week, in contrast, was an earlier crowd – the buffet was rammed for breakfast, and good luck getting a seat near the pool in week two!

 

Some things I particularly liked or thought had changed for the better:

 

• The new Medallion worked perfectly, and it was nice to be greeted by name by staff as the Medallion shows them who is close.  At quiet bars, there was never any need to scan the Medallion or even confirm name or cabin number – they can see on their terminal who is at the bar automatically.
•  The food was good.  I know this can be subjective, but we always ate well whether in the Main Dining Rooms, the Horizon Court or the other venues.  Plenty of choice, and generally good quality.  Crown Grill and Alfredo’s particular highlights, and anything that was sweet or dessert was as good as I remembered.
• And I loved how they’ve changed Dining on board.  The old Anytime Dining (we’re not traditional, set time types of people) never quite worked.  You could phone the dine line to book, but that often involved a hold or limited choice of times.  With the new App, we booked dinner for the embarkation day in advance and our speciality dining, and then just booked on board each day or a day or two in advance.  We never had a problem getting a private table for two for the times we wanted (7:20 / 7:40), and the few times we rocked up without a booking we were always seated within 5 minutes.  Much faster, easier, better system for us than the old one.
• The itinerary was great: Turkey, Italy, Greece etc, multiple ports of call in each.  We were able to visit some old favourites, and explore plenty of new places.
• Getting on board was a dream.  We’d used the Medallion App to upload everything in advance, and got from Taxi pulling up at the port in Rome to having drink in hand onboard by the pool in less than 20 minutes.  No status or suite priority boarding, just the regular queue.  Super.
• And we were on board for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.  Princess handled it very sensitively, using some of the lounges to show the the funeral, and it proved a popular option with many people watching together.

 

I know there are some common topics here on Cruise Critic, so just to touch on some of the frequently discussed and debates topics:

 

• WiFi was ok – we had the Princess Plus package with one device each included.  No issues getting connected, and we found the speed generally ok for staying in contact on WhatsApp, browsing the news headlines, and some light social media.  I wouldn’t have wanted to try a work video call or streaming music / video, but for general browsing and messaging it did the job well, and no better / worse than a typical cafe WiFi.
• Formal dress – most people made an effort on formal night, but very few went for full black tie / tuxedo.  Saw a couple of smart, tailored pairs of jeans on formal night.  This type of semi formality suits us well, and I like the ‘Dress to Impress’ branding they put on one formal night each week.
• Mask wearing – I’d say about 10% of passengers wore masks.  Some signage up recommending masks in busy areas like lifts and tenders, but no announcements or encouragement about on board wearing.  95% of staff, on other hand, wearing masks.
• Embarkation day lunch was offered, advertised in the patter, and nobody attempted to send us to the buffet or put us off having it.

 

As with any vacation, there are always a few things that could have been better or didn’t quite work:

 

• We had a Deluxe Balcony cabin, and while it was spotlessly clean, the Regal is showing it’s age a little.  Would love some power sockets near the bed, and I’d forgotten they still used shower curtains vs. a glass enclosure.  Would be great to get USB charging added to the bedside lamps, and a proper glass door put in.
• We tried Sabatini's for the first time and it was underwhelming.  We’ve eaten at the Crown Grill [on the Royal, Crown and now Regal], at the Salty Dog [on the Crown] and the Bayou Café [on the Coral] and always found them to be worth the upcharge.  Not Sabatini’s.  Pasta was good, but the Secondi / Main Courses were pretty dull, and the starers, soup and salad  dishes didn’t really justify the upcharge vs. the Main Dining Rooms.  We’ll stick to Alfredo’s and The Crown Grill.
• What happened to the chocolate on the pillow at bedtime?
• Finally, some of the entertainment seemed a little tired.  We saw Bravo and Sweet Soul Music and while both were fun enough, they seemed quite old fashioned musical review numbers.  I know Princess advertises some more modern shows on other ships, but shame these haven’t been rolled out more widely.  Both weeks, we had a Beatles party and Abba karaoke in the Piazza.  Both weeks, we heard – and agreed – with other passengers about wanting some more contemporary music choices.  They’re both classic bands, but how about something a little more recent too?

 

Overall, we had a great time.  We’re very active itinerary / destination focused travellers, whether on land or choosing a cruise, and for the right itinerary would absolutely choose the Regal Princess and Princess again more generally.

 

Two final observations.

 

One – COVID is not over.  We didn’t wear masks at all, except when legally required to do so at some of the ports of call (e.g. inside the port in Athens).  Fully respect the choice of other passengers to wear masks whenever they like or woulld pefer.  But a cruise might not be for you if you’re of nervous disposition: you do hear passengers coughing around the ship, increasingly as the week goes on…  And in both weeks, some of the onboard entertainment was rescheduled / changed due to illness in the entertainment team.  If you want to absolutely guarantee a COVID free experience, a cruise isn’t right.

 

Two – Princess is clearly changing what they do, and we thought the Medallion worked really well.  But interesting talking to other passengers.  We chatted with one group sad to see more traditional world passing of fixed tables, at set times, with smart and enforced dress codes.  On the same day, we also chatted with another group who complained the ship was sleepy, that there wasn’t much entertainment going on, and they found it a bit too formal.  A sign of the balance Princess has to try and strike!

[Honolulu Blue]

26 minutes ago, Leo37 said:

Both weeks, we had a Beatles party and Abba karaoke in the Piazza.  Both weeks, we heard – and agreed – with other passengers about wanting some more contemporary music choices.  They’re both classic bands, but how about something a little more recent too?

FYI - Princess had some 80s themed cruises late last year, with some upcoming later this year and next.  I sampled one last year - they had some 80s tribute bands and trivia in place of some of the entertainment.  It might be of interest to your group - until I mention that they're very short cruises (4 and 5 days) mostly out of U.S. ports. ☹️

 

Thank you for your detailed and balanced review.

[tml1230]

Leo, Thanks for an outstanding and balanced review! we board the regal in November on the transatlantic cruise back to Florida. Your report certainly was helpful!

[richsea]

Thanks so much for your perspective. It’s nice to hear pluses & minuses reported in a calm manner. 

[PacnGoNow]

1 hour ago, Leo37 said:

I’m [me + wife, Brits and in our late 30s] just back from two weeks on board the Regal Princess in the Mediterranean.  It’s our first post shut down / post COVID cruise and wanted to share a review and a few observations.

 

Overall, we had a great time.  Princess has evolved a little since we last sailed we them before the pandemic, but the fundamentals remain: it’s still a very elegant, relaxing way of travelling, and all the staff we dealt with gave good service.

 

It was also our first back-to-back sailing (it’s technically two one week cruises, but sold in various combinations) and was fascinating to see how the mood and tone of the ship changed between the two.  The first week was a slightly later crowd, with more of an evening atmosphere and lots of late risers in the morning.  The second week, in contrast, was an earlier crowd – the buffet was rammed for breakfast, and good luck getting a seat near the pool in week two!

 

Some things I particularly liked or thought had changed for the better:

 

• The new Medallion worked perfectly, and it was nice to be greeted by name by staff as the Medallion shows them who is close.  At quiet bars, there was never any need to scan the Medallion or even confirm name or cabin number – they can see on their terminal who is at the bar automatically.
•  The food was good.  I know this can be subjective, but we always ate well whether in the Main Dining Rooms, the Horizon Court or the other venues.  Plenty of choice, and generally good quality.  Crown Grill and Alfredo’s particular highlights, and anything that was sweet or dessert was as good as I remembered.
• And I loved how they’ve changed Dining on board.  The old Anytime Dining (we’re not traditional, set time types of people) never quite worked.  You could phone the dine line to book, but that often involved a hold or limited choice of times.  With the new App, we booked dinner for the embarkation day in advance and our speciality dining, and then just booked on board each day or a day or two in advance.  We never had a problem getting a private table for two for the times we wanted (7:20 / 7:40), and the few times we rocked up without a booking we were always seated within 5 minutes.  Much faster, easier, better system for us than the old one.
• The itinerary was great: Turkey, Italy, Greece etc, multiple ports of call in each.  We were able to visit some old favourites, and explore plenty of new places.
• Getting on board was a dream.  We’d used the Medallion App to upload everything in advance, and got from Taxi pulling up at the port in Rome to having drink in hand onboard by the pool in less than 20 minutes.  No status or suite priority boarding, just the regular queue.  Super.
• And we were on board for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.  Princess handled it very sensitively, using some of the lounges to show the the funeral, and it proved a popular option with many people watching together.

 

I know there are some common topics here on Cruise Critic, so just to touch on some of the frequently discussed and debates topics:

 

• WiFi was ok – we had the Princess Plus package with one device each included.  No issues getting connected, and we found the speed generally ok for staying in contact on WhatsApp, browsing the news headlines, and some light social media.  I wouldn’t have wanted to try a work video call or streaming music / video, but for general browsing and messaging it did the job well, and no better / worse than a typical cafe WiFi.
• Formal dress – most people made an effort on formal night, but very few went for full black tie / tuxedo.  Saw a couple of smart, tailored pairs of jeans on formal night.  This type of semi formality suits us well, and I like the ‘Dress to Impress’ branding they put on one formal night each week.
• Mask wearing – I’d say about 10% of passengers wore masks.  Some signage up recommending masks in busy areas like lifts and tenders, but no announcements or encouragement about on board wearing.  95% of staff, on other hand, wearing masks.
• Embarkation day lunch was offered, advertised in the patter, and nobody attempted to send us to the buffet or put us off having it.

 

As with any vacation, there are always a few things that could have been better or didn’t quite work:

 

• We had a Deluxe Balcony cabin, and while it was spotlessly clean, the Regal is showing it’s age a little.  Would love some power sockets near the bed, and I’d forgotten they still used shower curtains vs. a glass enclosure.  Would be great to get USB charging added to the bedside lamps, and a proper glass door put in.
• We tried Sabatini's for the first time and it was underwhelming.  We’ve eaten at the Crown Grill [on the Royal, Crown and now Regal], at the Salty Dog [on the Crown] and the Bayou Café [on the Coral] and always found them to be worth the upcharge.  Not Sabatini’s.  Pasta was good, but the Secondi / Main Courses were pretty dull, and the starers, soup and salad  dishes didn’t really justify the upcharge vs. the Main Dining Rooms.  We’ll stick to Alfredo’s and The Crown Grill.
• What happened to the chocolate on the pillow at bedtime?
• Finally, some of the entertainment seemed a little tired.  We saw Bravo and Sweet Soul Music and while both were fun enough, they seemed quite old fashioned musical review numbers.  I know Princess advertises some more modern shows on other ships, but shame these haven’t been rolled out more widely.  Both weeks, we had a Beatles party and Abba karaoke in the Piazza.  Both weeks, we heard – and agreed – with other passengers about wanting some more contemporary music choices.  They’re both classic bands, but how about something a little more recent too?

 

Overall, we had a great time.  We’re very active itinerary / destination focused travellers, whether on land or choosing a cruise, and for the right itinerary would absolutely choose the Regal Princess and Princess again more generally.

 

Two final observations.

 

One – COVID is not over.  We didn’t wear masks at all, except when legally required to do so at some of the ports of call (e.g. inside the port in Athens).  Fully respect the choice of other passengers to wear masks whenever they like or woulld pefer.  But a cruise might not be for you if you’re of nervous disposition: you do hear passengers coughing around the ship, increasingly as the week goes on…  And in both weeks, some of the onboard entertainment was rescheduled / changed due to illness in the entertainment team.  If you want to absolutely guarantee a COVID free experience, a cruise isn’t right.

 

Two – Princess is clearly changing what they do, and we thought the Medallion worked really well.  But interesting talking to other passengers.  We chatted with one group sad to see more traditional world passing of fixed tables, at set times, with smart and enforced dress codes.  On the same day, we also chatted with another group who complained the ship was sleepy, that there wasn’t much entertainment going on, and they found it a bit too formal.  A sign of the balance Princess has to try and strike!

Excellent review.  Thank you.

[vjmatty]

Well this is encouraging..... boarding Saturday for Rome to Athens, really looking forward to it now!

[NownZen]

Thank you for the balanced review and observations.

[Leo37]

1 hour ago, vjmatty said:

Well this is encouraging..... boarding Saturday for Rome to Athens, really looking forward to it now!

 

That was our favourite of the two weeks we did. Naples, Crete, Istanbul, Kusadasi, and Mykonos all great ports. We enjoyed them all, hope you do too! 

[seastheday]

We were on board with you for both weeks with a party of eight total. We had a magnificent vacation and everyone stayed well. Our experiences matched yours in the main. I can't recommend this itinerary highly enough, but glad we had been in "training" prior with lots of walking and exercise. It is busy, busy, busy and we are tired! 😂 I need a vacation from my vacation.

 

Thanks for a positive and balanced review...nothing in this life is perfect but we had a perfectly wonderful time.

[Leo37]

44 minutes ago, seastheday said:

We were on board with you for both weeks with a party of eight total. We had a magnificent vacation and everyone stayed well. Our experiences matched yours in the main. I can't recommend this itinerary highly enough, but glad we had been in "training" prior with lots of walking and exercise. It is busy, busy, busy and we are tired! 😂 I need a vacation from my vacation.

 

Thanks for a positive and balanced review...nothing in this life is perfect but we had a perfectly wonderful time.

So glad you enjoyed too. Yes, it was a packed two weeks wasn't it? For Santorini, we decided to stay on the ship, having visited before, and just relaxed and recovered after week 1 ready for round two!

[loge23]

Well done, Leo! Excellent review - just the facts. I agree about the outlets and USB ports in the rooms - it's kind of silly when one uses a CPAP machine how they have to rig the extension cord across the room!

[Leo37]

4 hours ago, tml1230 said:

Leo, Thanks for an outstanding and balanced review! we board the regal in November on the transatlantic cruise back to Florida. Your report certainly was helpful!

I hope you enjoy the transatlantic cruise!

[ChutChut]

Thanks for the thorough and well-balanced review. Covid will never to "over." Will be like a cold/flu for vast majority of people. We just have to learn to live with it.

[jasbo49]

Leo, I  appreciate the informative and well-rounded review.

 

I'm curious, did they offer a Pub Lunch? I know it wouldn't impress a real Brit as fine pub fare, but for me it was always a break from the ordinary when Princess offered this in the Wheelhouse Bar.

 

P.S. My wife and I board Oct. 15, so that's part of my interest. 

 

Jim

Edited September 26, 2022 by jasbo49

[wowzz]

27 minutes ago, jasbo49 said:

Leo, I  appreciate the informative and well-rounded review.

 

I'm curious, did they offer a Pub Lunch? I know it wouldn't impress a real Brit as fine pub fare, but for me it was always a break from the ordinary when Princess offered this in the Wheelhouse Bar.

 

P.S. My wife and I board Oct. 15, so that's part of my interest. 

 

Jim

When we were on Regal earlier this year (May) they did offer a  British pub lunch theme in the buffet once per week. Not sure if the chef had ever been to a pub, or Britain come to that. Some really strange concoctions - the sausage rolls were unbelievably awful !

[NJCruiser23]

Thanks for the great and thorough review.  Completely agree about the plugs and the shower curtains.  

 

We are going on Regal in December when she's back in the States.  Can't wait!! 

 

 

[DallasGuy75219]

2 hours ago, wowzz said:

When we were on Regal earlier this year (May) they did offer a  British pub lunch theme in the buffet once per week. Not sure if the chef had ever been to a pub, or Britain come to that. Some really strange concoctions - the sausage rolls were unbelievably awful !

The cooks (chefs may be giving most of them too much credit) are primarily Indian (not bring racist, it's just a fact) and are always cooking dishes from places they've never been, except perhaps as a crew member working on a ship.

 

For example, I saw Louisiana White Bean Salad on the Regal this summer. I'm originally from Louisiana and there ain't nobody there that eats white beans in a salad.

[anch543]

Wondering what power socket does the ship use? The standard 2 prongs?

[Steelers36]

12 hours ago, Leo37 said:

 

• Getting on board was a dream.  We’d used the Medallion App to upload everything in advance, and got from Taxi pulling up at the port in Rome to having drink in hand onboard by the pool in less than 20 minutes.  No status or suite priority boarding, just the regular queue.  Super.
•  

• Finally, some of the entertainment seemed a little tired.  We saw Bravo and Sweet Soul Music and while both were fun enough, they seemed quite old fashioned musical review numbers.  I know Princess advertises some more modern shows on other ships, but shame these haven’t been rolled out more widely.  Both weeks, we had a Beatles party and Abba karaoke in the Piazza.  Both weeks, we heard – and agreed – with other passengers about wanting some more contemporary music choices.  They’re both classic bands, but how about something a little more recent too?

 

 

Thanks for your detailed review.  Well written. 

 

On the boarding .. were you checking in after boarding had begun or before?  If before, there is supposed to be a designated area for Suites & Elites (also Platinum gets to come after), such that when boarding does open, they get on first.  Once boarding is already started and the waiting crowd is gone, all guests just proceed on board, so no priority then.  But there is supposed to be priority in place, so will be disappointed if not.

 

I'd agree those are old shows and was expecting nothing be changed when we sail (Oct 01). 

 

Were all three DR's in operation?  Was the ship pretty full?  For our voyages, they have only loaded Concerto (first) and Allegro (later on) in to DineMyWay.  No sign of Symphony, but I had heard it shows up once on board.

 

Did you have Nicola Furlan for DRO (formerly the MD), or do you know who the MD was?

 

 

Thanks.

[Leo37]

7 hours ago, jasbo49 said:

Leo, I  appreciate the informative and well-rounded review.

 

I'm curious, did they offer a Pub Lunch? I know it wouldn't impress a real Brit as fine pub fare, but for me it was always a break from the ordinary when Princess offered this in the Wheelhouse Bar.

 

P.S. My wife and I board Oct. 15, so that's part of my interest. 

 

Jim

Jim, no standalone pub lunch offered, but both weeks there was a British themed section in the buffet one lunchtime. Seemed popular.

 

The Main Dining Room also had some British classics: one night there was a Roast Beef, Yorkshire Pudding and Gravy option, which is very traditional British.

[Leo37]

1 hour ago, anch543 said:

Wondering what power socket does the ship use? The standard 2 prongs?

The cabin had both US style power sockets (2 sockets, I think) and a European style one (1 socket, I think). If you bring an appropriate adapter, you can use all three.

[caribill]

13 hours ago, Leo37 said:

• With the new App, we booked dinner for the embarkation day in advance and our specialty dining, and then just booked on board each day or a day or two in advance.  We never had a problem getting a private table for two for the times we wanted (7:20 / 7:40), and the few times we rocked up without a booking we were always seated within 5 minutes.  Much faster, easier, better system for us than the old one.

 

How full was the ship? If you were seated this quickly both with and without a reservation and the ship was full, then Princess handled Dining My Way very well on your cruise.

[Leo37]

1 hour ago, Steelers36 said:

Thanks for your detailed review.  Well written. 

 

On the boarding .. were you checking in after boarding had begun or before?  If before, there is supposed to be a designated area for Suites & Elites (also Platinum gets to come after), such that when boarding does open, they get on first.  Once boarding is already started and the waiting crowd is gone, all guests just proceed on board, so no priority then.  But there is supposed to be priority in place, so will be disappointed if not.

 

I'd agree those are old shows and was expecting nothing be changed when we sail (Oct 01). 

 

Were all three DR's in operation?  Was the ship pretty full?  For our voyages, they have only loaded Concerto (first) and Allegro (later on) in to DineMyWay.  No sign of Symphony, but I had heard it shows up once on board.

 

Did you have Nicola Furlan for DRO (formerly the MD), or do you know who the MD was?

 

 

Thanks.

Hi - we arrived at the port about 11:30, so after the Suites & Elites had probably boarded?  Sorry if my review read like it wasn't offered: there was definitely a Suites & Elites sign, but since we didn't qualify, I didn't pay it much attention.  Despite using the normal boarding process, all was very quick and easy.

All three Dining Rooms open.  Ship had about 3,500 passengers on from the sailaway announcement.  We really liked the real dining room (Allegro) as the decor is a little darker, and it felt cosier than the two midship options.

 

According to the senior officers board, the DRO was Miroslav Repac.  I can't say I recall ever seeing him, but we had no issues or problems to resolve, and on the basis of us enjoying most meals and getting seated quickly, he's doing a solid job.

[Leo37]

39 minutes ago, caribill said:

 

How full was the ship? If you were seated this quickly both with and without a reservation and the ship was full, then Princess handled Dining My Way very well on your cruise.

About 3,500 passengers from the announcement.  

[Steelers36]

7 minutes ago, Leo37 said:

Hi - we arrived at the port about 11:30, so after the Suites & Elites had probably boarded?  Sorry if my review read like it wasn't offered: there was definitely a Suites & Elites sign, but since we didn't qualify, I didn't pay it much attention.  Despite using the normal boarding process, all was very quick and easy.

All three Dining Rooms open.  Ship had about 3,500 passengers on from the sailaway announcement.  We really liked the real dining room (Allegro) as the decor is a little darker, and it felt cosier than the two midship options.

 

According to the senior officers board, the DRO was Miroslav Repac.  I can't say I recall ever seeing him, but we had no issues or problems to resolve, and on the basis of us enjoying most meals and getting seated quickly, he's doing a solid job.

Thanks for answering questions.  I know that Nicola was due to be off sometime in Sep as he had been on a while.  IDK the fellow you mention at all. 

That's virtually a full ship and I expect at least our first two segments to be full as well.

 

Did you find that Symphony was available in DineMyWay only when cruise began, or did you see all 3 DR"s before departure?  I am glad to see it in use as I don't see how they could handle everyone using only 2 DR's.  I see it as my backup plan since our reservations are in tatters due to a number of reasons I won't go into here.