Just back from the Regal 1/28 Cruise

[joek]

It was a great cruise on the old but 'Regal' Regal. We did get together twice with some of the Roll Call members, meetings were arranged with the Staff by OLDGATOR. It was very nice exchanging views and advice, and the Cruise Director Martin was good enough to treat us to a drink at one of the meetings.

[mrsshebu]

Glad to hear it was a great cruise - you didn't have any after effects from the norovirus outbreak last month, did you?? WE set sail on the 19th & can't wait!! Plus, any other tips about the boat would be great! Many thanks!

[Diane F]

Glad you had a good time.A group of us is going on the Regal,April 9 cruise and looking forward to it.How was the food on the ship?Was the entertainment good and did they have enough activities to keep you busy?How were the seas,rough,I hope not?That was nice of the cruise director to give you a drink.So far,on our roll-call, there is only me and Lois.No reason to have a get together as the rest is my group.Maybe we will have more to join before then and then we will have a get together.

[joek]

Not sure about the norovirus. We didn't see many vacant chairs in the dining room, the usual evidence. Seas were quite calm. With a little swell, ship rolled a bit. They had the sanitizing bowls outside the dining room and buffet and at the return gangways. We washed and used wipes constantly and when we first boarded, used alcohol wipes on every thing in the cabin, doorknobs, drawer pulls, phone and TV remote.

 

Regal has a lot of nice lounges with good musical entertainment, Jags in the Bengal were our favorite. Four Production shows were excellent, great dancers and singers. Other entertainers were so-so, comedian, guitar player, juggler/comedian.

 

On-board activities were almost nil and same every day. The 12 day cruise had only two sea days and we went on tours in every port so our time on board was limited, thankfully. Library is very small.

[Last Mango]

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=25499

 

Hey, Joe, it was nice to meet you on board. This is the link to the review that I've done.

[joek]

Good review, Vanessa! We had dinner only in the dining room, had requested a large table but got a table for 4. Excellent waiter and ass't waiter, Manuel and Paulina. Both are going on vacation so they won't be back on the Regal. Manuel is supposed to go on the new Royal in the Med.

 

We also thought that the beef was terrible, even Fillet Mignon, dry and chewy. Otherwise, we enjoyed the meals.

[chelsea brown]

Glad to hear it was a great cruise - you didn't have any after effects from the norovirus outbreak last month, did you?? WE set sail on the 19th & can't wait!! Plus, any other tips about the boat would be great! Many thanks!

 

We were on the Alaska cruise in Sept. 06 and found the ship lacking in several areas. The carpets and furnishings were old , worn , freyd and in some cases badly stained.The ship itself was not very clean in public rooms and toilets , but worst of all was the food! Absolutely inedible ! We'd go to the Lido for a late snack , only to find cheeze sandwiches that were curled and dry around the edges and very stale breads and rolls.There was virtually nothing that anyone would want to eat at that time of night.We also found the pissa as stale as cardboard , obviously frozen and re-heated in a microwave.Breakfast ensuite was o.k. lunch in the Lido was o.k. but dinner was a regular disaster every night.We've been on many cruises over the years , with most lines inc. " Princess " but this was by far the worst., especially since after months of coaxing , we finally got our best friends to join us ( this being their first cruise).

Oh well...

J. and J.

[oldgator]

I cannot help but wonder what ship Chelsea Brown might have been on. Certainly was not the Regal Princess that those of us who sailed from Manaus on 1-28 were on. Was the food 5 star Restaurant Standards, No but it was very good.

 

I like the new Princess servings with less emphasis on Potatoes and Starches and less quantities on standard plates of those items. I actually only gained 2 lbs on the trip and ate very well. Loved the all I wanted Broiled Lobster Tails and the all I wanted Steamed Alaskan (Real) King Crab Legs.

 

My only dissappointment (and yes if I had looked long and hard enough at the Itinerary times I would have known) was the fact that most of the travel on the Amazon was at night when we could not see anything because of darkness or we were sleeping.

 

I did, today, send the following suggestion to my TA Bob Burnett for forwarding to the correct person at Princess. If you agree, please get your message to Princess.

 

 

"A change that should be made if Princess does the Manaus/Amazon again"

 

"Bob, there was one thing that was a bit dissappointing to me and to some others I spoke with on the ship.

 

That was the fact that most of the traveling on the Amazon River was done at night while we either could not see what was going on around us because of darkness or we were asleep.

 

Were I to plan such a trip, I would have left off one of the Island stops. (St. Kitts would be the perfect one to leave off to me) and the stop at Boca De Volaria (This stop was terribly depressing to most on board as it was apparent that the cruise lines had taken a very small villiage of people who had lived without electricity, running water and other things we take for granted and has made the villiage and the people into a side show at the expense of the youngsters who have been turned into beggers and pimps for the parents to sell their garbage, made someplace else, trinkets.).

 

By leaving off those two stops, the ship could stay in Manaus overnight, leave at 6:00 AM, travel the Amazon until dark, Stop and anchor, begin the next day early enough to arrive Santarem by Noon, stay Santarem until the next morning and then travel all day the next day and exit the Amazon overnight as the mouth of the river is so wide there is nothing to see.

 

This would allow the passengers to actually see the travel down the Amazon River which was, at least to me, a good part of what I came for."

 

Thanks to all who joined us for our Cruise Critic Rollcall gatherings on board and thanks to Princess for the round of drinks at our 2nd meeting.

[oldgator]

I have finished with our photos of our two full days stay in Manaus and our First stop at Boca Da Valaria once on board the Regal Princess.

These photos may be be viewed by clicking on the following.

 

Suggestion, once you have reached the Album, go to "View" and click on "Full Screen" this will allow by using the slider full view of the photos and captions.

 

1. Our Stay at the Tropical Business Hotel, Manaus.

http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2095408738

 

2. THE MEETING OF THE WATERS

http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2095314868

 

3. TOUR OF THE CITY OF MANAUS

http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2095087613

 

4, BOCA DA VALARIA.

http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2094763191

 

Watch this thread as more photos will be added as I finished putting them into albums.

Hope that you enjoy,

Rick

[Bucky3]

Thanks for posting your wonderful pictures. Really enjoyed them.