Regal Princess - A Very Long Review

[bdjam]

Regal Princess sets the standard to which the rest of the Princess fleet should be held.

 

I just returned from a glorious 10-day cruise to Alaska on Regal Princess. We sailed round trip out of San Francisco, and by cruise end I found the ship to be just as wonderful as the last time I sailed her in 1999. She continues to set the standard that made me pick Princess as my premier cruise line after first sailing on her in 1996.

I embarked on Regal Princess on August 14. I had booked a category BA Balcony Cabin on Aloha deck, but the Upgrade Fairy was good to me and a couple of days before the cruise, my Travel Agent informed me that I had been upgraded to a category AA Mini-Suite, also on Aloha Deck. Of course I accepted.

 

Boarding began at noon and I arrived at the pier at about 12:30 – while boarding was busy, and a 10 minute wait required to get a porter for luggage, it seemed pretty organized. The charming yet inadequate Pier 35 did the best it could on this day, and it was fairly easy for me and the rest of the 1660 passengers headed for Regal Princess. But it’s hard to think how 2600 will be accommodated there when Sapphire Princess begins her fall voyages to Mexico.

 

Being familiar with the ship, I quickly found my mini-suite, Aloha 126 – note that passengers are directed toward their cabins by crewmembers, not escorted. The minis on Regal Princess are configured much the same as those on the Grand Class ships – you enter the foyer, and to the side is the bathroom and dressing area. Past that is the bed, then the sitting area, then the balcony. The mini-suites have a tub with shower, and contrary to the Grand Class, the bathrooms are done completely in gray marble. A word of caution to those with mobility problems – it is quite a step up to get into the bathtub and there are handholds, which can assist. Getting out is even a bigger step as one must step out without the aid of handholds. Also oddly configured was the showerhead, which came out of the sidewall rather than at the front of the bathtub, as one would expect. Its proximity to another handhold required some caution when washing shampoo out of my hair.

 

My initial reaction to the bathroom in the mini-suite - as well as the lighting design in the cabin and the design of the stairwells – was that I was on an old ship. Taking my first walk around, I also noticed that Regal Princess didn’t seem as large or as impressive as I remembered her. Doesn’t matter – as the days went on, I became familiar with her again and was quite comfortable with her Art Deco-ish design features…both of which the marble bath and lighting designs play into. While she is 13 years old – and sans the overload of amenities in the bigger ships – she still is able to deliver an excellent product, and she’ll be even more able soon. More on that later.

 

Up on Deck 14 forward is "The Dome." This is the part of the ship that some have said makes her look like a dolphin. In my opinion, Princess needs some design help, as this space –if open – would actually be quite beautiful with white ribs holding up the roof and framing each of the windows. A nightclub/observation lounge would be perfect here. Unfortunately, Princess chooses to dump the casino in this room, spoiling what the ship designer offered. A treat in The Dome during our cruise was the Rosie Quartet – a musical group lead by Rosie who is not only a grandmother, but also a great entertainer. Her voice had a certain quality that lit up the room and her bits of hilarious banter between songs were certainly worth staying for…even over the clatter of the casino. Good for Rosie, she’ll be moving to the Bengal Bar next cruise.

 

Deck 14 aft houses the Youth Center – didn’t go there myself, but it was used quite extensively. There were 160 kids of varying ages on board Regal Princess for this cruise. For the most part they were well behaved and kept active by the Youth Staff, but there were also some late night sessions of running up and down the stairs and a few instances of running through the dining room. I’m not sure why parents wouldn’t question where their children were at 1:00 in the morning when they were using the stairwell for a racecourse…? There were a good number of elderly and/or infirm people on board – running kids is the catalyst for accidents.

 

On Deck 12 aft is the Café Del Sol. Much has been said about how Princess buffets are fair at best and that Regal Princess lacks in the quality of food presented. I’m wondering what people are really looking for. Breakfasts were bountiful with choices from smoked fish to pancakes. A special egg station – service was sluggish there – was set up and one could order any type of preparation desired. The food was good solid quality. Lunches seemed even better – one day in port stuffed turkey breast and stuffed bell peppers were offered. There always was at least one pasta choice – all that I tasted were excellent – and carved meats and salads. The dessert set up was expansive and delectable. Several lunches featured specific kinds of food (Chinese, Alaska, etc.). Sandwich buffets were available late in the afternoon. I didn’t sample the dinner offerings. There was also Bistro service available in Café Del Sol in the evenings – depending on the day this service started somewhere between 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. Check the Patter!

 

Lines at the buffet were sometimes long – after sailing on a Sun or Grand Class ship, one learns to appreciate how important that "floating" station design is in keeping the lines to a minimum.

 

Forward of Café Del Sol on the port side is an extensive salad bar with a peculiar set up. It’s a little backwards in that the lettuce and dressings are opposite the plates, so you start on one end, go to the other to get lettuce, continue to the plate end adding items to your salad, then have to go back to where the lettuce is to get your dressing. On the starboard side a Hot Dog/Hamburger Grill.

 

All the way forward on Deck 12 on the starboard side is the Bravo Pizzeria. I didn’t sample the fare, but was told that the offerings were excellent, and know from past experience that this is true. Bravo also offers Calzone and is definitely a sit-down restaurant that oddly doesn’t allow food to go. On the port side of deck 12 is Character’s Bar, a small airy room with large windows and wicker chairs. A large window over looking the pool lets in daylight and makes the room quite inviting.

 

Moving down to Deck 8 mid-ship is the Stage Door Lounge. Your usual disco by night (Simon did play some up to date tunes on this cruise – normally you get the old wedding reception standards from shipboard disc jockeys) the lounge also is the location for line dancing during the day, and live music – not top quality - in the early evening. Service at this location was friendly if not all together efficient…but there were a lot of people in the room when I was there!

 

Also on Deck 8 is the balcony level of the International Show Lounge.

 

Deck 7 is Promenade Deck and here one finds a plethora of public rooms. Starting forward is the International Show Lounge. This was the sight of four excellent production shows over the span of the 10 days…all were different shows. The cast of these shows was all of excellent talent – Joe Sackenheim and Rebecca Bowman were standouts as the Guest Singers – and the shows were well conceived. I find it hard to understand how some people think these shows are sub-par. Sure, this isn’t Broadway, but the shows are being performed on a ship for goodness sake. The stage in the show lounge extends out to the audience offering a more intimate feel. I didn’t attend the comedy shows, save but one which was fair, so I can’t really comment on them.

 

Aft of the Show Lounge are shops on port and starboard and the Baccaus Wine bar. A very small area, service here was excellent and the area surrounds one end of the three-story atrium. Moving further aft is the Bengal Bar – noted by the life-sized brass Bengal Tiger at the dance floor. The sight for Karioke and a pair of singers/instrumentalists called the Fun & Joy Duo. Quite pleasant to watch – they are moving to The Dome – a switch with Rosie – and I fear will be lost up there amongst the clatter.

 

Further aft is the Adagio piano lounge, complete with piano/player singer. It was earlier posted that this lounge was completely non-smoking, however that was not true on this cruise. In fact all of the lounges on board provide smoking areas around the bars themselves and on the port side of the rooms. Similarly, the outside decks on the port side are designated as smoking, while the starboard side is non-smoking. Smoking is not allowed in the International Show Lounge or any eating areas.

More to come in part 2!

 

[bdjam]

The Palm Court Dining Room is aft on Deck 7. This room was refurbished back in 1999 and this was the first time I had seen the Grand Class-like incarnation. The room is quite lovely. Beautiful etched glass panels – with pastel colors – partition off different sections of the dining room and the waiter’s stations. Extensive murals grace the back walls. The room, however, is still quite noisy. Service, however was fast, friendly and efficient. The food presented was excellent – again, I don’t understand what people might complain about or what they expect. Each meal was prepared extremely well – all those at my table for six raved about the food. Fish dishes – not something I eat – were praised. Onion soup, pastas, lobster, and Rack of Lamb were outstanding standouts. And a plus – tableside dessert and pasta preparation. The Bananas Flambé and the Cherries Jubilee brought me back to the Princess I used to know. I talked to the Head Waiter at the end of the cruise and I thanked him for continuing this tableside service and commented it was not available on the other ships. He told me that it’s not possible to do them with Anytime Dining – they require a fairly tight window when dessert is being served – and so they are withdrawn from the Traditional Dining Room as well to keep things even. I know there are those who favor Anytime Dining out there…but you don’t know what you’re missing.

 

A short comment on Dining Room dress, since it’s a favorite on this board. I just hope this topic doesn’t become a debate on proper dress, but here goes. In the Patter – and also found in the Cruise Answer Book - it states: We kindly ask that you do not wear bathing suits or beach attire in Public Rooms or Lounges, especially the Dining Room, where items such as t-shirts, halter tops and jeans are not permitted and shoes must be worn at all times. Guidelines for dress code from 5:00 p.m. and throughout the evening are:

 

Formal – typical black tie formal wear is appropriate. Items include evening gowns and cocktail dresses for ladies and tuxedos, dinner jackets or dark suits for men.

 

Smart Casual – passengers dress as they would for a fine restaurant at home. Appropriate attire includes skirts, dresses, slacks and sweaters or blouses for ladies and long pants, shirts with collars and/or a sports jacket for men.

 

Also posted outside the Palm Court was a request that appropriate attire be worn in the dining room. T-shirts, jeans, and flip-flops abounded in the dining room with nary a comment from Princess. There were also a good number of people casually dressed on the formal nights. Some may suggest that the cruise line is letting this happen by not enforcing the guidelines and I agree. But I also wonder what type of person would ignore the dress code explanations printed in two different publications and signs posted above the menu at the entrance to the dining room – I think this situation tells as much about the passenger as it does the cruise line. My suggestion to Princess via comment card and letter to the Passenger Services Director was to make up their minds what they want so that we can choose the line from which we buy passage. Any "fine" restaurant worth it’s salt keeps its standards at a certain level to meet the expectations of its clientele.

 

I was in the definite minority when it came to tipping at the end of the cruise. It seems that passengers have taken to the auto-tip and those of us who presented cash envelopes to the wait staff were few – I was the only one at my table. The staff was quite appreciative of the extra tip and in my opinion, the additional gratuity was well deserved.

 

Back at the atrium on Deck 6, there are two more shops flanking each side of the ship and the "Grand Staircase" with it’s marble facing and fountain. On deck 5 in the atrium is the Purser’s Desk and Patisserie. Laptops are available here for Internet use. You must sign up for the laptop at the Purser’s desk, however I did see some people using laptops that had already been set up without signing for them.

 

The atrium, although smaller in scale than the Grand Class ships, is quite beautiful. It is open and airy and is obviously the hub of indoor activity for the ship. On the final formal night, it was the location of the Champagne Waterfall party, complete with complementary champagne and finger desserts. It always amazes me how rollicking these parties can be and I must say the spirit of this one can be attributed to Brett from the Cruise Staff who almost single handedly lead the whole thing.

 

We had a bit of an exciting day in Tracy Arm. We were only able to get within a couple of miles of the glaciers due to ice and when returning to the mouth of Tracy Arm – where the passage is only big enough for one ship – we were penned in by ice. We remained there for about 15 minutes before the ice followed the current and allowed us through. As we came up to speed for our morning sail to Juneau, we hit a rogue piece of ice – apparently not seen by the Alaskan pilots. This was a large piece, which caused a loud bang and sharp shudder through the ship when we hit it and then caused the ship to list slightly to port. Regal Princess righted herself after a few seconds and we were on our way, the Captain indicating the ship was "momentarily" safe. Apparently a Coast Guard examination in ensured the ship was undamaged…

 

I was considered one of the most traveled passengers on board – which shows you the passenger load wasn’t very traveled - in fact only about 27% were repeat passengers. Small but mighty, the winner of the most-cruised passenger award had 47 Sitmar/Princess cruises under her belt. As a "most traveled" I was invited to the Captain’s Circle Luncheon with the Captain and Senior Officers. Quite a nice lunch which included all the champagne and wine you wanted, a picture taken of your table, a personalized menu, lobster medallions, beef, fish or vegetarian entrée and dessert…which was a kicker of a dessert…sponge cake filled with lemon cream and so soaked in rum that it oozed out of when you cut into it. I was somewhat hammered leaving!

 

The above description of Regal Princess will not be valid for long – coming soon is what has been called a $35 Million refurbishment. Regal Princess is going into dry-dock in November and stories told indicate that Characters Bar will be replaced by Bravo Pizzeria, and the pizzeria will be replaced by a Sterling Steakhouse, thereby enhancing the eating alternatives on board. It seems that further work will be done on Regal Princess in the next two years which will see the casino moved to the Stage Door Lounge area, the disco moved to the area currently housing the spa/gymnasium, and the spa and gym moved up to the dome on Deck 14 – again spoiling the space. Seems the arrangement put upon the former Crown Princess will be duplicated on Regal.

 

And the ports in Alaska? Well, yes we did stop…I think. Victoria’s beautiful weather was absorbed on deck, Sitka’s beautiful day was spent shopping, exploring and lunching in town – unfortunately Regal Princess was one of five ships in port that day. We stopped in Haines because Skagway was overloaded with ships and couldn’t accommodate Regal Princess. A ferry dock is located right at the pier where you can take a ride to Skagway – the ferry leaves on the hour and arrives in Skagway approximately 45 minutes later. The arrival in Juneau was gray and dreary, but when the sun came out in the afternoon and lit up the mountains and the mist hanging around them, it became beautiful. I think the most impressive is Tracy Arm – a visit there is awe inspiring and puts into perspective how insignificant some of the things we take to heart really are.

 

To summarize all this, my visit back on Regal Princess was brilliant and I would not hesitate to sail her again – service, food and entertainment were impeccable. She is still a beautiful ship and while she’s not got all of the innovations, she’s lacking in no way. And she can pulverize and iceberg and still stay afloat!

Specific questions? Please let me know.

[LARGIN]

Great review.. The Regal is one of our most favorites.. Did you meet Fabio?

[Druke I]

Brian

 

Good review. Thanks.

 

I thought the dining room less noisy after its refurbishment. It was very noisy as first designed, and seemingly more crowded, at least along the windows.

 

Interesting comments about its upcoming refurbishment. The Stage Door area has been underutilized - but I for one think putting the gym up in the Dome not as satisfactory as making the Dome an observation area/lounge.

 

Looking forward to our trip aboard Regal Princess 'round Cape Horn, Mar 06.

 

Michael

[SharkieRools]

Excellent review! I'm glad you enjoyed your trip.

 

I always throught it would be best if they swaped the casino space and the nightclub space. That way the casino would not be up and out of the way and would have more foot traffic (more $$$ for Princess.) Then the nighclub would be on an isolated place on top of the ship - by day it would be a relaxing lounge to have a drink and watch the view, and at night would be the disco, almost like the Viking Crown lounges on Royal Caribbean ships. I see from your report they are planning on putting the gym/spa up there instead, much like what was done on the former Crown Princess. What would be really cool if they could come up with a way for part of the observation areas to somehow be isolated from the spa/gym, thereby giving you a place high on the ship to sit and relax, without all the noise. I think putting the nightclub where the spa/gym is now would be a major undertaking, if I recall these areas are small and seperated by auto closing watertight doors - it's probably a major undertaking to change the configuration to a nightclub. What do I know though? :)

[bdjam]

Did you meet Fabio

I personally met Fabio only in the receiving line for the Captain’s Circle party. At the luncheon, I was at a table with the Chief Engineer and his assistant.

Interesting information from them about how well put together and maintained Regal Princess is. They also made mention that ships the Italians take care of are in much better shape than those the British maintain…which made me question Dawn Princess – a British ship – and her engine problems. Apparently reason for the delay in replacing the engine and the amount of down time for the ship has to do with the extensive work needed. They have to cut a hole in the hull and pull the bad engine out – and put the new one in – piece by piece. These components are normally installed during construction before the decks are built around them, closing them in. Replacement afterward is major surgery.

but I for one think putting the gym up in the Dome not as satisfactory as making the Dome an observation area/lounge.

I’m with ya!

[CruiseFever]

Welcome Back!

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to write your insightful review. It made me want to sail the Regal!

[SaylorGirl]

Great review! I will be sailing on the Regal on 9/11 for ten days to New England and am very excited to sail now that I've read your review. You gave such detail that it answered alot of my questions. I am wondering if you spoke with anyone that ate in the Bistro in the evenings? Did you feel there was enough outside deck space? Again thanks for the review!!

[Pam in CA]

Thanks for the review! My first cruise, but not my last, was on the Regal last April/May. I loved her -- she's easy to get around and has a lot of open space for the number of passengers so that you never get a crowded feeling.

 

I agree with you entirely about the Dome and the Stage Door. We went to the Stage Door several times for drinks before dinner and it was always almost empty. Hardly anyone used it except for activities during the day. As for the Dome, we went there once for a drink before dinner and when they put down the shades at 7PM, even though it was broad daylight, it didn't make sense to us. I guess they had to draw them for the casino players but if you don't smoke and dislike the smell, are blocked from a great view, it's useless space to me. We didn't go back there, it was so awful.

 

We also felt that the variety of food offered and the personal service was excellent. I went every morning and had my favorite omelet made so after a couple of days, the cook saw me coming and started my omelet. :) He was great. There was a wide variety of food available for lunch with the usual standbys but every day, there was a table of "themed" offerings, i.e., Italian, Mexican, Chinese, etc. that were excellent.

 

I'd go back on the Regal in a heartbeat. I'm not a "large" ship and seeing the Grand or one of those ships doesn't make my heart beat faster.

[dosi]

Unfortunately I have to wait until next May. Thank you for your wonderful review. It has on reinforced my feelings that I chose the right ship for our Alaska cruise. :) :)

[SharkieRools]

I am wondering if you spoke with anyone that ate in the Bistro in the evenings? Did you feel there was enough outside deck space?

 

Thought I'd jump in here :)

 

Although I never have eaten in the Bistro, on our 2002 cruise aboard the Regal Princess we had a middle aged women and her mother at our dinner table who had wanted early seating since the late seating made it hard on the mother, however it was full. So they decided to eat at the Bistro most nights - when we did see them they raved about the food and service up there. They say they were able to get most things things that were available in the dining room, I'm unable to confirm this though (the Bistro does have a seperate menu.)

 

Regal Princess Bistro Menu

 

There is a lack of deck space in the front of the ship, however in the back there are 3 decks of open space.

[Ready to Sail!]

What a beautifully written review! Thanks so much. We are sailing on the Regal this December so your comments about the refurbishment caught my attention. I am assuming you mean November 2005 since from looking at her schedule it looks like she is booked well into spring of next year. Am I wrong about this? It would be nice to go right after a sprucing up!

[bdjam]

I always throught it would be best if they swaped the casino space and the nightclub space. That way the casino would not be up and out of the way and would have more foot traffic (more $$$ for Princess.) Then the nighclub would be on an isolated place on top of the ship - by day it would be a relaxing lounge to have a drink and watch the view, and at night would be the disco, almost like the Viking Crown lounges on Royal Caribbean ships. I see from your report they are planning on putting the gym/spa up there instead, much like what was done on the former Crown Princess. What would be really cool if they could come up with a way for part of the observation areas to somehow be isolated from the spa/gym, thereby giving you a place high on the ship to sit and relax, without all the noise. I think putting the nightclub where the spa/gym is now would be a major undertaking, if I recall these areas are small and seperated by auto closing watertight doors - it's probably a major undertaking to change the configuration to a nightclub. What do I know though?

Good points – now that you mention it, I don’t know how they would get a Disco down below with the watertight compartments – unless it would fit in the gym area? Always interesting to read how to work those water tight doors while waiting for a massage. Just to cover my you know what – the information I got about refurbishment came from crew and certainly wasn’t verified at the home office!

Which makes me realize I didn’t mention the spa in my review. I used it – often according to my end of cruise bill – and found it to be up to par with those on the other Princess ships. Once you are in the treatment room and face down on the table enjoying the massage, you don’t realize you’re really below the waterline. The only issue was that is was a little noisy. The rooms aren’t well soundproofed and often there was noise from the piping in the walls. Otherwise, excellent!

Thank you so much for taking the time to write your insightful review.

Coming from the master, I take this as the highest of complements.

I am wondering if you spoke with anyone that ate in the Bistro in the evenings? Did you feel there was enough outside deck space? Again thanks for the review!!

I did speak to a few who had used the Bistro, and they said the food there was fine. I didn’t get a lot of detail on it…but it seems to be grilled meats, pastas and salads. If the offerings are in line with the rest of the food on Regal Princess, I’m sure it will be fine. Being less busy than the dining room, you will get more attentive service as well, and there is a pianist who plays during the evening and a dance floor…sort of a supper club atmosphere.

As for outside deck space, some have indicated it is limited, but I don’t find that. It was a little tight in Tracy Arm when everyone was on deck, but there was always space on the rail. Look to the aft of the ship where it’s less crowded. Also the forward platform on Baja deck – accomplished by heading forward on the starboard side of the ship – little known and a great forward view. One thing to remember, the deck space on Regal Princess might be less in proportion to her size, but for her size, she carries fewer passengers than you find on other ships…so the deck space isn’t eaten up in the same way.

[Pam in CA]

We had a couple on our cruise and assigned to our table who ate at the Bistro several times. They said it was great -- it offered just about everything from the dinner menu. They wound up coming back to our dining room table because they missed the personal service and the tableside (well, nearby) pasta and other goodies.

[bdjam]

Sharkie – thanks for the link to the Bistro menu – it’s more extensive than I remember…and very close to the dining room menu.

What a beautifully written review! Thanks so much. We are sailing on the Regal this December so your comments about the refurbishment caught my attention. I am assuming you mean November 2005 since from looking at her schedule it looks like she is booked well into spring of next year. Am I wrong about this? It would be nice to go right after a sprucing up!

Thanks for the complement! Actually the first phase of the refurbishment will occur in November 2004 when Regal goes into dry dock after her New England season. The major changes will be the moving of the pizzeria and the addition of the steakhouse. Other changes will come sometime in 2006.

[SharkieRools]

My pleasure - this is from a 2003 cruise so the bistro menu might have been downscaled since then.

 

I don't see any cruises for Regal Princess from November 13th to the 24th this year. Changing Characters to the Pizzeria and the Pizzeria to Sterling Steakhouse probably won't be too difficult, IMHO. Of course as you mentioned this is all crew rumors so we'll see if it actually comes to pass. Makes sense though, i thought the characters bar was somewhat underutilized.

[spongerob]

After reading all this, I'm almost disappointed that Princess changed ships on us and made us sail on the Royal Princess - almost.:)

 

We would love to return to Alaska, but not on one of the 7-day cruises. I hope the Regal is still providing longer cruises to Alaska when we eventually make our return. Thanks for the well-written review!

[bdjam]

I don't see any cruises for Regal Princess from November 13th to the 24th this year. Changing Characters to the Pizzeria and the Pizzeria to Sterling Steakhouse probably won't be too difficult, IMHO. Of course as you mentioned this is all crew rumors so we'll see if it actually comes to pass. Makes sense though, i thought the characters bar was somewhat underutilized.

Well, let me clarify – the information on the refurbishment came from Officers – so I think it pretty reliable. The initial work to be done in November of 2004 is firm. The nebulous information has to do with the movement of the casino, disco and spa.

 

We would love to return to Alaska, but not on one of the 7-day cruises. I hope the Regal is still providing longer cruises to Alaska when we eventually make our return. Thanks for the well-written review!

You’re welcome! Regal Princess will be doing the 10-day run from San Francisco again in 2005. I really think this is a great way to see Alaska, especially if you like sea days. Our itinerary had five of them and they were sublime…well, except for that ice incident and fog the last two days. Got to hear a lot of the foghorn on board, though!

Enjoy Royal Princess while you have the chance. I’m still mad at work for making me cancel my Royal Princess sailing from a couple of years ago…I had always hoped I would get back on board before she left the fleet, but alas, it was not to happen…

[Ready to Sail!]

Thanks for the reply. I went back and looked at the cruise calendar and I had missed that 12 day window. I am REALLY excited as one of the reason we had been a little reluctant to book the Regal was the lack of PC or alternative dining. This will make our 15 days a little more interesting.

 

Hope all is well in Pleasant Hill. We are originally from that area (Concord and Antioch). Some family and lots of friends still there. It must have been nice to have such a short trip to catch the ship!

[PescadoAmarillo]

Thank you so much for the time it took to write such a wonderful review. I hope you don't mind, but I admire your format so much I am going to save your review as a model to do my own review of an upcoming Sapphire cruise.

[SharkieRools]

Well, let me clarify – the information on the refurbishment came from Officers – so I think it pretty reliable. The initial work to be done in November of 2004 is firm. The nebulous information has to do with the movement of the casino, disco and spa.

 

Cool then :cool: I'll be back on the Regal in the summer of 2005 and look forward to seeing the Sterling Steakhouse aboard. It will be a welcome addition as it adds a true alternative restaurant onboard.

[bdjam]

I am REALLY excited as one of the reason we had been a little reluctant to book the Regal was the lack of PC or alternative dining. This will make our 15 days a little more interesting.

As for alternative dining, there is the Bistro, the buffet and room service available – and now along with the pizzeria, the steakhouse. While Regal Princess doesn’t offer the Anytime option – and based on the Head Waiter’s comments about the ability to continue tableside preparation there, I think it’s a good thing – there are alternative locations to eat. One couple I talked to – who indicated the Bistro was good – seldom ate in the dining room.

Thank you so much for the time it took to write such a wonderful review. I hope you don't mind, but I admire your format so much I am going to save your review as a model to do my own review of an upcoming Sapphire cruise.

Don’t mind at all! Hope your experience will be as positive as mine was.

[coiran]

The Regal is one of our favorites along with the Sun Class - neither are too big - we like that - We have 3 on the Regal and several on the Sun Class - the 10 day Alaska may be a good summer trip next year.

[Coral]

Welcome back Brian! Glad you had a fantastic cruise!

 

I can't wait to sail on the Regal one day. Hope she stays with Princess for several years (I am assuming she will due to the large refurbishment).

[JohnLauben]

Thanks for the positive info. I like the REGAL ... and I like the CAFE del SOL and the pizzeria. I prefer this over the larger ships. It has always seemed to me that, when you look at the ship's layout, the designers actually intended that the casino be located where the STAGE DOOR now resides. However, I just can't figure out why the ADAGIO and BENGAL lounges are located right next to each other. Using the old STAR PRINCESS (a very similar, but slightly smaller, SITMAR ship) as a guide, the casino was located where the BENGAL is on the REGAL, and the disco was in the dome (no equivalent for the STAGE DOOR). I've always felt that this was a PRINCESS change to an already-designed ship, and it never really quite fit. By the way ... who was the Cruise Director? (Last I knew, it was Frank Castiglione.) And, do you know how long he will be there? I'll be on the REGAL 10/11 from Montreal to NYC. Can't wait!