Oh2B@C

Of course getting out of Minnesota in the winter time is sometimes all that matters for us!

Montreal too, believe me!! :eek:

I wish I met more Americans from the northern states... Every time I meet an American from a southerly state, and I tell them I am from Canada, they always say the same thing "Oh. It's so cold in Canada..." I always reply "ever been to North Dakota or Minnesota in January?"

BTW, in case that guy is reading this: it's 30C/86F in Montreal today :p

I am glad to see from the comments that no one had a negative experience with the Crown Grill being attached to Wheelhouse Bar and vice versa. Though I did see a recent thread complaining about just that. I think it could affect more my enjoyment of Wheelhouse Bar since I spent quite a bit of time there (as opposed to Crown Grill where I may only splurge once). I do like the Wheelhouse as an enclosed retreat during the day. From the comments so far, it looks like it will be a very small issue if not at all.

As for the front-facing view, yes, that would be a disappointment. The Crown for example has front facing views on Decks 7 and 16, plus the super-cool "patio" above the bridge. I like to jump up and down and pretend that the Captain is cursing at me one floor below...maybe jabbing the ceiling with a broom handle (just kidding Princess...:))

I think the Regal has a small viewing area at the front of Deck 16, if what I see on the deck plan is right. But that would be much less available space overall than the Crown of course.

And I guess I forgot to mention Adagio. One of my favorite little haunts to go and have a quiet read or play trivia. Not enough of a pet-peeve to make me skip the ship, but I would miss it at times.

Update on booking probabilities: Unfortunately I can't book too far in advance, I don't know what my schedule will look like, so I may have to wait until well into September. By then I fear the ship will be sold out. Unless a repo from NYC to FLL is not that popular (?) And I can't book it now under the $100 deposit special, because final payment is due August 9 and I know for sure I won't be ready to commit by then.

LOVING the comments so far. Keep 'em coming. Thank you for not making this the same old tired debate that has come up in so many other posts.

You forgot to mention Hobbit size balconies and the soot issues.

Always an interior stateroom for me, so no issues there. :)

We found no issues at all getting on or off the ship at all the BI ports (including the tender ports). No different for us than other cruises we have taken.

If you think that the Ruby/Crown/Emerald can hold 3,000 and the Regal/Royal 3,600 that is not a big difference in my opinion. Sure some will say it's 20% more people, but Princess usually runs the tender debarkation fairly smoothly. And there's always my Elite privilege if I am in a rush....:o

Spent 20 days on the Royal in January.

 

I greatly prefer the older ships. The Royal and Regal remain my last choice among the Princess ships.

I think that when all is said and done I will still prefer the older ships. But I am glad I went through the exercise of considering whether or not to take a Regal cruise with an interesting itinerary, because it made me realize I can live with some of the design changes.

Hello out there in CC land!

I haven’t posted much on these boards, preferring to read people’s comments and posting the occasional one of my own when I think it can be useful. I’ve mostly been interested in the debate regarding the Royal and Regal designs. I’ve been staunchly in the “against” column from the get-go because I felt Princess took away too much of the features I loved from those of the Ruby/Crown/Emerald.

But now something may (“MAY”) help alleviate that opinion, to what degree, who knows? I have found an itinerary/date/price combo that I may want to try out, and it is on the Regal.

I haven’t decided by any means yet… but I am definitely “considering”. And because I am “considering”, I find myself taking a much less polarized view of the ship’s design. Funny how that happens. Almost like if you’ve been driving a Honda all your life and all of a sudden you’re willing to try a Ford. (Sorry Americans, feel free to use that analogy in reverse…;))

With this new-found “openness” in mind, I am going through the deck plans and deciding what features I absolutely know will make me cringe, which are a reasonable/mild concern, and which (that’s right!) are actually likely to please me (did I mention: THAT’S RIGHT!)

Here we go then

Features that are a major concern to me

OK, this list won’t have too many items, like I said before, funny how your attitude changes when things become personal…

1. Princess Live

I cannot for the life of me understand the thinking behind this. “OK Princess execs, let’s gut out the Explorer’s Lounge and replace it with this studio where our Cruise Directors can basically pretend they are Johnny Carson (oops I meant Jay Leno… Oops again, I meant Jimmy Fallon...). This can only be the result of a blackmail campaign by the a/m cruise directors to have a venue built so they can indulge in their desire to have all eyes focused on them as they tell average jokes. From the pictures, the seating looks uncomfortable and awkward, plus I heard they run trivia in there and folks have remarked on the awkwardness and discomfort factors.

2. Pools on Lido Deck are not separated, and that ridiculous fountain show in the middle

I really LOVE the design where the Calypso and Neptune Pool areas are separated. If MUTS is annoying, (and I do mean IF), it’s nice to retreat to the other area and have the noise only a faint memory.

OMG, that is it for the major concerns. What the heck was I going on about all this time…

Design features that bother me to various degrees, but not enough that I cannot try to live with (starting from the lowest deck and working my way UP)

First, a shout out to the medical center on Deck 4… you hardly ever hear it mentioned AT ALL…

1. Wheelhouse Bar and Crown Grill basically touching and falling into one another

Don’t like that much, when I go to Crown Grill I want an upscale experience in an enclosed space without having to worry about the goings-on in the bar next door. However, I’ll only go there once per cruise, so I can deal. Perhaps I can ask for a table as far away from the Wheelhouse area as possible?

2. No wrap-around promenade

In all honesty, that ALMOST made it to category ONE. Why does it not? I guess partly because I don’t spend that much time pretending I am exercising by walking all around the promenade for hours on end. But I do like it as a place to find a somewhat quiet space at certain times of day and watch the sea go by. That will be the deciding factor over my final impression (if I go that is). If there’s tons of people coming and going and falling over each other, I will not be pleased.

3. Lack of central stairs from Deck 7 upward

Don’t care, except when I am in the middle of the ship and I just don’t feel like hiking up from anywhere. If the darn elevators are packed and people become rude, that will affect my enjoyment. Not enough of a bother to really register because knowing myself, I’ll just go take the front or back stairs (aft and forward?)

4. The skywalk

To me the dumbest idea they could think of, but since it is not a waste of space truly, I’ll do it once and then move on. No sense in harping about it, not worth it. Like changing the channel when you don’t like what’s on.

5. No Skywalker’s, or top deck equivalent space

Ooooooh, that ALMOST made it to the first category too, by a HAIR. I love going to Skywalker’s for the view and the Platinum/Elite lounge. That is a great space. Where is the equivalent on any other deck? Is it Club 6??? It’s tucked away down on Deck 6 (oh I just figured out why they called it that…), almost as an afterthought, and next to the CASINO???? It’s going to smell of smoke in there for sure. OK, I am getting myself worked up here. Move this one to category ONE!!!

6. Aft section, pool, etc…

Yeah, I spend a lot of time on the back of the ship when I sail Crown/Ruby/Emerald. It’s a great design, lots of space to sit or just stand by the rail and stare out at the ocean. The aft pool is kind of nice on those ships too. It’s hard for me to judge how they arranged the aft section of the Regal. I see there’s a terrace pool. I have to find more pictures and comments. But that’s probably one feature I have to see for myself – DRAT!

Actually I am going on YouTube right now to see if there’s any videos that could help…

…

…

Whew, I found 1,123,354 Regal Princess videos… That took some time…

Still not decided either way. Looks like there’s a bit of room back there. Still have to see for myself. DRAT!

Things they got right

1. The buffet

YES YES YES YES YES!!!!! More space, more choices, more variety. Not that little cramped broom closet with the same exact choices on both sides. WELL DONE.

2. Alfredo’s

I forget, is it free to eat there??? If so, then I am ALL IN.

3. The Adults-only Retreat Pool looks nice. Again, if free to use, great addition.

I am neutral as to every other design feature unnamed in this post

Oh, and I guess I should mention the itinerary I am looking at: October 24, 2015, New York to Fort Lauderdale, 10-Days. Living in Montreal, I can take AMTRAK down to NYC the day before and spend the night. From FLL it is a very easy and affordable flight back home.

Will never happen.

 

The $49/day (+ tip) of the AIBP does not cost Princess anywhere near $49.

 

$49/day OBC will cost Princess the full $49.

Unless you use the OBC to buy the AIBP. WAH HA HA HA HA HA !!!!;)

I find sea days so much more relaxing than port days. My wife has to have port stops but I would be happy to simply sail. As for what I do on sea days: I do whatever I want. :)

I LOVE sea days! No rush to get off the ship, relax relax relax!

Princess fills the patter with tons of entertainment and activities, so there's plenty to do as some of the other replies mention.

On sea days there will also be more dining choices: lunch in the MDR, occasional pub lunch, afternoon tea, wine tasting (for a fee)

I like the idea of organized lines at the IC, but not just ONE line for coffee and pastries/salads.

Or just leave well enough alone, despite my comment above, I have never seen any examples of truly bad or rude behavior in the "waiting area" of the IC.

In a recent poll, cruise directors' staff were asked to rank what part of working on a cruise ship scared them the most.

Number 3 was fire on board

Number 2 was falling overboard

Number 1 was having to run a trivia quiz.

New business opportunity:

Provide cruisers with sealed soft drink cans filled with their favorite liquor or wine.:cool:

Future changes to CCL beverage policy, and no doubt cruise-wide, sure to come soon:

1. As we realize more profit can be made by selling more soda on board, we are now banning passengers from bringing ANY AND ALL types of beverages.

2. Please ignore commentary in 1. and replace with "As we notice more incidents of people slipping on the beverage containers they bring on board causing them to fall and incur serious bodily harm, in the interest of safety we are now banning..."

3. People requiring water while they wait to board the ship, i.e. for the taking of medication, can avail themselves of the water fountains in the check-in areas at a cost of $1.50, using 6 quarters and dropping them into the automated payment slot.

I walked into the ladies' room once by mistake, I wasn't paying attention and went through the door on the left rather than the right... :eek:

Hi all,

Have you ever stayed at the Vagabond Inn San Pedro? What was it like? I just booked an internet super-saver rate of $71, which sounds pretty awesome to me. I looked at their website and the hotel seems perfectly fine for the price. Did you use the free shuttle to the cruise port? How did that go?

I appreciate any comments you may have. Thanks. Phil

we were being harrassed by wait staff to buy drinks sometimes by 5 or 6 people in the space of a few minutes.

 

Very disappointed

I am SO JEALOUS!! My last cruise I couldn't get a waiter's attention to save my life... That is why I will never sail Princess again... :rolleyes:

Thanks for posting this, I feel exactly the same way. Looking at the 2016 prices, it's every cruise at every time of year that is priced completely insane. I can't imagine booking this far in advance and paying these prices.

Looking at cruises leaving this May and June, there were some pretty good sales for certain destinations, for example Mediterranean and Baltic. I'll have to wait and see if similar sales occur by early next year. I cruise solo and right now the Emerald June 4, 2016 14-Day r/t from London to St Petersburg is $7,000 CAD for an INSIDE CABIN, (half of that per person if 2 ppl sharing). That same cruise would've run me $4,600 for this summer at the highest non-sale price I saw.

Australian cruises probably include gratuities or equivalent in the price .

The AUD$ fare, all taxes included, is 15-20% CHEAPER than the CAD$ fare with taxes/fees added.

So if gratuities are also included in that fare, then that makes the AUD$ fare an even BETTER deal.

I guess I should add that this doesn't really change anything for me, I am simply curious to see if anyone can make sense of this. The only explanation I can come up with so far that makes remotely any sense is that AUD$ fares were calculated at a different time than CAD$ fares, say when the AUD$ was strong against the US$, and CAD$ fares were calculated more recently after the CAD$ took a dive back to $0.81.

Hi fellow Canucks

I'm little late to this party but I never had a question or comment to make before...

Now I have a question/comment;)

A friend of mine in Australia is always sending me sample fares for various cruises we are discussing. When I compare her AUD$ fare to the same cruise I could buy here in CAD$, the difference is staggering, more than just a few bucks, we're talking 15 to 20% cheaper for the AUD$ fare.

Any idea why? The CAD$ and AUD$ are trading at fairly close to 1/1, so I am at a loss to explain why.

I'm considering the Grand Med Barcelona to Venice on the Island that leaves on August 14. I like the idea of adding it on before our Baltics/TA, but is going in August the worst idea ever?

 

Not even close to the worst idea ever... Going in August all but guarantees great weather.

 

I've been researching and between the heat, crowds and even mosquitoes in Venice, I'm starting to wonder if this really is a good plan....

 

I don't recall there being much of a mosquito problem

Heat: OH YES. But there's plenty of relief available with the pools, shaded areas and retreating indoors.

Crowds: Heck yes, but there's always some out of the way spots to seek solace. Besides, Venice and other popular European destinations are crowded nearly year-round.

 

Will the ship be crowded with tons of kids since August is the traditional vacation month in Europe? We can probably deal with the heat, but I'm not sure about a ship full of kids. I'd love to hear from those who have cruised the Med in August, good or bad!

 

More kids than usual, but the ship has plenty of programs and clubs for kids, many of them just hang out there. I wouldn't expect as many kids as on a Christmas or other holiday time.

 

(I tried searching but didn't find much. I hesitated about starting a new thread since I already asked about doing b2b Europe cruises, but this is kind of a different subject. Sorry in advance if anyone finds this redundant.)

 

It's a fantastic and unforgettable itinerary, don't worry so much about possible minor annoyances...

 

End (needed 3 characters...):confused:

Wish I may, wish I might, have these wishes I wish tonight... (well... OK, it's 3:45 PM...)

Send the Royal and Regal to China to sail there year-round. Out of sight out of mind.

And when the new ship is ready, let's call her "Revenue Princess", if she's a clone of the other two, send her to China as well... That should take care of that gold mine Princess is so desperate to tap into. Then I can choose from the good ships for Europe, the Caribbean and Transatlantic.

That's really it for me - all the other complaints, errrr, "wishes", I can deal with.

Food has been good at best never great. I'm not looking for Gordon Ramsay but I want better than Denny's

It's much better than Denny's.

Does anyone know why the West Coast ports don't get the newer ships?

Because you're LUCKY ;)

That Claire Newell is a real peach. She could sell me a Carnival Cruise to the north pole in January... ;)

I used to see her on the morning news shows in Vancouver BC. I wonder if she's expanded and/or moved to the US? Anybody???

I though message in a bottle was cute, but it was more geared towards kids...

 

Respectfully disagree. At the risk of belaboring this, most of the shots are adult themed: Couple kissing at the railing, couple's massage, friends dining together, the two singles passing in the staircase. (There is one shot of a dad with his child in the pool, but that is aimed at families, to illustrate that CCL offers a product to everyone). The girl, and the boy at the end, are merely the messengers - they represent innocence and discovery, i.e. the people who have never cruised before, or who have just experienced their first cruise. The commercial effectively reaches out to the target audience with whimsy and no pretense.

I just had a look at Message in a Bottle, so now I've seen all of them.

I have to say, Message in a Bottle is the one that I think has all the elements. It gets your attention, provides information about what you get from the product, entertains, and strikes a good balance between light and serious. I thought the JFK ad was too serious. It will resonate more with a slightly more "mature" crowd (I mean, that quote was from 1962...). The Message in a Bottle ad would have reached a wider spectrum of ages, IMHO.

Blacklisting ships seems a tad draconian to me...;)

Though I plan to skip over the cruises sailing on the Royal/Regal and Island as my personal message of displeasure to Princess, and leave room for others who are willing to try them out.

I don't think this ad will be talked about as it was overshadowed by the worst ad, Nationwide. The only place I have seen or heard the Carnival ad talked about is here.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

I wish Mindy Kaling really was invisible... but that's beside the point.

Carnival Corp took the "safer" route with the JFK voice over commercial, instead of the edgier lose-your-cruise-virginity commercial. If their intent was to target first time cruisers, they picked wrong IMHO.

And I have every reason to believe that what Princess has been doing lately to their ships is in line with targeting new cruisers. Why else would they build ships like the Royal/Regal and make those awful changes to the Island? Certainly not with the idea of pleasing their loyal customers.