Regal Princess October 14 to 21, 2017 New England/Canada

Hi Norris,

I have been eagerly awaiting this review as I can't wait for your take on the Regal...I remember you being hesitant on the Royal class. We will be on the Royal (never sailed this class before) in November 2018 to the ABC Islands.

Big wheels keep on turning....CCR

Tracy

I've been watching for this to pop up! following along as per usual!

Crystal! Welcome aboard.

Norris

Nina! So good to see you here!

This should give you a good idea of what to expect on the Royal....

Welcome back,

Norris

Norris, I can't wait for the rest of it, especially your impression of the ship. Our son decided to join us for this cruise which pleases me to no end! This will be our first time to the Caribbean. Unfortunately, this will be our last family cruise as my husband has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer... But just the thought of the cruise makes him feel better! I will be sharing your wonderful photos with him.

Thank you again for all your hard work and hopefully, one day, we will meet!

Well well well, what do we have here? Another cruise review by Norris Adair! I have been going through withdrawals for months and now I will finally get my fix. Looking forward to one of your great expositions.

 

 

Big wheels keep on turning.

 

 

Norris

OK, time to join the fun... First off, a Manhattan seems appropriate if you please (hold the bitters). Oh, and Proud Mary, CCR, 1969.

Yay, another Norris & Carol review! :-)

Happy to join in the fun!

Love the pic of Snowy! Such a pretty kitty. :-)

Finally another Norris review! I've been waiting patiently for this one since the Regal is my favorite Princess ship. I've poured myself a wee Jameson and settled in for a nice long read.

Like many others, I too have been eagerly awaiting this review. I'm so happy it is finally here! [emoji3]

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Great start, enjoying this already!

It's gratifying to see so many people respond while I was at work and away from the computer and I will get to thank all of you personally, as is my wont but I always like to sprinkle in some pics to keep the narrative rolling and to get us to the ship ASAP. I am eager to show you my Regal pics and to give my impressions of her as I lived on her for a week.

My "Journal" makes me a slave to chronology so there is no skipping ahead breathlessly and my way of remembering events (or non-events) is to look at the photos as I work on them in Lightroom. I shoot my photos in RAW not Jpegs so they have to be processed in Lightroom. The files for each photo are 32 MP as opposed to the camera's 7 MP Jpegs. I digress.

Each photo I show gets us 32MP closer to getting on the ship and having an Embarkation Day lunch-always a Happy Meal and I ain't talking McDonalds.

And we're walking....

 

 

The Plaza Hotel



 

 



 

 



 

 

A cool shop in a giant glass atrium on my way to the hotel



 

 



 

Stopping by to say I'm following and also that I adore this photo. Can't take my eyes off it.

I’m new to this forum but enjoying what I’m reading so far. Interested in anything Princess!

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Norris, your pictures are wonderful. .:)

Norris

Wondered when you were starting? Sounds like the trip was great so far. In the middle of my British Isles review now, but haven’t started the thread yet. A bit behind due to the hurricane. Looking forward to the continuation of another great review of yours.

Trip

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" I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky and all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by"....

 

 

I don't recall who spoke those words-it might have been the poet John Masefield or the guy behind me in Walgreens yesterday , but I remember saying them to Carol as the security officers on the Celebrity Reflection tasered me to loosen my grip on the gangway back on January 21st 2017 when I was unceremoniously booted-off at the end of my cruise.

 

 

Yes, you heard right. Nine long months since we last sailed the high seas. Oh! The humanity!

 

 

We have just returned from the Regal Princess and if ye have a mind (preferred) ye can join me in a tale that even shivers my own timbers.

 

 

I have been home in Chicago for one hour and have eaten a full bowl of Wheeties and aided by a supply of Guinness the like of which the World has never seen, am casting off on a journey down recent memory lane before I forget it all.

 

 

I hope you will join me for the next few weeks as I tell my tale in photos and video....

 

 

Norris

I was on that cruise! It was absolutely wonderful in every way. We booked our next one for the Mediterranean in June. 220 days to go. Can’t wait to read all of your reviews!

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I’m doing this same cruise next year on October 6th so really looking forward to what you did in the ports and , of course, your wonderful pictures.

Jackie

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Hey Norris, had this marked on my calendar !! Glad I haven't missed it !

Looking forward to travelling with Carol & yourself again .

Love your work ✈️☕️

MOVING SWIFTLY ALONG....

I enjoyed my walk, there and back to Central Park. Lovely weather indeed and I am always energized in that magnificent city, having taken to it like a duck to water when I visited it after coming off my contract on Royal Caribbean's Song of Norway (R.I.P). That was November 1986.

Following our nap high over 52nd street after the construction workers had gone home and ideal nap conditions were achieved we took a taxi to E 58th at 2nd Avenue to join our friends Lisa and Carol whom I have known since meeting Carol at the Metropolitan Opera in New York on October 27th 1993. Arthur is Carol's business partner but no business was discussed and we had a great meal and conversation for a couple of hours.

We ate at our favorite Indian restaurant....

After we went our separate taxi ways we returned to the Omni. Carol went straight up to the room while I strolled down the block to 5th Avenue so I could use my new camera in the dark.

St. Thomas Church

 

 

A snazzy shop window on 51st



 

 

Another display window in a luxury store



 

Hi, checking in, this cruise is on our agenda so looking forward to all your tips Norris, I have used your recommendations for hotels in Rome and sites around the Med, so have pencil ready to take notes!

Pat from Australia

I’m doing this same cruise next year on October 6th so really looking forward to what you did in the ports and , of course, your wonderful pictures.

 

Jackie

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Jackie, thanks for joining us here! Great to see you again (in print anyway)

Hopefully this will get your anticipation buds salivating!

Norris

I was on that cruise! It was absolutely wonderful in every way. We booked our next one for the Mediterranean in June. 220 days to go. Can’t wait to read all of your reviews!

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Howdy! Glad to have you aboard!

Read all my reviews? I think this is my 13th. 220 days should do it!

Norris

Hey Norris, had this marked on my calendar !! Glad I haven't missed it !

Looking forward to travelling with Carol & yourself again .

Love your work ✈️��������☕️

Gidday Australia and welcome back!

We're going on the ship in a minute or so....

Norris

Carol's notes tell me we woke at 6.30 on embarkation day and she went out to the excellent Europa Cafe a block away to bring back pastries and a toasted bagel (we are in new York after all) with lox and cream cheese. The hotel had already delivered complimentary coffee, tea and orange juice. This would tide us over until lunch onboard the Regal Princess. Carol also had decaf cappuccino and an apricot hamentoshen (she'll have to explain what that is)

We pack separately. I go down to sit and smoke by the front door which is constantly revolving with people coming and going. Lots of British accents. It's Saturday so the street is open as the construction crew has the weekend off and there is less truck delivery traffic. The weather is perfection-low 70's and cloudy which I prefer for taking photos and walking around in.

Life is good. My memory isn't as I have just received Carol's Cruise Notes (CCN) and find that I was off on our flight times to NYC by, oh, about 2.5 hours! We actually were in La Guardia 45 minutes after I said we were flying from Chicago. Body clock, time changes etc and general over-excitement. I offer a refund to anyone unhappy about this egregious fact-keeping and to those willing to stay on for the rest of this ramble I promise I will have the CCN next to me when writing.

We are like a precision team when it comes to packing and being organized and so left the hotel at 10.35 in a taxi. It felt so good to say "Brooklyn Cruise Terminal".

Heavy traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge where we caught our first glimpse of the RP. We eventually came off the bridge...

The cabbie wound his way through an industrial landscape and dropped us off at the luggage porters. It had taken 45 minutes in traffic and cost $56 with tip. I gave a tip ("Please don't accidentally drop our bags in the harbor") to the luggage handler and joined the lines inside. It was 11.20

We got in the line for "Preferred Passengers" and had a minute to wait. Up to the counter to a friendly woman. Gave her our passports and health questionnaire and she gave us our little ship map and our Cruise Cards

Expecting to wait we were surprised when she told us we could board now. Sweet!!

We posed for an embarkation photo, walked the long twisting gangway up to deck 5 (?), showed our cards and had a photo taken.

We are on the ship!! Hurrah! It's about 11.30 a.m

Norris

We were in full "get to the cabin" mode and got off the elevator on deck 7 and walked back to the stern elevators as none of the elevators travel sideways (one of the design flaws of the Royal Class). Up 3 floors and delighted to find our aft cabin only 60 feet or so away from the elevator. we passed many fine photos taken by Princess Passengers prior to launch in May 2014.

This would be our first time traveling in a balcony cabin and it was a Deluxe Balcony (ooh!)

I think the loveseat makes it Deluxe and it beats a single chair by offering a cushioned surface for an extra bum (I'm British)

Small bathroom

 

 

Shower only, no tub. Need a mini-suite for the tub



 

 

Shower soap and combined shampoo and conditioner dispensers which I sure won't be using as I want to maintain my soft and manageable hair



 

 

Big closet with plenty of wooden hangers and life vests. Our unfluffy thin robes which barely covered me and I weigh 155lbs (without cameras) were also waiting for us.



 

 

There were useful shelves for shoes and such and a tiny safe which barely held all the diamonds I carry and Carol's Tiara? Fuggeddaboutit!