Regal Princess Inaugural 7 Night Cruise Review

[Woobstr112G]

Thanks Grammyluvs, and thanks again to all of you who have posted such kind comments.

 

I took a camera on this trip, but rarely used it. The battery on my iPhone lasts much longer, and I could upload photos to Facebook, etc. immediately while on board. And really, I think the pictures are as good as those I can take with my camera.

 

Amazing pictures:). Thanks for taking the time to post them along with your comments.....:):):)

 

Bob

[beenthereonce]

Hi SeaCBear, Thank you for the fantastic commentary and pictorial.

We have followed your trip dutifully.

 

We only have one day in Istanbul in August on the Regal, so, if you had to rate your Istanbul tours in order of "can't miss" - what would they be?

 

Thanks So Much.

[SeaCBear]

Thanks so much #1winelover! Much appreciated.

 

Just wanted to jump in here and let you know that I am NOT ignoring you! I'm saving this valuable space for your intensive comments and really great pictures. I've been following along since post #1. Keep up the great work! :D

[SeaCBear]

Thanks beenthereonce!

 

Well, if I only had one day I wouldn't miss the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern. I'm glad we walked through the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market, but for us they wouldn't be a 'must see'. What we enjoyed most, I think, was just walking the streets, especially away from the crowds. I think we probably saw a lot of more the 'real' Istanbul than we would have seen had we done an organized excursion or tour, and we were able to stop for a drink or break whenever and wherever.

 

The one place I had hoped to get to was the Istiklal Street and Taksim Square areas. We had planned to go after dinner on the evening we were in Istanbul overnight, but by the time we walked back to the ship I couldn't face walking another step!

 

Hi SeaCBear, Thank you for the fantastic commentary and pictorial.

We have followed your trip dutifully.

 

We only have one day in Istanbul in August on the Regal, so, if you had to rate your Istanbul tours in order of "can't miss" - what would they be?

 

Thanks So Much.

[SeaCBear]

Day 7 – Mykonos

For our last day on board, we were up early enough to enjoy the arrival into the port of Mykonos. Now THIS was what I expected a Greek island to look like – all white buildings with accents of blue, many bars, cafes at restaurants at the water's edge :-)

 

 

As usual, we headed up to the Horizon Terrace for our breakfast. There were quite a few people out there, no doubt because the view was quite impressive. But it was also VERY windy. All sorts of things were flying around – trays, bits of bacon, napkins… all quite entertaining. I indulged in a Mimosa with my freshly made omelette.

 

We had no excursions booked, but in the day before we arrived we thought perhaps we might enjoy a walking tour or trip to Delos or both, but everything was sold out. We usually are DIY people anyway, so that was fine. We considered walking into town, but we could see the road leading from the port to the town (we did not have to tender). It didn’t look that far, but the road was busy and had no sidewalks, and no shade. I’m fair and burn very easily, and had already had a bit too much sun in Istanbul and Venice, so we opted instead for the shuttle offered by Princess. The shuttle process was fast and efficient. They had plenty of big buses lined up, and in about 15 minutes we were in the town.

 

Mykonos is certainly very picturesque and photogenic. As in all the places we had visited on this cruise – Venice, Corfu and Istanbul, we found the main thoroughfares and streets lined with touristy shops to be quite busy, but if you took a turn onto a side street you were often on an empty street. Of course, the ‘streets’ in Mykonos (also like Venice and Corfu) were often only big enough for a couple of people to walk side by side! We watched a small truck delivering bottled water navigating these narrow, twisty streets. He didn’t quite make one turn, and side swiped both a wall and all the t-shirts displayed on it. He just backed up and tried again. Only tourist paid any attention – no doubt it happens every day.

 

We meandered through the back streets, and eventually found the famous windmills. From there we walked down the hill a very short way to the Little Venice area, and found a perfect spot overlooking the water for a glass of wine. From there we wandered around a bit more. I had seen an embroidered linen table runner with an olive motif that I quite liked in a store window. It was only 18 Euros, which I thought was a bargain. But I was by myself when I saw it as Jeff had gone off to find an ATM, and I thought Jeff might hate it, so I didn’t get it.

 

 

 

When walking around we saw the same table runner in another shop window and Jeff commented that he thought it was nice. Well, that’s all I needed to hear. Jeff REALLY hate to shop, and he actually seemed interested in buying something, and we both agreed we liked it! We went into the shop, and with some difficulty (as the woman in the store spoke very little English and our Greek is limited to ‘thank you’) we found it the price: 25 Euros. For a difference of 7 Euros we thought it was worth it to try and find the first store that I had seen the linens. Amazingly we were able to retrace my steps and find the store. The woman in this store had better English, and was lovely. We ended up buying the table runner, six napkins and a bread basket, all for about 60 Euros. That was our biggest purchase for this cruise.

 

 

 

My husband is interested in all things related to sailing and boats, so a visit to the Maritime Museum was a must. Following the directions on our iPhone GPS, we managed to walk right by the museum. We asked someone where it was, and he pointed right behind us. We had walked by it several times – it just didn’t look like a museum! It wasn’t large, and the entrance fee was only 4 Euros each, but it was housed in an old house, was well done and very interesting, and boasted an impressive collection of some very old (as in 400 BC) artifacts. What I particularly loved was the little open courtyard at the back of the museum, a nice respite from the hot crowded streets. They had lemon and orange trees out there, a lighthouse, a little lizard running around, and a nice clean washroom :-)

 

We were now ready for lunch, and I had already pre-selected a place before leaving home that I hoped we could go to. Katerina’s had good reviews on a few site, and a perfect location in Little Venice. We found it with no difficulty. Curiously, an American man outside asked if we had come to Katerina’s specifically or had just found it while wandering. I said I had specifically planned that we would have lunch there if possible. He said “OK, I’ve got a great table for you by the window. Go downstairs and tell them you’re at Table 3.” I had hoped we would be sitting outside, but Table 3 was by an open window and was really perfect. The balcony on the other side of our window looked nice too, but it would have been much more cramped to eat out there. We shared a spinach pie, the best Greek salad we’ve ever had (and we eat Greek salad quite often), and the freshest, and best ever calamari we’ve been lucky enough to enjoy. Our meal was SO delicious. When we were leaving, the American guarding the door asked if we had enjoyed that table, and we said we had very much. He handed me a card for Katerina’s and said that they would love it if we could post a review on TripAdvisor. So, the moral of the tale is, if you choose to eat at Katerina’s in Mykonos (and you should!), tell the guy at the door that you heard about the place on TripAdvisor and plan to post a review!

 

 

At this point we were hot, and the streets of Mykonos were really crowded, so we walked back to the shuttle bus stop. We were looking forward to getting back on board and enjoying our last afternoon. Once we were back on the Regal, we changed into our swim suits and – finally – enjoyed a refreshing dip in the Retreat pool. I thought it would be quite empty there, but we couldn’t find any chairs in the shade. I think a lot of people either didn’t get off the ship in Mykonos, or else didn’t stay long. We were able to find shaded loungers by the main pool, and I was quite happy to lie there enjoying the gorgeous day, the beautiful views of Mykonos, and James Taylor in concert on the huge screen above the pool.

 

For the sailaway from Mykonos we headed back to the Horizon Terrace bar, as did many others. It was a beautiful evening and everyone just enjoyed the views and the drinks. I must say the bar at the Horizon Terrace was very good – excellent drinks and service from Alex and Patricia.

We went to the dining room for our final dinner on board the Regal Princess. I ordered from the ‘always available’ side of the menu, and requested the beef tornedos or tenderloins. I asked for medium, and they were well done, and not very tasty, but I ate them. I think I had the Crème Brulee for dessert, which was always good.

 

I think the rest of the evening was probably was spent in either Crooners, the Wheelhouse Bar, or both. We didn’t bother with the pub night. We had an early morning the next day, and a bit of last minute packing to do.

 

Next up I’ll be posting a review of our day in Athens, for anyone who may be interested, and also some final comments and thoughts of our Regal Princess cruise.

 

Please note: all of my photos of Mykonos can be viewed on Flickr. To see all photos from this cruise, please click on the link below in my signature.

 

Thanks for staying with me!

[SeaCBear]

[SeaCBear]

Disembarkation and Athens

 

Of the approximately 2,400 passengers on board the inaugural cruise for the Regal Princess, only about 700 were leaving in ship in Athens. Sadly, that included us. I did wish we were staying on board to continue on to Sardinia (although it sounds like that was a wild time!), Olympia, Dubrovnik…. But unfortunately my husband wasn’t able to get more time off. We did also feel, and we heard this from many, that this cruise was quite tiring with few sea days, and ports that often required a lot of walking and often over uneven cobble stones, or hills, or bridges, so I was looking forward to a few days rest!

 

With only 700 leaving the ship, disembarkation was a very fast process. Afer our final cappuccino / espresso and egg muffins, we walked off with our luggage, as we usually opt to do. It felt very peculiar as so few people were leaving the ship at that time. We had pre-booked an all-day shared tour with PK Travel. All of my dealings with family-owned PK Travel, via email and PayPal, were very prompt, friendly and courteous. I thought this boded well for our full day tour and I was not wrong.

 

We were to meet our driver and guide at the port terminal at 7:30. We were the first to arrive, and by 7:30 we were just waiting for a family of four. They arrived shortly after. In total there were 10 of us, including Av8tor and his wife. We were the only party with luggage, as we were the only ones leaving the cruise. :-) We all piled into the very nice Mercedes van, and with our driver Dimitris (the owner, Pete’s, son) and our guide Michael. On the way to our first stop Michael, who is 25 and completing his Masters in Archaeology, in Britain (giving him a charming British-Greek accent), talked about Greece and the economy, and buildings we were passing, and much more. I really thought Michael was delightful – so knowledgeable, kind and courteous, and funny, as was Dimitris.

 

We arrived at the Acropolis before 8:00 I think, and walked up the hill to the ticket office. Michael collected our money (entrance fees were not included, and totaled 17 Euros each for the day) and lined up in the Tour Guides line to get our tickets. It wasn’t very busy yet, but unfortunately there was some sort of dispute in the tour guide line, and it actually took a while for Michael to get our tickets, about which he was quite embarrassed.

 

Once we had our tickets we started up to the Acropolis, stopping along the way (in shade whenever possible) for Michael to tell us some history or mythology. It really was spectacular and jaw-dropping to see the ruins of the Acropolis and more below, and it was more enjoyable because it wasn’t yet too hot, or too crowded. We spent about two hours in total up there, and it got hotter and incredibly busy by the time we left. On our way down, walking single file down a steep path with hundreds of others and ahead of and behind us, I was reminded of the photos I’ve seen lately of expeditions on crowded Mount Everest.

 

 

 

It was a fairly strenuous activity, visiting the Acropolis, but we all managed including one woman who had two replacement knees. I think most of us were quite hot and tired by the time we returned to the van (where bottles of cold water were provided), but Michael assured us that was the most work we’d have to do all day, and he was right.

 

From the Acropolis we headed to Syntagma Square (Constitution Square), to watch the changing of the guard. We’ve seen the changing of the guard in a few different places (Prague, London, etc.) and I didn’t find this any more interesting really, except for their peculiar choreography. My husband kept making jokes quietly to me about Monty Python’s Silly Walking Contest ;-) But while we waited (and some of us had our photo taken with one of the soldiers), Michael talked to us about the army and the mandatory requirement to serve one year, and his own personal experiences, which was all very interesting.

 

 

After we were back in the van we requested a bathroom break. Dimitris and Michael discussed, in Greek, where we should go for this important itinerary diversion, and decided we would just drive across the road to one of the nicest hotels in town, the Grande Bretagne. So, the van stopped outside, and we all just trouped in to the hotel lobby (which even smelled wonderful) and found the luxurious washrooms. Dimitris did talk to the doorman before we entered the lobby, and they seemed please to have us. Very nice!

 

Now more comfortable, we drove next to the Temple of Zeus. We stood under a tree in the shade while Michael told us about the temple, and we admired the view of the Acropolis where we had just been. Following the Temple, we drove to the Panathenaic Stadium, the site of the first modern Olympics, and also the site of a few 2004 Olympics competitions. I think this was my least favourite stop. I just didn't find it that interesting, but others did.

 

From the stadium we headed to the Plaka, the oldest area in Athens, where we would have 1 ½ hours on our own to have lunch, or shop. We went to a restaurant Michael recommended (he also ate there, but separately), the Antica Cafe, and we weren’t disappointed. We sat outside, enjoying huge and delicious portions of Greek salad and chicken kebabs and it was a very nice spot with lots to watch along the narrow street. We liked the Plaka area of Athens very much.

 

 

 

We met up with the group after our very pleasant break, and back in to the van we went. We then drove to and up the highest point in Athens. At the top we parked long enough for us to get out and admire the view and take a few photos. From here we proceeded to our final stop, the Acropolis Museum. This very modern museum was just opened in 2009 and is really impressive, with a stunning view from the top floor of the Acropolis. Although the museum itself is modern, glass floors allow you to view the ruins of houses and other buildings found under the museum. I really recommend a visit to this museum if you’re in Athens. We spent most of our time on the top floor where Michael explaining the various panel pieces that had decorated the Acropolis, and some other sculptures and ancient art.

 

 

This concluded the tour, and it really was a great day and well worth the 60 Euros each we paid. My husband and I had not really looked forward to Athens. We had both heard and read that it was dirty, polluted, and worse. We were very pleasantly surprised, and liked it very much.

 

Anyway, we had arranged with PK Travel for transportation to our hotel, the Sofitel, at the aiport (we had a flight at 9:00 the next morning). As the rest of the group went back to the Regal in the van, our luggage was transferred to the waiting taxi driven by Pete, PK Travel’s founder, to the airport. Pete, who was born and grew up in New Jersey, moving to Greece in his 1920’s, was an interesting man to talk to on our way to the hotel, telling us about his business, Greece, etc. He told us the shared tours for cruise ship passengers is a new service they have added and are trialing this year. We were certainly very pleased with the day and all staff.

 

I had booked the Sofitel hotel on LastMinuteTravel a few months ago for $225. US – a bit of a splurge, but it was just so convenient. You can just walk into the airport from the hotel. So we booked it for the convenience, but we actually thought the hotel was terrific. Our room was beautiful, and absolutely soundproof. We had free WiFi. We enjoyed a drink on their outdoor patio, and a good dinner in their lobby restaurant (they also have a much more expensive restaurant with great views on the 9th floor). After a drink in the outdoor bar, we walked across the street to check in using the self-serve terminals, and got our boarding passes. We thought about visiting the pool on the top floor, but ran out of time. The next morning the included breakfast was much more than I had expected. Cold meats, cheeses, pastries, individual carafes of coffee, an omelette station, fruit, yoghurts, and more – even cherry cheesecake! I would definitely stay at the Sofitel again if flying in to or out of Athens.

 

Check in the next morning at the Athens Airport was fast and efficient, as was security. We flew Aegean Airlines (very good) to London, and home to Toronto on Air Canada.

 

So our vacation, which was fantastic, was over :-(

 

Please note: all of my photos of Athens can be viewed on Flickr. To see all photos from this cruise, please click on the link in my signature below.

 

My final installment for this review will just be some more random thoughts and comments on the Regal Princess ship.

 

I hope you’ll stay tuned for one more post!

[SeaCBear]

I had this six photo limit! :) (The moussaka in the photo below was what I had for dinner at the Sofitel Airport hotel. It was HUGE, but very tasty.)

 

[mj]

Great review and pictures.

[catmad]

I have really enjoyed your reports... it has really wetted my appetite for our cruise on Regal Princess in a couple of weeks.

 

I was really interested to read your remarks about PK travel. We used them for a shared tour round Athens last June when we were cruising on board the Salamis Filoxenia. Our driver, Konstantinos was brilliant too. We enjoyed ourselves so much that my husband and I have booked a tour with them when we dock in Athens on Regal Princess on 23rd June. We've done Athens a couple of times so we are doing a half day trip to Cape Sounion. I'll let everyone know how that goes!

[SeaCBear]

Thanks Kenosha Cruiser - that would be great!

 

 

Looking forward to reading and seeing all the pictures you post. Actually the larger pictures were good too, but post them any size you want. Thanks for taking the time to do this review. We will be on the Regal Princess November 9th. Will have to post the link to your review on our cruise critic roll call.

 

Cheers - Ken & Darlene

[SeaCBear]

Thanks billco, I'm flattered!

 

I wasn't sure what to call this - I just knew I shouldn't call it a "Live from..." thread!

 

Wow! I don't usually read reviews, but you are doing a great job both with the narrative and the pictures. But, I think I would have titled it as a blog or journal instead of review. Thanks for doing this.

[ggprincess2004]

A most delightful and informative read - thank you for doing this!

[Northender]

Thanks so much. I enjoyed the cruise with you. The great pictures and reviews of each port.:)

 

I am hoping there may be more?;)

[gailjen]

Could you please tell me how much the princess shuttle bus was in Mykonos, and in any other port if you can remember please x

 

Also interested in the total cost of tour with Pk travel, we are a party of 8 looking to book a private tour.

Edited June 1, 2014 by gailjen

[southpawsdakota]

What an excellent and informative review, thank you.

[caribill]

Well, if I only had one day I wouldn't miss the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern.

 

Each of the major attractions is closed to the public one day of the week. Make sure they are open the day you will be there. If one of them is closed to the public that day, a ship's tour will usually still be able to go there.

[Grammyluvs]

I am going to be sad when the last review is given. Have so enjoyed your trip. You have a great gift for writing.

[SeaCBear]

We took the Princess shuttle in Mykonos, for $10 each (or 7 Euros) for a return trip. This had to be paid in cash, it couldn't be added to your on board account. The shuttle in Istanbul was also $10 each, return, but the charge could be added to your sea pass account.

 

In Venice they had a water taxi shuttle for $19 each, but we didn't use this, we took the People Mover instead which was only a few Euros, and much faster.

 

In Corfu Princess provided a free shuttle to the end of the pier only. From there you had to walk or take a taxi (we did neither as we had rented a car). It was about 10 Euros each way to the town of Corfu.

 

For PK Travel in Athens we paid 60 Euros each for the day, plus entrance fees of 12 Euros (for the Acropolis and Temple of Zeus) and 5 Euros for the Acropolis Museum. Lunch was not included, and we all did our own thing. They did provide cold bottled water on the van. They have a variety of tour options and are very friendly and professional to deal with, so I would get in touch with PK Travel and tell them what you're looking for. Pete's (the owner) daughter handles all the email communication and administrative duties, and she was very prompt and professional.

 

This is the tour van we were in, and our guide Michael is in the striped shirt.

 

 

 

 

Could you please tell me how much the princess shuttle bus was in Mykonos, and in any other port if you can remember please x

 

Also interested in the total cost of tour with Pk travel, we are a party of 8 looking to book a private tour.

[SeaCBear]

Good point. We were there Saturday/Sunday and only the Grand Bazaar was closed on the Sunday. The Blue Mosque, Cistern and Hagia Sophia were open both days.

 

Each of the major attractions is closed to the public one day of the week. Make sure they are open the day you will be there. If one of them is closed to the public that day, a ship's tour will usually still be able to go there.

[SeaCBear]

Aww, thank you so much :) :o

 

 

I am going to be sad when the last review is given. Have so enjoyed your trip. You have a great gift for writing.

[gailjen]

We took the Princess shuttle in Mykonos, for $10 each (or 7 Euros) for a return trip. This had to be paid in cash, it couldn't be added to your on board account. The shuttle in Istanbul was also $10 each, return, but the charge could be added to your sea pass account.

 

In Venice they had a water taxi shuttle for $19 each, but we didn't use this, we took the People Mover instead which was only a few Euros, and much faster.

 

In Corfu Princess provided a free shuttle to the end of the pier only. From there you had to walk or take a taxi (we did neither as we had rented a car). It was about 10 Euros each way to the town of Corfu.

 

For PK Travel in Athens we paid 60 Euros each for the day, plus entrance fees of 12 Euros (for the Acropolis and Temple of Zeus) and 5 Euros for the Acropolis Museum. Lunch was not included, and we all did our own thing. They did provide cold bottled water on the van. They have a variety of tour options and are very friendly and professional to deal with, so I would get in touch with PK Travel and tell them what you're looking for. Pete's (the owner) daughter handles all the email communication and administrative duties, and she was very prompt and professional.

 

This is the tour van we were in, and our guide Michael is in the striped shirt.

 

 

Thanks so much for the information and once again for the thread & pics x have emailed PK TRAVEL.

[Milesnana]

I am thoroughly enjoying your review. We are taking the cruise in August. I:) look forward to your postings and Av8tor's each day.

[RLK33853]

Thanks for taking the time to provide everyone with an overview of your adventure on the Regal. There are lots of us who are waiting to see how the Regal fairs before we commit to booking. As for the ports, these are some of the most interesting places that we have visited and will continue to return to - especially Istanbul and Mykonos.

 

Thanks again

[SeaCBear]

Some final observations on the Regal Princess ….

 

First of all, in my reviews I think I missed talking about an entire sea day. But really, there probably isn’t a lot to say. I know we spent the day in the Sanctuary, and enjoyed it as always. But what I did not talk about yet was our dinner that night in the Crown Grill. We had made a reservation for 8 p.m., and we were seated immediately upon arrival. Our waitress was charming and cheerful, and also the same waitress who had served my son and me on the Royal Princess last January, although not surprisingly she didn’t remember me. She was also very good at her job, although her sidekick, who was trying hard, was not quite as efficient. But I think he was still wearing his training wheels :-). We enjoyed some sparkling wine with our starters – I had the scallops, followed by filet mignon, accompanied by grilled asparagus, mushrooms, and fries (because although we rarely eat French fries, we just felt like them!). My husband had the enormous Porterhouse steak (22 ounces?) which shocked me. And he ate most of it. But I think it was because after the first night, and the terrible prime rib, he only ordered the vegetarian entrees in the dining room. For dessert I had the sampler. My husband ordered the cheesecake, but wasn’t able to eat it all because it was still partially frozen. It was a good meal, and the best dinner we had on board all week.

 

 

 

 

A few more random comments….

 

• I still can’t understand why there are no cup holders in the Princess Theater. Surely adding cup holders would encourage people to purchase drinks? It’s just such a pain to have to hold a cold sweating drink through a performance, and it makes it very difficult to applaud of course!

 

• I had hoped that the “Celebrations” store might be eliminated on the Regal. I rarely saw anyone in this store on the Royal, and this was also true on the Regal.

 

• The watch store seems to have snagged a prime location, and to me it seems to be a waste of space, but we noticed it was often quite busy, so I suppose it generates sufficient revenue to warrant a premier spot.

 

• I liked the passenger produced art in the halls – the photographs taken around the world by passengers. I often stopped in the hallways to look more closely at a photo.

 

• We never found the elevators to be too small or crowded, but the ship was only carrying about 2500 passengers.

 

• I wish it wasn’t necessary, when you have purchased an All Inclusive beverage package, to have to sign for each and every drink.

 

• The Piazza works well – it really does function as a gathering sport or town centre. It’s where we headed each evening, and it was always fun to watch the dancing or other entertainment happening below, from our perch in Crooner’s, the Ocean Terrace bar, or Bellini’s. I think the bars on the Regal/Royal are particularly well done – they remind me of nice hotel bars.

 

• Princess Live seemed much busier and more popular on this cruise than on the Royal last January. It could be that the demographics were so different – there were many more couples on this cruise, and on the Royal Princess cruise over New Year’s there were few couples and many large groups.

 

• Our favourite spaces were the Horizon Terrace, Crooners, the Wheelhouse Bar and the Sanctuary. We also enjoyed the Sea View bar a couple of times – you certainly can’t beat the view, although for some reason we went there more at night than during the day. It was always VERY quiet up there at night.

 

 

• We never did get to a MUTS, although they had some good movies playing. It was often a little chilly or windy – or both - at night (but they do provide blankets) and I tend to get a little bit dressed up for dinner even when it’s not formal night, and didn’t really feel like lying on a chaise lounge all dolled up ;-) But I did catch the last few minutes of a James Taylor concert while we were still in Mykonos, and the picture and sound quality were amazing. During the day they would sometimes show photos of the ports the ship had or would be visiting. Other concerts were also played during the day – Bov Jovi, Beyonce, ColdPlay, Paul McCartney, etc.

 

• Almost all staff we dealt with were friendly, cheerful, helpful and usually efficient. We enjoyed talking to Mesley and Ashley in the Wheelhouse Bar, and Oscar in Crooners. Illarion in the Sanctuary does his job very well, and is always very client-focussed (and also has one of the best schedules on the ship I think – he told us he’s finished by about 6:30 each night and so has every evening free.)

 

• Our biggest disappointment, as you’ve no doubt already guessed, was the food. I really don’t think we’re that difficult to please, or that fussy, and we’re not demanding. But the dining room food in particular was just not of the same quality as we’ve enjoyed on Celebrity, Royal Caribbean (although it was closer to RCL than Celebrity) or our Viking River cruise (which is, I know, a bit like comparing apples to oranges). I don’t think it was as good as the food we had on the Royal last January. After about the second day we just didn’t really look forward to dinner. Our best dinners were in the Crown Grill (which was full), and the buffet the night we were in Istanbul and wanted to sit outside. I am hoping that, as new staff becomes used to the menu, the ship and each other, the quality will improve.

 

• The entertainment on offer was a bit hit or miss for us. We didn’t stay for Annette Wardell. We popped into the Four Divas show but weren’t impressed enough to stay. I wish we had checked out Fiera!, but we didn’t. We enjoyed Eric Stone, although is repertoire was very similar every night. We didn’t go to any of the game shows, trivia or Karaoke in the Princess Live, so I can’t say if these shows were good or not. The Evolution band and the Orphea band were both excellent – the best entertainment we saw on board. We also enjoyed the Alegria String Quartet. We wanted to see the Ian Ross Jazz Trio, but somehow kept missing them. We’ve never been disco people at all (not even when we were in our ‘20’s), so I can’t comment on the Club 6. We did walk through and it felt a bit dark and claustrophic, but perhaps all discos feel like that :-)

 

• Communication to all staff about the AI beverage package, and what is or is not included, needs work.

 

• But, we feel the AI package worked well for us, and if we sail Princess again (and we’re considering either a Panama Canal cruise or a Hawaii cruise) we would get it again (and hope that the food is better!). In addition to the cocktails, beers for my husband (I’m not a beer drinker), glasses of wine and Scotch nightcaps, we really enjoyed the cappuccinos and espressos, and bottled water to take off the ship or back to the room. But don’t get me started about Gelato’s ;-)

 

• The port lecturer, Julio Delgados, was very good and helpful.

 

• Our room attendant, Pratch (Pratchley), was also very good. We didn’t see him a lot or often (we were rarely in our cabin) but he kept our room very clean, he responded to the few requests we made promptly, and he was friendly.

 

I hope I'm presenting a balanced review. Would we cruise with Princess again? Absolutely, in fact I'm sure we will. And my preference would be to sail on either the Regal or Royal Princess, although I've heard good things about some of the older, smaller ships and wouldn't mind giving one a spin! :-)

 

Overall, we had a wonderful time. The ship is beautiful, and there are far more positives than negatives to report. Those you of who have an upcoming reservation on the Royal will, I'm sure, enjoy your cruise immensely.

 

Thank you sincerely to all of you who have been following along, and for the many nice comments and lovely feedback. It's all very much appreciated.

 

As always, if there are any other question, I'll do my best to answer!

 

And to close, two more photo compilations from the ship.