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

[Bimmer09]

After 15 minutes wait outside, by which time another 50 or more people had arrived by coach, we were ushered in to take our tour. We didn't pick up headsets for a narrated tour as we were popping gin for a quick look-see, then going to hit the garden. Our guide can't guide us here otherwise with all the other tour guides it would be a babble and a din.

 

 

 



 

 



 

I think this one was a "morning" room. I had to slow the shutter speed down in some of these rooms which is why you'll see blur amongst the moving people. Stanchions with ropes kept us off the furniture and guided us from one room to the next with arrow signposts

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

The rooms were decorated in a simple no-nonsense style....

 

 

 

We were itching to get out into the fresh air again and away from the herding between the ropes but I had to see the view from the upper floor of the reception room. Rather than take the stairs we asked to go in the small elevator.

 

 



 

 

There were other rooms to see, including the kitchen and butler's pantry but we had to escape the crowds and we found that the house was making our own dwelling look rather small. Even if we had a butler he'd have to sleep on the sofa and it's hard enough to find our cat in a loft as it is but we'd never find her in a place this big. It's like Downton Abbey but remember it was only a "summer cottage" and only used for a couple months a year.

 



 

 

The enormous outdoor terrace facing the foggy sea



 

One last look before we head back to the nearby parking lot where our bus would be waiting to take us back to the dock.

 

 

[Bimmer09]

Norris, Jamie and I rode “upper deck”on the Regal tender as she gets cluster phobia from being down below. Little chilly on top when got to town we enjoyed a couple hot toddy’s.

 

Hopefully you didn’t get caught in the tender line returning to the ship.

 

Ron, thanks for including the tender photos and keep the photos and comments coming. 3600 pax and 3600 different cruise experiences. I missed the hot toddy experience but I was dressed for colder weather and found the tender ride tolerable warmth-wise but was over-toasty in The Breakers.

Cheers!

Norris

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Bimmer09]

Would love to see ship interior photos.

I loved the lighthouse photo too.

 

Heard.

Next up is the lively dockside in Newport in photos and video

Then our tender ride

There is our MDR dinner in photos and video so you'll see and hear a dining room

Then a show

Then I'll put up some interior shots before we dock in Boston.

Norris

[phabric]

I have enjoyed your review with pictures.

 

I am thinking on taking this cruise next year.

[cjhawk52]

Outstanding review and pictures. Enjoying this very much. Thanks.

[pa247]

Would love to see interior pictures whenever you get the time.

 

 

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[Bimmer09]

Outstanding review and pictures. Enjoying this very much. Thanks.

 

Welcome and thanks ! I'm glad you are enjoying it.

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Would love to see interior pictures whenever you get the time.

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I'll have time tomorrow afternoon as I will be off work. See you then!

Norris

[Bimmer09]

I have enjoyed your review with pictures.

 

I am thinking on taking this cruise next year.

 

I think by the time I have finished showing you this ship and this itinerary your mind will be made up....

Norris

[clutchcurrier]

Norris,

Really enjoying your pictures of the "summer cottages". They are alittle bigger than the ones on Mackinaw Island. We were on the Royal (sister ship of the Regal) last March for a 10 day Caribbean trip so you interior photos will bring back great memories. Alas, we do not have a cruise booked until Feb, 2019 when we will again do a full transit of the Panama Canal. But this time from San Francisco.

[PrincessDano]

Norris, really enjoying the review and pictures. I never really wanted to do that cruise but seeing your pictures so far is making me rethink that decision !

 

Diane

[24acorns]

Hi Norris

Late to arrive, taken me a few days to catch up. Once more a true my great read, witty and informative with great photos and video as usual.

Cushions plumped, coffee and cake ready for the rest of the journey.

Ann

[imlulu]

Interesting to see the cliff walk, Breakers, and Newport from a visiotr’s perspective. We live about 20 minutes from Newport. :) Did you get to do Ocean Drive? Curious to see your Boston pictures and review as we are 50 minutes south of the city.

[SuiteTraveler]

My review of this cruise was posted today on Cruise Critic! The Breakers is lovely, but I must admit, my favorite mansion of all I have seen in the USA is Ca d'Zan in Sarasota, FL.

[shellgirl61]

Norris, I am thoroughly enjoying your trip report !This has been a tough day and your trip report and a glass of Merlot is just what I needed. On our Canada/New England cruise in 2013, we toured the Breakers and Marble House. On the Breakers tour we got the audio tour guide. My cousin could not keep up with the audio. She got very frustrated. I spent most of my time trying to keep her in sync with the audio and the room we were in. It was an exercise in futility. Her husband and my husband kept their distance and just laughed at us. Both houses and the grounds were so beautiful. The view from the Breakers was unbelievable.Thanks for the memories.

I just booked an Alaskan Cruise on the Emerald Princess today for June 3, 2018 for me and my son. Do you have an Alaskan cruise report on Cruise Critic?

[Bimmer09]

Interesting to see the cliff walk, Breakers, and Newport from a visiotr’s perspective. We live about 20 minutes from Newport. :) Did you get to do Ocean Drive? Curious to see your Boston pictures and review as we are 50 minutes south of the city.

Sadly no Ocean Drive which must be good if you mentioned it. Boston coming up by Saturday morning I would reckon (or Sunday -I have a lot of stuff "in the can")

I loved our time in Newport and would love to revisit when the Seafood Festival wasn't drawing such a large local crowd (plus a % of 3600 pax). I loved to see the working fishing boats, some of which were rusting and bruised through hard work. Nice little town indeed, oozing charm.

Thanks for the comments!

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Norris, I am thoroughly enjoying your trip report !.....Thanks for the memories.

I just booked an Alaskan Cruise on the Emerald Princess today for June 3, 2018 for me and my son. Do you have an Alaskan cruise report on Cruise Critic?

 

Look in my signature below- I have 3 Alaska reviews from 2011 (Coral Princess) 2012 (Diamond) and 2016 (Star)

The Star has the best and the most photos.

Glad you are enjoying!

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Norris, really enjoying the review and pictures. I never really wanted to do that cruise but seeing your pictures so far is making me rethink that decision !

Diane

 

Well, Princess, it wasn't a bucket list cruise for me but I loved the ports or what was outside them a bus ride away. It saved us an airfare to Europe/no jet lag and let us savor New York which is one of the great cities of the world. Wait until the end and then consider if you'd enjoy it. Lots of treats in store, I promise you.

Glad you are enjoying it so far but I can say it ain't gonna go downhill.....maybe the opposite.

Norris

[Bimmer09]

We leave the Breakers in our bus and head back to the tender dock.

 

 

We're not going to the ship just yet as we don't yet have a fridge magnet which is always our shopping focus as we tend to spend at least $5 in port. We did pass an area called Bowen's Wharf on the bus and it's close enough to walk there. It looked like a magnet possibility. There was a sailing ship tied up there that caught my eye.

Bowen's Wharf was enjoying a Seafood Festival and this was the last day which meant lots of people.

 

 

 

 

 

There was a great steel band of mainly white guys playing with gusto



 

 



 

More tomorrow

Norris

[Bimmer09]

 

 

 

 

It was very busy on the wharf, a lively throng of people and din and no fridge magnets to be found. There were two live bands playing on different sections of the wharf to add to the occasion.

There was a food tent with a long line of people and some were carrying away lobster rolls and eating as they walked. We moved away from the wharf to a quieter little park across the street and I set off looking for a simple store, not stocked with artsy and well made objets d'art.

I found this in a convenience store and our search was over!



 

 

Now we could go back to the ship. We walked back to the tender dock



 

I'd say there were 300 people in line when we joined but there was a tender loading and another empty one treading water in the harbor. We had to show picture ID at this port before we got to the Princess staff to show our cruise cards. Within 20 minutes of shuffling along we were among the last 6 to get on tender 2, while an empty one docked to take those snaking behind us. This wasn't the last tender run at 4.30. It was about 2 pm.

 

 

[Bimmer09]

TENDER MOMENTS

Top deck for me but to prevent people getting in my shots I sat right at the top of the stairs.

 

 



 

 

I lived by a fishing harbor (cod, herring ,prawns) until I was 17 and admire boats that work hard for their money

 

 



 

American Beauty-and she is

 

 

Now the pleasure boats



 

 



 

 

This stunner....



 

 

Yes, it is foggy out here...

[BarbinMich]

. . .

We're not going to the ship just yet as we don't yet have a fridge magnet which is always our shopping focus as we tend to spend at least $5 in port. We did pass an area called Bowen's Wharf on the bus and it's close enough to walk there. It looked like a magnet possibility. There was a sailing ship tied up there that caught my eye.

 

So I'm not the only traveler who decorates their fridge with colorful souvenir magnets. ;) Really enjoying your review and photos, esp. of Newport, which is one of the few iconic places in New England we've never visited by land or by sea. Have stopped in Providence, though, to have a look-see at Brown U when our son was looking at colleges (he ended up in CA).

[Bimmer09]

Well I said it was foggy.....

 

 

There was a Chinese man who had admired my camera collection when I opened my bag , sitting at the back of the top deck taking pictures and so I was mindful of him when I took my shots. Sometimes having to raise myself up to get over the tender structure I would lean out of his way if he had the camera to his eye. We ended up with a "no-you go first" back and forth which was gratifying. Moral of this is that it doesn't pay to be selfish when taking photos and that others may never come this way again and need to get their moments captured too. On the other hand if you are taking a photo with an iPhone you have only one button to push so push it and step aside so others can snap the Mona Lisa, after doing their calculations, setting their dials, using a slide-rule and putting down their sextant.

 

 

There's my favorite little boat again and I was in the right place at the right time

 



 

Back onboard on deck 4 and through the security checkpoint. Put anything metallic into my jacket pockets and send the jacket through. Destination the Trident Grill up on deck 16

[Bimmer09]

Carol doesn't often eat at the Trident Grill as she is more an Afternoon Tea or International Cafe kinda gal but I was jonesing for a hot knockwurst and those crispy just out of the fryer fries.

There was a line for service but 3 guys were in action on the grill so not a long wait.

 

 

I didn't take a picture of my meal as I was in "starving badger" mode so I am including one taken a year before on the Star Princess. The food is consistently good and cooked to order. There are 2 crab cakes on this plate but ignore them as they were from Tracy's Crab Shack which is nowhere near Newport.

 

Served with sauerkraut, a favorite of ours from our most-visited country Germany. What beverage to pair with this feast? That was rhetorical as only the Prince of Beers will do...

 

(photo from the Star Princess pub lunch)

 

A group of 4 bar waiters approached me as I went back for some malt vinegar for our fries. Roisul was one of them but they all said "Hi, Mr Norris" and so I had no trouble getting served.

Treat them with the utmost respect and they will reward you in spades.



I had finished my lunch with several tummy-pats but I still had some Guinness to drink and so headed to the smoking section on deck 17 aft. Carol came part way as far as Swirls where she had a soft-serve mix of flavors (chocolate and vanilla) and was happy.



When I went back to the cabin I called Housekeeping (I think, or was it Room Service?) to have them change our minibar set-up (Elite and Suite Perk) to half beers (Stella) and half Club Soda/Tonic water ( for Carol) This was done within 15 minutes of calling.

 



 

 

We would both take a nap before sailaway at 5 pm when I had to be up on deck 7 aft setting up my tripod for some last shots of Newport....