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

[Bimmer09]

Norris

 

Another Fan signing in late with good reason. In October when you started this story we had just returned from a Trans Atlantic cruise from Southampton to Fort Lauderdale on the Caribbean Princess. And, that had followed our ride on the Ruby from Vancouver to Seattle to Alaska back to Seattle.

 

So, my list of Honey Do's was.....pages...long. Today I just finished upgrading the guest bathroom in prep for the Hungry Hoard that will fall on us for the Holidays with knife and fork in hand.

 

Mrs 4x4 was really bummed out when she found out that Hector had moved off the CB. She had decided that he was her main attraction to go to the MDR. Three different cruises he sang to us.

 

Your photo's bring back good memories of our 10 day classic Canada and New England Cruise on the CB in Sept 2015 from New York North to Quebec City. Yup, Hector was there also.

 

Will continue to follow along and will sign in Next year to catch your Trip Report when you get back.

 

Thanks

Bob

 

Bob, good to see you here!

I have a special Hector Treat in store for you on our last day at sea. You won't want to miss it!

Norris

[scanditaly]

Hi and thanks for coming out of the shadows! I'm glad you like my reviews.

Comparing the Suite experience Princess vs Celebrity I would take the Royal Suite for Luminae, Blu, Michael's Club and the Butler plus better Room Service experience (hot food with all items arriving at once), reserved seating at the shows plus all 4 perks. The Royal Suite won't be aft (which is our preference) but the X Suites experience is superb.

I would have to go to the X website to remind myself what all 4 perks are but I know that Gratuities and a free Beverage package (the classic ) and Unlimited and useable Internet are included. We have never stayed in a Royal Suite so I imagine you get complimentary specialty dining in some great restaurants.

Hope this helps!

Norris

Thanks so much for your reply. Yes, we do love the butler delivering our morning expressos. It might sound silly, but I/we prefer not to leave the cabin disheveled from sleep, etc.. Premium beverage, OBC, internet, and gratuities covered do make a great case for our decision, and yes, any specialty restaurants are comped. There is still time to make our choice, and I will continue to scour reviews of the ships and ports.

 

DH and I stalked along faithfully on your Europe trip, and it sure did look like you and Carol had a wonderful time. Actually, your Silhouette Carrib trip sparked us to actually book the Silhouette for this coming February. Again, thanks.

Scanditaly

[Liz54]

One clarification Norris, if you can! We are on Emerald Deck on the Royal in February. I understand the designers skipped the central stairs on both the Regal and the Royal initially. Then I think they opened them up again. However in the deck plans it appears they only opened them on the public floors. So from Deck 8 Midships we will have to either use the elevators or walk to the fore or aft stairwells. Have I got that right ?

[Bimmer09]

Thanks so much for your reply. Yes, we do love the butler delivering our morning expressos. It might sound silly, but I/we prefer not to leave the cabin disheveled from sleep, etc.. Premium beverage, OBC, internet, and gratuities covered do make a great case for our decision, and yes, any specialty restaurants are comped. There is still time to make our choice, and I will continue to scour reviews of the ships and ports.

 

DH and I stalked along faithfully on your Europe trip, and it sure did look like you and Carol had a wonderful time. Actually, your Silhouette Carrib trip sparked us to actually book the Silhouette for this coming February. Again, thanks.

Scanditaly

 

Ah, yes it was the OBC I couldn't remember-$550 when we booked Reflection while on the Silhouette. As we had to pay for Shore Excursions in advance our statement at cruise end was ZERO DOLLARS. That was nice!

Say Hi to the Silly for me!

Norris

[Bimmer09]

One clarification Norris, if you can! We are on Emerald Deck on the Royal in February. I understand the designers skipped the central stairs on both the Regal and the Royal initially. Then I think they opened them up again. However in the deck plans it appears they only opened them on the public floors. So from Deck 8 Midships we will have to either use the elevators or walk to the fore or aft stairwells. Have I got that right ?

 

Liz I can't say for sure how high the stairs go midships as we only used them on deck 7 to go down to the tenders below or to the Concerto Dining Room on 6. My guess is they go all the way up as they were crew stairs initially.

Norris

[Liz54]

Hope you are right. Would love to be able to use them to go down to the public venues rather than waiting for the elevators. But they don't show on the deck plans. Maybe someone else will chime in!

[Bimmer09]

Just a few pics to whittle down the pile and show you more Regal

 

 

We gathered here for our Newport excursion on Sunday.



 

 

We didn't attend any of the Elite/Suites get togethers for cocktails and munchies that were held here.



 

 



 

 

Nor did we dance the night away

[MisterMet]

Just a few pics to whittle down the pile and show you more Regal

 

 

We gathered here for our Newport excursion on Sunday.



 

 

We didn't attend any of the Elite/Suites get togethers for cocktails and munchies that were held here.



 

 



 

 

Nor did we dance the night away

 

Norris,

 

 

It seems to me that the decor on the Regal is similar to the Solstice class ships on Celebrity. Would that be a good comparison?

 

 

Also, I found this pic that you'll like when I was uploading to Flickr. Look at the base of the statue. It will be part of my Dublin post. Enjoying this review so much.

 

 

Trip

 

 

[Bimmer09]

I took these pics of the Photo Gallery when it was closed. They have signs up telling you that for privacy reasons and copyright/revenue reasons they don't want you poking around with a camera when they have the thousands of photos of the passengers displayed. Yes you have to consider every contingency in business as no doubt in the past people have photographed their photos for free or photographed the stranger in a plunging neckline (probably a woman in the photo) or stalked someone whose photo they liked a little too much. It is the world we live in now. It's why the doors to the kids areas have combinations.

 

 

Once again ,a very stylish and elegant design

 

 



 

 



 

We bought a Reflections DVD as we usually do , as a record of our cruise and indeed it was our cruise as I appear in it for a second or two in the Piazza on Champagne Waterfall night where I didn't stay long. I am also in the Celebrity cruise DVD in Grand Cayman so I know that was filmed that week too. Plus we have the sailaway party on video now and that's something we never go to.

 

[Bimmer09]

I'm not 100% sure where this hallway is but it looked like I had to photograph it

 

 

Bellini's Bar in the Piazza



 

 

Attention to detail is a hallmark of the Regal interiors

[Bimmer09]

 

No we didn't eat in Alfredo's Pizzeria-but we could have as it's just another addition to Princess' food offerings included in your fare.

 

 

 

 

 

It is open from 11 a.m to 11 p.m. It was being vacuumed when I took these pics so the chairs had been moved from some high tables

 

 

 

[Hoosier-Cruiser]

I'm not 100% sure where this hallway is but it looked like I had to photograph it

 

It looks to be the hallway that leads back to Club 6 (door on left) and the casino (right). This would be off of the atrium, heading forward.

[BarbinMich]

I took these pics of the Photo Gallery when it was closed. . .

 

 

One of the many improvements/changes Princess made when designing the Royal/Regal was relocating the Photo Gallery away from Deck 7, aft, starting outside the Vista Lounge. Always a major congestion area at night.

[SuiteTraveler]

Wow, Norris, you photographed so many areas on the ship I never even saw! I agree, this would be a good ship to go on in the Caribbean where there are 3-4 sea days to actually enjoy the ship. Our port intensive cruise meant we were mostly off the ship and then at night mostly wanted dinner and bed to get up and do another port the next day. But I truly love port intensive cruises and this was such an excellent one! I would do another Canada/New England cruise in a heartbeat!

[Bimmer09]

One of the many improvements/changes Princess made when designing the Royal/Regal was relocating the Photo Gallery away from Deck 7, aft, starting outside the Vista Lounge. Always a major congestion area at night.

 

 

Agreed and I also like the move of Passenger Services away from the din of the Piazza, although if the band is loud (and most are) the sound echoes down the hallway.

Norris

[Bimmer09]

It looks to be the hallway that leads back to Club 6 (door on left) and the casino (right). This would be off of the atrium, heading forward.

 

Yes, I think you are correct Rob.

Thank you!

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Wow, Norris, you photographed so many areas on the ship I never even saw! I agree, this would be a good ship to go on in the Caribbean where there are 3-4 sea days to actually enjoy the ship. Our port intensive cruise meant we were mostly off the ship and then at night mostly wanted dinner and bed to get up and do another port the next day. But I truly love port intensive cruises and this was such an excellent one! I would do another Canada/New England cruise in a heartbeat!

 

Agreed on every point you make. I love the ports and excursions but I do regret not spending enough ship time to really get to savor all she has to offer-and it is a lot if you are not an upper-deck dweller who smokes like me. Plus I don't read the patters. That may change on our next cruise. The Grand Class is still the Princess workhorse fleet and the Crown is 11 years old. I am looking forward to sailing her again but of course in my case the Celebrity Silhouette has raised the bar as far as ship design goes in my experience and that basic design (Solstice class) design hit the water just a year after the Crown.

Princess has more competition than ever before- every line has new ships and some like Viking are making a splash and Virgin is only 2 years away. When it comes time to design a new Class after the 5 Royals have gotten wet (I am sure they are already thinking of what's next) they really need to step up their game . They (PCL) goofed up on some of the exterior features that take away from the almost excellent interior. Some of their ideas/designs were forehead-slappers.

I'll get to my disappointments at some point:actually I'll get to one of them soon as in the unfolding story I had wanted to eat at Crown Grill on Wednesday night after Saint John but....

Thanks for the comment as always!

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Tracking my movements

The photos I take help me track my movements around the ship. Have you ever sat and watched ants milling around your feet as you sit on a park bench and you focus on one and notice him going this way and that, seemingly with no purpose? Did he suddenly forget he left the gas on when he stops in his tracks and does an about face and then another? A satellite tracker would see the same behavior in me I imagine.

We are sailing towards Saint John in New Brunswick, Canada and last night we had to turn our clocks back one hour.





 

 



 

 

This morning the photos show me that I went to the buffet to eat. Here's my plate of cool food.



 

 

This would have been great had the food been HOT and the slices of overbaked bacon had melted the butter on my superb soft roll when I made my "bacon Sarnie" (British thing) also known as "bacon butty". The bacon is crunchy and shatterers like shrapnel. The beans were cold but I like beans so much (it's all in the sauce which is why I endorse Bush's Original baked beans) that I enjoyed them anyway. fuel until I eat at Allegro for a hot breakfast later. The baked salmon was good as were the cold cuts, especially the Mortadella which I love.

The sun comes up while I am eating

 

 

Time to go smoke on deck 7 and when I do I pass the Vista Lounge...

[Bimmer09]

THE VISTA LOUNGE

 

Carol "saw" a show in the VISTA LOUNGE one evening while I was elsewhere and here is a photo from a text she sent me from her seat there.

 

If there was a lecture on stage talking, say, on the merits of owning your very own Tanzanite bracelet I'd say the sight lines were good enough. Carol was in this room to enjoy a dancing show. Now where I come from (Caribe Deck) dancing often, if not always, employs and focuses on the rhythmic muscular movement of the legs set to music. In her written Affidavit affa the show she saw not the legs of the dancers. She saw torsos and smiling faces but not the footwork. The designers forgot to rake the floor so that it slopes down towards the stage!

Imagine a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers movie where the camera stays on their faces...

Here's the room as designed and furnished...

It replaces Club Fusion on the Grand Class and also the Explorer's Lounge as it holds the same kind of shows that the latter usually does. It is situated where Club Fusion lies.

 

I enter on the right (port side facing aft)

 

 



 

 

It does have some nice modern art on the walls



 

But it is these damned solo chairs that take the cake. They face the banquette seating and therefore face away from the stage. I repeat-they face away from the stage!! If you have eyes in the back of your head and ears focused away from your line of sight then you are ok. No problem. Otherwise, normal people, turn them around! Um, they weigh about 70 pounds and when you turn them they are now touching the kneecaps of the poor sod who's view you are blocking.

HUGE NUMBSKULL DESIGN FAIL!

What may have looked good on art paper in a design studio doesn't work in the real world. I am embarrassed on Princess' behalf.





 

 

This would be our embarkation room on our last day and it was our Muster drill room on day 1.

Edited November 18, 2017 by Bimmer09
spelling

[Bimmer09]

I am as I often am on deck 7

 

 



 

 

This is the luxurious smoking section on deck 7 aft



 

No chairs. No bar service (lost revenue). Cigarettes don't taste the same when you are standing up in a windy place. They also taste better with a beverage and the more one smokes at a sitting the more beverages required to help one tread the sunlit path of Nirvana which tobacco and coffee or tobacco and alcohol leads to. There is no shelter to be had here. No roof if it rains. The furniture that is nearby for sun loungers who are not necessarily smoking will get wet and unusable if it rains. DESIGN FAIL.

COMFORT OF YOUR GUESTS FAIL.





Celebrity does it right. Take my word, smokers.





'Tis a pleasant morning Begorrah (no idea what that means but it sounds very leprechaun-ish )

 

 



 

 

 

[need2cruisesoon]

 

 

 

They also taste better with a beverage and the more one smokes at a sitting the more beverages required to help one tread the sunlit path of Nirvana which tobacco and coffee or tobacco and alcohol leads to.

 

My vote to Nirvana is the latter, Alcohol and Tobacco, with the emphasis on Alcohol. My cigarillos were cheap (I apologize to Norris for the inconvenience) and didn't add anything to the experience when mixing with a drink.

[Bimmer09]

PRINCESS LIVE!

Well I never set foot in it while there was a show going on although I did walk past when there was just 3 people in attendance and once when there was not a seat to be had so lots of people go there at some point. I can't comment on what goes on in there but I will force myself to find out next time.

 

 



 

 

There is a cafe attached that serves coffee in the morning and booze later in the day



 

I do love the art adjacent

 

Princess has an interior designer of the highest calibre..Teresa Anderson, who probably has the job for life and I like her work.

[Working 2 Cruise]

What a beautiful ship! Your photos make me very happy to embark the Royal in less than 2 weeks! I cannot wait!

[Bimmer09]

We are sailing towards Saint John, New Brunswick. We are due to arrive there at 9.15 a.m.

I have some time to wander around with the camera indoors...

I like the video slide shows while I am waiting for the elevators to arrive.

 

 

 

 

[Bimmer09]

 

So much great art on this ship-one man's meat etc but I know what I like and I like trains and evocations of times gone by when the world was a different place.

 

Carol and I have taken a few steam train rides-mainly in New Mexico and Colorado and we love them.

 

 

Another video screen



 

 



 

 

The Officers