Regal! Feb 3-10 Trip Report & Review

[techstar]

We were on the same cruise (wife and I, third time on Princess, first on the Regal).  Great until Friday, when she started coming down with something.   Stayed in our cabin for the most part on Saturday, drove home Sunday and she was diagnosed with the flu Monday morning at urgent care.  I got sick as well, but tested negative for the flu.  We're both still under the weather.  It's a shame, there are any number of ways we could have caught it, but we were vigilant as far as washing our hands religiously and using hand sanitizer when it was available.

[MaryBethV]

11 minutes ago, techstar said:

We were on the same cruise (wife and I, third time on Princess, first on the Regal).  Great until Friday, when she started coming down with something.   Stayed in our cabin for the most part on Saturday, drove home Sunday and she was diagnosed with the flu Monday morning at urgent care.  I got sick as well, but tested negative for the flu.  We're both still under the weather.  It's a shame, there are any number of ways we could have caught it, but we were vigilant as far as washing our hands religiously and using hand sanitizer when it was available.

 

Oh no! That is no fun. 😞 My DH and DS were a bit sick upon returning home but nothing major. I carry disinfectant wipes everywhere! I'm more worried about catching germs on the plane than I am on the ship even. It is so hard to avoid. Hope you feel better soon!

[MaryBethV]

Time to explore the ship a little bit more.

 

Oh my goodness, the food at the International Cafe again... too full to try any, but had to take a photo while getting a coffee card for DD.

 

It happened to be Super Bowl Sunday and we wandered into the Vista Lounge to see what was in there. They had a whole snack/food spread in the back with chips & salsa/guacamole as well as hot items and desserts. They even had a football ice sculpture. We aren't football fans - but if we were that would have been a fun way to watch the game!

 

Stopping in a restroom quick outside the Vista Lounge - I just have to mention that the staff on this ship was really impressive all week long. Even the lady cleaning the bathroom was in the hall just outside of it and stopped to say welcome aboard and ask me if I was able to find my way around ok - then proceeded to tell me about the interactive screens. So nice! And on a side note: all the ladies public bathrooms I saw throughout the week were very clean and had orchids on the counter.

 

We took a walk on deck 7. While it wasn't a great promenade compared to the NCL ships we were on last year, it was still nice to be able to walk outside from one end of the ship to the other.

 

 

We poked our heads into the main theater. Their soul music performance was underway and it looked interesting.

 

Next we found ourself in Crooners - the martini bar. 🙂 

 

 

 

Funch was playing the piano and singing - great entertainer!

 

Milky Way & Sour Apple

 

After our yummy martinis we headed back to the room where we watched the Wake Show (with cruise director Lexi) and waited for the kids. Hmmm... we hadn't eaten in about 3 hours... let's order room service!  I was on hold for 2 minutes or less and placed our order.

 

Room Service Menu-

 

 

 

Guacamole & Chips - pretty good guac and fresh salsa. Two thumbs up.

 

Cheese Plate (and crackers) - YUM! If we could have stopped eating so much during the day we would have ordered this every night!

 

 

So the kids got back and wanted to order room service also (We gave them a stack of $1's to keep in their safe for tipping room service - but this ended up being the only time they ordered room service all week. Probably because there is food on this ship EVERYWHERE you turn!) Even though they were only calling a few minutes after we did (before ours was delivered) they spent 20+ minutes on hold. 😒 That may have also contributed to why they didn't order again during the rest of the week. They were a LITTLE more hungry than we were...

 

Well, that is a wrap for embarkation day!

 

A letter in our room telling us what we already knew - our bungalow rental was cancelled for the next day. However, the 'guest areas being largely unaffected' was not what I would call accurate... more on that later!

 

Day 1 Princess Patter:

 

 

 

 

Edited February 14, 2019 by MaryBethV

[MaryBethV]

Monday, February 4th | Princess Cays

 

Monday feels like the real start of vacation - because NO WORK!  We slept in a little (no sunrise pics today) and woke up to the most gorgeous morning…

 

We had breakfast from room service that we ordered the night before (so convenient and they offer hot breakfast sandwiches as part of the complimentary menu!) and looked over the Princess Cays info packet.

 

 

 

 

Time to tender ashore. I love it when we tender at least once during a cruise because you get such a stunning view of the ship. 

 

 

 

 

Once off the tender we went to the right, over the bridge and to the south-side beach area (Little Bay) which we were told was quieter. The crew was still unloading a huge amount of supplies.

 

First off - the positive. The beach area was beautiful and tranquil. Clear turquoise water, lovely views of the ship in the distance - and the further down the beach you walked the more it seemed as though you had it all to yourself. There was plenty of natural shade available here and we probably won’t bother with clamshells at all next time.

 

 

It was super easy to claim our two clamshells: simply turn your ticket in at the turquoise painted "Beach Cabana Rental" building which you come to first after going over the bridge and then go select your clamshells. An attendant comes along and sets them up for you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is fun to look for shells along the way and a quick photo is a great way to 'bring them home with us'.

 

The water was crystal clear and fairly warm. Fabulous day for a swim! Do bring water shoes as you need to walk over the rocks to get out to the sandy area.

 

 

Now for the not so great - after a while we realized that the one public bathroom that wasn't working was the one right behind us... and it was the only one on the south side of the island. Ugh. No lights. No running water. No flushing toilets. NO OUT OF ORDER SIGN. *Carrying disinfectant wipes absolutely everywhere comes in handy once again!* No Wifi (which we knew from the letter) - but thankfully our international cellular signal was good enough to text the kids back on the ship. They decided not to come because of the bathroom situation - though we could have gone to the North side with them but would have had to ditch our clamshells.

 

We are still glad that we were able to go to Princess Cays and are grateful for all the extra work the crew put in to make it possible. However, better communication such as signs that there were no bathrooms available on the South beach area would have been nice. We would have gone elsewhere before all the clamshells were taken on the North side.

 

After an hour or two we got "clamshell neighbors" in the clamshell directly behind ours. They brought their portable speaker so they could play their music. For all of us. How nice. 🙄 We picked the quiet side because we like it quiet. We love to listen to the waves. I really don't understand how anyone would think that is ok. Maybe I'm just getting old and cranky. What do you think?

 

They still managed to have lunch with some hot food. Not bad. They did serve everything and didn't even let you pump your own mayo or ketchup... good thing... remember the no running water in the bathrooms (which people still used until they were 'full'...). 😬

 

[MaryBethV]

After lunch we headed back to the tender, but first checked out the North/main beach areas.

 

 

 

 

Not quite as picturesque here... and it smelled like septic so we wondered if they were having issues with the "open" bathrooms as well.

 

More crowded, but still beautiful!

 

 

On our return tender ride there was a cute, petite Cuban woman who had evidently enjoyed the beverages on the island and chose to serenade everyone VERY loudly all the way back. At one point she decided to dance to her own music... which presented a danger to others and to herself. At which point we noticed that Antonella (the teen club director) was right in front of us on the tender - she turned around an authoritatively told the lady to please take a seat. Antonella may be all fun and games 95% of the time, but I was now assured she was capable of handling any teenager should they get out of line! 🤣

 

 

Christof was directing a painting exercise (where the painters switched paintings every 60 seconds) in the Piazza. He managed to say something nice (and funny) about every single painting. He is definitely doing the job he was born to do I think. 

 

Our kids hadn't eaten lunch yet - so we went with them to the buffet. Not a bad view!

 

Goodbye Princess Cays - we look forward to visiting you again when you are fully up and running!

 

We loved the music on this ship. This duo - a violinist and cellist - were very nice to listen to.

 

The beautiful sunset (never gets old) we caught just before heading to dinner.

Edited February 15, 2019 by MaryBethV

[bmc alabama]

We will be on the Regal next month and are enjoying your posts!

 

It looks like you still have the barrel chair in your room!

[MaryBethV]

After enjoying a glass of wine on our balcony during sail away and a super-way-too-short nap, we went to dinner with the kids.

 

Night 2 Dinner Menu (Italian night): Symphony Dining Room

 

 

 

Sautéed Sea Scallops and Shrimp - good with mild flavors. Shrimp and scallops were cooked well.

 

Spaghetti with Meatballs - DS said it was very good!

 

Stuffed Breaded Chicken Breast - DH and DD both ordered this and said it was well done and flavorful.

 

Dessert Menu:

 

Tiramisu - pretty good Tiramisu. 🙂 I personally prefer versions with more of a bold coffee liqueur and espresso flavor, but it was creamy and we all enjoyed it.

 

The kids went to the teen lounge and DH and I went to watch the fountain show and experience our first MUTS (Movies under the Stars). Tonight's showing was Crazy Rich Asians - clean, romantic, and it will make you laugh and cry! Loved it.

 

 

Good night! Big plans for our first Sea Day tomorrow are to sleep, eat, lay in the sun... repeat. 

 

Day 2 Princess Patter

 

 

 

Edited February 15, 2019 by MaryBethV

[MaryBethV]

10 minutes ago, bmc alabama said:

We will be on the Regal next month and are enjoying your posts!

 

It looks like you still have the barrel chair in your room!

 

Yes we did. For us, it got in the way more than anything. The desk chair would have been sufficient. Though I can see why people might like it if they read in their room or like to sit in a chair to enjoy a meal in their room. We used our balcony chairs or just sat on the bed most of the time we were in the room.

[welly world]

We are on the Regal in December and after reading your review, I wish it was a LOT sooner! Sounds like a wonderful ship! Can't wait to read more!!!!!!!!!!

[CORealtor]

I am enjoying this review.  Sounds like a wonderful cruise.  I can't wait to read more!

[JF - retired RRT]

Great review!!

You have a breezy, witty way with words.

Your pictures are beautiful and the descriptions of the food are very helpful.

Thank You.

[mrpayroll]

Enjoying your review. We had a great time on our Regal cruise last year. Will be on Crown March 7th.

[Camelia-]

thanks for this great review and also for those amazing pictures. Special thanks for identifying all the different dishes..very useful to know what the dish looks like on a plate rather than simply on the menu!. Can't wait for more!!

[MaryBethV]

Tuesday, February 5th | Sea Day

 

Good morning! Yawn! Stretch... SO nice to sleep in a little. I think it was 8:30ish. Days at home start before 6:00 so 8:30 is a lot of extra sleep! Hey! Let's go to breakfast in the main dining room! We text the kids to let them know where we are headed... and DS texts back to inform us it is really 9:30. Sure enough - we forgot to set our clocks ahead an hour.

 

Oops.

 

Well, it was another gorgeous day. Are you tired of all my water + blue sky pictures yet? No? Great! 😉 

 

 

OK, Plan B. We headed up to the buffet and went all the way aft to the outdoor seating area. Such a great place to have breakfast - it became a favorite of ours. Even with the broken coffee maker (that stayed broken, without a sign on it, for the rest of the week 😒). The breakfast food at the buffet was really good - so many options! The kids even joined us towards the end and we all grabbed a few Pina Colada mocktails at the bar there to round out our breakfast. I love vacation.

 

 

We headed back to our room and hung out on our huge balcony (Mr. Denn Mark had opened the divider between our balconies for us) and read for a while. I could do this every. single. day.

 

 

 

Since we had shade on our balcony, after a while we decided to attempt to hunt down two lounge chairs on a sun deck. On a sea day. 😬 We ended up on the tippy top deck, but found a great spot overlooking the Retreat Pool.

 

 

Before reaching lobster status, we headed back down. The main pool area was packed.

 

 

Trying to find our way around, we ended up at a dead end on the sun deck, so we headed up the stairs to where the running track is.

 

Hey! We can see if the kids are on the teen lounge deck! Of course, we aren't those parents that would ever wave and embarrass our kids... 😎. However, no kids in sight.

 

It's ok - we can embarrass them later.

 

 

 

All this walking around requires another Pina Colada mocktail. Calories don't count on vacation.

 

 

 

Edited February 16, 2019 by MaryBethV

[MaryBethV]

A little later we met DS for a late lunch at Alfredo's. Initial service was within a few minutes of being seated.

 

 

Antipasto Mari e Monti: It was ok - not nearly as good as the other antipasto that I ordered on embarkation day though.

 

Pizza Margherita: DS and I each ordered one of these. Note the sweet basil in the menu description? Well, it didn't come with any. UM, SAME THING AS A CHEESE PIZZA 🙄 They did bring me some basil upon request and I added it myself. It was ok - but I wouldn't order it again. When I think of Margherita pizza I think of fresh tomatoes, basil, and a few thick slices of fresh mozzarella. 

 

Pizza Tarantina: DH took a chance and ordered this. It was different (I had a piece), but not something either of us would order again.

 

DS went to find DD and they headed to the teen lounge. DH and I went to the Piazza to watch the live painting demonstration by guest artist, Stephen Fishwick. He is very talented and it was fun to watch!

 

 

 

While watching the painting, we were sitting in the chairs/tables right outside of Gelato. We dubbed these the "free spa" chairs because they must sit right above part of the ship's engine or something. Can't afford the spa? Sit here and get a free vibrating back massage! 😂

 

While in front of Gelato, one must try some - so we shared a mint chocolate chip scoop. Yum!

 

 

After the painting was finished we headed up to the room to relax on the balcony a little and then get ready for our first formal night. Of course we had to catch the sunset before heading down.

 

Wow.

 

I have to say the threads that frequently pop up on the Princess board here regarding attire expectations stressed us out a bit. We don't even wear dresses/jacket & tie to church usually! DH and DS brought dress pants and button-down dress shirts for the two formal nights. DD and I brought a few dresses. Still not sure I like packing like we were attending multiple weddings... for vacation. But "when in Rome"... From looking around - there were many men in jackets, but enough in just dress shirts that DH and DS didn't feel out of place. There were women in dresses, though I didn't see anything I'd call full-on formal. Also - the first formal night seemed more formal than the second one later in the week where I saw many more men in shirts and even polo shirts, and many women in dress pants paired with a dressy blouse/top.

 

We found a spot at the railing on deck 6 to watch the champagne waterfall. While waiting I took a few photos of the beautiful decor in the Piazza.

 

 

 

A band started to play - it was almost time. 🙂 

 

Lexi, the cruise director, looked gorgeous - loved her dress! She introduced the captain, who introduced the ship's officers.

 

 

[sciteach11]

Really enjoying all of your photos. Thanks for sharing!

[MaryBethV]

Formal night dinner! Antonio was our server. 🙂 

 

Night 3 Dinner Menu: Symphony Dining Room

 

 

 

Tapioca Fruit Salad: DS didn't order an appetizer, so Antonio brought him this. 😄 DS thought it was very good.

 

Shredded Duck and Pork Rillettes: This wasn't what I was expecting. For some reason I though it would be a hot dish (should have asked), but it was good. The duck/pork had a lot of flavor and the port-infused red onions were a nice compliment to the dish (they resemble the pickled red onions I make at home).

 

Crabmeat Quiche: DH ordered this and I stole a bite. It was delish. The crab flavor came through and it was baked well, not underdone and not dried out.

 

 Beef Tenderloin: This was my main entree (DH and I also shared a Shrimp Danielle - I don't even feel bad. They were both so good I'd order them again. Might skip lunch next time though!!!). It was delicious. There was so much flavor in the sauce and the beef was a perfect medium. The only "throw away" on this dish was the potato beignet which was dried out & more resembled a hockey puck than a potato. 

 

Shrimp Danielle: This was our extra entree to share and DS also ordered this. OH MY GOODNESS - YUM. Perfectly cooked jumbo shrimp and the sauce was amazing. It tasted like it was made with creme fraiche... and maybe chives, tarragon, and a touch of lemon? Totally guessing and I WILL be trying to re-create it at home! If anyone has the recipe - please send it my way!!!

 

Leg of Lamb: DH ordered this and Antonio offered the mint jelly on the side. The jelly looked a bit radioactive 😄 - but DH thought it was good with the lamb. 

 

Mmm - time for dessert! Apologies for forgetting to snap a photo of the dessert menu.  

 

Chocolate Hazelnut Bar: I ordered this, DH ordered the creme brûlée, and DS didn't order anything. Antonio brought DH and DS one anyways. Haha - love him! There was not a bite of any of them left.

 

Creme Brûlée: 

 

DS went to meet up with DD (who didn't want to come with us to dinner - her loss!) and they went to the teen lounge. 

 

We headed to Crooner's for some piano music and martinis. Olena Konstantinova was the pianist. She was immensely talented and we purchased one of her CDs right then and there. It is my favorite vacation souvenir ever! If you love piano music like we do you can check out her YouTube Channel or purchase/download her music on CDbaby. 

 

Tropitini & Hacienda (not our favorites)

 

Golden Nugget & Ultimate Cosmo (both very good)

 

Time to call it a night - tomorrow is St. Thomas! So excited! When we cruised on the Norwegian Escape last year St. Thomas was on our original itinerary. Our entire itinerary was changed to a Western Caribbean route after the hurricanes, so this will be our first visit. 🙂 Before falling into bed - we placed our breakfast room service order on the app. So easy.

 

Day 3 Princess Patter:

 

 

 

Edited February 16, 2019 by MaryBethV

[aliciam]

We are on the Regal next month, and I'm loving your review. Thanks so much for taking the time!

[JEH]

What a wonderful  review and the accompanying  pictures make it even more  spectacular .  It's brightening  my cold grey Chicago  afternoon . Thanks ! 

[Flowergirl56]

When you have anytime dining are you assigned a restaurant or can you choose where to eat?

[MaryBethV]

58 minutes ago, Flowergirl56 said:

When you have anytime dining are you assigned a restaurant or can you choose where to eat?

 

The Symphony Dining Room was anytime dining for the full dinner time. The Concerto Dining Room (we ate there one night when there was a longer line at the Symphony DR) offered anytime dining after 7:30pm.

[FishinChris]

Thanks for the pictures with your review.  Looking forward to more.

[jedokids]

Hello-

   I looked in our Princess Cookbook -- the sauce for the Shrimp Danielle - Cafe De Paris Butter --

3/4 cup butter

1 T shallots

1 clove garlic minced

1 T parsley, chopped

1 tsp mustard

1 egg yolk

1 dash Worcestshire Sauce 

1/4 Burgundy Wine

salt & pepper

Hope this helps! 

Enjoy!

Thanks for the review & pictures - 2 weeks until we are there too!!!

 

[JF - retired RRT]

11 hours ago, MaryBethV said:

 

The Symphony Dining Room was anytime dining for the full dinner time. The Concerto Dining Room (we ate there one night when there was a longer line at the Symphony DR) offered anytime dining after 7:30pm.

And you can choose.

[WisCruiser2]

12 hours ago, MaryBethV said:

 

The Symphony Dining Room was anytime dining for the full dinner time. The Concerto Dining Room (we ate there one night when there was a longer line at the Symphony DR) offered anytime dining after 7:30pm.

 

Last week, we ate in Symphony 5 of the nights (did Crown Grill & buffet the other 2). We went around 6:30 and only had to wait one night (2nd formal night). We generally sat at shared tables and only one night did the service seem slower than usual. The night in St. Thomas (10:00 departure) all dining rooms were "open seating."