Live from the Regal - July 2-23 - Med Cruise - R/T Barcelona

[wowzz]

24 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

After all, isn’t “food” what it’s all about on a cruise!

Yes it is, so why rush and eat it in less than 60 minutes ? Surely it is better to have a leisurely meal rather than gobble it down in less than an hour? 

[Ken the cruiser]

40 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Yes it is, so why rush and eat it in less than 60 minutes ? Surely it is better to have a leisurely meal rather than gobble it down in less than an hour? 

We usually get there as soon as they open for dinner and since it’s just the two of us most of the time, our waiters are usually able to bring us the next course without too much delay since the prime dining time in CC dining is usually between 6-7 pm.
 

Then it’s off to the theater at least 30-40 minutes early, with our deck of cards in hand,  to find good seats that are strategically placed so no one is sitting directly behind us. That is one thing we have found when cruising with Princess. You need to get to the theater early if you want to find good seats before it gets packed, as is usually the case with the early show.

 

I understand our strategy may not be the norm. But after cruising with Celebrity and Princess for over 90 days since cruising started back up, one develops certain set of strategies to avoid some of those “undesirable side effects” from cruising during a pandemic. 😁

Edited June 30, 2022 by Ken the cruiser

[JennAngel9]

Just wanted to say good luck with your travels Ken! We also tested negative so we will see you onboard!  Like you, we wore masks in crowded planes (and airports) except when briefly eating or drinking and it looks like that did the trick. 🙂 

[Ken the cruiser]

19 minutes ago, JennAngel9 said:

Just wanted to say good luck with your travels Ken! We also tested negative so we will see you onboard!  Like you, we wore masks in crowded planes (and airports) except when briefly eating or drinking and it looks like that did the trick. 🙂 

Thanks! This is going to be such a great cruise!! We have been waiting for over 3 years to go on this itinerary, literally from one end of the Med to the other and then back again!! Princess definitely had a vision IMHO when they linked these 3 itineraries together. 😁

 

[Carnevale]

Many thanks for doing this live from thread.  We are doing the Rome to Barcelona legs in October on Regal so are following with great interest.

[wowzz]

8 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We usually get there as soon as they open for dinner and since it’s just the two of us most of the time, our waiters are usually able to bring us the next course without too much delay since the prime dining time in CC dining is usually between 6-7 pm.

We would hate that ! 

We will be enjoying drinks on deck when you are eating in a deserted dining room, and will eventually go and eat around 20:00 when there is some atmosphere. We eat by ourselves every night at home. Eating with others and having a conversation with them is one of the best aspects  of a cruise.

18:00 - 19:00 would not be prime time dining on European cruises  - far too early.

We don't bother much with the shows.  If we decide to go, we arrive 10 minutes before the start  and sit anywhere we can find seats. 

But, as you say,  we all have different preferences - they are all equally valid !

[insidecabin]

Will try to keep up with this one.

These Regal trips were on our short list and bargain prices for the early ones, most are now selling out or overpriced. be good to read about what we have missed.

 

Interesting flight strategy,  since the restart we have added day(s) each end of a cruise for flights and these are relatively local flights(LHR<->Athens|Rome|Copenhagen), others have been drive to Southampton and we still add day(s) on at the beginning just in case.

 

We have done the eat early to have max evening time but on  summer cruise with long days we have gone late eating around 8pm after the MDR rush to get max outside time and see sailaways in daylight

a couple of days on our last UK cruise 8pm was still a bit of a rush. 

[Esprit]

8 pm meal times for us too. We aren't "foodies" but enjoy great company with plenty of wine so we won't be rushing away from the MDR to catch shows.

I also like a 5 pm beer or three, so if you see a skinny silver fox with Peroni in hand say "Hi" Ken (and anyone else on board from 9 July to 23rd) 

[Ken the cruiser]

Good morning everyone! I just checked and the first flight from our home airport is already on its way to Atlanta!  There are some patches of light rain in the forecast this afternoon, so I guess it's looking like a go! So, let's get the party started with one of my favorite Queen songs!!  

 

 

Edited July 1, 2022 by Ken the cruiser

[Ken the cruiser]

2 hours ago, Esprit said:

8 pm meal times for us too. We aren't "foodies" but enjoy great company with plenty of wine so we won't be rushing away from the MDR to catch shows.

I also like a 5 pm beer or three, so if you see a skinny silver fox with Peroni in hand say "Hi" Ken (and anyone else on board from 9 July to 23rd) 

We will. BTW I forgot to mention we eat early for health reasons. I tell ya, it's tough getting old but we will endure!! 😂

[Esprit]

3 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We will. BTW I forgot to mention we eat early for health reasons. I tell ya, it's tough getting old but we will endure!! 😂

👍The Outriggers is my "go to" bar. I of course only drink alcohol for medicinal reasons! 😉

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, Esprit said:

8 pm meal times for us too. We aren't "foodies" but enjoy great company with plenty of wine so we won't be rushing away from the MDR to catch shows.

I also like a 5 pm beer or three, so if you see a skinny silver fox with Peroni in hand say "Hi" Ken (and anyone else on board from 9 July to 23rd) 

Sounds the same attutude as us. 

Enjoy your Peroni (or three!)

[Ken the cruiser]

While waiting for the time we can drive to the airport, I found this interesting CC article as of June 22, 2022 regarding satellite internet service onboard a cruise ship. Here's what it said about Carnival ships.

 

However, there are exceptions. Prices are being driven down as some cruise lines (the Carnival family of brands, for instance) begin to use hybrid systems that combine satellite connections with cheaper land-based links. For instance, Carnival offers passengers a cheap social media package Wi-Fi option in addition to their full-power internet packages. If you need video calls or streaming services, you'll need to pay more.

 

Does Princess offer different internet service packages? I don't remember seeing any options to upgrade the Princess Plus "bundled" internet service on our upcoming Regal cruise.

 

Do Cruise Ships Have Wi-Fi? And 6 Other Things You Need to Know About Internet at Sea (cruisecritic.com)

[insidecabin]

6 hours ago, Esprit said:

8 pm meal times for us too. We aren't "foodies" but enjoy great company with plenty of wine so we won't be rushing away from the MDR to catch shows.

I also like a 5 pm beer or three, so if you see a skinny silver fox with Peroni in hand say "Hi" Ken (and anyone else on board from 9 July to 23rd) 

Table sharing is still not recommended with European guidelines, cruise lines seem  chose to ignore that and encourage it.

[1emerald1]

6 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We will. BTW I forgot to mention we eat early for health reasons. I tell ya, it's tough getting old but we will endure!! 😂

You don't need to explain.  This is your "Live" thread.

[Ken the cruiser]

We just boarded our international Delta flight in Atlanta. Next stop Barcelona with a scheduled arrival time of 9:20 am !!! 😁

 

[phabric]

Glad all went well for your flights

Edited July 1, 2022 by phabric

[wowzz]

6 hours ago, insidecabin said:

Table sharing is still not recommended with European guidelines, cruise lines seem  chose to ignore that and encourage it.

Not at all. You are given a choice  - share or not - your choice, no pressure.

[jimbri]

Great news about your flight. Enjoy!

[insidecabin]

this one? should be on the ship for lunch.

 

Atlanta · Fri, 1 Jul

Departed

18:30

Originally scheduled departure: 17:50

17:50

Terminal

I

Gate

E14

 

Barcelona · Sat, 2 Jul

Arrived

09:38

Originally scheduled arrival: 08:45

08:45

Terminal

1

Gate

E77

[vjmatty]

18 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

While waiting for the time we can drive to the airport, I found this interesting CC article as of June 22, 2022 regarding satellite internet service onboard a cruise ship. Here's what it said about Carnival ships.

 

However, there are exceptions. Prices are being driven down as some cruise lines (the Carnival family of brands, for instance) begin to use hybrid systems that combine satellite connections with cheaper land-based links. For instance, Carnival offers passengers a cheap social media package Wi-Fi option in addition to their full-power internet packages. If you need video calls or streaming services, you'll need to pay more.

 

Does Princess offer different internet service packages? I don't remember seeing any options to upgrade the Princess Plus "bundled" internet service on our upcoming Regal cruise.

 

Do Cruise Ships Have Wi-Fi? And 6 Other Things You Need to Know About Internet at Sea (cruisecritic.com)

Some lines like RC offer a choice between surf or surf and stream packages, Princess does not. 

[Ken the cruiser]

We have arrived!!! Checking into the cruise terminal went smoothly. It took maybe 15-20 minutes from our airport transfer to checking in at the terminal to boarding the ship. 
 

Views from the plane on the flight over. 
 

 

 

And the most important view, the one from our balcony! 😁

 

[Ken the cruiser]

2 hours ago, insidecabin said:

this one? should be on the ship for lunch.

 

Atlanta · Fri, 1 Jul

Departed

18:30

Originally scheduled departure: 17:50

17:50

Terminal

I

Gate

E14

 

Barcelona · Sat, 2 Jul

Arrived

09:38

Originally scheduled arrival: 08:45

08:45

Terminal

1

Gate

E77

Yes, that was our flight and we reached the Barcelona gate on time. 

[Ken the cruiser]

1 hour ago, vjmatty said:

Some lines like RC offer a choice between surf or surf and stream packages, Princess does not. 

Just checked and the download speed in our cabin when we boarded was a whopping 168 kbps! But, on the bright side I had no problem uploading the above pictures. 

[Anubi]

We are on the Regal for the Transatlantic in November.  It will be our first cruise on the Royal class ships.  Looking forward to hearing your reviews.  Have a great cruise.