Regal Princess (partial) review 12/04

[Mary Jane 711]

I would have to say my overall cruise would rate a 8 out of 10. I found the Regal to be a great ship. It was not too large and was easy to manuever. However, on a 15 day cruise it began to feel smaller and smaller. There was sometimes not enough room in lounges and the show lounge was always packed for certain events.

We had a great stateroom, in my opinion, and I would choose it again if I ever go with the Regal again. We had D176, which is two rooms from the very aft. I must say it was secluded, the walk was far from everything, but hey, with all the eating one does on a cruise, what's a few more steps. Just was a hassle if you forgot something. The room itself was an oceanview, which was fine, the price was right, we could see everything we wanted to from there. A balcony would have been nice, but it was truly so hot out we found refuge in our room a lot. The room itself was large enough, we had all the usual immenities, large shower, fridge, tv, plenty of drawer space and closet was ample. I do think the walls are thin as we could here our neighbors partying it up and their drawers open and close constantly.

The Cafe del Sol could do with a few improvements. But I am sure they are doing the best they can with what they have. The food selection for breakfast was plenty, but i would have like to see some warm hash browns just once. PLEASE!!! I had the egg guy make me eggs to order just about every morning. They were fantastic.....If you want a good seat, get up early, say 6 am to enjoy plenty of seating and peace and quiet. The rest of the day it was pretty busy. I couldnt understand why, with two sides of the buffet available, they would only open one and then there would be a long line of hungry people....They do provide a sanitary lotion before you get to the utensils. I think this may have saved a lot of us from getting sick...I juat made it a habit to use it every time I ate there...

The Palm Court DIning Room was where I ate only my dinner meals, so I cant comment on the breakfast or luncheon. We had a nice table for six at the second seating. Cheers to my waiter, Geroge, from Romania, He just made the trip very enjoyable. Our table mates seemed to be matched perfectly for us. We made friends with one couple and exchanged adddresses. It was all good. The food was beyond good. If that can sum it up.

We ate in the Bravo Pizzerai one night when we were late getting in from Cristobal..it was very nice. I had the Hawaiian pizza, but others had lasagna and salads and the like. Most people said it was pretty good.

I did not buy the soda card this cruise as it was $35 with the souvenir cup. Kind of costly..I chose to drink iced tea..It was fine and was pretty go

I can only commednt on room service as far as breakfast goes. Our steward delivered it to us every time we requested it right on time. We usually just got coffee and juice and maybe toast. Although one morning we asked for omelettes and we got tem, no problem. He never wanted a tip..so we just tipped him at the end of the cruise.

The drink were all good. We tried the drink of the day several times..I would suggest to anyone to get the meduim size if you want more for you money. All the bars were about the same..it just depended on the bartender. SOme were entertaineg and made you want to come back. SOme made you feel special, like Teddy in the Bengal. I think he is a seasoned pro.

I never went to the Princess theater, which shows movies and holds church services. I must have been a heathen on this trip, and chose to watch the feature the next day in my own cabin. The movies they showed were all fairly new. I remember seeing The Terminal, Spiderman 2, SHrek 2, The Day after Tomorrow, just to name a few. 'I will review the ports I went to in the next review. This is my fisrt review, so I hope I did it right.:)

[LARGIN]

You did it right. :) Thanks for a great review. The Regal was our favorite ship until this year. Two cruises on the Coral Princess spoiled us..

[NancyM]

Hi Mary Jane!

We finally found a connection! I was at the table for 10 (second seating)next to you, also waited on by George! He was great, and we had so much fun at dinner.

Thanks for the review. I have a couple of comments to add if I may..

Several times during the cruise there was a strong smell of sewage on the aft starbord side. This may have been caused by the rough weather, but it was severe on the promenade deck, and noticable on the lower aft public outside balconies. I didn't see any of the shows, we participated in the dance classes, and spent most of our evenings in the Stage Door. I really enjoyed the additional Scholarship at Sea options that Sammi, the Cruise Director arranged. The Presidents and First Lady dramas were exceptional, as well as Jackie and Jamie - the World Champion dance instructers. Every one of their public classes were crowded and both of their private classes were sold out. I noticed that the Old Time Radio talks were also well attended. The staff was very friendly and helpful, even going the extra mile for you all the time. I really liked this ship, and its crew. I don't think I've had a better time on a cruise. I really love the smaller ships - you meet so many great people.

-Nancy

[Mary Jane 711]

I too, smelled that horrible stench aft. I think I can be safe to say that it was in the carpets, as I had an overflow problem at home only a month ago and the wet carpets smelled the same until they dried. It was even worse off the back decks outside. I wondered why they couldnt do something with disinfectant or something. It really was overpoweringly bad. Other than that the ship was very clean. They hardly let a plate or glass sit idle for 30 seconds before someone scooped it up. After you were finished of course. I wish I knew what you look like Nancy, I am trying to put a face to the name. Did you get a chance to see the scrap heap challenge? The one where people make their own boat? My husband and I came in 2nd place with our entry the SS Rosie, named for our dog...that was a fun contest. We also did the golf onboard I played shuffleboard in the ladies competition ( I got a zero) We also participated in the ceramics painting. My husband was one of the few, if only men, who painted his own bowl....We went to the Margarita demo, a couple of trivia's almost all the shows with the dancers and singers...we alos participated in the activities on Island night. It was so windy, I was the one with the bad hair..That was fun too....

[Customcruiser]

Hi MaryJane711 and NancyM. We also were on the Regal with you. It was a great trip. We also had George and Somnia. I have been e-mailing back and forth with George since we got home. What a wonderful person he is. Somina has moved to another station and George has a "male" helping him now. He likes it this way. We also found the stench BAD by cruise end. We were in a Suite and the smell was only from our bathroom (toilet area only) as in the suites there is a bathtub/shower/sink area, and then the toilet room. We did get ill around the end of the cruise with the "you know what". It has taken me 3 weeks to clear all. I can say I never gained a pound. Ha Ha. Sammie was great. We never did try any PC dinning. We did go to lunch in the Palm Court but never breakfast. Room service was good. Had a few problems once in awhile. Our room steward was on a well deserved break and nothing would happen if he was not available. Only ordered breakfast once. Received much more than I had ordered, as I did not pay attention to how much of each item I was ordering. Would never order eggs in my room again as they were cold. But no matter it was wonderful anyway. Did have pizza in the pizza resturant once. You can have what you want on your Pizza or in your Calazone. They are very accomodating. Have sailed Regal before, so pretty much knew what was there. Would sail her many times again. Happy sailing. Carol

[Mary Jane 711]

There must have been many waiters with the name of George. Our assistant waiter was named Suchart, so maybe we are speaking of a different George. Suchart is from Thailand and I do hope that none of his loved ones were lost, he was a sweetheart.

[Customcruiser]

George was from Romania, so wa Somina. I know what you mean. God Bless them I pray for them and loved ones.

[Ready to Sail!]

Mary Jane - Now I know who you are! We were up watching the scrap heap competition. You two did good but I think you were outnumbered. Anyway, we liked your outfits. We also did the marguarita demo (We were sitting up at the bar) and also the Martini demo.

 

I wanted to comment on the smell problem. We were on Baja, Port and aft near the stairs. There was a cabin about 10 forward from us that had a constant problem. He was out in the hall just about every day complaining to someone from the staff but never got the problem resolved. He and his wife were very unhappy campers by the end of the cruise. We did notice the smell as we walked that way. We also had a number of plumbing problems around us and they were actually replacing carpet in a few of the cabins and also had carpet blowers going often. One night all of our toilets stopped working but they got that resolved in a few hours. We have noticed this odor on previous cruises so it just must be on ongoing problem.

 

Carol

[NancyM]

Ok, there must be many Georges from Romania! My assistant waiter was Paulo from the Phillipeans. There was another waiter in the same area named Jorge (don't remember where he was from). It does seem wierd that there was such an abundance of of them!

 

Mary Jane, it seems that we've done almost opposite activities on this cruise (save for the Pirate Ship)! The wind on Island night drove me back inside earlier than I wanted. Congrats on the 2nd place! Again, I missed it because of the dance lessons.

 

Another Great thing about this ship/cruise that I left out: There were almost ALWAYS empty deck lounges! Everytime we went out.. we found two together! Kudo's to my fellow cruisers!

 

I too lost weight on this cruise (yeah!). I ate breakfast in the Palm Court each morning. I went later in the morning (around 9) and never had a problem finding a seat (Our George also took care of us there, too!). I found the evening dining room food to be - OK overall. There were some dishes that were outstanding! The Mahi Mahi, Shrimp, and Lobster Tails (not the Newberg) were excellent! But, the rest of the dishes where rather bland. The eggplant Parmesean was to die for! The only dessert I really enjoyed, was their Opera Cake. Otherwise, I didn't have a problem leaving most of my desserts. As I remarked in a different post, the Pizza was terrific. The cheese burgers at the grill were good. We never ate in the bistro.

 

I agree, other than the smell aft, the ship was sparkling. I did notice a few places where the sewage system had over flowed into the hall (they were busy cleaning it up). I had assumed it was the high seas, as it was the following morning. I only smelled the sanitation chemicals though there. The crew were very personable. My steward was a bit lax.. He forgot our towels 3 times and seemed rather surly at times.. but, we found out that he had recently had his first baby.. and hadn't gotten to go home and see it yet. It was Christmas and he was depressed. So, we made allowances.

 

As I said, most of the crew always went the extra mile. We put in our form for the Pirate Cruise long after the tour desk closed on the night before the excursion. They were suppose to be in 48 hours prior, so we really didn't hold out any hope of getting on. But, the tickets were under our door the following morning!

 

One thing I remember wishing.. that the Captain's microphone was turned up! He was very hard to hear, and then his voice seemed to fade away. I was impressed that he was accessible the Captain's Circle gathering, and shook each person's hand. Susan and I were able to express our thanks to him for taking care of the lady needing the surgery. On the other larger ships, the Captain wasn't in the reception line.

 

-Nancy

[APH]

Nancy M - who was the Captain for your cruise?

[jnc411]

Just want to thank all you guys for the great review and all the information about the Regal and the cruise. We will be on the Regal March 9th going west to east thru the canal. Hope they have the smell fixed by then, I have seen comments about the Sun Princess and the smell also , so it must be a problem that they deal with often. But I can see where it would put a damper on your cruise if it is bad. We will be on the Caribe deck outside cabin port toward the aft, but not a balcony so mabe the smell won't be a problem. You mentioned the Pirate boat excursion,is that the one in Cabo, how did you like it ? We have been to Cabo 4 times and are looking for something new to do.

Anyway great review and comments . Thanks

Cori

[Mary Jane 711]

The Captain on this cruise was Angelo Vago. He was a nice man, seemed a little shy. We saw him on several occasions. Of course at the past cruisers gathering, shook hands and got a photo op. After that I ran into him at the bengal lounge. I was sitting at the bar waiting for second seating for dinner. Apparently the Captain likes red martinis. You would also see him coming and going. I agree the sound system was hard to hear in some ares, especially of the Captain came on. He has a thick Italian accent, and is a bit soft spoken. He was kinda handsome, (personal observaton).As for the PIrate ship and snorkel in Cabo. I highly recommend it. This was by far one of the best times we had on the entire cruise. THey took you out a ways and explained the local pirate legends and the view back in the harbour was spectaular from that vantage point. Then we went back in besides Lovers Beach offshore and went snorkeling. They provide the equipment, but it was a little hard for me to get off hte ship. I had to manuever a ladder and a sort of net thingy at the water level in my swim fins. I hope no one got that on video, if you did I will pay for that footage. I got into the water, which was cold at first but great after I was wet. I was surpirised they let me off without a life vest, so I swam back and put one on..Not too observant of them...Too see anything you had to swim maybe 200 hundred feet towards the rocks and shallow water. I was able to do it and I havent swam in years. They didnt really explain how to snorkel, so I had to figure it out. After a few gasps of terror, I got the hang of it and was glorfied to see the beautiful fishies. Yellow stripey ones and others I shameyfully cannot name properly.

I went back willingly to the ship and clammored back up the ladder. This was not easy for me as I am not in shape, but I did it. Then you wash off with fresh water. (which you scoop out of a barrel and douse yourself with ) Then you are offered free beer and margaritas and whatever. After a bit everyone comes back and the headed back to the dock. The dock by this time was about 6-8 feet higher up than when we left. I wandered just how we were going to get back up there. They put stairs up to the edge and a nice shove on my behind was suffucient enough to get me back on dry land. I had a great time. After that we took a water taxi over to Medano Beach and went to The Office. We had the best Baja Burritos I have ever eaten and had 2 for 1 drinks while we wiggled our toes in the sand while we ate. Heaven I swear. I am going back to Cabo as soon as I can.

[Mary Jane 711]

NOw onto the other ports of call. Our second stop was Acapulco. We did not book an excursion through the ship. I had no interest in seeing cliff divers along with 900 other passengers. No offense, but I have seen that on tv and seen it in Mazatlan. We gtot off the ship and there were abundant amounts of willing drivers on the dock. We stood arouond for a few minutes and found a nice man who spoke ENglish and had a nice air conditioned Suburban. His name was Carlos and he had a name tag and looked official. Anyway, we agreed on a price for the two of us for an all day drive our and about. We agreed on $25 a piece, which was not bad, and we agreed to pay at the end of the day. He took us into a rather seedy part of town. But hey the whole town was a it seedy. We shopped in what we found out was where his sister had a shop. Thats ok. We walked around, clutching our wallets as we looked like straight out tourists. BUt it was ok..NOthing happened. BOught a sarong and a couple of Christmas ornaments. NOthing much but we were just looking. Then he drove u s up to where the cliff divers were, we could see them for free..So take note people. It can be done. After that we drove through the main street going south I believe. Hold onto your hats, they dont drive like normal people there. Tons of VW taxis, sudden lane changes, u turns being made three cars wide. Cars coming within inches of one another..and no one got hurt!!! Woo hoo. He drove us past all the sites. They even had a Wal Mart and Hooters . good grief. It was a busy place thats for sure. He took us quite a ways over to the Princess HOtel, We got out and walked around the hotel and had a drink. It was peaceful and very nice. I think they might like you to stay there someday, so maybe thats why they drive you out there, I really dont know. BUt it was nice. Then we went to Senor Frogs. It was recommended by the ship, so we chose to eat there. It was alright, the view was panoramic, the food was ok. Safe choice I think. Then he drove us back to the ship where we got back in plenty of time before it sailed.

I am sure most people would have enjoyed any of the tours offered by the ship, but if you wanted to do something off the beaten path, sort of, then I think hiring someone is ok also.

Our next port was HUaltulco, which we got to the very next day. It is not a city, but a small place, with a tiny harbour, nice contrast to Acapulco. We went on the Bird watch and eco tour. You ride in either an open bus or a mini van to a location about 5 miles, maybe closer. The walk was on a pathway that was level. They give you a slip of paper with bird names you can check off as you see them and a pencil. It would be a good idea to bring binoculars. We did see a lot of birds and butterflies. It was really hot, and the suggested you wear long sleeves and long pants. I think you could get away with shorts if you where some repellant. We we dying of the heat...There are no bathrooms along the entire walk and one lady had to go back to the begiining.. Of course you could use the bushes. NOt me! They point out a lot of interesting things and eventually you got to the ocean. At that point I thought whew im done, but NO then you had to go back and retrack your steps. It was okay, but I wish now I had done something else. We got back the town in time to go to the small sotre they had there and pick up some supplies. We got soda and a few other things there. Back on ship we were ready to head to next port, Puntarenas..but you all know that night was eventful and Costa Rica never happened. :(

[LBL]

Thank you all for your tips on this cruise, especially where the Captain hangs out (LOL). I can't believe I am leaving in just over a week!

 

Carole

[Nancy & Tom]

Thank you, one and all, for your comments on your Panama Canal Cruises. We'll be leaving ....going from west to east...in just 39 "sleeps." Can't wait! We'll be in a suite on the Aloha Deck. I trust the plumbing will be fixed by the time we leave. It is great to read all your reports. Thank you for taking time from your busy days to share your comments with us. Have a Happy New Year!

[Mary Jane 711]

DOes anyone recall seeing a kite flying on sea days off the aft? Well that was my husband. He had the best time. We never lost a kite, and he got his 9 foot wide one up over a mile. We did get the go ahead from one of the cruise directors staff. It was great fun on that long time between ports. ;)

[jnc411]

The information on your cruise report is great. Only one comment. On our cruise thru the Canal in 2003 we were in port at Acapulco, and a gentlemen from our ship took a tour with a cab driver much like the previous post mentioned for a set price and to shopping at the cab drivers "sisters" shop. Well the poor man was robbed, badly beaten and left stranded the police and an ambulance returned him to the ship and he ended up being evacuated from the ship that afternoon. the same thing happened to someone in our next port in Costa Rica, even after the warnings from the ships crew, I guess you figure it can't happen to you so Be cautious, when you take tours with other than the ship recommended tours, it can be dangerous. Am so glad that your tour was wonderful and a success, but just a cautious word to others. We are taking another canal cruise in March and also plan on not going to see the divers. We will do something else listed on the ships tours.

Thanks again for the great trip report , hope to see more of it on this thread soon. :)

Cori

[LasVegasSandee]

We are leaving on the Regal Princess on March 24th, Westbound. We were wondering if any one could help us on the best way to see how you go through the locks in the canal? Seems they want you to book shore excursions, but think it would be the best view from our balcony?? Any help would be great, Thanks

[Ready to Sail!]

There are no shore excursions on a full transit of the canal on this cruise. You may stop in Cristobal as we did but it is only a short stop for shopping.

[Ready to Sail!]

Happy New Year Everyone!

 

I want to add to what I wrote above. We just did this cruise but Eastbound. We noticed that almost everything there was to see, especially through the cut and on the Pacific end of the cut was on the East side of the canal. (I mean everything except the locks themselves). Therefore, if you have a balcony on the port side of the ship you could probably remain on your balcony a good deal of the time and see just about everything. This would also be a good side as you go through the lake as the shipping lane is port to port so you will see the ships going in the opposite direction going right by you. Another advantage will be that the afternoon sun will be to your back. We were on port side but since we were going east we found we went back and forth from our balcony to the starboard promenade deck or to the back deck so we could see everything.

 

As you go through the locks you may want to try to get a spot on one of only 3 places on the ship for a good forward view as you go through at least one set of the locks. It does give you a different perspective than from your balcony.

 

Those 3 places are: The Dome, The very small forward area on Baja deck (reached by going forward on the starboard side)and the crews swimming pool area which is made available to passengers during the transit. It is reached from the port side of the show lounge on deck 8. They will have signs guiding you there but I never heard it announced. I know about it from reading it here on CC. The back of the ship also gives some great views and there is lots of deck areas there on a number of levels.

 

I hope all this made sense. If I had to do it all over again, we would get a port balcony Westbound. If you don't want a balcony then it really doesn't matter and bottom line is no matter where you are you will find a place to see what you want to see and have a wonderful time.

[Ready to Sail!]

One more thought on the above information. As you approach the locks it seems to be pretty much "pot luck" which lane you go through, depending on the traffic ahead of you so I don't think this is a deciding factor in deciding port from starboard.

[jnc411]

On our last trip thru the locks in 2003 we went up on the top deck and could walk from one side of ship to other to see what was going on. It was so interesting, we wern't able to get a spot on the bow but still were able to see it all, and we also went down to the lower promanade on that ship and got a close up look as well. We actually saw and took pictures of the canal staff that boards the ship to work while going thru the locks, what fun that was. We were not on the Regal so I am not sure where they would beon this trip, we were on the RCI Grandeur of the Seas for that trip, we will be on the Regal in March west to east for this trip. Also there is a book, called Path Between the Seas , that is the history and story of the canal that we read prior to our first trans canal trip, you might want to check that out. It is a good read.

While keeping in mind and in prayer our neighbors in India, Thiland and all the places affected by the Tsunami, I wish you all a Happy New Year.

Cori

[LasVegasSandee]

Thank you all the information on where to be and to see in the Canal!! Am looking forward to it.And will have to get the book, my husband is a history nut and am sure he will love knowing all the ins and outs of the canal. We just got off the Caribbean Princess 12/4-12/11/2004 and am ready and waiting for this cruise! We have found that crusing is the most cost effective way to see lots of places, and have lots of fun for not that much money per day! Happy New Year to all! Thanks again!!!!! Any one have information on some of the ports on the Caribbean side??

[Ready to Sail!]

My husband also read "Passage Between the Seas" before our cruise and he really enjoyed it. It was more than I wanted to read but he shared lots of great info with me. Your husband will enjoy it. I found it as Costco for around $10.00.

 

As for the Caribbean ports, we snorkeled in Aruba and really had a good time with the tour we were on. Open bar with yummy Pina Coladas. I think it was the "Sail and Snorkel". In Ocho Rios we did the "Highlights and Dunn's River Falls". Climbing the Falls was really a lot of fun but harder than I though it would be. We are in our 60's but consider ourselves in good shape for our "old age". We decided it was one of those must do things and we might not ever get back there again so went for it.

 

Carol

[rosej]

Hi Mary Jane,

I noticed you had a post on the Costa Rica board about the skywalk. I was wondering if you did that tour and what you thought of it. I saw some photos where you have to climb up a very tall tower and then walk out onto the suspended bridge. Was it like that? In general I do OK with heights but that looked like it might be a bit challenging for me.

Thanks....