Regal Princess is unmistakably elegant, accomplishing something mainstream cruise ships occasionally struggle with: finding a balance between fun and refinement. The decor is comfortable, with warm tones and plenty of wood and marble. The Piazza, a hallmark of the line, is truly grand; it's large, encompasses three decks and has three bold spiral staircases. At night, it's where you'll want to spend your time watching people, listening to music or sipping cocktails.
Regal Princess is a near twin of fleetmate Royal Princess, so it has mostly the same features. These include the SeaWalk, a cantilevered glass walkway that juts out from the Lido Deck, allowing passengers to take in unobstructed views of the sea below. It's a fun touch, though it loses its appeal after you've taken the walk once. Editor's Tip: For a fun photo, station one person on the promenade on Deck 7, directly below the SeaWalk. Have the model look up to the SeaWalk and wave. Snap a pic looking down through the SeaWalk.
When Royal Princess debuted, passengers complained that two staples on the lines' other ships were lacking: the aft pool and the promenade deck. In response, Princess made changes to get versions of those on Regal Princess, with some success. The aft pool is a solid, though small, addition to Regal Princess, but the promenade still misses the mark. It doesn't wrap the ship like a true promenade; instead, it comprises two outdoor decks -- one portside, the other starboard side -- that are only accessible by cutting through the ship.
A highlight onboard is the food, which we enjoyed in most venues. The buffet offers tremendous variety, with many options for international palates, and the for-fee restaurants -- specifically Sabatini's and Crown Grill -- are reasonably priced. Still, those who don't want to pay have enough options that they won't feel slighted. Conversely, those who want to splurge on the Chef's Table and the Winemaker's dinner will likely feel as if it was money well spent.
Regal Princess is part of Princess' Medallion Class of ships, which makes use of the innovative OceanMedallion. The system includes a wearable OceanMedallion, which is used to make purchases and automatically unlock your cabin door when you approach it. It also involves a robust smartphone app that lets passengers send messages and locate each other on the ship, as well as navigate their way to onboard venues. You can also use it to order food, drinks and other retail items to other location, such as your poolside deck chair.
While this new technology represents a major evolution for the line, Princess fans will still find the things they love about the line onboard this ship. The overall vibe is relaxing and fun -- exactly what you want a vacation to be.
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About
Inclusions
Included with your cruise fare:
Meals in the three main dining rooms and Horizon Court buffet, plus meals and snacks at Alfredo’s Pizzeria, the International Cafe and Trident Grill; also 24-hour room service (excluding select menu items)
Broadway-style production shows in the Princess Theatre
Most activities and events listed in the Princess Patter daily program
Movies Under the Stars events, with popcorn
Use of the fitness center (except classes)
Water, coffee, tea, and select juices from the Horizon Court buffet
Camp Discovery Youth Center programs through 10 p.m.
Organized activities for cruisers aged 18 to 20 in Club 1820
Use of the onboard sports court, table tennis and lawn court
Daily tips, only on cruises in Australia
Not included with your cruise fare:
Daily gratuities of $14.50 per person, per day for interior, oceanview and balcony rooms; $15.50 for mini-suite and Club Class suites; and $16.50 for full suites
Automatic gratuities of 18 percent added to all Lotus Spa services and beverage purchases
Most alternative dining venues
Treatments and products in the Lotus Spa
Access to The Enclave thermal suite in the Lotus Spa
Organized fitness classes in the gym
Access to the adults-only Sanctuary on Deck 17
All beverages, except water, tea, coffee and juices from the buffet
Shore excursions
Wi-Fi internet packages
Optional OceanMedallion accessories
Fee-based activities such as bingo, casino gaming and shopping programs
Babysitting in Camp Discovery after 10:00 p.m. ($5 per child, per hour)
Photos and artwork
Fellow Passengers
Passengers tend to be a solid mix of older and younger couples, as well as families, which are more prevalent during the summer and holiday seasons and while Regal Princess sails the Caribbean. While many passengers are North Americans, Europeans and Asians do sail the line, especially during Regal Princess' European sailings. When the ship is Down Under, the passenger base skews heavily in favor of Australians and New Zealanders with Japanese, Chinese and Korean cruisers heavily represented.
Regal Princess Dress Code
Daytime: During the day, casual is the name of the game, with shorts, swimsuits and flip-flops the norm.
Evening: In the evening, passengers wear resort-casual attire. For men, that generally means khakis or slacks and button-down or collared shirts. Women wear dresses or skirts, capris or slacks and blouses. On formal nights, evening attire is the standard. For men, that includes suits (jackets optional) and slacks or the occasional tuxedo. Women wear cocktail or evening gowns or formal pantsuits. Cruises of four days or fewer won't have formal nights, but those with five or six days will feature one formal night; seven- to 13-day sailings will have two formal nights; and voyages of 14 to 20 days will feature three formal nights.
Not permitted: In the dining rooms, items such as shorts, pool wear, distressed jeans and baseball caps are not permitted; shoes must be worn at all times.
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Is Regal Princess a good ship to cruise on?
Twice on it and good both times
many10+ Cruises
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Age 60s
Princess seems to be stepping up
many10+ Cruises
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Age 70s
Regal Reserve Class mni suite cruise
many10+ Cruises
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Age 55s
Maybe it was an off week?
many10+ Cruises
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Age 25s
