We have sailed on Princess many times, and have been satisfied, for the most part, up until now. We were very disappointed in the Regal Princess. One would think that a larger, newer, ship would have at least as many amenities/venues as the older, smaller ships. However, that is not the case. A few examples: one most of the older Princess ships, there is a covered area with hot tubs and a small pool, that is protected from the elements. Typically there is a retractable roof that can be closed during inclement weather. Thus even when it is windy on deck, not sunny, rainy, etc. one can use the hot tubs, take a swim, or just lounge and read. No such venue exists anywhere on the huge Regal Princess. All the hot tubs and pools are out in the elements. Our cruise started in the Baltic and crossed the Atlantic, so there were quite a few days where it was simply not pleasant to be on deck. As a result, the many hot tubs on board were typically empty. On a related note, since it was not pleasant to be on deck and use the hot tub, I thought I'd use the steam bath. On prior Princess cruises, this was no problem - the steam bath/sauna are typically part of the locker rooms in the fitness center area and available to anyone wanting to use them. Not so on the Regal Princess. The steam bath/sauna are in the spa area, and only available for a fee. Not only that, a day fee is not available. I was told that in order to have the privilege of using these facilities I would have to pay a fee for the entire cruise of $480. This is exorbitant and inappropriate. Next, the ballroom dancing venues have largely disappeared. The Explorer's Lounge in the front of the ship is gone - in its place is "The Sanctuary" - a pay-for-use space, also out in the elements, with cabanas. Thus there is no lounge on the bow of the ship to have a drink, watch the ship move through the water, etc. And, the great wood dance floor and venue for entertainment is gone. Second, the dance floor in the Wheel House is now a postage size in the middle of the hallway from one end of the ship to another. In its place is a specialty restaurant (another extra fee opportunity - are you seeing a trend here)? There is a dance floor in the Vista Lounge, but on our 26 day trip it was only used for music/dancing a handful of times. Instead they would screen movies that were available for viewing in the stateroom, which seemed to us like an inefficient way to use this space. The primary space for music/dancing, in the Piazza, is ok, but because of the open floor plan on 5-7, it is impossible to have music on 5 in the Piazza and on 7 in the Crooner's lounge, at the same time. As a result, there was often an hour between dance sets. In addition, there is not enough space in the Princess Theater to hold half the passengers. As a result, on many evenings one would have to get to the Theater 30 minutes ahead of the show to get a seat. Lastly, as a result of the larger ship, on many occasions we were not able to dock close to downtown. In Stockholm, we went to Nynasham, not Stockholm at all, and had to tender. Those going to Stockholm thus had a commute of 90 minutes to get to the City. This reduces the time available to enjoy the ports. Summary: the ship may be larger, but there are fewer amenities and less usable space. We will not be returning to a cruise on this ship.