Regal Princess Review

4.0 / 5.0
1,790 reviews

First Cruise of Many!

Review for the Eastern Caribbean Cruise on Regal Princess
User Avatar
balconywinds
First Time Cruiser • Age 30s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service

Additional details

Sail Date: Feb 2016
Cabin: Deluxe Balcony

In case the title didn't give it away, this was the first cruise that my wife and I had ever taken. In fact, this was the first time we'd ever even been to the Caribbean. We had done months of research leading up to this. Where did we want to go? What activities were important to us? Compared cruise lines, and just about every other thing you can think of we looked into it. I had actually spent years looking into this stuff as I had spent the last two years trying to convince my wife this was something we should try. Once I finally convinced her, here is what we ended up doing.

Against the better advice of most people, we flew down to Fort Lauderdale the morning of our cruise. Most would suggest you not do this, and I would have to agree. We did this simply because it saved $200CAD per person on the flight ($400CAD for both of us combined), but it was a relatively stressful way to start the trip and I suggest going down the night before if you can.

After receiving some advice from a travel agent friend we opted not to take the airport transfers offered by Princess. By doing so, we saved ourselves about $50CAD on arrival and on departure. The cab driver on the way down was great and got us there is plenty of time, but the port is jam packed on weekends. The cab driver ensured us we had plenty of time, but as we sat behind hundreds of cars waiting we were somewhat concerned. When my wife and I talked about it afterwards we decided that the savings were great, but again, piece of mind may have been a better choice in the long run.

Cabin Review

Deluxe Balcony

Cabin D4

When we got on board we went straight for our cabin. We obviously wanted to put down our bags and get settled in, but I was really interested in seeing what it looked like. I had heard they were very small, so to be prepared. Our room (Deck 9 Dolphin, D729) was amazing! Unlike what had been described to us, it really wasn't much smaller than a typical hotel room. We had two twins pushed together to make a king sized bed, a sitting area with a love seat and table, and finally a small desk that my wife used to get ready most of the week. The bathroom was the only part that was small, so this desk was handy for her. The room was aft facing with a larger than normal balcony, so if you plan to cruise on the Regal Princess book this cabin!

Port Reviews

Princess Cays

This was likely the highlight of our trip! While the weather wasn't the greatest, the tour itself made up for everything! The tour guide was incredibly knowledgable and was able to answer just about any questions thrown her way. We saw parts of the island we likely would have never seen had we been on our own. Things like a random abandoned lighthouse that gave some breathtaking views of the Caribbean Sea. The price was a bit steep, but worth every bit we paid.

St. Thomas

We absolutely loved St. Thomas and the US Virgin Islands! We did our own thing here, taking a taxi from the port to Magen's Bay. The beach was very busy, but if you were willing to walk down the shore line a little way you could get away from the crowds and really enjoy it. Some of our most beautiful pictures we got came from St. Thomas! Simply gorgeous.

St. Maarten

It could just be that we did St. Thomas first, but we did feel that St. Marten looked quite a bit similar. We also found the main shopping area, which apparently St. Marteen is know for, to be very crowded. This is not to say that St. Marteen isn't beautiful, but we found it a little busy and chaotic.

11 Helpful Votes
previous reviewnext review

Find a Regal Princess Cruise from $418

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.