Regal Princess Review
4.0 / 5.0
SeaMaverick
6-10 Cruises • Age 60s
Rating by category
Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service
Additional details
Sail Date: Sep 2018
Cabin: Interior
This comprehensive review is for the Regal Princess, specifically for a round trip voyage from Brooklyn, New York to New England and Canada during the period September 29 – October 6, 2018. Overall this itinerary is an excellent opportunity to visit multiple ports in the northeast, despite the high probability of inclement weather in the Maritime Provinces this time of year. As for the Regal Princess, it is a tale of two ships. Where it was good – it was excellent. Where it was not good – it was poor.
BACKGROUND:
I am 60 and my wife is in her 50s. As experienced cruisers, this year’s vacation was based totally on the destination, as we wanted to take a New England cruise in the fall. We selected Princess because it left from a local port and included 5 ports-of-call in 7 nights. We wanted to try both the Brooklyn terminal as well as Princess to see how they compare against our favorite cruise line, Norwegian, and our preferred embarkation port, Bayonne.
Cabin Review
Interior
Cabin IA
Room A418 is excellently located. This is a sideways cabin, in that when you enter you are immediately in the sleeping area. You need to go around a corner in the room to access the closets and the bathroom. This gives the impression of having a mini-suite. There is more than sufficient storage for 2 people. There are two closets (open front, no door), multiple shelves and at least a half-dozen drawers. Additional storage for your luggage is provided underneath the bed.
The room has the largest cabin safe I have seen, but also the smallest bathroom I have encountered on any cruise ship. (While sitting in the middle of the bathroom you can literally touch all 4 walls!)
Additional amenities include a mini refrigerator, an oversize flat screen TV, a full length mirror, one desk chair, and a portable hair dryer (wired inside the drawer beneath the TV for some odd reason). There is no bathrobe or towel animals at night, but Princess gives each room a complimentary tote bag for shopping in port.
The bed is extra firm. Additionally, on this ship you must insert either your keycard or similar card into a slot on the wall to activate the lights. When you remove it, the lights automatically go out in approximately 1 minute.
All in all, a comfortable room for 2 people for a 7 night cruise.
Port Reviews
Halifax
Very pretty Canadian town. The Harbour Walk is a great way to see some of the local sights, and shopping at Pier 21 is a step above regular tourist tchotchke.
Saint John (New Brunswick)
If it is your first time to St. John, it is a quaint maritime community. If you have been here before, and seen/done everything, then it is simply a nice stop to get off the ship and walk around for a few hours. The people are nice, but there are no real sights to see in town.
Newport
Newport was gorgeous, and very walkable if you are in good shape. Start early in the morning and walk to the head of the Cliff Walk, then take your time strolling along the water. The tender ride takes about a 1/2 hour, and the line to get back on the ship in the afternoon is very long - so plan accordingly.
Boston
Boston is a city in love with itself. Either you share this feeling and enjoy being there, or you do not and cannot wait for the ship to leave. This is a major metropolitan area, not a quaint tourist destination, so keep that in mind. Getting downtown from the Black Falcon Terminal is not really walkable -- not so much because of the distance but because of the location and traffic. My recommendation is take this opportunity to stay on the ship and enjoy an enrichment program.
31 Helpful Votes
Find a Regal Princess Cruise from $274
Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.