Regal Princess Review

First time on Princess, and probably not the last!

Review for the Eastern Caribbean Cruise on Regal Princess
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akcruiser29
10+ Cruises • Age 50s

Rating by category

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

Additional details

Sail Date: Apr 2023
Cabin: Balcony

Back in the early 2000s, I got hooked on cruising like a fish on a line. But then I took a break for a while. Fast forward to April 2023, and I'm back at it again with my third cruise in the last two years, this time aboard the Regal Princess - my very first trip with Princess Cruises. As a solo cruiser, I sailed with Virgin Voyages in December 2021, and then again in December 2022 on HAL's Nieuw Statendam. My hope for this Princess cruise was to find more activities to keep me busy compared to the super chill vibes on HAL's ships. And boy, did I get what I wished for! Throughout this review, I'll be comparing Princess to HAL, since that was my most recent voyage before Regal Princess, and also because these two lines are more closely matched than Virgin Voyages, which is an adults-only cruise line without a main dining room and a lot of included options. Both Princess and HAL operate as premium brands under the Carnival Corporation umbrella. However, the level of luxury can vary depending on the ship. Some of Carnival's newer and larger vessels can outdo Princess's ships in terms of amenities. In this review, I'll be awarding each category a star rating, with 3 being satisfactory, 4 being great, and 5 being outstanding.

Embarkation

Well, the embarkation process didn't exactly go as smoothly as it did with HAL a few months prior. There was a maze of lines to go through security screenings. The security screening process was more thorough than I expected, but hey, better safe than sorry! And then there was the registration line, which felt like it lasted for ages, even though I had filled out everything on the Princess app and had the glorious green line status. Thank goodness I had my medallion device already with me, shipped conveniently to my home beforehand. One thing to note, the terminal where Princess operates is the furthest one from the port entrance, so my taxi driver and I went on a little adventure before finally finding our way there. Once on board, we were informed that our staterooms weren't quite ready yet, so I made my way to Alfredo's Pizzeria for a delicious lunch to pass the time until the announcement that we could finally make our way to our rooms (around 2pm). Overall, I'd rate the embarkation process a solid 3.5 stars, but sorry Princess, HAL still takes the cake on this one!

Cabin Review

Balcony

My cabin was a regular balcony cabin, and as a solo traveler, it was more than enough. However, when compared to HAL's Nieuw Statendam, the balcony on this one was way smaller, and the bathroom wasn't as modern either. I mean, who even uses a shower curtain these days? Glass doors all the way! But I get it, curtains allow for more space inside the shower. Just be careful not to flood the bathroom if the curtain ever goes over the edge of the shower base! The mirror in the bathroom fogged up like a champ during my shower, making shaving right after a major hassle. The wardrobe closet didn't have a door, but it had more than enough space, and there was a shelf area with a door where the safe was located. The desk was kinda useless for me, though. I wish there was a seating area instead. On the bright side, the flat-screen TV was legit, offering port info, talks from the cruise staff, and a wide range of on-demand movies and live TV programs. And let me tell you, the bed was as comfortable as a cloud, and I slept like a baby every night. There were robes in the stateroom, but they were a bit small for me (I wear a medium), and they weren't exactly plush. Shoutout to Francis, my room attendant, who was a total gem and resolved any issues pronto. Overall, I'd give the cabin a solid 4 stars, but let's be real, HAL takes the W for their much more modern cabins with larger balconies.

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