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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Susan Kohl
Email: susan_kohl@hotbot.com
Age: 44
Occupation: Own a retail kitchen store
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Regal
SailingDate: March 28, 1999
Itinerary: Roundtrip Panama Canal
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 70
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 70
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 65
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess: 95
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 75
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 85
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 08 Apr 1999
Time: 22:42:54
Remote Name: ppp361-pm8.humboldt1.com
Remote User:
Comments
This was my husband and my first cruise. We were looking for something truly relaxing and
wanted to go somewhere where
the sun actually shines. We found a great vacation in the Regal Princess roundtrip from
Ft. Lauderdale with a partial transit
of the Panama Canal. The ship is beautiful; not as glamorous as the newer Grand Princess,
but a great size (not nearly as
big), and very comfortable. We imagined how much longer those hallways must be on the
Grand.
We flew into Ft. Lauderdale on the day preceding our embarking, and stayed overnight at
Embassy Suites. Imagine my
surprise when I awoke and stepped out on the balcony to enjoy my first balmy morning in
sunny Florida, and to my surprise
saw both the Grand and Regal Princesses docked only a few blocks away. We couldn't wait
and after breakfast took a walk
to get closer to these beautiful ships. Apparently there was a snag and due to the large
number of ships departing that day
and our bus was delayed so we had quite a long wait in the lobby. Finally, it arrived and
we were off to an easy embarkation.
Lunch was almost over, so we hightailed it to the dining room to catch a late lunch before
exploring. What with all the
interesting things to see we were sailing away before long.
We had great dinner companions, and ended up eating every night in the Palm Court,
although we had breakfast and lunch
in the buffet restaurant (Cafe Del Sol). The food was much better in the Palm Court, but
somehow the formality of it was too
much for breakfast. My husband says he doesn't want to be social before coffee. That
brings me to my first criticism. I can't
understand how an Italian ship could serve such ordinary Columbian coffee. I'm sorry, but
Juan Valdez doesn't grow the
finest coffee in my world. I much prefer Italian or French Roast or Costa Rican Tarrazu.
Maybe I am a coffee snob, but
Princess would be much better off scrapping 'La Patisserie' which is really just another
excuse for a bar and open a
Starbucks on board instead.
A good word for the Pizzeria on the Lido deck. The pizzas are made fresh to order and are
delicious! We ate lunch there
several times and I loved every one!
We had two days at sea after departing Ft. Lauderdale, and the second one was over open
ocean. There was quite a swell,
and we didn't sleep too well the second night due to a fair amount of roll, and creaking
in the cabin. In general,our cabin was
very comfortable and quiet. We were directly over the show lounge, and I never heard a
thing from the shows. Very good
sound insulation. The third day we pulled into Cartagena. I was really excited about this
port-of-call, because of the history.
But it was really disappointing. It was the end of their dry season, and things were very
dry and dusty. It is a pretty
impoverished country and the street vendors are so aggressive, it was hard to enjoy the
nice things the city had to offer. My
husband sells jewelry, and we both love gems, so I have to admit I spent more money on
emeralds than any other
port-of-call, so Cartagena did have its good points (and every time I wear them I'll
remember this trip with a smile)! As we
were sailing off towards Panama on my last look back I finally recognized the fort where
they filmed Romancing The Stone. I
had been looking in vain all day.
The highlight of this trip had to be the Panama Canal. It was fascinating. We went through
the Gatun Locks in tandem next
to a cargo ship. It was great to watch all the activity on the ship next door. What a
marvel of engineering built at a time when
we barely had the technology to create such a piece of work. I highly recommend 'Path
Between the Seas' should you be
headed to the canal. It gives you an appreciation for the hardships and lost lives in an
effort to create such a valuable
passage.
Our next port-of-call was Limon, Costa Rica. It was Good Friday and most of the town was
closed, but we took the
Tortaguerra Canal excursion. Our guide, Wendy was excellent. She spoke very good English
and was great at pointing out
wildlife. We saw sloths, howler monkeys, toucans, crocadile, herons, egrets, and many
other birds. Our return trip was
through a banana plantation. Overall, this was a great excursion for anyone of almost any
age.
Our next stop was Grand Cayman on Easter Sunday. I admire the kindness of the people who
took us on such great
excursions and opened their stores to give the cruise passengers such a nice time. I went
on the Ray and Reef Snorkling
tour. First they take you on a boat trip to a sandbar where the sting rays come to be fed.
You stand in the shallow water and
they swim right up to you. It can be very disconcerting at first, but they are such gentle
creatures and their skin is silky
smooth. That was so much fun that the snorkling which followed was anticlimactic, but
still fabulous. A ray was swimming
around the reef and all kinds of colorful fish and coral. The water is so clear. I've
never seen such beautiful water. Roy, who
doesn't like to get wet, took a tour that included an underwater boat trip, and a tour of
a turtle farm. He loved his tour too.
Grand Cayman is such a beautiful place, I'd love to go back, and the people are so
friendly.
Our last port was Cozumel. Roy and I decided against a shore excursion, and took a cab to
Chankanuub Park. It is a
beautiful park, with a white sand beach and lots of palapas to get some shade. The
snorkling is great, all kinds of fish. Roy
got an eyeful right from the shore. The reef is not very big there though so there is
limited area, but overall a great place for
snorkling right on shore. The park has great facilities including showers, restrooms and
restaurants. They have a botanical
trail, lots of iguanas, and an archeological walk with carvings and bas reliefs from other
sites around Mexico. The cab costs
$8 and admission is $7 per person. There is a cab stand for easy return to town. After a
cleanup on board ship we headed
into town for a little shopping. There are a ton of tourist shops. Every one pretty much
looked exactly like all the others. It
wasn't very impressive, except that it goes on and on. Also, most of the people we talked
with were pretty rude and didn't
really want to be dealing with the gringo cruise tourists. I don't really blame them on
one level, but I work with the public and
help a lot of tourists in my business. I really don't think its any more difficult to be
pleasant, so I don't have much patience
with rude shopkeepers. I certainly don't need to spend my money with rude people.
I know this is long, but since I probably won't get to cruise again for awhile, please
allow me my rambling. A few notes about
Princess cruising. Overall, it was a great vacation. Easy, no problems, no stress. In
general the cruise passengers were
pretty elderly, so entertainment and conversation was pretty much geared to their
interests. Our table companions were
great, but they had a propensity to break out in song (almost always Rogers and
Hammerstein or maybe Frank Sinatra). I
enjoy the old music, but I kept thinking I sure would like to give them a dose of my son's
music like Korn to give them a jolt.
On second thought I wouldn't want to contribute to any heart attacks.
Another note was the dress was much more formal than I expected. Roy had a tuxedo for
formal nights, and I had a long
gown. But on some of the casusal nights I saw sequins and what I would call cocktail
gowns. Roy said he thought it was
because of Easter week, but somedays I felt underdressed. If I cruise again with Princess,
I will definately go overboard on
the clothes rather than my usual casual wear.
All in all I would highly recommend this trip to anyone. Princess really succeeds in
creating a wonderful vacation. And the
Regal is a fine ship. I will certainly enjoy my warm memories for many a cold night to
come.
Name: Joy Katzung
Email: Joyce@EVcom.net
Age: 50
Occupation: Rehabilitation Administrator
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Regal
SailingDate: April 7, 1999
Itinerary: Cozumel, Grd Cayman, Pan Can, Costa Rica, Cartagen
FoodDiningRoom: 97
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 98
FoodRoomService: 96
CruiseStaff: 96
CabinAmenities: 98
FoodLidoDeck: 65
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 80
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 97
FoodVariety: 97
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 86
GoodForHoneymoon: 75
CasinoStaff: 94
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 75
LoungeService: 94
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 99
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 94
WheelchairAccess: 94
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 98
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 96
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 98
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 99
Stabilization: 98
ShopsOnBoard: 94
SpaceRatio: 98
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 19 Apr 1999
Time: 21:29:48
Remote Name: wpb-tcr6-30.dyn.evcom.net
Remote User:
Comments
The Regal Princess was extremely clean throughout the ship from our stateroom to the
eating areas. I have a germ phobia
so the cleanliness of the ship meant alot to me. All areas of the ship are spacious. I was
surprised to find that restrooms in
public areas are even larger than required for disabled access. This also was important to
me because I was traveling with
my mother who can"t walk and uses an electric scooter. Ship staff were always
friendly and helpful. At Costa Rica, the dock
required a ramp that my mother could not ride her scooter down or up. Regal Princess staff
helped her down and up the
ramp on a wheelchair used with a special piece of equipment. The destinations were great:
Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Costa
Rica, Panama Canal, and Cartagena. My mother and I toured three ports independently with
cab drivers as opposed to
purchasing excursions. We found our cost to be about the same as excursions going to the
same areas. Each of the cab
drivers was friendly and informative. Our stateroom did have creaking during the last
three days of the cruise when winds
picked up and the sea was rougher than earlier in the cruise. Occasionally, in the
evening, we could hear muffled music from
a lounge near our stateroom. The food in the dining room was excellent. Throughout the ten
day cruise, there were only
three or four items I did not like. The food in the buffet area was not as good. There was
little variety compared to buffets on
other cruises I have been on and food meant to be served hot was often room temperature or
cold. The pizza was excellent.
There is a menu with a variety of pizza types and a specialty pizza each day. Most
passengers, by far, were senior citizens. I
only saw children on three or four occasions. I'd guess that at least 80% of the
passengers were senior citizens. Yet, there
were many activities available for all ages every day. The casino rules were great for
blackjack players. The blackjack
tournament was run loosely. The casino hours were limited compared to other cruises I have
been on. Even on days at sea,
the casino did not open for table games until about 2:00 pm. The casino staff members were
friendly. Overall, it was a dream
vacation for my mother and I. We plan to take another Princess cruise in about a year. We
met three couples and a single
person during the cruise who had taken Princess cruises previously and continue to stick
with Princess. Some had cruised
with other cruise lines and prefer Princess.
Name: Mike Talps
Email: JazzManMT@AOL.com
Age: 41
Occupation: Teacher/Coach
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Regal
SailingDate: August 8, 1999
Itinerary: Alaska / Inside Passage
Cabin: E146
FoodDiningRoom: 92
CruiseDirector: 98
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 98
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 93
ShoreExcValue: 96
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 98
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 97
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 88
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 99
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 99
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 99
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 19 Aug 1999
Time: 02:16:15
Remote Name: spider-ta083.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:
Comments
First of all the port in Vancouver BC is absolutely great. Canada Place is a fantastic
port to depart from. Embarkation
was a breeze. From the time we arrived till we were on board was about 15 minutes total.
Princess is very organized
and efficent in this area. Upon arrival at the cabin, E146 outside, I found my Princess
ordered Tux already hanging in
the closet. Fit like a charm. Had a quick lunch at the Cafe del Sol and prepared to depart
from Canada Place pier.
The second night was a formal night and about half the men at the early seating wore
Tuxedos. We also had a bit of
rough seas that second night. Quite a bit of pitching and rolling and my wife even got a
little sick. It was rough again
at about the same point on our return as well. Otherwise it was very smooth sailing.
We had great weather in Juneau
and Skagway, sunny and about 80. Sitka was a half day only and it was overcast and
drizzly. The cabins were nice,
with a few amenities like terry cloth towels, fresh fruit daily, hair dryer, and pretty
good clothing space. We were 3 to
the room with two twins and one upper bunk. Space at critical times, dressing in the
morning got a little tight
otherwise plenty of space, and pretty quitet. The food was very good overall inthe dining
room. You could get fresh
seafood every night along with steak and a couple of other items. The menu had good
variety and the desserts were
fantastic! The Bravo pizza resturant was only open 11-6 and 8:30-12:30. we really would
have liked a slice in the late
evening after leaving the lounges around 1 or 1:30. Also during the dinner hour on the
days I didn't go to the dining
room. The pizza was very good.
Room service was ok... mostly cold sandwiches and salads. A few deserts and
drinks. Cafe del sol was the alternative dining resturant. Good for breakfast and lunch.
During dinner served almost
the same exact dinner menu as the dining room. Small candlelit tables, but casual dress
ok. Late night dining this
was the main option other than room service. Hamburger bar on the Lido deck daily was very
good...also had
bratwurst, knackwurst, chicken sandwiches,fries and a salad bar. Entertainment was better
than average, and most
was ok for families and kids. Our cruise director Graham Seymour was fantastic. Reminded
me a bit of the actor
Hugh Grant with a bit more outgoing personality but very funny English wit and humor.
Adventures ahore port tours
were fantastic. Lots to choose from and all seemed to be very well organized. Princess
does this part of the cruise
very very good. From signing up top meeting your tour to returning to the ship. Would
definitely recomend touring
this way reather than on own unless you really are familiar with area. One example was our
half day in Sitka.
Everyone got off the ship by tenders which held abotu 40 people or so. The last tender
back was to depart the port
at 12:15 and we were all to be back on board by 12:30. Well everyone must have had the
same idea...catch tha last
shuttle back. Well Princess was well prepared having two much larger boats waiting at
12:15 otherwise it would have
taken the tenders and hour os more to get everyone back. As it was we did depart on time.
Great foresight by
Princess...Kudos! We had a great cruise and a wonderful time. E mail me if you would like
more information. Mike
Talps
Name: Carrie Higuera
Email: carrie_0130@yahoo.com
Age: 24
Occupation: Kindergarten teacher
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Regal
SailingDate: August 15, 1999
Itinerary: Alaska's Inside Passage
Cabin: B242/Outside double with balcony
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 70
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 99
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 50
CabinSteward: 99
ShoreExcVariety: 100
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 100
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 50
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 100
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 100
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 24 Aug 1999
Time: 22:10:08
Remote Name: 40.san-francisco-15rs.ca.dial-access.att.net
Remote User:
Comments
Well, we just got back from our cruise two days ago (we being my father, mother and 17 yr.
old sister). This was
hands down our best vacation ever. I just don't see how anything else could compare to the
beauty and wildlife of
Alaska. Our cruise went off fairly smoothly. We opted to use the air/sea program to avoid
any hassles, as we had
never been on a cruise before, and had never been to the Vancouver area either. We
departed the plane (a direct
flight that morning) and caught a shuttle to the dock, about a thirty minute drive.
Embarkation went smoothly and we
boarded the ship without mishap. We settled in, and LOVED our rooms, B 242 and B 244, both
outside doubles with
a balcony. Worth the extra price for Alaska!! If you can afford it, I highly recommend it!
We ate lunch in the Lido
buffet at about 2pm, and then explored the ship for a while. We did have a slight mishap
as we departed. At five
o'clock, our departure time, my sister and I stood on deck 10, at the bow of the ship ( a
little known fact at the
beginning of the cruise, just follow the starboard, right, hallway on the tenth floor all
the way to the bow, front, of the
ship and turn left at the end. Then turn right and there is a large wooden door that takes
you out to a large balcony
area. We had this place to ourselves! It spands the front of the ship). Anyway, it was
pouring rain number
one...BRING AN UMBRELLA!...and secondly, some one became extremely ill and had to be
removed from the ship, I
do not know the specifics, delaying our departure about forty-five minutes.
So, finally we were off. On the second day
out, we hit really rough seas...people were literally zigzagging across the hallways, and
our chair slid across the our
cabin. I was fairly green, but luckily my mom though ahead and ordered these patches,
Transcop or something, that
you place behind your ear and they last for three days. They were a life saver! In a
couple of hours, and during the
roughest part of the evening, I was having a great time in the show lounge. If your prone
to sea sickness, I
recommend these over drammamine, they worked better for me and I could forget about them
for three days instead
of downing a pill every few hours. I was told that the day you depart and the first day at
sea on this cruise is typically
rough, as you hit open ocean with sizeable swells. Junea...this was my favorite port, as
we took a helicopter tour to
Mendenhall Glacier, walked on the glacier and drank the freshest water from a stream
there. This was the highlight
of my entire vacation.
Skagway...we took the train trip...if you like trains, this is for you. If you think
you can find
something better to do with three hours of your time, you can. It was a beautiful trip,
but a long one, which left us with
little time for anything else in Skagway. Day at Glacier Bay...we stayed busy playing
bingo and horse racing and
name that tune in the evening, or a pyramid game like the old tv gameshow, I can't
remember which happened on
which day. Most of the time we spent viewing the glaciers...beautiful!! This is where
having a private balcony came in
handy. For the most part, we stayed up on the jogging track, because have the time the
opposite side of the ship
saw the sights, and our room was on the wrong side. However, when we came upon humpback
whales, our side of
the ship was on the appropriate side, so we rushed down to our room to view the most
spectacular sight! The whales
were soooooo close to us, we could see them clearly with with out naked eye and got some
great photos of them too.
It was so nice to have a clear shot, without some one's elbow or hair in our way. Our deck
was great too the two
times we came upon dolphins...right outside our window!!
Sitka...we took the Sea Otter and Nature Cruise, well worth
the money!! Once again, we came upon humpbacks, one even breeched! We saw about thirty sea
otters, and
hundreds of birds...including two bald eagles which flew right overhead, puffins, sea
gulls and an aray of shore birds.
The naturalist on board this cruise was excellent. My only complaint is two fold...one,
the brochure said it was a
remarkably smooth ride (it was quite the opposite) and two, we only had about an hour left
to visit the port of
Sitka...not nearly enough!!!! The last day at sea was once again, rough. Debarkation was
uneventful. Our flight back
was somewhat troublesome, as Portland and Seattle were delayed, so they crammed about
three times the number
of people into a small terminal. Once we finally got on our delayed flight home, we sat on
the runway for about half
an hour so a mechanic could check an unessential malfunction! The flight was just fine
once we were airborne.
Our
dining room staff were very good, Chiro our head waiter, and Nelson our assistant waiter,
took very good care of us
and we felt that we really got the best waiters on the ship, particularly Chiro of Italy,
as at breakfast and lunch we had
the opportunity to visit other waiters and they were not nearly as friendly or efficient.
The shows were for the most
part corny, but I did not go to Alaska for the shows. One show however, was extremely
funny...'Pub Night' hosted by
our cruise director, Grahm. Not to be missed!!! As I understand it, Jelly Belly James is
next in line to be cruise
director, and I think that he has been rightly chosen. We had a naturalist on board
(forgive me, I never caught his
name) who lived in the Alaska wild for two years. Apparently his father is an x-pro
football player and the naturalist
now has specials on television regarding wildlife...the point is he was beyond excellent.
One lounge singer we heard
night after night in the adagio lounge was absolutely the pits! As was the guest comedian
on board, who flew home
on the same flight we had. His name was Mickey Manners.
However, the guest harmonica player was incredible! I
was not even interested in seeing his show, but I was dragged along by my family...am I
ever glad they made me go!
He was wonderful! Well, I've rambled on for quite a bit, although I have not even
mentioned half of what is on my
mind...I felt no oddity being 24 years old on what is typically a 'seniors' cruise. In
fact, I felt just fine about it. My sister
had a rather large group of kids to hang out with, so she was happy. Lots of fifty-ish
couples, even more of 60 and
above, and a few newlyweds. It was a good mix. Would I ever cruise Princess again? Yes, as
a matter a fact, I am so
pleased with our overall cruise that I really have no reason to try another line. Would I
go to Alaska again? If I had
the choice, I would never have left in the first place.
Name: Nancy Burr- Montanaro
Email: ballywhim@aol.com
Age: 48
Occupation: pony breeder
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Regal
SailingDate: August 22, 1999
Itinerary: inside passage
Cabin: A112-suite
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 99
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 98
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 100
GoodForHoneymoon: 75
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 99
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff: 95
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess: 95
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 80
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 99
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 31 Aug 1999
Time: 20:54:47
Remote Name: spider-th064.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:
Comments
On August 22nd, 1999 my 76 year old father and I cruised the Inside Passage of Alaska
aboard the Princess
Regal. There are so many words to describe this cruise. Awesome, beautiful, breathtaking
are an under
statement! This is a must-do cruise. The excursions we chose were terrific. The scenic
wildlife cruises were
wonderful, both in Juneau and Sitka. We saw at least 30 Humpback Whales, many Sea Otters,
Sea Lions, all sorts
of birds and, of course, hundreds of Bald Eagles!Be sure to bring lots of film, and I
would recommend bringing a
camera with a good telescopic lens and wide angle lens. My little Minolta camera just
didn't do the job of getting
close enough. The Pilots Choice Helicopter Odyssey in Skagway was beyond belief! We landed
and walked on a
glacier, drank glacier water, and saw wild goats eating sweet blueberries, which we also
ate! It was magnificent.
Also in Skagway we did the White Pass Scenic Railway which was beautiful and fun, although
it would not be
scenic if the weather was foggy. The Authentic Alaskan Salmon Bake in Juneau was the only
horrible and
disappointing part of the cruise! Actually it was so bad it was funny, so at least we have
a "funny bad" tale to tell! I
will sum up by saying this was the best trip I've ever taken and Alaska is the most
beautiful place on Earth! I would
go again in a minute! Please feel free to e-mail me. I would love to chat about this
adventure!
Name: John Nugent
Email: nugjoh14@hotmail.com
Age: 49
Occupation: School Administrator
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Regal
SailingDate: July 25, 1999
Itinerary: Alaska Inside Passage
Cabin: C238
FoodDiningRoom: 87
CruiseDirector: 97
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 83
CruiseStaff:
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 97
DiningRoomService: 73
CabinQuietness: 75
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 65
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 87
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 93
LoungeService:
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 82
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities:
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 97
EmbarkDisembark: 80
DiscoNightclubs: 77
DeckSpace: 97
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 87
SpaceRatio: 97
OverallCruiseValue: 87
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 17 Sep 1999
Time: 01:31:14
Remote Name: sdn-ar-001waolymp200.dialsprint.net
Remote User:
Comments
This was our first cruise and maybe we expected too much in many ways. On the other hand,
very much about it was
more than could have been imagined.
Traveling together, as we always have, were my wife and I (ages 48 and 46) and our son and
daughter (ages 20 and
15). We are basically fastfood eaters, video watchers, and web surfers: not very different
from the average middle
class American family in most ways. We have enjoyed our timeshare weeks (we have 3 weeks,
sort of our version of a
country cabin) for our vacations for the last 8 years or so. We had been looking forward
to this trip for almost a year.
The food on board was excellent, in general. Dinners in the Cafe del Sol were elegant,
uncrowded, delicious, and
presented by extremely personable, young service people. The Bravo pizza restaurant was of
the same quality. These
two venues must be among the most fantastic restaurants in the world for the view,
intimacy, ease of eating, and fun.
Breakfast in the Cafe del Sol and in the dining room was excellent in quality and service.
Lunch in the dining room was
OK.
In the dining room, where we ate only two dinners (the first night and the first formal
night)the portions were small and
poor in quality, in some cases. Our daughter's milk was room temperature, my rubber
chicken was cold. I got sick from
the chicken in the middle of the show later on in the evening. The waiter kept saying
'Excuse me, sir' in a sing-song
voice that reflected his annoyance at having to reach around me. I quietly told him aside,
so as not to embarass him or
my family, that he was driving me crazy! To that he replied that he was very busy and
overworked. Strangely, the
assistant waiter spent almost all of his time chatting up a young woman at the next table.
In general, all of the food
service staff seemed sad and tired. Other than the dining room staff, they were not
inclined to take it out on the
passengers, but were quick to complain about Princess as an employer. We felt very sorry
for them.
We attended afternoon tea (open seating) once, and I had to argue with the dining room
captain to get a table for
four, when the dining room was almost empty. I finally told him that if we couldn't sit
alone, we'd leave. He seemed not
to want that to happen and sullenly told an assistant to seat us at a table for four. I
later told him that he had really
made me mad by arguing with me and by his attitude in seating us, and he apologized.
Overcoming my experience
with the captain, tea was beautiful, with unlimited scones and pastries, tea, and
individualized service from a team of
young Central European and South American waiters. All's well that ends well.
The cabin, an outside cabin near the stern, was small for the four of us, but comfy. The
window was dirty and difficult
to see out of as a result. It would not have been worth the premium fare. We got that
cabin assignment and about 30%
back as a rebate to delay our trip by a week. Some other adult passengers had billeted
their kids in the cabin next to
ours and we heard their squabbles at all hours of the day and night. The shower was great
with lots of hot water and
the room in general was of high quality. The beds, including the pull down bunks, were
comfortable.
Our cabin stewardess seemed to be professional at acting pathetic. She made such a
dramatic point of being
homesick for her native country very far away and finding our traveling together as a
family painful to observe that it
was clearly, to us, a ploy for sympathy and money. Her situation was indeed pathetic, but
her insincerely pushing it as
she did was vulgar and she lost our concern for her. She was also pretty lazy. She stored
extra linen and towels (up to
8 sets)in our closet, which had its advantages, but took up a lot of space. She and the
room service staff were
unimpressed by our sense of needing 4 life vests that had all of the features that we
learned about during the life boat
drill, and we almost missed the 'sail away' by insisting on having the proper equipment
before leaving terra firma. The
outside stern deck on C deck, about 8 doors from our cabin, smelled of horribly of rubbish
for the entire trip, day and
night.
Here are some comments on a number of things. We saw some great movies and enjoyed the
shows. The cruise
director was an engaging young Englishman with a sense of humor that was appropriate for
all passengers. The
library was small with no windows, but it was well stocked with new, recently published
books of many types. The pools
and and on deck facilities were impeccably clean and in good condition. The Hamburger Bar
and Salad Bar were
great. The hallways were clean and well lit and decorated with great original art work.
Some well known modern artists
(Mondrian, for one) were among them. The bridge officers during the bridge visitation
hours were almost hostile and
clearly didn't like having civilians in their territory. On the other hand, when you'd
stand on the outside forward deck
and look up at the bridge, the watch officer would wave most cordially. We were looking
forward to the disco, but when
we showed up there late on formal night we were alone with the disc jockey and his Mr. Hat
doll.
Incredibly wonderful sights beyond imagining beforehand: passing under Lion's Gate Bridge
in Vancouver, leaving
Skagway under clear skies at sunset, the Margerie Glacier calving, the beauty of the Regal
Princess handling
moderate swells at sea, the look on my daughter's face as she tells us about humpback
whales visible on leaving
Glacier Bay, the look on my son's face as we ride together in the Dome Lounge early in the
morning going into Glacier
Bay with no other passengers around, the look on my wife's face as she has her second
'free' perfect steak in the
Cafe del Sol, and the view of the mountains in Sitka, with the majestic Regal Princess
riding at anchor 2 miles off, from
the chartered catamaran tender heading back for the ride home to Vancouver.
Embarkation was very efficient. We arrived at Canada Place at 11:30 a.m. and were on board
by 12:05, officially 1
hour and 55 minutes BEFORE official boarding time. The security personnel were very, very
rough with our open
camera equipment. That spoiled something of the moment for my son. Disembarkation was
nothing short of a cattle
call and we felt like refugees. Baggage handling was worse than at the Greyhound Station.
It was quite a downer.
We were able to visit the Sea Princess in Juneau and had a fun buffet dinner in the
Horizon Court. In spite of the
disappointments of our Regal Princess trip, we are planning a round trip (back-to-back)
Gulf of Alaska trip for a couple
or three years from now on a Sea Princess class ship. Since the high points of our first
cruise were so fantastic and
the atmosphere that we observed on the Sea Princess was so much different than on the
Regal, were are eager to try
it again.
Name: Denis Pantle
Email: dpantle@ncs.com
Age: 41
Occupation: Field Engineer
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Regal
SailingDate: 2/4/00
Itinerary: Mexican Riviera
Cabin: C156
FoodDiningRoom: 82
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 92
FoodRoomService: 92
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 93
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 75
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 78
DeckService: 75
ShoreExcValue: 88
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 92
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 75
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 88
EntertainmentLounges: 83
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 93
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon: 88
EntertainmentPoolside: 79
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 92
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 92
EmbarkDisembark: 93
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 82
Stabilization: 91
ShopsOnBoard: 84
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 17 Feb 2000
Time: 18:52:29
Remote Name: 4.sanantonio-06-07rs16rt.tx.dial-access.att.net
Remote User:
Comments
This was our first cruise on Princess, past cruises have been with NCL, Celebrity, and Commodore.
We had high expectations for all aspects of the trip due to other reviews read here, and friends
experiences. That said, some aspects measured up, and some disappointed.
First the good.
Embarkation went very smoothly. We arrived in L.A. around 2pm, met Princess transfer at bagage
claim, collected luggage, and were at the terminal at 3pm. No lines whatsoever, and we were on ship
in 10 minutes. The ship was very clean, well maintained, and getting around and finding everything
was a breeze. The observation lounge and casino under the dome at the top deck was outstanding.
We had a couple of drinks as we sailed out of port. The pool area was very nice with two pools and
two hot tubs. Adjacent were the Lido Cafe, Pizzeria, and another cocktail lounge. There was a
swim-up bar as well. Nicely laid out. The dining room was recently redone, and was nice. Earthy
wood tones and marble gave an impression of intimacy not usually achieved in a room this size. The
main showroom was nice. A little crowded on the lower level, but comfortable in the balcony. Sight
lines were not as bad as I had read from other reviews.
Our stateroom was well appointed with large bathroom, plenty of storage/closet space, room safe,
refrigerator, and offered plenty of room. Our stewardess, Rowena, introduced herself to us as soon
as we boarded, and took care of us for the duration. She was both accessable and unintrusive at all
times. She was undoubtably the best steward(ess) we have ever had. One morning, before
exploring Puerto Vallarta, I couldn't find $40 I had exchanged for small bills the night before. We
looked everywhere. When we returned from port that day, I was not surprised at all to find it on the
dresser. Needless to say that money was added to the recommended gratuity!
The ports were all good. Shopping and dining in Mazatlan; visiting downtown Puerto Vallarta, and
then off to a resort there; snorkling and beach at Playa Las Gatas in Zihuatenejo; La Quebrada,
and a visit to the Hyatt resort in Acapulco; and a ship sponsored snorkling trip and shopping in
Cabo San Lucas. If there were any negative things to say, it would be that Puerto Vallarta was a little
smoggy that day, and Acapulco is just too crowded.
The ship's entertainment was very good in the show lounge. Singers and dancers were outstanding,
magician-just OK, and the comedian was hillarious. The rest of the lounge entertainment were not
as good as we have experienced in the past. The pool deck entertainment consisted of a one man
band, and Princess should consider a change there. Basically it seemed he was non-existant. This
particular cruise was about 80% older crowd, so maybe that is why pool deck entertainment was so
meager, although the deck was always crowded. The cruise director and staff were excellent. Always
everywhere, and they seemed to truly enjoy themselves.
Now the not so good
Dining room service was the worst we have ever experienced. Our waiter and busboy seemed
severly overworked. We were at a table of ten, and they also served three tables of six, and a table
for two. If that is a standard amount of people to serve, than in past experiences we have had, it was
transparent. Staff seemed very fatigued, service was slow, food was cold, and preferances were not
remembered. It was like pulling teeth to get a cup of coffee after dinner. There was no wine steward,
and the waiter had no knowledge of wines.
The dining room food left a little to be desired also. Variety suffered immensely. I remembered being
served the same vegetable medly four dinners in a row. It would have been more, but I started
ordering entree's without them. We did finally get our waiter to start bringing out more vegetables
about five days into the cruise. We went to the Bistro one night to see if it were any better, and
guess what vegetable they served me! We also experienced poor service there as well. I would say
that Princess is looking to cut corners in the food department, and unfortunately, it shows big time.
What a dissapointment!
The only other negative aspect of this cruise were some of the elderly cruisers. They were pushy,
very rude, and humorless. Princess lets you charge your gratuities to your stateroom(very nice!)
provided you get vouchers at any bar, While waiting in line, I saw many elderly cruisers getting
vouchers for less than half the recommended amount! Is it no wonder that service suffers! Granted,
this may happen more than I think with other lines, it's just that I was alerted to it by this charging
system. I can't see how people will spend $3000 on a ten day cruise, then balk at an extra 50 or so
dollars to the people who most deserve it! Shame on them! I was under the impression that people
grace with age. I guess that some(not all) never grow up. It's embarrassing.
Enough of that. While we realize that Princess probably focuses it's efforts on other itineraries like
the Carribbean and Alaska, we were not very impressed. We had taken this cruise to have an
experience to base an Alaska, or Panama Canal cruise with. We think we'll stick with Celebrity, or
maybe Holland America. Overall we were pleased with this cruise, but service on board is important
to us, and Princess didn't shine very brightly there.
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