Chris & Kelly's Travel Adventures
Day 2: Saturday, Aug. 12
Southampton
Our flight arrived at London (Heathrow) around mid-morning, which gave us ample time to stretch our legs and locate the cruise desk where guides were expecting us. After waiting a bit to allow passengers to arrive from other morning flights, we were walked to our waiting bus—our two-hour shuttle to the Southampton cruise terminal.
At the dock, we were welcomed aboard the Regal Princess for the beginning of our 12-day British Isle cruise!
Regal Princess: The Original "Love Boat"
We didn't realize this coincidence when we booked the cruise, but sure enough: Our ship was the on-location set for the (ultra-cheesy) TV series in the 1970s. In the main lobby, there is a big showcase full of photos and memorabilia.
(And, we soon realized, whenever the ship is cleared for departure and weighing anchor, its horn blasts out the TV show's theme song. Yup.)
But High-Tech, Too
I should mention here how Princess has streamlined their security measures and commerce strategies. A lot of it makes sense from a passenger's point of view, too—if used judiciously (and if the tech works as intended).
Still a Showpiece
All eye-rolling aside, it's truly a beautiful ship. For example, here is a look at the glittering central atrium, complete with spiral staircases. It's three decks tall, opening up the space amidships onto a plaza and stage, with many side shops and lounges. It's really the event and socializing hub of the ship.
And below is a photo of the library—also handsome and comfortable.
Notice the wristwatch that Chris is wearing in the library photo above. That's not a watch, actually—it's a ship's medallion on a wristband. Every passenger is issued a medallion, to be worn on the wrist or hanging loose on a lanyard, like a pendant. Dad and Sandy chose the lanyards, but Chris and I chose wristbands—for a small extra fee—because we liked how they would fit under anything and always be handy to present without digging under coats, etc. (And since they were comfortable and totally waterproof, we never even had to take them off. We could shower, sleep, dress, travel, etc., without even noticing them.)
The medallion is basically a wireless ship's ID that links to your smart phone via an app. It lets you check on/off the boat for shore excursions, and it's a locator, too. (The emergency signal is always on, but you can choose whether to link up with anyone else on board—locate them, send them messages, etc.)
And... of course... it's all too easy through your medallion/smart phone to make purchases at any shop or restaurant on the ship—billed instantly to your personal account. (But note, too: Many items, amenities and gratuities were prepaid for passengers like us, who had chosen certain food/accommodations packages at booking. In that case, the medallion told the central billing computer, "No charge for these folks.")
How well did all this work for us? I'd give it a grade of B– . Most of the locator, check in/out, and purchase OK's were very smooth and quick. The group locator/messenging feature worked OK, but it was slow and clunky—not very friendly or convenient to use. (For one thing, it wasn't clear how to set it for an audible signal when you had received a message. You had to keep checking... or forgetting to check.)
The one real glitch was the remote ordering/room service option—it was just "not ready for prime time." You were supposed to be able to order anything off a food/drink menu from anywhere in the ship—from your stateroom, a cocktail lounge sofa, a chair by the pool, even wandering the ship—and serving staff would be able to locate you to deliver your order. Well, this stalled and jammed and crashed pretty much all the time—for all passengers, everywhere. We could never place orders via the online medallion app. So the phone lines for room service were jammed up all the time. The staff knew it and apologized continuously; they knew the problem was not "pilot error."
Our Stateroom
were Great Rooms!
The Regal hit its high mark with our accommodations.
We two couples had each booked a deluxe-balcony- stateroom with queen bed, plus a twin pull-out couch.
It also included a desk, a security safe, a refrigerator, a large closet and shelves, and a very well-designed bathroom and shower that didn't even feel cramped.
Even the balcony was roomy. We were impressed.
Rooms with a View, Too
Speaking of our balconies, I should mention where our staterooms were located on the ship. Chris and I were on the starboard (right) side, just a bit forward from amidship, on level 9; Dad and Sandy's room was just down the corridor, nearer to amidship, same level.
The best closeup photo I have of our ship is shown below (also at the top of this day's page). Unfortunately it happens to show the port (left) side of the boat. So, to envision our rooms, you'll have to picture the mirror image over on the other side of the ship.
Level 9 is two levels above the tender boats. (Those are small orange boats hanging off the sides of the ship—they lower those to shuttle us into non-docking ports; and of course, they are lifeboats, too, in emergencies). If we peered straight down from our balcony, we were overlooking the third tender from the bow; I think Dad and Sandy were directly above the 4th tender. But we all had great unobstructed views to sea and land—really nice!
Evenings Aboard
Most days, we were booked to go ashore on excursions—usually guided and usually all together, though not always. But no matter what, we'd be back together again onboard for our evening routine....
Then we'd stroll to our table (reserved for us at the same porthole window) in our requested dining room.
The dinner menu was different (and pretty good) each night.
We did notice that some of our favorite dishes were offered earliest in the voyage, when the produce was freshest. This Greek salad, for example, was a big hit for all of us.
We would usually meet for drinks before dinner in our favorite piano lounge.
Also varying each night was a menu of very creative and beautiful desserts!
