Supplement to Travel Trade
July 2001

The Regal Princess

Lives Up to Her Name

The 70,000-ton Regal Princess plies the world's oceans with a remarkable grace thanks to her sleek, rounded lines. Designed by architect Renzo Piano (noted for his daring design of Paris' Pompidou Center) to resemble a dolphin, the vessel is among the best of a new generation of superliners.

The Regal Princess belies the adage that the best things in life come in small packages. She is, in both style and substance, as regal as her name portends.

Passengers enter the ship via the lobby and reception area on Plaza Deck, which features an elegant three-story atrium foyer accented in granite and brass trim that is polished to a fine luster. A sweeping grand staircase gives the lobby an air of splendor.

The focal point of the grand staircase wall is a massive, eight colored etching by Frank Stella. It is just one of the many outstanding pieces of contemporary art found throughout the ship - including the staterooms — that are part of the vessel's $1 million fine art collection.

The architectural and decorative elegance of the reception area create a powerful first impression of a top-quality cruise experience. The high expections created upon first entering the ship are ones that the Regal Princess lives up to and, in many instances, exceeds.

To the side of the foyer is the demitasse bar called La Patisserie. This welcoming nook is a convenient meeting place for traveling companions waiting to disembark on shore excursions. The wait is made pleasurable by espresso and cappuccino, as well as regular coffee and desserts, that help fortify shoppers and sightseers alike.

Beyond La Patisserie is the spacious interior of the ship, created by the design firm The H. Chambers Company of Baltimore. The decorative color pallet includes a combination of crisp corals, blue and aqua tones, light woods and accents of granite and brass.

The upper levels of the atrium lobby house the Galleria, a duty-free shopping arcade offering everything from clothing to jewelry and perfumes as well as necessities, for those of us who pack in haste.

For a bit of indugence, Bacchus, which is also located on the Plaza Deck, is a small drop-in bar that offers a repast of selected wines, champagne and six different kinds of caviar.

In terms of cabin space, there is more than enough elbow room in all categories.

The Regal Princess features suites and mini-suites, both with private verandahs, sitting areas and bathtubs, that measure 587 and 360 square feet, respectively. Standard cabins feature large showers and measure a roomy 190 square feet, while those with verandahs are a spacious 210 square feet.

All staterooms include large walk-in closets, lots of drawer space, refrigerators, televisions, guest safes, picture windows in outside cabins and twin beds which convert to queen size. Plush bathrobes and thick, oversized bath towels are standard, with towels changed twice daily.

The main dining room is called the Palm Court. This massive room is made intimate by two-level terracing and Italian glass partitions engraved with floral motifs that give diners a sense of privacy.

Large windows with custom window treatments on three sides of the room incorporate the surrounding sea into the dining experience. A rose-beige color scheme and central wall murals in warm earthtones, as well as potted plants, combine to give a sense of serenity to the room. Italian crystal chandeliers, wall sconces and ceiling lights offer up to eight different lighting effects.

The quality of service throughout the ship is exceptionally high, especially in the Palm Court, which offers two sittings for both lunch and dinner.

The dining room staff is international (although not all are Italian, most speak Italian to each other). The staff moves about quietly and efficiently and reflects their European heritage by never rushing service.

The cuisine is excellent, with a wide variety of international choices that vary each night, including superb fresh pasta. Passengers on special diets are catered to carefully, as my daughter, who is a vegetarian, can testify.

During a recent 7-night West Caribbean sailing, we were greeted each evening by the head waiter who brought a widely diverse vegetarian menu from which she could order the next evening's meal.

For calorie counters, each menu features a number of low-calorie selections, from appetizers to desserts, which are clearly noted on the menu.

A quick tour of the huge, sparkling galley (with delicious samples offered along the way) is available to passengers at least once during the cruise.

Here, we learned about the astounding amount of food prepared daily, including 825 pounds of salads; 1,100 sandwiches; 1,540 pounds of beef; 2,035 pounds of vegetables - and 235 gallons of coffee! .

There were two formal nights and one "semi-formal" during the week-long cruise (though, as is often the case today, "formal" dress ranged from business suits and dresses to evening gowns.)

No matter what the dress code, every dinner provided something special. One recent evening, when dress was casual, there was an American theme.

The waiters donned blue vests printed with small stars; balloons were part of each table's centerpiece, and the lights were dimmed as the flaming Baked Alaska dessert was carried to the tables.

On the Lido Deck, Cafe del Sol, an indoor-outdoor cafe, offers breakfast and luncheon buffets in a casual setting, and is nice for an occasional change of pace from the dining room. Since it's open until 10 a.m. for breakfast, the Cafe is especially welcome to those who like to sleep a little late. Coffee is available 24 hours.

Also on the Lido Deck: The Bravo Pizzeria, with a traditionally Italian decor featuring red-and-white checkered tablecloths, is open late afternoons and late evenings, and serves excellent individual pizzas (free, except for beverages). In addition, there is Characters, a poolside specialty bar.

The Lido Deck also features two pools, one with a waterfall, and, in between, a bar called "Waves." There are two whirlpool hot spas on this deck, which is also a popular spot for early evening musical entertainment, and at least one late night party.

While many people favor the Lido Deck for sunning, it's possible to find a less crowded, quiet spot on one of the other decks where one can stretch out on a sun lounge. My favorite was the aft of the Aloha Deck, where there are two whirlpool spas.

A variety of lounges provide welcoming places for passengers to gather for drinks and before or after dinner entertainment.

Two are located side by side on the Promenade Deck. The Bengal Bar, with a British India theme, boasts a floor-to-ceiling mirrored bar, a raised stage featuring a piano and dance floor, leather and rattan furnishings, ceiling fans and potted plants. Next door is Adagio, a piano lounge with elegant furnishings.

The ship's nightly entertainment, which is performed by a cast of some 60 singers and dancers, ranges from Broadway revues to acrobatics, and takes place in the two-level International Show Lounge on the Promenade Deck. A band accompanies pre-show dancing on the lounge's large stage. No matter where you are sitting in the International Show Lounge, sightlines are excellent.

Nearby, the Stage Door, complete with stage, sunken dance floor and bar, is the place for late-night disco dancing.

Other entertainment possibilities are offered in The Dome, on Deck 14, which is 19 feet high in the center and measures 13,000 square feet. Curved glass outer windows are framed by polished, rounded bone-white "ribs" arching from ceiling to floor.

The Dome houses the casino area, offering table games and slot machines, a circular dance floor with an adjacent stage for a live band or piano music, a central bar and an observation lounge, set apart from the rest of the room by a glass partition surrounded by decorative foliage. Special lighting techniques create a different mood for each area.

Fitness enthusiasts head for Deck 2 to Images, which has a health center with an aerobics floor, Keiser-300 weight machines, exercise bikes, treadmills, sauna, massage, steam room and beauty and barber facilities. On the Sun Deck, a 1/6-mile tractioned outdoor running track awaits dedicated joggers.

Cruisercise classes are offered daily, and include a walk-a-mile, stretch and tone, and high- or low-impact aerobic workouts. Each time a passenger participates in a class, he or she earns cash coupons redeemable for Cruisercise logo sportswear.

Visitors to the well-stocked library on Dolphin Deck can see in the nearby lobby a photo of former president George Bush and the Regal's captain, Elba-born Cesare Ditel, with an inscription from Bush thanking Ditel for an enjoyable cruise. Bush cruised on the Regal several weeks after leaving office in 1993, and a spokesperson for Princess said that he still corresponds with Captain Ditel.

Also on Dolphin Deck is a small card room, where bridge players congregate. Glass cases hold board games such as Scrabble and Pictionary.

I had the opportunity to try the ship's dry cleaning service when I unpacked and found that something in my suitcase had leaked on a black silk jacket and made a real mess. I handed it to my cabin steward one morning and got it back the next afternoon: Amazingly, the extensive stains had come out - and the price was lower than what dry cleaners charge in New York City!

There are also two free laundromats on ship which include several irons and ironing boards.

Each night, along with the bed turndown and pillow chocolate, a copy of "Princess Patters" is placed in each cabin. This publication contains the times of all of the events scheduled for the next day, as well as a helpful pull-out map of the following day's port of call, which also includes useful facts and tips.

Princess sends a booklet describing shore excursions to passengers in advance, along with cruise documents, so there's ample time to pick and choose. The tour office, located on the Plaza Deck, advises early bookings, since some of the more popular tours sell out right away.

With the wide range of activities offered each day - from trivia challenges to dance instruction and at least one opportunity to visit the bridge - one won't be bored on the Regal Princess.

However, on the first day, my teen-age daughter, failing to spot anyone who looked even close to her age (the average age seemed to be mid-50s), feared that she was doomed to boredom.

We were relieved to discover, after a meeting the first night at sea, that there were enough children and teens on board to warrant activity programs for both age groups (15 is the minimum number required for such activities).

For me, an avid movie-buff, the opportunity to see a different movie each night in the Princess Theater, was a real treat. For confirmed news junkies, CNN Headline News is available on in-cabin TV's.

Launched in 1991, the 1,590 passenger Regal Princess has a sister ship named the Crown Princess. In January 1996, Princess will launch the 77,000-ton Sun Princess.

Two more superships will be introduced over the next few years, including a sister ship to the Sun, the Dawn Princess, and one of the world's largest cruise ships, the Grand Princess, a 100,000-ton vessel that will be based in the Caribbean year-round.

Considering the top cruise experience inherent in a Regal Princess cruise, the addition of more new ships to the Princess fleet, is indeed, good news.