My next cruise is coming up on August 15, and this time I’m heading back to Princess Cruises aboard Regal Princess.
The last time I sailed Princess was over the Christmas holidays in 2024, when I spent 10 days aboard Enchanted Princess sailing around the Eastern Caribbean. Going into that trip, I really didn’t know what to expect. By the time it ended, Princess had exceeded nearly all of my expectations.
Regal Princess is the sister ship to Enchanted Princess, so much of the onboard experience should feel familiar. However, the two ships aren’t identical.
Regal Princess vs. Enchanted Princess
Both ships are part of Princess Cruises’ Royal Class and share many of the features that define this generation of Princess ships. They have the large Piazza atrium, Movies Under the Stars, the adults-only Sanctuary, Crown Grill, Sabatini’s, the International Café and the MedallionClass technology that follows you just about everywhere.
Regal Princess entered service in 2014 and carries approximately 3,560 guests and features more than 1,400 balcony staterooms, along with the glass-bottom SeaWalk extending 28 feet beyond the side of the ship.
Enchanted Princess came along several years later and is slightly larger, carrying approximately 3,660 guests. The extra space allowed Princess to add some newer venues and experiences that aren’t found on Regal Princess.
That’s where some of the biggest differences come in.
Enchanted Princess has The Catch by Rudi, O’Malley’s Irish Pub and the immersive 360 dining experience. Regal Princess has a more traditional Royal Class lineup that includes Alfredo’s Pizzeria, the Wheelhouse Bar, Vines Wine Bar and Ocean Terrace Seafood Bar.
While Regal may not have every newer venue I enjoyed on Enchanted, the overall experience should still be very familiar. Here are the five things I’m looking forward to the most.
1. The Caymus Vineyards Winemaker’s Dinner
This one is at the top of the list.
The Caymus Vineyards Winemaker’s Dinner was one of the best experiences I had aboard Enchanted Princess. It’s an intimate dinner built around a multi-course menu paired with wines from Caymus and the Wagner family of wines.
On Enchanted Princess, the evening lasted around three and a half hours. We began with prosecco in Crooner’s before moving into a private dining room where one of the ship’s sommeliers guided us through each course and pairing.
The food was excellent, the wine flowed generously and the evening never felt rushed. This wasn’t one of those wine tastings where you get a tiny splash in the bottom of a glass and someone immediately takes it away. Glasses were refilled throughout dinner, which was much appreciated!
2. Alfredo’s Pizzeria
Enchanted Princess has Gigi’s Pizzeria, while Regal Princess has Alfredo’s. The concepts are similar, with individual pizzas prepared in an open kitchen and served in a sit-down restaurant rather than handed over by the slice near the pool.
Gigi’s was good, although it didn’t make the very top of my dining rankings during my last Princess cruise. Now I’ll be able to see whether Alfredo’s does things any differently.
Princess has built a pretty strong reputation around its pizza, and Regal also has Prego Pizzeria near the pool when I’m looking for something quicker.
Naturally, this means I’ll need to try both in the interest of conducting a fair and completely scientific comparison.
3. The Chef’s Table Lumiere
Another experience near the top of my list is the Chef’s Table Lumiere.
Princess takes the traditional cruise ship chef’s table and gives it a little more flair. The evening begins with Champagne and hors d’oeuvres, followed by a multi-course dinner created by the executive chef and paired with wines selected for each course.
The dinner is held at a special table surrounded by a shimmering curtain of light, which is where the “Lumiere” part comes in. It creates a private dining space in the middle of the main dining room without completely closing guests off from everything happening around them.
I’ve done several chef’s tables on other cruise lines, and they can vary quite a bit. Some focus heavily on the galley operation, while others are more about the food, wine and presentation. I’m interested to see where Regal Princess falls and how the experience compares with the excellent Caymus Vineyards Winemaker’s Dinner.
4. The MedallionClass Experience
Princess Cruises’ MedallionClass technology was one of the things that impressed me the most during my first cruise with the line.
Instead of carrying a traditional room key, you wear a small Medallion that unlocks your stateroom door as you approach. It’s also used to make purchases, order food and drinks, locate people in your traveling party and help crew members provide more personalized service.
When you approach a crew member who has one of the Medallion devices, your name and photograph can appear on their screen. That allows a bartender or server to greet you by name and quickly pull up information connected to your account.
I was able to sneak a peek at one of the devices while sitting at a bar aboard Enchanted Princess, and there I was on the screen. Along with my name and photo, the system even had me flagged as a “blogger.”
I’m still not sure whether that was a good thing or a warning to the crew!
Joking aside, seeing the technology from the crew’s side gave me a better understanding of how the system works. It isn’t just a replacement for a room key. It gives crew members information that can help them recognize guests, remember preferences and provide service that feels more personal.
Regal Princess also offers OceanNow delivery, which allows guests to order select food and drinks through the Princess app and have them delivered to wherever they happen to be around the ship.
5. The Classic Princess Atmosphere
One of the things I enjoyed most about Enchanted Princess wasn’t a specific restaurant, show or attraction. It was the overall atmosphere.
Princess feels refined without being overly formal. There were families onboard, but relatively few young children. Most passengers appeared to be experienced cruisers who enjoyed dressing up for dinner, listening to live music and relaxing without needing waterslides, roller coasters or nonstop announcements.
Regal Princess should deliver that same style of cruise.
The Piazza will once again be the center of the ship, with live music, performers, bars and the International Café all within a few steps of each other. Regal also has Crooner’s, Bellini’s, Vines and the Wheelhouse Bar, giving me plenty of places to stop for a drink while pretending I’m headed somewhere else.
The One Thing I’ll Miss: 360
While there’s plenty I’m looking forward to, there is one major experience from Enchanted Princess that Regal Princess doesn’t have.
The 360 Experience was the standout event of my entire Christmas cruise.
This seven-course dinner combines food, wine, storytelling, music, scents and digital projections that cover the walls and dining table. Over the course of the evening, guests are taken on a culinary journey through destinations including Santorini, Barcelona, Provence and the Amalfi Coast.
I experienced 360 on Christmas Eve, which made an already impressive evening even more memorable. It earned five stars in my final dining rankings and remains one of the most creative dining experiences I’ve had on any cruise ship.
Unfortunately, 360 is currently available only aboard Enchanted Princess and Discovery Princess, so it won’t be part of this upcoming cruise.
I’ll definitely miss it, but that’s also part of the fun of sailing on different ships. Each one has its own personality, venues and experiences.
Ready to Return to Princess
The countdown to August 15 is officially on.
As always, I’ll be posting daily updates from the ship, so be sure to follow along and check out the itinerary for this cruise below. And that’s not all! I’ll be on a ship pretty much after this cruise until the middle of January 2027, so there’s a lot to come as “Cruise Season” begins here in South Florida.
Eastern Caribbean: Regal Princess
| Date | Port | Country | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 15 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | United States | 3:00 PM | |
| Aug 16 | Princess Cays | The Bahamas | 9:00 AM | 4:00 PM |
| Aug 17 | At Sea | – | – | – |
| Aug 18 | San Juan | Puerto Rico | 10:00 AM | 7:00 PM |
| Aug 19 | St. Thomas | USVI | 7:00 AM | 5:00 PM |
| Aug 20 | At Sea | – | – | – |
| Aug 21 | At Sea | – | – | – |
| Aug 22 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | United States | 6:00 AM |
