Regal Princess Eastern Caribbean Cruise Review – Day 7

It’s time to start wrapping up this seven-day cruise aboard Regal Princess, and we’re spending our final day at sea as we make our way back toward Port Everglades.

Over the course of the week we visited Princess Cays, Princess Cruises’ private resort area in the Bahamas, spent a long day wandering one of my favorite Caribbean ports in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and stopped in St. Thomas, the place in the U.S. Virgin Islands that somehow manages to look remarkably similar to the first time I visited more than 30 years ago.

Like I always do in my final-day reports, I’ll eventually get into the complete review of the cruise, taking everything that happened during the week into consideration, including the good, the bad and the ugly, before giving Regal Princess an overall rating from one to five.

Before we get there, though, I have a few more things to talk about.

How Is the Wi-Fi on Regal Princess?

Earlier in the cruise I talked about Princess Plus and Princess Premier, the two packages that bundle together things like drinks, Wi-Fi, crew appreciation, casual dining and other perks. Premier, which I purchased for this cruise, includes Wi-Fi for up to four devices at a time.

And like pretty much every internet connection at sea, you need to set your expectations accordingly.

No, it’s not going to perform like the connection you have at home. Yes, Princess uses Starlink, and that has made cruise ship internet significantly better than what we suffered through years ago, but you’re still getting internet on a moving ship in the middle of the ocean.

For normal vacation use, it worked perfectly fine all week.

I had no problem checking email, uploading photos to social media, browsing the web, making FaceTime calls, streaming music and video, or jumping onto a Google Meet or Zoom call if needed.

Where cruise ship Wi-Fi still falls flat is when you start trying to move large files.

Videos?

Slooooooow.

Large batches of high-resolution photos?

Go get a drink. Maybe two.

I ran a couple of Speedtests during the cruise, one from my laptop and another from my phone. The laptop came back at 5.84 Mbps download and 1.78 Mbps upload, while my phone managed 6.22 Mbps down and 1.79 Mbps up.

Those download speeds are perfectly usable for most things you’re going to do during a cruise. The upload speed is where you really feel the difference, especially if you’re trying to send large files somewhere.

If you want an interesting comparison, go to Speedtest.net on your home Wi-Fi and run the same test. Chances are the difference will be pretty dramatic.

Still, throughout the entire week I never had a point where I felt like the internet was unusable. It did what I needed it to do, and for most cruisers who just want to stay connected with home, post photos and stream something occasionally, it gets the job done.

There’s also another nice benefit worth mentioning again: your Princess Wi-Fi package works at Princess Cays!

I had a strong connection throughout the resort when we were there earlier in the week, which is a nice little bonus if you want to stay connected while spending the day ashore.

Sláinte Irish Whiskey & Beer Tasting

If you’ve been following along this week, you already know I apparently decided this cruise was going to turn into one long food-and-beverage research project.

There was Chef’s Table Lumière, the Caymus Winemaker Dinner, Frescobaldi Grand Tuscan Dinner, yesterday’s International Wine Tasting and, because apparently I hadn’t sampled enough adult beverages yet, today brought us whiskey and beer.

At 1:00 p.m. I headed to Wheelhouse Bar for the Sláinte Irish Whiskey & Beer Tasting, led by bartender Christina.

This one costs $35 per person plus 20% service charge.

When we arrived, each place was set with a tasting wheel containing four samples of beer and four pours of Sláinte Irish Whiskey.

And that’s where things immediately got a little unusual.

Unlike a traditional whiskey tasting where you might compare several different Irish whiskeys, ages or styles, all four pours were the same whiskey.

Sláinte is bottled at 40% ABV, or 80 proof, which is a pretty standard bottling strength for Irish whiskey. It’s relatively mild and approachable, so if you’re somebody who doesn’t enjoy a big alcohol bite, this would probably be an easy place to start.

Christina gave us some background on the whiskey before we began working through the pairings.

The first was Sláinte with Guinness, accompanied by chocolate.

Okay, that makes sense.

Then came Samuel Adams Boston Lager with toasted nuts.

Next was Lagunitas IPA paired with dehydrated pineapple and mango.

And finally…

Heineken and Ritz crackers.

Yes.

Heineken and Ritz crackers.

I’ve done my share of wine, whiskey and spirits tastings over the years, but I can safely say this was one of the more unusual combinations I’ve encountered.

The problem for me wasn’t that any of it tasted bad. It didn’t.

The problem was the lack of variety.

Four shots of the same Irish whiskey paired with four very common beers just doesn’t make for a particularly interesting tasting experience, especially at more than $40 once the service charge is added.

If the goal is to introduce people to Irish whiskey, why not pour several different ones?

There are plenty onboard.

Give me Sláinte next to Jameson, another Irish blend and maybe something with a little more age or character so there’s actually something to compare.

The beer side could use a little more imagination too. Guinness obviously belongs there, but Sam Adams, Lagunitas and Heineken are beers most people can walk into almost any bar back home and order.

Especially Heineken.

For comparison, when I was aboard MSC World America in April, I paid around $30 for a Macallan tasting that included Macallan 12, 15 and 18.

Now that is a tasting.

You’re comparing three very different expressions of a premium Scotch whisky, learning how age changes it, tasting the differences and getting an opportunity to sample bottles that aren’t exactly cheap.

Here, I essentially drank the same whiskey four times with different beers and snacks.

Did it kill an hour on a sea-day afternoon?

Absolutely.

Was it horrible?

No.

Would I pay for it again?

No.

If you’re curious about Sláinte, my recommendation is simple: go to one of the bars onboard and order a shot.

It’ll cost you less, you’ll find out whether you like it, and there’s a pretty good chance you won’t immediately think, “You know what I need now? Three more shots of this and some Ritz crackers.”

For me, this is one tasting you can safely skip.

Gala Menu on the Last Night?

Before I get into where I ended up having dinner tonight, there was something about the dining schedule that struck me as a little odd.

Last night was Dress to Impress Night, which is basically Princess’ middle ground between casual and formal.  Usually, that’s the kind of night where you’d expect the main dining room to pull out one of the “special” menus, like surf and turf.

Something that makes people suddenly decide they absolutely have to eat in the dining room that night.

But on Regal Princess, surf and turf night was tonight – the last night of the cruise.

Curious choice, but here’s a look at the menu:

Main Dining Room Dinner Menu - Night 7

Served in the Allegro, Symphony, Concerto, and Reserve Collection Restaurant. Think of this as the classic cruise dining experience – a multicourse meal on the fancier side that still makes you feel right at home. Menus change daily and offer a variety of choices including regional flavors, guest favorites and chef specialties.

Starters, Soup, Salad

Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup

Seafood Deviled Eggs

Filled With Salmon, Shrimp And Honey Mustard Dressing

Lump Crab Cake

Wedge Salad

bacon, red onion, iceberg lettuce, bleu cheese crumble

French Onion Soup

gruyere cheese crouton

Princess Shrimp Cocktail

Prawns served with tangy cocktail sauce

Classic Caesar Salad

romaine lettuce, caesar dressing, parmesan cheese, herb croutons

Mains

Ricotta Cheese Tortellini

Parmesan sauce, ham and peas

Cauliflower Steak

tahini, couscous, za'atar spice, asparagus

Surf & Turf

roasted filet mignon crowned with broiled lobster tail, snow peas, chateau potatoes, demi-glace and melted garlic herb butter - menu item is complimentary, please enjoy any additional steak or lobster for additional charge

Seared Mustard-Crusted Tuna

soy-glazed corn, spinach, crispy onion, ponzu

Duck Leg Confit

Salt-cured duck leg with crispy skin, bacon-spiked beans and parmesan

Fettuccine Alfredo

rich parmesan cream sauce

Grillery

Pan-Roasted Chicken Breast

pan gravy, mashed potatoes, market vegetables

Seared Salmon

lemon butter sauce, market vegetables

Striploin Steak 6 oz

french fries, market vegetables

Desserts

Gianduja Souffle

vanilla torroncino sauce

French Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee

sugar cane crust, lemon madeleines

Sugar-Free Chocolate Mint Cake

chantilly cream

Princess Love Boat Dream

heart-shaped dessert with layers of chocolate-raspberry mousse and vanilla-raspberry cream on a shortbread cookie base

International Cheese Plate

crackers, chutney

Seasonal Fresh Fruit

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That Made the Buffet… Empty!

So before dinner, I headed up to the buffet to see how things were looking.

And for the first time all week, it was practically empty.

Which actually worked out perfectly because I was finally able to get some decent photos of the dinner offerings.

I mentioned this the other day, but it’s worth repeating: the buffet aboard Regal Princess has been very good.

There’s a tremendous amount of variety at breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the quality has consistently been much better than what you’ll find on some other mainstream cruise lines.

I’d put it right up there with Holland America when it comes to both selection and quality.

Princess makes it very easy to skip the main dining room entirely and still have an excellent dinner. There are plenty of hot entrees, carved meats, vegetables, pastas, salads, breads, desserts and enough different choices that the real challenge is showing some restraint.

Because yes, you can go back for another plate.

And another.

And another.

But remember, eventually you have to go home and those pants still need to fit.

One Last Dinner at Sabatini’s

Knowing the main dining room was probably going to be a little chaotic thanks to the whole lobster-and-filet situation, I decided to skip all that and have one more Italian dinner before the cruise was over.

So at 8:20 p.m., I headed back to Sabatini’s for my reservation.

Sabatini's Italian Trattoria - Dinner Menu

This fan favorite has gone back to its roots with traditional handmade pasta, authentic sauces and hearty main courses, like classic ossobuco, made from time-honored family recipes. The menu features Italian cocktails and wines, too. Specialty restaurant cover charge applies.

Available on: Regal Princess

Starters

Ribollita

this hearty tuscan soup of tomato, cannellini beans, and lacinato kale is garnished with a crispy bread stick

Insalata Mista

mixed greens, charred pear, radish, arugula, orange segments and shaved fennel, dressed in extra-virgin olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar

Guazzetto di Cozze e Gamberi

traditional italian seafood stew with mussels and shrimp, simmered in fragrant tomato and white wine broth with garlic, herbs, and a hint of chili; served with crusty bread for dipping

Salumi e Formaggi Misti

the pride of italy: prosciutto cotto, mortadella, salame milano, aged parmigiano-reggiano, fresh mozzarella di bufala and gorgonzola, presented with imported black olives and crispy grissino

Fritto Misto alla Veneziana

light & crispy venetian-style fried shrimp and calamari, paired with pan-fried polenta and served with a spicy marinara

Burrata E Prosciutto Crudo Stagionato 18 Mesi

creamy burrata paired with 18-month-aged prosciutto crudo, fresh cherry tomatoes, peppery arugula, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Main Course

Ossobuco Milanese

braised veal shank crowned with a gremolata of minced parsley, garlic and lemon zest, resting on a bed of saffron risotto

Milanese di Vitello con Osso

$15.00

bone-in veal milanese breaded and fried, topped with arugula and tomatoes - surcharge applies

Seafood Linguine

shrimp, clams, and the classic mediterranean flavors of tomato and prized ligurian olive oil

Fettuccine al Tartufo e Parmigiano

truffle-infused velvety parmigiano-reggiano sauce, topped with grated black truffle, a crispy parmesan tuile, and a drizzle of herbed oil

Porcini Mushroom Risotto

a northern italian specialty - vialone nano rice, simmered with shallots, white wine and rich porcini mushrooms, finished with shaved parmesan

Linguine alla Carbonara

among the many origin stories and variations, ours is classically roman - luxurious cream sauce of eggs, pancetta, and aged parmesan

Tortello di Ricotta al Pomodoro e Basilico

fresh ripe tomatoes, sliced mushrooms and seasonal vegetables sauteed in extra-virgin olive oil and tossed with fresh basil and shaved parmesan

Lasagna Bolognese al Forno

the original from bologna - fresh pasta sheets layered with bechamel and a long-simmered tomato and meat ragu, baked with aged parmesan

Chicken Parmigiana

classic dish from southern italy with fresh buffalo mozzarella, and tomato served with basil roasted potato

Filetto di Branzino e Carciofi Fritti

a celebration of fresh Mediterranean flavors featuring pan-seared sea bass fillet, paired with crispy fried artichokes and drizzled with zesty lemon-infused olive oil

Parmigiana di Melanzane

thick-sliced and breaded eggplant baked in marinara sauce, and finished with sharp parmesan and mild mozzarella

Scaloppine di Vitello al Marsala

veal tenderloin and sliced champignon mushrooms in marsala wine, presented with sauteed garlic spinach and creamy mashed potatoes

Grilled Striploin

tender, juicy and accompanied by asparagus, roasted rosemary potatoes and Calabrian chili butter. Substitute a Filet Mignon - surcharge applies

Spaghetti Freschi e Gamberi

prawns and tomato sauce. Add 8oz. lobster tail - surcharge applies

Dolci

Zabaglione Marsala

fresh berries

Rocher

A blend of chocolate, pralines and hazelnut ice cream sealed in milk chocolate, surrounded by crushed candied hazelnuts. This tasty treat is from our premium Chocolate Journeys program, designed to showcase the expertise of our pastry chefs using our favorite ingredient - chocolate

Sabatini's Tiramisu

mascarpone cream, coffee sauce, chocolate mousse

Torta Caprese

flourless almond cake blended with rich crema pasticceria, caramelized hazelnuts, and exquisite chocolate brittle, paired with creamy limoncello mascarpone gelato and a drizzle of premium Frescobaldi olive oil

Classic Sicilian Cannoli

crisp pastry shells, creamy ricotta filling, pistachios, chocolate chips, and dusted with powdered sugar

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The restaurant was a little busier than it had been on my first visit, but I was seated right away. The same server I had earlier in the cruise was working my table again, which was a nice bit of familiarity on the final night, and he quickly brought over some delicious bread.

I started with the Insalata Mista, a simple mixed salad that did exactly what it needed to do.

From there, I moved on to the Guazzetto di Cozze e Gamberi, a seafood stew with shrimp and mussels in a rich, flavorful broth. This was one of those dishes where the broth was every bit as important as the seafood, and there was plenty of it to soak up with that excellent bread.

For the main course, my server recommended the Ossobuco Milanese, and that turned out to be a very good call. The braised beef was incredibly tender and served over a bed of perfectly cooked risotto with a rich brown sauce tying everything together.

This was comfort food done right.

For dessert, I went with the Zabaglione Marsala, which was definitely one of the more unusual desserts I had during the week. There were only a few pieces of fruit in the bowl, but a whole lot of rich, creamy custard.

And I mean a lot.

The portion was huge, probably too huge, especially for something that sweet and rich. It was good, but this was one of those desserts where a few bites was more than enough.

Overall, though, Sabatini’s delivered again.

Service was excellent, the food was consistently good, and after everything else I ate this week, ending the cruise where I started it, with a relaxed Italian dinner here felt like the right move.

Overall Regal Princess Review

Now it’s time to look back at the entire cruise, the good, the bad and the things that left me scratching my head, before I give the ship and the overall experience my final rating.

Over the course of the week I tried just about every type of dining Princess could throw at me, spent entirely too much time sampling wine, tested the bars, restaurants and Wi-Fi, wandered the ship from top to bottom and got a pretty good feel for what Regal Princess does well and where she could use some work.

Before getting into all of that, though, the usual disclosure.

Princess Cruises provided me with a complimentary interior stateroom for this sailing, with the option to pay to upgrade to another category at the time of booking. I chose to do that and paid to upgrade to a Mini-Suite.

As the cruise got closer, I was also offered the opportunity to bid through Princess’ upgrade program and threw bids at three different Penthouse Suite categories. None of them were accepted mainly because this sailing had been sold out for quite some time.

Princess provided the original interior cabin, but everything I’m writing here is based on my own experience aboard the ship. They didn’t tell me what to write, what restaurants to visit, what drinks to order or, perhaps most importantly, what I was allowed to complain about.  None of the F&B events I took part in were comped or discounted.

So let’s get started!

Eastern Caribbean: Regal Princess

Dates: Aug 15, 2026 – Aug 22, 2026

Homeport: Fort Lauderdale, FL

Ship Facts: 2014 build • 141,000 • 3,560

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

Embarkation at Port Everglades

One of the benefits of living in South Florida is that getting to a cruise ship usually doesn’t involve an airport, a hotel or spending the night before wondering whether your flight is going to be canceled.

My assigned check-in time was between 10:30 and 11:00 a.m., and thanks to traffic on I-95 I arrived a little after 11.

Once I actually reached Port Everglades, though, things were remarkably painless.

This sailing was during the slower summer season, and there were only two ships in port that day: Regal Princess and Disney Destiny. During the busy winter months, Port Everglades can become a complete mess, especially at the security checkpoint entering the port where traffic can back up for what feels like forever.

The longest line I encountered was actually at the traffic circle outside Terminal 2 where everyone was stopping to hand luggage over to the porters.

Once inside the terminal, however, things moved quickly. Security had virtually no line, and I headed into the Blue Lane because I was picking up my Princess Medallion at the terminal.

My passport was scanned, my Medallion was handed over, and I was on my way.

No long paperwork process. No standing around waiting for a cruise card to be printed. No drama.

From an embarkation standpoint, Princess made the actual check-in process incredibly easy.

Stateroom R521 – Mini Suite

For this cruise I was in Mini-Suite R521, located midship on Riviera Deck, which is Deck 14.

The room can accommodate up to four people and is divided into a bedroom area and a separate living area with a curtain that can be pulled between the two for a little privacy. The bedroom has two twin beds that can be combined into a queen, nightstands on either side and a television mounted across from the bed. The living area has a sofa bed for one, an upper berth for another, a large desk and vanity, a mini-fridge and a second television across from the sofa.

For one person, the room felt very spacious. Even with four people it would still be a much more comfortable setup than squeezing everyone into a standard balcony cabin.

Storage was also pretty good. Right inside the entrance is a large open closet with plenty of hanging space, plus a smaller armoire with shelves and the safe. The downside to the open closet is exactly what it sounds like: everything you hang up is out in the open, so if you’re one of those people who likes everything hidden behind doors, you’re going to have to get over that pretty quickly.

Then there’s power.

Or, more accurately, the lack of it.

There are no USB ports anywhere in the room. None by the bed, none at the desk, none hiding in some secret corner I failed to discover. The only power outlets are two U.S. outlets and one U.K. outlet at the desk.

For a cabin on a ship sailing in 2026, that’s pretty dated.

So if you’re traveling with a phone, tablet, watch, camera, laptop and whatever else needs charging, bring an appropriate cruise-approved charger or adapter or be prepared to play electrical musical chairs all week.

The bathroom, on the other hand, was one of the better parts of the room. Mini-Suites get a bathtub and shower combination rather than the tiny shower stall found in many cruise cabins, along with a large sink and vanity and plenty of room to move around.

It was honestly one of the larger cruise ship bathrooms I’ve had in quite some time, almost comparable in size to the bathroom I had aboard Explora I last December.

When I first boarded, one of the bathroom light fixtures wasn’t working, which I noted in my Day 1 report. By Day 3, it had been fixed, so credit where credit is due: somebody either noticed it or my report made its way to the right person and it was taken care of.

There were still other signs of age, though.

Metal fixtures showed a little rust and pitting, the furniture had its share of dings and scratches, and the overall design very much comes from that era when dark mahogany-colored wood and shiny metal light fixtures were considered the height of modern cruise ship style.

It’s not falling apart by any means, but it could use a refresh.

New soft furnishings, updated lighting, refinished furniture and, for the love of everything holy, some USB and USB-C ports would go a long way toward bringing these cabins into the 2020s.

Then there’s the balcony.

For a Mini-Suite, this was probably the weakest part of the room.

It’s narrow.

Very narrow.

If you put one of the chairs straight out facing the water, your knees are practically touching the glass. There are two chairs, each with a footrest, which sounds great until you notice the oversized table taking up a good chunk of the usable space.

That table is almost comically large for the balcony.

Normally I’d turn a chair sideways, put my feet up and settle in, but there simply isn’t enough room to do that comfortably with all the furniture out there.

So the balcony definitely doesn’t feel “mini-suite sized.”

The cabin itself does.

Overall, R521 was comfortable, roomy and very well laid out, and I liked having the separate sitting area and larger bathroom. The age is starting to show and the balcony is disappointing, but neither of those things made the room uncomfortable.

Would I book a Mini-Suite on Regal Princess again?

Absolutely.

Dining on Regal Princess

Dining was a big part of this cruise, and looking back at the week, I really need to split it into two categories because the regular restaurants and the special food-and-wine experiences were two very different things.

First, the everyday dining.

Regal Princess doesn’t have the ridiculous number of restaurants you’ll find on some of today’s newest mega-ships, but there’s enough variety that eating the same thing every day certainly isn’t a problem. Complimentary options include the main dining rooms, buffet, Prego Pizzeria, Trident Grill and International Café, while Crown Grill, Sabatini’s, Alfredo’s and Ocean Terrace give you some additional choices if you’re willing to spend a little extra.

Overall, the food was one of the stronger parts of the cruise, particularly the buffet, pizza and Sabatini’s. Crown Grill was the one restaurant that never quite lived up to where I think a cruise line’s signature steakhouse should be.

Crown Grill Steakhouse – ⭐⭐

Cruise lines generally treat their steakhouse as the flagship specialty restaurant, and Princess is no exception.

Unfortunately, Crown Grill on Regal Princess just didn’t match that expectation for me.

Dinner is $55 per person, and I visited twice during the week. The first dinner had very good food but a laundry list of service problems, including a reservation that apparently didn’t make it onto the printed reservation sheet, a long wait to get seated, 15 minutes for a can of water, no silverware with my appetizer and an overwhelmed bar trying to handle both Crown Grill, Wheelhouse Bar, walk-ups, AND the restaurant!

My second visit was considerably better and redeemed the restaurant somewhat – service was much more attentive and the meal itself was enjoyable. However, because I arrived late, the server immediately wanted my entire order, so there really wasn’t that feeling of settling into a relaxed steakhouse dinner.

Looking back at my Enchanted Princess cruise, I gave Crown Grill two stars, and unfortunately I’m keeping it at ⭐⭐ here as well.

Had the first-night service issues not happened and the second visit felt a little less like the restaurant was wrapping up for the evening, I probably would have gone to three stars.

When I compare the mainstream cruise line steakhouses I’ve experienced, my ranking would currently be:

1. Holland America’s Pinnacle Grill
2. Carnival’s Fahrenheit 555
3. MSC’s Butcher’s Cut
4. Royal Caribbean’s Chops Grille
5. Princess’ Crown Grill

At $55 per person, the steak itself isn’t the only thing you’re paying for. Service and atmosphere matter, and that’s where Crown Grill falls behind the others for me.

Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria – ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sabatini’s was a completely different story.

Also priced at $55 per person, this was easily the strongest regular specialty restaurant I visited during the week. I ate there on embarkation night and returned again for my final dinner, in addition to spending plenty of time in the restaurant for several special events.

Service was excellent every time.

If Crown Grill is supposed to be the signature specialty restaurant, Sabatini’s was the restaurant that actually delivered the signature-level experience.

Prego Pizzeria – ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Now we get to pizza.

Prego is complimentary and serves fresh pizza by the slice on the Lido Deck, and I’ll repeat what I said earlier in the cruise: Princess makes some seriously good pizza.

MSC still holds my personal number-one spot for best pizza at sea, but Princess is firmly sitting in second.

Fresh pies are constantly coming out, the crust has a nice bite to it, and walking past that counter when a new pizza hits the window without grabbing a slice takes more self-control than I have.

This is exactly what a complimentary quick-service restaurant should be.

World Fresh Marketplace Buffet – ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The buffet was one of the biggest surprises of the cruise.

I’ve been pretty critical of cruise ship buffets over the years, especially when dinner rolls around and some lines seem to treat the buffet as the place where leftovers go to die.

That was not the case on Regal Princess.

There was a tremendous amount of variety at breakfast, lunch and dinner, the presentation was consistently appealing and the overall quality was right up there with Holland America, which remains one of my benchmarks for mainstream cruise line buffet food.

Main Dining Room

I didn’t have dinner in the main dining room during this cruise.

Between specialty dining, the special dinners and everything else I had booked, there simply wasn’t enough time.

I did post the menus throughout the week, and Princess offers both flexible dining and traditional early and late seating, along with a separate Reserve Collection dining area for qualifying guests, but since I didn’t actually eat there, I’m not going to pretend to rate it.

Regular Dining Ratings

• Crown Grill Steakhouse, $55 per person: ⭐⭐
• Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria, $55 per person: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Ocean Terrace Seafood Bar, à la carte: Did not experience
• Alfredo’s Pizzeria, à la carte/casual dining: Did not experience
• Prego Pizzeria, included: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Trident Grill, included: Did not experience
• World Fresh Marketplace Buffet, included: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Main Dining Room, included: Did not experience

Special Dining and Food & Beverage Experiences

Then there were the events – and there were a lot of them.

This cruise included some of the strongest specialty food-and-wine experiences I’ve had in a while, and this is one area where the cruise line really shines.

Chef’s Table Lumière – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The $145-per-person Chef’s Table Lumière was easily the best dining experience of the week.

It wasn’t simply dinner. The evening started with champagne and hors d’oeuvres, followed by a behind-the-scenes galley tour led by the executive chef. From there, we were seated at the special Lumière table surrounded by its illuminated curtain and worked through a multi-course meal with wine pairings.

The food was excellent, the service was flawless and the wine glasses seemingly came with instructions that they were never allowed to become empty.

Chef’s Table showed exactly what high-end cruise ship dining service should look like.

If I could pick just one of the special dining experiences to repeat, this would be it.

Caymus Winemaker Dinner – ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

The $140 Caymus Winemaker Dinner was another standout.

I previously did this dinner aboard Enchanted Princess in December 2024, and the menu and wines remain largely unchanged.

Normally, that might bother me.

Here, I’m perfectly fine with it.

The pairing of Wagner family wines with dishes such as black truffle risotto and Tournedos Rossini still works extremely well, the portions are generous, and the evening includes enough information about Caymus and the wines to make it educational without feeling like you accidentally signed up for a two-hour lecture.

Frescobaldi Grand Tuscan Dinner – ⭐⭐⭐⭐

At $99 per person, the Frescobaldi Grand Tuscan Dinner is a little easier on the wallet than Chef’s Table or Caymus and was still a very enjoyable evening.

The dinner takes over Sabatini’s for the night and pairs a Tuscan-inspired multi-course menu with wines from the historic Frescobaldi family.

The food was good, the pours were generous, and the event had a much more intimate atmosphere than a regular restaurant dinner.

Of the three major dinners, Frescobaldi ranks third for me, but that doesn’t mean it was bad. At $99, it may actually be the easiest one to justify if you want a special wine dinner without crossing the $140 mark.

Special Dining Ratings

• Chef’s Table Lumière, $155 per person: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Caymus Winemaker Dinner, $145 per person: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
• Frescobaldi Grand Tuscan Dinner, $99 per person: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

When I look back at dining as a whole, Princess did very well.

Regal Princess Fellow Passengers

The passenger mix on this sailing was pretty broad.

Florida schools are already back in session, but that’s not the case everywhere in the country, so there were still a good number of families onboard with kids. I didn’t see any issues with them during the week either. For the most part, they were well behaved and just enjoying the cruise like everyone else.

Princess does skew a little younger than Holland America, and I mean a little. If I had to guess, I’d put the average age on this sailing somewhere in the 55 to 60 range, but there was definitely a mix of younger couples, families, solo travelers and older cruisers.

Princess does have kids and teen programming, but this is not a ship loaded with giant water slides, ropes courses, surf simulators or massive waterparks, so kids aren’t constantly being pulled toward some giant onboard attraction. Because of that, you’ll see a lot of families around the main Lido pool during the day.

If you’re looking for a completely kid-free experience, this isn’t it, but if you’re worried that Regal Princess is going to feel like a floating amusement park packed with screaming children, it doesn’t.

Entertainment on Regal Princess

Princess also does a very good job keeping the entertainment schedule full.

There’s usually something going on somewhere, whether it’s a production show in the main theater, a game show or smaller event in Princess Live, live music around the ship, or one of the nightly parties in the Piazza.

The Piazza in particular becomes a real focal point in the evenings. Between the 70s night, 80s night, Silent Disco and other live entertainment, that area was busy almost every night and made for some excellent people watching.

You’ll also find live music at the Lido pool, Wheelhouse Bar and Crooners, so if sitting somewhere with a drink and listening to music is more your speed, there are plenty of options.

And that’s probably the best way to sum up the entertainment onboard: you won’t be bored.

Princess may not be trying to compete with Royal Caribbean by putting an ice rink, AquaTheater and Broadway musical on the same ship, but the schedule is packed from morning through late at night, and there’s enough variety that most people should be able to find something they enjoy.

Regal Princess Service

Here’s where things get a little more interesting.

Stateroom service was excellent throughout the week. My room was usually made up shortly after I left it, my attendant was always pleasant, and he regularly checked to make sure everything was okay. There were no issues there at all.

The bars, however, were a completely different story.

Slow bar service was probably the most consistent service complaint I had during the entire cruise – and I definitely wasn’t alone in this! It seemed like most bars had two, maybe three bartenders working regardless of how busy things got, and at peak times some of them were simply overwhelmed.

Walk-up guests also seemed to get priority over people actually sitting at the bar, which made for some frustrating waits. More than once I sat at a bar without even being acknowledged while the bartenders worked through a growing line in front of them.

And to be clear, I don’t blame the bartenders.

Most of them were hustling nonstop, and you could tell they were doing the best they could with the staffing they had. There were times where you could practically see the frustration on their faces as the line got longer, servers waited for drinks, and guests sitting at the bar wondered if anyone was ever going to notice them.

The service issues at Crown Grill were probably the best example of how that understaffing spills over into other areas. A $55-per-person steakhouse should not have a guest waiting 15 minutes for a can of water because the bar is too overwhelmed to get it out.

Restaurant service overall was more hit or miss. Sabatini’s was excellent every time I visited, the special dining events were handled extremely well, and my second Crown Grill dinner was much better than the first. But there was enough inconsistency throughout the week that service is definitely an area where Regal Princess has room for improvement.

Condition of Regal Princess

Regal Princess isn’t a new ship, but she isn’t exactly old either.

At just over a decade in service, she’s reached that point where some areas are beginning to show their age and could use some attention.

You’ll notice wear in places if you’re looking for it. Some carpeting, especially on stairways, is starting to look tired, furniture in a few lounges could use reupholstering, and as I mentioned earlier, my Mini-Suite had its share of scratches, worn finishes and dated fixtures.

None of this is disastrous.

The ship isn’t falling apart, and I never felt like I was sailing on something that had been neglected. Public areas were generally clean, surfaces were kept polished and the ship overall still presents well.

It’s more a case of Regal Princess needing some cosmetic TLC.

Fresh carpet, new upholstery, some updated cabin furnishings and attention to those little worn areas would make a noticeable difference, and most of that is exactly the kind of work that can be handled during a routine dry dock.

So while she may be starting to show a few wrinkles, she’s still in good overall condition and kept clean throughout.

Debarkation at Port Everglades

And then, just like that, it was time to get off.

Princess offers the usual two ways to debark: self-assist, where you carry all of your luggage off yourself, or checked luggage, where you place your bags outside your stateroom the night before and collect them in the terminal the next morning.

For either option, you choose a preferred debarkation time.

I originally selected an 8:00 a.m. checked-luggage departure but was assigned 9:00 a.m., which was a little later than I wanted to hang around.

So I changed plans and went with self-assist.

Self-assist passengers are technically assigned departure times too, but let’s be realistic here: on turnaround morning, the cruise line wants everyone off the ship as quickly as possible, so I didn’t go to guest services and select a time.

Regal Princess tied up at Port Everglades around 5:30 a.m., and self-assist debarkation started around 6:00.

At about 6:30, I grabbed my bags and headed down.

No line.

None.

I walked straight off the ship, through Customs and out of the terminal without any waiting at all.

By 7:30 a.m., I was home.

That’s about as flawless as debarkation gets.

After a week of bar lines, crowded tenders and the occasional service hiccup, ending the cruise by simply walking off the ship and being home an hour later was a pretty nice way to wrap things up.

Final Thoughts

I went into this cruise with pretty high expectations.

My previous Princess sailing aboard Enchanted Princess had been a very good one, and Regal Princess had a lot going for her before I even stepped onboard. I had a great Mini-Suite, the ship itself is still beautiful, the itinerary included ports I enjoy, and some of the special dining and beverage experiences this week were absolutely fantastic.

There were a lot of very good things about this cruise.

Unfortunately, there was also one recurring problem that I just can’t ignore: service.

And that’s ultimately what keeps me from giving Regal Princess the same four-star rating I gave Enchanted Princess.

If the service had been better, this would have absolutely been a four-star cruise.

No question.

I went back and forth quite a bit over the final rating.

At one point, I was leaning toward 3 stars, because service plays such a huge role in the overall cruise experience. But the more I looked back over the entire week, the more I felt that was a little too harsh.

There were simply too many genuinely excellent parts of this cruise to knock it down that far.

So my final rating for this seven-night cruise aboard Regal Princess is:

⭐⭐⭐½ — 3.5 out of 5

And I truly wish I could make that a 4.

Because the bones of a four-star experience are absolutely here.

Would I sail on her again?

Possibly.

Would I sail Princess again?

Absolutely.

But based on this particular week, Regal Princess lands just below the experience I had aboard Enchanted Princess.

There were some fantastic highs, a handful of frustrating lows, and enough good in between to make it a cruise I’m glad I took.

As the busy Caribbean season is about to get underway here in Florida, it’s going to be a very busy couple of months.  I’ll be returning to some favorite ships to see what’s new, have a few surprises to share, and I’ll be spending Christmas and New Years on the smallest and oldest ship in the Holland America Line fleet!

Thanks for following along on this latest adventure, and stay tuned for more!

Regal Princess Daily Planner – Day 7

Regal Princess Cruise Review By Day