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| Princess Cruises Copyright Andy Richards 2013 - All Rights Reserved |
WHEN THINGS shut down in late 2020, we had no idea what was in store for us. Or the rest of the world. We had had flu, ebola, West Nile, and numerous other "outbreaks," and I think many of us thought this was just another one of those. Very bad, but addressable. By now, everyone knows that was not the case.
It was not until October, 2021 that we were able to find a cruise that fit our thinking
AT THAT time, we had a couple future cruises booked - mostly in Europe. The were eventually cancelled, as were a series of "replacement" cruises we booked. It was not until October, 2021 that we were able to find a cruise that fit our thinking. For that cruise, we went back to Princess and the sister ship of the Royal Princess (our first ever cruise in Europe); The Regal Princess.
IN MANY ways, it was a bit of a letdown. The itinerary was not an ideal one for us (and it got worse as 2 of the 3 main ports decided it was still too soon to allow cruise ships - necessitating "pivots" in both cases). Having been thoroughly indoctrinated to Celebrity by now, we found the food to be mediocre and the dining experience likewise. And, with Covid-19 Protocols still in place, the overall experience was not what we were accustomed to.
AS NOTED in the previous post, getting to Europe (and back home) and getting on the ship were complications we had never previously had (and thankfully no longer have today). Our trip to London (which was a wonderful, weeklong, pre-cruise adventure) involved testing in the U.S., and testing immediately upon landing at LHR airport. Then we were tested again by Princess before boarding the ship, and once more at the end of the cruise, before shuttling to the airport. These were all so-called "rapid" test which gave results within a very short period. Princess handled their part of the testing admirably. They were very organized, and we were quickly moved through the testing area and then sat in a waiting area until cleared to board. It took us less than an hour and the subsequent boarding was quick and well-organized.
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| Princess' Medallion "Key Card" |
BUT WE were cruising again! And we were optimistic that things would improve along with the rest of the world. It was going to take some time. And there were a couple things we actually really liked on the Princess ship. One of them was Princess (now on all their ships, I believe) the rollout of their "Medallion" program. The medallion replaces the traditional "seapass" card. It is very similar to an Apple airtag and transmits electronically everywhere aboard the ship. It is your room key and boarding pass. With a "smartpone" app, it also allows you to "connect" to others (it was great for my wife and me to be able to know where to find each other on board), and to order food and drink anywhere on board and have it delivered! While some have some trepidation about it, I loved it and wish other lines would adopt the technology (to the best of my knowledge, only Disney has done so). Princess offers a wristband and or waist clip (I bought the latter and found it great for my purposes).
PRINCESS IS said to be the first cruise line to offer "anytime" dining, but for numerous reasons, we had not embraced that concept fully yet and on this cruise had an assigned table. In our view, the layout of the MDR on the Regal Princess wasn't ideal. We were placed away from the center of the dining room, up on a raised area and back in a kind of corner. There were two rectangular tables in that corner, seating 4 couples altogether. We never saw one couple. The second couple at the adjoining table were only there for one night. I can only surmise that they asked to be moved (we probably should have, too). Our table mates were a perfectly nice couple from New Zealand. They were there punctually every night and we did have nice conversation with them. But it was essentially "private" dining with the 4 of us for the entire cruise. We didn't feel comfortable asking to be moved, as we thought it would be insulting to the couple. Along with mediocre food offerings, it was not our best outing. But at the same time, it was perfectly nice company. I think, though, that it was the last time we ever had assigned time and seating.
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| Le Verdun-sur-Mer, France (from the deck of the Regal Princess Cruise Ship) Copyright Andy Richards 2021 - All Rights Reserved |
WE WERE Originally scheduled to stop at The Isle of Guernsey, LaRochelle, France, and Bilbao and "A Coruna, Spain. Shortly before the cruise, we were informed of a change of itinerary. Guernsey was still not allowing cruise ships and that stop was dropped entirely (substitution a sea day). The fact that it is a tender port probably added to the issues involving on shore Covid-19 protocol. Either way, a disappointment.
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| Shops - Soulac-sur-Mer, France Copyright Andy Richards 2021 - All Rights Reserved |
FOR REASONS never explained, La Rochelle was changed to Le Verdon-sur-Mer ("the port for Bordeaux"). Current searches online suggest that at the time the changing and inconsistent Covid-19 protocols exercised by different French municipalities made La Rochelle problematic. The do not specifically say that the port would have been impossible. They also suggest that Le Verdon fit better with Princess sailing times and fuel effeciency. Not something a passenger really wants to hear about a promised port. The problem, in our view, was the La Rochelle is a sizeable community and at the time offered some things to do. Le Verdon? Not so much. While it might be touted as "the port for Bordeaux," it was a rather long train ride to Bordeax (aligning with my oft-repeated complaint that cruise lines are sometimes misleading with their port descriptions). The port itself is very industrial, with no walking and no place really to go that is nearby. Instead, Princess offered a shuttle to the nearby beach town of Soulac-sur-Mer. A pretty little town. Also a tiny little town. The beaches were impressive, but this was not beach weather and they were desolate at that time. The town was little more than about 2 blocks of typical touristy shops and the like. Nice, but quite a letdown over anticipated La Rochelle.
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| A 'Coruna, Spain Copyright Andy Richards 2021 - All Rights Reserved |
THE REMAINING stops - for us - were just ok. La Coruna was just kind of your "everytown." To take a few days to stay and get a feel for a place like this might be rewarding. We got off the ship, got a cappuchino and sat at a cafe near the port, walked a bit, and re-boarded the ship. In Bilbao, we did pretty much the same. I also searched out a cigar shop where, ironically, the cuban cigar the proprietor talked me into buying was terrible (not properly humidored), and the 3-pack of "American" (you have to imagine the derogatory tone in which the proprietor described the "mere" American cigars) cigars were actually decent. But I digress. 😁.
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| A 'Coruna, Spain Copyright Andy Richards 2021 - All Rights Reserved |
IN FAIRNESS, we did not really do our "homework" for this cruise. Denominated as a "sampler cruise" by Princess, it was a bit last minute for us and we did not do our customary planning and excursion bookings. We just wanted to get out on a ship and get back in the swing of things. Bilbao, we know now, has a lot to do and at the very least we probably should have visited the Guggenheim Museum. We finally did do that, just recently, in 2026 on a Gate 1 Travel stop in Bilbao. It is a pretty spectacular work of art (in my opinion, it is mainly the very modern architecture - both inside and out - that "steals the show").
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| Bilbao, Spain Copyright Andy Richards 2021 - All Rights Reserved |
IN THE end, it was still a fun experience. The smoking area on the Regal is on the back, much like the Celebrity Solstice class ships, but not as well thought out. It was often windy, and we felt a little like we were shoved into a corner. But that didn't stop me from having a few cigars, and make some new acquaintences. By January (2022), we would be back on board our familiar Celebrity Reflection; this time back in the Caribbean.
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