Cruise Reviews
Cruise Line: Regal
Ship: Regal Empress
Regal Empress Two-night Cruise to Nowhere
By: Andy Taylor
Preparation
This cruise was a get-together for some of the folks from the Bulletin Board at Cruise Ship Center and Cabin Exchange. Some of the group had met in person before but for many it was their first encounter. Including spouses and partners there were 10 adults and 2 children in our group.
Embarkation
Unfortunately, for us, this was the low point of the entire cruise. The three hour drive from our home in Arlington, VA to the Philadelphia Navy Yard was uneventful and we arrived right on time for check in at 1:30 PM. The ship was supposed to sail at 4:30 PM. As soon as we pulled up to the representatives in the parking lot we were informed that the ship was late and boarding would not begin until 3 PM. We were given the choice of parking and hanging around the terminal building or leaving and coming back later. To our utter dismay later, we chose to leave and explore some of Philadelphia before the cruise. We wandered around the South Street area for about an hour and then headed back to the Navy Yard. When we arrived we were instructed to park in a line of cars and await instruction. The parking or "holding" area filled up with almost 200 cars. We then proceeded to wait and wait with no instruction at all as to when we would be allowed to proceed. Unbelievably, they did not let us go for an hour and a half. Apparently they had let people in earlier and were making us wait until all of them had been processed and boarded. It was a dreadful beginning and the hundreds of people waiting in the parking lot were plenty mad. After originally arriving at 1:30 PM we finally got on the ship at 5 PM. An unpleasant 3 and a half hour wait.
Cabin
We were in cabin U-48 on the Upper deck. We were escorted to our cabin by a uniformed steward which was a nice touch since we were carrying on our own luggage. The cabin was clean and pleasant and although quite small, perfectly fine for the two of us. The bathroom was very small and basic but again fine for our needs. The only really bad design flaw in the cabin was the placement of the TV. It was bolted to the ceiling directly in front of the one porthole in the room! Certainly they could have found a better spot for it. I would have preferred not having a TV at all.
Sailing
After quickly unpacking we went off to find our fellow BBers. Bee-Jay had left us a note in our door so we knew where to look for them. We met up on the Mermaid Terrace where they were all enjoying complementary cocktails. It was great to see John and Tony, who we had already met previously, but it was a treat to meet Bee-Jay (our TA) and Cindy, Jim, Ann, Joanne and her family. We all hit if off immediately and settled in for a few bon voyage drinks.
We all eventually went around to explore the ship. As we all had expected, the Regal Empress is an old girl and it shows. I had never been on an old ocean liner though (as an adult) and found it fascinating. The ship has quite a bit of its original woodwork and details. Looking very 50's deco style, she is a delight to explore. The hallways wind around and the stairways are tucked away here and there. Confusing at first, but fun and quite manageable once you get used to her. Our favorite place on the ship was where we met for drinks before dinner both nights, the Commodore Club. It has these charming step-down areas on each side that were perfect for our group. The dining room is another lovely public room that has virtually remained unchanged for 46 years.
Food
We were very pleased with the quality (and quantity) of the food on this cruise. It was very, very good and while not gourmet, perfectly delicious. We had choices of Prime Rib, Swordfish, Lamb Shanks, Fried Chicken, Pastas and much more. All of the food is also available at the alternate La Trattoria, near the pool. This is cafeteria style but the food is the same good food found in the dining room. There is fresh Pizza (didn't try that) and the first afternoon grills were set up around the pool with chicken, ribs, sausages, hamburgers, etc. It was all delicious. There was food available at almost all times on this ship. The midnight buffet the second night was stunning with 4 ice sculptures and the most amazing flowers and things made out of food. I thought it was more impressive than the buffet on the Ecstasy cruise we went on in May. All in all, we were extremely pleased with the food.
Entertainment
We didn't really get to see too much entertainment since we were in a group and preferred sitting around chatting but we did see a few things. They had a very good pianist in the Commodore Club who sang but also let passengers sing too. Many of them were not that bad either. We also really enjoyed the band in the Mermaid Lounge. They were really good and we all had quite a few dances in there. The ship had the usually games, movies and silly stuff and everyone seemed to have a good time. The staff all seemed pleasant and to enjoy their jobs too. It was a happy ship.
Miscellaneous
The itinerary was great. All we did was sail up to NY harbor and back but for most of us it was our first time sailing into NY and it is incredible to say the least. The weather was gorgeous, sunny and about 70 degrees. It was exciting to sail under the Verazzano Narrows bridge and see the statue of Liberty and all the skyscrapers of Manhattan. Sailing by Ellis Island was moving too. It was all beautiful and exciting.
Our group had a terrific time and even got a little silly on the last night with Bee-Jay and Cindy participating in a Toga contest. They looked stunning in there Togas. We all had some fun in the Casino too. I found the slots to not be all that "tight" and Cindy actually won a hundred dollars on one. We also saw someone win $5,000 and that was thrilling.
Regal more than made up for the late departure. First of all, they had the free margaritas and beer at the sail away party. They then announced that instead of arriving back in Philadelphia at 8 AM on Sunday, we would not arrive back until noon. This was terrific and meant that everyone could sleep in the last day and have a nice breakfast and pack at your leisure. They were able to do this since they didn't have a sailing on Sunday. They certainly didn't have to do this but it was greatly appreciated and made the cruise seem much longer.
We all had a terrific time and I would recommend this ship for short cruises. It really needs some work though and I would hesitate to sail on her any longer than a week. She is a delightful old girl though and still has plenty of life left in her. Only our third cruise, once again, we had a ball!
