Cruise Review: Regal Princess in the British Isles (page 1 of 3)

Hi there! Here’s a quick review of my cruise on the REGAL PRINCESS. This was my 35th cruise and my second on the REGAL PRINCESS, which I first discovered in 2017 during a Caribbean cruise. A few months ago, we received an email from PRINCESS changing the itinerary—DUBLIN and EDINBURGH were replaced by two Scottish islands. We were a little disappointed, but since we’d never sailed around the UK, we didn’t really know any of the ports anyway. The itinerary was: SOUTHAMPTON AT SEA KIRKWALL INVERGORDON AT SEA STORNOWAY GLASGOW BELFAST AT SEA CORK AT SEA PORTLAND LE HAVRE SOUTHAMPTON

A 13-day/12-night cruise for 1350 € per person in a guaranteed deluxe balcony cabin. PRINCESS assigned us a balcony cabin on deck 8 with a large balcony. We ended up happy with our cabin, even though we’d initially preferred a higher deck. I’ll admit I hesitated to choose this cruise because of the weather—I love sunshine and good weather—but the desire to discover new ports won out, especially with the promise of heading to Corsica afterward to soak up some sun again 😉

On PRINCESS, as Catherine mentioned, there’s no card—everyone has a medallion! I loved this system, which unlocks your cabin door as you approach. It’s really well thought out!

We took the EUROSTAR from Lille to London, then a train from London to Southampton the day before. We stayed in a nice IHG hotel near the port.

EMBARKATION It’s Friday, August 1st. After a good breakfast and a quick check-out, we realize our UBER app isn’t working in England ;(. We have to go back to reception to ask for a taxi because, even though the hotel is close to the port, the ship is still over 2 km away—hardly ideal with luggage! The problem is that many hotel guests also requested taxis... so we wait a good 30 minutes before ours arrives! We get to the REGAL PRINCESS pretty quickly but are shocked to see a huge line outside!!! We hadn’t seen that in over a decade! Not the best start! 🙁



TO BE CONTINUED!

Hi Isa, thanks for starting this review—it can’t have been easy for you with the back-to-school rush.

Here for the rest! 😎

Hi Isa, Thanks for your feedback on what’s coming next 😉 Mich74

Hi Isa,

I’m thrilled to be joining you on this cruise around the British Isles. I hope you’re as excited as I am about my Norway cruise.

The only time in my 62 cruises that I chose a guaranteed cabin, I bitterly regretted it—and I didn’t sail with that company again for 11 years... It was with Princess. The cabin was poorly located, in bad condition, and the bed was sunken. They were completely unhelpful and refused to do anything for the entire cruise. From the start, you’re luckier than I was. 😉

Hey friends! Thanks for your encouragement! ;) BOARDING CONTINUED So here we are, stuck in a long line!! The photo I posted is misleading because the line in front of the door curves just before it, with an even longer line outside than expected!!! Seriously, the worst boarding we’ve ever had on an American cruise line . Luckily, it’s not raining!!! The line moves slowly, but once we’re inside, things speed up: passports, check-in, getting our medallion, then another wait. Finally, security, and as a finishing touch, a photo op we decline—it’s already long enough! In total, it took about 1 hour and 15 minutes 😕—we’ve definitely had better experiences!

THE CABIN Just so you know, balcony cabins on PRINCESS are smaller than elsewhere. To get a similar size, you’d need to book the “DELUXE BALCONY” category. As mentioned before, we chose a guaranteed cabin, so we’re on Deck 8 with an atypical cabin—it has a larger balcony than the others because there’s a technical room below. It wasn’t bothersome except for 2 or 3 times when it made some noise. My mom was assigned a cabin on Deck 16, which is super convenient since it’s on the same deck as the pools and buffet.

The bathroom is smaller than on CELEBRITY and has a shower curtain—kind of a bummer!!! But there’s a handy closet at the cabin entrance.

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you—what a surprise to see two separate beds! As soon as our cabin steward introduces herself, we tell her we’d prefer one bed. She says that same morning, she’d changed the double bed into two singles based on our preference???? I check the app, and sure enough, it’s marked that we prefer two beds??? Anyway, the issue was resolved that same evening! ;)







The medallion is super practical—I love this system! It’s really well thought out. It automatically unlocks your door when you arrive, but that’s not all! Everywhere you go, you’re identified. For example, at the restaurant entrance, they know who’s at the counter and call you by name. In some areas of the ship, you can order a drink via the app, and they’ll bring it to you because they know your location!

The ship leaves Southampton at 4 PM, heading north to the first Scottish island, KIRKWALL. I check the weather, and it’s really not great—a storm is even mentioned 🙁... We packed rain gear, and I even have a handy rain poncho from our Norway trip. Fingers crossed, thinking weather forecasts aren’t always reliable. Looking back, I should’ve crossed them harder... 🏴‍☠️

TO BE CONTINUED!

to be continued! AUGUST 1ST – DAY AT SEA We’re heading to the buffet for lunch this morning. The buffet layout can be pretty confusing the first time, but we know the ship well—there are several aisles, and after a few days, you quickly get your bearings. The flow is smooth, and there are plenty of food choices... I’ll dedicate a whole chapter to dining later... After this hearty breakfast, we decide to take a walk on the upper decks—bad move! They’re closed due to wind... yeah, it’s windy, but we’ve dealt with worse! What a letdown! How about a quick dip in the adults-only pool? Second bad move—it’s closed because of the wind too 😕 It’s so frustrating not being able to do much, ugh.

Still, I usually love days at sea, but not when we’re this limited on activities

Early afternoon, the captain makes an announcement! You should know—surprise captain announcements are NEVER good news!! The weather forecast wasn’t wrong—storm FLORIS is heading our way! 🏴‍☠️ We won’t be able to avoid it, but according to the captain, we’ll change our route to minimize the impact! Strong winds are expected, making it impossible to keep all the planned stops. So here’s what’s decided: two Scottish stops are canceled— - INVERGORDON - STORNOWAY Which means we won’t see Loch Ness 😕 The two stops are replaced with a day at sea and LIVERPOOL. Tomorrow’s stop in KIRKWALL is still on.

We’re disappointed, but honestly, I get that there wasn’t much choice... that’s the risk when you pick destinations with such unpredictable weather...

TO BE CONTINUED WITH THE STOPS! !

Still here following you 😎 For those who want a spacious cabin, note the mini-suites—they’re not full suites, but a much larger balcony cabin with a big walk-in closet facing the bathroom, all at a reasonable price.

I really loved the stop in Liverpool !

Hi Isabelle,

Thanks for this new report! For the stopover in Invergordon that we did in 2012, there wasn’t much to see apart from the lake, "Loch Ness," which is just like any other lake, and a wooden shop on the shore selling souvenirs. Have a great Sunday! Guylène

Thanks Guylene for the comfort 😉

hi Cathy I agree with you LIVERPOOL is an interesting port of call! 😉

STOPOVERS KIRKWALL KIRKWALL is the main town of the Orkney Islands (Scottish islands located north of the United Kingdom). I had prepared my stopover: either we’d take a taxi to visit the west coast, with its spectacular cliffs, arches, and beautiful panoramas if the weather was nice, or we’d head into town. It’s raining! So the question doesn’t even arise. According to my prep, we were close to the city center... not at all, we had to take a free shuttle to get there. The rain stopped, but it was just waiting for us to stick our noses outside to start up again We had to wait for the shuttle outside—there were a few shelters, but not enough. Luckily, we were equipped with rain jackets, rain ponchos, sweaters... Finally, we’re on the bus—the trip takes about ten minutes. The color of the grass reminds me of what we saw in Iceland—it’s a particular shade of green. Once in the city center, we head toward a small shop where they sell beanies. I buy one because I’m cold! We make our way to the imposing St. MAGNUS CATHEDRAL. It has a very distinctive style, made of red brick with the cemetery around it. We walk all the way around—different views are interesting.





The rain has stopped! Feels good! Next to the church, there’s the old Earl’s Palace and the Bishop’s Palace. Their ruins tell the story of ecclesiastical power and the nobility of Orkney’s past. We decide to pay and go inside. An interesting stroll through the different rooms and views of the castle—they’ve added various period games you can play to make the visit more fun.









Off to the Orkney Museum... we forgot it’s Sunday and it’s closed ;( Oh well, there are still the shopping streets and stores. The town isn’t big, and not all the shops are open. The iconic souvenir is the emblematic bird of the islands—the puffin, also called the Atlantic puffin.

After walking the few streets of the city center and doing a bit of window shopping, we head back to the ship. In the end, we escaped the worst—the rain didn’t come back, and the sun even peeked out. We leave Kirkwall with the sun shining, making the most of these moments, because tomorrow we’ll meet FLORØ.

Hi Isa,

Two years ago, we were luckier than you with the weather in Kirkwall. We took a great taxi tour that was really interesting, visiting the cliffs and many other sites with a very friendly driver. I’m sharing this gentleman’s website in case it might interest someone. https://www.craigiestaxis.co.uk/

Hi Catherine, Thanks for this interesting info—since the town isn’t very big, it’s definitely a good idea to get moving here when the weather allows it...

PORT STOPS (continued) Before telling you about this second stop, I’ve got to talk about our second day at sea with FLORIS! We’re dreading this day—I get seasick and I don’t like feeling the ship move too much. There’s a lot of wind and overcast skies, and once again the outer decks and the adults-only pool are closed . It’s really frustrating because there’s not much to do except eat, read, or play board games. The wind and rain pick up in the afternoon, the spray rises all the way to the upper deck, and we feel like we’re in a flying pea-soup fog. The wind howls loudly, even with the balcony door tightly shut. The ship tilts a little, but in terms of pitching, nothing dramatic. I still take my pills because I’m sensitive, but it’s a relief that nothing looks too scary. The captain comes on to tell us the wind is very strong but we’re sailing safely. The storm starts to calm down in the evening, and we have a good night’s sleep.

GLASGOW The weather isn’t great—it’s not warm, but at least it’s not raining. The ship docks in GREENOCK, and we have to take the train to get to GLASGOW. The trip takes 45 minutes. I’d planned this stop, so we follow the schedule . The station is in the city center, but it takes us 30 minutes to reach St. Mungo’s Cathedral, the oldest cathedral in Scotland. It’s pretty, and its catacombs are definitely worth seeing. After the visit, we head to the necropolis, which overlooks the religious building. There are some impressive tombs, and it offers sweeping views of the city.





Now we head to the heart of the city center, George Square, and we’re in for a nasty surprise— the whole square is under construction and surrounded by metal sheets, blocking any view!!! Great, right in the middle of summer! They really know how to welcome tourists .



Next, we head to the Gallery of Modern Art, then stroll through the pedestrian streets (Buchanan Street).



Then we see the famous statue of the Duke of Wellington. Fun fact: The city center, where the Duke’s statue is located, was undergoing major roadworks. With little effort, locals had access to more than one cone at hand! To prevent injuries from pranksters climbing the statue and to protect this historic monument, the Glasgow city council tried repeatedly to remove the cone. But their efforts were in vain—because within just a few hours of it being taken down by the police, the cone would reappear on the statue. The motto: Keep the cone!



Finally, we take a break in some luxury shopping arcades where we stop for a drink.

Last visit of the day: Kelvingrove Museum. There’s a subway in GLASGOW that loops around—you just have to choose the right direction to get to the nearest stop as quickly as possible. It’s a magnificent and free national museum, one of the most important in Scotland. We loved this visit!



We take the subway again—there’s a stop near the station—and the train takes us back to GREENOCK. We really enjoyed this visit despite the construction! But as a huge cherry on top, we saw the sun .

Hi Isabelle,

Thanks for sharing! I see we’ll have the same stop in June 2026 with CFC. Looks like it got pretty rough—good to know so we can pack some motion-sickness pills just in case. Have a great day! Guylène

Hi Guylene, For my part, I never forget the pills when I go on a cruise! 😉

LIVERPOOL So here’s our substitute stop—we couldn’t prepare anything, so I’m checking out points of interest online before we head out. This is the Beatles’ city! They’re everywhere—in shops, statues outside, and there’s even a dedicated museum. You really can’t miss them! 😉



We decide to start by walking along the docks to the museum we want to visit. The stroll is pleasant—no rain, everything’s going well...



When we arrive at the museum, we get a nasty surprise: we can’t buy tickets on the spot. You *have* to book them online and reserve an entry time. So we book for late morning—the next available slot is in 1 hour and 15 minutes! We head back to wander along the port and browse the shops while we wait... The person filtering at the entrance is really unpleasant—they won’t let my mom sit on the low wall, so we have to wait standing up. 😕 Finally, we’re called in! We grab an audio guide in French, and the visit quickly immerses us in the Beatles’ world, from the band’s creation to their peak. Posters, various objects, recreated streets—even the Yellow Submarine is there!





It’s an interesting and enjoyable visit, so I definitely recommend booking online! Now we’re leaving the docks for the city center—pedestrian streets, beautiful monuments, a public garden, the national museum...













Everything’s walkable—it’s a really pleasant city to explore! In the end, this substitute stop turned out to be a great surprise!

BELFAST part 1! After the Beatles' city, we've now arrived in the city where the TITANIC was built. We preferred taking a taxi rather than the paid shuttle offered by PRINCESS. It's a scam—they refuse to use their meter and charge £20 for the ride. It's about 5 km, which isn’t worth it! Anyway, we noticed that many taxis tried to scam us in the UK 😡—better to be very careful with the change they give you. ANYWAY... we get dropped off in front of the stunning City Hall. Gorgeous and imposing!







My mom decides to take the red bus to see the city since she’s tired. We head to the covered market, unfortunately closed that day. We walk through some typical downtown streets and make our way to the TITANIC Museum. It’s out of the way, so we take a bridge and walk along the docks.



Same issue as in LIVERPOOL—no entry possible without booking a time slot. There are no slots left before 3:30 PM, so we hesitate but book anyway. The problem is that the museum isn’t really close to the city center, so we’ll have to come back... Tickets in hand, we take a taxi back to the center—a shopping mall with a dome where you can overlook BELFAST.



A bit of window shopping, and we go up to enjoy the panoramic view. Here, the points of interest are spread out... We take another taxi to the botanical garden, which is also free. It’s AMAZING! Greenhouses, large gardens, incredible flowers, and squirrels playing hide-and-seek—we loved this place. We end the visit by grabbing a little ice cream and savoring it on a bench.









We pass by the university again—it’s really pretty.

And we randomly find a taxi that looks bored ;). Off we go to the TITANIC Museum!

BELFAST part 2 We arrived a little early at the Titanic Museum, but no big deal—we managed to find a spot in the museum café and sat down for a drink. Prices are sky-high, as usual... We started our visit with a French audio guide, which is really well done—each room has a number. The museum traces the history of the Titanic from its construction to the shipwreck. There are impressive photos and videos, and a large section explaining the ship’s construction, where many people lost their lives 😕. Some parts are more interactive, where you become part of the action, like having to quickly place a rivet—it’s not easy, but it’s a fun hands-on experience 🙂. Then there’s a line for a kind of ride that takes you through the Titanic’s scaffolding and construction. You can see images and short explanatory films as the ride progresses—it’s INCREDIBLY well designed! Back on solid ground, we continued the visit by focusing on the crew and all the people who boarded the ship. You can take your time learning about certain passengers’ stories—some saved up for years to be able to leave, while others were looking to start a new life and try their luck elsewhere... Then we reached the final part: a tour of the first-, second-, and third-class cabins, followed by a 4D film that makes you feel like you’re on this magnificent ship. Unfortunately, it then shows the collision with the iceberg and the hour-by-hour sinking... All the names of the people on board are engraved—some survivors and others who weren’t so lucky 🙁. Original objects are on display, like recovered glasses, clocks, and various small items, etc... Finally, the conclusion explains why the Titanic met such a tragic fate. TO SUM UP: one of the most beautiful museums we’ve ever seen! It’s a must-visit in BELFAST!

HEY THERE! ` I’m back for the rest of the story—I know some of the stops (don’t worry, you didn’t miss anything cute with Loch Ness—it’s not even a little charming). ` But I’d love to know how you two manage to get prices like that… Between you and Catherine, I’m amazed by the rates you’re quoting. Which agency do you book with?