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Editorial Cruise Ship Wiki's take on Regal Princess
Regal Princess is the second of Princess Cruises' Royal class, delivered by Fincantieri at Monfalcone and entering service in May 2014 at 142,714 gross tons, carrying 3,560 guests at lower berths across 1,780 cabins. The design idea that defines her is the Piazza: a three-deck atrium treated as the ship's town square rather than a lobby, with cafes, bars, shops and performance space pressed in around it so that circulation and entertainment share the same room. Much else on board follows from that choice, including a spread of small venues rather than one or two large ones.
The features that genuinely distinguish her start with the SeaWalk, a glass-floored walkway cantilevered out over the water from the ship's side, paired with the SeaView Bar below it. Princess Live is a compact studio theatre used for game shows, cooking segments and interactive formats, an unusual amount of purpose-built broadcast space for a ship of this vintage. The Sanctuary offers an adults-only sun retreat with cabanas, the Lotus Spa a thermal suite with hydrotherapy pool and heated loungers, and the dining roster runs from Crown Grill and Sabatini's through Alfredo's Pizzeria and the International Cafe, the last two repeatedly singled out by reviewers.
Criticism is consistent rather than severe. Cruise Critic's editors give the ship 4.0 out of 5 and flag small cabins and tight balconies as the headline drawback. Published reviews add crowding on the main pool deck at peak periods, Movies Under the Stars audio loud enough to make the surrounding loungers unpleasant, hectic flexible dining at busy times, stretched crew and slow main dining room service, and lifeboat obstruction on lower balcony cabins. Repeat Princess guests report limited novelty, and the walking circuit sits up on the Sports Deck rather than at sea level.
For 2026 she is based at Fort Lauderdale on seven and eight night Caribbean runs, so she suits mainstream cruisers who rank dining variety, live music and a sociable central space above thrill attractions. She suits less well anyone wanting a genuinely large standard cabin, families chasing waterslides or racetracks, or travellers sensitive to noise and density on holiday sailings.
**What this means for choosing a cabin.** Of the 1,780 cabins, 1,438 have a balcony, close to 81 per cent, alongside 342 inside rooms and 36 wheelchair-accessible units. Cabins occupy decks 8 to 12, 14 and 15, plus a small group on Deck 16. Deck 8 sits directly over Deck 7 shops and Deck 6 dining and casino, and carries the lifeboat-obstructed balconies. Deck 15 cabins sit beneath the Deck 16 Lido and pools, and Deck 16 cabins share their level with the pool deck itself, with the kids, teen and Sanctuary spaces on Deck 17 above. Self-service laundrettes appear on each cabin deck from 8 to 15, worth avoiding as an immediate neighbour.
Sources
This is Cruise Ship Wiki's own editorial summary of published reviews and reference sources. It is not a guest review and does not describe a stay aboard. Member reviews appear separately below.
Photo: Bahnfrend (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Regal Princess is the second ship of Princess Cruises' Royal class and a near-identical sister to the lead vessel Royal Princess. She was ordered from Fincantieri under the same programme that produced her sibling, part of the line's decisive break from the Grand-class hull toward a wider, higher-volume post-Panamax design. Built at Fincantieri's Monfalcone shipyard, her keel was laid on 28 August 2012 and she was floated out of the building dock in late March 2013, with the completed vessel delivered to Princess on 11 May 2014, reportedly ahead of the contracted schedule.
Like her sister she measures 142,229 gross tons, 330 metres long with a maximum beam of 47.2 metres and a draught of 8.5 metres, spread over 19 decks including 16 for guests. She carries 3,560 guests at double occupancy and as many as 4,271 at full capacity, with a crew of about 1,346 and 1,780 staterooms, most fitted with balconies. She is registered in Hamilton under the Bermuda flag, carries IMO number 9584724 and the call sign ZCEK6.
Regal Princess shares the Royal-class signature spaces: the expanded multi-storey Piazza atrium at the centre of shipboard life, the over-water SeaWalk glass walkway and adjacent SeaView bar, the adults-only Sanctuary, the Princess Live studio, and specialty dining including the Crown Grill and Sabatini's. Her interiors were given a distinct character, drawing on warm materials such as wood, bronze and leather in a design sensibility often likened to the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. She was later enabled for Princess's MedallionClass technology, the wearable-device platform for touchless access, payments and personalised service across the ship.
Mechanically she is identical to her sister, with a diesel-electric plant built around four Wärtsilä generating sets producing roughly 62,400 kW and driving two electric propulsion motors of about 18 MW each for a service speed near 22 knots.
Regal Princess entered service in the Mediterranean, with a pre-inaugural sailing from Trieste in May 2014 followed by her first revenue voyage from Venice on 20 May 2014. She was formally christened on 5 November 2014 at Fort Lauderdale, in a ceremony that made maritime-television history by naming the original principal cast of the American series The Love Boat, Gavin MacLeod, Fred Grandy, Ted Lange, Bernie Kopell, Lauren Tewes and Jill Whelan, as her godparents, a nod to the show's long promotional association with Princess. Her seasons have alternated between Caribbean winters from Fort Lauderdale and northern European and Baltic summers, and in 2022 she served as the setting for revived Love Boat reality-television productions. She was involved in a mid-ocean rescue of survivors from a small-plane ditching in the Caribbean in March 2019. Regal Princess remains in active service and in the 2025-2026 period has sailed Caribbean itineraries, including Southern Caribbean and ABC-island voyages, out of Fort Lauderdale.
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Onboard Highlights
Signature attractions, dining, bars and entertainment aboard Regal Princess.
Top attractions
- SeaWalk
A glass-floor walkway extending 28 feet beyond the edge of the ship. - Sanctuary
A tranquil, adults-only retreat reserved for relaxation. - Princess WaterColor Fantasy
A dazzling light and water show. - Movies Under the Stars
An open-air poolside amphitheater featuring feature films, concerts and sporting events. - The Piazza
A vibrant hub of activity inspired by European squares with roving street performers and boutiques.
Specialty dining
- Crown Grill
A premium steakhouse serving carefully aged cuts with gourmet salts in a classic steakhouse setting. - Sabatini's Italian Trattoria
An Italian restaurant celebrating traditional cuisine with artisanal techniques and fresh ingredients.
Bars and lounges
- Vines
A wine bar located in the Piazza, voted one of the best wine bars at sea by USA Today. - Ocean Terrace
A stylish seafood bar offering sushi, sashimi, and chilled sake, cocktails, and wine by the glass.
Entertainment
- Princess Theater
An ultramodern theater featuring lavish original productions with dazzling stage sets and artists from around the globe.
Where She Sails
Ports of call on Regal Princess itineraries, with a signature highlight at each.
Specifications
| Status | In service |
|---|---|
| Entered service | 2014 |
| Cruise line | Princess Cruises |
| Gross tonnage | 142,229 GT |
| Guests (double occupancy) | 3,560 |
| Guests (maximum) | 4,271 |
| Crew | 1,346 |
| Est. annual guests | ≈ 178,000 / year (estimated) · Stable |
| Length | 330 m (1,083 ft) |
| Beam | 47.2 m (155 ft) moulded · 47.2 m (155 ft) extreme |
| Draught | 8.5 m (28 ft) |
| Decks | 19 (16 guest decks) |
| Staterooms | 1,780 |
| Shipyard | Fincantieri, Monfalcone, Italy |
| Christened by | The original principal cast of The Love Boat (Gavin MacLeod, Fred Grandy, Ted Lange, Bernie Kopell, Lauren Tewes and Jill Whelan) |
| Flag | Bermuda |
| Port of registry | Hamilton |
| IMO number | 9584724 |
| Call sign | ZCEK6 |
| Home port | Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
| Region | Caribbean (from Fort Lauderdale) |
Ownership & loyalty
Part of Carnival Corporation & plc (CCL / CUK).
Sister brands: Carnival Cruise Line.
References
Descriptions on Cruise Ship Wiki are original write-ups paraphrased from public sources; facts are compiled from the references below and cross-checked. How we source our information.
- Regal Princess (2013) - Wikipedia - Construction dates, christening, godparents, specifications and history.
- Regal Princess - Princess Cruises official ship page - Official ship overview and onboard features.
- Regal Princess - CruiseMapper - Current deployment, home port and 2025 refurbishment.