Regal Princess

Regal Princess is a Royal-class cruise ship operated by Princess Cruises, a cruise line within Carnival Corporation & plc. It is the second vessel to carry the Regal Princess name and was built by Fincantieri at Monfalcone, Italy. The ship forms part of Princess Cruises’ large-ship fleet and was designed as a sister ship to Royal Princess, sharing the Royal-class platform’s emphasis on spacious public areas, balcony accommodation, multiple dining venues, theatrical entertainment and a central atrium. The ship was ordered together with Royal Princess in February 2010, with the final construction contract signed in May of that year. Its keel was laid in August 2012, and the vessel was floated out in March 2013 for completion and outfitting. Regal Princess completed Adriatic Sea trials in April 2014 and was delivered to Princess Cruises on 11 May 2014, ahead of the originally anticipated schedule. Because of the early delivery, its inaugural program was brought forward. A short pre-inaugural cruise operated from Trieste in May 2014, followed by the maiden voyage from Venice on 20 May, visiting Corfu, Mykonos and Istanbul. Regal Princess spent its first operating season in the Mediterranean before repositioning across the Atlantic to begin Caribbean service from Port Everglades. During the years before the COVID-19 pandemic, the ship generally followed a seasonal pattern: Caribbean itineraries in winter, Northern European and Baltic voyages in summer, and fall cruises from New York to New England and the Canadian Maritimes. Plans for a first British Isles season in 2020 and a subsequent Australian deployment were disrupted by the pandemic. Later fleet redeployments placed the ship back into European and Caribbean programs, including European cruises from Southampton and Caribbean voyages from North American ports. The vessel is approximately 142,714 gross tons, 330 metres long and 38.4 metres wide. Its diesel-electric propulsion system uses four Wärtsilä engines and two electrically driven propellers, giving it a service speed of about 22 knots. It has 1,780 passenger cabins and 751 crew cabins; approximately 81 percent of the passenger cabins have balconies. The ship can accommodate several thousand passengers and crew at maximum capacity. Onboard facilities include a multi-level atrium, the Princess Theater, the Vista Lounge, a television studio, swimming pools, dining rooms, specialty restaurants and other entertainment and leisure spaces. The interior concept combines warm, elegant materials such as wood, bronze and leather-toned finishes with large communal areas intended to create a resort-like atmosphere at sea. Its public spaces and entertainment programming reflect Princess Cruises’ positioning around traditional cruise hospitality combined with contemporary large-ship amenities. Regal Princess has also had a media role. It served as the setting for the first two series of the British television program The Cruise: Fun-Loving Brits at Sea. In 2022, it was used as the setting for both the American and Australian versions of the reality dating program The Real Love Boat. The ship also participated in a maritime rescue in March 2019, assisting two survivors of a private aircraft crash near Grand Turk after a request from the United States Coast Guard. Its operational history additionally includes pandemic-related health screening and a fatal crew overboard incident in Rotterdam in May 2020.

Regal Princess is the second ship operated by Princess Cruises to use the name Regal Princess. It belongs to the Royal class, a ship family developed for Princess Cruises and constructed by the Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri. The class was intended to provide a modern, high-capacity cruise platform with extensive public space, a high proportion of balcony cabins and a broad selection of entertainment and dining facilities. Princess Cruises and Fincantieri ordered the first two Royal-class ships in February 2010. The final contract was signed on 4 May 2010. Regal Princess was constructed at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard on Italy’s Adriatic coast. Its keel was laid on 28 August 2012, when the ship’s name was also formally announced. The vessel was floated out in March 2013 and moved to an outfitting berth, where interior installation, machinery completion and other finishing work continued. Sea trials took place in the Adriatic between 16 and 21 April 2014. Construction and delivery proceeded faster than expected, and Fincantieri handed the ship over to Princess Cruises on 11 May 2014, thirteen days earlier than planned. The earlier delivery led Princess Cruises to revise the ship’s debut schedule. Regal Princess undertook a four-night pre-inaugural voyage from Trieste from 16 to 20 May 2014, calling at Kotor. Its maiden voyage then departed Venice on 20 May, visiting Corfu, Mykonos and Istanbul, including an overnight stay in Istanbul. The ship’s inaugural season focused on the Mediterranean. On 17 October 2014 it left Venice to reposition to Port Everglades in Florida, where it began its American operation with Eastern Caribbean itineraries. From 2014 through the period before the pandemic, its annual deployment generally alternated between Caribbean cruises in winter and European itineraries in summer. European operations included Northern European and Baltic voyages, while fall programs from New York served New England and the Canadian Maritimes. A British Isles season was planned for summer 2020, followed by a move to Australia for the ship’s first Oceania season. Those plans were cancelled or changed during the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated suspension and restructuring of cruise operations. A planned debut in Seattle for an Alaska season in 2021 was also replaced by a redeployment to Europe, with Southampton used as a principal homeport for the revised program. Subsequent schedules continued to place Regal Princess in European and Caribbean service, subject to Princess Cruises’ fleet planning. The ship is a sister vessel to Royal Princess and shares that ship’s principal dimensions and design approach. It measures about 142,714 gross tons, is 330 metres long, has a 38.4-metre beam and an 8.5-metre draught. Four Wärtsilä engines generate electricity for the ship’s diesel-electric system. Two electric motors drive the propellers, producing a service speed of approximately 22 knots and a maximum speed of approximately 22.9 knots. Accommodation includes 1,780 passenger cabins and 751 crew cabins, with balconies fitted to roughly 81 percent of passenger rooms. Its design combines a large central atrium with restaurants, pools, lounges, theaters and other entertainment areas. Interior styling uses warm, sophisticated tones and materials associated with hospitality interiors, including wood, bronze and leather-like finishes. The Princess Theater, Vista Lounge and television studio support the company’s entertainment and media programming, while the ship’s dining rooms and specialty venues form a major part of the onboard offering. Regal Princess has appeared in several television productions. It was the location for the first two series of The Cruise: Fun-Loving Brits at Sea and was used in 2022 for both the American and Australian adaptations of The Real Love Boat. Its operational record also includes a rescue operation on 5 March 2019, when the ship recovered two survivors from a private aircraft crash near Grand Turk at the request of the U.S. Coast Guard. During the early COVID-19 period, a Port Everglades arrival was briefly delayed while crew members underwent testing. In May 2020, a Ukrainian crew member died after going overboard while the ship was docked in Rotterdam.

1. 2022The Real Love Boat filming

   Regal Princess was used as the setting for American and Australian versions of The Real Love Boat.

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2. 2020Pandemic-era deployment changes

   Planned British Isles and Australian seasons were cancelled or revised as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted cruise schedules.

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3. 2019Caribbean rescue operation

   The ship rescued two survivors of a private aircraft crash near Grand Turk following a request from the U.S. Coast Guard.

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4. 2014Delivery and maiden voyage

   Regal Princess completed sea trials, was delivered to Princess Cruises in May and began its maiden voyage from Venice on 20 May.

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5. 2014Official naming ceremony

   The ship was officially named in Fort Lauderdale on 5 November by the original cast of The Love Boat.

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6. 2013Float-out and outfitting

   The ship was floated out in March and moved to an outfitting berth for completion.

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7. 2012Keel laid at Monfalcone

   The keel was laid at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard, and the name Regal Princess was formally announced.

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8. 2010Royal-class ships ordered

   Princess Cruises placed an order with Fincantieri for the first two Royal-class ships, including the vessel that became Regal Princess.

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A large, full-service Princess Cruises vessel combining resort-style accommodation, balcony cabins, destination itineraries, dining and theatrical entertainment within the Royal-class fleet.

• Regal Princess cruise itinerariesCruise travel2014

  The ship operates destination-based cruise vacations rather than selling a standalone consumer product. Its documented itineraries have included the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Northern Europe, the Baltic region, New England and the Canadian Maritimes. Seasonal deployment has changed over time in response to fleet planning and the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Passenger accommodationHospitality2014

  Regal Princess provides 1,780 passenger cabins, including interior, ocean-view and balcony accommodation. Balconies account for approximately 81 percent of passenger cabins, supporting the ship’s positioning as a large resort-style vessel with private outdoor space.

• Onboard dining and entertainmentCruise hospitality2014

  The ship’s onboard experience includes dining rooms, restaurants, pools, a multi-level atrium, the Princess Theater, the Vista Lounge and a television studio. These facilities combine food service, live entertainment, leisure and social spaces within the cruise fare and associated onboard programs.

• 2022The Real Love Boat

  United States · Australia

  Regal Princess was used as the principal setting for American and Australian versions of the reality dating program The Real Love Boat, giving the ship prominent entertainment-media exposure.

  Outcome. The ship appeared in both versions of the program.

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• 2014Regal Princess inaugural season

  Mediterranean · Caribbean · United States

  Princess Cruises introduced Regal Princess through a Mediterranean pre-inaugural and maiden program, followed by a repositioning to Florida for Eastern Caribbean service.

  Outcome. The ship entered regular seasonal service and became part of Princess Cruises’ Caribbean and European deployment pattern.

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• 2020Pandemic-related itinerary redeploymentStrategy

  The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the planned British Isles and Australia deployment programs.

  What changed. Planned voyages were cancelled or replaced, and later fleet scheduling redirected the ship toward revised European and North American programs.

  Aftermath. The ship’s planned 2020 and 2021 deployment pattern changed substantially, with later operations focused on European and Caribbean itineraries.

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• 2014Early debut and revised inaugural deploymentStrategy

  Construction progressed sufficiently ahead of schedule for the ship to be delivered earlier than expected.

  What changed. Princess Cruises moved the debut forward, operating a pre-inaugural cruise from Trieste and a maiden voyage from Venice in May 2014, followed by a Caribbean repositioning.

  Aftermath. Regal Princess entered service ahead of the originally planned 2 June maiden voyage and established Mediterranean and Caribbean operations.

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• 2022Regal Princess appears in The Real Love Boat

  Regal Princess served as the setting for the American and Australian versions of the reality dating series The Real Love Boat.

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• 2020Port Everglades docking delayed during COVID-19 testing

  Docking at Port Everglades was delayed while two crew members were tested for respiratory illness during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The tests were reported as negative and the ship was permitted to dock.

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• 2020Crew member dies after going overboard in Rotterdam

  A 39-year-old Ukrainian crew member died after going overboard while Regal Princess was docked in Rotterdam. Reports connected the incident with a cancelled repatriation arrangement, although publicly available accounts did not establish all circumstances.

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• 2019Regal Princess rescues two survivors after aircraft crash near Grand Turk

  At the request of the United States Coast Guard, Regal Princess assisted in rescuing two people after their private aircraft went down in the Caribbean near Grand Turk. The survivors were taken aboard the ship while it continued toward its next port, St. Thomas.

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1. Regal Princess (2013)
2. Princess Cruises official Regal Princess page