On May 20, 2023, I boarded Regal Princess for the first time in Southampton, UK, for a 14-night British Isles cruise.
Our port-heavy itinerary called for stops at Portland, UK; Guernsey (in the Channel Islands); Cork (Cobh), Ireland; Dublin, Ireland; Belfast, Ireland; Glasgow, Scotland; Invergordon, Scotland; Edinburgh, Scotland; and Paris / Normandy (Le Havre), France.
While I have sailed on other Princess cruise ships before – and on other cruise lines – this voyage was extra special because it was my first ever opportunity to stay in a suite at sea.
And this wasn’t just any suite. It was the penthouse suite.
When I was a kid, I had always slept on a pull-out couch or cot in my parents’ standard balcony cabin. As I got older, my parents would allow me to bring a friend – and we would stay in our own interior cabin near my parents’ stateroom.
Once I reached adulthood, I really kept the interior cabin state-of-mind – largely feeling that’s all I needed since I’m the type to spend as little time in my stateroom as possible. I usually only visit my room to sleep or get ready for my next activity.
Indeed, I chose interior cabins for my first cruise with my now-husband on Disney Dream in 2022 – and again when I took a bachelorette cruise with my bridesmaids on Carnival Radiance in September 2024.
But now that I’ve sailed in a luxury penthouse suite, I’ve learned that it’s really hard to travel any other way.
The Penthouse Suite
I am not exaggerating when I tell you that this suite was nicer than some apartments I’ve lived in during my tenure as a Los Angeles, California, resident.
When we entered our cabin, we went down a short hallway that led to a mini bar – which was free to use and restocked whenever we asked or during daily cleanings – and a comfortable living room with a TV, pull-out couch, and two cozy chairs.
The sliding doors led out to the longest private balcony I’ve ever had – with another entrance to the balcony also located in the main bedroom.
The living room and bedroom were separated by a heavy curtain that functioned like a door and largely stifled the sound from the other room.
Like the living room, the bedroom was also quite nice – complete with a queen-sized bed, two nightstands (one of which doubled as a desk), another TV, and a pretty sizable closet.
Unlike other cruise cabins I’ve stayed in, there were plenty of outlets and we never had any issues finding enough spots to charge all our devices.
But perhaps my favorite part of the room was the large bathroom – complete with a soaking tub and a separate shower.
The bathroom was divided into sections, so that one person could be using the toilet or in the shower while another still had access to a sink to be getting ready on the other side.
The bathroom added so much ease and efficiency to our getting ready process – something I’m sure most families would agree is invaluable.
The Perks
By now, you likely can tell that the Penthouse upgrade was absolutely worth it – but allow me to confirm that it really was.
In my mother’s words, the suite practically paid for itself because of all the perks and freebies we got with it – along with all the extra space.
In addition to the free mini bar access, we also got free laundry service – which we used multiple times during our voyage.
Members of the housekeeping team would pick up our clothes during their daily service, and they would be cleaned and hung up in our room again within 24 hours. Normally, this service could cost between $60-$80 a bag.
We really liked this, as it enabled us to pack light and rewear outfits – and also avoid airport fees for heavy luggage, which I’m definitely guilty of having to pay on more than one occasion.
We also had access to an exclusive concierge lounge that was across the hall from our cabin. Throughout the day, the concierge team brought in meals and snacks so that we could eat in a calm and quiet environment away from the crowds.
If we didn’t like any of the food that was already out, the team was happy to go get us pretty much anything we wanted and bring it to us in the lounge – and even allowed us to choose entrees from specialty restaurants like Crown Grill.
They also had a sweet treat waiting for us in our room on embarkation day – and then brought us fresh fruit daily and offered a free daily high tea service.
One of our favorite perks was that we got priority access when getting off the ship in port – which was particularly valuable in tender ports, where the lines could get long.
The concierge would personally take us in a secret crew elevator to disembark – watching until we were off the ship to make sure our priority access was honored.
A True VIP Experience
Speaking of the crew, the concierge and his team went above and beyond to make sure we had an amazing vacation. We actually enjoyed their company so much that we exchanged contact information and are still in touch more than a year later.
First, having access to the concierge meant that we never had to go wait in the guest services line if we needed help. Anytime we wanted to make a new dining reservation or had questions about shore excursions, all we had to do was walk across the hall.
But the guest service wasn’t just better because was had easier access to a select few of Regal Princess’ 1,346 crew members. These employees truly did everything possible to go the extra mile.
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For example, my phone charger broke about half way through the sailing. We asked the concierge where we could buy a new one, and a few minutes later he knocked on our door with a charger from his crew cabin that he gave to me as a gift.
On a particularly stormy day at sea, the concierge had a supply of antacids and Dramamine in his desk that he was happy to give away for free to all suite guests. Normally, we would have had to purchase these medications or get them from the medical center.
Speaking of which, I rolled my ankle while visiting a historic church in Inverness (Invergordon), Scotland, and needed to get it checked out once I returned to the ship.
The medical center had a long wait – but the concierge had a wheelchair brought to our cabin in a matter of minutes and I was seen by the doctors right away. Although it wasn’t an ideal situation, I felt a bit like a celebrity.
The VIP experiences also continued throughout the sailing – with my family getting invited to take a free, private tour of the bridge and to meet the Captain one-on-one.
We also got priority access for exclusive opportunities like the Chef’s Table experience. We ultimately opted not to partake because my mom has a severe shellfish allergy and the menu was pre-set with shellfish included, but it was exciting that we got first dibs.
Booking and Cost
The last time I went on a cruise with my parents prior to our 2023 sailing, I was still a teenager. Since this would be my first time joining them on a cruise as an adult, we opted to book a mini suite to give us all a little more space.
However, about three weeks before our cruise, my parents received an email from Princess Cruises asking if they would like to bid to upgrade our suite.
My parents originally bid on a premium suite, which we didn’t get. However, Princess sent a counter offer for the penthouse suite, which is an even nicer option.
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My parents accepted the offer – and ended up paying about $3,000 (USD) more for the sailing than they would have if we stayed in our previously-booked mini suite.
The auction process they went through allowed the cruise line to fill these more expensive accommodations and make a bit more of a profit from booked passengers, while people like us were able to get into a nicer suite at a fraction of the cost.
That said, suites are usually available to book through your travel agent or directly through the cruise line if you don’t want to try your luck on a bidding process that may or may not happen.
If you’re torn between splurging for the upgrade or not, our take is that it was worth every penny – especially for a longer sailing.
