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p.s. ship did NOT roll at all on this trip

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You can read my 'Greek Line Chow Mein' Story
on the rocking ships subject under cruise ships. Sailed her in both lives. Here is my review
So how was your reintroduction to the Regal Empress?

To me it is still the Olympia, although its Greekness is diminished.

You're right it is small and feels so with the low ceilings and narrow corridors. The previous ship I was on was the Queen Mary which is literally 3.5 times the size. The QM promenade and boat deck are twice as
wide. The QM halls are wide and forever long. It took me 6 hours to walk the Queen Mary. The RE in 1.5 hours.

The smell when I got on board was just like the Olympia. It has not changed in 28.5 years. I recognize most of the interior details from the old days. The old part of the ship really has character. The little
pushbuttons on the walls were to call the stewards. I still found Greek lettering here and there. The newer parts of the ship are totally uninspired and chinsy. The 2 suites like the library on the bow upper deck used to be the Derby Room and another 1st class lounge. Still ahve the wood and lead glass Since was turned into cabins. Those front cabins and the hallways to them still have
the other panels of wood and murals of Greek mythology behind.

Still the wood paneling and brass is still charming. I remember the light fixtures too. The circulation of the ship is bizarre, most ships have all the public rooms on one or two adjacent decks and they flow into each other. This ship they are scattered about. I had a Main Deck cabin which had a walnut armoire, bedframe with drawers, and a writing desk with marble top. The A/C controls are same as before. One thing better about the ship is the cheaper cabins. The Olympia days they were awful with no private bath. I walked through the promenade deck suites, they had beautiful wood, not small, but not big, and were charming.

The entire aft section and swimming pools are different. Here the flow, aesthetics and circulation were better. I spent time on the front of the ship to avoid the music. Other passengers did too who were like-minded.
The Trattoria was carved out of a beautiful rosewood paneled lounge with a curved back wall; aesthetic nightmare.

The ship rolls albiet stabilizers. In mildly rough water she tosses around. The ship was called the Rollympia. However the bow section is more stable than the aft. I slept well, the mild rocking helped me sleep.

The people on board mostly the outerborough gold chain set and middle class blacks. There were some hells angels types who yelled a lot, entered the ship from a white limo, and sat two tables away from me in the dining room. I ignored them as much as possible. However I met some nice people.

To me it is still the Olympia with all the fond memories in it.

Another opinion
She's small and really run down, though in better shape than the Premier Seabreeze whose boilers blew up last week. The wooden corridors have graffiti in Polish high on
the walls (courtesy Gdansk shipyards?). Our room was on B deck by the hull - it was as if somebody were playing a loud stereo recording of a washing machine at half speed
the whole time.
I slept but Mary didn't.

The dining room is quite beautiful. The food was pretty good and the level of service was very high - those guys were fast! Dance music was deafening outside on the rear
decks, but up front you couldn't hear it at all. Lifeboat drill was a joke, most people didn't bother.

By sunset we got out to Sandy Hook and the Ambrose Light.>From 20 miles away, NYC is really beautiful. On land you can never see it like this, because stuff gets in the way.
Here we had a miniature Manhattan, with WTC, Empire State, Chrysler building all clearly identifiable, with an orange sunset behind them. It was very romantic, and after the
sun set, we got a crescent moon, with silver tracks across the water. The disco has a glass roof, and from the top deck, you could see the moving reflections off the rotating glitter ball spraying upward through the roof -
very pretty from a distance.

Most people on board had never been on board a boat before. Some were using their cell phones as we left the harbor, which seemed to miss the point. Heavily black, Italian and Hispanic. And disembarkation was a mess. I can't believe those guys have the balls to take it around South America for 58 days every year - can't imagine Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn without modern stabilizers.

However, the exercise did help lower our stress level.

And what does having a cell phone have to do with being black, Hispanic, or even Italian, for God's sake.

You should be careful how you phrase things, my friend. It sounds like a semi-flaming post.

I also don't see anything wrong with defining who the passenger base is made up of. Some people would like to know details like that, and for those of us who have traveled extensively, it's nice to know who you're going to be cooped up with on a ship for a week. I can relate to the "gold chain set", Mostly New Yorkers, New Jersey, for some reason have this need to flash (wear) as much gold around their neck and wrists as they can....very tacky in my opinion, but hey it's a cultural thing...we don't see too much of that here in the midwest except for the young black community. (by the way, I'm not making a racist statement here, it's simply a fact). I also get a kick out of the east coast people from New York, New Jersey who seem to wear dark sunglasses even at night. Don't misunderstand me...I'm NOT saying that ALL New Yorkers and New Jersey people wear dark sunglasses, but it's very noticeable that many do. I don't get it...dark sunglasses at night indoors??? what's that all about? Do they have something to hide? Do they think they're cool? Are they part of the Mafia? Not all of them have super sensative eyes.

So there, I made my statement.

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Originally posted by Rex:

And what does having a cell phone have to do with being black, Hispanic, or even Italian, for God's sake.

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Rex,

Fellow Philadelphian

First:, the second opinion is not mine, second: what was conveyed is that people were using cellphones of all races. Please re-read.

Second, I am an invisible minority and I hear disparaging remarks made of all creeds.
Most shut up when I tell them.

The NY outerburough Gold chain set is equivalent to the Northeast Philadelphia Gold chain set.

Many of whom I have the displeasure of knowing are the most racist, anti-semitic, homophobic, narrow, bigoted people around. They are the ones when drunk, urinate over the side of the ship. Litter the ocean with thier Marlboro packs, chew with thier mouth open and rude to the ship's waiters. Scrawl grafitti on the woodwork.
Need I go on?

On a similar cruise on the Sea Breeze [ 2day nowhere cruise] a fist fight broke out on the buffet line.

Remember Al Sharpton's march thru Bensonhurst Brooklyn because Yusef Hawkins' murder there. I recall the news coverage and bleeping the vitriol of the white Gold chained mouths.

My definition of 'middle class' is any one that has the means to take a cruise, lives in a comfy home, and has employment that pays a living wage regardless of race.

Thanks for clearing that up. I apologize if I sounded hostile. I re-read your post and I fully understand what you are talking about. It's one of the reasons I don't go up to or near the Northeast if I can help it...have experienced some pretty negative things up there...unfortunately, segregated neighborhood's are a part of Philly's checkered history. I live in Center City but come from North Philly (near East Falls -Tastykake).

Quick Desirod, tell us who the offending person is so we can order pizzas under his name and send him to his house.

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Originally posted by Rex:
Quick Desirod, tell us who the offending person is so we can order pizzas under his name and send him to his house.Better yet, book the Owner's Suite on a five-star ship, and bill it to his address!

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Lets do nothing. It is this sort of 'mob' thing that set off Bridesburg and Eddie Polleck fiascos [Philadelphia speak].

When on a cruise ship, especially one like the Regal Empress 2 day 'sunspree party' with a 'Rainbow Coalition' of passengers, agree to disagree and we will get along better.

It is proven that in a group of 100 people at random there are 2 people you will love and 2 you will hate, the rest are in between.
Multiply that x the passenger complement on any ship.

PS: The 'gold chain' set crosses all ethnic backgrounds and origins. It is a state of mind and self concept more than a cohesive group or discriminated minority.