Cafe Del Sol on Regal Princess

Cafe Del Sol on Regal Princess

A PARNAMI Cruise Page

Cafe Del Sol is Regal's casual cafe and late night Bistro and was the area of greatest concentration during the year 2000 retrofit of Regal Princess. Totally gutted, rebuilt and expanded, this, now, is an entirely new area.

Passengers approaching the Cafe from the pool area will first encounter two new additions: The outdoor grill/omelette station on starboard side and the Salad/Sandwich Bar to Port. Each occupying space vacated by the former doorways into the Cafe, they provide swimsuit clad passengers with freshly prepared food without the need to don coverups and enter into the formal cafe area. Regrettably, that same outdoor location works against them in cooler climates when the act of ordering a burger or preparing a salad can become a test of endurance to cold! Bring a warm jacket or prepare to rush back inside for warmth after giving your food order!

For breakfast hours, the Omelette station freshly prepares all food to order. Passengers may choose from ingredients including: Ham, Cheese, Tomato, Onion, Mushroom and Green Pepper. Tea and Coffee stations are immediately adjacent. Times are not posted in the Princess Patter, but expect hours of operation to parallel those for the Buffet Breakfast inside.

The Hamburger Bar occupies the identical space each day from 11:30 am until 5:00 PM. Again, all food is freshly prepared to order, so expect slight waits. Generally, they are worth it! Menu items include: Hamburgers, Cheeseburgers, Chicken burgers, Vegetarian burgers, Hot Dogs, Knockwurst, Bratwurst and, some terrific Frenched Fries! Staff members working the station lack any sense of efficiency and prepare nothing in advance, not even hot dogs.

Over on the opposite side of the ship, is the Sandwich and Salad Bar. Again, while not mentioned in the Princess Patter, this station, too, is open for breakfast for those wishing fruit, cereal or Continental Breakfast. Afternoon hours ARE posted however, and run from 3:30 PM to 7:00 PM. with cold cuts being added in lieu of the selection of cold cereals. Again, coffee and tea are available at a station immediately adjacent to it.

Tables for outdoor seating are provided beneath the overhang along the aft part of Lido Deck.

Passengers continuing inside, through the now outboard located entranceways will find themselves within the Cafe Del Sol proper. Although entrance is made via a double set of electronically controlled doors to prevent gusts of cold air from rushing inside, often, they don't properly work. In cold weather, diners eating at tables in their vicinity can expect to be on the receiving end of occasional arctic blasts. If things get too bad, send your tallest member over to switch off the automatic device located just above the doors, preventing them from getting stuck in the open position and keeping the cold air out!

Cafe Del Sol is a nicely styled area with dining sections lining the window area and food service along the core. The "futuristic" plastic ribs that cross the ceiling and turn down between the windows can be distracting and reduce the ceiling to a level just slightly too low for comfort. Also negatively impacted are window views which are blocked by the thick beams. The windows themselves are three pane affairs instead of the single large pane whose use would have been more practical for an observation area near the topmost deck of the ship.

Breakfast begins serving at 4:00 am with a selection of Danish and rolls. The complete buffet service opens beginning at 6:30 am with ham, fried potatoes, cold cuts, fruit, hash brows, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes or French toast, cold and hot cereals, Danish's, bread, yogurt, whole or skim milk, and juice available. Surprisingly lacking, especially for Princess, are waffles! When asked the reason for the lack of a Princess staple such as waffles, the reply was: It requires a special machine to prepare, ie a waffle maker. DUH!!! Tomato juice is available only from the bar..and for a hefty fee! What's going on here?

For lunch, specialty buffets begin serving at 11:30 am and continue until 2 PM, when the buffet is cut back to more traditional offerings. The daily specialty buffets provide for an extended selection of food designed to comply with the theme for that particular day. Theme offerings can include: Garden Delight, Bread, Pate and Cheese, Oriental, American Favorites, Fisherman, Nature's Bounty, Tropical, Mexican, Taste of Asia, Extravaganza, Barbecue Favorites, International, Italian Trattoria, Taste of Alaska, and Sweet Dreams. Even if not eating, it's always fun to walk along the line to tempt one's taste buds, and resistance. Genuine, hand dipped ice cream is available at no charge during the lunch buffet.

The 2000 refit extended the Cafe Del Sol rearward, enclosing much of what used to be set aside for outside dining. This newly expanded portion of Cafe is very well done with large, curtain draped windows facing aft, over what remains of the formerly spacious outside deck. This is the area, which at night, becomes the setting for Bistro Casual Alternate dining, beginning at 7:00 PM and continuing through until 4:00 am. No reservations are necessary to take advantage of this thoughtful feature, most handy for passengers returning to the ship after long days in port who may not feel up to meeting the schedule or dress required for the main dining room. For those insomniacs out there, at 3 in the morning: Go chow down on a thick steak and go back to bed! Waiters take orders and provide food except for the "make your own salad" selection. Gratuities are suggested but not mandatory.

Bistro Menus do vary, somewhat, but not to the extent as do those in the Main Dining Room. Here are two examples:

To Stimulate your palate

Marinated Dry Cured Beef from Italy

Mozzarella in Carrozza

Breaded Cheese Wheel in a Tomato Basil Sauce

Brochettes King Neptune

Grilled Seafood, Skewered on a Bed of Vegetables and Sauce

Choose between a Mixed Green Salad or Caesar Salad

Fresh Homemade Soup of the Day

The Chef's Dinner Fare

Today's Specialty Pasta

Cooked to Order. Please ask your waiter for Today's Special

Linguine Chimayo

Long Pasta Simmered with Garlic, Dried Chilies, Bay Shrimp, Tequila and Cilantro

Chef's Specialty of the Day

Scallops Newport

Sautéed in Sherry Wine and Beurre Blanc. Served on a Bed of Mushrooms, Spinach and Smoked Salmon

Supreme of Chicken Madras

Boneless Chicken Breast Severed on Mixed Wild Rice. Topped with a Fruity Curry Sauce and Mango Chutney

Lamb Chop Provencale

Lamb Chops coated with Herbs and served on a Tarragon Sauce Tomato Basket with Vegetables and Macaire Potatoes

Tenderloin Diana

Minute Steak Complemented by a Red Wine Shallot and Mushroom Sauce. Served with a vegetable Selection and Almond Potatoes

Sweets and Savories

Seasonal Fresh Fruit Plate

Passion Fruit Mousse with Orange Peel and Vanilla Sponge

Raspberry Temptation

Sweet Dough Tartlets filled with Kirsch Pastry Cream and toped with Meringue

Freshly Baked Assorted Tray of Pastries from our Pastry Shop

Selection of International Cheeses and Crackers.

To Stimulate your Palate

Smoked Wild Salmon

With Condiments and Brown Bread

Deep-fried Crispy Spring Rolls

Presented with Asian Honey-Soy Dip, Spiced with Sesame and Mustard Sauce

Proscciutto Di Parma

The Chef's Dinner Extravaganza

Today's Specialty Pasta

Mostaccioli Alla Primavera

Quill Shaped Pasta with Fresh Spring Vegetables in a Cream Sauce, topped with Percorino Cheese

Chef's Specialty of the Day

Alaskan Halibut with a Lemon Caper Sauce

Premium Halibut Fillet served with Lemon Caper Sauce and Seasonal Garden Vegetables

Sautéed Supreme of Chicken with Riesling Sauce

Pan Roasted Breast of Chicken in a Fruity Wine Sauce with Stir-Fried Vegetables

Tournedos of Beef Tenderloin Rossini

Grilled Tenderloin Medallion topped with Pate de Strasbourg, enhanced by Madeira Sauce, accompanied by Lionnaise Potato, Asparagus tips and Buttered Carrots

Sweets and Savories

Seasonal Fresh Fruit Plate

Chocolate Fudge Cake

With Chantilly Cream

Apricot Custard Tart

Topped with a Buttered Streusel

Freshly Bakes Assorted Tray of Pastries from our Pastry Chef

Selection of International Cheeses and Crackers

All entrees are prepared to order and a complete bar is available.

Generally, Princess making food available at all times of day sets them apart from their competition and worthy of consideration for anyone seeking a vacation where THEY make the determinations as to what to do with their time and when to do it.

One complaint I hear often from passengers concerns the lack of food to be found on board after returning from a long day of touring an exciting port of call. These people don't want to be bothered rushing back to the ship in order to meet their assigned dining time. They're on vacation! Instead, they seek to enjoy the port to the fullest, return to the ship, enjoy a drink and snack, watch the sail away and then, possibly return to their cabins to rest up. Only then, do they begin to think about food. If they happen to have had early seating, more times than not, that option has long passed. If they're sailing on a ship where alternate dining requires advanced reservations, that too, no longer is an option. Even those on late seating may find they lack the energy to dress for dinner and seek out alternatives. On some ships, aside from a skimpy sandwich ordered from room service, simply there are none! So, passengers such as these find themselves actually going hungry, ON A CRUISE! What silliness! THIS WILL NOT BE THE CASE ON REGAL PRINCESS or on any ship in the Princess fleet!


	Cafe Del Sol on Regal Princess A PARNAMI Cruise Page Cafe Del Sol is Regal's casual cafe and late night Bistro and was the area of greatest concentration during the year 2000 retrofit of Regal Princess. Totally gutted, rebuilt and expanded, this, now, is an entirely new area. Passengers approaching the Cafe from the pool area will first encounter two new additions: The outdoor grill/omelette station on starboard side and the Salad/Sandwich Bar to Port. Each occupying space vacated by the former doorways into the Cafe, they provide swimsuit clad passengers with freshly prepared food without the need to don coverups and enter into the formal cafe area. Regrettably, that same outdoor location works against them in cooler climates when the act of ordering a burger or preparing a salad can become a test of endurance to cold! Bring a warm jacket or prepare to rush back inside for warmth after giving your food order! For breakfast hours, the Omelette station freshly prepares all food to order. Passengers may choose from ingredients including: Ham, Cheese, Tomato, Onion, Mushroom and Green Pepper. Tea and Coffee stations are immediately adjacent. Times are not posted in the Princess Patter, but expect hours of operation to parallel those for the Buffet Breakfast inside. The Hamburger Bar occupies the identical space each day from 11:30 am until 5:00 PM. Again, all food is freshly prepared to order, so expect slight waits. Generally, they are worth it! Menu items include: Hamburgers, Cheeseburgers, Chicken burgers, Vegetarian burgers, Hot Dogs, Knockwurst, Bratwurst and, some terrific Frenched Fries! Staff members working the station lack any sense of efficiency and prepare nothing in advance, not even hot dogs. Over on the opposite side of the ship, is the Sandwich and Salad Bar. Again, while not mentioned in the Princess Patter, this station, too, is open for breakfast for those wishing fruit, cereal or Continental Breakfast. Afternoon hours ARE posted however, and run from 3:30 PM to 7:00 PM. with cold cuts being added in lieu of the selection of cold cereals. Again, coffee and tea are available at a station immediately adjacent to it. Tables for outdoor seating are provided beneath the overhang along the aft part of Lido Deck. Passengers continuing inside, through the now outboard located entranceways will find themselves within the Cafe Del Sol proper. Although entrance is made via a double set of electronically controlled doors to prevent gusts of cold air from rushing inside, often, they don't properly work. In cold weather, diners eating at tables in their vicinity can expect to be on the receiving end of occasional arctic blasts. If things get too bad, send your tallest member over to switch off the automatic device located just above the doors, preventing them from getting stuck in the open position and keeping the cold air out! Cafe Del Sol is a nicely styled area with dining sections lining the window area and food service along the core. The "futuristic" plastic ribs that cross the ceiling and turn down between the windows can be distracting and reduce the ceiling to a level just slightly too low for comfort. Also negatively impacted are window views which are blocked by the thick beams. The windows themselves are three pane affairs instead of the single large pane whose use would have been more practical for an observation area near the topmost deck of the ship. Breakfast begins serving at 4:00 am with a selection of Danish and rolls. The complete buffet service opens beginning at 6:30 am with ham, fried potatoes, cold cuts, fruit, hash brows, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes or French toast, cold and hot cereals, Danish's, bread, yogurt, whole or skim milk, and juice available. Surprisingly lacking, especially for Princess, are waffles! When asked the reason for the lack of a Princess staple such as waffles, the reply was: It requires a special machine to prepare, ie a waffle maker. DUH!!! Tomato juice is available only from the bar..and for a hefty fee! What's going on here? For lunch, specialty buffets begin serving at 11:30 am and continue until 2 PM, when the buffet is cut back to more traditional offerings. The daily specialty buffets provide for an extended selection of food designed to comply with the theme for that particular day. Theme offerings can include: Garden Delight, Bread, Pate and Cheese, Oriental, American Favorites, Fisherman, Nature's Bounty, Tropical, Mexican, Taste of Asia, Extravaganza, Barbecue Favorites, International, Italian Trattoria, Taste of Alaska, and Sweet Dreams. Even if not eating, it's always fun to walk along the line to tempt one's taste buds, and resistance. Genuine, hand dipped ice cream is available at no charge during the lunch buffet. The 2000 refit extended the Cafe Del Sol rearward, enclosing much of what used to be set aside for outside dining. This newly expanded portion of Cafe is very well done with large, curtain draped windows facing aft, over what remains of the formerly spacious outside deck. This is the area, which at night, becomes the setting for Bistro Casual Alternate dining, beginning at 7:00 PM and continuing through until 4:00 am. No reservations are necessary to take advantage of this thoughtful feature, most handy for passengers returning to the ship after long days in port who may not feel up to meeting the schedule or dress required for the main dining room. For those insomniacs out there, at 3 in the morning: Go chow down on a thick steak and go back to bed! Waiters take orders and provide food except for the "make your own salad" selection. Gratuities are suggested but not mandatory. Bistro Menus do vary, somewhat, but not to the extent as do those in the Main Dining Room. Here are two examples: Example 1: To Stimulate your palate Bresaola Marinated Dry Cured Beef from Italy Mozzarella in Carrozza Breaded Cheese Wheel in a Tomato Basil Sauce Brochettes King Neptune Grilled Seafood, Skewered on a Bed of Vegetables and Sauce Salads Choose between a Mixed Green Salad or Caesar Salad Soup Fresh Homemade Soup of the Day The Chef's Dinner Fare Today's Specialty Pasta Cooked to Order. Please ask your waiter for Today's Special Linguine Chimayo Long Pasta Simmered with Garlic, Dried Chilies, Bay Shrimp, Tequila and Cilantro Chef's Specialty of the Day Scallops Newport Sautéed in Sherry Wine and Beurre Blanc. Served on a Bed of Mushrooms, Spinach and Smoked Salmon Supreme of Chicken Madras Boneless Chicken Breast Severed on Mixed Wild Rice. Topped with a Fruity Curry Sauce and Mango Chutney Lamb Chop Provencale Lamb Chops coated with Herbs and served on a Tarragon Sauce Tomato Basket with Vegetables and Macaire Potatoes Tenderloin Diana Minute Steak Complemented by a Red Wine Shallot and Mushroom Sauce. Served with a vegetable Selection and Almond Potatoes Sweets and Savories Seasonal Fresh Fruit Plate Island Mousse Passion Fruit Mousse with Orange Peel and Vanilla Sponge Raspberry Temptation Sweet Dough Tartlets filled with Kirsch Pastry Cream and toped with Meringue Freshly Baked Assorted Tray of Pastries from our Pastry Shop Selection of International Cheeses and Crackers. Example 2: To Stimulate your Palate Smoked Wild Salmon With Condiments and Brown Bread Deep-fried Crispy Spring Rolls Presented with Asian Honey-Soy Dip, Spiced with Sesame and Mustard Sauce Proscciutto Di Parma With Melon Salads see above Soups see above The Chef's Dinner Extravaganza Today's Specialty Pasta Mostaccioli Alla Primavera Quill Shaped Pasta with Fresh Spring Vegetables in a Cream Sauce, topped with Percorino Cheese Chef's Specialty of the Day Alaskan Halibut with a Lemon Caper Sauce Premium Halibut Fillet served with Lemon Caper Sauce and Seasonal Garden Vegetables Sautéed Supreme of Chicken with Riesling Sauce Pan Roasted Breast of Chicken in a Fruity Wine Sauce with Stir-Fried Vegetables Tournedos of Beef Tenderloin Rossini Grilled Tenderloin Medallion topped with Pate de Strasbourg, enhanced by Madeira Sauce, accompanied by Lionnaise Potato, Asparagus tips and Buttered Carrots Sweets and Savories Seasonal Fresh Fruit Plate Chocolate Fudge Cake With Chantilly Cream Apricot Custard Tart Topped with a Buttered Streusel Freshly Bakes Assorted Tray of Pastries from our Pastry Chef Selection of International Cheeses and Crackers All entrees are prepared to order and a complete bar is available. Generally, Princess making food available at all times of day sets them apart from their competition and worthy of consideration for anyone seeking a vacation where THEY make the determinations as to what to do with their time and when to do it. One complaint I hear often from passengers concerns the lack of food to be found on board after returning from a long day of touring an exciting port of call. These people don't want to be bothered rushing back to the ship in order to meet their assigned dining time. They're on vacation! Instead, they seek to enjoy the port to the fullest, return to the ship, enjoy a drink and snack, watch the sail away and then, possibly return to their cabins to rest up. Only then, do they begin to think about food. If they happen to have had early seating, more times than not, that option has long passed. If they're sailing on a ship where alternate dining requires advanced reservations, that too, no longer is an option. Even those on late seating may find they lack the energy to dress for dinner and seek out alternatives. On some ships, aside from a skimpy sandwich ordered from room service, simply there are none! So, passengers such as these find themselves actually going hungry, ON A CRUISE! What silliness! THIS WILL NOT BE THE CASE ON REGAL PRINCESS or on any ship in the Princess fleet! Copyright © 2001 Mel Litzenberger. All Rights Reserved Continue Tour: The DOME Entertainment Center Reverse Tour: The Pools and Hot Tubs Return to Regal Princess