This was our first cruise ever as we had previously thought that we might feel bored or claustrophobic being on a ship for an extended period of time. We viewed a cruise ship as like a large hotel and no matter how nice the hotel is, we could not imagine staying there for 12 days. Also, we had traveled overnight on large ferries in the past and found them to be crowded, loud, smelly, unstable in bad weather, and with very limited and poor food. Despite this poor attitude at the start, we must admit that we were wrong. We thoroughly enjoyed this cruise and would recommend it to anyone. Here are a few of the highlights that we particularly liked.

The ship, Ruby Princess, is beautiful and huge with a large variety of onboard amenities to dispel any feelings of boredom or claustrophobia. She's fairly new, beautifully designed and appointed, and well maintained. We were particularly impressed with the grand 3-deck central atrium in which there were many seemingly impromptu performances including piano, strings, ballroom dancing, etc. The grand theatre in which there were several performances every night was also impressive. the beautiful 3 pools (we particularly liked the smaller but quieter aft pool), Other beautiful physical amenities which we noted but personally did not find any use for include the numerous (5?) bars, a casino, several shops, a huge spa, and gym. Moving throughout the ship was fairly easy after you became familiar with the general layout. There are several banks of beautiful elevators making short wait times except during rush periods such as following a performance in the theatre. Also, you can often find a quicker alternative route by taking a corridor or stairway to a different elevator. Also, although we did not encounter any bad weather, we found the ship to be very comfortable. There was no instability, engine noise or vibration, and no noise in our cabin from the corridor or from activities above or below us. We had an "ocean view" cabin. It was rather small, with just barely enough room on either side of the bed to move, a small table at the end with small bar fridge and tv, a small bathroom with shower, and a small closet with a combination safe. Although we found the ocean view cabin to be small, it was sufficient for the small amount of time we spent in it, and for us, the extra $500 or more cost of a balcony room wasn't worth it. As another passenger we met at the aft pool noted, "who needs a balcony in your room when you have a much better view from here". And, this guy was speaking from experience. This was his 7th time on this cruise! If you happen to read this Ian (from the Baileywick of Jersey), thanks for the great advice. I think next time we may go for an interior cabin as well, although it was nice to take a quick glance out our window now and then.

The crew are marvellous. Most of them are truly beautiful people. At first their attention to our comfort seemed a bit "over-the-top" until we realized they actually meant it. You could see the sincerity in their eyes. We particularly liked our steward and the numerous waiters and bartenders. They seemed to come from all parts of the world including the Philippines, eastern Europe (Albania, Croatia, etc), South America, and Mexico. The senior crew members were also great. Often we would see them around the ship and found them all very approachable and generous with their advice. We particularly noted the Commodore, Captain, and Entertainment Director ? (Dan Stein) as being very nice. Princess seems to have done an excellent job scouring the world to find the very best employees for its ships. Read more