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Ruby Princess

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Regal Princess

Hong Kong

Chose this ship due to the South Pacific itinerary and based on a previous cruise with Princess (Regal Princess). In comparing the two ships, I was disappointed In the Ruby Princess. The entertainment was definitely not the same caliber as with the Regal  in terms of variety or quality. The Horizon buffet court had much less selection and was poorly staffed. Often multiple serving sections were closed creating long lines to get your food. They also kept running out of certain types of food (granola would be one example). 

I would give the dining rooms in the Ruby an edge over the Regal though. 

Much less options for day time entertainment during sea days and the options they did offer was not that strong. Evening entertainment was often single entertainers and very little production shows. The Ruby Princess band however was TOP NOTCH - very impressive!!! Finally the senior staff were pretty invisible- very little interaction with the passengers.

Not one of Princess Cruises' better ships

Staff were fantastic but this cruise was 95% retirees over the age of 70. The activities were designed to entertain the same age bracket. We are late 40s and found the activities boring and the demographics were way too old. Other than great pools, there was nothing to entertain our age bracket. The internet was terrible, too slow and lots of drop outs. The room service was great, although no towel animals. The beds were extremely comfortable and balcony was worth the amount. The food was ok. Loved the pizzas and ice cream. The Lotus Spa services were good but way overpriced. The fitness centre was well equipped. Was disappointed with the day in Papeete, when no shops were open. The overnight stay should have been in Honolulu where there was more to do. There were no theme nights and the night club was designed again for old people. No area suited young people.

Boring

After ten previous Princess cruises on several ships, I've about decided I need to take a break and try another line for a while.  The allure of Princess has faded some, though it's hard to switch after becoming an "elite" customer.  Food options are much reduced; menus are stale and repetitive; prices continue to escalate for "smaller" items; and the quality of the entertainment is not what it used to be.  Embarkation in LA was horrific, with chaos abounding and no one seeming to know a thing.  

On the plus side, the crew continues to amaze me with their caring attitudes and how they go out of their way to make you feel welcome and important.  Mattress and pillow quality are superb.  Deck burger grill and International Cafe never cease to amaze and delight.  

The folks in their shops department went out of their way to help when my wife's wheelchair broke.  A wheel snapped off and they fixed it overnight at no cost.  Amazing service!

Princess needs an overhaul

This was our fifth Princess cruise, and our second on the Ruby.

EMBARKATION: We took the Princess transfer from LAX and arrived at the terminal around 11:30. We had about a 15 minute wait in line to check in. Since we were still Ruby level for this cruise, we didn’t have priority boarding, but we only waited another 20 minutes before our boarding group was called. We ate lunch in the Da Vinci dining room, and our cabin was ready for us at 1:00 PM. Our luggage showed up a little later, not sure of the time since we were out exploring.  

CABIN: Baja Deck B521. This was our first time in an interior cabin. Good location, quiet. Clean, not spacious but enough room for the two of us. The bed was extremely comfortable—great upgrade from the old foam egg crate solution. The motion-detecting night light at the base of the desk was handy. Our steward Manuel kept everything clean and tidy. (A tip if you use the new TV: you have to watch the opening safety video all the way to the end before you are able to change the channel. If you stop in the middle of the video, when you turn on the TV again, the video will start from the beginning. This was a feature we hadn’t experienced on our last cruise.)

SHIP: I saw somewhere that they added extra cabins when the Ruby was in dry dock—I don’t know if that’s accurate, but the ship certainly felt more crowded than when we sailed in Feb. 2018. The safety muster was more chaotic than in the past. There were lines for afternoon tea and for the pub lunch in the Crown Grill, but they weren’t too bad if you’re patient.

The ship has been refurbished and we noticed certain things: new carpeting in the stateroom hallways is very nice, but we miss the old color scheme that signaled whether you were on the port or starboard side. The new beds are great—we slept quite soundly.

The service desk was very helpful when we asked about a missing OBC. They contacted the home office and were able to resolve the mystery, and the credit appeared on our statement before we docked in Vancouver.

DINING: We had the early seating for traditional dining in Botticelli, and I have to say I preferred when the seating started later, at 5:45. A 5:00 seating is too early. Dinner was excellent every night, and the food was well-prepared. Everything was fresh and the portions were right-sized. 

Our server, Arren, and his assistant, Francis, were helpful and attentive, and remembered our preferences each night. We ate breakfast and lunch in the dining room several days, and in the Caribe buffet on the others. I prefer the breakfast menu in the dining room but the service was inconsistent and slow at times (we missed the start of our CC M&M because breakfast ran long). The staff seemed overwhelmed by the crowd. We ate dinner only once in the Horizon and I was not impressed by the selection of food. We purchased the coffee package and had great service from the baristas at the International Court.

We were put off by the new up-sell items on the dinner menu, offering “Crown Grill” steaks, etc. 

We miss having the afternoon happy hour/“Buy one, get one drink for $1” that used to accompany the trivia game in Explorers Lounge. That was always a great social activity and encouraged passengers to mingle and form teams. Apparently other passengers miss it too—the afternoon trivia games were not as well attended as in the past.

ENTERTAINMENT: We enjoyed all of the evening shows. We had seen the comic Carlos Oscar on a previous cruise, and he was great as usual. He performed two nights. The musical guest Tricia Kelly is a talented vocalist and does wonderful impressions. The magician Julien Losa performed in Club Fusion and he was very funny. The updated “Colors of the World” benefited from its new staging and musical selections. The new production “Once upon a Dream” was fun and a bit campy. The Princess singers and dancers certainly work hard to entertain.

There were some fun evening activities in the Piazza, and we especially enjoyed the “Dancing with the Staff” competition. The line dancing in Explorers Lounge was another fun activity and was well-attended. The cruise director’s staff did an admirable job getting passengers engaged, more so than on our past Princess cruises.

DISEMBARKATION: We chose walk-off because we were staying in Vancouver for a few days. The disembarkation seemed rather chaotic but we were able to skirt around the crowds and exit the ship. Inside the terminal at Vancouver, there was a bit of a wait for customs.

All in all, the Ruby looks great after her recent refurbishment, the staff was helpful and friendly, and this was a great cruise.

Great time on the LA to Vancouver Pacific Coastal repositioning cruise

Embarkation- super easy out of San Pedro. Was in boarding group 9 and on the ship before 12:30. Ate in the main dining room-delicious! Kept my carry-on with me. Rooms were ready by 1:00. 

Stateroom L311- nice and clean. Furniture had a few scratches. No USB Ports. No barrel chair. Bed was heavenly. Balcony could use paint. Got Lotus Spa lotion every day. Had to remind steward for ice once. 

Buffet-  nice selection. Mainly made salads for lunch. 

Coffee and Cones- pizza was good. Baristas seemed like making coffee was a bother. 

Salty Dog Grill- the Triple Smoke Burger is outstanding. Will cook burger to order. Fries were always fresh. 

Chef’s Table- WONDERFUL!

International Cafe- great as always. 

Casino- too many of the same machines. 

Spa- wanted the thermal spa. Signed up and went the first night. Got lost. No one to help. Went back again at 9:10 (closes at 10). They were picking up water. Just relaxed at 9:40 and housekeeping came in. Got my money back and will never go back. 

Shops- wanted Matrishka Dolls. Asked if they would be available next day. They said yes. Went back next day and they were gone! Asked for them and they said no. On disembarkation they were in the window. Bummed. 

Disembarkation was easy but too soon! Took a Princess transfer to the airport. Had a bit of a wait so I checked bags and took Sky Train to Outlet Mall (2 stops). Customs was harried. 

Would have been a 5 except for spa experience and shops/dining options not keeping their hours.

Wonderful Time- Too Short!

We wanted to go to Canada and this seemed like a good approach. The ship was in good condition. Food was ok. Buffet is split into two adjacent sections and it was a challenge to find seating a couple of times.

The setup for the Lotus pool was bizarre. You can see it from the hallway in Lotus Spa but the doors are kept locked. I wanted to use the hot tub beside the pool and I asked the hostess at the spa when it opens and she said that she did not know. There aren't any signs stating when the hottub opens and I ended up asking a ship officer and he said it should already be open, but it was not. It opened about 15 minutes later. To access the pool, go up a flight of stairs, walk across the deck, then go down a flight of stairs. Good exercise but convoluted.

There were other times when we tried to go someplace and had to take an indirect route. This is common on almost every ship that I have been on but the Ruby Princess has more than it's share.

The production shows were ok. I went to see a presentation on a new ship and it was a video followed by the Princess dancers, the Princess orchestra. I left at that point.

We did the Panama Canal on the Island Princess around Christmas last year. We really enjoyed that cruise and did not want it to end. For our Ruby Princess, we were glad that it was over. Our experience was not bad, just meh.

You can't get there from here

We had a wonderful cruise because Alaska is gorgeous, however the Ruby was the worst ship I've sailed on. Not only does the ship appear old and tired, so does much of the crew. Our steward didn't address us by name, so if that's your thing, good luck. Personally, it doesn't matter to me. 

I'm more concerned about having service, like ice in the cabin, without having to beg a few times. It took 3 days for pre-purchased alcohol to get delivered to our cabin. The flowers finally made it on day 4.

Air conditioning seems pretty basic and certainly expected in a premium aft-facing balcony. No, it's wasn't.  Four phones calls, three techs, and finally we were told that would just be the temperature of the room. Never thought we would literally sweat all night on an Alaskan cruise. So, if air conditioning is high on your list, look elsewhere because sleeping on the balcony for cold air is miserable.

The food...well, it's there and usually lukewarm. You pay extra for the good food. We did have the $100.00 balcony dinner and that was awesome. I can't comment on the MDR because we never went.

On all other cruises, the stewards are like ninjas. You walk out your cabin for an hour and POOF, your cabin is refreshed and the bed made. Our bed was made 5 times on a 12 day cruise. I told y'all the crew seemed tired. I can say that the big suite next to us seemed to always have their door open with the steward in there. Lucky dog.

Anyway, I know that I forgot a lot because this looks much too pleasant. Oh, it's a 2ft square shower with a non adjustable shower head. Take a good bath before you leave and when you get home. Not sure how a large person fits in there. Definitely can't shave legs.

No, I'm never going back on Princess. Never, ever.

I've sailed Holland America, Norwegian, Carnival and Princess is absolutely last place.

Social Team, Princess Cruises

1st and last time on Princess

I had never been to Alaska (or Canada) before, and I already had experience with Princess, so we booked this cruise.  First off, the ship was really nice, way better than the Star Princess (which desperately needs an upgrade).  The beds are very, very comfortable.  

I booked a mini-suite, which I prefer over the suite due to the combination tub/shower.  (I disliked the separate shower in the suite because it's tiny and there is nothing to hold onto).  There was plenty of sitting room in the living area, plus there are two tv's in the stateroom.  I enjoyed the overall look of the ship, which seems to have undergone an upgrade.

The dining was good news/bad news:  The Michaelangelo and Da Vinci dining rooms served very good food (included in the fare).  The Crown Grill was just as outstanding on the Ruby as it had been on the Star (try their filet mignon!) and well worth the $29 charge.  However, the Share by Curtis Stone and Salty Dog restaurants (which are not included in the fare) were major disappointments.

The entertainment activities need improvement.  There just isn't enough to do on the ship during the day.  I enjoyed the night time entertainment in the various venues, and I really appreciated the first-run movies at my disposal.  But there really isn't much to do before dinner.  I would recommend replacing the often obnoxious trivia games with something more substantive, such as a lecture series.

The service was really, really good.  I cannot say enough about the consistent helpfulness of everyone I encountered.  Bravo to Princess' training department!

The ports were pretty good:  Loved Skagway especially.  I recommend taking the train ride there.  I also enjoyed viewing Glacier Bay although I think it was twice as long as it should have been.  But still, very beautiful.

I would definitely go again.

Like this ship!  Staff was outstanding

While the Alaska Cruise was pleasant & enjoyed, here are a few thoughts on our experience.

Parking:  $18/day is overpricing for parking. Other Airports only charge $10/day long term and provide a shuttle.  No shuttle here

Food: In general pretty good with the exception of the Lido Deck Horizon Court.  It appeared that about 60 percent of the ships guests were Asian.  The group came in mass, saved the majority of tables, were rude and wasted enormous amounts of food.  One person took a whole tray off the service line for their table.  Because of the chilly weather the Horizon was always filled to capacity.

Pizza:  The specialty daily pizzas weak.  Vegetable pizza is not a pizza.  What happened to the Duck Pizza?  Pineapple is something that does not belong on a pizza

The Chef’s Table:   dinner was exceptional….good job and a wonderful experience.

The Crown Grill: still can’t make a good steak. The portions are too large and lack flavor. My New York was dry, poorly seasoned and not seared well as the kitchen can’t use an open flame to sear meat.  No demi glaze or béarnaise sauces were offered. I had to ask.  

Share:  was a nice change and presented a perfect menu with flavorful food.

Shows:  Why have the shows been cut down to 45 min.  Used to be at least one hour. The Princess Band is really good

Bars:  Miss the ability to use a Crows Nest bar forward to watch the ship enter & leave port, read and have a drink.

Internet:  Offer it for free…Viking does

The State Room Account:  the daily and final on board bill lacked any details. Was my bar charge a mixed drink, a coffee or a soft drink.  Who can remember. Tell us what we ordered

Wine Packages: what happened to the wine packages?  We always bought a few. Not interested in a $71/day beverage package. Don’t drink that much.

Toilet Issues:  A Bad Smell:  The ship had a bad plumbing issue.  Toilets wouldn’t flush, one couple on Deck 8 we talked to had their toilet overflow and also had a wall leak.  The men’s toilet on Deck 6 off the Showroom was full of feces and would not flush.  The smell was very noticeable not just on that deck

First ship of the season to Alaska. Weather was fantastic

We chose this cruise because it started in Los Angeles and returned to Los Angeles, we did not have to Fly either way. Also we did not have to worry about weighing our luggage.  We loved having a balcony, the King size bed was heavenly  and the food was fabulous.  We came on this cruise to celebrate our 45th wedding anniversary, at our Dining Room they brought us a delicious dessert and the staff came arround our table and sang Happy Anniversary to us.  We met 3 other couples that were sitting at our table and we ate together every night and we became very good friends. The 12 days of the cruise we were very happy with everything on the ship, the excursions were terrific. All the shows, games, auctions were so much fun. So glad that the weather was somewhat comfortable, and that Mr. Sun was with us the whole time.

It was wonderful

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