So... not a first time cruiser, I had high expectations. Some were met on the Ruby... some weren't.

Embarkation was a breeze. We were on the ship in no time without a long wait. Our luggage was at our room waiting for us. We had a balcony and were quite happy with the room and our view.

We had "Anytime Dining" and were travelling with family & friends. 8 of us. The first night we had dinner in the Da Vinci Dining Room. Service was terribly SLOW. It seemed to take forever to get anything. Meals were ok. The dinner was disappointing. We had planned to eat at the same table each night but after the experience we decided to try Michaelangelo Dining Room the following night. Dean was our server. And what a change! Our meal became fun and lively with first-class service. Dean gave us tips on what too see in the following port, how to get around, and was just a blast. He truly turned our dining experience around. We made reservations every night at his table. That sort of changed our "anytime dining" plan. But we realized how important it is to have an engaging server who became a part of our cruise. Read more