Embarkation: We arrived a day earlier to help avoid any delays that could potentially prevent us from getting on the ship on time. For my partner and I this was cruise number 18 and yet with every cruise it's an incredible, exciting and invigorating experience! We checked into the Hilton "at the airport" and found ourselves in an incredible room for only $70.00, booked through the internet. In the morning we ate at the restaurant "buffet" $15.00pp and we were off to the port via a private shuttle from the hotel $9.00 pp + tip. The Princess employee that had us get in line didn't know what "Priority embarkation" was and had no training before starting his new job, there was some confusion and chaos getting everyone checked in but all and all we got through it within a reasonable amount of time.

Upon boarding I was very pleased with the overall look of the ship, it really was more rooms and activities than I could do or experience in a mere seven days. The stained glass chandelier at the top of the Piazza is gorgeous with a large circular boarder of tacky cheesy lights surrounding it like "Princess meets Carnival" or "Princess meets Las Vegas" or "we tried too hard, didn't know when to stop and this is what we came up with". The Ruby also has English bars with fish & chips + bangers n mash, miniature golf, many huge spacious lounges each with a huge stage for performances, Piazza with multiple street entertainers, gelato station, bakery stations, candy station, large Casino, martini bars, Grand Piano aglow with ruby lights, the Piazza has an energy all it's own. Our room (room and balcony) had the new car smell and was very nice with brand new everything. The sink did break on the 5th day of the cruise and the repairmen did not have the part to fix it so when used..... the soapy dirty water poured all over the floor, we tried to use the shower instead. The rooms have flat screen TV's, refrigerators, safes, also there is plenty of room for your empty luggage under the beds and plenty of spare blankets under the beds as well. The whirlpools in the back of the ship are seldom in use and very clean, there is also a crazy looking pool in the rear of the ship that is next to the whirlpool and looks with a large tin can sunk into the floor. Down one level from there are two large fountains with "ruby" lighting and then down another level is the adult's pool that is cold square and deep with a large bar just a few feet away.

Lido: The Lido experience was just OK at best. We had to get our food but the food grouping were not grouped. For example, find a pancake and then walk around looking for the butter and then walk around looking for the syrup and then get the rest of your food and good luck finding a table, walk again to get your beverages and then before you eat you have to hunt down silverware. Read more