Spending a night on the Ruby Princess

Hello everyone,

I found myself with a vacation day to use in September so I booked my wife Marie and I on the one day Ruby Princess cruise from our home in Seattle up to Vancouver BC. Up to this point we have cruised exclusively on Royal Caribbean so I am hoping for some quick tips and advice. :)

We signed up for anytime dining but I think we would prefer speciality dining (we have to wait till we board to book so it may be a madhouse). Any suggestion on which one and favorite dishes? How long does dining usually take in the various restaurants?

We want to go to the show that evening, do you think they have more than one show on a 1 day cruise, if so what time? We want to be sure not to have our dining reservation conflict.

I hear the casino will probably be closed, other suggestions for entertainment. :D

Thank you to all the Princess veterans, any advice will be appreciated.

Boy there is a lot to pack in for one night. I would say hit the Crown Grill. Book as soon as you board.

I am sure they will have some kind of show.

You will love the Ruby! She is a beautiful ship. ;)

They will have some kind of show. Usually two showings, timed for the people in early and main traditional seatings. So you would need to time your specialty dining to cooincide with those.

Your cabin will be ready when you board, so head there to drop off your overnight bag, and then to the Piazza to the International Cafe for a snack, rather than braving the Horizon Court buffet. EMEM

Specialty dining:

Crown Grill

Black and Blue Onion Soup

Rib Eye Steak - Medium Rare

Ask for Lobster Tail - they will add it on for free

Hello everyone,:)

 

We signed up for anytime dining but I think we would prefer speciality dining (we have to wait till we board to book so it may be a madhouse). Any suggestion on which one and favorite dishes? How long does dining usually take in the various restaurants?

Would recommend the Crown Grill, steak, chops and seafood. Sign up when you board by visiting the location or calling the DINE line. It will not be a madhouse. The Crown Grill is on deck 7, starboard, toward the aft section. Since you will only be on the ship one night suggest you dine early around 6pm. That will leave you time for some other activities. Crown Grill Dining takes about two hours. The Crown Grill currently cost $25/pp.

We want to go to the show that evening, do you think they have more than one show on a 1 day cruise, if so what time? We want to be sure not to have our dining reservation conflict.

There will probably be two shows in the Princess Theater one around 8/8:30 and then a repeat show around 10:15 or so. You really have to check the Princess Patter when you board to see all the show times and live music and dancing that is available. If it is a "welcome aboard show" it will be some singing and dancing numbers and a comic. They might run one of their production shows.

 

I hear the casino will probably be closed, other suggestions for entertainment. :D

There will probably be live music for your drinking and dancing pleasure:

Ballroom dance music in the Wheelhouse Bar.

Rock/Pop in Club Fusion and/or Explorer's Lounge.

There might also be a game show in Explorer's Lounge.

Piano player/Singer in Crooners Lounge

Late night DJ in Skywalker's Lounge.

Classical music in the Piazza

 

All the times and activities will be listed in the Princess Patter which will be in your cabin when you board. When you board go directly to your cabin it will be ready, no matter the time.

 

Thank you to all the Princess veterans, any advice will be appreciated.

See above.

Thanks everyone for the great tips

Sent from my Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk

Thanks everyone for the great tips

 

 

Sent from my Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk

We will, thanks for the picture. :)

I see that Princess gives OBC for retired military so emailed the form to them. Should be in time as we are still 14 days out. $50 OBC for 6 days or less, that will pay for the charge at Crown Grill. :D

Adagio Bar (deck 16, aft, starboard side, across from Sabatinis) is our favorite hangout. Nice wood walls, jazz/nautical decor, quiet unless there's entertainment.

One of the MDRs "should" be open for lunch, if you happen to get on prior to 1:30. Limited menu compared to what you'd find on "real" cruise days, but still IMHO better than the buffet or Piazza.

Sabatini's is quite good, but it can take perhaps two hours depending on how things are running. Crown Grill is probably less likely to get bogged down.

I see that Princess gives OBC for retired military so emailed the form to them. Should be in time as we are still 14 days out. $50 OBC for 6 days or less, that will pay for the charge at Crown Grill. :D

You also have time to purchase 100 shares of Carnival stock too. :D

I see that Princess gives OBC for retired military so emailed the form to them. Should be in time as we are still 14 days out. $50 OBC for 6 days or less, that will pay for the charge at Crown Grill. :D

And once you apply it stays on your record so you don't have to reapply. Unlike RCI, most OBC is stackable on Princess.

You will likely NOT be turning bags over to the longshoremen in Seattle - last time we did this route they didn't want to mess with delivery of bags to cabins or pickup on the last night. Everyone does carry-on.

We took this route up, stayed a few days in Vancouver and then took a different ship south to LA.

Thanks again for all the tips and suggestions. Someone mentioned earlier the cabin will be open, Is that true no matter how early you arrive onboard?

thanks

Thanks again for all the tips and suggestions. Someone mentioned earlier the cabin will be open, Is that true no matter how early you arrive onboard?

thanks

Yes once boarding starts the cabins are ready. Unless they announce they are delayed in cleaning. We have not had that happen.

Yes once boarding starts the cabins are ready. Unless they announce they are delayed in cleaning. We have not had that happen.

What time do they usually start boarding? Also they are stating for our cabin that we should not arrive until 1:30, seems a bit late.

Check-in starts at about 10am; boarding starts at about 11:30am-Noon. First to board are Platinum, Elite and full suite passengers. Then general boarding in the order in which you check in. The 1:30pm time is a request, not required. Go when you want.

You can go directly to your cabin on boarding.

Check-in starts at about 10am; boarding starts at about 11:30am-Noon. First to board are Platinum, Elite and full suite passengers. Then general boarding in the order in which you check in. The 1:30pm time is a request, not required. Go when you want.

 

You can go directly to your cabin on boarding.

Thanks Pam :)

What time do they usually start boarding? Also they are stating for our cabin that we should not arrive until 1:30, seems a bit late.

We always arrive around 10:30 and boarding starts around Noon.

Porters will start taking bags around 9:30.

Be sure to come back and tell us about the trip. I think it sounds like fun!

Be sure to come back and tell us about the trip. I think it sounds like fun!

I will. :)

Thanks

We always arrive around 10:30 and boarding starts around Noon.

Porters will start taking bags around 9:30.

There usually will be no porters on these one-nighter cruises.

Last year, we were on a 1 night B2B with a 10 night cruise.

The one-nighter departed from Seattle and we had to manage our suitcases ourselves, through security scanning and bringing aboard.

Some strange looks for so much luggage for "one night" :)

There usually will be no porters on these one-nighter cruises.

Last year, we were on a 1 night B2B with a 10 night cruise.

The one-nighter departed from Seattle and we had to manage our suitcases ourselves, through security scanning and bringing aboard.

Some strange looks for so much luggage for "one night" :)

Good point, thanks.

There usually will be no porters on these one-nighter cruises.

Last year, we were on a 1 night B2B with a 10 night cruise.

The one-nighter departed from Seattle and we had to manage our suitcases ourselves, through security scanning and bringing aboard.

Some strange looks for so much luggage for "one night" :)

Would not be able to do the B2b this time as it is just a 4 day trip to Los Angeles and it's against the Passenger Vessel Services Act to start in one U.S. port and end in another U.S. port without traveling to what they classify as a "far foreign port". If you did this one and the following you would be starting in Seattle and ending in Los Angeles.

You also have time to purchase 100 shares of Carnival stock too. :D

I finally took the plunge when the market did it's own plunge last week. Just waiting for my August month-end statement to post online and I will be getting that fax off to Santa Claus, er Clara.

Would not be able to do the B2b this time as it is just a 4 day trip to Los Angeles and it's against the Passenger Vessel Services Act to start in one U.S. port and end in another U.S. port without traveling to what they classify as a "far foreign port". If you did this one and the following you would be starting in Seattle and ending in Los Angeles.

Yes, that's too bad.

Our B2B was 1 night, Seattle to Vancouver, then 10 day, Calif Coastal (Vancouver roundtrip).