BAI@bay

Fantastic journal of your cruise, great info, we're next departing on  September 13, 2019

Share is probably not for everyone, since six courses are served then the dining experience will average about two hours. The entire idea of Share is to have the diners order different choices on each course and "Share" them with each other. It is more of a sampling or tasting experience rather than a traditional meal.

We found that Curtis Stone's hallmark is to make seemingly unmatched ingredients into very interesting combinations of each dish. One of the most Interesting and flavorful dishes was the pork raviolis, the filling had a faintly Indian curry taste with a thai lemongrass sauce with pork chicharrones completing the dish. That is a very different spin on a traditional Italian dish. Presentation of each dish was outstanding as obviously it was prepared with care and thought.

It is not a traditional meal as most of us think of, but a more sophisticated dining experience.

Happy Cruising

For the most part, Princess is pretty good, however, our dining experience was dampened when the head waiter refused to give my husband original menu's and instead give him Xerox copies, because he was just a jerk and was too lazy to put together the menu's. My husband offered to pay for the menu's originally, so the arrogant bottom feeder, eventually on our last night gave my husband something that could not be put in album, and was about as useful as toilet paper-just saying!!!

This happened on the Ruby Princess cruise from December 9 through the 16th.:evilsmile:

:evilsmile:

My husband and I just finished our 12th Cruise with Princess. Every time I cruise, one of the things I look forward to is the Lotus Spa and get my hair done for the Formal nights. This is something that has become so much a part of my cruise experience. I look forward to this and makes the Formal nights as glamorous as I expect them to be.

However, that changed dramatically, on my Cruise taken on the Ruby Princess from December 8th to the 16th of this year. I booked an appointment for the second Formal night and then I wanted to get an appointment for the first Formal night, and I thought that this was a stroke of luck, when there happened to be an opening. Usually, the Lotus Spa is booked pretty quickly.

So, at 4 pm, my hairdresser informed me that I needed some extra product in my hair, which would cost me an additional $65.00 on top of the styling for about $45.00. I said "no" to the hair products and my hairdresser, said that he wanted to add mouse. That was ok, but all he did was blow dry my hair, and used a wire brush to style. Then I asked what happened, because my hair looked like I just stepped onto the deck and looked disheveled and wild with no style whatsoever!!! He then told me that I needed more product and would sell me a box full of little bottles that would stimulate my scalp and help with hair growth. At that point I was livid and said no to $300.00 for this magic elixir.

To top my experience, this man then presented me with a bill for $56.00, because I was charged with him putting mouse for about $7.50 and my hair still looked horrible and I looked worse then when I came in!!!!! Needless to say I was so angry and shocked, because I believe that he deliberately and maliciously made me look like the wicked witch out of The Wizard of Oz, but truth be told she looked better than I did!!!!

I only paid my bill because it was morally correct, however, the woman who ran the joint, said that my hair didn't look so bad, and almost brought me to tears, because I wanted to look good for my 35th Anniversary and when I returned to our room, my husband said that I did not look any different then when I left!!!! It was as if someone stabbed me in the heart. I was furious and totally blindsided by the staff in the "Beauty Salon".

Never in my experience, was I ever hustled, disrespected disregarded, embarrassed or dumped on!!!!

If they had their way, I could have dropped about $400.00 for one night of beauty. This was a shock, because every other time, I was welcomed, appreciated and everyone in the past, did a great and spectacular job. I was heartbreaking to have that moment in time taken away from me, especially on my Anniversary (which I am sure they could care less about-money grubbers!!!!!)

I recommend that if anyone else has this experience, PASS IT ON!!!

Anita Imazumi

On a Cruise we traveled with our friends, In the Dining Room someone at a nearby table was berating a waiter about his drink and using some not so polite language. Our friend who is African American, retired US Army Special Forces officer just leaned over ans asked the man to please lower his voice as he was disturbing those around him. That was the last time we saw them in the dining room.

We also found out the obvious that if you accept and respect the staff as people and professionals then they will go out of their way to make your cruise a vacation to be enjoyed and remembered.

One such time we were trying to get back to the tenders in Grand Cayman, anyone who has been there when up to 6 large ships are in knows how chaotic it can be. Our waiter spotted us and escorted us to the head of our tender Line and saw to it that the tender crew got us aboard the next tender, ahead of the huge line behind us. We sent a commendation letter after the cruise and got a thank you from him, and noting that he got a cash reward for the letter. Overall I know that we made a friend with him that cruise and I hopes he cherishes our meeting as we cherish him.

I also have an ICD and have taken Three cruises since receiving it, two 15 day cruises and a shorter one. Depending on the manufacturer there are many countries that have representatives that can service and care for the ICD. Actually the bigger issue is how is his overall cardiac profile? We took a cross country flight from California to Florida with no problem. Over all having the ICD is like an insurance policy and a good thing to have that should not affect your cruise

Happy Cruising