Jasperdo

just got back from our two weeks in the Caribbean on the Royal Princess - what a great ship!

Glad to hear you liked the Royal Princess. I haven't been on that class of Princess ship yet. If you're planning on writing a review, could you please throw us a hint as to where we may find it?

That section outside of Share was always open whenever I went by it. My wife liked to sit out there and read on occasion. It looked like it should be outside seating for Share, but I never saw it used that way:

 

 

 

Wonderful Sunset Over Miami photos. I took a similar shot a few years ago on the Coral Princess, but the sun was still high in the sky. Yours are waaay better:

 

I would choose the Island simply because it goes through the historic locks. The Caribbean has to go through the new, larger locks.

Welcome home, Norris. This is a real treat, getting two of your wonderful reviews within a few months of each other. I've been to two of the three ABC islands. I really love wandering around downtown Willemstad. Can't wait to get immersed in your review.

John

I noticed all the stacked deck chairs on the Ruby Princess as well. I thought it was odd, since it was a sunny, warm, non windy sea day:

 

Hard wooden benches only. One of the few things I don't like about the Golden Princess:

 

 

 

You are right about the Horizon Court Buffet. Both the chairs and tables are different. I like the new look. Here's what they looked like before:

Excellent review as always, Norris. Thanks for taking us along. The shortcomings you mentioned about the Royal Class ships match my own concerns about those ships. A walkable outdoor promenade is one of my favorite places on any cruise ship. Plus, no Explorers Lounge or Skywalkers, a cramped Vista Lounge are all negatives for me. But I do like the bigger Piazza and the Horizon Court Buffet looks much better designed. I'm willing to give it a try someday, especially with the Royal Princess repositioning to the West Coast.

 

I'm looking forward to your Crown Princess review next month. See you then.

John

You really outdid yourself this time, Sailor Jack. Not only was your review outstanding as always, your photo review afterwards was incredible. I've been following along from the beginning and have enjoyed every minute. But what's this about "my last Sailor Jack review"? Say it ain't so.

It is possible to see whales from the ship while anchored off Cabo San Lucas. If you see a fleet of whale watching boats racing towards you, you know there will be whales. These photos were taken onboard the Ruby Princess:

 

 

 

 

There's a Thread up on the "Report Bugs and Glitches" section of the CC Board that is discussing these problems:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2566620

Here's a photo of where you tender in Lahaina. It's right at the lighthouse and Pioneer Inn. Banyon Tree Park is right across the street:

 

I'd be very interested in your impression of the Ruby. I board Nov. 29 for the 10-day Sea of Cortez itinerary.

I'm not the OP, but my wife and I did this same itinerary last year and it was terrific. We especially liked Loreto, which sees very few cruise ships. A very laid back, Old Mexico feel there. World's apart from Cabo San Lucas. And we really enjoyed the Ruby Princess. It's a beautiful ship. I have links to the photos and Patters below in my signature if you're interested.

Here's a picture of the taxi lineup at the pier in San Diego, taken onboard the Ruby Princess:

 

John, thanks for sharing your Acadia photos. Brought back memories of our summer auto trip out there (fr Mich.) in the 1990s. We stayed at a motel that overlooked Frenchman Bay, a few miles from town. We were also there via cruise ship a few years ago when we explored more of the town on foot--charming!

You're welcome. Glad they brought back fond memories for you. My wife and I really enjoyed Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor.

I like to get on the ship as early as possible. We try to arrive around 10:30am. It's no big deal sitting in the terminal for a bit. That's part of the excitement. When they start calling out boarding numbers I feel that the cruise has really begun.

Norris,

You really need to do a New England road trip some day. We did it back in 2010 and it was amazing. We camped for three days in Acadia. A truly amazing National Park. I'm sure that your shore excursion only scratched the surface. Here's a link to some of the pictures I took in Acadia. Hopefully it will peak you interest in returning for a longer stay:

John

The Desperado Trio was the mariachi band on the Ruby Princess last year. They were very good:

 

Here are a few photos of Cafe Caribe on the Ruby Princess. As others have said it's just an extension of the Horizon Court Buffet, with limited hours:

 

 

 

Great photos of the Horizon Court Buffet. It's definitely an improvement over the Grand Class ships.

Here are a few photos of the pool and hot tub that are located behind the youth center. All ages are allowed to use them:

 

 

 

I grew up in Brooklyn, NY -- haven't been back there in ages. Your sailaway photos brought back many memories. I used to bicycle down to the Verrazano Bridge quite often. There was a very nice walkway along the waterfront that went under the bridge. It was one of my favorite places to go. I was a Wall Street messenger in the early 1970's. I don't even recognize the lower Manhattan skyline anymore.

 

The Brooklyn Cruise Terminal is opposite Governors Island. Back when I lived in Brooklyn it was restricted and off limits to civilians. Now it's a National Monument and open to the public.

 

Sorry to bore you with my ramblings. Carry on.

Bummer! I got one photo from Flickr and then it crashed again and Yahoo is sorry etc. So I'll continue this after work when I get home at 11pm CST.

Flickr has been wonky all morning. I can't even access my own photos right now.

We were on the Viking Aegir. We basically sailed through Europe - starting at the Black Sea and ending at the North Sea. We visited 19 ports in Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Hungary, Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands. It was an awesome cruise, but unfortunately I cannot write a review of the cruise. Which is too bad because there was a lot to write about.:D

 

Jack

That cruise sounds fascinating. I've always wanted to take a river cruise through Europe. Sorry to hear there will be no review, though. I'm still enjoying the rest of this one.