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Photo Review Ruby Princess ROV on 5 night to Cabo


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After all the years of anticipating our big 25th anniversary, and what we would do, how we would celebrate it, I'm finally able to share the end result. Sort of, lol. Our actual anniversary isn't for a month, but we had to celebrate a little early so that our college age kids could attend on their spring break.

 

We booked the Ruby Princess 5 night to Cabo out of San Pedro, CA. Fourteen of our family and friends joined us for this special event. We lucked out, and got a fantastic rate on the Owner's Suite, which assured that we had plenty of space for private gatherings with our guests. One of the couples booked the suite next to us, so for some of the gatherings, we had the connecting door between the balconies opened for one huge balcony. To read about our activities on the ship, and how we managed with our group, I did a trip review in the main Princess forum, link is in my signature. In this review, I'm going to focus on the actual ROV. We got a lot of great photos, so be prepared :)

 

Part of the review will also cover the differences between this renewal, and the trial run we did last year (review in signature). This year, we did not receive a packet with a questionnaire to fill out, and info on the renewal process, including date and time confirmation. Instead, in the late afternoon, we received a small card confirming it, but the date and time had been scratched out. We also received a second card indicating I had an appointment with the co-ordinator to go over details. Unfortunately, it conflicted with the Sail Away party we were hosting in our cabin. I called, and was able to go over the details on the phone.

 

Basically, pretty similar to the previous year. I wanted the flowers delivered early, to the cabin and the champagne delivered to our dining venue. This year I had pre-booked the Crown Grill for our party. Basically I split the number of seats I needed over three cabins -- mine, and two of my daughters. Then once aboard, I spoke with the host at the Crown Grill and had all the reservations merged, and two tables for 8 set up. Unfortunately, our time was set a bit early this time -- 5pm. There were three scheduled after ours, but the early time meant I had less time to manage getting ready that day, and a bigger gap until our dinner reservation.

 

The staff we worked with were great, and everything was handled as requested. In addition to the arrangements with the co-ordinator, I also met with the photographer who would be doing our pictures, and went over what I wanted. I had some images on my phone to show the style I liked, and we talked about locations on the ship that would work. I also confirmed the pricing for the photo package, so knew I had budgeted correctly to get all the images.

 

I will create posts covering the different elements of what I planned, with pics to break it down in to sections

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Suite Decor

 

I spent a fair amount of time considering decorations. I really wanted to have a feeling of a wedding event, but needed to keep it portable, affordable, and light weight. I wasn't sure how easy it would be to have the tables at the dining venue decorated, and knew it would mean dealing with it the afternoon of the ROV. So I decided to decorate our cabin instead. Ended up being the way to go. We enjoyed it the bulk of the cruise, and I wasn't stressed out trying to get it done that day.

 

We booked A752 which had ample space for decor and our guests. I brought assorted Chinese paper lanterns, radio controlled lights (battery), floral strands (silk wisteria and some silk petals that I strung up myself with crystals), ribbons, floral garlands, burlap table runner, and original photos from our wedding (in mats, with small plastic easels to display them). Here are pics that show the lantern lights on, and off.

 

27299714908_f12b12cd18_c.jpgDecor lit up by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

 

27299713398_cb6c45f6d0_c.jpg_E1A9160 by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

 

27299711558_50f1b54bce_c.jpgDecor at desk, A752 by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

 

27299708918_1c9ebee5d1_c.jpgRenewal Decor Wetbar by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

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I used magnetic hooks and twine to hang the lanterns, which had the added benefit of easily being moved. After the renewal, I used the hooks to hang my dress from the ceiling, to get some detail shots of it in the window. It was perfect. I did pay close attention to where the fire safety elements were in the ceiling, as well as lights, vents, etc.

 

I used the burlap runner to cover the long desk area, with the long floral garland and original wedding photos.

 

Suites on Princess get tea service included, so I scheduled a tea party for our group, and this decor was waiting when everyone arrived. I didn't get any photos of the tea party --too busy having fun, lol, but did get some of the Sail Away party the night before, so will include some of those here.

 

40277104605_ed52f5a840_c.jpgSailaway view from A750 looking towards A752 by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

 

40277615205_9cc7bee118_c.jpgSailaway by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

 

40469587194_60dd147fac_c.jpgHanging out with friends by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

 

26300251737_ba276a5529_c.jpgUntitled by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

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Our renewal was set for 5pm, so I ended up skipping the partial up-do hairstyle I wanted, and the floral hair comb I had made because I was just running late. I found there were several things along the way that I had to drop. For example I had brought sheer white curtains to hang perpendicular to the balcony door, to use as a photo backdrop. But the light was wrong, so I didn't bother. In addition to skipping the full hairstyle, I also made a last minute decision to not wear jewelry. Didn't like the way it looked with the dress. None of it ended up diminishing my day, so letting go of the stress of trying to make it happen ended up being the way to go.

 

My girls all came to my cabin to get ready, and DH went to one of theirs with BF to get ready. Then my friend MamaMia2 came to take photos, as we were all scrambling to get ready. In all honesty, two of my girls showed up intending to do their nails -- with really not enough time. And the other one had had hers done earlier at the salon (Yay) but I needed her to help the youngest with her makeup. (My 16yo doesn't wear it, and my 20yo is good at applying it -- she did a fantastic job, as DD3 looked especially beautiful). So none of us was ready when MamaMia2 arrived. And I think the girls were still finishing up when DH arrived for the first look.

 

I had originally wanted to do some portraits before the ROV with MamaMia2, so we just used that extra time as a buffer to not stress that we were behind schedule.

 

26345204827_71cdf079fe_c.jpgROV prep by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

 

40321435955_7bd0ae3030_c.jpgROV prep by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

 

First Look

41173645552_b2fa6ac5dc_c.jpgROV prep by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

 

Approval :)

39388515490_0165c2a5f9_c.jpgFirst Look by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

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We set off from the aft section of the ship all the way to the front where the chapel is -- decided to stay in the cabin corridor and walk straight there, and into the bow elevator lobby up to the chapel. Figured it would be less traffic and easier to walk in 5" heels on a carpeted surface.

 

26345368707_1253bab2f8_c.jpgOn our way by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

 

We arrived early (YES!!) but they weren't ready and chased us out of the chapel, lol. The co-ordinator tried to hand me a bouquet, but I already had mine. He also came and collected our rings (unexpected). Felt bad, we had just asked BF1 if he would hold them as a traditional best man. He's been family the past 5 years or so -- at least he was happy DH asked. We found out later that they put the rings on a pretty pillow, and took some photos

 

41128940652_a3b8784b92_c.jpgTOM_0862 by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

 

And then we untied them when it was time to exchange them. We didn't get new rings, btw. We had taken mine back to the original jeweler (3 hours from where we currently live) because one of the stones was missing and it needed some repairs. We happened to be meeting our friends Mianmike and MamaMia2 in that area a few months ago, while they were visiting our state. But we didn't have time to squeeze in a return trip to pick it up. Thankfully we have great friends who live there, and who were also going on the cruise. They were able to pick it up for us. So I had not worn my ring for 4 months. We decided to just wait until the ROV for me to put it back on. DH surprised me by taking his off and turning it over as well. We did have a little trouble getting them back on during the ceremony. It ended up being pretty funny.

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26300755967_d2fb3705a1_c.jpgRingExchange0909 by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

 

26300729217_0aa6d84c13_c.jpgVows by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

 

After the ceremony, we did some group shots on the stairs -- we were laughing a lot, and I'd like to extend our apologies to the couple after us -- our noise intruded on their ceremony, for which I'm so very sorry.

 

26300473837_b081e28003_c.jpg25ROVgroup by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

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Next up are the professional portraits of us -- some that I've posted from the ceremony were also from the package, but the post ceremony ones are amazing. For those wanting to know, the package I got was $399 and included all the proofs and digital copies. We were supposed to get a frame with the renewal package, but never did. I plan on selecting a few images to frame so not that fussed about not getting the included frame. Want a cohesive display for some of these images.

 

Most of our party went to Adagio's to have a cocktail while we did our photos. DD3 got wrangled to go with us to hold my stuff. She's such a great kid.

 

We weren't sure if we were going to get to do any atrium shots -- sometimes it's too crowded to work around or not enough light. This occasion worked out for us, and Thomas got some gorgeous shots there. I'm going to be posting a bunch. Feels very vain, but mostly I want everyone to see what is possible for the photographer to capture for you. I'm assuming you are here because you are so excited about your upcoming event, and that seeing what others have done is inspiring and fun for you. So sorry in advance, and hope that you do actually enjoy them :)

 

41128750622_bea8ef9d5b_c.jpgAtrium by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

 

26300663507_50545fe7f2_c.jpgAtrium by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

 

40277421835_b14ea2c260_c.jpgAtrium by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

 

40460592374_bdc9848c24_c.jpgAtrium by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

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Next we went out to the Promenade deck. Great location, except for the wind. I was wearing lashes, which photograph beautifully (my eyes disappear in photos, without them, lol). The wind made it feel like my lashes were peeling off. They weren't, but it made it very difficult to pose. The wind was also blowing my long hair everywhere. We tried a walking set of photos, which caused trouble with my feet ;p. I was already having trouble with my shoes. The height wasn't an issue, but the heel wouldn't stay on my foot. I'm sure many of you ladies know, that means you sort of ball up your toes and walk funny. Add the wind blowing the tulle skirt into my legs and feet and I'm lucky I didn't literally trip and hit the deck. We didn't get a lot from this part, but surprisingly, got a few.

 

40277396855_2d552d3812_c.jpgPromenade by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

 

26300605707_bf477f5170_c.jpgPromenade by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

 

39362839790_f5f0593ff1_c.jpgPromenade by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

 

39362834770_7c95250d52_c.jpgPromenade by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

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Last, but not least for the professional shots, we went to the Calypso Bar. This was my request, other than the atrium. I had this idea, that I wanted the juxtaposition of our formal wear, with a pool side cruise ship bar. I didn't care if there were, or weren't people there. The idea was to just catch that moment in time, however it played out. One of the stools was missing the seat, and had yellow hazard tape on it, so Thomas did shoot around that. I love the photos we got here. I meant to order my own drink, but Thomas ordered a cranberry juice for himself, and the bartender gave it to me. The pop of color was nice, so I pretended it was mine.

 

39362798050_b63999e9e9_c.jpgAt the Calypso Bar by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

 

39362791250_8f340296bb_c.jpgAt the Calypso Bar by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

 

26300503907_441f9e41b3_c.jpgAt the Calypso Bar by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

 

41128756882_8cb62c856a_c.jpgAt the Calypso Bar by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

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We said our goodbyes to Thomas until our appointment the next morning to see our photos, and worked our way to the Adagio where our family and friends were waiting.

 

Some champagne was quickly ordered, and chatting and laughter ensued. About 7pm, one of my friends and I went back to my cabin so I could change. I had spent months carefully fitting my dress, and then about 6 weeks before the cruise, my thyroid starting acting up (I have an autoimmune issue with it) and I just started putting on pounds. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough that the dress was tighter than anticipated. I made a backup dress, short, of silk chiffon, Chantilly and alencon lace. So I wore that to dinner.

 

Dinner was at the Crown Grill. The staff there was wonderful. They had actually assigned a team to our two tables. I think we had 3-4 waiters helping us. Not all at the same time, but so that there was pretty much always someone available for anything we needed.

 

I can't remember if I mentioned it in this thread, or the main one, but will mention it here anyway. I had arranged a special cake to meet the dietary restrictions of myself and a few of my guests. I got to meet with the pasty chef beforehand, and he carefully took down the info about what he could and couldn't use. The resulting cake was outstanding. Gorgeous, delicious, and also didn't cause any blood glucose issues for my low carb guests. It was made with almond flour, very low sugar (brown), dark chocolate, and whipped cream (and I'm sure some eggs, etc.) The flavor was delicate, it was moist and such a treat. One of my friends hadn't had a piece of cake in 9 years!!!! He was so thrilled to be able to enjoy it guilt free, and with no health consequence.

 

41127444872_577586246f_c.jpgOur Almond Flour Cake by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

 

The pastry chef, and head chef for the Crown Grill came out to present it to us. Thankfully, Mianmike got a photo of it.

 

40271449935_7807e5cd66_c.jpg2018 Mike's cellphone Princess Cetera Renewal Photos (71) by mianmike, on Flickr

 

39357156870_22e03090f1_c.jpg2018 Mike's cellphone Princess Cetera Renewal Photos (69) by mianmike, on Flickr

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So that about wraps it up. We did have our chocolates in our cabin, and the certificate. We received our champagne glasses in the Crown Grill with the champagne. Oh, and some super cute chocolate covered strawberries. I couldn't eat them, but my girls did, lol. DH took a picture, so I'll upload it once he sends it to me.

 

I'm also going to throw in some of the detail shots I took of my dress, cuz I'm so happy with it, lol. Oh -- and another tip. I had brought the magnetic hooks for the lanterns, but they worked great to hang the dress from the ceiling. I was able to hang it in the door to the balcony and move it as needed to catch the light. So if you are wanting a dress in the window shot, bring some magnetic hooks. I ordered mine from Amazon.

 

27299702218_7367c1303e_c.jpg_E1A9212 by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

 

27299703448_054057ff41_c.jpg_E1A9205 by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

 

27299704598_b6f174e1cf_c.jpg_E1A9189 by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

 

The gorgeous, but pesky shoes:

27299699028_ff92fb59e6_c.jpgLove my shoes by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

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Some photo tips, for those that are interested. I love portraits. I take a ton of my family and friends. I've been studying photography and posing for a while (just don't get enough time to practice, practice, practice). I realized for this event, the studying I've done really helped me pose better. DH is a performer, so he is used to being in front of a camera. I'm used to being behind it.

 

So posing tips:

 

Men -- stand with feet roughly shoulder width, feet can be "side by side" or with one slightly forward. Hips usually straight, but a little hip pop is also ok. Hands look better if they aren't hanging straight down. so in pocket (just thumb, or just fingers with thumb out -- the whole hand looks off most of the time) or touching you. Your photographer will direct some of that, but onboard photogs spend less time directing feet and legs, so be aware of that part.

 

Women: Do NOT stand with your feet like a man! LOL, it looks off in women. Women look much, much better (feminine and curvy) if we stand with our knees together (one more forward than the other) and the foot of the forward knee can be pointed out, or tucked behind. One hip should be popped out. Everyone has their own personal preference as to which hip/knee needs to be popped (hip) or in the forward (knee) position.

 

Here is an example of what I mean -- my DD1 in the green dress is in a more masculine pose -- feet flat, spaced, no hip pop. The other two are in light versions of the knee/hip pose, and I'm full on. It just looks more feminine, you can do the mild or full on, depending on your preference. And it even comes thru if you have a full length dress on.

 

39382610140_88a4d10308_c.jpgCore Family by Elisa of PetraElise, on Flickr

 

Another element of posing is soft hands, with fingers together. If you look at our portraits, there are several that show my hands. I made a point of keeping my fingers together, not splayed open. I also kept them soft, and relaxed. A lot of times, when in front of a camera, we get nervous and tighten up our hands. It comes thru in the photos. Thomas mentioned it to me after the shoot, how it made it so much easier for him to get great shots because my hands looked so natural. So practice between now and your renewal or wedding, so that on the big day, you don't feel as self conscious and nervous when you're taking your photos. It should be a lot of fun, and laughing. :)

 

Best of luck to everyone, that you have the day you've always dreamed of -- I hope my experience and photos help inspire you. And if you have any questions, I'll do my best to help answer them.

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