Just off Ruby, hugely disappointed

[bassetdaddy]

Platinum Princessite here and mind you, I am generally *too* easy to please, but having talked 11 friends into booking the 3-night Ruby (12/14-17) to introduce them to Princess, I have to say that not one of them said they would return; and I would have to think hard before booking again.

 

Entertainment was nice. The ship was decked out beautifully for Christmas. We saw a hilarious and refreshing comedian, Troy Thirdgill:

 

http://www.troythirdgill.com/

 

The show "Broadway Ballroom" was splendid. Very talented quartet of singers and convincing ballroom dances performed as part of the vocal montages...however, during the opening show, the Cruise Director went on about "had you been on a longer cruise, you would have also seen these two additional production shows..." There were three nights, why stage "Broadway Ballroom" on two days and not throw in another production show that was obviously casted and ready to go?

 

The disappointment I found in coming back to Princess after an absence during which I sailed RCCL and Celebrity was the food service. The anytime dining is convenient, yes, but I found the service to be disinterested. Example: for the "gala" dinner, some sort of lemon and thyme-infused sorbet was included on the menu as a plate cleanser before the main course. Silly us at the table, thinking that was a fixed part of the menu; we didn't order it, so we did not receive it. (Believe me, my life will go on without another sorbet, but it's just the idea. It seems that all the "special" things I used to take for granted about Princess now were at extra cost. Lobster balcony dinner. Champagne breakfast on your balcony. $$$ and translated as no lobster on the menu and no hot items for room service breakfast. Bleeah.

 

There was a "White hot" dance party around the pool. My traveling mates wondered where the Caribbean hors d'oeuvres were, a la RCCL? The tropical fruit station? Nothing. Just waiters selling drinks, line dances and free (!) streamers.

 

And having talked up Princess and the Italian specialties in the dining room, was I ever embarrassed when one of out party ordered Alfredo that obviously had been sitting under a heat lamp to the point where the cheese formed a hardened "spider web" around the edge of the plate. We gave up by the time "Italian night" appeared as the coming attraction for the dining room and ate in the Cafe Caribe topside, which was staging some kind of German dinner with sausages, knockwurst, bratwurst, sauerkraut...ach du lieber. Thank goodness for the non-Germanic hot shrimp dish they put out.

 

I know....kvetsch kvetsch kvetsch. It's just not the Princess I remembered and it was sad to experience. Sorry to be Donald Downer. Meanwhile, happy holidays to all!

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks for the comments but I think its hard to judge fairly on a 3 day cruise.

 

 

Gottaluvcruising just came back from the same cruise and thought it was wonderful.

 

You gotta love how people on the same cruise can have such a different experience.

[Guest arowe6]

Thank you for your review. We were on the Ruby for 10 days in November and we also disliked the fact that Princess repeated the same shows for multiple nights...

 

-Andrew :)

[bassetdaddy]

Thanks for the comments but I think its hard to judge fairly on a 3 day cruise.

 

 

Gottaluvcruising just came back from the same cruise and thought it was wonderful.

 

You gotta love how people on the same cruise can have such a different experience.

 

Agreed. I read their review with interest :)

 

I think my problem is having built up the line to the virgin-Princess gang I had talked up the cruise to. The cruise director kept inviting people back for a longer cruise, I just don't think the line put their best foot forward on this short "taste of" cruise, if that makes sense.

[melsal]

I too was disappointed with my first Princess cruise. A short cruise from San Francisco to Vancouver for my husband's big 4-0 birthday with 20+ persons. At the time I thought I would never cruise with Princess again. I did not particularly care for the production show(do not remember the name of it), the head waiter snapped at her assistant, seas were rough(of course this is no fault of Princess), debarktation was horrid :mad:as we were not off the ship until 1:30 pm. I actually felt just as sorry for the persons waiting to board. However with 20 friends and family overall we had a great time.

A couple of years later, realizing short cruises are Princess' forte, a great Panama Canal itinerary, and many awesome reviews of Princess we are booked.:D I am very excited and hope I am not disappointed. Been following the LIVE from the Coral posts and getting more excited each day.

[JennAngel9]

I appreciate your review. I might be an outlier, but I like reading negative experiences so that I have low expectations when arriving on the ship. :p

 

I just wanted to echo that 3-day cruises are often not a fair representation of the line's overall quality. We did a 3-day on the century that made me really think twice about X, but then absolutely LOVED a 14 day on Constellation (that we only booked for scheduling reasons) and now X is our favorite line. Also, if you are like me, you tend to be more critical and cautious after hyping the product to others than if you'd just jumped on board. I'm no Princess cheerleader, but if you don't mind some of their policies (which I won't mention to avoid a flame war), I wouldn't rule it out based on a 3-day on their biggest ship.

[captainron]

It's true, very true.

 

A Coastal/Ensenada special is not the way to fully appreciate a cruiseline. Even the horrible 7 day rush around port intensive voyages in the Caribbean barely whet your palate for onboard activities.

 

It's when you get up into the 10 day plus voyages that you see the diversity and work that your Executive Chef and Cruise Director's staffs slave over from 0900 til late after midnite each day. For a CD, it is a much more complicated process in finding entertainers for only a 3 day voyage if they are not already under contract on that specific vessel. In many cases they are fill-ins until the vessel is repositioned and the new entertainers under contract board the ship.

 

While I appreciate your commentary, I would encourage you to reconsider deserting Princess and try a longer voyage that allows for more diversity in the ship's dinng and entertainment venues.

 

Ciao for now!!!

[Colo Cruiser]

Agreed. I read their review with interest :)

 

I think my problem is having built up the line to the virgin-Princess gang I had talked up the cruise to. The cruise director kept inviting people back for a longer cruise, I just don't think the line put their best foot forward on this short "taste of" cruise, if that makes sense.

 

Thats understandable, too bad the CD would not pay for the future cruises. :D

[MGAfhc]

Are you sure the Alfredo was defective? As one of their specialties, Princess does it in a form that the pasta is served in a crusty parmesan bowl. I believe it is served that way in Rome. I have been to one of the chef's presentations that demonstrated how it is made. It's one of my favourites.

[Colo Cruiser]

Are you sure the Alfredo was defective? As one of their specialties, Princess does it in a form that the pasta is served in a crusty parmesan bowl. I believe it is served that way in Rome. I have been to one of the chef's presentations that demonstrated how it is made. It's one of my favourites.

 

I was going to mention that when I saw spider web. ;)

[sun&sea]

I just got in from the same Ruby cruise. We had an awesome time:D. A 3 day cruise is in no way the same as a longer cruise. It simply "is what it is"!, if that makes sense. Knowing that, we had a blast. We just wanted a get away for R&R with a few days pre-cruise in Ft Lauderdale. We booked a PS suite (A751) and loved it! The service on this cruise was outstanding! Everywhere we went, the staff seemed to be in a good mood.

 

I can see where one may be disappointed on a 3 day cruise, but put things in perspective here. It was called a "sampler" for a reason. Sorry to hear how unhappy all of your friends were. Perhaps it just wasn't a crowd suited for a 3 day cruise:confused:.

 

Janet

[hubofhockey]

I wasn't crazy about dinners in the MDR. But I thought breakfasts and lunches in the buffet were very good. Also enjoyed specialty restaurants, sushi in Vines, the burger grill and even the pizza. It would be nice if the line hired a new executive chef. But that won't make or break my next Ruby cruise. OP, thanks for the review. It's too bad food ruined your cruise.

[bassetdaddy]

Thanks for reading, all...sun&sea, we had a good time. Just making some observations, and I do agree with all that a short cruise does not best represent the line. This was our 8th Princess cruise, including the inaugurals of the grand and Dawn...I am embarrassed to say I didn't know about the crusty parmesan bowl re: the alfredo...but it gives me an idea.

 

Next time I cook a dud, I am going to insist that it is an authentic recipe. "Excuse me, but your spinach risotto is SUPPOSED to be crunchy, as it is cooked in the original Napoli style" lol..."and yes they DO serve it with eggshells in the dish!" j/k

 

melsal, I am certain your cruise will be aces. My worst day at sea is better than my best day on land, anyhow!

 

Again, best to all!

[Toto2Kansas]

Sorry to hear you and your friends were disappointed, but I have to agree, a three day cruise is a 'taste' of Princess, and you aren't going to find all the same as you would on a 7 day or longer voyage.

I have the same question about the Alfredo, as it has been served in a parmesan bowl for quite sometime now, which does in a sense look like a spider web of parmesan.

 

I hope whatever line you (and your friends) choose for your next cruise, you will be more satisfied with the experience.

[Canalchick]

It's always good to hear people's impressions of their experiences.

 

Have you been on three-day cruises on other lines, Bassetdaddy? How did they compare with the Ruby Princess's three-day cruise?

[Pam in CA]

Sorry your "Sampler" cruise wasn't better. Three-day cruises aren't Princess' forte so I think you need to take that into consideration. Two people can be on the exact same cruise and have completely opposite experiences, which is actually the case for this cruise.

 

The truth is that Princess isn't the same as it was 10 years ago... nor are any of the other cruiselines. If that's the case of RCCL, I definitely wouldn't want to cruise them again because I've had some terrible experiences on them (a whole tray of hot tomato soup dropped on our heads, a cabin steward who didn't make up the cabin or do anything for 24 hours because she was "busy", lazy waitstaff who put three glasses of iced tea in front of my plate so they wouldn't have to get a fresh one for me, etc.) But given my experiences, I never said I wouldn't cruise RCCL again. I can't believe that hot hors d'oeurves by the pool would make or break your cruise. :( You're Platinum so you know Princess doesn't serve them.

 

If you pumped up the cruise for your friends, you should also manage their expectations and let them know the differences they'll experience. I hope you try Princess again on a longer cruise. I think you'll enjoy it.

[Clutterlady]

Never, never pump up a 3 day cruise compared to a 7 day or longer...on any cruise line:mad: You should have known better:)

[cruisemom42]

I believe every major line has made significant cutbacks in the last couple of years in order to keep the base cruise cost down. I have read numerous threads on RCCL and Celebrity from the faithful who feel that corners have been cut. On all lines, waiters have more tables, stewards have more cabins, and food quality has (debatably) decreased.

 

Sorry you did not enjoy Princess after your absence. I wish people trying different cruiselines would try to understand that not every cruise line does things exactly the same, and that is part of the experience of trying something different. I'm in the process of considering a Celebrity cruise again after 5 on Princess. I know some things will be different in a good way, but others might be different in a not-so-good way (for example, Celebrity doesn't have freshwater pools, which I enjoy on Princess).

[junglejane]

Bassetdaddy, thanks for your feedback. You were disappointed and are certainly entitled to say so. I've had one disappointing cruise so far and it was a 2 day sampler cruise on the Dawn Princess. I thought the service was poor and the crew seemed "disinterested" (to use your word) at best and downright rude at worst. Worst of all, we had invited along two friends for their first Princess cruise, and had to endure endless unfavorable comparisons to their prior Carnival cruises. We kept saying, "Well this isn't really representative of what Princess is usually like . . .." Fortunately, that experience has never been repeated and our other cruises have been wonderful.

[cruisemom42]

Are you sure the Alfredo was defective? As one of their specialties, Princess does it in a form that the pasta is served in a crusty parmesan bowl. I believe it is served that way in Rome. I have been to one of the chef's presentations that demonstrated how it is made. It's one of my favourites.

 

Trust me, the fettucini alfredo served on Princess (and in most American restaurants) bears little resemblance to the dish served in Italy (where it isn't usually called fettucini alfredo, incidentally). There is no parmesan bowl, and the sauce is much less creamy.

 

Here is a link to the "original" recipe:

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9123848/

[Cruisematic]

Just recently off the Ruby 10 days eastern with no complaints about the food. I have never hesitated to question and send back any dish that appears or tastes over cooked. It can happen.

On the other hand my personal experiences with the food on X were disappointing to say the least, others on the same cruise raved. Different expectations and tastes.

[nceyeguy]

It's always good to hear people's impressions of their experiences.

 

Have you been on three-day cruises on other lines, Bassetdaddy? How did they compare with the Ruby Princess's three-day cruise?

Why would that matter?

 

Sorry your "Sampler" cruise wasn't better. Three-day cruises aren't Princess' forte so I think you need to take that into consideration. Two people can be on the exact same cruise and have completely opposite experiences, which is actually the case for this cruise.

 

 

Ok, so the staff says it's only a 3 day cruise, down grade the food and the service?

Never, never pump up a 3 day cruise compared to a 7 day or longer...on any cruise line:mad: You should have known better:)

Please back that up with some info, or see above. I don't really believe that the staff cares whether it's a 3 day, 7 day, or a 10 day, and the service should remain consistant. And the OP just stated some observations, which I may not agree with, but I sure won't throw them under the bus for stateing them.

 

No cheerleader outfit here, as they are all out in force.

[kooljamming]

Sorry your "Sampler" cruise wasn't better. Three-day cruises aren't Princess' forte so I think you need to take that into consideration.

 

Should they take the tip into consideration as well? How far do you drop the expectation 3 vs 7 and how much do you reduce the tip on a sailing that is not their forte?

I have never tipped less on a shorter cruise and therefore do not expect lesser service. Why are they offering something that will fall below their standard and what others have come to expect? Is the 'good' staff given these days off.....I don't get it.

[RickEk]

Bassetdaddy, thanks for your feedback. You were disappointed and are certainly entitled to say so. I've had one disappointing cruise so far and it was a 2 day sampler cruise on the Dawn Princess. I thought the service was poor and the crew seemed "disinterested" (to use your word) at best and downright rude at worst. Worst of all, we had invited along two friends for their first Princess cruise, and had to endure endless unfavorable comparisons to their prior Carnival cruises. We kept saying, "Well this isn't really representative of what Princess is usually like . . .." Fortunately, that experience has never been repeated and our other cruises have been wonderful.

 

I was also on that 2 day cruise to Ensenada on the Dawn Princess. I had been on the same ship 5 months earlier for a 7-day Mexican Riviera cruise and the service was like night and day. It certainly appeared that some of the crew was "going through the motions" on the shorter cruise and just not as interested in providing a great cruising experience. The clientèle was also a bit on the sketchy side since it was such a short cruise and therefore extremely cheap. There was definitely more of a party cruise vibe going on and not the usual polished Princess product. Certainly some of the crew's attitude could be attributed to the fact that after we disembarked, the Dawn sailed empty to San Francisco for the upcoming Alaskan season and the crew was absolutely looking forward to having the ship to themselves :p. That being said, we had a good time on the cruise and were quite willing to ignore the service shortcomings.

 

I definitely don't want to excuse Princess for providing less on a shorter cruise than what would be expected on a longer cruise. You pays your money, you should get the same experience, no matter the length of the cruise. I'm planning to take a 3-day cruise on Carnival next year... should be interesting to compare and contrast...:)

[caribill]

The show "Broadway Ballroom" was splendid. Very talented quartet of singers and convincing ballroom dances performed as part of the vocal montages...however, during the opening show, the Cruise Director went on about "had you been on a longer cruise, you would have also seen these two additional production shows..." There were three nights, why stage "Broadway Ballroom" on two days and not throw in another production show that was obviously casted and ready to go?

 

Sometimes people want something and then are upset when they get it. Many past passengers had complained that since the Princess Theater was too crowded and seats not available when shows were just put on twice in one night. Princess answered those requests by putting the same show on a third time, but on the next night. Result, now passengers can see the show without the theater being overcrowded---but, now there are complaints that the same show is on too many times.

 

If trying to give a good impression of the cruise experience on a three day cruise, I think the CD should not have spent time promoting what was not available on the three day cruise. (Much like watching PBS during pledge week. Interrupt a show to say if you send money, we can bring you more shows.)