Ruby Princess First Time Cruiser's Review

[BOShappytraveler]

Greetings,

 

I figured I would post my review of Ruby Princess since I found this forum to be very helpful prior to my cruise. I went to the 3-day Caribbean Sampler from 12/17-12/20 (with a port call at Princess Cays). I figured I would give my perspective as a first time cruiser (in my late 20s). As it is my first cruise, I can only compare my impressions with my other travel experiences (I travel quite a bit but not on a cruise). I didn't expect everything to be perfect; though I expect everything to be comparable to average or above.

 

Pre-cruise: Heeding the advice of many (and it seems to be the case for many people), I flew over a day early just in case there are any delays (winter weather from the northeast, you never know ;)). We stayed at Renaissance Hotel on the 17th Street, and the hotel was lovely indeed. Very relaxing. There was a Walgreens right across the hotel, but most places seemed to be a drive away. Getting from FLL to the airport costs approx $15 (+ tips). Since the hotel was so close to the cruise port, I had wondered if it's possible to walk there since we got so much time (and weather was nice). It's not exactly a pedestrian friendly area so we took the cab instead. I would stay at Renaissance again, though it's too bad it doesn't provide shuttle services. Hotel check out is at noon, so we checked out a little earlier and head to the port to wait (boarding starts at 1pm).

 

Embarkation: We got to the port a little before noon, just before they began boarding (perfect!) The process was highly efficient. Have your boarding pass ready and they check your ID and get your luggage through security (just like airport's). Line wasn't long and they call by groups. Once our group was called, we went in, got our cruise card, and on to our way to the gangway where we took a picture (we ended up buying that picture :)) and boarded the ship. It was very welcoming and we were able to get to our cabin immediately. (I wasn't sure that was available since we boarded early, so it was a pleasant experience!)

 

Cabin: Lovely cabin. We got a mini-suite on the dolphin deck. It was very nice inside and comfortable. It was like a mini hotel room. It felt spacious. The bedding was comfortable; the bathroom was spacious too (tub). This is one of the best parts of the cruise. When I got tired I just come back and relax. The balcony is open, but it wasn't bad at all. People don't really look down, they look out to the sea so privacy wasn't an issue. Also, weather hasn't been great so I didn't hang out in the balcony too much. While I love the mini-suite, I'm not sure if I would get it again because I'm not there half the time. Lovely indeed, and the room staff was very nice. One of the light bulbs went out and it was "magically" fixed the next day without a call from us.

Entertainment: Entertaining was pretty good overall. The comedian Troy was great - nice, clean jokes. The Magic "Illusionist" show was fantastic (I've seen magic shows from the likes of David Copperfield, and this was more than entertaining enough.). The Welcome Aboard was nice. The "Once Upon a Dream" spectacular was just OK to me (which was slightly disappointing because it was one of the main shows). I just chalked it to high expectation on that front since I really loved the shows on London's West End. The dancing lessons looked like fun. And I also enjoyed Bingo games. Casino was OK too (smaller than I expected, but it wasn't bad at all (i.e. wasn't filled with smoke).

 

Food: I signed up for the late traditional seating and was assigned to Botticelli DR. The food was OK. I love the desserts (got the sorbet every single night). My favorite was the spaghetti with meatballs on the Italian night. The service was OK. The waitstaff seemed very busy with another table that ordered a lot of wine/alcohol. Every time they come over to my table and the table next to us, they were always apologizing. It wasn't attentive service, but it wasn't sorely lacking either. It just wasn't a highlight, though we gave the waitstaff a decent tip at the end of the cruise for trying (they were so much more helpful on the last night).

 

The buffet on the 15 th floor was also just OK. There was only one time when it felt crowded (there were no more tables, but they had opened another room), but the rest of the times went smoothly. I'm glad I didn't get the soda card. The first couple we met at the buffet on the first day had to chase down a staff and get more soda. Over the course of the 3 days, it just seemed that waitstaff catered more to those who ordered alcohol/wine. I didn't get the bacon strips, because they looked burnt/hard/not fresh.

 

I was very much looking forward to good quality food (one of the highlights of the cruise), but I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed on that front. The DR food was good but service leaves me wanting more. The buffet was a hit or miss. The one part I loved most was the afternoon tea at Michelangelo's. Wonderful service and great food (slices of cakes, etc). Yummy all around. I went 2 days in a row. :D

 

Port Day: Canceled to due strong winds and high waves. A little disappointed as it is our only port call (and I wanted to check out Princess Cays), but I totally understand the reasons.

Disembarkation (post cruise): Got the luggage tag the night before and left my luggage out the door. Followed the instructions and it was a efficient process. I suffered from some dizziness after we landed (not on the cruise!) and I guess some people gets it (aka getting the land legs back; there's a technical term for it).

 

Flight back home was canceled due to weather, so I booked a night at holiday inn (one with shuttle services, which was super helpful). The outside of the hotel looks nice, but the inside was dark and not as nice, but it was more than sufficient for a one night stay.

Transportation:

People won't need to worry about getting cabs. There are plenty around, whether you're just coming off the airport or from the cruise. There are plenty of taxi dispatchers who will help you out.

 

In Summary:

Overall, it was a very nice cruise. Food wasn't as great as I thought it was be (which was a main draw for me), but all other aspects of it (especially the mini-suite and cabin service) ranked well. Floorplan could use some improvements; especially with the dead-ends on the dining room floors (I noticed quite a few had the same problems, but it's probably fine for frequent cruisers). When I signed up for the cruise, I went with an open mind and that I'll take my families and friends along if all goes well. I'm sure others may have a different experiences, but personally, I find that I can't honestly do that (at least not to these 3-day samplers), since it felt a little lacking in some parts. While I didn't expect everything to be perfect for a "sampler" (still costs quite a bit), the food aspect fell a little below expectation and everything else was mostly above expectations. (Needless to say, it still beats having to go to work. :D)

 

Hope this review is somewhat helpful. Happy holidays to all and have a great cruise everyone!

[bhopal21]

Thanks for the review.:)

 

Mike:)

[Coral]

Thanks for your "new cruiser comments". While I have sailed the Grand class ships a lot, I have to agree with you 100% on the layout. The layout on the Ruby is very similar to about 10 ships (ok, not counting but give or take a few) Princess has and having sailed on other lines - I am not fond of this layout. It does have a lot of dead ends. As you pointed out, once you learn them, they are fine but overall, it is very confusing to new people. I found my HAL ship had a great layout and the smaller Princess ships seem to have a better layout also.

 

As far as food - I think you will find on cruises, it is difficult to wow 3000 people. We tend to think of it as "nicer convention food". If you want food that will really wow you - you have to jump to the next level of cruises such as Crystal, Seabourn, etc.... Some people say Celebrity has better food but I didn't find that the case - it all reminds me of good convention food (if that makes sense).

 

Again, thanks for your comments. Glad you enjoyed your trip.

[Clutterlady]

Thank you for a fair and balanced review...Happy Holidays:)

[dforeigner]

Thank you for taking time to write a review.

[Coolmama_1]

Thanks for the review!

[Northender]

Thanks for taking the time to write a review on the "sampler."

 

I am sure you agree that 3 days is just a taste of better cruising to come.:)

[jackdiamond]

Thank you for the review. Did they have the seafood buffet on sail away"

[LarryF]

Thank you for your review and welcome to cruising! I agree with what Coral said below. The best advice I can give you for future cruising is to spend as much time as possible researching and asking questions on the cc website. There are many secrets on most of the cruise ships and you can find those secrets on these boards.

 

Thanks,

 

Larry

[highheel girl]

Thanks for the review.

 

We never had any issues walking to the port from the Renaissance. ;)