Ruby Princess December 16-23 – PH A751

[WarEagle76]

Just returned from a week on Ruby Princess.

 

We flew in the day before and stayed at Embassy Suites. Did our usual Total Wine, Publix, Duffy’s pre-cruise ritual and settled in for the night. Room had view of port so we watched ships leave Saturday evening and awoke to a new set of ships in port including Ruby Princess docked at Berth 2.

 

Check In – Arrived at port around 10:50. We had four bottles of wine and no one batted an eye, in fact the person running the x-ray machine commented “looks like you’ve come prepared”. Check-in was already in progress with long lines in both preferred and non-preferred queues. After standing in preferred line for about 5 minutes, realized there was a separate line for Elite/Suite passengers with no one in it. Went to that line and checked in immediately. Went to the Elite/Suite waiting lounge which was a smaller, separate room from the Preferred room, and this room was first to board ship. We boarded around Noon.

 

We had an aft Penthouse Suite (on some diagrams referred to as a “Premium Suite), on Aloha deck A751. This was our fourth time in a suite and had previously been in Vista Suites, so first time in a Penthouse suite. We liked the fact there were two separate desk areas and the balcony was huge. Vent never was a problem either with noise or odors. Had no problem with noises or pool above (as some have mentioned “swishing” noises in other than gentle seas).

 

Fifteen minutes after checking in we received a call from Dining Services asking where we would like to dine that evening for our complimentary dinner provided to suite passengers. We booked Sabatini’s and had a great meal. Called to switch out our two mini-bars (one for Elite, one for Suite), and they came within 30 minutes to swap them out.

 

We met our cabin steward and asked about lunch/dinner dining room menus for the week. He advised that they were now on a request basis only. We stated we wanted them for the remainder of the week. We didn’t get a lunch menu for second day, but received a dinner menu. Turned out when we tried to order it was not the correct menu. So we went down, took a picture of the menu and came back and ordered. For the remainder of the week we received the correct menus. We ate in the suite four nights, with two nights in specialty restaurants and one night in Café Caribe. Did not go to the dining room once which was nice. The night we went to Café Caribe the food was actually pretty good (Duck and pasta were really good) but tried to order a bottle of wine which proved to be futile, so ended up getting a glass instead. Ironically, the last night on board we wanted a bottle of wine for the cabin and went to Adagio (one deck above Café Caribe) and was able to get the bottle of wine we wanted in 5 minutes.

 

Had an enjoyable breakfast every morning in Sabatini’s and one of the waiters, Marco, was outstanding. He had also waited on us the first evening at dinner and was very professional with a great sense of humor.

 

The weather throughout the week was fantastic. Princess Cays looked in great shape, went to Orient Beach in St. Maarten, and took a tour of Grand Turk as was our first time there. Also walked through Margaritaville and looked like everyone was having a great time.

 

We had been grandfathered into the free internet for suites so after using our 150 Elite minutes and “buying” additional ones, I took our passenger folios down to the Passenger Services desk to get them removed. When I explained the situation was told “you have to go to the internet café when they open in 10 minutes as I have no way of handling that here”. I pulled out the email we had received which specifically stated to please see the Passenger Services Desk during your cruise and they will waive any internet charges, and calmly stated I was not going to the internet cafe as they would only send me back to the Passenger Services Desk to handle. He then asked if I'd mind waiting and disappeared for about 15 minutes. When he came back, he said the charges would be removed by that evening, and they were.

 

Pictures of the suite and from our ports-of-call can be viewed at:

 

http://smengelt.shutterfly.com/2608

[Caribensun]

Hello WarEagle76, Make us miss this room as this is the room we usually book. Very nice photos and review. We have a dolphin VS booked, do you think we will miss the balcony and desk? We have only had PS and higer, so wanted to try VS. We have noticed that the Ruby spoils you when you are in a suite. Thanks for the information on the lunch and dinner menus as best part of the suite for us. I have not been able to post photos due to high resolution. Thanks again and glad you got to enjoy this room and balcony-our favorite balcony and suite so far.

[PathfinderEss]

Great pictures thanks for posting the link to your photo's.

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the review!

[silverbird]

Thanks so much for posting your review and pictures. I am glad you enjoyed yourselves so much. The iguana pix were great. I sat for over an hour in St. Thomas and watched them Fascinating!!

[WarEagle76]

Hello WarEagle76, Make us miss this room as this is the room we usually book. Very nice photos and review. We have a dolphin VS booked, do you think we will miss the balcony and desk? We have only had PS and higer, so wanted to try VS. We have noticed that the Ruby spoils you when you are in a suite. Thanks for the information on the lunch and dinner menus as best part of the suite for us. I have not been able to post photos due to high resolution. Thanks again and glad you got to enjoy this room and balcony-our favorite balcony and suite so far.

 

The 3 previous suites we'd been in were all aft Dolphin Deck Vista suites which we liked a lot. The Vista suites were sold out when we booked so tried the PH this time. Missing the desk will probably depend upon how much you use them. We felt that even with the "beam" the Vista balcony while a little smaller felt more open to us. Regardless, hard to go wrong with any aft suite:D

 

Silverbird, yes could spend hours watching them and they are so conveniently located to the ship. When I saw families with kids I'd call them over and all of the kids were excited to get so close to them with lots of pictures taken.

[Caribensun]

Thank you WarEagle76 for your input. The entry desk is not that big of a deal. For 7+ days it is nice to have the desk, but just to set more stuff on. If you have been on the CB in a dolphin aft vista were there shelves in the bathroom, when we did a cabin crawl in there same cabin on the Ruby there were not. We are looking forward to being closer to the wake. Interesting your opinion on the balcony, that is what I thought when we walked out on it and you are correct the beam is no big deal and you cannot go wrong with the wake view.

[lovevacadays]

WarEagle. Thank you for your review and pictures. You gave me a laugh. Have to love the person who noticed the wine you brought onboard.:):):)

[sun&sea]

Thank you for your review and beautiful pictures. We have been in A751 previously on a short 3 night cruise a few years back. It was wonderful! So wonderful, I have A750 booked for an upcoming cruise in a few short weeks. DH and I have some stressful family issues which prevent us from traveling like we used to. So I decided to surprise him with the suite:). Nice to know about the menus and the 2 minibar setups, as I am elite also.

 

Thanks for posting. I am more excited than ever now!!

 

Janet

[hokiecruisers]

Great photos of your cruise! I was wondering if you went to any shows if you enjoyed the entertainment.

[4cococat]

Hi,

 

I am booked for a PH suite. I was interested in learning about the free internet. How do I get it and is it unlimited?

 

Thank you also for your great review. Did you hear from any of the passengers on the quality of any snorkeling excursions?

[caribill]

Hi,

 

I am booked for a PH suite. I was interested in learning about the free internet. How do I get it and is it unlimited?

 

 

It depends when you booked the suite.

 

This summer Princess eliminated that benefit about July 15, so if you booked after that date you will not get it.

 

If you booked before that date, you will need to go to the purser's desk to have the Internet charges removed from your onboard account.

[WarEagle76]

Thank you for your review and beautiful pictures. We have been in A751 previously on a short 3 night cruise a few years back. It was wonderful! So wonderful, I have A750 booked for an upcoming cruise in a few short weeks. DH and I have some stressful family issues which prevent us from traveling like we used to. So I decided to surprise him with the suite:). Nice to know about the menus and the 2 minibar setups, as I am elite also.

 

Thanks for posting. I am more excited than ever now!!

 

Janet

 

Janet, great surprise for him! I would suggest that upon embarkation, the first time you see your cabin steward, tell him that you would like the lunch/dinner menus daily in your cabin. Don't know why it has to be such an ordeal since in-suite dining is part of the suite package. They used to always be provided without asking but not any more.

 

Great photos of your cruise! I was wondering if you went to any shows if you enjoyed the entertainment.

 

Hokie Cruisers, sorry late with this but was in Orlando cheering on the Hokies against Rutgers! What a finish. Only went to Stardust production which I enjoyed the old standards and all of the vocalists were actually pretty good. What I didn't get was the final third of the show went "Caribbean", and while they were older Caribbean songs found it out of place in the production.

 

Did you hear from any of the passengers on the quality of any snorkeling excursions?

 

4cococat, looks like the internet question was answered. Sorry, did not talk to anyone who went snorkeling and we didn't on this trip. On a previous cruise to St. Thomas, we took the half-day Champagne cruise Princess tour to St. John and enjoyed both the sail over and back as well as the snorkeling along the snorkel trail off St. John.

[hokiecruisers]

Thanks WarEagle76 for your response about the shows and thanks for cheering on the Hokies last week in Orlando!!! :)

[4cococat]

Thank you both for your reply. I guess I will call tomorrow and prebook internet, I read somewhere it would be cheaper.

[Cupcrazy]

Great pictures! Thanks so much for posting. I was on this cruise in November and am missing it everyday. Its nice to relive the experience through other people's pictures.

[WarEagle76]

Great pictures! Thanks so much for posting. I was on this cruise in November and am missing it everyday. Its nice to relive the experience through other people's pictures.

 

Thanks, glad you enjoyed them. I really enjoyed your earlier review as well.

[caribill]

Thank you both for your reply. I guess I will call tomorrow and prebook internet, I read somewhere it would be cheaper.

 

Same price, but

 

Get 20% extra minutes if a package is booked booked in advanced

 

Get 10% extra minutes if a package is booked on embarkation day and sometimes the next day.

 

Get no extra minutes otherwise.

[shredie]

Adagio on the Ruby is the best bar in the fleet! Amazing views, live music, attentive staff, and it was never crowded once in the two weeks we went there on our cruise.