Ruby Princess photo review Jan 13 to 20,2013

[Bimmer09]

We most often take Princess excursions rather than find a private one for less money. Exception is usually Alaska where we team up with Harv 'n Marv (whale watching) and Island Wings (float planes).

 

A coach awaits in SM to take us from Phillipsburg (Dutch side) to Marigot (French side) Good driver, talks and knows his stuff (or could be making it all up). "There's the thatched hut where Hitler signed the Declaration of Independence" etc. He sounded pretty convincing.

 

 



 

Carol down on the Boardwalk in Marigot

 



 

Shopping!! Colorful displays and non-pushy vendors. Islanders think of themselves as the friendliest in the Caribbean...

 

 

[Bimmer09]

I stopped to ask an Island woman for directions but she just ignored me (so much for the friendliest islanders!) and didn't say a word or offer me something from her basket.

 



 



 

We had an hour in Marigot and then drove on to the Butterfly Farm up in the hills beyond the town.

[Bimmer09]

What made the butterfly farm such a good excursion (and quite a surprise for me) was the genial tour guide- a displaced witty and informative Brit. And then there were the butterflies.

 



 



 



 



 

[Bimmer09]

Part of the garden

 

 



 

The Hidden Immunity Idol....

 



 



 



 

[Bimmer09]

No- the tour is near the end and soon I will avail myself of the free rum punch (plenty of rum in it) before we drive back to the Ruby for lunch.

 



 

 

We drove down to Orient beach so the driver could show us people sunbathing nude. His idea not mine.

 

Then we crested a hill and saw the Ruby once more sitting in the bay but not really looking her best...

 

[Bimmer09]

We did some great Duty-Free shopping at the harbor. Score! Then headed back on board Ruby for lunch at the International Cafe which is as good as everyone says it is. Shrimp salad, chicken salad,quiche (with leeks) Greek salad etc washed down by some cappuccinos.

 

There were some other fine ships in port...

 



 



 

 

 

 

 

The Oriana has only one deck with balconies. Yikes!!

The terraced aft deck of Oriana...

[akeasley]

Your pictures are wonderful! I'm enjoying them so much and am looking forward to anymore you can post! :)

[Bimmer09]

More (and even more than that) pictures to come, if not tonight then tomorrow.

 

Glad you are enjoying them. Some sailaway pictures at dusk coming up.

 

Then St Thomas-submarine excursion plus tramway ride and panoramic scenery. Some unbelievable tropical gardens and who knows what else.

 

Lots of Ruby shots!

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Neptune pool deck set for a deck party. Ruby scheduled to leave at 6pm.

 



 

Oasis loft suites under the funnel.

 



 

Oasis passengers heading back to their ship.

 



 

View from the bridge roof.

 

[Bimmer09]

Oasis leaves the pier.

 



 



 

Followed by Carnival Dream

 

Edited February 16, 2013 by Bimmer09
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[Bimmer09]

Carnival Dream had been hidden from view by Oasis.

 

Soon it would be our turn to reverse away from the dock and turn around to head towards St Thomas.

[Bimmer09]

The camera didn't do much work sailing out of St Maarten as it was dark on deck.

 

We went to see Stardust in the Princess Theater but went seperately from different parts of the ship. I was in Skywalkers having a drink soon after sail away. When I got to the theater it was packed and in the dark I couldn't tell where Carol was sitting. I stood at the back for a short while. It was a glitzy song and dance show,very polished, but I moved on to go back on deck to watch the lights of SM fade into the distance. Oriana came out half an hour after we left.

 

MDR dinner found us at our usual preferred table and we enjoyed a meal that included; potato and smoked haddock chowder, wild game pate, cockaleekie soup, oxtail with wagon wheel pasta, smoked pork loin with sauerkraut,petite filet and shrimp followed by three ice creams for Carol and Sambuca and improved espresso for me. Natalia had upped her game.

 

The camcorder got all the work that night, capturing the lively deck party by the pool. The really good band aboard the ship was called Signature, from the islands, and they always played like they were on fire whether it was on a lazy day on deck or 50's night in Club Fusion or in Explorers. High energy and they were blessed by a fantastic soulful singer called Crystal. At the deck party they had the dance floor packed and she came down one deck from the stage and sang from the dance floor as she danced through the crowd. I met up with my friends from Toronto and had a few drinks in the warm night air.

[Bimmer09]

When we woke on the Thursday morning the ship had already reversed into the dock at Crown Bay.

 

We had an excursion planned. We were going high into the mountains to visit a place called Mountaintop which is basically a giant souvenir shop with a panoramic view. Then we would move on to St Peter Great House lured by the tropical gardens there.

 

Ruby Princess in Crown Bay

 



 

From another angle later in the morning

 



 

We drove in an open-sided "bus" (basically a big Ford pickup with seats and a roof). No seat belts or parachutes incase the bus went over the edge of the narrow roads. A steep twisting climb but the driver knew what she was doing (praying?) and kept up an informative banter.

 

We passed high over an airport runway down below

 



 

Looking down on Megan's Bay

 

[Bimmer09]

 

Nice driveway.

 



 

There were mean-looking armed guards everywhere.....

 



 



 

Drinking on the job....really???

 

[Bimmer09]

After an hour to shop we drove back down the way we came and stopped at St Peter Great House for 45 minutes.

 



 



 



 



 

Lush foliage, tropical flowers coming up next...

[Colo Cruiser]

Very nice!

[Texas Realtor]

Loving it. Keep it coming or I will have withdrawals. LOL

[Bimmer09]

 



 



 



 

 

[Bimmer09]

 



 

 

So we left the gardens and made the trip back down to sea level. The driver offered to let people off so they could go shopping and we decided to get off by the waterfront and take a taxi to the Skyride up to Paradise Point to get some more bird's eye views of the stunning harbor.

 

The place is eye candy!! The fare up in the cable car is $22 per person.

 

Iguana's eye view...

 

 



 

Bird's eye view.....

 



 

 



 

There was only one other ship in port as you can see. Royal Caribbean's...Something of the Seas? Freedom? Not big enough? Explorer? Is there one called Hamburger of the Seas? For some reason I was thinking about hamburgers and so needed to find a map to see if there was somewhere to eat nearby.....

 



 

The map proved to be bloody useless and so we decided to go back to the ship and the Trident Grill.

[wineforhealth]

What a great review, thank you

[Mozo9]

Thank you Bimmer for taking time to post this great review and fabulous photos. Cheering up the drab February evenings.

[Bimmer09]

Thanks for the kind comments!

 

We took a taxi ride (price agreed beforehand and cheap by Chicago standards)

back to the Ruby. We got stuck in traffic on Endless Jewelry Store Street

but the meter wasn't running.I pointed the camcorder out the taxi window so we could look at all the jewelry back in our cabin.

 

Here is an Iguana who offered to pose for us on the dock near the Ruby.

I always carry a wad of dollar bills in my pocket to tip people (ever been to New York?) but all I had for "Iggy" was an orange segment from breakfast.

 



 

This is a cruise ship....

 



 



 

Home sweet home- this is where we live on Princess Grand Class ships...aft !

Our room is 3rd full deck down, right of center line, with blank space below. There is no beam on the balcony.

 



 

Our suite for the Mediterranean cruise on the Ruby is one deck down (on Dolphin) and on the extreme right. Slight beam intrusion on that one.

[Bimmer09]

A favorite spot aft on the deck outside Sabatini's. Met some nice folks from Oklahoma here. Husband was a cigar smoker and asked if he could sit at my table and was very welcome. They were new to Princess so I gave them the benefit of my growing experience.

 



 



 



 



 

[Bimmer09]

I was just watching a DVD copy of my camcorder stuff and it seems that every time I refer to our MDR as Da Vinci I should have said Michelangelo!

 

I now realize the only time I was in Da Vinci was disembarkation breakfast.

 

My apologies to any Italian historians reading this.

 

Norris

[cibaygirls]

I am LOVING your review... not only is it providing great insight into your trip it is laugh out loud funny!!.....please hurry back to us.. I am starting the withdrawl shakes.

 

Dana