I Love the Ruby Aft Pool

[Samanthamelody3]

I'm so glad there is a thread about this. I'm pretty sure every second thing I post is how much I love this pool!

I love the aft pool!

[need2cruisesoon]

I'm so glad there is a thread about this. I'm pretty sure every second thing I post is how much I love this pool!

I love the aft pool!

 

I agree. Never bothered with the other pools they always seemed so crowded and too many kids.

I didn't sit very long here.

 

[Cruise Junky]

And it's abundantly clear that if those things are that absolutely important to someone, are that absolutely critical to enjoying a cruise, and are that absolutely essential to ensure someone has an absolutely wonderful time, then book another ship. It really is just....that....simple. Go ahead. There are 16 other (clones) ships in the Princess Cruises fleet, and dozens more within the Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean families that might please someone as well. But it really sounds more and more like someone is just mad they don't get to go on the big shiny new Princess Cruises flagship, now with more and more Cruise Critic folks coming off of her having had a great time despite all the 'sky is falling' predictions and 'design flaws'. And that must just really chap someones hide. :cool:

 

If the shoe fits....

 

 

Nailed it....

 

 

Finally....(and with all due respect)

 

 

 

Like that will ever happen... :rolleyes: ....lol

 

 

I'm not sure if you're making blanket statements about people that are disappointed about Royal or if it's aimed at me personally, but I can assure you I'm not sitting here rubbing my hands in glee that she's not being responded to well. I like Princess and am a huge fan.

 

I am truly disappointed in her, I was looking forward to a new design from Princess but she doesn't deliver what's important to me in a cruise so we'll skip her. No biggy, there are other lines and other ships. My life does not revolve around a ship. I am disappointed that they'll be dominating the Caribbean next year, that's pushed us to Celebrity.

 

As to coming off other boards to critize her, what other boards to you think I've come from? I spend about 80% of my time on the Princess Board and always have.

 

As for quoting a joke post from a very close friend of mine in real life, I find that pretty low.

[dmwnc1959]

Never had too much of a problem with crowding. Seemed like there was always a lounger available somewhere.

 

 

[dmwnc1959]

My life does not revolve around a ship.....

 

With as much time that's been spent posting how disappointed someone is in Royal Princess, apparently it does. :cool:

[Cruise Junky]

With as much time that's been spent posting how disappointed someone is in Royal Princess, apparently it does. :cool:

 

Priceless! :rolleyes:

[dmwnc1959]

Priceless! :rolleyes:

 

The truth. I've been accused of being in love with the ship. Had my values and motives questioned since January. I love my cat and '98 Subaru more than I love that ship. Yes, there are some things not on her I may miss from my last cruise, although none come to mind just yet. I just don't spend all of my time day-in and day-out bashing what I'm disappointed in. At some point all of the yelling of 'fire' in a crowded theater is going to get ignored when there's no fire. People are having a great time on Royal Princess even though the 'misses' are pointed out. But they can't wait to get back on her again. If I booked then cancelled a cruise I wouldn't spend the bulk of my online chat time trying to convince people that the 'sky is falling', because it's only falling in your neighborhood. From where I'm standing the weather's fine.

[Cruise Junky]

The truth. I've been accused of being in love with the ship. Had my values and motives questioned since January. I love my cat and '98 Subaru more than I love that ship. Yes, there are some things not on her I may miss from my last cruise, although none come to mind just yet. I just don't spend all of my time day-in and day-out bashing what I'm disappointed in. At some point all of the yelling of 'fire' in a crowded theater is going to get ignored when there's no fire. People are having a great time on Royal Princess even though the 'misses' are pointed out. But they can't wait to get back on her again. If I booked then cancelled a cruise I wouldn't spend the bulk of my online chat time trying to convince people that the 'sky is falling', because it's only falling in your neighborhood. From where I'm standing the weather's fine.

 

 

You keep saying this over and over...where did I complain on this thread? I said I now know why you like royal as the things being complained about aren't important to you. That's hardly a sky is falling post. It's getting really sad that ships and their attributes can't even be talked about without you posting that they're a waste of space and underused because they happen to be missing from Royal, it's desperate and I'm sure a lot of people wish you'd stop.

 

And I'm done responding to this. This thread is about Ruby.

[dmwnc1959]

...and I'm sure a lot of people wish you'd stop.

 

And I'm sure the feeling is quite mutual regarding your posts. :eek:

[TorontoTL]

Hi Benny!

 

Just the opposite actually. Those were taken very late in the afternoon and early evening right around sunset and before it got dark.

 

Hey Dave, wow so quiet in those photos. I'm used to seeing that type of scene early in the morning rather than in the evening. But, as you said, each sailing is different from the next.

[PescadoAmarillo]

Weary. So weary.

 

Not complaining, mind you, just bone tired of every thread devolving into a "if you don't like it, don't cruise on it" discussion.

 

I've lost track of the number of times over the years I've commented that I was not a fan of the Sun Class ships, which at one time was not a popular opinion to have, but I don't recall ever being told, even once, "If you don't like them, don't cruise on them." I also don't recall ever being told, when commenting on the small aft pool on those ships, "Well, I don't use them so I don't care". It used to be we could civilly discuss these things, and agree to disagree.

 

I've asked this once before about this same thing: what the heck has happened here? Why does the Royal seem to bring out the worst in us?

[dmwnc1959]

Weary. So weary.

 

Not complaining, mind you, just bone tired of every thread devolving into a "if you don't like it, don't cruise on it" discussion.

 

I've lost track of the number of times over the years I've commented that I was not a fan of the Sun Class ships, which at one time was not a popular opinion to have, but I don't recall ever being told, even once, "If you don't like them, don't cruise on them." I also don't recall ever being told, when commenting on the small aft pool on those ships, "Well, I don't use them so I don't care". It used to be we could civilly discuss these things, and agree to disagree.

 

I've asked this once before about this same thing: what the heck has happened here? Why does the Royal seem to bring out the worst in us?

 

 

The two biggest differences between now and then may be that when the Sun-class was the big player in the Caribbean for Princess Cruises there weren't a whole lot of other options from this line to choose from. Now there are. And yours may not have been a popular opinion, but it wasn't brow beaten into the ground by those who didn't like that class of ship. This has been going on since March of 2012 for Royal Princess when the first artist renditions were released.

.

[dmwnc1959]

Hey Dave, wow so quiet in those photos. I'm used to seeing that type of scene early in the morning rather than in the evening. But, as you said, each sailing is different from the next.

 

Hi Benny!

 

They weren't always that vacant. But rarely did I ever see throngs of people hanging out on the promenade, maybe 20 or so on both sides of the ship and along 1800' of deck.

 

 

 

[Sunviking]

I've spent 80 + days on the Ruby and close to the same on her sisters the Crown and the Emerald. We loved the aft pool and the Lotus Spa Pool. The aft pool was always crowded and the chairs around the spa pool were usually full. Getting a seat was easily solved by booking the Sanctuary. We have chosen not to sail on the Royal because those things and others we liked were gone. We hope everyone who sails on the Royal has a lovely time. I can't understand why some of the people who are enamored of the Royal features don't understand why some of us are not. I don't wish anyone a bad cruise or want to dissuade anyone from sailing on her. I just don't understand why on a forum where people can voice their opinions people decide that only theirs or those who agree with them are relevant and appropriate.

[dmwnc1959]

I can't understand why some of the people who are enamored of the Royal features don't understand why some of us are not.

 

Quite the contrary. Those who are enamored with Royal Princess, and those who have sailed Royal Princess and commented back with LIVE threads, actually do know and often understand why some of those features missing, eliminated, combined, or downsized are important to some Princess cruisers. It's just that a vocal minority who are not booked, were never ever booked, were booked at one time and have since cancelled and are now booked on other cruise lines, or have some sort of anti-Royal Princess agenda appear to want to 'rain on the parade' of those who are booked and are looking forward to, or have already enjoyed a cruise on this new ship. The number an anti-threads has always greatly exceeded those threads that were either information based or started by those who are eagerly anticipating their cruise. It seems every day a brand new 'discussion' thread pops up with the sole intent on minimizing the enjoyment of those who are booked on Royal Princess.

 

.

[Daniel1313]

Absolutely it is my favorite ...... the best part about it is that it is for adults ONLY!!

 

Agree with you 1 million percent !!!!

[PescadoAmarillo]

The two biggest differences between ndow and then may be that when the Sun-class was the big player in the Caribbean for Princess Cruises there weren't a whole lot of other options from this line to choose from. Now there are.

No, that's not it at all. My first Princess cruise, on the Sun Princess, was in December 2003. I was on the Sea Princess in December 2005 and the Sun again in January 2007. In between I was on the Grand, the Diamond and the Sapphire, and several RC and X ships. No, by the time I started cruising Princess, the Grand Class had been out for 5 years. There were options...and based on those options I knew that the Sun Class wasn't, and would never be my favorite. I said so, and no one advised me to skuttle back to another Grand Class ship. I think it was more of a "You don't like it; we do. That's fine". It was never personal.

 

Now it seems to be very personal.

 

And yours may not have been a popular opinion, but it wasn't brow beaten into the ground by those who didn't like that class of ship.

Nor those who did (see above).

[PescadoAmarillo]

It seems every day a brand new 'discussion' thread pops up with the sole intent on minimizing the enjoyment of those who are booked on Royal Princess.

OK, now you've got it. And I think that those people who find their enjoyment of a ship they've never sailed on minimized by comments on an open forum need to ask themselves why they're so emotionally vulnerable to what other people think.

 

Yes, I think that this is the missing piece of the puzzle in my mind.

[need2cruisesoon]

Never had too much of a problem with crowding. Seemed like there was always a lounger available somewhere.

 

 

 

Dave, is this one of those cruises at half capacity?

Maybe not full ship? What do you think was the avg age?

[dmwnc1959]

OK, now you've got it. And I think that those people who find their enjoyment of a ship they've never sailed on minimized by comments on an open forum need to ask themselves why they're so emotionally vulnerable to what other people think.

 

Yes, I think that this is the missing piece of the puzzle in my mind.

 

The same goes for asking those who have never sailed on this ship, and seem to be emotionally and intellectually focused on undermining the enjoyment of those who are booked. We each cruise for different reasons, and the choices out there are bountiful. Yet so many are invested in constantly attacking this new ship.

 

The 'conversation' was started nearly 17 months ago by someone whose sole purpose seems to be to bounce between forums and point out what's 'wrong' with ships. It's continued in earnest to this day, again by those who were either never booked, had zero interest in booking this ship, or have since cancelled and are cruising on other lines.

 

The disappointment some express is understandable. But it won't change this class of ship. Princess Cruises will no doubt change the designs of future new builds to incorporate what is missing on Royal Princess. In the mean time focus on those ships yet to come. Not by constantly slamming what already is, it's too late for that, but in a focused effort directed at the cruise line for what you want. But not at the expense of those who just want to cruise on Royal Princess and have a good time.

[dmwnc1959]

Dave, is this one of those cruises at half capacity?

Maybe not full ship? What do you think was the avg age?

 

My cruise was between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, but it should have still been a relatively full ship. And best guess on the average age must have been between 50-70 years old. There were still some kids just not a lot. And it was a 7-night Eastern Caribean. So all that combined may have changed the demographic compared to a longer (possibly port intensive) Mediterranean cruise with only a couple of sea days.

[rdsqrl]

Dave, is this one of those cruises at half capacity?

Maybe not full ship? What do you think was the avg age?

Those pool photos are somewhat misleading as to crowds -- they're obvious taken in the very late afternoon, when the pool areas tend to start emptying out.

[need2cruisesoon]

Those pool photos are somewhat misleading as to crowds -- they're obvious taken in the very late afternoon, when the pool areas tend to start emptying out.

 

I agree, they are taken late afternoon just before dinner. Between 5-7 they are pretty empty if my memory serves me.

[dmwnc1959]

Keep in mind too that sunset for that time of year is usually around 5:30pm with the sun very low towards the horizon by 5pm.

[FawnRiver]

I love both the Terrace and Lotus spa pools - I have to admit, I love them all :D but those two in particular.

 

You should see the Terrace pool area in the middle of a TA cruise in November :eek:. Its totally deserted, but the pool is heated, so aside from a little chill walking back from a swim - its great. I'm sure DH and I were a welcome bit of entertainment for the bartender at the Terrace bar ;).

 

I can't wait to try it on the next TA in December :D.

 

Thanks for all the great pictures.

 

It was a bit of a shock to realize the Royal and Regal don't have the Terrace pool, but I'm sure we'll find lots to enjoy when we get around to trying those ships out.