Ruby Princess E. Caribbean photo and video review

[Bimmer09]

Even though it is cold today in Iowa, your pictures and video gave me goose bumps. Looking forward to sailing to Alaska on the Ruby in September..Pam aka Midwest Solo

 

Thanks for joining us Pam. Stay tuned!

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

I left the rocks on the beach before the Westerdam sailed into port....

 

 

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You can see how dark the beach was. It was me and the surf and I was thirsty and dying for a cup of coffee. I knew the Starbucks in the hotel would open at 6.30 and that's when I would arrive, panting.

 

After 1/4 of a mile I found a beach lounger and sat down on it for a few minutes.

Then a spotlight came on from a condo building, shining on me, so I figured I'd move on before the hounds were unleashed.

 

Back at the hotel I got a cups of Pikes Place (no flavors for me thank you) and paid the inflated price...$1 more than the same cup would cost in any Starbucks in Chicago. I was revived as I sat in one of the sofas out by the beach, enjoying the breeze, although it was messing up my hair which is light and fluffy and just the sort of thing you'd love to run your fingers through.

 

I reached into my back pocket of my jeans for my "pick" which is what Afro American folks use but works for me too. Where is it?? It's the only comb I have with me. Bummer. Should I walk a mile to a Walgreens?

 

I must have dropped it along the way so off I went following my own footsteps from before. After half a mile there was the beach chair and my comb was laying in one of my footsteps. Hoorah!

 

As I walked back to the hotel (again!) I took some photos as it was getting light.

 

The Marriott is the big thing poking up through the trees....a beacon where there was MORE coffee waiting.

 

 



 



 

Footprints in the sand....mine!

 

Safely back at the Marriott where a quad espresso ($2 over the usual asking price!) was purchased as I had a long day ahead of me.

 

[Bimmer09]

Back in the room we packed our steamer trunks, hat boxes, telescopes, harpoons and anything that wasn't bolted down in the room such as pillows, towels and table lamps

 

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and then headed down to Riva, one of the hotel's 3 restaurants (all good) which serves breakfast and not only that-breakfast outdoors! Our favorite!

 

For me; eggs bacon and hash browns with white toast and coffee/orange juice fresh squeezed.

 



 

For Carol the poached eggs on toasted English muffins

 



 

Back to room 1143 to get the luggage and have one last look at the beach

 



 

Checked out of the hotel and into a taxi. "Terminal 2 and step on it cabbie!!"

 

Next we board the Ruby Princess....

[scubacruiserx2]

Here's the ship video I shot from the rocks in the dark.

 

While I was videotaping the Ruby the wind blew the tripod over and the camera ended up on the rocks. Just suffered some scratches around the rim of the lens but otherwise perfect in every way. Phew! It was only a week old.

 

 

Norris

 

It's great to see your new review and great photos , we're looking forward to more . :eek: Yikes , and I thought that I was the only one to drop cameras ! My usual modus operandi is to drop an old camera , so have to replace it with a new one . If we knew that you were sailing out of Ft. Lauderdale , I may have been able to convince DW that we needed a drone cam - for the sail away . Oh well , maybe next time . All the best :) :D

[Bimmer09]

It's great to see your new review and great photos , we're looking forward to more . :eek: Yikes , and I thought that I was the only one to drop cameras ! My usual modus operandi is to drop an old camera , so have to replace it with a new one . If we knew that you were sailing out of Ft. Lauderdale , I may have been able to convince DW that we needed a drone cam - for the sail away . Oh well , maybe next time . All the best :) :D

 

Scuba glad you found the review and thanks for the compliments on the photos.

I got a new lens for this trip-Canon 10mm to 22 mm super wide angle and used it predominately. I'll show a photo of my beginner's gear later in the story.

The camcorder was two days old. So new stuff to learn.

 

This will take a month to unfold, I imagine, so please keep popping back in!

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

The cab ride from the hotel took 15 minutes including a brief stop to show our Passports to security. $10 fare. The luggage drop off was already busy. I gave ours to a porter and gave him a $5 tip so it wouldn't fall into the sea "by accident".

 

There was a long line at the embarkation hall but as we are Platinum card holders we went into the short "Preferred line". And indeed we did prefer it!

 

We went through security without stripping naked (also preferred), bypassed the Declare your Liqour desk, filled out a health questionnaire with a throwaway pencil (Stubby 2B for pencil freaks) and got in line for our boarding cards. A warm "welcome back" from the clerk when she saw the Platinum.

 

We were directed by signs and people to the Priority Boarding Lounge and as we were early found ourselves seated in row 1 for boarding. There were only 16 people ahead of us. It was about 10.50 a.m. There was a cute as a button happy smiling 3 year old prancing around in our row. Very excited to be boarding the ship. I would remember her and her mother later.

 

At 11.30 we were invited to board and took the escalator upstairs where the next task was to pose for the embarkation photo. That done we were about to put our feet on the gangway when a security lady stopped us. It turned out they had to adjust the gangway on the ship end. A line was now built up for the photographer behind us. Just a 5 minute delay in getting faster to the fun.

 

Up the gangway to security who take a card scan and a photo which is then linked to it -the face has to fit the card.

 

Into the ship where there were balloons and crew with sparklers and champagne singing a welcome song to us, while throwing streamers in the air.

 

No-wait a minute, that must be another cruise line or a dream I had. No-fuss boarding was the order of the day.

 

Now we were onboard! Hooray and yippee!

Plan A swung into action as I gave my carry-on bag to Carol. She would take it to our room on Dolphin Deck (we're both fond of Dolphins) while I would DASH up to the Sanctuary to reserve two loungers for the week.

 

I took an elevator as I had about 11 decks above me

 

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There's actually 19 decks on the ship but deck 19 (mini golf, running track and Platinum Photo Studio) can only be reached by one elevator aft (extreme left one)

 

I had to trip a couple of people who were in my way (one fell in the pool-sorry!) and pulled a sombrero one gentleman was wearing down over his eyes, so that I was unimpeded in my quest for a Sanctuary berth for two.

 

I arrived at the Sanctuary-my breath coming in short pants (but not cargo shorts as those look unflattering on a gentleman). There was a couple ahead of me!!

 

 

The couple ahead were asking for two loungers just for the two sea days and their request was "no problem". No- "come back next morning and line up at 8 in your dressing gown and maybe we'll sell you a day pass." They were booked and were happy.

 

"Two loungers for the week my good fellow- numbers 45 and 46 if available"

 

They were available! Score! They are in the shady part (covered by a canvas roof with gaps in it so you get the breeze whether you want it or not).

 

$40 a day (twice the cost it was a year ago on such vessels) but for the week it worked out at $30 a day each. Total $420 and I haven't even had a drink yet!

 

Off to Tradewinds bar went I just as it began to drizzle. The forecast had promised thunderstorms but drizzle was the worst we suffered for ten minutes.

 

This is the Tradewinds Bar (taken at night) on Deck 16 (Sun Deck) just outside the Lotus Spa elevators. The port side has 28 seats and tables for smokers and it was often hard to find a seat at peak times as the smokers were out in force.

 

 

 

 

I ordered a beer- they no longer have Becks but instead offer Grolsch and Stella.

I ordered a Grolsch from the lone bartender and sat for a while, looking forward to a week of fun and sun.

 

I only had two more commitments. 1 book a table in Sabatini's for tonight. 2 attend the Muster Drill at 3.15.

 

No sweat!

 

Norris

[perfect match]

Norris, if I am ever lucky enough to be on the same cruise as you and Carol you have to promise to remind me of one thing. Please remind me to stay out of your way when you are on your way to reserve loungers in the Sanctuary! :D :eek:

 

Nancy

[Hoosier-Cruiser]

Another review for Norris? I feel like I won the lottery! Alright, not really, but it is a good way to start the day!

 

Our first Princess cruise was on the Ruby when she was brand new (3rd sailing after christening). Looking forward to some good memories flooding back.

[Bimmer09]

Norris, if I am ever lucky enough to be on the same cruise as you and Carol you have to promise to remind me of one thing. Please remind me to stay out of your way when you are on your way to reserve loungers in the Sanctuary! :D :eek:

 

Nancy

 

Nancy, nothing to worry about as, when I board, I am usually shadowed by a member of the ship's Medical Staff for the first 5 minutes. The person I pushed into the pool was not forgotten-on my way past later I threw them a towel so I am not completely heartless.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Another review for Norris? I feel like I won the lottery! Alright, not really, but it is a good way to start the day!

 

Our first Princess cruise was on the Ruby when she was brand new (3rd sailing after christening). Looking forward to some good memories flooding back.

 

Rob-welcome aboard. I think the photos will show she still looks good in her 7th year. The waterline is not a pretty sight but I believe she gets a dry dock this year.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Ok we're on board the Ruby and are booked in the Sanctuary. I made a quick trip to Sabatini's on Deck 16 aft to book a table for 7 (explained later) for 7 p.m that evening.

 

Now I could go to our cabin.

 

Carol was already there and had wiped down every surface we were likely to touch with Clorox wipes (don't forget the phone!) and had scoured and highlighted our first Princess Patter (daily news sheet ).

 

Waiting for us in the room was a bottle of champagne. Mini-suite passengers get two flutes of champagne for sail away but this bottle was a gift from Princess and I priced it at $60 in the wine list. There was also a letter saying we were invited to have a complimentary dinner in one of the Specialty Restaurants. We normally get that perk when we stay in a suite but you'll notice we are not in a suite this cruise. I don't know why we got these freebies as there was no promotion running (as far as I know) when we booked the tickets.

 

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Here is the electrical set-up at the writing desk with the bottom of the hairdryer showing at the top

 

 



 

With two cameras, two cell phones, a laptop, an iPad and a Kindle we needed one of these

 



 

Next up-photos of the cabin

[Susie51]

Your writing style is so much fun to read.

 

Is Ruby Princess similar to Diamond Princess? I was on DP in 2008 and I don't remember the Sanctuary. It looks like such a lovely place to relax. I understand why you knock people out of your way to get prime loungers for the week.

[Bimmer09]

Your writing style is so much fun to read.

 

Is Ruby Princess similar to Diamond Princess? I was on DP in 2008 and I don't remember the Sanctuary. It looks like such a lovely place to relax. I understand why you knock people out of your way to get prime loungers for the week.

 

Susie the Sanctuary used to be a tennis court on some ships.

 

In my signature there is a review of the Diamond which highlights some of the things that make her my favorite Princess ship so far and separates her from the Ruby. She is slightly larger in volume (116,000 vs 113,000 gross tonnes) but carries 500 less passengers as she has one less passenger deck. She has a wide Promenade Deck with teak loungers not upright teak chairs like Ruby. She has 4 small different decor Anytime Dining Rooms. Sabatini's is on deck 5 so there is more deck space above the aft pool. For smokers she also has a great Churchill's with a bar that serves in the evenings. Those are a few differences but she has been remodeled since I was on her August 2012 for her deployment in Asian waters.

 

Norris

[Eddieboysr]

I saw you had a beer, did they have the new IPA on board?

 

 

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[Bimmer09]

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Our room steward, Kristian from Poland, a tall fellow with a shaved head and glasses who was always upbeat and smiling had already been to introduce himself to Carol and ask when we usually like to go to dinner so he could plan to work around our schedule. He kept the place immaculate all week long and earned a nice tip and our thanks.

[Bimmer09]

I saw you had a beer, did they have the new IPA on board?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Eddie I don't even know what IPA stands for or what the other beers were.

I usually stick with what I like and am used to and the brands have usually been around for a couple of hundred years. The wine store I visit in Chicago has all sorts of ales/beers I have never heard of- I imagine those might be IPAs- things like Old Farmer McTurnip's Amber Grog, Friskies Cat-Whisker Wheat Ale and so on.

 

I favor Czech and German Beers and on the ship mainly drank Guinness from a can-the kind that has a little cylinder of nitrogen or something in it to create the foam head of the gods. If you see a guy on a ship with a Guinness mustache then say hello to me.

 

There was a Princess Beer called Seawitch at each bar....

 

 

Sorry I can't answer your question with any authority.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Carol had noticed in the Patter that lunch was being served from 12 to 1.30 in Da Vinci restaurant, one of three MDRs on the Ruby (the other two being Boticelli and Michelangelo) and as it was 1 pm we went there.

 

No closed door as we have found on other ships where they try to fool you into thinking it's buffet or Trident Grill only for lunch. Nope. Doors wide open and a greeter waiting. Purell encouraged.

 

We got a table by a window ( There's more than one) on the starboard side looking out at the magnificent harbor, jewel of the East coast.

 

I ordered a bottle of Estancia Pinot Grigio. $40 plus 15% gratuity and we perused the menu of delights and ordered. There was maybe only 60 people in the room.

We talked to a couple of ladies at the next table ( 6 inches away). One of them works for Princess as a group host or something as there were a couple of large groups on board.

 

On to the food as, good lord! we hadn't eaten in 4 hours!! In this shot you can see our new Sony HD camcorder which is only a couple of days old by this point.

 

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Princess bread rolls-fresh and crusty and chewy. Great baking on board! It was just the right tool for mopping up my bowl of Rustic Tuscan chickpea soup. Man, was that tasty!

 

 

Carol started with avocado and bay shrimp

 

 

Beef tenderloin, broccoli and roasted red potatoes for me

 

 

Carol's ravioli with ricotta and spinach

 

 

For the record and as testimony to the quality of the Ruby food I weighed myself before and after the cruise and the difference was (gulp!) 12 lbs!!

 

Norris, salivating watching the video

[chuck517]

Your review brings back great memories , as we also escaped Chicago to sail her this past November.

 

 

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[jlf1]

norris,

 

As I said before I was salivating in anticipation and now the situation is even worse. It looks like heaven.

 

Judy

[Bimmer09]

Your review brings back great memories , as we also escaped Chicago to sail her this past November.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Chuck-glad to have you aboard. Take a seat as this will take a long time to relate

as I cover the Ruby, all meals, shore excursions and a lot of eye-candy cruise ships. There will also be music videos and I'll point out some things that annoyed me- the good the bad and the ugly in short. I've already filled out my Cruise Questionnaire and sent it to PCL with a few suggestions and criticisms.

 

Stay tuned as I try to get this finished before our next cruise in late September!

 

Norris

[Jasperdo]

How did I not see this review until just now?!? I still haven't recovered from your Mediterranean cruise on the Ocean Princess. I don't know if I can stand another one so soon. Just kidding. This is just what I need to pass a wet, dreary winter here in the Pacific Northwest. I'm especially interested in your tour of the Ruby, since she's on her way to the West Coast as we speak. I'm looking at a 10 day Mexico cruise on her next year.

[Bimmer09]

After lunch we headed back up to our cabin where the luggage was waiting. Carol set about her unpacking routine while I got out of the way.

 

From our balcony....

 

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....we could see a ship I admire for her exterior and interior styling, docked next to us

 



 

 

Now was the time the dockside is quiet as ships have loaded their passengers and luggage and their supplies for the week

 

 

 

Norris

[Eddieboysr]

Eddie I don't even know what IPA stands for or what the other beers were.

 

I usually stick with what I like and am used to and the brands have usually been around for a couple of hundred years. The wine store I visit in Chicago has all sorts of ales/beers I have never heard of- I imagine those might be IPAs- things like Old Farmer McTurnip's Amber Grog, Friskies Cat-Whisker Wheat Ale and so on.

 

 

 

I favor Czech and German Beers and on the ship mainly drank Guinness from a can-the kind that has a little cylinder of nitrogen or something in it to create the foam head of the gods. If you see a guy on a ship with a Guinness mustache then say hello to me.

 

 

 

There was a Princess Beer called Seawitch at each bar....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry I can't answer your question with any authority.

 

 

 

Norris

 

 

That's it!!! Can't wait for March now. 😆

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Bimmer09]

 

For those interested in cameras and accessories, this was the Canon gear I was dragging all over the ship.

 

Left to right in the photo

 

1 A fruit bowl. Takes lousy photos.

 

2 Sony HDR PJ810 HD camcorder recording on memory cards or hard drive

 

3 Canon 55-250 mm zoom lens (used sparingly)

 

4 Canon Eos Rebel 3Ti camera with 10mm-22mm ultra-wide zoom (used mostly)

 

5 Canon 18-55mm lens which came with the camera (used sparingly)

 

This photo taken by an iPhone 5.

Tripod not in shot is a lightweight 39 inch Sony.

 

Norris

[Deck Chair Queen]

Ok the fruit bowl line made me laugh out loud. I'm supposed to be working. Luckily I'm the boss.

 

Deck Chair Queen aka Carol