mike x ftc Posted April 18, 2015 #1 Share Posted April 18, 2015 Considering our first Princess cruise, a round trip Hawaii next year, can anyone give any hints to which might be better for us?? Do the extra passengers on the Ruby make her feel crowded?? Does it make a difference? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VibeGuy Posted April 18, 2015 #2 Share Posted April 18, 2015 Ruby is a great ship with a really nice layout for Sabatini's/Adagio, but for this itinerary, I'm gonna go with the Grand. Grand has a covered pool for those first couple of sea days that can be kinda chilly and breezy. It also has the very nicely done Alfredo's for delicious pizza. People are going to bitch, loudly, about the lack of a central staircase on Grand. It's really only a huge issue if you've got a cabin in the range of Caribe-Emerald 300-599 and are trying to get to the midship dining rooms without using the elevator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colo Cruiser Posted April 18, 2015 #3 Share Posted April 18, 2015 (edited) The Ruby! It also still has Skywalkers. I could care less about any missing stairway. The Grand had Skywalkers removed. Don't care for the lounge( one5) that they replaced it with. Adagio is great. Edited April 18, 2015 by Colo Cruiser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamloops50 Posted April 18, 2015 #4 Share Posted April 18, 2015 I would only miss Skywalker's on the Grand. We spend many hours when at sea and in port sitting up there watching the world go by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VibeGuy Posted April 18, 2015 #5 Share Posted April 18, 2015 I'm possibly the only fan of One5. I think the layout is superior, there's more room, it doesn't shake constantly, bar service is vastly faster, the access to the outside is better and the seating areas immediately aft are some of my favorite places on any Princess ship. You do lose the daytime views but I tend to prefer to be outside during the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shredie Posted April 18, 2015 #6 Share Posted April 18, 2015 Considering our first Princess cruise, a round trip Hawaii next year, can anyone give any hints to which might be better for us?? Do the extra passengers on the Ruby make her feel crowded?? Does it make a difference? Ruby is a beautiful ship. I don't fee more crowded on her. Adagio bar is spectacular. She would be my choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gertz Posted April 18, 2015 #7 Share Posted April 18, 2015 People make the difference for us and the Ruby has way too many. While it is still not our favorite we will take the Grand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCruisers Posted April 18, 2015 #8 Share Posted April 18, 2015 We've enjoyed cruising on both but much prefer Ruby. Where things are located suits us better on Ruby! :D LuLu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishywood Posted April 18, 2015 #9 Share Posted April 18, 2015 (edited) I was on Ruby last year and didn't find it any more crowded than the Grand-class ships. But there is a special intangible feeling about sailing on Grand Princess and being able to say you were on the very first ship of its class anywhere. Yes she is 18 years old but to me that is part of her character. The covered pool, the smaller intimate Wheelhouse Bar, the original Vista Lounge as second showroom rather than the useless Club Fusion: Grand wins it for me even though I agree that Ruby is more ergonomically laid out (and yes, the missing Skywalker's was a much better happy hour location than One5). Edited April 18, 2015 by fishywood Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrivesLikeMario Posted April 18, 2015 #10 Share Posted April 18, 2015 I would choose the Ruby. I like that new-ish car smell (relatively speaking). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassyredhat Posted April 18, 2015 #11 Share Posted April 18, 2015 We are booked on the Ruby to Hawaii in Feb. I'm kind of excited to see a ship I haven't sailed on. Patti Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FritzG Posted April 18, 2015 #12 Share Posted April 18, 2015 We much prefer the Ruby. We've sailed on her numerous times and loved it every time. We were on the Grand to Hawaii three years ago, and it is by far our least favorite ship due to many plumbing problems in our Baja hallway among many other issues. We enjoyed One5 but not enough to sail the Grand again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul32 Posted April 18, 2015 #13 Share Posted April 18, 2015 I'm possibly the only fan of One5. I think the layout is superior, there's more room, it doesn't shake constantly, bar service is vastly faster, the access to the outside is better and the seating areas immediately aft are some of my favorite places on any Princess ship. You do lose the daytime views but I tend to prefer to be outside during the day. You're not alone. We love Skywalkers in the daytime, but in the evenings and late night we definitely prefer the One5. The layout of Skywalkers is terrible for a dance/festive atmosphere with everyone separated by the design of the seating and the proximity to the dance floor. The One5 is fantastic for dancing and meeting up for a late night club-like party. Not everyone's cup of tea, I do understand that. There are benefits to both for sure. But we do love the One5. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-D Posted April 18, 2015 #14 Share Posted April 18, 2015 (edited) We notice the 500 or so extra people on the Ruby and the other three Princess ships with the added Riviera deck. The Grand has fewer pax and a better space ratio, and the covered pool. On the other hand, the Grand is our least-favourite Grand class ship, for a variety of reasons, including the missing passenger-accessible central staircase, loss of Skywalkers, and smaller closets. On balance, a toss-up for us. I would instead choose based on itinerary. Now if the question concerned the Ruby (or Crown or Emerald or Caribbean) vs. any Grand- or Gem-class ship other than the Grand herself, we would prefer the Grand-or Gem-class ship. Our preference is mainly attributable to their better space ratios in the absence of a Riviera deck, and the resultant reduced crowding, especially during Anytime Dining. Of course, some other people have different experiences and opinions... John Edited April 18, 2015 by J-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eclue Posted April 19, 2015 #15 Share Posted April 19, 2015 The Ruby ......we sailed two voyages on the Grand last year and noticed many issues with the plumbing and the elevators.....just getting old, but the Ruby is a beautiful ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
need2cruisesoon Posted April 19, 2015 #16 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Not even close. The prettiest ship in the fleet: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colo Cruiser Posted April 19, 2015 #17 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Nice shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceleven Posted April 19, 2015 #18 Share Posted April 19, 2015 I'm possibly the only fan of One5. I think the layout is superior, there's more room, it doesn't shake constantly, bar service is vastly faster, the access to the outside is better and the seating areas immediately aft are some of my favorite places on any Princess ship. You do lose the daytime views but I tend to prefer to be outside during the day. I'm in agreement here. I also found that the floor, being some sort of weird vinyl or plastic, made it more difficult to dance on. It lacked any ability to slide shoes across the floor; perhaps a safety factor. I had to give up any effort to dance. Small and not all that important but if one really enjoys the dance floor at night, good luck. And there is a better "Happy Hour" (price-wise/selection wise) in the Wheel House bar. We don't even bother going up to the Elite/Platinum happy hour anymore as the drink choices are generally ones I don't enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_galt Posted April 19, 2015 #19 Share Posted April 19, 2015 One less deck on the Grand (400 rooms) but the same amount of public space. Felt less crowded. It would be the Grand for me. Only ship I've ever sailed twice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peety3 Posted April 19, 2015 #20 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Grand has a covered pool for those first couple of sea days that can be kinda chilly and breezy. It also has the very nicely done Alfredo's for delicious pizza. People are going to bitch, loudly, about the lack of a central staircase on Grand. It's really only a huge issue if you've got a cabin in the range of Caribe-Emerald 300-599 and are trying to get to the midship dining rooms without using the elevator. Yes, yes, they will bitch loudly. :) It's a problem for more than just DRs...arriving in port creates a mess too, as does scenic cruising in glacier areas. Last year on the Grand, we did the small-boat excursion in Tracy Arm, which got us back to the ship at 2pm as lots of people were getting off the ship on deck 4, port side, mid and forward. We reboarded the ship from the starboard side tender platform, about deck 3, forward, and climbed stairs to deck 4. I honestly don't know how/why, but I could never get to an empty upward-bound elevator to get back to my cabin. But the Alfredo's pizza is amazing! We got back on the ship the final night in Victoria on deck 5, and raced up to our cabin to drop off our cameras so we could get back before they closed (or filled up). Such an awesome late-night treat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carqueen1 Posted April 19, 2015 #21 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Go with the Ruby! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19woody19 Posted April 20, 2015 #22 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Considering our first Princess cruise, a round trip Hawaii next year, can anyone give any hints to which might be better for us?? Do the extra passengers on the Ruby make her feel crowded?? Does it make a difference? We just got off the Ruby yesterday after a 15 day Hawaiian cruise and it was wonderful. Never felt crowded at all and loved the Ruby lay-out. We had an aft, corner cabin and on a couple mildly rough days it was never a problem. We were told by several others, that have sailed on the Grand, that there seems to be numerous plumbing issues ( leaks, etc) and that the whole ship seems to be much less stable in rough waters. We scheduled a cruise on the Grand to Alaska but, after hearing so many others complain about it, we cancelled that and re-booked for the same cruise to Hawaii next March 24th on the Ruby again. I'm sure there are others that love the Grand but, if I'm going to spend the money for a great cruise I prefer to not chance a bad experience and go with what I already know is a great ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colo Cruiser Posted April 20, 2015 #23 Share Posted April 20, 2015 We just got off the Ruby yesterday after a 15 day Hawaiian cruise and it was wonderful. Never felt crowded at all and loved the Ruby lay-out. We had an aft, corner cabin and on a couple mildly rough days it was never a problem. We were told by several others, that have sailed on the Grand, that there seems to be numerous plumbing issues ( leaks, etc) and that the whole ship seems to be much less stable in rough waters. We scheduled a cruise on the Grand to Alaska but, after hearing so many others complain about it, we cancelled that and re-booked for the same cruise to Hawaii next March 24th on the Ruby again. I'm sure there are others that love the Grand but, if I'm going to spend the money for a great cruise I prefer to not chance a bad experience and go with what I already know is a great ship. Yes the Ruby is excellent. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
need2cruisesoon Posted April 20, 2015 #24 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Ok the final tally Ruby - 162 votes and Grand 6 votes. The yeahs have it for the Ruby: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
need2cruisesoon Posted April 20, 2015 #25 Share Posted April 20, 2015 We are booked on the Ruby to Hawaii in Feb. I'm kind of excited to see a ship I haven't sailed on. Patti Patti: Here she is docked in Piraeus: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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