Countdown to Ruby Princess LIVE - April 8th-April 23rd 2019

[HogTide]

Have been silently enjoying your post...will be on the Ruby in 51 days with our four grandkids...they only know Disney Cruise Lines, so it is time to introduce them to another world.....so glad the afternoon tea is still a great event.

[jwattle]

Love the uses ! :)

[PekingeseLady]

Cindy, I have been watching with much anticipation, LOL

 

Glad you are having a blast.  Did you use or check out the steam and sauna rooms?  I'm hoping to use the hot tubs and steam and saunas in the spa area.  We have a Lido cabin, just one floor down.

 

So sorry you missed the Magic To Do show, I too am looking forward to this one.  I'll be sure to look for it the first night, just in case.

 

Sounds so wonderful watching a movie from the Hot Tub under the stars.

 

Are you enjoying the food?  Burgers, pizza, IC and MDR and buffet?

 

Happy sailing!!!  I can not wait to board the Ruby next Tuesday!!!

[Kangakid]

Cindy, I have been keen to read your Posts and learn a bit about Ruby as she is heading downunder in 2020/21.  I also just love reading reviews as I usually find all kids of info that I hadn’t thought of or secret spots you might not know about otherwise.

Thanks for taking the time to keep posting so far.

cheers Vicki

[MJSailors]

Were you able to get off the ship and do excursions or explore the ports on your own ?

I would be interested in reading about any port activities as this cruise has interested us for awhile.

Also, were there Hawaiian activities on board such as lei making,hula or ukulele lessons ?

I have read about a couple,Eula , who are Hawaiian ambassadors on Princess ships. They hold classes and give information about Hawaiian culture while cruising to and from the islands.

[Cyn874]

2 hours ago, PekingeseLady said:

Cindy, I have been watching with much anticipation, LOL

 

Glad you are having a blast.  Did you use or check out the steam and sauna rooms?  I'm hoping to use the hot tubs and steam and saunas in the spa area.  We have a Lido cabin, just one floor down.

 

So sorry you missed the Magic To Do show, I too am looking forward to this one.  I'll be sure to look for it the first night, just in case.

 

Sounds so wonderful watching a movie from the Hot Tub under the stars.

 

Are you enjoying the food?  Burgers, pizza, IC and MDR and buffet?

 

Happy sailing!!!  I can not wait to board the Ruby next Tuesday!!!

 

Thanks 🙂 I did peek in to the sauna/steam room. It was in the lotus spa area, in the bathroom where the showers were, if I recall. So yes, it’s free! I didn’t go inside because I was just exploring and someone was in there, but it looks like you could probably use it anytime you want. (Unless it’s turned off after hours, I’m not sure!) lotus pool and hot tubs beneath Sanctuary are also free. 

 

Food has been great!! The buffet has impressed me quite a bit and I’ve skipped MDR quite a few times to allow more evening pool time or if nothing on the menu appeals to me. The pizza is also really good! Just wish there was a daily veggie pizza. I haven’t tried the burgers yet.

 

speaking of food, here is another observation. A common complaint I’ve been reading about for MONTHS is that the bread in the dining room comes with flavored olive oil for dipping, and you have to request butter and they only give you a tiny bit. I’ve read about this dozens of times and have even seen people on here joking about bringing their own butter. So I was surprised to see a bowl of at least 7 or 8 pats of butter every single night which they readily refill if we ask for more. Not once have we received oil. 

[Cyn874]

1 hour ago, MJSailors said:

Were you able to get off the ship and do excursions or explore the ports on your own ?

I would be interested in reading about any port activities as this cruise has interested us for awhile.

Also, were there Hawaiian activities on board such as lei making,hula or ukulele lessons ?

I have read about a couple,Eula , who are Hawaiian ambassadors on Princess ships. They hold classes and give information about Hawaiian culture while cruising to and from the islands.

 

Hi MJ, for Hilo we found the hoppa on/hoppa off bus for $20 that takes you all over Hilo. HIGHLY recommend if you have good weather.

 

honolulu: BEWARE!!! There is a ‘free shuttle’ that is waiting at the cruise terminal by Maui Divers Jewelry. (This was in Honolulu, not Maui). The pitch was that they take you to their jewelry store first for a 20 minute tour and then will take you to Waikiki beach or the shopping area for free. Totally fair and we were fine with that. Tour was actually really interesting and enjoyable. Here is my issue. They lied to everyone when they said they would get us back on the bus after the tour. It ended up being nearly an hour and a half waiting to get on a bus. I was so angry because we were going to just take an Uber from the cruise port to begin with, and they stole a big chunk of our beach time with their dishonesty. Had we known it wouldn’t be 20 minutes like they said, we would have just taken Uber. They also said they would drop us off a Block and a half away. My step mom is on a cane but can handle that distance if she goes slow. I specifically asked how long the walk was first. They lied about that as well, and dropped us off 4 or 5 blocks away. If you see them in Honolulu cruise terminal, avoid at all costs. Take an Uber, quick and easy.

 

kauia we had an excursion booked so didn’t venture alone. But Maui has tons of shopping and restaurants within 1-2 blocks from where the tenders drop you. Beautiful area.

 

Lots and lots of Hawaiian themed events on board. Lei making, ukulele classes, etc. Hawaiian ambassadors were on board and also giving presentations many days. Didn’t make it to any of them but saw it in the patters most days. I’ve been saving all the patters to post when I get back.

[PekingeseLady]

Cindy thank you once again for all sharing all your observations.  Very happy about the butter, lol    I can not wait to start eating, hahaha  My favorite part of cruising is the food, MDR mainly.  I'm a waitress so I loved to be served.  We do a lot of MDR, breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Love to just relax and be waited on.  

 

Hope your cruising back is smooth sailing and you continue to enjoy your cruise.  Take care of the Ruby, I'll be waiting for you to get off so I can get on.  I'm always at port early. hahahaha

[mkitchy]

Aloha Cindy! Glad you're enjoying your cruise. Did you happen to notice if they still serve Italian sandwiches at Slice Pizzeria? It used to be from 12:00 to 2:00 PM only. Mahalo!

[Cyn874]

Hi mkitchy, I’m not sure what kind of sandwich you mean- if you mean like a sub sandwich or hoagie, I don’t think so. They do have avocado toast and slices of Stromboli. I think there might be something else. I’m at breakfast now but will check in a bit. 🙂

[Cyn874]

The other item at Slice is deep dish focaccia. So no sandwiches.

[mkitchy]

Thanks for checking for us. We had them last year on the Ruby, but didn't realized they served them until the last day. But this was prior to the dry dock and pizzeria redo. Oh well, first world problems huh. Enjoy the rest of your cruise!!

[greenie082756]

Hello Cyn874,

 

DH and I have done the round trip LA to Hawaii twice. So glad you are enjoying yourself and we love the Ruby as well.

 

We find the sea days nice and the islands (we have been stationed on Oahu for 3 years previoiusly) fun. My favorite island is Kauai. There is just something about that place..so peaceful!

 

It is nice of you to take the time to share your cruise with everyone. Have fun with your parents!! Aloha!

[JF - retired RRT]

1 minute ago, greenie082756 said:

My favorite island is Kauai. There is just something about that place..so peaceful!

You've got that right.

The peacefulness is due to no freeway, 60K or so full time residents and the Aloha spirit in full force.

[Cyn874]

Ok, here is another observation that surprised me. This is specifically in the horizon court buffet. People will frequently come and sit at our table without asking or  even greeting us, even if there are empty tables nearby! It’s the strangest thing. It’s happened to my parents two or three times already and happened to me just now. A lady came and put down her purse and thermos, ordered coffee from a waiter and went off to get her food. Not a single word to me, haha! It’s so bizarre I can’t even get upset. I just gathered my things and moved. Don’t get me wrong, had she asked I wouldn’t tell her no and I’ve been chatting with plenty of people. But the sudden joining without even a hello feels so intrusive. Is this common culture on cruises? 

[JF - retired RRT]

1 minute ago, Cyn874 said:

Ok, here is another observation that surprised me. This is specifically in the horizon court buffet. People will frequently come and sit at our table without asking or  even greeting us, even if there are empty tables nearby! It’s the strangest thing. It’s happened to my parents two or three times already and happened to me just now. A lady came and put down her purse and thermos, ordered coffee from a waiter and went off to get her food. Not a single word to me, haha! It’s so bizarre I can’t even get upset. I just gathered my things and moved. Don’t get me wrong, had she asked I wouldn’t tell her no and I’ve been chatting with plenty of people. But the sudden joining without even a hello feels so intrusive. Is this common culture on cruises? 

No. We share tables in the buffet all the time, both being the one saying "have a seat" and the one saying "may I join you". 

It seems to be more common at breakfast than at lunch or dinner...at least in my experience.

[XBGuy]

8 minutes ago, Cyn874 said:

Ok, here is another observation that surprised me. This is specifically in the horizon court buffet. People will frequently come and sit at our table without asking or  even greeting us, even if there are empty tables nearby! It’s the strangest thing. It’s happened to my parents two or three times already and happened to me just now. A lady came and put down her purse and thermos, ordered coffee from a waiter and went off to get her food. Not a single word to me, haha! It’s so bizarre I can’t even get upset. I just gathered my things and moved. Don’t get me wrong, had she asked I wouldn’t tell her no and I’ve been chatting with plenty of people. But the sudden joining without even a hello feels so intrusive. Is this common culture on cruises? 

 

Wow.  I've never experienced that.

 

I usually have breakfast in the buffet.  Mrs, XBGuy sleeps in, and, so, I am alone.  I intentionally look for larger tables with a few empty seats and invite myself in.  I love the opportunity to chat with people for 10 or 15 minutes.  Invariably, the people I join finish and leave.  I hope for others to join me, and, if I see somebody who appears to be searching for a spot, I will motion to them.

 

Plopping down their possessions and not saying a thing is just weird.

[CynCyn]

56 minutes ago, Cyn874 said:

Ok, here is another observation that surprised me. This is specifically in the horizon court buffet. People will frequently come and sit at our table without asking or  even greeting us, even if there are empty tables nearby! It’s the strangest thing. It’s happened to my parents two or three times already and happened to me just now. A lady came and put down her purse and thermos, ordered coffee from a waiter and went off to get her food. Not a single word to me, haha! It’s so bizarre I can’t even get upset. I just gathered my things and moved. Don’t get me wrong, had she asked I wouldn’t tell her no and I’ve been chatting with plenty of people. But the sudden joining without even a hello feels so intrusive. Is this common culture on cruises? 

So weird.  I would move too! Thanks for sharing your experiences on the Ruby.  Can’t wait to see her on the 5th!

[Cyn874]

Sadly, I’ve experienced a crushing disappointment today.

 

Anyone who has followed my posts over the past year or so knows that the #1 thing I’ve been looking forward to, even over any ports in Hawaii, is the ultimate ship tour. I’ve posted countless times about it, on other threads, etc. it’s the whole reason I rushed to get an early shuttle to the ship and when I got onboard, I Beelined to guest services to sign up and was the first name on the list.

 

on day 1, my dad misunderstood something I said in passing and mentioned to guest services that I wanted to cancel. When I found out an hour or so later, I called to tell them emphatically that I absolutely did not want to cancel. They checked the book, assured me that I was still on the list and all was well, and I’d receive information the night before about when to meet. This was all on day 1.

 

being that tomorrow is the last sea day, I figured I’d get a note tonight, but decided to stop by guest services this morning to confirm. I was told that the tour already happened today and they had a note that they spoke to my father that I wanted to cancel.

 

I actually was in tears, I was so disappointed. I said that no one should be able to cancel a tour on someone else’s behalf, especially since I have my own shipboard account. It doesn’t matter if we share a cabin. I’m a grown adult, not a child, they should need to speak to me personally. I also called back within an hour and was assured I was still on the list.

 

The guy at guest services seemed almost alarmed and deeply apologetic and said he’s going to check with someone to see what can be done. I’m devastated.

[JF - retired RRT]

3 minutes ago, Cyn874 said:

 

Being that tomorrow is the last sea day, I figured I’d get a note tonight, but decided to stop by guest services this morning to confirm. I was told that the tour already happened today and they had a note that they spoke to my father that I wanted to cancel.

 

I actually was in tears, I was so disappointed. I said that no one should be able to cancel a tour on someone else’s behalf, especially since I have my own shipboard account. It doesn’t matter if we share a cabin. I’m a grown adult, not a child, they should need to speak to me personally.

That's terrible and you're right...whoever took your father's word rather that yours should be reprimanded or retrained.

Hopefully, you'll go on another cruise SOON.

Hey!! A great excuse to book another cruise. Silver lining in a dark cloud👼

[CynCyn]

I’m so sorry.  I hope they can do something special for you.  

 

I really want want to do the Chef’s Table on my cruise.  

[Colo Cruiser]

[travelin.sisters]

we are on this cruise also & wanted to add a bit about EULA the Hawaiian ambassadors, they were only on until Honolulu as they were scheduled to enjoyed the Star, but they were wonderful...we went to Tiki Dave's port talks which were very informative & his 'ukulele classes (the ship has about 60 'ukes that they loan out) & he is a great teacher, we will be performing in the theater tomorrow (I will be in the back so when I don't get the chord changes fast enough no one will know)...we also saw him perform several times (his wife...I don't remember how to spell her name...was having trouble with her voice so we didn't hear her)...she taught hula & crafts (there was a charge for the crafts)...really looking forward to having them on our next cruise

[myjillian]

Did I miss something...I thought your parents were going to renew their vows ??? If it was an Anniversary cruise then I understand why no pictures LOL

[JF - retired RRT]

11 hours ago, travelin.sisters said:

we also saw him perform several times (his wife...I don't remember how to spell her name I think it's Leialoha

she taught hula & crafts (there was a charge for the crafts)...really looking forward to having them on our next cruise

Some of the craft classes are free.

Did anyone replace Elua? Or are you without the ambassadors for the rest of the trip?

Edited April 21, 2019 by JF - retired RRT