Ruby Princess-pros & cons please

[trvlwrld]

We are thinking of booking a cruise on the Ruby and would appreciate any first hand information as to her current condition etc....thanks so much!

[neverbeenhere]

We haven’t been on the Ruby for about13 months, but at that time.

 

1) the ship floated

2) there was some rust

3) at least one window was fogged

4) there were a few carpet stains

5) some crew weren’t 100% Jolly

6) the elite laundry took more than a day

7) the buffet coffee sucked

8). some food was good, some wasn’t 

 

 

Edited December 21, 2019 by neverbeenhere

[Steelers36]

@PescadoAmarillo is doing some extended sailing on the Ruby and is very happy with everything by all accounts (ref: her blog).

[Cruise Raider]

I've read some positive things about her ... people seem to really like that ship a lot.  

My con, which isn't enough to keep me from booking on her, is that she doesn't have an indoor pool area.  

 

[bemis12]

4 hours ago, steelers36 said:

@PescadoAmarillo is doing some extended sailing on the Ruby and is very happy with everything by all accounts (ref: her blog).

Is that a thread on here? I’m not seeing it.

Edited December 21, 2019 by bemis12

[Thrak]

22 minutes ago, bemis12 said:

Is that a thread on here? I’m not seeing it.

 

Her blog is HERE

 

She is currently on Day 88 aboard Ruby Princess.

[i_love_cruising]

I recently completed an 8 day cruise on Ruby to the South Pacific.  I didn’t find any problems associated with the ship at all.  She is in very good condition.  I love the layout of this class of ship, having sailed on her sister, Emerald, for 60+ nights a couple of years ago.  Would not hesitate in booking her again.

[leck57]

We finished a cruise on the Ruby about two weeks ago. We have been on the Royal and Sapphire and I would rate Ruby the lowest of the three but would still cruise on her again as any negatives I had are not deal breakers.

There is quite a bit of rust both on the ship body and above most balconies but you see that on many ships. The big negative I had was that the buffet which we only used for breakfast was always packed. Often hard to get a table and the food assortment was average and poorly laid out. The quality was ok though. Compared to the Royal class ships the buffet was a big let down. The ship itself often felt crowded, more so than the other ships we have travelled on although some of that was because the outside weather was not that warm meaning the pool areas were not that comfortable.

The positives outweigh those things though. The dining room food and speciality restaurants were excellent in our opinion and there was plenty of activities. The staff overall were very helpful and did their jobs well. Internally the ship is well fitted out and we thought in good condition. We would cruise on her again if there was an itinerary that appealed to us.   

[HappyCruiserettu]

8 hours ago, neverbeenhere said:

We haven’t been on the Ruby for about13 months, but at that time.

 

1) the ship floated

2) there was some rust

3) at least one window was fogged

4) there were a few carpet stains

5) some crew weren’t 100% Jolly

6) the elite laundry took more than a day

7) the buffet coffee sucked

8). some food was good, some wasn’t 

 

 

All-in-all, a good time was had by all (except that guy with the fogged window.) And I'll bet there was painting going on to make it look pretty.

 

[neverbeenhere]

2 hours ago, HappyCruiserettu said:

All-in-all, a good time was had by all (except that guy with the fogged window.) And I'll bet there was painting going on to make it look pretty.

 

Amazing, you must have been on the same cruises. 

[satxdiver]

We are boarding the Ruby again in a few months for a 29 day sail.  We were last on the Ruby several years ago and enjoyed it as much as the first time on the Ruby.  It is a great ship and IMO much better than the grand class that came before it.  The Ruby and her two sister ships are modified grand class ships with Skywalkers moved up close to the funnel and the elimination of the covered pool with retractable roof.  The Ruby was last in dry dock for rehab in 2018.  She is a great ship. 

[SDWalt]

We were on the Ruby in Alaska a few years back.  It always felt crowded, but that could have been due to the less than warm weather outside.  Since it was colder, EVERY venue inside was packed all the time.  Forget things like trivia, standing room only.  Bars were crowded also.

For the stateroom it was okay except for one glaring thing.  The aft owners suite had the worst sofa ever encountered on my cruises.  I guess Princess forgot to replace the cushions.  It was so uncomfortable you could hardly sit on it!

Otherwise the food was good, especially liked the Curtis Stone venue Share.  A lot of people have said they didn't like the food, but it was well done.  I nice multi-course meal.

[SinbadThePorter]

Got off the Ruby about a month ago. The condition of the ship is fine (especially by Australian standards of ships). The food was good, service was good.

 

The only quibble I have with it is that (to me) it is noticeably more crowded than other Princess ships I've been on. The extra few hundred passengers just seem to make it slightly less roomy. The theatre and other venues were always full well before any event.

 

Overall a good ship, but all things being equal, if I had to pick between the Ruby and the Sapphire, I'd pick the Sapphire (or Diamond).

Edited December 22, 2019 by SinbadThePorter

[HappyCruiserettu]

4 hours ago, neverbeenhere said:

Amazing, you must have been on the same cruises. 

Been there, done that.