LIVE from the Ruby Princess: April 2-9, 2023 Western Caribbean from Galveston

[talkorpi]

18 hours ago, mbglib said:

This is off-topic, but if you like chicken, try the chicken nuggets in the children's corner of the buffet at lunch or sometimes just near the carving station.  I ventured there last week and they were, to me, the best chicken nuggets I have ever had.  I think I ate them three or four of the seven days and I normally don't care for them!

 

I got you @mbglib! I had 6 drinks in port today so I gotta get a sponge in my stomach before tonight’s activities 😵

 

 

(Chicken nuggets and fries as an afternoon snack today. Don’t usually eat between lunch and dinner but I need some fuel after a long day ashore) 

Edited April 7, 2023 by talkorpi

[Thrak]

2 hours ago, talkorpi said:

Fun day in Cozumel. We booked a last minute excursion which was the Tabasco Chef cooking class. It was actually really fun! We made Ceviche, Chicken Enchiladas with a Chipotle and Hibiscus sauce, Rice Pudding with Mango Sauce, and Tamarind Margaritas. Chef Luis was funny, entertaining, and informative and the class was a lot of fun! I would recommend this excursion. 

 

Frankly, I was surprised to see such a good recommendation for a "cooking excursion" but I decided to check it out on the Princess site. Wowie Zowie! I don't believe I have ever seen an excursion with such an enormous number of 5 star reviews. I cook all the time and have no issue with kitchen duties, cooking, etc. so I didn't think a cooking excursion would be for me but, after reading all of the glowing reviews, this is on our list to possibly do when we get to Cozumel. (We've never been there.)

 

As for all the people freaking out at the crew... On one of our cruises last year Princess totally screwed up 2 of our excursions. One of them they completely screwed up for a large number of passengers. The first time I approached the excursion desk to have things adjusted the guy actually physically cringed as I approached. It seems there must have been a lot of "less than polite" passengers complaining about the issue. I just told him it wasn't his fault and asked for a credit on my account. He seemed surprised. The second time I went for an adjustment he again looked apprehensive but seemed to recognize me and relaxed a bit. Once again I assured him that I was well aware it wasn't his fault and just asked to have my account adjusted. He (once again) seemed relieved and excused himself to go in the back for a minute. When he came out he had my adjusted account in hand and offered to comp us a bottle of wine for being so understanding. (This should tell you how much abuse was being heaped on the staff at that desk.) I just laughed and said not to worry about it and went on my way. The next day my wife got a call in the cabin asking if we would like red wine or white wine. Since they were going out of their way to show their appreciation we took the red wine. I don't recall what the actual wine was but we were both really pleased with it when we drank it later.

 

It's sad that simple politeness and understanding ends up being seen as something extra special. Sometimes people can be so mean to others who have no control over the situation.

[Honolulu Blue]

5 minutes ago, satxdiver said:

We are supposed to be back onboard by 3:30 PM.  Just looked out on our balcony and this is what we saw at 3:13 PM

 

 

Thanks for sharing.  Cozumel is infamous for its pier runners, and it looks like you're going to have a few today. Have fun!  🙃

[Honolulu Blue]

9 minutes ago, satxdiver said:

Mahogany Bay    $17.84

Costa Maya         $16.68

This is for each person

Thanks!  I'm surprised they parceled it out to the penny, because all the Princess cruises I've taken have the total port fees as an even amount (e.g. $119).

[talkorpi]

2 minutes ago, Thrak said:

 

Frankly, I was surprised to see such a good recommendation for a "cooking excursion" but I decided to check it out on the Princess site. Wowie Zowie! I don't believe I have ever seen an excursion with such an enormous number of 5 star reviews. I cook all the time and have no issue with kitchen duties, cooking, etc. so I didn't think a cooking excursion would be for me but, after reading all of the glowing reviews, this is on our list to possibly do when we get to Cozumel. (We've never been there.)

 

As for all the people freaking out at the crew... On one of our cruises last year Princess totally screwed up 2 of our excursions. One of them they completely screwed up for a large number of passengers. The first time I approached the excursion desk to have things adjusted the guy actually physically cringed as I approached. It seems there must have been a lot of "less than polite" passengers complaining about the issue. I just told him it wasn't his fault and asked for a credit on my account. He seemed surprised. The second time I went for an adjustment he again looked apprehensive but seemed to recognize me and relaxed a bit. Once again I assured him that I was well aware it wasn't his fault and just asked to have my account adjusted. He (once again) seemed relieved and excused himself to go in the back for a minute. When he came out he had my adjusted account in hand and offered to comp us a bottle of wine for being so understanding. (This should tell you how much abuse was being heaped on the staff at that desk.) I just laughed and said not to worry about it and went on my way. The next day my wife got a call in the cabin asking if we would like red wine or white wine. Since they were going out of their way to show their appreciation we took the red wine. I don't recall what the actual wine was but we were both really pleased with it when we drank it later.

 

It's sad that simple politeness and understanding ends up being seen as something extra special. Sometimes people can be so mean to others who have no control over the situation.

Yes, that is really sad! I know how hard the crew works to make our vacation extra special so I want to make sure I treat them as politely as possible. It’s dissapointing to see that a 

majority of people don’t share this opinion, but that just makes me want to be even nicer. 
 

Also, I am quite the food connoisseur as well and do all of our cooking for my family at home, so I was pretty skeptical about the cooking class. It was really fun though! You get to work with flavors not often found in the states and I even learned a new technique I didn’t know yet (won’t spoil for you if you decide to do this excursion yourself). It was a great way to spend the day and I can’t recommend the excursion enough. There are multiple cooking class extrusions in Cozumel but this one was fantastic! 

[texswamper]

18 hours ago, wrongwaywatson said:

That would be wonderful, but unfortunately it doesn't work like that! LOL  They have to plan ahead where they are going, get approval from the countries and the port area to dock there.  There were probably other ships already there anyways.  I wish that they could, but they can't make changes on the fly like that.  It would be great if they could, though.

Sadly, so many people don't understand how cruising works and how far in advance these schedules are made.  They are not easily altered.  

[Thrak]

I'm often surprised at the smile I get for simply saying, "Thank you" when getting my coffee, juice, or whatever. I'm guessing the crew doesn't really hear that phrase all that often. It's such a simple thing to do.

[talkorpi]

We are getting ready to head out and back to Galveston. I think there are still a couple people who are out in Cozumel (you’d think 21 hours would be enough) because we were supposed to push off at 4:00 and they have been asking for certain people to call Guest Services for the past half hour (aka telling the entire ship the names and cabin numbers of those who will either be pier runners or flying from CZM-IAH in their swimsuits in a few hours)

Edited April 7, 2023 by talkorpi

[mkcurran]

1 hour ago, talkorpi said:

Shoutout to Princess for giving us that OBC. I saw that guests on the Caribbean got the same amount and was kind of bummed, so coming back to the cabin to that letter on my bed was a pleasant surprise. 
 

Trying to decide if I should spend it on a nice Tommy Bahama shirt or blow it all in the casino. If I’m lucky enough to hit the jackpot then maybe I can get enough points for a free/discounted cruise in the future. But what are the odds of that happening 😂

 

Decisions, decisions!!!!

Maybe wait until the margaritas have worn off before you decide? 😆😆

[satxdiver]

We are supposed to be back on board at 3:30 PM.  It is now 4:06 PM and they are looking for two people who evidentially not returned yet.  It would not be without pier runners at Cozumel.  

 

Captain just announced that the pax have been found.  

[telecheck]

20 minutes ago, texswamper said:

Sadly, so many people don't understand how cruising works and how far in advance these schedules are made.  They are not easily altered.  

 

It depends on the region. The ports on the Pacific side are not as busy as the Caribbean side giving the cruise lines more room to alter the itineraries at the last minute.

 

For example, back in Oct 2022, Sapphire skipped Puerto Vallarta due to high wind but added San Diego as replacement. In Jan 2023, Diamond skipped Loreto due to weather issue but added Mazatlán. In March 2023, Crown skipped two Hawaiian ports but added an extra full day in Honolulu.

[talkorpi]

And we’re off! Thankful we got at least one port on our cruise. 
 

Until next time, Cozumel!

[ingesey]

Hi there, fellow cruiser on the Ruby Princess, and also on the Aloha/12 deck…

 

I just found this thread after looking into reimbursement for cruises with cancelled ports of call. I appreciate your positive attitude, but I am still very disappointed in Princess. This is our first Princess cruise, we have cruised previously with Royal Caribbean & Carnival. We were under-impressed prior to the canceled ports of call, but now I just feel robbed blind. A $75 onboard credit… That is like 1/100th of what I paid for this cruise even though 2/3 of the trip was canceled. 🧐

 

This trip was one of the last family trips we will take for awhile since my kids are all young adults & will all be in college next fall. Also, celebrating my birthday & my oldest son’s 1st year of sobriety. I spoke with one couple celebrating their 50th anniversary and another couple on their honeymoon. No amount of money can make up for a ruined vacation/time you will not get back, but I would like Princess to at least make an effort. 🤷🏻‍♀️

 

No one thinks that the weather is Princess’ fault, but I do think that we could have docked at Roatan, that the Captain gave up too soon. I agree that the Costa Maya stop wasn’t feasible, although rushing to Cozumel didn’t make up for it. I just cannot believe that they don’t have a back up plan for bad weather! 🤯
 

Previously we have been on RC in a heavy storm in Alaska, and on Carnival when Hurricane Nate came through, and neither cruise missed a single port of call. Do you think that there is any hope for more than a $75 onboard credit?… To me that is almost insulting. All I have to say that we are probably never cruising with Princess again. 😣

[eclue]

Hey , enjoy Carnival and RC - docking in Roatan is surely not an excuse to blame on the cruise line. That port is very difficult to dock and ultimately up to the port authorities. Love Princess and be thankful they are giving you a credit due to weather beyond their control. We missed 3 ports last fall due to a hurricane and I have no complaints. Cruising is just - one of those things.

 

[Honolulu Blue]

25 minutes ago, ingesey said:

Hi there, fellow cruiser on the Ruby Princess, and also on the Aloha/12 deck…

 

I just found this thread after looking into reimbursement for cruises with cancelled ports of call. I appreciate your positive attitude, but I am still very disappointed in Princess. This is our first Princess cruise, we have cruised previously with Royal Caribbean & Carnival. We were under-impressed prior to the canceled ports of call, but now I just feel robbed blind. A $75 onboard credit… That is like 1/100th of what I paid for this cruise even though 2/3 of the trip was canceled. 🧐

 

This trip was one of the last family trips we will take for awhile since my kids are all young adults & will all be in college next fall. Also, celebrating my birthday & my oldest son’s 1st year of sobriety. I spoke with one couple celebrating their 50th anniversary and another couple on their honeymoon. No amount of money can make up for a ruined vacation/time you will not get back, but I would like Princess to at least make an effort. 🤷🏻‍♀️

 

No one thinks that the weather is Princess’ fault, but I do think that we could have docked at Roatan, that the Captain gave up too soon. I agree that the Costa Maya stop wasn’t feasible, although rushing to Cozumel didn’t make up for it. I just cannot believe that they don’t have a back up plan for bad weather! 🤯
 

Previously we have been on RC in a heavy storm in Alaska, and on Carnival when Hurricane Nate came through, and neither cruise missed a single port of call. Do you think that there is any hope for more than a $75 onboard credit?… To me that is almost insulting. All I have to say that we are probably never cruising with Princess again. 😣

Welcome to Cruise Critic!  I'm sorry your cruise didn't turn out the way you planned it.  Sadly, I think the refunds you've already gotten are all you're going to get - unless something else bad happens.

[ingesey]

29 minutes ago, eclue said:

Hey , enjoy Carnival and RC - docking in Roatan is surely not an excuse to blame on the cruise line. That port is very difficult to dock and ultimately up to the port authorities. Love Princess and be thankful they are giving you a credit due to weather beyond their control. We missed 3 ports last fall due to a hurricane and I have no complaints. Cruising is just - one of those things.

 

When cruise ships both before us, at the same time (as we were supposed to be docking) and after us, were able to dock, I am going to have questions about the call. I also think we could have waited around a bit to see if conditions improved, it wasn’t a hurricane or even a storm. Worst case, we could have potentially gone elsewhere.
 

From what I have read other cruise lines will refund money and/or take a significant percentage off of future cruises. That is a great business practice because it encourages customers to give the company another try. 
 

To be honest cruising may not be for us. I do not want to choose a vacation itinerary and plan out activities, only to not be able to go to those places and do those things. If we do go again, it will most likely be on Royal Caribbean. 
 

Just out of curiosity, when you missed three ports of call because of a hurricane, was it during hurricane season? And were you on a Princess ship? 
 

Safety is always the priority, but 5 days in a row “at sea” was too much for me. I would have been happy to stop ANYWHERE. And, I definitely feel like this could have been handled better. 

[ingesey]

23 minutes ago, Honolulu Blue said:

Welcome to Cruise Critic!  I'm sorry your cruise didn't turn out the way you planned it.  Sadly, I think the refunds you've already gotten are all you're going to get - unless something else bad happens.

Thank you… We are still at sea en route to Galveston, hopefully nothing else goes wrong! 🤞🏽

[eclue]

38 minutes ago, ingesey said:

When cruise ships both before us, at the same time (as we were supposed to be docking) and after us, were able to dock, I am going to have questions about the call. I also think we could have waited around a bit to see if conditions improved, it wasn’t a hurricane or even a storm. Worst case, we could have potentially gone elsewhere.
 

From what I have read other cruise lines will refund money and/or take a significant percentage off of future cruises. That is a great business practice because it encourages customers to give the company another try. 
 

To be honest cruising may not be for us. I do not want to choose a vacation itinerary and plan out activities, only to not be able to go to those places and do those things. If we do go again, it will most likely be on Royal Caribbean. 
 

Just out of curiosity, when you missed three ports of call because of a hurricane, was it during hurricane season? And were you on a Princess ship? 
 

Safety is always the priority, but 5 days in a row “at sea” was too much for me. I would have been happy to stop ANYWHERE. And, I definitely feel like this could have been handled better. 

The other ships might have been docking at a different port - not Mahogany Bay . We missed 3 ports in the north Atlantic and it was not hurricane season - high winds and rough seas are often issues. and yes it was on Princess and there were other lines doing the same.

We have done over 50 cruise on different cruise lines - most of them on Princess because we find them to be the best and missing ports is one of the hazards of cruising.

the cruise line should in no way refund you money for weather related issues. I think the RC Allure had issues on this time date also.

Maybe you are more suited to the RC line . They all hold to the same standards of safety. In my mind it is better to be safe than sorry. In the end, one must make the best of what it is.

 

 

[eclue]

44 minutes ago, ingesey said:

When cruise ships both before us, at the same time (as we were supposed to be docking) and after us, were able to dock, I am going to have questions about the call. I also think we could have waited around a bit to see if conditions improved, it wasn’t a hurricane or even a storm. Worst case, we could have potentially gone elsewhere.
 

From what I have read other cruise lines will refund money and/or take a significant percentage off of future cruises. That is a great business practice because it encourages customers to give the company another try. 
 

To be honest cruising may not be for us. I do not want to choose a vacation itinerary and plan out activities, only to not be able to go to those places and do those things. If we do go again, it will most likely be on Royal Caribbean. 
 

Just out of curiosity, when you missed three ports of call because of a hurricane, was it during hurricane season? And were you on a Princess ship? 
 

Safety is always the priority, but 5 days in a row “at sea” was too much for me. I would have been happy to stop ANYWHERE. And, I definitely feel like this could have been handled better. 

I love your comment that "we could have gone elsewhere". That obviously tells me you know nothing about ship travel....Where do you think you could have gone??? Ports all require advance planning and confirmation....Maybe you should stick to road travel.

 

 

[GonzoWCS]

Fantastic Review/Live.

 

Cheers

[parytimeson]

There's actually an article 🤣 https://www.cruisehive.com/princess-cruise-ship-misses-two-ports-on-caribbean-cruise/98280

[talkorpi]

Just finished seeing the production show Stardust. I actually really liked it! I was born 4 weeks early but in all actuality I feel like I was actually born approximately 70 years late. I LOVE the music of the 40’s, 50’s, and early 60’s and it was so nice to fee like I was in my twenties in the decade I actually should’ve been that age in. 😂😂😂

[talkorpi]

Formal Dinner #2

Wedge Salad: a standard wedge but a good wedge. Not much else to say. 
 

Seafood Bisque: This was really good and REALLY hot (temperature wise). I burned my mouth on the first bite which is a great sign and proves how on top of things the kitchen has been this week! Had a very nice rich seafood flavor with huge chunks of crab and shrimp. 
 

Surf and Turf: This was great. The steak was seasoned very well and the lobster tail was much bigger than I expected. Tasted great and was happy to get lobster.

 

Duck Breast with Sour Cherry Sauce: This duck was cooked very well. Perfect temp and the fat was rendered perfectly. I do wish there was something to cut the acid of the cherry sauce though. While I liked this, I think the duck served on the first formal night was better. My picture also didn’t turn out so I had to take a cropped version of what it looked like from a different photo, my apologies.
 

Love Boat Dream: Happy to see that chocolate has returned to this dessert! While it wasn’t the all brownie version of years past at least it’s not that red thing anymore. And as you can see there is still a thin layer of brownie in between the mousse and shortbread. It was much better than I expected, and the raspberry sauce tasted very bright and fresh and was a great compliment to the chocolate.

 

* It was so hard to eat dinner tonight. I don’t usually eat anything outside of meal times but I had a little more to drink in Cozumel than planned so I ended up having a pretty big afternoon snack (oops). Despite this, the food was great tonight!

[talkorpi]

2 hours ago, ingesey said:

When cruise ships both before us, at the same time (as we were supposed to be docking) and after us, were able to dock, I am going to have questions about the call. I also think we could have waited around a bit to see if conditions improved, it wasn’t a hurricane or even a storm. Worst case, we could have potentially gone elsewhere.
 

From what I have read other cruise lines will refund money and/or take a significant percentage off of future cruises. That is a great business practice because it encourages customers to give the company another try. 
 

To be honest cruising may not be for us. I do not want to choose a vacation itinerary and plan out activities, only to not be able to go to those places and do those things. If we do go again, it will most likely be on Royal Caribbean. 
 

Just out of curiosity, when you missed three ports of call because of a hurricane, was it during hurricane season? And were you on a Princess ship? 
 

Safety is always the priority, but 5 days in a row “at sea” was too much for me. I would have been happy to stop ANYWHERE. And, I definitely feel like this could have been handled better. 

Hey neighbor! I’m so sorry that all the crap that has happened on our cruise is going on while you’re celebrating a special occasion! That really does stink and I hope y’all have been able to make the most of it. 
 

I do understand that Princess is not for everyone - even though I’m in my early twenties, I have very old-fashioned taste and was excited (and pleasantly surprised) about the elevated yet traditional experience onboard. Cruise lines like Royal just feel like shopping malls to me full of extra stuff I would never do - and that’s okay! There’s a cruise line out there for everyone and now you know that your niche might be Royal, just like mine is Carnival and Princess (when I can afford it🤑)

 

I do also agree with your logic about the FCC. There are a LOT of first time Princess cruisers onboard and I think it would’ve made the most sense to offer a 50% FCC based on your fare on a future booking within a year. The fares for this cruise were much lower than normal anyways and this would only add to Princess’s pocket rather than take away from it. Of course I don’t work at corporate but that’s my take. I didn’t expect anything back so I do appreciate the OBC given to us, but I also agree with your points there. 
 

I hope your family enjoys our last sea day! So not looking forward to being back at work next week 🫠

Edited April 8, 2023 by talkorpi

[startedwithamouse]

3 hours ago, ingesey said:

  I would like Princess to at least make an effort.

 

No one thinks that the weather is Princess’ fault, but I do think that we could have docked at Roatan, that the Captain gave up too soon. 
 

 

Which maritime academy did you graduate from?