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Old Feb 12th, 2011, 12:50 PM
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Caribbean Ruby Princess

We are headed out late next month on the Ruby Princess for our first-ever cruise. We are not too sure of what to expect.

What should we pack? Seriously, we don't want to over-pack or under-pack.
Is there an opportunity to do laundry while on board, etc.?

What should we expect while on board?

We are not ordinary party animals, neither of us drinks a drop of alcohol. Perhaps this will be a mistake?

Honest responses appreciated.
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Old Feb 12th, 2011, 02:56 PM
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I hope you will love your first cruise, and I think Princess is a great choice. I had lots of misgivings before our cruise. We are also not party people and rarely (maybe once or twice a year) drink. We took our first cruise (also to the Caribbean) last Spring, and loved it so much we took another two weeks later (TransAtlantic), and another in November (Italy, Greek Islands, etc.) all on different Princess ships, but not Ruby Princess. However, it is pretty much the same layout as the others and looks absolutely beautiful.

While there will be plenty of music and dancing for those who want, and bars and drinks, Princess ships are not really big party ships. Their destinations are fabulous and they try to give you a decent itinerary where you have long days in port, not just a few hours. That being said, I found the Caribbean cruise a bit more party atmosphere than the other cruises. I think that is because most people were coming from someplace cold, and they were enjoying the beautiful weather, pools, and being outdoors. Looking out at our snow, this makes me want to go again.

There are self service laundries on deck 9-14 (maybe other decks also - I didn't look at all of them) on your ship. They have irons, and ironing boards as well, so doing your laundry is very easy.

I am not sure how to answer your question about what to expect. Do you mean food, cabin, entertainment? I will tell you a little about each.

First, expect really good sevice and very professional and pleasant staff. If you haven't already done so, you might want to go online and look at pictures of your ship. It will have a beautiful piazza in the middle of the ship where there are muscians playing off and on all day and late into the night. There are a couple of little cafes there for you to get lite meals, coffee, gelato, etc.

There are snack places everywhere, big dining rooms, etc. There is a big theater with performances every night, usually two a night. There are movies on the open deck, under the stars, and they give you blankets, etc. if it gets chilly.
There are lots of pools and hot tubs, some for kids, some for everybody, some adults only. Really look around your first evening so you know what is there and find places you like. There is a fitness center. There are clubs with bands, piano bars, comedians, etc. Of course, there is the casino. There is a tiny library. Hit that the very first time it is open to get the best books. There is a computer center. Charges aren't too bad, but reception varies and is slow.

If you like sitting down and being served, the dining rooms are nice. It is also a great way to meet other people. However, when the weather is nice and sunsets are beautiful, it is nice to get food from the buffet and sit outside on the deck. On formal nights, expect everything from Tuxedos and evening gowns to simply jackets and tropical looking cotton dresses.

One thing to do right away is pick up a copy of the ships daily newsletter/schedule of events (called the Princess Patter) and really look to see what is happening that you want to do. On our first cruise, I didn't do that and missed things the first couple of days that would have been fun. If there is not one already in your cabin, go to the travel/excursion desk and ask for one. IMHO, skip the treasure hunt the first day.

Expect coffee and iced tea with meals and at buffet, but you pay for coffee & soft drinks at cafes and other times. Expect a standard tip of around $11-12 per day per passenger added to your bill.

Have you already looked at/booked excursions? Have you joined the roll call for your ship on Cruisecritic.com. If not, it is a great way to join others on excursions and learn a lot. That is really good if you want to go scuba diving, etc.
We did not book anything ahead. When we got off the ship, we looked around for taxis or guides and formed a little group with others who were doing the same. We had very good luck doing that.

I will be happy to answer questions, but many of the folks on cruise critic are real experts.

Think I will go look at cruises now.
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Old Feb 12th, 2011, 09:46 PM
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Wow! Thanks for taking the time and providing me with great information. I really appreciate it and will take your advice.
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Old Feb 13th, 2011, 07:33 AM
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We were on the Ruby Princess in December. Of the 3 cruises I have taken so far, this was the lovliest ship both in terms of beauty and service (Carnival Legend and RCI Jewel other 2). We were 2 women with 2 college kids. The good news is that doing laundry should be very easy. We were on the Baja deck and there was a laundry room including washer/dryer and ironing board & iron located about mid ship. I am assuming this is the case on every floor, and possibly one on each side, but not certain.

In terms of dress, we like the formal dinners and being served so we dressed for dinner every night. The kids wore sun dresses, didn't dress to the hilt. You could easily get away with polo shirts & dockers (men) and nice casual sports clothes (women) except for the 2 formal nights. I brought black dressy pants and 2 dressy tops for those nights. One evening we didn't get back from our excursion until 30 min before dinner and just threw on linen pants and top. Remember, you are dressing for YOU, not to impress anyone.

The crew and staff we encountered was very professional. The food was good. We didn't care for the buffet, thought this was a low point from our other cruises, but really enjoyed the formal dining room. We took breakfast and dinner in the formal dining room. Enjoyed the mixed seating at breakfast and the opportunity to meet people from other places.

We found the entertainment a little stuffy in the formal theater, we preferred some of the lounges/wine bars. There was a piano player, don't remember his name, but he was very funny and we saw him a couple of nights. We enjoyed the casino, won some $$ at the penny slot machines and played for an entire week with a $10 investment, not a bad deal.

We found the pool policy on the Ruby very fair - they will remove towels placed on lounge chairs after 45-60 min if no one is occupying the chairs. This seemed to much improve your ability to get a place to sit by the pool. There is a grill located by the pool for hamburgers/hot dogs and a place for pizza. We preferred this to the buffet. You can also visit the formal dining room for lunch, they have specified hours and posted menus.

We had bad weather on our 1st day out and didn't go to the private island in the Bahamas. We enjoyed St. Thomas, St. Maarten and the T&C very much. We never do shore excursions from the ship, we also do our own thing for much less money. We have been to the islands before and the excursions are ancillary to us, not the main focus.

As for the cabin steward and room service, we had a balcony and hoped to have breakfast there. Not just Princess, but a lot of the ships have cut back on items served from room service and you can only get a continental breakfast with juice, danish and coffee. We did that one morning, but we prefer a hot breakfast. We did utilize room service several times for snacks and icw watching the sail aways from several ports. The girls had an inside room and the balcony was large enough for all 4 of us to sit on it and share a snack. Our cabin steward was very nice, the girls got sick one night and he was very helpful in caring for them and ensuring they were OK so that my mother & I could enjoy ourselves. Of course, you need to provide a small gratuity for room service and we gave the steward a few $$ separately from the mandatory daily gratuity as we felt he went above the bounds of normal service.

Hope this helps, if you have specific questions, let me know. Bon voyage!
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Old Feb 14th, 2011, 09:05 AM
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An Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Ruby Princess last november was my first cruise after a hiatus of 15+ years due to a disappointing experience on the first in 1995. The Ruby Princess was a refreshing surprise, and I am sure you will like it too.

Take a look at this: http://www.princess.com/learn/ships/ru/index.html It has deck plans and other ship features.

I would also encourage you to review Cruisecritic.com but more for objective information rather than opinions, which trend toward "groupthink" and conformity. This is my own opinion and is not necessarily shared by anyone else.

On the subject of formal nights, let me just say that you do not have to follow the herd and get dressed up if you don't want to. It is <b>not obligatory</b> if you don't want to participate. Two truly excellent alternatives are the Crown Grill and Sabatini's. These two represent outstanding dining experiences and are well worth the small extra charge. Be sure to check out the International Cafe on Deck 7 for quick bites of really tasty food.

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Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie
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Old Feb 14th, 2011, 09:54 AM
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We were on the Ruby inaugural cruise a couple year back when it was brand spanking new; and after 7 days, we still have not "discover" everything on board.

We love the International Cafe on the main Piazza. There was a "trio" or "quartet" playing light classical and easy listening music several times daily at the main Piazza, right next to the International Cafe. That's where DW and I hang out, enjoying their specialty coffee, tea and home made ice cream (all for a nominal fee). Of course, you can just sit there and enjoy the music and not have to buy and pay for anyting. There is also a small selection of sandwiches, salads and pastries as well (free) so we have our light lunch or snack there rather than going to the buffet. Sometimes they have other type of performances as well.

We don't "party" but we like to hang out form time to time at the paino bar and listen to the piano player doing his solo and the sing-alongs. Again, buying drinks are optional and staff will leave you alone if you tell them you don't need anything. We also like to stop in the Explorer Lounge when they have "contests" or "games" going on. It is always a blast.

The Wheelhouse offers a slightly more Jazzy and dancing music. Again, spending money is optional. And of course, the Theatre offers a show nightly. The first night is boring as it is a "preview" show. During the day, they may also offer a guest lecturer (educational component) covering wide ranging topics. Depending on the lecturer, it could be interesting or boring.

They also offer "port talks". They are really sales pitch on what shops to stop-in whiel ashore. It maybe interesting for first timer but just watch your spending. They also offer another kind of "port talks" from the shore excursion desks. These are better as they talks about what shore excursions are available, places to visit, local custom etc. You don't have to book shore excursions and explore on your own. They also offer a very simple version of a local street map (covering a few blocks around the pier) so you won't get lost if you don't wander off to far.

What can I say about Movie under the Stars? It is a 100 foot wide screen on the top deck. Watch movies, sports, Music videos at night and the staff will bring popcorn, blankets and drinks. They even brought milk and cookie one time.

There is a disco (Skywalker) and we don't spent too much time there. There is a golf simulator with a golf pro. There is also a 9 hole mini golf at the top deck. The library is great place to visit and do a puzzle or read a book. They also have a crd room with board games.

On the cruise ships, you will receive a daily newsletter in your cabin. It tells you what is going on the next day. The weather, the entertainment etc. Read it and map out your next day's adventure. You can pick up extra copies at the purser's desk.

As to what to pack, we are light travellers and we do a lot of mix and match so we can pack less. Other than one "formal" wear, smart casual (golf shirts, shorts, jeans, khakis for men, and similar casuals for ladies). The formal wear would be a jacket and tie for men and a cocktail dress for ladies. Some people really dress up but not us. We pack a pair of dress shoe and a pair of comfortable shoe (cross trainer or hiking boots).

There are pleanty of opportunity to spend money so be aware. Cell phone charges are expensive so don't use it. Internet package range from $75 and up.

I find the wine prices reasonable. Cruise ships are not all inclusives and soft drinks is not included. Ice Tea and Lemondae are availabe through out the day and juices are availabe in the morning. "regular" coffee is free in the buffet and dining room. Specailty brew coffee, expresso etc are extra. You can buy soda card or coffee card if you consume enough of them. We always buy the coffee card. It was $24 for 15 specialty coffees (ice expresso etc) so it is not all that expensive (a lot cheaper than Starbucks) Beer and cocktail ranges from $7.50 and up plus tips.

The closet space is plenty. If you bring a lot of gadgets (laptop, ipads, ipods, cameras, blackberry etc), you should consider bringing a small power bar as electic outlet is very limited.

Once we are on board, we go staright to Hozien court for a quick lunch (before the crowd appears) and explore the ship on our own before the safety drill. Luggage won't arrive until at least a couple hours after you board the ship so make sure you carry on all your necessities (medications etc). I wouldn't even border to iunpack until after the ship leaves port. make sure you stick around at the pool deck for teh sail away party. After that, we quickly unpack and get dress for dinner.

Watch for the carpet on the hallway. They have different color trims (blue and red) so remember the color of your side of the ship and you will not get lost.

Love to hear about other people's adventures so please post a trip report when you are done!

Sassafrass, glad to see that you are a regular here. I still remember your first post. 3 trips in a year, I can only wish!
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Old Feb 14th, 2011, 02:11 PM
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Eschew,
Thanks. It is funny. I remember your answer to one of my first questions about cruising. I was so worried. You said welcome to cruising, and then something to the effect that cruisers were a friendly bunch. That really stuck with me because I have found that to be true. Not to be critical of other forums, but folks on the cruise forum seem to be a bit more "live and let live."

We retired several years ago, but had a lot of illness and other stuff happen. Last year, we got really lucky. We waited so late to book that first cruise that we got it dirt cheap, only a week and a half out. Repositioning cruises are often cheap, and it was less than two weeks away when we booked that one, so it was also rock bottom price. I kept hesitating about the one we did in mid-November because I was afraid the weather would be too cold, and I would feel cheated having only a day on some of the Greek Islands, and many on the Europe forum advised against it. When it droped to less than $700.00 for 12 days, I decided it was too good to pass up, and there wre lots of sights I wanted to see, even if I had to bundle up. That was only about three weeks ahead. Luck was with us - the weather had been poor at the beginning of November, but was perfect mid-month. If they had not been so cheap, we could not have done them. I am so glad we were able to do it, and we met so many friendly people. Cruisers are a friendly bunch, and your words were so reasuring.
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Old Feb 15th, 2011, 02:16 PM
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Sassafrass, Health is the most important thing to have at retirement, more so than the money. I knew far too many people who worked hard and "save" but never get to enjoy their fruits of labor at retirement due to poor health. I am glad that things are on the up and up for you. Enjoy your travel and maybe we will cross path one day and share a few laughs. Keep on posting!
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Old Feb 17th, 2011, 04:43 PM
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Thanks again for all of the valuable information. I will continue to check back from time to time. Anything else we should know, please post it.
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