Ruby Princess vs. Freedom of the Seas

Hello!

My boyfriend and I are planning a cruise in January and are having trouble deciding between the Ruby Princess and RCI's Freedom of the Seas. This is his first time cruising, I've been on one prior.

We love the four island stops on Princess's itinerary. We don't plan to ice skate while on board or rock climb. We aren't totally partiers / late nigh owls - but do want the options to go dancing one or two or three nights while on board.

We are 32 (me) and 35 (him).

Our goal is to get away and relax for a week. We do want the option to be somewhat active...but not overly so...if that makes sense.

I'm worried that is we chose the Ruby we might get itchy to do something active - and our options will be limited...although I would imagine there is always something to do while on board.

Help! Any advice or thoughts on which ship to choose?

thank you :)

We've been on both ships (although it was actually the newer Liberty OTS instead of the Freedom) and we had a great time on both.

Personally, I love RCI's cabins and ships but their food and service leave a lot to be desired.

I prefer Princess because of the consistency of the product, the high level of service, the excellent food and the feeling of a relaxed environment.

On the big RCI ships, I tend to feel pressured to "do it all" and "see it all". It's almost like a chore trying to get to every venue and try everything out. I always leave feeling like I just didn't accomplish everything I set out to do and I feel frustrated. I didn't have enough time to relax and I didn't have enough time to do the things I wanted to do! :mad:

You'll have a great time on either ship. IMO, one will be more relaxing than the other though. ;)

Thanks! We definitely are aiming for relaxation - so that's really helpful.

Is there nightlife on board the Ruby? We don't drink heavily, but would have one or two and then want to dance with DJ music one or two nights. We love the idea of MUTS for one or two nights also...

Yes, there is in the disco and MUTS is a lot of fun too. The crew that are Serenity Stewards during the daytime are the MUTS candy guys in the evening. They'll walk around with all the traditional movie candy for purchase or you can get free popcorn and cookies. :)

Thanks! We definitely are aiming for relaxation - so that's really helpful.

 

Is there nightlife on board the Ruby? We don't drink heavily, but would have one or two and then want to dance with DJ music one or two nights. We love the idea of MUTS for one or two nights also...

Hiya - while I don't have any value to add here as far as the comparison, I just wanted to say that my husband and I (38 and 37) are on the Ruby on Jan 29th for our first cruise. We were trying to decide between RCI Oasis or Allure and Princess. We chose the Ruby because:

• we wanted to visit ports we haven't traveled to before through all inclusive vacations
  
• we were more intrigued by the Ruby ports of call
  
• they were considerably less expensive than RCI
  
• the reviews I read were almost all great
  
• I didn't think we'd use the "extra" amenities, such as the ice rink, rock climbing, etc.
  

While we're not party animals either, we do enjoy having a few drinks and visiting a club while on vacation. After booking our cruise, I've been on these boards daily (at least on the Princess side) and I feel like we've made the right decision for us, and we're looking forward to the experience.

Good luck with booking your cruise, and enjoy your vacation! :D

Hiya - while I don't have any value to add here as far as the comparison, I just wanted to say that my husband and I (38 and 37) are on the Ruby on Jan 29th for our first cruise. We were trying to decide between RCI Oasis or Allure and Princess. We chose the Ruby because:

 

• we wanted to visit ports we haven't traveled to before through all inclusive vacations
  
• we were more intrigued by the Ruby ports of call
  
• they were considerably less expensive than RCI
  
• the reviews I read were almost all great
  
• I didn't think we'd use the "extra" amenities, such as the ice rink, rock climbing, etc.
  

While we're not party animals either, we do enjoy having a few drinks and visiting a club while on vacation. After booking our cruise, I've been on these boards daily (at least on the Princess side) and I feel like we've made the right decision for us, and we're looking forward to the experience.

 

Good luck with booking your cruise, and enjoy your vacation! :D

Thanks!! Your reasoning for booking Princess over RCI sounds identical to where I am right now - it's great to hear someone else was considering the same options (with the same cruising interests) and landed on the Ruby. I think I am really leaning towards the Ruby right now...

Thanks!! Your reasoning for booking Princess over RCI sounds identical to where I am right now - it's great to hear someone else was considering the same options (with the same cruising interests) and landed on the Ruby. I think I am really leaning towards the Ruby right now...

'course if you asked the same question on the RCI boards, you'd get a different answer... :p

'course if you asked the same question on the RCI boards, you'd get a different answer... :p

I did ask there too :) I wanted to get a balanced view point. I gave the same parameters in both places, though!

I love Royal Caribbean, but that being said I liked the Ruby's itinerary better than what RCI was offering; the Eastern route Ruby has the extra port of call and I'm not a huge fan of sea days. I haven't sailed the Freedom class but I've heard good things about it. I think you can find a place to relax no matter what ship you're on. I'm looking forward to my Ruby cruise. It will be my first on Princess and I'm excited to explore a new cruise line.

Last year on Caribbean Princess we visited the disco nearly every night! We had LOADS of fun! Seems like we saw mostly the same people there every night. I've cruised both RCI and Princess, and much prefer the elegance of Princess.

Although I did enjoy watching the rock climbing, it's not something I would do. Plus the entire activity takes maybe 10 minutes. :rolleyes:

We have been on both ships,FOS was really nice but if you are not into rock climbing,ice skating etc then I would go on Ruby.I prefer the Ruby,has a really nice disco.Very elegant ship and I found there was lots to do on ship and food was much better.:)

I love both ships and have been on the Ruby and the Liberty of the seas (sister ship of the Freedom).

Both the Ruby and Freedom are AMAZING ships. Actually, the difference is what kind of vacation you wanna have?

Total relaxation? Princess

Active and some kind relaxed? Royal caribbean.

Ok, you are in your 30's, so you would enjoy both.

Royal has the ice skating, ice skating show, promenade, rock climbing, surfing/boogie boarding and beautiful ships (Freedom of the seas), which I have done personally.

There was not a second on the Freedom that I felt bored; however, once I got home, I felt I needed a second vacation, because I did so much. My legs hurt, my knees were sore from boogie boarding, I felt tired.

Now, Princess has movie under the stars, very nice pools and also beautiful ship (Ruby). I went on the Ruby and once I got home my co-workers said I looked rejuvenized totally. My body felt rested, no pain anywhere, just a feeling of relaxation.

Thanks to the jobs me and my partner have we can afford a Royal caribbean cruise, and a Princess one yearly. We love them equally & we have to do both.

It's just one is more active than the other. ... but what's the main purpose of your trip? do-do-do-fun-fun or a more relaxed type of athmosphere?

You would love both ships; can't go wrong with either one. Enjoy!

I wouldn't know what to pick for you, it depends on you.;)

I've sailed on both cruiselines, and Princess is, by far, my preferred one for a real vacation. I've been on the Ruby, and love it for many of the reasons already mentioned (MUTS, great service/food, etc.).

I can also highly recommend the Sanctuary area for a nice and quiet place to relax....it's totally worth the cover charge! Also, if you're any kind of a foodie, I highly recommend doing the Chef's Table if you can. Do a search on it, and you'll likely come up with lots of reviews of that. It costs $75/pp, but based on the quality/quantity of the foods and the wine to go with the food, it is more than worth it!

Thanks, everyone!

As for the stype of cruise - we are definitely looking for more "relaxation" Neither of us have been able to take much time off this year, so are really looking forward to not running around for a week - which is what we normally do in our everyday jobs / home life. We both have jobs that involve long hours and little down-time (especially this time of year) so have no desire to jam-pack a vacation with tons of scheduled activites all day long.

We want to sit out on the balcony and read, go to the pool, watch the water go by, eat, etc. I did want to try the flowrider (it looks really fun) - but it seems like I can do that in Grand Turk?

As long as there is some sort of nightlife on then Ruby, it really seems to be the best fit. I really like the additional stop in Grand Turk as well - I've always wanted to go there...

Well if you decide to go on the 29th, be sure to join our Roll Call :) Perhaps a drink in Skywalkers together may be in order ;)

Thanks, everyone!

 

As for the stype of cruise - we are definitely looking for more "relaxation" Neither of us have been able to take much time off this year, so are really looking forward to not running around for a week - which is what we normally do in our everyday jobs / home life. We both have jobs that involve long hours and little down-time (especially this time of year) so have no desire to jam-pack a vacation with tons of scheduled activites all day long.

 

We want to sit out on the balcony and read, go to the pool, watch the water go by, eat, etc. I did want to try the flowrider (it looks really fun) - but it seems like I can do that in Grand Turk?

 

As long as there is some sort of nightlife on then Ruby, it really seems to be the best fit. I really like the additional stop in Grand Turk as well - I've always wanted to go there...

Thanks, everyone!

 

As for the stype of cruise - we are definitely looking for more "relaxation" Neither of us have been able to take much time off this year, so are really looking forward to not running around for a week - which is what we normally do in our everyday jobs / home life. We both have jobs that involve long hours and little down-time (especially this time of year) so have no desire to jam-pack a vacation with tons of scheduled activites all day long.

 

We want to sit out on the balcony and read, go to the pool, watch the water go by, eat, etc. I did want to try the flowrider (it looks really fun) - but it seems like I can do that in Grand Turk?

 

As long as there is some sort of nightlife on then Ruby, it really seems to be the best fit. I really like the additional stop in Grand Turk as well - I've always wanted to go there...

Sounds like Princess is the one for you, especially if you want to read, go to the pool, watch water go by, that's just what we need sometimes.

The flowrider is FREE on RCCL, however it's not free in Grand Turk, don't know exactly how much, though.

...regarding the nightlife, they have the movies under the stars + skywalkers (nightclub).

The crowd on Princess seems to be a bit older than RCCL, but we enjoy no kids running around, etc.

Princess seems to implement their rules about no kids allowed zones and we love this about Princess.

Ruby is a wonderful ship, looks brand new, the food was great, crew was polite and attentive. You'll have a great cruise.

I love Royal Caribbean, but that being said I liked the Ruby's itinerary better than what RCI was offering; the Eastern route Ruby has the extra port of call and I'm not a huge fan of sea days. I haven't sailed the Freedom class but I've heard good things about it. I think you can find a place to relax no matter what ship you're on. I'm looking forward to my Ruby cruise. It will be my first on Princess and I'm excited to explore a new cruise line.

To me it's all about itinerary. While I am currently a Princess person, I would not hesitate in a second to switch to another line with the exception of NCL & Carnival, if the itinerary was better.....:):):)

Bob

I don't know if you've decided or not, but from what you listed, it appears that this time, Princess might be a better choice.

My impression is that Princess offers a variety of evening entertainment and it's up to the passengers to attend the one(s) they most prefer- including a late night disco.

The daytime activities are a bit more laid back, but available.

I'm a bit older than you, but tend to enjoy the style of your and younger ages. I've been able to find that level of style/activity on Princess.

RCl offers more physically active options. And also charges for them in the cruise price. I've been on both and have found that I can be active or relaxed on Princess and due to the options- feel I have to be more active on RCL- I just don't want to miss much.

Both are good lines though. As was mentioned above, you might just let the itinerary and price help you decide. But as you might suspect I lean to the Princess side of the equation.