SpaceGirl

Quite likely depending on where you spent your time on the ship. It was a cruise to remember with all the kids and newbies aboard. Whew!

 

We took our DGD who is still in school so we had to do it during the summer break. First time and maybe the last time!

My travel companion spent a lot of time on the top decks, taking pictures. You probably at least saw him. I didn't hang out anywhere in particular until the last two days, we spent a lot of time at Crooners. He was teaching me how to do artwork, and we were playing games. I was also on the top deck quite a bit after Glacier Bay. I was up there that entire morning, in fact.

I don't know Satxdiver, but we were on the same cruise, and came on board at about the same time, had the same easy experience.

I was on the Ruby the same dates as you! Wonder if we happened to pass each other at times!

I sailed the Ruby two weeks ago, and while we were told boarding was at 2, we arrived at 11 and were let right on the ship. Our room was even ready, with our luggage outside our door, and we brought it in the Princess building with us and didn't do anything special, other than getting there early. The place was deserted, so we were able to check right in and get on board, and we didn't have to wait for anything, not even to get through security. We were in the MDR eating lunch by 12.

I would think they have non-dairy creamer.

 

I'm not worried about the creamer. I can have a bit of dairy, just not large amounts. I wouldn't be able to drink a chai latte with it, though.

They do now have a chai latte. I believe I ordered it several times on my last cruise, and it was good.

 

I know that taste is on the tongue of the cup-beholder, but I had chai one time only and do not plan to ever again. :eek:

 

I'm not sure if I'm actually going to order the chai. It depends if they have almond milk that I can use with it. I'm mildly lactose intolerant, and I don't like soy milk. If all they have to mix the chai with is regular milk and soy milk, I'll probably pass and just drink coffee.

We just finished our first cruise ever on the Ruby Princess and coffee (other than that from IC) was hit or miss... First several days, it was disgusting. Then the last 2-3 days it tasted great. Concentrate doesn't necessarily have to taste bad....

I'll probably try it at least once, and if I like it, I'll drink it the rest of the time; if not, to the IC I go!

Coffee is about $2 a cup. A coffee card is $31 . One cup a day for 14 is the same as coffee card. If you buy a coffee cup it does include 15% gratuity. The card includes the gratuity.

 

 

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I'm going on a seven-day cruise, so it would be $14.

Two points.

1. It's a seven day cruise. At most three tops would be enough.

2. No one will know if the tops don't match the bottoms.

Lol, true. I know my travel companion/roommate won't care.

The way I see it, the stateroom temperature can be somewhat subjective. What is warm/cool for one person, can be the complete opposite for another. For me, it would be better to understand what is a comfortable temperature you keep your residence at most of the time. For example, in the summer, our A/C is never higher than 74 as anything higher than that, we are uncomfortable. At night, we will drop it to 69-72, depending on which house we are in.

 

In the winter, we usually don't set the heat higher than 72-73 during the daytime, and just let it cool back down to 69-70 at night. That's our comfortable range and in all the cruises we have been on, we have never been able to get the room really as cool as we like it, be it Alaska in September or the Panama Canal. The first thing we do when we walk in is turn the thermostats all the way down and that's where they stay for the duration of the cruise.

I don't have AC in my house, but I'm comfortable when it's 83 (and my travel companion thinks that's way too hot) and don't estart getting uncomfortable until about 86 or 87. On the other hand, in the winter, the heater is set to go off if it gets any cooler than 76, and my travel companion is comfortable around 72.

I don't mind a cold room at night. I actually sleep with a fan on. But I want to make sure I have enough layers (clothing or blankets) so I'm not too cold to sleep.

Before every cruise I tell me darling wife not to pack pajamas because the captain has said they are not allowed. She never believes me!!!:D

I don't, either. My friend would be uncomfortable if I didn't pack jammies, anyway!

Don't hesitate to ask the steward for an extra blanket or comforter if you cannot find one already hidden in the room. DH likes the room cold so I always have an extra layer for me. Also I have been known to take a nap or two and I hate to get under the covers for that. So my "extra" does double duty.:)

Ok, good to know! I'll do that if I'm cold!

You are able to control temperature of room by means of a room thermostat situated on a wall panel....seems to work!!!

 

 

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Ok, probably best to bring my long sleeves, then! My travel companion is twice my size, thus he's usually just right or too hot when I'm freezing.

I'm one of those weirdos who gets cold easily, and even in the hot summer, I'm cold in most restaurants, hotel rooms, and movie theaters. I'll bring a winter coat to wear when I'm in each of those establishments. I'll be cruising to Alaska via the Ruby later this week, and I know I'm going to wear layers in the daytime, but I'm concerned about night. How warm/cool are the staterooms? I'm pretty sure I'll be too cold if I wear normal summertime pj's (shorts and a tank top), so I'm planning to take long pj bottoms. What I'm not so sure about is the top. On one hand, I don't want to bring a few t-shirts to wear with them and then be too cold to sleep... on the other hand, I don't want to bring a bunch of long-sleeved pajama tops and not use them (they would take up a lot of room in the suitcase, and I don't have a few long-sleeved tops that would match the pants like I do with the short-sleeved shirts). Are the staterooms kept cool (at least, as cool as most restaurants/hotel rooms/movie theaters are in the summer), or are they on the warm side?

Take a look at Princess' own list of "Top 10 cocktails":

 

http://www.princess.com/ships-and-experience/food-and-dining/beverages/top-10-cocktails/

I've seen that before, but I wanted to know what others recommended because I can't try one of everything from this list. And I wanted to see what things not from this list were good, if any.

I know for sure I want a Mai Tai. I've wanted one of those for a while now. Am also eying the Illusion and Captain's Bounty. And I think I'm going to get a sour apple martini at one point, as that's one of my favorites (but I can do without if there is something much better I can try, as I can make these at home).

The coffee from IC is a must. The coffee everywhere else is not good tasting. If you take the all inclusive beverage package, it's included as well as any other beverage from IC. They have Chai too...;):cool:

I'm not going to be drinking that much of it. I'll only have one a day, and it's a seven-day cruise. And my travel companion doesn't drink any of that stuff.

We have found that the tap water is often warm, so if using water from your cabin, fill your bottle at night and stick in your fridge to begin the next day. And yes, as has already been noted, USE A CLEAN GLASS TO FILL YOUR BOTTLE IN THE BUFFET! :)

I prefer warm water! lol

Each passenger can enter/add their own credit card to the room/booking. ;)

You still have a booking to access on the Princess.com/personalizer where you add all your personal info.

If it's too close to the cruise you can call Princess to add the CC or do it onboard as stated above.

My credit card is already on file, as I paid for the excursions (and my friend paid for the trip). I just didn't know if we were only stuck using the main card associated with the account (which is my friend's), or if we could tell them to bill it to such-and-such passenger in such-and-such cabin.

Why? It's much easier because you don't have to worry about carrying around anything but room card.

 

 

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Because my travel companion signed up for the cruise, it's his card that's attached to our room. Instead of putting everything I buy on my card and paying it off at my leisure, I have to write him a check for it at all once, when he gets his credit card statement.

Charged to ship account.

 

 

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Aw, bummer!

Yes, you can order cocktails with dinner, too. Me, though, I generally order in a bar on my way and then carry it in with me. The reason is that the waiter(s) are busy handing out menus and taking food orders at first, so I don't have to wait and I have it in hand already.

When you buy something on the ship that costs extra (cocktail, dinner at a specialty restaurant, etc.), does it automatically get charged back to the room, or can you pay credit card there?

My favourite martinis are the London Lemonade (tastes like its namesake -- but not too sweet. Very yummy!) and the Chairman of the Board (very strong!).

Also, your ship has the best bar at sea, Adagio, up on Deck 16 next to Sabatini's. Definitely head up there at least once and try a Citrus Bellini. You can only get it in Adagio, and it is absolutely delicious.

I know we can get champagne and wine with dinner, but can we order cocktails with dinner, too? Or are cocktails only available in the bars?

Martini at Crooners.

Any particular flavor?

You can bring a refillable water bottle & we use a 20 oz wide mouth Brita filter one. The water is perfectly safe (and in the numerous discussions about shipboard water quality facts have been presented that it's check more than tap water at home) but if refilling from the dispensers in the buffet then it's best to pour the water & ice into the plastic buffet glass before pouring into your bottle to avoid any possibility of cross-contamination.

 

You can pre-purchase a 12-pack of half liter bottled water for $6.90 which we use in ports after our refillable water bottle is emptied & we don't trust the port's water supply.

 

 

 

If that's like our Brita bottle, that might not be necessary as long as you don't touch the dispenser's spout.

That's what I was thinking. And I have a Brita bottle, too, probably similar to yours!

You can bring a refillable water bottle & we use a 20 oz wide mouth Brita filter one. The water is perfectly safe (and in the numerous discussions about shipboard water quality facts have been presented that it's check more than tap water at home) but if refilling from the dispensers in the buffet then it's best to pour the water & ice into the plastic buffet glass before pouring into your bottle to avoid any possibility of cross-contamination.

 

You can pre-purchase a 12-pack of half liter bottled water for $6.90 which we use in ports after our refillable water bottle is emptied & we don't trust the port's water supply.

Thanks! And that's an idea, too, because I don't know what the rules are about taking bottled water from the ship out to the port, and from port back to the ship. It would probably be a better idea to use pre-bottled water in that case.