Cruise Raider

You are right .. the food has been consistently great onboard in every single venue we’ve tried so far on this ship. We haven’t yet been to the buffet but the room service orders have been great, quick and accurate every time.

I ordered the shrimp and rice soup, the Asian salad, both of which were outstanding (the soup is a bit spicy) and the scallops, which was also very good. Our waiter just automatically brings us each an extra bowl of steamed vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, carrots and green beans) and those are great as I love extra vegetables with my meal. My DH had the pork and he said it was good and he also ordered the soufflé, which he loved. We haven’t had a meal onboard as of yet that was just so so. Every meal so far has been really great! We definitely ask the waiter(s) for their suggestions and they haven’t steered us wrong yet.

We had the most perfect day in Loreto today. It’s hard to believe there is a hurricane just down the coast. We will be back on the Ruby in November and then we are debating on whether or not we will be going back on the Royal out of San Francisco or the Diamond out of San Diego in January 2023. The Diamond’s itinerary requires a long drive or a flight to the port but includes La Paz and Loreto, as well as Cabo. We are going to the usual three ports out of LA in April already so may have to look more deeply into the Diamond sailing. There are pros and cons to each one.

I really like Manzanillo but I love Loreto and La Paz … yes, we got lucky because the SF departures usually don’t include either of these ports! I am excited to get back to Loreto!

I love the liquid hand soap and the lotion dispensers. I did confirm that on the Ruby, the small bars of hand soap are available upon request.

Let’s hope this works … I’ve had a hard time with the WiFi .. haven’t been able to connect at all on my iPhone and it’s spotty on my iPad. Everything else on this sailing has been total perfection IMO. The food is great, the service has been superb, our cabin is awesome and our room steward has kept it so nice and tidy and it is so clean! Some of the nice touches that I wasn’t really expecting: - there is a live duo playing music during the daily PES event - goodies in the cabin include conditioner, body lotion, a shower cap and a small sewing kit (they might be elite goodies) - lotion and liquid hand soap are available in refillable bottles in our bathroom (I like the no plastic waste)

The cost of the Plus and even the Premier package makes total sense for us .. but, I also travel with friends that don’t get any real value from it. We almost always book specialty dinners, we drink wines over the $12 limit, we use the WiFi, as I’m doing right now while currently onboard and the prizes are kind of an extra perk if you win. We haven’t purchased the premier package on longer sailings as it really adds up. I think adding specialty dining based on the number of days to the cruise might be a better idea… 1 for a 3-6 night cruise, 2 for 7-10 night cruise and 3 for 11-16 and maybe 4 for 16+ nights. Anyway, from what you describe above, I don’t think you’d find great value in the package. As your title suggests, each person really has to put the pencil to the paper. I think you are at the break even point with the Plus package if have a specialty coffee and at least two alcohol drinks per day, that is if you use WiFi. The premium package is only of value if you drink fine wines and like to eat at the specialty restaurants.

Oh dear .. that’s even worse than I thought it would be! like you, I sure wish they would have some stricter rules about smoking areas.

It all depends on where you embark and disembark .. so, if you start in Seattle and end in Australia, according to the PVSA, you should be ok … now, just expect to have to explain that along the way. if, for some reason, you disembark in Hawaii, you will probably receive a heavy fine, which I believe is somewhere under $1000 pp.

You can invite others to your cabana, however, they must pay for the $20 (half day) or $40 (full day) for their own lounger.

So, I just learned from a friend that the crew smoking section is still designated for the aft section of the Ruby. I'm debating on whether or not to try downgrading our cabin now. So sad to hear they haven't changed this yet. The aft section is where are some of the best balconies and suites are located ... I just don't understand why they put the crew smoking section right under those premium cabins. Ugh! In the meanwhile, I will be sure to write Princess about this.

Wow ... we've cruised quite a few times since the restart and on several different ships and have never seen a mug with the Plus Package. I think I may ask for one in a few days.

You can only book the Sancturary once you are onboard. You can purchase a pass for the duration of the cruise or schedule it on a day to day basis. Yes, they really do fill up, especially when the weather is nice, so much so that if you don't get there right after you board, you may not get in at all. The Discovery also has some beautiful cabanas and although they are a lot more costly, it might be worth it to try it out for a day or two. Seriously, no kids are allowed in the sanctuary. And if nobody is in there, you may be able to take a tour so you can pick out the cabana or the chairs you might want. If there are any patrons using it at the time, we were not allowed in without a secured reservation.

They have some really good ones onboard and not really expensive. I think mine, a silicone one was like $12 and I’ve worn it a lot and it’s showing no signs of wear. My DH got a sports band one that he really likes and it was under $20. I also got one of the bangle ones as a gift when onboard … I really like that one as well. The ones they sell on the ship (or ahead of time online via the app) have a magnetic component to them so they don’t easily lose the medallion. It only fits in a certain way. There is no (elite) discount on these items but there is no tax. I think they are well worth it. If it is the wrong size or if it breaks (I can’t see that happening), they will exchange it for you onboard.

If you are offered that amount of free-play, you may also get a casino discount. It’s worth a call to see if that is also part of the offer.

^^^ This! Many people probably never (or rarely) read their contract. Funny story .. we had formal pictures taken on a cruise many years ago. Someone was in line to buy pictures of my me and my DH. Creepy as it might seem, it did kind of make me chuckle, especially when she was busted 😂 by us standing right behind her in line and pointing out she was buying pictures of us. It’s what we agree to when we board a cruise ship. I’ve seen countless videos of passengers in the vicinity of the intended focus on cruises posted on FB. I’ve even posted pictures of friends and family and other passengers are captured in the photo. Once you’ve left your room, you really should not have any expectation that you won’t wind up on a photo or video somewhere. I was waiting during a particularly long and disorganized embarkation in San Francisco earlier in the year. A friend sent the video from the news and I could easily spot myself in that long line.

The pizza does have a $3 charge but it is enough for 2 or 3 people and it is so good! I order it with a couple salads and it can be ordered throughout the ship. Plan on anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes to get your order as it is made when you order it. The complimentary room service menu is actually quite good and greatly expanded since the restart. Breakfast item choices are slim, though.

We booked two cruises with the premier package. So, I was able to book the specialty dining on one sailing where it came back as included, so no charge. The other one, no such luck. So inconsistent … not a bother, though. We ended up changing to a different cruise and dropped the premier package to the plus package.

We were able to upgrade to an aft facing balcony on the Ruby on the dolphin deck and are just wondering if we’ve made the right decision. We are both sensitive to cigarette smoke and are wondering if the crew smoking section is still all the way aft on the promenade deck below. I know they received a lot of complaints from those in aft facing balconies and suites. And, since a large number of crew are smokers and I wouldn’t want to deny them their only outlet for their stress and hard work, we would consider moving to another location if smoking is currently problematic. However, we sure do love our aft facing balconies … what is the more recent experience for those on the Ruby?

We are on three cruises, all of which appeared to have availability on cabins but are showing as ‘Currently Not Available’…. All of which are on the Royal Princess. When booking a cabin for a friend, my CVP said she would have to check capacity before booking it because of a staffing shortage. I didn’t think to ask her about it at that time, wish I would have as she is so busy, I really don’t want call her back and waste her time with such an insignificant question. However, if there are any travel agents on here that might be able to answer the question of limiting capacity, particularly on the Royal Princess, I’d really appreciate it. Maybe they are all actually sold out and have no cabin availability? Just wondering what to expect.

I am still undecided on this cruise but am checking out the inside cabins on the Coral Princess and am looking for a little advice as to which are decent rooms and which are 'avoid at all costs' rooms. I see that P629, D720 and some aft cabins on the Caribe (C710, C711, C723, C724) and Emerald (E718, E719, E729) decks are available. I am not really interested in the Baja deck as it appears to be right under a public deck in the back .... so assuming it would be noisy. Not sure but does anyone know if B629 is ok in terms of noise from above? On this cruise, not at all interested in booking a balcony, or should I say, cannot justify the cost so am mainly interested in any pros and cons of these aft inside cabins. The one on the dolphin deck (D720) looks to be a bit larger. Is this correct? Also the ones on the Caribe deck are sideways cabins. Is this good or bad? Of the cabins listed, does anyone have any experience with noise issues?? Thanks in advance!