skynight

No. Nice casual is appropriate for all evenings in all DRs and specialty restaurants. You will find very few passengers in true formal clothing. 

See if this ongoing post can help

You have to select one way flights. First cruise home to London. Second cruise final destination, (Ft. Lauderdale?) back home. It is very easy. I do it all the time. Flights for the first cruise should open 330 days prior to the first cruise. Flights for the second cruise should open 330 days from the end of the 2nd cruise. 

1) Riviera deck balconies are 9ft wide x 5ft deep. There are no obstructions on port & starboard side balconies. Balcony dividers can be opened by your cabin steward. You are correct that balcony dividers between two cabins in different fire zones are fixed and can not be opened. You can see the fire doors on the deck plans. Also cabins with different starting numbers are in different fire zones. Example, adjacent cabins R632 & R702 are in different fire zones. The balcony divider connecting door is narrow. When open it allows you to pass through, but it does not provide for a single double size balcony.

2) Cabins directly adjacent to the elevator waiting area can have some noise. Example R704/R706. Aft cabins tend to bounce around more during rough seas and you can hear and feel the vibration when the thrusters are being used, mainly when entering and leaving ports.

3) Crazy is a strong word. I have sailed to Hawaii many times. Seas are generally choppy with cooler weather the first two to three days. It warms after the ship reaches the tropics. The return route is more southern heading to Mexico, and not as cool. Storms are always possible. You can not predict when they will hit. But when they do aft cabins on the most upper decks feel the seas more than lower decks more mid ship.

4) I would look for cabins on deck 10. These cabins have large 9ft x 9ft balconies half covered. You & your friends can gather on one balcony. I spent 72 days on the Ruby over the past two winter seasons. I was in cat. BD on deck 10. Great cabins, nice location.

Being on the "R" deck places you directly under the busy Horizon Ct. I would avoid that. Deck 10 places you between the upper Lido deck and the lower activity decks 7,6 & 5. Nice access in each direction and cabins above & below you. 

12 hours ago, candy4040 said:

Be sure on embarkation that you go the MDR (Not sure which one but generally in the Aft) for lunch.  One of the better meals at lunch time.  Doesn't start serving until 12:00 or 12:30 (I don't remember.  

Botticelli DR, Deck 6 aft. To get there walk all the way aft on deck 7 or above and take the elevator down to deck 6. There is no access from deck 6 or 5 mid ship.

This is one option and a way you can 'park' your carry on until the cabin is ready.

Other options include:

International Cafe, deck 5 mid ship with sandwiches, fruit and other items, busy area. Specialty coffees available there.

Horizon Ct buffet, deck 15, wide variety of selections with tables both indoor and outdoor seating. Expect crowds.

Salty Dog Grill deck 15 starboard,  outdoor by the Lido Pool. Tasty burgers, hot dogs, chicken, fries with many toppings. Tables and bar seating available.

Slice Pizza, deck 15 outdoor port side more mid ship. Pizza by the slice. This happens to be my personal favorite assuming nice weather to have a few slices of pizza, a beer or other beverage and sit outside and view the activity. Specialty coffees and soft ice cream directly adjacent to Slice. 

I was on board the Ruby for 48 days this past winter. I had the plus package. When I asked for a specialty coffee I had to scan my medallion. When I asked for regular coffee they just drew it from the urn and gave it to me, no scanning. The regular and decaf coffee at the I.C. , I believe, was the same Lavazza coffee that was in the Horizon Ct.

Since they did not scan my medallion my thinking was/is that there was no charge. Was it really no charge or did they just recognize me, I don't really know.

Coffee & Cones did not have this coffee. Only specialty coffees.  

International Cafe on deck 5 mid ship has regular & decaf Lavazza coffees, no charge as well as specialty  coffees  covered by the plus fare package.

The Horizon Ct. buffet has regular and decaf coffees, Lavazza. No charge. 

Coffee & Cones on the Lido deck next to slices pizza and the soft ice cream bar has specialty coffees. 

1 hour ago, Maddiemae1958 said:

 

My husband and I are traveling on our first cruise to Alaska on Princess, August 11, 2025. We’ve been on several European river cruises, but never on such a large ship as the ruby princess. Thinking I was doing the right thing I booked directly with princess rather than through a travel agent. Since then I have had no information. I’m feeling as if they have received their payment and now I’m just floundering in the dark. The app has very little information and has been difficult to use. I believe I ordered medallions twice and it won’t take the information for my traveling companion who is on my account. I have completed the ocean ready checklist. Friends have told me that I need to get a boarding time and make reservations for meals, both in the dining rooms, casual, dining, and specialty restaurants. I did call the dine line, but I’m not sure what I should be asking and they were not helpful. Hoping that we will get information in the mail. Wishing I would’ve gone through a travel agent who could answer my questions. Am I panicking for no reason?

Let me try to assist. I have spent may days on board the Ruby Princess. It's a great ship.

Dining - Are you in a full suite or a reserve collection mini suite? If yes then you have Reserve Collection walk in dining. Prompt seating, no reservations required. If no then you have to go into the Princess App to reserve your DR dining. You have three options 1) fixed early or late seating, same table, same time, same waiters. 2) Reservation Dining, same or different times each day starting at 5pm and then every 20 minutes, 5:00, 5:20, 5:40 and so on. 3) walk in dining. No reservation required, just show up anytime. With this type of dining there is normally a line that forms before the DR opens at 5pm. Once all the tables are filled there are no further tables available until the DR starts to clear around 6:30. Theater shows have been at 7:30 & 9:00.

Specialty restaurants. The Ruby has the Crown Grill and Sabatini's. You can make reservations in the app. Payment is due when reservations are made. You can also show up at the restaurant after you board and see what is available. Usually times are available on boarding day. If you have the premier fare package then you have access to unlimited specialty dining as well as unlimited casual dining. I want to say that it is late in the cycle and that many of the preferred dining times have already been booked. 

Casual Dining. The Ruby Princess has the Salty Dog Gastro Pub in the Wheelhouse Bar. It is open in the evening each day. Walk in no reservations. There is also a cold dinner at Vines. This may be open for both lunch and dinner. It is also just walk in.

You will not receive anything in the mail.

Boarding times. You will be boarding at pier 27 in San Francisco. The terminal will open around 9:30 to 10:00am. Boarding will begin between 0:30 and 11:00am, probably closer to 11am. You can choose to show up early with the crowds or wait some. Boarding ends around 2 hours before sailing, say 2pm. There are no assigned boarding times.

Medallions. Don't worry if you don not get your medallions in the mail. They are very easy to pick up at the pier. Just bring along you passport. A copy of your Travel Summary or booking can also be brought as a back up.

13 hours ago, sfaaa said:

People eat too much at the buffet and this is the obvious end result.

No, not this. It is caused by people flushing items that should not be flushed. Search this site for thousands of posts and posts by chengkp75 which explains it all. 

Choose now.  If you choose flexible fare you can change anytime up until 90 days before the cruise. 

I book when I see cruise(s) I want. I personally don't worry about sales. I have 3 cruises booked for Oct/Nov this year. My T.A. has already re-fared one of them at a lower cost. It is the way I go.

To respond directly, I have seen Black Friday so called sales. I have seen $1 deposit sales. I have seen OBC offered sales., and other kinds of offers. I can't tell you if you really save any significant amount. 

It is common on ships. Not unique to any specific ship. There are thousands of posts on these boards regarding plugged vacuum toilet lines and plumbers working to clear them. 

It is important to know the ship. Each ship is a little different.

#1 Regarding dining, there are differences by ship, if you have a Reserve Collection mini suite, if you are in a full suite, if you are in a Sanctuary Collection cabin on the new Star Princess, if you have the Premier Fare Package. That will be important to know. Regarding steps in the DR some ships do have some step-ups of maybe 6 inches. I have not seen any DRs with full size steps. 

#2. There are no reservations for entertainment. Except, that if you have the Premier package then there is a section of reserved seats for production shows up until around 5 to 10 minutes before showtime.

#3 I don't know the direct answer to your question. I will mention that from my extensive experience on Princess ships the beds are very comfortable. https://princessluxurybed.com/

Some ports in Alaska are Tender, Water Shuttle, ports. You must be able to walk some to get on and off the tender.

You have to show up at the proper time & place to get your tender tickets. There will be information in the Princess Patter, daily event listing, regarding the location, timing and process. Basically it is 1st ones receive the earliest tender tickets. If you are a group  or couple then all of you have to show up to receive your tender tickets. One person can not get tickets for the group. Tenders start running  not long after the ship has anchored, guess 30/45 minutes.  The exact timing varies by many factors. At some point during the morning there will be an announcement that tickets are no longer required, and those wishing to go ashore just have to report to the pontoon. 

Are there priorities? yes. Passengers on Princess tours have priority for the timing they require, it may not be first. These passengers normally fill the earliest tenders, assuming they have early tours. Passengers in full suites as well as passengers that are Elite loyalty level also have priority. These passengers have a separate procedure and are 'fit' into the tenders with others as space is available.

3 hours ago, Beamafar said:

I’ve just checked my booking (on the UK site) and the Plus package is showing as $65 per person PLUS 18% service charge.  This is the price to order pre-cruise:

 

What you are referencing is the stand alone Plus beverage package. The Plus fare package is $60/pp/day with the first two passengers in the cabin required to purchase. The plus fare package includes the beverage package and other items. In most cases it does not make sense to purchase the stand alone beverage package. See site below

https://www.princess.com/cruise-deals-promotions/plus-premier-cruise-packages

Not part of the plus package. 

Maybe it is a way for staff to group people at tables that like to dine at similar pace. Maybe that is the purpose. Waiters typically don't serve the next course until all or almost all have finished the current course. Some quicker diners can get 'stuck'. 

Here is what I have noticed. If the cruise is one that has a good number of youth & young adults there tends to be some activities for them. They then seem to group up and have their own schedules. So it may depend on what cruise you booked how much activity there will be. 

I have 3 different flights booked through EZ Air, 1 for this fall and 2 for next spring. I booked them early on, all on United. United allows seat selection while in EZ Air. Right after I booked I found the flights on the United site and added my frequent flyer number as well as my TSA pre-approved traveler number. I believe that EZ Air pays the airline soon after you are inside the allowed change timing of 90 days.

5 hours ago, claudia814 said:

I have EZ Air for next year but I don’t know what Early Ticketing refers to. Please advise and thank you. 

Early ticking means that you pay for your flight early before the cruise final payment deadline, and then EZ Air pays the airline. Some airlines will not allow you to select seats until they receive payment. 

3 hours ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

Have you sailed the Historic Locks? Which ship would you choose for the Historic Locks? And why? What do you like about one ship over the other?

 

What time of year would you go?  Do you prefer one itinerary over another?  Also, is one side of the ship better than the other for views? 
 

Thinking about maybe this fall.  Help please. 😊

Yes.

There are only two Princess ships that fit through the historic locks, the Island Princess & the Coral Princess. So if you are sailing on a Princess ship not much choice. I would choose the Coral Princess. It still has its original aft section. 

Sail in winter. It is very hot with strong sun in the spring. Fall is probably ok.

Either side is fine. Best views entering the locks are upper open decks and forward. 

26 minutes ago, memoak said:

We never arrive before noon to avoid crowds some ports have more early people than others   In my opinion San Francisco and Vancouver have the most early borders. There we don’t arrive until  1:00

Poster is boarding in Ft Lauderdale

My 1st post is pretty much on target. Arrive say 9:30 and you will be in lines. Could be on board bt 11am. Arrive 11am. You will most likely walk right through fairly quickly.

In general terminals open around 9:00/9:30 am. It takes some time to get through security. Boarding generally begins between 10:30 and 11:00am. Once it begins it goes quickly.

It is important to know the port. Some ports are a little different. For example in Vancouver there is an extra step to go through U.S. Customs/Immigration. Some European ports are also a little different. 

Asking here is only advice.

You have to refer to each country's specific web site to determine if you require a visa or other entry requirement. The determination also depends on the citizenship/passport of you and those in your party.

$65/pp/day on board, $60/pp/day pre cruise. First two passengers in a cabin have to purchase. Word is that  packages most likely changing end of this month. Changes unknown. Widely viewed that cost will increase.