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late 30's - considering Princess- thoughts please


DnA2010
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Hi All,

 

I am considering booking the Ruby Princess Oct 13th cruise from Vancouver to LA as a little getaway for my husband and I. We have previously cruised on RCL's Oasis and Freedom, Disney's Fantasy and HAL's Volendam. I am considering this cruise as it leaves from Vancouver (which we can drive to) and the price is very reasonable. We enjoyed our cruises on DCL and RCL, we did find the HAL cruise a bit..boring, but we knew to expect that going in. Just wondering thoughts on Ruby Princess- what do the age demographics tend to be, do there tend to be people in the bars/night club in the evenings, how are the day activities?

 

Thank you all so much in advance

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Hi All,

 

I am considering booking the Ruby Princess Oct 13th cruise from Vancouver to LA as a little getaway for my husband and I. We have previously cruised on RCL's Oasis and Freedom, Disney's Fantasy and HAL's Volendam. I am considering this cruise as it leaves from Vancouver (which we can drive to) and the price is very reasonable. We enjoyed our cruises on DCL and RCL, we did find the HAL cruise a bit..boring, but we knew to expect that going in. Just wondering thoughts on Ruby Princess- what do the age demographics tend to be, do there tend to be people in the bars/night club in the evenings, how are the day activities?

 

Thank you all so much in advance

 

FWIW I'm 29 and my wife is 26 -going on Ruby Aug 25 Alaska. We weren't impressed by our last RCL. It was a older ship, so that may have had something to do with it. Looking at Princess for Europe 19 even though prices seem high compared to NCL. Don't want the Epic mega ship so we will see how it goes it Aug. From what I read here and elsewhere, Princess is what we are looking for! We have a 1.5 YO (not taking) and want to relax, not party. I'll be following this post as well.

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FWIW I'm 29 and my wife is 26 -going on Ruby Aug 25 Alaska. We weren't impressed by our last RCL. It was a older ship, so that may have had something to do with it. Looking at Princess for Europe 19 even though prices seem high compared to NCL. Don't want the Epic mega ship so we will see how it goes it Aug. From what I read here and elsewhere, Princess is what we are looking for! We have a 1.5 YO (not taking) and want to relax, not party. I'll be following this post as well.

 

We really liked Oasis (giant) and Freedom (similar size to Ruby I believe) but going on Volendam last year made us realize we def prefer the bigger newer ships (I want to try the Epic type ships from NCL and may try to get on Bliss next year). I'm thinking this trip as a relax/but have some fun ie kinda party. Which RCL ship were you on?

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Having sailed Princess 20+ times, I can say that it has a fairly broad demographic. That is influenced to a degree by both time of year, length of cruise, and itinerary. We did a short Vancouver to SF a few years back. It is not a “party” cruise but there will be activity well into the evening. In October I doubt you would see very many kids. It should serve well as a brief getaway with only a single flight required .

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In all honesty, sounds like you might find Princess a bit....boring as well. Every CD makes the "There will be five people at the disco, and one of them is the DJ" type joke. Piano bar and more traditional dance venues will be active, but compared to the panoply of stuff to do on RCL's megas, Princess is distinctly laid back. More trivia-and-line-dancing than waterslides-and-ice-shows.

 

On the other hand, you've got a full day in San Francisco and just two sea days. How bored can you get in two days? I'd give it a shot.

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My husband and I are in our late 30’s as well. We have sailed with Carnival, RC and Princess. We have our second Princess cruise on Saturday. We chose to go back to Princess because of the friendly customer service and the enrichment activities. We’re not sticks in the mud and like to drink and dance...but not just spring break style. I like some of the older ships. I like to be able to feel like I’m on a ship and be able to walk around and actually see the ocean from various decks.... not something you get with some larger vessels. Ultimately, I think your vacation and the fun you have is what you make of it. Try it out and then you’ll know if that is the adventure you would like in the future. Good luck and whatever decision you make... Have fun and no regrets.

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We really liked Oasis (giant) and Freedom (similar size to Ruby I believe) but going on Volendam last year made us realize we def prefer the bigger newer ships (I want to try the Epic type ships from NCL and may try to get on Bliss next year). I'm thinking this trip as a relax/but have some fun ie kinda party. Which RCL ship were you on?

Monarch of the seas.

The epic is very big, I’ve heard RCL does the mega ships better than NCL, at least the epic. Only forward and aft elevators, not enough deck space, not many windows, have to walk through the casino to get everywhere, weird layout, bathrooms. Reserve nearly everything. Idk, some people love it. A very polarizing ship lol.

Edited by Ngamtns706
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It's a 5 nighter, not much to do but have fun. There will be live music in all the lounges every evening, shows, probably a comic or singer, a DJ in Skywalker's which will probably be busier on a 5 nighter than a longer cruise. If it's a good price you don't have much to lose. Short cruises tend to have younger crowds.

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We went on our first Princess cruise as a way to celebrate my 40th birthday and loved it. There was enough activity to keep us busy when we wanted to be for as late as we might want. The age demographic is wide and we are still close with people we met on that cruise, still sailing together when we can. Enjoy it and let us know what you think.

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When have been sailing Princess since we were in our early 30s and still really enjoy it 30 years later. We did this cruise last October, like you we got a great deal. Given the nature of this cruise and the time of year, it's a seasoned group. If you're content to relax and enjoy, you should be fine, but know you'll be some of the youngest on the ship. We ran into heavy seas for a couple of days and I told my DH the first day that the breakfast buffet and fitness center would be dead. Boy, was I wrong. Like I said, a seasoned group.

 

Just a comment on the Epic, it's a weird ship. I would recommend trying some other large NCL ship if you want a better experience.

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If you are the party starter then you might love Princess.

 

If you want to relax and hit the hay relatively early then you will love Princess.

 

If you get lucky and there is a group of partying 50+ folks on the ship then you might love Princess.

 

 

When we were thirty-three, we took a Princess cruise... then about twenty years later we took our second Princess cruise.

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We've not been on the Ruby, but we've done several other Princess ships. On DCL, we strongly prefer the Magic to the Fantasy, but those are different issues than we've ever seen on Princess. We've also done a couple of other lines.

 

Depending on the time of year, you'll find a much broader demographic on Princess than on other lines. We've always found a lot more night life on Princess than on DCL--dancing, etc. The production shows are not nearly as good, but the Voice of the Ocean show and some of the variety acts are excellent. However, if your only comparison is the Fantasy...those are the least good shows on DCL. Princess shows tend to be a bunch of people singing and dancing to a particular type of music rather than a show with a plot. Food on Princess has been improving over the last few years, and on our most recent cruise was as good as we've had on any line. Try the complimentary afternoon tea (usually 3pm in one of the dining rooms). It's a nice mid-day break.

 

I would certainly suggest you try Princess. That's where we've booked our next two cruises,

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As this is a shorter cruise, there is likely to be a younger demographic on board, which means a somewhat livelier ship. That being said, the pace on Princess is perhaps described well as "relaxing" although there are plenty of activities, and evening shows. On sea days there are almost always at least 4 to 6 things to choose from at any given time.

As a previous response notes, it is not going to be a Spring Break party cruise. We love the welcoming atmosphere, the great service, the variety of activities that are offered, it keeps us quite loyal to Princess. And while the Ruby is not a brand new ship, she has a whole lot to offer.

If the time, price and itinerary are right, give it a go. I think you will be glad you did.

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I am 39, my sister is 37. We were on a Hawaiian cruise last year with mom and it was fine. My sister is not going on the Panama canal next year because she "doesn't want to be surrounded by old people." In my experience, that's the nature of longer cruises. She made friends with the CD staff, and stayed in Skywalkers till it closed down though. Even the el Capitan knew her by name (and figured out our stateroom number, but that's another thread entirely). I enjoyed the daytime activities, and am happy reading on our balcony. I'm not particularly a partier, but I was able to hit every BOGO as needed for my booze. Princess is in my experience younger than Celebrity, and less rowdy/drunk/party-centric than Carnival, the other two lines I've been on.

 

Bottom line, the cruise is what you make of it.... Unless you need to have a belly flop contest and go skydiving. Then you need Carnival or RCCL, respectively :)

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I am 39, my sister is 37. We were on a Hawaiian cruise last year with mom and it was fine. My sister is not going on the Panama canal next year because she "doesn't want to be surrounded by old people." In my experience, that's the nature of longer cruises. She made friends with the CD staff, and stayed in Skywalkers till it closed down though. Even the el Capitan knew her by name (and figured out our stateroom number, but that's another thread entirely). I enjoyed the daytime activities, and am happy reading on our balcony. I'm not particularly a partier, but I was able to hit every BOGO as needed for my booze. Princess is in my experience younger than Celebrity, and less rowdy/drunk/party-centric than Carnival, the other two lines I've been on.

 

Bottom line, the cruise is what you make of it.... Unless you need to have a belly flop contest and go skydiving. Then you need Carnival or RCCL, respectively :)

 

Hey - I think my DH & I were on this cruise with you, sis & your mom. We played a lot of trivia together & managed to beat the "ringer" team once! Even partied up in Skywalkers a night or two. Let me know if this rings a bell with you!!

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I've sailed twice on Princess and I'm in my mid-30s. On a 7 day cruise out of LA there was a wide age range. On a transatlantic, we were among the few "young people." Personally, I loved the transatlantic because the fitness and sports areas were always empty, whereas on the 7day out of LA, they were much more in use. As for day time activities, they had board games for loan in the library, game meet ups, crafts, live music of a variety of types, Zumba, dance classes, Afternoon Tea, cooking demonstrations, movies, etc.

 

Hi All,

 

I am considering booking the Ruby Princess Oct 13th cruise from Vancouver to LA as a little getaway for my husband and I. We have previously cruised on RCL's Oasis and Freedom, Disney's Fantasy and HAL's Volendam. I am considering this cruise as it leaves from Vancouver (which we can drive to) and the price is very reasonable. We enjoyed our cruises on DCL and RCL, we did find the HAL cruise a bit..boring, but we knew to expect that going in. Just wondering thoughts on Ruby Princess- what do the age demographics tend to be, do there tend to be people in the bars/night club in the evenings, how are the day activities?

 

Thank you all so much in advance

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We went on our first Princess cruise as a way to celebrate my 40th birthday and loved it. There was enough activity to keep us busy when we wanted to be for as late as we might want. The age demographic is wide and we are still close with people we met on that cruise, still sailing together when we can. Enjoy it and let us know what you think.

 

Thank you for your reply, very helpful :)

 

When have been sailing Princess since we were in our early 30s and still really enjoy it 30 years later. We did this cruise last October, like you we got a great deal. Given the nature of this cruise and the time of year, it's a seasoned group. If you're content to relax and enjoy, you should be fine, but know you'll be some of the youngest on the ship. We ran into heavy seas for a couple of days and I told my DH the first day that the breakfast buffet and fitness center would be dead. Boy, was I wrong. Like I said, a seasoned group.

 

Just a comment on the Epic, it's a weird ship. I would recommend trying some other large NCL ship if you want a better experience.

 

Thanks for your thoughts, espec for the note on Epic- will def keep it in mind

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Having sailed Princess 20+ times, I can say that it has a fairly broad demographic. That is influenced to a degree by both time of year, length of cruise, and itinerary. We did a short Vancouver to SF a few years back. It is not a “party” cruise but there will be activity well into the evening. In October I doubt you would see very many kids. It should serve well as a brief getaway with only a single flight required .

 

I think as long as every venue isn't empty, that's what we would like- we like all sorts of music and that.

 

In all honesty, sounds like you might find Princess a bit....boring as well. Every CD makes the "There will be five people at the disco, and one of them is the DJ" type joke. Piano bar and more traditional dance venues will be active, but compared to the panoply of stuff to do on RCL's megas, Princess is distinctly laid back. More trivia-and-line-dancing than waterslides-and-ice-shows.

 

On the other hand, you've got a full day in San Francisco and just two sea days. How bored can you get in two days? I'd give it a shot.

 

We actually don't mind more traditional dance (gives us a chance to try and remember our ballroom lessons) Thanks for the thoughts

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Monarch of the seas.

The epic is very big, I’ve heard RCL does the mega ships better than NCL, at least the epic. Only forward and aft elevators, not enough deck space, not many windows, have to walk through the casino to get everywhere, weird layout, bathrooms. Reserve nearly everything. Idk, some people love it. A very polarizing ship lol.

 

Thanks! Will def keep this in mind

 

It's a 5 nighter, not much to do but have fun. There will be live music in all the lounges every evening, shows, probably a comic or singer, a DJ in Skywalker's which will probably be busier on a 5 nighter than a longer cruise. If it's a good price you don't have much to lose. Short cruises tend to have younger crowds.

 

Thanks, I think the price is pretty darn cheap all things considered, and the short one way flight is for sure appealing

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Be aware that due to the timing of this cruise, you probably won't see very many passengers under 25. School is in session and those folks would rather wait to cruise when there is a break in the schedule.

Jim

That makes sense, thank you :)

We did the other direction - LA to Vancouver - on the Coral Princess last month. Here is the Princess Patter from a sea day. Even though the Coral is a smaller ship than the Ruby, it should give you an idea of the activities on a Princess ship.

 

Thank you for posting this :)

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If you are the party starter then you might love Princess.

 

If you want to relax and hit the hay relatively early then you will love Princess.

 

If you get lucky and there is a group of partying 50+ folks on the ship then you might love Princess.

 

 

When we were thirty-three, we took a Princess cruise... then about twenty years later we took our second Princess cruise.

 

Thanks! Enjoyed your thoughts :)

 

We've not been on the Ruby' date=' but we've done several other Princess ships. On DCL, we strongly prefer the Magic to the Fantasy, but those are different issues than we've ever seen on Princess. We've also done a couple of other lines.

 

Depending on the time of year, you'll find a much broader demographic on Princess than on other lines. We've always found a lot more night life on Princess than on DCL--dancing, etc. The production shows are not nearly as good, but the Voice of the Ocean show and some of the variety acts are excellent. However, if your only comparison is the Fantasy...those are the least good shows on DCL. Princess shows tend to be a bunch of people singing and dancing to a particular type of music rather than a show with a plot. Food on Princess has been improving over the last few years, and on our most recent cruise was as good as we've had on any line. Try the complimentary afternoon tea (usually 3pm in one of the dining rooms). It's a nice mid-day break.

 

I would certainly suggest you try Princess. That's where we've booked our next two cruises,[/quote']

 

While we are Disney fans and we loved our cruise on the Fantasy, I don't know when we will said DCL again- the cost always seems to be double that of comparable cruises on other lines and we'd rather do more with our vacation dollars.

 

Thanks for your thoughts on the shows and food- that's one thing I will say about HAL's Volendam- the food shocked us with how good it was. I did speak to the Sous one day and he did say, as it's a small ship that they are able to be more creative and do more actual cooking as oppose to "heating"

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While I haven’t done a West Coast cruise, I have done a couple of shorter cruises on Princess on the East Coast. I have found that the demographics are skewed towards the “younger side” compared to their other sailings. I find more people are out later in the evenings which I enjoy since some sailings have been very quiet at night.

 

I agree with shepp, Princess is more laid back. Sometimes there can be a lot of “energy” in the evenings, sometimes it can be very quiet. I found more people out and about and laughing on our 7 night NCL Getaway sailing out of Miami and loved having things like the dueling piano bar which stayed very active until late at night. That’s probably why I spend so much time in Crooners when they have a great person playing the piano who grabs everyone’s attention and interacts with their audience.

 

Of course nothing had the crazy vibe that we had over that one spring break 5 night Princess sailing a couple of years ago. That was completely out of character for Princess but it sure was fun people watching at night.

 

It’s probably the perfect cruise for you to take to try out Princess. Hope you enjoy your cruise!

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Of course nothing had the crazy vibe that we had over that one spring break 5 night Princess sailing a couple of years ago. That was completely out of character for Princess but it sure was fun people watching at night.

 

Was that on the Emerald in March 2016 that had the 700 spring-breakers?? We were on that one!! Never saw so many bodies at the pool & the bars!! :cool: I have a picture I could post, but haven't figured out how to do it!!

 

I agree - would not have been surprised to see that group on Carnival - totally out of the "Princess" experience!

Edited by FLCruise7
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