LIVE from the RUBY PRINCESS - TRANSATLANTIC FLL - BARCELONA 4/19 -5/5/10

[paul929207]

Pia,

Enjoy your joouney. May not see as much of the second leg. We got to Cape Town yesterday to board the Ocean Princess Friday.

[Colo Cruiser]

 

Lisa Ball was our Cruise Director. It may be James Lay in Oct. for us.

Can't wait until Oct. for the fabulous time we will have. I believe everyone will love him too. I've been on cruises with Capt. McCharming also & feel confident that all will find Capt. Draper just as friendly & charming.

 

 

James does not work for Princess anymore and Lisa is on another ship now.

James Ibrahim is CD on the Ruby.

[Pia1913]

Hi all...........

 

Will be posting a new LIVE shortly.

[Colo Cruiser]

Hi all...........

 

Will be posting a new LIVE shortly.

 

See ya there.

[cruisingallover]

Hi all...........

 

Will be posting a new LIVE shortly.

 

 

We will be waiting :)

[hokiefans]

Hi all...........

 

Will be posting a new LIVE shortly.

 

Hi Pia!

Brian and I are safely ensconsed in the AC Diplomatic in Barcelona after leaving our girl, the Ruby Princess, this morning. :( We will be sure to read through this LIVE and look forward to your next!

It was wonderful sailing with you and Mike. Please pass on our hellos to Gloria and Lew. Safe sailing!

denise and brian

[mdouc]

Hi from the beautiful Ruby Princess where I will try to keep you informed and perhaps also entertained during the next 16 days enroute to Barcelona.

There was a delay in boarding this morning due to some immigration problem with the arriving passengers. So instead of being in our cabin before noon, we didn't get in until about 12:20 PM. Once they started moving, move they did. While waiting we happened to meet some of our Roll Call people and our official M and G will be tomorrow.

We just came back from muster and now will watch sailaway with our friends from their balcony. The port side has a better view and this trip we are on starboard.

Of course being the first day, there's not yet anything to report. Of interest though, is a new menu the the Elite, suite ande platinum guests, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM in Skywalkers. Every night's drink special has been reduced from $5.00 to $2.99, and the same items are still present; i.e. steak tartare, shrimp, stilton, etc.

More later. Time for sailaway.

i'm planning a transatlantic in 2 years, i'm trying to get all the info i can get, do you need any visa's when you go on a cruise to europe to get off for excursions??

[caribill]

i'm planning a transatlantic in 2 years, i'm trying to get all the info i can get, do you need any visa's when you go on a cruise to europe to get off for excursions??

 

For US citizens, usually not for the normal transatlantic itineraries.

[DonahCBrown]

i'm planning a transatlantic in 2 years, i'm trying to get all the info i can get, do you need any visa's when you go on a cruise to europe to get off for excursions??

 

Generally speaking, not unless you are doing a cruise that includes Russia. If you are visiting St. Petersburg or Murmansk, for instance, you will need a visa. You will have to be on an 'official' tour -either through the ship or an approved tour company in Russia, and they'll take care of getting it for you. Getting one on your own and getting off to do independent touring is more complicated, and I wouldn't advise in any event - more hassle than it is worth. Otherwise, most of the rest of Europe is on the visa waiver program. See

 

http://travel.state.gov/visa/visa_1750.html

 

for further information.

[margord]

Looking Forward

[dsawyer]

I supppose I should mention our guide; or perhaps our non guide. The woman assigned to our coach could barely speak English and most of what she said, which wasn't much, was indecipherable. She didn't explain anything and mostly left us to do our own thing. There are lots of unhappy passengers out there so the tour desk had better watch out for a revolt this evening. Time to stop blabbering. :)

 

Is this it? Always bad when you can't understand the guide. People on private tours had the same problem in Genoa. I think that area is not producing guides with good English speaking skills. Too bad. Its a lovely area and a wonderful place to visit.

 

At least you got partial refund. Many others did not.

 

The new online comment sheet does not give one the opportunity to address tours just check a box.

[caribill]

The new online comment sheet does not give one the opportunity to address tours just check a box.

 

If you have a problem taking a Princess sponsored tour, the time to address the problem is while you are still on the cruise.

 

Writing a note detailing the problems in a complete, rational manner (and asking for a price adjustment) and then giving the note to the shore excursion desk is the right way to take care of this.

 

Many Princess tours have a Princess escort on them. If there is one on the tour you have had a problem with, try to get that escort to verify to the tour desk what was encountered.

[dsawyer]

If you have a problem taking a Princess sponsored tour, the time to address the problem is while you are still on the cruise.

 

Writing a note detailing the problems in a complete, rational manner (and asking for a price adjustment) and then giving the note to the shore excursion desk is the right way to take care of this.

 

Many Princess tours have a Princess escort on them. If there is one on the tour you have had a problem with, try to get that escort to verify to the tour desk what was encountered.

 

Good Point! If I wanted to ask for money back or if something happened on the tour that they needed to hear about, I would have taken the time to address it onboard.

 

Hwever, I only did one Princess tour and while I thought it was lame and not worth the cost, I wouldn't have asked for money back. I do think Princess should get feedback on their tours without having to take vacation time to stand in a line to complain.

 

It would be helpful to be able to give feedback on their online comment sheet.

 

Actually, the comment sheet did not allow for any comments except in the section about outstanding employees.

 

I could have written a book on the wonderful crew of The Ruby Princess. :cool: