Ruby Princess E. Caribbean photo and video review

[Jasperdo]

 

We are also National Park Geeks but have done a poor job of seeing many so far.

Grand Canyon several times including a great overnight stay but the surface has only been scratched. Wyoming calls. Yosemite calls etc

 

Norris

We've been to 45 of the 59 US National Parks. I doubt if we'll ever get to all of them, especially the wilderness parks in Alaska. You said Wyoming calls. Yellowstone is my favorite of all the National Parks. An amazing place. Be sure and plan at least 3 full days there. My favorite part of the Park is your namesake, Norris Geyser Basin. Grand Teton isn't too shabby, either.

[Tatanka]

Norris

I live in the back woods off the grid. The town is called island park. 35 miles from the west entrance of Yellowstone. Right in Targhee national forest. I do wildlife and nature photography for fun. We are about 60 from Jackson hole but I can still see the Grand Teton.

 

Dalene

[Bimmer09]

Norris,

I have been following along and felt it was time to tell you how much I enjoy your pictures and commentary. Your great photography makes me want to get rid of my point and shoot and get a real camera.

We were on the Ruby in Oct. of 2014, NYC to Quebec. Love the ship. Next cruise August 2015, Golden to Alaska.

Thanks again, Norris.

 

Thank you so much for the compliments on the photos! Although I am pleased with many of them I am still at the "grasshopper" stage as I am far away from always shooting RAW, Manual all the time and editing after the fact.

So much to learn but I am not an enthusiast that's willing to get a headache over taking a photo. I am a ways from talking F Stops to lonely guys in bars. LOL.

 

The camera is there to see what I see and capture it so I can relive it and in the case of CC, share it with people who weren't there for that event.

 

I love reading photo reviews and this is my "giving back" to the CC group.

 

A real camera (DSLR) sure makes it easier to get satisfying photos and I don't have anything remotely near top of the line. it is basically Canon's DSLR entry into taking good photos for the amateur.

 

A picture is worth a thousand words-as long as it's in focus and the beauty of Digital is that you can check it immediately after shooting and take another photo if it is trash.

 

Upgrading your camera to a Canon or Nikon DSLR will give you some great photos and some of the things you may photograph you will only see ONCE in your lifetime perhaps.

 

A lot of my shots need help and I use iPhoto editing as I don't see the need for anything more elaborate just yet.

 

I am at the learning stage and that's the exciting part-if I put in the effort and study I can reduce the number of lame photos I take-which you don't see.

 

Golden to Alaska in August sounds magnificent. I love the design of the Golden and her sisters and I've been to Alaska twice (see reviews) and both times in August.

 

Get the new camera NOW and be ready for the photo opportunity of a lifetime.

 

I got mine from a company who's name is a big river.

 

Thanks for making yourself known to me!

 

Best wishes

 

Norris

[suntan]

This was our 3rd time staying at the MHB. It is close to the exit for the port and usually Boat Nerd Norris walks the 3/4 mile along the shifting sands to film the ships leaving at 4 pm. However by the time we checked in and unpacked I would have had to run to catch the ships in close-up and if there's one thing I don't do it is run.

 

Instead I like to sit and sip a rum drink, whether a mojito or a dark rum (Myers) and Coke.

 

You can still see the ships from the hotel as they sail out to sea, full of very happy people....

 

Look! There goes the Zuiderdam or the something else dam

 

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The Hotel

 

We sat by the beach on the deck of the Sea Level restaurant and enjoyed a snack of delicious crab salsa. We had booked a table at the hotel's estimable 3030 restaurant for 7 p.m so didn't want to spoil our appetite for dinner.

 

 

 

As we ate Celebrity Equinox tried to sneak out of port

 

 

We were on the same cruise. As you were watching the ships leave from your hotel my aunt and I were on the 17th Street Causeway bridge watching them leave. I'm looking forward to reading your review to see if you enjoyed it as much as we did.

[suntan]

These things...

 

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The door above was closed all week. It is deck 16 forward in the elevator hallway outside the Hearts and Mind chapel and if you could go through it you'd be in the port side of the Tradewinds Bar. So many people tried to use it and had to take a detour to the Starboard side. It is also the closest door to the outdoor Handicapped elevator up to deck 17 where the Sanctuary is.

 

This gate, also deck 16 port and starboard prevents you walking to the front of the ship and looking down on the top of the bridge (which was also closed) so getting shots of the bow of the ship and where we were going were ruled out. It was open in port.

 

 

Now if the ship was in heavy seas, heading into gale force winds I could understand this being "for passenger safety".

 

Here's the thing about wind. Humans can feel it. So if I walk onto a deck and I am at a 45 degree angle trying to walk forward, like a French mime artist, and my cap has already blown off and my hair is in my eyes and I am gulping for breath then maybe that's uncomfortable and I will turn around and skeedaddle.

The wind where this gate lives was a gentle zephyr so let me through and take a chance on being blown aloft over those high railings. Certainly during this cruise with all the food I ate I was heavier than any kite on the market. Smooth sea, no wind-let me enjoy the whole ship.

 

I've enjoyed this little deck as a photo-perch on every ship including the Ruby in the past-but not this trip.

 

 

OK, rant over for now...

 

Norris, I totally agree with you on this point. We tried as did you and probably others to go up to these decks but as you have pointed out and pictured that was a "no go".

[suntan]

Hi Norris, I'm waiting to read your review of Grand Turk. I hope your experience there was better than ours. This has been a great review, the pictures are wonderful.

[rianvi]

Norris,

 

Thank you for all your time and hard work. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading through this thread.

 

Anna:)

[Bimmer09]

Hi Norris, I'm waiting to read your review of Grand Turk. I hope your experience there was better than ours. This has been a great review, the pictures are wonderful.

 

We should get ashore on Grand Turk today.....

 

Thanks for joining us suntan!

 

More photos coming up soon and thanks for the compliments!

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Norris,

 

Thank you for all your time and hard work. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading through this thread.

 

Anna:)

 

Anna, thanks for coming aboard!

 

I am also writing my blog as I do this, so I have to keep flipping back and forth from the Ruby cruise to the Ocean Princess cruise. Hopefully I don't mix them up.

 

Norris

 

Next up-tendering in Sorrento (see what I mean?)

[JimmyVWine]

As it was Formal Night the photographers would be out in force and one could exit an elevator in the Piazza and find a romantic photo shoot going on.

 

Formal Night after a day in St. Thomas instead of the next day which is a Sea Day? Anyone know if this is typical?

 

Edit to add...I see now that it is the last day of the cruise that is the Sea Day, so it makes sense that the second Formal Night would not be held then.

Edited February 19, 2015 by JimmyVWine

[Bimmer09]

We were sailing along on a nice calm sea. Docking at Grand Turk wouldn't happen until 1 pm.

 

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At the stern

 



 

 

Promenade deck narrows as it gets closer to the stern. Don't sit here in a teak chair!

 

I suddenly realized I had not bought FCCs yet! Future Cruise Certificates are a boon and something we always want to have in hand. $100 each and that acts as your deposit and you get $50 back as an OBC (on board credit) to spend on your next cruise. We had used our last one to book the Emerald. No FCC and you have to pay 20% of the total fare at the time of booking. They expire if you don't use them within two years and you get your money back. Win-Win!

 

I took myself down to the Future Cruise Sales office on deck 5....

 

 

There's a drop box. You can just fill out a form and place it there. However I like to go into the little office and talk to a human. In this case a very nice peppy Princess lady. I just need someone to talk to.

 

[Bimmer09]

Future Cruise Sales again

 

Last year when sailing the Caribbean Princess in the Western Caribbean, I went to the FCS office and when I entered the lady there was wiping down my seat and the edge of the desk and the pen I would be signing with. There were 30 cases of Noro on board at that time. She remarked that some off those passengers would not stay in their rooms. Yikes! No precautions this time on the Ruby and I am thankful for that.

 

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I wish this was the view out of my window right now...

 



 

Next door is the Captain's Circle Host desk.

 

[Bimmer09]

Lovely weather today as we close in on Grand Turk. As the sun was high over the yardarm it was time to head on up to Tradewinds for some refreshment.

I had noticed that many people who went to the bar came away with a tall pink drink and I asked Jennifer what it was. A Rum Runner. At the word RUM I wanted one.

 

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As with the couple of rum and cokes I would buy in the Explorers Lounge it had rum with a small "r". I don't mind paying $8 for a drink but there should be indisputable evidence on the palate and in the brain stem that there is indeed a spirit lurking within, just dying for the opportunity to slur your speech and impair your motor coordination. If I mix a drink at home I would say I give a generous pour. Not so at sea.

 

So I'll stick to the beer as I know Sir Arthur Guinness will never sell me short.

 

It was fruity and refreshing though...

 

Today I did something I hadn't done before. I went to the MDR for lunch alone as Carol was napping in the Sanctuary.

 

I got our favorite table in Da Vinci and kept my order small and manageable so I could be in and out in a reasonable amount of time.

 

Yes, I'll have the potato and leek soup please.

 



 

Then a simple cheese burger and fries which put the Trident Grill burger in the shade. Cooked medium.

 



 

 

Excellent lunch indeed! Beautiful dining room too

 



 

 

[philv]

Very cool! I have a hard time getting my wife to go to the MDR for anything but dinner. We have only been to breakfast once in MDR, and lunch once. She says there are more choices in the Horizon Court and likes to browse the buffet. I think it's the shopping gene women have. I like to sit down and order from a menu and have someone bring me my food. But you know how it is. :p

[Bimmer09]

Very cool! I have a hard time getting my wife to go to the MDR for anything but dinner. We have only been to breakfast once in MDR, and lunch once. She says there are more choices in the Horizon Court and likes to browse the buffet. I think it's the shopping gene women have. I like to sit down and order from a menu and have someone bring me my food. But you know how it is. :p

 

Phil- a new face and thanks for making yourself known.

 

As the MDRs don't serve in port, except on Embarkation Day, I took the opportunity to grab a lunch there, while we were still moving. Very few people were eating. Eating in the MDR when you board immediately brings you face to face with the excellent Princess service and cuisine and you know your cruise has begun. We have eaten ONCE in the buffet upon boarding the Crown Princess-a zoo and we vowed never again so now it's MDR (especially when overcast and cool as it was on boarding) or Trident Grill/Pizza if it is sunny.

 

The buffet does have a great variety I will say and the few meals I took there were excellent. Like you, I enjoy the service aspect and not having to walk around avoiding other folks whose focus isn't on watching where they are going.

 

I'm glad you have joined us. Welcome.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Wow, It's already 1 p.m. and we are docked at the pier in Grand Turk

The pier holds two ships and our neighbor today is the Carnival Sunshine which was once the Carnival Destiny (1996) but was completely remodeled in 2013.

 

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As you can see the Bridge Roof is unsullied by passengers as it was closed (doh!)

It sure looks like a mighty fine day on shore though. The ship would be tied up from 1 to 7 pm and we had an excursion booked from 3 to 5 pm-a "safari" bus tour of the island. Cindy and the kids were coincidentally on the same tour.

 

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Back to the cabin. When returning from the Tradewinds or the Sanctuary which are both at the front of the ship we used the passenger corridor on Dolphin Deck, deck 9.

 

After my elevator ride....

 

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I would have this walk ahead....

This was taken at Zero dark 30, or very early in the morning. Usually there would be a lot of housekeeping carts in my path. The room stewards always made way and said Hello Sir to me. The higher up the staffing ladder one goes the likelihood of a greeting seems to diminish proportionally on the Ruby.

 

 

The red border on the carpet tells me that this is PORT side. STARBOARD has a blue border. This handy device was done away with on the new builds Royal and Regal. That's progress for you!

 

With a couple of hours of free time before the excursion it was a good time to charge all my batteries and head up to the Sanctuary for a nap. I had checked my e mail too but still had 90 minutes left of my original 150.

 

It's natural for the ship to empty out in GT as it was our last port and there is a beach right there just off the bow of the ships.

 

When it was 2.40 or so we ambled off to meet our excursion. The photographers who usually snap you as you leave the gangway were already long gone, thus denying themselves needed revenue from us.

 

So next up is our excursion on Grand Turk....

[Bimmer09]

Off the ship and there's a lengthy pier (maybe 1.5 Football Fields) to stroll.

 

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You enter the island through a big glossy Duty-Free shop and then into a paved square surrounded by clean and bright well-stocked shops. It's a sanitized entry into a country, I imagine designed by Carnival Corp. Would I prefer to step ashore onto sand, bypassing a rotten shark corpse, negotiating my way through a line of pitiful beggars and people still saving for that long- dreamed- of pot to pi** in?

 

No. manicured and sanitized will work for now.

 

I see the shops but I don't really. I'm not a shopper and seem to have most of what I need in life. I seldom if ever wear a tee shirt so logo tees from the islands stay on the islands as I sail away. I like shirts with collars and no logos. Maybe I'm just no fun but I spend a lot of time laughing.

 

What we don't see here in the square is anyone holding up a sign with our tour number written on it. Where do we go? Are we too early (our motto ABE-Always Be Early-remember?)

 

Being early gives one a cushion and time for Carol to park on the edge of a fountain while I have a cigarette and scan the horizon for tour guides.

 

I did see some stalls set up with lines of people at them. No sign of the words "Princess" or "Excursions-step right up" but I went up to one to inquire and got an affirmative answer. I went to report back to HQ (Carol).

 

Just then I saw Cindy and party similarly looking for clues...the tall figure of Daniel with his long hair passed my gaze

 

 



 

 

Once we had gathered we formed a group with the others taking the excursion

and were led off to our bus behind the shops by our driver/guide Conroy.

 

The bus was one of those open sided "taxis" such as we had taken in St John.

[Bimmer09]

The bus set off from the port on paved roads but soon left the road to drive alongside a salt lake on terra firma. We were bounced around like rag dolls and attempts to take photos on the move were foolhardy as we plunged from one pothole to the next.

 

Conroy kept up a commentary through one of those "island" PA systems I described previously in St. John.

 

Here is Conroy outside the vehicle explaining something to us- maybe why our butts hurt.

 

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We came back onto a paved road after 15 minutes or so of "ford every stream" and drove past the airport. We were headed for the capital city of Cockburn Town.

 

 

John Glenn splashed down here after being the first American to orbit the Earth.

No- I don't mean he splashed down here in the middle of the road to the airport. He splashed down far off the coast of Grand Turk and was brought ashore in GT.

 

On we went to Cockburn Town on very narrow roads. We would have a stop there for refreshments (carried on board in a cooler) and a restroom break.

 

Here's our bus in the center of town/city/village (pick one)

 

 

Off to the restrooms

 

There was a young lady serving in the restrooms- she brought me soap and some paper towels to dry with and earned a dollar.

 

The landscape wasn't the urban one I imagined. Not surprising as there are only 3700 inhabitants on the island and seemingly a stray dog for everyone.

 

 

A 20 minute stop was not long enough for me. Once the bathroom break was out of the way I went over to the sea wall and sat there having a cigarette away from everyone else. The waves were rolling in fast with a crashing noise, the air was warm and sweet. I was relaxed to the max.

 

 

Across the street a lady came out of her shop yelling about how good her rum punch was and that she had free wifi within...wonderful entrepreneurship!

 

I was sure her rum punch would be a generous pour and that I would enjoy it-but I am a sipper, not a chugger. I have to savor every mouthful of something as wonderful as rum and I could see people getting back on the bus already.

 

These little stops where there are native crafts for sale (rich wooden bowls and ornaments) and an opportunity to have a local drink without weights and measures playing a part, where you can maybe score some jerk chicken or spicy island delicacy, should be longer. Even just another 10 minutes where you can help the local economy in some small way and interact with a local person and have a laugh with them....that's what I am hoping for but I guess timed excursions aren't the way to do that.

[Bimmer09]

This is the shop (right) where the lady was giving the rum punch and free wifi a strong recommendation. As you can see the structure her shop is in has no roof.

 

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As the bus was filling up I had to make my way back without entering her store

 

 

Our next stop was to have been Governor's Beach for a beach break but with the waves rolling in hard a popular vote was held and we decided to take Conroy's recommendation of a visit to a quiet bay where we could see some sea creatures.

 

Off we went, passing many of the wild horses and donkeys who inhabit the island, munching grass at every roadside. Wonderful peaceful animals just minding their own business.

 

After our waterside stop we would also visit a lighthouse a few hundred yards away and then we would turn back towards the cruise port.

 

Norris

[Kauai Kid]

Norris,

The camera is important but you have a great eye.

[Woobstr112G]

Norris;

 

Once again, thanks for posting some great pictures.....:):):)

 

Bob

[Bimmer09]

Norris,

The camera is important but you have a great eye.

 

Thanks indeed for the kind compliment!

 

A deluge of photos remain to be seen.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Norris;

 

Once again, thanks for posting some great pictures.....:):):)

 

Bob

 

Bob, thanks for the compliment. It's very gratifying to see you still following along as this thing wends it's way towards March!

 

Thanks for stopping in to remind me you're still there, reading my schtick.

 

Cheers!

 

Norris

[suntan]

Hi Norris. Another great set of pictures taken in Grand Turk. What was your overall opinion of Grand Turk? If you had the option, would you go back to GT or would you rather go back to Princess Cays? On this cruise it was my first visit to GT and hopefully my last. Too many people at the beach and pool area. I'd rather go back to Princess Cays but that's just my opinion.