Onboard Ruby Princess sept7-17, Alaska

[LawDog61]

The boarding process was the quickest easiest ever (a pay back for all the time spent geeking around with Medallion, AriveCAN, etc?).  It took  10 minutes through security and checkin, followed by about a 15 minute wait before they started boarding.   So much confusion about testing, here is what happened.   We did not need to show Neg test to complete ArriveCAN, but did need to show it to board.  Go figure.

 

Dinner in MDR Botticelli was great.   Good food and excellent service.  It’s been pretty rough sailing since we left S.F. ,  Captain says it will start abating this afternoon and will be calmer tomorrow.   We have altered course a bit to get a better angle on the waves and a smoother ride.

 

My main activity in the evening is listening to the music.  The wheelhouse group 2 Wire is excellent,  Funch in Crooners is great-but the party band Golden Moon……oh my…., well, let’s just say, not to my liking -and I almost always enjoy the party band on Princess.  Additionally, it Looks like they have a pianist, a violinist and a Guitarist/Singer which I will checkout later.

 

The ship doesn’t seem crowded.   MDR last night was only about half full, but of course a lot of people are beat after traveling/boarding day.   And uncrowded feeling today, may be people laying low because of the rough seas.  Overall , a great start to the cruise!

 

 

[geocruiser]

Thank you for posting.  Enjoy your cruise.

[Cruise Raider]

We just disembarked the day you boarded.  We also had a quick and efficient embarkation and disembarkation for our cruise.  And yes, those first two days north out of SF are always quite bumpy.  I agree about the food and service ... just excellent!!  Enjoy your cruise!!!  

[XBGuy]

Bon Voyage.

 

Mrs; XBGuy is so jealous that you can actually feel ocean movement.  We have taken two San Francisco-Alaska roundtrippers and three Los Angeles-Alaska roundtrippers, and we can't say that we have experienced the bumps that everybody else seems to get out of San Francisco,  🤕  There was one trip on the Grand Princess out of San Francisco when we were jolted awake at about 2:00 am on our first night by the fog horn.  😮  Our cabin, was all the way forward on the C Deck.  It seemed like we were right next to the fog horn.

 

Anyway, I am looking forward do hearing about your cruise.  If you need directions to fudge shops, let me know.

[LawDog61]

1 hour ago, XBGuy said:

Bon Voyage.

 

Mrs; XBGuy is so jealous that you can actually feel ocean movement.  We have taken two San Francisco-Alaska roundtrippers and three Los Angeles-Alaska roundtrippers, and we can't say that we have experienced the bumps that everybody else seems to get out of San Francisco,  🤕  There was one trip on the Grand Princess out of San Francisco when we were jolted awake at about 2:00 am on our first night by the fog horn.  😮  Our cabin, was all the way forward on the C Deck.  It seemed like we were right next to the fog horn.

 

Anyway, I am looking forward do hearing about your cruise.  If you need directions to fudge shops, let me know.

Fudge supplies running low, but not yet critical.

[julie3fan]

I'm on this cruise as well, and I agree with everything @LawDog61said, except I haven't checked out the music choices.

 

Due to the choppy seas, our cruising speed has been less than 14 knots, and that, coupled with a slightly delayed departure from San Francisco, has led to the cancellation of our first port, Icy Strait Point.  I can think of worse things to happen, so DH and I are just rolling with the flow.

[DUCHESSRN]

I felt sorry for the lines of people who didn’t realize they needed Covid tests .I wonder how much they were charged at the pier.

No lotion or blue bags on Lido deck but no big deal .

 

[XBGuy]

12 hours ago, julie3fan said:

 

Due to the choppy seas, our cruising speed has been less than 14 knots, and that, coupled with a slightly delayed departure from San Francisco, has led to the cancellation of our first port, Icy Strait Point.  I can think of worse things to happen, so DH and I are just rolling with the flow.

 

That is unfortunate.  Icy Strait Point is an outstanding stop.  Good for you, though having a good attitude.

[seaside sally]

Hello Everyone

 

My husband and I had originally planned on taking this cruise, but changed it up to Hawaii next month...so we board The Crown on Tuesday, October 18th

 

Is there a clinic at the cruise ship terminal for those of us who wish to take the covid test the day we board?

 

Otherwise we  would be doing the covid test the day we leave from Victoria, , which would be Monday....stressful, but necessary.   We are travelling from Victoria on a Monday to catch the 11:00a m ferry as there is a bus that will bring us into downtown Vancouver.....makes doing the test that day a bit rushed.   And I am not tech- savy to do a virtual test......my, oh, my.....LOL

 

Thanks for your advice...... hope the ship is doing well with her engine problems....haven't heard too much lately about that......the weather, on the other hand, is out of our control!!!!

 

Enjoy your cruise

 

Linda and Alf

[LawDog61]

Seas are a bit quieter today,  still high winds.  I was able to do some walking on the Sun deck but very windy.   It seemed a little better to stay on the starboard side. 

A crew member told us that the ship is about 75% , which seems about right.   

[XBGuy]

You only have 75% of a ship???!!!!

 

Wow.  That was a heck of a blow that you cruised through.

 

 

 

 

[DUCHESSRN]

Yes there was testing available at pier ..

 not sure how much it cost.

Seas are much calmer…

Day 2 of Totem poll carver seems a very nice chap.

egg bites in International Cafe just delicious ,3 different flavors.

[scoochy12]

We board next Saturday 9/17. Where did you experience the rough seas? We have a sea day on Sunday and first port is Monday to Astoria, Oregon. 

[palolake]

On 9/8/2022 at 2:26 PM, LawDog61 said:

 

 

 

 

My main activity in the evening is listening to the music.  The wheelhouse group 2 Wire is excellent,  Funch in Crooners is great-but the party band Golden Moon……oh my…., well, let’s just say, not to my liking -and I almost always enjoy the party band on Princess.  Additionally, it Looks like they have a pianist, a violinist and a Guitarist/Singer which I will checkout later.

 

 

 

 

 

Funny how people's opinions are so different.  We were on a few weeks ago and sought out Golden Moon.  My husband especially loved the group.  We discovered them when they had the whole piazza full and upper decks full listening to them.  Maybe give them another chance?

[LawDog61]

32 minutes ago, palolake said:

 

Funny how people's opinions are so different.  We were on a few weeks ago and sought out Golden Moon.  My husband especially loved the group.  We discovered them when they had the whole piazza full and upper decks full listening to them.  Maybe give them another chance?

So true that our taste are all different.  Lots of great music onboard.   I heard SandraMaria last night in the WheelHouse.   Two young ladies from Ukraine (that got them a big cheer!) playing violin and piano.   And 2 Wire, a group from the Philippines. Female singer who is out standing and a male piano played/singer.

[LawDog61]

Dinner in MDR Botticelli was excellent last night.   We have a permanent table now with a happy group of waiters.  The MDR wasn’t even half full.  Maybe because it’s a little hard to get to being at the back of the ship and cut off from the rest of deck 6.

[clueless2]

1 hour ago, LawDog61 said:

Dinner in MDR Botticelli was excellent last night.   We have a permanent table now with a happy group of waiters.  The MDR wasn’t even half full.  Maybe because it’s a little hard to get to being at the back of the ship and cut off from the rest of deck 6.

Did you request the same table before/after the first night or did they just assign you the same table.  We're on Ruby in 3 weeks and also have Botticelli.  I chose it mainly because our cabin is only 2 decks up towards the aft.

[Blue_Flame]

We are also onboard now and enjoying our time here. 
 

Any idea if there are any port taxes to be refunded to us for missing Icy Strait? I asked at Guest Services and she was unsure. She went as far to say if there was, it would come in the form of a Future Cruise Credit. That doesn't seem correct to me. I would think that it should be in the form of refundable OBC or a check mailed after the cruise. 
 

I would love to know what Princess's policy is when it comes to a cancelled port. 

[2 cruises a year]

38 minutes ago, Blue_Flame said:

We are also onboard now and enjoying our time here. 
 

Any idea if there are any port taxes to be refunded to us for missing Icy Strait? I asked at Guest Services and she was unsure. She went as far to say if there was, it would come in the form of a Future Cruise Credit. That doesn't seem correct to me. I would think that it should be in the form of refundable OBC or a check mailed after the cruise. 
 

I would love to know what Princess's policy is when it comes to a cancelled port. 

Edited September 10, 2022 by 2 cruises a year
Delete

[LawDog61]

1 hour ago, clueless2 said:

Did you request the same table before/after the first night or did they just assign you the same table.  We're on Ruby in 3 weeks and also have Botticelli.  I chose it mainly because our cabin is only 2 decks up towards the aft.

We are cruising with some friends who set up dining for different MDR every night.  Not my idea.  But we really hit it off with our waiters and they said to come back every night which works better for me, as I am celiac (gluten allergy) and it is much easier to deal with that on a recurring basis when you at same table.    I think the waiters are not big fans of the DMW system, getting  much less tips than if they serve the same people for the whole cruise.

[Cruise Raider]

1 hour ago, Blue_Flame said:

We are also onboard now and enjoying our time here. 
 

Any idea if there are any port taxes to be refunded to us for missing Icy Strait? I asked at Guest Services and she was unsure. She went as far to say if there was, it would come in the form of a Future Cruise Credit. That doesn't seem correct to me. I would think that it should be in the form of refundable OBC or a check mailed after the cruise. 
 

I would love to know what Princess's policy is when it comes to a cancelled port. 

Whenever we’ve missed a port, we’ve always been refunded that amount as refundable obc listed on our folio.  It’s not much, though … I think like only $6 to $11.  That was before the pandemic, though.  I don’t think they are allowed to give port fees and taxes back as anything but cash or refundable obc.  

[Cruise Raider]

48 minutes ago, LawDog61 said:

We are cruising with some friends who set up dining for different MDR every night.  Not my idea.  But we really hit it off with our waiters and they said to come back every night which works better for me, as I am celiac (gluten allergy) and it is much easier to deal with that on a recurring basis when you at same table.    I think the waiters are not big fans of the DMW system, getting  much less tips than if they serve the same people for the whole cruise.

if you see Kieron or Alina in front of the Michelangelo, tell them Santa and his wife say hi and we miss them so very much!  

[seekatz]

19 hours ago, scoochy12 said:

We board next Saturday 9/17. Where did you experience the rough seas? We have a sea day on Sunday and first port is Monday to Astoria, Oregon. 

Have sailed from San Francisco a few times. Once you get past the Golden Gate seas are usually rough. From reading posts night 1 and sea day 1 cause ship to sail at lower speeds as well as have some not feeling well, and in some cases port of call delays.

[SiliconCruiser]

8 hours ago, Blue_Flame said:

Any idea if there are any port taxes to be refunded to us for missing Icy Strait?

Port taxes are always refunded.  It is not money that Princess is empowered to keep, but given their financial situation, you may encounter excuses or even a few fibs.  A few years ago, we even left a cruise before the last port and they refunded us the port fees for the disembarkation port.  On a Caribbean cruise we missed a port because of weather, so they refunded us the port fees for that port.  Wish they would have given us even more credit for having to endure an extended stay at Princess Cay ...

[LawDog61]

After 3 sea days, we arrived in Juneau early today.   The Grand Princess and a Celebrity ship are also in port.   It is truly a beautiful day here, nice after a few days of heavy weather.

Went to an ABBA tribute show last night in the main theater and it was great fun.    We are in port until 8:30 tonight.   I think a lot of people are doing multiple tours.