North to Alaska . The Good. The Bad.The Uuugggllly
Ruby Princess Cruise Review
Contributor Level:
First Mate
Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 12
Helpful Votes: 349
10 Night Alaska Inside Passage With Glacier Bay (San Francisco Roundtrip)
Sail date: May 30, 2022
Ship: Ruby Princess
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: B526
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 2 years ago
Review summary
Even with issues …I still plan more cruises to AlaskaEmbarkation
Hard to blame Princess…the Port of San Francisco’s gangway connection to the ship had issues …so they weren’t allowing passengers to board until they fixed the issue …I did not mind…I’d rather not start my cruise by plunging into The bay while riding a collapsing gangway ….
After the gangway was fixed and after we passed through security…it took us 20 minutes from clearing security to being seated for lunch
While we were unpacking our luggage …we received a call from security …there was an issue and we needed to go to security…I had all of my luggage …so we knew whose luggage it was…mrs-the-old-guy is a strong ,confident professional woman…so aaof course I was sent
I do love the medallion app…just watch the video on your television and then, st your leisure, visit your location, have them scan your medallion and you are done…Aldo the medallion works well…door unlocks as you approach
Do check your cabin,turn on lights, turn on sink and shower, flush the toilet…if anything does not work to your satisfaction you can have issues
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
The food was good…hot food was hot and salads were cool crisp and fresh…and surprisingly the desserts were not only beautiful. But they were tasty
They were short staffed on the specialty dining…so they alternated days…which meant those who did not pre reserve before the cruise or did not reserve early…went on a waiting list …the staff informed us that they should be fully staffed on the following cruise…but I do encourage you to book early just to be safe
I normally get oatmeal for my breakfast at the buffet…not this time…the oatmeal was self service…under normal conditions I would not touch self serve oatmeal … but with 95% of the passengers going unmasked I had no interest in any part of the buffet…sadly another couple we were traveling with and mrs-the-old-guy…did not feel that it was a big deal …all three tested positive on day 8 of our cruise…the old guy was subjected to daily testing and as of 6/12 still testing negative
Room service was great …as long as you selected from the app…the food normally arrived in about ten minutes…calling room service…not a good experience …because of mrs-the-old-guy’s positive test we were quarantined for the remainder of the cruise …and we played our favorite game…how-badly-can they-mess-up-the-order…now as I mentioned using the app was great …but the selections on the app were limited …so we would order a snack of chocolate chip cookies…3 times in a row chocolate cookies were delivered…we finally called the service desk and in five minutes we had our chocolate chip cookies…for the two dinners we had in quarantine we received assurances that dinner would arrive in 40 minutes…an hour later we called and were informed that dinner would arrive in 20 minutes…another hour later we inquired and the supervisor seemed shocked that we had not received our meal and asked if we weren’t sure…now the old guy might forget many things…but this giant belly does not forget s meal…after waiting s grand total of two and a half hours…we placed a call to the service desk and ten minutes later dinner arrived…Luke warm…with substitutions…and this happened back to back …two hours both times…the old guy was less than pleased
My earlier experiences in the MDR was different…The serving staff was attentive…we had a standing 7:00 dinner at Botticelli …the problem was that the previous diners were enjoying a leisurely 2 hour meal…which meant that we would have to wait for them to finish and clean the area…the staff indicated that they cannot kick someone out…and that if they change our table the computer would randomly place us for the remainder of the cruise …and we prefer having the same servers…I still believe that the two MDR that are midship should be dine your way and that Botticelli should be a set time and table…they did keep us in the same area so we had the same servers just different tables
Onboard Activities
There were multiple activities available all tge time…but if one wanted the resort level experiences …then Princess is not a cruise line for you
Going to Alaska you are there for the scenery…if you want to lay by the pool in the northern climate…then you are a better man than I am…the enrichment lectures were great…the classes had their loyal participants
But I spent a lot of my time reading…napping…and watching the scenery go by
Entertainment
Standard cruise fare…very talented musical reviews…very talented musicians …did not catch the DJ or the non music performers
Service and Staff
The service desk staff were either very professional and clearly wanted to address your issues do that you would quickly go away …OR..they went so far above and beyond in their desire to resolve your issues that it amazed me…I’m one case…I had forgotten to bring cleaning cloths for my glasses…I tried the shops but they had nothing …so I went to the service desk to see if they had anything for forgetful passengers…
The gentleman left me for a few moments to check with staff who wear glasses if they might personally have an extra cloth…I was do amazed that I forgot to take his name
The Captain’s Circle Hostess was amazingly cheerful and helpful…we were going to renew our vows …and the hostess met with us multiple times to discuss and prepare the details…and when mrs-the-old-guy tested positive… the hostess handled the cancellation and left us feeling cared gir
Benjamin…an officer who was our point of contact regarding the quarantine was very fridnff do my,sympathetic and helpful…again he made us feel listened to…not dismissing our concerns
Our servers in the MDR were great and attentive…and the host at Botticelli was Aldo attentive and helpful…even when they were buried under excessive issues
Our cabin steward was friendly and the only time he wasn’t around was when he grad slipped and taken a blow to tge head…otherwise I could not ask more from him
Ship Quality
Ship is a standard layout for a Princess ship…and with the medallion app and kiosk it was easy to know where you are and what’s around you…and if you do not care for the screens…staff is everywhere and there are also many helpful passengers
Cabin / Stateroom
I found the room large enough for me to get around with adequate closet space
The temperature control actually worked…swiftly bringing the cabin to a comfortable level
No USB ports so come prepared
There were issues in the bathroom and they were swiftly resolved
The door did not latch…but once reported was swiftly addressed
There was wet carpeting by the balcony…this was swiftly addressed
The medallion app worked for unlocking the door
If you are Elite and you want the upgraded bathroom amenities…you must ask for them
Ship tip
Wear a mask…avoid situations that are risky…I enjoyed my cruise ( for the most part ) denied myself only the buffet and of my party of four I was the only one to test negative the entire trip and for my post cruise time
Thumbs up
0
Ports of call
When we docked in the late afternoon…a number of shops had closed early …another ship docked after us and a number of large stores closed just as the 4th ship docked
The business owners who need tourist $$$$ should consider extending their hours a bit
Though all in all Juneau is beautiful to see without spending $$$
The tram up the mountain is a must
Also Mendenhall Glacier is another must…
Both can be gotten independent of the ship
You can walk to the tram
Andyoucan take a cab or Uber to the Mendenhall
Much to love about this town…it is a big of a hike into town…but once there, there are a some National park historic sites
The train ride is great … but right now the train does not drop off in Canada just loops back…but the view is amazing
There are car tours that cover a road that runs parallel to the train… just on the other side of the valley …and the cars will stop for photo ops …and I’ve heard that they will allow the cars into Canada…but I do not know that as a fact
The Skagway Outlet Store at the far end of town is a great place to buy cheap souvenirs for friends, family and coworkers …while the town itself is easily walkable … there is a bs that you can buy a one way ticket or an all day pass…very reasonably priced and the bus makes a stop every other lock…but still a hike from the bus stop to the ship
We did the gold mining and dog sledding adventure…very informative… thoughwefifnotride thdfogsled…in fact even watching the run wasantivlatic…it was nice to petthddogs…but most of them were far more interested in their gzndlrdd than thdyourust…they did bring out some10 dayoldpuppues…theycweee incredibly cute…and they made me miss my wolf pack
A nice city…I visited the eagle, totem,lighthouse tour…it was ok…but not exciting
The Saxman village ship tour is a worthwhile trip …though I encourage you to take the ship ‘s tour…we had a very unfortunate non ship tour experience
The Rain Forest Walk ship’s tour was very good and very informative
The city has a nice waterfront yo walk on it
And I actually saw my first pier runner…she made it
Prince Rupert, British Columbia
If you enjoy history…then this port is for you
For myself the three saving graces are
We stayed in town longer than Victoria
There was a Safeways within walking distance
There was a Walmart within walking distance
The glaciers were impressive…but this was my eight visit and I noticed a significant reduction in the glacier … I would encourage folks to visit before the glacier recedes tithe point where the ships annoy approach it closely
Disembarkation
Normally I would have given this disembarkation five stars…from what I saw this was well organized and efficient…a first with all my past cruises
But I was with the quarantined passengers
They kept us in our cabins until 19…understandable …allows the non COVID passengers to minimize their exposure
They had us gather in a dining room to clear emigration …no problem
Then we picked up our luggage
PROBLEM!!!
There was very little planning on either Princess’ part or San Francisco Port Authority part ….both took the position that it was not their job to handle us but the other’s…MERS-the-old-guy had a wheelchair assist person who went above and beyond to take a very bad situation and to transform it to very unpleasant
They had our luggage in a cage near the ship
You had to pickup your own luggage…haul it around the terminal and carry it across the street to get a ride
No porters we’re allowed to help you
No carts were made available for you
When it was pointed out that most of the off loading osssengers needed assistance…the lady in charge said…”That’s not my problem…you need to get your luggage and go@…this was a blonde lady late 50’s early 60’s who was supervising
Traveler Photos
9 Comments
SanJoseDan 2 years ago
We cruised the same time, but different itinerary - May 29 - June 5, round trip from Vancouver. Having cruised the same time of the year before, the weather we (and you) encountered was un-seasonally warm (for Alaska, that's a good thing). I tested Positive for COVID after the cruise - testing as required before flying back to the US (details in my review San Jose Dan for RCCL Serenade May 29 - June 5). Since it was after the cruise, we were not quarantined on the ship, but I had to isolate in Vancouver for 5 days before being allowed to fly back home. The Test Clinic Staff believed the timing of the test meant I was probably infected on the flight into Vancouver. Since I had no symptoms, and everyone on the ship had tested Negative 2 days before boarding, there was no reason to suspect COVID until the test result on June 5th. I've been ship quarantined before (for Noro Virus) and didn't have any issues with our Room Service Orders on RCCL for that cruise (although, since it was NoroVirus, there was a limited menu for me to order from). As with you, it was only for a few days so it wasn't that big a problem.
romantikcruiser 2 years ago
Bees…the ship had 1900 passengers and there were 50 of us on quarantine …but there had to be fewer…there had to brothers like me who were negative but had a positive cabin mate…they did offer to allow me the run of the ship if I was willing to leave mrs-the-old-guy in quarantine …I refused (I’m no fool…I had to go home with this woman…and I have to sleep sometime)…so less than 2% test positive …I was everywhere with mrs-the-old-guy except for the buffet…I love socializing on a cruise ship …though this cruise I would only socialize at a distance…and left my mask on except when I eat and drink…even with my mask I still enjoyed my cruise…you can enjoy yourself and should have a memorable experience
AuntPinkie 2 years ago
Wow! Glad you are negative, sorry about the others. Sounds like “the powers that be” need to get organized with debarkation of quarantined guests. It’s going to happen again (and again, and again …). Thanks for sharing the whole story. Always appreciate your positive attitude. Happy you enjoyed most of your cruise.
beesgal4 2 years ago
I leave on June 29th on the Ruby, have cruised for years but first time on Princess! I'm a little nervous with the positive covid cases, so sorry you were affected. Was the ship pretty full? Did your party wear masks and still get it? Glad you kept your positive attitude and I have enjoyed your post and your humor!