Good Enough

Item: Ruby Princess
Rating: 3
Author: dcouts

Ruby Princess Cruise Review to Mexico

dcouts

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 7

Overall rating:

3 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Mexican Riviera (Los Angeles Roundtrip)

Sail date: January 28, 2017

Ship: Ruby Princess

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: C231

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 7 years ago

Review summary

It seemed during most of our cruise that the Princess motto of the day was "Good Enough!" There were plenty of opportunities to WOW their passengers (aka Customers) but wouldn't rise to the occasion. Most notable of those occasions was the specialty dining (Crown Grill), Anytime dining, and anytime you had to deal with the Passenger Services desk. What made our cruise, and one of the primary reasons we selected Princess was the Sanctuary - the staff there and the special space were worth the whole price of the trip. The ports; Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, and Cabo San Lucas were as expected. If you are on the West Coast and looking for a quick and easy get away, this might be just the ticket!

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

1 out of 5

A 30-minute wait on hold to make an Anytime Dining reservation, which was screwed up, and a rushed feeling of the service with this option left a bad taste in our mouth (pun intended). The Crown Grill was also a disappointment - took 30-minutes to get an appetizer, then raw scallops were offered! The Horizon Buffet seemed to always have just one of two sides open, and seating felt like a game of musical chairs - waiting for someone to stand up so you could beat others to it! Princess really needs to step up their Food Service Game!

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Typical cruise fare entertainment. The one note was the Movie Under The Stars program - it was a bit chilly on a couple of the evenings - and both evenings we went we experienced the crew member telling the audience (which was rather small at the time) that they were out of blankets and if they wanted "they could go and get some beach towels" rather than offering to bring them to the guests. Again, back to the Service and Staff comments.

Service and Staff

3 out of 5

The staff of the Sanctuary were incredible! The staff at the Passenger Services desk were AWFUL! The balance of the crew on the Princess Ruby were pleasant and typically always cheerful

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

The Ruby (and previously the Crown) are wonderful ships - well done and quality throughout.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

spending a week in a 240sf cabin can bring its challenges. But bed very comfortable. Ability to control the cabin temp was great. Balcony was nice. The bathroom was small but efficient - the phone booth of a shower was challenging space-wise. linens and sheets were great quality. Overall our cabin was quieter than expected...till someone close by slammed their cabin door, but that's just what happens when you're in close proximity with 3,000 of your newest bestest friends!

Ship tip

For sure, the highlight of our cruise was the time we spent in the Sanctuary section of the ship - which was a lot. Go with lowered expectations and you will be happy. Take your patience when dealing with Passenger Services staff and the Anytime reservations lines. Specialty dining not worth it!

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