This was our first cruise and we learned a few key pieces of information along the way (like anytime dining doesn't mean you can dine anytime you want and you can't order water in your stateroom once you've boarded the cruise). Overall, it was a nice trip and we definitely want to see Alaska again and select different excursions.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
The dining experience was a bit confusing. We selected anytime dining, which we found to be a bit misleading. When arriving to the main dining room, we were informed that it was by reservation only between 5-7. When I confirmed with the hostess that we selected anytime dining, we were informed that we could make reservations for anytime...not quite what I had expected. The main dining room food was fair. They focused more on presentation then taste. We also noted on our reservations some dietary restrictions (gluten and lactose free). Neither was easy to accommodate. Having dealt with this for many years, we just knew what we could select from the menu. There are no gluten free or lactose free specific options. We stuck to basic meats and potatoes. The buffet had a much wider selection to choose from. Each night was a specific theme (Indian, Asian, Italian etc.) We would recommend that this information be provided in the daily flyer to help passengers make dinning choices.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
We did not use the pool or fitness center. No other activities that we were aware of.
Entertainment
2 out of 5
This was our first cruise, so we were not sure what to expect with the on-board activities. The movies were all rated G or PG. Very family oriented. The live entertainment shows were amateur at best. We went to the "musical magic" show expecting to see magic. Other than the flowers popping from the wand, there was absolutely no magic. We did enjoy the comedian and went to 2 of his shows. He was fabulous. The musical entertainment (violinist, guitarist and pianist) in the atrium and bars were also good.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
The room steward was nice and responsive. We saw very little of him, but he cleaned our room and provided fresh towels daily. The waiters in the main dining hall were very pleasant and provided good service. They were the same wait staff that worked the buffet in the mornings. Must be very long days for all of the employees which must become very taxing.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship was clean and well maintained. Considering 4000+ people walk through those halls every day, everything was well maintained. Carpets were clean & vacuumed daily, windows were always cleaned, the deck was mopped and squeegeed daily - all areas kept very clean. The only complaint was the odor of urine in the bathrooms and could be detected walking down the halls along the staterooms.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We needed a handicapped stateroom and was pleasantly surprised with the room size. The scooter / wheelchair did NOT take up all the walking space of the room. The bathroom was large enough to bring the scooter in and able to transfer to the shower and toilet with easy. Plenty of grab bars throughout the bathroom.
Ship tip
Bring a electric power bar with you. There are only 2 electrical outlets in the room we were in (the counter and bathroom). With all the gadgets people have today, this was not enough.
We choose the Seattle Space Needle and Market tour at the end of our trip. Both were very nice, but very short time available at the market. Understandable considering the airport drop off time. Would recommend alternative lengths for those who have late flights.
This was our favorite town. The shops were cute and easy walking distance. The only disappointment was not being allowed to go on the Helicopter/Dog Sled tour due to being on crutches. My husband went, and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the excursion.
They considered it a hazard / liability, even though I was able to get in/out of other helicopters, they would not allow. The did offer a full refund.
We arrived at 7:00 pm, and by the time we got off the ship, had very little daylight to enjoy the town. I'm very disappointed in the lack of knowledge of the Princess excursion customer service. I called in advance and inquired about taking my scooter into town and was informed there is a handicapped bus. He cancelled our reservations from the "standard" bus and attempted to move me and my 2 guests to the handicapped bus, only to find out there was not enough availability. When he attempted to rebook my 2 guests back on the standard bus, he informed me that the price changed and would be $3.00 more per person. He could not/would not grant us the original price. Really...after spending all this money on one of the most expensive US cruises, you're going to charge $3 more per person. Had no choice but to agree to the extra charge. The kicker - there is no handicapped bus!!! We all traveled on a standard tour bus and placed the scooter in the baggage compartment. There was absolutely no need to cancel and rebook to begin with and the customer service agent should have known this!
A bit confusing. All passengers were given a disembark time and place to meet. They said to make sure you had your sticker with your disembarkment order number. No sticker to be found anywhere. Asked a few folks, no one knew what we were referring to. So we winged it, and didn't need any sticker. The rest of the process went well. We were able to pick up our luggage quickly and move to the bus.
we would stick to anytime but try to make reservations on the days you want to eat in the dining room. there were some days we wanted the dining hall, other days we wanted to grab a slice of pizza. we enjoyed the flexibility. trying to plan meals around 3000 other passengers and the shows and events happening on the ship can sometimes be challenging.
oh yes. our ship had about 15 different options. from a pizza by the slice, burgers or chicken on the grill, the buffet, or 24 hour sandwich/salad Cafe (the only option that was open 24 hrs) we're all available at no additional charge. then there were a few options for additional cost ranging from 30/ person up to a high end dining experience.
anytime dining means anytime the dining room is open if they have availability. on our ship (princess Ruby) the dining was only open certain hours. some days were very busy especially on days that the ship is at Sea and all passengers are dining on the ship. we did discover that you can call in the morning and make reservations for that evening. they will hold reservations for about 20% of the dining capacity.
We just returned from our first cruise.....I did a lot of You Tube and Internet research. I evaluated what I thought would be best suited for us and that seemed to work pretty well. When I didn't understand something or questioned a policy I simply called the cruise line to clarify it. All in all we had a wonderful time and really enjoyed what the Ruby Princess and Alaska had to offer....can't wait to book another cruise!!
First cruise is to Alaska? not bad! We all continue to learn on each cruise. Well, maybe not after 35 or so. Anytime dining should be anytime depending on the wait list ahead of you. I hope you knew you had two MDRs to select from for dinner. We found one busy, the other not busy - usually.
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