Rundmchen

We were on the same cruise and shared a lot of the same experiences. Despite the issue in Juneau, it was still a good trip. We were able to sign up and do the Escape room. For our cruise, sign ups were in the 5th floor of the Piazza starting at 12 pm on embarkation day. Actual day of the Escape room was Glacier Bay day.

Thanks for sharing.

Tony

Thanks for reading. I've seen a lot of your posts on other boards and found a lot of good information.

Does Princess still have the afternoon tea time?

Yes, we never went but I am not sure if it was every day but is hosted in one of the main dining rooms.

Thank you. Booked on the Ruby next May to Alaska.

Awesome, you have a great trip to look forward to. Lots of good info on the Alaska board too.

They have already been posted. You can select Ruby Princess, and it will list all the posts. At any rate, the Patters are posted on this thread: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2626801&highlight=ruby, and the menus are here:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2639827&highlight=ruby

Thanks for sharing for the other readers. I have the Share menu too and will try to post.

Thanks for the trip report, we are looking at doing the Ruby next May or June. It was very informative.

 

Would love to see the patters and the menus if you can get them posted. It might be easier if you uploaded them to a photo site and share the link here. I do not even know what the popular sites are these days, maybe someone else can help with that.

I'm hoping you get to go. I will look into a share site. Right now, my pictures are too large and I was getting errors using shutterfly.

Several others have mentioned lots of confusion about which deck to be on when trying to exit the ship in each port. Where did you find it was easiest to get off the ship? Were there any announcements or signs as to where to go?

We found it easier to go to the Piazza at midship and see what areas are blocked off or where people are lining up. No signs or announcements on where to go that i was aware of. I know we got off at Deck 5 near the International cafe at least a couple of times.

Didn't you have two sea days? We have two so maybe those will be the days. Anyway...I'll plan on two. Thank you for the info.

No, we actually only had 1, unless if you count Glacier National Park when you don't get off the ship. Ketchikan and Victoria were less than half days in ports so were on the ship (at sea) most of those days.

Here was our itinerary

Day 1 - Seattle

Day 2 - At Sea

Day 3 - Juneau

Day 4 - Skagway

Day 5 - Glacier National Park

Day 6 - Ketchikan

Day 7 - Victoria

Day 8 - Seattle

Was there one or two formal nights? I'm hoping for only one.

We had 2 formal nights, the first was Day 2 - At Sea, and the second was Day 6 - Ketchikan. TBH, as others have posted, there was a wide range of outfits to Tuxes/Gowns to what I would call, business casual, but we did dress up more for those nights not only for dinner but for photos before since more photographers seem to be stationed those nights. Not sure if it's accurate or not, but I felt the 2nd formal night was the bigger night since the Waiters dress in Tuxes and they have their Baked Alaska parade/presentation.

Thanks for the review. I'm going 8/25. Where did you go to get on and off the ship at the ports? Was it confusion?

I had read that it could be confusing, especially getting off the ship. There were usually two places where you can usually get off the ship. When I asked, I was told that it depends on where the ship actually docks. For the two times that we wanted to be one of the first ones off the ship, Juneau and Victoria, since our stops were pretty short, they start to block off some areas around the midship elevators. Those two times the lines started near the International Cafe (Deck 5) and wrapped around through the Art Gallery. But for the other times, we just headed towards the Piazza near midship and was able to find our way out pretty easily (it actually may have been Deck 5). As far as getting back to the ship, it was pretty straight forward as they direct you to where to board (usually 1 of 2 entrances, and they check your Card Key and place any bags through their security).

I am enjoying your report. Thank you for taking the time.

 

On multiple cruises my wife and I have had dinner at SHARE, I'm going to say, 8 or 9 times. I've never seen more than 1/3 of the tables in use. More often than not it is 7 or 8. We are comfortable dining late, and, so, we have also seen only 5 or 6 in use several times.

 

The International Cafe has some nice noshes for a late afternoon snack. We, particularly, like the Shrimp/Fennel salad and the Watermelon/Mozzarella salad. Something for you to check out on your next Princess cruise.

 

;)

Ok, thanks for sharing. Wasn't sure if our experience was typical or not. Our service was excellent, going from the MDR to Share. Thanks for the tips on the International Cafe.

Final Thoughts

Alaska is an amazing destination and I would recommend it for anyone who hasn't had an opportunity to see it yet.

Packing: We planned for every weather situation and I think you still need to, we were just very fortunate to have very good weather from what I've been told. But I also think I planned it to be much colder (like freezing) but don't think it may get that cold in the Summer. But packing for layers is the way to go.

Seattle Port: I can't go over how easy it was to get on and off the Ship. Not sure if it was typical, but it was super easy.

Port times: I guess it should have been expected but with ports with shorter durations, more people seem to get off as soon as possible. So you have to line up well before you dock, if you want to be one of the first ones off. Same with return, account for more of a wait if you need to get back by a certain time. So if you are in port for 5 hours, count on only 3.5 or 4 hours.

As I mentioned, I did a lot of research and received a lot of good information prior to our cruise, from the CC boards so hopefully this may help someone else with their planning.

If you have any questions, I will try to answer. Otherwise, happy cruising.

P.S. I have to figure out the picture upload still since I get errors when I try to upload from my computer.

Alaska (Ports) - What We Did (or ending up doing)

Juneau - So this was one of the unfortunate parts of our cruise when we had a passenger that required a medical evacuation so while we were supposed to arrive at 11 AM, we ended up getting there at 6:30 PM. So fortunately, the passenger was reported to be stable and recovering. However, we had two of our excursions, Helicopter and Dog Sledding through Princess, and Whale Watching through Harv and Marv cancelled. Since everyone was anxious to get off the ship, people started to line up around 5:30 PM. So our alternative plans turned out to be taking the Mount Roberts Tram and walk around on some of the trails up there. Since the return to the ship was by 9 PM, and we had a Share Reservation, we headed back early but I think others had a much longer wait to get back on the ship which actually caused us to leave later than our scheduled 10 PM time. So needless to say, while the weather was excellent, we didn't get to see as much as Juneau as we would have liked.

Skagway - We did the Yukon Bus & Rail tour through Chilkoot Charters. We decided to do the Bus portion first at 8:30 AM, and the train portion back. Our guide was Heidi and she was excellent. We had a group of about 18 passengers so it was easy to get on and off and make frequent stops. Heidi shared a lot of good information about Skagway and the Yukon but the highlight was seeing the bears. We saw on our count, 8 bears, with 3 literally roadside. Other highlights were Emerald Lake, and seeing the Huskies at Carcross Crossing

Glacier National Park - This is where we used our Balcony the most, as I think most passengers. We did see some Orcas, Humpback whales, but mostly from a distance. Definitely recommend bringing binoculars and this day we used it the most. Also, saw Sea otters, and Seals near the Glaciers. Also, another great location is the front of the ship which you can access via the Promenade deck (Deck 7) and go all the way forward and up the stairs to Deck 8, you have access to essentially 180 degrees from the front of the ship. You can also access if you go all the way forward inside on Deck 8 and look for exit doors out. Did see some Calving at Margerie Glacier but mostly smaller sections. Hopkins Glacier is impressive but you can't get that close to it. But overall, we had another excellent day of weather, especially on the Balconies, compared to being a little more windy at the front of the ship, and the Park as a whole offers a lot to see. Definitely a highlight of the itinerary and glad that the boards recommend this be included in an Alaska itinerary. The Park Guide's presentation was very good and the Naturalist also provided good commentary. Sometimes from the balcony it was hard to hear from the Ship speakers, so I just raised the volume on the TV channel and kept the balcony door open.

Ketchikan - We only really had the morning there so we didn't plan any formal excursions. Instead my wife thought the girls would like the Lumberjack show, and we enjoyed it. We were able to catch the 9:15 AM show and they offer a 11:00 AM show but it cuts it a little close to hike it back to the ship. After that, we just walked around Creek Street and did some shopping. I would have liked to seen the Salmon jumping but I was told it was too early in the season so you may want to look for that when you are there, if later in the summer. We had slight drizzle in the morning but was told overall, it was a good weather day for Ketchikan

Victoria - We only had the night (7P-12A) in Victoria. While I would have liked to go see Butchart Gardens, I felt it would not be a lot of time there so we chose to just go into town. Where we were docked, it is probably a 15-20 minute walk to downtown, so we opted to purchase the shuttle passes from the dock to town. We just walked around the Harbor, Empress Hotel and did some shopping. We also had some slight drizzle that night but mostly the weather turned out to be fine.

I'm looking forward to the rest of your report as my family and I are on the 8/11 Cruise on Ruby.

 

What did you think of the Marriott? We are staying there for one night (8/10),

 

Thanks in advance for the info.:)

I picked it for two reasons, I am a Marriot Gold member but primarily because of its location. So based on the location, it is excellent. Easy to get to Pike Place and all of the Waterfront activities. If you are a Gold or higher, you can get Breakfast at the M Lounge, so I can't comment on any of the onsite restaurants. Also, if you have a rental car, I was put off by the Valet Parking cost so I actually parked the rental in a parking deck down the street. But I would definitely stay there again based on the location. We didn't go to the Seattle Center from this hotel but I believe it is walking distance to the Monorail that goes there too.

SHARE - nice! - did you get a chance to do it, and if so, how was it?

Yes, we did. I posted about it in the Dining section. We are not real Foodies and were pretty happy with the MDR food. However, we both really liked the Lobster tail but not sure if I would definitely recommend the upgrade. It is definitely a nice restaurant and if you have an occassion to celebrate, could be a possibility, but this is only my opinion/experience.

Ruby Princess

Dining

Overall, we were very pleased with MDR and had dinner every night with the exception of one night, my daughter and I ate at Share. Our Main Waiter was Salvador and was very pleased with his service and his daily recommendations. We also chose to at least eat Breakfast or Lunch at the DR (which was Da Vinci) where we either sat alone or met other passengers. There was only one time when we had to wait more than a couple of minutes. Overall, we also ate at the Horizon Buffet and/or Cafe Caribe but wasn't crazy about the daily offerings.

Share - Overall, it was a good experience but also it was in our night at Juneau, so it was very late when we actually ate (after 9PM), so there were only about 5-6 tables and we were the last ones to served so I think it may be a slightly different experience sitting in an almost empty restaurant. It is essentially a 6 course meal where you choose from one of each of the following (mine/my daughter's choice): Starter (Charcuterie(Prosciutto/Salami, Pantaleo Cheese), Salad (Lemon Poached Prawns, Little Gem(Romaine Salad), Pasta (Ricotta Cavatelli for both), Sea (Butter Poached Lobster Tail for both), Land (Duck Leg Confit, Strip Loin Steak), and Dessert (Dark Chocolate Cremeux for both)

Didn't get anything from the International Cafe but the girls like the Pizza and we all had some Ice Cream

Ruby Princess

Activities - We do enjoy our Cruises for the Activities and Entertainment so will share some of what we did and what Princess offered in terms of Entertainment. One of the activities that we were looking forward to doing, was the Magician's Escape Room. We had read that sign up was likely on the first day and spots were limited. Once onboard, I was able to get access to a Patter, and our sign u was in the Piazza, and there were only 3 sessions with 24 spots, (8 spots per session), and scheduled on Glacier Bay day. Our girls like Scavenger Hunts also, and noticed they had this $1000 Treasure Hunt Stamping. So after lunch, since we had time, you basically go to different parts of the ship (i.e. photo gallery, shops, crown grill, arts, casino, spa) to get stamps and are entered into a drawing on Day 2. It really doesn't take that long with the exception of the spa, where you go through about a 15-20 minute spa tour. So the next day at the drawing (you have to be present), I would say at least half if not more of the folks that were called were not there, so we actually won two prizes (Savvy Traveler book (which basically was a shopping guide and coupons for each port, from the Princess Shopping Host) and Speciality Dining Cover Charge for 2 at Share. But other prizes included a Photo Package, Spa Treatments, Gift Certificates for the Shops, Bingo Tablet...)

Entertainment: Our favorite entertainer on the cruise was the Comedian Steve Caouette but we also liked the Singer David Austen and saw both of them twice. We also saw the Magician, and the two production shows, Colors of the Wind and Magic to Do, which were okay but the Voice of the Ocean was probably the best. The Lumberjack Demo/show was popular and the Naturalist Michael Modzelewski was informative and entertaining when we attended his sessions.

Teen Club: This may not be applicable to many, but our daughters really enjoyed the Teen club and the friends they met. Most of the days on the Ship, they had lunch or were spending time with them. But they also liked the Organized activities which included Scavenger Hunts, Hot Tub/Pool party, Game tournaments, and Dance parties. They made such a connection that 6-7 of them have kept in touch post-cruise from all over the country.

Ruby Princess

Embarkation/Disembarkation:

We had absolutely no issues with embarkation or disembarkation at Pier 91. On embarkation day, we arrived at port around 11:30 AM, and even though we had to go through security and had to make a couple of check in stops, we literally had no wait and were onboard by 12 PM.

On disembarkation day, since we had the whole day in Seattle, we selected a late time, 9:30 meeting location to leave the ship. I probably would have picked a little earlier, 9:00, since you have to vacate the rooms by 8:00 AM. So we went to breakfast at Horizon Court and went to our meeting spot around 9:20 AM, and were told we could disembark almost immediately. We picked up our bags and were in the parking lot before 10:00 AM. We just missed the Rental Car shuttle but caught the next one in about 10 minutes.

Room/Cabin: We had a Balcony room on the Caribe deck, mid-ship. Our room steward was Rodrigo and he was excellent with making up the room, providing ice, etc... Since there were 4 of us, I wasn't sure what the bed layout would be. But it turned out to be two twin beds and then two upper berths above them would come down from the ceiling. Other than essentially sleeping in two bunk beds, once everyone was in bed, it turned out to be fine. Also, very glad we got a Balcony room, because we used it every day but also on the Caribe level, it appears to be larger than most, with half of it covered by the balcony above and half open. We had large suitcases but were able to store a couple of them under the beds.

Princess@Sea application: I will say all 4 of us used the application every day, mostly for the Messaging application, but also for any updates/changes to the Activity Schedule. As others have noted, you have to go into the app, to check messages, instead of being notified. It didn't work all of the time but I would say, more often than not, 75-80% of the time. Since the girls met friends via the teen club and spent time with them while on the Ship, it was nice to have the app. In other cruises, we have used a Whiteboard on the cabin door, to pass messages to each other, but didn't need it this time. Since we had the application, we didn't sign up for any Internet packages, but used our Verizon service in every port to check email, internet, etc...

Seattle - As I mentioned above, we had 1 full day prior and 1 full day post cruise. We actually arrived into SEATAC on time but had a slight delay at the gate. I used National Car Rental with pickup at the airport and drop off at their downtown location. If you rent a car and use their downtown location, they provide a free shuttle to the port as well as pickup from the port, which we did use both ways and had no issues. We picked and stayed at Seattle Marriot Waterfront, primarily due to its location, which is essentially right below Pike Place and walking distance to the Waterfront attractions. The Norwegian Bliss was actually right outside the hotel the next morning.

Seattle - Day Prior to Cruise

Since we were near Pike Place and the Waterfront, we did the following activities: Seattle Aquarium and Argosy Cruise Harbor tour. The Aquarium can probably be seen in a couple of hours with our highlights seeing an Octopus feeding and Puffins. The Argosy Cruise was a pretty relaxing cruise in the Sound with a narrated tour with some highlights including the Stadiums, Shipping Container boats, City History, and some locations where they film Grey's Anatomy.

I should mention that we had outstanding weather in Seattle (80s, sunny) and Alaska (70s, Sunny in Juneau, Skagway) which obviously helps with touring and sightseeing.

We walked UP the Pike Place Hill Climb (163 stairs) from the Waterfront to Pike Place and saw some 'Flying Fish' and the infamous Gum Wall. Ate dinner at a place near Pike Place Market called Steelhead Diner.

We were up early the next morning and had some time before embarkation so we walked back to Pike Place Market in the morning (there was an elevator close to the hotel so we didn't have to walk up again), and then walked down to the Waterfront and did the Wings Over Washington ride (comparable to Soarin' at Disney) which was right next to the Seattle Great Wheel (giant Ferris Wheel).

After that, returned the Rental Car and took the shuttle to the Port.

Seattle - Day of Disembarkation of Cruise

We disembarked and spent the afternoon at the Seattle Market Center. We visited the Space Needle, Museum of Pop Culture, and Pacific Science Center. Had a snack and dinner at the Armory (large Food Court). We were pretty impressed with the Pacific Science Center and only got to about half of the museum but we liked the Virtual Reality simulation and the Butterfly Garden. The Museum of Pop Culture had an add-on Marvel exhibit, but the girls really liked the Sound Lab with hands-on access to musical instruments and recording studios, as well as the Indie Game revolution where you can play video games.

We stayed at the Seattle Airport Marriot prior to our flight the next morning.

This is my first attempt at a trip report for our recent 7-day Alaska Cruise. I received a lot of good information from the CC threads so wanted to pay it forward for anyone who may benefit from our experience. We have cruised before but this was our first Princess cruise and our first cruise to Alaska.

We are a family of four, with two DDs, 17 and 14. While we definitely enjoyed Alaska (and Seattle), we also overall enjoyed the Ruby Princess as well.

I'll try to share the information in the following general topics:

Seattle - We had 1 full day prior and 1 full day post cruise

Ruby Princess (Embarkation/Disembaration, Room, Activities, Dining, etc.)

What we did in the Ports

I have Menus from the MDR and the Princess Patters if there is interest and will try to provide pictures if I figure out how to post them.

We ordered ice tea several times and our daughter also ordered hot chocolate at breakfast in the dining room, all no charge.

We just got off the Ruby Princess and had a balcony on the Caribe deck and it is definitely larger with part of it covered and part of it uncovered. I know the deck below was uncovered, and I believe the decks above were covered.

Library was where the signups were.

Great. Thanks again.

I and my son did do the Escape room on the May 12, Ruby cruise. Sign ups were from 12-2pm on embarkation day. We were given a time and tickets after the fact for 5:45pm Glacier Bay Day. As others have stated it is in the chapel, but we met at a bar..and proceeded from there. Ana was our host. It had a different twist to other escape rooms I have done, which I enjoyed. There were 6 of us, 3, 30 somethings and 3 above 50, we all wanted to "escape" so quickly became a team, and a "leader" was determined after the first few minutes, generally a person who has done an escape room before, as they naturally take the lead.If you think outside the box you will solve the "mystery" rather quickly.

 

 

 

If you are not good at quickly making decisions and taking direction then this might not be something for you. 4 of us were participating and 2 immediately, sat out and watched. This often happens in escape rooms when people find out what is involved. Most of our problem solving was done by sitting or kneeling on the floor......as this increased our speed.

 

 

It was fun.....but it certainly isn't a must do.....but if you are curious go for it......and hope someone in your group has done an escape room before..it really helps....

Quick question, where did you have to go for the signups? Thanks in advance.