CruisinCadie

We just got back from a cruise on the American Heritage, round trip New Orleans. I'll post a full review later but thought I would share my thoughts for anyone interested. First of all, the crew was wonderful. They were always cheerful and happy to help. I am having hip surgery in a few weeks and especially needed help disembarking and embarking at ports, and the deck crew was always there to assist me. Our housekeeper, Destiny, kept the room in great shape. We almost always had the same table and waiter at dinner, and Daniel took good care of us. Overall, the ship was in good shape. One complaint--the public rooms were COLD! It seems they set the thermostat for hot weather and never adjusted when it cooled off. If you're going late in the year, pack some extra sweaters or sweatshirts. Food--most meals in the dining room were good to excellent. You could ask for half portions. They had a roast pig one day for lunch and it was great. We were not impressed with the food in the buffet. Breakfast was pretty standard, but lunch was always a main dish, cooked vegetables, and a soup/chili-type option. They need something light such as sandwiches. Ports and excursions--It rained in Baton Rouge and Natchez/Vicksburg which impacted our excursions. Other than that, my main complaint was that there wasn't enough time to see everything. They really need a full day in Natchez and another full day in Vicksburg. And it would be nice if they offered a pre- or post-cruise stay in New Orleans as they do in Memphis, so you have time to visit more than a small section of the French Quarter. Even in St. Francisville, we docked across the river which meant we spent a long time getting to and from the town and it cut into our time to explore. If anyone has any questions, I'll be happy to answer them Kathy

Thanks. I'll check on that next week. Kathy

My husband is on insulin, which needs to be refrigerated. It looks like the American Heritage does not have refrigerators in the staterooms. What provisions does the ship make for refrigerated meds? I'm sure he's not the only one with this problem. Thanks, Kathy

Unfortunately, we weren't the only ones with this complaint. But I'll admit some others said it was extremely slow in their cabins, not simply confined to one small area. Kathy (OP)

We were in 7036. It was right by the forward elevators, and it was surprisingly quiet. Also very convenient--up 2 decks to the Windjammer and down 2 decks to the theatre. It has more than enough storage space for 2 and a 3-seater sofa. I think that it is typical of the "spacious balcony" cabins, which is what most of the ones on deck 7 are. Kathy

Just off the Vision and be warned, internet in the cabin stinks. We were on Deck 7. The only place we could get wi-fi was in the area between the bathroom and the bed and even then it wasn't reliable. Not on the sofa, by the desk, or on the balcony. I didn't pay that much to have to go out to the Centrum to check my email. People at the VOOM desk said, yes, that happens with the older ships. There's nothing we can do about it. FYI, other than that, the cruise was very nice. Kathy

Just discovered the weirdest thing when I was going over our schedule for our Bermuda/Bahamas cruise which starts next week. In Nassau, we signed up for an excursion offered by Royal which starts at 10 am. Only according to the itinerary, we don't arrive in Nassau until 1 pm. Could this be a mistake of the time on Royal's part? Will they offer it at a later time? If not, then why did they offer it in the first place and will we get our money back? (We'd better.) We don't reach Nassau until day 6 so have plenty of time to straighten it out once we're on the ship, but I wondered if anyone else had experienced this problem and how it was resolved. Thanks, Kathy

Thanks. That's good to know, especially that they do offer tours. I'm going to email our TA today and see what he knows. Kathy

DH and I are former AQV cruisers who are looking into ACL Mississippi River cruises. We are in our late 70's and both are mobility challenged. (He has a decided limp and I use a cane.) I've gotten answers to most of my questions from the ACL website but am unclear about a couple things. 1. Do they use a specific hotel in New Orleans? Does it have a restaurant or are there restaurants nearby? Is breakfast the morning of the cruise included? 2. Do they provide any sort of city tour in NOLA, such as on the way to the ship? It sounds like we're mostly on our own and I'm not sure how much walking we can take. 3. General information--Coke or Pepsi products? Can we get iced/flavored coffee, such as mocha lattes, in the afternoon? I'm sure I'll have more questions later, but thanks for any info you can give me. Kathy

Thank you for posting this report. We will be on Vision in June to Bermuda. BTW, cute, cute, cute sign. Kathy

Good to hear. We'll be on her in June. Kathy

Also stuck in snowy NE Ohio. This photo gives me hope that our June cruise will arrive, sooner or later. Kathy

Good to know. Thanks for all the important information. Kathy

Thanks for your speedy replies. We will be sure to check out the tram. Kathy

Is Coco Cay a tender port? Or is there a dock to disembark? We are both seniors and mobility challenged, so would like to be prepared. Thanks, Kathy

Just off the Ruby. Everything looked nice and clean. New carpeting everywhere I noticed. I think you will be pleased with with the condition of the ship. Kathy

One more question--the last time we were on the Ruby, many years ago, it took us until the last day to find the waffle station. It was outside by the ice cream station. Is it still there, or in the buffet somewhere? Thanks, Kathy

Thanks for the information. I know DD and SIL like to dine on the "back porch" so we may be trying the Caribe Cafe.

Thanks so much for your interesting and informative posts. Our itinerary is different than yours, 10-day Western with partial transit of the Panama Canal, but your information about the ship is relevant. Hope they get the dining situation straightened out by next Sunday. Question--you mentioned the Caribe buffet as opposed to the Horizon Court. What is the difference and where is the Caribe buffet? Thanks, Kathy

As I recall, the Ruby Princess has the biggest closets and smallest bathrooms for a standard balcony stateroom.

Thanks for posting. We'll be boarding the Ruby immediately after you disembark. We sailed on her a few years ago and I'm anxious to see what changes they've made. Kathy

In Vancouver, when we dropped off our luggage, the porter saw my cane and asked if I'd like a wheelchair. I only had to wait a few minutes before one arrived. The attendant took me all the way through customs and check-in, and up to the ship. A ship's attendant took me over from there. He dropped me off by the main elevator. Very simple and painless. BTW, I am a very generous tipper. These people perform a much-needed service. Kathy

Thanks for doing this thread. We'll be on the Ruby in November. I have one question about the Ocean Now charge. If we have NO intention of ordering from the app or going to the for charge restaurants, do we have to pay for it? I might feel differently if they had Gigi's/Alfredo's, but you say they don't. Therefore, we're perfectly happy with grabbing a slice of pizza at the pool deck restaurant. And we eat most of our meals at the MDR or buffet. But if we have to buy it, I guess we'll find a way to use it. Thanks, Kathy

You have to get your own luggage and take it through customs. Then you take it to the bus and the driver will load it onto the bus. He will also unload it at the airport. So to answer your question, it depends on how much and how heavy your luggage is. You'll also have your carry-on which you kept the night before for your nightclothes and necessities.

Enjoying your review. We just, like this morning, the same cruise for next year. Kathy