Cruise Raider

I think you are right in that people will find a way around the $14.99 charge pp. I also think there will be people complaining about the ON activation fee on the app. I think that is what all the lines are about at guest services.

There is no Alfredo’s / Gigis onboard this class of ship but that’s what I understand to be true at the Wheelhouse Bar. I’m guessing the same would be for the other casual dining restaurants, though. Think of it as a cover charge. I did ask the couple at Vines if I could take a photo of their food as they ordered the prix fix menu and they were sharing it. Not sure what package they had, though.

You now do that through your room steward. So, no charge.

The Ruby is in fine shape! And if you know me through my posts, I am not one to go easy on the condition of a ship in my descriptions. I don’t know exactly what they are going to do in dry dock but will check with one of the officers if I get the chance. It’s doubtful that much of anything will be done inside but that’s just my take on it because everything looks to be in very good condition. They are actually going to complete their dry dock in Portland, Oregon. Someone mentioned there would be two weeks in Portland and one week in Victoria. I may have misunderstood but that’s what I heard. As for rough, I know that’s not what you mean, but thought I’d include it right here. The whole way up, the seas have been having the ship doing this weird wiggly motion. We are dead center ship and can still feel it but it’s not really bothering us. If our cabin were all the way aft or forward, that would definitely be another story.

Someone that ordered off the menu at vins was kind enough to let me take photos of their food order. It did look very nice!

So, the prix fix menu for the causal dining can’t be shared between two people. If your like to share, you have to use the a la carte menu. I’m adding a couple ophotos of the menu at the GastroPub as well as the Vines menu. I’ve never seen so many people in the piazza, Good Spirits and Vines. It is my understanding that the buffet and pool deck were closed due to a medical evacuation that was required today. It was very foggy today so, the helicopter actually had to go back shoreside to refuel to return for the evacuation procedures. We understand the passenger was safely evacuated during a break in the weather. Anyway, I won’t comment any further on the reasons for the evacuation. BTW, the food delivery service e menu on the app is slightly reduced. I’m a big fan of the chicken tacos that used to be available. I made due with a salad and some chicken tenders, though. Menus have changed and I can understand this for as long as I can still get something I like. BTW, the GastroPub was as busy as we have ever seen it tonight. And it sure did smell delicious but we already had dinner. We still may stop in there to eat off the a la carte menu later in the cruise.

It’s just nobody else’s business and tacky to try to be the paparazzi in these situations.

Yes, they prohibited entry into the balcony cabins on the port side of the ship until the evacuation was complete. Someone else’s medical condition is just nobody else’s business! Period! Beyond just hoping the fellow passenger is ok and survives, please don’t care what i4 is about!

We are currently onboard the Ruby. Thank goodness the passenger that encountering the medical emergency was evacuated safely. It’s nobody’s business what the medical emergency was and shameful anybody would film it. Let’s give some people some privacy and be thankful it wasn’t one of your loved ones. If you believe, just say a prayer that the passenger is ok.

Thank you … I will check that out tonight! and to dispel any rumors about specialty coffees being included in the daily limit of 15 drinks on the package, they are not!

I think it’s being discontinued but they may have a few bottles left. But, they are only selling it by the bottle. I also like Mer Soleil, Hartford and A few other buttery / oaky chards but they don’t really have any. The Flowers, from the premier package is my only real option even though it’s not my favorite. Oh well, I’m drinking less this way. I may go to reds before all is said and done. Like I said, the staff is trying hard to find me something I like. But, there is really no good reason for us to upgrade to the premier package. We’re still having a great time. BTW, Skywalkers had fun nibbles last night … little crudités bowls, some little hot dog bites rolled in mustard and then pastry that Kenny loved, shrimp cocktail, cheese, nuts and dried fruit, chips and salsa and guacamole, maybe something else .. but plenty of food to have for dinner. don’t mind the emoji .. can’t get rid of it

Sure thing! I’m not crazy about their newer wine menu but the staff there is so good in trying to help me find something that I love. Kudos for that ..

I agree .. it’s nothing and we are just using OBC to pay for it anyway. We got it straight from guest services that the room service and OceanNow deliveries were absolutely inundated since the cruise have gone to full capacity! And now, we will probably just get a la carte menu items when we go to the GastroPub and it’s actually cheaper than before as there was always an $18 cover charge in the past. I will report back if we can just order one price fixed menu item as then it would be even cheaper yet. The new changes are actually saving us money. Plus, I find no need to upgrade from the $50 Plus to the $60 Plus. It was going to cost $200 more for us to do so and this way, it’s actually less than what we’d usually spend. We were considering upgrading to the premier package but no real need for that as the wine choice on both packages are less than before. I haven’t found a wine that I love yet but will be on the lookout. They do have horseradish at Crooners for my bloody Caesar. If you haven’t tried it with horseradish before, give that a try! So very good.

Vines has definitely implemented the new menu. We saw it last night. I will be checking the GastroPub menu for you tonight.

This is the first cruise on the Ruby since the new changes have been put in place. I thought I’d clear up some of the confusion to the best of my ability. Embarkation was a piece of cake in the Port of San Francisco yesterday. The port was busy with loads of traffic when we showed up right around 11:30 AM. While the security lines were long, they moved pretty quickly. Once past security, there were basically no lines for check in. They still had the priority line available for elite, suites .. so no change there. The QR code on the app was never checked. There was no line the the blue lane passengers, either. It looked like business as usual as I saw no difference in the boarding process. We normally get to the port before 11:00 AM but there was so much traffic on the Bay Bridge, it took an extra 30 minutes to get there. As we were arriving in the terminal for check in, we heard the announcement that all boarding groups could proceed onto the ship. So, if anything, embarkation proceeded just as before, if not faster. We have the older $50 Plus Package so we knew that ordering on the app would incur a $14.99 one time fee. There is a warning that we would be charged and that was that! The fee was only charged to my account as my DH never uses the app. It is not charged per guest in the stateroom, only to each person that uses the app. I’m absolutely fine with the charge as it is only one time and then, no additional charges throughout the entire cruise provided you do not use your cabin phone for room service. Easy as pie! Room service took about 30 minutes to arrive this morning. It always takes longer when I order chicken noodle soup, which I love for breakfast, so wasn’t expecting it to be any faster. BTW, that chicken noodle soup was excellent. Our cabin steward told us about the charge yesterday, too .. he seemed so relieved that we not only knew about it but that we were absolutely ok with it. There were extremely long lines at guest services yesterday so, I’m sure not everyone feels that way about it. There is no Alfredo’s or GiGi’s on the Ruby so I checked the price of a whole pizza on the app and it is now $8.50. The options are fewer for the pizza so not sure if we wouldn’t just go upstairs to get pizza anyway. The ships with a sit down pizza place may have better options.

I’ve actually upgraded to the premier package on several of my future sailings because we’ve gotten away from eating our meals in the MDR. I much prefer the casual settings. Now that are all included vs costing us up to $36 per meal in the past, it really is a better value for us. Plus, I get the better wines, which was really the reason for upgrading in the past.

Celebrity changed this policy years ago. Watch other cruise lines to see what will happen in the future on Princess. They are only keeping up with the industry standards. You OBC is just that, money to be spent onboard or beforehand for excursions.

I’ve upgraded to the premier package on 2 of the cruises for this year and 4 of the cruises I have booked for next year. I am almost sure the price of the packages will increase by the beginning of next year. And, if you will read my previous posts, I’m not even one that is unhappy about the changes.

I would assume that, as well!

They stated that is was for. US closed loop cruise.

Wow …now, I could go for that but I’m pretty sure it was an error rather than a valid offering.

I’m curious as to what ship that was on as we had several cruises so far with the 50-plus package and right from the start, we got all drinks up to $15 in our package, the only items we didn’t get were the juice bar, fitness classes and ice cream desserts. We rarely get those items anyway so, it’s never been a problem. We are also on a cruise in a few days and for a cruise under the 50-plus package and I fully expect to get drinks up to $15, as we’ve gotten them on every other cruise we’ve been on so far, including the Royal, Ruby, Diamond. I have read that the sapphire may have broken out with their own rules, though.

The only casual dining spot that was included was Alfredo’s / Gigi’s. Neither the GastroPub nor O’Malleys were free and neither was the Sushi Place. If anything, they went down in price. Even the tapas in Vines were only complimentary with a drink purchase at that bar. I’m ok with it not because it’s Princess, it’s because now it’s a better value for us.

Being a lover of Chardonnay, I’d snag a bottle of Rombauer and a bottle of Hartford for those prices. The Silver Oak cab and Jospeh Phelps cab are also very good wines at twice the price of the Chardonnays.

We love the aft facing cabins on the Dolphin deck on the Ruby and there is absolutely no noise back there. We’ve never even noticed any vibration or anything and pick ones of those cabins whenever they are available.