Bimmer09

18 minutes ago, Kauai Kid said:

I’ll be looking forward to your HAL 2025.

Thanks for all your work, Norris.

I hope you read the Christmas 2024 first LOL! Have you sailed HAL?

We haven't and so on that one on the Rotterdam  everything will be new to us. Wrap- around aft suite. Southern Caribbean. Sun.

The 2025 is an adventure on the Nieuw Statendam (small aft suite like a mini suite) which will take us up to Norway but not the usual ports. Places like Tromso and Trondheim, Honningvag, Lofoten Islands-way up North into the Arctic Circle. On the way back to Amsterdam we will stop at the Shetland Islands (Lerwick), Inverness and a late night in Edinburgh. It's in the middle of June so won't be as cold as Chicago is in January . Midnight sun. Mountains, picturesque ports.

The Christmas review will get a link to the Arctic review once I start writing.

The Spain/Portugal/Morocco review will be on X and the Arctic review will give a link.

October 2025, start and finish in Barcelona. Celebrity Equinox, Sunset Verandah.

So follow each of them until replaced by a new one, please.

Thanks as always for reading along!

Norris

7 hours ago, litholam4 said:

Any dinner menus avaialble....

I'm sorry, no.

I think the last lunch menu is coming up soon.

I basically just forgot.

Norris

PARK WEST GALLERY

Since 1993, Park West Gallery has been conducting fine art auctions aboard cruise ships, and is the largest business in this field.^[6] It has sold art on: Carnival, Celebrity Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Royal Caribbean International. Park West claims that it is "the world's largest art dealer" based on its volume of sales, though independent analysts dispute that claim.^[6]

Princess is missing from that Wikipedia list but fear not- I can assure you that PW has a presence on every ship I've been on and aren't shy about having an auction. On the Ruby the auctions were held in the expansive Explorers Lounge. I attended none of them but I did walk through their gallery on deck 5 each morning with a cup of coffee.

There has to be something for everybody here, except us as we've long since run out of wall space!

I like this one-old school

Thomas Kincade. Never liked his works. Always had all the lights on in the cottages. Huge carbon footprint and unpaid electricity bills.

Lights ablaze again!

We were recently at a Rembrandt exhibition in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Not one Superhero painting. Not one!

We would be back in the Princess Theater at 4 p.m for the finals of Voice of the Ocean. It was hosted by Natalie, not Alejandro who hosted the auditions. His "make some noise" repartee is not really suited to the big stage. He's more of a fairground barker. 

There were 5 singers and I shot video of all of them but rather than ruin your day I'll just post the winner.

Each couple of passengers in the theater got an electronic scoring device to share. The winner will go instantly into obscurity as Voice winners tend to do.

More rooms on the Ruby 

I mentioned Vines and it's not every ship which has a wine bar. There is just one table by the window alas. Deck 5 opposite the equally unique International Cafe -open 24/7!

You can get a nice charcuterie platter if you have the munchies here.

 We didn't book a future cruise as we already have 3 in the pipeline and are in no hurry. Hopefully Rudy Sodamin who has been moved over from HAL as Head of Culinary Arts can upgrade the food experience on Princess.

Internet Center  also deck 5

Captain's Circle Desk Deck 6 

1 hour ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

@Bimmer09, I’ve enjoyed your entire review. Thank you for taking the time to keep notes, write and post pics!

 

Your complaint resolution skills are desperately needed at the Subway I was at today. “Man that blows”. I’m dying here. 🤣

 

 

I can imagine most complaints in Subway are about the sandwiches and the extreme ratio of chopped lettuce vs the meats. When I was working I occasionally forgot myself and walked into a Subway. Their sandwiches photograph well, but that's true of Burger King too.  Sandwiches best eaten in a car at night with the lights turned off and your previous meal 12 hours ago.

I have a long history of being the Manager the "Irate Lady" (Karen) demands to speak to....

Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now.

Thanks for the compliments and for reading along!

Norris

2 hours ago, partybarbie said:

Did you have a chance to see the piano man in Crooner’s or have a martini there? It might not be your thing, just curious if you ever went there.

Alas cocktails aren't my thing, however  I love that Princess has Crooner's and Vines and the International Cafe and the ships are the better for having those. You can't go on the Grand Class and say "I wish they had a piano bar" They have! It's a dazzler, design and decor wise and it draws a crowd of devotees.

The decor

the art

the vibe

There was a singing pianist, drawing a crowd nightly- I walked through here often. Great buzz.

I've had one cocktail at sea so far -Celebrity Martini Bar in Norway but as I keep buying beverage packages I will try some more on HAL this Christmas.

Thanks for reading!

Norris

SUITE AND ELITE PERKS

Sabatini's breakfast is the one that matters most to us plus the actual cabin itself and big aft balcony. We are only interested in aft. 

The mini bar includes miniatures of Scotch, vodka , rum cognac. I think 10 of those but we change them out for some beers,Coke and seltzer for Carol.

There was a list of perks waiting for us among the paperwork

We never once used the Elite Lounge perk and didn't set foot in Skywalker's on this trip. Nothing wrong with the perk-there's always some good munchies and some discounted drinks but I have yet to meet an Officer there except after midnight when they were a bit wasted. The time slot of 5-7pm can often find us napping. I didn't go to the Grapevine wine tasting  but would have if I had remembered.

We got an invite to the Captain's circle Party but we never go to those as they don't have value for us.

What surprised me was that we didn't have Afternoon Tea delivered to our room and didn't have it once anywhere on the ship. It's so much food when they deliver it. In the Sanctuary they deliver one sandwich or scone at a time and you can pace yourself. I guarantee we will have it on our next sailing on Princess, whenever that might happen. I used the laundry and it was quick to return to me.

We haven't sailed in a Sky Suite on X since 2017 but the X suite prices are now prohibitive although you do get a good private suite restaurant in Luminae and use of the retreat that keeps non suite passengers out and restricts them to not using the front third of the ship. I miss being able to see where the ship is going and being told to keep out of prime deck space. Boo Celebrity even though I understand that $$$ is what floats your boat.

We are keen to experience the Holland America suite life.

We have enjoyed Princess Suites on Crown, Caribbean, Ruby, Ocean, Emerald and Diamond. All aft. Other cruises have been in mini-suites or aft balcony cabins.

21 minutes ago, mevs904 said:

 

 however, at this point  lot of our attention (and budget) has been given to European land tours.>>

European land tours are a favorite thing for us and the reason we only do one or two cruises a year-and some of those start in Europe.

We are off to Germany (Munich)July 31 for 12 days, to attend the Bayreuth Festival (Wagner Opera) and enjoy Munich before and after. Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France we lap them up with a big spoon. You saw we have a cruise that focuses on Spain and Portugal lined up and we'll be back in Amsterdam in June 2025 to sail to the Arctic Circle and N. Scotland.

We haven't yet committed to a river cruise in Europe. I like driving alongside the Rhine, Rhone and Danube but eating when and where we please. 

Thanks for the comments!

Norris

Princess Theater

2 shows a night. 700 pax capacity. No drinks service. Wheelhouse Bar on 7 is closest.

On deck 6 and 7 (Casino bar closest on 6)

Great sound/lights/digital screen for scenery

When I stepped out of the theater and onto the Promenade Deck I saw Cuba.

We visited Cuba in January 2019 on our first Azamara cruise and it still ranks as one of our favorites.

Azamara Journey Cuba Intensive January 15 2019

Photo/Video review https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2627809-x-cruiser-sails-azamara-to-cuba-jan-15-to-24-2019/

We still talk about it. How colorful it was and how nice the Cuban people we met were. 

It makes no sense that it is out of bounds in a "Free Country".

Vietnam that the USA bombed relentlessly isn't out of bounds. Go figure.

10 hours ago, mevs904 said:

Carol and Norris, thanks  so much for your informative and enjoyable review.  We have loved all of your reviews, particularly the ones on the older ships as we prefer those to the Royal class ships that don’t have a full promenade.  Wishing you good health for the remainder of the winter.  Stay warm and well in Chicago!

Thanks for the compliments and for following along!

I hope "all your reviews" includes the Celebrity and Azamara ones and will include our HAL cruises which will start this Christmas. We have 2 HAL and 1 Celebrity booked out to October 2025. Arctic Circle is one cruise, Spain Portugal and Morocco another. We'll see Amsterdam and Barcelona again, 2 of our favorite cities.

If you are "following" this stay put and you'll get notified here when my first HAL review hits the HAL board January 1 2025. We'll be in a Neptune Suite on the aft of Rotterdam. Christmas Day in Aruba.

Norris

On the last sea day there is always a Culinary Show where the DRO (Director of Restaurant Operations, formerly known as the Maitre 'd) and the Executive Chef get together on a stage with a stove, some ingredients and overhead camera and cook/clown aided by the CD Natalie. It can be good fun for the many who pack the Princess Theater and there are usually some good cooking tips. Afterwards there's a galley tour which is worth a look. I didn't stay long as I had things to do and the seats we managed to get had a wooden bar that got in the way of photographing hence the following pics which have the people so low down in the frame.

Natalie the CD

Chef Jerry Dias from Goa, India

The DRO George Drugan from Romania 

As I left I took a shot without obstructions. Carol stayed put.

Shrimp (flambe) and pasta are usually the first dishes cooked. It's boxed pasta for expediency sake.

10 a.m in the Princess Theater

Guest Services deck 6 Piazza

Deck 5 down there, International Cafe/Good Spirits bar and Vines

The beautiful hub of the ship

Elegant elevator lobbies

The Shops

 The 15 year old ship is looking good!

Bed by 10.30 with full tummies. Tomorrow is our last day on the Ruby.  We don't look at 7 day cruises anymore. They were over  and done much too soon. Getting to an embarkation port is always done with at least one day in situ or at least two if in Europe, so our 12 Day to Iceland last summer included 4 days in Amsterdam. We have one day to unwind in Ft Lauderdale when we get there. We like 10 day to 14 day sailings now.

We find out this morning at Sabatini's that they will also serve us breakfast when we dock in Port Everglades. Hooray! We've always had to go to the MDR before disembarking.

followed by an ominous cloud formation

Sabatini's Manager Felix and Joyce, Hostess

Dennis was a memorable waiter. All the staff were noteworthy.

We always got a seat overlooking the fountains on deck 16

Tasty treats and fresh OJ and Mimosas and coffee and macchiatos -all offered no need to ask. Service with a smile and a soft ease-into-the-morning voice. Best suite perk there is. Quiet. Calm. Want steak and eggs tomorrow? Tell them today and  it shall be done.

Norris loves his cold cuts for breakfast when he goes to Germany. And in Sabatini's.

I had one of these every morning to start my day. Granola parfait.

Dinner in Sabatini's Take Two

This was my idea to get a better dining experience. The choices weren't radically different from our visit on night one of the cruise. I go with what pops off the menu at me and it's often a repeat. Red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon using Princess Plus) and Prosecco to start.

There are no Italians in the kitchen-let's just get that right shall we. Chef is from Philippines. So the cooking isn't 100% authentic like mamma used to make but it beats the MDR. As there are no Italians in the kitchen there are also no knife fights back there and no vendettas.

Carol rocks the salad with fennel

Surprise! Vitello di Tonnato again. I only live once and this is super-yummy!

Lobster tortelloni for Carol

Norris loves this dish with his red wine. Pappardelle with beef ragu

If there's a lull in service once can nibble on some bread and dip

Carol continues with chicken scallopini

This looks flavorful and it is. Veal osso bucco

Carol's notes say zabaglione. I wish I was in Italy right now.

Sambuca Romana and wannabe espresso 

2 hours ago, MacMadame said:

So Princess gets 10% and we get 7%? That doesn't seem fair. Is the OBC refundable or is it use it or lose it?

Hello again. I can't answer the OBC question as we never have any. We've only taken 3 Princess cruises in the past 6 years as we have explored other options. None had any OBC.

This was our second Princess Christmas cruise. Next Christmas will be HAL. They gave us enough OBC to pay for one specialty dinner for two.

Norris

Info-mercials

If you miss the ship

Don't even...

Shops pay a 17% fee on each transaction. Yikes!!

We are returning to Sabatini's for dinner tonight but before I do I want to address my issues with the Tour Desk on the Ruby. I'll keep as it brief as possible. I had written my reasons for complaining about our tour guide in Notes on my phone and rather than repeat it to the Polish lady who was free to help me and have her paraphrase it I handed her the phone so she could copy it into her report. My dissatisfaction was with the rude, crass guide but after talking to the Polish lady it transferred to her. She wasn't apparently trained in the basics of Customer Service which of course has many acronyms . The simplest of these is as follows;

Listen to the complaint.( I hear ya!)

Empathise Put yourself in the customer's shoes. (Man that blows!)

Apologise I'm sorry you were dissatisfied with the service. (That's brutal dude!)

Deliver a solution- here's $500 now go away please.

Her take was that all these Caribbean people hustle to make as much money as they can and want tips and extra money for securing customers for shopping. I may have reminded her I've done maybe 60 cruises in the Caribbean and am from America where tipping is a way of life but usually we tip for a job at least competently done. She would have to talk to her manager and would get back to me tomorrow (when in Cayman)

I returned next day, now knowing the guide's name from Carol's notes. I had already shown her the photo of the bus. She had asked me for the name of the driver. I said I didn't know as it was a long unusual name (Rogelio) not a common name like Carlos. So his name was Carlos she said....L is for listen!!

When I came back next day a British lady had the attention of Polish Lady and her manager the guy who musters the coach groups in the theater. I stood in line and listened. A third tour person came to the counter but didn't offer to help me as he was straightening up the white tickets you pass to the tour guide as you enter the bus.

The British woman was upset-she had booked a ticket to a Rainforest Hike in Costa Rica, where she would see tropical birds galore. When she got to the destination there was no rainforest- just a banana plantation. "We're not going there" said the guide pointing to her ticket. "Plantation then shopping"

She was demanding a full refund. "I can only give you a 30% refund" said the manager and they went round and round on that until the lady said-all right I'll take the 30% refund but I want you to call your HQ while I stand here and tell them I am asking for a full refund-I'm going to be back in Yorkshire in 2 days and am not going to spend hours on the phone on hold with Santa Clarita.

"Oh- I am not authorized to give you a 30% refund. Only HQ can do that. I'll send them an email and see what they say"

The exasperated lady left to go complain further at Guest Services. I stepped up and Polish Lady offered me 15% refund which came to $42. I accepted. So she got the D in LEAD. Way to go girl!

Norris

The last water shuttle heads back to shore

The weather turns soon after hoisting the anchor

It gets very windy up on deck 16

Sunset is obscured 

Too windy so I get off the open deck

Flags blow one way, smoke the opposite

 Sammy Hagar?( I love Sammy)

Norwegian Epic passengers had a long line

 Ruby much shorter

We were squeezed onto the first boat and Carol's timing says that we waited for 14 minutes on line and including the ride back and disembarkation from a  packed boat just 30 minutes had passed since we got in line.

Back to the ship

a quaint little town that smells of success

Google images led us to Guy's shop and gallery. That's it over there about 20 feet away

a typical Guy art piece. He's very committed to Marine Conservation

We stepped into his shop

Very nice staff in there except for a cleaner who was feather dusting the wooden stairs up to the art space above. The dusting could not be delayed one moment longer!

We bought a fridge magnet

We had a Limon one too I didn't show you

 We ate up in that open air section of the Boathouse Grill. It had a huge indoor area too.

There was a little dog under someone's table who went postal when we walked in to take our table. I think his name was "Little Yappy" and he was all bark and no trousers as they'd say in Yorkshire, where the puddings come from.

The view from our table

There's only one thing that can make this view pop even more.....

some good crusty bread and a baked head of garlic while we wait

Food was ok-think Applebee's level. Location and view great. I would return. 

My needs are always simple.  Fish and chips

and Carol's mahi mahi (sorry for repeating myself) fish tacos