TXRed

Thanks to everyone for your replies.....we still don't know what we are going to do...a lot will depend on how much luggage we actually have I guess.

We are sailing on the Ruby to Alaska Sept 6 2015. We are on the Caribe deck. We would love to be able to catch an 11AM flight home, or endure a 10 hours trip or we will more than likely have to overnight in Seattle. If we take our own luggage off the ship how early can we get off? And how does that work? How long time wise it is from the Pier to the Airport? TIA

Here's some links that should help with docking ... which pier:

 

Juneau Walking Tour: http://www.traveljuneau.com/images/map_downtown_big.jpg

 

Skagway Walking Tour: http://skagway.com/skagwaywalkingtour.pdf

 

Ketchikan Map: http://www.experienceketchikan.com/support-files/downtownmap.pdf

 

Creek Street In Ketchikan (worth going to): http://www.experienceketchikan.com/c...#ixzz1ahUYElGt

 

Map of Victoria … shows walk from ship to town: http://gvha.v3.ca/uploaded/cruise-map-web-3.jpg

 

 

 

Since you are booked on your cruise, and the date is this year you can look up each port and find out exactly where your ship is docked.

http://claalaska.com/?page_id=318

Once you know the date and port code/berth code you can see exactly where you are docked in that city.

http://claalaska.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Port-Codes.pdf

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WOW thanks ever so much...great reference links!!

Thank you MilliesMom for posting those links! I didn't realize there were more than one on the Ruby. I guess my evening is suddenly booked! I love Bimmer09's reviews - so many great photos!

 

Sknight - Great to know the cafe is 24 hours, i promise i am cruising for more than the food!!! :eek:

 

TxRed - who did you book the White Pass Rail with? We can't decide. :)

We booked via Princess ...pick up at the dock and drop back off there. I think it was about $130.00 pp

Good luck in Alaska. I've heard the shoulders (May and September) tend to have the best weather. My May sailing a couple years back had sun every single day. So, be optimistic. I'm just hoping for relatively warm weather for my one-day sailing from Seattle to Vancouver mid-September. Warm enough for hot tubs, at least... :p

Thanks, I live in MO so we are used to weather changing at the drop of a hat. I just hope it doesn't rain every day...but if it does we will just deal with it...it's ALASKA!!

Here's Bimmer09's review of the Ruby Princess:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1786957

 

Whittier to Vancouver link:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1850609

 

Vancouver to Whittier:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1798138

thanks so much...I read the Ruby review today...ship is beautiful and the food looks so fantastic...he had me at the first picture of fried calamari..his pictures are beautiful. I will read the other 2...thanks for posting the links.

Thank you so much for posting your review and photos. We are going to Alaska in Sept on the Ruby..our first time for both Princess and Alaska. Loved the food photos...you had me hooked at the calamari photo!! If I may ask a few questions...is the afternoon tea only for those in the Sanctuary? If not, is there a charge? You mention coffee syrup and water at the buffet and I immediately went HUH? Is there anyplace to get regular brewed coffee other than at the IC ? And if not, then we would have to pay for each single cup of coffee or purchase the coffee card? Again thank you for sharing your voyage with us.

Hi again! if you're sailing on the Ruby 9/6 you should join our roll call. Already lots of great info about ports, excusions and Seattle.

I now know I get seasick and will start taking otc pills the day before. As long as I take them continuously im fine. Might try the patch or bracelet this year since we are in the very front of the ship!

Tx Red there is so much to do at each port! Our family starts by looking at the excursions offered by Princess that interest us and start narrowing down our options based on time, cost, and availability. I like to use TripAdvisor to see how popular and liked everything is. Thrn I book thru princess or direct.

I love walking in each city and finding out the history of each. Ketchikan is beautiful and the salmon there is amazing! Im stocking up on canned salmon this trip. Yum!!

The whale watching with Juneau Tours in Juneau was phenomenal and I highly recommend the trip. The whales were so close and we saw seals and porpoises too. This year we are thinking of the tram or visiting a glacier.

In Skagway we want to take the White Pass Rail.

Do you have any specific questions?

You should also check out the Ruby review by Bimmer09, his reviews are excellent and have great photos.:)

Thanks I have joined the roll call. We are going to do the White Pass Rail too. That's as far as we have gotten so far. There is so much to read. I am going to check out the review right away..TIA

We're on the same cruise!!! :)

When we booked our cruise, the princess agent told us that Ruby has a covered pool. I have looked at every photo from every angle and cannot find a way they could possibly cover one for Alaska. I think she must have been mistaken.

 

Last July my husband and i enjoyed the outdoor pools and hot tubs on our Alaska cruise on the Golden Princess. We like the adult only Lotus and Aft pools the best. Not sure how much cooler Alasker will be this time of year though.

 

We didn't have any trouble with anytime dining. Sometimes there would be a 15 minute wait for a table, but if we were willing to be seated at a group table could use be seated quickly. Meals were great and the staff seemed to want to really make sure you were satisfied.

We tend to prefer the buffets though - i could get all my favorites and my husband would load up on pizza and we would find somewhere to watch the sea/scenery. The Ruby seems to have a second buffet called Cafe Caribe that has themed meals that i am excited to try.

If you enjoy snacks you will LOVE the International Cafe. I think they are open 6am-11pm? As far as i can remember all the food was included and you only had to pay for the specialty drinks. Lots of yummy finger foods, salads, desserts, cookies, paninis, sandwiches, and i practically lived on the fruit tarts!

 

I can't think of many secrets i've discovered yet about the Ruby.... there is an English Tea served at some point in a MDR, Skywalkers is a quiet place to relax during the day, it is REALLY cold the day the ship goes up the fjord to the glacier - dress in all your layers! :eek:

Looking forward to meeting you!! We were really hoping for an indoor pool.. darn it. We are looking forward to our first time on Princess. We chose the anytime dining simply because we don't like to be locked into a specific time...even at home. I am sure we will not go hungry. We also like buffets as I like to try different things...but don't like to order an entire entree only to find out I don't like it. Also there are now 3 couples going....so anytime is the best for all of us!! Everyone I have spoken to raves about the IC...I am sure we will too. Layers it will be!! Since you have been to Alaska would you mind sharing what you recommend doing/seeing/shopping at in the various ports. Thanks for your reply!!

When we sailed to Alaska in September on Sea Princess there were many days that the pools were closed - netted off. It wasn't exactly pool weather even though we had sunshine most days. The first night and the following day at sea we had very rough weather. Lots of passengers staggering around and the ship booming and shuddering as it broke through the high waves. It was pretty cool. :)

EEEKKKKKK that would not be cool to me....guess I should hget those sea sick bands just in case.

Thanks

The Ruby doesn't have a covered pool. There is a nice aft pool for adults only; usually the water is heated. Thanks...he hoped there was an inside pool. No way will he be in an outdoor pool!!

 

I think a balcony is always great in Alaska (3x for me); the scenery is always beautiful. You can see some of it even as you get dressed if you have the balcony. You'll always have a better view on the open decks, but the balcony is good for your own 'down' time.

 

As for Anytime Dining -- it's your preference -- Dining Room or the buffet. I prefer the comfort of the dining room for dinner, but have eaten in the HC a few times.

 

Whatever you chose, Alaska is fantastic! And sometimes quite warm.

 

Enjoy!

Thanks so much for your reply. We really like having a balcony and will certainly take advantage weather permitting. We are not big eaters, but we eat often so sometimes we only want soup and/or salad for dinner and going to the HC makes better sense for us. If we are hungry we will them go to the main dining room.

We are on the Ruby on 9/6/15 to Alaska. My DH wanted me to ask if there was an inside pool?? Also we booked a balcony on the Caribe deck aft area, wondering if it will be too cold to use it? We also chose the anytime dining, as we didn't want to be locked into a specific time and often we prefer to eat at the buffet. Please share your experience using this method. And lastly is there anything about the Ruby that we should know that is not on the website? First time on Princess so any and all answers will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

if you want to eat in the main dining room for formal night, don't skip it just because you're husband isn't in a suit or tux. we didn't pack those for my husband. i packed cocktail dresses and only wore one. i wore black pants & nice shirts the rest of the nights while my husband wore khakis and a shirt. the couple that sat next to us wore jeans the entire week. i feel like the entire cruise was much more casual than expected.

Thanks for your response. That is encouraging. He looks very nice in dark trousers, a crisp white long sleeve shirt and a baby blue cardigan. So we might just give it a try. :p I might sneak a tie in and see if he will wear it, but it's doubtful.

Thanks to all for your responses. No way will I get my husband in a tie or jacket, much less a Tux. When he retired he swore the only time he would wear a tie/suit etc was at a funeral. Looks like we will not be doing any formal nights in the main dining room. I am OK with that. As long as he is happy. I am not fussy where I eat. Now that I have that settled what about the specialty restaurants? Especially the grill....will dark pants, collared shirt and/or nice cashmere sweater be OK?

We have done two Alaskan cruises in September and found them to be no different than the two we've done in June. The weather can be everything from warm and sunny to rain and sleet in both months. We found that people do dress far more casually on Alaskan cruises than other cruises, but most still adhere to the ship's guidelines for formality. We did see a man in jeans with a plaid flannel shirt and suspenders on formal night in the main dining room one evening and were plenty surprised. But hey... everyone's idea of formal is obviously different. Bring a good lightweight waterproof raincoat for excursions and layer layer layer!! Enjoy.

thanks ....especially for mentioning a waterproof rain gear. By more casual...what do you mean....especially men...are dockers and a long sleeve shirt OK for men? And are dressy jeans OK for women? LOL. to jeans, plaid flannel and suspenders for formal night.

This is our first cruise to Alaska. We will be on the Ruby, departing Seattle on 9/6/15. For those that might have sailed during this period could you tell us what clothing is most appropriate to take? We will look at dual purpose clothing and layering...but not sure which direction to go for formal and/or smart casual Asking for both mean and women. TIA

We are booked on the starboard side aft...not directly aft, but several cabins from the aft....will we ever see anything other than ocean??

The "one punch left" thing was associated with the old coffee cards which were discontinued two years ago. That is when the cards could be used perpetually until that last punch was used.

 

The current coffee card is good for unlimited coffee (and hot chocolate) on the voyage it is sold on, even if all the punches are used. Any unused punches can be used on later voyages.

Oh that is even better...I may just leave the press at home then. Thank you for the update on the coffee card.

Same foods as posted plus awesome shrimp salad I had daily :) The coffee card is 15 punches of speciality coffees for $31. As long as you have one punch left you can get free brewed coffee at coffee bar which is better than at dining room or buffet. Also you can great hot chocolate free with the card as long as you have a free punch. I drank lots of hot chocolate while my husband enjoys coffee. The crown grill is AWESOME!!! $25 is worth it. I had the ribeye and they brought 7 lobster tails to start with. They were grilled and cooked to perfection!!! Have a great time!

Sounds like the coffee card is worth the price. And thanks for the heads up on the shrimp salad. We are not big eaters but we do eat small amount often.. and I love lobster....I know we are going to have a wonderful time...we are working on our bucket list ..so we will be able to scratch Alaska off!! And hopefully another...seeing the whales!! Thank you

Also for the Crowne Grill, reservations are not necessarily needed. We have walked up and got seated immediately.

Bring your appetite!!! There is more food than a normal person can/should eat. Not that we haven't seen clean plates :rolleyes:

Thank you...I love lobster and this seems like the place to go to get it.

Most of your questions can be answered by checking the Princess website.

 

International Cafe serves pastries, salads and desserts for free. Gelato has a fee.

 

Crown Grill is $25 per person.

 

Not sure if you're allowed to bring a French press onboard.

 

Coffee card information can be found by searching this forum or the Princess website.

Thank you

We're planning our third cruise to Alaska and have never cruised with Princess. The cruise we're interested in is on the Ruby, but not knowing anything good, bad or ugly about her, I would really like to hear from those who have cruised with her. I have been appointed by our friends, who will also be going on this trip, to find the cruises and give them all of the information. Our previous Alaska cruises were on Holland America ships, but they're just a little boring for our group. The eight of us who will be going all love to have a really good time and, I admit, we like to party -- even though we're considered senior citizens.

 

Any and all information will be greatly appreciated. :)

Ditto...please someone step up and help us first timers

We are booking the Ruby to Alaska in Sept 2015. This is our first Princess cruise. Was glad to see your post. I have a couple questions.they have probably been asked a zillion times...but here goes...what type of foods are served in the International Cafe? What is a coffee card and where can I get information about it. We are coffee drinkers and I have read several posts that Princess serves awful coffee. Should I bring coffee and a french press?? And how much more did you pay to eat at the Crowne Grill? thanks in advance for answering any of my questions.

We just returned from the Ruby Princess 5 day cruise Cozumel & Grand Cayman

 

I must say we were overall very impressed with Princess and the Ruby.

I'm not doing a review, Rather some random thoughts and observation,

 

I hate to say we didn't like thing because it sounds like we are complaining. Were not.

This was my 28 cruise, so you will find some like and dislikes .

 

The 24 hour international cafe was awesome. we had a OV on deck 5, I loved just sneaking out and grabbing a snack any time.

 

Thank You for telling us about the coffee card, very nice feature. (We thought the reg coffee was pretty bad. We are black coffee drinkers.

 

We are smokers (shame on us) but there were more than enough places to smoke, I have no issue with the balcony smoking policy. Saves me money not having to get one.

 

Food is very subjective. I thought this was hit or miss. I thought the buffet area was laid out bad, confusing and conjugated.. I really didn't care for the selections offered. My DW thought it was better than past cruises.

 

Dinning room food was ok to good. We had my time dining, We were willing to eat with others, so never had to wait at all. We laugh at the tables for 2 because they were separated by 6 inches. not really private.

I loved the pizza and burgers at the grill plus the ice cream was nice.

Room service was slow slow slow. Tried twice with over a hour wait each time. They could improve this

We ate at the crown grill. This was very good, I loved the fact you could add a lobster tail with your steak at no extra cost.

 

I'm a casino junkie, the casino staff was awesome, they took my money with a smile and was very friendly. I hate to lose, but at least they didn't make me feel as bad as normal.

 

Life boat drill is great. It was nice not going outside in the elements and stand there like cattle.

 

The ship itself was beautiful and elegant. For the most part it was easy to navigate. 2 thumbs up for the rap around promenade

The staff was top notch every where, We actually tipped a little extra to some of the crew.

 

I wish Princess would not sale pre paid gratuities because it's not really pre paid. Other line's actually have PPG. We are cash cruisers so we buy obc and pay as much before hand as possible. It was no big deal as I would just print out my statement and see where we stood.

 

Entertainment, this is where Princess wins hand's down, there was live entertainment every where all the time. Some we didn't care for, but it was there. Not just 1 man bands either.

 

I'm sure there are other things to ramble on about but I will spare you.

So overall How did we like it you ask. We bought 4 FCC's that's the best answer I can give.

Hubby and I were talking about bucket list cruises the other day. His is Australia and mine is the Orient. Just curious as to what other people have in their bucket list.

Ours is Alaska...which we are doing 9/14/2014....want to scratch it off and move on to the next item on the list.

Did you share that with your roll call? I've learned about price drops & have saved roll call members some money.

Not yet, but I will. Thanks for the reminder.