Which ship to pick? Ruby Princess or Eurodam

[luv2cruise81]

Greetings,

I am a 28 year old male looking to go on a cruise in the late fall/early winter with my significant other. I have been a long time Royal Caribbean cruiser but am looking to branch out a bit and try a different brand. I am hoping to find a cruise that is intimate, elegant, entertaining, and fun!

 

In my price range I have found two cruise ships I am considering, the Ruby Princess and the Holland America Eurodam. Can anybody offer any feedback to advantages one ship may have over the other?

 

Sincerely,

Michael

[m steve]

we usually book HAL as the cabins are larger unless we pay extra to book a mini suite on P and then they are a bit bigger. I haven't sail Euro yet but it seems more interesting than the Princess ships.

Edited June 20, 2010 by m steve

[Northender]

The other side of the coin.:)

 

I have never sailed on HAL but if you are thinking of the Ruby, I guarantee you will not be sorry. Fabulous ship and wonder staff. :):)

[Jaymuxman]

Having sailed on both cruise lines quite a few times in the past, I would vote for the Ruby Princess, especially since you mentioned your age. However, you certainly can't wrong with either.

[Pia1913]

Definitely Ruby.

[Katie333]

I've sailed the Ruby sister's ships and found them to be fabulous. The Ruby is the newest so if anything it would be a tad nicer. :) My uncle sailed Eurodam and loved it. Now, we are in our 30s and my uncle is in his 60s. Generally HAL caters to an older clientele, but I am still interested in trying it out someday myself.

 

I've heard the cabins are more spacious with nicer beds on HAL, but Princess has great overall appeal in terms of dining, entertainment, nightlife etc.

[sammiedawg]

Choose Eurodam based on our dislike for the largest Princess ships, the Ruby has 3100 passengers with an extra deck of cabins , 500 extra people and no additional public space as compared to the standard Princess Grand class ships. Have not been on the Ruby but sailed the sister ship Caribbean Princess, too many people in a confined space. Bad space per passenger ratio. Not my cup of tea.

We have been on Eurodam and loved it.

Otherwise, both lines are very nice.

[Coral]

Choose Eurodam based on our dislike for the largest Princess ships, the Ruby has 3100 passengers with an extra deck of cabins , 500 extra people and no additional public space as compared to the standard Princess Grand class ships. Have not been on the Ruby but sailed the sister ship Caribbean Princess, too many people in a confined space. Bad space per passenger ratio. Not my cup of tea.

We have been on Eurodam and loved it.

Otherwise, both lines are very nice.

 

While I haven't been on the Eurodam yet, I have been on the Ruby's sister (Crown) and wasn't impressed. I have been on another HAL ship and found it very elegant and spacious.

 

I would choose Eurodam - all he reviews I have read have been very good.

[hubofhockey]

Choose Eurodam based on our dislike for the largest Princess ships, the Ruby has 3100 passengers with an extra deck of cabins , 500 extra people and no additional public space as compared to the standard Princess Grand class ships. Have not been on the Ruby but sailed the sister ship Caribbean Princess, too many people in a confined space. Bad space per passenger ratio. Not my cup of tea.

We have been on Eurodam and loved it.

Otherwise, both lines are very nice.

 

I never felt crowded on the sister ship, Crown Princess, and there were 3,600 passengers on the ship. I think you are incorrect about the Caribbean Princess being a sister ship. Others will correct me if I'm wrong. But I am under the impression that the Crown and Emerald are the Ruby's sister ships.

[aikensbest]

I love the Ruby..was on its maiden voyage. The sister ships are the Caribbean, Crown and Emerald and all have a capacity of 3080 passengers. That is the largest passenger count of any Princess ships. They all offer over 900 balcony rooms and personally I never felt crowded.

[sammiedawg]

Per the Princess web site, both Caribbean and Crown hold 3080 passengers. Of course if lots of kids on board, the # swells on any ship. Our Caribbean Princess ship had 3200 on board and it was not even a holiday week where you would expect lots of kids.

According to a cruise booking site, both ships have 116,000 tonnage. I'm not aware of any Princess ship that holds 3600 but I believe future generation ships may be that size. Doubt we will be sailing them unless they significantly increase the space per passenger ratio from the Caribbean model.

 

Space per passenger ratio is a very valid comparison between ships, one of the few objective measurements out there. Everything else is at least partly subjective.

[Hunwolf]

There are definitely some crowding issues at times in the largest Princess ships based on our experience on the Emerald. In particular...the way the dining rooms are placed causes congestion, there will be crowding/waits for elevators at times, lines at the buffet, etc.

 

Having said that...we didn't find these issues to be a major problem overall. Just what you would expect with a ship that size.

 

Now...if they wouldn't try to do cheasy portraits in all the high traffic areas nearly EVERY day of the cruise it would be much better. But that's a story for another day.

[bobk57]

My wife and I sailed on the Oosterdam a few years ago to Mexico and at 10pm, we felt like the sidewalks were rolled up, with nothing to do. At 11pm to midnight it was hard to find very many people up. We did cruise on the Ruby May 2009 and loved the ship and always found something happening and people up at midnight. Ruby is the way to go. Enjoy

[Zeta3]

I love HAL and have sailed the Eurodam twice we really enjoyed it. Our sailing group is late 30's early 40's and we were pleasantly suprised with the age mix and activities available on Eurodam. Half Moon Cay is absolutley gorgeous and the Tamarind restaurant has some unique offerings and really good food. HAL is extremely consistent in their level of service, food quality, etc. so I know exactly what I am going to get when I book which is nice. That being said we are going on our first Princess cruise this year mainly to see some different ports and try something new. I still may try to sneak in another HAL cruise this year because I really do love them so.

 

I think you can't go wrong with either cruise.

[ActiveTraveler]

Choose Eurodam based on our dislike for the largest Princess ships, the Ruby has 3100 passengers with an extra deck of cabins , 500 extra people and no additional public space as compared to the standard Princess Grand class ships. Have not been on the Ruby but sailed the sister ship Caribbean Princess, too many people in a confined space. Bad space per passenger ratio. Not my cup of tea.

We have been on Eurodam and loved it.

Otherwise, both lines are very nice.

 

Have you sailed on the Grand Princess for a similar itinerary? If not you can't say Ruby is bad because of her extra passenger deck because you don't know what it's like on a Grand class ship. People have been telling me to avoid all big ships since I do not want a lot of kids onboard andf hate the thought of tendering in a port.

[sammiedawg]

Yes, I have been on the Grand, Golden ships more than once. There is a big difference in spaciousness between 2600 and 3100 when the common areas are sized about the same. You cannot hide 500 extra passengers.

Also, the Caribbean and sister ships do not have a covered pool. big drawback IMO.

We did 4 or 5 HAL cruises in a row, then we did Coral Princess last month for the second time. We loved it both times, very spacious. Next up is the Star Princess for the Baltics, we are with a group who chose between Eurodam and Star. We're fine with Star which has the better itinerary.

Princess will continue to get my business for the Coral class and the Grand class but not the Caribbean Princess prototype.

[velvetred]

It would be helpful if people would try not to think so much about what they like/want in a cruise experience and try to recommend the ship that meets the OP's desires. The 28 year old OP said he is looking for elegant with entertainment and fun. Both ships have pros and cons but the Ruby offers much more in the entertainment and fun department than the Eurodam. I honestly had trouble deciding what to do on the Ruby as there were so many things I was interested in that had conflicting schedules. Never had that problem on the Eurodam - watched dvds in the cabin, played trivia and bingo, and spent time relaxing and lounging around in the library or Crow's Nest in addition to the main evening show. I am in my early 50's and in my experience most of the music on Holland America caters to an earlier generation than mine. My daughter and niece went on HAL last summer to Alaska with me and my sister - they loved the cruise but both commented on the unfamiliar music. Also, I have found that the older one gets the less tolerant one is of crowding. The younger generations tend to take it all in stride. In my experience, there was also crowding on the Eurodam especially at the buffet at peak times, at the indoor movie theater, and on the main pool deck. Again, both ships are very nice so it does boil down to whether the OP wants a more lively experience on the Ruby or a more sedate experience on the Eurodam. I do give the Eurodam the nod for cabin comfort and spaciousness (although the Ruby has a better closet design and refrigerators in all levels of cabins - the newer HAL ships may have fridges in all cabins now as well - I know the older HAL ships do not have refrigerators in all cabin categories) but if one is out and about most of the day the cabin really becomes a place to sleep and shower.

Edited June 21, 2010 by velvetred

[geoherb]

Unless you are going during a break time for schools--either fall break or Thanksgiving--I'd go with Princess. HAL tends to attract older folks. We have noticed even on holiday cruises that there is not a lot of nightlife on their ships.

 

As for the Ruby, we've sailed on the Emerald and Crown. We never felt crowded on them. There are lots of different activities going on every evening.

[ActiveTraveler]

I honestly had trouble deciding what to do on the Ruby as there were so many things I was interested in that had conflicting schedules.

Would you care to elaborate on that, Velvet? I read everything I could find about Ruby's public rooms on the Princess website, as well as Emerald, Crown, Golden, and Grand. None of those five ships have stage theaters for concerts, operas, and dance shows if I am not missing anything. I just read Princess has two movie theaters - one in, one out. But Princess claims on a different webpage to have "lavish" entertainment productions. There is nothing lavish about a first-run movie. So does Princess have live productions, or just music and dancing in the lounges?

[grandmato4]

Would you care to elaborate on that, Velvet? I read everything I could find about Ruby's public rooms on the Princess website, as well as Emerald, Crown, Golden, and Grand. None of those five ships have stage theaters for concerts, operas, and dance shows if I am not missing anything. I just read Princess has two movie theaters - one in, one out. But Princess claims on a different webpage to have "lavish" entertainment productions. There is nothing lavish about a first-run movie. So does Princess have live productions, or just music and dancing in the lounges?

 

The Princess Theater is where the Ruby's lavish production shows are held. Depending upon the entertainment for the evening sometimes the comedians, or other entertainers may perform there. At other times the comedians or other entertainers may perform in the Explorer's lounge or Club Fusion.

[velvetred]

ActiveTraveler - on my Ruby Princess cruise November 2008 there were live productions (Once Upon a Dream for one) in the main Princess theater several nights. On the nights there were not live productions in the Princess Theater, other types of entertainment (crew show, ABBA knock-off) were presented in the Princess Theater. Some of the shows and entertainers repeat, that is they may have 2 shows one night and the next night another show to enable everyone a chance to see the show. There were also additional entertainment (comedians, magicians, live bands, etc.) in the Explorer's lounge and Club Fusion. Plus, there was Movies Under the Stars in the evening (also movies on deck during the day). There was entertainment in the Piazza at various times throughout the day and evening. The Ruby had cooking shows, game shows, live music, bingo, trivia, dance lessons, the champagne waterfall, etc. Plus, Princess has multiple fresh water pools, the Sanctuary, the casino, the spa, the gym, specialty restaurants (Sabatini's and Crown Grill), etc. All I can say is that on my Ruby Princess cruise I had no difficulty having fun and being entertained. I recall more about the entertainment on the Ruby in 2008 than the Eurodam which I sailed this past Thanksgiving 2009. The reason is: other than James Cielan (sp?), the magician, it was not memorable for me. YMMV.

Edited June 21, 2010 by velvetred

[luv2cruise81]

Hello again,

Thank you all for your kind advice. I wanted to let you know that I just booked 7 nights on the ruby princess leaving on 11/27/2010. I felt I got a fair price of $499 per person for an inside cabin with $75 onboard credit.

 

Can anybody give suggestion where the best place is for a beach based snorkel? The ports we will be visiting are Princess Cays, St Thomas, St Martin, and Grand Turk.

 

I appreciate everybody's insights,

Michael

[kennicott]

It would be helpful if people would try not to think so much about what they like/want in a cruise experience and try to recommend the ship that meets the OP's desires. Again, both ships are very nice so it does boil down to whether the OP wants a more lively experience on the Ruby or a more sedate experience on the Eurodam. I do give the Eurodam the nod for cabin comfort and spaciousness (although the Ruby has a better closet design and refrigerators in all levels of cabins - the newer HAL ships may have fridges in all cabins now as well - I know the older HAL ships do not have refrigerators in all cabin categories) but if one is out and about most of the day the cabin really becomes a place to sleep and shower.

 

I realize this thread is a few years old, but not the subject of refrigerators. Here is my comments on a recent and unpleasant pertinent discovery:

 

 

Am I missing something, or is HAL eliminating refrigerators in most of the staterooms on their newest ships? I was going through the deck plans on the 2016 Koingsdam and couldn't find a mention anywhere of refrigerators with the exception of Visa and Neptune level suites. The predominate cabin with a balcony on this ship is the Veranda Suite, which is basically a mini-suite, similar to the Princess mini-suites, except Princess has refrigerators. Most cabins on all Princess ships have refrigerators. The next level down from the mini-suite on Princess is the balcony cabin which has no sofa, but Princess does provide refrigerators.

 

After inquiring around a little I noticed some complaining over no refrigerators which was causing problems for those with medications needing refrigeration. Someone mentioned that HAL doesn't have refrigerators in the Eurodam either, with the exception of Neptune Class and up suites. So I checked that out, true, doesn't look like the Eurodam has refrigerators either.

 

We were talking about this and can't recall when we didn't have a fridge, except for our very first cruise in 1990. Maybe we didn't on another occasion but it was long ago, we started booking only balconies in 2007, before that it was always outside cabins, but they had refrigerators. If this happens to be true, with HAL, is it evidence of further dilution of the cruise experience? We only cruise on Princess and HAL and some Regent, we have almost 500 days total sailing on HAL and Princess. So far, Princess is providing refrigerators in all their new ships.

 

What has me concerned here is "Stein Kruse". HAL's refrigerator abolishment had to occur on Kruse's watch since he was there a long time. Unfortunately, due to apparent cut throat competition between HAL and Princess, Carnival has put long time HAL, CEO, Stein Kruse, in charge of the newly formed merged top management entity, Holland America Group, which includes Princess, so the new Princess designs will now be under his leadership as well.

 

Is this trend taking place elsewhere within the 10 or 11 major lines? Regent isn't a major and pretty small, but I know they have refrigerators in every cabin.

[baggal]

Ruby Princess. The Eurodam has private cabanas on the main pool deck making it is very crowded and claustrophobic.

[Ofmyheart]

Since you mentioned your age I would say the Ruby. Never sailed the Eurodam but have sailed the Westerdam, a much more "mature" crowd.

Enjoyed the Ruby, think it would've a better bet for you.