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Live From the Ruby: 11/29/2014 B2B2B

ccrain

By ccrain,
in Princess Cruises

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Whimsy

Whimsy

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Hi All

 

Ruby laundry uses card swipe system

 

Yours Shogun

 

 

 

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Forums mobile app

 

Thanks for the info! I'm glad, bring quarters along or having to run and get them are a minor pain but at least now it's one less thing to have to remember to bring or do.

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casavaha

casavaha

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CCRAIN: Love your comments, we will be on the Ruby, the 13th, for three weeks.

I do not like the duos in the Wheelhouse, much rather have a trio or quartet.

Will be interested in how you like them for dancing.

Looking forward to your comments.

Thanks,

 

Greg

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Woobstr112G "Live from...." Rare

Woobstr112G

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Last night was a great start to the cruise. It turns out Atomic is the same band we had on the Ruby last year in the Med. Haley and Pete, the owners, are here, but Rob, their lead male singer, had personal issues, so they are breaking in a new lead singer. They just boarded yesterday with us, and it was good to see a familiar face.

 

Speaking of familiar faces, Zaritza our morning “sunshine”, or Zoe to everyone else, also from the Ruby last year, came running up to us while we were dancing during the deck party. And to top it all off, at the elite lounge we ran into Teri and Sue from our Caribbean Princess 2013 transatlantic and British Isles cruise.

 

As I’ve said before when they say you won’t see these people again, they lie!

 

The deck party was good. There is a line dance and ballroom dance club on board, so the dance floors are full, but full of people who know how to social dance. No fancy flairs in the face for sure! JJ does need to open up Fusion for dancing. It’s got the largest dance floor.

 

The welcome aboard show was definitely different with the full set of LED screens behind the dancers, and it looks like they have a full troupe. More dancers than any of the ships we’ve been on recently. Phil Tag was the headline comedian. We’ve seen him before, but he has fresh new material. Contemporary material as well. So that was good. A nice laugh. We will have to make his full show for sure….

 

We don’t know any of the cruise staff but JJ and we spoke to him during muster. Same old JJ. He’s very straightforward, just the facts, here’s the information kind of cruise director. In a past life I think he was a radio or TV news anchor. His morning show is simply a transfer of information, but his deputy (Melissa or Marissa – can’t find her name right now) is a real nut! Her wine presentation, which is a good idea BTW, was a real hoot. They talked about the dinner menu for the evening and a good wine pairing, but she’s a lot like me – is the wine good with a bit of sprite in it! (7up and Gallo Red Mountain Burgundy – the drink I grew up on – besides Boone’s Farm.) That’s the question!

 

It’s a good thing we weren’t on last cruise. 700 kids. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not opposed to kids in general, but 700 on the same ship! That would have been one crowded ship. On this one, only 53. That’s a much more reasonable number.

 

So basically, last night was some dancing, the welcome aboard show, meeting some old friends and listening to music. Danny Rodriquez was in the wheelhouse doing a guitar solo with vocals. We are not really big fans of guitar solos in the wheelhouse. Hard to dance to. But this guy was really, really good. Nice music selection, easy listening and you could dance to it. We did not get a chance to see the Pastime Duo in the wheelhouse, the resident musical group, but will try tonight.

 

So today we are at Princess Cays. The weather is cloudy, with minimal breeze and 77F/25C. Chance of rain. Sea state is minor chop. The tenders aren’t bouncing at all. Haven’t decided if we’re going ashore for the BBQ this time or not. Tonight is Italian night, so we might just wait and have dinner in the dining room. Not sure, don’t really care, not a big deal. That’s why it’s called a vacation!

 

Service in the IC is Ruby quality. Judy had my latte ready and waiting for me. Coffee was good and hot, service is prompt and friendly. Just a completely different vibe from the Grand last March. I keep looking for Michael, from the Ruby cruise last October, to be around the corner. It’s really like coming home.

 

We’re back in a standard Caribe balcony cabin. Different layout from the Grand, but familiar. Large closet, smaller bathroom, but we’re on the starboard side of the ship this time. The last several cruises we’ve been on the port side. Got to quit turning left getting out of the elevator.

 

In the patter today. Rum tasting at 1600 in fusion. Paper plane challenge in the Piazza. Morning trivia, no afternoon trivia, BOGO happy hour is 1500 to 1600 in the wheelhouse. MUTS is football all afternoon and night with 3 games B2B2B.

 

Tonight is Italian night in the dining room. Danny Rodriquez is in the wheelhouse, Atomic in Explorer’s, Pastime Duo in the wheelhouse. Headliners tonight are Fernandez, the hypnotist, and Craig Meyer’s Almost Elton John.

 

That’s it for the morning.

 

Now to go out and do absolutely nothing…

 

Enjoy your day.....:):):)

 

Bob

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bhopal21

bhopal21

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CCRAIN: Love your comments, we will be on the Ruby, the 13th, for three weeks.

I do not like the duos in the Wheelhouse, much rather have a trio or quartet.

Will be interested in how you like them for dancing.

Looking forward to your comments.

Thanks,

 

Greg

 

The Pastime duo in the Wheelhouse was horrible last month. It was almost like they were tone deaf.:(

 

Mike:)

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ccrain

ccrain

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Still trying to find all the menu items in this new Word. Geez, I wish they would quit moving stuff around. Composing off line is the only way to try and stay within the 150 minute allotment for this 7 day cruise.

 

The Ruby has implemented the Princess@sea intranet. You can access events, your account, itinerary and a bunch of other stuff I haven’t found yet. Speed is still very slow, indicating that the files may not be resident on the ship. They will have to address that. The access to the events list was excruciatingly slow, even in the piazza, and you have to have a second log in account apart from your normal internet account. The upside is that they are headed in the right direction. Fast electronic access to information on the ship is the future, and the eventual elimination of the printed patter – that will save a bunch of labor, and paper as well. They will need to consolidate logins as well. Having two different accounts is just not convenient.

 

One thing I forgot to mention was that our luggage was very late, in spite of being one of the first dropped off. But one of our pieces had the big red sticker on it. Turns out the x-ray machine must have detected our “stuff” and there was a lot of it. Bottle of mouthwash, conditioner, shampoo, body wash, foaming hand soap and a couple dozen of these neat little flavor bottles for mixed drinks we found at the dollar store for mixing our mini-bar setup with. (Just add vodka and you have a lemon drop martini, or a margarita or a daiquiri. For less than $0.50 each, plus the free mini-bar, they make for a great nightcap. )

 

I’m sure the liquid meter went off the charts when that bag went through.

 

BTW, the DCD’s name is Angela, and she is a hoot. We are definitely going to try to see a lot of her on the cruise.

 

Cut off for most traveled was 324 days. We just barely made it and with a dearth of elites on this cruise, I don’t expect to make it on the next two, as it is a logical 14 day and the rollcalls are very active on CC.

 

Our room steward, Bernard, is once again, one of the best. We’ve been using, for the past two years, pillows and the life jackets to prop up the mattress at the head of the bed for Judy’s GERD. (She got treated by the HALO system several years ago for Barret’s Esaphogus that was in high grade dysplasia at the time. That was a miracle treatment compared to the alternatives with a really high surgical mortality rate! So we keep her upper torso elevated to prevent a reoccurrence.) Apparently Princess now has foam wedges, in very limited supply, tailor made to prop up the head of the mattress. We did not know about them. Bernard did, so when he figured out what we wanted all the pillows for, he brought out the wedges and now we have a much more comfortable angle on the bed.

 

Nicely done!

 

I imagine, like the eggcrates used to be, you need to reserve these ahead of time. But it might save you from a week or two of nasty heartburn…

 

Last night was one of the roughest nights we’ve had on any ship. The sea state is probably only moderate, but the wind is howling! Add to that the fact that the ship has to book it down to St Marteen at 20+ knots and you have the promenade closed and the ship rocking and rolling all night. The front of the ship channel wasn’t on yesterday. Maybe it’s down, but they had some other music channels available for that afternoon power nap. It’s still really rough this morning as well. So I know where Judy’s going to be all day today. Either in bed or in the Piazza!

 

We did not get off at Princess Cays, having slept really late and seeing the 30 knot wind speed. (Trust me, you do not want to be in a crowded tender with Judy when it’s rough….) We made a point of going to see Danny Rodriguez in the wheelhouse. He is the best solo guitarist we’ve ever seen on a ship. He has his own backing tracks, BUT he lays them down in real time and then just hits the loop back pedal. It gives you the feel of a full live performance. And we can dance to him. (Mostly night club 2 step.) It was great and Zaritza is in wheelhouse, so we got to say hello to her. She’s leaving in a few weeks, and only has plans for one more contract, so this is the last time we will ever see her.

 

We did do lunch in the HC and the food was really, really good. All of the proteins were seasoned and tasty. There was a roasted fish that was really good. Pounded pork cutlets, the cold salads, and of course, the famous breads, were really good.

 

We did not see the Elton John show or the Hypnotist. Not a big fan of Elton and definitely not a fan of hypnotists. We did dance to Danny’s music, Atomic, some canned music in Fusion and the Pastime Duo in the wheelhouse. The ships movement during the dancing in Fusion made it really interesting. During one particular Swing, I wasn’t sure when I sent Judy out whether she would come back at all, or just come back really, really fast! It’s interesting in a way. We’ve not listened to Haley, of Atomic, in over a year, and her voice is so much better than it was a year ago. We can definitely tell the difference. Her range is so much more and her enunciation is so much clearer and her timing and beat are so much better. It’s amazing how much she’s changed in a year. And they know Erin, of Retrospect, whom we met on the Grand in March of this year.

 

So what’s up in the patter today. First of all, it’s going to be a bit bouncy that’s for sure. Today is the real only sea day. (The next is packing day on Friday.) I must say, JJ has the Patter packed with a bunch of stuff. It’s pretty much non-stop for the entire day and night. The highlights are:

 

Zumba at 0900 – so y’all know where I will be. Fruit and vegetable carving. Holiday store at sea in Michelangelo ($10 gift items). Bingo – twice today. Pub lunch in the wheelhouse. Ballroom and line dance classes. Pool games. Pop choir. BOGO hour from 1500 to 1600 in the wheelhouse (you know, the important things in life are BOGO).

 

Tonight is jammed packed. Its formal night, and the Captains welcome speech and the champagne waterfall. Probably not much dancing for us. Maleficent is on MUTS at 1700 and Judy wants to see that. Then it’s Colors of the World, with three showings. We’ll probably make the 2030 show. Then it’s Liar’s Club at 2215. Liar’s club has become one of our favorites.

 

So its burgers, pizza and beer for dinner and a movie. If we make the 1900 showing of Colors of the World we might get in a little dancing, but if it’s as good as it was last year, we might just stay for another showing. That’s the nice thing about cruising and especially about B2B’s. It really doesn’t matter, as long as you have fun.

 

Well it’s starting to get light outside. The sky is cloudy, whitecaps on the water and the stabilizers are vibrating away. Ship is heeled over a bit with the wind. It’s even moving quite a bit here in the Piazza. Judy might just end up in bed all day if this keeps up. We’ll just have to play it by ear.

 

E’ya all tomorrow…

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ccrain

ccrain

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I take it that's 6:30 to 9:30 then? Which nights? I assume not formal nights?

 

Another question, is the laundry still taking coins in the machines or have they gone to the system where you swipe your card?

 

Thank you again for doing this live thread! I have check in 3 times already! LOL!

 

12/2 and 12/4, St Marteen and Grand Turk. Neither one is formal night...

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ccrain

ccrain

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CCRAIN: Love your comments, we will be on the Ruby, the 13th, for three weeks.

I do not like the duos in the Wheelhouse, much rather have a trio or quartet.

Will be interested in how you like them for dancing.

Looking forward to your comments.

Thanks,

 

Greg

 

They were pretty good last night. Not as good as trio's or quartets, but it was danceable. Lots of dancers on the ship. The floors are crowded, but not unmanageable. Does get a bit hectic with traveling dances such as Foxtrot or Waltz, but actually quite enjoyable. I'm definitely getting better at this...

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caribill

caribill

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Fast electronic access to information on the ship is the future, and the eventual elimination of the printed patter – that will save a bunch of labor, and paper as well.

 

I doubt the printed Patter will ever go away. Not everyone is spending the day with a smart electronic device in their back pocket.

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ccrain

ccrain

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Early in the morning. We will be late into St Martin this morning. 20+ knots of speed combined with heading into a 30+ knot headwind equals a really wind whipped ship. Amazing how much the wind will cause the ship to twist, buck and turn. And the seas were only 8-9 ft. Even the Piazza was not spared. So Judy was flat on her back for almost the whole day. Couldn’t even read or play her IPAD games.

 

By 1600 she got some of her sea legs back and the winds had died a bit. We were able to grab a light snack at Vines with a white flight, some sushi, soup and salad. It did rain off and on all day so the lounge chairs were pretty wet for the movie. Maleficent. It was ok. Not my cup of tea, but not a bad thing either. The amazing this was that the movement had died down enough that Judy was able to enjoy to whole movie. We found seats that were just about dead center of the ship and that helped a lot.

 

Since it was formal night, we opted for Café Caribe for dinner. Everything was really tasty. The beef Carpaccio salad was the highlight for me. When the greens were wrapped in the cured beef, it was one tasty bite. And of course the cheese selection was outstanding. Love that cheese. 6 different varieties and one really blue blue cheese. Judy pronounced the ‘spinach legs’ soup excellent. Their soups remind me of the fresh cream of vegetable soups we had on a trip to Northeast England (Yorkshire) pub hopping in the 2000’s and the ones Judy makes from our garden at home.

 

We caught the last half hour of Danny Rodriquez’s set in the wheelhouse. We watched him lay down at least 3 backing tracks to one song. That was so cool to watch him essentially compose a song while sitting there. And the music was great and danceable as well.

 

We missed the first showing of Colors of the World (CotW)– opting for food instead. We had first seen CoTW on the Ruby a year ago without the LED digital effects. This ship has a full dance troupe. The TA Ruby last year did not. Still not sure why they call it CotW. It is a fun, colorful song and dance romp using different parts of the world as an excuse to do some really energetic staging, vocals, slap stick and dancing. The costumes are the best since British Invasion. They really pop. The show itself sounds like it has a message, as do a few of the numbers, but it really just gets down to great singing and dancing.

 

Judy and I have mixed opinions on the LED digital effects. She likes the effects during the solo’s. I think it detracted from the solo’s – although the New York, New York solo is borderline for me. During the non-LED Digital show last year, the solo’s were done against a simple “starlight” backdrop with spotlights. In this way you concentrated on the singer and the music. With the LED effects you are watching the screen and listening to the singer, so the impact of the words and the vocals just has to be lessened. During the main dance numbers the screens do enliven and enhance the performance. But there is a lot going on. It will be nice to see it a couple of times on this trip.

 

Anyway, that’s my opinion. The show is great either way. Highly recommended.

 

After the show we danced a little to Atomic, who had moved to Fusion, then went to Liar’s Club. Liar’s Club was fun, as usual, and we were able to help our team members win some champoo. Thank goodness we don’t have to drink it! Some of the words were familiar, but we had long forgotten the real definitions, so we had to wing it on all of them.

 

That was it for the night.

 

Today, we will be arriving about 30 minutes late into St Martin. The wind and the seas have died down a bit. We see some blue sky, actually right now a lot of blue sky.

 

The task for the day is Christmas shopping for the grandkids. We can afford to be picky since we’ll be back. Call it more of a scouting trip unless something catches my eye. Ally, our granddaughter, like hats and the white greek fisherman’s hat we bought her in Mykonos last year was a big hit, so we’re looking for something unique for her. I’m thinking a female pirates hat with the rakish feather might be kind of cool, and she could pull it off as well. The other grandkids are getting t-shirts, normal hats, maybe a sweatshirt or two. We will play it by ear.

 

Have to admit, JJ is doing a good job packing the nightly schedule. Things are happening in every venue. Tonight is no exception. We have Phil Tag as the headliner for two shows, the ultimate deck party, dancing, a couple of trivias – science and nature sounds new – passenger feud gameshow, Danny is in Crooner’s, Tommy McPhee is moving to Explorer’s and a late bingo in fusion. Quite a mix of stuff to do.

 

Well, that’s about it. Off to St Martin!

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