Review of Ruby Princess Alaska Cruise, I hope is not my last cruise

[cruisequeen4ever]

God bless you! I will pray you get the transplant you need and you'll far outlive the doctors' projections!

[Professor Plum]

Thank you so much for all the helpful information. This really will be a once-in-a-lifetime trip for us, and we dont want to miss anything, but there is so much to choose from!

appreciate the time but especially the effort you have put into this.

I wish you nothing but the best outcome for your treatment, and may you still have a few more cruises left.

[WWCJR]

In the morning at 11:00 AM in the Princess Theater there was preview showing of The Tracy Arm Experience.

 

 

Erin was the host of this event. It was a very well made video of our experience in Tracy Arm, both on the ship and on the Excursion. This video, as well, as the other two videos of the Reflections DVDs were very well done. The Tracy Arm Experience was about 99% from our cruise with just a few scenes added to enhance the video. The Reflections Onboard Experience was also mostly from video shot on our cruise but also included a lot of video of behind the scenes on Turn-Around Day, on the bridge with interviews of Commodore Giuseppe Romano and bridge officers. There was also a segment about the production shows with footage from the different shows (this even though passengers are not allowed to take pictures or video of these shows). It also included some of the onboard presentations. The Reflections Alaska Experience was a little less from our cruise but more of a combination of the best from many other cruises. All in all these videos as much better than what has been done in the past with the Reflections DVD of a cruise. I feel that it is in large part to the part that Casey plays in shooting the video and then her technique of editing it altogether. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THESE VIDEOS. We have shown them to friends that normally do not like to watch videos of our cruise even the ones I have done but were glued to the TV watching these.

 

Casey was not able to attend, even though she really wanted to be there, as she had a wedding to video. After the showing we ran into Casey in the Piazza shooting some footage for the wedding video she was doing that morning.

 

 

We ran into my sister and niece after that and they had over slept and missed the showing which they had really wanted to attend. We grabbed a quick lunch and then I rested most of the afternoon. Since it was formal night again we decided to get some more photos taken before we had supper. In the photo below from left to right is my wife, niece, myself, and then my sister.

 

 

More of my review to follow in my next post.

[WWCJR]

We then headed to the dining room for supper. Here is a sampling of what we ate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The food not only looked great it also tasted great. More of my review to follow in my next post.

[WWCJR]

I think this was the night that we were given a copy of the 50th Anniversary Menu, see it below.

 

 

 

After Supper we headed to the Princess Theater to see the production show “Once Upon A Dream”. This is a show that uses multi-dimensional image technology, projected onto white walls that move during the preformation. This technology and show were first introduced on this ship when it went into service. The performance was done very well and when the show was over we learned that since the entire staff of performers came on the ship with us and it was their first time to work together on the ship. Therefore, it was outstanding.

 

After the show it was off to bed for me. I will cover some loose ends from earlier in the cruise in my next post.

[WWCJR]

Now to cover some activities I failed to cover early in the cruise. Our cruise was referred to as the Shark Week Cruise. The aft elevator, most starboard was decorated all week with special graphics. People heard about it and many times, if you were on it, they shot pictures of it since it was rather special. I got the picture below one time we got off and no one else was on it.

 

 

On Tuesday after leaving Ketchikan there was a Shark Week activity in Club Fusion at 3:30 in the afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was not uncommon to see people most of the week wearing their “shark hat”.

 

Shortly I will post the Friday At Sea Patter followed by the Shopping Spotlight.

[Colo Cruiser]

Now I am hungry. :eek:

[WWCJR]

 

 

 

 

The Shopping Spotlight will follow in my next post.

[WWCJR]

 

 

I will have Saturday at Sea/Victoria in my next post.

[19woody19]

Thank you so much for the fantastic review of your cruise and itinerary. We all pray your treatments go well and you will continue to experience wonderful cruises in the future. As for the great 50th anniversary menu...I guess I will have to stick with hamburgers and fries unless my DW interprets what they are.:) Looking forward to your next post. bob

[shredie]

Your family portrait is wonderful!

[WWCJR]

I learned this last week that the transplant is being delayed due to the donor not wanting to be contacted before the second week of August. As a result I will be going back on the study medication for another cycle of it in hopes that it will hold the cancer in the semi state of remission. If things work our it might happen the first part of September,

[WWCJR]

Now I am hungry. :eek:

 

J agree. I had to take a break and have a steak I grilled while I was posting the review. Princess Chefs and staff know how to make food not only taste great but also look great.

[YumYumSweetiePie]

Everyone looks really great in the formal night picture. Great photograph colors.

[luvteaching]

Thanks so much for the pix of the Rushin' Tailor! As my daughter and I are both quilters, we had planned a stop there when in skagway in Sept. Now I'm more anxious than ever to see the shop as well as the ones in ketchikan and seattle. It looks like the one in juneau is closed! :(

 

We did this trip on the Crown July 4th. I can tell you that the quilt shop in Juneau (second story of the building) is open and full! There were two in Salmon Landing in Ketchikan (at the top of the stairs on the second level). One of them is closed but the other is open.

 

Karen

[skedaddle43]

Luvteaching, thanks for the info...we are 6 weeks away and are anxiously counting down! Every trip we take, we always map out quilt shops and have gotten beautiful and unique fabric that gives us something to "pet" on the way home! A quilter understands! ;)

[WWCJR]

Here it is the 4th of July and which port will we visit today…Victoria, BC in Canada. I guess it is only fair as we were in US waters on Wednesday when it was Canada Day. There were decorations around the ship and in the Piazza there were a number of cakes on display.

 

 

 

 

 

More to follow in my next post

[WWCJR]

In the morning we attended the cooking show. Do all of these shows use the same script. It seems to me that the same jokes are used for each of these shows. Chef Quadros, where do you live, on deck xx, no where do you come from, India. Maitre’D Mazzone, where do you live, right next to the chef on deck xx, no where do you come from, Italy. This is followed by a talk about virgin olive oil. Then, on to the cooking part of the show. I will say that one part was different this time. When they added salt to the pasta a large amount was dumped in and the audience gasped very loudly. At the end they brought out the upper level staff of the kitchen and the dining rooms, below is a picture of all of them.

 

 

A hand out was given to all that attended, see below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

More to follow in my next post

[WWCJR]

That afternoon we met with Casey and Erin in the photo gallery to say our good-byes and take a few last pictures. Casey will be on the Ruby until mid-September when she has a couple of months off. Then in mid-November she will join the Caribbean Princess sailing out of all places Houston. Under normal circumstances we would be able to spend some time with her on turn-around days but that is not likely to happen that soon after my transplant. Here is a picture of the five of us, from left to right my niece, my sister, Casey, myself, and my wife. We are all decked out to celebrate the 4th of July.

 

 

Then the next picture is from left to right my niece, Casey, my wife, myself, and Erin. As you can see we were all having a good time.

 

 

To me Casey is like a daughter or maybe a granddaughter. Now the time that was very hard as we knew we were saying good-bye and it might be the last time we see each other.

 

 

While we said our good-byes Casey and I still keep up with each other by email. After the next cruise she said that Erin for the first time did the Tracy Arm Excursion and also edited that video and she did a great job. That week Casey went on a whale watching excursion (don’t know which one but will ask) and that they saw Orca whales and a baby Humpback whale. The bay Humpback whale breached 23 times! I think I have already expressed how good she is at her job. She approaches it as not just making a video record of the weeks’ cruise for the passengers but she is also making a video of her life.

 

After our good-byes we headed to the dining room for an early supper as my sister and niece planned to head into Victoria to do some sight-seeing. So after we ate they were off on their adventure while my wife and I headed to our cabin to rest.

 

While in the cabin I decided to take some pictures of the Victoria dock from our balcony.

 

 

 

That soon turned into a photo tour of our cabin. A picture looking out the sliding door of our cabin C738.

 

 

More to follow in my next post.

[WWCJR]

Looking in toward the cabin from the balcony.

 

 

Looking into the cabin from the sliding door.

 

 

Looking toward the balcony from the entry hallway.

 

 

Looking at the closet area from the entry hallway, it is empty as we had already packed our bags for disembarkation and they were now gone to be off loaded in the morning.

 

 

And now for the bathroom as seen from the door from the closet.

 

 

 

We have come to really like having a Caribe balcony as they have a very large balcony that is half covered and half uncovered, the best of both worlds in our minds. The cabin is very well laid-out and has plenty of storage. There are enough outlets as long as you use all that are available and use a travel outlet strip. The outlet strip I use is made by Monster and has four outlets, two on each side and spaced such that even with large power modules plugged in they all fit. There is an outlet behind the TV that I use with one of these plugged in all week. I also have a second travel plug strip plugged into an outlet at the desk. These outlets are spaced such that unless you have very narrow plugs you can only use one outlet at a time.

 

My next post will have the Log of the Cruise. I will have a future post that covers Sunday and disembarking the ship.

[WWCJR]

Later that evening the Log of the Cruise was delivered to our mailbox.

 

 

 

 

 

My next post will have the Saturday, Victoria Patter

[WWCJR]

 

 

 

 

My next post will have the Victoria Port Guide and Shopping Spotlight

[WWCJR]

 

 

 

 

 

[WWCJR]

I just got an email from Casey. Last month she was runner-up for the Consummate Host of the Month Award. But this month she got the Consummate Host of the Month Award. It could not go to a more deserving person as far as I am concerned. Below you can see the awards for last month and this month.

 

 

If any of you going on this cruise on the Ruby Princess this summer would like to stop by the Photo Gallery and say hi to Casey and Erin for me I would sure like it. You might even find that you also might make friends with them and come to understand how they can add so much to your cruise. Also be sure to buy the videos of your cruise, you will be so glad you did when you get back home.

 

Casey is still finding ways to raise my spirits and put a smile on my face. Her family can be very proud of such a wonderful young lady that they raised.

[Colo Cruiser]

Really enjoyed your review. :)