Royal vs Ruby for B2B in 2021

[Cruzinnana47]

Thinking ahead to next year as, like most of you, our 2020 cruises were cancelled (Pac.Wine Country and Alaska Inside Passage).  Now looking forward, have booked Ruby for May, 2021 (10 day Inside Passage), but would still like to cruise the Pacific NW. 

 

Looking 2 possibilites in 2021--one for 4/24 Pac.Coastal on Ruby followed by 5/1 Inside Passage -- the other is  the Pac. Wine Country on the Royal 5/1 and on 5/8 the Northbound Alaska ending in Anchorage/Whittier.  Weighing the downsides:  on the Ruby, no GBay on above Alaskan itinerary and on the Royal, long flight from Anchorage to East Coast. 

 

Any feedback on these choices are welcome, including thoughts on both ships.  

 

TIA!

[LoriPhil]

I’d go for Ruby, as I think she is better for a Inside Passage, with good Promenade deck for viewing, and higher likelihood of sailing east of a Vancouver Island.  Sounds lovely!

[Cruiserkenn]

I agree about the Ruby!  Sheltered promenade deck is wonderful.  🙂🌝🌅🌈⛴🛳⚓️🐋🐬😌

[memoak]

I would always opt for the Ruby over the monster ship Royal class. Way too big for me

[weedpindle]

The second cruise on the Royal is a violation of PVSA and you will not be able to book it. ( The cruise starts in one US port and ends in another port) . Even if sold as 2 cruises, still considered one trip.

[Cruzinnana47]

Thanks for your comments....thinking the Ruby will be our choice.    We actually booked the 5/11/21 10-day on the Ruby which includes Glacier Bay, but if we want to also cruise the Pacific coastal itinerary, would need to rebook for for 5/01 cruise.   This is defefinitely in our sights right now.   We all need something pleasant to plan ahead for at this point!  Just want to get the FCC's in our accounts before our next move.

 

Weedpindle--appreciate your pointing out the PVSA issue on Royal.  That's always something to consider.  With the Ruby, the 2 cruises both originate in SF.  

[JudithLynne]

Ruby over Royal if you are booking a balcony, a must for Alaska.  Royal has dinky Juliette balconies, Ruby has nice size, comfortable balconies.

[Cruzinnana47]

50 minutes ago, JudithLynne said:

Ruby over Royal if you are booking a balcony, a must for Alaska.  Royal has dinky Juliette balconies, Ruby has nice size, comfortable balconies.

Thanks, JudithLynne,

We have decided on the Ruby for 2021-- seems to be the consensus here.😉

Our choice is a Caribe Deck Balcony at this point with the bigger 1/2 open-1/2 covered balcony.  

[JudithLynne]

Good choice.  Look at the map of your cruise and determine which side you would prefer for viewing.

If Covid doesn't get in our way, we will be on the Ruby in late Sept (coastal cruise), our second time on that ship.

[Bemidji Ty]

Another thumbs up for the Ruby.

 

Cheers

[patrickmoran]

If you haven't cruised Glacier Bay, I would make that your highest priority

[ukestrummer]

SAIL FROM VANCOUVER B C, Seattle has for years been a dump hole for touring, do a B/B ,wind up in Vancouver, fly home from there. You will have diff. ports up & down, TIMES are important in ports, things to do in Whittier if doing B/B. Been Alaska sail 22 times, know lots to do & not do

[memoak]

Embarkation and disembarkation is so so much easier in Seattle than Vancouver

[sxc]

Do not know why one would say as an authority the 2nd cruise on the Royal is a violation of PVSA as we took the same cruise itinerary on the Royal ( from LA to Vancouver, then to Whittier) in May 2019  and quite a few people on that cruise did the same  Both cruises, the Ruby and the Royal, sailed the inside passage and called on  the same ports, i.e. Ketchecan, Juneau and Skegway. The Ruby had to do the round trip in 7 days so I assume each port stay is shorter, whereas the Royal took 7 days one way and after Skegway, took a day's sailing to Whittier to let passengers to go deeper inland Alaska.  We did the b2b so visited the mentioned three ports twice along the same inside passage.  In fact, before we booked the 2019 cruise, the cruise director told us the 2 cruise have the same itineraries.  Princess gives them different name so people can differentiate the one-way north or south sailing vs the round trip one.