A Solo Cruise on RUBY PRINCESS to the Caribbean
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- čas přidán 21. 02. 2024
- My solo cruise on Princess Cruise Line was filled with travel adventure, comfort, and fun to the Western Caribbean. But the aging Ruby Princess cruise ship, while mostly well designed, had some setbacks and issues that I didn't anticipate a premium cruise brand like a Princess cruise ship having in the modern era. With stops in Costa Maya, Cozumel, and Roatan, Honduras, join me on my Ruby Princess solo cruise and help me answer whether or not another cruise solo on the aging Ruby Princess ship is worth it.
#princesscruises #solocruise #solotravel #cruise #travelvlog
Have you ever taken a cruise on the Ruby Princess? What do you think of the experience overall??
We love this class of ship. Emerald being our favorite. However, this class is getting old. Our preference now is the Royal Class ships
@@irishinusa1615 appreciate your feedback.
@@irishinusa1615 just got off the Discovery myself and the only complaint is it’s missing a proper promenade deck. Otherwise it’s a beauty.
yes ...my husband and i really enjoyed the calm relaxing ship.
@@designdoctor247 it’s a classic one!
I love the Ruby. I took it to Hawaii several years ago and I also was on it Dec 29, 2022 to Jan 29, 2023 and love every minute of it. I agree with your thoughts of Honduras Mahogany Bay. I was able to enjoy it 4 times.
I took a solo cruise on the Ruby Princess and I loved it. The Ruby Princess is a wonderful ship and I have cruised on this ship 3 times. My daughter had a great time. The only thing I don’t like is the cruise line trying to up charge everything. Otherwise, great food and fun.
Cruised on Ruby Princess out of Galveston with my daughter and had a lovely time. We noted some of the dated elements but none were deal breakers. Especially loved the huge closet area.
MDR food was good. Buffet - meh. Food delivery (room service & medallion) was so slow as to be useless.
I ate breakfast at the International Cafe every day. 5stars there.
The cover band concerts were outstanding.
Phone docking ports: as soon as they update them we’ll get new phones with a different plug. Just give me plenty of regular outlets, I’ll bring my own chargers.
Would definitely do again.
WOW I don’t know how I stumbled across your videos but I LOVE them. Your voice is great and I like how you are honest and to the point.
That means so much. Thank you!
Thank you for this video of the Ruby Princess. This is exactly the cruise I have been looking for. It covers destinations I would love to explore. Great price. It's perfect!
Oh how great to hear, glad it helped. Thank you for watching and for your feedback.
Excellent video. No music, no face shots. Well done.
Glad you liked it!
Excellent and thorough report. Bravo 👏 👏 👏 👏👏👍👍
Thank you, thank you!!
My wife and I have sailed the Ruby Princess several times and it's our favorite ship. We normally sail on Princess and of the Princess fleet the Ruby is the best. Your video is spot on in all aspects. Thank you for creating the video.
Thank you. So happy to hear you’re a SuperFan of it.
Cafe Caribe' Best place to go on my cruise on the crown princess. It was without a doubt rather sparsely populated. No crowds, it had such a fun chill vibe.
Going on my second Ruby cruise next week. I completely agree with your review!
Have a wonderful time. Where is the Ruby taking you?
14 day Southern Caribbean from St Kits to Aruba
@@user-fu5kj4wn9m sounds like a dream!
eeeekkkk i am excited for u😊
This was such a great video! Best ship tour of the Ruby and excursion review I’ve ever seen! Thank you 🩷
We are sailing on the Ruby Princess in June and I finally have a better idea of the ship layout and what to expect from the food choices!
That’s really nice of you to say. Hoping you have an amazing cruise. The Ruby is really comfortable and full of charm. Where is your cruise taking you in June?
This was very informative.
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. Will be going on the ship next year hopefully.
So glad you enjoyed it. It’s a lovely vessel. Happy cruising!
Thank you for your great review. We hope to be on a Ruby Princess cruise later this year. So, this video was very helpful!
My pleasure, thank you for the feedback. Where will the Ruby be taking you?
Thank you for the great ship review!
My pleasure. Thanks for watching!
Great video, we went on Ruby Princess last September to Alaska on a 10 day and loved it! We charged our cell phones in our rooms, but no other areas on the ship had outlets.
Agree about International Cafe. It has been my late night go to snack location on every Princess cruise I’ve been on. Great food, great service.
Such a gem.
Hello. I love the channel. I sailed on the Ruby in December 2023 to Panama, etc. I went solo and boy did I have a blast. Its an older ship, but well maintained and I loved the arcade room, lounge areas, ports and food. Pretty much everything.
Thank you for your kind feedback. She’s a great ship. A Panama cruise is on my list!
Great video, we'll be traveling on the Ruby in Nov. It will be our first time on any Princess Cruise
Thank you for your kind response. You’ll love Princess! Where is the Ruby taking you?
@SoloCruiseTravel We're doing the 7day CA Coastal out of San Fran
Amazing video, thank you so much! 🛟⚓️
Thanks for watching. Happy cruising!
……..taking a break from final packing for 2.23 Venezia…..started to watch your Ruby Princess. Another great review. I have never sailed Princess so now I will research some itineraries. Great weather out of Galveston and chuckled at your reference to “snowyHoboken”. NJ here too by the GWB and the snow is almost gone. Happy Sailing!
Ha! That is so great. Have an amazing time on the Venezia, it is such a wonderful ship. Thanks for your kind feedback on this review and definitely make Princess a part of your cruise life. Happy Sailing, Indeed.
I'm going on the 16th day cruise to Hawaii on the Ruby Princess next year. Thanks for the video!
Oh that great! I’m sure you will have an amazing adventure. And thanks for taking time to watch and comment.
We cruised on the Ruby in Aug/Sept of 2023 to Alaska. We bid for an upgrade to a mini suite and got it. We’ve been on 6 other princess ships and Ruby was our favorite! Crew, food and entertainment were great! I agree about the small buffet but the food was good. This was before the dry dock, can’t wait to sail on her again soon.
She’s got a lot of charm to her for sure.
Great video ! ❤
Thank you again for watching, means so much!
I really enjoyed your review of the ship and I especially liked that you included the port stops and your excursions.
I have been on the Crown which seems very similar to the Ruby and agree with you about the buffet.
Princess Plus is a great deal!
Thanks for checking it out and for your feedback. The newer Princess ships have incredibly well designed buffets. And I totally agree, Princess Plus is a great deal.
Wonderful video! Thank you. I’ll certainly consider a Princess cruise in the future. 😎
Appreciate you watching. They’re worth it!
I'll be doing a solo cruise on NCL visiting the same ports you show here, so it was great to see your thoughts on the ports. I may check out Princess next year.
You gained a new subscriber. 😃
That’s very kind of ya. Thank you for watching and have a wonderful NCL cruise!
Thanks for a great tour and review of the Ruby Princess! Good job. I think you captured the experience really well. I live in San Francisco, and have taken the ship round-trip to Hawaii, and REALLY enjoyed it. I avoid the buffet, just don’t like it, but like everything else, especially the Sanctuary.
Thanks so much for watching and for your feedback. A Hawaii cruise means you probably spent A LOT of time getting to know the ship on sea days.
My last Princess cruise was on Sapphire Princess out of Singapore for a back to back 12 night experience of South East Asia. It was Jan/Feb 2020 right before the Pandemic. Wonderful cruise but we didn't have that cool Medallion band thing. That device looks very cool!
It’s a game changer and streamlines everything!
I subscribed as I am almost always a solo cruiser. Looking forward to watching more of your videos. I never considered a Princess Cruise (I am a member of Regent/Seven Seas Cruises’ Commodore tier) and this review did little to entice me sail on one. Still, it was informative and entertaining. 👍
Thanks for your support, solo pal!
Great review, and looks like an interesting time you had on Ruby. I do think Princess is fantastic as a cruise product, but I never think they're too good from a solo travelling POV - very little on the schedules for solo's, in my experience!
Thanks. Outside of the daily solo gathering they really don’t have much, but as I shared, the value for cruise experience overall is one of the best I’ve found in this era.
We will be on her next month for a 16 night Hawaii cruise from Vancouver, can't wait!! We also sailed on the Regal a few years ago to the Western Caribbean with a stop in Cozumel, nice ships but we really enjoy Celebrity much more.
Have a spectacular Hawaii cruise! What makes Celebrity better to you?
Celebrity has better entertainment and service@@SoloCruiseTravel
I love the Grand Class ships and the Promenade deck, especially Ruby and Caribbean. I spent 31 days on Ruby New years and January 2023. Just a very comfortable ship.
Right? So much space to move around and relax. And whoa, 31 days! Nothing like living on a ship lol. Sounds so fun.
@@SoloCruiseTravel 4 cruises back to back. The best part was staying on ship as everyone is debarking. About 50 people have the ship to themselves for a couple of hours.
September will be our third trip on the Ruby. The ship is older but we seem to have a good time on it. Several of the things you pointed out we agree with. One fact is the wait staff in the Horizen cafe seem a little busy, as most of the ships we have been on (13 cruises) we go on will be asking if you would like something to drink almost before you sit down. Ruby doesn't seem to have that down yet. have. Still love the ship and the crew always seems to a smile on their face and more than willing to make your cruise a fun one.
Glad you are a fan. Happy cruising to you!
I am enjoying your Princess reviews. I just returned from a 2 week Ruby Princess Panama Canal cruise a few days ago. I totally agree about the Horizon buffet. The remainder of the ship was fantastic! I also found the crew amazing. This was my 4th Princess cruise & it suits my needs to a tee. The lack of USB ports was not an issue at all for me. I am totally used to providing my own plugs & chargers. Happy cruising!!!
So glad you enjoyed yourself and on such a nice long cruise! The Ruby is a great ship overall. Which other Princess ships have you been on?
@@SoloCruiseTravel I have been on the Regal out of Galveston the Sapphire in Alaska last year and going on the Crown from San Franisco to Alaska in late May. Overall I have been very comfortable with Princess.
@@galeschmidt5239 Sounds like a great cross section of ships to experience. Princess is a delight.
Great review of a ship that seems quite well suited to my tastes. All 5 of my cruises were in the 1973-2002 timeframe, and were on real transportation ocean liners converted to cruising. I generally lean toward the HAL ships that my ex often takes my adult kids on still, but a ship like this might get my business also.
I played poker professionally for many years in a variety of casinos, so I'm able to deal with a crowded and cramped buffet with oversized patrons who have tunnel vision while making a beeline for their food. Choreographing a way to give them the right of way is a form of entertainment, like playing Frogger without getting squashed.
I also have no problem with bringing all of my own USB/other phone/camera/device chargers. I bought 10 3-from-1 cube taps, plus 5 taps that space them out in a row. Like the orange ones, but not orange. All 15 GE taps were a total of $40. comply with cruise line policies like no AC cords and no surge protectors. At home, I've assembled them into a robot shape to keep them together, but grabbing 2 of each is more than enough for a cruise. Everyone should get a good charger from AC to USB and USB-C PD. Give me one US outlet, and I'll be more than fine. GIve me 2 US outlets, and I'll be charging stuff for any new friends who came umprepared.
The most important stuff to bring on a cruise is sun lotion, bug lotion, sunglasses, hat, a couple of AC taps, a USB charger, and USB cords or AC chargers for all your devices. That, plus my extra camera batteries, all fis in one small lunchbox soft cooler bag or one gallon ziploc, with room to spare.
I was surprised at the quality and reasonable prices of the excursions, considering that my normal expectation is to feel somewhere between very overcharged and absolutely ripped off. At those prices, I'd just feel that I'm paying a reasonable premium for not having to shop around or DIY it, combined of course with not worrying about the ship leaving. All of that is worth something, though after a few $100s leave my wallet, I'm always tempted to DIY it at the next port, and have never been burned by doing so.
Appreciate your very thoughtful feedback. Thanks so much for watching.
Will board Ruby Princess 23 March Panama Canal . So excited , (bucket list )
That is an amazing cruise. Congrats and happy cruising!
Thanks for the very informative review. It was very helpful as I will be sailing on the Ruby Princess next April.
Well thank you for taking the time to watch and share your feedback. She’s a beautiful and comfy ship for sure. Where will the Ruby be taking you?
We will be sailing the California coast and Ensenada.
@@KindnessNow lovely. Are you leaving from San Francisco?
Yes, round trip starting in San Francisco
@@KindnessNow I also did the Ruby out of San Fran to Alaska and that is one of the greatest sail aways anyone can experience going out of the bay under the Golden Gate. I’ve included it in my first time to Alaska video here on the channel.
We cruised on the Ruby on the last Alaska cruise of the season in September 2023. This was just before her dry dock in Portland. We also cruised on her in January 2023 out of Galveston. You could tell she needed some attention and sprucing up. What I can tell from your video, they put in new furniture, carpeting, and some new paint. Also don’t remember the food in the MDR as the same as we had on both cruises. Did you pay a reduced solo rate on this cruise? It seemed very reasonable for a balcony with everything that was included.
It was very reasonable indeed! And it was not indicated as a reduced solo rate but definitely one of the best deals I’ve managed to snag. Thanks for watching and your feedback!
My first cruise was on the Ruby during her inaugural season didn’t notice the lack of USB ports
How cool to have been a part of her start. As mentioned in the video, it was built as the smartphone was being released so no one would have noticed at that time.
I really enjoyed this. You do a wonderful job. Some other cruise videos are either way too fast or herky, jerky. Princess should hire you to narrate their videos. I'm hoping to go on this ship next year. I hope that it will be the same as this excepting of course for the usb and buffet issues you mentioned. I like that you say it sparkles and has an intimate ship feel while actually being quite large. That is exactly what I am looking for.
That is very kind of you to say. Thank you. Some feedback has been it's too slow and I am trying to find a good middleground that allows everyone a chance to absorb the details but also keep people engaged. You'll love the Ruby, she is celebrated for a reason.
Not a solo cruise, but three of us cruise often, all separate rooms and always looking for deals. Booked Ruby for feb 25. Great pricing and value
Good for you! Can’t beat it. Wishing you a wonderful cruise.
I agree that the shower heads and lamps with USB charging ports at the lamp base would be fairly inexpensive upgrades that would have a visible and impactful improvement in customer experience on this ship. One would think that Princess (CLL) would be looking for affordable ways to keep their older ships up to date. Since Princess still loses potential customers because of their showers with curtains, a removable/convertible shower head would go a long way towards improving cruiser shower experience.
Yeah those things you would think could be fixed quick. Still, had a great time though.
The Grand Princess Which Is The Oldest In Princess Fleet 1998 Had USB Charging Ports Installed Back In 2019 During Dry Dock
Well then maybe they are still to come...
Now Canadians can have they’re medallions delivered to them , we r expecting ours in early April, we cruise mid April
Oh that’s wonderful! Well deserved
Very detailed video. We are thinking about going on the ship to Hawaii. Did you notice if they have any dance classes offer onboard during the day?
They did! In the atrium.
@@SoloCruiseTravel thank you. We are thinking of booking this cruise to Hawaii for Christmas and New Year
WE are going on Ruby in Nov & its our 1st Princess cruise. We are getting a guaranteed balcony cabin hopefully we get Caribe deck. We are excited, I've only cruised with Royal just got off ICON. Do you find Princess has less kids more adults??
Big time. The demo is much older in my experience.
How do you get these large OBC? I've been on Ruby, and it was great. It was like 10 years ago, food was good, my room was an inside upgraded to OV, as an Elite.
Just gotta search for the offers, they’re out there from time to time. Most often in their drop and go section of the Princess website.
Me and my wife took a Riviera cruise on the discovery princess and it was wonderful. But there’s no solo cruisers on princes Cruise line is mostly couples average around 50 to 70 years old.
There are plenty of solo cruisers on Princess. Princess has solo cruiser meet Ups daily on the ship schedule for Ruby and even Discovery. On Ruby there were roughly 17 or so who came to the gathering. The group on the Discovery a few weeks ago I was on was over 20. So they definitely exist and not all come to those gatherings. All different ages. Beyond solos, I Met a lot more singles who came with friends than I expected as well. Princess is great, just like I shared in the video. And there are a lot more solos than you might imagine. Glad you enjoyed your Riviera cruise.
Just curious: Anything to add about your experience as a solo traveler? I loved my solo trip on The Emerald. I was not seeking company, which was just as well. There didnt seem to be many solo travelers, and most were elder women. I enjoyed eating alone in the MDR, but it sometimes took awhile. I found the buffet stressful, especially if I wanted to leave my place to grab a drink or another course; sometimes my things would still be at the table when i returned, often not. I had a great vacation and have booked another Princess cruise solo.
The daily meet up was scheduled and it was sparsely populated. Usually a handful. In Boticelli MDR it was always quick and they were all so happy to see me. And much like you, as I mentioned in the video, the buffet needs to be ripped out and redesigned when it came to grabbing grub, but I could always find a far off area to sit at that went undisturbed. I always make mention to the bussers in the area that "I'll be back" so they don't go moving things on me as a just in case. Glad you had a great vacation. Where and when is your next Princess cruise?
@@SoloCruiseTravel Alaska in May.
@@abrahamclott5604 happy cruising!
Princess had included USB ports on the base of the bedside lamps, but I don't see them on Ruby. Interesting....
Right? I asked a neighbor if they had any and they said no as well. I’ve been back on the Ruby since and even my new room didn’t have them. Strange. Not a deal breaker, but a miss in my book.
Do you have a link to the charger that you used?
Sure! Here ya go www.amazon.com/Cruise-Approved-Carnival-Caribbean-Norwegian/dp/B07ZWJ8TKN/ref=mp_s_a_1_19?adgrpid=134139020572&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.UG7hJUR795G3OPcI13YiqmLFscKUwQAbUAl6RDm_JHnweAl-y1Xf-H7Gq-HfXyw5EBGkJFjuamil14i9LbZvLrqfO8cv1gc_EAQ1YlLHNcwlfqlShmu7m0Fqj-T9yuVOXfoWRLIUETbDpdkB7lzhT3LBEi_GvUM4xzqlhuzBmsZtgk7YZmdljyhmKk2qqt0tZ8JV13417tR6_IMgDFvY6g.sTx5B-EwvBlvc1cCWOpBLXMu3PmNFqSSKThKvCtG78U&dib_tag=se&hvadid=555498078609&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=1015150&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=b&hvrand=4917539841567227292&hvtargid=kwd-423658217481&hydadcr=12158_11118227&keywords=cruise+ship+outlet+adapter&qid=1710670043&sr=8-19
It is better not to have a USB port. USB ports can be a source of malware. Better to bring your own AC plug adapter and use that.
Just did a full review of the Discovery Princess! You may find it here: czcams.com/video/yNqJN6zrpmQ/video.html
Did you have to pay the solo supplement?
Yes, it was a traditional double occupancy rate.
Did you meet any other solo cruisers?
At the solo meet up there were about 14 that showed at the first one. Was wonderful meeting them.
Love affair with Ruby !!! 2015 West Coast
USA 10 Days. Mark
Give her a big kiss!
Did you take the little Clown-Car-Toy-Train to the Marriott for your wait? It's kind of hilarious....🤡
Haha I sure did! That lil people mover putting along
Of the 10 times I tried to order food on the medallion app, it was successful 2 times! Terrible coffee and no good late night food option. Pizza was just OK, and their deluxe desserts were not very good at all. Buffet is a complete joke!
I didn't have any issues with the app food order. That sounds awful though. The coffee at the International Cafe was superior to most I have had on cruise ships. Buffet coffee is where it fell short for me. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!