We were trying to figure out some stuff for this cruise and what we (I) were doing about it.
Things
My wife loves Diet Coke, so she decided that we don’t have to get the drink package for this 15-day sailing.
I thought, “Yeah, right, and a 24-pack of Diet Coke will last you the whole trip. “Oh, and who will have to carry on the two 12-packs? Me, of course.
We all also needed the internet. She planned on working from the ship since we had ten sea days.
After crunching the numbers, we decided to do the premier package, which includes an upgrade of $80 a day per person. If one person gets it, both have to get this package, so there are no solo packages.
I am not a big soda drinker but wanted some of the perks below.
This package Includes the following:
Premier Beverage Package
Multi-device WIFI
I was able to get four devices, and my wife got the four devices as well. That way, we didn’t have to share it. It was lovely I could access my tablet, phone, and iPad. That made it pleasant.
Crew Appreciation
It was nice to pay for this in advance, and it was part of the package. Some cruise lines are discontinuing the inclusion of crew tips in packages.
Specialty Dining
Two places onboard were considered specialty dining, which made it nice since we only had two dinners. However, this package only offers two specialty dining options on a 7, 10, 14, 21, or 30-day cruise.
Photo Package
This allows you to get photos taken of you by the crew, and then you can download them to your phone. However, you must go and pick them out from the printouts and then hand them in so they can be registered with you. Yes, Ruby Princess still prints out all the photos they take.
You can also get two 8×10 prints to take home.
Princess Prizes
Princess has this thing where you can win prizes onboard the ship.
I won something on this trip
I would love to win the free cruise for ten years, once a year.
Premium Desserts
They have some delicious desserts, costing about $12 a pop. I only had two of them the whole trip and didn’t take a picture of them, but they were delicious.
Worth 12 dollars? It will up your blood sugar level fast.
Juice Bar
This was located outside the buffet on Deck 15 at the back of the ship. They had juices and smoothies.
Fitness Classes
This included unlimited fitness classes. Did I take advantage of this offering? What do you think? I didn’t take them up on this. First, I wouldn’t say I like fitness classes. They are like PE in school, and that brings back bad memories. It doesn’t, but I didn’t do any of the classes.
Medallion Accessory
They shipped this to you free of charge.
I liked it because it fit onto my belt. It wouldn’t open the door that easily, but it was nice since I didn’t want to wear a lanyard.
Reserved Theater Seating
You could reserve a seat for the production shows if you would like. However, I never took advantage of this because I was with people who didn’t have the Premier package.
Casual Dining
Since Princess decided to start charging for a particular food, they made this category. On the Ruby Princess, you only have one option. You can eat here as much as you would like. Well, it is only open from 6 PM to 10 PM every night.
Ocean Now Delivery
My wife and I decided to go to the Adagio Lounge on deck 16 at the aft and sit on Monday morning at about 10:45 AM. She wanted a Diet Coke, and the bar wasn’t open. She said, ” I would like a Diet Coke. ” I said, ” Let’s order it on the app. ” Since we had this package, we decided to get some drinks.
So we went ahead and ordered it.
However, when we ordered it around 10:50 AM, and it is now 11:24, it says the following:
Yes, I got a mocktail, which means no alcohol. I heard these were good, but I know they are swamped. It was delivered at 11:28 AM.
On November 1, 2023, we ordered drinks in the Sky Walkers nightclub.
- Diet Coke
- Sunshine Darqui
- Two hot chocolates
It took 4:33 to get the drinks
The hot chocolate took 8:26 to get to us.
Here is another order I did
New Room Service Delivery
Princess now charges for room service, except for the free breakfast options. You can activate this on embarkation day or online before your cruise. It is $15.99. However, this comes with the premier package.
I didn’t test this out for myself. However, my wife was more than willing to do it for me. It was fast, and she usually had what she ordered in no time. It was excellent and convenient for her. She will like the service, and they will even come and pick up the tray when you finish it.
Specialty Restaurants
There are only two onboard the Ruby Princess, and we ate at both since we could only eat there twice.
Thoughts
For me, it breaks down like this.
- We were going to get the internet anyway.
- We were going to eat at the casual dining and specialty restaurants.
- The Ocean Now delivery was excellent. I could sit and type, read, or do whatever I wanted while having my drinks delivered.
I didn’t take advantage of the cocktail drinking since I don’t drink. But I did have my fair share of mocktails, Sprite, and hot chocolate.
You will have to ask yourself, “Is this really for me? “I can’t answer this for you, but I thought it was good.