In mid September, I was invited to attend the Naming Ceremony for the Ruby Princess and participate in a two night agent's inaugural cruise from Fort Lauderdale the first week in November.

(For those keeping track, yes, I was busy in November! The Celebrity invite was a long shot for which I had no guarantees. The Princess invite came first and I didn't want to pass up the Celebrity Solstice which came after accepting the Ruby Princess.)

If you have sailed on either the Crown or Emerald, you will be right at home on the Ruby. She is the same class ship at 116000 Gross Registered Tons carrying approximately 3000 passengers at double occupancy. Princess uses the old world charm in their decor with rich fabric, woods and colors. She is complete with passenger favorites of the Wheelhouse Lounge and Horizon Court.

I was berthed in a Category BA balcony on the Riviera Deck. We were aware of noise from the Lido Deck above us. I will admit, the bedding was very uncomfortable; a bit hard. My honey suggested they just needed to be broken in. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Blush.gif" alt="" />

The most significant construction design improvement in this class is not shaped like a pyramid with all balconies stairstepped and uncovered with exception of the Aloha Deck. On this class, all balconies on Riviera, Aloha and Baja Decks are covered and not open to the decks above or elements. Unfortunately, that is still not the case with the mini suite deck, Dolphin. All mini suite balcony cabins on the Dolphin Deck are exposed to the elements.

I was not as proactive about viewing open cabins and those I toured, did not have the camera with me. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />

I continue to find the Horizon Court traffic flow to present a bottleneck during peak times. After a few days passengers begin to digest the traffic pattern but until then it's really mahem!

I also find Princess' standard balcony cabins to be on the small side when compared to her counterparts in the premium market of Celebrity or Holland, or even Royal Caribbean's newer ships. At 165 square feet (not including the balcony), the difference is noticeable. Moreso if you have three or four passengers sharing the cabin; another 15 to 20 square feet is significant.

Neither of the above two mentioned issues are a deal breaker for me; just reflective of sailing on many ships and being a little critical, in addition to knowing how to advise clients with regard to their expectations. In fact, am considering the transatlantic this spring and made a future cruise booking deposit while on board.

As with Celebrity, I left my usual token in the Casino. Bottom line is she is a very comfortable ship and Personal Choice dining remains to be a hit for Princess.

Currently, Princess continues to permit smoking in both her cabins and balconies. It will be interesting to see if or who may follow suit to the tightening up of smoking policies by other lines.

Attached are photos, not as extensive as the Solstice since the Ruby is an addition to an existing class of vessel for Princess.

Ruby Princess Slideshow