Ruby Princess

The 2008-built Ruby Princess is the 9th and last Grand-class Princess Cruises ship, together with the Caribbean, Diamond, Golden (now Pacific Adventure), Grand, Crown, Emerald, Star (now Pacific Encounter) and Sapphire.

History - construction and ownership

Princess Cruises is a US cruise company headquartered in Beverly Hills CA. A former subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises (founded 1977), in 2003, the company merged with Carnival Corporation - world's largest passenger shipping company. Among Princess Cruises assets is the Caribbean private island resort Princess Cays (on Bahamas Eleuthera Island's southern end), located approx 80 km (50 mi) from Nassau.

The 113,561-ton, 3,080-passenger cruise ship Ruby Princess follows the highly evolutionary Crown Princess and Emerald Princess cruise ships. The vessels are virtually the same in layout and design, so if travellers have sailed on Crown, they will not have any trouble finding their way around Emerald or Ruby. But for those who have not travelled on Princess' Grand-class vessels, or for cruisers for whom a Ruby Princess sailing is their first cruise with the line, the ship is going to surprise, and in most cases, delight them with far higher levels of kitchen, service and facilities than passengers would expect on a stylish, mega-vessel catering to over 3,000 guests.  For the most part, Ruby Princess isn't an innovator. The cruise liner has all the most popular Princess facilities - like the 3-deck Piazza with its own bakery, as well as many of those found on older vessels, including the Sanctuary (adults sundeck) and speciality restaurants Sabatini's and Crown Grill.

Although there are not too many surprises on this newest Grand-class vessel, there are some gentle improvements and enhancements. On the Ruby cruise ship, Princess has expanded the appeal of the Wheelhouse Bar (pub) to include English-inspired lunches. Suite guests have the option to enjoy intimate breakfasts at Sabatini's. The new Ultimate Ship Tour allows guests to explore normally never seen onboard spaces, such as the engine room, funnel, photo lab, Navigation Bridge. Among the expanded enrichment projects are Mixology@Sea (bartending skills) and Navigation@Sea (cruise ship navigation lessons).

Cruise itinerary program

Ruby Princess itinerary program is based on 4- and 5-day cruises to the Caribbean departing out of Fort Lauderdale and voyages to North Cape, Norway and the British Isles from Southampton.

Cabins

Most Ruby Princess staterooms are 170-sq.foot balcony rooms (680). Almost 80% of ship's outside accommodations have private balcony views. There are a total of 1542 staterooms in 33 categories. 31 are the wheelchair accessible rooms. The largest aboard Ruby Princess are the Balcony Suites (400 ft2).

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Ruby Princess features three dining rooms, all offering tasteful, Caribbean-themed menu. Botticelli is for fixed-seating dining, while Michaelangelo and Da Vinci are for passengers who have chosen "Anytime Dining". Reservations are available but are not required. Da Vinci also welcomes guests for waiter-service breakfast and lunch. Rotating menu options include soups, appetizers, mains and desserts. There are also signature pasta and choices like Caesar salad and salmon. The healthy Lotus Spa selections are low in sodium and fat. Cafe Caribe and Horizon Court look identical and are open all day long. The Horizon section serves as a lido buffet restaurant and features breakfast buffets. Lunch choices may include unusual dishes like peanut butter sandwiches and fried banana. There is also the Italian-styled piazza, around which are located the International Cafe (with its wonderful coffees and scrumptious pastries, quiche and chocolate fondue); across the way is Vines, ship's wine and sushi bar (it's got the only really good wine list onboard Ruby). 

In January 2016 Celebrity chef Curtis Stone teamed up with Princess Cruises for his first-at-sea speciality restaurant serving high-quality, inventive food. During Ruby Princess' dry dock, Share replaced the signature Italian Sabatini's and introduced new bedding, dining options, entertainment and more. Share is only open for dinner and applies a $39 cover charge. Its menu features five areas from which to select multiple dishes and a charcuterie platter. It's hard to order only one of each, as there are enticing recipes like a twice-cooked duck with fennel, parmesan crumb and bacon jus; or shrimp salad with turnip, citrus salt, brioche and lemon gel. 

Share is only found on board Emerald Princess and Ruby Princess, for now. "Crafted by Curtis" dishes are on the MDR menus fleetwide. If you wonder why to pay extra at Share, here are the cool things about the brand new Curtis Stone restaurant which make it worth the splurge. Food like this cannot be found anywhere else on the ship. Emerald Princess and Ruby Princess are simple when it comes to dining venues. Before Share, both ships had three main dining rooms, a steakhouse and a buffet, all of which average in terms of overall experience and quality. From its celebrity chef to its natural ingredients and perfectly sized portions, you won't find food like Share's anywhere else on the ship.

Perfect for couples and large groups. This space is open, airy and large, with long tables and more intimate seating arrangements. Large groups have enough room to engage and share dishes. Couples can enjoy more peace and quiet. The ambience is upscale, yet not stuffy. Share's family-style dining and chic decor allow guests to dress their best and still feel relaxed. Passengers will feel more like they're in someone's home, talking and passing plates across the table.

Service at Share is second to none. The wait staff is knowledgeable about the menu and all ingredients handpicked by the celebrity chef's team. According to Stone: "The enthusiasm in that kitchen right now is actually unparalleled to anything I've ever done; they're so energetic and so up for it."

Guests will have room for dessert. Appetizers, entrees and dessert options, complementing a cheese plate, are conservative in size. Passengers will not only expand their palate by picking at multiple dishes but will also be able to satisfy their sweet tooth.

Follows the complete list of Ruby Princess restaurants and food bars.

• Michaelangelo Restaurant (ship's aft Dining Room; dinner only - offers “Anytime Dining” between 5:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.)
• Crown Grill (160-seat steakhouse/seafood restaurant, reservations recommended; on select days serves British Pub Lunch, complimentary)
• Da Vinci Restaurant (ship's forward Dining Room for Breakfast 7-9 a.m., Lunch 12-1:30 p.m., Afternoon Tea 3:30-4:30 p.m.; features “Anytime Dining” for Dinner between 5:30-8 p.m. or 8-10 p.m.)
• Botticelli Restaurant (dinner only aft Dining Room; with 2 fixed seatings at 6 p.m. or 8:15 p.m.)
• Share (ex-Sabatini’s Italian speciality restaurant; reservations recommended)
• Trident Grill & Prego Pizzeria (self-service, complimentary fast food bar)
• Horizon Court (self-service buffet restaurant, complimentary)
• Cafe Caribe (aft self-service buffet restaurant)
• Pizza & Ice Cream Bar (complimentary).

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

The Princess Ruby Theater is the main venue on Ruby Princess for comedy acts and production shows with a variety of music and selections appealing to a broad mix of ages. Each of the ship's venues has a different offering. Crooners feature music trivia contests and a pianist. Explorer's Lounge hosts events for everything from Wii sports tournaments to art auctions, plus comedy shows and magicians. The Piazza offers various demonstrations, circus-lite acts and musical performances throughout the day. Club Fusion is a part game show, part nightclub venue. Skywalker Nightclub, Princess' trademark, hosts the 70's-, the 80's- and the 90's-inspired nights and a few nights with a variety of modern music. For low-key dancing, head to the Wheelhouse Bar, which hosts combos playing standards and soft rock.

Follows the complete list of Ruby Princess lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

• The Piazza Atrium (3-deck open floor area; features live performances entertainment and lobby Bar Piazza)
• Princess Fine Arts Gallery; Photo Gallery & Shop; Platinum Studio
• International Cafe (24-hour speciality coffee bar and patisserie); Escapes Travel Cafe (computer room)
• Vines Bar (wine/seafood/sushi bar)
• Library (with Internet stations); Internet Cafe (24-hour)
• Princess Ruby Theatre (2-level musical and show productions; hosts workshops, seminars, game shows)
• Speakeasy Lounge & Bar (smoking lounge and sports bar)
• Calypso Cove Shop; Essence Shop; Meridian Bay Shop; Facets Shop
• Gatsby’s Casino
• Crooners Lounge & Bar (live music; also used for seminars); Adagio Lounge & Bar
• Explorers Lounge & Bar (disco/show lounge; hosts karaoke, comedy, game shows and art auctions)
• Wheelhouse Bar (piano bar during the day and an English pub nightly)
• Club Fusion Lounge (hosts dance classes and quizzes, after 7:30 p.m. becomes Disco & Nightclub)
• Outrigger Bar (poolside bar); Tradewinds Bar
• Ruby’s Lotus Spa complex; Beauty Salon; Fitness Center (with Aerobics Studio)
• Hearts & Minds (Wedding Chapel)
• Movies Under the Stars (LED screen outdoor cinema)
• Video Games Arcade; Teen Center; Youth Center with Paddling Pool and outdoor playing areas
• The Sanctuary (adult-only open-air area)
• Calypso Reef & Pool area; Neptune’s Reef & Pool area
• Jogging Track; Center Court (volleyball, basketball, European football); Shuffleboard; Princess Links mini-golf course
• Skywalkers Disco Nightclub.

Princess Cruises Ruby ship is fleet's last Grand-class liner, with (same-designed) sisterships Crown and Emerald. The other (similarly-designed) fleetmates in this class are Caribbean, Diamond, Golden (now Pacific Adventure), Grand, Sapphire, Star (now Pacific Encounter).

The liner was christened on November 6, 2008, at Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) Florida. Its godparents (Trista and Ryan Sutter) met at ABC's dating show "The Bachelorette", then fell in love and got married. The inaugural cruise (maiden voyage) started on November 8, out of Fort Lauderdale.

Skywalkers Night Club (ship's disco) is located aft of the funnel. It's not hanging over the stern, like on the sisterships from the modified Grand-Class (Emerald and Crown) and also unlike Diamond and Sapphire. Fun fact is that Ruby Princess was the first ship to offer "The Ultimate Ship Tour". This program allows passengers to have a look at the shipboard organization process.

In December 2018, Ruby became the world's first cruise liner allowing Chinese passengers to make onboard shopping payments via both Alipay and WeChat Pay - China's top-two popular digital payment platforms. Alipay's in-store payment service covers 40+ countries, and as of 2018 is used by over 900 million people worldwide. WeChat Pay (as of 2018) has around 800 million monthly users worldwide. In 2017, its total volume was around USD 6.5 trillion. Alipay digital payment was introduced on Majestic Princess during ship's 2017 summer homeporting in Shanghai.

Ruby Princess 2015 refurbishment review

The ship's last drydock refurbishment was in 2015 (done in Vancouver BC Canada December 3-14) for general maintenance. Following the refurbishment, the deckplan changes included:

• Two new premium dining venues were added. “SHARE by Curtis Stone” is a family-style restaurant by Curtis Stone (an Australian celebrity chef). Its menu features charcuterie (premium quality meat products), composed salads, homemade pasta, decadent desserts. The new “Salty Dog Gastropub” cuisine experience (by chef Ernesto Uchimura) is provided by a classic pub menu offered nightly in the Wheelhouse Bar (on Promenade Dec 7) with craft beers and pub favourites served in small plates.
• In 2015, aft on Sun Deck 16, “SHARE” replaced "Sabatini’s” – the Italian restaurant, featured on the Princess ships Caribbean, Coral, Emerald and Sun. “SHARE” restaurant debuted on Emerald Princess (in 2015 December). The “Salty Dog Gastropub” debuted on Crown Princess (in 2015 October).
• All cruise cabins were upgraded with the new "Princess Luxury Bed".
• Club Class Mini Suite services and amenities were introduced.
• The ship’s gym was upgraded with new sports equipment and free weights.