One of the design elements incorporated by Princess in order that the ship not feel crowded with so many passengers on board is to a) design numerous different gathering/meeting points and show lounges, and b) to spread out their location throughout the ship. It's true that most of the lounges/bars/theaters are found on Decks 6 and 7, but even then, they are spread out from forward to midship to aft. At night, the most popular locations to find guests are probably the Princess Theater - Decks 6 & 7 forward, Explorers Lounge - Deck 7 midship, and Club Fusion - Deck 7 aft. The Crooners Bar and the Wheelhouse Bar happen to be located on Deck 7 as well.
Located on Decks 5 - 7 is an area that Princess calls "The Piazza." It serves a purpose much like the Atrium does on a Royal Caribbean or Holland America ship. It's basically like an indoor courtyard. Generally during the days and evenings, there is a piano player or a violin group playing easy listening music down on Deck 5. There is a grand staircase that leads from Deck 5 to Deck 6, directly to the Passenger Services Desk and the on board shops. And the stairs continue from Deck 6 to Deck 7 where more on board shops and the Crooners Bar can be found. If you stand anywhere in the Piazza, on any deck, you can listen to the music as well as other entertainment provided in the Piazza. On the Piazza main floor, the ship provides daytime an evening entertainment that includes performances from the Ruby Princess singers in a tribute to Motown, the Ruby Princess dancers in a hoe-down theme, there is an acrobatic couple that performs, there is an adage couple that dances, and there is also Silver Statues. My only comment would be that I would have preferred to see Princess provide some sort of guest seating area on Decks 6 and 7 that look down into the Piazza rather than making guests lean against the railing on the upper decks.
In the heart of the Piazza were some of the best additions I saw on Ruby Princess that I never experienced on other Princess ships. Located on Deck 5 are the Coffee Bar, International Cafe and Vines. The coffee bar serves gourmet, fresh brewed coffees and tea all day long. They even make blended drinks, which was my favorite. Right next to the Coffee Bar is the International Cafe. From early morning to late night the International Cafe serves all sorts of food, from pastries and croissants in the morning, to soups, salads, sandwiches and yummy desserts from lunch into the evening. They also have their own gelato bar. While the gelato has a nominal fee (3 big scoops for $1.50) all of the other food is complimentary. Sometimes their selection was better than the food that could be found in the Horizon Court. Located directly across from the International Cafe is Vines. Vines is Princess' wine, gourmet cheese, sushi and tapas bar. From 5 - 11 pm every day, Vines served a great selection of wines and imported cheese (for a fee), along with fresh sushi and a daily tapas selection (complimentary). The International Cafe and Vines having complimentary food selections was such a secret that you barely saw any body take advantage of it.
In the heart of the Piazza were some of the best additions I saw on Ruby Princess that I never experienced on other Princess ships. Located on Deck 5 are the Coffee Bar, International Cafe and Vines. The coffee bar serves gourmet, fresh brewed coffees and tea all day long. They even make blended drinks, which was my favorite. Right next to the Coffee Bar is the International Cafe. From early morning to late night the International Cafe serves all sorts of food, from pastries and croissants in the morning, to soups, salads, sandwiches and yummy desserts from lunch into the evening. They also have their own gelato bar. While the gelato has a nominal fee (3 big scoops for $1.50) all of the other food is complimentary. Sometimes their selection was better than the food that could be found in the Horizon Court. Located directly across from the International Cafe is Vines. Vines is Princess' wine, gourmet cheese, sushi and tapas bar. From 5 - 11 pm every day, Vines served a great selection of wines and imported cheese (for a fee), along with fresh sushi and a daily tapas selection (complimentary). The International Cafe and Vines having complimentary food selections was such a secret that you barely saw any body take advantage of it.
Speaking of food, the ship, like all other Princess ships offered Traditional Dining and Anytime Dining. The Anytime Dining made use of the Michelangelo Dining Room (Deck 5) and the Da Vinci Dining Room (Deck 6). Traditional Dining made use of the Botecelli Dining Room (Deck 5 aft). Of course, there was also the Horizon Court buffet and Cafe Caribe on Deck 15. In addition, there was the Trident Grill on Deck 15 as well for burgers, hot dogs and fries. And finally, there was the Pizza bar and ice cream bar on Deck 15 for fresh-out-of-the-oven pizza and complimentary soft serve ice cream. Additional dining options included room service, Ultimate Balcony Dining, and Chef's Table to go along with the specialty dining locations of Crown Grill and Sabatini's, none of which I made use of.
Surprisingly, for a 12-day cruise (however, with only 1 sea day), there was much in the ship that I never took advantage of or just didn't have the time to explore. The drawbacks (though minimal) of such a busy cruise.
More to follow tomorrow about the ships entertainment! Also to come in future blog postings, a more in depth review of cruise food!
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