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Wednesday 17th March 2010
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Sunshine and great service in the Caribbean |
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Reviewed By: Hutchinson, Romsey on 8th Feb 2010
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| Cruise Line: Princess Cruises |
Times cruised before: 10+ |
| Cruise Ship: Ruby Princess |
Sailed:
January,
2010 |
| Destination: Caribbean |
Age: 65+ |
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This was an excellent cruise and I can not praise any member of the crew highly enough.
There was an impressive emphasis on hygiene during the first 3 days, especially at the buffets, where passengers were not allowed to serve themselves so as to minimize the possibility of germ transmission through passengers using the same serving utensils. Although this put an increased load on the staff they handled it very cheerfully.After 3 days service in the buffet then reverted to normal. This was in marked contrast to the previous cruise we had taken round the UK where hygiene seemed to be given a much lower priority.
While on the subject of the buffets in the Horizon Court and the Cafe Caribe, these were excellent and on several evenings were of a higher standard than the main restaurants. In the evening the Cafe Caribe always had a theme for the overall menu and also, on sea days at lunch times, provided an alternative menu to that in the main buffet. In my opinion, where the cruise line offers an 'open dining option, it is important that the food provided in the buffet offers a high- standard, viable alternative to that in the main restaurants. Princess did that this time as they always have done on the Sea Princess but not, unfortunately, on some of their other ships.
We were fortunate with the weather which probably was one reason why the cruise was so enjoyable but also the itinerary was well structured and, as mentioned earlier, the staff were excellent.
There is one problem however that I feel Princess and other cruise lines need to address now that 'open/flexible' dining is becoming more common.When dining was 'fixed seating' it was relatively easy to schedule the times for the main shows and other entertainment so that approximately equal numbers would attend each show. Now, as on this cruise, the pressure on the early shows is much greater. To be sure of a reasonable seat at the first shows on this cruise it was necessary to be in the theatre at least 75 minutes before the start of the show. Nobody I spoke to, whether a veteran cruiser or a first timer was happy with this situation. It had a knock-on effect on the other shows as well, as people found they needed to be seated in the lounges an hour before showtime.
Apart from this comment though I cannot fault any other aspect of the cruise ....... even disembarkation through US immigration at Fort Lauderdale was smooth and both entering and leaving the US through Miami airport proved to be no hastle at all.
Thank you Princess & the US Department of Homeland Security.
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| Quality of Food |  |
| | Entertainment | |
| The main shows were good and the comedians good enough.
Live music in the lounges and bars is not of a very high standard | | Shore Excursions | |
| Only took 2 beach excursions but both were well organised | | Staff | |
| ALL | | Children's Facilities | n/a |
| | Onboard Activities | n/a |
| | Cabins |  |
| Unless you book a suite the cabins are never big enough but we knew what to expect | | Overall Rating | |
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