Princess Chatter

Virus's come and go on all cruise ships. If we were to pay attention to all the reports that are published weekly, we'd probably never set foot on another cruise ship.

When I said layout I meant layout of the buffet area. It's so much nicer on the Royal class ships where you have room to maneuver around. Plus they have the capability to prepare multiple main courses + numerous side dishes. A little something for everyone. Wear as on the Ruby there's usually only one main item as a center attraction. Also on the Ruby they'll be minimal desserts offered at the buffet, which I usually skipped. 

Quote from: RichC on January 11, 2024, 07:46:00 AM

I noticed that on the Ruby, a crew member who was making Lavazza percolated coffee at the buffet would add 2 new packets of grounds to the existing used grounds.
I'm not sure if this is common practice on all the ships. I thought it was strange he didn't just empty out the old grinds first. It must give inconsistent strengths of coffee.

That's disgusting. I'm sure that's not the way they are supposed to do this. Or maybe... it is. Watching the 'Cruising Season 1' and all of the wonderful zest and vigor on the show, and comparing it to current 'status quo' practices for my experience on the Emerald, doesn't leave me optimistic. I will be on the Ruby in March, and see if these 'short cuts' are the new way of Princess, IMHO.

We were extremely disappointed in the buffet food on the Ruby in Nov. We were on it about 8 years ago for the first time and maybe I didn't know any better but since then we've been sailing Royal class ships almost exclusively with more selections & better layout. At times we found nothing presented there of interest to eat at lunch so we resorted to eating hamburgers & fries, which for us was a first on Princess.
The food in the main DR was perfectly fine & we ate all our evening meals there.

Let me know your feelings about the buffet. We met old friends that we've sailed with in the past who though likewise about the buffet. You won't starve but it certainly can't compare to the newer ships. At least I didn't gain any weight on the Ruby. 
One thing for certain is that we'll be sticking to the Royal class from now on and the new Sun class when they arrive in Florida someday.

You pay your money and take your chances. 

I noticed that on the Ruby, a crew member who was making Lavazza percolated coffee at the buffet would add 2 new packets of grounds to the existing used grounds.
I'm not sure if this is common practice on all the ships. I thought it was strange he didn't just empty out the old grinds first. It must give inconsistent strengths of coffee.
I pretty much don't drink their coffee except for the blended ice coffee. It all seems to strong to me.

As long as it's only recommended I'll be content. The moment it becomes a "requirement" we'll once again postpone our cruising until things settle down.

That's what I've been using for years.

That airfare has always keep it from being a "deal".