Ruby Princess Naming Ceremony & Inaugural Cruise

Categories

On November 6^th, Joel and I drove down to Ft. Lauderdale to attend the naming ceremony and inaugural cruise of Princess Cruises newest ship, Ruby Princess. 
 
Upon arrival, we sailed right through the boarding process and got right onto the ship.  VERY beautiful!  There was no curbside luggage service for the inaugural, so we took our bags straight to our stateroom.  The room was a nice size for double occupancy and had a balcony for two.  The layout of the room was very nice in that the closet was not behind the room door as on most ships.  They planned the room out so that there was a wall separating the room from the bathroom…and the wall was in fact the closet space which was right outside the bathroom.  Very nice.  Fresh fruit awaited us daily in our room.
 
After dropping our bags and taking a quick peek around the room, we headed off to the required emergency drill, which I imagine was moved up in time due to the formal reception during the normal drill time.  I was very amazed at the drill.  Not your normal line up, take roll call and leave.  The drill outlined safety procedures in detail and the crew demonstrated how to put on the life vests then assisted us in donning ours.
 
After the drill, Joel and I dashed up to the Lido deck for a quick bite to eat.  The buffet was nicely laid out.  Once we were finished going through the line, a waiter seated us and provided us with our cutlery & drinks.  Eat & dash.  Time to get ready for the naming ceremony.
 
We were very concerned on our way to Ft. Lauderdale that we would be overly dressed.  Joel had a Tux and I had a Formal Gown.  I guess we were dressed and ready a little early, because as we were walking back to the Lido deck, we were beginning to get REALLY worried that everyone else was going to show up in their bathing suits!!  There were plenty of people still sitting in the lounge chairs in their bathing suits.  As 5pm drew closer, more and more people showed up in Tux’s and Gowns.  The occasion was called “Ruby Red” Formal, and many people showed up dressed in red (unfortunately I did not have a red gown to wear, but it wasn’t a requirement). 
 
I won’t go into detail about the ceremony.  You can read the press release in my NEWS section.  But I will say that Gavin MacLeod (you might remember him as the Captain from the Love Boat series) was on hand for the festivities. 
 

After the ceremony, Joel and I walked around, had formal pictures taken and then went to dinner in one of the dining rooms.  Dinner for this event was “as you wish” instead of the traditional seating.  Joel and I had a nice booth and Lobster was the meal for the evening!  There was something else on the menu, but who can remember once you see lobster is there.
 
We decided we needed to change out of our formal duds, so we went back to our room and changed.  We enjoyed walking around the ship, having lattes at the coffee bar and just generally checking out the rest of the ship…the bars and specialty dining venues.  
 
Around 9pm or so, the Ruby Princess finally departed the pier at Port Everglades.  We spent the next day at sea. 
 
Friday, Joel and I continued our tour around the ship.  We checked out Lotus Spa with its very relaxing atmosphere, well endowed fitness center, and the spacious “Sanctuary”.  The Sanctuary is an area above the spa pool area and for $10 for ½ day or $20 full day, you can relax in plush lounges in or out of the sun.  There are menus there for ordering spa friendly drinks and foods (but they also have an “alternative” section if you’d rather have a burger, fries and soda).  
 
We found the chapel – right outside the spa entrance.  Plenty of room for a nice sized wedding.  We looked in on the Crown Grill and Sabatini’s to see what they looked like in daylight.  Very nice, too bad we didn’t get a chance to eat at either one because this night, there were private functions in both venues.  We also found the pizza and ice cream station, but had just eaten lunch and were too full for any more.  In the atrium area, there is the coffee shop & bar, a suites & gelato station and a wine bar & sushi bar.  Joel will be spending all his time between the sushi bar and the sanctuary when we come back for a full length cruise!
 
Since the specialty restaurants were booked, we ate in another of the dining rooms.  I couldn’t decide what to have, so I had 2 entrees, the beef tenderloin and the king crab legs.  Joel had the beef tenderloin.  Everything was scrumptious!
 
We went to the show which turned out to be Princess’ version of a Rock Concert.  WOW!  It was pretty kewl!  The band played some Stones, Pink Floyd, Eagles & more.  Everyone loved it.
 
Off for a night cap and then we headed off to our room for our last night onboard.  Early to rise, went to the breakfast buffet and then went to our designated waiting area to depart the ship. 
 
We truly enjoyed our time on board and can’t wait to spend some quality time with her in the future.