My Mother turned 85 on December 15th...... in honor of that auspicious occasion, we celebrated a mother-daughter cruise on the beautiful Ruby Princess!
My Mom in the 1960's....She was a real hot ticket!
Mom is still a hot ticket at the age of 84.....
just a little slower....
All 5 of us piled into my fire engine red car and drove 5 hours to Ft. Lauderdale. Our first stop was at MacDonald's for Breakfast....What a surprise to have Santa, and Ronald greet us and start the celebration off right!
After checking in, we went to see the rooms......Can you imagine a bunch of over 60 wild women sharing a room with bunk beds....
Patty drew the short straw.....
But as it was her birthday on the 24th, I sucked it up and moved into the top bunk myself....
actually, it was not bad.....has a light for reading, and was pretty comfortable!
The room itself was of adequate size, with plenty of storage space, certainly enough for 3 women on a 4 day cruise. Bathroom was fine, small shower, with a curtain, for those interested, we did not have the new shampoo dispensers. The added a large bottle of the new shampoo, but on the last day, they removed the cap, so we couldn't pack it and take IT HOME...Really?
Jeannie and Janet had a room for two...( how did that happen!)
Our first order of business was to explore and ohhh and awwww over the beautiful decorations in the Piazza
Cruising at Christmas is so Fancy!
Christmas decorations
Everywhere!!
The views off the back of the ship are awesome....One nice things about Princess ships, is the Aft swimming pool....It's private, and usually not crowded....The deck above is nice for smokers, and was my sister Janet's favorite place!
It was a 4 day cruise to Cozumel Mexico, with 2 sea days
We were never bored as there was lots to do!
We enjoyed a pub lunch in this beautiful Lounge
Watched the chefs carve fruits and vegetables into delectable little animals
Loved the Owl!!!
We spent a fun hour making cute little cards ( I'm not the craftiest person on the planet, but with a little help form my side kicks...well....I didn't screw up too bad!)
Jeanne's was soooooo creative!
The promenade deck is a wonderful place to hang out and take some awesome pictures!
It's also a great place to walk and try to use up some of the excess calories!
We had a lot of fun taking pictures of each other!
Our day in Cozumel was overcast and a little rainy, but we didn't let it keep us down!
We took a taxi to the center of town....12 USD for 5 people 1 way.... and we were dropped off right in the center of the action!
The view of the water was awesome!
We found a cute little restaurant called La Candela, with authentic local food.....We all toasted the day with SOL beers, and homemade tacos. For those of you who will visit in the future, this place is one block off the main drag on Calle 6 Norte.....try it! It's well worth it!
One of the local shops....we didn't stop in , but it wasn't for lack of trying by the proprietor!
A great view of the water taken by my sister Jeanne....you can see more at her blog....
I borrowed a few of her pictures to share with you....
We had a fun day, but we eventually had to return to our home away from home!
We were able to find a cab without a problem. As Mother was tired, we asked the security guard for a wheelchair as we entered the port shops. One was quickly provided and Mom was wheeled back to the ship for a nominal cost of a tip. We gave 5.00 for his trouble.
We sailed home the next day....
and enjoyed the sunset on our last evening at sea.....
The sunsets are just as beautiful from my backyard......there is no place like home!
My review of the ship
Food......the food service in the Dining room was impeccable. Meals were served hot and on time.
I have to say, Princess has some of the best food on the high seas! International café did not disappoint, although, as a frequent cruiser, I would like to see some change in the menu.
Buffett, was consistently good, and easy to find a seat.
Overall service......We had only one problem with our bathroom drainage, and it was quickly resolved. Our waiters at the 6pm dining, were so cute, and kept us entertained. We loved the kindness and caring they showed our Mother.
Entertainment..... It was awesome! The evening shows were excellent, and we able to find a seat fairly easily, as long as we were early. Daytime activities were plentiful.
overall ship condition.....The Ruby has been kept in excellent shape! The ship was clean, and neatly kept.
I give the Ruby princess an overall score of A-.......
It was the trip of a lifetime!
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