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Vs. Disney Wonder
They’re not quite sisters, but Ruby Princess and Sapphire Princess have a lot in common, along with a few unique distinctions.
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| Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess | Princess Cruises Ruby Princess |
| Double Occupancy: 2670 | Double Occupancy: 3070 |
| Gross Tonnage: 115875 | Gross Tonnage: 113000 | 14 decks | 19 decks |
| CDC Score: 98 | CDC Score: 99 |
| Launched: May 27, 2004 | Launched: 2008 |
Similar in size and style to Sapphire Princess, Ruby Princess was cut from much of the same cloth, four years later. Debuting in 2008, Ruby is similarly geared to an adult crowd, with a number of venues duplicated between the ships, like Crooners martini bar, the Movies Under the Stars experience, and the variety and quality of the buffets. But there are a couple key differences to consider.
The first is passenger space. Although the two ships are virtually identical in length and gross tonnage, at double occupancy Sapphire holds 2,670 passengers while Ruby accommodates 15 percent more—3,080 passengers. This equates to slightly less elbow-room on Ruby (though we were able to find quiet areas to ourselves at most times while on-board). Second, although food on both ships was not generally standout, we did find our dining experience at Ruby’s swank steakhouse, the Crown Room, to be more elegant and with a more sophisticated menu than Sapphire’s sorry Sterling Steakhouse, which feels like an afterthought. Still, neither restaurant compares to the surprisingly fine steakhouses we’ve enjoyed on Carnival Cruise Lines.
Otherwise, the general ambience and amenities of the two ships is roughly comparable and a choice between them should be dictated by the voyages available on either.
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