Vines Wine & Seafood Bar

[Golden Cruiser]

I'm going on Ruby on March 7th. I've sailed with Princess twice before but not on ships with a Vines Bar. I'm interested to know what kind of seafood they serve there and is it a bar or more of a restaurant. Thanks!-D

 

[Conniemc]

My Q&A book for Ruby says it's a "casual" dining environment. Doesn't specify what type of seafood, but I'm envisioning an open style bar that serves oysters, clams, etc. I think it's more of a wine bar with seafood served for a charge. It's a "fee" venue.

 

[JillC]

Hi Ladies

Just got off the 2 night Ruby Princess Inaugural yesterday, back in the office in Las Vegas this morning, so feeling a little tired to say the least.

The Ruby Princess is a spectacular ship, and with every new ship they manage to refine the product, and one of the areas is with the Vines wine bar and the International Cafe. Both are on the Plaza deck and both venues are small, but add an energy to that area as you can carry your goodies into the main Plaza areas, this area is also where the street performers are, so it is a happening spot.

Vines is a wine bar, quite small in area, with a full range of wines many can be purchased by the glass, don't worry they have a sommelier if you don't know a lot about wines. Wine bars are big in Europe and I feel they added this for the European market, however it works really well, they serve Sushi and cheese plates, and if you do not like any of this you can just walk over to the International cafe and find something to your taste, and bring it back to Vines.

The International Cafe serves sandwiches made to order, toasted Ciabatti sandwiches, salads, coffees and they have an amazing desert area, with some of the best donuts I have ever tasted.

Finally in the Wheelhouse Bar, they now serve a great Pub Lunch, Cottage Pie, Fish and Chip, Bangers and Mash and Cheese Plate, all again really good, and adds another dining dimension for lunches.

The impression I get is that Princess is trying to offer a whole range of alternative dining opportunities during the day, to add to the whole vacation experience.

It was a great trip and a great launch, and I would recommend anybody to this ship, if you want more information, then just ask

 

[Conniemc]

Wow!! Great info!!
With just a few weeks more to go, this is information that excites me!! I love champagne and sushi, so that's where I'll be!! I also love the international cafe for pastries, as opposed to the breakfast buffet. I'd read about the Pub lunch - glad it lives up to the description.

Question - I've thoroughly inspected the deck layouts. Do all of these casual "nook type" venues charge for food? Is the only free food in the dining rooms and buffets?

I agree they should cater to Europeans, the Euro is far stronger than the dollar...follow the money!
=lolgang

 

[JillC]

No all the food is free, you pay just for the wine at Vines, but its reasonable prices......with the street perfomers its a great area of the ship to hang out and just chill........

 

[Conniemc]

I've already downloaded the wine list, and it's very reasonable, as I expected. But since I've never cruised a line that charges for coffee, ice cream, etc. I didn't know how far they took the nickle and diming....
Thanks for the info!
:daisy

 

[navymom]

International Cafe is all free except for the gelato. There's an amazing shrimp salad along with the chicken salad that's been mentioned many times before, plus great little sandwiches. That's at lunch time. All morning it's all kinds of pastries and donuts. We ate lunch there almost every day.

One day I did take my shrimp salad over to Vines and order a glass of wine. It was lovely. Vines is definitely more of a bar, but the whole Piazza area is very open and flowing. Enjoyed it a lot.

About the coffee: Maybe DH and I aren't very particular, but we thought the regular coffee was fine. That being said, we did buy some lattes and they were delish, too.

 

[Conniemc]

Thanks for more good info! I needed to find a sustitute for my FAVE lunch spot on Celebrity, the pasta station (all freshly prepared to order with a variety of fresh toppings and sauces). Since I'm a Korbel girl, and wll be doing my drinking at Vines, guess I'll make it my new lunch place too! Fortunately, I gave up coffee after I hit 40....I do however love real hot chocolate with whipped cream, which I'm hoping the international cafe serves.

Thanks again!

 

[navymom]

Connie,
I'm looking forward to hearing how you like Vines and the International Cafe. They're across from each other on deck 5 on the Crown--I'm assuming it will be approximately the same on the Ruby. You can definitely get one thing from one and then something else from the other and then pick a table to eat and drink all the goodies.

Not sure about the hot chocolate, but I did have a delish mocha latte!

 

[Conniemc]

Hmmmm....kinda sounds like the Food Court in a mall....=scales

 

[Beryl]

Believe me Connie....it is nothing at all like a food court in the mall :grin ! You are going to really love it! The International Cafe is a wonderful place for a light lunch or a quick bite any time of the day! Enjoy!

 

[Conniemc]

Thank you Beryl...whimper whimper....I trust you!! The food court had me near tears....
=hug
=lolgang

 

[navymom]

Oh Connie, don't worry. I guess my description could give you that impression, but it's defnitely not like a mall food court !!

 

[Conniemc]

I know Navymom, we're just kidding around. I just want to get in my cabin, get settled, pop my Korbel and chill out for a week. I finally got a good look at my aft cabin and I thought there was an overhang, but no, it looks great! I won't be getting off except Cozumel for a few hours and maybe the Caymans for an hour or two. Other than that, trying out each and every "eatery" on board, relaxing on my veranda, and doing NOTHING. Oh wait, no, I promised to take funny videos and copious notes for the Princess Princess's and post to you daily.
:naughty
BTW Beryl, the swinging singles on "that other board" have incorrectly identified MY aft pool as the "crew pool"...P)
=helpsign
so here's hoping I don't have to share!!! Only those on the sister ships know of the "secret" entrance to that pool, which was given to me by Seagar. He and his wife will be on my sailing as well. So if I decide to get some sun, I'll stay away from the crowds and hit the Riviera deck pool, since it's only 30 feet from my cabin.
=devil

 

[Golden Cruiser]

Thanks to all of you for the great info. I'll definitely be hanging at Vines in March. BTW the Terrace pool is definitely the place to be. Much less crowded, great bar and the best view of the ocean or port.

Oh and Connie, I've been on Princess twice before and tried Celebrity last year. You Will not be disappointed--you'll love it. It sounds like you're worried that Princess won't have that level of sophistication you're used to on Celebrity, but don't worry, it's just as refined with a slightly younger average age. But don't take our word for it--see for yourself and then tell us all about it! :wave

 

[red stripe]

Connie.. I agree with Beryl... the international cafe is nothing like a mall food court. it became our favorite place on the Emerald Princess.
And those fresh baked cookies.. yum!

 

[Einstein]

The International Cafe IMO is one of the Gr8est additions to the Crown, Emerald and Ruby. :thumb

Vines is a nice area but there was minimal activity on the 2 Emerald cruises we were on in the last year.

They did have sushi at one Pre Dinner sitting and also had some finger seafood entrees another evening. The area can get a wee bit overcrowded at Pre Dinner as folks tend to congregate there prior to Pre Dinner. If U love seafood then make sure U keep a watch on the 1st evening at the Caribe Cafe for the Seafood Buffet.

They repeat this somewhere toward the end of the cruise as well depending on the itinerary. :thumb

.

 

[Conniemc]

Thanks for the pix! Is there live music somewhere around this area, where you can drink and hear the band?

 

[Einstein]

NO band but they do usually have a piano player playing in the atrium. When we were onboard the Emerald they had a String Quartet as well that played in the atrium on occasion and were VERY good. :thumb

.

 

[red stripe]

and Connie.. the Emerald is pretty much the same as the Ruby. About the only change we can see from people getting off her, is the addition of the pub lunch :lol

So perhaps these photos of the aft deck of the Emerald will help you out.

I cannot see 300 people crowding into the Adagio bar :lol so I think they may hit crooners. as that bar is in the atrium area, so plenty of 'spread" room.. Or perhaps Explorers.

Or if they do head Aft.. then I would expect them to fill the area around that aft pool bar. check it out..

although the bar is small, it is not as small as the one in Adagios, and there are a lot more set options around here.

And this will show you locations.
That area outside the windows of Sabatini's is a nice quiet area during the day and early evening for you to sis and read.

and here are two other bars.

I do not understand why I can find no pictures of the inside of Adagios.. as on both cruises, we spent a lot of time in it :lol But it was intimate and cozy.. and you got to either by that outside door in the pictures, or the inside entrance is next to Sabatini's.