Review of surprise Sapphire Princess Bon Voyage Experience 2/16/13

Our Sapphire Princess Bon Voyage Experience on February 16 was a big surprise I had been planning for my wife for over a year, giving her an early taste of the bigger surprise of a Golden Princess cruise to Hawaii next month. (I have been describing the process leading up to this surprise for the past 10 months or so on another lengthy thread here on CC.)

 

Our BVE experience began before sunrise as we greeted the beautiful Sapphire coming in to port and watched her dock as the sun broke over the horizon (which I describe in much more detail on the other thread).

 

By the time we turned in our boarding passes and received our keycards, DW had discovered (a bit earlier than I had intended) that we were only on the ship for the day, so she could now relax and enjoy the experience without worrying about whether we were adequately prepared to go on a cruise.

 

After boarding the Sapphire Princess, about five of us who were on the Bon Voyage Experience gathered together for a brief talk from the Future Cruise Consultant. She offered to give us a tour of the ship, but we opted to explore on our own, already being familiar with the ship from our 2010 Mexican Riviera cruise (although many important parts of the ship had changed in the last three years, especially in the atrium, now redesigned as the Piazza).

 

By now it was about 11:30 am, so we had about 30 extra minutes before the dining room would open for lunch. The letter we had received explaining the BVE instructed us to be off the ship no later than 3:00 pm; I told DW that we would be leaving the ship no earlier than 2:59 pm, wanting to take advantage of every minute.

 

As we walked through the ship, it was strange (almost eerie) to see it so empty (except for a few employees here or there going about their work, and a surprising number of people in the Internet cafe). We had hoped that someone in the photo gallery could tell us when we could arrange to have the ship's photographer take our picture, but nobody was there.

 

Soon we found our way to the Piazza, having our first opportunity to experience the International Cafe (it had not been a feature of the Sapphire Princess during our 2010 cruise). I was tempted to try a peanut butter cup, but DW encouraged me not to spoil my lunch. (I confess that I intended to indulge in the unrestrained consumption of food for our few hours on this ship, but DW served as my conscience in this regard.)

 

I chose the International Cafe's spinach quiche, while my wife chose the waldorf chicken cashew salad. Then we took our pre-lunch snack to a little table near the piano. I enjoyed the unusually creamy consistency of the spinach quiche, but when DW offered me a bite of her waldorf chicken cashew salad I wasn't thrilled with its taste. DW ordered mint tea as a compliment to her salad. (As a novice reviewer, I didn't think of taking photos of our selections from the International Cafe.)

 

While we sat at the table enjoying our first tastes of the BVE, we noticed people lining up nearby, waiting for something. I wondered what so many people would be waiting for (especially when so few were on the ship), but eventually I realized that these people were still in the process of disembarkation even though it was so late in the morning. (I was glad that my curiosity hadn't led me to get in line behind them!)

 

Knowing that the BVE package is supposed to include a photograph, we discussed how we could locate the ship's photographer to make sure that we got our picture taken. About that time, the photographer walked up and introduced himself, asking to take our picture! My wife thought that he somehow identified us using facial recognition software, but there probably is a simpler explanation: he may have noticed the "Bon Voyage Experience" sticker I was wearing.

 

After our International Cafe snack, we spent about 10 more minutes exploring before deciding that it was time to head to the International Dining Room for lunch. The ship still seemed quite empty at this point.

 

Although on our 2010 cruise we had dinner every night in the International Dining Room, we had forgotten its somewhat confusing placement, on a part of deck 6 which is not connected to the rest of deck 6. Eventually we located it, being among the first to enter the dining room.

 

We were immediately seated at a window table, adjacent to the table where we had dined every night on our 2010 cruise. The waiter promptly brought menus, but it would be a while before we would be able to order. About five minutes later we were joined by three ladies who were also a part of the Bon Voyage Experience (although two of them would be staying on board for the cruise). Our tablemates arrived raving about the pleasures of the International Cafe's peanut butter cups (a part of me wished that I had given into temptation and indulged in dessert before lunch).

 

Having read many comments on CC about the hamburgers in the MDR on embarkation day, I settled quickly upon the bacon cheeseburger. My wife was still focused on being more health-conscious, choosing the salmon along with spinach ravioli. For an appetizer, I chose the shrimp with avocado and aioli sauce, while she chose the chickpea soup. The delicious shrimp appetizer came complete with little green onion antennas, which DW said made it look like a little alien.

 

 

After we ordered, it seemed to me that we waited too long for the food to arrive. With our brief time on the ship ticking away, I was somewhat impatient, though I tried not to let it show. My wife, on the other hand, just seemed to enjoy having the extra time to get to know our tablemates.

 

The MDR's bacon cheeseburger lived up to the hype, with a perfectly toasted bun, crisp lettuce and juicy meat. My wife gave in to temptation when I offered to let her taste some.

 

 

I enjoyed the bites of spinach ravioli and salmon she offered me.

 

 

For dessert, we chose a delightful orange souffle, indulging in it after watching the waiter break the souffle crust with a spoon and then pour ample amounts of the warm velvety sauce inside.

 

 

When we finally finished with lunch, only about half of our BVE time remained. The ship was now noticeably busier, and the elevators had slowed to the point of being almost useless.

 

After enjoying the incredibly clear view of the San Gabriel Mountains from the terrace pool, we made our way to up to Skywalker's, walking up the (motionless) escalator. When I heard a thumping sound coming from above, I thought that maybe somebody was working on the roof. Later I realized that the sports court had been relocated above Skywalker's (it seems like that would be quite a spectacular place for a game on the high seas, although the thumping sound probably becomes irritating to the patrons of Skywalker's).

 

Although I had hoped that DW and I could take a few minutes for a dip in a spa during our BVE, all of the spas were covered with nets during the afternoon. (We probably didn't really have enough time for a dip anyway.)

 

After stopping briefly to watch the Movies Under the Stars screen, which had not been a part of the Sapphire Princess in 2010, we decided to take a romantic walk around the promenade deck.

 

By now we were in our final hour on the ship, so of course the number one thought on my mind was food. I dismissed the thought of going to the buffet, assuming that by now it would be too busy. Although DW protested ("we just had lunch!") I eventually convinced her to go back to the International Cafe. I was finally able to delight in the peanut butter cup, while DW enjoyed a little cherry cheese cake. Then we stopped by the photo gallery to pick up our BVE souvenir photo.

 

Having learned that there would be no Alfredo's Pizzeria on our upcoming Golden Princess cruise, I had hoped that we could enjoy some pizza from Alfredo's during our BVE, but every time we passed by the pizza kitchen, nothing seemed to be available. I had assumed incorrectly that Alfredo's was like the Lido Deck's Prego Pizzeria, where on our last cruise we had requested slices of the pizzas which had already been cooked. By the time I realized that we needed to sit down in the dining area and order an entire personal pizza from a menu, we had less than a half hour remaining in our allotted BVE time.

 

Although having pizza after our second dessert initially seemed inappropriate to my wife, it didn't take much arm-twisting for me to convince her to see if we had time to try some pizza before leaving the ship. When the waitress brought us the menu, the pizza named after the Sapphire Princess immediately caught my eye, so I quickly selected it (in the interest of time and because it seemed to be the appropriate selection for the moment). I was amazed at how quickly the pizza arrived at our table.

 

Unfortunately, I was not overly impressed with the pizza from Alfredo's. While I enjoyed the taste and texture of the crust, which was much better than the average pizza, I was disappointed in the amount of the toppings. My wife, on the other hand, disagreed with my assessment, finding the pizza to be quite a pleasurable way to end our time on the ship.

 

When we finished the pizza, it was time to disembark. I attempted to make one last pass at a treat from the International Cafe, but they had just shut down in preparation for the muster drill.

 

Although we wished for more time on board, we obediently surrendered to the clock and found our way to the exit, having enjoyed our few hours of reacquainting ourselves with the Sapphire Princess while whetting our appetites for our cruise next month to Hawaii!

Thanks for your review :) We are doing a BVE on March 9 as a mini M&G with some fellow cruisers who will be on the Royal Maiden TA. We have not been on the Sapphire since 2011 and I was glad to hear that Alfredo's is open during the BVE time on board as I wanted to try the pizza there in addition to lunch in the MDR and also check out the IC and the remodeled HC. How much weight will I gain that day :eek:

Thanks for the review, I am assuming this was in San Pedro?

Thanks for the review, I am assuming this was in San Pedro?

 

Yes, I should have mentioned that this was at the San Pedro ("Los Angeles") port. On our 2010 Sapphire Princess cruise, which also embarked from San Pedro, we arrived at the ship just before the muster drill, so we didn't experience San Pedro itself.

 

This time, however, I planned a day of romantic activities in San Pedro leading up to the BVE (and eventually to the cruise). There were many additional planned activities that we didn't find time for. So to anyone embarking from San Pedro, I would strongly recommend that you take some time to enjoy the port before (and/or after) your cruise.

 

I provide more details on what we did in San Pedro in post #297-312 of the main thread I have been writing.

happy that you used the stickers I suggested. I hope we get to meet on the cruise. You sound like a really fun couple. Aloha!!

I've never heard of this experience before. If you are booked on the Sapphire, can you book this experience and board the ship early? If you don't mind my asking, what would be the charge per person for this experience? Thank you.

I've never heard of this experience before. If you are booked on the Sapphire, can you book this experience and board the ship early? If you don't mind my asking, what would be the charge per person for this experience? Thank you.

It's $39/pp and if you book a cruise within six months, you get the $39 as a credit towards the cost of the cruise. Here's the info: https://book.princess.com/BookingSystem/jsp/home/ship_visit/BonVoyageExperience.jsp

 

FYI, I will also be on the March 9 Sapphire BVE. :)

You didn't mention wine. I thought wine was included with the lunch.

I've never heard of this experience before. If you are booked on the Sapphire, can you book this experience and board the ship early? If you don't mind my asking, what would be the charge per person for this experience? Thank you.

This is not for booked passengers. The cost is $39/person and can be applied to a future booking within a limited time. We invited DD and DS to do the BVE the day we sailed from San Pedro on the Sapphire in the spring of 2011 to give them an idea of Princess. We were Platinum at the time and we all waited in the Platinum/Elite/Suite Lounge with others doing the BVE. At that time we were able to board with them just a little before the Platinum/Elite/Suite passengers. We were able to eat with them in the dining room and we even got a free glass of wine along with them. I guess it finally worked because DD will be joining us on a Baltic cruise on the Emerald this June.

You didn't mention wine. I thought wine was included with the lunch.

 

It is for the BVE participants, not for any non-BVE passenger who boards with them.

That is what I thought. I guess I thought it was a "special" lunch. It sounds like they just had the normal embarkation day limited MDR lunch.

Thanks for the report!

That is what I thought. I guess I thought it was a "special" lunch. It sounds like they just had the normal embarkation day limited MDR lunch.

 

Right. But for someone being introduced to Princess via a BVE, it is a good way to get acquainted with dining in a Prioncess dining room and a good samplg of what the menu looks like.

Thanks for the review! I have been thinking about taking some friends on for this so they can see the ship. Glad you had fun!

happy that you used the stickers I suggested. I hope we get to meet on the cruise. You sound like a really fun couple. Aloha!!

 

Thanks for suggesting the stickers, silverbird! (I will be providing more sticker surprises over the next few weeks. On top of that, DW has now surprised me with some stickers of her own!)

 

I didn't realize that you are cruising with us! I definitely would like to meet you, and I'm sure DW would too. Will you be at the Outrigger after muster? If not, maybe we can arrange another time to meet.

You didn't mention wine. I thought wine was included with the lunch.

 

It is included, but you have to know to ask for it. They did not ask me "would you like a complimentary glass of wine?" but if I had thought to ask for it I'm sure they would have given it to me.

Excellent review.

Thanks for your review :) We are doing a BVE on March 9 as a mini M&G with some fellow cruisers who will be on the Royal Maiden TA. We have not been on the Sapphire since 2011 and I was glad to hear that Alfredo's is open during the BVE time on board as I wanted to try the pizza there in addition to lunch in the MDR and also check out the IC and the remodeled HC. How much weight will I gain that day :eek:

 

It's $39/pp and if you book a cruise within six months, you get the $39 as a credit towards the cost of the cruise. Here's the info: https://book.princess.com/BookingSystem/jsp/home/ship_visit/BonVoyageExperience.jsp

 

FYI, I will also be on the March 9 Sapphire BVE. :)

 

 

See you both on the 9th, I am actually sailing!! Also looking forward to the Royal TA!! Will look for Pam in the IC.

Marcia

This is not for booked passengers. The cost is $39/person and can be applied to a future booking within a limited time. We invited DD and DS to do the BVE the day we sailed from San Pedro on the Sapphire in the spring of 2011 to give them an idea of Princess. We were Platinum at the time and we all waited in the Platinum/Elite/Suite Lounge with others doing the BVE. At that time we were able to board with them just a little before the Platinum/Elite/Suite passengers. We were able to eat with them in the dining room and we even got a free glass of wine along with them. I guess it finally worked because DD will be joining us on a Baltic cruise on the Emerald this June.

 

As mentioned above, one of the side benefits of a BVE is that if you book a BVE for friends on a day that you are sailing, you get to board early with them! So I just booked a BVE for our son and his friend on the day that we are sailing to Hawaii, so that we will be able to get acquainted with the Golden Princess before the crowds arrive! :D