Mexican Riveria Sapphire review

I wasn't sure if everyone would want to read my review but here goes... This is my 5th cruise, 4 with RCCL and 1st with Princess (this will also be my last with Princess). First of all... the room was very nice, nice layout however the balcony looking over other balconys was bad. We were lucky as we had no one above us! The ports were all very nice. We did horseback riding in PV. We did a tour of the area M. Had no specific plans in Cabo and just walked around. Weather was great. Very hot. Most in the 90s. The ship layout was not what I expected. Not being able to get to one end of the ship to the other easily was sometimes very confusing... The crew was all from the Phillipenes. Not nearly as friendly as the crews on the RCCL ships. The drinks were watered down and when asked to add more alcohol they seemed like we were asking for way to much!! One of my biggest complaints... no band by the pool! The days at sea were somewhat dull for lack of anything to do. No music or dancing by the pool area. Just a guy on a guitar singing love songs. The crowd was complaining that they were falling asleep. We did hear alot of complaints about that. Most things going on were all in doors. The food for the most part was good but if something wasn't done right they did not want to do anything about it!!

My experiences on both cruiselines is that I prefer the RCCL line. Much more attentive and friendly staff.

I would be happy to answer any questions. I realize most on this site Love Princess but in my opinion and what I was looking for was not what I got on the Princess Line.

Thanks

Sorry you didn't have a good time on the Sapphire Princess. Each cruiseline offers different experiences and if you've found that you prefer what's available on RCI, then stick with it.

Thanks for taking the time to post your review. We'll be heading out in less than two weeks so I appreciate any info/insight given--good, bad or indifferent.

How was embarkation/disembarkation? Just curious how long it took and how smoothly it went?

Thanks for your help.

The process of getting on/off was smooth. No real issues. We were delayed somewhat getting off. First group didn't get off until about 9:00. Some people missed flights but they had flights that were too early....

I think it's good that you've tried Princess. It's too bad your cruise didn't fulfill your expectations. I guess each person has different tastes and that's why different cruiselines exist. It is odd that there was no poolside band though. Every cruise I've been on has had one. maybe you weren't at the right pool? Anyhow, thanks for posting your review.

Thanks for taking the time to post. I will be on this cruise next month and am hoping for a better experience. Sometimes it's worth it to try again, but if you are truly happier with another product, then it's probably wise to stick with it. Thanks again for sharing as we need to see the good with the bad.

Any other reviews out there?

I am a platinum member on RCCL and took my first Princess Cruise last New Years Eve (the Coral princess). We enjoyed Princess so decided to take the Sapphire this New Years Eve. It will be interesing if we have the same experience as we had on the Coral. Plus..they did have a great band by the pool. I would miss it to. Somehow, a guitar player sounds out of place. I guess, alot depends on the ship's staff. All the RCCL trips I have taken have had great employees. Thanks for your review. Our trip won't be for a few months, but will write a review when I get back.

Thanks for the review. I will be leaving on the Sapphire in about 30 days... Now I am not really sure what to expect. :(

First time poster but I couldn't stand by and not reply. I was on this same cruise and had a completely different experience.

1st off, the ship was beautiful, well appointed and easy to get around if you just took your time getting to know the layout.

2ndly, the man singing by the pool was AMAZING, (I can't recall his name)!! We often found ourselves by the pool enjoying the pizza and his singing.

To address the food issues, not everything was preparded to our liking but it was fixed in the blink of an eye. Also, our drinks were strong. It did depend on where you bought them, though. If you order a foo foo drink, (as opposed to a martini or a Manhatten) they are going to be mostly fruit juice. You get what you order.

Lastly, what difference does it make if the staff were mostly from the "Philippines"? All of our staff, (with the exception of one bartender and waiter) were courteous and always going out of their way to make our cruise experience one we would never forget. I think you refering to their race says a lot about you as a person.

If you are on a future Princess or Sapphire Princess cruise please do not let one poster's opion sway your decision.

Rant over.........

Lil Peanut

lil Peanut - Thanks for the review. It's always good to read different reviews on a cruise. I think that the cruise is what you make it. Last year my group went on the Destiny and we numerous complants, but we still had a great time.

George,

My sentiments exactly. Life in general, is what you make of it. We couldn't have asked for a better first time cruise experience.

My husband and myself are in are early thirties but we're not big party people. Princess was just our cup of tea!

Happy Sailing!

Lil Peanut :)

My Fiance and I are in the same age group. Can you tell me how the shows were onboard??

George,

To be honest with you we didn't catch any of the shows......I do regret that now however. It wasn't for lack of wanting to see them but we were in bed every night by 10:30. Then again, I was up every morning by 5:30/6:00 (force of habit).

We spent most of the time just relaxing. The entertainment in the Explorers Lounge was great!! I'll have to look at my Patters and and see who was playing again. The singer that played in the evening did a lot of Beatles, Neil Diamond type songs with a lot of audience participation. Then, there was a very talented comedian on the last two nights who used to be a writer for the Cosby show. Extremely funny, not to be missed!!

There is something for everyone on the ship. Again we really enjoyed the gentleman that played by the indoor pool. No band just a guitar. He played Eagles, Hootie, Dave Matthews type songs.

Hope this helps some.

Lil Peanut

Lilpeanut - Thank you! Yes you did help! I am going to be taking it a little easy on this cruise (having surgery to repair a tear in my arm next friday:(). I will make sure that I hit the Explorers Lounge! And I will make sure I don't miss that comedian! :D

The indoor pool sounds pretty cool I will make sure I check that out too!

We were on the Sapphire a year ago and loved this ship and the itinerary and found the ship to be very easy to navigate. The shows were very good and loved the Princess Idol. I would have to mention that although we had a duo play at the pool everyday it was not like the Caribbean cruises where you have steel drums and more island type of music, that being said it was still enjoyable. We just got off the Adventure of the Seas, RCL this past Sunday and enjoyed the ship but I would still have to get a slight edge to Princess. The rooms are bigger and I've had rooms with the balcony covered and 1/2 covered and 1/2 open and prefer Princess' balconies to RCL or Carnival, but IJMO. As for crew staff I would have to say I found no difference, any cruise I've been on the staff have always been friendly, attentive and pleasant.

Debbie

OK, I know this has been covered before, but I will address it for the new cruisers, since the Mexico season is starting up. While on the Diamond and the Sapphire (and any of the Grand Class ships for that matter), the key to navigating the ship is the 7th deck, the Promenade deck. It is the key one that goes from end to end with no staterooms. If you just start there, you can easily get form end to end with none of the deadends. And to address thiose as well, when someone from my group complained about the "deadspace" onboard, I explained that they were the various Galley areas, needed to be near the main dining areas for speed in service.

I have heard that Holland America employs a large amount of Filipinos onboard, but I have actually noticed more Romanina and Polish on the Princess ships. NOT that is matters, however. I have had nothing but good experiences with the crew on my 18 cruises with Princess! I am a friendly person with a ready smile and "Please" and "Thank You" with every request. I personally think that makes a difference with how friendly the staff may be ppercieved, how they play off of you and YOUR (in general, not the OP in specific, since I do not know them) attitude.

I dont give any credence to the 'The days at sea were somewhat dull for lack of anything to do.' That is a lame complaint, there is always a patter full of activities to chose from, and if you cant find from the movies, crafts, dancing, bingo, lectures, group games, individual activities, art auctions, quiz games, library, pools, shops, ect, ect, or just relaxing and watching the sea go by with a book, that is your problem!

But thank you for posting your review, even if I dont necessarily agree with it! I hope you find your future sailings with whatwever line to be what you expect and enjoy!

Casey

Hey Debbie (Jeepers385) does the NJ crew still get together? I have heard from Carol in a long time.

Mike

Michael, we haven't had a get together in a long time but a lot of us sailed last week on AOS out of San Juan. Let me tell you I need a vacation from the vacation.:D We were talking about another get together will let you know when & where.;)

Debbie

Debbie and Casey - thanks for the positive remarks on the Sapphire. You both made me feel better about the upcoming cruise

Hey Mike how ya doing buddy???

Thanks Debbie, would be really cool to see the NJ Cruisers again.

I know what you mean about the vacation from a vacation.

Lilpeanut....the guitar player was at the indoor pool? That makes a little more sense. When we were on the Coral, there was a band and activities at the outdoor pool. The indoor pool was an adult pool and quiet. Is this how it is on the Sapphire?

Was Charlie Sleeth the piano bar player? We saw him on the Coral and he was great. He was suppose to be going to the Sapphire.

Okay okay, so prior to my last October's cruise on the Sapphire to the riviera, we had only sailed twice with Carnival. We got on the ship and we were dumb struck! The ship was gorgeous, the food was excellant! The service was immaculate. Yes, the fru fru drinks are a bit juicy, but the best mudslides in the world! Other drinks were a bit on the stronger side if you ask me. Yes, the ship, I was lost about 75% of the time, but heck. it was more fun trying to find my way around than it would have been had I known where it was! Our first cruise longer than 7 days and we never wanted to leave. We were a bit thrown off by no band next to either inside or outside pools, we had a duo which proved to be quite wonderful and laid back. No bobbing your head to the music here, just watching the waves roll by. The food the food the food..... what could I say but yum. Never had one complaint about their food. I understand everyones opinions, and to tell the truth, I still kinda favor carnival a bit, but I will be attending the same riviera cruise next october with princess, princess is elegance, and some people just arent ready for that, especially a jewel like the sapphire. :o

My Fiance and I are in the same age group. Can you tell me how the shows were onboard??

There are usually 2 big musical productions, one in the Princess Theatre and the other one at Club Fusion. It's broadway-style song and dance. The performances vary ship to ship, depending on the people involved. There are usually 2 lead male singers and 2 lead female singer. But it's pretty good production considering the small stage they have to operate under. There is always a back-stage tour of the Princess Theatre, check your patters for that free tour.

Then there are different bands and comics and variety shows throughout the 7-nights. You just have to pick and choose. Whether it's good or not is rather subjective. Just like the food.

In my mind, Princess has better food than RCCL. Considering the Sapphire Princess' kitchen serves 2600 passengers, it should be considered a hotel-type kitchen, but the food they serve is better than most hotels in LA, except maybe the Bel Air hotel or Four Seasons (but you would pay mega bucks to eat there). But for the price we pay to get on Sapphire, the food they serve in the dining room is far better than many 3* or 4* restaurants in Los Angeles. And they make dishes to your order. If you don't like any of the dishes on the mention, if you know how to describe your favorite dish, they will make it.

The services really depend on who you get. We've had bad experience at lunches in the dining room because we showed up 20 minutes before they close. Some waiters were not happy with it. But then again, we've had a wonderful waitress who said we can come in 5 minutes before they close and she would still be happy to serve us (and she was wonderful throughout). Although we would never go to the dining room for lunch 5 minutes before they close, we've learned our lesson. We will only go to the dining room for lunch now if we can get to the dining room 1 hour before closing. Although I don't like their attitude, but I understand where these waiters are coming from. If we show up late, they'll have to work even later. Nobody likes that.

We've had attentive room stewards as well as slow room stewards, but they all do their jobs well. Quality of service may not be up to some cruiser's standards, but for $10 per day tip (to cover every service person I encounter), I find that a bargain. You do get what you pay for.

So don't get swayed by negative or really positive reviews. Learn all you can about the different tips experienced cruisers offer and read up on the ports of call so you'll know what you want to do at each port. Go with the flow. If you encounter a bad waiter, just try a different dining room or ask the maitre d' to switch your table. You don't have to put up with anything you don't enjoy.

You will have a fun vacation regardless of what others have said.

This is just a quick tip for future Sappire cruisers. We did the Mexican Riviera last winter on the Diamond Princess, which is the sister ship to the Sapphire, and we loved it. However, different things are deal breakers for different people, and my DH was almost pushed over the edge by the tables-for-2 arrangement in the four anytime DRs (and I understand that the one of these, Vivaldi, now does some traditional seating.) Anyway, most of these tables are on the perimeter of the room, with bench seating on one side and a chair across, but they are just way too close together. It didn't occur to us until later that we could have requested a table in the center on the room, which other posters wrote in to say they had done and they were accommodated. Just be prepared for this --- we had a really good cruise, but it would have been better with a different seating arrangement.

I guess I am a little confused. I am the OP of this thread and thought my views would be helpful. Not everyone is looking for the same kind of cruise but I take offense when somone comes on and says my opinions aren't right. Everyone has expectations of their cruise. This one did not meet mine while all my other cruises on RCCL have. I enjoy the night life and often am out until 2-3 AM. Lil peanut said she was in bed by 10:30 everynight. We obviously are looking at different things. I enjoyed my cruise but had some dissappointments. Thats all I am saying. The guitar player by the pool (Outdoor Pool) was good but I would have preferred a band by the pool who got the crowd going. Everyone's opinions on these boards are helpful, good, bad or indifferent. I don't think you need to be a "princess only" cruiser to have some value here. My remark about nationality is only an observation, I found that the crew was not as friendly and outgoing as others and we were told by the crew staff themselves that it is somewhat to do with their nationality. Everyone on this board spends valuable time trying to help others. No one should be criticized for voicing an "Opinion". Thanks to those of you who read my review and understood that this was MY experience.