Cruising After A Drydock (Sapphire 2011)?

[ccrain]

I was looking forward to planning a 30th Anniversary Trans-Pacific in September-October 2011. Now a couple of wrinkles have interfered.

 

1) It look like the Sapphire will drydock in 2011 after the Alaska season, probably in Victoria where the Golden had her drydock.

 

2) It also looks like the Sapphire will not do a transpacific, but will do a 28 day R/T LA into the Pacific and back, but not to Australia.

 

The 28 day R/T is actually good news. Much cheaper airfare, allowing for a larger cabin - maybe even a suite!!! But the drydock throws a real damper on the situation. If this is the Gem class upgrade, the Sapphire will get MUTS, Sanctuary, Crown Grill, the Piazza, the extra suites, moving the casino, the whole 9 yards.

 

I read reviews of the cruises after the Golden, Star and Caribbean drydocks. MUTS didn't work, workers were still working on parts of the ship and the overall experience was just not up to par.

 

So, for those of you that have sailed after a drydock - would you do it for a special occasion cruise - my alternative is to pay the money for a Northern Transatlantic on the Crown or the Grand in the same months - another itin we've always wanted to do.

 

Comments?

[Duck Duck Cruise]

From what I've read about pre-drydock cruises and post-drydock cruises are they can be a construction zone and not everything available or accessible. For a "special event cruise" I would want to be at least a month after the conclusion of the drydock "just in case".

[Druke I]

I agree with Duck Duck Cruise.

 

Recently it seems drydocks have not completed all the work prior to starting cruising again - and it is not much fun to be aboard while construction is ongoing.

 

Under the circumstances, I think I would opt for the northern transAtlantic.

[ccrain]

I hate circumstances like this.

 

It appears that the Itin for the 28 day

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1213158

 

includes Tahiti, Samoa and Hawaii. A dream itinerary.

 

In addition, there is a 14 day HI cruise between the drydock and this cruise.

 

So would that change anyone's mind?

[Druke I]

Well, the fact there is a 14 day cruise between the drydock and the cruise you are interested in certainly changes the equation.

 

Under those circumstances, I'd consider the 28 night itinerary, which certainly has a lot of appeal.

[Duck Duck Cruise]

I would think that the 28 day would be okay, but I would avoid the Hawaii cruise like the plague.

[Katie333]

I think 2 week buffer should be relatively safe. Hopefully Princess has learned from recent dry docks and can work the kinks out before they set sail on the 14 day Hawaii but especially for that 28 day cruise. From what I've seen on other posts that special itinerary has won a lot of hearts so if you are going to do it get ready to book it as soon as you can.