My personal experiences onboard the Sapphire 28 day Hawaii/Samoa/Tahiti cruise.

[High C's]

How disappointing that not one person from Sue's roll call has come on here to publically apologize to her. Even if they were totally unaware at the time of how overwhelmed she was with calls/enquiries, they could at the very least acknowledge her concerns.

[dchip]

not to apologize! During the entire cruise, my DH and I expressed our thanks to Sue and her DH. Sue went so far out of her way to help that she wasn't able to relax until we were finally at sea for 8 days.

 

My DH constantly let her know that she was doing way too much. We personally experienced some of the phone calls to her suite. Not to mention, getting stopped by many folks every time she left the suite.

 

I want to thank Sue again and again for all she did for our Roll Call. Not only answering our questions for the past 16 months but for all she did at our M & G. Getting our own tenders for private shore excursions was an amazing feat, IMHO!!

 

Cheers to you Sue and Jim also!

 

Denise and Howie, too

[happytalk44]

How disappointing that not one person from Sue's roll call has come on here to public ally apologize to her. Even if they were totally unaware at the time of how overwhelmed she was with calls/inquiries' date=' they could at the very least acknowledge her concerns. [/size']

I was on the roll call and on the cruise and have posted on this thread. I agreed with Toto's review and added my own concerns. I do not understand, however, why I would owe her an apology. She and I never even met on the cruise and I never called her, left a note, or knocked on her door. Those are the people who you must be referencing?

[2little time]

Can someone please tell me why there were so many "VIP's" on this trip?

[Quenby]

I picked some friends (mid to late eighties) up at LAX on Oct 21 and drove them to the ship on the 22nd. When I picked them up last Saturday, they said it was the rudest group of people they had ever encountered - rude to staff and rude to other passengers. They said some of the scooter people were exceptionally rude, even to other people in scooters. For self-protection, they learned to get out of the way as quickly as possible. They felt sorry for the staff in Horizon Court who were repeatedly berated by some folks. They felt it definitely got worse after the Sapphire stopped at its last port and then had so many sea days.

[johnmik1]

How disappointing that not one person from Sue's roll call has come on here to publically apologize to her. Even if they were totally unaware at the time of how overwhelmed she was with calls/enquiries' date=' they could at the very least acknowledge her concerns. [/size']

 

People like that can't figure out that they are being rude!

[shellbeachjim]

Roll call lists are starting to become an issue for me, enough that I've pulled back drastically from posting on roll calls. Not too long ago, someone who is on both of my upcoming roll calls took all the email addresses and added them to his marketing list, sending spam to all of us, promoting his products. Which, of course, is illegal (CAN-SPAM Act of 2005.) I'm always happy to answer questions when people email me; that's why I have a link in my signature. I may not join any roll call in the future. It's sad that it's come to that.

Pam,

I can understand where you're coming from. I have actually kept a couple of roll call rosters and I end up keeping it as simple as possible - First names, CC name, city where you're from. I have no interest in knowing everyone's cabin #, dining preference, email address, etc. The roll call members can share that information privately, but I won't include it.

 

I'm certainly glad you have participated in roll calls in the past, otherwise I wouldn't have had the pleasure of meeting you! ;)

[IECalCruiser]

Toto/Sue, Thank you for the comments. There is no excuse for those who bothered you once the cruise was underway! Since everyone knew you were in the GS there was no need for a cabin number :-(.

We have seen many more walkers and scooters on our recent cruises out of San Pedro. Maybe it is not needing to fly to the port for many people. On the seven day CA Coastal we had to get there more than an hour in advance to get a decent seat for shows which is much earlier than other cruises and there was definitely an older demographic! We might need to arrange our schedule and see the late shows in the future.

We still want to do this cruise. Wonder if Princess could stop at Hawaii both ways for two days each? Eight days is a long time if there aren't sufficient activities. Princess does Hawaii from San Pedro so well it is unfortunate it was not the same on this cruise. Perhaps they will learn and improve the cruise. I hope everyone on the cruise has let Princess know the issues! Thanks again for the Live from and your thoughts.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[High C's]

I was on the roll call and on the cruise and have posted on this thread. I agreed with Toto's review and added my own concerns. I do not understand, however, why I would owe her an apology. She and I never even met on the cruise and I never called her, left a note, or knocked on her door. Those are the people who you must be referencing?

 

I am not suggesting everyone owes her an apology. Clearly, you would not as you did not intrude on her personal space. However, by her own admission, the amount of calls, notes, etc., became overwhelming and affected her enjoyment of the cruise. For that reason, I am surprised that none of the people who clearly monopolized her time has apologized to her here, now that she has let her feelings be known.

 

People like that can't figure out that they are being rude!

 

True.

[johnmik1]

Pam,

I can understand where you're coming from. I have actually kept a couple of roll call rosters and I end up keeping it as simple as possible - First names, CC name, city where you're from. I have no interest in knowing everyone's cabin #, dining preference, email address, etc. The roll call members can share that information privately, but I won't include it.

 

I'm certainly glad you have participated in roll calls in the past, otherwise I wouldn't have had the pleasure of meeting you! ;)

 

When they start talking about trading gifts they lose me!

[Kinkacruiser]

Thankyou Toto for sharing your views about this cruise. Frankly I was shocked at your description of behaviours onboard. However, forewarned is forearmed. We are booked on a 35 day cruise ex Sydney to Hawaii and Tahiti and I am expecting to see an older group onboard as well.

[pegpowell]

Sue posted this on her live from thread. "I have to get with everyone on these tours to get a head count to give to passengers services and they will assign us a tender to get ashore ASAP. Since everyone on the roll call did not provide their cabin numbers, this isn't any small deed, and the next few days might get very interesting trying to locate them, all as they want the head count after we leave Hawaii (before our next M&G). Bora Bora isn't as important as Moorea, as Moorea has a long tender ride to shore.

I can see myself making a lot of phone calls in the coming days to attempt to contact those I do have cabin numbers for."

 

This was the reason I called one afternoon and left a message. I apologize if this was an intrusion.

[Cruis'n Twosome]

About breakfast in Sabatini's . . we thought it was wonderful, even when the tables were full. We never waited 45 minutes for breakfast, and the staff always had time to stop by our table and other tables for a chat. It was never a noisy dining hall and never saw sweat running down their faces.

A special thank you to the staff in Sabatini's for working so hard every day and providing great service and delicious food.

This was a great cruise, met wonderful people, had calm seas, great weather, and look forward to doing it again in the future.:)

[sunsetbeachgal]

I thought Sabatinis breakfast was for full suites only...I am surprised that there are so many full suites on the Sapphire to result in crowding...or, in this case did Princess open up Sabatinis breakfast as a benefit to the "VIPs" and/or Elites? If so, shame on them for diluting a benefit of a full suite...

[Off2China]

I thought Sabatinis breakfast was for full suites only...I am surprised that there are so many full suites on the Sapphire to result in crowding...or, in this case did Princess open up Sabatinis breakfast as a benefit to the "VIPs" and/or Elites? If so, shame on them for diluting a benefit of a full suite...

 

IIRC, I think Sue said in her LIVE that the VIPs were getting this perk. I agree . . . shame on Princess for doing that.

 

Sue - please take some time to *recover* but don't leave CC permanently. You've helped many, many cruisers with your knowledge and advice, myself included. Thank you for that.:)

[2little time]

I thought Sabatinis breakfast was for full suites only...I am surprised that there are so many full suites on the Sapphire to result in crowding...or, in this case did Princess open up Sabatinis breakfast as a benefit to the "VIPs" and/or Elites? If so, shame on them for diluting a benefit of a full suite...

I was under the same impression. Who were these VIP's anyway? Between all of them and all the scooters and obviously infirmed people it must have been so frustrating. I would be unhappy to have paid what I am sure Toto paid for the GS and have had such a disappointing time.I wonder if Princess will ever limit the number of scooters on board at one time? If not with all the baby boomers it could become a glorified race track in a few years.

[Darcy15]

Good evening to all

 

I too have just returned from this cruise, and would like to add my personal perspective.*

 

As this is entirely my own opinion, it is of necessity also entirely subjective. It is my experience, and that is all. I do not offer it to counter other opinions in any way. It is my story.

 

I had the most fabulous time. It was a dream come true. Bora Bora had long been a dream, but the prospect of flying there from the UK was not great. Round trip from LA with 'only' a 12 hour flight seemed much more attractive.

 

 

I did join the roll call for the cruise. I really enjoyed sharing the planning and

the excitement with others. It was great fun, and I got some very helpful

advice. I did go to the venue for the first meet and greet, arriving a little

early. I am quite a shy person, was travelling alone, and as more and more

people gathered I realised that such a large group was not going to be

comfortable for me. I chose to leave. I never did get to meet or contact any of

the group.*

 

The ship was beautiful, my cabin very comfortable, and my room steward a delight. To be greeted every day, by name, with his cheerful grin was very special. I met nothing but kindness, courtesy and efficiency from the crew

wherever I went. The room cleaned twice a day, fresh towels, the bed turned

down, chocolates.......just fabulous.

 

 

I had a bit of a plumbing problem in my cabin one day - the toilet would not

flush - and I called to report it. Within 5 minutes, there was a knock at my door. There was a smiling maintenance man, who had the problem fixed within a few minutes. I had a follow up phone call from customer services a little later to check that all was well. I was terribly impressed with such service.

 

I attended most of the enrichment lectures, and thoroughly enjoyed them. The war in the Pacific series was particularly interesting, and the lecturer very engaging and full of knowledge. I am a big movie fan, and enjoyed watching those as well. I attended the line dancing and hula classes, which were great fun - if a bit of a challenge at times, when the ship was rocking! The fruit carving and napkin folding demonstrations were very entertaining. The cappuccino in the lobby bar was hot and delicious, and was my daily treat. It was served with a smile.

 

I ate in the Horizon Court each and every day - solo restaurant dining is not for me. The food was varied, tasty and plentiful. My drink order was taken within minutes of sitting down. Yes, most certainly it was busy there at times- but only in the front section. Walk just a few paces to the back of the seating area and there was always room. I had a table to myself, every day, without problem. The staff there worked incredibly hard, but maintained a smile. I was always greeted warmly and treated like a queen. My thanks to those good people.*

 

The ports, well what can I say? I enjoyed them all. Bora Bora was beautiful, Moorea with it's jagged mountains was stunning. Hawaii offered such variety. Western Samoa was lush and green. Tahiti had literature and history, alongside sunshine and black sand beaches. My personal *favourite though was American Samoa. I was just so touched by the genuine warmth of the people. Happy, smiling people waving at you wherever you went. A tour guide from the local college, just so excited and proud to tell you of her island and culture. I will treasure forever the memory of my time there.*

 

Sailing away from the lagoon of Bora Bora at night, the flying fish attracted to the lights of the ship, the Southern Cross in the inky black sky as the lights of the island gradually faded into the distance........just magical. The tug captain in Lahaina, pushing the ship on her way then playfully showing off his skills with the 360 degree turns to the cheers from the balconies!

 

 

My fellow passengers. To be sure, many were elderly and infirm. There were lots of walking aids in use. I am younger and fit. I am grateful that I have the agility to use the stairs - so I did, and left the lifts to those that needed them. No other passenger, of whatever age or ability, impacted on me negatively in any way on the ship. What others wore was of no concern to me. I met lots of nice people who just stopped to say hello, I had pleasant company on many of the tours.

 

*I did witness one episode of extreme rudeness on shore. I was in a queue to board a tour bus in Honolulu when there was an altercation between two women - of middle age - about getting on the bus in front of each other. I was saddened at this display - we were all going to get on the bus and go to the same place, what possible difference did it make if you got on before another individual? Not a very edifying sight.

 

 

Is anything in life perfect? Rarely. Expectations vary so widely. This trip was a once in a lifetime event for me. I had been saving for a very long time, and it is highly unlikely I will ever be able to afford it again. My expectations were not only met, but exceeded. Others were bitterly disappointed - this is the nature of expectation. I fully understood the itinerary before I left, and that time at each place was limited - but, what an opportunity to at least sample these exotic destinations. I understood there were many days at sea- I am very content to sit and read, and thoroughly enjoyed having the luxury of time to do this. This is not the trip for those who need constant activity, I would humbly suggest. I was so happy to be away from my busy job and my demanding home responsibilities, not to have to cook and clean, to have my laundry done for me.......just wonderful.*

 

Yes, Internet connection was patchy and slow. Yes, there was limited TV. Was this really an unexpected occurrence given the location of the ship? I managed to send an e mail home every evening except one - yes, it required patience, but I was personally impressed to have a connection at all. I was on holiday to 'escape completely ' - so I did!

 

 

Anyway, enough ramblings.*

 

I just wanted to share some thoughts with you, to offer my perspective.*

 

I would do this cruise again in a heartbeat.

[Darcy15]

Apologies for the strange formatting - and the asterisks - copying and pasting seems to have produced odd results.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I too am wondering about the VIPs. Did anyone who was onboard figure out this group and why they were given these perks?

[Iowa Traveler]

I have relied upon Sue's wisdom on many occasions.

I hope she just takes a well-deserved break and returns.

Cruise Critic wouldn't be the same without Toto, (or Pam or Coral)!

I trust the information they share.

[lovevacadays]

Sue, thank you for your review. I don't find anything wrong with it. I think your judgement in posting it was just fine. This was your experience and opinion. I'm sure it wil help many who may want to book this cruise in the future.

 

I know you mentioned you may stay off CC. I hope some day you feel compelled to come back on as I think many of us enjoy reading your posts and threads.

 

I guess, I would say, it's probably a really good thing you had that GS. That sounds like something you and your husband enjoyed.

[happytalk44]

I too am wondering about the VIPs. Did anyone who was onboard figure out this group and why they were given these perks?

I do wish someone would answer this question. We are all perplexed as to who the "hi rollers/VIPs" were. It was obvious other than suite passengers were given the privilege to eat breakfast at Sabatini's as we never passed the entrance once at 10 AM that the line was not well out into the photo gallery. Who were these people?

[lovevacadays]

Good evening to all

 

I too have just returned from this cruise, and would like to add my personal perspective.*

 

As this is entirely my own opinion, it is of necessity also entirely subjective. It is my experience, and that is all. I do not offer it to counter other opinions in any way. It is my story.

 

I had the most fabulous time. It was a dream come true. Bora Bora had long been a dream, but the prospect of flying there from the UK was not great. Round trip from LA with 'only' a 12 hour flight seemed much more attractive.

 

 

I did join the roll call for the cruise. I really enjoyed sharing the planning and

the excitement with others. It was great fun, and I got some very helpful

advice. I did go to the venue for the first meet and greet, arriving a little

early. I am quite a shy person, was travelling alone, and as more and more

people gathered I realised that such a large group was not going to be

comfortable for me. I chose to leave. I never did get to meet or contact any of

the group.*

 

The ship was beautiful, my cabin very comfortable, and my room steward a delight. To be greeted every day, by name, with his cheerful grin was very special. I met nothing but kindness, courtesy and efficiency from the crew

wherever I went. The room cleaned twice a day, fresh towels, the bed turned

down, chocolates.......just fabulous.

 

 

I had a bit of a plumbing problem in my cabin one day - the toilet would not

flush - and I called to report it. Within 5 minutes, there was a knock at my door. There was a smiling maintenance man, who had the problem fixed within a few minutes. I had a follow up phone call from customer services a little later to check that all was well. I was terribly impressed with such service.

 

I attended most of the enrichment lectures, and thoroughly enjoyed them. The war in the Pacific series was particularly interesting, and the lecturer very engaging and full of knowledge. I am a big movie fan, and enjoyed watching those as well. I attended the line dancing and hula classes, which were great fun - if a bit of a challenge at times, when the ship was rocking! The fruit carving and napkin folding demonstrations were very entertaining. The cappuccino in the lobby bar was hot and delicious, and was my daily treat. It was served with a smile.

 

I ate in the Horizon Court each and every day - solo restaurant dining is not for me. The food was varied, tasty and plentiful. My drink order was taken within minutes of sitting down. Yes, most certainly it was busy there at times- but only in the front section. Walk just a few paces to the back of the seating area and there was always room. I had a table to myself, every day, without problem. The staff there worked incredibly hard, but maintained a smile. I was always greeted warmly and treated like a queen. My thanks to those good people.*

 

The ports, well what can I say? I enjoyed them all. Bora Bora was beautiful, Moorea with it's jagged mountains was stunning. Hawaii offered such variety. Western Samoa was lush and green. Tahiti had literature and history, alongside sunshine and black sand beaches. My personal *favourite though was American Samoa. I was just so touched by the genuine warmth of the people. Happy, smiling people waving at you wherever you went. A tour guide from the local college, just so excited and proud to tell you of her island and culture. I will treasure forever the memory of my time there.*

 

Sailing away from the lagoon of Bora Bora at night, the flying fish attracted to the lights of the ship, the Southern Cross in the inky black sky as the lights of the island gradually faded into the distance........just magical. The tug captain in Lahaina, pushing the ship on her way then playfully showing off his skills with the 360 degree turns to the cheers from the balconies!

 

 

My fellow passengers. To be sure, many were elderly and infirm. There were lots of walking aids in use. I am younger and fit. I am grateful that I have the agility to use the stairs - so I did, and left the lifts to those that needed them. No other passenger, of whatever age or ability, impacted on me negatively in any way on the ship. What others wore was of no concern to me. I met lots of nice people who just stopped to say hello, I had pleasant company on many of the tours.

 

*I did witness one episode of extreme rudeness on shore. I was in a queue to board a tour bus in Honolulu when there was an altercation between two women - of middle age - about getting on the bus in front of each other. I was saddened at this display - we were all going to get on the bus and go to the same place, what possible difference did it make if you got on before another individual? Not a very edifying sight.

 

 

Is anything in life perfect? Rarely. Expectations vary so widely. This trip was a once in a lifetime event for me. I had been saving for a very long time, and it is highly unlikely I will ever be able to afford it again. My expectations were not only met, but exceeded. Others were bitterly disappointed - this is the nature of expectation. I fully understood the itinerary before I left, and that time at each place was limited - but, what an opportunity to at least sample these exotic destinations. I understood there were many days at sea- I am very content to sit and read, and thoroughly enjoyed having the luxury of time to do this. This is not the trip for those who need constant activity, I would humbly suggest. I was so happy to be away from my busy job and my demanding home responsibilities, not to have to cook and clean, to have my laundry done for me.......just wonderful.*

 

Yes, Internet connection was patchy and slow. Yes, there was limited TV. Was this really an unexpected occurrence given the location of the ship? I managed to send an e mail home every evening except one - yes, it required patience, but I was personally impressed to have a connection at all. I was on holiday to 'escape completely ' - so I did!

 

 

Anyway, enough ramblings.*

 

I just wanted to share some thoughts with you, to offer my perspective.*

 

I would do this cruise again in a heartbeat.

 

Darcy, thank you for adding your thoughts. Happy to hear you had a great cruise.

[lovevacadays]

Thankyou Toto for sharing your views about this cruise. Frankly I was shocked at your description of behaviours onboard. However, forewarned is forearmed. We are booked on a 35 day cruise ex Sydney to Hawaii and Tahiti and I am expecting to see an older group onboard as well.

 

And, you may or may not have a similar experience. I cruised just a 10 day HAL cruise several years ago. It was truly an older crowd. Lots of scooters, wheelchairs, canes, etc. I didn't see any behavior at all like what happened on this cruise. I met some wonderful people. However, I will say, the activity level on the cruise was just about nil.

[westcoaster]

I was also on this cruise, and I loved it. The ports, especially in Samoa and French Polynesia were fantastic and so beautiful! The sea days were very relaxing and I never felt bored. While I’m usually content to swim, read out on deck or walk around the Promenade deck, there seemed to be plenty of organized activities for those so inclined. I’m in my early 40s, and I certainly noticed that this was the oldest cruise I’ve been on, but it didn’t negatively affect my experience in any way. I always used the stairs and not the elevators, so that may be part of it, but I never had any problems with rogue scooters!

 

For those who have written to say they are cancelling this cruise based on Toto’s review, just keep in mind – as others have said – that this is just one person’s personal experience. Everyone I spoke to on board seemed to be having a great time, and I would definitely do this itinerary again.