Sapphire Princess Quick Review 5/19-26, 2012

[MichTraveler]

:)We just returned home from another excellent Alaska cruise.

Our background: this was our 15th Princess Cruise and our 10th in Alaska.

The Sapphire looked excellent. The cabin seemed fresh and the Piazza was sparkling.

Dining Restaurants: I love the anytime restaurants, especially Savoy with the Pork Chop specialty. The menus were about the same as my last cruise in Dec/2011. We had a conversation with one of our waiters how Lobster night had changed over the years. A few years ago it was 2 tails; now 1 tail and prawns. Still very nice.

The IC: I love the International Café for a light lunch (chicken or Greek salad) and donuts in the morning as the buffet is mostly pastries. Our only negative is that one morning at 4AM, the IC was barren except 3 cookies from the day before and some crackers. I guess 24 hours is not quite all 24. We did not go hungry, but were just a little surprised.

The Buffet was great most days. Now that the desserts and breakfast pastries/breads have moved out of the main buffet area, is it much easier to navigate when busy. We could usually find a table for lunch pretty easily; except twice – on both days when the MDR was closed. This is usually done on 2 of the days where we are in port all day (Juneau and Skagway). I guess Princess assumes many passengers stay in port for lunch. It did get very busy those 2 days. We did find a table in the Calypso Pool area and enjoyed our meals. The rest of the cruise we found the buffet area well serviced.

Alfredo’s Pizzeria: We tried this for the first time on this sailing. It was a nice change, but I still prefer the pizza at the Prego Pizzeria on deck 14.

Pub Lunch: We enjoyed fish and chips at the Pub Lunch. It was offered twice this sailing.

Other Meals: There were several special lunches poolside including Sushi day and “Taste of Alaska”. The Reindeer chili was yummy.

Embarkation: This is one of only two bad embarkations I have had with Princess. We have sailed from Vancouver previously without issue. We arrived the day before and stayed at the Marriott (excellent!) in Richmond near the airport. We took a shuttle service to the pier and arrived at about 10:30AM. The shuttle driver was not allowed to drop us off at the normal drop off. Instead he drove 1-1/2 blocks past the Pan Pacific hotel after getting several differing instructions from people directing the traffic. There were a few Princess employees there who asked us to label our luggage AGAIN. Since it was being transported on a truck to get down to the port, they wanted it color coded. So all 16 of us from the shuttle got these blue Sapphire specific luggage forms, completed them, and attached them to the bags. We then walked the 1-1/2 blocks back to the port. Minimal signs were available so we asked several people for directions on where to enter the building. We got to one of the holding rooms and felt a little better. It had both Princess and Holland, so many people were asking if this was the correct place. A few well-placed signs would have been reassuring. We were given group numbers and waited. Then when our group was called, we followed our guide thru the building, down 2 sets different sets of stairs, and wound thru the masses that were still disembarking. It was chaotic at best. Once were arrived at security, we felt more comfortable as this was finally a familiar part of the port. It was now about 10:50AM. There were 2 lines – one for US/Canada and one for all others. There were 14 agents and nobody doing anything. So we figured they had not started yet and maybe at 11AM. But 5 minutes later they started and 5 minutes after that they stopped again. The room after security was too slow to keep up, so they were starting and stopping. The security agents looked quite displeased. Then we were moved thru multiple holding rooms and ushered thru one row/group at a time. There was never a chance to use Platinum boarding. We arrived at our cabin about 12noon, which is about typical time. But usually we would get thru and just wait in a lounge, not moved and moved again. At about 3PM, the Captain announced that since only half of the passengers were boarded so far, we would not be sailing at 4PM. We sailed at about 7PM. One friend who arrived at the pier at about Noon said she boarded the ship at 3:30PM. By then the traffic up top was so bad, her taxi driver was 1-1/2 blocks from the pier and stuck, asked them to get out so he could u-turn and they hauled their luggage themselves that last portion. I think this was because there were 3-4 ships at the dock (one NCL, one Holland, and two Princess). Usually Diamond and Sapphire are on opposite Saturdays, but we were both at Vancouver last Saturday. The late sailing did not affect our ports schedule, so once on board we tried a “new start” so we could have fun. And we did have fun!

Ports: We had Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway this sailing. We have been to all previously and did not have any scheduled excursions. It rained in Ketchikan, of course. We cruised thru Glacier Bay and that never gets old. Plenty of calving and wildlife viewing at the glacier. We saw orcas most days, plenty of seals/sea lines swimming, lots of eagles, a few otters, and several humpbacks. It was splendid.

The Shows: I usually don’t attend any shows but decided to try them out this sailing. I saw 2 of the 4 musical/dance shows. The “Born to be Wild” show was only a few weeks old was great fun. We also had Illusionist Landon Swank (America’s Got Talent finalist) who did a great show, comedian Doug Funk, and Comedian/Ventriloquist Dan Horn. The cruise director was David Cole, and he had plenty of activities available every day and night.

Disembarkation: This went very smoothly. It was raining in Whittier. Princess had tent structures setup for exiting, so very little time was spent “in the rain”. We took the Princess motor coach transfer from Whittier to the Princess hospitality center in downtown Anchorage. We had hours to kill until our 9:50PM red-eye flight. We did a little touring/shopping in downtown before riding the Princess transfer to the Anchorage airport. Delta opened earlier than in years past. They used to be closed mid-day as all flights are early or late. But they had agents there to check-in bags at 2PM. We got thru airport security easily. The Alaska Air Boardroom accepts Delta SkyClub members, so we relaxed there until the flight was ready.

We received our Black Elite cards and pins on the last night -- Woo hoo!

We had a great time and are looking forward to doing the Southbound on Sapphire in September.

[Level six]

Thanks for the review!

[glmpearce]

Thank you for your review! That is most helpful about the boarding process on the Sapphire in Vancouver. We were going to wait to board until a little later in the day, but it sounds like the earlier the better to avoid the crowds.

 

Thank you!

[paul929207]

Welcome back. Thanks for the review

[glmpearce]

Oh, I meant to ask you - was your boarding supposed to be "staggered?" If so, did you show up as your assigned time? Or did you just show up when you wanted to and were allowed to check in and board? Thank you for shedding some light on this confusing procedure. :)

[MsSoCalCruiser]

Thank you for your review.

[MichTraveler]

Oh, I meant to ask you - was your boarding supposed to be "staggered?" If so, did you show up as your assigned time? Or did you just show up when you wanted to and were allowed to check in and board? Thank you for shedding some light on this confusing procedure. :)

 

We did not receive any notification for staggered boarding. So we decided to try to be near the first ones on.

[lovevacadays]

Thanks for the review. I do have a question regarding the dessert station. I recently did the bon voyage experience on the Sapphire and did notice the dessert station had been pulled out of the main buffet area. I thought that was great and I see you found the buffet area less congested because of this. I did notice that all the desserts were behind glass and had to be served to everyone. Did that cause any congestion in the dessert area during the cruise?

[MsSoCalCruiser]

Thanks for the review. I do have a question regarding the dessert station. I recently did the bon voyage experience on the Sapphire and did notice the dessert station had been pulled out of the main buffet area. I thought that was great and I see you found the buffet area less congested because of this. I did notice that all the desserts were behind glass and had to be served to everyone. Did that cause any congestion in the dessert area during the cruise?

There were a few that were not behind glass and they actually jumped into my hands!:D:D:D There was one behind the glass that I asked for and when the guy reached out to hand it to me, a lady took it and kept on walking...now that was funny.

[oratheeexplorer]

I wonder how long David Cole will be on the Sapphire. We will be on her August 4th for the southbound. I have read a lot of wonderful comments about him on this site.

[oratheeexplorer]

Forgot to say thanks for the review! Also, can you tell me what the specialty dinners were in the other anytime dining rooms?

[JWJs]

Thanks for your review. Love the Sapphire.

[vivavegas]

Welcome Back! Thanks for taking the time to write your review. It was most helpful!:)

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for posting your review, sounds like you had an awesome time.

[caribill]

Forgot to say thanks for the review! Also, can you tell me what the specialty dinners were in the other anytime dining rooms?

 

Vivaldi (Osso Buco), Santa Fe (Fajitas), Pacific Moon (Asian noodles) & Savoy (pork chop).

[glmpearce]

Thank you for answering my question regarding staggered boarding. Please enjoy the rest of your cruise!

 

:)

[MichTraveler]

There were a few that were not behind glass and they actually jumped into my hands!:D:D:D There was one behind the glass that I asked for and when the guy reached out to hand it to me, a lady took it and kept on walking...now that was funny.

And I did not notice much congestion for desserts.

[oratheeexplorer]

Vivaldi (Osso Buco), Santa Fe (Fajitas), Pacific Moon (Asian noodles) & Savoy (pork chop).

 

 

Thanks for your reply!

[BigK09]

I just got back from my 1st and last princess cruise. As its pricier than Royal I expected better...

 

:)We just returned home from another excellent Alaska cruise.

Our background: this was our 15th Princess Cruise and our 10th in Alaska.

The Sapphire looked excellent. The cabin seemed fresh and the Piazza was sparkling.

Dining Restaurants: I love the anytime restaurants, especially Savoy with the Pork Chop specialty. The menus were about the same as my last cruise in Dec/2011. We had a conversation with one of our waiters how Lobster night had changed over the years. A few years ago it was 2 tails; now 1 tail and prawns. Still very nice.

 

I was bummed that we only get one tail - Royal keeps them coming....

 

The IC: I love the International Café for a light lunch (chicken or Greek salad) and donuts in the morning as the buffet is mostly pastries. Our only negative is that one morning at 4AM, the IC was barren except 3 cookies from the day before and some crackers. I guess 24 hours is not quite all 24. We did not go hungry, but were just a little surprised.

The Buffet was great most days. Now that the desserts and breakfast pastries/breads have moved out of the main buffet area, is it much easier to navigate when busy. We could usually find a table for lunch pretty easily; except twice – on both days when the MDR was closed. This is usually done on 2 of the days where we are in port all day (Juneau and Skagway). I guess Princess assumes many passengers stay in port for lunch. It did get very busy those 2 days. We did find a table in the Calypso Pool area and enjoyed our meals. The rest of the cruise we found the buffet area well serviced.

 

I disagree - compared to Royal and Carnival I found it tiny, lacking, and cold.

 

Alfredo’s Pizzeria: We tried this for the first time on this sailing. It was a nice change, but I still prefer the pizza at the Prego Pizzeria on deck 14.

Both Awesome! Best Cruise pizza hands down

 

Pub Lunch: We enjoyed fish and chips at the Pub Lunch. It was offered twice this sailing.

 

We all went up for pizza after - this was no good. Some people in our group did and loved afternoon tea.

 

Other Meals: There were several special lunches poolside including Sushi day and “Taste of Alaska”. The Reindeer chili was yummy.

Embarkation: This is one of only two bad embarkations I have had with Princess. We have sailed from Vancouver previously without issue. We arrived the day before and stayed at the Marriott (excellent!) in Richmond near the airport. We took a shuttle service to the pier and arrived at about 10:30AM. The shuttle driver was not allowed to drop us off at the normal drop off. Instead he drove 1-1/2 blocks past the Pan Pacific hotel after getting several differing instructions from people directing the traffic. There were a few Princess employees there who asked us to label our luggage AGAIN. Since it was being transported on a truck to get down to the port, they wanted it color coded. So all 16 of us from the shuttle got these blue Sapphire specific luggage forms, completed them, and attached them to the bags. We then walked the 1-1/2 blocks back to the port. Minimal signs were available so we asked several people for directions on where to enter the building. We got to one of the holding rooms and felt a little better. It had both Princess and Holland, so many people were asking if this was the correct place. A few well-placed signs would have been reassuring. We were given group numbers and waited. Then when our group was called, we followed our guide thru the building, down 2 sets different sets of stairs, and wound thru the masses that were still disembarking. It was chaotic at best. Once were arrived at security, we felt more comfortable as this was finally a familiar part of the port. It was now about 10:50AM. There were 2 lines – one for US/Canada and one for all others. There were 14 agents and nobody doing anything. So we figured they had not started yet and maybe at 11AM. But 5 minutes later they started and 5 minutes after that they stopped again. The room after security was too slow to keep up, so they were starting and stopping. The security agents looked quite displeased. Then we were moved thru multiple holding rooms and ushered thru one row/group at a time. There was never a chance to use Platinum boarding. We arrived at our cabin about 12noon, which is about typical time. But usually we would get thru and just wait in a lounge, not moved and moved again. At about 3PM, the Captain announced that since only half of the passengers were boarded so far, we would not be sailing at 4PM. We sailed at about 7PM. One friend who arrived at the pier at about Noon said she boarded the ship at 3:30PM. By then the traffic up top was so bad, her taxi driver was 1-1/2 blocks from the pier and stuck, asked them to get out so he could u-turn and they hauled their luggage themselves that last portion. I think this was because there were 3-4 ships at the dock (one NCL, one Holland, and two Princess). Usually Diamond and Sapphire are on opposite Saturdays, but we were both at Vancouver last Saturday. The late sailing did not affect our ports schedule, so once on board we tried a “new start” so we could have fun. And we did have fun!

 

Despite the late start and being dropped off at the wrong place by our cabbie as well, we found it pretty smooth and felt very well directed. We arrived just before 11am

 

Ports: We had Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway this sailing. We have been to all previously and did not have any scheduled excursions. It rained in Ketchikan, of course. We cruised thru Glacier Bay and that never gets old. Plenty of calving and wildlife viewing at the glacier. We saw orcas most days, plenty of seals/sea lines swimming, lots of eagles, a few otters, and several humpbacks. It was splendid.

The Shows: I usually don’t attend any shows but decided to try them out this sailing. I saw 2 of the 4 musical/dance shows. The “Born to be Wild” show was only a few weeks old was great fun. We also had Illusionist Landon Swank (America’s Got Talent finalist) who did a great show, comedian Doug Funk, and Comedian/Ventriloquist Dan Horn. The cruise director was David Cole, and he had plenty of activities available every day and night.

 

1. Thought Patter was awful - not as descriptive as other cruise lines equivelent and we felt we missed out on things we would have liked as a result - e.g. great irish band we didnt stumble on until end... or band featuring Liza Minelli's niece

2. Why two dance clubs of emptiness??

3. Naturalist was awful - told us to meet her at 5am on the bow and no showed - I was not a happy camper

 

We did excurisions everwhere - all went well except for one in Fairbanks

 

Disembarkation: This went very smoothly. It was raining in Whittier. Princess had tent structures setup for exiting, so very little time was spent “in the rain”. We took the Princess motor coach transfer from Whittier to the Princess hospitality center in downtown Anchorage. We had hours to kill until our 9:50PM red-eye flight. We did a little touring/shopping in downtown before riding the Princess transfer to the Anchorage airport. Delta opened earlier than in years past. They used to be closed mid-day as all flights are early or late. But they had agents there to check-in bags at 2PM. We got thru airport security easily. The Alaska Air Boardroom accepts Delta SkyClub members, so we relaxed there until the flight was ready.

We received our Black Elite cards and pins on the last night -- Woo hoo!

We had a great time and are looking forward to doing the Southbound on Sapphire in September.

 

we did the landtour - smooth enough disembarking to train, unfortunately riddled with luggage issues and Princess delays.

My summary is good cruise - but not for the $$ - I expected better than Royal - and that it was far from. Great itinerary.

[BigK09]

apologies - my comments are mixed in the quote - new to princess and these boards!!

[caribill]

apologies - my comments are mixed in the quote - new to princess and these boards!!

 

I was bummed that we only get one tail - Royal keeps them coming....

 

We did excurisions everwhere - all went well except for one in Fairbanks

 

 

 

a) You may only initially get served one lobster tail, but usually they will bring you more if you ask.

 

b) What did not go well on the Fairbanks excursion?

[BigK09]

So being used to Royal and Carnival, I assumed they'd offer.

Fairbanks..

Supposed to leave Denali @ 10am - bus didn't show up for our group.

Once they figured it out (10:40) the bus was overbooked and other busses had left. They sent 4 people in a van seperate.

got to the riverboat and it was fine although we were all stressed out. but boat cruise is fine. A couple hours after we get back and we have the 4 people too many still - they didn't fix it... all the other busses left and it was decided those 4 people would be on bus 7 which didn't show up / broke down. So we eventually left them in the parking lot because a bunch of us all had a second excursion - salmon bake.

Ran to shower and change. We had an hour. Everyone had their meet me in Fairbanks luggage but me.

Called the desk. They said give it an hour.

Someone tracked me down with my meet me in fairbanks bag on their own. they tried to get hte front desk to come for it but kept being told wait an hour even though they were sating they had an extra bag not missing a bag. an hour later Everyone in our group had the other bag but me. So much for changing... Called the desk who was very concerned - I should have it. They ultimately found it - but we were flying out in less than 24 so I was nervous my whole excursion.

Salmon bake was very rushed - I think we had like 30 mins to eat - we thought we booked dinner theater - eat and watch - but it was eat then watch and the show was cheese.

Don't reccomend it although maybe an older crowd (like over 75) might like it i guess...

Got back and they had my suitcase

 

I also did a hummer tour next day in fairbanks that was awesome - VIP style!!!

[gometros]

apologies - my comments are mixed in the quote - new to princess and these boards!!

 

And since you didn't use a boldface or different font, it is hard to tell which is yours and which is the OP's

[cruiseclues]

Thanks for the review...we enjoyed it. :)

[srpilo]

Thanks for sharing your review

 

 

Srpilo