Live on Sapphire to Hawaii 2/2/13

[2 to cruise]

Yay, I'm so excited to see your live from thread! We board the Sapphire on 2/23 for the same itinerary and well be very interested in all your observations. Do you mind sharing what suite you're in? We booked an aft suite and would love to hear your thoughts, as this is our first aft suite. In particular, how loud is the wake and how much movement do you feel at the aft?

 

Have a great cruise!

 

 

The OP may not be comfortable giving out his suite location. We were on the Sapphire to Hawaii 11/24 to 12/08. We had the Hawaii Suite - D738, totally aft. Was absolutely fabulous, our first ever full suite, but decided to have it for our 20th wedding anniversary and so glad we did.

 

The noise from the wake was very minimal we thought, was delightful to sit out and watch. I was worried about the movement, but it was no more than what we experience in our mini aft suites. You will love it I'm sure!

 

Enjoy!

[NewPennCruiser]

Yay, I'm so excited to see your live from thread! We board the Sapphire on 2/23 for the same itinerary and well be very interested in all your observations. Do you mind sharing what suite you're in? We booked an aft suite and would love to hear your thoughts, as this is our first aft suite. In particular, how loud is the wake and how much movement do you feel at the aft?

 

Have a great cruise!

 

Doreen,

 

We’re loving the suite life. And this is not something we usually do. We have booked everything from interior rooms to FULLY obstructed rooms to mini suites and our favorite cabins are the mini suites because we really like the extra room. We were looking at this being a special trip so we decided to go for the suite and we’re in E733. One of the aft corner suites on Emerald Deck. I could just sit in the lounger on the balcony all day. Problem is with the sound of the wake when I sit out here I’m asleep in 5 minutes. (Since one of my main goals this holiday is to relax, I guess that’s not a problem) It’s just mesmerizing back here. The wake is loud on the balcony but once you close the doors you really won't hear it. In fact you might like it and you can leave your door open. The motion back here is more prominent since you are basically hanging off the back of the ship but we frequently stay aft in the covered deck mini suites on the Emerald Deck so it’s about the same. If you prefer mid ship because of less motion, you might be bothered but you’ll just have to see for yourself. If you have any specific questions, just let me know. I think you’ll like it. The cabin is huge. The balcony is huge…. There are apartments in New York City smaller than this balcony. Dave

[NewPennCruiser]

Just a quick comment about the Hawaiian atmosphere on board. I think I mentioned that there have been lectures with the Naturalist on board. I like her a lot and have enjoyed her talks. Today they had ukulele lessons and a ribbon lei making session. They have been showing Hawaiian themed movies on TV and the ship music (musak if you want to call it that) is playing Hawaiian music in the Piazza if there isn’t live music. I have heard there will be live musical presentations in port once we actually get to Hawaii and I’ll report on those later. Otherwise there really are no Hawaiian musical acts on board as we make the trip across the Pacific.

 

I had to laugh when I thought back to a trip we took with NCL in Europe on the Jade. That ship was originally built for NCL America when they had 3 ships sailing Hawaii so the décor was very Hawaiian, with orchids, bright colors, Island artwork, etc. Then they moved the ship to Barcelona and did nothing with the style. So cruising the Mediterranean on a Hawaiian themed ship was sort of odd and certainly would fit in better here. Dave

[Cruisin' Chick]

There will be a wonderful Hula troupe on board in Honolulu (it's a dance school with kids ranging from very little to late teens) and is not to be missed.

[JWJs]

There will be a wonderful Hula troupe on board in Honolulu (it's a dance school with kids ranging from very little to late teens) and is not to be missed.

 

:) You are so right...the Hula troupe on board in Honolulu is not to be missed! I remember the Hula troupe from our last Sapphire Hawaii cruise. :)

[JWJs]

Hi NewPennCruiser! :) You are doing a great job reporting live from the Sapphire! Lots of info and detail! I'm one of the 9/23 Sapphire cruisers who are reading and posting on your live from thread. Looking forward to your report on how "bringing wine on board while in port" works out. Many thanks. :)

[livinforcruisin]

Oh this thread is making me SO EXCITED we too are lucky to be joining the Sapphire on the 23/2. We will be in an aft suite and we are really looking forward to that wonderful balcony and the noise of the wake which is as hypnotic and relaxing as Dave says it is. This is our first trip to Hawaii and on the Sapphire so there is much to look forward to. Thanks for the thread Dave, it is making these cold days and nights in snowy Manchester UK seem a little warmer. :D

[gracie65]

Hope you are having a great cruise. Were you on The Roll Call for your sailing? If so a good friend is with you, (barbarah33) if you have had a meet and greet please tell her I am hoping they are having a wonderful cruise!!

[dcruisers]

For those that questioned the entertainment, we just got off the Sapphire and we really enjoyed all the entertainment. There was a good variety of entertainment and, other than the hypnotist, I loved it all. (I'm just not into hypnotists) Actually, my DH and our friends we traveled with also loved the shows. We enjoy going to the shows and being entertained. We were not disappointed in any of the shows.

[Luvmyrotti]

Doreen,

 

We’re loving the suite life. And this is not something we usually do. We have booked everything from interior rooms to FULLY obstructed rooms to mini suites and our favorite cabins are the mini suites because we really like the extra room. We were looking at this being a special trip so we decided to go for the suite and we’re in E733. One of the aft corner suites on Emerald Deck. I could just sit in the lounger on the balcony all day. Problem is with the sound of the wake when I sit out here I’m asleep in 5 minutes. (Since one of my main goals this holiday is to relax, I guess that’s not a problem) It’s just mesmerizing back here. The wake is loud on the balcony but once you close the doors you really won't hear it. In fact you might like it and you can leave your door open. The motion back here is more prominent since you are basically hanging off the back of the ship but we frequently stay aft in the covered deck mini suites on the Emerald Deck so it’s about the same. If you prefer mid ship because of less motion, you might be bothered but you’ll just have to see for yourself. If you have any specific questions, just let me know. I think you’ll like it. The cabin is huge. The balcony is huge…. There are apartments in New York City smaller than this balcony. Dave

 

Dave, Thanks for shaing your opinion (and thanks to 2 to cruise for yours as well). We will be in C755. While we've sailed in other suites and absolutely adored all of the aspects, from the extra room to the perks, this will be our first time in an aft suite. I am pleased to hear that the movement is manageable and that the wake is soothing and not too loud.

[Roses2]

We really appreciate your posting your experiences on this cruise. It will be very helpful to us as we are on a Sapphire March cruise in in a mid-ship PH suite.

Our last cruise was on the sister ship Diamond Princess and we loved it. That was one of the reasons we opted for the Sapphire Princess on this cruise.

You are doing a bunch of folks a real service by posting this "Live From"

Thanks,

P&J

[RNGALNG]

We were onboard the Sapphire for the 'rockiest crossing' the captain had ever had! (Dec 29-Jan 12) It was on the cool side (we are from Ohio) the full trip there and back, rocky, and it rained almost every day. But, we still had a fabulous trip and would go again, but maybe not the same time of year.

 

We really enjoyed the string quartet that played in the piazza every day. One of our favorites. There were so many activities while onboard, I don't know how anyone could get bored!

 

Enjoy the rest and relaxation for the rest of the cruise. I look forward to reading how 'our' ship is doing now that we aren't onboard!

[mikjr]

Let’s see, here is a quick rundown of Entertainment in no particular order:

 

Scheduled Production Shows include:

 

I Got the Music

Do you Wanna Dance

Piano Man (I thought they retired this show)

Stardust

Born to Be Wild

 

Anyway, going to run to get ready for dinner and will report more later tonight. Dave

 

WOW... same shows!! Well, I can scratch the Production Shows off my Must See Bucket List!!

[Shake]

...

[Shake]

WOW... same shows!! Well, I can scratch the Production Shows off my Must See Bucket List!!

 

Hopefully your bucket list expands more than cruise ship entertainment. :eek:

[tonidee]

Dave, Thanks for shaing your opinion (and thanks to 2 to cruise for yours as well). We will be in C755. While we've sailed in other suites and absolutely adored all of the aspects, from the extra room to the perks, this will be our first time in an aft suite. I am pleased to hear that the movement is manageable and that the wake is soothing and not too loud.

 

oops, we have all 3 aft cabins on baja.....just above you...I hope we won't be too loud for you. If so, just tell us to be quiet.

We love being in the very back...such a great view, and if you shut the door you won't hear the wake, but we leave our door open at night so we can hear it.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Hopefully your bucket list expands more than cruise ship entertainment. :eek:

 

I think he's being facetious. On our December cruise, most of the production shows were the same, only shorter, as the ones on our 2010 cruise.

[NewPennCruiser]

Hi again, it’s been a nice day weather wise as the sun eventually came out (and stayed out this time) and it keeps getting warmer as we sail toward Honolulu. According to the bridge report today we had 29kt winds but the seas are relatively calm. Or maybe we’ve just gotten our sea legs and are better at navigating the ship with all the movement. Trying to post for a second time tonight. The internet is driving me crazy today!

 

There are a lot of activities going on around the ship today. Many of the Hawaiian related activities include more ribbon lei making, hula class, more ukulele classes, a port lecture on Kauai and another lecture on whales. Blue Hawaii was also shown on MUTS this morning. Then there are all the other usual activities going on that you would see on a sea day. I really like the pub lunches and now see there is one scheduled for tomorrow.

 

Someone asked a question about excursions. We have only scheduled one through the ship and it is for Hilo with a visit to Volcanoes National Park. We noticed today that it is already sold out so we’re glad we booked it early. Otherwise we are pretty much planning on doing our own thing on the other islands….either renting a car, taking the bus or exploring on our own. I did stop by the excursion desk earlier today and noticed there are quite a few tours already sold out for all ports so the ship sponsored excursions seem popular.

 

One thing I thought of after remembering a review from a month or so ago, was how it was reported there were a lot of sick people on board; lots of coughing and hacking, etc. So far I can honestly say I’m not seeing any of that now, which is nice. I know they keep reporting heavy cases of noro and the flu all over the States and Europe so it’s nice to see things are OK so far.

 

There was a question about smoking. I honestly thought you could still smoke outside on promenade deck port side but I noticed no smoking signs now so maybe that policy changed. We don’t smoke so we haven’t noticed it much but I did look around today as we were moving about the ship. The only places where I noticed ashtrays were in the casino, Churchill’s and on Deck 15 above the pool near Tradewinds outside.

 

Our waiter in Savoy is Michael along with his assistant Ronni. They are very personable and great to spend dinner with. In fact the Head Waiters and everyone in Savoy have been exceptional. And I actually thought today that all the crew we have met or interacted with seem happy and are always smiling. You know how a ship can sometimes just have a “mood” about it. It’s kind of hard to explain but you probably know what I mean. Sometimes folks aren’t happy and go about their business just doing their job. This ship for the most part just seems happy and so far that has meant a lot of smiles and great service. Until later. Dave

[Cruiserkenn]

Thanks so much for all of the great info about onboard activities, especially the lectures.

 

Great!

 

Aloha and mahalo :)

[Woobstr112G]

I am so loving your reports. It is getting me really excited anout my voyage next month.....:):):)

 

Bob

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Sailaweigh]

Dave,

Thanks for taking the time from your vacation to make these reports. Going on the Golden in three weeks and your reports are getting more anxious to go. Love bumpy seas!

[cvpends]

Thank you so much for your reports -- very interesting and well written! I am wondering, is there any comedy on board? Thanks :D

[trikeman]

It sounds like the ship has caught the Aloha Spirit. We noticed the same thing on the Golden, It must be the islands. Thanks for writing this, we will be on the Sapphire later this year and you are giving us an idea what to expect.

[WifeOfaBish]

Thank you so much for the reviews.... this is my 3rd cruise and 1st on Princess... it is also my longest... I am very excited... we will be on the cruise for both mine and my husband's birthdays...

 

how is the food on the ship? Shows? comedy shows?

 

Also... my husband and I are in our late 20's... is there ANYONE near our age on the cruise? I know it is hard to find people our age on a 2 week cruise but I am hoping there is a few at least :)

 

I am also very excited about cruising a new line and comparing to RCCL.... how was the formal night? -- did most people dress up!? I have 3 very formal gowns and very excited to wear them!

[gelo7]

Thanks for the report.