Sapphire Leaving Fleet?

[runnerodb83]

I was updating this page today https://sites.google.com/site/princesscruisesfaq/ships/fleet-drydock-schedule and noticed the Sapphire doesn't even come up on the princess website when looking for a voyage now...does anyone know what the story is? Is she leaving the fleet?

[shredie]

That would be (bad) news.

[fishywood]

Cruises on the China-based ships are not listed on the Princess website but only sold through China based agencies as authorized by their government. I would reserve judgement (and unsubstantiated thread titles) on whether or when Sapphire returns to regular sailings at least until the winter/spring 2017-18 itineraries are released over the next few weeks.

 

You should also note that Golden Princess is similarly off the grid but just for Summer 2016, after which she moves from China to permanent "Aussie Cruising" replacing Dawn Princess which is transferring to P&O in 2017.

[CruiseQueenB]

Probably chartered out, Sapphire is very popular in Asia

[runnerodb83]

Cruises on the China-based ships are not listed on the Princess website but only sold through China based agencies as authorized by their government. I would reserve judgement (and unsubstantiated thread titles) on whether or when Sapphire returns to regular sailings at least until the winter/spring 2017-18 itineraries are released over the next few weeks.

 

You should also note that Golden Princess is similarly off the grid but just for Summer 2016, after which she moves from China to permanent "Aussie Cruising" replacing Dawn Princess which is transferring to P&O in 2017.

 

I can understand a charter, but if the ship no longer even appears in the pull down menu on the Princess website for the next 18 months and cannot be booked by anyone using the website, I would argue that she has been, de facto, released from the fleet.

 

The golden still allows booking well into 2017, so while it may be based in Aus, its still open to north american and european markets.

[Bill B]

Several weeks ago I came to the conclusion the Sapphire was leaving the fleet. If true, it's too bad. She and the Diamond are my favourite ships.

[fishywood]

...f the ship no longer even appears in the pull down menu on the Princess website for the next 18 months and cannot be booked by anyone using the website, I would argue that she has been, de facto, released from the fleet.

 

 

It is standard IT programming to automatically remove from a menu any option that when selected has no corresponding positive result. Better that than an error message.

 

Until there has been some official press, and confirmation of her name removed and title transferred, Sapphire Princess is still Sapphire Princess. Again I will suggest waiting until the full 2017-18 deployment schedule is released to see if she moves away from China or not.

 

But since you have already made up your mind as to the answer of your own question I can only wonder why you asked at all :confused:

Edited May 6, 2016 by fishywood

[pablo222]

Cruises on the China-based ships are not listed on the Princess website but only sold through China based agencies as authorized by their government..

 

Exactly what you said. A friend of mine just got a (princess) contract

on Sapphire -- October 2016 -- March 2017.

[VibeGuy]

I can vouch that she is not leaving the fleet nor returning to the US market "anytime soon". This was a specific topic of in-person discussion with a very senior Princess exec within the last 36 hours.

 

As a passenger, I'm saddened she is not coming back in the foreseeable future. As a shareholder, I appreciate someone fulfilling their fiduciary duty to make me the most money possible.