Because sometimes we just feel like a little Princess...

[MsSoCalCruiser]

The Sapphire Princess off the coast of Catalina. I hope you enjoyed my photo!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Thrak]

Wish I was out there waving at you. :D

[Lucky TGO]

Thanks Linda great photo..:):):)

Tony

[MsSoCalCruiser]

Wish I was out there waving at you. :D

 

I wish I was still on the ship! I took this one in 2012 :')

[MsSoCalCruiser]

Thanks Linda great photo..:):):)

Tony

 

Thank you, Tony :)

[AF-1]

So the ship was tendered off of Catalina Island?

[Scorpio41]

I can't see.:(:( :(

It's the ship I will be sailing on soon.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

So the ship was tendered off of Catalina Island?

 

Yes, the Sapphire was anchored off of Catalina Island.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

I can't see.:(:( :(

It's the ship I will be sailing on soon.

 

Are you signed into your cruise critic account? I think you have to be to see photos.

 

Enjoy your cruise! The sapphire is my favorite ship!

[YEG Cruizr 68]

Nice picture. I was surprised to hear that the Sapphire Princess is back in North America already. I thought she was based out of Southeast Asia this winter.

[tailspintom]

Nice picture. I was surprised to hear that the Sapphire Princess is back in North America already. I thought she was based out of Southeast Asia this winter.

YEG, the OP said she took the picture in 2012. If she is anything like us, she just loaded them on her computer.

[paul929207]

Great picture

[YEG Cruizr 68]

YEG, the OP said she took the picture in 2012. If she is anything like us, she just loaded them on her computer.

 

Oops, my bad! It's a great picture of one of my favorite ships.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

YEG, the OP said she took the picture in 2012. If she is anything like us, she just loaded them on her computer.

 

Bingo!

[MsSoCalCruiser]

Great picture

 

Thank you, Paul! This was actually taken during my first princess cruise!

[Astro Flyer]

Our most recent Sapphire cruise was in January 2014 on B2B 4-day cruises including Catalina before the ship deployed to Asia.

 

Those cruises (and other short LA & FL cruises) had so few bookings that they refunded the cruise fare as a future cruise reservation credit. Thus the only cost was the fees & taxes so nearly free cruises.

 

This summer we’re again sailing the Sapphire when after a Singapore drydock the ship redeploys to Europe for the summer. We’re eagerly anticipating returning to one of our favorite Princess ships in a couple of months. :D

[DrivesLikeMario]

Yes, that was a long time ago. I went on it's last cruise in California to say goodbye to a wonderful ship.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

Yes, that was a long time ago. I went on it's last cruise in California to say goodbye to a wonderful ship.

 

I was on the March 2014 Sapphire Princess cruise to Catalina. Was that the one you were on?

 

I love that ship.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

Our most recent Sapphire cruise was in January 2014 on B2B 4-day cruises including Catalina before the ship deployed to Asia.

 

Those cruises (and other short LA & FL cruises) had so few bookings that they refunded the cruise fare as a future cruise reservation credit. Thus the only cost was the fees & taxes so nearly free cruises.

 

This summer we’re again sailing the Sapphire when after a Singapore drydock the ship redeploys to Europe for the summer. We’re eagerly anticipating returning to one of our favorite Princess ships in a couple of months. :D

 

I really miss those short cruises. Sometimes with work that's all I am able to do.

 

You know, a lot of people did not even realize that Princess was doing short cruises and they only knew about Carnival. I wish they would bring a few 3 day cruises back. Maybe try it with the Royal? I would book in a heartbeat!

 

Enjoy your upcoming cruise! I hope you do a review and maybe post some photos. Please tell her that I miss her terribly :loudcry:

[Astro Flyer]

I really miss those short cruises. Sometimes with work that's all I am able to do.

 

You know, a lot of people did not even realize that Princess was doing short cruises and they only knew about Carnival. I wish they would bring a few 3 day cruises back. Maybe try it with the Royal? I would book in a heartbeat!

 

Enjoy your upcoming cruise! I hope you do a review and maybe post some photos. Please tell her that I miss her terribly :loudcry:

After having to basically give away those 3/4 day cruises to fill their ships, I think that Princess realized that was a failed attempt to sail short cruises from LA. With the Royal sailing around South America to LA in early 2019, we’re booked on B2B 7-day Spring cruises from LA.

 

Like any cruise, I enjoyed those 4-day cruises but found the atmosphere to be different than on longer cruises. To me it was more like a Carnival short cruise crowd & more of a quick gamblers booze cruise. That’s merely my perception because it was not as enjoyable as on longer cruises.

 

Princess has not disclosed what will be done during the Singapore drydock which begins soon. Besides the addition of the Luxury Beds nothing has been promoted. They’ve previously greatly promoted venue changes like they did last year for the Caribbean but nothing for the Sapphire. So maybe it’s limited to essential ship maintenance & other things such as replacing carpeting & upholstery.

 

The Sapphire sails for Europe at the end of this month & hopefully there will be post-drydock updates without having to wait until our cruise ends in early July.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

After having to basically give away those 3/4 day cruises to fill their ships, I think that Princess realized that was a failed attempt to sail short cruises from LA. With the Royal sailing around South America to LA in early 2019, we’re booked on B2B 7-day Spring cruises from LA.

 

Like any cruise, I enjoyed those 4-day cruises but found the atmosphere to be different than on longer cruises. To me it was more like a Carnival short cruise crowd & more of a quick gamblers booze cruise. That’s merely my perception because it was not as enjoyable as on longer cruises.

 

Princess has not disclosed what will be done during the Singapore drydock which begins soon. Besides the addition of the Luxury Beds nothing has been promoted. They’ve previously greatly promoted venue changes like they did last year for the Caribbean but nothing for the Sapphire. So maybe it’s limited to essential ship maintenance & other things such as replacing carpeting & upholstery.

 

The Sapphire sails for Europe at the end of this month & hopefully there will be post-drydock updates without having to wait until our cruise ends in early July.

 

Do you think they advertised enough in SoCal? I wish they would try one more time.

[Astro Flyer]

Do you think they advertised enough in SoCal? I wish they would try one more time.

They advertised enough for me to find those cruises after they were free. ;)

 

I would be very surprised if they’d risk another season of free cruises. My only regret was not booking fast enough to get a suite because all of that money would be a credit towards payment of another cruise later that year.

 

They still have a few of them but a week is the shortest for me. Even with driving to the port the 3/4 day cruises are too short & probably even worse for passengers who have to fly to the ship. Apparently many others in SoCal felt similarly because they had to give away those cruises.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

They advertised enough for me to find those cruises after they were free. ;)

 

I would be very surprised if they’d risk another season of free cruises. My only regret was not booking fast enough to get a suite because all of that money would be a credit towards payment of another cruise later that year.

 

They still have a few of them but a week is the shortest for me. Even with driving to the port the 3/4 day cruises are too short & probably even worse for passengers who have to fly to the ship. Apparently many others in SoCal felt similarly because they had to give away those cruises.

 

I missed the free cruise offers because I was a wee bit short on vaca time... So sad.

[cardiffman]

Nice picture first of all.

 

The four and five day cruises out of LA are really in my sweet spot and I'd hate to see any reduction in them.

 

The longest cruise I've done was 5 nights out of LA, to a relatively fair-weather destination (in theory if not in fact), and it really works well with my style of vacation to do such a short cruise. I can put everything in the larger carry-on and the suit for formal night can go in there if I unpack it right away. I don't say this from just the three cruises my sig documents, but also countless trips I've done by air.

 

Almost every non-cruiser I talk to is so concerned about motion sickness that other issues (which honestly they may not be eager to mention, such as cost) don't even come up. Could they advertise that they can keep you from getting sick?

[MsSoCalCruiser]

Nice picture first of all.

Thank You!

The four and five day cruises out of LA are really in my sweet spot and I'd hate to see any reduction in them.

Same here. I also wish they would bring back a few 3 day cruises leaving on Thursday or Friday.

 

Please see remarks in red. Thank you!