REVIEW: Sapphire Princess, The ugly sister of the fleet April 2019!

[cabin4three]

1 hour ago, TEMPE5T said:

I don't think Princess Is worth the extra expense and that based on my recent experience it is not better in any way than P&O or Royal Carribbean.

Hi Tempe5t,   We found Princess and P&O  prices can differ quite a lot, this summer we are sailing on Princess (Sapphire Princess )  as the prices were significantly less than P&O's offering for a similar cruise (Itinerary & length).

Next summer, 2020, we are cruising with P&O because they are offering the best value in terms of price for comparable cruises.

I don't think one cruise line  is significantly better then the other, except if you have toddlers then P&O wins hands down.

 

[hobbyfarmer2]

5 hours ago, TEMPE5T said:

His experience Ombud 😉

With estimate of +100.000 passengers every year it's not surprising that some areas of the ship is in need of attention.

My intention in the original post was not to feed the Princess fandom who inevitably jump to the defence of their favourite fleet but to state my own opinion as a new passanger to the Princess line

 

Having read and viewed many online reviews there is a strong belief that Princess is a 4 star fleet and better than P&O and Royal Carribbean. However having recently sailed with both P&O Britannia and Sapphire Princess within 4 weeks of each other It's my personal opinion based on the current condition of Sapphire Princess alone that Princess is not Supiror to P&O or to Royal Carribbean but equal.

Even discounting our experience with the AC in the cabin. The food was no better than we have experienced in the other fleets and the entertainment was equal to.

 

The reason I made the OP was so that I can share my opinion that I don't think Princess Is worth the extra expense and that based on my recent experience it is not better in any way than P&O or Royal Carribbean.

Our best friends were on the Sapphire cruise previous to yours.  They had a balcony, a great time with great food and no concerns.  Sorry to hear about your stateroom damp.  I would definitely let Princess know soonest.

Edited May 6, 2019 by hobbyfarmer2
Spellcheck

[getting older slowly]

I am Sorry the OP did not enjoy their cruise.... it doesn't matter which ship you are on...

 

Things do happen....    But the big thing is peoples expectation....

 

And when they are not met,    well they are disappointed...

 

Starting with bad weather, missed port... can happen anywhere.... and can put one on the back foot....

 

I hope you enjoy your next cruise.......

 

Cheers Don..... who goes with flow   

[geoherb]

Thanks for posting your review. Our Sapphire Princess cruise was wonderful, but that was several years ago. The cabin conditions sound atrocious.  I did wonder about the mention of plastic plates. Did you eat in the dining room at all? We avoid the buffet.

[Lynnewob]

We were on this cruise and found everything fine, although admit we didn't use the buffet at all. We walked through it once but never stayed to eat as buffets are not our thing.  We did use the International Cafe for a quick snack/cookie if needed on our return from port which was really useful.

 

We had an aft cabin and didn't have any issues with air conditioning, only the shower cubicle which didn't drain properly.  This was mentioned to our steward who said he has tried to rectify the problem several times but couldn't.  We have had the same issue on Cunard, so it's not just a Princess problem.

 

We were very pleased with the public spaces on board, everything seemed clean and tidy and the public toilets were always very clean.   It was generally warm around the ship but that is normal when on a cooler weather cruise, so we adjust our clothing accordingly.  We don't wear heavy clothing if we are not venturing outside and just add a jacket if we plan to walk around the decks.

 

We did miss the first port of Zeebrugge due to poor weather but that can happen at any time, however we had an automatic refund of port taxes on our onboard account.

 

I did see huge queues at reception on the last sea day before disembarkation and have never seen queues like it before so not sure if lots of people had issues and just hadn't reported them before or just wanted to query something on their account. 

 

We checked our account regularly and reported any discrepancies immediately.  This is easy to do using the free wifi (in airplane mode) on any electronic device.  You are advised how to set this up in the Patter on the first day.  It makes life easier as it also shows events happening each day around the ship to save carrying the Patter with you. I also liked the machines near to the desk where you can print out your account, so you don't need to ask reception to do this.

 

It was a full sailing so I appreciate moving cabins would be problematic but at least this happened. On some sailings, it just is not possible.

Edited May 7, 2019 by Lynnewob

[toeloop]

My experience was different, but then again it is a large ship.  I was on this same sailing, in an inside cabin.  Our room was comfortable with the air set on the lowest setting.  Most of the public areas of the ship were cold for the first couple of days.  I didn't see any leaks where I ventured around the ship, nor did I see people sleeping in the conservatory at night.  They must have gotten there very late at night.   I found the food to be very good on this trip, including in the buffet.  At times, the hand washing line had maybe 5 people in line, but I also saw hand sanitizer everyday closer to the buffet line entrance.  I felt the beverage service in the buffet was very slow.  By the time you received your beverage, you were finished with your meal.  The seating area was quite full, but if you went to the back of the ship, seating was to be found.  It was quite cold outside, so everyone was inside of the ship.  It didn't help that the explorers lounge was closed most of the day when their were art auctions, so indoor seating was more limited.

 

I was very disappointed that we missed our first port.  It was really frustrating watching the other cruise ships leave the port while we sat there.  The ferries to the Isle of Wight sailed back and forth past us.  Well before we were to set sail, we were given and extra pillow from the room that was to house the pilot coming on board in Southampton.  We were told he wasn't coming so we could have it.  It's my belief that the decision to delay sailing and to miss the port was made well in advance of the announcement.

[compozer]

We are looking forward to sailing on her in November.       When does she go into drydock again?

 

[apeller]

10 hours ago, TEMPE5T said:

It was difficult RNRCruisers as at first the ship was full and so we just couldn't be moved. I was surprised however to see some passengers actually sleeping in the conservatory area at night.

Full bedding and everything all they needed was a table lamp next to them.

 

At the beginning of this review a few members made comments about how I had made this profile to complain after having been with so many cruise lines generally I never felt the need to write anything before but my experience lead me to attempt to make known my opinion.

Similarities to other new members who post similar reviews and then never post again were also made.

I would like to say that except a few of the last members to reply I can understand why this happens.

 

This site was designed so members could review and recommend cruises and enjoy the company of others in discussion of similar topics.

I never expected that I would feel the need to defend my review so ardently against the fleet fandom.

When new members make an effort to share opinions of there voyages they should not be made to feel there opinion is in some way invalid because they are new.

 

Some people cannot cruise multiple times a year and when the community makes them feel unwelcome they are unlikely to return to share other experiences in the future.

 

I am so sorry that you had a bad experience on the Sapphire.  We were on the ship about 6 years ago, and had a great cruise, but a lot could have happened since then.  It drives me crazy when people post about a problem, and others abuse them and say, I was on the ship and it was fabulous,."  or "It must be you."  I certainly hope things improve before my trip this summer, but I will go alerted that there may be some unusual issues going on.  

 

There are Princess cheerleaders (here and on FB) who refuse to hear anything negative about the cruise line, and will jump all over anyone who dares complain.  Don't let people stop you from sharing your opinion. All opinions are valuable.  Thanks for sharing your experience.

[waltd]

OP thanks for sharing.   When the Sapphire was in Los Angeles a million years ago it was one of our favorite ships.    But everything wears out.    I've been cruising for over 25 years and we have been on many of the older Princess ships.   The last one was the Golden.  They all have problems at one time or another.   We were lucky with our cabin on the Golden but in other areas of that ship doing a Pacific Crossing there were many room complaints.   The OP was just unlucky this time.   Look at the Grand Princess.  Still one of my favorites but look at all the complaints that ship has had and still has.      Still we cruise with Princess and are happy .

[TEMPE5T]

I hope that members who have bookings throughout the summer and later this year really enjoy there cruises.

As I say I understand bad weather is not the responsibility of the ship and we have missed ports on other lines due to bad weather before also.

Our cabin issues may be isolated and in general we really enjoyed the cruise. The entertainment was great the crew were excellent and we met a lot of really nice people.

As stated before, my review was to say that when booking I was lead to believe from previous reviews,videos and advertising that Princess was in many ways better than P&O or Royal Caribbean it's just in my opinion this is not the case.

 

It won't stop me cruiseing I have others booked this year with other lines but I will know now better what I can expect from Princess.

 

[SinbadThePorter]

1 hour ago, TEMPE5T said:

I hope that members who have bookings throughout the summer and later this year really enjoy there cruises.

As I say I understand bad weather is not the responsibility of the ship and we have missed ports on other lines due to bad weather before also.

Our cabin issues may be isolated and in general we really enjoyed the cruise. The entertainment was great the crew were excellent and we met a lot of really nice people.

As stated before, my review was to say that when booking I was lead to believe from previous reviews,videos and advertising that Princess was in many ways better than P&O or Royal Caribbean it's just in my opinion this is not the case.

 

It won't stop me cruiseing I have others booked this year with other lines but I will know now better what I can expect from Princess.

 

 

Your thread title may be a little unfair. As you have said, Emerald is your first Princess cruise so on what basis do you pronounce her "the ugly sister of the fleet"? You haven't yet seen any of the other ships as yet. All the older ships such as Sea, Sun, Golden and Star surely get a look in.

 

If you are comparing Emerald to QM2 or Harmony of the Seas, you may have a case for Princess not being up to scratch compared with the cruise lines of those ships. However, you then should then also compare her to Rhapsody and Vision or with the Oriana and Oceana to see which cruise line actually comes out on top.

 

You may or may not have a case, but your review is too idiosyncratic to be very useful to anyone else.

Edited May 7, 2019 by SinbadThePorter

[TEMPE5T]

@SinbadThePorter My past experience includes multiple sailings onboard Venture, Arcadia, Britannia, Queen V, Queen E, Navigator of the seas and Breamar and now Sapphire with bookings on QM2, Explorer of the seas, Independence of the seas and Aroura later this year. 

 

Perhaps my review does not cover all ships within the Princess fleet and I will add a question mark to my thread title so that it still reflects my personal opinion and review but without broadly marking Sapphire as the ugliest ship in the fleet. Perhaps someone else would think another Princess ship is more deserving of that title? I was expecting Sapphire to be near the top of my experiences just bellow Cunard which I think is impossible to beat but from my experience onboard Sapphire she is currently at the bottom of my personal pile. 

 

Edit to add I cannot change my thread title from statement to question so it will have to stand as it is.

Edited May 7, 2019 by TEMPE5T

[kate59]

Thank you for the review. We cruise to Iceland and Norway in July  on the Sapphire and am looking forward to it no matter what. This won't be our oldest Princess cruise ship - it would be the Sun Princess ( yes out of Australia) built in 1995 and has been a favourite since 2011 when we spent 46 nights on her. Last year we cruised on the Majestic Princess - one of the newest. Each to their own but we found it really hard to get used to the first few days because of its size and the design was very weird - no promenade around the whole of Deck 7, it was always blocked off. No wheelhouse bar so only place to dance was in the atrium on Deck 5 - where everyone hung over to watch - not conducive to romance.

 

After many cruises I no longer have ideals about any cruise - I just go with the flow but I do like to hear about people's perceptions when I read reviews. Thanks

[Gettingwarmer]

I have sailed both P & O and Princess and prefer the latter due to the food. Britannia should not be compared to Sapphire as she is a much newer ship. She should be compared to Regal or Royal which have a similar structure and were built around the same time. I dislike Royal Caribbean due to the street structure of their ships. Celebrity is fine. Each to their own. 

The P & O ships with the Crows Nest bars at the front are the best. 

[caribill]

On 5/6/2019 at 3:25 AM, TEMPE5T said:

Prices for drinks was extortionate $5.50 for a single can of Coke!

 

About $3 is the price on Princess.

[musicpro442]

On 5/7/2019 at 1:29 AM, SinbadThePorter said:

 

Your thread title may be a little unfair. As you have said, Emerald is your first Princess cruise so on what basis do you pronounce her "the ugly sister of the fleet"? You haven't yet seen any of the other ships as yet. All the older ships such as Sea, Sun, Golden and Star surely get a look in.

 

If you are comparing Emerald to QM2 or Harmony of the Seas, you may have a case for Princess not being up to scratch compared with the cruise lines of those ships. However, you then should then also compare her to Rhapsody and Vision or with the Oriana and Oceana to see which cruise line actually comes out on top.

 

You may or may not have a case, but your review is too idiosyncratic to be very useful to anyone else.

Hear hear.

Also I add this.

In my family we have a saying:  "Don't expect much and you won't be disppointed."

 

You could also substitute the word "compare" as well.

 

Try Regal or the upcoming Sky when they're in Europe if you want all the bells and whistles Princess has on their newer ships.  

[SeaDog-46]

I don't see how you can call Sapphire an ugly ship.

She & Diamond are the best of the Grand class & have a higher tonnage to passenger ratio. Also the all round prom. deck.

Spent 50 days onboard last Oct./Nov. & did not hear any complaints regarding AC or leaks onboard.

Ships are machines & they need constant attention to be kept up to scratch. Fixing these problems is generally not a drydock job.

I have sailed on P&O UK Arcadia & a RCC ship.  Never again as neither came anywhere near the Princess experience.

Sapphire came out of Singapore drydock in March 2018.

[fishin' musician]

The Sapphire was DW and my first Princess experience;  and to this day, after 20 or so Princess cruises it remains the brand that best fits us.   That first trip was the Mexican Riviera and later that year we took the Sapphire to Alaska (see video in signature).  We have and continue to cruise other mainstream lines (RCL, NCL, X, Costa, HAL, CCL) and have a few on Windstar as well.   It remains a favorite ship, it is sad to hear of these issues.  I wonder if the Diamond is falling into similar disrepair.  These two are unique to the fleet, being manufactured in Japan... and one of them, I think Diamond, was decimated by a fire while still in the shipyard.  

[ohnonotmeagain]

We were on this cruise too. I never saw any leaks, there might well have been, but I never noticed them. The buffet, is like any other buffet, busy but when we did use it we asked to share tables we where never declined. I thought the ship in not bad shape actually[ our bathroom was a "little" tired but not dreadful by any means,

I agree that the jacuzzi could be either luke warm or very hot !! Beds were beautiful and comfy- no second/barrel chair though!!!

Princess and P&O,I think are quite comparable - one obviously a little more British than the other but that's neither good or bad, just different.

A smaller more intimate/quiet bar would have been a nice addition.

Missing a port due to weather, well that just happens..... no one is in charge of that.

I did notice a long queue at guest services on the last day but I have no idea why??

Overall a lovely cruise on a lovely ship- what's not to like?

[Ombud]

3 hours ago, fishin' musician said:

The Sapphire was DW and my first Princess experience;  and to this day, after 20 or so Princess cruises it remains the brand that best fits us.   That first trip was the Mexican Riviera and later that year we took the Sapphire to Alaska (see video in signature).  We have and continue to cruise other mainstream lines (RCL, NCL, X, Costa, HAL, CCL) and have a few on Windstar as well.   It remains a favorite ship, it is sad to hear of these issues.  I wonder if the Diamond is falling into similar disrepair.  These two are unique to the fleet, being manufactured in Japan... and one of them, I think Diamond, was decimated by a fire while still in the shipyard.  

I was on the Diamond in November 2017. It has been revamped for the Japanese market so Kai Sushi replaced one of the specialty restaurants, no IC, Izume Japanese bath, make your own sushi / ramen in buffet (only time I've been to buffet for more than a tea bag). Beautifully done and I'm looking to sail her again but definitely miss the IC