Grand Princess or Sapphire Princess for Alaska Cruise?

[mtnlvr53]

Does anyone have a preference? If so, how are they different (or they aren't)? Crew? Food? Updates? We are looking to change our 2021 cruise to 2022 and I've got my mind in a twist. I see they also added the Majestic. We cruised on her in Australia/New Zealand and we just "okay" with staff/food.  

We are doing the southbound Voyage of the Glaciers.  Thanks for any thoughts/help!

Janet

[Mud_Shark]

Of course, in the restart - any assessment of staff of one ship over another will be irrelevant - who knows?

 

I have not sailed Sapphire but have sailed Ruby and Emerald and they would be slightly preferable to Grand.  Grand is older, has no Skywalkers, and has one less deck, meaning less pax on board.  That said, we are booked on the Grand to Alaska next year as the price on the Grand dates is slightly less, and either ship will satisfy us without question.

 

Don

[skynight]

Basically the same layouts, same amount of passengers, same viewing areas. There are a few deck plan differences, but nothing that would really effect the cruise. Select based on itinerary and timing. Staffing, entertainment and activities on all Princess ships is consistent across the fleet which I would rate as very good to excellent, food and menu items are also standardized. 

[Steelers36]

So are all the Grand plumbing issues a thing of the past?

 

[Coral]

The Sapphire is in much better shape than the Grand. Definitely the Sapphire.

[memoak]

Really like the Sapphire. The Grand not so much 

[flying boat]

Love the Grand and it has Alfredos.

[Coral]

10 minutes ago, flying boat said:

Love the Grand and it has Alfredos.

So does Sapphire Princess.

[Steelers36]

3 hours ago, memoak said:

Really like the Sapphire. The Grand not so much 

 

52 minutes ago, flying boat said:

Love the Grand and it has Alfredos.

 

And that illustrates why they fill all the ships almost all the time.

[mtnesterz]

8 hours ago, skynight said:

Basically the same layouts, same amount of passengers, same viewing areas. There are a few deck plan differences, but nothing that would really effect the cruise. Select based on itinerary and timing. Staffing, entertainment and activities on all Princess ships is consistent across the fleet which I would rate as very good to excellent, food and menu items are also standardized. 

Perhaps, but mtnlvr53's question specified an Alaskan cruise. Skywalker's was removed from the Grand years ago. In the chill of Alaska, we found Skywalker's is the place to be for sightseeing.  The Grand's One5 was an afterthought with little viewing. To each their own, but the Sapphire's Skywalker lounge would make my choice.

As you mention Princess food and service is very consistent ship to ship and not an issue.

[mreasier]

We love both ships.  They are two of our Princess favorites along with the Coral and the Island.  If price and itinerary  are about the same, I would choose the Sapphire because it still has a Skywalkers.  You can't go wrong with either. 

[mtnlvr53]

18 hours ago, mtnlvr53 said:

We stayed in D227 (forward) and they are definitely bigger than the other balconies. They "hang out" over the deck below and above. I'll try to find a photo

Thank you all for your input. I appreciate it. I was leaning toward Sapphire since it was rehab-ed most recently it appears.  We sailed the Majestic in NZ/Australia and would be happy to try to answer any questions anyone has about that ship. I would choose that ship if the prices were the same, but they are not. 

[mreasier]

I forgot to mention one other advantage with the Sapphire - the closets are bigger.

[Thrak]

9 hours ago, mreasier said:

I forgot to mention one other advantage with the Sapphire - the closets are bigger.

 

Not only are the closets bigger but the central staircase actually goes somewhere. Grand is annoying with the staircase to nowhere.

[seagypsea]

15 hours ago, mtnlvr53 said:

Thank you all for your input. I appreciate it. I was leaning toward Sapphire since it was rehab-ed most recently it appears.  We sailed the Majestic in NZ/Australia and would be happy to try to answer any questions anyone has about that ship. I would choose that ship if the prices were the same, but they are not. 

Keep in mind the Majestic is a Royal class ship and too big to do the inside passage.  It goes around the outside.  We are booked on the Sapphire due to a friend's recommendation citing the recent rehab and Skywalkers.  

[wannacruisemnm]

59 minutes ago, seagypsea said:

Keep in mind the Majestic is a Royal class ship and too big to do the inside passage.  It goes around the outside.  We are booked on the Sapphire due to a friend's recommendation citing the recent rehab and Skywalkers.  

 

This was news to me !    Maybe not good news........  Is this mostly first night cruising or second day cruising???        This cold be a deal breaker for me   ☹️

[seagypsea]

Sorry I was just repeating what I've read about cruising on the Royal class ships on this board.  I just looked at the itinerary map and it shows a solid line coming out of Vancouver and a dotted line going around that island there, so not the inside passage.  But do some searching on CC.  There's a lot of talk about the cons of doing Alaska on the big ships.  I have a good friend who has sailed Alaska many, many, many times and the Sapphire was her best recommendation for cruising/viewing Alaska.

[seagypsea]

Here's a review of someone who did the cruise on the Royal Princess.

 

Inside Passage

·         As others on this website have pointed out, the inside passage is more than just the inside of Vancouver Island.  It goes all the way up the coast.  We went west of that island into the open water.   Would have preferred to go inside, but – itineraries on a cruise (or any vacation) can and will change.  We sat at lunch with someone who just pitched an ever-loving fit about it.  There was so much beautiful scenery, I’m not sure it mattered in the long run.

Edited February 22, 2021 by seagypsea

[wannacruisemnm]

Thank you Seagypsea 

 

I cruised Alaska aboard Coral  in 2017. I just remember waking up at 4:30 am on day two out of Vancouver and seeing a beautiful sunrise behind fairly close land.  My concern is that we will miss some of that,  sailing outside the lower part of the Inside Passage out of Vancouver. 

 

I guess my questions are, on a Royal Class Ship:

 

1. Will the Pacific Ocean part of cruising be overnight and will ship be back in Inside Passage by morning. Or will I wake up to open ocean at first light and if so what time will we be back in Inside Passage?     

 

2.  Will the cruising in open ocean be rougher on first night?

 

3.  And finally, will a larger ship not be able to get up as close to glaciers in College Fjord and Glacier          Bay.

 

Thank you all so much for your help, I welcome all input.

 

[westcoaster]

I like that Sapphire (and Diamond) have a wider promenade deck than the other Grand Class ships.  That allows for full lounge chairs on the promenade deck.  

[cruzsnooze]

I booked the Grand for Alaska because I was able to snag a window suite, one of the best deals on a Princess ship. 

[wolfie11]

6 hours ago, wannacruisemnm said:

Thank you Seagypsea 

 

I cruised Alaska aboard Coral  in 2017. I just remember waking up at 4:30 am on day two out of Vancouver and seeing a beautiful sunrise behind fairly close land.  My concern is that we will miss some of that,  sailing outside the lower part of the Inside Passage out of Vancouver. 

 

I guess my questions are, on a Royal Class Ship:

 

1. Will the Pacific Ocean part of cruising be overnight and will ship be back in Inside Passage by morning. Or will I wake up to open ocean at first light and if so what time will we be back in Inside Passage?     

 

2.  Will the cruising in open ocean be rougher on first night?

 

3.  And finally, will a larger ship not be able to get up as close to glaciers in College Fjord and Glacier          Bay.

 

Thank you all so much for your help, I welcome all input.

 

Depends on whether you're north bound or southbound.  If northbound you sail out of Vancouver in the afternoon and cruise by Victoria in the evening.  You will wake up on the outside of Vancouver Island and spend your sea day in mostly open water, although you will be behind Haida Gwai part of that time.  Southbound is the worst.  The morning after Ketchikan you should wake up as the ship heads behind Vancouver Island.  Beautiful scenery, orcas and humpbacks in Johnston Strait, small villages with totem poles on display, and friendly locals waving at you from their boats.  Instead you are in the open ocean all day.  And, don't forget that Royal cut her port time in Ketchikan short almost every southbound to allow for the extra time needed to go the long way round.  Other problems include getting into ports on windy days, as she has problems with maneuverability.

[Sillyjilly]

On 2/21/2021 at 11:25 AM, Coral said:

The Sapphire is in much better shape than the Grand. Definitely the Sapphire.

Agreed!

[John99]

The Sapphire Princess is my choice.  Refurbishment (2 weeks) in Singapore 2018.

 

The Inside Passage going south from the southern tip of Alaska uses the Grenville Channel.  The Grenville Channel is possibly the most dramatic part of the Inside Passage.  The channel narrows to about quarter-mile at mile 518.  Just beautiful!!  The Northern Canyons is especially dramatic 100 mile stretch of the Inside Passage which begins at Boat Bluff Lighthouse.  The almost 90-degree turn is too sharp for large cruise ships like the Majestic.  Once you traverse to Queen Charlotte Sound both the large ships (majestic) and smaller ships (like the Sapphire) enter the Queen Charlotte Strait then the Johnstone Strait again very beautiful scenery as you head toward Vancouver.  Farther south at Seymour Narrows – all large ship traffic along the Inside Passage must pass through this narrow gorge.  There are swift tidal currents in this area.  Again, very beautiful!  From here you enter Gerogia Strait which has more open water to navigate.  Vancouver Island will be on the starboard side. 

John

 

 

[sweet carol]

We booked the Grand Princess, Sept 2022.  We are going southbound as we love the beauty of the inside passage.  The Grand did a rebuild in 2019, should be in good shape.  You can watch reviews on Utube.