Sapphire Princess review, March 21 Mex Riv

[Ratdoggie]

I posted the following on the review page and have copied it here, but there were a couple of things I left out so I added them in at the bottom. Sorry it's so long!

 

EMBARKATION: A breeze! We got there at about 12:30 and pretty much walked right through all the check-in points and onto the ship.

SHIP: The Sapphire Princess is a beautiful ship. It is huge and it's easy to lose your way momentarily, but don't panic. You are given a pocket sized map when you board, and there are diagrams all over the ship as well as a list of what is on each floor in the elevators. Plus we found the ship's staff very helpful.

 

STATEROOM: Just three days before we sailed we got the call that we had been upgraded to a suite! Unfortunately, this ruined us for all future vacations. The only bad thing I can say is that the sofa bed was not very comfortable, I tried it one night for about 5 seconds, it was lumpy and I could feel the bars through the mattress. But this was where my daughter slept and she didn't mind a bit so I guess it wasn't an issue. Our own bed was very cozy and the room as a whole was very nice, especially the spacious bath and separate shower. We were not prepared for all the perks that came with it...fresh flowers, cookies and canapes delivered every day, an endless fruit bowl, complimentary laundry services, special dining privileges and more! It was like winning the lottery.

 

We were located on Emerald Deck, Room 730 on the back of the ship (that would be aft for us sea faring folk). We were initially concerned since it was directly over Club Fusion, but we didn't hear any noise from the club AT ALL! However, we did hear the engines. It was fairly loud, but steady...like white noise or even a waterfall. It actually put me to sleep almost instantly each night. If you need silence, this isn't the room for you, but I loved it.

 

VIEWING SEALIFE: I had heard that the aft of the ship was good for spotting sea life and we were not disappointed, although it was well into the second full day at sea before we saw it - a dolphin pod. Suddenly dolphin were popping out of the water all around us, there must have been 100 of them! And they jumped all the way out so we saw them very clearly. It was very exciting, and we were treated to a repeat performance on the way home as well! We also went by a school of tuna which thrust their bodies half way out of the water and splash down. We spotted many whale blows and eventually saw a breaching whale. Activity seemed to be heaviest in the vicinity of Cabo. Keep in mind, we spent hours gazing out at the water before seeing these things but we love viewing wildlife and felt well rewarded.

 

DINING: We had anytime dining and were seated immediately except for one night which was a half hour wait and we were given a buzzer. The Pacific Moon and the Santa Fe dining rooms are located by the atrium, so you can easily wonder through the shops, get a drink, or just sit and listen to music while you wait. We dined early, 5:30 or 6:00 each night but on the night we had to wait it was about 7:00 so I'm sure timing had something to do with it. The food was good, and my husband and the couple we were traveling with enjoyed some of the more unique dishes. My daughter and I have simple tastes though and we often opted for the alternative choices. There was something for everyone.

 

The five of us dined at Sabatini's one night. It wasn't the typical Italian food that I expected. I ate things I had never tried before, and some of it was pretty darn good! There were 17 different courses - most of them various appetizers. My 12 year-old found most things unappealing but tried to hide her feelings. The waiter picked up on it anyway and sent another staff person off to another dining room twice to bring her "regular" food. He said all he wanted to do was make her happy, and he did. I don't know if I would do it again, but I'm glad we tried it once and would encourage others to try it too as you may not get another chance to try some of these foods. Just be sure to go with an empty stomach (and that's not easy to do on a cruise ship)!

 

I did have one issue in regards to the dining rooms. On the very first night, while we were still getting our wits about us, the assistant waiter came to our table with a bottle of Evian water in one arm and a bottle of Perrier (sp?) water in the other. He didn't speak very good English so he simply lifted each bottle as if asking which we prefer. We pointed to the Evian water. He poured the water then presented my husband with a bill to sign (this is done with anything you buy on the ship that is not included, like alcohol for example). After this we looked around and realized that most people were drinking ice water poured from pitchers, so we could have just asked for tap water. The two speciality waters were offered every night, although we had different servers each time, but we didn't fall for that again. Not that they were trying to trick us, but it was a bit confusing.

 

ENTERTAINMENT: We watched two of the production shows with music and dancing and not only were they awesome but they seemed to enjoy performing just as much as we enjoyed watching. I particularly enjoyed Becky Allen who is an excellent singer and performer. My daughter and I took a back stage tour on the last day. We were taken up on the stage which is in the bow of the boat and gets the most motion - it really made me appreciate their talent for dancing under those conditions that much more. We also saw all three comedians that were featured. Dan Bennett is very good at juggling but not all that funny. Steve Morris is from the Beach Boys and I enjoyed the way he incorporated music into his act. Kevin Jordan is an excellent impromptu comedian. He interacts with the audience and much of his routine revolves around his quick-witted reactions to the answers that people give him.

 

KIDS CLUB: My daughter was excited to join the kid's club and I was surprised that she was so eager to go the first day. But when we picked her up later she told us that she didn't really want to go back. We had heard so many good things about it so I was a bit disappointed. She was in the 8-12 year old group and I think she just didn't enjoy the activities. Usually she makes friends easily, but for some reason it didn't happen this time and it didn't sound like the counselors (if that's the right term) encouraged them to get to know each other. But that's okay, we just did more things as a family.

 

SPRING BREAK NOTES: This isn't a usual category for reviews, but I wanted to mention a couple of things. I had worried about what type of atmosphere a spring break cruise would be. I have to say, it wasn't bad. There were a number of school and college age kids on the boat, but I didn't witness any rowdy or rude behavior. The pool areas were very crowded, especially on sea days, but since we aren't sun worshippers this didn't affect us much. A

 

s far as weather, the first day started out cool, but by midafternoon it was definite swimsuit temperatures. The last day was quite a bit cooler. Also, the seas were a bit rough on the first and last day but they seemed to calm down there further south we traveled. The areas we visited in ports were crowded, but that was due to the cruise ship and that would be same amount of people no matter what week we cruised. So, for us, we didn't think that Spring break was that big of a factor.

 

OTHER PASSENGERS: If there was any rude behavior at all, it seemed to come from older men. Almost every day I overheard or witnessed rude comments. One day I heard a racist comment that set my teeth on edge. And our friends witnessed a particularly rude man in the casino who was complaining that the table games were fixed - just a sore loser. Of course this was just a handful out of a few thousand passengers. Most people were very friendly.

 

SERVICE: I personally found the service to be excellent. Our room steward, Joey, was very attentive. As for the rest of the staff, there were sometimes language barriers, but they are trying very hard to please and with a little patience and a smile we were able to understand each other. I found most of the staff to be very interesting and it was fun to ask them questions and to learn more about them.

 

Overall this was a wonderful vacation and the Sapphire Princess is nothing less than beautiful in every way.

 

A couple of things I forgot to mention. In Puerta Vallarta we went to Las Caletas which was a lot of fun but is a bit primitive as far as facilities go and cannot be reached by road. I mention this because I got stung by a bee (on my tongue!). It was no big deal, but my friend who was with us is highly allergic to bees and didn't bring her bee-sting kit. I suppose if you have an allergy and you travel anywhere you should be prepared, so just remember, there are bees in Mexico too!

 

The other thing is that my daughter and I witnessed a scary incident on formal night when a woman fell down the marble stairs in the atrium. I don't know if she tripped on her gown or if she lost her balance. People ran to her aid immediatly and the ship's medical personnel were summoned immediately. She walked away from it holding an ice pack on her head. So just a reminder to use those hand rails!

 

I know I had lots of questions before our cruise, so if you have questions about anything I mentioned...or something I didn't mention, please ask!!!

[spingal]

Great review!! Thanks for sharing it with us.

 

Quick question.........what are the special dining priviledges? I am trying to figure out if this is something new. Are you referring to the ability to order hot foods for breakfast and order dining room food from your suite? Or something else? :confused:

 

Thanks!

[ridolphi]

Thanks for a great review. We are sailing on Sapphire Sept 26. Haven't been on Princess in several years, although we are platinum, and I am Elite. Going with two other couples. Really looking forward to our trip.

 

Las Caletas is an excursion we are considering - can you tell us more about it? Is it worth it? Was it like a private beach day?

[Ratdoggie]

To answer spingal about the dining priviledges...

 

The best one is an option only open to those in suites. It's breakfast at Sabatini's (no extra charge)! The Horizon court was okay, but tense. At Sabatini's they serve you pretty much anything you want from cereal to eggs benedict in a nice quiet atmosphere with full service.

 

I also understood that we would be given preference for seating at dinner. I don't know if this came into play or not, but as I said in my review we only had to wait one time to be seated and they do ask for your room number.

 

The day of disembarkation, we had our own dining room to wait in where newspapers, oj, coffee, and pastries were supplied.

 

Very nice!

[spingal]

To answer spingal about the dining priviledges...

 

The best one is an option only open to those in suites. It's breakfast at Sabatini's (no extra charge)! The Horizon court was okay, but tense. At Sabatini's they serve you pretty much anything you want from cereal to eggs benedict in a nice quiet atmosphere with full service.

 

I also understood that we would be given preference for seating at dinner. I don't know if this came into play or not, but as I said in my review we only had to wait one time to be seated and they do ask for your room number.

 

The day of disembarkation, we had our own dining room to wait in where newspapers, oj, coffee, and pastries were supplied.

 

Very nice!

 

Thanks!!! And a big DUH to me!! I completely forgot about the Sabatini's breakfast. :o:o It sounds wonderful!! :D

[Ratdoggie]

To ridolphi in regards to Las Caletas...

 

I had heard wonderful things about Las Caletas and maybe my expectations were a little too high.

 

The ride over was on a large party style boat that held maybe 150? It was enjoyable, the crew start getting you in a party mood, beverages are served and the scenery is outstanding.

 

The only people at Las Caletas are the ones brought in by boat. In the morning the first group is taken, then around noon a second group (which we were in) arrives. Both groups eat together then shortly after that the first group leaves and the first group has the place to themselves, so it was not overcrowded.

 

The activities are set to occur at intervals. I didn't mind this because I could see why they wouldn't want snorklers and kayakers out in the water at the same time. However, my husband thought it was too structured.

 

I did the kayak and thought it was fun. My daughter and husband snorkled, they had fun but didn't see a whole lot as the water is a bit murky.

 

The food was excellent and all you can eat - until it runs out and/or they start putting it away. The drinks, not quite as good. It's not a "regular" bar with a blender and all the fixings. I don't know exactly what was in the margarita, but someone said they saw the bartender putting Squirt into it - and it tasted like it. There is no store, just a little souvenier shack.

 

My least favorite part was the ride back. But by this time I had a bee sting on my tongue (I guess it was attracted to the Sprite) and a headache. Unfortunately, they cranked the tunes and did some silly entertainment. Any other time it might have been fine, but I was ready for some quiet by then.

 

So, in short...for me I think I would have rather gone to a beach break at a nice hotel. On the other hand, my 12 year old daughter had an absolute blast. And my husband was probably somewhere in-between. I suppose it depends on what you are looking for!

[V and S]

Ratdoggie, the beach break ended up being at Melia. The pool area was loud and kind of pounding. The beach was very narrow and small. The food was good, though. I hung out near the beach, looking at the ocean, and it felt a lot like being on the ship. ;) I had been told it was going to be at Dreams, which looked Dreamy, but not to be... I think someone else on our roll call was also on our excursion...

[Perini3]

Great Review,we also have a suite OS this coming weekend.

[ridolphi]

Thanks Ratdoggie - your description helps a lot. We will think this one out carefully - been there done that, many times. Maybe instead day onboard, or just get off and do the town a bit and back onboard. We've done Mexican Riv several times, so probably nothing new in general.

 

Thanks again for your input and info. Glad you had a great time, and btw congratulations on the upgrade to the suite!! Hope that upgrade fairy visits us.:)

[marcoigna]

Great Review,we also have a suite OS this coming weekend.

 

do u have the os on the sapphire - if so, can u do 1 favour.

 

can u check to see if the balcony doors open between ur suite, the suite next and the grand suite - we have the entire back of the ship when we get married on the ship in october, and were hoping they do, when we have cocktail parties, it just opens up the space for us....

 

thanking u inadvance

[ladypalmtree]

Hi Ratdoggie and V and S...we did the beach break and really like Melia. Dreams was a lot farther away and we had less time at the resort. DD and I may return for a few day this summer. Some amazing deals online for room and flight..We had a great time. I did Las Caletas and did not enjoy as much as the rest of the family. That is except for my fabulous massage on the mountain for 50 dollars. The best I had ever had. We all were on this cruise and did different things. We had a blast and are returning yet again next Spring with our good friends. I posted a review but it is not up yet..LPT:rolleyes:

[RaMar]

Thank you Ratdoggie for writing such a great review. We'll be doing this cruise in a few days and can't wait. One question, was the water too cold on the beach? Again, thanks for the great review.

[lovespositano]

We did the Sapphire two weeks ago and I will just add that, as for us, Las Caletas was our favorite tour, hands down. The beach, setting, food (especially the RIBS), ride over, ride back - all were just great. There were six of us, three generations, and we all loved it. One hint, though - once they start removing the food, it is GONE!! There is nothing to eat of any sort after that - no CHIPS, NOTHING. Their chips are great, so you might want to put a few in your beachbag for later. We thought the drinks were good, and certainly plentiful!! All in all, we loved it.

[Ratdoggie]

Thank you Ratdoggie for writing such a great review. We'll be doing this cruise in a few days and can't wait. One question, was the water too cold on the beach? Again, thanks for the great review.

 

At first it seemed a bit cold but once you got used to it, it wasn't too bad. A lot of people spent time in the water and were enjoying it - just don't expect it to be bath water temperature!

[Ratdoggie]

We did the Sapphire two weeks ago and I will just add that, as for us, Las Caletas was our favorite tour, hands down. The beach, setting, food (especially the RIBS), ride over, ride back - all were just great. There were six of us, three generations, and we all loved it. One hint, though - once they start removing the food, it is GONE!! There is nothing to eat of any sort after that - no CHIPS, NOTHING. Their chips are great, so you might want to put a few in your beachbag for later. We thought the drinks were good, and certainly plentiful!! All in all, we loved it.

 

I'm glad you had such a good time. I was worried about my review coming off too negative. Everyone else seemed to really enjoy it, and so did I to a certain extent. I have to admit that my experience might have been skewed a little by the beesting and then I had a headache on the way back. The beesting could have happened anywhere of course! And you are right about the food, it was excellent and when it's time for it to be put away it disappears fast.

 

I will say this, if you have kids it's a great place to go as all the kids seemed to have a total blast. And I talked to an older lady who was on the trip and she thought it was fabulous as well.