travelin.sisters

Finally heading back to the Sapphire!

San Jose del Cabo (Cabo by Land & Sea excursion)

Next Sunset Mona Lisa for the views our ship & a Carnival

blown glass factory (Cabo by land & sea) demonstration the glass oven this entire roof is made of glass

sea portion of our excursion (Cabo by land & sea) El Arco

a glimpse of whale spouting & the whale watching boat (that's the best picture I got, but the whales & dolphins put on a great performance for us, BIL even saw one breach) sailing into Cabo Cabo

as seen by the many responses there are a lot of opinions on this topic...I don't think there is a right answer, just a right for you...this is what is right for us: 1) because we deal with serious food allergies, we like to have the same servers for the entire cruise....we also like this because by the 2nd or 3rd night they have learned our beverage preferences, that we love Princess' bread & other things about how we like to dine...so I always pick a dining room & time before sailing...others do not have these preferences/needs & like to switch both time & place to dine (if we really didn't like what we got we could cancel & change for he rest of the cruise, but that has never happened) 2) I never pick the far aft deck 6 dining room that can only be accessed one set of stairs/elevators because of traveling with people who can not do the stairs...it may not be so bad on the Sapphire which has 4 elevators to that location but on the Grand with 2 it can be horrendous getting someone with a mobility device out of that "hole" after a meal Given those two criteria I chose a dining room for the entire crise at 6:20 (I pick 6:20 because it is not too early but early enough that they will not put earlier dines in our table that we have to wait for to finish--earlier this year I picked 6:30 & we waited a couple of nights almost an hour for our table to be ready). They won't always give you all the dining rooms as choices depending on club class dining (or earlier this year reserving one as crew dining so they were more spread out as COVID precaution). This cruise we have the Savoy on deck 5. As stated the 4 smaller dining rooms are basically the same except for decor. I think the idea of picking one on that deck for access to the wine bar is reasonable as beverage service, at least for now is very slow. I also think there is nothing wrong with trying them all & seeing which suits, there are probably as many reasonable ways to chose as there are groups sailing. We have experienced that the smaller dining room is quite crowded & they have 2 tops tight along the banquet seating across the wall between the two rooms. The International Dining Room where they do breakfast & lunch seemed to have more space when we had embarkation lunch. I would say try the Savoy or Vivaldi & if you are not happy make a change onboard. The Sapphire Princess has one large dining room on deck 6 aft--the International Dining Room. The mid-ship dining halls that you expect on a Princess ship are split into 2 each on the Sapphire. Deck 6 mid-ship they have Pacific Moon (port) & Santa Fe (starboard), Deck 5 mid they have Savoy (port) & Vivaldi (starboard).

two days in Cabo San Lucas I don’t know that I have ever had an afternoon port arrival, but it was enjoyable. Sailing mostly out of the port of LA we have been to Cabo many times, but it was interesting to see the landscape as we arrived. Sailing down along the point of Baja I got to see more than I ever had on an excursion. I was glad we have a port side balcony as my BIL was sitting out there watching the coast & told us he saw whales. There was a very active group of whales & dolphins or porpoises breaching, spouting & playing quite close to the ship. They were close enough to enjoy without binoculars but unfortunately not close enough for pictures with my cell phone. We very slowly made our way to our anchorage & then they started prepping for tendering services & shore excursions. There was the usual confusion of a tender port. Being with a Princess excursion, we had to wait in the Princess Theater until they called our group & then head to the tenders. Getting on the tenders was probably the roughest I have experienced—maybe Santa Barbara a number of years ago was as bad). Even though our voyage has been extremely calm, getting on the tenders was precarious. There was both the normal up & down of the two vessels but added to that were sudden, unpredictable sideways jerks. After they packed our tender with as many people as could possibly fit including some standing with their luggage, we were finally able to leave from the ship, while we were moving there was some relief from the heat, but soon we had to stop & wait for our turn to dock & disembark our thunder. It was very hot, humid & crowded (I definitely prefer Cabo in January). Off we went to find our guide & follow along to the start of our excursion. For our tour (Cabo by Land & Sea), there were three different tours that started with the same boat tour followed by different land excursions. Strangely the Shore Excursion staff sent 2 of the groups to the tenders first, then a bunch of other groups & then maybe ½ hour later our group. This meant that the two groups waited for a very long time for us to arrive & the tour to begin & also that by the time we got there, there was no seating left. Finally, one of the tour guides gave up her spot for us. The boat tour was about 45 minutes & we went out to see the arch & various sites, they had a very interesting ecological narration by Jean-Michel Cousteau, which I could only hear when I got up to take photos. We were unable to hear it from our seats which was sad. I really think they squeezed too many tours on the boat for it to be the experience we expected. They served soda, beer & mixed drinks while we cruised & a shot of tequila at the end for those who wanted it. Next was the land part of the tour. We walked to a very comfortable bus with really good AC, which was a necessity. Our first stop was the glass factory where they make items out of recycled glass. We saw a demonstration where they made a Mexican turtle drinking tequila & then had time to shop. The building was gorgeous with glass walls, floor & ceiling. Next, we went to a restaurant called Sunset Mona Lisa, where they gave us another beverage (beer, soda or water) on their patio & we were able to enjoy beautiful views looking back toward the port & our ship (there was also a Carnival ship in port). Our driver, Jesus, was very good at getting us up the winding dirt road to the restaurant & back out. Our last stop was San Jose del Cabo the early mission town. Our guide Israel shared lots of historical & ecological info during the 30-minute ride. By this time many of us were hot & tired & ready to go back to the ship & tried to convince our guide that we did not need a whole hour there. Our late start already had us running very late, but he insisted that he had to give us all that we paid for. After explaining the layout of the town & where our bus would return for us, he took those who were willing to see the mission church. Then we had time to shop or find a bench in the shade to sit & wait. Just before 6:30 when the but would pick us up, for armed policemen arrived. Fortunately, they were they to ceremonially lower the giant Mexican flag & take it to the municipal building. It was fascinating to watch them lower, roll & carry this flag that took 5 men. Finally, we were back in our wonderfully cool bus for the ride back to the pier. Because we were so late returning, we were able to see a beautiful sunset. One disappointing thing was they took us back to the bus parking lot & sent us off to the tender pier in the approaching darkness with only vague directions to go straight, turn left & you will see it. There was also a right turn & I still didn’t see it, but fortunately some of our group either did or remembered better so we all followed along & were shortly back in a tender & on or way to the Sapphire. Getting off the tender was still very rough but easier than boarding. We hurried to our dining room an hour or more late (we had moved our reservations to 7 because the tour was due to finish at 6:30 & that should have been easy, but it was at least 8 when we got there). The hostess said no you are not too late I have saved your table for you because I knew you would be here. Dinner was delicious, but mostly we wanted a shower & to collapse into bed after a hot, humid but interesting day. The second day in Cabo, we decided not to go ashore. Having been here or several previous cruises, there was nothing we really wanted to see & we certainly don’t need more souvenirs. If it had been a walk off docking instead of needing to take a tender, we might have gone out for a bit, but it didn’t seem worth facing the tenders not to mention the heat. We ate, I visited a few bars in my quest to find some diet coke that doesn’t taste flat, visited with a few people we met around the ship & enjoyed a nice nap. Oh & I fought, off & on, with getting the internet to download my photos from my phone & post to this LIVE. I wish the internet was as adequate as it was on the Grand or Majestic in January or even as good as it was before Medallion net, but I will keep fighting with it, although photos may not get posted until I get back home…we will see what happens. Some last things from today. The leaking in the hallway & the room across the hall got fixed toady. I told Conrado, our cabin steward, that now I would not be able to tell where our room was from way down the hall without the red bucket. He thought about that for a minute & then laughed & laughed. He also came & replaced the door to our safe so that it now works. The Princess crew all works so hard. They are doing a lot of training of new staff on this cruise, I definitely see it in the dining room as the managers are all out helping, delivering meals, changing table settings, checking on the staff & then last night as we were among the last few diners, doing lots of practice with the newer staff. I met a guy in the liquor store who didn’t know anything about liquor & had only been with Princess for 30 days but was working hard to learn. The Future Cruise person is also brand new, ours was the first booking she had done (with lots of help from her trainer). To me, it mostly feels easy to be patient with people who are working so hard to learn new jobs & still be friendly (usually in a language that is not their own) & helpful…every cruise I think, no matter what else happens, the Princess staff is superb. My posts in this LIVE: pre-cruise musing—post 1 photos of berth 46—post 2 ready to go—post 23 onboard & ready to report—post 60 embarkation day—post 67 embarkation photos—post 68 embarkation lunch photos—post 70 & 72 exploring the ship—post 80 ship photos—posts 82, 84, 88, 89, 100 & 101 day 2—at sea—post 102 day 2 photos—posts 109, 110, 111 & 112 answers to questions—post 123

thank you for doing this lovely review, your photos are great & I really admire the way you get them neatly inserted in your narrative...I so much appreciated your Jan of the Majestic as we were doing our first cruise on her the next sailing, you are very informative & somehow manage to get the right info that future sailers (or armchair dreamers) need & want...

answers to questions I decided to switch & take this chance to answer the many questions people have asked & do both days of Cabo San Lucas together. First the ones that are already answered: The officers board has been posted (I think both by me & by someone else earlier), I have talked about how I think the Sapphire compares to the Grand (basically similar but roomier & better maintained—also feels like more elevators). MDR embarkation lunch menus & food photos posted. International Café is open 24/7, Promenade Deck is not closed for crew smoking. & Calypso pool is covered on deck 14. Princess Theater show times are 7:30 & 9:30 (45-minute shows). We have not been to one so I don’t know how crowded they are. Balcony doors have not dislocated our shoulders to open/close, but yes, they are pretty hard to move! There was absolutely no problem boarding with vaccinations but no testing. We tested at home just for our own peace of mind (& brought some tests with us) but they were non-proctored ones. They did ask to see our vaccine card & the only health question on the Medallion app & at the port was “in the past 7 or14 (I don’t remember for sure) days have you had any symptoms of COVID” much easier than in January. The Movies Under the Stars pool is the uncovered one (Neptune’s Reef) on the Lido Deck midship. It is where Swirls Ice Cream, Trident Grill & Prego Pizzeria are. Mario Propato who is on the board as the Restaurant General Manager introduced himself to us at dinner as the Maitre’d. I haven’t had time when they are open to check on the point & shoot cameras but I will try before the cruise is over. I also don’t know yet about the assistant cruise directors, laundry or pickleball/table tennis but I will let you know if I find out. I have all the Patters & most, if not all, the dinner menus photographed, but with the internet issues those & more food pictures will have to wait either until our trip home or after I get home to post. If I missed your question or there are any more, please post & I will do my best to get answers. I haven’t heard an official announcement from the Captain (probably at the Captains Circle party on Friday) but I have heard we are sailing from 70-80% capacity depending on the source. My posts in this LIVE: pre-cruise musing—post 1 photos of berth 46—post 2 ready to go—post 23 onboard & ready to report—post 60 embarkation day—post 67 embarkation photos—post 68 embarkation lunch photos—post 70 & 72 exploring the ship—post 80 ship photos—posts 82, 84, 88, 89, 100 & 101 day 2—at sea—post 102 day 2 photos—posts 109, 110, 111 & 112

this is interesting, thank you, he looks so young I thought he must be one of her newer captains, but he does conduct himself with real assurance & caring, glad he is in charge of us for this first return to service sailing

the Princess Stanley Bears love to cruise too, & get their own photo shoots: Baby Brother, Captain & Ruby are ready for Mexico (& earlier got to meet Big Stanley)

my favorite view to wake up to

officers at Meet & Greet & on the board

at sea I always like at least one sea day & preferably a few to start a cruise. This cruise was so chaotic getting ready & figuring out the details that we pretty much just rested all day. Breakfast in the buffet—I always look forward to the made to order omlets so was glad to see they had those. I talked about the buffet in general earlier so won’t repeat. Food is pretty good there; except they don’t seem to know how to cook bacon. Our Roll Call had our Meet & Greet up in Skywalkers which was nice. It was great to get to meet some of the people that had worked together to figure out how to get ourselves on the Sapphire. Quite a few of the ship's officers came to the M&G, but only the CD, Fernando who introduced the captain & the captain, Paolo Ravera spoke. Captain Ravera was very honest about the fact that the Sapphire is not yet where he wants her to be. She had been slated to be one of the first ships to return to sailing after the pause but due to political issues the Asian market is still not open to cruising. So, she sat with a relatively small (I think he said 190 crew for a very long time. Then they had a month to get her ready to sail. He acknowledged that things on the ship that have sat unused for so long don’t always start back up the way they are expected to. Captain Ravera also talked about the crew. He mentioned that many people had to find other ways to make a living during the pause so that finding good, experienced people for all positions is very challenging. Some of the crew, although they have been doing lots of training, we are their first actual passengers. He said he tells his staff to do their best & if their best is not good enough that he won’t be mad, but that then they need to do better the next time. I thought he sounded sad that the Sapphire is not yet what he wants it to be for us, but very hopeful & determined that it will be. Speaking of the ship’s condition, there are absolutely things that do not work & are slow to get repaired. Our safe is not working (fortunately the one in our other cabin is) & we don’t know when it will get fixed. Our cabin steward (who is delightful) said there are safes all over the ship broken, 11 just in his section alone. Outside our door, there are buckets to catch water that is leaking from the ceiling & a giant fan to dry the carpet. Apparently, the bathroom across the hall has a leak (it is an empty cabin). My BIL is next door to that cabin & yesterday his TV & overhead lights were out probably due to that (they are now fixed). Around the ship there are things that aren’t working but she still feels generally better maintained than the Grand (JMHO). Anyway, the M&G was a nice way to start our first day of sailing. Then it was time to what else but eat again. We had a pretty quiet afternoon, the crafts which are one of the things we like to do were all ones we had done before, but my sister decided we should collect the entire charm bracelet from Effy so we had to go to those events. This reminded me why I don’t go to Effy events as they crowded us into their tiny store while they talked & talked before giving us the charm (on The Majestic, which has a much larger store anyway, they would just give out the charms & you could come to the talk or not). For my sweet sister though I will go to the talks & try not to pass out in the overheated store. Dinner in the MDR was good but incredibly slow. Our meal took over two hours & we were done faster than tables around us. It was the first formal night & there was the usual mix of attire for that. It was also the first production show & we decided not to go to the 9:30 showing. The show “Bravo” was described as an opera based production which didn’t sound appealing enough to get us back out. We stayed in, watched the Wake Show & were done for the night. It was a good first sea day & start to our cruise. Next up day 2 photos & then Cabo My posts in this LIVE: pre-cruise musing—post 1 photos of berth 46—post 2 ready to go—post 23 onboard & ready to report—post 60 embarkation day—post 67 embarkation photos—post 68 embarkation lunch photos—post 70 & 72 exploring the ship—post 80 ship photos—posts 82, 84, 88, 89, 100 & 101

up high

Promenading the Promenade Deck

theater Princess Theater is pretty much what you would expect...haven't been to any shows so no info on sound etc.

oops that wasn't the casino (obviously) my casino pix are all blurry but it looks like a typical Princess casino just maybe a bit smaller

a nice library & a smallish casino

International Cafe 24/7 & Piazza

Lido Deck

Horizon Court

exploring the ship photos the hall carpeting port-->red accents starboard-->blue/green accents