just off the sapphire

[abqmommyof4]

had a wonderful time

yes you can get steaks

yes they have escargots

the ultimate kids pack (soda and more) is well worth it

yes you must attend muster (they sign you in)

there are signs all over to remind people to wash their hands frequently

the cruise staff was wonderful

it is possible to eat at the same venue each night at the same time ( on anytime dining. we did and had the same staff, and since I just figured out that I am gluten intolerant they were able to assist me in my choices , and preorder my food for the next night, plus they were happy to bring me gluten free bread

 

if you have teenagers, don't expect to see very much off them, we were lucky to see our 16 year old at dinner time

 

they have a great program for the 18_21 age

 

those are just a few high lights . Will write a full review later

 

 

only complaint

I had to leave the ship

[Heavy T]

Just got home from the Sapphire too. Had a GREAT time!! I had so much meat (steak) that I don't want to see a steak for a month. Kids club was awesome. My 8 year old loved it in there. The Deck Party was soooo much fun!! Pizza in Alfredo's and out on deck was amazing. I did not see an outrageous amount of Indian food as was stated in a previous review. Embarkation took all of about 15 minutes from the time we parked the car till we were on board. And yes, thank goodness for the Ultimate Soda Package!!!

[RNGALNG]

So happy to hear this from both of you! We are sitting in our hotel room, waiting for check out so we can then head to the ship! All your comments just help me smile an even larger smile!

 

I am so looking forward to getting away and getting some rest! Can't wait to meet my new friends from Cruise Critic as well! We got out of our home just in time - between snowstorms so all is well!!!

 

May your adjustment to 'real life' go smoothly this week. So hard to come down for the cruise high one can get while sailing!

 

We will take good care of her for you!

[Heavy T]

Have a great cruise!! If you eat in the Savoy Dining Room, tell Rafeeq that Tony said hello!!

[Woobstr112G]

had a wonderful time

yes you can get steaks

yes they have escargots

the ultimate kids pack (soda and more) is well worth it

yes you must attend muster (they sign you in)

there are signs all over to remind people to wash their hands frequently

the cruise staff was wonderful

it is possible to eat at the same venue each night at the same time ( on anytime dining. we did and had the same staff, and since I just figured out that I am gluten intolerant they were able to assist me in my choices , and preorder my food for the next night, plus they were happy to bring me gluten free bread

 

if you have teenagers, don't expect to see very much off them, we were lucky to see our 16 year old at dinner time

 

they have a great program for the 18_21 age

 

those are just a few high lights . Will write a full review later

 

 

only complaint

I had to leave the ship

 

Just got home from the Sapphire too. Had a GREAT time!! I had so much meat (steak) that I don't want to see a steak for a month. Kids club was awesome. My 8 year old loved it in there. The Deck Party was soooo much fun!! Pizza in Alfredo's and out on deck was amazing. I did not see an outrageous amount of Indian food as was stated in a previous review. Embarkation took all of about 15 minutes from the time we parked the car till we were on board. And yes, thank goodness for the Ultimate Soda Package!!!

 

Glad to hear that you enjoyed your cruises:) Looking forward to reading your full review. Starting to get real excited as we board her March 9th.....:):):)

 

Bob

[janacin]

had a wonderful time

yes you can get steaks

yes they have escargots

the ultimate kids pack (soda and more) is well worth it

yes you must attend muster (they sign you in)

there are signs all over to remind people to wash their hands frequently

the cruise staff was wonderful

it is possible to eat at the same venue each night at the same time ( on anytime dining. we did and had the same staff, and since I just figured out that I am gluten intolerant they were able to assist me in my choices , and preorder my food for the next night, plus they were happy to bring me gluten free bread

 

if you have teenagers, don't expect to see very much off them, we were lucky to see our 16 year old at dinner time

 

they have a great program for the 18_21 age

 

those are just a few high lights . Will write a full review later

 

 

only complaint

I had to leave the ship

 

 

Couldn't have said it better myself. We were on the Sapphire for the November 24-December 8 Hawaii cruise. It was one of the best we have experienced. The food was good, the crew was fantastic and we enjoyed the entertainment. Princess knows how to do it well.

 

Marty

[picture]

what the bedding like??

 

hard or pillow top??

[picture]

had a wonderful time

yes you can get steaks

yes they have escargots

the ultimate kids pack (soda and more) is well worth it

yes you must attend muster (they sign you in)

there are signs all over to remind people to wash their hands frequently

the cruise staff was wonderful

it is possible to eat at the same venue each night at the same time ( on anytime dining. we did and had the same staff, and since I just figured out that I am gluten intolerant they were able to assist me in my choices , and preorder my food for the next night, plus they were happy to bring me gluten free bread

 

if you have teenagers, don't expect to see very much off them, we were lucky to see our 16 year old at dinner time

 

they have a great program for the 18_21 age

 

those are just a few high lights . Will write a full review later

 

 

only complaint

I had to leave the ship

 

Would like to hear about the ship excursions and if you did any which did you enjoy most?

[sunsetbeachgal]

Sapphire is my favorite ship!!;)

[abqmommyof4]

Would like to hear about the ship excursions and if you did any which did you enjoy most?

 

eh and boys did zip lining in pPuerto Vallarta, I stayed on the ship and enjoyed the quiet.

we stayed on in Cabo

we walked around ensanada . it was ok, very upsetting to see little ones (4 yr olds) selling stuff.

[KirkNC]

Welcome home, sounds like you had a great time.

[seadrifter]

Really glad to read that you enjoyed your Sapphire cruise. We have our 2nd Sapphire cruise booked for April/May of 2013 and we are so looking forward to it (California Coastal round trip LA).

 

I look forward to reading your full review.

 

I have a question for anyone booked on a future Princess cruise. Have you received an email telling you a specific time to arrive for embarkation based on the deck your cabin is located on? We will be on Emerald deck and the email stated we should arrive at the port at 2 PM. Since we will be staying in a hotel the night before and check-out will probably be around 11 AM or noon, it is not convenient to wait until 2 PM to board.

 

We always get to the port for check-in around 11:30. We don't really want to wait until 2 PM.

 

Just interested in what others have experienced.

[Kamloops50]

We are sailing on the Sapphire to Hawaii in 56 days.

[Woobstr112G]

We are sailing on the Sapphire to Hawaii in 56 days.

 

We'll be right behind you.....:):):)

 

Bob

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[caribill]

I have a question for anyone booked on a future Princess cruise. Have you received an email telling you a specific time to arrive for embarkation based on the deck your cabin is located on? We will be on Emerald deck and the email stated we should arrive at the port at 2 PM. Since we will be staying in a hotel the night before and check-out will probably be around 11 AM or noon, it is not convenient to wait until 2 PM to board.

 

We always get to the port for check-in around 11:30. We don't really want to wait until 2 PM.

 

Just interested in what others have experienced.

 

Go when you want to. The 2 PM time is suggested for those for whom it is convenient. Since you need to check out of your hotel, they do not mind you showing up earlier than the suggested time.

[seadrifter]

Go when you want to. The 2 PM time is suggested for those for whom it is convenient. Since you need to check out of your hotel, they do not mind you showing up earlier than the suggested time.

 

Thanks for your response and for confirming what we thought. We always want to board as soon as possible and being told a mid-afternoon boarding time didn't sit well with us.

 

I would be interested to hear if anyone else has received this email stating a time to board based on your deck.

[junglejane]

We just got off this cruise as well. We met Abqmommyof4 and a bunch of other great people from our CC Roll Call at the meet and greet. Also, our teens met each other in the teen program. I agree with all of her comments. We had an enjoyable cruise and I also hope to post more extensive comments later. The crew did a great job creating a wonderful holiday atmosphere. And I'm saying this despite the fact that after dinner on Christmas Day, I started feeling quite sick with nausea and abdominal cramps. I'll report more on this later, but suffice it to say that I spent the next day and a half quarantined in my cabin with "acute gastroenteritis." Had to miss my Cabo whale watching tour. Was it norovirus that I caught on the ship? Was it food poisoning from the lunch I ate in Puerto Vallarta that day? I don't know, but I'm just glad that I bounced back relatively fast and the Sapphire crew were very caring and helpful. I'm not aware of any other pax who got sick, so I'm just chalking it up to bad luck. I'd happily cruise on the Sapphire again. :)

[dcruisers]

I was so excited to read all these positive reports from you recent Sapphire shipmates.

We leave on the Sapphire 3 weeks from today. After reading recent reports of terrible food, too much Indian food and other negative remarks, your comments helped confirm our decision to sail to HI on the Sapphire. I loved reading that the staff was wonderful and that the food was good. I appreciate all your comments and look forward to more indepth reviews. I was excited about our trip before but now I am more comfortable about our choice!

Thanks all and Happy New Year!

[fireflymd]

had a wonderful time

yes you can get steaks

yes they have escargots

the ultimate kids pack (soda and more) is well worth it

yes you must attend muster (they sign you in)

there are signs all over to remind people to wash their hands frequently

the cruise staff was wonderful

it is possible to eat at the same venue each night at the same time ( on anytime dining. we did and had the same staff, and since I just figured out that I am gluten intolerant they were able to assist me in my choices , and preorder my food for the next night, plus they were happy to bring me gluten free bread

 

if you have teenagers, don't expect to see very much off them, we were lucky to see our 16 year old at dinner time

 

they have a great program for the 18_21 age

 

those are just a few high lights . Will write a full review later

 

 

only complaint

I had to leave the ship

 

Oh I am so glad I read your post!! How was the gluten-free bread they provided? (Compared to, for example, Udi's GF Dinner Rolls or Udi's bread?)

 

We are planning to bring GF bread and rolls on board--I had read previously that they bake their own GF bread and it's not that good. Just curious to hear your opinion on their bread and your GF experience in general.

[KruzPrincess]

I was so excited to read all these positive reports from you recent Sapphire shipmates.

We leave on the Sapphire 3 weeks from today. After reading recent reports of terrible food, too much Indian food and other negative remarks, your comments helped confirm our decision to sail to HI on the Sapphire. I loved reading that the staff was wonderful and that the food was good. I appreciate all your comments and look forward to more indepth reviews. I was excited about our trip before but now I am more comfortable about our choice!

Thanks all and Happy New Year!

 

I'm glad everyone had a great cruise. I'm the one who did the live from thread that included the talk about the Indian food, so I just want to reply to that. If you read my entire thread you'd see that I had a great cruise. I'm looking at booking another Hawaii cruise this spring. I loved my cruise. I struggled with mentioning the food because I knew people would jump on that, but I wanted to be honest about what I thought. I never went hungry and I always found something to eat. I don't cruise for food alone. That said, I and people I spoke with agreed that there was a lot of Indian food in the buffet. Maybe they tweaked the buffet menu from our comments? I hope so. You have to remember that I rarely eat in the MDR and do almost all my meals in the buffet, so I see a lot more buffet food than most. I hate wasting a lot of time in the MDR. Others may not ever notice what I noticed about buffet food because they don't eat every meal there. Overall I had a really nice cruise on the Sapphire and she remains my favorite ship.

[Kamloops50]

The Sapphire our favorite ship as well . We are doing our second Hawaii cruise in about 55 days . This will be our third cruise on her as well.

[meh56]

We also were on the Christmas sailing of the Sapphire...We really loved the ship. We had a balcony cabin on Caribe deck, very good size, lot of storage, ton of hangers in the closet. We had Alex as our steward and thought his service was lacking, we had to ask for every thing 2 or 3 times and he always had an excuse as to why we did not get it (sent to wrong cabin twice and crew drill)...We thought the food was good but very bland, no seasoning...we loved anytime dining...no waiting at 6156p and loved each of the anytime dining rooms. We thought the entertainment was good and enjoyed the music in the wheelhouse ...Ship was decorated beautifully for Christmas...We sailed from LA 3 hrs late due to fuel not being delivered...Did walkoff in LA and was in our car in the lot within 1/2 hour after getting our walk off call...All was good!!!

[junglejane]

We were also on Caribe in the aft port section and had Alex as our steward. We have no complaints and thought he was just fine. Always friendly and greeted all of us by name, including our two DD's.

[azdmelani]

had a wonderful time

yes you can get steaks

yes they have escargots

the ultimate kids pack (soda and more) is well worth it

yes you must attend muster (they sign you in)

there are signs all over to remind people to wash their hands frequently

the cruise staff was wonderful

it is possible to eat at the same venue each night at the same time ( on anytime dining. we did and had the same staff, and since I just figured out that I am gluten intolerant they were able to assist me in my choices , and preorder my food for the next night, plus they were happy to bring me gluten free bread

 

if you have teenagers, don't expect to see very much off them, we were lucky to see our 16 year old at dinner time

 

they have a great program for the 18_21 age

 

those are just a few high lights . Will write a full review later

 

 

only complaint

I had to leave the ship

 

Thanks so much, we are going at the end of March, and cant wait!

[azrose]

We will be on the Sapphire in April -- we can hardly wait -- happy to hear a great report :D