Sapphire Princess Alaska Review

[redrobin]

Sapphire Princess Review 7/10/05-7/17/05

 

Alaska Inside Passage – Seattle/Seattle

 

Part 1

 

This was my first cruise. The information provided on Cruise Critic pre-cruise was invaluable. Thanks to all the posters, especially the regular ones who take time to answer similar posts time and time again for us new cruisers! Although you need to relax and go with the flow on a cruise, reading the posts gave me a good idea of what to expect along the way. It helped me to plan my excursions and have an idea of what I’d like to do while in port and on the ship. My only question now is, “What cruise do I want to take next?” Any suggestions? : )

 

EMBARKATION

 

Husband and I and two teens arrived in Seattle a day early and spent the night in nearby Woodinville, WA at the Willows Lodge. Large, clean rooms, nicely appointed. Not inexpensive, but definitely recommend, especially if you can get a special rate. Had time Saturday for a fun tour of the Redhook Brewery and visited two wineries all within walking distance. Arrived at Terminal 30 around 10:30am Sunday. Asked for a porter, but was told none were on duty yet, but was able to park close to the baggage drop off and carry our bags to check-in. About 25 people were already waiting to board, and there was a line for express check-in that got longer very quickly. Since we were upgraded to a suite, we were able to use the Platinum check-in line for priority embarkation. It was a nice perk, and we were ready to board in no time. They started boarding passengers a little early, so we were in our room by noon. Would recommend early check-in because looking at the terminal from the ship, the baggage line seemed to get longer as the afternoon went on.

 

CABIN

 

Was originally booked for two rooms, an inside and an outside balcony on the Aloha deck, mid-ship, but was upgraded to the family suite. From reading these boards realized that ship movement may be more noticeable and more wind on the balcony in this forward location, but decided to take the upgrade because of the extra room and suite perks. Our steward did not mention the perks, but I had read about them in advance and there was also a book in the suite outlining them. Slippers for everyone, two robes (waffle), fruit, and upgraded bathroom amenities in the main bathroom were there when we arrived. I’m not certain, but I don’t believe the towels were upgraded as a suite amenity. They were fine, so I didn’t request others. Shortly after arriving, flowers and a sample of canapés was delivered to the room. The mini-bar was stocked was liquor, beer, and tonic. Soda and bottled water was also provided, but we had brought our own. We did find two or three room beverage charges on our final bill, so I’m guessing the soda and water was not included with the free mini-bar and we may have opened a few. After unpacking and the muster drill, our welcome glass of champagne had not been delivered, so I paged our room steward. In just a few minutes he came by and dropped off a bottle for us that we drank while watching us sail away from Seattle. In general, our room steward was not overly friendly or talkative, but was efficient at servicing the room and working around our dining schedule and times when we put out the privacy sign. Our balcony had four plastics chairs and a table, no cushions. I’m thinking we didn’t have the nicer furniture seen on other suite balconies because it did get windy. At night, the plastic furniture was easy to stack in a corner on the balcony. Depending on the day, we did spend time enjoying the views and eating on the balcony and liked the large size of it. Not certain, but may have spent even more time out there if it was covered and more protected.

 

OTHER SUITE PERKS

 

Each day we got a card to fill out requesting the type of deluxe canapés we wanted delivered and what time we wanted them. We usually opted for the tuxedo strawberries. On formal nights we actually got two sets of canapés, the one that we requested and an additional one. The first night it was chocolate covered strawberries and the second it was some type of chocolate. A corsage and boutonniere were also delivered for the first formal night. All internet usage was credited back to our account, which was over $150. Wouldn’t have wanted to pay .35/minute because sometimes the connection was very slow. I requested forms for laundry and sent off three bags which would normally have been charged $115, but was also credited back to our account. One afternoon we requested the in-suite afternoon tea service which consisted of a choice of teas, scones and various cookies, but no sandwiches, tarts... One of the nicest perks was extended room service. Room service was always right on time and it was nice waking up to a full breakfast without having to leave the room. We did bring a coffee press and coffee from home to supplement the Princess coffee. Usually walked to the Horizon Court for hot water, although we probably could have requested it from room service. We had Anytime Dining and usually ate late, around 8:30. At the end of port days in Juneau and Victoria we didn’t want to take the time to dine in a dining room, so it was nice ordering off of the full menus that our room steward gave us each day. After spending the day in Skagway we wanted to eat dinner around 7 in the Santa Fe dining room. When we called after getting back on the ship, we were originally told reservations were not available until 8, but when I mentioned the suite ‘preferred anytime dining reservations’, they said 6:30 was available. We did not use the priority shore excursion perk, early port disembarkation or disembarkation lounge, luggage packing or unpacking, shoe polishing or private portrait sitting. Overall, don’t know that I would have paid the extra money to stay in a suite, but as an upgrade it was great.

 

SHIP

 

Having never cruised before, did not know exactly what to expect. Found the Sapphire to be well-maintained and appreciated the “newness” of the ship. Our younger teen liked the few Off Limits activities that he participated in. Didn’t do some of the onboard activities that I would have liked, but after busy days at port, decided to relax during the days at sea. Spent some time in Skywalkers, which has a great view. There are many places to get away and relax during the cruise. Despite the large number of people onboard, it never felt too crowded. My husband, who I usually have to drag to a museum, for some reason really enjoyed the art auctions. He didn’t buy anything, but enjoyed learning about the different artists from art director Cindy while relaxing in the lounge. Went to see the Piano Man and watched a comedian and magician in a lounge. The Princess Theater is very nice. Husband and I had massages on the last sea day, and both enjoyed the Lotus Spa, but 50 minutes goes by too quickly. Overall, the sea was smooth, but on that last day the ride was a bit rough. By dinnertime I felt better, but you could feel the movement during the day wherever you were on the ship. Used the wrist bands, which seemed to help. Had also brought the patch and pills, but opted not to use either. I did buy some of the pictures taken by the ship’s photographer, but waited until the last day, after seeing all the pictures, to decide which ones to buy. However, if you wait until too late that day, the line to purchase them can get very long.

[redrobin]

Sapphire Princess Review 7/10/05-7/17/05

 

Alaska Inside Passage – Seattle/Seattle

 

Part 2

 

DINING

 

Had Anytime Dining, which I personally liked, and usually ate late in the Vivaldi Dining room, which had good service. Also tried the Savoy and the Santa Fe. Liked having the option of getting a table just for four of us, or eating at a larger table with others. As others have mentioned, each offered one specialty dish in addition to the regular menu. Really enjoyed trying some dishes that I normally don’t eat. Ate one night in Sabatini’s. The food was very good, with many dishes to try and good service, but don’t know that I’d do it again. Expected it to be a long meal, but I don’t know that the food was any better than in the regular dining rooms. Picked up food a few times at the Horizon Court during the day and it was OK, but not as good as the dining rooms in my opinion. I’m not much of a buffet person, and preferred eating in the suite for breakfast and lunch. Ate one breakfast and lunch in the International Dining Room, but they do last longer than a regular meal out, which can seem too long if you have things you’d like to be doing. Saw dinner as more of an ‘event’ and didn’t mind spending the time there, but not as willing for breakfast or lunch. Got the free ice-cream at the Horizon Court a few times between 3:30 and 4:30 and also ate the pizza on Deck 14. During the afternoon in Skagway they also offered pretty good seafood appetizers at the Trident Grill from 3:30 to 5:00, although the Alaskan Amber available next to it was around $4.25 a glass. Bought one soda card for my son which, with tax, cost $31.80.

 

KETCHIKAN

 

Overall the weather on this cruise was very good. It could have been better (sunnier/warmer), but it could have been a lot worse. Mostly overcast, except in Victoria, with occasional drizzle, but no significant rainfall, fog or wind. In Ketchikan we did the Orcas Cove with Southeast Sea Kayaking. Went on the recommendations of others on this board and was not disappointed. Picked up promptly at the dock, walked to their office, took the small boat to the mother ship, was outfitted, boarded the kayaks and off we went. Our family went with two older women and we did not do strenuous kayaking, but did have a leisurely paddle around the island with time to look at a few eagles, lots of sea life and enjoy the remote scenery. The canned salmon served after the kayaking was very good. Had time to take the funicular up to the Cape Fox lodge and walk back down Married Men’s Trail. Walked around Creek Street and spent a few minutes in the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center using the free admission tickets we were given by Southeast Sea Kayaking.

 

TRACY ARM

 

Although I would have liked to sleep in, it was worth getting up early to enjoy the views in Tracy Arm. I believe our naturalist said it was the first time this season that the Sapphire was able to go to the end of Tracy Arm. Had gotten deck blankets the day before to enjoy the views while on our balcony. A champagne balcony breakfast was offered to all cabins for $25 that morning; however, at least on our balcony, it was too cool early that morning. We ordered room service and ate inside.

 

JUNEAU

 

Booked the Northstar Glacier Trek through Princess. It was a little more expensive this way, but I liked that time better than the times available if I had booked directly. Also, if we had any delays getting into Juneau, I thought booking through Princess they’d work to get us off the ship as quickly as possible to make the tour time. Not much difference, but was also picked up right at the dock instead of having to meet at the Red Dog Saloon as is done with direct bookings. It was a great excursion. Other than wearing longer socks to accommodate the glacier boots, everything you need is provided by Northstar. Everything is well run, and safety is a priority. Everyone enjoyed our first helicopter ride, and the “blue ice” and views on the glacier were so unique. Requested to be dropped off downtown and got a bite to eat at the Red Dog before doing some shopping and returning to the ship. Wanted to listen to Libby Riddles, but didn’t make it back to the ship before her talk at 7:00pm.

 

SKAGWAY

 

What a quaint, old-fashioned looking town. Probably my favorite port town. Had prebooked the Yukon Horseback Riding with Southeast Tours from 10:30 to 4:30. However, because the Sapphire had been arriving late in Seattle, Princess adjusted their times in Skagway to leave for Victoria at 5:00 instead of the original 5:30. So instead of having to be onboard at 5:00, the gangway was scheduled to close at 4:30. I contacted Southeast Tours in Juneau explaining my nervousness at the new departure time, not leaving room for any delays. They said they would adjust our tour start time to 10:00 and have us back to the ship by 4:00. Despite reading a few negative comments about Southeast Tours, my experience with them was extremely positive. There were nine of us riding in a small, comfortable van with large viewing windows. The driver was very talkative and gave us a lot of information during the drive to and from Emerald Lake. He was very aware of our tight schedule, but still were able to make several stops along the way for photos. After the tour he dropped us right off at the railroad dock instead of in town. As anticipated, the horseback riding with Joni was enjoyable. Our day there was overcast, but the views were still impressive. The horses were well behaved and navigated the trails, sometimes at the top of a slope, with ease. You also get to do a fair amount of trotting, which was fun for the whole family.

 

VICTORIA

 

Had originally planned to do the city Tour with Tea at the Empress Hotel through Princess. However, decided to cancel the tour and just walk around town on our own. Shopped in a few stores before stopping at the Veranda Restaurant at the Empress for some drinks and views of the harbor before returning to the ship. The hanging baskets add a nice touch to the city. Encountered very friendly people. Would definitely go back again to explore more of Victoria.

 

DISEMBARKATION

 

Didn’t feel like packing before going to Victoria, so just decided to keep our luggage and use the express disembarkation on Sunday. Felt it was a good choice since we didn’t have to hunt for our luggage and were on our way by 7:45. Disembarkation did not start right at 7:00, but once it did we got off the ship very quickly. Since we were the first group to leave, I don’t know how disembarkation went the rest of the morning. Overall it was a great first cruise, met or exceeded all my expectations!

[emmysmom]

Thanks for posting your review - it was very enjoyable to read! :) Glad you had a great time in Alaska. Skagway was our favorite port last year - renting a car this year to drive to Emerald Lake. We are very excited to cruise next month on the Sapphire's sister ship! :D

[JTcruiser]

Redrobin - Thanks so much for posting your review. We'll be sailing on the Sapphire next July with DDs ages 17 and 21 at cruise time! All of your great info re: Sapphire and excursions will come in handy!!

[catmand]

Thanks for taking the time to post, I enjoyed reading your review. Our first cruise was a Seattle round trip on Star, our last was a 12 day from San Francisco, we are now looking forward to a third trip to Alaska. So glad you had a good cruise.

[Italy52]

Thanks for posting your review of the Sapphire, I really enjoyed hearing all about your cruise. We sailed the Sapphire May 22-29 and and had a wonderful time. We did the Seattle/Seattle itinerary. Since we were not able to get all the way into Tracy Arm and see glacier viewing, we decided that we will just have to take another Alaska cruise to remedy the situation :). Next May, we will cruise the Island from Whittier to Vancouver. Although we will go to some of the same ports, we'll have a couple of glacier opportunities that we didn't get on the Sapphire.

 

Wanted to ask you how far Woodinville was from Seattle? Is there anything to see there besides wineries?

 

Thanks in advance for your reply, and welcome back.

[JPEvans]

I was also on this cruise. One thing I didn't do was bring a winter coat. Tracy Arm was freezing, and all I had was a windbreaker. But Princess is smarter than I am. They set up a makeshift giftshop in the Lido, So I got my jacket :-)

[redrobin]

Thanks for posting your review of the Sapphire, I really enjoyed hearing all about your cruise. We sailed the Sapphire May 22-29 and and had a wonderful time. We did the Seattle/Seattle itinerary. Since we were not able to get all the way into Tracy Arm and see glacier viewing, we decided that we will just have to take another Alaska cruise to remedy the situation :). Next May, we will cruise the Island from Whittier to Vancouver. Although we will go to some of the same ports, we'll have a couple of glacier opportunities that we didn't get on the Sapphire.

 

Wanted to ask you how far Woodinville was from Seattle? Is there anything to see there besides wineries?

 

Thanks in advance for your reply, and welcome back.

 

Italy52,

I agree, I would be ready to cruise again tomorrow to Alaska! There's so much to see that you won't run out of new things to do on a second, third... visit! Enjoy your next cruise! To answer your questions, and for others who may be interested, Woodinville is a small community about 20 miles NE of Seattle off of 405, about a 25 minute drive to downtown Seattle. The over two dozen wineries in the area have made it a wine lovers destination. Check out www.woodinvillewinecountry.com. The Willows Lodge can be part of a romantic getaway in the area, www.willowslodge.com. On site they have a spa, the Barking Frog restaurant, and offer evening fireside wine tasting. You can also book various types of inclusive packages. On the same grounds as the lodge is the well known Herbfarm Restaurant, www.theherbfarm.com. I haven't eaten there, but would love to give it a try on a really special occasion. It offers 9 course meals with 5-6 wines included that run $160-$190/person plus tax and tip. The lodge is located on the Sammamish River, and I believe kayaking, biking/walking trails, and horseback riding are available. Also in the area, a company called Over the Rainbow offers twice a day balloon flights, www.letsgoballooning.com. Molbaks Nursery, www.molbaks.com, is a 16-acre greenhouse and nursery that people who are interested in that come to visit. Finally, the Spirit of Washington Dinner Train, www.spiritofwashingtondinnertrain.com, has a 3 1/4 hour round trip excursion from Renton to Woodinville that includes a 3 course meal and a 45 minute stop at the Columbia Winery in Woodinville. If anyone has time, it's a nice place to visit while in Seattle before or after a cruise, or it can be a vacation getaway on it's own.

[Italy52]

Thanks so much for the detailed information on Woodinville. We relocated to Washington State one year ago tomorrow and are still trying to explore all aspects of this place. Lots to do and see. DH recently mentioned that he would like to take a trip to "W" and see what was there. Sounds like a nice place to spend the day, or even the night.

[flgirl]

Thanks for the review. I went on the cruise a week before you. Do you have any pictures of the family suite?

 

You can check out my pictures on the link below.

[alwalaska]

Sapphire Princess Review 7/10/05-7/17/05

 

Alaska Inside Passage – Seattle/Seattle

 

Part 2

 

...

SKAGWAY

 

What a quaint, old-fashioned looking town. Probably my favorite port town. Had prebooked the Yukon Horseback Riding with Southeast Tours from 10:30 to 4:30. However, because the Sapphire had been arriving late in Seattle, Princess adjusted their times in Skagway to leave for Victoria at 5:00 instead of the original 5:30. So instead of having to be onboard at 5:00, the gangway was scheduled to close at 4:30. I contacted Southeast Tours in Juneau explaining my nervousness at the new departure time, not leaving room for any delays. They said they would adjust our tour start time to 10:00 and have us back to the ship by 4:00. Despite reading a few negative comments about Southeast Tours, my experience with them was extremely positive. There were nine of us riding in a small, comfortable van with large viewing windows. The driver was very talkative and gave us a lot of information during the drive to and from Emerald Lake. He was very aware of our tight schedule, but still were able to make several stops along the way for photos. After the tour he dropped us right off at the railroad dock instead of in town. As anticipated, the horseback riding with Joni was enjoyable. Our day there was overcast, but the views were still impressive. The horses were well behaved and navigated the trails, sometimes at the top of a slope, with ease. You also get to do a fair amount of trotting, which was fun for the whole family.

 

...

How long was the actual horseback riding part? Was is simply nose to behind trail riding, or did the horses actually have space between them? Could a novice go?

 

Thank you so much for the review. It has had several helpful hints for me.

[alwalaska]

Again thanks for the wonderful review. I have another quick question. How many would the family suite sleep? We have 4 adults and 2 teens.

 

Thanks.

[Lynda90]

Thank you so much for sharing your cruise with us. It made me feel as though I was right there with you. I did the same cruise last year on the Diamond and would do it all over again in a heartbeat. Welcome to the wonderful world of cruising.:D

[redrobin]

Thanks everyone for the comments! As for your questions, flgirl, I'm not much of a camera person, and took very few pictures on the ship. I have 2 shots of the suite, but I'm not technically savy either, and don't know how to post them. :( They actually wouldn't be too helpful, because they are just of the bedrooms, which I think look like any other bedrooms in a regular cabin. I'll try to describe the suite, it looks pretty much like the diagram on princess.com, but not exactly the same. Don't know why, maybe to make the suite appear bigger, but the diagram has some extra furniture - an extra table and chair in the inside bedroom (which I couldn't see fitting), two extra chairs in the living area (there was one, a second one could have fit comfortably), and the two lounge chairs on the balcony (which would have been large enough to accomodate them). If you look at the Sapphire, you can see that the balcony is curved and is solid, not see through like other balconies. The suite is basically a connected mini-suite and an interior room with the living area double the size of that found in one mini-suite. There are two separate bedrooms in the suite, each with a separate entrance, which was nice. Both bedrooms had beds that could be set up as a double or two twins and each had a refrigerator. The main bedroom had a bath just like a mini-suite, with a shower/tub. The second bathroom had just the shower. Both bedrooms had a tv, as did the living area. The living area had two sofas, a coffee table, two end tables, a chair, a counter area with storage cabinets. There was a door between the inside bedroom and the living area, which we closed at night to have some privacy from the kids. Enjoyed looking at your photos. In comparing the family suite to the owners suite, the family suite did not have a wet bar, a jacuzzi/separate shower, or dining table with chairs. Having two bedrooms and two baths, there is less living area in the family suite. alwalaska, not certain how may the family suite can sleep. Saw a picture somewhere online of the Caribbean Princess family suite, I believe, and it had two pull down beds in the interior room. The Sapphire family suite did not have those. As I said, there were two sofas in the living area, since we didn't need them, I don't know if they were sleeper sofas. It would be doable, but, of course, at night the living area would be tight with the bed/s open. You wouldn't get the suite perks, but you might consider getting two side by side mini-suites to get pretty much the same set up, with the advantage of having both bathrooms having the shower/tub combo. Since I didn't pay for the suite, I don't know what the price difference would be.

[redrobin]

alwalaska,

You may have it already, but you can check out the tour operator at www.southeasttours.com, and Emerald Lake Ranch at www.yukonhorses.com. Especially since I booked some of my tours independently, and being my first cruise, I read all the comments on these boards, but then also contacted each operator directly with any other questions. Joni said she has been working with Southeast Tours for six years, and that they also bring people to her ranch for Crystal Harmony cruises. She's found them to be very reliable, and Dave from Southeast said they have never missed a cruise ship departure. Before I had decided to do the horseback riding, I had also considered Frontier Excursions in Skagway for an excursion to the Yukon, www.frontierexcursions.com. Was in contact with Jeanne from Frontier Excursions. I did not take a tour with them, so I have no first hand experience, but from my contact with the company, I got the impression that it was professional and well run. I had also considered renting a car to drive to Emerald Lake, but being my first cruise and first time there, decided I'd rather let someone else do the driving. I did, however, print off Murray's road log to Emerald Lake and also referred to it as we make the drive. For those who don't know it, if you drive yourself, you can also book the horseback riding directly with Joni. Just be aware of the time change.

As for the horseback riding, the actual riding time was almost two full hours. The horses were saddled and waiting when we got there. After a quick stop in the bathroom we headed out. Following the ride we went to the "cookhouse" for soda and baked goods, but didn't linger because of our time schedule. Joni's horses are a variety of sizes. She told me that they've been together for years and work well together as a team. She takes people of all ages and experiences, and has smaller horses and saddles for children. I don't know how much she varies the trip based on the riders. Most of our group was not too experienced. In fact, my husband had never ridden a horse. At the beginning of our ride, we had three or four extra riders and an extra guide following behind us. They must have come to the ranch on their own, I believe for a shorter ride. After about an hour they went a different way with the second guide, while our group continued on with Joni.

You follow definite trails through the woods, sometimes on the outside of the woods with views overlooking the scenic area. Part of the time you are nose to behind, but each horse goes at its own pace, so sometimes your horse goes more slowly, but then trots to keep up. I don't know when they had rain last, but the one thing I did notice was that some parts of the trail got pretty dusty, especially if you were one of the last riders. Novice riders are fine for the ride, but you do need to be able to work with the horse. If I thought I'd be too nervous or uncomfortable around the horses I wouldn't go. For instance, at one point in our ride I saw one new rider kicking the horse so it would go forward, while at the same time pulling back on the reins. The horse didn't know whether to go forward or back! Likewise, if you gave the horses to much rein, they liked to trot down the hills. New riders especially needed to be sure to pull back going down hill so you didn't go faster than you wanted to. Let me know if you have any other questions!