Sapphire Princess Farewell Cruise March 31 - Not the Princess we know and love

[karatemom2]

Just home from our Spring Break getaway on the Sapphire Princess and feeling the need to vent a bit which has never, ever been the case on any of our prior Princess cruises. We are true Princess fans and have really never felt disappointed in any of our cruises. And let's face it, there isn't a bad cruise - as far as I'm concerned any day cruising beats real life.

 

But I'm sad to share that we did find this cruise to be a letdown. We were so excited to be back on the Sapphire again for her final voyage here before heading to an entirely new market in Asia. We love the Sapphire and Diamond and my son and husband had a great time on their short Sapphire cruise in January that my daughter and I had to miss out on due to schedule conflicts.

 

We had heard rumblings of changes aboard over the past few weeks as the ship was being prepared for a new customer base. Feeling a little concerned about what to expect, I placed a call to Customer Service to ask if we should expect any limited services and was assured nothing would be amiss. Specifically I inquired about the Casino as that is very important to my DH and again I was told that we would find everything just as he had found it in January.

 

So off we went on Monday, full of excitement and at first everything seemed status quo with the exception of a few shops that were clearly being converted. A walk through the Casino put my husband's mind at ease as his beloved Craps table was just as he had left it. So imagine his shock later that evening when he walked into the Casino, cash in hand ready to gamble the night away, only to discover that between boarding and that evening the Craps table had disappeared and in its place were new tables covered with plastic wrap which would remain unused for the entire voyage. In fact, the entire Casino appeared to be undergoing a major transformation. When he inquired with the Casino manager he was told that in fact the Craps table had been removed that very afternoon even though the new tables were not even going to be opened. For my DH it was a pretty big blow. To a non-Craps player it might seem trivial, but for him it is a major part of his cruising enjoyment. It would be comparable to someone who loves sweets being told that the ship would not be serving desserts for that cruise.

 

So that was the first and biggest blow. Honestly had we known, we never would have booked as much as we love Princess and wanted to cruise on the Sapphire one last time. We had considered both Carnival and Norwegian as alternatives for this Spring Break as they both had 7 day Mexican Riviera cruises available. But we really wanted to stick with Princess so compromised on the shorter cruise.

 

DH was pretty bummed, but we always try to make the best of even a disappointing situation. We had a minisuite for the first time with an inside cabin across the way for my daughter and her friend. The extra room was very nice, but oh my, we were not prepared for the tub/shower. It is always a challenge for my 6'7" husband and son, but because the tub sits high and the showerhead is low, they pretty much had to bend in half to shower. Also, the fold out sofa proved very uncomfortable for DS. He actually requested to have the upper bunk brought down for his last two nights as it was more comfortable for him. And the big balcony was nice, but we prefer a bit more cover. I'm glad we tried the minisuite, but even though the sitting area was nice we would likely never book one again. I like the Caribe Balcony rooms much better.

 

On the upside I am happy to report that the food was wonderful and the entertainment was terrific. As always, we really enjoyed Alfred and Seymour and the production show cast was top notch. Really great singers and dancers in this group. Trivia was fine, the usual stuff, and our room steward did a very nice job.

 

However, the rest of the cruise felt so strange and unfamiliar. The Casino was a bust for DH, the shops were changing over to high end luxury brands way over my budget and it was clear the crew was in transition as well. I have never before been on a Princess cruise where I really felt such a strange vibe. Perhaps it was because so many of the servers were new or in training, but there really was a sense that this cruise was just a filler until the real passengers arrived on the next voyage. With a few wonderful exceptions, most of the crew we encountered were not friendly, engaging, helpful or eager to serve at all. I can't believe how many times I was actually ignored or felt I was an imposition. Even just a friendly question as to where to find the brown sugar in the buffet was met by a dismissive arm wave and a terse reply, "It's over there!". I never found it by the way and gave up on my oatmeal and headed to the International Cafe instead. In the Piazza I never once was able to get a server to take my drink order while seated at a table, and instead ended up walking up to the bar and waiting to be noticed in order even to get a soda.

 

Maybe everyone is just really stressed about the repositioning or maybe many of the new crew is feeling intimidated by lack of experience or language barriers, but I honestly felt like a nuisance. It's like this little three day cruise was a throw away before the big event and everyone was just going through the motions. I'm guessing that it might be comparable to the last cruise before drydock or first cruise after.

 

All that being said, we still love Princess and are looking forward our cruise on the Star this summer. But knowing what we know now, we would not have taken this cruise and would have opted for one of the full week trips on another line instead. It was a learning experience and I would never book another cruise right before a major repositioning.

[Colo Cruiser]

Sorry to hear of these shortcominigs. We sailed the Sapphire earlier in March and saw the writing on the wall. And the detailed Sapphire threads that appeared after we returned and more CCer's sailing found more and more in disarray.

I look at this as sailing before and after a dry dock, but extended. Princess is trying to continue making $$ by sailing rather then loose $$$ in an extensive drydock and taking the ship out of service all at the passengers expense :(. This is really too bad, because its been going on for 3 months now getting worse and worse with every cruise.

 

Glad you made the best of it. How does your hubby deal with his height on all the other Princess cruises?

[karatemom2]

Glad you made the best of it. How does your hubby deal with his height on all the other Princess cruises?

 

When you are as tall as my husband and son, you go through life making the best of tight spaces! The regular showers on Princess are tight, but a better fit from the standpoint of space between the showerhead and floor. The tubs are raised off the floor and as such quite a bit higher which made a difference. In fact, while showering my son accidentally pulled the emergency cord trying to maneuver his way under the showerhead and we got a concerned call from the front desk!

 

Beds are a bit short, but that's the story of his life. And I am constantly reminding my DH and DS to "Watch your head". They have had a few hard knocks over the years from low hanging doorways and light fixtures! But compared to flying anything but first class, which is not in our budget, cruising still is the most comfortable form of travel for my tall guys!

[COMBOY]

Well....I hate to say this, but Asia is now where the $$$ is and Princess is moving ships over to Asia to cater is this new cruising market. I'm going to assume that Craps isn't that popular in Asia vs games like Pai gow, etc. and Princess is rearranging the casino to accommodate Asian gamblers before leaving for Asia. I'm sorry for your husband disappointment. The Diamond, Sapphire, Sea, Sun & Dawn are now doing cruise from Japan, China, Singapore and Australia. But don't worry, Princess will still have plenty of US based cruises (with Craps) as newer ships are coming online like the Regal.

[Colo Cruiser]

When you are as tall as my husband and son, you go through life making the best of tight spaces! The regular showers on Princess are tight, but a better fit from the standpoint of space between the showerhead and floor. The tubs are raised off the floor and as such quite a bit higher which made a difference. In fact, while showering my son accidentally pulled the emergency cord trying to maneuver his way under the showerhead and we got a concerned call from the front desk!

 

Beds are a bit short, but that's the story of his life. And I am constantly reminding my DH and DS to "Watch your head". They have had a few hard knocks over the years from low hanging doorways and light fixtures! But compared to flying anything but first class, which is not in our budget, cruising still is the most comfortable form of travel for my tall guys!

 

 

I agree that tub wall is really high. I wondered how someone with mobility issues raises their leg over that? :(

[hpeabody]

Karatemom2, Your post just makes me want to cry. I did my "farewell" cruise on the Sapphire the first week of February and at that time many of the changes were evident, but not as advanced as on your cruise. It is so sad to lose the lovely Sapphire Princess. :( As I said in my post on another thread, we need a NEW BUILD similar to Grand class to replace her. No Mega ships please.

[Kmkub]

Karatemom2, Your post just makes me want to cry.

 

+1. This review feels like it was a falsely advertised cruise, especially since you called and got assurance that it was the full experience.

 

Are you going to file a complaint with customer service?

 

Kudos for making the best of it. My husband would also be disappointed at the lack of a casino, but he, too, would just deal and move on.

 

(It's one of the main reasons that Disney isn't on our bucket list of other lines... if we ever get to that list is still TBD.)

[AndyTheK]

I agree that tub wall is really high. I wondered how someone with mobility issues raises their leg over that? :(

They don't! No way we could book a regular mini-suite. Accessible minis have a roll-in shower. But very few accessible cabins of any kind on a ship... have to book early.

[Colo Cruiser]

They don't! No way we could book a regular mini-suite. Accessible minis have a roll-in shower. But very few accessible cabins of any kind on a ship... have to book early.

 

I realize that. I was not referring to an accesible room as the OP did not have one. :)

[shredie]

We got off the Sapphire while you were getting on. My DH also had complaints about the casino. I think only about 40% of the slot machines were there (along with a bunch of homeless benches waiting for new machines to arrive.) DH remarked at dinner that he felt a bit ignored (as opposed to other cruises) when he had to flag down our MDR waiter to refill the wine glasses. In Alfredo's we were asked to wait an extra 30 minutes for our pizza because there was some problem in the kitchen. I agree that it felt like we were there to fill the ship until the real passengers arrived. Sad.

 

However, it was cruise, and we had fun, and the pizza in Alfredo's, when it did arrive, was delicious. P/E lounge in Skywalkers was as we always remember it: friendly, efficient staff. And since we had one of the working TVs, I got to catch up on some movies I missed.

[Cruisin' Chick]

So sorry to hear this latest cruise wasn't great, especially on the Sapphire, which we went on when it was just a few months old (in a sense), and just loved it.

 

And I know how much your hubby loves craps (I remember he's very good at it -- I never win at any kind of gambling so maybe that's why I don't even play lotto).

 

The girl's spring break is the week after next (which will be filled with tons of state testing:mad:), but she'll be busy working on coursework in between all the doctor visits I've scheduled for then. Probably no cruises for us for a couple of years (depending on what college she gets into and how much that costs, I guess).

[LEtue]

Very sad. I can't believe that Princess would do that with passengers on board that should be able to expect the same wonderful cruising experience as in the past :mad:

 

Thanks for the post so we can all learn from your experience!

[AzJenn]

I agree with OP, I went a few weeks ago and having read everything on cc, I was prepared to experience some differences. I think for my group the food in the buffet wasnt the usual high princess quality, and I was disappointed with the shops.

 

It's definitely something to think about for future cruises if the ship is turning over. I'm not a gambler however one of my friends that went is and he was highly disappointed.

[riclop]

Just home from our Spring Break getaway on the Sapphire Princess and feeling the need to vent a bit which has never, ever been the case on any of our prior Princess cruises. We are true Princess fans and have really never felt disappointed in any of our cruises. And let's face it, there isn't a bad cruise - as far as I'm concerned any day cruising beats real life.

 

But I'm sad to share that we did find this cruise to be a letdown. We were so excited to be back on the Sapphire again for her final voyage here before heading to an entirely new market in Asia. We love the Sapphire and Diamond and my son and husband had a great time on their short Sapphire cruise in January that my daughter and I had to miss out on due to schedule conflicts.

 

We had heard rumblings of changes aboard over the past few weeks as the ship was being prepared for a new customer base. Feeling a little concerned about what to expect, I placed a call to Customer Service to ask if we should expect any limited services and was assured nothing would be amiss. Specifically I inquired about the Casino as that is very important to my DH and again I was told that we would find everything just as he had found it in January.

 

So off we went on Monday, full of excitement and at first everything seemed status quo with the exception of a few shops that were clearly being converted. A walk through the Casino put my husband's mind at ease as his beloved Craps table was just as he had left it. So imagine his shock later that evening when he walked into the Casino, cash in hand ready to gamble the night away, only to discover that between boarding and that evening the Craps table had disappeared and in its place were new tables covered with plastic wrap which would remain unused for the entire voyage. In fact, the entire Casino appeared to be undergoing a major transformation. When he inquired with the Casino manager he was told that in fact the Craps table had been removed that very afternoon even though the new tables were not even going to be opened. For my DH it was a pretty big blow. To a non-Craps player it might seem trivial, but for him it is a major part of his cruising enjoyment. It would be comparable to someone who loves sweets being told that the ship would not be serving desserts for that cruise.

 

So that was the first and biggest blow. Honestly had we known, we never would have booked as much as we love Princess and wanted to cruise on the Sapphire one last time. We had considered both Carnival and Norwegian as alternatives for this Spring Break as they both had 7 day Mexican Riviera cruises available. But we really wanted to stick with Princess so compromised on the shorter cruise.

 

DH was pretty bummed, but we always try to make the best of even a disappointing situation. We had a minisuite for the first time with an inside cabin across the way for my daughter and her friend. The extra room was very nice, but oh my, we were not prepared for the tub/shower. It is always a challenge for my 6'7" husband and son, but because the tub sits high and the showerhead is low, they pretty much had to bend in half to shower. Also, the fold out sofa proved very uncomfortable for DS. He actually requested to have the upper bunk brought down for his last two nights as it was more comfortable for him. And the big balcony was nice, but we prefer a bit more cover. I'm glad we tried the minisuite, but even though the sitting area was nice we would likely never book one again. I like the Caribe Balcony rooms much better.

 

On the upside I am happy to report that the food was wonderful and the entertainment was terrific. As always, we really enjoyed Alfred and Seymour and the production show cast was top notch. Really great singers and dancers in this group. Trivia was fine, the usual stuff, and our room steward did a very nice job.

 

However, the rest of the cruise felt so strange and unfamiliar. The Casino was a bust for DH, the shops were changing over to high end luxury brands way over my budget and it was clear the crew was in transition as well. I have never before been on a Princess cruise where I really felt such a strange vibe. Perhaps it was because so many of the servers were new or in training, but there really was a sense that this cruise was just a filler until the real passengers arrived on the next voyage. With a few wonderful exceptions, most of the crew we encountered were not friendly, engaging, helpful or eager to serve at all. I can't believe how many times I was actually ignored or felt I was an imposition. Even just a friendly question as to where to find the brown sugar in the buffet was met by a dismissive arm wave and a terse reply, "It's over there!". I never found it by the way and gave up on my oatmeal and headed to the International Cafe instead. In the Piazza I never once was able to get a server to take my drink order while seated at a table, and instead ended up walking up to the bar and waiting to be noticed in order even to get a soda.

 

Maybe everyone is just really stressed about the repositioning or maybe many of the new crew is feeling intimidated by lack of experience or language barriers, but I honestly felt like a nuisance. It's like this little three day cruise was a throw away before the big event and everyone was just going through the motions. I'm guessing that it might be comparable to the last cruise before drydock or first cruise after.

 

All that being said, we still love Princess and are looking forward our cruise on the Star this summer. But knowing what we know now, we would not have taken this cruise and would have opted for one of the full week trips on another line instead. It was a learning experience and I would never book another cruise right before a major repositioning.

Come to Vegas where there are PLENTY of craps tables.

[louanne93]

I would be so angry about the casino! That is one of the things that I love to do. It would be like a drinker finding out there is no booze on the cruise! I don't drink but I do gamble. It sounds like they were trying to get a two'fer! Get the ship ready for Asia while making the same amount of money at the same time :mad:

 

I would expect the same level of activities and service as every other Princess cruise I took.

[RickEk]

So sorry that you were disappointed in your cruise. We got off the cruise before you and I really had no real complaints. There were certainly changes going on and we were prepared for them, so it wasn't a problem. I found the crew to be actually quite attentive. Our steward was great and the waitstaff that we encountered in the restaurants were just fine. There was certainly some training going on, but that happens all the time. Most of the crew that I talked with said that they were would be onboard till the end of the summer.

[RNGALNG]

So sorry to hear this latest cruise wasn't great' date=' especially on the Sapphire, which we went on when it was just a few months old (in a sense), and just loved it.

 

And I know how much your hubby loves craps (I remember he's very good at it -- I never win at any kind of gambling so maybe that's why I don't even play lotto).

 

The girl's spring break is the week after next (which will be filled with tons of state testing:mad:), but she'll be busy working on coursework in between all the doctor visits I've scheduled for then. Probably no cruises for us for a couple of years (depending on what college she gets into and how much that costs, I guess).[/quote']

 

We just paid our last tuition check this semester! Yes, money was tight, but we still found, saved, went on cheaper cruises once a year while our daughter was in college. It can be done! DH was also taken into the office last November, after working for the company for 36.5 years, and given a surprise retirement! Two weeks to get everything in order and he was out! Good by, so long!

 

He spent the winter in retirement and just started a new job this past Monday. We were looking forward to more cruising but will wait till he can stock pile more money and we are a little older. We will for now, go once or twice a year again until he really retires!

 

You too will find opportunities to cruise during this wonderful growing time for your child! Congratulations and enjoy!

[karatemom2]

+1. This review feels like it was a falsely advertised cruise, especially since you called and got assurance that it was the full experience.

 

Are you going to file a complaint with customer service?

 

Funny, that's exactly what my DH observed is it felt like bait and switch or false advertising. We have registered a complaint with customer service and are awaiting a response.

 

Come to Vegas where there are PLENTY of craps tables.

 

Yes we used to be Vegas regulars in our younger years, pre-kids and pre-cruising, but it just isn't our thing anymore. Part of the reason we grew to love cruising is it allowed my DH to have his gambling fun, but offered a better experience for the rest of the family than Vegas plus all the great ports. So that's why this cruise was so disappointing for DH because he really looks forward to the Casino action.

Edited April 4, 2014 by karatemom2

[SadieN]

I agree that tub wall is really high. I wondered how someone with mobility issues raises their leg over that? :(

 

Mom doesn't have mobility issues but she said at times she sat on the edge and turned around. The ceiling over the tub is so short, I was able to touch the ceiling. I'm under 5', I can never touch any ceiling.

[caribill]

When RCCL relocated the Mariner of the Seas to Asia, they did a three segment cruise from Galveston to Singapore.

 

On all three segments there was construction going on for changes for the Asia market including the casino being closed for much of the first segment.

 

On two of the three segments RCCL gave OBC to every passenger to compensate of the inconvenience. Both the fact there would be construction and that there would be OBC was announced in advance of the cruise.

[karatemom2]

Very interesting caribill. It sounds like RCCL really did their transition in a more thoughtful and customer friendly way.

[mrstmaxx]

We were on the same cruise and I totally agree with OP The Sapphire was our first Princess ship and we were excited to be on her last one out of LA But what a huge disappointment!! :( And I had the same situation with brown sugar for my oatmeal - arm wave 'it's over there' I did find it but I was somewhat taken about by the attitude.) And we were totally ignored the first morning at breakfast. We sat outside for 20 minutes and not one person came by to offer drinks. I finally went inside and asked one of the waiters if he could get us drinks outside. His response: 'Outside? Outside??' I said yes, outside. We've waited 20 minutes and no one has come by. So I went to get breakfast and came back and still no drinks. After a few choice words to myself (out loud because I was not happy) I stormed inside and got them myself. I know I should have said something to one of the dining room manager but I was so mad I didn't want to start hollering or crying. And we too felt very dismissed by the crew. And we normally do go to the casino's to play the slots but there were very few there. It was very disappointing to see the changes that affected the passengers. The only good thing about the cruise (well, other than we were on a cruise and not at work :o) was the band. They were really good and I've never seen that many people dancing. This hasn't turned us off Princess (we have 4 cruises booked) but I really didn't feel welcome on this cruise)

[Cruisin' Chick]

We just paid our last tuition check this semester! Yes, money was tight, but we still found, saved, went on cheaper cruises once a year while our daughter was in college. It can be done! DH was also taken into the office last November, after working for the company for 36.5 years, and given a surprise retirement! Two weeks to get everything in order and he was out! Good by, so long!

 

He spent the winter in retirement and just started a new job this past Monday. We were looking forward to more cruising but will wait till he can stock pile more money and we are a little older. We will for now, go once or twice a year again until he really retires!

 

You too will find opportunities to cruise during this wonderful growing time for your child! Congratulations and enjoy!

 

Hubby can retire, but he wants to make sure he can get another job (even part time) first. Our original plan was that as he retired, I would go back to work, but the job market, of course, is not that great. Plus, on his retirement medical plan, we would lose coverage for our daughter, who has a chronic condition, so we would have to find a plan for her.

[phonejock]

To karatemom2,

I am sorry your cruise was not as promised. I understand your complaint about the casino. If my DL's favorite table ( 3 card poker) was not there, he would not have been happy. Just a suggestion... I would write a letter or email to Princess explaining what you were promised and what actually happened. Perhaps they will give you some sort of credit. Nothing ventured nothing gained. All the best.

[WehoAtlantis]

That is too bad that you felt this way about the Sapphire. We were on the 4 day cruise before yours and we had a great time. We did notice the shops and casino were obviously in a transition. But I agree, the food was very good and personally I thought the service was too. Especially in the Crooners bar which was our second home as it was on Diamond.

 

--Mike