Just back from Voyage of Glaciers - Sapphire Princess - not a happy chap!

[Thrak]

35 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Enjoy your cruise.  I think you will miss not having your laptop on such a long cruise.  At least chime in once in a while.  

 

Actually I had said this will be the first time I am taking my laptop. 63 days seemed like a long time to be away from it. 🙂

 

I always take my tablet but I use it for reading. I hate typing on tablets and phones. I can't look at a keyboard and type very well. I learned to type in school and looking at the keyboard rather than the screen (or, in those days, the paper) is foreign to me. I'm jealous of the young folks who can just zap out stuff on the phone but being able to touch-type helped me a lot in my working life. I always say that typing turned out to be the most valuable thing I learned in high school.

[milogurd]

5 hours ago, lucywestie said:

Disembarking started off well but our whole group "Gold 04" walked right past all our luggage before I asked an employee where our luggage was located. No signs and nobody pointing our group in the right direction. Pretty shabby, get off the ship and get the next load on board.

You can't blame Princess for that issue. From the moment you step off the ship gangway, Princess employees are not in control. It is in the hands of the cruise port employees.

[BamaVol]

I was on Sapphire Princess the first half of your 14 day.  I am sorry your experience was not satisfactory.  We had a different experience.  Our balcony cabin was well maintained and didn’t show its age. We dined in the Savoy every night. Mario, in fact (and Luigi), stopped by our table every night and asked our opinion of the food.  Because of a dietary restriction, my meals were prepared special.  The DRM took my order and gave me her recommendations, which I sometimes followed. All meals were delivered hot and I enjoyed the flavors.  It was not gourmet food, but comparable to any better chain or independent restaurant. On Italian night, the DRM cooked penne with arrabbiata sauce by our table and I thought it was excellent, although I told her I make mine spicier.  She said she does at home but gets in trouble if she does that onboard. I generally eat seafood and know better than to order a Princess steak. But, as they say, YMMV and it appears yours certainly did.

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, milogurd said:

You can't blame Princess for that issue. From the moment you step off the ship gangway, Princess employees are not in control. It is in the hands of the cruise port employees.

Not so fast IMO.  Princess is hiring and paying for the services, so they ought to be setting minimum service level standards.  And there generally is at least one PCL ship person down there supervising or whatever.  This has been my observation. 

 

I have no experience with Vancouver port, but as far as North America goes, I have had nothing but respect for the ground crews in Port Everglades.

[Steelers36]

6 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

While I love the design and features of the Grand/Gem Class ships, Princess really does need to retire all of the ships built prior to Ruby and Emerald. And even those are suspect. The difference in design and condition of the Royal Class ships and soon to be Sphere Class is just way too stark for Princess to charge the same fares to sail on 20+ year old ships. And I have no idea whether top tier crew members like head chefs and MDR managers have any say in where they are deployed, but if they do, it is logical to expect that the best of the best choose to work on the newer ships leaving a talent gap on the older ships. It’s naive to think that crew quality does not impact the overall cruise experience. 

Princess used to assign top personnel for new major ship launches, so IDK why they wouldn't still do the same for Sun Princess next year.  I imagine a lot of ship personnel will be hopeful to get assigned there.  I imagine top DRO, Chef, Hotel Mgmt, CD/ED, etc, will go to that ship.  Not to mention the two Captains. 

 

3 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

I do too. Or, at least, I did. But it is crystal clear that Princess is neglecting these older ships while it builds and updates its newer ships. Just looking at the tile, grout, fixtures and mirrors of the Grand Class ships reveals how little Princess cares about them. Every non-suite bathroom on these ships needs to be gutted and remodeled. But that will never happen. 

It is sad to see this happen.  I wonder if it is similar with other lines.  IIRC, our experience with older ships has been dated decor and not much they can do in cabins unless a complete do-over remodel. 

 

[Thrak]

We have, so far, only sailed on one Royal Class ship - Royal Princess. I vastly preferred the Grand Class ships. The Atrium had far too much noise with bands playing and it really impinged on anything one wanted to do on the upper decks. I didn't like sitting in Crooner's and having the loud band playing below me. We did like the Princess Live! Cafe (although it's not a cafe...) as it was really convenient for my wife to grab her morning coffee without having to deal with a line down at IC. The design of Princess Live! itself was idiotic. We are booked on Discovery Princess for next April and I've noticed they have completely changed the design of that venue. It looks like it will be much better suited to the various activities held there. We are also looking forward to checking out Take Five and are hoping it isn't a disappointment.

[startedwithamouse]

6 minutes ago, Thrak said:

We have, so far, only sailed on one Royal Class ship - Royal Princess. I vastly preferred the Grand Class ships. The Atrium had far too much noise with bands playing and it really impinged on anything one wanted to do on the upper decks. I didn't like sitting in Crooner's and having the loud band playing below me. We did like the Princess Live! Cafe (although it's not a cafe...) as it was really convenient for my wife to grab her morning coffee without having to deal with a line down at IC. The design of Princess Live! itself was idiotic. We are booked on Discovery Princess for next April and I've noticed they have completely changed the design of that venue. It looks like it will be much better suited to the various activities held there. We are also looking forward to checking out Take Five and are hoping it isn't a disappointment.

You'll love both venues on the Discovery.  Take Five jazz and vibe is cool. Princess live is an updated version of the explorers lounge. 

[CruzeQueen2]

3 hours ago, Thrak said:

We have, so far, only sailed on one Royal Class ship - Royal Princess. I vastly preferred the Grand Class ships. The Atrium had far too much noise with bands playing and it really impinged on anything one wanted to do on the upper decks. I didn't like sitting in Crooner's and having the loud band playing below me. We did like the Princess Live! Cafe (although it's not a cafe...) as it was really convenient for my wife to grab her morning coffee without having to deal with a line down at IC. The design of Princess Live! itself was idiotic. We are booked on Discovery Princess for next April and I've noticed they have completely changed the design of that venue. It looks like it will be much better suited to the various activities held there. We are also looking forward to checking out Take Five and are hoping it isn't a disappointment.

@Thrak Enjoy your next adventure! Hoping to read some good reviews from you over the next two months. Since you will have your laptop with you, I'm sure that your posts will tell it like it is. As you told me when I met you in 2022 - you let your fingers fly, once you get started. I do the same...but only if it will be useful information to others! 

Bon Voyage, M! I met Thrak on Royal. A badge of honour for me.

[waltd]

Wow.   How things can change in 9 months.   We sailed the Sapphire for 33 days in December.   One of the best cruises we have taken.  Crew were top notch.  We ate in Savoy.   We hated to leave.

Hopefully your next cruise will be better. 

Edited September 24, 2023 by waltd

[charliedalrymple]

11 hours ago, Thrak said:

I hate typing on tablets and phones. I can't look at a keyboard and type very well. I learned to type in school and looking at the keyboard rather than the screen (or, in those days, the paper) is foreign to me. I'm jealous of the young folks who can just zap out stuff on the phone but being able to touch-type helped me a lot in my working life. I always say that typing turned out to be the most valuable thing I learned in high school.

 

Could not agree more!  We are a dying breed.  I'm fascinated by younger colleagues who can type with their two index fingers almost as quickly as I can with all ten.

[Coral]

2 hours ago, charliedalrymple said:

 

Could not agree more!  We are a dying breed.  I'm fascinated by younger colleagues who can type with their two index fingers almost as quickly as I can with all ten.

This is because they start as toddlers with two fingers and an iPad.

[Cruisemeister2002]

18 hours ago, dickinson said:

Sorry to hear that food on the ship and sometimes on land is not up to snuff.  It happens everywhere.  However, if things are as bad as you say, I would have sent it back.  That is how they know there is a problem.

Trouble is even if you send it back and they know rhere's a problem it's whether they do anything about it. Myself and wife went on a P&O cruise on Ventura, 35 nights to the Caribbean, Mexico and North America in March this year. Sadly the only cruise I have ever wished to leave at least 10 days before it docked in Southampton. It just went from bad to worse. Cabin changed the day before, upgraded to an outside rather than an inner, great. Pity that only ourselves and a few others seemed to know. But getting on to the subject of food definitely the worst we have had on any cruise and this was our 17th. Luke warm, custard thinner than water and soup and desserts no resemblance to description. The best four meals during the entire cruise were three at Sindu and one in the Beach house. Waiters always enquiring was there a problem, but despite various complaints food remained poor. To add insult to injury we had two glasses of Sauvignon Blanc one evening at dinner at it cost me £19.  

[Cruisemeister2002]

28 minutes ago, Coral said:

This is because they start as toddlers with two fingers and an iPad.

When I was at school I started with two fingers. The teacher clipped me round the ear. Can't think why ? 

[oskidunker]

17 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

Not by choice? Someone is forcing you?🤣

 

Food is so subjective.  I would not worry about it and go with a positive attitude.  IF there is an issue, please speak with the DRO/Maitre’d. 
 

Food is not subjective. It is bad. Cold food is not subjective. You are saying some people might find it hot?   Under cooked rawsteak can not be subjective Quit defending Princess.

Edited September 24, 2023 by oskidunker

[sunviking90]

We have found filling out the “how are we doing?” comment sheets left in our cabin the first few days to be surprisingly effective. 

[PacnGoNow]

31 minutes ago, oskidunker said:

Food is not subjective. It is bad. Cold food is not subjective. You are saying some people might find it hot?   Under cooked rawsteak can not be subjective Quit defending Princess.

FYI:  I am not a PCL cheerleader.
 

As the OP said also, food is subjective.

However, I agree the food should be hot and undercooked food should be sent back.

 

The taste or type of foods eaten can vary in opinions of guests.  Others have stated they’ve been pleased with the food, therefore different experiences.  
 

I was responding to a poster that was nervous now about their future cruise. 
 

Sorry you took it the wrong way.

 

[roadster08]

For the love of God, can we stop calling chicken parmigiana Italian food? It is Italian American food  and yes it is delicious when prepared properly but you will only find it in Italy in very touristy places if at all. Same with shrimp scampi and spaghetti with red clam sauce. All wonderful but originated in America. I can imagine the frustration of a trained Italian chef capable of preparing many fine Italian dishes who is told over and over again just make the chicken parm. 

 

It's like an American who is invited to a football game in Europe only to find out it is a soccer match. It may be a great experience but it is not what was originally expected. 

[terrierjohn]

18 hours ago, NavyVeteran said:

I love the Grand class ships. Most of my cruises are on the Caribbean and the Grand. I doubt that the crew there are any less experienced than on the newer ships. I wouldn't mind, however, if Princess decided to charge lower fares for those ships - I'd be happy to take advantage of them.

It's more likely that they will charge lower prices on the newer bigger ships, that's certainly the case in the UK with P&Os big 3, where the break even point is much lower because of the extra numbers, giving them much more flexibility with pricing.

[Guest ldtr]

20 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

While I love the design and features of the Grand/Gem Class ships, Princess really does need to retire all of the ships built prior to Ruby and Emerald. And even those are suspect. The difference in design and condition of the Royal Class ships and soon to be Sphere Class is just way too stark for Princess to charge the same fares to sail on 20+ year old ships. And I have no idea whether top tier crew members like head chefs and MDR managers have any say in where they are deployed, but if they do, it is logical to expect that the best of the best choose to work on the newer ships leaving a talent gap on the older ships. It’s naive to think that crew quality does not impact the overall cruise experience. 

Princess charges based upon the demand for each itinerary. If they charge the same then the demand is similar. If the difference was perceived as being as stark as you say then the demand would be less for the Grand Class ships and so would pricing.

[Guest ldtr]

2 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

FYI:  I am not a PCL cheerleader.
 

As the OP said also, food is subjective.

However, I agree the food should be hot and undercooked food should be sent back.

 

The taste or type of foods eaten can vary in opinions of guests.  Others have stated they’ve been pleased with the food, therefore different experiences.  
 

I was responding to a poster that was nervous now about their future cruise. 
 

Sorry you took it the wrong way.

 

I consider every steak my wife orders to be undercooked, though she considers it to be perfectly cooked. So even that might be subjective.

[HikaruTsuki]

21 hours ago, lucywestie said:

Yup, food is very subjective. Here in Canada I call going to the Keg steakhouse a good night out with decent food. Thats about where my food expectations lie!

 

For non-Canadians, The Keg is considered by a lot of people as a higher-end restaurant, so to call it "decent" provides a lot of context to this review. For another context, The Keg is one of my favourite restaurants and I consider myself very picky when it comes to steaks. 

 

I was on the Sapphire in April/May this year and thought the food was mostly really good. There were misses in the buffet (to be expected) and we found that the MDR quality was exceptionally better when we arrived at 5pm. Anytime we had dinner later, the quality declined significantly. The key is to time your meals to when they're at their most fresh. 

 

 

[BamaVol]

2 hours ago, ldtr said:

Princess charges based upon the demand for each itinerary. If they charge the same then the demand is similar. If the difference was perceived as being as stark as you say then the demand would be less for the Grand Class ships and so would pricing.

You beat me to the punch. The relationship between cost and price is tenuous, other than the need to make a profit.  The relationship between price and demand is much stronger.  

[sunviking90]

3 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

It's more likely that they will charge lower prices on the newer bigger ships, that's certainly the case in the UK with P&Os big 3, where the break even point is much lower because of the extra numbers, giving them much more flexibility with pricing.

We absolutely find the newer ships the be priced lower obviously due to higher numbers and operating costs. More bang for your buck in stateroom choices (couches!) too. Having said that, we prefer the older ships. Now that ships are back at capacity, we find the public areas always feel crowded on the newer ships.

[PescadoAmarillo]

On 9/23/2023 at 12:29 PM, JimmyVWine said:

While I love the design and features of the Grand/Gem Class ships, Princess really does need to retire all of the ships built prior to Ruby and Emerald. And even those are suspect. The difference in design and condition of the Royal Class ships and soon to be Sphere Class is just way too stark for Princess to charge the same fares to sail on 20+ year old ships. And I have no idea whether top tier crew members like head chefs and MDR managers have any say in where they are deployed, but if they do, it is logical to expect that the best of the best choose to work on the newer ships leaving a talent gap on the older ships. It’s naive to think that crew quality does not impact the overall cruise experience. 

OMG no! I almost choked on my lunch reading your post. If Princess ditches pre-Royal class ships heck, even if they hold onto the Ruby and Emerald- they are going to lose an entire segment of their customer base who don’t believe bigger and newer is better. 
 

As for crew quality on newer ships vs. older ships, there never was and will never be a better crew than those who worked on the Pacific Princess during its final years with Princess. And that was a 20+ year old ship. When the Royal first came out, we heard time and again from many crew members that they hated working on that class of ship because the the work was harder and the hours longer. It’s hard to believe that’s been improved on the newer ships. 
 

As for the condition of the Sapphire, I was very impressed with the public spaces and our cabin when we were on the ship in August. Yes, it has the dreaded stinky shower curtain, but all current Princess ships do.  We had one drawer that stuck a little in our cabin,  but our mattresses were probably the best we’ve even had on Princess. I would cruise that ship anytime over any of the Royal Class ships. 

[RD64]

3 hours ago, HikaruTsuki said:

 

For non-Canadians, The Keg is considered by a lot of people as a higher-end restaurant, so to call it "decent" provides a lot of context to this review. For another context, The Keg is one of my favourite restaurants and I consider myself very picky when it comes to steaks. 

 

I was on the Sapphire in April/May this year and thought the food was mostly really good. There were misses in the buffet (to be expected) and we found that the MDR quality was exceptionally better when we arrived at 5pm. Anytime we had dinner later, the quality declined significantly. The key is to time your meals to when they're at their most fresh. 

 

 

Agreed - The Keg is “decent”.