Live From The Sapphire Princess October 15, 2023 R/T to Hawaii

[Woobstr112G]

2 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Sabatini’s suite breakfast is different than at dinners when one is assigned to your table.  Everyone pitches in and it is excellent service.  I tip each person and the Assistant Manager.  
 

I asked the Assistant Manager how come the CB has breakfast on the last day and this is what he told me.

Since the restart (not on the Grand for me earlier), he said the Room Service was overwhelmed by Suites ordering breakfast.  So Princess decided it was easier to keep breakfast at Sabatini’s.  Not sure this is across the fleet.  Bob, will Sabatini’s be open on disembarkation morning.

 

@Woobstr112G, thank you so very much for doing a live report.  I’ve appreciated your bigger print and enjoyed your writing style.  

 

 

I will ask today at breakfast......

Bob

[Woobstr112G]

17 hours ago, san diego sue said:

Bob since you mentioned tips I will ask you.

The last cruise we were on we had a full suite.Rarely do we cruise in full suites. We enjoyed Sabatinis every morning for breakfast.

The staff working were incredible ladies all from the Ukraine. The last day before the cruise ended and final breakfast at Sabatinis, we tipped all of the ladies the same amount , no matter what their duties were. They all seemed surprised that we tipped them ( and we were generous). What really shocked me was that morning the restaurant was pretty empty. The regulars that we saw every morning never showed up. For the incredible service and this being Suite guests, I was surprised.I know extra tipping is optional but these ladies really made our cruise. Enjoyed the wonderful start of the day with them.  We were made to feel special. It was a 19 day cruise.

Bob what is done usually regarding tipping here. I know you mostly enjoy the Suite Life.

 

Hi Gloria. Holli & I always tip extra for the wonderful suite breakfast service we receive. I have also noticed on past cruises that the final Sabitins breakfast experience can have sparse attendance. We have also seen this when we have been in a non suite on the final dinner night in the MDR. I know tipping is a personal decision, but we ALWAYS tip extra to the dine staff for the wonderful service we've received.....

 

Bob

[travelin.sisters]

8 hours ago, Woobstr112G said:

A big ooooops on my part. In my earlier morning post I reported that today was our last full sea day before arriving in Ensenada. I also lamented about loosing an hour tonight (which we are). Well I didn’t just go one hour ahead, I went a whole day ahead. What a big dummy I feel like as A little while ago, while at dinner, I was reminded that we have one more full sea day before we reach Ensenada. I feel like a big dummy…..

 

Bob

Bob, I believe that on a cruise one can move sea days around at will as long as you don't miss any important dinner reservations, hair appointments & are ready (sadly) to get off the ship for the next people to get on...& it is always better to discover you have an extra day left than to suddenly realize you are closer to disembarkation than you thought...or blame it on the cold medicine

[TN Shipmates]

@Woobstr112G May I say Sir- you are a delight. You are giving all of us so much information, answering Q's,  and such an enjoyable reading experience. I hope my husband Joe and I are lucky enough to cruise with you someday. We are boarding as you get off on Sunday and wish you and your wife were staying on with us. Thanks again for your wealth of information and enjoy your last days at sea and happy future reporting!! 🚢

[MustangGT]

@Woobstr112G - we have so enjoyed your Live from the Sapphire!  We will be boarding in April for a 32-day RT LA to Hawaii and the South Pacific.  Our first time for the Sapphire and we can’t wait!

If it’s not a bother, can you check to see if Coke Zero is available?  Some cruisers are reporting mixed results depending on the ship.  We usually bring some for DH when we board and replenish at ports.  Since our 32 days include 22 Sea Days, finding Coke Zero in port might be a challenge 😁

Enjoy the rest of your cruise and all the best to you and Holli! ⚓️🛳️🛟🚢🪝

Edited October 28, 2023 by MustangGT

[PacnGoNow]

46 minutes ago, MustangGT said:

@Woobstr112G - we have so enjoyed your Live from the Sapphire!  We will be boarding in April for a 32-day RT LA to Hawaii and the South Pacific.  Our first time for the Sapphire and we can’t wait!

If it’s not a bother, can you check to see if Coke Zero is available?  Some cruisers are reporting mixed results depending on the ship.  We usually bring some for DH when we board and replenish at ports.  Since our 32 days include 22 Sea Days, finding Coke Zero in port might be a challenge 😁

Enjoy the rest of your cruise and all the best to you and Holli! ⚓️🛳️🛟🚢🪝

I’m not Bob, but I just asked the Beverage manager on the Sapphire and he said, no.

They carry diet coke caffeine free or Sprite zero.

That’s the normal on the ship.

Sometimes, a ship may get different sodas in a port when they pick up supplies.

[MustangGT]

13 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

I’m not Bob, but I just asked the Beverage manager on the Sapphire and he said, no.

They carry diet coke caffeine free or Sprite zero.

That’s the normal on the ship.

Sometimes, a ship may get different sodas in a port when they pick up supplies.

Thanks for the response!  Guess we will be BYO!

[beach_fever_4ever]

Are you allowed to bring plastic bottles of water onboard? 

[d9704011]

1 minute ago, beach_fever_4ever said:

Are you allowed to bring plastic bottles of water onboard? 

As long as they are sealed.

[Woobstr112G]

Regarding Sabatinis being open for breakfast on turn around day. Per one of the waiters it is in fact open on turn around day. Hours are 0630 to 0900. Not sure if this a fleet wide thing…..

 

Bob

[travelin.sisters]

3 hours ago, beach_fever_4ever said:

Are you allowed to bring plastic bottles of water onboard? 

actually the passage contract says you can't (only beverages in cans & wine)...some people have been able to but the official answer is no...you can buy 12 bottles for about $7 pre cruise & it will be delivered to your cabin

[Woobstr112G]

2 hours ago, Woobstr112G said:

Regarding Sabatinis being open for breakfast on turn around day. Per one of the waiters it is in fact open on turn around day. Hours are 0630 to 0900. Not sure if this a fleet wide thing…..

 

Bob

That is of course for the Suite only breakfast.....

 

Bob

[DiRonT]

2 hours ago, Woobstr112G said:

Regarding Sabatinis being open for breakfast on turn around day. Per one of the waiters it is in fact open on turn around day. Hours are 0630 to 0900. Not sure if this a fleet wide thing…..

 

Bob

We were on Discovery in August and it was open on disembarkation day also.

[abbydancer2003]

3 hours ago, Woobstr112G said:

Regarding Sabatinis being open for breakfast on turn around day. Per one of the waiters it is in fact open on turn around day. Hours are 0630 to 0900. Not sure if this a fleet wide thing…..

 

Bob

We were on the Caribbean Princess last month (Bob, I fondly remember all our dinners together last time we were on the ship) and while we were in Reserve Mini, our friends were in a full suite, and after the cruise he emailed me to say he saw us leaving from Sabatinis, but didn't have a chance to say goodbye, so on the Caribbean as well.

[chamima]

On 10/27/2023 at 11:11 PM, PacnGoNow said:

Has anyone else’s MDR dinner service slowed way down since our HNL stop?  Savoy is our MDR.  Thinking maybe the kitchen is short staffed?  Maybe it’s just our waiters?  Or, maybe it’s just me? 🤣

We did exchange a lot of crew in HNL.

Just curious.

 

Maybe the new crew is still kind of in training?

[Woobstr112G]

Good morning from the Sapphire Princess. It is 0505 ship's time as we near our last port stop of Ensenada. We will arrive in Ensenada at 0800 and depart for our journey home at 1630. Well the dreaded last full sea day before the end of the cruise is here. I always get a little bummed out on this day as this time tomorrow, we will be readying ourselves to disembark this wonderful ship. We don't plan on getting off the ship and hope to finish up our packing after breakfast. We will then leisurely enjoy the rest of the day onboard. I'm pretty much done packing and Holli only has her garment bag to finish up on. 

 

Last night for dinner we just hung out on the cabin and ordered from room service. One thing I would do, if I had any influence with Princess, is to expand the menu to have more variety in the selections. What they currently have is acceptable it's just I'd like to see more offerings that would benefit cruisers on longer voyages. 

 

Today as mentioned earlier, we plan to enjoy Sabatinis for breakfast one last time. I know that they are open tomorrow, but we like to linger at breakfast and would feel too rushed if we were to go their for breakfast on disembarkation day. For dinner tonight we will also plan to dine in Sabatinis one last time so we can enjoy a fantastic meal and bid farewell to our favorite waitstaff.

 

Tomorrow after we disembark the ship, we plan on staying overnight at the Hilton Doubletree before beginning our drive home to northern Arizona on Tuesday morning. 

 

This will probably be my last regular post. I might pop in later, before we disembark, to answer a question or to add a quick observation or two. I really enjoy doing these live from threads so I can share my love of cruising with everyone on Cruise Critic. 

 

Today's entertainment is as follows. NFL football will be broadcast on MUTS at 1000. The game will be between the Los Angeles Rams and the Dallas Cowboys. The next game on MUTS will be the Cincinnati Bengals vs the San Francisco 49's at 1300. The Cleveland Browns vs the Seattle Seahawks will be broadcast in the Explorer's Lounge also at 1300. The Chicago Bears will play the The Los Angeles Charger on MUTS at 1715. Acoustic Guitar and Vocals with Vangelis Tzatsos will be in the Piazza at 1600. He will also be in the Wheelhouse Bar at 1915 and 2015. Diamond Strings Duo will be in the Piazza at 1745 and 1845. Janusz Bator will be in the Wheelhouse Bar at 1815. Andy Morris will be in Crooners at 1930 and 2230. The Farewell Variety Show will be in the Princess Theater at 2030. Moondance Duo will be in the Wheelhouse Bar at 2115 and 2215. Lastly, ther will be a Farewell Party in the Paizza at 2130. 

 

Well that's all for now. Look for me next September when we'll hopefully 🤞 be on the new Sun Princess for its maiden Trans Atlantic. 

 

Hope all are well.....

 

I wish everyone Fair Winds and a Following Sea.

 

Bob

[ceilie1]

Thank you so very much for sharing your cruise with all of us.I have always enjoyed following along with both you and Holli.

Smooth sailings, 

Erin & Bob

[memoak]

3 hours ago, Woobstr112G said:

Good morning from the Sapphire Princess. It is 0505 ship's time as we near our last port stop of Ensenada. We will arrive in Ensenada at 0800 and depart for our journey home at 1630. Well the dreaded last full sea day before the end of the cruise is here. I always get a little bummed out on this day as this time tomorrow, we will be readying ourselves to disembark this wonderful ship. We don't plan on getting off the ship and hope to finish up our packing after breakfast. We will then leisurely enjoy the rest of the day onboard. I'm pretty much done packing and Holli only has her garment bag to finish up on. 

 

Last night for dinner we just hung out on the cabin and ordered from room service. One thing I would do, if I had any influence with Princess, is to expand the menu to have more variety in the selections. What they currently have is acceptable it's just I'd like to see more offerings that would benefit cruisers on longer voyages. 

 

Today as mentioned earlier, we plan to enjoy Sabatinis for breakfast one last time. I know that they are open tomorrow, but we like to linger at breakfast and would feel too rushed if we were to go their for breakfast on disembarkation day. For dinner tonight we will also plan to dine in Sabatinis one last time so we can enjoy a fantastic meal and bid farewell to our favorite waitstaff.

 

Tomorrow after we disembark the ship, we plan on staying overnight at the Hilton Doubletree before beginning our drive home to northern Arizona on Tuesday morning. 

 

This will probably be my last regular post. I might pop in later, before we disembark, to answer a question or to add a quick observation or two. I really enjoy doing these live from threads so I can share my love of cruising with everyone on Cruise Critic. 

 

Today's entertainment is as follows. NFL football will be broadcast on MUTS at 1000. The game will be between the Los Angeles Rams and the Dallas Cowboys. The next game on MUTS will be the Cincinnati Bengals vs the San Francisco 49's at 1300. The Cleveland Browns vs the Seattle Seahawks will be broadcast in the Explorer's Lounge also at 1300. The Chicago Bears will play the The Los Angeles Charger on MUTS at 1715. Acoustic Guitar and Vocals with Vangelis Tzatsos will be in the Piazza at 1600. He will also be in the Wheelhouse Bar at 1915 and 2015. Diamond Strings Duo will be in the Piazza at 1745 and 1845. Janusz Bator will be in the Wheelhouse Bar at 1815. Andy Morris will be in Crooners at 1930 and 2230. The Farewell Variety Show will be in the Princess Theater at 2030. Moondance Duo will be in the Wheelhouse Bar at 2115 and 2215. Lastly, ther will be a Farewell Party in the Paizza at 2130. 

 

Well that's all for now. Look for me next September when we'll hopefully 🤞 be on the new Sun Princess for its maiden Trans Atlantic. 

 

Hope all are well.....

 

I wish everyone Fair Winds and a Following Sea.

 

Bob

If you are in a full suite you should be able to order anything from the nightly dinner menu in MDR from room service by calling

[waltd]

I think Bob was looking for a bigger selection then what they have on the menu now.

Bob and Holly have been traveling in Suites for years.

[crusdiva]

Hi Bob,

Thanks for taking us along on your journey. I always enjoy your insights. Enjoy your sea day and safe travels home to you and Holli.

[ocean sounds]

7 hours ago, Woobstr112G said:

This will probably be my last regular post. I might pop in later, before we disembark, to answer a question or to add a quick observation or two. I really enjoy doing these live from threads so I can share my love of cruising with everyone on Cruise Critic. 

Thank you for sharing your cruise with us! 

[memoak]

3 hours ago, waltd said:

I think Bob was looking for a bigger selection then what they have on the menu now.

Bob and Holly have been traveling in Suites for years.

Are they advocating for expanded MDR menus ?  I was wondering if they had ordered off of the app rather than the MDR menu

[Woobstr112G]

1 hour ago, memoak said:

Are they advocating for expanded MDR menus ?  I was wondering if they had ordered off of the app rather than the MDR menu

I was referring to the app. Food choices are kinda limited…..

 

Bob

[memoak]

5 minutes ago, Woobstr112G said:

I was referring to the app. Food choices are kinda limited…..

 

Bob

They are very limited. My issue with full suites room service is that all courses come at one time. Talk about an issue with temps

[Woobstr112G]

25 minutes ago, memoak said:

They are very limited. My issue with full suites room service is that all courses come at one time. Talk about an issue with temps

That’s exactly why we very very rarely order from the MDR menu for delivery to our suite….,

 

Bob