Review: Sapphire Princess June 8-15 to Alaska

[Auntiejo]

Just back from the Sapphire Princess NB Voyage of the Glaciers June 8-15, with 3 days in Vancouver pre cruise and 3 days in Alaska post cruise. I’m not one to give blow by blow details of every day – I try and summarize things by category so you can go straight to what you’re looking for if you don’t want to read everything. Spoiler alert – it was an AMAZING trip and exceeded our expectations! I’m 51, hubbs is 60. This was our 14^th Princess cruise but first time ever to Alaska. I learn so much from these Boards and try to give back by sharing my experience after a cruise so here goes. One very fortunate thing for us was that we had incredible weather. Aside from rain in Ketchikan, which is almost inevitable, it was sunny and mostly cloudless and temps ranged from 57-68 during our time in Alaska. Being from LA we were so worried about the cold but we lucked out - this was very unusual weather for that many days in a row. 

 

VANCOUVER PRE CRUISE

We flew in a few days before to explore this amazing city and it did not disappoint! It had been raining for 2 ½ weeks straight prior to our arrival so we were really lucky to have 75 degree, sunny weather during our entire stay. We stayed at the Blue Horizon Hotel which we were very very happy with – incredible location and walking distance to almost everything. Everything in Vancouver is expensive in the summer and we felt that this hotel was very nice for the price compared to other prices we considered. The staff was exceptional and we were lucky enough to get a top floor view. We had too many amazing meals to count throughout the city and the people were incredibly friendly. Daytime activities included Stanley Park biking, Capilano Bridge Park, a Gastown food tour and Granville Island. Embarkation from here wasn’t as terrible as I’ve read but we did get there super early (9:30 AM). There was one other ship in port that day. From luggage drop to walking on board was about an hour and 15 minutes, which included about 25 minutes of sitting and waiting to board after going thru check in and customs.

 

ITINERARY

We are kicking ourselves for taking so long to get to Alaska. There’s not really any words to fully describe the beauty we experienced. Just WOW. No pictures/videos/reviews could possibly do justice to this great and magical place! We just couldn’t believe how “in your face” the scenery was everywhere – even when sailing from port to port. If you are on the fence about going to Alaska – BOOK IT! The on board naturalist was terrific and we really enjoyed her lectures – this really enhanced the whole Alaska experience!

 

Here’s a port rundown:

 

Ketchikan – we did the Seahwak & Trail excursion…really enjoyed it despite the rain. They gave us full rain gear for the ride over on the Seahawk so we stayed dry. The hike was very minor – more of a stroll. The beach where we started the hike was just beautiful. Sailaway was 2 PM so we had no time to explore Ketchikan itself – really wanted to get to Creek St. but there just wasn’t enough time.

 

Juneau – Nice long day here. The sail out of this port is second to none! One of my favorite things about the cruise was the sailing between ports – I had no idea the majestic beauty that we would experience during these times! We poked around town for a bit in the morning – your typical tourist trap cruise ship town – nothing special unless you like to shop (we don’t). We did have lunch at the famous Tracy’s Crab Shack and it lived up to the hype. Best crab we ever had and the lobster bisque and crab cakes were wonderful too – highly recommend this place – get there early – there’s always a long line! In the afternoon we did the Whale Quest and Mendenhall Glacier excursion. Epic whale spotting (and again the weather was insanely great) – we witnessed 3 separate bubble net feedings and saw all kinds of whales and bald eagles. Mendenhall Glacier was beautiful and better than I expected – just crowded. Wish we had a little more time here to explore the Visitors Center, etc. We basically walked to Nugget Falls and back and that’s all we had time for but really enjoyed it.

 

Skagway – By the far the most charming town with lots of cool history – felt more authentic than the other ports. Unfortunately we were 1 of 4 ships in port that day, so the town was insanely crowded. First thing in the morning we did the White Pass Train ride – oh my wow, was it ever fun and beautiful. A must do for sure! We had lunch at Skagway Brewing Co for lunch – the mahi mahi fish and chips there are the best we ever had. In the afternoon we did the Chilkoot Trail Hike & Float adventure excursion. Our guide was amazing and we had a great time. Princess listed the hike as moderate, but it’s absolutely strenuous. The whole hike was uphill and mostly precarious granite steps – the guide told us before we started that it was much more difficult than the tour description suggests. Fail on Princess’ part! It was not an easy hike but we made it – we aren’t in amazing shape but decent shape – the hike was hard, period – but we enjoyed it. The group before ours didn’t make it and had to turn back – definitely not a hike for anyone with any injuries or breathing issues! The float part of the excursion was absolutely amazing – the scenery along the river was breathtaking and the water was very calm and soothing. The tour only had 7 people on it so that was a bonus!

 

Glacier Bay – The highlight of the cruise for sure! Again a cloudless sky – the scenery is just indescribable. Having the Rangers on board really made it special – and the Ranger that did the commentary was great – she didn’t talk too much, and almost always finished her segments with a quote or some kind of inspo to soak in the moment. It was a very moving experience. The Naturalist had suggested getting up early and being outside at 6 AM for wildlife viewing – we did that and saw 2 sea otters and that was it. If I were to do it again, I wouldn’t have gotten up that early. The epic scenery starts about 2 hours in. Live and learn. We saw almost no wildlife the entire day but others did see some – I think the key here is you have to stay in one spot most of the day and be vigilant w/ your binoculars. We bounced around a lot from balcony to open decks, to back of ship, etc. We did see tons and tons of calving – it was spectacular! They had a ramen station set up outside for lunch which was awesome and of course the coffee cart rolling around w/ all the fixings for a spiked warm treat out on deck.

 

College Fjord – We stayed put on the balcony for this – it was actually warm outside and this Fjord is really a hidden gem! The amount of glaciers in this one concentrated area is astounding. And Harvard Glacier put on a calving show that was off the charts! Dare I say that it’s even prettier than Glacier Bay – just smaller and a shorter time there due to it’s size – but way more glaciers. The Naturalist did commentary from the bridge - however the broadcast didn’t come thru so we were really disappointed – we were really looking forward to that! We ran into her after we left the fjord and told her we couldn’t hear her the whole time – she had no idea. We tried calling guest services multiple times to tell them but no one would ever pick up.

 

THE SHIP

Our last 6 cruises have been on Royal class ships which we love so we had some apprehensions about taking an older ship with less amenities for this cruise, but went with it because we really wanted this itinerary. We were really impressed with the condition of the ship – she doesn’t seem as old as she is by a longshot. Very well maintained and clean – super impressed. Yes most venues and the staterooms are dated, but they’re well maintained. It was nice to have the full wrap around Promenade deck and we had a lot of nostalgic memories come up of cruises long ago on these Grand Class ships so that was fun. We had a Dolphin deck mini suite and really enjoyed having the big balcony! Having the uncovered balcony was a risk but turned out great since we had such amazing weather. Overall service on the ship was probably the best we’ve ever had on any Princess cruise – it’s no wonder this ship wins so many service awards! Bar staff, servers, room steward – almost all of them – just terrific!

 

ENTERTAINMENT

This is the glaring letdown of the trip. The entertainment was the worst we’ve ever had on a cruise. The production shows were fine, but beyond that it was so bad that we couldn’t find a venue to go to before or after dinner most nights because the entertainers were so bad we couldn’t bare to listen to them. The house band was tolerable for some songs but overall yikes. Crooners performers, Piazza performers, Wheelhouse performers – just made your ears bleed. Typically Crooners and Wheelhouse are our favorite pre and post dinner spots – we couldn’t utilize either of them the whole week – the entertainment was that bad. Thankfully this isn’t a deal breaker since we didn’t go to Alaska for the ship entertainment but dang Princess, you’ve got to do better here! I also think they need to look at changing up some of the game shows – it’s the same games they’ve been doing for 25+ years and many of them have grown tired. They need some new activities in the Explorer’s Lounge (or Princess Live on Royal class ships)! We saw 3 different comedians – one was absolutely hilarious, the other 2 were not as entertaining but at least it gave us something to do with the other options being poor.

 

FOOD/BEVERAGE

As mentioned above, we really enjoy all the dining options on the newer ships so we definitely missed that but knew what to expect. We get the Premiere package and typically utilize a lot of Casual dining venues and eat at Specialty Dining restaurants almost every night. We knew it would be different on this ship. 

 

We ate at Alfredo’s 3 times – it was as good as ever although the limited menu did have us missing some of our favorites. The service there was not good even when they weren’t busy – I think that was the only poor service we experienced on board and it was that way all 3 times. The staff seemed a bit clueless in general and they weren’t friendly.

 

We had reserved Sterling for 2 nights and were sad about the change to Churrascaria. We went ahead and gave it a shot and it was not good. Service was off the charts but the food was so-so – meat very dry – and getting all the appetizers from the buffet was not what I expect from Specialty dining. The place was empty so I don’t think we were the only ones disappointed. We canceled our 2^nd reservation there.

 

Sabatini – we dined here twice – excellent food and staff as always and we loved being in the old school Sabatini décor/space (albeit dated) – brought back a lot of good memories!

 

MDR – We usually don’t dine much in the MDR but due to lack of options on this ship we had dinner there 4 times and I have to say the food and service were excellent each time! One night we did the upcharge for filet and lobster and it was every bit as good as CG. It was great to have such good experiences in the MDR because on our last 3 cruises, the service was downright terrible (short staffed) and the food was so-so. This cruise restores our faith in the MDR.

 

Bars - The wine selection was not great. I really wish they’d do better here – especially for the Premiere package peeps. I was excited to have a Vines on this ship as I so enjoyed the selection and wine flights there in the past – but this Vines is like a mini version and the selection was nothing special and when I asked about wine flights the server didn’t know what I was talking about. It’s just some tables with a counter with a few bottles of wine on it – there’s not even a bar or anything. As always, Good Spirits had the best drinks. The lead bartender there had a bit of an attitude which was unfortunate but the rest of the staff was great. Enjoyed great service from the poolside bar staff as well. We stopped by Crooners twice when there was no music going and the staff there was as great as ever.

 

POST CRUISE

After disembarking, we hired transport to Seward. Stayed at the Harbor 360 hotel for 2 nights. Seward is a funky little place – definitely has it’s own vibe. We did the Sealife Center which was just OK – wouldn’t do that again – very expensive for what it is – but in the end we chalked it up to supporting a great cause. The 2^nd day in Seward we did the 8 ½ hour Major Marine Boat tour thru Kenai Fjords – wow was this an amazing experience! Spotted 19 different types of wildlife and the crew was great – a very memorable day in every way! Highly, highly recommend.

We took the Alaska Railroad Coastal Classic from Seward to Anchorage – this was a spectacular experience! Every bit as scenic as the White Pass Railroad – different as it’s not up thru the mountains. We saw a moose, 2 bears, waterfalls, glaciers, mountains, etc. – it was amazing. We splurged on the Gold Star Service and felt it was worth every dime – the views up top with the glass dome are twice as good as the views from the lower cars, and Gold Star includes dinner and two drinks so once you factor that in, it’s not as expensive as you think (but don’t get me wrong – it’s expensive! LOL).

Stayed one night in Anchorage and flew home late the next day. We didn’t care much for Anchorage – kind of an old and depressing place. We spent some time downtown and did enjoy some good food at Glacier Brewing Co. and Wild Scoops Ice Cream. I think at that point after 2 weeks of being on the run, we were just ready to come home.

 

As I said in the beginning of this review – BOOK THE ALASKA CRUISE! Just do it! And do it early on! We started booking/planning in January and many things were sold out or almost sold out. The season is so short – you have to plan ahead!

 

 

Edited June 21 by Auntiejo

[cr8tiv1]

Beautifully done review. 

[Auntiejo]

14 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Beautifully done review. 

Thanks so much. I hope it can help people in their planning since I received so much good intel from these forums. 

[Paula_MacFan]

We disembarked from the Sapphire the day you boarded, and our ship experience was similar to yours. We did an 8-day land tour prior to the cruise which was very enjoyable. We found the ship to be in good condition overall and a nice change from our recent Royal class cruises frankly. The one thing that stood out to us, like you, was the entertainment. We enjoy live music venues in the evening and struggled to find many good options. Otherwise the food was good and we had generally good weather.  We had a great time in the ports and on the land tour.

 

I agree with your comments about planning ahead and booking early. I compared prices a couple months before our trip and had we waited longer to book we would have paid $5,928 more and many things would have been sold out.

 

Glad to hear you had a similar experience. Thanks for the review!

Edited June 22 by Paula_MacFan

[Auntiejo]

1 hour ago, Paula_MacFan said:

We disembarked from the Sapphire the day you boarded, and our ship experience was similar to yours. We did an 8-day land tour prior to the cruise which was very enjoyable. We found the ship to be in good condition overall and a nice change from our recent Royal class cruises frankly. The one thing that stood out to us, like you, was the entertainment. We enjoy live music venues in the evening and struggled to find many good options. Otherwise the food was good and we had generally good weather.  We had a great time in the ports and on the land tour.

 

I agree with your comments about planning ahead and booking early. I compared prices a couple months before our trip and had we waited longer to book we would have paid $5,928 more and many things would have been sold out.

 

Glad to hear you had a similar experience. Thanks for the review!

Sounds like our experiences were very similar. Holy moly re: the price increases closer to your trip! Glad you had such an awesome time like we did! Such a relief after the propulsion debacle a few weeks prior. We are so happy everything worked out.