Srphnx live on Sapphire instead of Diamond for once

[Flintstone]

[quote name='JimandLouise']One of 4 pools or lunches??[/QUOTE]
More than likely...lunches. I believe Steve subscribes to the 7 meal a day plan :p :D while cruising!!!
Enjoy, Steve!! At least they have lots of time to replenish the ship before we get there!!!

Deb

[srphnx]

[b][color=black]Posting from the cyber cafe in Ketchikan, yes the pic is live from Sapphire, I took it uploaded it and you CAN send from laptops but not from the ships PC, there will be more of the ship and ports on this thread as we get a chance the water continues to be GLASS SMOOTH, polished glass in fact.[/color][/b]

[nho9504]

[quote name='srphnx'][font=Times New Roman][size=3]
[font=Times New Roman][size=3]We had, lunch by the pool (one of four) cheeseburger and fries, saving room for dinner(s). First dinner was Sterling, fillet mignon, prime rib, onion rings, lobster bisque, caeser salad, shrimp cocktail and apple pie and sorbet, the princess sorbets are not to be missed. After the show we were off to second dinner in Santa fe, a good veal bowtie pasta, caeser salad, shrimp cocktail, chips and quacamole and kaluah rice pudding..[/size][/font]
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You mean you can go to PC dining rooms twice on the same day ?! So you ate early at Sterling, then after show ate late at Santa Fe. Did you make reservations at both or only the Sterling ? They did not check that you already had your dinner earlier ?

Thanks for the postings. Enjoy it very much.

[sue d. miller]

And I missed it!!! :(

[taxatty]

[font=Arial Black][color=blue]And I thought my five meals a day was a lot! :D [/color][/font]

[font=Arial Black][color=blue]Les[/color][/font]

[Flintstone]

Steve...
For an early dinner...do you still need reservations in PC?
Also, I know you like to board early like we do. Was your room ready?

Have a great time!!! I'm sooo jeleous!!!

Deb

[catmand]

thanks for all the information, and your time, we have about 24 days and 24 hours to sail-a-way. Does she have that "new car smell"?

[srphnx]

[font=Times New Roman][size=3]First sea day was formal night and I broke out the trusty tux, Seafille wore her all black outfit and looked like a million bucks in new crisp $50’s. I have to say that there was very lax enforcement of the dress code/suggestion/appropriate attire and am very glad that such things are very minor to me on a cruise. I would guess that less than 10% of men wore tuxes, about 60% in suits and the remainder were in jacket or shirt and tie, or no tie at all. There was even one couple in jeans. The trend towards casual is clear for all to see now with no real hope of it reversing soon. I will continue to dress up because of the way it makes Seafille feel but it clearly isn’t required.[/size][/font]

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[font=Times New Roman][size=3]We also got to the future cruise desk and booked 5 new opens, bringing my total to 6. I did so in my name only so they were only $100 each. Still haven’t made it to bistro service in the HC late at night but the week is young.[/size][/font]

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[size=3][font=Times New Roman]Ketchikan comes into sight about 6am the sun isn’t up all day and all night as it is early in the season like our May cruise. We live in the sun, 104 and hot when we left, cloudy cool and threatening rain is heaven to us and although we never got any real rain we did get a bit of drizzle. We hit the cyber café, caught up on email, ebay and banking and make a couple of calls. For future reference, there is a company that has cafes in all the stops on an inside Alaska cruise $5 and hour and decent connections, be sure you ask because that way you can save the time for the next stop. We hit Ketchikandies.. a true local confectioner and although pricey very good. Bought some sundries and odds and ends, knowing that shopping is better in both Juneau and Skagway we are keeping out powder dry.[/font][/size]

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[size=3][font=Times New Roman]Back to the ship early, had a nice lunch at the International which is notoriously hard to find as it is only found from the aft elevators. We indulged ourselves in a real treat which was to lay in deck chairs on promenade and people watch and doze for most of the afternoon. [/font][/size]

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[font=Times New Roman][size=3]Sapphire is a very nice ship, we had a lengthy chat with the supervisor of the deck hands a fascinating man from England who had many, many great inside stories and appreciated us taking an interest in his duties. One such tidbit is the fact that security is handled by ex-ghurkas, a group widely known for its proficiency in winning any conflict the encounter.[/size][/font]

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[Lynda90]

[b]Thanks for the post, Steve. We miss your wit throughout the day. Look forward to your posts. Where did you eat and what did you have on the first formal night?[/b]

[paulli]

We happened to be out and about on our boat on Sunday as Sapphire Princess departed Elliott bay. It was a beautiful day. A few photos posted at [url]http://www.cruise-addicts.com/picturepost/view.php?uid=2482[/url].

[NASH99]

[QUOTE]One such tidbit is the fact that security is handled by ex-ghurkas, a group widely known for its proficiency in winning any conflict the encounter.[/QUOTE]
[COLOR=Purple]I guess with all the food & shows they put out they do not have the funds to hire ex-Marines. :D
Thanks for the live review as I may never cruise Alaska.
Steveo[/COLOR]

[Baroo]

I guess this answers the question, "How many people can fit in a shower onboard the Sapphire/Diamond princess?": one!

[Jeepers385]

[b][color=blue]Steve, keep the info coming, can't wait we're on the Sapphire 10/2. [/color][/b]

[b][color=#0000ff]PS, I can't tell DH about eating one time and going to dinner a couple of hours later, he used to bring 2 pant sizes w/him now it's just one size. I don't think I could take anymore shopping.:p [/color][/b]
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[b][color=#0000ff]Debbie[/color][/b]

[cactusrose]

Srphnx,


This is great. It's almost like being there with you. Can't say that I could keep up with your food consumption, but I could try:D . Thanks for all the info.

[NitaBcruising]

[quote name='paulli']We happened to be out and about on our boat on Sunday as Sapphire Princess departed Elliott bay. It was a beautiful day. A few photos posted at [url="http://www.cruise-addicts.com/picturepost/view.php?uid=2482."]http://www.cruise-addicts.com/picturepost/view.php?uid=2482.[/url][/QUOTE]
[b][size=3][color=indigo]Thanks for sharing these pics! Wow, the one with the Space Needle is great. How totally appropriate for Seattle! :D [/color][/size][/b]

[NitaBcruising]

[b][size=3][color=indigo]Steve, thanks for your updated posts! I'm enjoying your almost daily review! I also enjoyed the pics. Post more of Alaska, please!!! [/color][/size][/b]

[donap]

Hi Steve and Toni,

Wishing you both a great cruise and lots of lobsters.

Do you stop in Victoria on the way back down? If so, try not to miss the tea at the Empress Hotel, much better than the one on the Diamond, of course except for the company.

Have fun,

Steve and Dona

[twocats]

Help someone please??
When I try to view the photos I can only see one. I can't understand what step I am missing to see the others. Probably something easy know my lack of expertise on the computer. Carole

[juggledude]

[quote name='srphnx'][font=Times New Roman][size=3] Our habit is to get there early and make the terminal a part of our cruise, we always find the others who also get there as early are just as excited and ebullient about cruising as we are and the lines are fertile soil in which to plant the seeds of cruising friendships.[/size][/font]
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Steve, (as I understand your name to be),

Well Met! I must give you a grand Huzzah! for so eloquently phrasing an experience I have enjoyed a time or two myself, and eagerly await the chance meeting we are bound to have on a future cruise. All the more so, should we unwittingly cross paths without a previous cc exchange.

I envy your frequency and must admit to being intrigued by the novel idea of a dual supper, I had previously only taken advantage of the Horizon Court to satisfy this particular culinary craving, but you, sir, have enlightened me. Indeed, why not take advantage of the superior service and atmosphere available in the various pc dining rooms to double the 'per captia' gourmond experience? I shall endeavor to impliment this upon my upcoming Sapphire cruise (9/22) and give you credit where credit is due!

I do have one question germain to the "onboard the Sapphire" thread title, if you can spare a moment from your experience to investigate this matter, I will eternally be in your debt......

We have booked minisuite, catagory AC on the Dolphin Deck, # D732 (aft, port side)......

The doc's, cruise personalizer, and any online information I can obtain, refer to this minisuite as having "twin beds, in twin configuration" .... the princess cruise personalizer goes so far as to state "unconvertable twins". As a happily married man, traveling with his wife of 13 years and 9 year old daughter, I am distraught to find myself in a sleeping arangement reminiscent of Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, circa 1957. I have called Princess no fewer than 6 times on this matter, and each time I am assured by the representative that while the computer for some mysterious reason will not allow them to configure this particular cabin as "Queen" , the matter will be easily resolved on board with a request to my cabin steward.

Alas, with yet another call to Princess due upon the 'morrow, I turn to you in this late hour to possibly shed some light upon this mystery..... Indeed, will the twin beds in D732 convert to a queen as in all the other minisuites, or is there some perverse design factor which will have me sleeping with a teddy bear to supply the needed cuddle factor, while I revert to a tirade upon the purser (on this sold out ship) to supply me with the promised sleeping arrangements?

I know, short of knocking on the door of D732 you may have no hope of answering this question, but I'm gambling on your 5000+ poster status to say that you just may have the huevos required to do just that!

I make no further request for or against this strategy, and will humbly accept whatever tidbit of information you can toss my way, but let me say that you shall acquire a loyal and trustworthy ally should you come through in my time of need.

Now, off to post this as it's own thread, in hopes of finding the truth of the matter, cruise critic is always more "real" than the 1-800 mouthpieces of the cruise industry!

Untill we sail together,...

Juggledude

[crusdiva]

Carole,
If you're referring to Steve's links to a photo in this thread, I think Steve has only posted one or two pictures. So you are probably seeing everything he's posted thus far. I think the "views" number after the link refers to the number of times someone has looked at that photo. I don't think you're missing a step -you're seeing everything he's posted so far. Hope this helps. ;)
Sharon

[1cruiselvr]

The cruise personalizer will say 'nonconverting twins' until you have your TA tell Princess you would like the beds put into a queen configuration. If you have booked with Princess directly, you can call and tell them. Then you will see the personalizer change to 'queen bed'. Nonconverting twin is their default bed configuration until told otherwise. Even if you didn't contact Princess beforehand, the cabin steward can reconfigure the beds after you board, just let him know. [b][color=magenta][i]Happy Sailing![/i][/color][/b]

[juggledude]

1crslvr,

Yes, the funny thing is though, I HAVE called princess, repeatedly, and for some reason, in this cabin, they are unable to update the status of these beds. They assure me that the cabin steward will be able to convert the beds upon request, but I am just a little worried about the inability to get their computer to accept this request pre-boarding.

Juggledude

[sue d. miller]

The cabin is definately convertable. In the brochure, it has a little * next to cabins that do not convert. There is no star. Just a red circle for quad!! :)

[cnmiranda]

Juggledude, we had a cabin just a few doors down from yours on the Diamond Princess, our beds were placed together upon arrival, I have no doubt yours will be the same:) I saw the same message and was concerned too. When we arrived everything was in order. They just sick some kind of bed joiner object in there. Have a great trip:)

[srphnx]

[size=3][font=Times New Roman]Dinner was outstanding at Vivaldi, best service we have had thus far, confirming my suspicions that the rooms that don’t attract the crowds. Both Sterling and Pacific Moon get busy early, as it was Italian night we used counter intuitive thinking and went to the Italian room on Italian night assuming that most people would avoid it. The baked eggplant and osobucco was really great also the shrimp Diablo was wonderful. We had our dainty half dozen desserts and off to the comedian who did a predictable set on relationships (hint all men are overly amorous and all women love to shop). We had a nice snack at HC and then back to the cabin for a late night movie. [/font][/size]

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[font=Times New Roman][size=3]Sapphire does Tracey arm early in the day and starts into it at 6 am. Here is a shock, it is cold on a windy deck in Alaska near a huge sheet of ice. We braved the cold until 8 saw the glacier which wasn’t out of reach due to ice this trip which is was last time on Diamond. We passed Diamond at sea as we left the tracey arm area. There was much waving and blowing of ships horns as the two ships passed. The sun is out, you can’t buy weather like this, shiny and clear. The air is rich with lung refreshing smells. I am always struck with the way breathing just feels different on an Alaskan cruise. We get to Juneau at 1:00 and a meeting with Largin and Mrs. Largin.[/size][/font]