Jason Petty

Age: 29
Occupation: Consultant
Number of Cruises: 3
Cruise Line: Princess
Ship: Sapphire Princess
Sailing Date: June 11th, 2004
Itinerary: Victoria B.C.

If after reading this review you have any questions about the ship, please feel free to email me directly at jpetty007@msn.com .

The “official” maiden voyage of the Sapphire Princess sailed for week long trip to Alaska on Sunday June 13th. This two night sailing that we went on was a “pre-maiden” voyage for the weekend that took us from Seattle Washington to Victoria B.C. and back. We sailed on Friday June 11th and returned on Sunday June 13th. The ship was christened in Seattle on June 10th.

There is no arguing that the Sapphire Princess is a gorgeous, and massive, ship. This was my 3rd cruise (my wife’s 4th) and our first Princess cruise. We had previously cruised with Royal Caribbean and Carnival. We fully explored the ship the day we boarded, moving from one deck to the other until we reached all 18…yes 18 DECKS!! Like I said, this ship is massive. We have been on one bigger ship, Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas, but when you’re talking 113,000 vs. 138,000 Gross Tonnage, they are both big.

On the second night as we returned to Seattle, we met up with the sister ship to the Sapphire, the Diamond Princess. With helicopter circling (I imagine he was taking video or still shots for promotional advertising) we joined up for an hour or so and cruised together side by side. It was an incredible experience. Some of the crew onboard the Sapphire had spent time on the Diamond helping to get her ready to sail back in March and had many friends onboard. Some of them were visibly overjoyed and videotaped the experience. They really do take a lot of pride in their ships and service. With crowds cheering back and forth from each ship, and ship’s whistle’s blowing, we made a short journey together as both of Princess’ “jewels” were together for the first time.

Overall Review of Ship:
We truly were the first people to sail on the ship, other that the crew that was on it for its voyage from Japan where it was built. I have never been on a ship so new that you could smell the new carpet in the stateroom hallways and new leather on the couches and armchairs in the Wheelhouse Bar. The mattress in the room was so new and firm, it was like sleeping on a brick, but that was to be expected. Everything was SO CLEAN! The Casino didn’t even have that “smoky” smell to it…yet. However, we did spend an hour on the last night in the Casino, and even while fully crowded, the ventilation system in there is fantastic as it didn’t smell that bad at all. The décor of the ship isn’t too ‘Vegas Style” which I found nice. Often cruise ships tend to lean more on the gaudy side of décor, but Princess did a fabulous job picking out the colors and fixtures. With a ship of this size, my wife was really hoping for some more shopping options. I feel that Princess could have dropped one of the MANY bars around the Atrium and added a couple of more shops. Other than the gift shop, there was a jewelry shop, a liquor store and a perfume store. This is a beautifully built ship. Even fully booked, as we were with over 2,600 passengers, we did not feel crowded once!

Stateroom:
We had a private balcony room (one of 750 of them) on the Aloha deck (A200). Our room was port side and 3 staterooms from the front of the ship. We could actually sit on our balcony and watch the captain steer the ship because of Princess’ bridge design that sticks way out on either side. It was a ‘standard’ size room that you would expect. The shower was small, but nice in the fact that it had great water pressure and a massage shower head on it. There is plenty of closet space and lots of hangers.

The Princess Theater:
The Princess Theater had plenty of seating and was very comfortable. They could have had a few more waiters/waitresses checking in to offer drinks as we were unable to get one during both nights. The entertainment was TOP NOTCH. Absolutely the best entertainment we have seen on a cruise ship. They opened the first night with a small song/dance and introduced the cruise director and staff. They followed that up with a comedian that specialized in impressions. He nailed most of them and overall was pretty funny. The second and final night, the entertainers performed “The Piano Man”. The musical was a beautiful performance celebrating the music of Billy Joel, Liberace, Neil Sedaka, Barry Manilow and Elton John. The choreography and singing talent was superb. Princess really has a group of wonderfully talented individuals onboard. The folks in the band and in the sound/lighting department also did a fabulous job.

Explorer’s Lounge:
This is where my wife and I headed after the evening show in the Princess Theater. The theme in the lounge is Asian and African themed and also offers plenty of comfortable seating. The talent they brought onboard was hilarious! The first night they offered a ventriloquist. I know, I know, most ventriloquists are annoying and not very good, but this guy really was. It was a family friendly show, but he did get close to crossing the line a few times (which I was hoping for).  The second night, there was a stand-up comedian that has opened for Jerry Seinfeld and Tim Allen. This guy was absolutely one of the funniest live comedians I have seen (on or off of a ship). Again it was a family friendly show, but he did make it very funny and really got the crowd involved in the show. When the two comedy shows ended in the lounge, there was a band who would take the stage. They played mostly top 40 music from the 90’s and some more recent. They weren’t very good and we actually made it a point to make our way past the lounge whenever we saw them on stage.

Club Fusion:
This venue is similar in style to the Explorer’s Lounge but with a larger dance floor. There are a few video slots/poker in the back so you can gamble while the band plays. The décor is interesting as it’s mostly western style, but never heard western music playing there. It was here that Princess decided to have a contest based on American Idol called Princess Idol. They had guests come up and sing Karaoke. People in the crowd would vote and the second night of the cruise the winners would come back and perform until there was a winner. Leading down a staircase from Club Fusion is the Wake View Bar. This bar is about the size of two staterooms. We walked down there to check it out, but it seems like a waste of space for a bar and probably could better be utilized for storage. 



Skywalker Lounge:
This is a GREAT place to hang out if you are looking for a spot to party and dance. From the deck below, you take an escalator leading up a black lit corridor to heart pounding bass and flashing lights. The dance floor was a little small, but there is plenty of room around to sit and have a cocktail waiting for an opening. The DJ was excellent and the lighting and effects were intense. The décor was fantastic and really made you feel like you were in a dance club.

Wheelhouse Bar:
A signature lounge on all of Princess’ Ships, this lounge seemed pretty nice. We walked through it a couple of times, but didn’t see much action in it. It is a nautical themed lounge with a large dance floor and a small three person band that consisted of a drummer and pianist and horns.

Churchill’s:
Small yet cozy bar. This is Princess’ cigar lounge and the only place onboard where cigar and pipe smoking is permitted. There are a wall of TV’s and a bar with sports memorabilia around the walls. The ceiling has two pool tables in them. This was the perfect place to enjoy the Cuban cigar I had picked up in Canada as well as a nice port wine.

Internet Café:
We didn’t use this café, but walked through it. It’s definitely more high tech than I’ve seen on other ships. Each terminal has a flat screen monitor and a webcam for video conferencing. You can also print out color pictures to a printer (for a fee). If I recall correctly, the fees for internet service was .35/minute. There is a coffee bar inside here as well. The library also has a few terminals.

Lotus Spa/Fitness Room:
We took a tour of the Spa when we got onboard before any appointments were made so we could explore the whole thing. What a wonderfully relaxing place. They have dozens of treatments to choose from including two steam rooms which are free of charge. For a massage or other personal treatment, you are led to a private room, each with a water view. You have your choice of music, or none at all, in addition to choice of three scents in the room. Just push a button, and the room is filled with a sweet scent of your choice. While you are waiting for your appointment, you can relax in the Zen room. If you just want a quick back/neck massage. There are sit down tables outside the spa entrance where you can get a 5 minute massage for under $10. The Fitness room is incredible! There is PLENTY of treadmill/elliptical type machines each with their own flat panel TV in addition to plenty of weight machines and free weights. There is a separate room for aerobics. The fitness room overlooks the front of the ship.

Poolside:
There are four pools onboard, and a fifth kiddy splash pool. There are also several hot tubs around each pool. Two smaller pools in the back and two main pools mid-ship. The main outdoor pool has a walkup bar in addition to a pizzeria and burger/hot dog bar. There also is an ice cream bar, but to my surprise, you have to pay extra for ice cream. In my opinion, Princess should really make this a free food option. I don’t see any point in charging for a scoop of ice cream, but having unlimited free food on the rest of the ship. The temperature on this short cruise was mostly in the upper 50’s so, not many people were at the outdoor pool. Most were next to it in the Solarium pool. All closed in by windows, this pool is a wonderful place to pull up a lounge chair and take a nap. It was always warm and comfortable inside regardless of the weather outside.

Food and Dining:
We opted for the traditional dining option the main dining room both nights, but Princess does offer an “Alternative Dining Option” which was new to us. In addition to the main dining room, there are four other dining rooms. I didn’t ask too much about this, but from what I understand, you can freely come and go and have the same menu options as presented in the main dining room. Rather than traditional seating where you sit with the same group, you can choose to sit anywhere. In addition to these 5 dining rooms, there is the buffet/bistro in the back of the ship and Sabatini’s restaurant. Here you pay a flat fee and have a dinner in a smaller atmosphere. I’m not sure if the food is any better as I’ve never tried this option on any cruise. I didn’t feel it was necessary to try it on a two night cruise, but may in the future on a longer cruise. The food overall was excellent. I did have one bad meal the first night. I chose to order the New York Strip steak off the alternative menu as nothing appealed to me on the main menu for main course. The steak was a poor cut and was not cooked very well. Other than this choice, everything else on board was wonderful. From the King Crab Legs and Beef Wellington to the scrambled eggs in the buffet/bistro everything was cooked to perfection.

Onboard activities:
The one thing I love about cruising is the options you have for activities onboard. I had always wanted to try a golf simulator, and did so at one of the two they have onboard. I made an appointment and got up there to play. Apparently the crew member had opened up the simulator a little late that day (although was there on time for me) and decided to let everyone play for free. I ended up playing for almost an hour and finished up 18 holes at Pebble Beach. This was a lot of fun for me, although the putting is impossible!! They have a 9 hole mini-golf course as well complete with sound effects of birds chirping and balls dropping into the cups. There is a walking track on the sports deck and a covered tennis/basketball court. Inside you can participate in trivia challenges, watch a movie, play a board game or just sit and people watch while enjoying a cocktail. Princess definitely provided a lot of options for entertainment. I didn’t see the option to play BINGO either day which my wife and I usually like to participate in. Maybe they offer it on a longer cruise.

Overall:
The cruise was a wonderful experience. I would have liked to stay on for the next week and continue on to Alaska, but who ever wants to get off of the ship once they are onboard. I definitely recommend this ship for the beginning cruiser or the seasoned cruiser. The food was the best I’ve had of the three companies we’ve sailed with. The entertainment was the best I have seen. The service, while good, was not exceptional. Especially in the dining room where the waiter and head waiter weren’t very personable, nor did we ever see the Maitre d’. We are not heavy drinkers, but do enjoy an occasional cocktail, and the cocktails served to us onboard were fantastic, and VERY reasonable. Martini’s and margaritas for under $5 and well drinks for under $3. This was a nice change from the over $7 drinks we’ve seen on past cruises. One note: Rather than having envelopes to place gratuities in for the end of the cruise, Princess has decided to charge a small fee to your room bill for housekeeping and dining room service. The charges we had were $6.50 for dining room per night and $3.50 per night for housekeeping. Many people decide to not leave a gratuity for service onboard so it’s nice to see Princess do this as these folks rely on gratuities for a majority of their income. However, it isn’t as much as these folks deserve. Definitely try to leave a little more if you can and give it directly to them on the last night of your cruise. Show them that you appreciate their service. They really strive to bring you the best service they can and in many cases are away from family and friends for months at a time to provide a better life for them.

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