This was our 5th cruise with Princess, but the 1st on Sapphire Princess. This was the best of any of the Princess cruises or the 5 other cruises on Carnival, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean.

We arrived at the port at 11:30 am. Boarding started at 12:15 pm and we were on board and in our cabin by 1:15 pm. We left port 2 hours late due to a medical emergency. The late departure and high seas delayed our arrival in San Francisco from 1 pm Sunday until 4 pm. Due to the late arrival, all Sunday afternoon excursions through the ship were cancelled. This did not effect us since we were planning on walking around The Wharf, which we were still able to do. Due to the late arrival, the Captain decided to stay in SF until 4 pm Monday, which worked out better for us. Had a light rain shower Sunday night but awoke to a cloudless sky on Monday morning. We had booked the 9:10 am tour to Alcatraz. Well worth the trip. After about 3 hours on The Rock, we went back to The Wharf, had lunch and walked around for a few hours. Sailing into and out of San Francisco Bay was so beautiful. Such a thrill sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge.

Santa Barbara - I booked a private tour with Santa Barbara Hot Rod Limo (www.SBHotRodLimo.com). Had a great time. The tour was in an extended hot rod limo convertible that seats 8 people. Great way to tour the town. The weather was again beautiful. The tour lasted 2 hours and covered all the highlights of Santa Barbara. What a beautiful town. Read more