I have to admit, I was worried about cruising on the Sapphire, as she is much bigger than the Dawn which is the only other ship I have sailed on. It was a little intimidating to see that there would be more than 3,000 people on board, especially as I was looking for quiet time. However, many reviews here on Cruise Critic state that there are areas to escape on this ship They were right! While the ship is large, I could always find a quiet place to read or just study the seas passing by. EMBARKATION We embarked from San Pedro pier, and the process was very quick and organized. It took us about 35 minutes from the time we were dropped off to the time we were in our room. We had lunch in the Horizon Buffet and hit the pool at the Lotus spa, aft deck. Then it was time for the sail-away party which was great fun! SEA DAYS Our first two days were spent at sea. I spent much of my time at the pools at the back of the ship. These are adult only and were usually very quiet in comparison to the Calypso and Neptune in the center area. However, the Calypso and Neptune had many activities and live music throughout the day, if you were interested. PUBLIC AREAS The Sapphire has an abundance of public areas, both private and very social. The Atrium is beautiful without being "overdone"; simply elegant! The library and writing rooms were never full of people, and had books, games, cards and jigsaw puzzles you could use. The many lounges always offered different types of entertainment, from movies to live bands and dancing. The promenade has full size loungers available. There is a jogging track, cyber-golf, tennis court, ping pong, shuffle board, and all the gym equipment you could ever need to work off all those buffets. DINING We had "anytime dining" and never had to wait at all, going to dinner anytime from 5:30 to after 8pm. We ate at each of the 4 anytime dining area. They were all beautiful in their own way. They serve the same menu as well as each offering their own "specialty" plate. Our waiters were polite, quick, attentive and charming. The food was always fresh and well presented. We ate at the buffet for breakfast and lunch most day. Again, the food was always fresh, hot, and well presented. They always had an assortment of fresh fruits, meats, cheeses and fish. Much has been debated regarding the coffee. I opted to purchase a coffee card, and for $27 I got 15 "specialty" coffees. This gave me an early morning latte, as well as an afternoon iced drink. I found it to be a great deal. However, I did not have any problem with the other coffee from the buffet. It was fine for me.