Sapphire Princess Review

4.5 / 5.0
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Review for Alaska Cruise on Sapphire Princess
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hoppersh
First Time Cruiser • Age 40s

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Sail Date: Jul 2011
Cabin: Balcony
Traveled with children

My 65-year-old parents, our 12-year-old nephew, and my husband and I (45 and 35 respectively) sailed on our first cruise July 17 - 24 to Alaska on the Sapphire Princess. My husband and I have traveled extensively, but never on a cruise. We were pleased with our experience and will consider future cruises with Princess.The ship was very clean and beautiful. There were always plenty of activities going on or plenty of places to relax. Service throughout the ship was great with all staff greeting us as we passed by or offering assistance if we needed. The only place we found service lacking was drink service at the buffet. There were several times we weren't offered drinks until we were nearly finished with our meal, other times that we got our drinks ourselves rather than waiting, and then a couple occasions where we were served immediately upon seating. Very hit or miss in that area, but the only service complaint we could find. Boarding and exiting the ship was very easy. The staff kept the lines moving and were great at crowd control.We found the food to be good (not the greatest we've ever experienced, but still good) wherever we dined. Our best and most enjoyable meal by far was the Sterling Steakhouse, which charges a fee of $20 per person. We enjoyed The Savoy, Santa Fe, and Vivaldi. We did not have a chance to try Pacific Moon or Sabbatini's. The buffet always had a wide selection for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with snacks late at night. At busy times, the buffet area was a bit cramped and could be laid out better, though.As first-time cruisers, we were a bit put off by all of the sales pitches on board. Drink cards, coffee cards, wine purchases, photos, internet, etc. It seemed that everywhere we turned the first couple days, we were being asked to spend more money. I was aware of these practices from my research, but it was still tiring considering the amount of money we had already paid for the cruise. I know this is standard for all cruise lines, so it doesn't really reflect poorly on our opinion of Princess. We made stops in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and Victoria and enjoyed our time at each port. However, Victoria was a short stop and rather anticlimactic after the amazing scenery in Alaska. I recommend using Shoretrips for booking excursions. They offered a wider selection at cheaper prices than Princess and have great customer service as well. Our favorite part, though, was cruising through Tracy Arm Fjord on Wednesday morning. Be prepared to wake up early that day--you will pass the first glacier at about 6am and approach Sawyer Glacier around 8am. The scenery is overwhelming. We found a place on the starboard side of the Skywalker's Lounge and this was perfect viewing--it's enclosed to stay warm, but you can step out on the decks at the back of the ship for great pictures. In conclusion, I would highly recommend this cruise to anyone who has ever wanted to see Alaska. This has been on our bucket list for quite some time and we are happy with the experience provided by Princess.

Cabin Review

Balcony

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