We are in our seventies and this was our 8th cruise having sailed with NCL, Celebrity, Star Clippers and Princess before. In preparation for this cruise we relied on our trusted travel agent Marie Rushton of Marlin Travel, Ottawa. There is nothing like having a guardian angel also known as a travel agent to watch over you. The end result was a lovely holiday on a wonderful ship notwithstanding some minor issues. We ended up with a Category AA mini-suite mid-ship. We also booked a pre and post-cruise stay at the LAX Marriott in Los Angeles through Princess Cruises, a wise decision. When checking-in we were given a Princess handout with details for the boarding day and our baggage handling. That was done in a most efficient and effective way. On the cruise departure day our bags were picked up in our room at 8 am and we next saw them 'on our bed' in our stateroom. That was too easy! The transfer by bus was well handled and the boarding was breeze.

Sapphire Princess is a beautiful ship coming out of a re-fit. The Officers and staff were superb and they made the best in very inclement weather. Great stateroom, great food, great service.

Embarkation was a breeze. Smiling staff even going through security! We found ourselves on board in no time flat. That is no easy feat when you have 2600 passengers boarding. The boat drill occurred before going to sea in individual muster stations. It was very well done, vey thorough and nobody was joking given the recent Costa disaster. Read more