In Mandarin slang, ma ma hu hu means so so, not very good, or a bit of a mess. This cruise surely met that kind of definition. It ranks in the bottom five of the 40+ cruises we've taken.
We joined the ship in Tianjin (aka the middle of nowhere, at least for now), exhausted and suffering from chest colds, after an outstanding eight-day pre-cruise tour in China. As with most pre-cruise tours offered by cruise lines, we paid too much. But we really enjoyed the experience.
Sapphire Princess should be renamed Asian Princess, since this area is now its full-time home. Our 14-day itinerary suffered from the fact that it was the third leg (9+8+14) of a 31-day journey from Singapore to Hong Kong, sold as such to many of those on board. The schedule-maker seemed more intent on saving fuel for Princess (with days spent cruising at 14, 12 and even nine knots) than in providing an enriching experience for the paying customers, particularly since that schedule was thoroughly put out of whack along our way.