Sapphire Princess Review

4.5 / 5.0
1,021 reviews

Attractive decor and great food, but that's not enough

Review for Asia Cruise on Sapphire Princess
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chankahon
2-5 Cruises • Age 30s

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Sail Date: Oct 2017
Cabin: Balcony
Chocolate trio from MDR. Tastes as good as they look, if a little heavy.
Those scallops are HUGE and satisfying. Also from the MDR.
The resort Princess sent its passengers to.
Sante Fe's dimmer lighting has a more upscale feeling to it.
Hoi An old city. Wished we had more time!
Entertainers have tried their best to make everyone happy.
The formal night entree in the Royal Princess menu. Our favourite!
The partial wake view from C742.
See a little more ocean with the wider balcony.
The aft pools could get crowded even most people stay indoors.
The Sanctuary was not making money on this cruise.
Wrap around promenade that has a view from the bow.
Production shows...they have almost stopped trying. Almost.
A long sail out at Kaohsiung. Not so lovely container terminal views.
This is the C742 balcony and that extra triangular space.
International Dining Room is large and ...noisy.
The USB power outlet on the side of TV. You'll need it.
Club Fusion.
Movie under the Stars. A breezy spot to have a sea day nap.
One of the many spa treatment rooms. Will be upgraded.
Relaxation lounge of the Lotus spa. Will be upgraded.
Viewing platforms looking over the ship - love them all!
Dominant demographic of this cruise is 40-60.
Plenty of outdoor space that was largely useless in an Asia cruise.
A regular balcony stateroom before third bunk bed deployed.
Finale balloon party was must-do fun.
New York steak in MDR. Way better than the prime rib.
Wooden horse race. Great vibe! Wonder why no Bingo was offered.
I had better breakfast on NCL and MSC.
Viewing platform over the bridge is becoming a luxury on mainstream ships.
Viewing platform over the bridge is the best selfie spot on a cruise ship.
Pizzas on 5F are a bit overloaded/overpowered with ingredients.
That crowd was big!
Like those glass balls in Pacific Moon. Very classy clever design.
The worst decaf coffee - no flavour or aroma.
Pacific Moon has this classy, lovely decor.
Push for drink packages was aggressive on the first day.
Club Fusion in action.
Explorers Lounge in art auction. Park West should have sent better works.
Cruise staff organised two French themed days on a 5-night cruise.
On our way out Kaohsiung. No Filter. No PS.
This prime rib has a processed texture. Bad.
Churchill near the Theatre is a smoking lounge, but it's cozy.
Info Sheet vs Reality.
Layout of the Horizon Court buffet tables.
Indoor pool. A good space to linger in a Northern Light cruise!
The forward adult-only pool.
Art Gallery run by Park West. Full of familiar, tired works.
Water cannon for Princess's first turnaround sailing in Kaohsiung.
Chocolate dessert was a safe bet on Sapphire!
Ceramic spoon for cream soup. Another unique Asian cruise feature.
Promenade. Padded chairs are very welcomed.
Promenade around the bow on a nice fine day.
Sanctuary in shutdown mode.
Special guest on a sea day! Had a large moth the other night.
Champagne pouring was heavily advertised in Taiwan market.
This gentleman was dressed for the occasion.
Fresh flower in Sante Fe MDR.
The flagship production show.
Crooners Bar. Those chair covers need replacement.
Party night - Taiwanese are fun to cruise with.
Pizzeria offers ocean view too.
When it gets windy, it was like playing golf on flying carpet.
Quiet pool deck on a sunny day. That's Asia.
A broken PC in the Internet cafe.
Dragon dancers during embarkation in Kaohsiung.
The Skywalker offers good views.
Padded deck chairs on Promenade.

Sapphire Princess remains a solid ship with attractive decor, great food and plenty of indoor space with a view, a big plus for Norwegian fjord cruises. The basics of this ship are solid, but the management during this Kaohsiung-based voyage was a major letdown. It left us with a mixed bag experience.

▲Public rooms decor still great, rooms are showing age

Most public spaces on Sapphire Princess feature timeless, elegant design. My favourite are Sante Fe and Pacific Moon MDRs, and the classy Wheelhouse lounge. Layout was easy to follow and the aft terrace offers spectacular view. Plenty of indoor space with a view, particularly useful for Norwegian itineraries.

Cabin Review

Balcony

Cabin BD

One of the two balcony staterooms on Caribe deck that has extra space for a deck chair. The true benefit of this larger balcony is the wider ocean view and wake view from the side. Room itself is tight for 3 people. Large TV was pleasant to watch and USB power outlet a surprise. Ample storage space, but too few power outlets and are all US sockets tightly arranged together. Long walk to elevators.

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