Sapphire Princess Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We've been on far better cruises before, so this one didn't rate more than average. The best thing that we noticed was the excellent service both in our cabin and in the dining rooms. The destination speaker was also very good and we were impressed with the size of the bar areas. We didn't care for the way the slot machines were set up (e.g. to cash in and cash out), which were very different from the casinos in other cruise ships.
We rated shore excursions down for several reasons:
1) In Phuket, one of us and two of our friends came down with gastrointestinal problems after eating at the hotel on the "Best of Phuket", which lasted for about a day and a half.
Cabin Review
Interior
Cabin attendant was outstanding. Room was generally okay, but shower was quite small. We had no hot water at the start of the cruise, but after we notified the cabin attendant, it was fixed by the ship's plumber within an hour.
Port Reviews
Phuket
There is a fairly long walk from the tender pier to the buses at this port, although some shuttle service was provided for those with difficulties. The tour was okay, but the guide left a lot to be desired. The biggest problem was that one of us and two friends came down with gastrointestinal issues shortly after eating at the excursion hotel and suffered for the next 36 hours. Besides that, there were so many groups booked on this tour that we didn't make it to the hotel restaurant until 3PM for lunch. Princess should use additional hotels or have fewer groups on this tour.