Sapphire Princess Review
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We liked the itinerary, so we booked the 17-day Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam cruise with Princess. Generally, we enjoyed our time aboard the Sapphire Princess. Although in need of the refit she will receive soon, she was spacious, comfortable, very clean and offered us most of what we needed.
We were in a balcony on Aloha deck, and it was surprisingly spacious and quiet. Usually, all I could hear was the air conditioner. There was plenty of room for storage, and the bed was extremely comfortable. Our little deck was a bonus, but the sliding glass door too heavy and almost impossible for me to open and close. The tv was good, but the remote was in two pieces and we had to tape it back together.
Our steward kept our room spotless, and changed the towels every time we used them.
Cabin Review
Balcony
Port Reviews
Singapore
Singapore is lovely, and the MRT makes it easy to get around. Everyone speaks English.
Bali
What little we saw of Bali was congested, dirty and disappointing. We hired a private taxi to take us around, and it was a far better value than the ship excursions. There was not enough time to see much, as the tender boat trips ate into much of our day.
Penang
Loved it, especially because there was no tender and we could walk into town. Took the hop on bus, but had trouble with the map because the stops weren’t always accurately portrayed. Give the botanical gardens a miss.
Phuket
Karon Beach was lovely but the second half of our excursion was terrible, as we weren’t taken to the promised beach at all. Patong Beach area was not good: crowded, noisy, congested, and mostly unattractive. Water seemed dirty and filled with power boats etc.
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Very interesting city to visit. We took a private tour, which was excellent. It offered far more than any of the ship’s excursions at a fraction of the price. Beware of the poor air quality if you’re planning to walk or take open-air transport.
Koh Samui
After the chaos of Phuket, Ko Samui was a peaceful haven.
We simply walked off the ship and into the town. Strolled along the beach. Relaxed. Drank beer we couldn’t otherwise afford on the ship.