My only other cruise was on HAL (Noordam), this was my first Princess cruise. I'm in the process of trying different lines to pick one to stick with! I'm younger than the typical HAL crowd, but still want an adult cruise experience as I don't have children and don't want to be on a big party ship. I thought Princess was a nice line overall and met many of my needs -- but, as noted later, the hard bed and casual food options might prevent me from sticking with Princess going forward.

We departed the day of the pacific Tsunami warnings after the Chili earthquake -- and embarkation was still handled very well by Princess. It was nice to be able to get to your cabin right away after you boarded. And the seas were relatively smooth, given the warnings. It was cooler on the sea day out from and very cold on the sea day back to LA. Still enjoyable -- but I mention it so those planning a similar cruise at this time of year are prepared. Bring a sweatshirt and some longer pants so you can still enjoy the deck and your balcony on those days and cooler nights.

The ship is very nice; I actually liked the decor of the Noordam better, but that was more of a style thing in that the HAL ship was more traditional and the colors of the Sapphire are in line with the Princess branding and a little "70's" for me. But that's just personal taste - the ship was in good condition, bright and cheerful and the pool areas in particular were very nice and fun. There were always deck chairs available and lots of quiet spots away from the noise of the crowds if you wanted a more adult-style, relaxing vacation. Read more