CHAOS and BEDLAM: that is what we were greeted with upon our arrival at the Auckland, NZ, terminal after 20 hours of flying from the East Coast of the USA to reach the new Sapphire Princess. The embarkation process was in total disarray and it took us nearly 3 hours of standing in lines and walking up stairs to reach the gangway and ultimately our stateroom. The problem seemed to stem from too many passengers (2800 going on and 2800 coming off) and not adequate facilities, planning or supervision from both the Princess staff and the Port Security group. This was especially trying for handicapped persons and families traveling with small children or older relatives. Add to that chaos the fact that it was raining, it was cold and it was confusing and you end up with a nightmare start to what was expected by all to be a dream vacation.
The ship is ultra modern, well appointed and during our cruise, handled some rough 60 knot winds and 25 foot seas quite well as it is equipped with stabilizers. Our stateroom was well appointed and included a balcony, which sadly was only used once due to the inclement weather along the way. The shower is small, too small for anyone over 6 ft. tall and 200 lbs.
Food, beverage and entertainment services were handled very well and an A+ rating can be given to all.