Balcony

Suite

Inside

Outside

Princess Cruises

Family Cruises

Gay & Lesbian Cruises

Romantic Cruises

Singles Cruises

Cruises for the Disabled

Senior Cruises

Fitness Cruises

Gourmet Food Cruises

Singapore

Beijing

Hong Kong

Shanghai

Bangkok (Laem Chabang)

Southampton

Los Angeles

Whittier

Asia

Mexico - All

Mexican Riviera

Thailand

Alaska

Europe - All

Vietnam

Europe - British Isles & Western

Malaysia

Baltic Sea

Europe River

Mediterranean

Indonesia

Cambodia

Hawaii

Spain

U.S.A.

Norway

France

Europe - Western Mediterranean

Italy

Belgium

Denmark

Rhine River

Europe - Eastern Mediterranean

Portugal

Douro River

Middle East

China

Japan

Seine River

Nile River

South Pacific

Australia & New Zealand

Sweden

British Columbia

Columbia River

Europe - River Cruise

Norwegian Fjords

India

South America

Trans-Ocean

Canada & New England

Vietnam River

Argentina

Chile

Falklands

Uruguay

Canary Islands

Oman

Cruise to Nowhere

Iceland

Germany

Antarctica

Panama Canal & Central America

Costa Rica

Transatlantic

Caribbean - All

Caribbean - Western

World Cruise

Pacific Coastal

North America River

US River

Average

Very Good

Excellent

Poor

Terrible

Diamond Princess

Sapphire Princess

Coral Princess

Emerald Princess

Island Princess

Mykonos

This was a special cruise for both of us as it was are milestone birthday treat to each other. Although the ship was dated it was clean, the cabin beds are so comfy never had continuous 8 hr sleeps like that before,   the staff are great and after a few days they seem to remember your name and we would like to say a massive thank you to our steward SONG who went above and beyond expectations of service. 

The food was of a high standard but the alcoholic drinks are expensive and with the gratuity charges on top it is very expensive.

The only thing that left us very disappointed was that we were never officially  told we would not go to Cambodia it was word of mouth and the way we were told on the 12th February to pack and leave our luggage outside our cabins as we will all be disembarking in the morning the 13th in Singapore,  when we got this news over the public announcement system we were sunbathing  as it was a day at sea on our way back to Singapore for people who had only booked the first leg but we had booked both,  I have never seen people so upset and the deck just cleared.

They said and confirmed in a letter that we would get half of our money back as we only did half a cruise but we have not yet had so much as an email regarding this has anybody else had a refund ???  we are getting a bit worried as Princess seem to be having corona virus hits one after the other, " could they go bankrupt "  ?????

The Sapphire Princess is still in Singapore docked in what looks like a container base she has been there since we left on the 13 February 


Fabulous Relaxing Cruise Til it was terminated

Cruise no. 22. First time in Asia. First time with Princess Cruises. We use to cruise in the Mediterranean and Caribbean.

Very good and efficient embarkation and disembarkation.

Itinerary: Singapore; Kota Kinabalu (Borneo, Malaysia); Nha Trang (Vietnam); Phu My (Saigon, Vietnam); Laem Chabang (Pattaya & Bangkok, Thailand); Koh Samui (Thailand); Singapore (11 nights).

Safety: excellent information and action, to avoid any kind of related problem.

Communication: excellent communication during all cruise.

Boat a bit old, and traditionally decorated.

Excellent cabin, with an excellent steward service.

Dining, litlle variety.

Entertainment activities: a bit repetitive. Good preformance of externals (magician and singer). Improvable performance of internal staff. ELderly passengers did not help...

Service: excellent.

Ports and shore excursions: irregular and variable, depneding on the country and the guide. For this reason, I said "from less to more". Malaysia and Vietnam, improvables; Thailand and Singapore, excellents.

Comment: the second part of this cruise (Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Phuket) was cancelled, for security reasons. I don't know they compensated the passengers.

In principle, we'll not repeat with this boat. We prefer other companies and boats more.

Cruise, from less to more...

For my spouse and myself a Southeast Asia Cruise has been on our Bucket List for some time.  We were excited when we saw Princess offering this 21 night cruise at a reasonable price. Overall, we had a very positive experience aboard this ship but unfortunately, due to concerns regarding the possibility of the Coronavirus, the cruise was cut short. 

We arrived in Singapore a few days early and really enjoyed what the city has to offer. Singapore is a city that's easy to navigate due to its highly efficient public transportation system which is inexpensive and safe. It should be noted that Singapore itself is an expensive city and accommodation costs can really put a dent in one's budget. Food costs can be lower if one eats at the Hawkers Markets which are readily available throughout the city. These markets are regulated by the government, and the health standards are of a high level which makes them safe and fun. I would highly recommend  spending a few days in this city prior to a future cruise, if the budget permits. 

As to the ship itself, the overall impression is that it is in dire need of a complete overhaul as it's showing its age and is in need of updating. The ship's decor is more representative of a bygone era.  Fortunately the ship is due for a refit in April 2020 which will hopefully bring new life to it. 

Onboard the ship our cabin category was a Mini Suite.  As with the rest of the ship, it definitely was in need of updating. On the positive side, the cabin was quite spacious and  had adequate storage for everything. The closet space in the cabin provided ample space for all of our clothes and accessories. Unfortunately the furniture in the cabin appeared quite old and tired.  The bathroom did provide adequate space for us but its appearance was reminiscent of something from the 1950's. The bed and bedding provided by Princess was excellent which gave us a very restful sleep every night. 

Overall the service provided by the ship's staff was courteous and efficient but there were some issues regarding communication onboard the ship that could have used some improvement. One example was the cancellation of the stop in Cambodia, which most passengers found out either by email from their travel agents or by word of mouth. Some passengers we spoke to still did not know that the Cambodia visit was cancelled until the day we were supposed to have arrived there. It appears Princess cancelled the Cambodia stop close to our sailing date due to previous customers negative feedback, and didn't seem to have contacted the passengers prior to our embarkation from Singapore. 

On February 12, 2020, around 3:15 PM, we were advised that the second half of the cruise had been cancelled due to concerns regarding the Coronavirus. We were also advised that Princess would only assist passengers with airline tickets that had been booked through Princess' Air and Land program, leaving the rest of us to our own devices. The ship was to dock in Singapore the next day. This did not give us much time to make our own arrangements through our travel agent due to the 16 hour time difference. Compounding that for those who had not booked with Princess Air or Land program was that the Wi Fi was down for the next four hours and there appeared to be limited phone access. Ironically, we were also advised by the Captain, via a letter, that we were to be provided 24 hour Wi Fi service that evening, but when we inquired about the service we were told that it was not available on this ship.  In response to these problems, Princess did provide free hotel accommodations for one night in Singapore for those passengers who were affected by the cancellation. In our circumstances, Princess also provided us with free telephone service that evening in order for us to make arrangements to get home. 

We chose the "Anytime Dining" option and primarily ate at the "Pacific Moon Dining Room." We found both the service and food to be very good. On occasion, we did lunch at the "International Dining Room" and also left with a very positive impression.  We also tried both the "Trident Grill" for a hamburger and "Prego" for pizza on Deck 14 which we really enjoyed. 

The entertainment onboard the ship could best be described as inconsitant. The production shows in the main theatre were of a very high standard and quite entertaining. On other evenings we were entertained by three acts that included a magician, a tribute singer, and a comedian.  The entertainment was somewhat limited as all three repeated their performances on two separate evenings. The music in the bars seemed to be very good although we did not spend much time in any of them. We also enjoyed the "Movie under the Stars" a few times.

We both enjoyed the excursions that we booked with Princess. The tour guides were generally very good although sometimes their level of English was a bit sketchy. It should be noted though that many of the excursions we booked did take over two hours to get to due to the long distances from the port to the location of the excursion.  

Both the embarkation and disembarkation process went vey smoothly and without any problems. 

Even though our cruise was cut short we enjoyed it and will definitely cruise with Princess again. Although there were some problems onboard the ship, mostly due to circumstances beyond their control, overall the service provided was very good .

Great Cruise But Cut Short

We have been on princess over ten times. We enjoyed Princess in the past but if this cruise is any indication of Princess today, I would urge you to spend your Cruise dollars elsewhere.

We have been on the Princess Sapphire 3 times. This last time really showed how old, tired, dirty the Sapphire is.

Our sliding glass balcony, "Club Class" door did not work and was never properly fixed. We paid for Club Class and got an Ocean View!

The Sterling Steakhouse was terrible. All I wanted was a good Steak. Over cooked, Under cooked, way too salty...what a mess.

I like eggs benedict for breakfast when I'm on vacation. It did not appear once on the breakfast menu in Club Class dining. I could NOT get it when requested either.

Club Class dining is not special at all. In fact it is no different than the regular dining room. They promise tableside food presentations, but there was NO tableside food prep at all. A complete sham.

Rust on hull, bulk heads, port holes. Power box on deck 15 hanging by wires. 

Stateroom furniture old and worn, torn and stained carpet, dents in wall board, yellowing of tub, staind in bathroom grout.

Princess cruises have become so predictable. The special "Captain's" events are no longer special, the food and beverage service is very average. Overall I was very disappointed.

Princess, a big let down! Very disappointing cruise!

We have cruised before but not with Princess. The sapphire was an absolute disgrace.  Our stateroom cabin was growing mould!!! it was dirty and decapitated. Mould produces spores which research has shown pre disposes to health related respiratory problems. 

In view of the resent corona virus outbreak i would expect infection control and health and safety to be top priority.  Shocking!!! 

The staff were apathetic and miserable. 

The ship was rusty and the swimming pool surrounds falling to bits. 

Infact on a few occasions some state rooms and corridors  were flooded due to leaking swimming pools!!

We docked at industrial working ports, miles away from anywhere and were charged $20 pp for a princess shuttle bus. 

Dining was poor, we felt like we were an inconvenience to the staff, who were not at all attentive. 

This cruise cost us a lot of hard earned money for our special birthdays.

 It was disgraceful.  

We are perusing this with our travel agents and have photographic evidence of this disgusting, delapitated ship.

NEVER AGAIN! 

We have just got of the sapphire after 12 nights sorry to say some of the passengers, were spitting in the pools, corridors and lifts i hope they take proper precautions before others embark the ship. Unfortunately very disappointing experience on ship. Passengers not sanitizing their hands in the Horrizon and crew not always reinforcing this.

Iterinary is great but the ship is in need of a thorough clean and refurb. Horrizon choices ok but not great. Entertainment repeated on 12 night cruise. Outdoor party once in 12 nights which was great, being out in Asia you would of thought this could of been repeated more.

I was on the same ship in May last year and couldn't fault anything. What happened to the Sapphire this time was so disappointing. Staff not always very friendly. Entertainment very poor and repeated through 12 nights.

We met some great people on board and made our own entertainment.

Asia 

Our first cruise came from a recommendation and it was something new we wanted to experience. Overall you are very limited to variety and most days seemed like ground hog day. Cabin was beautiful and 5* treatment from our steward. The gym was the best I've been too but had nobody to supervise the users and the equipment, leading to children running around and treating it like a playground, also many adults in the wrong attire eg frocks, sandals, thongs and just playing with the equipment causing OHS issues. Dining was very comfortable and good with great service and food. Most of the cabaret shows were very colorful and professional with great singers and dancers. Ports and shore excursions were sometimes too far from the place of interest eg Bangkok 5 hour round trip, Kuala-Lumpur and Saigon both 4 hour round trips which is too long for your stay over. The drinks are expensive so we took the package not being told that there is a limit and also cans of soft drink not included. The WiFi is very expensive and you also have inbuilt gratuities added to your account for the staff.

First time cruising - Very expensive

I will start by saying I know the Sapphire is an older ship but should it be tatty and basically uncared for. It was in for a refit 18 months ago but what did they do?

Plus I feel that the condition of the ship had rubbed off on some of the staff, especially the team on the customer service desk. They were in fact on one occasion confrontational. These members of the team are the face of Princess and they should be good listeners and understanding of problems that may occur while the cruise is happening, and try and resolve things.. the main problem was drinks being added on to my account every time I brought one drink, two drinks were added to my account.  I was told by the customer service team it can’t happen I was told I must of ordered two drinks. The problem with Princess is that you don’t sign for your drink, you just order a drink and it’s added to your account. 

I will say the food, the cabin and the Sanctuary were excellent apart for the $4 charge each for food served in the Sanctuary, we got our own from the buffet after.

Going back to the condition of Sapphire the glass around the ship was dirty in areas it had blackened  both inside and out. Areas that needed shade from the sun they had stuck plastic shields in places around the ship including on the bridge, this plastic was coming unstuck and it was flapping in the breeze.

A very dull Sapphire 

I love Cruising with Princess especially the big ships where there is plenty to do and lovely shops not too expensive.

One can relax and not worry about anything.

My grand children could go for a swim or a meal and be quite safe.   The went to their nomination age groups and thoroughly enjoyed them selves especially my 14 year old grand daughter who was apprehensive at first and shy but made friends and the 6 of them spent the rest of the Cruise together staying out until 12 pm imagine that anywhere else, it was so safe.

Younger two spend a lot of time in the swimming pool and love being able to get an ice cream or pizza without having to ask Gran.

With a mini suite there were two TVs great when there are 3 different age children.

Gran had a most relaxing holiday not food to buy or cook.

Overall the best type of holiday one can have.

Amazing Holiday

Was our 8th cruise. And maybe we're a bit over cruising - but the sparkle wasn't there for us. I think we've wised up a bit.. and we're also now 'all about the destinations' rather than the cruise. So maybe it's time to give cruising a miss unless for certain itineraries. In hindsight we should not have cruised this itinerary. Better to do it by land as would not cost you more (probably less). As an example. Bangkok is almost 3 hours each way on the tour bus. So a total of 6 hours sitting in the bus out of the 10 hours of the excursion to see Bangkok. Saigon was a long way from the Port too - no time to really explore the markets etc. An overnight stop would have been ideal. The other Vietnam Port was ok.  Cambodia.. although we enjoyed it, the Port township was an absolute shambles and many complained. In fact, many people didn't even bother getting off the ship. We did a mix of private and Princess excursions. Princess do charge a lot more for theirs.. but you have to be mindful in these poorer countries with cities a long way from the port.. that if something goes wrong, you're stuck and will miss the ship. So felt obliged to use Princess excursions more than we would elsewhere. Which costs extra. Borneo princess excursion was ho-hum. We did enjoy Koh Samui though - where we rode Elephants, but the time in Port was too short. We had wanted to go to the beach etc there. Given the captain had the ship going at a reasonably slow pace (they advise the knots it is travelling at), there's plenty of room to extend the time in Port (presumably penny-pinching is the reason not to) and we should have had more time to explore the place. Our last port, my wife and I didn't make it to Kuala Lumpur as she had been unwell (from memory, a good hour and a half each way on the bus). The only other option was a bus to a local mall which you had to pay Princess extra for of course. 

Food on the ship was sadly very hit & miss. Ate dinner in the MDR every night and lunch on sea-days. Ranged from very good to not good. Often was luke-warm or even cold. Certainly nothing to write home about and a bit disappointing. Buffet was the usual fare and was average and the chips/burgers were good. Pizza was fine. We had late set-dining (in the past we've had early set-dining at around 5.45pm from memory, however they brought it forward to 5pm which is far too early for us). 7.30pm was too late - we missed a number of shows etc in the evening as we often weren't out of the dining room till after 9pm (the main shows are usually on twice and you can see the earlier show before hand if organised, however quite a number of shows are only on once.. and at a time that means you cant get to it if you have late seating). We didn't bother paying for  the specialty restaurants - we already felt like we were being milked by Princess and the dinner companions we had were such fun that spending time with them each night was the highlight not to be missed. 

Entertainment is definitely pitched at the older crowd and was ok, Very tame if you're a young person (say younger than a retiree). We didn't see all of it for a number of reasons, but what we saw was mediocre. Usual Cruise Director type that would fit in nicely at a Hi-De-Hi or Benadorm all-inclusive resort. The Casino unfortunately doesn't have Texas Poker anymore (dealer or electronic). Tables and machines have worse odds than on shore - because they can get away with it. It is what it is. The casino was a ghost-town for almost all of the trip. No bar at the casino too (replaced with a high-rollers room for the Asians), so drink service very slow in casino. Usual level of trying to convince you to empty your wallet with over-priced Art, Jewelry, and improvement programs. Maybe the constant barrage of that is wearing thin for us. It's all a bit of a have and once you've cruised a bit.. you quickly get over all that. 

We mainly used the pool at the back of the ship. Was never too busy, although the number of seriously selfish people hogging lounge-chairs never ceases to amaze. Watched one pompous family "reserve" loungers in the sun.. but then went and spent hours drinking in the shade! 

Embarkation for Platinum - still had to line up for a long time to get through customs. Disembarkation however was very swift and the special lounge a nice touch. There was a nightly happy-hour type thing for Platinum and Elite. We went once, but it was no big deal. 

Service as always, was superb. The dining staff were excellent. Our room attendant was excellent too. They work so hard the staff. Sadly, we had to visit the Medical centre. Excellent service there too.

South East Asia January 2019

Filters

1-10 of 280