Live from the Sapphire Princess: first post pause sailing 9/24-10/4/2022 (Baja Peninsula & Sea of Cortez)

[Sunset329]

Looks like there are many followers who will be boarding the Sapphire on October 4th. We will be watching your live thread to get a glimpse of what we may expect on our cruise to Hawaii.

[NownZen]

11 hours ago, call_your_mother said:

We will be sailing on December 2, 2022 for 33 days.  Will be the first time on Sapphire Princess, I'm a bit nervous because we've been sailing on the newer ships lately, the Regal Princess & Enchanted Princess.  Last February we were on the Grand, is the Sapphire comparable? I realize the Grand first sailed in 1998 so Sapphire is 6 years younger. Just a bit curious.

 

 

We are on the same cruise in December. We were on the Sapphire a number of years ago doing Antarctica and loved the ship. We were also on the Grand earlier this year. They are very similar. We enjoy the older ships more than the newer ones since newer ships are more inward oriented. No promenade deck, limited views of the wake and the front of the ship. I suspect Princess (and other cruise lines which are doing the same thing) realized that you do not spend as much money when you are watching the ocean.

[XBGuy]

12 hours ago, call_your_mother said:

We will be sailing on December 2, 2022 for 33 days.  Will be the first time on Sapphire Princess, I'm a bit nervous because we've been sailing on the newer ships lately, the Regal Princess & Enchanted Princess.  Last February we were on the Grand, is the Sapphire comparable? I realize the Grand first sailed in 1998 so Sapphire is 6 years younger. Just a bit curious.

 

Hope to be watching live but I have my daughter's baby reveal party in the afternoon, very excited been waiting a long time, it's her first child at age 41.  Will it be available to watch later if I miss it live?

 

Have a wonderful time! 

 

Bon voyage!

 

[I composed this hours ago.  Stupidly, I neglected to click on the post button.]

 

I have cruised on both the Sapphire Princess and the Grand Princess.  However, my experience is not recent.  In 2011 we did the Los Angeles-Hawaii roundtrip--similar to the OP.  We did two San Francisco-Alaska roundtrips on the Grand Princess, the last one in 2017.

 

The deck configurations of the two ships are very similar, and the the passenger complement is also very similar.  The main differences that I recall relate to a few of the venues.

 

• There is no Crown Grill on the Sapphire Princess,  If you are a beefeater, don't worry, there is the Sterling Steakhouse.  There is no dedicated space for the Sterling Steakhouse on Deck 7 like most of the other Princess ships have the Crown Grill.  Rather, a section of the buffet area in the extreme aft of the ship is set up as a full-service restaurant.  It is actually a very nice arrangement,  We ate there three or four evenings on our Hawaii cruise.  The one slightly annoying thing that recall about the Sterling Steakhouse was that the only protein on the menu was beef--no seafood or pork or lamb like you can get in Crown Grill.  Again, that was 11 years ago.  I would not be surprised if they have added more options to the Sterling Steakhouse menu,
• On Deck 5 of the Grand Princess there is a no-charge venue called Alfredo's Pizzeria.  There is no Alfredo's on the Sapphire Princess,
• There is no Skywalkers on the Grand Princess.  There is a lounge at the aft of the ship called Club 15, but it does not have the panoramic view of Skywalkers.  There is a Skywalkers on the Sapphire Princess, but it not elevated over the stern of the ship--i.e., the "shopping cart" design of many Princess ships.  The Skywalkers on the Sapphire Princess is aft, but it is moved forward of the stern.  Skywalkers was closed during our cruise.  So, I can't report on how it compares with the "shopping cart" design.
• We do not eat very often in the dining rooms.  We always avail ourselves of the Anytime Dining option, and we always sit at a table for two.  My recollection is that we had four or five dinners in the dining room.  I have read more that once here on Cruise Critics that the 2-tops around the perimeter of the dining room on the Sapphire Princess are very clos to each other.  I agree with that,  In fact, each table is shared by two parties.  There is a little separator down the middle of the table and there is a flower and, perhaps, salt and pepper next to the separator, but the closeness is undeniable.  Even the table on the other side is close.  I don't think there is more than 6-8 inches between them.

 

That's what I remember.  I'll probably think of something else.

 

I am confident that you will have a terrific cruise on the Sapphire Princess.  Bon Voyage.

 

Edited September 24, 2022 by XBGuy

[phabric]

From Sapphire deck plan, there is an Alfredo’s Pizzeria on deck 5

Edited September 24, 2022 by phabric

[harleysmama]

FYI

[harleysmama]

If anyone on now can find out what the names of all the assistant cruise directors are it would be appreciated. Thanks 

[JF - retired RRT]

53 minutes ago, XBGuy said:

There is no Crown Grill on the Sapphire Princess,  If you are a beefeater, don't worry, there is the Sterling Steakhouse.  There is no dedicated space for the Sterling Steakhouse on Deck 7 like most of the other Princess ships have the Crown Grill.  Rather, a section of the buffet area in the extreme aft of the ship is set up as a full-service restaurant.  It is actually a very nice arrangement,  We ate there three or four evenings on our Hawaii cruise.  The one slightly annoying thing that recall about the Sterling Steakhouse was that the only protein on the menu was beef--no seafood or pork or lamb like you can get in Crown Grill.  Again, that was 11 years ago.  I would not be surprised if they have added more options to the Sterling Steakhouse menu,

Yup. I just checked the '22 menu. It's very similar to the CG menu, but no lobster.

[phabric]

What times are the shows in the evening?

[XBGuy]

1 hour ago, phabric said:

From Sapphire deck plan, there is an Alfredo’s Pizzeria on deck 5

 

Thanks for the correction, @phabric.

[XBGuy]

18 minutes ago, JF - retired RRT said:

Yup. I just checked the '22 menu. It's very similar to the CG menu, but no lobster.

 

Thanks.  You were more ambitious than I was.

[srpilo]

I've sailed the Sapphire a couple of times, Norway in 2018, and Yokohama to Vancouver in 2014, and with the exception of the above mention of there being no Crown Grill, to me the Sapphire is the best of the original Grand class ships.

 

Just the wider promenade alone makes her a stand out, and unlike her sister the Diamond the Sapphire as mentioned has been upgraded with an Alfredo's and an International Cafe which the Diamond is still missing. Any comparisons to the old rust bucket Grand also, is misguided as the Sapphire is newer, is/was still in great shape, she's unique, and under went a dry dock right before the shutdown in 2019

[phabric]

Does the Sapphire have a covered swimming pool?

[Papa Yoda]

Just now, phabric said:

Does the Sapphire have a covered swimming pool?

 

Yes the Calypso Pool is covered.

[clueless2]

Have you heard of any issues with US citizens who were fully vaxed and did not get tested checking in?

 

I  know that is supposed to be OK but there still seems to be some confusion..

 

Thanks in advance.

[phabric]

1 minute ago, Papa Yoda said:

 

Yes the Calypso Pool is covered.

Great,  good to use to/from Hawaii when the weather is cold.

[dhanakorn]

From the Roll Call update, look like we can go directly to Berth 46 for luggage drop and check-in. No need to stop by the Main Terminal at Berth 92/93.

 

Here’s the white tent for the luggage drop off. I got there around 12:30pm. LA is super hot today!

 

 

Then you walk to the adjacent tent for check-in. 

 

The check-in process is super fast. Probably only take a couple minutes. Overall less than 10 minutes from dropping off the luggage to board the ship. Much better experience than the overcrowded terminal at Berth 92/93. 

 

You’re greeted by the crew to welcome you on board. 

 

 

[dhanakorn]

I’m sure someone will probably ask for the Patter  😄

 

 

 

[fpsphil]

So happy to see the crew wearing less intrusive masks.

[BSImages]

Has she left port yet?

[fpsphil]

20 minutes ago, BSImages said:

Has she left port yet?

Already off the berth

[call_your_mother]

21 hours ago, travelin.sisters said:

congrats on the grandbaby!!!...live in this case does not mean taped live, it means a series of updates & photos & answers to people's questions as the cruise is going...I will hopefully be posting at least every couple of days (although, I have read here that the internet is not as reliable as it was in January so we will see what I can do)...it will all be able for you to read whenever you want...I haven't been on the Sapphire before but have been on the Grand several times so I should be able to answer that question after we have been on for a day or two

Thank you . . . It's a boy!  Have a wonderful time, I'll be reading for sure.  Looking forward it but I do understand the internet situation, just got back from a TA on Enchanted and the internet was horrible.

[call_your_mother]

11 hours ago, NownZen said:

We are on the same cruise in December. We were on the Sapphire a number of years ago doing Antarctica and loved the ship. We were also on the Grand earlier this year. They are very similar. We enjoy the older ships more than the newer ones since newer ships are more inward oriented. No promenade deck, limited views of the wake and the front of the ship. I suspect Princess (and other cruise lines which are doing the same thing) realized that you do not spend as much money when you are watching the ocean.

 

Thanks for the info . . . We did a Med/TA on the Pacific Princess (was our favorite) which got back to the US on December 22, 2019.  Was planning on cruising several more times but she's gone.  Like the smaller ships.  

 

Are you on CC Dec 2 Sapphire roll call?  I am starting to think about what to pack to cover all climates, any suggestions since you've done it already.  I am trying to limit the number of suitcases.

[call_your_mother]

10 hours ago, XBGuy said:

 

[I composed this hours ago.  Stupidly, I neglected to click on the post button.]

 

I have cruised on both the Sapphire Princess and the Grand Princess.  However, my experience is not recent.  In 2011 we did the Los Angeles-Hawaii roundtrip--similar to the OP.  We did two San Francisco-Alaska roundtrips on the Grand Princess, the last one in 2017.

 

The deck configurations of the two ships are very similar, and the the passenger complement is also very similar.  The main differences that I recall relate to a few of the venues.

 

• There is no Crown Grill on the Sapphire Princess,  If you are a beefeater, don't worry, there is the Sterling Steakhouse.  There is no dedicated space for the Sterling Steakhouse on Deck 7 like most of the other Princess ships have the Crown Grill.  Rather, a section of the buffet area in the extreme aft of the ship is set up as a full-service restaurant.  It is actually a very nice arrangement,  We ate there three or four evenings on our Hawaii cruise.  The one slightly annoying thing that recall about the Sterling Steakhouse was that the only protein on the menu was beef--no seafood or pork or lamb like you can get in Crown Grill.  Again, that was 11 years ago.  I would not be surprised if they have added more options to the Sterling Steakhouse menu,
• On Deck 5 of the Grand Princess there is a no-charge venue called Alfredo's Pizzeria.  There is no Alfredo's on the Sapphire Princess,
• There is no Skywalkers on the Grand Princess.  There is a lounge at the aft of the ship called Club 15, but it does not have the panoramic view of Skywalkers.  There is a Skywalkers on the Sapphire Princess, but it not elevated over the stern of the ship--i.e., the "shopping cart" design of many Princess ships.  The Skywalkers on the Sapphire Princess is aft, but it is moved forward of the stern.  Skywalkers was closed during our cruise.  So, I can't report on how it compares with the "shopping cart" design.
• We do not eat very often in the dining rooms.  We always avail ourselves of the Anytime Dining option, and we always sit at a table for two.  My recollection is that we had four or five dinners in the dining room.  I have read more that once here on Cruise Critics that the 2-tops around the perimeter of the dining room on the Sapphire Princess are very clos to each other.  I agree with that,  In fact, each table is shared by two parties.  There is a little separator down the middle of the table and there is a flower and, perhaps, salt and pepper next to the separator, but the closeness is undeniable.  Even the table on the other side is close.  I don't think there is more than 6-8 inches between them.

 

That's what I remember.  I'll probably think of something else.

 

I am confident that you will have a terrific cruise on the Sapphire Princess.  Bon Voyage.

 

 

Thanks for all the info, much appreciated.  Dining on the Enchanted Princess was the same for the 2-tops tables.  We  did shared table a few times on the Grand.  Oh no, sad to hear there's no Alfredos . . . always a nice alternative when you don't want to dress for the dining room.  

 

Been looking forward to this cruise for years, I know we will have a wonderful time.  Just being on an ocean makes us both happy.  

 

[capriccio]

7 hours ago, call_your_mother said:

 

Oh no, sad to hear there's no Alfredos . . . always a nice alternative when you don't want to dress for the dining room. 

 

 

You missed phabric's correction - there is an Alfredo's on the Sapphire.  No need to be sad!

 

18 hours ago, phabric said:

From Sapphire deck plan, there is an Alfredo’s Pizzeria on deck 5

 

[latebloomer56]

8 minutes ago, capriccio said:

 

You missed phabric's correction - there is an Alfredo's on the Sapphire.  No need to be sad!

 

 

But they only have pizza I was told. Nothing like on the Regal, filled pasta dripping with cheese. 

Anybody on her now please let us know if this is true, just pizza, thanks.