Your Cruise Your Way Cruise Blog

Sapphire Princess
Mexican Riviera Cruise

This was my first cruise on Princess in 15 years and the Sapphire Princess did not disappoint. The ship is well designed and felt spacious even sailing completely full. She is an elegant ship, not lots of color but plenty of wood and natural tones.

Embarkation
One word…easy. The lines were fairly short and moved swiftly. We had the advantage of an Elite status with the Captain’s Circle and had a special VIP check in which had no line at all. One great reason to continue to cruise with Princess is that once you attain the Platinum level (5 cruises) you qualify for express check in.

Cabin
We had a BA category on Caribe Deck midship. This category has the advantage of a larger balcony with room for two loungers, two chairs and a table. It also has a partially covered balcony so you have some privacy (the other balcony decks are open). The cabin was spacious and well thought out with lots of storage space. The only room related issue was that the bathroom shower curtain blows out when you are showering. A bit of duck tape might have solved the problem. Our cabin steward was excellent, we rarely saw him and everything was perfect. This was the first cruise where there were no “towel animals” at night; I have to admit to missing them a little.

Dining
Anytime Dining offers a good choice of facilities. We ate at each of the four Anytime Restaurants. Quality of the food and level of service are good in all. The Horizon Court Buffet was the biggest disappointment. The quality and choice of food was fine but the set-up is confusing and crowded. By the third day we were avoiding it during peak times. We also ate at both Sabatini’s and Sterling Steakhouse. Sabatini’s was wonderful but a word of caution, don’t eat anything else all day because the portions are huge!
Personally, I missed the regular dining and getting to know my other tablemates and bonding with the waiters. My best tip for those who choose Anytime is to make reservations on the first day for the rest of the week – they fill up quickly.

Activities
There was a wide range of activities and events geared to a variety of age groups and personalities. There are 4 pools, the Terrace pool at the aft of the ship was a pleasant get-away. The Neptune main pool was the center of activities and the Calypso covered pool was a great relaxation spot. There were a number of computer courses offered for those who want to learn at sea. I spent too much time at the wonderful Lotus Spa. The 3 for 1 package is a good deal where you choose 3 mini treatments. The Lotus Spa also has very well attended seminars each day on various subjects. The gym was nice size but I can’t vouch for the equipment as, somehow, I never ended up using it! The internet café was beautiful – large and well designed, just a great spot. There were a variety of packages and you should consider buying a block of time to save money. Cruising in Mexico there were always cheap internet cafes at each port as well.

Shore Excursions
A good variety of excursions were offered. The one we enjoyed the most was in Mazatlan – the Colonial Village/Papantla Flyers. Great tour guide, nice excursions out of town and ending up with the aerial stunts of the Papantla Flyers. Cabo San Lucas was a tender port and only a half day stop. That is a good spot to just wander around as all the shopping and dining is located right at the port. I did hear many comments from other cruisers that they wished Princess would find a way to do a whole day in Cabo instead of the half day. The port talks were helpful but do beware of the push to only shop at the “approved” stores. The Mercado area in Puerto Vallarta was fun and safe with lots of great discounts! If you are interested in high end jewelry purchases or similar then I would go to the “approved” stores, otherwise enjoy the little mom and pop stores and chatting with the locals. Do beware of time share sales as they are everywhere in Mexico.

Entertainment
We never did catch any of the major shows but did hear good reviews from others. I tend to enjoy the audience participation ones – my group came in 2nd (I think we were really 1st) in a Jeopardy game show. The variety of shows was good and they were able to appeal to a range of tastes. The Wheelhouse bar was the most impressive with soft couches and leather chairs. The Wake View (lobby) Bar was a great place to curl up with a book or game for a few hours. On the first night the Casino offers up lower minimum bets so it’s a great time to “practice” giving your money to Princess.

Disembarkation
This deserves special mention for the “Express” option. You can keep your bags with you as long as you can carry them off yourself. Then you just walk off the ship soon after it docks. Simple and fast and nothing like the old days of waiting in line after line. You can also do the traditional disembarkation where they take your bags the night before. That was handled quickly as well with a minimum of waiting. All in all very impressive with a ship that holds over 2,500 passengers.

For more information on this ship please contact me at:
www.avctravel.com/lauriannemanchester, email me at planmytrip@yahoo.com or 800-380-7841