Princess Cruises

MV Sapphire Princess

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Operator: Princess Cruise Lines
Year Built / Last Refurbished: 2004 / 2004
Length / Tonnage: 910 / 116,000
Number of Cabins / Passengers: 1,337 / 2,674
Officers / Crew: International / International
Operating Area: Mexican Riviera

She entered service in May 2004. This ship was originally named Sapphire Princess but the name Sapphire was switched with her sister after she was severely damaged by fire in October of 2003.

At 115,000 she is too wide to fit through the Panama Canal but her size allows her to offer passengers an unmatched number of outside cabins with balconies.

A tour of the public areas of the Sapphire Princess begins on Sky Deck (Deck 17/18). This is where you will find Skywalkers Nightclub which is "suspended" above the stern of the ship. By day, an observation lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows. After dark, it is transformed into a lively nightclub with state-of-the-art lighting, sound and video effects.

As you might expect, the Sports Deck (Deck 17) is the place to visit if you are interested in something more active than reading a book. Facilities here include, the Center Court, which is a sports court with space for spectator seating. There is also a jogging track which is one-eighth of a mile track for joggers and walkers. There are two computerized simulators which enable passengers to try their luck "playing" the world's famous golf courses. The Sun Terrace provides a secluded top deck area for sunbathing and Pirate's View is a whirlpool spa and swimming pool area with an outdoor bar, Morgan's Bar.

One deck down, all the way forward on Sun Deck (Deck 16) the Asian designed and inspired Lotus Spa offers a full range of spa, salon, fitness and retail amenities and services. Facilities include 14 massage therapy rooms, a thermal relaxation suite, steam and sauna. Fitness center includes 35 cardiovascular stations, 17 weight-strength training stations, 17 personal LCD flat screens, 12 spinning cycles, outdoor jogging track, "swim-against-the-current" adult fitness pool and sun deck.

Moving aft you come to the Tradewinds Bar which is a relaxing outside area, perfect for unwinding high above the ocean. Behind the Tradewinds Bar is an outdoor area overlooking the Calypso pool, which is perfect for daytime relaxing.

The aft portion of this deck is home to the Fun Zone/Off Limits which is are fully equipped centers for children and teens with outdoor and indoor play areas, toys, video games, splash pool, teen disco and a complete schedule of activities.

The forward portion of the Lido Deck (Deck 15) consists of passenger accommodations. The middle portion begins with Mermaid's Tail, which is a casual outdoor midship bar adjacent to Neptune's Reef and Pool. The poolside pizzeria Prego is also located here along with the Trident Grill which serves up hot dogs, hamburgers and other lunch favorites.

There are also two pools on this deck. Neptune's Reef and Pool is a spacious pool which features colorful mosaics, whirlpool spas and abundant deck space for sunning and relaxing. Scoops, the poolside ice cream bar serving custom-mixed frozen treats is located here as well.

Further aft is the Calypso Reef and Pool which is perfect for watching "Movies Under the Stars" on a 300-square-foot Times Square-style LED screen above the pool. Just past the pool is the small Calypso Bar

Next is the Horizon Court restaurant which provides twenty-four hour dining with breakfast, lunch and dinner served buffet style; and a full-service bistro menu offered from 10:30 pm to 4:30 am. The Horizon Court shares space with Cafi Caribe, a themed buffet that captures the tastes of the Caribbean with a changing menu of Caribbean themes, colorful Caribbean decor, live music, and an open kitchen where passengers can order their meals cooked to their specifications.

The very aft portion of this deck features the Outrigger Bar which overlooks the Terrace Pool on the Riviera Deck (Deck 14). The remainder of the Riviera, Aloha (Deck 12), Baja (Deck 11), Caribe (Deck 10), Dolphin (Deck 9) and Emerald (Deck 8) Decks consist of passenger staterooms.

The Princess Theater (Upper Level) occupies the forward portion of the Promenade Deck (Deck 7). This 746 seat, Broadway-style theater with 36-foot proscenium arch stage is the venue for Princess' production shows.

Continuing aft from the theatre brings you to the Wheelhouse Bar which features a private club atmosphere filled with the company's maritime history and nautical memorabilia. A great spot for music, dancing or cocktails.

The Hearts and Minds Wedding Chapel is also located on this deck. It is an intimate wedding chapel used for Princess' wedding-at-sea program and for renewal-of-vows ceremonies, and features Internet "wedding cam" capabilities. The space can also convert to a meeting room.

There are a number of other shops surrounding the Promenade Galleria including: Essence, a boutique specializing in branded fragrances and cosmetics at duty- and tax-free prices and Facets, a duty- and tax-free boutique featuring fine jewelry and gifts.

Crooners is located on the starboard side of the Galleria and is designed to look like a classic 1960s-style martini bar based on the Las Vegas "Rat Pack" era. It serves a specialty drink menu of more than 50 martini varieties.

The Explorers Lounge is located aft of the Galleria. It is a lounge where Indiana Jones might feel at home, and is designed to evoke the wonders of the Far East and Africa. Entertainment includes cabaret acts, singers, magicians and comedians. It seats 292.

Just aft of the Explorers Lounge is the Trattoria Sabatini which is an upscale Italian alternative restaurant featuring an eight-course menu of seafood specialties and other Italian favorites.

Club Fusion occupies the very aft portion of this deck. Club Fusion is one of the three main entertainment venues on board, blending the atmosphere of a New York-style nightclub/cabaret with a touch of Las Vegas-style games and excitement. The lounge features high-tech capabilities and appearance, with 42 high-definition video screens throughout.

The forward portion of the Fiesta Deck (Deck 6) is occupied by the lower level of the Princess Theater which seats 746. Just outside the doors of the theatre is the Churchill Lounge which is a cigar lounge and sports bar featuring broadcasts of various sporting events and a collection of sports memorabilia.

Continuing aft brings you to the Grand Casino which features the latest in Las Vegas-style casino games, including popular table games and more than 260 slot machines.

Just past the Casino are a number of shops and boutiques including: Meridian Bay, which is one of five duty- and tax-free boutiques onboard, offering brand-name fashion jewelry, watches and accessories; and Calypso Cove, a boutique featuring tax- and duty-free liquor, tobacco, snacks, sundries, Princess logo apparel and souvenirs.

Two of the ships's three main dining rooms occupy the remainder of this deck. The Pacific Moon Dining Room seats 230 and is one of four themed Anytime Dining restaurants on board, the dining room features a specialty menu of Asian favorites in addition to the day's standard menu. The Santa Fe Dining Room seats 230 and is the main dining room for Anytime Dining passengers, featuring a specialty menu of Southwestern favorites in addition to the day's standard menu

The International Dining Room occupies the aft portion of this deck. The International Dining Room is a traditional-seating dining room featuring elegant artwork and warm furnishings. It also serves a selection of specialty items from the ship's themed dining rooms and seats 518.

The forward portion of the next deck Plaza Deck (Deck 5) is occupied by passenger accommodations. This middle portion features the Grand Plaza which acts as the heart of the ship The three-story Grand Plaza atrium featuring a spacious foyer, warmly lit marble and glass-sided marble staircases, panoramic glass elevators, specially created artwork and separate reception facilities on two different levels. Wireless Internet access is also available in the atrium area for passengers with their own laptops.

The Passenger Services Desk, Shore Excursion Desk, Princess Fine Arts Gallery, and Lobby Bar are located adjacent to the atrium. The Library, Writing Room and Joker's Card Room are also located nearby.

Two other dining rooms, the Sterling Dining Room and Vivaldi Dining Room occupy the aft portion of this deck. The Sterling Dining Room is for passengers choosing the Anytime Dining option -- features a specialty menu of prime rib and other English club favorites in addition to the day's standard menu It seats 234. The Vivaldi Dining Room featurs a specialty menu of Italian favorites in addition to the day's standard menu and seats 230.

The ship offers a variety of dining options with three main dining rooms that seat around 500 passengers at a time. With the introduction of Personal Choice dining the service has dropped off a bit as most passengers are served by different personnel each evening. Food on board is good, not great. It seems more and more of the staff are working for tips nowadays so at times the service can become intrusive and it becomes difficult to just enjoy your meal.

There is a 24-hour dining restaurant the Horizon Court which has beautiful floor to ceiling windows with the gorgeous view of the ocean. The overall service here is very good.

Of the 1,557 cabins on board, 1,105 are outside and 881 of those have balconies. In a typical outside cabin with a balcony you will find a nice use of wood, mirrors, fabrics and soft colors give it a homey feeling. Using every nook and cranny, there is just enough storage space for a 7 night cruise. There’s also some wasted space under the TV, between the TV and refrigerator, which could accommodate a good size shelf or small cabinets. The Sony TV’s have front cable plug-ins to make it easy to view videos you tape and/or pictures taken from a digital camera.

Don’t pack a hair dryer, it’s provided, and the beds are just high enough off the floor to slide your luggage (soft sided) underneath. Standard inside and outside cabins aboard Princess ships are not spacious, until you get into a mini-suite, or better, category. But if you pack (and unpack) right, you will have ample room. Our balcony was GREAT!! - again, second time around. We spent a lot of time on it and it was one of the larger ones we’ve had. The balconies on the Aloha and Baja decks have 4 chairs and a 30”X 30” table and were totally private. The balconies on Dolphin deck were the same as Aloha and Baja, but had absolutely no privacy. Our balcony, on Caribe deck, was twice the size as the others, offered 50% privacy. We lived out here. For all you sun worshipers, choose the starboard side, shade lovers, port side - at least on this itinerary.

You'll meet all kinds here....multi repeaters, partiers, families, the young and old, the wealthy and the not so.

Sapphire Princess splits her time between extended sailings to Hawaii in the winter, weekly Alaska Inside Passage sailings in the summer, and Mexican Riviera voyages in the fall.

In general, Princess offers a good product for a reasonable price. On most itineraries you will be traveling with a good mix of fellow passengers who tend to be slightly older than you might find on Carnival or Royal Caribbean. While aspiring to be a premium category cruise line, we feel that Princess should remain in the mass market category because while the service and amenities on board are good, they are comparable to what you can find on many other ships for a similar price. If the ship is sailing on an interesting itinerary at a convenient time you should certainly give Priness a try, just do not expect anything extraordinary.