The trip turned out to be a very unpleasant vacation. Princess let us passengers, down badly. We have been on 33 cruises with a total of 6 different cruise lines including Princess -- the Sapphire Princess was one of the poorest, if not the poorest, run ships we have been on and communication was next to nil and always incorrect. -- the ship was so poorly managed and unpleasant to be on that I had to increase my SSRI medication and had to take medication for anxiety attacks caused by all the impediments the Sapphire Princess put in the way of our enjoyment.
Embarkation
1 out of 5
We had to wait about an hour or so
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
1 out of 5
We ate in the Horizon Court because the restaurant offered only bland pasta dishes, mainly red meat dishes, Chinese or Asian dishes, and some vegan concoctions. For the most part, I could not find 3 appetizers that were good or I would have just eaten three appetizers.
We could usually find something that we could eat in the nice variety of items offered in the buffet.
We ate in a dining room only once -- on Christmas day we had the turkey dinner. It was A very unpleasant meal. The dressing was a sweet as a dessert. The cooked broccoli was more of a crudite which needED a sharp knife to cut. The turkey reminded me of that found in the old Swanson Frozen TV dinners. The white meat must have been boiled -- it was UN-cuttable and inedible. I did enjoy the the sweet potatoes. The waiter suggested that I was not very hungry and did not offer me anything else on the menu evening though I had eaten only the sweet potatoes and the cranberry sauce.
However, the International cafe and its staff were a bright spot in a ship so poorly managed and unpleasant to be on.
Onboard Activities
1 out of 5
On port days, when most passengers are off the ship, there were a lot of wonderful activities -- two trivias, mini put, bean bag toss, dart board, Wii. Champagne Ring toss.
On Sea days when passengers need activities, the schedule is loaded down with boutique sales, jewelry sales, art auctions, spa specials, sales -- sales -- sales -- where are all the activities that are available on port days?
One activity that we really wanted to do was a “star discovery night.” The Patter said to go to deck 14 aft at 9:45 pm. Four of us arrived at 9:15 pm. Two of our friends were in wheel chairs. By 9:30 pm, we had not seen an activity team member, so we asked a couple of serving staff and an officer if they knew what was going on with the event. In typical fashion, no one of the staff were informed and had no idea the event was even happening. We did look around a bit and did not see anyone going around the deck asking for participants. Well, at about 9:40 pm, we saw a number of people going up stairs heading to a higher deck. We went over quickly followed by our mobility challenged friends and were told by Assistant Cruise Director, “The event is full. We only have so many headsets.” Also, he informed us that it was on the deck 16 basketball course so it was not handicap accessible. We asked him if any of this information was in the Patter -- “limited spaces, not accessible, Assistant Cruise Director would be hiding behind the staircase.” He responded that this information had not been published, that is just the way it is, it is full, and that He had to go. Another passenger later told us that Martin told his passenger “friends” that the event was limited and he told them where he would be hiding on deck 14. Is this really how passengers should be treated??????
Many people went to Guest Services to complain and had to write a formal complaint to be handed to the Cruise Director and his manager. Everyone we talked to said that they had received no response
Entertainment
1 out of 5
The Sapphire Dancers and singers were among the best entertainers that I have ever seen on a cruise. However, the comedians, magicians, lounge bands were poor.
Children's Programs
I have no children
Service and Staff
1 out of 5
This is a difficult one. Servers, cleaning staff, bar staff were great, but guest services staff and excursion staff were defensive and unhelpful.
I spoke with many passengers who had gone to desk services, the tour desk, or to security to get help with any problem. I had to get help with a variety of issues including tours problems, immigration, account overcharges, etc. 12 of the 21 days of the cruise. The response of the staff was always the same -- “IT IS YOUR FAULT BECAUSE YOU DID NOT ... OR YOU SHOULD HAVE ...” There is only CUSTOMER DISSERVICE ON THE SAPPHIRE PRINCESS. I strongly believe that the Sapphire Princess staff were instructed to defend the decision by their managers and to find ways of blaming the guest, regardless of whether or not the managerial policy or decision was fair and reasonable. Therefore, passengers, including me, often had to work up the chain of command to have their poor treatment dealt with. Most passengers eventually gave up dealing with the Sapphire Princess staff and decided to work through either Princess Customer service or their travel agent to redress the wrongs they suffered.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The servers, bar staff, cleaning staff, cabin stewards were constantly clearing tables, cleaning floors, polishing brass. The ship was incredibly clean.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Our cabin was an obstructed Ocean View but we could easily see ports and seas and much light was let into the cabin. We had more than ample storage -- the shower temperature was easily adjusted and the flow was perfect. The beds were very comfortable and compared to other cruise lines, the Ocean View cabin was large.
Our Cabin Steward was friendly, cheerful, efficient, superior at cleaning, and super helpful.
Ship tip
Do not go on Sapphire Princess unless you hear that the management personnel on the ship have been replaced. The trip turned out to be a very unpleasant vacation. Princess let us passengers, down badly. We have been on 33 cruises with a total of 6 different cruise lines including Princess -- the Sapphire Princess was one of the poorest, if not the poorest, run ships we have been on and communication was next to nil and always incorrect. -- the ship was so poorly managed and unpleasant to be on that I had to increase my SSRI medication and had to take medication for anxiety attacks caused by all the impediments the Sapphire Princess put in the way of our enjoyment. There were so many problem and stresses which accumulated and continued from the first day of the cruise. I will describe much of what we faced, but I could not possibly detail all of the unpleasantness which occurred on the Sapphire Princess as a result of its poor leadership. I also want to apologize because the organization of this message is not as good as I would like it to be, but this cruise experience has drained me of much of my energy.
We went on a ship excursion. Singapore is a beautiful city with many new buildings. The highlight of this excursion was the 20 minute cruise along the Singapore River.
We went on a ship excursion. Most of Kuala Lumpur that we drove through is filled with small older structures -- stores, residences, abandoned buildings. However, the Petronas Towers are impressive from the outside. The tour guide talked incessantly and giggled all of the time. The drive to Kuala took 90 minutes plus and was through an industrial area -- very boring. Traffic to and in Kuala Lumpur is very congested.
We went on a ship excursion. Penang is a very old looking city with crowded streets and small old structures. Our guide talked even more than any other guide we had on the cruise tours except when we walked through the East Indian part of Penang. This area looked interesting and seemed full of history, but our guide walked us through so quickly that when he turned a corner some of the group got lost. He also made no comments about the area.
Included in the tour was lunch at the South Destiny Restaurant/Buffet. They refused to accommodate passengers with food allergies. I could not eat there. I guess I let that experience ruin the tour. I was very hungry and the tour went no place where I could buy food to eat.
We visited Bali on our own. The people of Bali are wonderful. We were actually invited into a private residence on Bali. Bali is a mix of ancient residences and store, as well as modern condos and shopping centers. We intend to visit Bali for a week or two in the near future. We made friends there who are willing to show us around the island. Bali was the best spot.
My wife and I were also aboard Sapphire on Dec 7 for the 21 day cruise and we had a wonderful experience! No problems with staff, shows, food etc. It’s as if we were on an entirely different cruise than you. Would not hesitate to sail on Sapphire again. Loved it all!
My word! If I give you a list of which cruises I'll be on can you promise faithfully not to go! And to Patty4paws you will have an amazing time in Alaska on the Sapphire trust me in this!
We cruised on the Sapphire Princess in august. We had a great cruise! Was éverything perfect and exactly the way wé always wanted?? No, it wasn't all the time, but i feel blessed that ihave the chance to go on a cruise... I think the greatest problem is yourself : i guess you are one of the people who is whining about everything 🙄🙄
Wow..your very hard to please..I'm booked for a 17 night cruise to New Zealand and I'm forever checking comments..and is why I booked to cruise on the Sapphire never have I seen anyone so anal... whinging as much as you..hope I never ever Sail with you...
I am so sad about your review. My husband and I are sailing the Sapphire Princess to Alaska fall of 2021. We are so excited to be able to sail her, now I'm worried :-(
After reading this review, and comparing it to other reviews of the same ship recently, I don’t think the ship is the problem. It sounds like you have too many issues to probably be cruising since you seem to complain about everything. Nothing is ever going to be perfect, but you just deal with it and enjoy yourself and move on.
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