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First Cruise by
Dawn from Seatle, WA Sailing date: Feb 2011Pros: Able to relax Cons: sales pitches Overall this was a wonderful cruise where there was plenty to do when we were at sea. The first couple of days I did not like the sales push of certain things on the cruise, but after the third day it was not happening. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodWe had great food every night of the ship. We choose the anytime dining. Yes majority of the nights, if we did not make a reservation we had to use the pager. We didn't mind because by the time we got a cocktail, our table was ready! Stateroom QualityAfter leaving the first nights sleep, we both decided that we needed a new mattress at home. What a wonderful sleep!!! Ship Staff QualityStaff was always making our stay comfortable and enjoyable, except the beginning with the sales pitch. The good thing was, if you say no here they would stop. Entertainment & Activities
 
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Mazatlan, MexicoI would have been happy skipping this port. Next time I will stay on the ship.
Puerto Vallarta, MexicoIt was okay. We enjoyed walking around the town. Maybe next time we will get an excursion. But for the first time, it was neat just walking around the and "ignoring" the people trying to sell you crap.
Cabo San Lucas, MexicoI wish we had more time to spend at this port. What a beautiful place!!! If we do not do a cruise, we will definitely vacation there. I am glad this was our last place, because the best you always want to save for the last.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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  Fabulous Cruise by
Jose J from Alexandria, VA Sailing date: Apr 2010Pros: The Service Cons: The lack of real ice cream for "make your own sundae " at the restaurant. The ship was fantastic, cruise fully booked but never felt crowded anywhere unless you wanted to be. The food in the buffett was very good overall. The restaurant evening dining assigned times was "superb." The minor fact that a 4 star style quality restaurrant did not offer a "true" sundae with real hot fudge was a negative counterpoint to what would have bee 5-star dining. The staff in the evenings superb, during the day, well let's just say that english was not their strong suit.
Overall I would do it again, the shows excellent, the comedian outstanding, the overall experience very very nice indeed! Ship Quality
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7 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Alaska advice by
A Traveler from NJ Sailing date: Jul 2009Pros: Great service Cons: unmet expectations on excursions The ship was clean, rooms weren't too cramped. Service from every single person was professional and warm. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodEasy to indulge or eat healthy. Buffet was super convenient. Upcharge restaurants offered truly fine dining. Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff QualityNot too much where people were hovering, but down to the last individual, we had great service. Entertainment & ActivitiesKid program was great. Would've liked more programming for adults that was culturally related to Alaska. VERY annoyed at a "seminar" on flatter stomachs that was actually a pitch for an expensive 180 (!) day detox program. Children's ProgramsStaff was upbeat. Activities were varied. Would've liked to see other areas of the ship utilized more frequently. My kids were happy to attend.
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Juneau, AlaskaWeather was typical- which means annoying rain. Even that couldn't ruin the fun we had at the Dog Sled summer camp. Whale watching was a success to a certain extent- staff was cool and we did see whales...from far away. Blow hole spray and a tail at a distance. From NJ it's a 8.5 hour plane ride and I was a bit disappointed, even though we glimpsed Orcas.
Don't Miss: Dog sled Ketchikan, AlaskaWeather kept our private fishing/wilderness dining tour from being excellent. Even with 5 hours of unrelenting downpour made this day a favorite for our family.
Don't Miss: private fishing/wilderness dining excursion Skagway, AlaskaGlacier dogsledding advice: Don't get your hopes up! So many people love this experience but apparently MANY never get there due to weather cancellations. We got up in the heli but had to turn back. Very disappointing. Temsco gives a full refund, but if a family is an 8.5 hr plane ride from home and willing to pay almost $2k to do this excursion, it's clearly a high priority. The staff in Skagway was unwilling to call their other location in Juneau to see if we had a chance to do the trip in that port the next day. She said "We can't use our phone lines for that." Wha???? We decided to go for the sure thing in Juneau and went to the Summer Dog Sled Camp. It was worth giving up the glacier to be sure we had the experience. So I would advise trying the heli tour in your first port, and if it falls through, go for the summer camp. PS- many flights in Juneau were cancelled too so we would've been out of luck had we opted to try again.
Don't Miss: I wouldn't know 8 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
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Great SHIP!!!! by
A Traveler from monterey, california Sailing date: Nov 2008Pros: Most personnel friendly, courteous and helpful Cons: Thought Personnel should assist with airlines boarding pass returns instead of making people use the internet to pay for the boarding pass Excellent condition of ship....great upkeep and luxurious areas...rooms a little small but cozy...personnel mostly helpful Ship Quality
Dining/FoodLove the idea of free style seating.... Stateroom Qualitylittle too small but cozy Ship Staff QualityBelieve staff should be more helpful especially to older people not familiar with computer usage...assist with disembarkment and airline boarding passes WITHOUT additional charges
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Mazatlan, MexicoExcursion to Cactus Rock (kayaking) was great...Guides were conscientious and helpful..Safety and concern were a MUST for this groupll Extra nice touch was the fruit bar and stay upon the beach for swim or hike at nearby hill
Don't Miss: Kayaking around Cactus Island Puerto Vallarta, MexicoATV was a fantastic excursion..recommend to everyone...disclaimer is needed especially for the elderly ... nice lunch served was an added bonus...Great Asada taco from the "Original Taco Bell"
Don't Miss: ATV excursion Cabo San Lucas, MexicoPoor safety on Kayaking adventure near Santa Maria Beach...1 guide for 15 kayakers is not enough... Minimum of 2 guides (1 front and 1 rear of kayaking escursion should be mandated)
17 out of 19 people found this review helpful.
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Great cruise to Mexico by
Ralph B from St. Louis, MO Sailing date: Oct 2008Pros: The side trips to Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Luis were fun and wonderful. Cons: Computer forms to fill out The Sapphire Princess is one of the large cruise ships with excellent crew and WONDERFUL food. We liked the "anytime dining" plan famous with Princess.
Our stateroom was excellent.
Ship QualityThe only negatative point related to the ship was ship design regarding some major facilities where one has to go from 7th floor to 8th and then back to 7 to get to some facilities for entertainment or dining. Dining/FoodDining room food was great. For lunch this cruise offered only a buffet (average). For our previous Princess cruise, one could also choose a sit down dining room for breakfast or lunch.
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Mazatlan, MexicoShopping was all we did here ... was ok.
Puerto Vallarta, MexicoBeach break was fun, relaxing and nice with swim-up bar.
Cabo San Lucas, MexicoGreat opportunity for excellent photos by taking the "Pirate ship" excursion with snorkeling. It was fun and we got some great photos of "Land's End" at Cabo.
11 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
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Our overall experience was very pleasant by
Wes from Lincoln, CA Sailing date: May 2006Pros: Ammenities, features, smooth cruising abilities, the staff of waiters (excellent), and stateroom attendants (also excellent). The servicing our room and the waiters at dinner were definitely above average. These people alone help to make this cruise a success. Without them, I would have considered this cruise a disaster especially in how the medical aspect was handle with our young granddaugher. 25 out of 37 people found this review helpful.
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