To kick-off of our great South American Adventure, we booked a cruise on the Sapphire Princess. Initially, we viewed the cruise as a comfortable way to reach Santiago, Chile. We got a great last-minute deal that made our cruise fare not much more expensive than airfare. As our departure date neared, we became more excited for the cruise experience itself. Eighteen days of luxury living aboard the Sapphire Princess, complete with gourmet meals and world-class entertainment! We were really excited!
The Sapphire Princess Cruise Ship
In 2014, Princess Cruise Line built the Sapphire Princess and her sister ship, the Diamond Princess. The two ships have a similar layout and share many of the same venues. Unlike other ships that we have sailed, the Sapphire Princess does not have a straightforward, symmetrical interior. Some of the venues can only be reached from either the aft or forward elevator bank. We found we actually enjoyed the slighly confusing layout; part of the fun was figuring it out. Once we did, the ship felt more spacious because of all the “hidden” areas.
Our Oceanview Stateroom on the Sapphire Princess
We booked an unobstructed oceanview stateroom. On the Sapphire Princess, almost all of the rooms in this category are on Deck 5, in the forward section of the ship. This is two decks below the promenade deck, meaning we had a porthole below the outside walking track, with a private view of the ocean when we were at sea – and we had a lot of sea days!
The staterooms on the Sapphire Princess are nicely appointed, simple yet refined, and well laid out. There is a large closet opposite the bathroom that covers almost the entire width of the room (minus the doorway). There is plenty of room to hang a week’s worth of clothes for two people, plus store two suitcases. Behind the full-length mirror, there is a shelf for more clothes storage. The bathroom layout, with an angled toilet, maximizes the space available. On the other side of the closet’s wall is a vanity with three large drawers. There are also drawers in the nightstands on either side of the bed. We found the bed very comfortable, and it definitely lived up to Princess’ reputation of luxury.
Our one complaint was the lack of outlets in our room. There were no charging ports, either standard electric or USB, by the bedside. We had only a single outlet bank on the vanity. The plugs were positioned in a way that only allowed us to have one thing plugged in at a time. Our multi-plug adapter really came in useful here!
*Some of the staterooms on Sapphire Princess have been updated to have more outlets, but ours was not one of them.
Dining Venues on the Sapphire Princess
Main Dining Rooms
Rather than have one large main dining room, Sapphire has five venues spaced throughout the ship. Four of them are identical in size and layout, and vary only in decoration. On the Plaza Deck 5, there is the Savoy Dining Room on the port side and the Vivaldi Dining Room on starboard. Directly above on the Fiesta Deck 6 is the Pacific Moon Dining Room on port and the Santa Fe Dining Room on starboard.
The fifth dining room, the International Dining Room, is more spacious and is designed for large group dining. You may reserve a table here for a special meeting over lunch or dinner. There was also a singles table for solo cruisers to meet other travelers. The International Dining Room is a bit tricky to get to. It is on Fiesta Deck 6, at the aft of the ship, but it is not connected to the rest of deck 6. To get to the International Dining Room, start on a higher deck, make your way to the aft elevator, and go down to deck 6. You will find the entry to the International Dining Room directly outside of the aft elevator bank on deck 6.
Our Main Dining Experience
The main dining on Sapphire Princess was overall quite good. The menu is the same throughout the five venues. They served a nice variety of food and maintained a few staples on the menu every night. The portions were nicely sized and service was usually not too slow. We have come to realize that main dining on a cruise ship is at least a one-hour commitment.
Princess Cruise Line’s Dine My Way
We did struggle with getting a table for main dining for our first few nights. Princess Cruises uses their signature “Dine My Way” reservation system to allow cruisers to choose their preferred dining time, rather than having a set time for early or late dining. The reservations are held for twenty minutes past the time slot. For example, if you reserve a 7:00 PM dinner slot, you can arrive at the venue between 7:00 and 7:20 PM and expect to have a table waiting for you.
Princess Cruise Line advertises that with Dine My Way, cruises can eat at main dining whenever they want, without advanced reservations. In reality, when we approached the maitre’d without a reservation, we could not get a table until after 8 PM. We soon discovered that if we wanted to eat any time before 7:30 PM, we needed to make a reservation before 5:00 PM of that day. Reservations can be made through the Princess app or by calling a hotline from your stateroom phone. We eventually realized that we should make advance reservations for the remaining days of our cruise. If we weren’t hungry when that day and time came around, we just skipped the main dining reservation and went to the buffet instead. There were no repercussions when we did not show up to our main dining reservations.
Main Dining Seating
One complaint we had about the main dining room was Princess Cruise’s definition of a “private” table. We were often seated at the long row of tables in the back. While technically a “table for two”, we literally bumped elbows with the couple seated next to us because the tables were so close together. We had to be quite insistent with the maitre’d to be seated at one of the two- and four- person round tables scattered through the dining rooms.
Horizon Court Buffet
The buffet on Sapphire Princess is my favorite cruise buffet so far. It is not the largest, but the food is fresh and of good quality. Horizon Court is at the aft of the Lido Deck 14. The buffet is divided into two identical halves. During meal changes, the staff closes one side at a time to change over the menu. This means that at least one side of the buffet is open continuously from 6 AM to 11 PM. Anyone who has cruised before will understand how convenient this is!
Breakfast
The Horizon Court Buffet has four different meal services. From 6 AM until 11 AM, breakfast is on display. This is a typical breakfast buffet with a nice assortment of hot and cold items. Omelettes with a choice of fillings can be ordered and delivered to your table within fifteen minutes.
Lunch & Teatime
Lunch begins at 11 AM and lasts until about 4 PM. In addition to sandwich, salad, and soup options, there are usually a few hot main entrees, similar to what is served at dinner. At 4 PM, the servers close the hot portion of the buffet to prepare the dinner display. In the smaller island of the buffet, they display a tea service with deli meats and cheeses, chips and guacamole, scones, and cookies. This is available until about 5:30 PM, when they reopen the main buffet section for the full dinner meal.
Dinner
Dinner always includes a prime cut of meat, several potato options, and side dishes to coincide with the night’s theme. There is also an Indian section with rice, dal, and both a vegetarian and meat Indian main dish. And of course, there is an extensive dessert display!
Beverages
Horizon Court had four beverage stations, and this was the only place on board the ship that passengers could get free water, coffee, tea, or lemonade. The servers were quick to bring you a drink when you sat down, but you were also able to serve yourself. This made for a very crowded area in the mornings and evenings, with passengers lined up to refill their water bottles.
The International Cafe
Not to be confused with the International Dining Room, the International Cafe is the one food venue on the Sapphire Princess that is open 24 hours. Similar to the buffet, staff displays different food options depending on the time of day. Breakfast is served from early morning until about 11 AM. From 11 AM on, there is a choice of sandwiches, soup, individual pot pies, and desserts. The International Cafe also serves premium coffee and tea. These come with the drink package, or can be purchased for $4-8 per drink.
The International Cafe was our favorite dining venue on the ship, and we stopped there often. One of Princess Cruise’s specialties is the pizza muffin. It is basically a slice of Alfredo’s pizza baked into a muffin shape. Delicious! There are also smoothies available during breakfast hours, a great way to get a free beverage without the drink package. The desserts here are amazing – sometimes even better than the options in the main dining hall, in my opinion. There was always a rich, chocolate-y brownie or mousse. And if you want to splurge, you can try a slice of the giant cake for $4.50.
Swirls Ice Cream Bar
Swirls Ice Cream Bar is on the Lido Deck 14, near the Neptune Pool. Here you can get both soft-serve and scooped ice cream. Princess Cruises also offer premium desserts made of ice cream, brownie, syrup topping, and candy served in a chocolate covered sundae glass – way more sugar than a person should consume in one day! In the morning, Swirls becomes a juice bar, serving premium juices for $12 each. And at night, during movie time, free popcorn is available at the counter. We took advantage of this several times!
Prego Pizzeria & Trident Grill
Aft of Neptune’s Pool on Deck 14, you will find the Prego Pizzeria and the Trident Grill. These are great quick-services venues to get a pool-side meal. The pizza was baked onsite and there was usually a fresh one coming out of the oven. Margherita, pepperoni, and veggie pizzas were available everyday, with a daily special on rotation. The Trident Grill serves burgers and hot dogs, chicken or pulled pork sandwiches, and French fries. We ate here several times when we didn’t feel like fighting the crowds at the buffet or having a drawn-out meal in main dining.
Alfredo’s Pizzeria
On the Sapphire Princess, Alfredo’s is located on the starboard side of the piazza on Deck 5. There is a brick oven where the pizzas are baked, and a small seating area reserved for diners. For diners at the restaurant, there is a fixed prie menu for $14.99 that includes an antipasto salad, a pizza, and a tiramisu dessert.
We chose to try an la carte pizza for $8.50. It is possible to order pizza through the room service menu, but the selection is more limited. When you order at Alfredo’s, you can choose from eight different options. The pizza will come in a cardboard pizza box that you can conveniently bring back to your stateroom or anywhere on the ship.
Alfredo’s Pizzeria is ranked as the best pizza at sea, and I agree it was quite good. We ordered the Pizza Capricciosa with artichoke hearts, mushroom, ham, and olives. The thin crust was crispy, there was plenty of flavorful basil tomato sauce, and just the right amount of cheese.
Specialty Dining on the Sapphire Princess
When we booked our cruise on board the Sapphire Princess, it was a way for us to travel comfortably and affordably to South America. We promised each other to keep our onboard charges down, and agreed not to do any specialty dining. After all, the food in the main dining hall, the buffet, and even the International Cafe is all very good! Halfway through our cruise, we realized that one advantage of specialty dining is the intimate seating. All of the free venues on a cruise ship are crowded and can be competitive.
For lunch on sea days, you can find the Ocean Terrace at Vines Wine Bar, next to Alfredo’s in the piazza on Deck 5. you will find Vines Wine Bar. A prix fixe sushi lunch is offered for $14.99. In the evening, the starboard side of Horizon Court on the Lido Deck 14 is transformed into the Sterling Steakhouse, with a $35 cover charge. If you are looking for fine dining, head up to the Promenade Deck 7 for Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria. Specializing in handmade pasta and sauces, Sabatini’s has a reputation for serving delicious cuisine and intimate dining for a $35 per person cover charge.
The Bars on the Sapphire Princess
Like most cruise ships, Sapphire Princess has several bars located throughout the ship:
On Plaza Deck 5, there was the Good Spirits at Sea on the port side and Vines Wine Bar on starboard. These venues both overlooked the Piazza and were a great place to watch the events going on there.
On Fiesta Deck 6, there is a bar inside Churchill’s Cigar Lounge, located just outside of the Princess Theater. This is also the only place smoking allowed inside onboard the ship. Hidden at the aft of Deck 6 is the Wake View Bar, accessible through the spiral staircase at the back of Club Fusion on Deck 7.
On Promenade Deck 7, there are several options. At the forward end, there is the Wheelhouse Bar, with live music in the evenings and a dance floor. Overlooking the piazza is Crooner’s Bar, a piano bar. Midship is the Explorer’s Lounge. And, at the aft of the ship on Deck 7, is Club Fusion, with a sizable dance floor.
On the upper decks, each pool has its own bar: Mermaid’s Tail and Tradewinds Bar for the outdoor Neptune Pool, Calypso Bar for the covered Calypso Pool, Outrigger’s Bar overlooking the Terrace Pool, and Oasis Bar near the hot tubs in the Oasis.
Finally, open at 10 PM until the wee hours of the morning, there is a lively bar and nightclub at Skywalkers Nightclub on Deck 18 at the aft of the ship.
The Pools on the Sapphire Princess
Sapphire Princess has more pools than any other cruise ship we’d been on – five swimming pools and eight hot tubs. Calypso Pool and Neptune’s Pool are the largest and deepest (seven feet deep!), and can even be used for lap swimming. These each have their own pair of hot tubs on either side of the pool. Calypso Pool is in the covered Conservatory, and the temperature is consistently warm here. Neptune’s Pool is outside, a great place for sunbathing and water games. At the aft end of the ship there are a series of smaller pools: the Terrace Pool is on Deck 12, the Splash Pool for kids on Deck 15, and a pair of hot tubs in The Oasis on Deck 16. Outside of the fitness center, on Deck 15, is the Lotus Pool, an adults-only pool and a pair of hot tubs.
We really enjoyed the pools during our time on the Sapphire Princess. Because there were so many, they were not very crowded. We often got the pool to ourselves for thirty minutes at a time. The hot tubs were more in demand, but it was still possible to get one to ourselves most of the time. We usually swam in the Calypso Pool, which was so deep that I could not touch the bottom. It was fun to feel the wave action as the ship rocked back and forth!
Princess Cruise Line Entertainment and Activities
Princess Cruises is the third cruise line we have been with, and it was by far our favorite in terms of entertainment and activities. Instead of focusing on waterslides, go karts, rock climbing walls, and skydiving tubes, Princess Cruises has thought-provoking lectures and relaxed social gatherings. The music was more to our liking as well, with many jazz and classical songs on the playlists.
Morning Activities
In the mornings, there was a choice of a daily soduku challenge at Vines Wine Bar, a strength and stretch class in the Fitness Center, or a Zumba session in Club Fusion.
In the late morning, there were several lecture options. The Sapphire Princess usually has one or two enrichment lecturers on board with talks held in the Princess Theater. There is also a destinations expert with a question and answer session held two days before each port stop. The art team from Park West Art Gallery host a series of art talks and auctions in the Explorer’s Lounge. And a practitioner from the spa held health seminars in the Wheelhouse Bar.
We started most days by attending the enrichment lecture in the Princess Theater at 10 AM. During our cruise, the lecturer was an avionics expert who gave talks about the history of air flight, air traffic control, and safety in commercial airlines. He was knowledgeable and humorous, and I learned something new and unexpected at every lecture. Following the enrichment lecture, we would attend the art lecture at 11 AM in the Explorer’s Lounge. The series began with an overview of the history of art, then looked at specific aspects and finally focused on four main artists whose works were (conveniently) up for sale during the cruise. I found these lectures quite enjoyable and thought-provoking, although by the end of the series I would leave 15 minutes before the end of the lecture to avoid the segue into blatant salesmanship.
The health seminars and destination lectures were held at the same time as the art lecturers, so we never made it to one of them. Fortunately, we were able to watch a replay of the destination lectures on our stateroom TV.
Afternoon Activites
In the afternoon, there were a ton of different social activities. There was trivia in the Explorer’s Lounge and bingo or dance lessons in Club Fusion. The Vivaldi Dining Rooms hosted open tables for various card and board games like bridge, rummikub, and Mexican train. Craft activities were also held in the Vivaldi Dining Room. I joined this group twice – for origami and snowflake making. I wasn’t expecting much but was pleasantly surprised. It was fun to socialize with some of the other cruisers in a relaxed atmosphere.
Evening Activities
Starting around 4 PM, the musicians began rotating through the various lounges onboard. During our sailing, there was a guitar/singer duo, a violin duet, a solo guitarist, and the house band combo. They took turns playing on the stage in the Piazza, the Explorer’s Lounge, and the Wheelhouse Bar. There were also two pianists that took turns at Crooner’s Bar.
In the evenings, there were two sets of the evening show held in the Princess Theater. Despite our best intentions, we never made it to one of these acts. I peaked in a few minutes before showtime one night and saw that it was a packed house.
For those looking to dance until the wee hours of the morning, there is a DJ and a disco dance floor at Skywalkers Nightclub. The room is open at all times, but the dancing, music, and bar do not start until 10 PM. We never made it up there that late, but I overheard other cruisers say it was a fun time!
