We boarded the 116,000 ton, 2,670-passenger Sapphire Princess around 11:30 AM using our medallion app which made it fast and easy and we were in the buffet by noon for lunch. The ship debuted in 2004 as the fifth of nine ships in Princess Cruises’ Grand class. While it is the largest of the Grand class ships by volume, it carries more than 400 fewer passengers than its youngest siblings. It never seemed busy at all.
The ship is older and in parts it does show its age, but the refurbs have gone a long way to making it look and feel fresh. It also packs a lot in for what is classified as a midsized ship. It may not have the big wows that some modern ships have but it does squeeze a lot in to entertain all age groups. This 7 night voyage from Vancouver to Whittier did cater to a much older crowd with very few children on board. As it was September most of the schools were open so that might explain why it was filled with senior citizens on board. There were shows every night and they were all quite good with a lot of variation and talent. The 6:30pm shows were full but we knew there would be plenty of room at the 930pm shows and after that the ship got very, very quiet. We could always find a bar open that had some nice music playing all over the ship but even then last call was at 11pm at some bars and midnight at others. The Skywalkers nightclub on top of the ship was a beautiful huge area with plenty of room for dancing which sadly never got used except by some crew members later in the evening.
The food was fantastic, everywhere from the main dining room, the buffet which had so many good items to chose from, to the 24 hour International Cafe which is the coffee, hot chocolate bar, with sandwiches and yummy deserts. I loved the marble pound cake, my go to favorite with a hot chocolate. My favorite meal though was a huge surprise, we had reservations the first night at the Steak House which was now gone replaced by Churrascaria Brazilian Restaurant and it was delicious! It wasn’t a room by itself but a portion of the buffet not used at dinner. They had a special salad bar you helped yourself to but no one said leave room for the main course. The salad bar had so much variety lots of different kind of shrimp, and salmon, sushi, and every kind of salad you can imagine. I would have been satisfied with that alone. Once you are done with your salad bar you hold up a flag saying ready and then more food begins. You are brought skewered meats, pork, chicken, and sausages and take as much as you want or can eat. The bacon wrapped chicken was the absolute best tasting for me but others loved the filet mignon and some the sausages. They put side dishes like mashed potatoes family style at the table for those that could possibly eat any more. There was also hot pineapple which I didn’t care for but others said was delicious.
We had two free Specialty meals with our Premier Plan and was waiting to use the 2nd one at the Crab Shack. We learned the day before we got off the ship it can not be used for that so we had to figure out where to go for the other specialty dinner. There was an opening at the Italian Restaurant so we were able to get a reservation. Out of our party of five people not one of us enjoyed the food. The food was very different and while it was suppose to be authentic Italian we have been to Italy and it was much better there. That being said the pizza on the ship is the best of any ship out to sea, so good always hot and fresh either on the Lido Deck or at Alfredo, where you can sit down and be served.
Our first stop was at Ketchikan which we have been to a few times. It was an early 6am call with back on board at 1:30pm so when we got up and ready it was rainy so we decided to just stay on board the ship.
Next stop was Juneau, and the highlight here is the Mendenhall Glacier which is awesome, we have been there twice so wanted to do something different and get off the ship. We did a shore excursion to a salmon bake. They had a bus pick us up at the pier and drive around 15 minutes to a very pretty area all set up for an outdoor bake. The Gold Creek salmon has been grilled to perfection since 1978. Savor the aroma of wild Alaska salmon grilling over a fragrant alderwood fire, the signature entrée of this all you can eat adventure. This features their signature wild Alaska salmon, barbecue ribs, baked beans, Tongass wild-rice pilaf, hot chowder, a selection of sides, salads, beverages and homemade blueberry cake for dessert. Beer and wine are available for purchase. Before we ate we took a short walk to a pretty waterfall before finding a table to eat. They had nice heater domes on top of each table to keep you warm. They have shuttle buses to take you back to the ship or downtown to walk for a little after the delicious meal.
Our last port was Skyway which is home to the White Pass Railroad, one of the prettiest Alaska has. The train picks you up at the Cruise Port in vintage passenger coaches as you retrace the original route to the White Pass Summit, passing Bridal Veil Falls, Inspiration Point and Dead Horse Gulch. Enjoy a breathtaking panorama of mountains, glaciers, gorges, waterfalls, tunnels, trestles and historic sites. See the original Klondike Trail of ‘98 worn into the rocks, a permanent tribute to the thousands of souls who passed this way in search of fortune. It goes 20 miles up the summit a 2,865-foot elevation and you can return by train or take a bus down for different views which the bus can make stops at.
