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- Sapphire Princess from Kauai Lagoons Golf Course
Recently we cruised from Los Angeles to the Hawaiian Islands and back on the Sapphire Princess. Following are excerpts from my diary:
Embarkation – This is one big boat! But 2600 people and a thousand crew? It looks like they might all fit. Same security check before boarding: passport control, metal detectors, bag check, then a digital photo to file with our onboard ID card. Wow, our bags are already in our stateroom, and that knock on the door is our steward bringing us a welcome flute of champagne. Nice. To our balcony, where we supervise the rest of the loading, and toast the voyage ahead. Time to check out the ship.
Well, let’s see, so far we’ve discovered thirteen bars, a movie theatre, nine restaurants, a pizzeria, ice cream bar, buffet, and a hamburger bar. There’s a gym, a spa, five pools, a sports court and a lawn court, a library, art gallery, and a handful of boutiques. Here’s a nice touch : the kids get their own little corner of the ship for their fun and games. I think we’ll be happy here.
We leave the harbour and cruise out into the vast expanse of the Pacific. Four days at sea before landfall in Hawaii. Nothing to do but relax and let the crew take care of our every need.
Day One — Room service breakfast arrives exactly as ordered, and we greet the morning with fresh croissants and rich steaming coffee on the balcony. What to do today. The daily “Princess Patter”, delivered overnight to our door, lists all available activities for the day. Let’s see, there’s a Zumba lesson at ten, a lecture on Celestial Navigation at eleven. The Casino is having a Texas Hold’Em Tournament today, and today’s movie is “Anonymous”. But we should get some exercise: a spin class at 4:00, or basketball one-on-one. Or shuffleboard, or maybe a few miles walking the promenade deck (3 loops to the mile!). Time for lunch. A British Pub Lunch is on offer: Steak and Kidney Pie, Fish and Chips, or Scotch Eggs, washed down with pints of Boddingtons Bitter.
We crawl out of the Pub and find a couple of deck chairs. Should really get to that spin class…(learn more about Princess Cruises and cruising from Sandy at www.meticuloustravel.ca)
