Here are some pictures of the Sapphire Princess. It is 946 ft. long, 136 ft. wide with passenger capacity of 2,670. During this cruise we journeyed 5134 nautical miles (5904 land miles) roundtrip.
The Bridge
Cruising along
A place to relax
Facing forward
Enclosed pool
Pool on back of ship
Basketball court
Shuffleboard
Our flight from Tampa to LA with a stop in Houston went smoothly. We booked a transfer from airport to cruise ship through Princess, and when we arrived at the airport and picked up our luggage a representative was standing there waiting for us. As we drove to the port we enjoyed seeing parts of the city that we had never seen before. When we arrived we were able to enter and sit down to wait for embarkation. The process was very quick and organized, and soon we were at the lunch buffet.
Our first night out to sea proved to be very rough. The captain announced that they were expecting gale force winds and turbulence. Although Dan slept through the night, I woke up to the rolling of the ship which made me queasy. The next morning he got me some seasick medicine which took care of the problem. We were rockin' and rollin' for part of that day and then the winds settled. Fortunately the rest of the trip was smooth.
We had another interesting experience on the way to Hawaii. One evening just as we had filled up our plates at the buffet, the captain announced that all passengers must go to their cabin because of a possibility of a person overboard. Luckily we could take our plates with us since we didn't know how long we would need to stay in the room. After about 20 minutes the cabin steward checked to see if we were there, and in about another 30 minutes the captain announced that everyone was accounted for. Apparently someone spotted something in the water and they had to check it out. The evening entertainment schedule was changed because of the delay but everything else proceeded as usual.
The days cruising to Hawaii went by quickly. We filled out time exploring the ship, reading, visiting with other passengers, playing Rummikub, and watching and participating in the many activities and entertainment that was provided. After the evening entertainment we listened to music at one of the lounges. There were several excellent groups. One cloudy and chilly day we watched "Mamma Mia" on the deck under the big screen TV.
Each day a retired professor from the University of Hawaii gave a talk about one of the islands that we were going to visit. We appreciated the interesting information and insider tips.
On Wednesday, February 27, we celebrated our 48th Anniversary. The day before, at a Gold Circle meeting, our name was drawn and we won a bottle of champagne. So we got to enjoy it along with a yummy cake that they surprised us with at dinner. They decorated our door with a sign and balloons. We had a grand celebration.
Our first stop was Honolulu on the island of Oahu, 2257 nautical miles from LA. Since we had spent six days there before and after our previous cruise, we decided on an excursion to see some areas that we didn't see before. Here are a few of the pictures of Oahu.
Iolani Palace - Honolulu
Diamond Head
Hanauma Bay
View from Halona Point
View of Honolulu from ship
For the evening entertainment local children came on board and danced and sang. We were so impressed by their ability. For one dance they came out into the audience to perform.
The next island we visited was Maui, 95 miles away. We docked outside the city of Lahaina and got to shore by tender. We chose to explore the city on our own since we did not get to see it previously. Here are some of the sights of the city.
View of Lahaina from ship
LARGE Banyan tree
Dan on Forrest Gump's bench
Local man carving wood
When we got back to the ship a local woman demonstrated the spirit and beauty of Ti-Leaf Lei making. The leaves were very juicy and when we twisted them it made a mess. I forgot to take a picture of the finished lei, but mine did not look as good as hers, that's for sure! But it was fun.
Nawiliwili, Kauai was out third stop, 171 miles from Lahaina. For some reason we thought it would be fun to go on a 4WD vehicle and view the rugged backroads that are rarely seen by visitors. We saw some beautiful sights, but we were in the back of the vehicle and it was very BUMPY! In many areas the guide had to get out and unlock the gates for us to pass through. We were definitely "off the beaten path!"
View from the Kilohana Crater
Wildflowers
Old Koala Town
Kauai scenery
We saw lots of cows
View from Maha'ulepu cliffs
Maha'ulepu Coast
We then traveled 280 miles to Hilo, on the Big Island. The guide told us that the previous week it was rainy with flooding, but we were blessed with a beautiful day and many spectacular sights on this magnificent island.
Wailuku River - mad rushing waters
Torch ginger plant
Wailuku river in the distance
Part of huge banyan tree
Rainbow Falls
Another view of the river
Local man weaving
Inside the cave
Large turtle
Ocean view from county park
The trip back to LA was filled with relaxation. Each day there were a variety of activities to choose from and outstanding entertainment in the evening. We discovered that there were many Trivia lovers on the ship. Sometimes we watched and sometimes we joined in. In addition to the Princess Singers and Dancers and orchestra, we enjoyed other singers and musicians, a comedian, a ventriloquist, and a comedy magician. The cruise director and staff did a superb job keeping the activities flowing and causing many belly laughs along the way. Here are a few more pictures on the ship.
Princess singers and dancers
Ice carvers hard at work
Finished the dolphin and swan
Places to relax
Looking down on Piazza 5th floor
Shops along the Piazza
5th, 6th, and 7th floors
Beautiful ceiling
Our favorite group
Hilarious Liar's Club
After cruising 2190 miles from Hilo, we stopped at Ensenada, Mexico for four hours. Neither one of us had a desire to go on land and it was chilly and rainy, so we stayed on the ship and got our packing done. The next morning after another 142 miles we arrived at LA. We took a Princess bus back to the airport and hung out there until our evening flight left at 11p.m. After a stop at Houston we arrived back to Tampa feeling weary from the flights but full of fond memories of the cruise.
