Writer David Stansbury based this independent review on his 7-night Alaska cruise departing from Seattle, Washington.

Sapphire Princess, the newest ship in the Princess line, is bright and clean, with service right at the cusp of first-class cruising and utter luxury. If the ship lacks the ultimate intimacy and exclusiveness of the upper class, still no need goes unfulfilled and few wishes go unsatisfied. On a sunny day, the linen white and royal blue of the ship's hull and the blond teak of the decks make Sapphire Princess seem like an Edwardian summer (think school ties and straw boaters). Below decks, you’ll find a 21st-century city with upscale restaurants, night clubs, shops, a theater, and even a school. Then take a peek at the high-tech bridge, feel the power of the turbines, and watch the relative ease with which the crew keeps 2,600 passengers happy and safe -- you'll be reminded that Sapphire Princess is also a glistening great machine.

Why Sapphire Princess?

• Easy comfort: Dine any time you'd like, any hour of the day or night. Stand on deck, watching the waves as a waiter appears the instant you thought to look for a waiter. Wake up to early-morning moonlight in a well-designed, just-right cabin.
• From hyperactive to not at all: From spin cycling to martini mixing, bridge lessons to paddle tennis, there's something to do every hour of the day. On the other hand, this large ship offers plenty of space to get away from it all.
• Clean, new, and modern: Sapphire Princess shines with newness. She’s truly modern, from wireless access in the Internet café and atrium to casino slots that are more like video games. Equipment works, furnishings are clean and free of wear, artwork is tasteful, and décor is sophisticated. Nothing feels stodgy -- it all feels fresh.

Who should go
Couples from 30 on to the golden years will find renewed romance onboard Sapphire Princess. This is very much a grown-up's cruise: Children are welcome, but the emphasis is on the things big people like. The ship is a great place to reconnect, whether with your spouse, or all the relatives at a family reunion.

Who shouldn’t go
Although the range of activities and events for children is impressive, Sapphire Princess is not a kids-go-crazy kind of ship. Similarly, young couples may find it to be a little like a week with the folks. And while crew members assured us that the nightlife would be night-livelier on the Mexican cruises, on Alaskan cruises hard-partying college types will find that the party starts at 6 PM and goes on right up until about 9 PM.

Heard on the deck (from a passenger marveling at the ship's impressive size): "It's like going to a football game."

Hits and misses

• Don’t miss: For Alaskan cruises, sunrise on deck in Tracy Arm -- the light sparkling off the blue ice -- is a must. For any cruise, sip a cocktail high above the water in Skywalkers Bar.
• Best part of the ship: With all the great variety of things to try and see and taste and do, there's still time for the most relaxing moments -- a deck chair on the Promenade. In Alaska, with a blanket, a book, and a warm drink.
• Best experience: Wake early to stand on the deck on a misty gray morning, to see groups of Pacific white-sided dolphins leaping in the area to greet the ship.
• Best shipboard activities: Dance classes are enlightening and reassuring, especially with a patient and levelheaded instructor.
• Needs improvement: Tendering ashore can be a bit disorganized, with crew members flustered while passengers cool their heels.
• Activities to skip: Take a pass on sailing day's tour of the ship -- it's quick and perfunctory. Skip the art auction and the shopping talk, as well; the whiff of high pressure is constant.

How to meet the captain
The best way to meet the captain is to sail Princess ships often; a private reception is held for members of the line's frequent-cruisers program. First-time cruisers can still get a glimpse, though, when the captain hosts a welcome party in the atrium at which he introduces his senior officers while passengers sample champagne and canapés.

Heard on the deck: "They saw a killer whale at 4 AM today. I know what time I'll be up tomorrow morning."

Sapphire Princess gives passengers choice and flexibility in their dining options. The large traditional dining room still exists (with assigned dining times), but the spotlight is on the four alternative dining rooms, each seating about 230 passengers and featuring its own distinctive cuisine and décor. Santa Fe and Pacific Moon are like big-city bistros, while Sterling and Vivaldi are more like eating at a country club. A full traditional menu is available in all five dining rooms, but each of the four specialty restaurants has its own set menu as well. Passengers can order from either menu -- an appetizer from this one, the entrée from that one. It's even possible, if you're so inclined, to order more than one entrée: On the evening of the Captain's Gala Dinner, several passengers ordered the broiled lobster tail and the beef Wellington! And then there’s Sabatini’s, Sapphire’s only for-fee restaurant spoiling guests with an eight-course extravaganza.

International Dining Room
Seating 500 passengers, International is the largest of the dining rooms, and reserved for those choosing “traditional dining.” It still feels elegant and comfortable -- this is no mess hall. The décor is bright and light enough for the start of the day (for open-seating breakfast and lunch), and elegant enough for nighttime formal dining. Each night features a themed menu. The Continental Dinner served rack of lamb dijonnaise and escargots bourguignon, while the Welcome Dinner served a flavorful and tender Cornish Hen Forestiére with porcini, baby squash, and lima beans.

Santa Fe Dining Room
Santa Fe does a nice job of keeping southwest cuisine fresh and distinctive. In a room of burnished copper, hammered zinc, and pink-and-ocher walls, Santa Fe feels like a high-desert sunset. The freer-wheeling atmosphere inspires the menu. Dishes are spicy and presented with flair by friendly waiters. Catfish filet, rubbed with cumin and chile, was subtle and delicate, even with the smoky, earthy flavors of the spice rub. And the dessert of rice pudding (with raisins and cinnamon and topped with a brittle crust of caramelized sugar) was warm and rich -- comfort food with a kick of Kahlua.

Pacific Moon Dining Room
Pacific Moon is elegant without stuffy, casual without careless. Not exactly spare, the room's clean lines give a slightly futuristic feeling (imagine the VIP lounge at the Tokyo Spaceport). The disciplined restraint comes through in the cuisine. Where the ship's other dining rooms occasionally overreach in an effort to impress, our dinner at Pacific Moon was simply but expertly done. The crispy duck (with stir-fried vegetables) was just that: Crispy on the outside and nicely tender on the inside. The tiger prawns and scallops with vegetable and glass noodles had cooked just enough, firm but still sea-fresh to the taste. Only the dessert, a tarte tatine with Calvados sauce, was a miss. Pacific Moon is also the setting for daily afternoon tea, with white-glove waiters quietly serving tea, pastries, and those inescapable little sandwiches while a string quartet plays salon music.

Sterling Dining Room
Sterling’s clubby atmosphere is highlighted by dark woods and brass, and a staff that greets with the familiarity owed a long-time regular. It's all about steaks and chops, so the menu choices are easy -- go with the steak or chops. A favorite combo: New York strip with a baked potato and creamed spinach, onion rings, and apple pie with vanilla-bean ice cream. What else do you need to know? Order. Eat.

Vivaldi Dining Room
Vivaldi’s statuary, columns, and group portraits all suggest 18th-century Italy, which left us wondering what the twinkling constellation of LEDs was for on the ceiling. But the waiters, all of whom seem to come straight from a Roman ristorante, were chatty and engaging -- "Oh, no, signora, you mustn't share an appetizer, you should each have one." While most dishes are prepared in one of the ship's two galleys, some of the items on Vivaldi's menus are prepared at the waiters’ stations, where diners can watch the tossing of ingredients in the sauté pan as a sauce comes together. Pastas are the way to go at Vivaldi, where the kitchen does its best work. But that's not to give short shrift to the cannoli, a slightly tart and creamy ricotta in a tube of crispy pastry; at least one of us at our table had to resist ordering another.

Other dining options

• Sabatini's: This onboard trattoria serves a leisurely, eight-course dinner that will take you at least a couple of hours. Open for lunch and dinner, Sabatini's charges a $20 per person cover charge and reservations for dinner are highly recommended.
• Horizon Court: If you find yourself with an appetite, no matter the hour, there's something that will satisfy your cravings at the Horizon Court buffet. Its late-night bistro phase (11 PM–4 AM) recharges passengers with pasta or a steak dinner or a light supper of cheese, fruit, and frog legs Provençale. Breakfast can be traditional American, full English (with bangers and grilled tomatoes), or, for a lighter refreshing meal, Asian dishes. The soups in particular -- soothing Miso, a light beef consommé -- are a break from Eggs Benedict and bacon.
• Trident Grill: Trident’s hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, and other quick snacks are good choices for a sunny day by the pool.
• Prego Pizzeria: Prego serves up handmade pizza by the slice -- 8,400 slices a cruise, in fact.
• Sundaes Ice Cream: Sundaes is a favorite of the kids onboard, who line up for a scoop of Italian gelato or a towering sundae.

Best dining

• Dish: Where some other menu items tried to impress, Pacific Moon's crispy duck with stir-fried vegetables simply did the dish right.
• Dessert: For its combination of grown-up flavors with comfort-food creaminess, Santa Fe's rice pudding with raisins, cinnamon, and Kahlua was the clear winner.
• Restaurant: Among the theme restaurants, Pacific Moon shines, with the best combination of attentive service, understated décor, and subtly prepared cuisine.
• Food seminar: The galley tour is a twofer -- it's a cooking demonstration by the executive chef followed by a brief walk through the sparkling, spotless galley.

How to…

• Get a table for two: With Personal Choice dining, it's easy; just call the concierge and reserve a table (note that the deadline for making evening reservations is 5 PM).
• Celebrate a birthday/anniversary: Princess allows for advance reservation of birthday celebrations, but be sure to double-check. (Our attempt to get a little birthday treat arranged got lost in the shuffle.)
• Change seating: Again, with Personal Choice dining, you're never forced to eat at the same table (or the same dining room).
• Dress for formal night: Men are fine with either dinner jackets or dark suits, while women will feel appropriately dressed in anything from trouser suits to full-length gowns.
• Dress for casual night: Casual attire means a blouse or trouser suit for women and slacks and shirt for men (shorts and T-shirts are not allowed in the dining rooms).

Tips:

• If you have trouble getting reservations for Sabatini's (it only seats 92), try reserving a table for lunch. There was only one other party in the restaurant during our two hours there.
• Reservations are not required for Anytime Dining, but we recommend them, especially if you're dining earlier in the evening.
• Chefs prepare a variety of healthy and vegetarian dishes that are available in all of the main dining rooms, such as chilled yogurt and tamarind soup, Moroccan vegetable ragout with pita bread, and fried tofu with miso sauce and Chinese pea pods.
• Horizon Court gets busy at peak hours (around 8:30 AM at breakfast, noon at lunch), so if you're looking to avoid lines at the buffet or to secure a quiet table, go early or late.

Heard on the deck (from a satisfied diner): "Best veal chop I've ever tasted."

To view the glaciers of Tracy Arm from your own private balcony -- a cup of coffee in one hand, binoculars in the other -- is traveling grand and easy. And easy to do, as 78 percent of oceanview cabins have private balconies, from standard cabins (237 square feet) to the ship's grand suite (1,300 square feet with a separate sitting room, dining area, and whirlpool tub). Most balconies are small, with two deck chairs, a table with two chairs, and a side table.

Even standard cabins offer enough space to be comfortable in -- they're ingeniously designed to offer more storage space than you might think. The décor is simple, contemporary, and light -- with oak, geometric prints, and striped curtains in pastel blue, gold, and beige -- which helps make the cabins feel uncrowded and livable. Every cabin offers a refrigerator, ice bucket (refreshed daily), hair dryer, in-room safe, climate control, turndown service, toiletries from the Lotus Spa, and a TV that airs a limited number of live channels (news and sports), a number of delayed-broadcast channels, and the ship's own information channels, from which you can catch up on the day's events, check the weather, or track the ship's log.

Cabins for guests with disabilities
Sapphire Princess offers a number of features designed to accommodate passengers with disabilities. Twenty-five cabins (from inside cabins to mini-suites) have been outfitted to provide accessible space and amenities (wider doorways, no-threshold showers, and handrails). In addition, bed boards, TDD phones, visual alarms, and door knocker sensors are available upon request. Ramps throughout the ship ease mobility for passengers using wheelchairs, stair climbers assist with embarking and disembarking, and elevators have door widths of at least 36 inches. We noted that some thresholds do exist, particularly at the exits to the decks, where the available ramps did not quite bridge the difference in floor levels. Similarly, not all areas of the bars and lounges were fully accessible, with one or two steps separating seating areas in some cases.

Bars, lounges, and casino
With the average age of passengers on the Alaskan cruises heading to the northern end of the generations, the dozen-plus nightclubs and bars on Sapphire Princess don't exactly teem with party people dancing until dawn. Early in the evening, things were livelier, and the ship’s staff predicted that nightlife picks up during Mexico cruises. But on this cruise, most of the bars and lounges emptied out by 10:30 or so, with the exception of the casino, the only really crowded venue each night.

The most active bar was Club Fusion, featuring 42 high-definition video screens, along with live bands, deejays, karaoke, table-top slots, buckets of beer, and cowboy trappings. If Club Fusion is like a roadhouse, then the Wheelhouse Lounge is more like the officers' club, with brass fittings, nautical engravings, and a butler's table -- it’s a good choice for cocktails and quiet nightcaps. If you love a good cigar, a nice glass of port, and the enjoyment of a crowd more intent on conversation than conga lines, Churchill’s is a good place to unwind. And Skywalkers Bar, high up on Deck 18, was more popular for its magnificent views of the ocean and sky at night than for its disco music, video monitors, and sweep of colored lights on the dance floor. Other bars include Crooners, a martini bar open to the atrium (folks gathered for the nightly warbling of the balladeer at the piano); the quiet and cozy (and practically secret) Wake View Bar, just downstairs from Club Fusion; Explorer’s Lounge, the scene for live stand-up comics, daytime art auctions, and performances by the Raiders of the Lost Cover Band; the Lobby Bar on Deck 5; and five poolside and terrace bars on the Lido and Sun Decks.

Swimming pools
When you're sailing a fjord surrounded by icebergs and glaciers, a dip in the pool may not be the first activity that comes to mind. That said, for warmer-weather sailings, Sapphire Princess boasts five swimming pools (including a children's splash pool) and eight hot tubs (where we did see a few hardy passengers ducking out of the warm water and right into their robes and towels). The most activity was at the Calypso Reef and Pool with its simulated coral sliding glass roof high above -- the air was warm and moist and the pool was popular with the kids onboard. The ship also features Neptune's Pool, a more private Terrace pool aft, a pool area dedicated for use by teens, and even a fitness pool in which swimmers can beat against the current. Note: Pool towels are provided in your cabin, and bathrobes are available upon request from your cabin steward.

Shows
The main theater is as well-equipped as any Vegas main room, with high-tech light and sound systems, video projections, and elaborate sets. There are enough dancers, singers, and musicians to mount at least a pocket-sized production of The Lion King or Les Miserables. The newest production is "Undercover," a pastiche of pop icons from the world of spies, secret agents, and detectives (Colonel Mustard meets Austin Powers). Still in performance: "Piano Man," a tribute to the tunes of Billy Joel, Neil Sadaka, Barry Manilow, and Elton John (they even manage to work Liberace in there somehow). There are typically two shows nightly, but just one matinee during the cruise, so arrive at least 30 minutes early (waiters are available for drink orders). During the day, the theater shows recent-run movies and even a sing-along version of The Wizard of Oz.

Shore excursions
The most active travelers will find enough to challenge them (and stretch those sea legs), while those looking for less strenuous endeavors will also find options to please. If there's an excursion that's high on your once-in-a-lifetime list, be sure to reserve early as some excursions do sell out even before the first day. For more spur-of-the-moment jaunts, book a reservation at the ship's tour desk. Our experience was that the excursions are well-managed and well-timed.

Weddings and vow renewals
Princess claims to be the only line offering weddings at sea that are officiated by the ship's captain. Ceremonies are held in the Hearts and Minds wedding chapel, a small hexagonal chamber with understated décor (French Medieval wallpaper in subtle shades of gold, green, and chocolate-brown). The wedding party can be as large as the whole world, for ceremonies can be seen on the Internet via the chapel's live "Wed Cam."

Courses and instruction
Shipboard dance instruction (cha-cha, waltz, rhumba, swing, and line dancing) can give you a leg up, so to speak. The instructor correctly gauges his students' skill when he promises them a "45-minute lesson of only mild discomfort resulting in enough of the basics to have something to practice." Be assured that after 45 minutes, the words "slow, slow, quick, quick, quick" will remain in your head through the whole cruise. During the day, passengers can take Scholarship@Sea courses on topics ranging from computer and digital photography to culinary and floral arts, arts and crafts, and bridge. During Alaskan cruises, onboard naturalists talk at key points in the Inside Passage, as well as lectures on the wildlife and geography of the Alaskan wilderness.

Heard on the deck (from our dance instructor): "Don't look at your feet. You don’t look at your feet when you're driving car."

Internet café
If you just can't resist checking your e-mail, Sapphire Princess offers a large and well-equipped Internet Café with 29 computer stations, a number of printers, and a coffee-and-juice bar. Access through the computer stations costs 35¢ a minute, but if you BYOL (bring your own laptop), a better deal is wireless access, with hot spots in both the café and the ship's atrium. Crew members staffing the café are friendly and helpful, though some lacked on the technical side.

Heard on the deck (from a crew member in the Internet café): "Did they tell you about turning on the pop-ups? Although I have absolutely no idea how one goes about doing that."

Looking for…

• Quietest spot: When there's no game show or theme dance in Club Fusion, head down the staircase to the Wake View Bar. It’s cozy, quiet, and all but a secret.
• Liveliest spot: The casino -- there's nothing like watching a nice lady in a simple dress hit at roulette time after time to get gamblers back to the tables.
• Most popular activity: Passengers loved the medium-roller action in the casino, but the stand-up comics in the Explorer’s Lounge were a big hit, too.
• Best view: Skywalkers has a 125-foot-wide balcony that offers a 180-degree view of sea, sky, and mountains (although it's off limits during high winds). Don't neglect the forward end of Promenade Deck -- we counted only four other passengers there the day we sailed through Tracy Arm to view the glaciers.
• Best show: If you're into big splashy productions, "Undercover" is meant to dazzle. For our tastes, we preferred a bit of bepop late in the evening in the Wheelhouse Lounge, when the jazz turned just a little sharper and a little edgier.
• Best drink: For a chilly day among the glaciers, or when the wind picks up on deck, warm up with a Hermit's Coffee (Frangelico and coffee). For cooler drinks on warmer sailings, a Pioneer Rum Punch might do the trick. And a decent selection of ports and single malts are available for the purer of taste.

Tips:

• If the day is dreary and the wind is chilly, grab a deck blanket on Deck 15 amidships.
• If you purchase wireless time at the Internet Café, be sure to turn off any pop-up blockers. The log-out screen is a pop-up window, and if you don't close it when your session is over, the clock keeps ticking, using up your minutes.
• Go to the Wake View Bar sometime when there are no big events at Club Fusion -- otherwise, the thump of the bass and drums will make their way down the staircase.

Heard on the deck (from a crew member encouraging a passenger to enjoy time away from daily routine): "The captain forbids newspapers."

Spa and salon
The painting of an ibis gracefully in flight is a good indicator of the tranquil tone at the Lotus Spa. This is full-service relaxation, with massages, facials, steams, saunas, and aromatherapy. At prices ranging from $15 up to $225 and with treatments extending from 25 minutes to almost two hours, passengers can get everything from a quick tension reliever to a Zen masque. And there are nice extras: The hydrating facial included the choice of a back or hand-and-scalp massage at no extra charge. The adjoining salon offers a full menu of cuts, styles, manicures, and pedicures, and the spa's relaxation area contains a secluded spa pool and meditation area. The staff goes easy on the up-sell, which keeps the calm lingering at session's end. Although the atmosphere is quiet and unhurried, the spa sees a lot of passengers, so it's wise to reserve a treatment time well in advance.

Fitness areas
Adjacent to the Lotus Spa, the fitness center offers aerobics sessions, kickboxing, group cycling, yoga, and personal training. There are 35 cardiovascular stations, 12 spinning cycles, and 17 weight-training stations. One deck up, the options for athleticism expand to include the Center Court (for paddle tennis and volleyball), a jogging track, the Cybergolf simulator (play the world's great links), and a 9-hole putting green that’s devilishly difficult (at least when you're a duffer and there's a little bit of roll to the waves).

Tips:

• Spa treatment prices vary depending on whether the ship is in port or at sea (prices are lower on port days).
• For a quick an inexpensive mini-treatment, passengers can take advantage of 5-minute massages ($5.75) and 15-minute ankle-and-foot massages ($20) in the spa chairs right outside the Lotus Spa.
• The Lido Deck jogging track is actually closed during the day (8 AM–8 PM). We were told the crew hopes to encourage joggers to run earlier in the day as a way of reducing crowding on the deck. If you're not up for an early-morning run, head to Promenade Deck, which saw far less traffic and is better shielded on windy days.

Circling the atrium’s Grand Plaza, the ship's four boutiques offer designer brands (Armani, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, and Givenchy, to name a few) at duty-free prices. Meridian Bay offers a wide selection of watches, among other jewelry and accessories, from such designers as Kenneth Cole and DKNY Time. Calypso Cove is the closest the ship has to a sundries shop: Snacks, toiletries, and over-the-counter medicine share space with duty-free spirits, souvenirs, and Princess memorabilia. Facets features jewelry and gifts, such as Swarovski crystal, while Essence offers a variety of cosmetics (including products by Clinique, Lancôme, and Estée Lauder).

Tips:

• Avoid maxing out your digital camera's memory. For $19.95, you can open a digital account at the photo gallery. Download images to the ship's computer system as often as you want. At the end of the cruise, the crew will burn a CD for you containing all the images you've stored (CD-burning fees are based on the disk space required to hold all of your images).
• Calypso Cove has a good selection of spirits at duty-free prices. Although you can't take bottles back to your cabin, room service spirits packages are reasonably priced.

Sapphire Princess offers an extensive program of activities and events for kids and teenagers ages 3-17. With rooms and outdoor areas divided by age groups and a schedule that runs from early morning right through to evening dances and pajama parties, there's enough space (almost 10,000 square feet) and activities to keep younger passengers busy and content. Activity rooms contain numerous games, PlayStations, and play and craft areas. There are also special dinners and activities, including Cybergolf tournaments, movies, and karaoke. Children younger than three can use the facilities as long as they’re accompanied by an adult. Late-night group babysitting is available, as is port-day sitting (advance registration is required).

Sapphire Princess made her first voyages sailing the Inside Passage from Seattle in 2004. From autumn on, she will sail to Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and Asian ports, with plans to return to Seattle in May, 2005.

• Cruise line - Princess
• Year entered service - 2003
• Passenger capacity - 2670
• Ship name - Sapphire Princess
• Decks - 18
• Total cabins - 1337
• Wheelchair accessible cabins - 27
• Private balcony cabins - 748
• Officers nationality - International
• Ship length - 952 ft
• Tonnage - 113,000
• Registry - Bermuda
• Square feet per passenger - 42