Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess Drydock

Sapphire Princess is undergoing quite an extensive makeover from January 9 to February 4, 2012. in Victoria, BC.

Sapphire Princess in her winter home in Los Angeles. Photo by Carrie Finley-Bajak.

There are many improvements and enhancements underway on Sapphire Princess.  Cruise guests can look forward to signature Princess Cruises upgrades like Movies Under the Stars and a complete makeover of the Sapphire’s atrium, which is getting   transformed  into the Piazza (my favorite place in the ship), featuring the International Café, Vines Wine Bar and Alfredo’s Pizzeria.

Also part of the renovation are several relocated and upgraded venues, including the Art Gallery, Internet Café and Library, and the Photo-Video Gallery. New carpet and upholstery will be installed throughout the ship, and staterooms will feature new flat-screen televisions.

Cruise guests embarking on Sapphire Princess on February 4th will be the first to enjoy the transformed ship.

The Sanctuary on Princess Cruises. Photo by Carrie Finley-Bajak,

Highlights of  Sapphire Princess’ makeover include:

• Piazza Atrium – The ship’s atrium space will be redesigned to include this signature Princess feature — a European-inspired social hub of the ship combining always-changing quick bites and light meals, beverages, entertainment, shopping and guest services.
• Alfredo’s Pizzeria – Introduced last year aboard Grand Princess, Alfredo’s will expand to its second location on Sapphire Princess.
• Movies Under the Stars – Sapphire Princess will be the final ship to introduce Movies Under the Stars on board. The giant poolside movie screen.
• The Sanctuary – Sapphire Princess is the final ship to receive The Sanctuary, an adults-only retreat (and my favorite hangout).  Added prior to drydock, the Sanctuary space is ready for passengers.

Keep up with the buzz online to watch the transformation. Princess Cruises is featuring a daily photo highlight of the transformation on its social media outlets, including Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Google+.

What is your favorite Princess Cruises Signature Feature?

Exotic Asia – Cruise Destination Review

What is an exotic cruise destination?

Exotic describes someone or something that is foreign or unusual. So that means that an exotic cruise offers an itinerary that is unique (not offered week after week). For a non-cruiser that could mean just about anywhere. But for the experienced cruise traveler what means a destination that is off the beatern-path.

Fruit sellers - Taling Chan Floating Market Thailand - photo by avlxyz

Choose a Southeast Asisan cruise itinerary to discover  the floating market of the Taling Chan district of Bangkok, Thailand or visit the  French colonial buildings and opera theaters of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The Great Wall of China. Photo by Carrie Finley-Bajak.

A wonder and an item that shows up on a blot of ‘bucket lists” is a visit to China’s Great Wall. Northern routes will take you from Hong Kong, Shanghai, Dalian, and Eastward to South Korea and Japan.

Exotic Asia cruising: Shanghai. Yùfó Chán Sì, literally Jade Buddha Chan Temple) is a Buddhist temple in Shanghai, China

WuXi, near Shanghai.

East meets West: tour guide Jack at Taiqing Palace in China.

Taoist Monks near Mt. Laoshan at Taiqing Palace. Photo by Carrie Finley-Bajak.

Hakata, Japan.

Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul, South Korea.

 Popular posts about cruising in Asia on Cruise Buzz:

• Going ashore with Silversea Cruises: The water town of Zhujiajiao
• Photo recap of top sites in Shanghai
• Exploring ashore with Silversea Cruises in Qingdao, China
• Qingdao China cruise port overview
• Pre cruise photo recap: 24 hours in Seoul, South Korea
• Cruise Review Silversea Cruises Voyage 3126
• Port Profile: Incheon for Seoul, South Korea - Cruise Buzz
• Hong Kong - Cruise Buzz … and more
• China and Japan via Princess Cruises - Cruise Buzz (and more)

The Port of Los Angeles | Winter Cruise Season 2012

We love our cruise ships!

If it’s winter that means prime-time for cruise calls at the Port of Los Angeles.  Even though Los Angeles is a year round cruise destination, the winter months mark the time when the port welcomes ships that normally make infrequent calls.

Some of the ships that will call on the World Cruise Center at the Port of Los Angeles

• Crystal Symphony, which departs Los Angeles for Hawaii on Dec. 21 will also call again on January 4th embarking on a 13-day journey to the Panama Canal on January 4.
• Cunard Line is set to sail to Hawaii  on December 21 for a 14-day voyage aboard the Queen Victoria. Also scheduled for this ship from LA: a 15-day cruise to Fort Lauderdale via the Panama Canal on Jan. 4; a 14-day voyage to Hawaii on February 14; and a 17-day cruise to New York via the Panama Canal on February 28.
• Princess Cruises’ Sapphire Princess offers a 7-night sailing adventure to Mexico on December 31, February 18 and 25. The Sapphire Princess also cruises to Hawaii for 14 nights on Dec. 17 and Feb 4. The Golden Princess heads to Hawaii for 14 nights on December 21, January 4 and 18, February 1, 15 and 29.  Coral Princess leaves LA for Fort Lauderdale via the Panama Canal and multiple stops in the Caribbean for 14 nights on December 20, January 17 and February 14.
• Seabourn Odyssey offers several options to the Pacific from a 20-day “Pacific Tradewinds” cruise to exotic French Polynesia to the 60-day “Stars of the Southern Cross” trip to Australia and New Zealand as well as Hawaii. All voyages depart the Port of Los Angeles on January 5, 2012.

Making LA home for the winter

• Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wonder sets sail on a seven-night adventure to the Mexican Riviera almost every Sunday.
• New to the lineup and offering shorter cruises to Baja, Mexico from Carnival Cruise Line is Carnival Inspiration.

San Pedro - Port of Los Angeles Cruise Ship Calendar for 2012

A photo showcase of some of the most interesting weather extremes that I have had from my cruises.

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.  ~John Ruskin

Snow on Ocean Princess in China

The pool deck on Ocean Princess

Sailing on Ocean Princess in early 2011 it actually snowed when we arrived to Dalian, China. For those that like the snow, like me, I thought it was so exciting to see the decks covered in the white stuff. Read more about the snow day from China.

Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain.  ~ Author Unknown

Rain in Japan

Rainy day schedule in Japan

When Ocean Princess called on the neighboring cities of Fukuoka, Tenjin, and Hakata as part of the 12 day China and Japan cruise itinerary it was a little wet. Not one to let some rain stop me from exploring the city, @CruiseJess and I walked around and during our visit to a shine, a random stranger gave me an umbrella. Read more here.

Now to the sunshine

A ship, the sea and a sunny day.

This is actually in the Caribbean during a sea day as we cruised to the island of Haiti to deliver aid in conjunction with the Cruise4Haiti voluncruise.

Question: What is the most extreme weather you have experienced on a cruise vacation?

Cruise news for The Port of Southampton

The Port of Southhampton can be a busy place when one ship is in town, but when six cruise ships are in town, watch out!

Crown Princess, Grand Princess, P&O Cruises Ventura, Fred. Olsen’s Balmoral, Celebrity Eclipse and Phoenix Reisen’s Artania put the port on high-alert.

During the course of the day the Port of Southampton will accommodate over 65,000 crew and passengers getting off and onboard the cruise ships. And once those passengers are sorted and the baggage and provisions are taken care of, the ships will begin the sail- away dance of the ships.

Summary of navigation events

Navigating the Port of Southampton

Cruise ships enter into Southampton begin their journey into the Solent at 15-minute intervals.

Embarking just east of the Isle of Wight, each cruise ship is piloted by a highly experienced ABP Pilot through the Eastern Solent and Southampton Water to the ‘designated berth’.

The Southampton VTS team (based in an air traffic control like structure looking over Southampton Waters), advises each of the six ABP pilots when to head off from the pilot station in Gosport, on one of the two brightly coloured orange launches crewed by a Marine Officer and a Coxswain, and wait within the ‘Nab Tower boarding areas’.

2.5 hour pilot navigation from pilot entry to berth

The pilots embark on each of the cruise ships and join the ship’s Master to steer the cruise ship to its berth, which takes around 2.5 hours.

To keep up with CruiseSouthampton.com, an information website for cruise passengers and crew travelling from Southampton

Related story: Southampton England Shipageddon like Los Angeles Carmageddon