Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess

Page 6

Dining

With ten dining venues, plus snack bars, Sapphire Princess offered a variety of places to enjoy our meals. The diversity of menus is not ten, because five separate dining rooms share the same menu. Rather than being a limitation, the advantage of this arrangement is that one isn’t stuck in a main dining room that seats more than 1,000, as is common on most ships of this size.

At the five main dining rooms—called International, Pacific Moon, Santa Fe, Savoy and Vivaldi—there were a number of dishes we ordered that were good or very good. Each of these venues also had their own signature dish for the entire cruise—fajitas at Santa Fe, veal osso bucco at Vivaldi—but we didn’t find these entrées merited any special attention. Breakfast and lunch were served in the International Dining Room, and there were a couple special events: a British pub-style lunch at Savoy and afternoon tea at Pacific Moon on sea days. Service at the main dining rooms was perfunctory more than personal. But by and large, we’d rate our experiences at these restaurants as satisfactory.

The ship’s buffet option, Horizon Court—expanded in 2012—was solid, and we found the delicious pastries showcased here (and at the International Café) to be a highlight of our Sapphire Princess cruise. The new pizzeria Alfredo’s (not to be confused with Prego Pizzeria on the Lido Deck) was an excellent option.

There are two restaurants that require a $20 surcharge. Sabatini’s offered decent Italian, and although we didn’t find the food to be substantially better than in the five main dining rooms, the service was more personalized and the ambience slightly more elegant and subdued. Sterling Steakhouse, however, was disappointing on most levels.

During the booking process Princess offered us a choice of the traditional dining plan, with dinner seatings at either 5:30 or 8 p.m. in the International Dining Room or 5:30 p.m. in Vivaldi, or Anytime Dining. Those on the latter plan could dine any time between 5:30 and 10 p.m. in Santa Fe, Pacific Moon, Savoy and (after 8 p.m.) Vivaldi. Reservations could be made, though we didn’t have much of a wait when we showed up without one.

Note that we did not find any tables for two in the International Dining Room, but two-tops were available in the four other main dining rooms.

	International Dining Room	International
	Guests who select Princess’ Traditional Dining plan have dinner here nightly.
	Pacific Moon Dining Room	International
	A vaguely Asian style defines this room, but menu offerings are continental.
	Santa Fe Dining Room	International
	It’s the American southwest—in theme anyway.
	Savoy Dining Room	International
	A steakhouse aura embraces this restaurant, another of the ship’s five main dining rooms.
	Vivaldi Dining Room	International
	Perhaps the most elegant of the main dining rooms on Sapphire Princess.
	Horizon Court	International
	The buffet restaurant on Sapphire Princess has been expanded and offered a good selection throughout the day and evening.
	Sabatini’s	Italian	$20
	An Italian restaurant that provides a nice change of pace from the main dining rooms.
	Sterling Steakhouse	Steakhouse	$20
	A true steakhouse in name only.
	Alfredo’s Pizzeria	Pizza
	The menu was short but delicious.
	Trident Grill and Prego Pizzeria	Pizza, Barbecue
	These side-by-side eateries on the Lido Deck were fine for quick bites near the Neptune’s Reef pool.
	International Café	Comfort Food
	We found coffee drinks and light meals here at all hours of the day and night.