Making these changes to the 2004-built ship was ‘an important step to ensure that our signature shipboard features can be found wherever our passengers want to sail,’ said Princess evp Jan Swartz.
The atrium was redesigned into a European-inspired social hub, the Piazza, with an International Café for pastries, fresh panini, salads, fresh-baked cookies and coffee drinks. The new Vines wine bar offers a selection of more than 30 wines by the glass, plus tapas and sushi, and a wine shop for bottle purchases.
Introduced last year aboard Grand Princess, Alfredo’s Pizzeria has now expanded to its second location, on Sapphire Princess. The sit-down pizzeria serves freshly prepared, hand-stretched, individual-size pizzas, made in an open kitchen.
Sapphire Princess became the final ship in the fleet to introduce a Movies Under the Stars screen for feature films, concerts, awards shows and sports events. Passengers can view the shows from padded loungers under fleece blankets. Complimentary popcorn and other treats are available.
The ship was also the last in the Princess fleet to incorporate The Sanctuary, a tranquil deck retreat for adults that was added prior to the drydock.
Also part of the renovation were several relocated and upgraded venues, including the Art Gallery, Internet Café and Library, and the Photo-Video Gallery. New carpet, upholstery and tile work was added throughout, and staterooms now feature new flat-screen televisions.
Sapphire Princess sailed Saturday from Los Angeles on a 14-day round-trip Hawaiian Islands cruise.
