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En voyage to the Sapphire Princess
Today, we took the Alaskan Railroad train again from Anchorage to Whittier. The journey this time was much shorter. Check in was at 8.45 for a 9.45 departure and we arrived at Whittier about 3 hours later.
Fascinating Facts - "Showing up Every Day" Program
Sapphire Princess - Accommodation Review
There is very little in Whittier other than the port itself. The railroad stops right by the port, so as we turned the last bend of the track, the beautiful Sapphire Princess came into view. Embarkation was swift and efficient. Our luggage was whisked away and appeared in our cabin shortly after we did.
Some of the accommodation/transportarrangements on this trip had not been as comfortable as we might have liked and I was really looking forward to a bit of luxury on this last portion of our great Alaskan adventure. Princess Cruises did not disappoint.
We booked this trip entirely ourselves, directly and did not use a travel agent. We saved a considerable amount of cash by doing that and splashed some of it on a suite.
When I say cabin, that is something of an understatement… We have a large, comfy bed, a lovely bathroom with a deep bath, a lounge area and, best of all, a huge balcony that wraps itself around the front of the ship with a dining table and chairs, 2 steamer chairs and still plenty of room to walk around! Flowers, fruit and a full bar – I could get used to this!
It felt very luxurious to have this much space to ourselves, but it was a great choice because you spend a lot of time on the ship and having our own sweeping balcony right along the side of the ship gives you absolutely perfect views. Booking the suite also gives you some lovely little luxurious treats – like chocolate covered strawberries being delivered to your cabin etc. Well – you do only live once!
Booking the suite gave us the option for a complimentary embarkation night meal at one of the signature restaurants – Sabatinis. They offered a wide ranging Italian themed menu and we decided we would sample what they had to offer. Champagne and canapés were delivered to our cabin and then we dined on artichoke soufflé, signature pasta entrées, lobster, steak and zabaglione. A beautiful meal at a table for two with a superb view of an icy, calm sea. Perfect!
